The sunlight made it hard for Clara to open her eyes. She raised her hand to shield them and slowly blinked, only to be struck with awe and disbelief—right in front of her stood the prestigious Lumen Academy, the very one from The Hero Rises! game! Even the world's currency, the Lumen, had been named after this academy.
"W-wow! It's beautiful! B-but what am I doing here?! Hey, send me back!"
As Clara silently cried inside, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Acting on instinct, she spun around and drew the pistol from her holster, pointing it straight at the black-haired, blue-eyed girl who had touched her.
'W-what? D-did I just do that?! I-I can't do things like this!'
The black-haired girl quickly raised both hands in the air.
"Hey, calm down and lower the gun."
Realizing what she had just done, Clara snapped out of it at the girl's words and hastily lowered her weapon.
"A-ah… I'm sorry… I-I acted purely on instinct."
The girl lowered her hands.
"I just wanted to tell you not to stand in the middle of the path. A lot of students are heading this way to register for the entrance exam—you're blocking them."
"Oh… I must've zoned out. Sorry about that."
"Alright then, I'll be going. Don't just stand here anymore."
As the girl left, Clara stared down at her pistol and froze again. She could faintly see her reflection on its surface. Quickly, she grabbed a lock of her hair and pulled it in front of her face.
Her hair was no longer black—it was silver. Suddenly, something from the game hit her. In the game, there was only one family famous for their silver hair and their infamous underground assassinations… The Nivalis Family! No way… This can't be happening! Am I really Luna Nivalis?!
To be sure, Clara checked her reflection again, and there was no mistake. She had truly entered the game and become Luna Nivalis!
Whatever. They told me I'd be able to make my own choices and change the story as I wish, right? And since they told me to enjoy this new life, this must be my reality now. For now, let's stop overthinking and head to the entrance exam registration.
At last, Luna stopped lingering and walked into the academy, searching for the reception desk. After a few minutes, she found it.
Quite a long line, huh?
Nearly an hour later, it was finally her turn.
"I'd like to register for the academy's entrance exam."
The receptionist looked at Luna and smiled.
"May I have your name?"
"Luna Nivalis."
The receptionist muttered under her breath, "Luna Nivalis… You've already applied online, and your application was approved. Which means… you've just wasted your time standing in line. At the very least, let me brief you so this wasn't for nothing. The exams start tomorrow, and only the first test's content is known: it will measure elemental affinity and weapon compatibility. The rankings will be listed from the highest elemental affinity to the lowest. The second exam's content will be revealed by the headmaster right before it begins. Dorm rooms will be assigned and made available after the exams."
Luna nodded, thanked the receptionist, and left the academy. Once outside, she sat on a bench in a quiet spot, when suddenly, she remembered the girl she met earlier—the one with black hair and ocean-blue eyes. Then, another realization hit her. She… She's the main heroine of Route One… Aurelia! You idiot, Luna! Why did you point a gun at her?! That was the perfect chance to get closer to a main character!
As Luna berated herself, a golden screen suddenly appeared before her.
[Welcome, dear Luna! Please log in to the Perfect Ending System!]
"You damned bastards! Send me back!"
[That request is impossible. This is where you belong, and you have already accepted it yourself. Please log in to the Perfect Ending System. Also, remember: to communicate with the system, you only need to think your words. Otherwise, others may start thinking you've gone insane.]
Luna cursed inwardly but managed to restrain herself. How do I log in to this stupidly-named system?
[Simply say 'Log in.']
"Log in."
[Confirmed. Luna Nivalis has successfully logged in to the Perfect Ending System. From now on, whenever you think the word "system," you will gain access. By completing system missions, you can earn Karma Points, which can be used to purchase items from the System Market! You can also use the system's spatial inventory to store unlimited items! This concludes the tutorial. Best of luck in your new life, Luna Nivalis.]
