If I remember it right…
The game had a lot of hidden objects scattered throughout the world — artifacts, old-world relics, forgotten skills, special quests, even secret classes that only unlocked through ridiculous, borderline suicidal requirements.
And most of those were missable.
One wrong choice, one skipped event, one forgotten item, and it was gone forever.
To access those things… you needed to take risks.
Life-ending risks.
And honestly?
If I had to choose between doing something and possibly dying
or
doing nothing and absolutely dying…
Then I'd choose doing something.
At least the odds wouldn't be zero.
If I somehow pulled it off, even by accident, my survival chances would skyrocket.
If I'm right, I'm currently in Great Sage Academy — the school with the most hidden content in the entire game.
The only issue is…
The hidden thing here is nearly impossible to get.
That…
…ring.
A legendary artifact disguised as a worthless trinket.
Only obtainable by triggering a chain of events that 99% of players gave up on.
I'm not even sure I can survive a school day, yet here I am thinking about legendary gear.
Before I could spiral further into panic, the bell rang sharply.
"Alright, class," the lecturer said as he closed his tome, "that shall conclude our lesson for today."
Chairs scraped, books shut, and conversations burst to life.
Students began moving — some leisurely, some proudly, some in tight little noble circles that immediately took over the room.
I packed my things quietly and walked out, heading toward the cafeteria.
The hallway was already noisy.
Groups casually walked together, chatting about elemental theory, sword practice, or which estate was hosting a banquet next week.
But what immediately stood out — like shining gold in a pile of rocks — was the Student Council.
A perfect, polished group surrounded by an aura of authority and wealth.
Every member had the kind of posture that screamed prestige, power, and a life where people bowed instead of bumped them.
If I remembered correctly…
one of those council members was destined to lead a coup d'état in the future.
A whole rebellion.
Mass destruction included.
People dying all over the capital.
But that wasn't my problem.
Not right now.
If I got involved with them at this stage, I might as well dig my own grave.
So I kept walking.
When I finally reached the cafeteria line, I took my place quietly.
For five precious seconds, everything was peaceful.
Normal.
Then—
Thud.
A shoulder slammed into me hard enough to push me back a step.
A blond noble stepped right in front of me, cutting the line without hesitation.
He turned his head slightly, staring down at me with a face that held no emotion — just cold, simmering hostility, as if my very existence offended him.
His eyes practically said:
"Know your place."
I backed down immediately and let him take the line.
Honestly, it was the safest choice. Staying off this guy's radar was more valuable than a tray of cafeteria food.
"Ok… sorry," I muttered.
He didn't even acknowledge me — not a glance, not a grunt.
Just that superior expression nobles wear when they think stepping on someone is normal.
Even without knowing his name, I could already tell what kind of person he was.
Bully type.
Or worse — someone with enough influence that teachers pretend not to see anything.
Before I could step forward again, a cluster of male students swaggered over and casually cut the line to join him.
Great.
A whole group.
They slapped each other on the back as if they owned the place.
"So, what do you think about that girl earlier?" one of them said, voice loud and obnoxious.
"Yeah, she's totally hot, right?" another snickered.
The blond noble smirked.
"Hmph. She's just another girl. Pretty face, but nothing impressive."
The group laughed.
It was the kind of laugh you only hear from people who've never faced consequences in their life.
Spoiled brats.
Privileged, arrogant, and painfully unaware of how replaceable they were in the grand scheme of the story.
If this were a novel…
they'd definitely be the kind of third-rate villains who appear early to annoy the protagonist and then disappear after being humiliated later.
Unfortunately, in this world?
They were dangerous.
People like them could ruin someone's life just for fun — and no one would stop them.
I lowered my gaze and stepped back slightly, shrinking my presence as much as I could.
Better not get involved with them.
At all.
The line at the cafeteria felt endless, but eventually I got my food and slipped toward an empty table by the window.
It was quiet there no one ever sat on that side, which honestly worked perfectly for me.
Less attention.
Less trouble.
As I picked at my meal, a strange feeling crawled up my back—like someone's eyes were glued to me.
