So... Why in the cinnamon toast FUCK AM I HERE?
Arcanium Academy was this hit mobile turn based game where the main character was either this
prince or princess from a foreign kingdom who was destined to save the world. Or so I've heard anyway...
But why am I in this stupid game?
Let's start at the beginning shall we? I was just minding my own business like usual, went to sleep after a few hours of playing games, watching shows, contemplating if I want to be present in class tomorrow when BAM! I woke up in this unfamiliar bed...
I say unfamiliar but its totally familiar. This was the opening scene, slightly, of the trailer of Arcanium Academy. It was plastered all over my shorts and reels, it was hard to ignore. Minus the difference in lighting and the amount of accessories in the room itself, I'd say it was almost one to one with it.
I've already had problems with my own academic life, I don't need another.
What to do... What to do...
I have... Well, had classes tomorrow. I forgot if it was my last strike or second to last strike before I get dropped in the subject... Fuck.
Dad and Mom will probably look for me. Or someone... Probably a month or two from now. I'm procrastinating again, thinking about shit while on the bed just to delay the inevitability of going to class.
Sigh
Time to get up.
step step
Body feels weird. Shit I might feel lighter than before. Is that me in the mirror? Damn I look good. Definitely not the blond prince but the better looking face is welcomed.
Well the more I look at the mirror, It's not as good as the Prince but it's better than my previous ugly ass.
Thud
Almost knocked the chair over. What's this?
[ Jacob Veritas, from Village Veritas.
Selected by Arcanium to enter it's sponsorship program in nurturing the High Guard Alliance's rising youths.
Make haste as the academic year will begin at the fourth month of winter, on the first day. ]
Ah right, this entire thing was a big thing. This was also part of the trailer but I didn't know it was an invitation paper. Jacob Veritas... That's my name?
You know what, Fuck it we ball. The first part of the day, if this follows the original story or if those shorts were real, should be the entrance ceremony. All students should be gathering there. Hopefully this isn't a massive campus.
— POV Change
A little later but less than a few inches, Jacob finally arrived at the venue thanks to some helpful seniors. The Headmaster was giving his speech as Jacob sat at the back end of the massive auditorium.
It was a classic dean speech he heard all too much. Addressing about the academic year, the drive to do better, the new arrivals of the sponsored students, the usual.
Maybe it was the ADHD talking to him but Jacob ended up fidgeting with his fingers, mimicking the headmaster's speech by opening his hand and closing them as if they were talking.
'This is such a bore. At least the seats here aren't as comfortable as the ones I had before. Also isn't this a high fantasy setting? Why does it feel like they have air conditioning here?'
It was at the final words of the Headmaster that something appeared on Jacob's view. It was a transparent screen, with the words "Begin" plastered at the front of it. With the bottom part having a "Click to continue". Maybe it was out of curiosity or natural reflexes but Jacob placed a finger at the thing and soon came a surprising yet familiar scene.
'What the...'
It was a status window, one that he grew familiar with. It was a vertical rectangle, with the top side of it having different tabs. [ Status ] [ Skills ] [ Tasks ]. These were somewhat familiar, there wasn't a task tab before but then again here he was. Alone, confused, and out of place.
"Please turn your attention to this years rising stars!"
The Headmasters voice broke him out of his focus, forcing him to look at where the Headmaster had pointed at. A two rows of seats, twelve people total, but Jacob immediately turn back to look at the box.
[ - Status Window /Skills /Tasks
Condition: Normal
Health: 100/100
Mana: 360/360
Class: False Caster
STR: 6
INT:9(+9)
DEX:4
AGI:6
END:5
Available Stat Points: 0 ]
What did these numbers mean? He knew that for each point in end he would have 20 points of health, and with each point of INT it's 20 points in mana. However, everything else doesn't really ring a bell. In the game, Pleiades Assault, these stats were all just numbers to make damage number bigger... and better. But here? What could they mean?
'No, a bigger questions is who the fuck is in charge of this?'
Every thing had a creator or a point of origin, clearly whatever designed this had the information about him, Arcanium Academy, and Pleiades Assault. This was, in every sense of the world, a premeditated course of action.
But who was Jacob kidding? What could he do? What can he do? Is everything he's doing a comedy show on some higher plane of existence that have his life in total and full recording where his mistakes and faults are laughed at, a puppet that dance to the tune of misfortune and embarrassment for some sick joke of an existence?
'Perhaps... Perhaps...'
