Chapter 01:

My name is Kim seojin, an ordinary shut in living in the Seoul suburbs.

I have no job , no friends but my life ain't so bad after all in the 21st century there exists many forms of leisure.

Perhaps that's the reason why I've been cooped up in my house completely.

At first I was an ordinary office worker but my job took a toll on me and I discovered that I didn't have long to live due to y lung desease so I decided to spend my remaining time as I wished. Tending to my desire and indulging myself in my listlessness.

Thus I started to enjoy the multiple divertissement of the internet. Passing days watching movies , anime or listening to songs was blissful and yet what really kept me away from the depressing reality was a game.

A game indeed. Set in European medieval fantasy, the game could be played on both pc or console. A fantasy where you could interact with the world as you wished with multiple branches to the story depending on the player's choice. A utopia for RPG game fans with interesting story and plot development.

[Chronicles of a fallen noble.]

This game shook the web with it's beautiful character design and graphic art. Plus the characters including npcs were powered by AIs which made it simply an incredible and realistic experience.

The game's plot centers around a young man(or woman) who enrolls at a magic academy situated in one of the empires of the game , the Armenian Empire. We the follow the growth of the young hero(or heroine) as he fights to become one of the strongest mage or swordsman of the world depending on the route one has chosen.

Now why would I be explaining all of this ?

Well it's because I have been possessed by the game itself. I find myself in the clichéd situation of someone transmigrating to a game world.

Now back to the current situation. As you might have guessed from the recent trend on the webnovel community, I didn't possess the protagonist of the game nor am I a supporting character. I am simply an npc though fortunately thanks to the highly proficient AIs, my character is a complete one with no blanks and a full story to his name.

Ruben Scaffold , an orphan miraculously rescued from a bandit's attack on a merchant's carriage at the age of 3.

He was then brought to an orphanage in which he grew until the age of 15 where considered more or less as a grown up, he had to leave in order to no longer burden the orphanage as feeding a 15year old proved challenging to the orphanage's ressources.

Ruben then set off to the vast unforgiving world in order to earn a living and luckily he got admitted at the Royal Saint Martin magic academy.

Now 3 days before the entrance ceremony, I have possessed his body after he was beaten in the back alley by some ruffians when he going home.

Sigh , what an unfortunate fellow. Really though I don't really mind inhabiting his body there is a major problem I have to tend to before enrollment.

I am weak.

Incredibly so. I can't even figure out how this kiddo managed to pass the entrance exam of the estimmed Saint Martin magic academy.

This body has no notable ability. All it has is this uncanny vision but apart from that nothing else stands out.

This body's physique is that of a starved homeless person though it's normal considering Ruben is a dirt poor orphan.

'I wonder how he managed to rent a room at an inn.'

Looking around the room I am currently living in is proof of how financially difficult Ruben's situation was and is now for me. The condition of the bed is... How to say it gently.

'' It's complete shit. How can you even sleep on this? And what are these rag like sheets? ''

I had been sitting on the rock like bed for a while now and my poor buttocks were screaming for dear grace.

'' damn I can't wait to enter the academy.''

At least in the dorms of the Saint Martin academy, the bedding for bottom feeders is alright. And for well performing students, the accomodations are like five star hotels with all their needs satisfied by attendants given to them by the academy.

And for the noble's children of rank duke and royalty , there's a separate mansion for them to live in.

' Now that's the kind of life I want.'

Now then , what's the plan ?

First and foremost, to ensure that my living conditions are fulfilled , I have to show strength. I can't remain a bottom feeder for life now can I? My pride as a transmigrattor would never allow such disgrace.

Fortunately for me , once one gains the status of a Saint Martin academy student , the future is more or less secured depending on the level of skill and the rank at graduation as the academy is a place that nurtures the cream of the crop of each country.

Now then , with my limited knowledge of the game except for the major events and the characters involved. I have two hidden pieces and an Easter egg that could possibly be of help to me whilst not important for any of the character's of the game.

As this game world has turned to my new reality , I need to vow to take things seriously because I could die if I remain carefree.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The first hidden piece is a must have if I wish to survive as it relative to a fundamental rule governing this magic world.

Mana is life.

I am an normal citizen of Korea so , I have absolutely no idea as to how to manipulate this mystical energy that resides in everything that lives in this world.

Mana is everywhere and in everything whether it be plants , animals , humans or objects. Mana is simply an element of nature as important as the oxygen we breath and so there is a need to have a way to control it and this hidden piece the skill [mana control] is exactly what I need in order to adapt quickly.

It aides in the control of this force and so I have to procure it urgently before I get crushed at the academy for having low affinity for mana.

You may then now ask yourselves: where is this hidden piece you speak of? And happy to oblige I have the answer to that question.

In the imperial capital of ARMENIA the great empire ECHDIS , is the imperial library in which is rumored to be stored more than five hundred thousand books.

And on the first floor of the library where nobody usually goes to as it is considered to be the novice section of the library where no useful knowledge is expected to be found only the basics , a book so old that it's cover is turning to dust is stored in the midst of many more books. And in it resides the skill [mana control].

It is essentially a skill book but the people of this world call them spell books. It has gone unnoticed until an internaute posted on the internet forum that he had chanced upon a skill book on the first floor of the imperial library which helped in mana manipulation and mana recuperation.

