Why Me, of All People?
So why the hell am I...?
Entrance ceremony day. The moment I stepped into the auditorium, whispers hit me like clockwork.
"He's sixth place?"
"What the hell did he do to rank that high? He looks no different from us."
"Right? He seems completely ordinary. What could he possibly be hiding?"
I couldn't blame them for the gossip. Compared to the top five, I looked painfully plain. The only thing setting me apart was the bandages wrapped tightly around my hands, and even those gave off no special aura. So naturally, the verdict became: "What makes you so special?"
I don't get it either.
Mirinae Academy was infamous for its brutally strict and objective evaluations. There was even that legendary incident from ages ago where the Skeria Empire's crown prince tried to force his way in through donations, nearly sparking a war. That was how seriously they took rankings. They claimed the scores reflected a comprehensive assessment beyond just combat power, but people only ever heard what they wanted to hear. In the end, the academy's ranking was treated as the official combat power ranking.
Which meant I'd just been publicly declared the sixth strongest first-year.
Why me, when I can't even use my main skill and only have one sub-skill?
Usually, the upper ranks were dominated by nobles who'd awakened their potential early. Commoners rarely made it up there—Yu Sohyun was a genuine rarity. In other words, you needed something truly exceptional to rank high. So how the hell had I, someone who'd shown nothing, ended up in sixth place?
While I was still wrestling with that question, a deep voice echoed through the hall.
"Attention. The academy entrance ceremony will begin shortly. Please take your seats."
The speaker didn't introduce themselves or even show their face—they just spoke. The voice wasn't particularly loud, yet the moment it rang out, the auditorium that had grown noisy because of my arrival fell completely silent. Everyone moved in perfect order to their assigned seats.
Seating was arranged strictly by rank, as expected from merit-obsessed Mirinae Academy.
So this is how they see us...
The dazzling main character lineup of Final Destiny passed by one after another: Woo Dohyun, Meiri Meribel, Velos Velon, Mi Juran, and Yu Sohyun. I'd already met Yu Sohyun once, but seeing the others in person felt strangely moving. Especially Woo Dohyun—he radiated that unmistakable "protagonist pushed by the game" aura, and I felt an odd attachment to him.
If only I'd possessed Woo Dohyun's body instead of Lee Seokhyun's...
I would've followed my perfect growth plan from the start. Even ending up in Velos Velon's body would've been better—I wouldn't have had to pull that ridiculous stunt of killing a troll bare-handed. But what was done was done. I couldn't turn back time, so all I could do was accept reality with a bitter smile.
"H-hello."
"Hey."
While I was lost in thought, Yu Sohyun suddenly spoke to me. Made sense—she didn't know anyone else here, and the only familiar face from the entrance exam was sitting right next to her.
Her shy personality setting is still going strong.
Even though we were the same age, she deliberately used formal speech. A character whose extreme shyness and hidden decisiveness blended in an odd way. She couldn't bring herself to speak confidently, but because she had resolve, she still forced the words out.
"Did you do well on the exam?"
"Not as well as you."
"N-no, I didn't mean it like that at all... I'm sorry."
"It was a joke. Just a joke."
Through Yu Sohyun, I confirmed that the main characters' personalities matched their game settings. If they'd been different, I would've had to account for completely unexpected variables. This was a relief.
We chatted about nothing in particular until the ceremony finally began.
"We will now commence the entrance ceremony."
With those words, he appeared.
A man in his mid-thirties wearing clothes that screamed antique taste—shoes and a coat that looked centuries old, plus a staff engraved with a dragon. He looked exactly like he did on the computer screen.
Even in real life, he looks better than the graphics.
Perto Lafer. The founder of Mirinae Academy and its current chairman. Rumors called him a dragon, a descendant of ancient giants, or a half-blood between celestial beings and humans. No one knew his true identity for certain, but one thing was clear: he stood on humanity's side.
I wouldn't know either way.
I'd played Final Destiny for a long time, but only as Lee Seokhyun, and Lee Seokhyun wasn't the type to get into the academy easily. Still, whenever he appeared in major story events, he always helped and left without stabbing anyone in the back. That much I could trust.
