Freshman Johan 2: Descent to the Floating Academy
Thud!
A massive jolt rocked my body, like an earthquake had hit. My muddled consciousness, sunk deep like sludge in dirty water, stirred in response. Ripples spread through the hazy fog of my mind, like a stone tossed into a still pond, and awareness bloomed.
I'd been asleep. And now I was waking up. My whole body ached—probably from sleeping in an awkward position.
A foreign sensation prickled at my fingertips and toes. It was the telltale sign of possessing a new character. I'd get used to it in a day or two.
'Hng... Here we go.'
Blearily opening my eyes, I saw a jumble of random cargo around me. Neatly nailed wooden crates, bulging sacks whose contents were a mystery, and all sorts of construction gear stacked tidily. This looked like a small warehouse.
Thud!
Another shake fully snapped my still-groggy mind awake. The misty surroundings sharpened into focus, like dew evaporating. I shook my head and scanned the area.
It was a stark, warehouse-like space. But the intermittent faint vibrations I'd been feeling shifted my interpretation. Unless this was an earthquake-prone zone, this wasn't a warehouse—it was a wagon. A cargo wagon loaded with junk.
I turned to the wall. A dusty-curtained glass window was set into the wooden side. The grime-laden curtain swayed faintly with the vibrations from the wagon floor, but no dust fell off.
"Looks like we're heading to the academy. Right, in the prologue, Johan hitched a ride on a cargo wagon to get there."
I pulled back the curtain. The view outside was breathtaking. Cotton-candy clouds blanketed the world below. Sunlight streamed through gaps like the sky after rain.
Lowering my gaze, I saw the deep blue sea churning far beneath. Part of me wanted to fling open the door and dive in. Of course, that'd shatter every bone in my body on impact.
The cargo wagon I was riding wasn't trundling along a dirt road—it was soaring through the vast sky. Because the academy I was headed to was on a sky island.
Neighhh!
A booming whinny shattered my reverie.
'Pegasus-drawn wagon, huh. One of the few ways to reach the sky island Silnakwon, home of the academy.'
Normally, you'd ride a passenger carriage. But in this novel, the protagonist Johan misses his due to some accident. He barely makes it to the entrance ceremony by hitching on a cargo wagon.
This storyline was early in volume 2 of the original novel. Volume 1 was about Johan, son of a humble farmer, awakening to his talents. Not much substance from my perspective.
'Let's check the status window first.'
Bonus Points: 8
Credits: 32,523
Assimilation rate: 40%. Meaning I could only access 40% of the original stats. Not bad at all.
Neighhh!
The pegasus's mighty snort echoed from outside. From the frantic cries, we were almost at the academy. Through the glass, a massive island-like shape came into view.
Silnakwon, the sky island.
Not floating over the sea, but suspended high in the heavens—an enormous artificial isle. Though since the sea was below, calling it over the ocean wasn't entirely wrong.
Silnakwon was one vast island, part of which served as an academy for all intelligent beings from the Three Worlds—heaven, demon realm, and mortal plane.
To elaborate, Silnakwon was built for the academy. But as it grew, it expanded beyond education, becoming a home for diverse races.
Most residents were originally academy-affiliated, but over time, ties loosened for many. Think of it as a small principality centered on the academy.
"Landing!"
A gruff male voice boomed. The wagon shuddered violently. If my reflexes were sluggish, I'd have hit the floor.
It plummeted sharply—no regard for passengers. The worthless cargo allowed for rough handling. Hard to tell if it was landing or crashing.
Neighhh!
The pegasus neighed triumphantly post-bumpy touchdown. The cargo door rattled open.
"Hey, kid. We're here."
A pirate-esque man with bushy beard and foul face jabbed a thumb outside. Skull-emblazoned headscarf—he'd pass for a real buccaneer with a flintlock.
If memory served, this was Luke, the coachman who later aids protagonist Johan. Rough exterior hiding a soft heart. Picking up a total stranger like Johan showed his generosity.
"Thank you."
Toning down my usual edge, I bowed. Since I'd possessed a ridiculously handsome alpha male, might as well play the refined part.
Maybe soften my approach to women too—not so brute force. With Johan's looks, it'd be easy.
I hopped off the wagon. Soft earth cushioned my landing, grounding me.
A colossal tower pierced the sky—no frills, just immense height. Even Solari World's mage towers weren't this tall.
No matter how I craned my neck, the peak eluded me. It had to punch through the planet into space. Impossible to build in reality, even with monster parts.
"Better hurry. Ceremony's starting soon."
Luke, arms crossed, quipped at my awe. He was right—time was short.
"Thanks for the advice."
I bowed to Luke and strode toward the academy entrance with confident steps. The tower loomed larger, drawing a smile. Entry to a babe-filled academy.
Silnakwon was a massive island in the skies. Part served as an academy for all intelligent beings from the Three Worlds: heaven, demon realm, and mortal plane.
Officially, it touted opportunity, equality, harmony. No one bought it.
In truth, it was a social club for elite races from the Three Worlds. Me being the sole human enrollee this year proved it.
"Huge, just like in the novel."
The towering spire caught my eye first, but the encircling walls gripped it next. Dam-like, they gleamed like polished metal, awe-inspiring.
Despite the scale, no flaws. Per the novel, self-repairing magic.
Of course, mid-to-late story, villains smash it repeatedly. Flashy shell, hollow core.
The academy was a campus complex, not one building. Affiliated structures numbered over a hundred.
The novel compared Silnakwon to a small principality—treated as a nation in the Three Worlds.
Thus, academy rules were law here.
"No time to dawdle."
Ceremony soon. But that wasn't why I hurried.
In the original, Johan arrives late, earning notoriety from other races for a rough start.
Key: why he was late. Dutiful Johan wouldn't slack.
'This guy's been planting heroine flags from the start.'
His delay? Meeting a heroine. One that'd prove hugely useful later.
Early bird gets the worm. To monopolize prime heroines, hustle now.
"Let's go."
I headed west, not to the southern Miracle Hall for the ceremony.