Meanwhile, the players who had been sent out of the Headmaster’s Office were standing in the corridor, utterly flabbergasted. Despite being a virtual game, their limbs trembled, and their hearts raced from the intensity of the encounter they had just experienced. The reality of the immersive world had left a profound impact on them, making them question if they were still playing a game or if they had truly entered a different reality altogether.
“Did you see that?”
“Mm-hmm! God, a Magus is so powerful!”
“I know, right! I can’t wait to start studying magic and become as powerful as the headmaster.”
“…”
The players were chattering, a look of total excitement plastered on their faces. The fear that enveloped the players didn’t discourage them; instead, it made them all the more eager to dive deeper into the game. They were all impatient to experience the life of a Magus and wield immense power, lording over common people while living in a majestic tower.
Among them, William’s imagination ran wild with all the possibilities. While mostly indecent, he also kept in mind the game’s limitations, ensuring he would play within the boundaries set by the system. I don’t want to be banned from this game!
Thinking that they were the early birds, William quickly proposed, “Guys, this is our chance. I bet this game will be blown up out of proportion! We should use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as alpha testers to gain the most benefit!”
The other players nodded eagerly at William’s suggestion, realizing they had a unique advantage as early testers in this groundbreaking game.
Zero, the calmest and most collected, agreed to his suggestion, “Yeah, you’re right. We can be pioneers in this virtual world and get ahead of the competition.”
“Exactly! We need to form a party and stick together. With teamwork, we can share information and get through hard challenges together to earn more rewards,” another player added.
As they discussed their plans, a hologram figure of a fairy suddenly appeared before them. This time, it was William’s mark that was flashing with a gentle glow.
“Can I have your attention, please?” The hologram fairy spoke in a melodious, sassy voice. “Have you read the rules of the academy?”
“Miss Fairy! No, we have not,” William replied, slightly taken aback by the unexpected appearance.
“Then do so immediately.”
““Yes, of course!”” The players quickly activated their Shadowlink Marks, and the rules of the academy materialized before their eyes. The text shimmered with a touch of magic, making it easy to read and understand.
Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi Guidelines 1.0
1. The headmaster’s orders are supreme, and all acolytes of the academy adhere to them unconditionally.
2. Acolytes must show respect and comply with the instructions of the academy staff and their respective mentors.
3. Combat between acolytes is strictly prohibited within the academy premises, unless within designated areas where it is allowed under the premise that both parties agreed. Killing other acolytes also goes beyond the rules.
4. Vandalism and destruction of academy property are strictly forbidden.
5. Any acolyte found in violation of these regulations will be subject to consequences based on the severity of the offense. The headmaster retains the authority to impose penalties, including expulsion from the academy. (Note: Being expelled is equivalent to being kicked from the game and entails banning login permissions.)
6. The headmaster reserves the final right to interpret and enforce the aforementioned rules and guidelines.
These are the rules? William shook his head as he continued to think, Doesn’t this practically give the headmaster GM rights? He made a mental note never to offend the headmaster; if the footnote below Article 5 of the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi Guidelines was anything to go by, this made the headmaster an absolute existence, transcending both in-game or real-world perspectives.
The other players also understood to steer clear of causing any trouble and inadvertently ending up banned from the game. Once banned, they could only bite their thumbs and dramatically weep like cartoon characters.
After telling the players about the rules, the hologram fairy guided them through the academy. At this stage of the game, besides the tower they had spawned in, there was only one building they could explore — the Headmaster’s Building. However, it was by no means small; it towered five stories high and boasted a plethora of rooms on each floor. There was even a large storage room with tens of tools, provisions, and some unknown sacks.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once they had explored almost all the unrestricted rooms, the hologram fairy led them to the first floor, right to the reception area. “That concludes the academy’s tour, I suppose.”
“Miss Lizbeth, I see that there are numerous empty rooms in the building. Where should we be living?” Mike raised his hand; he must have taken the setting of the game too seriously that he uttered that question.
“For your accommodation, you may take one of the empty rooms on the second floor,” answered Lizbeth. “Do you have any other questions?”
“Hmm, looking at this, I think the tutorial is about to end,” William mused to himself, realizing they were getting closer to the game’s main storyline.
Nevertheless, the players had grasped the rules of the academy and the objective of the game. They were not so brazen as to ask unimportant things as well.
