In this world, countless academies train the awakened, and the Anastasia kingdom boasts numerous branches. Among them, Esdeath was headed to the most prestigious one, the main branch of the Awakened Academy, the same institution attended by the game's main character.

The academy was strategically situated at the kingdom's edge, adjacent to a vast forest teeming with monsters and demons. This proximity served a dual purpose: it provided students with abundant opportunities for practical combat training and missions, and it also allowed them to respond swiftly to the frequent monster waves that emerged from the forest, thereby protecting nearby villages and reducing casualties among ordinary people.

The journey took two days, and finally, Esdeath and Claus arrived at the Hero Academy. Its towering spires, adorned with intricate carvings, greeted them. The academy's architecture was a majestic blend of Gothic and whimsical elements, creating a harmonious dance with the enchanted forest surrounding it.

Massive cloak doors swung open to reveal vast halls, arenas for duels, practice fights, and training. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns across marble floors polished to a mirror-like sheen. The beauty and grandeur of the place were awe-inspiring, making Esdeath momentarily forget her irritation with the skirt she wore.

Second-year students were already bustling about, training, studying, and chatting, giving the place a vibrant, high school atmosphere. Their faces reflected a mix of determination, camaraderie, and youthful energy. Very few third-year students were visible; they were mostly out on monster extermination missions, applying the skills they had honed over their years at the academy.

The academy grounds buzzed with excitement as numerous first-year students arrived, each one brimming with smiles and determination. They were like newborns, eager to explore a new world. Esdeath couldn't help but smirk at the sight. "Just look at their faces," she muttered to herself. "I bet every single one of them is gonna piss their pants when they encounter real monsters!"

Her thoughts turned darker as she recalled the harsh realities of being an awakened. Many of these students probably fantasized about single-handedly defeating dozens of monsters and becoming heroes. They would soon learn that the reality was much grimmer. Only C-rank or higher adventurers could hope to defeat dozens or hundreds of monsters alone. For beginners, it was quite the opposite. Dozens of awakened students would unite to barely defeat a single D-rank monster.

B-rank monsters were an entirely different nightmare. Scores of awakened would die fighting them, and their horrifying appearances were enough to make most humans wet their pants on sight.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Esdeath watched as Claus emerged from the carriage. Without a glance at Esdeath, Claus marched directly into the academy, heading towards the grounds where the first-year students were gathering.

Esdeath followed suit, remembering the academy's layout perfectly from the game. Few weeks before the admission,An written exam already happens that determined their initial class rankings—A, B, or C. Lower-ranked students could, of course, work hard and improve their ranks, but the initial placement was crucial, Since it give the advantages.

She moved with purpose towards a wall where a large poster listed all the ranks. Thanks to her thorough knowledge of the academy's map, she had no trouble finding it. The poster was prominently displayed, surrounded by nervous and excited first-years. Esdeath scanned it quickly, her eyes sharp and calculating.

The atmosphere around Esdeath crackled with a mixture of fear, excitement, and anticipation. Some students whispered among themselves, trying to gauge their competition, while others stood alone, lost in their thoughts.

But something eye-catching caught her attention. In front of the poster stood a teenage boy surrounded by a few friends. He had golden hair, transparent light blue eyes, white skin, and a sharp jawline, giving him a slightly handsome look. His facial features, however, were contorted in anger.

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"What the hell... Ethan Rothslayer? Are you telling me a commoner is gonna join Class A?" he yelled, his voice filled with fury as he punched the wall, causing it to crack.

"Yeah, you're right, boss. How could a filthy commoner dare to enter Class A, the class that usually only high-class nobles like you or other nobility can enter?" one of his friends echoed.

As Esdeath observed the blond boy, she immediately recognized who he was. "Corin Reynold, the duke's only son and the arrogant one," she muttered under her breath with a grin.

"Ethan, the MC, is a regressor, so of course, he's gonna top the exams. And so, Ethan also had No. 1 marks in the written exam, and according to the rules, he's gonna be placed in Class A. But Corin didn't like it. He always hates Ethan and tries to humiliate or defeat him, but every time he does, he ends up being the one who gets defeated," Esdeath thought, calculating everything.

