Orientation

Chapter - 05

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I buried my face in my hands. "What great sin did I commit for the universe to throw me into this mess?" I muttered, my voice muffled by my palms. This had to be a cosmic joke, right? Maybe I'd pissed off some deity in a past life, and this was karmic payback.

For what felt like the tenth time, I tried to wake up from this dream. "Okay, one last time. Maybe tenth time's the charm," I said, bracing myself. Then, with all the strength I could muster, I pinched my arm, hard. I clenched my eyes shut, hoping—praying—that I'd wake up back in my bed. But no. Just like the nine other times before, nothing happened. My skin had turned red from all the pinching, but I was still here.

I sighed heavily, forcing myself to stand. I started pacing the room, trying to calm my nerves, but every step only made my heart race faster. "Okay, Callum. No use denying it anymore. You're stuck in a new world. That's a fact." The words tasted strange in my mouth, but saying them out loud made it feel real. Too real.

"Stats," I muttered under my breath, and once again, the status screen appeared before me, hanging in the air like a hologram.

---

Callum Brown

Age: 19

Level: 1

Stats:

- Strength: 9

- Endurance: 12

- Speed: 7

- Iridium: 16

---

My eyes fell on the "Iridium" stat, and everything clicked. Of course. Iridium was the magical energy that fueled everything in this world. It was the very thing that defined a person's potential here, their strength, their ability to grow and fight. I knew all of this because I'd read about it just before... before this.

"Great," I groaned, rubbing my temples. This Earth... I already knew what it was. There was no doubt now. I had somehow been transported into the Earth of the fantasy novel I was reading. This wasn't just some random alternate reality—it was the exact world from that book. A world where gods had descended, monsters roamed the Celestial Gate, and people trained to become adventurers powerful enough to challenge the gods themselves. 

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice echoing through the room, as if being broadcast over a speaker system.

"All first-year students, please make your way to Hallroom No. 4 for your orientation class." The announcement repeated two more times, each repetition sinking me further into the reality of the situation.

"Orientation class?" I muttered, my mind racing. I wasn't even sure what I should do next. Should I go? Stay here? Find a way out? I barely had time to think when another screen flashed in my vision, but this time, it was different.

---

Dear Host,

Please proceed to your orientation class

From there, you will receive your Quests

---

I blinked, staring at the new message in disbelief. Quests? What the hell was this? This wasn't in the web novel. Sure, in the book, every student at the heavenly academies had a basic system interface that allowed them to see their stats, skills, and progression like I had just seen. But this? This was different. There was never any mention of the system talking to anyone, much less giving out personalized quests. Not even the protagonist of the story had something like this.

In the novel, the system was a tool, something given by the gods to help students gauge their strength, level, and potential. It was a passive thing—completely utilitarian. It didn't talk to you, didn't act like some personal assistant guiding you through the world. But now, apparently, mine did.

I stood there, staring at the screen, feeling a deep sense of unease settle into my gut. If the system was different from the one in the novel, what else was different? Could I rely on anything I remembered from the story? Or was I on my own, figuring things out as I went?

"Quests," I murmured under my breath, pacing again. In the book, there weren't quests like this. Sure, students had goals—missions assigned by the gods or their instructors, tasks that would help them grow stronger. But the word quests made this feel like some kind of game. And that unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.

Still, if this system—whatever it was—wanted me to go to the orientation class, maybe I didn't have much of a choice. If I stayed here, I'd just be sitting around, panicking in this tiny room with no answers. At least if I went, I might learn something. Maybe I'd even figure out a way to get back home. There had to be a way out, right?

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. "Alright, Callum. One step at a time." I glanced at the door, feeling a sense of dread building in my chest. Whatever awaited me beyond that door, it was my only option right now. I had to move forward.

I approached the door, my hand hovering over the handle for a moment before I finally pushed it open. The hallway outside was lined with more doors just like mine, each presumably leading to similar dorm rooms. The medieval aesthetic was unmistakable—just like I'd read.

There were other students in the hall too, all of them heading in the same direction. They looked just like the characters from the novel—young, eager, dressed in simple tunics and trousers, some carrying backpacks slung over their shoulders. No one looked as confused as I felt, which only made me more anxious. 

I followed the crowd, my thoughts spinning wildly. The last thing I remembered before all this craziness was reading about a fantasy world—this fantasy world. But now I was living it. And the terrifying part? I had no idea what to expect next.

With one last glance at the glowing screen in front of me, I muttered under my breath, "Quests, huh? Let's just hope the first one isn't something ridiculous."