Class (1)

Desmond's Pov

I woke up early in the morning the next day.

Today is officially when the academy starts and when the main plot kicks off.

"Shit, this is it. Reading the plot and being in it is so much more surreal."

I sat up slowly, blinking at the room.

It was… different.

The one I'd stayed in before wasn't bad by any means—clean, quiet, and functional. A standard room for low-tier students. No frills, no luxuries. Just enough to survive in peace.

But this?

This was a whole other level.

Now I was in a top-floor suite designed for elite students. Smart walls that responded to mood. Lighting that adjusted to my circadian rhythm. A bed that felt like it cost more than my old life. Even the air had that artificial crispness—filtered through money and privilege.

One night and a ceremony later, and suddenly I was living like a minor noble.

I didn't belong here. Not really.

I walked over to the sleek wall panel and waved my hand. A translucent interface flickered to life, showing my schedule for the day: warm up class, orientation, chip synchronization exercises, and a general assembly for Class A.

Class A.

It still sounded strange.

I had no business being in the top class. Desmond Slick—the character I'd transmigrated into—wasn't even a footnote in the novel. A background extra, cannon fodder at best. Someone who existed just to fill the space between plot points. And now here I was, living his life, rewriting his story.

All because of my chips.

The Phantom Charm and the Eclipse Chip.

It was the Phantom Charm that likely got me into Class A. The academy entrance tests were brutal, and I'd apparently done well enough—probably thanks to the effects of that chip, even if I didn't understand it fully.

The Eclipse Chip was something else. A mystery I discovered only after I transmigrated. I hadn't even scratched the surface of what it could do.

But I had knowledge. And in this world, knowledge was more than half the battle. I remembered the early arcs—the alliances, the betrayals, the rapid rise of Edward Locati from the slums. The unraveling of the academy's secrets. The slow descent into madness that took over half the cast.

And I was smack in the middle of it now.

No reset button. No escape.

Just me, Desmond, and the story I was now forced to be a part of.

I dressed in the new Class A uniform. Black trim, silver lining, sharper cuts. It fit better than my old one, more tailored, more elegant. I looked like I belonged—at least on the surface.

Walking through the dorm halls, I caught a few glances. Some dismissive, some curious. No one approached. No one cared. I was still largely unknown.

And I preferred it that way.

Low profile.

Stay out of sight.

Survive.

The academy was a trap disguised as opportunity. The deeper one went, the more layers it revealed—politics, bloodlines, hidden relics, twisted research. And then there were the students.

Talented. Dangerous. Unpredictable.

I made my way toward the elevator leading to the training center, the first scheduled location for the day's activities. As I entered, a voice cut through the air.

"You again, Slick."

I turned slowly.

Hector.

We'd already encountered each other yesterday after the ceremony. Clearly, he hadn't let go of whatever chip he had on his shoulder.

Ranked higher than me. Also a first year. A noble, clearly. His uniform was perfectly pressed, his expression sharp and full of something bitter. He looked at me the way someone might look at an insect that had accidentally wandered into their home.

"Still pretending you belong here? What did you do, cheat your way up with some pretty-boy charm?"

I doubt he knew how spot on he was there. 

I stared at him for a long moment, offering a slow, neutral smile. "Just took the entrance test. Maybe the system liked what it saw."

Hector scoffed. "You? Please. Everyone knows you're just filler. Someone's mistake. Class A's for people with real chips. Real power."

His chip glowed faintly at his neck—an ornate embedded sigil shaped like a lion's claw with tiny gears rotating in a slow loop.

Status:

Hector Vance

Grade: E+

Strength: D

Dexterity: D+

Intelligence: D

Charisma: C

Endurance: C+

Chip: Golden Fang (A specialized combat chip that enhances reflexes and grants the ability to temporarily harden limbs into metallic gold, increasing both attack power and defense. Unlocked sub-skill: Gilded Bite, a single-use burst strike that can shatter minor barriers or shields.)

Spoiled brat with a flashy chip.

Typical.

But he was strong. No denying that.

"You talk a lot," I said calmly. "But you should save your breath for training. Wouldn't want you to fall behind."

The elevator dinged. I stepped in.

He didn't follow.

He just stood there, watching.

Good. Let him watch.

Because while everyone else was playing their games of status and power—I was playing to survive.

And maybe, just maybe… win.

--

The elevator slid open, revealing the Class A training facility.

It looked more like a research lab than a gym. Modular combat zones with floating platforms. AI-controlled sparring bots lined up in standby. Energy fields humming along the walls. A row of med-tech pods gleamed against the far end, already stocked for injuries they fully expected students to receive.

A voice greeted me from the overhead speakers. "Desmond Slick. Confirmed. Please proceed to Synchronization Chamber 4."

I walked past a cluster of other students already arriving. None looked twice.

Just another name. Another body. Not worth remembering.

Perfect.

The chamber opened with a hiss. I stepped inside.

Time to see just how much this body could do.

Just as I entered, I felt something 

A strange itch nagged at the back of my mind, like an instinctive warning. My body was on edge, as if something was off—something I couldn't quite place.

I glanced around, my senses sharpened, searching for the source of the unease.

And then I saw it.

Evelyn Nightshade was watching me from across the room, her gaze sharp and filled with something darker—scorn, contempt, maybe even both.

What the hell did I do?

//Perception Level unlocked//