Weapon selection was the most important thing for a Cube cadet, as it would determine their combat style.
"Any weapon you can think of should be here."
The instructor led us to a hall filled with every possible weapon, past or present.
"Stand in front of the weapon you want. We'll hand out training versions of those weapons. But don't underestimate them just because they're for training — their market price is five million won."
Hearing that number made me wonder how much that was in dollars.
I looked at all the weapons available.
Sword, spear, bow, saber, dagger, rapier, halberd, etc… Everyone stood in front of the weapon they wanted, so I walked over to the one I wanted.
"Choose carefully. Once you pick your main weapon, you can't change it for six months."
I knew Lucien used a sword, so I grabbed a katana — just because I liked the design.
"It doesn't feel any different."
I had thought I would feel something special when I picked it up, but there was nothing.
I looked around to see what weapons the other novel characters had chosen.
-Kim Suho chose the sword.
-Shin Jonghak chose the spear.
-Rachel chose the rapier.
-Chae Nayun chose the bow and arrow.
-Yoo Yeonha chose the whip.
Seeing they all picked the same as in the novel gave me some reassurance. I awkwardly strapped the katana to my waist — and suddenly, everything went silent.
"Kim Chundong."
I realized that all the cadets were staring at one person — he had chosen a gun as his weapon.
That confirmed it... I was in The Novel's Extra.
"Didn't you use a sword?"
The instructor began questioning Kim Chundong.
"I decided to change my weapon."
"After coming to Cube?"
"Yes."
The instructor looked annoyed.
"That's fine. Cadets are free to make their own decisions in Cube. Instructors won't interfere at all — but that also means all responsibility falls on the cadets."
The instructor moved on, while whispers began to spread among the cadets.
"And to think he'll become incredibly strong."
Everyone looked down on him. Even in the end, they wouldn't know everything he did for this world.
"You can easily change the main weapon you chose today. And regardless of what you pick, you'll go through the same training and tests. That means the weaknesses of a weapon become your own, so you must master them."
The instructor stared at Kim Hajin, making me wonder what kind of face he was making — I still couldn't see past that blurry, unrecognizable face.
"Now, we'll assign your rooms, and your personal belongings will be sent there. After that, you're free. Classes start in four days, next Monday."
*****
We followed the instructor to the dorms, where some people were already mocking Kim Hajin for choosing a gun.
"For being 17, some of them act like little kids."
"What, do you have a thing for that gunman?"
I looked beside me again — it was the pink-haired girl.
"I just think it's pointless to get mad at someone for choosing their weapon. If the gun was there, it means they expected someone might pick it, right?"
That was something I'd wondered the first time I read The Novel's Extra: Why was there even a gun in the lineup? It wasn't useful to most at Cube, since everyone was expected to be fairly strong, and no one would choose a firearm. It had always seemed strange.
"Even if there was one, it would've made more sense to pick a crossbow or a bow. Everyone knows a pistol is a bad choice."
She had a look of disdain toward Kim Hajin, so I simply ignored her.
I looked to the other side and saw the three women considered Cube's top beauties — both in the story and in the fandom.
Chae Nayun, Yoo Yeonha, and Rachel. They were undeniably attractive. While the webnovel only described them vaguely, seeing them in the manhwa — and now in person — was an entirely different experience.
"Here are the dorms for first-years."
We arrived at six gigantic skyscrapers.
According to the instructor, each building had 100 floors, with five rooms per floor.
He explained that rooms were assigned based on grades, but even if your scores were the lowest, you'd still get your own room.
The top three cadets from the Military Academy would get a penthouse each — although Kim Suho declined his, saying it was too big.
"Boys on the right, girls on the left. The key to your rooms will be stored in the smartwatches you're receiving now."
He began handing out the smartwatches, so I accepted mine. Kim Hajin had frozen up for a second, but after a scolding, he went to get his smartwatch too.
The room was far bigger than the place I'd been living before.
It had a sofa, bed, kitchen, TV, computer, and even a few magical tools.
"How much does all this cost?"
I sat on the couch and dropped my laptop bag beside me.
Ding dong
The doorbell rang, and a robotic voice spoke from the other side.
Rank 200, Lucien Cross. Here. Is. Your. Luggage.
I looked through the small screen on the wall and saw a robot holding a box.
I opened the door and took it.
[Hero Military Academy — Rank 200 — Lucien Cross. Personal belongings.]
"Rank 200?!"
Compared to Kim Hajin, who started around rank 900, that was a massive difference.
"Who were you, Lucien Cross?"
Inside were a few books, some clothes, and a strange notebook.
I picked up the notebook, which had a bunch of numbers written in it, and kept flipping through it until a card fell out.
"And this?"
I picked up the card — my smartwatch activated.
"What the…?"
[Smartwatch unlocking]
Various documents appeared on the screen — including access to Violet Banquet.
[Awaiting confirmation]
"Awaiting confirmation?"
I had no idea what was happening, until I remembered the laptop. I turned it on and tried connecting to Violet Banquet.
"Let's see if this works."
I placed the card next to the laptop, and it began displaying various numbers.
[Enter code]
"Now it wants a code."
I searched the notebook, trying to figure out what the code might be.
"This notebook has to have the code I need… But which one is it?"
I spent hours trying to decipher the code, and eventually found a few scattered letters among the numbers.
"R-?-A-?-?-R-?-?-?... What a weird mess."
I had managed to identify only three letters, but they didn't form any recognizable word. I kept searching… until I fell asleep, sometime after nightfall.
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