“It’s actually them.”

Five individuals walked onto the stage, exuding an aura that set them apart from the rest of the students. Those five were the main characters of Beyond Phantasia — cheat characters that could destroy maps and missions with ease in the game.

“Amazing.” I muttered.

The academy was one thing, but these were the characters I played and grinded with my blood, sweat, and tears. It’s just so... mind-blowing. The people on the forums would go crazy if they were cosplayers.

“Please step up to the stage when I call your name,” the professor said.

“Rank five: Iris Mercier.”

A preppy blonde girl walked onto the stage. She struck a pose and snapped a selfie with the audience.

“Hi everyone~!” she waved to the crowd.

“Iris! Iris! Iris! Iris!”

A few rows behind, a large crowd stood waving posters and flags with her face on them. Was she always this popular in the game? I do remember she’s childhood friends with Novian, and her skills were pretty good.

“Please settle down!” the professor called out, calming the crowd before continuing, “Rank four: Kaeygo Jarachuku.”

A tall green-haired boy with piercing green eyes resembling a lizard walked onto the stage.

Kaeygo was always a fun unit to build due to his versatility for missions. He’s a Lakertan, essentially a lizard race known for their ability to shapeshift into almost anything.

It’s a shame he’s in his human form, but it makes sense since we are in a human academy.

“Isn’t Kaeygo handsome?” one of the students next to me said.

“Girl, it’s clearly Novian. Stop playing~,” a student replied.

Ah, it was true. The top five were indeed a good-looking cast of individuals. That’s the game devs for you. They really put their all into the character designs for the main cast.

“Rank three: Aurelia Olorona.”

A girl with silver hair and pink eyes took the stage. Her face was stoic, but there was a certain charm to it. She tucked her translucent-white hair behind her ear, revealing its pointed shape.

Aurelia, the other exchange student of Silvion Academy. Her skills were unique, and her accuracy in the game was no joke. Players usually gushed over her since she was a Mirian — an elf race in Beyond Phantasia. I quite frankly enjoyed her mechanics a lot.

The next two are the descendants of humanity’s heroes in Beyond. I know at least that much.

“Rank two: Elara Von Castille.”

Red walked onto the stage next. That’s the best description I could describe her. This girl was red. That hair of hers really stood out.

Besides the redness, Elara was a powerful unit — an insane DPS berserker who could clear maps with ease. Her skills and abilities were top-notch since she was a technomancer with an affinity for fire. What made her truly strong, though, were her cybernetics, which boosted her regular stats by an insane margin.

Stolen story; please report.

It would be best if I stayed on her good side. I remember some of her voice lines being kind of vulgar in the later half of Beyond.

“Rank one and your Legacy Star: Novian Songstar.”

Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap.

The auditorium went silent as he stepped toward the front of the stage.

It’s him.

A boy with dark blue hair and eyes that took on two different colors, gray and blue, walked onto the stage. Along with his handsome face, the aura he exuded was quite strong.

The protagonist of Beyond Phantasia, the strongest character, and someone I knew relatively well due to countless playthroughs: Novian Songstar. A bastard child who was demoted to a baron due to his father, the dual-wielding technomancer, and the hero destined to defeat Destruction.

“If the Legacy Star can now give a brief speech,” The professor said.

The blue-haired protagonist approached the podium.

“Fellow students of Silvion Academy, Today marks the beginning of our journey together, a journey that will be filled with challenges, triumphs, and growth. As you all know, my name is Novian Songstar. Many of you have heard of me, and some of you may have even formed opinions based on those stories. Let me be clear: I am here to prove myself, not just to you, but to the entire universe. I stand before you as the strongest, not because of my lineage, but because of my relentless determination and hard work. Your backing and your nobility mean nothing to me; you are weak. If you are not happy with my position, challenge me. I’ll gladly accept. Thank you."

Huh. He did say something like that didn’t he?

“How dare you!” One of the students in the back screamed.

This stirred a lot of commotion in the crowd. Students began protesting and demanding to challenge Novian, especially the nobles.

The yells and cries grew louder and louder as Novian walked off the stage. The nobles were filled with rage and anger, but the commoners felt a sense of pride that someone like Novian would say something like that.

“Silence.”

A powerful voice echoed across the auditorium and the room went still.

Vernon.

He proceeded to walk to the podium, returning to the mellow gaze he had at the beginning of his speech.

“Violence will not be tolerated while I am here. Although the Legacy Star has said some meaningful words, you are free to challenge him in a duel within Silvion regulations. Now, I hope you all can look past this and see it as an opportunity to channel your rage into determination to achieve the best results here at the academy. As I have said before, ‘the strength of your will is everything.’”

He took one last look around the room with a smile.

“Now, if you can, please pick up your datachrons on your way out. Your assigned class will be listed there. Have a wonderful year, class of 6864.”

<><><><><>

I was standing outside of the auditorium.

{Synchronization in progress...}

“Even the datachrons look amazing,” I said.

Datachrons were futuristic watches made strictly for academy students. It syncs based on your DNA and can only be removed by the owner. The watch displays class schedules, funds, meal plans, works as a phone, and much more. It's a must-have for all students as it assists with day-to-day life.

“Now, let me take a look at this letter.”

Removing the letter from the inside of my coat pocket, I carefully examined it. It was a simple gold envelope with the academy’s logo — a six-winged bird.

I opened it and unfolded the paper.

“Student of recommendation: Lucien Crow. Signed by Vernon Law. You’ve got to be kidding me. What was this body doing before I showed up?”

I tucked the paper and envelope back into my coat pocket.

“The more I try to find out, the more questions I have.”

Tsk.

{Synchronization complete: Welcome to Silvion Academy, Lucien.}

“Hah…Alright, based on my school ranking, I should be in F-Class.”

The academy created six different classes you could be assigned to based on your overall skills and potential, ranging from Class E to Class S. This system keeps students motivated and driven to improve themselves in hopes of reaching a higher class level. When I was Novian, I didn't have to worry about all that. Unfortunately, now I'm just some no-name NPC with no cheat skills.

"It's probably best that I keep a moderately low profile until I can figure things out."

I pulled up the screen for my assigned class.