“Guess that wraps it up. Now, the academy has issued important missions for the new acolytes. Naturally, we’ll provide rewards equal to the number of missions you’ve completed.” Lizbeth smiled as she spoke, her holographic form radiating warmth and enthusiasm.
Important missions! Rewards!
Nothing in this game would pique their interest as players more than those words. In fact, they would go to extra lengths to find hidden quests and get hidden rewards.
“Miss Fairy! Leave everything to us!”
“Yup, yup! Be it a sea of fire or a deep abyss, we’ll make sure that it’s done!”
“Damn. This guy read too many novels; his phrase is so cliché.”
“Shut up! I’m trying to immerse myself.”
The players’ motivation and determination were evident as they expressed their eagerness to take on whatever the game had in store for them. They were all fired up. Of course, William was no exception; he was more than ready to embark on an epic quest.
“Mhm! It’s good that you’re enthusiastic.” Lizbeth nodded her head in satisfaction. “Go activate your Shadowlink Marks and see the available missions.”
William quickly activated the black mark on his wrist and browsed through the status screen to find the mission page, and he found it in no time. However, his excitement shrank as he perused the list of tasks available for him to tackle.
[Cultivate the land and make an agricultural area two hundred meters east of the Headmaster’s Building.]
[Reward: 1 merit point per 10 m2]
————————
[Construct a protective wall around the academy with a distance of at least five hundred meters from the Headmaster’s Building. You can make the wall from hardened mud.]
[Reward: 1 merit point per 1 m3]
————————
[Build a two-story dormitory for the acolytes on the empty land between the Nexus Tower and the Headmaster’s Building.]
[Reward: 1-? merit point per day]
…
“Er, Miss Lizbeth, are you sure you aren’t giving us the wrong missions?” William couldn’t help but ask, a hint of disappointment in his voice. Are we still playing Magus Academy Online, or are we playing an academy-building game of sorts?
Another player also voiced his complaint. “Uh-huh… What’s among these has anything to do with battle mechanics?”
In their eyes, the missions they were hoping to get involved hunting monsters, exploring dungeons, or even saving damsels in distress. They were adventurers at heart, after all, and the thought of engaging in thrilling battles excited them more than anything else.
“The headmaster has specifically instructed to give these tasks to the new acolytes. Of course, it does not rule out the possibility of receiving other types of missions in the future,” Lizbeth clarified, her mischievous smile returning. “For now, these tasks are essential to laying the foundation of the academy and its growth.”
All of them exchanged glances, realizing that while the tasks might not be what they initially expected, they had their own purposes and charms as well.
“Welp, I guess that makes this game all the more similar to real life. Who knows? Doesn’t this make us able to shape the academy according to our will?” Zero reasoned with a grin, finding a silver lining in the unexpected tasks.
“You’re right,” Storm chimed in. “It’s like we get to leave our mark on the game world!”
“I never thought I’d be so invested in a virtual academy,” Mike said, scratching his head.
William and SuperNova also concurred with the reasoning, finding that this was not a bad thing. However, there was one problem with these missions. At first glance, they lacked the specifications required. In fact, they were so abstract that the players were left confused about where to start. The only mission that seemed viable in their current situation was the first one: creating an agricultural area.
Overall, these tasks were something that the players could achieve through long preparations and a lot of effort. Although they sounded a bit lackluster at first, they realized that they couldn’t get to the best parts of the game without putting in the hard work.
William then proposed taking the first mission together, and the players gave him a nod. Subsequently, they told Lizbeth about the mission they took and returned to the storage room and picked up five iron hoes from the pile to start plowing the field.
As they walked east to the aforementioned location, Zero inquired, “Miss Lizbeth, where exactly should we begin farming?” The mission mentioned that they had to make the agricultural area exactly two hundred meters east, but they couldn’t precisely measure the distance. Furthermore, there was no further explanation if this two-hundred-meter distance was the center point of the agricultural area or the edge.
The hologram fairy then explained that it was the edge rather than the center and added, “As for the rest, you’ll just have to use your best judgment and creativity!”
Seeing that the players understood the assignment, Lizbeth gave them one last reminder, her holographic figure projecting an air of seriousness: “Alrighty! Before you embark on your task, acolytes, be mindful to not venture too far. There are deadly magical beasts roaming the forest just outside the academy’s boundary that can kill you instantly. If you encounter them, don’t act rashly and withdraw immediately. I will be back by noon to see your progress and give you further instructions. Now, go forth and begin your assignment!”
With that final message, her holographic figure vanished without a trace.