After finishing my business in the toilet, I stepped out and changed into the new clothes.

My old ones had been too damaged and soaked in blood to be salvaged, so the nurses had discarded them and provided me with spares.

I took a moment to examine the fresh garments closely.

It was a simple grey jumpsuit, the kind of thing you'd expect a patient or prisoner to wear. The material was coarse against my skin, not exactly uncomfortable, but far from pleasant.

I stretched my arms and twisted my torso, testing the fit. The sleeves were a little short, and the collar itched faintly at my neck, but otherwise, it moved with me well enough. After all, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Still, compared to the torn, blood-soaked rags I'd been wearing before, this was a blessing. Though the former was my favorite pair.

How regrettable.

'At least, it hits close to home.'

With a weary sigh, I left the infirmary room and made my way down the stairs toward the reception. Had there been an elevator, I would have gladly taken it, but no such convenience existed here.

This was the Soul Realm, after all. The way of living wouldn't be that convenient!

When I finally arrived, an amazing sight greeted my vision.

Spread out before me was a grand hall that defied the bleak expectations I had of the Soul Realm. The reception stretched wide, its high ceiling supported by stone pillars carved with unfamiliar runes that glowed faintly, casting a dim but steady light in place of electricity.

Staff and ordinary people could be seen moving around. But not all of them were humans.

Beast people?

Some had lupine ears twitching above their heads, others bore scaled arms that ended in claws, and a few even had tails swishing lazily behind them. They blended into the reception as though this was nothing unusual: sharing idle conversations, carrying documents, and exchanging items across the counters.

For a moment, I froze at the threshold, unsure if my eyes were deceiving me.

'So the Soul Realm isn't just for humans.'

If these beastfolk existed here so casually, what other things might lurk beyond this hall?

How curious!

My gaze wandered once more until it settled on the receptionist.

She was a young woman with short hair and clear eyes. Her features were attractive without being overwhelming. But what stood out most was her smooth skin and the elongated shape of her ears. It was recognizable.

A bit surprised, I muttered,

'An elf? An actual bloody elf?'

It was hard not to shake the feeling that I'd stumbled straight into a fantasy. Then again, wasn't I already living one?

Maybe I was because I hadn't been expecting to run into actual beast fork. This world was really larger than I had imagined, wasn't it?

'Focus! You don't have time for this.'

Gathering myself and taking a deep breath, I approached the receptionist. Noticing my approach, She greeted me with a practiced smile.

"How can I help you today, sir?"

"Yes. Could you tell me where I might find the caffeine around here?"

"You'll want the sustenance counter. Down that corridor, to the left of the central pillar with the blue runes. You can't miss it. They serve drinks and food for both staff and new arrivals."

"Thank you."

With that, I reluctantly left the reception and set off. After some time, I finally managed to find my destination.

Captain Ivy was already waiting at one of the corner tables, a cup of black coffee in hand. As I drew closer, the bitter aroma reached me.

"You're here. Take a seat. Would you like to order anything?" she asked.

I pulled out a chair and shook my head. "No. I wouldn't want to take advantage of your kindness."

"Aren't you sweet?" She said with a sarcastic tone without even glancing my way. "But really, it's pointless to act tough. After that torturous journey of yours, you must be starving."

'Yeah, that's what I thought too.' The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI~Fire.net

With a small cough, I steered the conversation elsewhere.

"On my way down, I noticed some… strange people. Ones I've never seen before. Do they all come from different worlds?"

She paused, the glimmer in her eyes shifting to something more serious.

"You could say that. What you saw are what we call Extraterrestrials. They hail from their own home dimensions and don't normally reside in the Void. Well… not until the end of the Old Great War. Most of them were wiped out, lost their home worlds, or now teeter on the edge of extinction."

"That sounds pretty heavy."

"Because it is. Oh, try not to mention the word 'War' in the open. Some of them are rather sensitive and might even attack you without warning."

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind.

I sat in silence for a while. Soon after that, my mouth moved.

"So… what happens now?"

Ivy set her cup down and answered calmly.

"Well, that depends on you. The Spire brought you here and forced its trials upon you, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost. As I explained before, if you want to return, you must at least reach the rank of Enlightened. And to achieve that, you'll need knowledge, far more than what you possess now."

I raised a brow. "And where exactly am I supposed to find this knowledge?"

"At the academy," she replied. "To be precise, the Imperium Academy."

A helpless sigh escaped me.

