Almost two weeks passed where I tried to learn more about Lucien Cross, but I couldn't discover anything, except that he used a sword during his years at the Military Academy.
I tried to access Violet Banquet, but it was impossible since I didn't know the password.
I spent a lot of time on the internet or going out to eat, just trying to kill time until Cube began.
When the day finally came, I got ready in the bathroom, where I saw my face.
"It's the most average face someone could have… At least it's not a question mark."
There was nothing remarkable about my face — in fact, if I didn't focus hard enough, it almost seemed to blur.
I washed my face, put on the Cube uniform, and packed up the laptop, still unsure why it had access to Violet Banquet.
The moment I stepped outside the apartment, several people looked at me with either envy or admiration — being part of Cube marked you as elite.
When I arrived at the portal station, the receptionist gave me a dirty look at first, but when she saw I was from Cube, her attitude changed immediately.
"Being a Cube cadet sure is an advantage."
The island was massive, and it would've been nearly impossible to reach the Academy without the bus that conveniently showed up, so I got on.
While riding the bus, I opened a notebook with several names written down:
==========
--Kim Suho - Sword Saint
--Shin Jonghak - Berserk?
--Chae Nayun - Sea of Magic Power
--Yoo Yeonha - Don't know
--Rachel Elizabeth Louise - Spirits?
--Kim Horak - Enhanced Protected Energy
--Yi Yeonghan - Don't know
--Khalifa - Portals?
--Boss - Darkness?
--Jin Sahyuk - Magic Power Manipulation?
--Bell - Magic Power Body
--Kim Hajin - Author - Long-range weapons
==========
I didn't know all of them, and for some, I had no clue what their powers were, but writing their names gave me a small sense of control.
The bus took 10 minutes to arrive at the Academy.
Even among candidates with special abilities, only a small number of elite cadets could become Cube cadets.
"I wonder what my rank will be and what Gift I have."
I walked through the Cube hallways, seeing many students already chatting — likely people who already knew each other.
"Hey!"
Running toward me from behind came what I assumed was my friend — the same guy who always messaged me about how lucky everyone else was and how unfair the world was.
"Minjae."
"I messaged you so we could come together, but you ignored me."
"Sorry, I was thinking about Cube."
"It's fine. What class are you in?"
"Veritas."
Veritas — the same class as Kim Suho and his future allies, and where the Author, Kim Hajin, would also be.
"I'm in World. We're in different classes, so you better stay in touch."
"Yeah, yeah."
I waved goodbye and headed to my class.
I arrived at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and carefully opened it.
The interior was elegant — for a second, I thought I was in a hospital because of how white everything was.
There were three long, tiered rows of desks where some students were already seated.
I scanned the seats. At the back sat Shin Jonghak and Yoo Yeonha, chatting.
Further down I saw Kim Suho in the middle-front row, along with Yi Yeonghan.
Rachel was immersed in her own world, studying.
Chae Nayun looked bored, yawning repeatedly.
I tried to see if Kim Hajin or Kim Chundong were present, but I couldn't find either of them.
Since I didn't spot them, I found a seat and waited for class to start.
It was 7:50 AM and class began at 8:30, so I just had to wait.
I kept observing everyone until someone entered the classroom whose face I couldn't quite make out — that's how I knew who it was.
—Kim Chundong.
Seeing him made me wonder if he was really Kim Hajin or just the original Kim Chundong.
He took a seat and began to rest.
With time still to spare, I looked around and noticed someone nearby with long green hair who looked familiar.
"Part of Hajin's group…"
I remembered she was one of the members Kim Hajin would eventually team up with, along with Yoo Yeonha and someone else whose name I didn't remember.
I kept scanning the room, trying to recognize anyone from the manhwa, but it was hard. Even having read the web novel, it didn't help much with remembering people's appearances, even when they were described.
A few minutes later, the instructor arrived.
"Alright!"
He shouted, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Today is the first day, so there will be no special training, but I hope you all did your morning training. Training never lies — especially in the morning, when mana density is at its highest."
Hearing that made me think I should figure out where that happens — if I didn't have a great Gift, that kind of training might help.
"Now, let's begin with introductions. I'm Kim Soohyuk, the instructor in charge of you all this year."
The instructor looked exactly like in the manhwa — a good sign, since that could help me identify people.
He continued by stating his national classification and world ranking, which to me felt like he was just bragging.
"The first day always feels special. You may not have slept because of excitement or nerves, or maybe you're just happy to improve. Ohhh, or maybe you're excited to see your crush again."
Several students laughed, but fell silent as soon as he put on a serious expression.
"But Cube is different. I promise you, there will be no time for relationships here. At Cube, you'll experience various real combat scenarios. Prepare to face the horrors of the real world."
"Cube is the goal. Your success will be judged solely on your grades. Guilds only look at those. So we'll be evaluating you precisely and strictly. If you don't perform, you'll be held back. Statistically, less than half of Cube cadets graduate without repeating a semester."
As he said that, my first thought was of university — which I had just finished — and now I was in a school again… one that might be even worse.
"I'll repeat this: At Cube, you'll have to reaffirm what you've learned and sharpen your skills for combat. There will be no beginner-level training here. Remember that."
With that, the instructor finished speaking.
"Now, get ready. Today's schedule won't take long. Your first task is to choose your primary weapon."
And now comes the weapon selection.
"I really hope I have talent with swords."