Sunlight stabbed through the thin curtains, landing square on his face. Shey Haste groaned and rolled over—only to meet a ceiling that wasn't his own. The plaster was chipped at the corners, and a faint dampness clung to the air.
He sat up slowly. The bed creaked like it might collapse. The sheets were stiff; the room plain—a bare desk, a tiny stool with a satchel on top, and his academy uniform hanging by the door.
"…What the hell."
His voice came out dry. Not because something felt wrong, but because everything felt too ordinary.
The kind of room a broke student might rent near campus.
A small envelope sat on the desk. The seal bore a familiar crest—two interlocking triangles with a line of text beneath: Multiv Academy.
"...Did I seriously crossover?"
The name sparked something faintly in his memory, like recalling a dream right before it fades. He rubbed his temple, scanning the neat handwriting inside.
[New students are required to attend the entrance ceremony at the Central Hall by 9:00 a.m.]
His eyes flicked to the wall clock [8:32 AM].
"…Great start, Shey."
He shoved himself off the bed and took a deep breath as he moved toward the hanger attached to the door. His uniform hung awkwardly, full of wrinkles.
The uniform consisted of a black coat with silver lines running along the seams, a crisp white shirt, black pants, and polished black shoes.
With a sigh, he decided to dress up. The collar scratched at his neck, and the tie took him three attempts to get halfway decent.
Outside the window, rows of rooftops stretched into an endless forest of wooden houses and muddy streets. The air was damp—thick with the kind of moisture that clings to the start of something bad...
"The Kozlovka District, huh?" Shey muttered under his breath.
He slung the satchel over his shoulder and stepped into the hallway. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet as he made his way down to the taproom.
The distinct stench of alcohol lingered, even though it was still morning.
As he made his way to the reception desk, he felt a few eyes lingering on his back—rough faces, sunken cheeks, and the faint stench of unwashed bodies. After paying the inn's fee for the night, none of them spared him a second glance.
He stepped outside, the damp air clinging to his clothes, carrying the mixed scent of smoke, mud, and something sour from the alleys beyond.
With mud beneath his boots, and the morning light struggled through a haze of mist, casting the Marrow District in a pale, weary glow.
Even though Shey was running low on time, hurrying wouldn't yield a different result. Despite having transmigrated into what seemed like a fantasy world, he couldn't actually remember anything about it—beyond the common knowledge his own mind already contained.
He didn't know if this was the world of some novel he had read, or something entirely new.
And even if it were, he couldn't be certain. After all, cross-referencing such memories would be nearly impossible.
Unless it was something major, he probably wouldn't be able to recall it anyway—Shey had read through countless novel, manga, manhwa, manhua, and more. Remembering everything? That would be… Well, an impossible task, having easily surpassing three thousand works.
Instead of panicking or denying reality, he had already accepted his fate.
After all, transmigrating into another world was practically a cliché these days, so he stayed relatively calm.
Of course, Shey still wondered what had happened to his real body. He hadn't been in an accident or anything—he had simply gone to sleep and woken up here. Was he crushed under his roof? Or Did his body just stop working one night? He didn't know, nor he wasn't eager to find out.
For now, he was alive and breathing. That was good enough for him.
Countless thoughts ran through Shey's mind as he walked. The muddy road gradually turned into brick pavement, and after about forty-seven minutes, he finally reached Multiv Academy.
He had known about the academy, of course—but seeing it in person was something else entirely.
The building rose like a gothic castle from the late 1900s, its purple-tinted windows gleaming beneath the sun and deep crimson crystals embedded along its highest spires.
A massive banner bearing the academy's insignia fluttered proudly from the central tower.
It was, without question, the most beautiful structure he had ever seen.
"Just the sheer size of this thing makes me feel like shit on the sidewalk," Shey muttered as he started toward the academy gates.
"You know, that's an odd way to put it," a sharp voice called from behind him.
Shey yelped and looked around—only to see nothing. Well, until he glanced down.
Standing there was a short, petite girl barely four feet tall, her Ginger hair tied back neatly. She wore the same academy uniform as him except it had golden lines, though her size made it easy to mistake her for a middle schooler—at least, if not for the uniform.
"Uh… you are?" Shey said, still a little thrown off by the girl's height.
"Hm? Oh, right—let me introduce myself." The girl straightened, puffing out her chest slightly. "I'm Syriz Ains, member of the student council. You seem like a freshman… why are you still here?"
"Ainz?" An image of a certain character flashed in Shey's mind, but he shook it off quickly.
"Not Ainz—Ains! You can call me Senior Ains. Anyway, since you're late, I'll guide you to the entrance ceremony."
"Oh. Right. I'm... Shey Haste."
Walking along the path, Syriz decided to explain a few things—Shey might have missed them—before they reached the room where the entrance ceremony was being held.
Waving at Shey, Syriz returned to her duties, while the latecomer Shey tried to sneak in without drawing attention. Though, as it turned out, people still noticed him.
Not wanting to draw attention, he chose a seat at the far edge of the room, away from prying eyes.
'Guess I'll be remembered as the guy who was late on the first day… But… why does this feel so familiar? It's like something's forcing me to remember.' Leaning against the chair, he swept his gaze across the room, trying to find anything he could recognise.
But it all felt new, and yet strangely familiar at the same time.
'I fucking wonder why~'
As the dreadful speech, which lasted well over half an hour even after missing most of it, came to an end, he finally went to the classroom he was designated to—D Class.
Nothing too advanced like A Class, nor too low like F Class. He was satisfied with that; after all, being in D Class meant he had potential to be a knight if he tried fucking hard.
'Huh, how did I know that? Was that in my mind…? It feels like whenever I think of certain things, more memories just keep popping up.'
Shey felt chills as the knowledge seamlessly blended with his mind. But knowing that the fact he had transmigrated alone was already a big mystery, he couldn't really say much after all he knew nothing. So he quickly composed himself.
Since it was the first day, nothing major should happen, right?