"I have transmigrated. Or... reincarnated. I can't tell what happened, but my memories and this body's memory have fused.
Hearth.
This is the name of this body.
I don't know what happened, but looking at the memories of my two lives, I am sure I have reincarnated into the game Serenara.
This is the game I played in my previous life before my death.
But the situation is messed up. I find myself in the dorm room of the Academy, Gardium—the most prestigious academy on the continent of Septterra.
While the character named
Hearth was not mentioned in the first version of the game.
In the second version, players received quests related to the character named Hearth.
The quest was to find out the whereabouts of Hearth, who mysteriously disappears from the academy.
Many players failed the quest, but some of them managed to solve it.
Later, it was revealed that Hearth was
kidnapped by demons and brainwashed to become a mad scientist working under them.
Later in the game he was killed by one of the Playable characters and his party.
Contemplating my situation, I couldn't shake the memory of the coldness at death's door.
I don't want to experience that horrible feeling again and started considering countermeasures.
The entrance exam concluded two days ago, and this morning, I received my results. I tapped on the Mana Card lying on my bed—now referred to as the Smart Card by our generation.
It's an all-in-one card featuring complex runes on the back and a red crystal along with two smaller blue crystals on the front, it works like a smartphone from my previous world.
The card serves as an ID, handles banking, messaging, and allows for more advanced features which can be added in a rune or artefact store.
Though you can buy it on the store the academy issued this card to those who passed the entrance exam.
After tapping the card, it floated in the air, projecting a semi-transparent screen in front of me. A few taps later, the exam results appeared.
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[ Name: Hearth
Exam ID: 1267837
Age: 16
Theory Evaluation: Rank -2
Combat Evaluation: Rank - 67
Overall Rank: 34 (Passed)
Status: Scholarship Student
Donor: Imperial Family
Notice: Your subscription for the dorm rooms of our institution is about to expire. For further stays. ]
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Receiving a notice about the impending end of my dorm room subscription, I turned off the screen and lay back on my bed.
Hearth have been living in the dorms for 3 months. As for why the academy is allowing a student in the dorm room before the entrance exam, it's because Hearth and many other students who were donated by imperial family hold special privileges than other students, the library and dorm rooms
were accessible to the scholarship students way before the entrance exam.
On the other hand what shocked me my rank; it 34.
"As expected from a named NPC."
Considering the vast number of participants from all over the continent, coming second in Theory Evaluation is impressive.
Checking my combat abilities, I muttered, "Oh, I forgot to check."
"Status."
A translucent screen materialized in front of me.
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[Name: Hearth
Age: 16 (25)
Overall Rank: F+
Constitution: F
Mana: F+
INT: C+
Charm: D+
Luck: B+
***********************
SKILLS:
1. Decomplexify (Lv. 2) → Helps the user simplify complex things.
2. Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 5) → Assists the user in the way of the sword.
***********************
TRAITS:
1. Clarity
2. Adaptation]
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This is the system or status screen everyone has in this world, and I couldn't help but be amazed.
It's truly fascinating. There's no surname in status screen because Hearth is an orphan. A handful of commoners also doesn't have surname because you need to earn the surname through achievements acknowledged by status screen or you can just submit to some nobles and become
their subjects, they have some means to bestow you a surname.
What particularly caught my eye were the Traits—mysterious powers that can be both a boon and a bane.
What's intriguing is that each person is supposed to have only one trait, directly linked to the soul. However, in my case, I have two traits, perhaps due to living two different lives.
One of the traits is something I have prior knowledge of.
In the second version of the game, players
were given the option to either play as predefined characters or create their own players in the game.
When creating a character, each player is given the same trait: Adaptation.
It's an excellent trait that strengthen body and spirit, allowing rapid adaptation to various environments.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
The Adaptation trait is practically a cheat in itself, adapting to poison, heat, cold, and more.
It can.even adapt to curses, allowing the body and spirit to adjust to unforgiving conditions.
Its purpose.was to help created characters catch up to the overpowered main cast, providing a versatile advantage.
As for the Clarity trait, it helps me view things differently, clears my mind, and aids in studying, contributing to my high intelligence stat—a difficult one to increase.
Intelligence, Charm, and Luck
are challenging to upgrade, each with unique conditions.
Intelligence improves by learning new things or brainstorming, while Luck is based on the opportunities encountered during your life journey.
While these traits are beneficial, they may not be enough for me to survive the upcoming events.
If I recall correctly, classes begin a month after the entrance exam, and according to the game, the commotion of my kidnapping will coincide with the start of classes, triggering quests for the players.