"Ah... First, I sincerely congratulate all of you on your admission. However, this joy cannot last. Our ultimate goal is the complete annihilation of the demons. The moment we truly drive them from this land and erase them entirely, we will continue to carry that joy. Until then, you must attend Mirinae Academy with a sense of duty and the desire to improve, rather than mere happiness."
His tone was solemn, far from what you'd expect at a typical entrance ceremony. Even the professors behind him wore grave expressions as they looked at us one by one.
Because it's that important.
Demons. The mortal enemies of Final Destiny, beings that had to be eradicated from this world. Humans who were no longer human—those who had abandoned their humanity and become drunk on violence and greed. Even the final boss I'd fought to reach the true ending, Despair of Destiny, had been summoned by demons.
Their goal was to rule the world and twist it to their will, the kind of cliché villain objective you'd expect from third-rate villains. But their execution was terrifyingly thorough.
They really go overboard trying to achieve it.
They kidnapped and murdered loved ones without hesitation if someone stood in their way. They'd even plant bombs inside infants to use them as weapons against targets. They were trash who valued life less than stones on the roadside.
"While studying at the academy, you will face many difficulties. At times, you may feel the urge to take the easy path. You may want to climb over others to rise higher. But I hope you overcome those impulses and become cadets who stand tall on your own."
Perto spoke so seriously because becoming a demon was frighteningly simple. Demons were everywhere, constantly recruiting to expand their influence. They approached those in desperate situations and offered power to solve their problems immediately. It sounded light when put into words, but it wasn't.
Once you become a demon... you look exactly like a human on the outside. You can't tell until they use their power.
Aside from their eyes turning completely black when using power, they were indistinguishable from humans. In short, they were a powerful armed group mixed with cult-like elements.
The eyes turn that way because their power is injected by corrupting the main skill... but that hasn't been revealed yet.
I compared what I knew with the current state of revealed information. If I accidentally revealed details only known at the ending, I'd be treated with suspicion. While I was organizing my thoughts, Perto's long speech was finally drawing to a close.
"Lastly, I believe you will all become upright cadets who freely develop your talents in the right direction."
With those final words, Perto swung his staff once. Countless badges materialized behind him and flew toward every new student, landing gently in their hands.
These badges were proof of being part of Mirinae Academy and a clear mark of social advancement. They held the power to transcend status and resist discrimination and oppression.
The design's not bad either.
A pentagram with a sword and question mark crossed inside. It symbolized the unity of magic, martial arts, and the outer path—Mirinae Academy's belief that when these three became one, they could form the universe.
I stopped admiring it and refocused on the ceremony. The real highlight was about to begin.
"Ah, I am Gainard, in charge of proceeding with the entrance ceremony. We will now begin the official ceremony. First, we will have the first-year student representative speech."
The chairman's opening remarks were the kind of thing you could skip in-game, but what came next couldn't be skipped no matter how many times you mashed enter. Especially the first-year representative speech—depending on what the speaker said, various buffs could be granted.
Since it's the person representing the first-years speaking... that basically sets the direction for the entire year.
That was why, whenever I played other characters, I always struggled desperately to become the representative speaker. I needed to give my character the most advantageous buffs possible. But right now, I felt no such pressure.
Why? Because no matter what buff Lee Seokhyun received, it wouldn't matter. Multiplying zero by any number still gives zero. The representative speech buff meant nothing to early-game Lee Seokhyun.
Still, I can at least figure out who I'll get close to.
Being chosen as the representative speaker meant that person was highly likely to lead the entire first-year class. If I stuck close to someone like that and picked up the scraps, I could get through the early game smoothly. Then I'd be able to push through the later story without much trouble.
I looked at the main characters sitting beside me one by one, waiting for Gainard to announce the representative's name.
"The representative speaker, Lee Seokhyun, please come forward."
?
The main characters all turned to stare at me at once, creating an awkward situation where our eyes met. No—not just the main characters. Every single student in the auditorium was looking at me.
Why me?
I stared at Gainard with a dumbfounded expression, my eyes clearly asking if he'd made a mistake. My mouth hung open in disbelief. Apparently that was enough for him to understand, because he nodded and spoke again.
"The representative speaker, Lee Seokhyun, please come forward."
It was a perfect death sentence.
So why the hell am I...?