And there I was, confused, embarrassed, standing topless in the middle of a group of young adults. I felt a mix of relief and curiosity as I quietly counted the seconds that passed, fully expecting my death. However, it was well over the three minutes and fifteen seconds mark, and I was still alive. Something had changed.

Amidst the ongoing battle between Adam and Gilbert, Adam suddenly paused mid-fight and locked his eyes on me. He noticed my exposed state and, as a result, allowed Gilbert an opportunity to strike and disarm him, ending their duel.

"AHH! Don't look!" I let out a feminine scream and quickly turned my back, frantically putting my clothes back on. Kai approached and covered me from the other students' eyes.

“You should take a break for today, Miss Thuong," he said, looking away. "What are you looking at! Heal him and start the next duel."

I didn't answer, feeling dead inside. I nodded and hurriedly speed-walked back to the women's dormitory, slamming the door behind me. I slid down against the door, staring blankly ahead. The table clock came into view, confirming that time had passed and I was still alive. I questioned the purpose of my questionable acts in public and wondered who had decided that was the only way to break the loop. What sick individual or factor had caused this change?

Feeling a sense of defeat, I covered my face and made my way to the cafeteria in the South building. I played stealthily, ensuring that no one in the schoolyard would notice me. The three-story building loomed before me as I climbed each flight of stairs. Upon entering the cafeteria on the first floor, I found it to be empty, with a large glass window overlooking the never-ending sea.

I approached a coffee machine in relief, grateful that people in 2050 still appreciated the comfort of a hot cup of coffee. But to my dismay, I realized I had nothing to my name—no citizen ID, no teaching permit, no money. I couldn't even afford a cup of coffee.

“Well…” I sighed, feeling the weight of my circumstances. I took a few steps back, picked up a chair, and positioned myself in front of the coffee machine. It seemed I would have to resort to unconventional means, even if it went against my sense of moral conduct. I prepared myself to break the glass of the coffee machine with the chair.

“Dude, just fingerprint it."

A female voice interrupted me. I turned around to see the same woman with hot red hair who had laughed earlier. She walked up to me and held my hand, placing my thumb on the see-through glass of the coffee machine. Surprisingly, the machine lit up, allowing me to prepare my coffee as usual.

"Woah..." I couldn't help but be amazed by the futuristic technology.

“Thank you,” I smiled, nodding at the student.

“You’re welcome, miss.”

She proceeded to a vending machine and got herself a glass bottle of Sprite. I noticed the design was the same as the ones I had seen back in 2022, which provided some reassurance. I couldn't help but wonder who was importing these items all the way here.

“My name is Nartic,” the student said, smiling with her head tilted to the side. “I admired you showing your tits back then.”

Great, just when I thought things couldn't get much worse, the only person who struck up a conversation with me was the one who had laughed the loudest. I appreciated her honesty, but it didn't make the situation any less awkward.

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“I noticed,” I replied, finally getting my hands on the cup of coffee. “Please try to erase that memory from your mind..."And was the roll call over?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, but the ones who finished were dismissed. I defeated Atlas, aren't you proud?" Nartic replied with a hint of pride.

I had no idea who Atlas was, as I hadn't received the student list yet, and at that point, I was too afraid to ask. So I nodded and gave a half-hearted response, "I'm proud." I seated myself at a table, resting my head on it next to my untouched cup of coffee.

“Miss Thuong," Nartic sat down beside me, casually putting her arm around my shoulder. "Are you into women by any chance?" she asked, chuckling.

"No, not that I know of," I replied, taken aback by her question. I hoped she didn't think I was someone who would easily engage in casual encounters. Maybe it was my fault for showing myself half-naked earlier.

"The only reason that happened is because I thought the swords were going to break," I explained.

Nartic squinted at me, clearly finding my explanation hard to believe. "It’s impossible to break the swords. The material is enhanced; even I can't break it if I try."

I frowned, unable to comprehend her words. I had witnessed the swords breaking multiple times before, leading to my own death. Something wasn't adding up. Was there a discrepancy in the simulation? Did someone have control over my fate? These questions raced through my mind, leaving me with a growing sense of unease.

"Thank you, dear. That was useful," I said, my mind spinning with new possibilities. I rushed back to the North building, determined to find some answers. As I entered the faculty room, I saw Kai sitting in the middle of the room, holding a folder.

"Well, if there weren't enough embarrassing moments for one day," I thought to myself.

“Miss Thuong," Kai nodded at me.

“Captain Kai," I replied, mimicking his nod.

"Just Kai is enough," he corrected me.

"You didn't call me Thuong either."

We exchanged a lighthearted banter, easing some of the tension in the room. The faculty room felt empty, with only a large round table in the center and some basic supplies. I glanced at the folders in Kai's hand, realizing they were the student files I had been looking for.

“Exactly what I am here for.”

The room was empty, so empty, only a round, King Arthur style table in the middle with some workplace necessities like pens and markers, probably Kai’s. The table was big enough for at least ten people to sit and work comfortably, and the only other thing was a giant cupboard beside the wall, with multiple folder holders on them and empty spaces for books; finally, a window, to look out at the vast sea again. This school looks so boring for something that was made by the combined government in 2050.

I sat down across from Kai and began examining the folders. There were ten in total, and five of them belonged to students I had already met.

* Adam (Male): Possesses the ability to manipulate time, currently able to pause it within his own view and move while time is frozen. However, there is a countdown when he starts moving, and the effect ends after a certain duration.

* Gilbert (Male): Can transform any sword he wields into a personalized weapon and has the power to slash through concepts.

* Nartic (Female): Possesses healing and revival abilities.

* Freund (Female): Capable of buffing, debuffing, and reviving.

* Shiki (Female): Manipulates the probability or "odds" of events she physically interacts with, often accompanied by a bright flash of light.

As I read through their abilities, a sense of familiarity washed over me. These were exactly the types of powers I had encountered and strategized against in my role-playing games. I was well-versed in their strengths, weaknesses, counters, and combo possibilities. However, the question arose: should I share this knowledge with others? Would it be helpful or potentially create complications?

Those were the five students I had already encountered. There were others whose abilities I had yet to witness:

* Atlas (Female): Can create physical armor and teleport instantly.

* Lilith (Female): Manipulates and controls light and darkness.

* Zero (Male): Possesses a pocket dimension.

* Shoto (Male): Capable of detecting movement.

Examining the remaining student profiles, I began to form a theory about the cause of my repeated deaths.

"Kai, when does my first class start?" I asked, looking up from the folders.