Until the Academy Opens
“That swordsmanship of yours looks like the work of someone who's handled a blade for years. Are you affiliated with any particular school?”
“A school? Nah, nothing like that.”
It was true—I'd wielded a sword plenty during my hunter days.
Sure, I'd picked up a few lessons here and there over that time, but no formal swordsmanship lineage for me.
“So... you taught yourself?”
“I got about a month's training on basic grips and fundamentals.”
To be precise, three weeks. Right after awakening my ability and joining the Hunter Association, it was just crash courses on gates and weapon basics.
But that didn't seem to satisfy Ichinose.
“A month is too short to call it proper training. Especially for basics.”
“Eh, you just swing it enough, and the right form sticks in your body eventually.”
Couldn't explain it any better than that.
In the end, my greatest teacher had been real combat.
“That's not wrong, but...”
Ichinose trailed off, chewing her lip as she sank into thought.
Watching this girl so serious about the sword, a thought crossed my mind.
'Does that mean my swordplay was at least decent?'
Probably not her intent, but it felt like sloppy praise anyway.
Made me happy, like all that hard hunter time was finally validated.
'Yeah, if I couldn't handle a blade properly, I'd have died in my first year.'
My ability back then as a hunter was cutting power enhancement.
A simple force that sharpened the edge of whatever sword I swung.
Practical for combat, but the downside? It was F-rank—my worst aptitude.
Unlike fantasy mana or wuxia inner energy that grows with you, abilities here were fixed lumps of power from the start. No amount of effort changed their size.
So no matter how hard I trained, only my physical stats improved.
And even those stayed within human limits. Output stayed puny.
Result? I'd dart in fast, find openings perfectly, but against mid-tier monsters and up, my cuts barely scratched. Frustrating as hell.
Even with experience piling up, that never changed.
Facing high-rank monsters meant burning expensive consumables and eating losses to survive.
But!
Maybe those frustrating hunter days were finally over.
'Here's hoping the bullshit eases up.'
Abyss City was different. Just knowing you could expand your mana pool made it a whole new world for me.
Set your training right, and the path ahead stretched longer and wider than my past life.
“Alright. I won't pry anymore.”
Snapping out of it, she nodded and pulled her clothes tighter against the chill.
I just grinned amiably.
“Too bad—nothing more to tell anyway.”
“Thanks. Sorry for taking your time.”
“No sweat. Wasn't busy.”
To her, I was just the guy chugging milk and nearly hurling.
“Well, I'll be going then...”
“Hey, Ichinose!”
“Yes?”
I caught Ichinose Yui as she bowed and turned, mind racing.
Maybe a chance to clear up one big mystery.
“Kinda weird asking after calling you over, but... 'Ichinose' cool for addressing you?”
“Sure. That it?”
“Nah. My turn to ask something.”
“Got a question?”
Fair's fair since she'd grilled me first. She waited.
“Looking for someone at Orion Academy.”
“What kind of 'looking'? You mean their current location?”
“Nah, just confirm they exist. Heard they're incoming freshmen, but not sure if they actually enrolled.”
“...?”
Sensing the oddity, she tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
I added quickly.
“Heard they were skilled—hyped for it—but didn't spot 'em in today's practical.”
“Ah... If I know the name, no reason not to tell.”
She seemed to buy it.
I pressed on.
“Two I'm after.”
“Names? Or just looks?”
“Male cadet named Lambert. Brown hair, handsome guy.”
Ichinose pursed her lips, thinking.
Brief silence.
Then a small head shake.
“Never heard of him.”
“Okay, Cynthia then. Female cadet. Brown hair, pretty.”
Both names from Abyss City's protagonists.
Male starts with Lambert, female with Cynthia. Both brown-haired, called handsome/beautiful by others.
“First time hearing that one too.”
She shook her head again.
That firm no sent chills up my spine weirder than goosebumps. I bit my lower lip.
'Something's off...'
