Alex's plays Railey

Alex's mind raced as he searched for an explanation.

Maybe he could tell the truth?

Yeah, sure. That would go over great.

"Hey, Mom, funny story—I'm actually not your son. Some mischievous god threw me into his body, so your real Railey is probably floating in the void somewhere. Haha, wild, right?"

…Yeah. No. That was a one-way ticket to either an exorcism or a padded room.

And besides, since waking up, he had felt a powerful aura coming from this woman. Telling the truth could lead to more problems than it solved.

Better to play dumb. It always worked in movies, right?

"What do you mean, dear mother?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Unfortunately, his voice betrayed him, shaking slightly as fear crawled up his spine.

She narrowed her eyes. "At first, I thought nothing of it, but now it's very obvious..."

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap.

She took a slow step toward him. Then another.

Alex braced himself, preparing to run, but before he could react—

He was engulfed in a bone-crushing bear hug.

His brain short-circuited.

"I know how scared you must feel going to a new place," his mother cooed. "But don't worry, your big sis Anya will take good care of you."

Alex stood stiff as a board, arms awkwardly at his sides. What was this? Warmth? Comfort?

This was… a mother's hug.

A feeling so foreign to him that he might as well have been an alien experiencing human emotions for the first time.

Wait. Back up.

Anya?

That name felt oddly familiar, but before he could dwell on it, Mom finally released him.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, smiling apologetically. "I know you're not a hugger."

Alex turned around, walking away as naturally as possible. Not a hugger? No, Railey probably wasn't. But Alex? That was the first motherly affection he'd ever received in a long time. It left him feeling... weird.

He shook his head. No time for emotional baggage. He had bigger things to worry about.

---

As they stepped outside, Alex's eyes immediately locked onto the car.

It was way too luxurious compared to their otherwise bland house. The sleek black exterior, the design on the wheels, the soft humm of what seemed like its engine—it was like something straight out of a cyberpunk middle-aged crossover movie.

Then he looked past the car, at the city.

And his confusion deepened.

It was an odd mix of medieval and modern—skyscrapers stood alongside ancient-looking stone towers, neon signs mixed with old-fashioned lanterns, and carriages shared roads with futuristic cars.

It was as if two different time periods had smashed together and decided to co-exist.

Then it hit him.

No way.

This was a video game.

Not just any video game.

One he had played years ago, back when he was a gaming addict.

A rage-inducing, soul-crushing, impossibly difficult game.

A game he had quit out due to him being in a difficult place at the moment and also because winning was next to impossible.

A pit formed in his stomach.

If he was in that world…

He turned and caught his reflection in the car window.

The face staring back at him was unfamiliar.

He had light blue eyes, dark blue hair that turns black at the tip just like his previous life but he had brown hair and eye .

Did they add a new character to the game? He didn't remember a Railey being part of the original cast.

Still, there was one silver lining—he wasn't one of the main characters. Which meant he could stay out of trouble.

He sighed in relief. Dodged a bullet there.

---

The train ride to the portal station was uneventful, and Alex—now Railey—took the opportunity for a quick nap.

When he woke up, he found himself at the transport portal base leading to Stellar Hunter Academy.

He grinned.

If I'm a student here, my avatar must be a real powerhouse. Talk about overpowered! I can't wait to bully some NPCs—

Before he could finish his thought, a realization smacked him in the face.

The security was insane.

Stellar Academy wasn't just any school—it was the second-best hunter academy in the world, known for producing elite warriors.

It was also practically a fortress, located on an island with only a single way in and out—special portal gates scattered around the city.

That was a lot of security for a school.

Too much, in Alex's opinion.

But whatever. He had bigger things to think about.

As he stepped into the portal building, a stern-looking staff member glared at him.

"You're late."

Her voice had that distinct I-have-daddy-issues-and-I'm-taking-it-out-on-you tone.

Alex, not knowing what to say, did the only thing he could.

"My mom wouldn't let me go," he blurted out. "She planned on making me stay as long as she could."

…Did he just throw his own mother under the bus?

Yes.

Yes, he did.

Surprisingly, it worked.

The guard's glare softened—only slightly, but still.

Alex mistook this as success, not realizing the real reason behind the change in attitude.

---

As he entered the waiting area with the other students, Alex started scanning the crowd for familiar faces.

If this really was the game world, he wanted to see the MC before they got to campus.

But no luck.

Before he could dwell on it, a voice called out from behind him.

"Long time no see," a girl said mockingly.

Alex turned, confused.

She was pretty, no doubt about that, but he didn't recognize her from the game.

Which meant she was either a minor NPC… or someone connected to the MC.

Before he could ask, she crossed her arms. "Look, I'm not here to get chummy with you. I just came to tell you to keep your mouth shut about us being family friends. I don't want to be associated with a loser like you. Got it?"

Alex blinked.

Then he grinned.

Oh?

This was perfect.

Having fewer eyes on him meant less chance of getting dragged into plot nonsense.

"Fine by me," he replied immediately, much to the girl's displeasure.

She scowled. "Tch."

Then she stormed off, grumbling to herself.

Alex smirked.

Mission accomplished.

…Or so he thought.

Because one phrase from her rant stuck in his head.

"A loser like you."

Something about those words made him feel uneasy.

Like they were important.

But before he could think too deeply about it, an announcement interrupted his thoughts.

The briefing was about to begin.

Well, he thought, time to see how screwed I really am.