"Of course. For some reason, I just knew you were going to say that. Tsk. How cliché."

Ivy blinked, tilting her head with a faint frown.

"Excuse me… but what is 'cliché'?"

Now it was my turn to be confused.

"…You don't know what cliché means?"

Ivy shook her head slowly, as if the word itself was foreign to her tongue. "I assume it is an insult?"

How does cliché translate into an insult? Well, I guess someone who doesn't know… just wouldn't know.

If she's this clueless, then she definitely isn't from Earth. An extraterrestrial too, huh? Surprising… though it does make sense, especially considering that planetary orbit of an ass. Even with plastic surgery, that should be impossible, right?

Truthfully speaking, those things seemed bigger than her head, and I have only seen it briefly too!

After thinking for a bit, I finally gathered my thoughts and answered:

"Well.. it's not exactly an insult. It means… something predictable and overused. Like when a story follows the same old path, and you can see what's coming from a mile away."

"Ah." Her eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity. "Then you are displeased by the familiarity of my answer?"

"I wouldn't say displeased. Just… unsurprised. I half-expected you to tell me about some grand academy where all the answers are hidden away. And, look at that, you did."

Her lips curved faintly, though I couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance.

"The Imperium Academy is the foundation of everything here. If you truly wish to return to your home world, then you will inevitably have to face the trials of the Murmur. On the other hand, you could simply abandon that goal and carve out a life here in the Soul Realm."

"If you manage to find a job, you'll receive a salary every week or month. Though that depends on your line of work. Carpentry will pay 20 Void shards, plundering will pay between 20 to 40 shards and high paying jobs gives off between 100 to 150 shards. All that much without having to hold a sword and fight for your life. Doesn't that sound lovely?!"

"If you manage to find a job, you'll receive a salary weekly or monthly, depending on your line of work. Carpentry pays 20 Void shards, plundering ranges from 20 to 40, and high-paying positions offer between 80 to 100 shards. 100 shards! All that without having to wield a sword or fight for your life. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

To any normal person, it might sound reasonable. Imagine barely surviving one nightmare only to be thrown into another. Naturally, it wasn't fair. There was no real point in risking my life here, I preferred doing it safely on my computer, controlling the avatar I created.

The real gut punch, of course, was that staying meant you could never go back.

Tempting as it was, I shook my head.

"Sorry, but no. I have to return, even if it means attending a stu—" I caught myself and cleared my throat. "An academy! A great academy!"

Ivy narrowed her eyes at me but chose not to comment on my near-blunder. Instead, she sighed, as if lamenting something truly pitiful.

"Since that's your choice, then so be it. But I must say, your luck is exceptionally atrocious. Coincidence or not, It's almost laughable."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"According to the reports from our local bamboo, there's only one month left before the next Void Gate appears. Which means you won't have much time to learn anything worthwhile."

Wow. Just great.

'No… actually, this isn't bad. If I plan everything right, then there'll be nothing to worry about.'

As the thought settled, the outline of a plan was already beginning to take shape in my mind.

"I'll manage somehow. Is there anything I need to do? Like… should I worry about a registration fee?"

Ivy shrugged dismissively.

"Of course not. Why would you pay for something everyone else gets for free? Sure, a few papers need to be shuffled here and there, but that shouldn't concern you. What should concern you is whether you'll be ready in time. You don't have much of it left. Let me be clear: no one's forcing you to follow a set path. You can prepare on your own, or not prepare at all."

"But you'd advise against the latter, wouldn't you?"

"Exactly. So you do understand. Also, you'll be allowed to choose from several practical classes. My recommendation are survival or rune studies. Sorcery, however…" She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "Out of the question. Got it?"

Hesitatedly, I replied. "Um, yes."

"Good. Also, make sure to visit the library once in a while. I have a good friend there, so I'll put in a word for you."

"What's her personality like?" I asked, wanting to know how best to approach her.

But Ivy gave me a strange look. It seemed she was misinterpreting my intentions.

"She has quite the adventurous personality. Quite adventurous, indeed. But when it comes to her work, she's dead serious. Very much so. Don't do anything to upset her, or she might just throw you out and ban you on the spot."

Quite harsh. So she's the strict type, then? I get it.

In that case, handling her shouldn't be too difficult.

'School life, huh?'

Originally, this nightmare had started the moment I boarded that bus to college. And now, here I was, heading to yet another school.

How truly ironic.

... It should be fun.