In the game, first meeting Ichinose Yui starts with her saying she's heard the rumors about you.
This whole setup felt... wrong.
“You know their origins?”
“Sepia Archipelago, probably.”
Academy City ran by three great powers combined.
Ichinose Yui's Samhwa Nation, Noah Frozenheart's Tigrova, and the protagonists' plus key characters' Sepia Archipelago.
“A skilled cadet from Sepia? Slim chance I'd miss that.”
“Yeah? Huh...”
“Could just be me not knowing—try Orion Circle. Faster.”
“!”
Her words lit my eyes up.
Hadn't even thought of that app.
'Orion Circle!'
One of Abyss City's apps—a community just for Orion Academy cadets.
In-game, you'd browse through cadets' worries and rumors as hooks for side quests.
I whipped out my pocket smartphone and installed Orion Circle on the spot.
Might unlock a new path like achievements.
Stuck at student ID verification, but dorm would fix that easy.
“Thanks. I'll check it out.”
“Helpful?”
“Huge.”
“Good.”
Ichinose bowed again to leave.
I headed out of the dim alley for the dorm too.
I watched her go, then spotted her direction and rushed over, voice urgent.
“...Hold up!”
“Something wrong?”
Might be nosy, but remembering she was directionally challenged, I couldn't let her head that way.
“That's toward District 10. Where you headed?”
“...”
“Dorm, right?”
She hesitated, lip-chewing, then nodded faintly.
Worried she'd think I'd eavesdropped on her Noah chat? I didn't pry, just pulled up the academy map app.
'Girls' dorm's that way, yeah?'
Confirmed on the map, I stepped half a pace ahead.
“Not usually like this, but... haven't had a snack yet...”
“Happens.”
No clue how snacks tied to getting lost.
I nodded along supportively.
Guided her all the way near the girls' dorm.
..
..
Starting the very next day.
Hating this frail body, I kicked off dawn workouts.
'Widen the vessel first.'
In Abyss City, the body was the foundation holding mana. Stronger body, vaster mana.
This world had huge innate talent gaps, sure—but effort could bridge some.
I loved that.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!”
Stamina first—ran till I dropped.
Pissed at this pathetic endurance I'd never have stomached as a hunter.
Lungs screaming bloody murder, but grit kept my pace up.
Gasping on the edge, legs leaden no more—popup appeared.
'Right, this one.'
In-game, keep dashing post-stamina zero.
Didn't expect it to trigger like this.
'More! More! More!'
Back at dorm, bodyweight hell till collapse.
“Raaagh—!!!”
Planned to hit the academy gym post-opening, but acclimating to soreness and fatigue now would make it easier.
Shower, crash face-first into bed for fragmented sleep.
Perfect routine.
'Body's so weak—fatigue won't quit.'
Deep two-hour nap later, out the dorm to chase remembered achievements.
Bonus: browsing Ichinose's tip, Orion Circle, en route.
Flick-scrolling titles gave the vibe instantly.
'Just a normal community.'
Unlike the game, Orion Circle brimmed with freewheeling posts.
Fresh take—as I hit a convenience store, snagged the cheapest scratch-off, scraped it.
Bust... but not.
'Need cash too.'
Movies, comics, specific foods for achievements—all cost money.
Non-academy days meant scraping by without wasting points on hunger. Needed capital.
“Hmm...”
App check: card balance 24 coins, 60 tokens.
Roughly 246,000 won.
Won't starve tomorrow, but awkward amount.
'Part-time job first thing after opening.'
Cadets needed academy approval—couldn't start immediately—but surefire fix.
Tied to achievements, and after pure hunter life, wanted to try various gigs.
'Whatever it takes—go hard.'
Future buzzing with excitement. How long since this feeling?
Maybe a first.
Like that.
From goal-setting, my days simplified.
Dawn workouts, rest roaming Academy City stacking achievements.
..
..
Time melted away—end of February into early March.
Orion Academy opening day dawned.