Probably just the nerves from that incident earlier… or maybe paranoia was becoming a hobby of mine.
As the midday break came to an end, students slowly started heading back to class.
Some were chatting, some were still chewing food, some were already running because they were late.
Meanwhile, I was just walking down the hall, minding my own business, thinking about how I survived the morning classes without exposing myself as a total fraud.
Then suddenly—
fwshh
Someone passed me. Fast.
Really fast.
A cold chill ran straight down my spine like a blade of ice.
I stopped walking.
"...What was that?"
I turned around immediately, eyes scanning the hallway.
But nothing.
Nobody.
Not even a shadow.
Just students walking normally like nothing happened.
I frowned.
That definitely wasn't my imagination. Someone passed by me. I felt it. Like the air got sliced in half. And the chill was real too. Like something brushing against my neck.
But the person was gone. Completely gone.
No footsteps.
No fading silhouette.
Just… vanished.
I clicked my tongue.
"Great. First day here and I am already feeling something weird."
I shook my head and forced myself to move.
No point overthinking it.
Not right now.
I headed to our next class schedule.
Combat training.
Great. Just great.
Of all things, it had to be combat training.
I can't even use magic. I don't know how to fight.
And I have a body that probably trips over flat ground.
This is going to be a disaster.
As our class gathered outside in the large training field, the instructor finally arrived.
A man with rough features, tanned skin, short messy hair, and the kind of scars that show he's been stabbed at least five times in life.
He stepped onto the stage with this heavy presence that made even the air feel stiff.
The students around me were already whispering.
"Isn't that Sir Grey?"
"Yeah, the one who slain the basilisk that terrorized the countryside!"
"Seriously? He's THAT guy? We're being taught by him?"
"It's such an honor!"
The whispers got louder and louder until the man raised his hand.
"Silence."
His voice alone quieted everyone instantly.
"You might have heard of me. I am Sir Grey Freyrat, knight of the royal palace."
His tone was calm but heavy.
"I have been assigned to train you in combat—the kind you will need to survive life-or-death situations."
He paused, scanning the class with sharp eyes that probably saw too many corpses in his life.
Then he coughed lightly and spoke again.
"For our first lesson, let me ask you a question."
He looked around.
"What is the purpose of combat training?"
One student—clearly overeager—raised his hand immediately.
"It's for protecting the weak and saving others!"
He answered proudly, like he expected applause.
Sir Grey nodded slowly… then shook his head.
"You are not wrong," he said, "but that is not the real purpose."
His eyes went cold.
Not angry.
Just cold.
Like a man who already accepted reality long ago.
"The true purpose of combat training… is survival.
You cannot save others if you are already gone.
Dead."
His words hit hard.
And honestly, it made sense.
It matched exactly what I had already decided—
My goal in this world is to survive.
No more. No less.
Sir Grey continued.
"For our first lesson, I want all of you to pair up for a mock battle."
Students around me immediately started murmuring again.
Sir Grey raised one finger.
"It does not matter if someone is strong, or fast, or gifted. None of that means they will survive on a real battlefield."
His voice dropped lower.
"The only thing that matters… is the will to live."
I swallowed.
That line felt like it was aimed directly at me.
Sir Grey went on.
"A mock battle lets me measure your instincts, your resolve, and how much training each of you require before you are even allowed to touch real combat scenarios."
At that moment, a student raised his hand.
"But Instructor… we're mages. We don't rely on physical combat. We use spells."
Sir Grey laughed.
Not a kind laugh.
Not a friendly one.
It was a laugh from someone who saw hundreds of mages die in real battles.
"You think mages can survive with mana and spells alone?"
The student immediately looked embarrassed, shrinking down.
And honestly…
I agreed with him and disagreed with him at the same time.
His question made sense.
But it's also completely wrong.
In a world filled with betrayal, monsters, unexpected ambushes, and every possible kind of death trap…
It's only normal to prepare for the worst.
Not become arrogant.
Sir Grey looked at all of us again.
"Form your pairs," he ordered.
"Your mock battle begins now."
As students started to pair up with each other.