Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Status Window! Why Isn't It Working?
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[ 0 / 400 ]
A string of numbers whose meaning I couldn't grasp flickered in the corner of my vision.
I checked inside the box again.
There were no substances, drugs, or items that could cause hallucinations.
'Then... Status Window?'
I took a deep breath.
And shouted loudly.
"Status Window!"
Nothing happened.
'What the hell.'
I had no idea what was going on.
If it wasn't the Status Window, then what was this number?
Was there a limit to the number of regressions?
If so, that was the worst-case scenario.
Excluding the regression ability, 'Ivy Lane' was utterly ordinary.
Yeah. There was a reason she was just a sub-heroine despite having such a cheat ability like regression.
Her body was that of an average girl, though her intelligence and agility were high.
That was trash-tier.
She wasn't a main character, so my memories of her were fuzzy.
'Anyway, it means I have to find a clue within 400 tries.'
This was a game that had only been out for a month, and the new story update wasn't even coming for another two weeks.
There was no way I knew the ending clues!
All I knew were individual character stories, bond events, side quests, and maybe the first chapter of the main quest.
It was too much of a stretch to profit off future knowledge with that.
[ 0 / 400 ]
I closed my eyes for a moment and focused.
'...Disappear.'
I opened my eyes again.
"It really disappeared."
Regaining my composure, I reread the letter, uniform, and Student ID in the box.
[ Congratulations on becoming a Heart Soul Academy student. ]
[ Please check the enclosed letter for the entrance ceremony time and location. ]
The enclosed letter.
'This must be what they mean.'
I carefully pulled out a luxurious sheet of stationery sealed with a red wax stamp.
The paper felt so smooth, I could stroke it all day.
When I applied a bit of pressure to the sealed area, the red stamp popped right off.
Inside was another letter.
This time, there was a map too.
'...Just give me the address. Who uses maps in this day and age?'
For context, this world's setting was a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy.
Major cities were sealed behind barriers to protect people from the monsters outside, with underground passages handling trade between them.
In other words, it was a world where the internet and modern tech worked just fine.
[ To Cadet Ivy Lane. ]
[ We sincerely congratulate you on your admission to Heart Soul Academy. ]
[ You have passed a rigorous aptitude test and proven yourself a noble ability user ready to stand against the monsters threatening humanity. ]
Boring, pretentious exposition.
Stuff I'd seen a million times on the loading screen.
[ Now, your talents are no longer yours alone—they are the shield and spear to halt the coming apocalypse. ]
[ We wholeheartedly welcome your enrollment. ]
Where was the important part?
Probably at the bottom.
[ Date - January 1st, 20■■, 10:00 AM. ]
[ Location - Artificial ■ ■■ (■■) District 1, Heart Soul Academy. ]
[ Entrances will close at exactly 10:00, so please enter by 9:50 at the latest. ]
Not going wasn't an option.
As I said earlier, it just wasn't visible because it was around the protagonist. This world was undeniably post-apocalyptic.
Refuse admission and run? You'd be labeled a potential criminal and dealt with immediately.
Ability users were all orphans to begin with.
No parents.
When humanity was in crisis, babies with powers started dropping from the sky.
Starting with that first one, more kept appearing, and they were raised and trained from childhood until they could take the aptitude test.
Only those who passed and reached adulthood as ability users could enroll in regional academies.
Point is, it wouldn't be weird if my body had a tracker or bug on it.
'Probably not that extreme, though.'
There were abilities that could detect electronics, after all.
"What time is it now...?"
The wall clock read 9:47.
"Shit."
I stripped off my pajamas without a second thought.
Luckily, this body slept in underwear.
I put on the uniform blouse and stared at the skirt for a good while.
'How the hell do you wear this...!'
Looking closer, there was a zipper in the back.
I pulled it up past my hips and waist, zipping it closed.
The fit was creepy-perfect.
Next up: stockings.
I tried bunching them up like socks, but my toenail snagged them, laddering a long run.
At least they didn't rip completely. No one would notice unless they looked closely.
I threw on the uniform jacket haphazardly, stuffing the Student ID and phone into the skirt pocket and jacket inner pocket respectively.
Then I flung open the door and bolted outside.
Um... well... it was kinda embarrassing.
I stepped out the door into a familiar sight.
A landscape I'd seen countless times in the game.
The academy.
...The academy dorms.
'Ah.'
There was no need to strip like a maniac or run in a panic.
I snuck to the entrance ceremony, glancing around nervously.
Didn't run into any major characters I recognized on the way.
Would've been nice to build some favor in advance...
'First things first: figure out my character's position.'
Sticking near the protagonist maximizes survival odds.
[ 0 / 400 ]
I still didn't know what this number meant, but if it was a regression limit like I suspected... better not die unnecessarily.
Could an ordinary human mind even withstand death?
I hated pain.
Best case: clear the game without dying once.
I had no clue about post-chapter 1 updates, but I'd sunk over 300 hours into it! No way was I dying like some bottom-feeder fish.
I plopped into an auditorium seat, scanning around blankly.
'About 10 minutes till the ceremony starts.'
Wanted to find the protagonist and say something—anything...
But I didn't know Ivy Lane's stats yet.
Multiple lives and limited foresight? Total cheat. Fine, I admit it.
But no ability?
Just a normie?
If I could kill monsters to boost stats early, luck into a Relic, snag pills or skill books... maybe.
'Best bet is landing in Class A during class assignment...'
Was it easy?
Class assignment was a random event.
Players would reset all day to target specific heroines.
Stat checks only came after assignment anyway!
Ivy Lane was such a minor sub-heroine—no bond story even—that I barely paid attention.
Just farmed her mechanically for achievements. No memory of personality or stats.
Ten minutes up; the principal started speaking.
"Congratulations on your admission to Heart Soul Academy. I could drone on with boring, highfalutin talk, but it wouldn't resonate. So, one word: persevere. Now, class assignments."
The skip function for story cutscenes only came two weeks post-launch, so the principal's brevity got tons of praise.
Not that I hadn't memorized it after hearing it a million times.
"Give it your all. Class assignments now."
A massive white screen descended behind the principal.
A beam projector lit it up.
Assuming my name was at the bottom, I started scanning from there.
F... E... D... C... B...?
Weird.
No Ivy Lane.
System glitch...?
Steeling my nerves, I checked Class A.
...[ Ivy Lane ]...
There it was, proudly listed among the elite few.
First thought:
'Why?'
Regression.
Ability-wise, total cheat. Admit it.
But fatal flaw.
Regression wasn't for combat.Why do regressors in other novels/games kick ass?
Items, lucky breaks, extra powers galore.
Not this game.
Official setting hammered it home: one ability per person. Period.
How do ability users get stronger postnatally?
Relic farming, monster kills for mana, training, exercise, drugs, skill books... that stuff.
'Should've skimmed the setting bible.'
No sane person speedruns a lore book in a game like this. I'm not insane.
'Still, hope remains.'
Ivy Lane might have sky-high base stats, landing A-Class despite non-combat ability!
Yeah! Don't give up!
And one more thing to check: protagonist's name.
'My custom name? Dev's canon? Multiple possibilities. Worst case, another player's timeline...'
Calm down.
Mom and Dad always said:
—Your personality's the issue.
—Fix it.
—Yeah.
—I'll fix it.
I snapped to attention.
Slowly scanned the list.
Class A, top spot.
Internal Evaluation 1st Place, Top Entrance Student, Ja-an
...There.
My character.
No time to prepare—time to head to class.