"Ding dong—"
A pleasant chime echoed through the modern, open-style high-rise buildings, stirring a noisy and lively atmosphere in the school halls.
Students in uniforms streamed out of the school building, some chatting cheerfully, others rushing about—lively energy filled the air.
Amid the crowd was Aize, blending in like an ordinary student, not standing out in the slightest.
That was because he, too, was wearing the school's uniform, and his appearance had become younger.
Now, Aize looked just like a 17 or 18-year-old high schooler. His youthful figure strolled beneath the lush, green trees, brimming with vitality.
"I didn't expect there'd be such perks entering a fantasy world."
Aize found it fascinating, touching his face and feeling only smooth skin and collagen, no oily shine at all.
While marveling at it, Aize began to assess his current situation.
"No doubt about it—I'm in Asterisk."
Asterisk, commonly known as the Hexagram.
It's a man-made city floating on a massive impact crater lake, shaped like a regular hexagon, just like its name suggests.
Its official name is Rikka (Six Flowers), a city created by the Integrated Enterprise Foundation for the purpose of hosting battles.
Of course, the battles here weren't like those in a certain "King of Games" world with card duels—these were real, weaponized combat competitions, fiercely intense.
In this world, there was a highly popular competitive event called the Festa.
The Festa was regarded as the most beloved battle entertainment on the planet, even driving global economic growth.
Asterisk served as the main stage for these tournaments, as well as a training ground for future competitors.
According to the rules of the Festa, only those aged 13 to 22—known as the Star Pulse Generation—were eligible to participate.
And this generation mainly consisted of students.
So in this artificial city, six academies were built to train these participants. Each academy had a middle school, high school, and university division, covering all students from ages 13 to 22.
"And the academy I'm in right now—is Seidoukan Academy."
Seidoukan Academy was not only one of the six academies but also the main stage where the protagonists of the original story operated.
According to the life scenario Aize had drawn, he was currently a first-year student in Seidoukan's high school division, having come to Asterisk to participate in the Festa.
It wasn't anything special.
After all, out of every ten students here, seven or eight had dreams of the Festa. The remaining two or three had their own unique reasons.
Aize was just one of the many—completely ordinary.
"Looks like I didn't draw a protagonist background."
Aize didn't really mind.
As per his life setup, his abilities ranked around average in Seidoukan—not bottom tier, but definitely not elite enough to shine in the Festa. Plain and unremarkable.
Still, Aize felt pretty satisfied.
"Sure, shooting to the top is fun, but it's not very realistic."
While walking, Aize arrived at a quiet corner of the courtyard.
It was peaceful here, with a lone pavilion surrounded by grassy fields and flowerbeds. Only distant silhouettes wandered past occasionally—otherwise, it was still.
Aize stretched his body a bit.
"Hmm... my physical abilities really have improved."
He could clearly feel it—not just younger and more energetic, but overall stronger too.
"With this body, I could easily win multiple world championships back in the real world. Yet here, I'm only considered average…"
He sighed.
"So this is the Star Pulse Generation?"
As the instructor had explained in class, after the 20th-century disaster known as the "Falling Star Rain," humanity discovered a mysterious element called Mana Dust in the meteorites, sparking massive scientific advancements—and birthing a new kind of human.
The Star Pulse Generation, born from exposure to Mana Dust, had physical abilities far beyond ordinary humans and could wield a special energy called Starpower.
This energy boosted both offense and defense—especially the latter to a staggering degree.
Since arriving in this world, Aize could constantly feel this power flowing within his body.
So, just like he did in class earlier, Aize began channeling it.
"Zheng..."
With shimmering motes of light swirling like stardust, Aize's Starpower surged, enveloping his entire body in a radiant glow.
He looked at himself and felt the changes with amazement.
"At this point, even a bullet would only cause a bit of impact, not any real injury..."
And this was just "average" in Seidoukan?
It was clear how powerful the top-tier Star Pulse Generation must be.
And having received this strength for free, how could Aize not feel pleased?
"Too bad... this is a one-time deal."
It was a perk granted only on a first life experience—a hidden bonus that matched the chosen character's background and granted related abilities.
But it wouldn't happen again in future experiences.
"If I'd drawn a god-tier background in this first run, wouldn't I be invincible right now?"
Thinking about it, Aize still felt that wouldn't be realistic.
Since the Fantasy Library's ultimate goal was to simulate real, believable worlds, it likely wouldn't allow overpowered setups that broke world balance.
Perhaps the probability of drawing powerful scenarios was influenced by the administrator's own abilities.
A strong admin might have higher odds of drawing a top-tier background.
A weak admin? Probably more likely to start off average—or even at rock bottom.
"And with my current level… living an exciting life in this world won't be easy."
Once he confirmed his current ability, Aize began to contemplate.
The Library clearly stated: when a life experience ends, rewards are granted based on how exciting and noteworthy that life was.
So Aize needed to live boldly, actively, and impressively.
And what better way to do that than to join the Festa and challenge the world's strongest fighters?
But considering he was only average in Seidoukan, he'd probably be eliminated in the first round.
"I need to get stronger."
How?
Aize didn't even hesitate.
"I need a weapon."
"Something powerful enough to make me stronger as well."
His current status might be plain, but within him slumbered a privilege—a power greater than divine force, referred to as the Ultimate Authority.
It only applied to the concept of "arms" or weaponry.
So if Aize wanted to quickly grow stronger, the most efficient way was to forge a powerful weapon.
"Looks like I'll have to start from there."
He already had a rough idea.
But first, he needed to figure out exactly what his privilege could do.
With that, Aize's eyes shifted to his waist.
On the belt of his uniform was a pouch.
Aize reached into it and drew something out.
It was a hilt-shaped device embedded with a green gem—resembling a sword handle.
"Is this a Lux?"
Aize curiously examined it, then willed it into action.
"Zheng!"
Immediately, a long blade extended from the hilt.
(End of chapter)
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