Well... on the bright side he has the existence of whatever this box may be? The glass isn't half empty, it's half full, right?
[ Status Window/ - Skill/ Task
(Class Passives)
[ True Knowledge: Deal 2% Pure Damage with all skills. Boost INT by 1.5x ]
(Note: Pure Damage deals a percentage of the target's health)
[ Converging Heart: Reduce outgoing damage by 10%. Increase mana and health recovery by 1% of total value ]
[ False Lies: Gain 20% magic damage reduction. Resist all extra effects from incoming skills ]
[ Caster's Grace: Increase outgoing damage of all Casting Skills by 20%. Boost INT by 1.5x ]
(Available Skills)
( None )
(Unlockable Skills - "Unlock Skills with Achievements!")
[ Beginner Friendly: Swing a sword for the first time (Unlock: Simple Slash) ]
[ First Try: Evoke your mana (Unlock: Mana Shot) ]
[ Not Today: Block an attack with a shield ( Unlock: Shield Up) ]
{Click to Expand} ]
When Jacob clicked the "Click to Expand" button, it gave him a scroll wheel that he used to see all of the skills in Pleiades Assault that were unlockable. Contrary to what he believed, he didn't unlock skills with skill points or level ups, it seemed that he needed to do "achievements" to unlock them.
What scared him was that the greater the skill, the greater the achievement. For example his 'go to' skills was 'Ancient Dragon's Fire' which...
[ He Who burns the World: Consume an Ancient Dragon's Heart (Unlock: Ancient Dragon's Fire) ]
Jacob had to double take and rub his eyes, there are dragons here? Sure there were dragons back at Pleiades Assault but that was through a screen and a revive mechanic. Dragon's were creatures of power, calamity, and fear. He asked himself if taking a dragon's heart was as easy as the achievement says. Sorry, an ANCIENT dragon's heart. Not only does he have to find a dragon, he has to also find one that the box deems as 'ancient'?
'How do I tie a hangman's knot again?'
Even death might seem more reasonable than this achievement. But regardless, you must play the hand you were dealt with. Perhaps it wasn't that bad living here. He did remember that this world was centered around a highly prestigious academic institution maybe he can graduate here and land a cushy life, probably not as comfortable as he had before but it's better than something right?
He could do these achievement little by little, he doesn't have to complete all of them anyway.
[ Achievement Unlocked!]
'Say what now?'
[ It still matters: Slowly rise from the delusion of nihilism (Unlock: Will Fortified) ]
Maybe this was a sign?
[ Status Window/ Skills/ - Task
Weekly:
(Resets in 6 days, 19 hours, 43 minutes, 11 seconds)
[ No Pain, No Gain!: Exercise daily every morning for four days(0/4). (Reward: 1 stat point)]
[ Time to put the Glasses on: Study for an hour everyday for four days(0/4). (Reward: 1 stat point) ]
[ Sharpest Tool in the Shed: Practice your swordsmanship and magic for an hour everyday for four days(0/4). (Reward: 1 stat point) ]
Progressive:
[Noob Experience: Unlock 5 achievements(1/5). (Reward: 5 stat points) ]
Sudden Task:
( None ) ]
There it was, the pain of an rpg style grind. Stat points were important but the tasks that lock them behind seems to signify their importance even more. With the tasks, at a minimum as long as he does the four tasks every week, Jacob gains three stat points. In a month he gets, twelve. In a year he gets a hundred forty-four stats points.
'Hold on maybe I can do with this? By the end of my academic life, If this is four years... what course am did I even applied for? Is this even four years? Well, anyways, in four years I'll have five-hundred seventy-six stats... how big is that? If were going by Pleiades Assault standards... its not much. A thousand stat points were around the ending of the early-game and start of mid-game.'
"So with that, we'll finish the entrance ceremony! To all first year students, please receive your four month schedule which will be handed to you by your seniors."
Out of his thinking, Jacob decided he'll look over everything again back at his room. On his way out he took another glance at the twelve student. His gaze lingered at a blonde with blue eyes, he looked like someone straight out of a fantasy story, which he is, and it made Jacob inwardly pray nothing horrific happens at this story. After all, he barely knew anything from the original story as he never really played the game before. But he knew, from what he's seen, that the blonde was the main character, the player character, the one destined to save it all or be the knight in shining armor if ever things go south.
He still bowed to the senior and took his four month schedule though. Academic life was still the first problem above everything else.