In Class 102, every student now had a white box on their desk. They looked at it with anticipation, eyes shining with excitement as the last name on the list was called. One final student stood up, retrieved his box, and returned to his seat with a satisfied grin.
At the front, Stacy watched him walk back, then shook her head slightly and addressed the class.
"Ahem. Now that everyone has received their box, I ask you to please open it and follow my instructions."
She spoke clearly, her tone practiced.
"On the top of the box, there's a button. Press it gently, and wait for it to open."
The room was filled with quiet clicks as students pressed the buttons. The top section of each box slid back smoothly, then lifted slightly to reveal its contents: a sleek, dark headgear with glowing lines carved along its edges, and next to it, a sealed glass tube filled with a glowing blue liquid. The liquid shimmered faintly, giving off a light that made it seem almost alive. The vial was sealed with a small wooden cork.
Stacy nodded once before continuing.
"Inside your box are two items. The first is your headgear. It is directly connected to the Vaelwyn System. It allows you to enter the world of Vaelwyn and interact with it on a neural level. The second item is a potion—more precisely, a mana infusion. It temporarily introduces a trace amount of mana into your body, which is needed to power the headgear."
She paused and looked around the room to make sure everyone was following.
"You haven't awakened yet, so you don't have your own mana source. This potion acts as a substitute, just enough to initialize the connection. After your Awakening, your own mana will be used."
Stacy folded her hands behind her back.
"Now, please open the vial and drink the contents all at once. Do not save any. The potion is produced from the Celestara Spring, which is controlled by the royal family. It's rare, and every batch is limited. There will be no refills."
Kael picked up the tube, removed the cork, and gave it a cautious sniff. A soft, natural scent rose up, slightly sweet, like fresh rain on leaves. It felt oddly familiar, almost calming.
Without hesitation, he lifted it to his lips and drank the whole thing in one breath.
As soon as the liquid reached his throat, it didn't flow downward like a normal drink. Instead, it spread through his entire body like a gentle surge of energy, moving along his nerves and settling into his limbs. His body felt lighter, his thoughts clearer. The haze that had clouded his memory since the moment of transmigration began to lift. The persistent headache eased. For the first time since waking up in this world, his mind felt... stable.
He placed the vial down and rubbed his chin.
"I wouldn't mind drinking more of that," he muttered to himself.
The thought came half-joking, half-serious. He was already thinking about how he might get his hands on another one someday, maybe stea- oh I mean "borrow" it temporarily. For research purposes, of course.
Before the idea could go any further, Stacy spoke again.
"Next, place your headgear over your head. The login process will begin automatically. It uses iris scanning and connects directly to your neural pathways. The device will bind to your mana signature, making it impossible for anyone else to use."
Some students began murmuring, and Stacy added, almost as an afterthought, "And yes, girls, everything you care about will be stored and protected within the system. No one else can access your gear." which seemed to settle any remaining hesitation.
Kael picked up the headgear, adjusted the straps, and took a breath. "Alright then... let's see what this world has in store."
He placed it over his head.
Kael sat down in his seat—not on a standard student chair, but a high-backed leather one. Supple, padded, and slightly reclined for comfort. Before him stood a polished desk with a biometric fingerprint lock, designed to store his books, stationery, and the standard-issue student tablet.
'This,' he thought,'really one thing I genuinely admire about this world.'
Even in a remote, underdeveloped city like theirs, Celestara's education system didn't hold back on student facilities. No creaky desks, no overcrowded classrooms, no hand-me-down tech. The nation treated its students like assets, not burdens. They provided comfort, privacy, and stability, because each child was considered an investment in Celestara's future.
"Technologia. It's technologia." He muttered it like a mantra.
Then, ten seconds later, his consciousness lurched violently. His vision snapped to black as his body collapsed in the chair—temporarily unconscious.
When his awareness returned, the world had changed.
He stood upright in an endless white void—blank and silent. There was no sound, no movement. Only a translucent blue screen floated before him, accompanied by a lifelike hologram of himself.
[Please choose your name and appearance.]
"Character customization."
'Still the best part of any VR game,' Kael thought, allowing a flicker of anticipation to break his stoic expression.
Of course, even in this world, there were limits. Body proportions and facial features could only be altered by up to 20% of the user's real-world metrics. The system wouldn't let you stray too far from your original form. After all, realism had its rules.
He crossed his arms and tilted his head at the hologram.
"Name should be… Lumen."
He paused to consider his next choices.
"Full 20% alteration on the face. Change the hair to white. Eyes stay as they are—Velvet Blue."
The clothes were already standard-issue: the typical newbie gear. Bland but functional.
Some students would probably beg their families for cosmetic items the moment they left the academy. Kael didn't have that luxury. His financial situation didn't allow for vanity. He didn't even bother entertaining the thought.
He glanced back at his hologram and nodded in approval.
The cold face with black eyes and black hair was gone—replaced by a radiant, handsome young man with soft features and a quiet charm. The kind of look that could be mistaken for a protagonist in a dating sim.
Kael let out a quiet laugh under his breath.
"How many women will lose their minds over me…?" kael said in narcissist tone
The screen updated.
[Profession Roulette]
[Start?]
Kael didn't even blink. He selected [Yes].
The wheel burst into motion, rotating at high speed, each section flashing a different color: white, green, blue, purple, gold, translucent red—and a bright white-platinum at the center.
The spin began to slow.
For most players, this would be the moment their hearts pounded. Fingers clenched. Prayers whispered.
Kael merely watched.
It didn't matter what class he received. Rare or common, strong or weak—he would reach the top with it.
That was the confidence of a former VR world champion.
The light dimmed.
The wheel stopped on a blue section.
[Class Acquired: Mage – Rare]
Kael raised a hand to his chin, studying the result.
"Not bad. A mage class. Good base damage in the early game, and high potential if built right."
The system panel unfolded, showing his base status.
---
Name: Lumen
Class: Mage
Level: 01 (0%)
HP: 50 (10× CON)
MP: 25 (5× INT)
STR: 5
INT: 5
CON: 5
DEX: 5
DEF: 5
(Note: Physical Defense scales with CON; Magical Defense scales with INT.)
Talent: [Cross Class – SSS]
Skills:
[Fireball Lv. 1 (0 EXP)]
---
His gaze stopped at the talent line. For a second, he forgot to breathe.
[Cross Class – SSS]
(Description: Tch. Lucky brat. You can use more than just mage skills now, huh?)
"…You've got to be kidding me," he whispered.
He barely had time to process it before the system chimed again.
[Game is about to start.]
[1%]
[5%]
[23%]
[69%]
[100%]
[Welcome to Vaelwyn.]