"YOU CALL THIS A TUTORIAL?!" Luna was on the verge of exploding, but she quickly took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Relax, girl. You'll get your revenge on this stupid tutorial during the second exams. Just relax…
After forcing herself to calm down, Luna spent the rest of the day exploring both the system's features and the parts of the city near the academy. With the 100,000 Lumen she had received as a welcome gift from the system, she rented a hotel room for two nights for 20,000, and spent another 10,000 on food at restaurants.
"Man… Even though it's the same dishes, the food in this world tastes way better than in my old one!"
As night fell, Luna returned to her hotel. The moment she entered her room, she threw herself onto the bed.
"Damn, hotel beds are so comfy! I hope the dorm beds at the academy are this nice!"
System.
"The first mission should've appeared by now! And… it must be related to the Lumen Academy entrance exam."
Just as she expected, the first mission appeared—and it was indeed tied to the exam.
[Mission: Place first in both entrance exam tests.
Reward: 10,000 Karma Points, x1 Ability]
"These rewards are generous… I'll definitely take first place."
With her decision made, Luna closed the system, turned off the lights, and drifted off to sleep.
•••
[The Next Morning]
The Lumen Academy entrance exam was about to begin, and countless people had gathered in the academy's grand hall. Most students had their families with them—even the King and Queen had arrived. Before entering, everyone was assigned a seat number, and to Luna's misfortune, she had drawn the front row.
Lucky me, huh…
On stage, the professors stood in a neat line, while the headmaster stood at the center beside a mana-measuring device. One by one, the students were called to the stage. The first student revealed a 45% affinity for water.
Not bad, but nothing amazing, thought Luna.
More students followed, but Luna paid little attention—until the headmaster called the next name.
"Crown Princess Aurelia Seradyn!"
Luna's focus immediately snapped back to the stage. There she was: long black hair, ocean-blue eyes, and a cold expression. The main heroine of Route One. Luna's favorite character.
"Please place your hand on the device."
"Yes."
Aurelia obeyed, but the moment she placed her hand on the device, she quickly withdrew it and turned her head sharply.
Who was that? Who just directed such bloodlust at me? And how can anyone be so drenched in bloodlust?! How many lives has she taken?!
"Ahem… Princess Aurelia, is there a problem?"
Aurelia turned back to the headmaster.
"N-no… I was just startled for a moment."
"There's no need to worry, Princess. With your talent, I'm certain you'll be among the top results."
Relieved, Aurelia placed her hand back on the device. The results shocked the entire hall:
Water Element – Affinity: 20%
Gasps and whispers filled the room.
—So the so-called genius princess is actually trash?
—I always knew her talent was exaggerated.
—Pathetic.
"Please, let her try again." A single voice cut through the crowd.
It was Luna.
Aurelia froze, stunned. The headmaster turned to her.
"I'm afraid everyone only has one attempt."
Luna shot to her feet.
"I don't know how, but for a brief moment I lost control of my aura. I managed to suppress it quickly, but it seems Princess Aurelia sensed it. My aura is filled with bloodlust—anyone who feels it would be stunned and lose control of their element. That's why she produced such a low result. This was my fault. Please… let her try again in my place."
The headmaster's interest in Luna grew.
'So her mastery surpasses even Princess Aurelia's? Intriguing.'
"Miss Nivalis, how can I be sure you aren't lying? If what you say is true, your mana should surpass even the princess's. Very well—I'll give you one chance. If you can prove that your mana and elemental affinity exceed hers, I'll grant Princess Aurelia another attempt."
"I accept."
'She accepted without hesitation?!Could she really be stronger than the princess?!'
Luna stepped onto the stage and stood before the device. Aurelia could only watch in shock. Why was this girl going so far for her? Even her fiancé, the Crown Prince, had never acted this way. A strange warmth stirred in Aurelia's chest.
'Why…?'
"Please place your hand on the device, Miss Nivalis."
Luna did as instructed.
[Element: Darkness – Affinity: 98%
Element: Ice – Affinity: 96%]