Once this book is opened by a person, the knowledge contained within flows in the subconscious of it's reader which makes possible to absorb the knowledge as if it is their own and master it completely.

Now that the first goal is clear and the time limit is only 3days from now, it's time to power up.

Setting off , I took the academy entrance acceptance form and headed to the imperial library.

As It was the afternoon , many people and carriages passed by the paved road of the capital ECHDIS. It was a fantastical sight I had only seen through a monitor but now it had become a reality.

A white paved road extended from the capital's gates towards the imperial castle where the royal Armenian family resides.

The capital was huge and going by foot took more than 2 hours to reach the imperial library. Once I had reached my destination, I pursed my brows at the massive building that was the imperial library.

It was a tall reminiscent of a tower. Circular in form with it's top piercing towards the sky. It's color was grey and majesty seeped out of it's every block.

Entering such a big building with my looks screaming homeless person, I nervously walked. Many eyes turned to me. Some dumbfounded, some indifferent, some disgusted, some simply curious and some oozing utter and complete indifference.

I shifted my eyes from the gazes of the people filling the massive library and headed towards the reception. The librarian raised an eyebrow at my dimeanor but received me nonetheless.

With a business like tone she welcomed.

'' welcome sir to the imperial library , one silver coin to peruse the first floor , two to use the second floor and five to use the third floor.'' her stern voice was quite the contrast to her good looks.

Long black hair falling softly on her shoulders and brown eyes that seemed to peer through people's lives as if they were open books.

As expected, the first floor was for newbies. It was the place where was placed the basics of basics and no important book could be found on the first floor.

I presented the academy entrance acceptance letter to the receptionist. When she accepted it, her eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at me incredulously. This was one of the hidden privileges students of the Royal Saint Martin magic academy had.

I had spent many hours on this game and knew some hidden rules such as this one. When one's identify was under doubt, simply present the Saint Martin acceptance letter proving one's status as a student and voilà you would avoid the scrutinizing gaze of the imperial librarian.

This information would seem useless to some but to le who liked to emerse myself in the game found it endearing. These simple details made me realize that the level of effort the game developers put in was a lot.

The use of the imperial library was free for the students but only the first floor and second floor. From the third floor they had to pay up too.

After carefully reviewing the acceptance letter, the librarian returned it.

'' entrance to the first and second floor is free for the students of the Saint Martin academy but if you wish to go on the third floor 3 silver coins are necessary and the fourth floor requires special authorization.'' her voice turned respectful in spite of my poor appearance.

The reputation of the magic academy was just that powerful.

'' I wish to visit the first floor.'' I said taking back acceptance letter the librarian had returned.

'' acknowledged.'' she said and gave me some paperwork to fill. In which I wrote my name, age and affiliation.

This information would be stored for security reasons and only authorized personnel could view it.

Passing by the reception I walked towards a long corridor which sides where rows of book shelves facing each other.

The inside of the library was as expected similar to the graphics of the game only this time it was even more beautiful because it was real. As designed from the game, this place was grand in stature and expansive in depth.

It was truly worthy of it's reputation but still it fell short of the academy's library and the Royal library which was in the imperial castle as depicted in the game. The latter was baptized as the cradle of knowledge and some books from there were lent to the academy under the authority of a powerful mage known as the Bookmarker.

Marveling at the grandiosity of the library where rows upon rows of book shelves followed extending everywhere I could see, I strolled deeper and deeper inside.

30minutes of walking the path I remembered from the post, i came across a dead end. I had finally reached the farthest corner of the imperial library.

'' 1, 2 , 3.... 12 , 13..17 ah there it is.''

Counting the books on the last bookshelf from the left, I came across a dusty old looking book. It's cover was turning ash grey from how old it seemed. I blew on it and a cloud of dust flew. The smell characteristic of old books seeped through my nose.

Preparing myself mentally I slowly opened the book.

The content of the book was a mixture of words and symbols I could not understand but this was not the issue.

'' why isn't anything happen-''

before I could finish my words , the letters in the book suddenly started to move as if being pulled into my eyes, the symbols turning and suddenly a headache came over me.

The pain was so intense that I foamed from my mouth. It felt as though something was being forcibly imprinted on my brain.

I don't know how much time passed but when I finally came to, my body felt sweaty and my eyes hurt a little. Breathing in and out to calm myself I looked around me.

Fortunately it seems as though no one had seen my miserable state. I wiped away the saliva on my chin and stood up from the place I lay.

Suddenly something caught my attention as I stood in the midst of the books.

I felt an energy I had never noticed before flowing serenely in my surroundings, it was an ethereal feeling as if my eyes had finally awoken.

'' So this is mana huh.'' I murmured to myself. Finally I had began to perceive it.

And what's this , my sight somehow felt different. It was as if I could see the world around me clearer than before.

I looked at the palm of my hand and noticed that the flow of mana was also perceptible in all my body.

'' i see now.'' I literally meant that.

Looks like with the skill [mana control] helped better the sight I had before and enhanced it. I could perceive minute traces of mana glowing in different colors all around me.

With nothing left to gain from the library, I gleefully went back to the inn.One of my objectives had been completed , now all that was left was to collect the other hidden piece before the entrance ceremony.