"And because of this, his anger increases and increases to the point it consumes his brain and later on he becomes the first arc boss of the game!" she thought, piecing the events together. A wide, menacing grin spread across her face as she saw Corin's anger. "Yes! That's it, be more angry, so you can become the First Act boss!" she thought to herself in a chilling voice.

But then she shook her head, reminding herself, "I guess there's time for this to happen. The academy just started. First, there will be the semi-First Act, and then the main First Act will start," she thought, putting aside any thoughts of interacting with Corin for now.

"Let's go. I'll talk to the teachers. I will never allow a commoner to be in Class A," Corin said with anger, and his friends nodded in agreement, heading toward a different area.

Esdeath approached the poster and scanned for her rank. "Class B - Rank 39? Not bad... Not bad..." she muttered, feeling a mix of satisfaction.

...

Meanwhile, a teenage boy with dark blue hair and piercing blue eyes, his extremely handsome face drawing attention wherever he went, walked through the academy grounds. He wore a shirt with a coat over it, along with a tie and pants, following the strict academy dress code. This was Ethan Rothslayer, the undisputed main character of the game, Free Life Fantasy.

Beside him was a girl with brown hair and light brown eyes, her smooth white skin glowing in the sunlight. She had an enchanting body and a seductive appearance, catching the eye of many. She was Violet Vondarion, a baroness and Ethan's childhood friend.

In his previous life, it was because of Violet that Ethan could enter the academy and afford the fees. Tragically, she had died, and he couldn't do anything to save her. But now, in this life, he had trained hard since childhood and vowed to protect her at any cost.

A smile appeared on Violet's face as she spoke, "See, here's the ranking poster! Let's check our rankings!" She grabbed Ethan's hand, pulling him eagerly toward the poster.

Upon reaching the poster, Violet scanned it quickly and found her results. "Wow, I got rank 4 in the whole academy! I'm going to be in Class A! Yay!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"But where's yours?" she asked, looking down the list but not finding his name. Suddenly, her eyes landed on the top of the chart. "Ethan Rothslayer? Number 1 ranking?" Her eyes widened, and she gasped in shock.

A big, charming smile appeared on her face, and she jumped on Ethan, hugging him tightly. "Wow, you're first! You really are a genius!" she exclaimed, her body pressing fully against his.

Ethan felt Violet's soft round breats against his, and the sensation made him blush with embarrassment. "She's so careless," he thought as his face turned red, but deep down, he was happy and proud of his achievement and the joy it brought to Violet.

Ethan wore a cheerful expression on his face, but internally, he was plagued with confusion. "Lortell Mariette... In my previous life, that girl destroyed both the Swann and Sancturiam territories. But it's been days, and I haven't heard a word about any of it. Why? Is this some kind of butterfly effect? Did my regression cause some events to change?" he pondered, a deep frown forming on his forehead as worry and puzzlement gnawed at him.

He shook his head, trying to push away the uneasy thoughts. "No, it's actually a good thing," he reassured himself, feeling a momentary wave of relief. But just as quickly as it came, his relief vanished. His eyes widened as he noticed a girl standing a few meters away, staring directly at him without a hint of shame, as if she wanted him to see her.

The girl had long, jet-black hair and dark red eyes that seemed to glow, with multiple rings in her pupils, reminiscent of Makima's eyes from Chainsaw Man. Her skin was extremely pale, almost ghostly, and her delicate, fragile-looking body gave her a vampiric appearance. Dark circles around her eyes contrasted starkly with her fair skin, adding to her ethereal yet menacing aura, as if she were enveloped in a shroud of darkness, Who else if not esdeath crimson.

Seeing her, Ethan's confusion deepened. "Black hair? Red eyes? I've never seen anyone like her in my past life," he thought, his mind racing. He felt an overwhelming mix of fear and curiosity, as if the ground beneath him had shifted.