I didn't expect the Academy gates to feel this suffocating.
They were tall, clean, and beautiful—carved from obsidian-reinforced steel with layered mana runes humming underneath. If you looked close enough, you'd notice the thin magical veil that separated the outer world from the campus. A border, invisible to most, screaming power to those who could hear it.
And I could hear it.
Hero Academy wasn't just a school. It was the stage of the entire first act of Hero Chronicles. Here, the story unfolded. Here, the plot armor thickened. And here, minor characters like me were either ignored… or forgotten altogether.
I kept my head down and adjusted my glasses, letting the flow of arriving students push me forward. Luggage floated beside them—levitating briefcases, magically packed duffel bags, suitcases with legs. I had a second-hand backpack and a satchel that still smelled like smoke.
"Move, commoner."
A noble passed by, their robes embroidered with a family crest I vaguely recognized. I didn't respond. I just nodded, stepped aside, and silently added his name to a mental list titled: people to get revenge on after graduation.
Above the crowd, I spotted floating drones scanning faces and sorting students with red light. They used mana resonance to track identities and assign temporary IDs. One hovered over me.
> [Identity Confirmed: Axel Calford. Rank: 1509 / 2250. Clearance: Yellow.]
Yellow.
Expected. Better than red. Red meant borderline dropout or cannon fodder material. Yellow meant: ignore him, he's no threat. Just how I wanted it.
The crowd moved toward the central plaza, where the Headmaster's voice played from everywhere and nowhere at once.
> "To those gathered here today: Welcome to the crucible of change. You are not here to survive. You are here to become more."
I'd rather survive, thanks.
The plaza was a masterpiece—an artificial lake reflecting the sky, white stone paths crossing through it in complex hexagonal patterns, and levitating crystals that danced in tune with ambient mana. Beyond that lay the five primary towers: Combat, Magic, Engineering, Support, and Command.
I would eventually belong to Engineering. Though right now, no one cared.
All around me, power dynamics bloomed like weeds. The nobles walked together, already forming invisible circles of influence. Commoners whispered in smaller, tighter groups. And a few solitary individuals stood alone, unreadable—likely hidden monsters or plot-relevant anomalies.
I wasn't interested in joining any of them. I was playing a different game.
It didn't take long before the upper-years made their entrance.
A group of third-years strolled down the steps of the Combat Tower like lions surveying prey. Their uniforms bore golden insignias, and the mana pressure they exuded was subtle but heavy.
Their eyes scanned the new blood. Most first-years straightened up instinctively. Some even bowed.
I didn't.
I slouched further and faked a yawn. One of the seniors glanced at me. I gave him a sleepy, half-lidded blink.
He looked away.
Good.
Blending in was about being unremarkable. The art of not drawing attention isn't as easy as it would seem.
"Hey, you!"
A boy next to me flinched as an upper-year called out. I didn't look. Not my business. Probably a test. Or worse, a recruitment offer for some dumb student faction that would be wiped out by Chapter 18 in the game.
I stayed in the crowd just long enough to memorize key faces.
Kaleb was already here—talking to a group of girls and shaking hands with a professor. His aura was bright. He was the kind of guy who'd rush into battle, spout a heroic line, and somehow survive with one sleeve missing and a girl blushing in the background.
Alice sat alone under a tree - it's red leaves floated lazily down around her, she was flipping through a book with disinterest.
She was beautiful, cold, and dangerous. The type who had a tragic backstory and a noble house she wanted nothing to do with. Classic.
And near the edge of the plaza, leaning casually against a pillar, was Candice.
She was quiet, observant. Her eyes didn't scan the crowd like everyone else's. They pierced. Evaluated. Dissected.
For a brief moment, her gaze met mine.
I looked away before it lingered.
Bad news.
I checked my ID band. Dorm info had been updated. North Wing, Room 113.
Perfect. The outer dorms were quiet, far from the main student activity centers. Less traffic. Less surveillance. More freedom to move.
As the crowd thinned, I made my way toward the dorms, keeping my pace steady and my aura controlled. The academy was alive, buzzing with mana and ambition.
But I? I was just a passerby. A guy who wanted nothing to do with drama and live his second life in peace.
The Academy had opened its gates.
And the clock toward survival had begun ticking louder.