Chapter 3.1 - Arcadia Hunter Academy

Returning to the Academy was not a hard task. Since I had been unconscious until very early in the morning, when I finally reached the train station, the morning train services had already started.

Thus, hopping into the first train, I immediately reached the academy grounds.

"You are back quite early." It was the same gate guard that had sent me, so I just nodded to him in response and entered.

'6 A.M is Quite early for the students to be awake. Especially on the weekends.' I thought while walking quietly to my room. 'Then, I guess we can use the training facilities.'

I disliked being in other people's presence, especially while I was training or studying, so most of the time, I refrained from using the general facilities in crowded times.

Looking at the environment, I felt comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. The tranquil ambiance of morning imbued the academy. The cool morning breeze, the empty roads that students had yet to fill…. I found comfort in that solace. But at the same time, the shining sunlight washing over me made me feel like I was exposed….

However, my eyes didn't pass the details over my sight… There were some drinks that were left on the ground… Some leftovers of food or some faint traces of fishy smell…

'No matter where you are, teenagers are still teenagers.' I thought, seeing the traces of nail marks on the tree….

All those information was something that I had not seen before, which showed how important my trait, Perceptive Insight, was.

But, none of their adolescent life mattered to me as I entered my room. After all, I had no right to live such a life.

******

After returning to my room and changing my clothes to light-hearted ones, I started thinking about how I should train my body and which path I needed to take.

'First, I should buy some products to make an increased training efficiency mixture.' I thought. It was a pretty common thing in the game for the veteran players to make their own potions. Since the game boasted quite a lot of details, instead of buying the general potions, making your own potion was a lot better most of the time for the detailed efficiency.

But, knowing which material to use for which effect was essential. This is why it was mostly used by veterans or those that liked to venture into the forums or wikis. And I was one of them.

Not everyone liked to delve too much into details, as they were some that just liked the fact of action or the combat mechanics.

'For the time being, using too advanced potions will do more harm than good. I need to push my body to its limits first.' But, of course, no matter how good you were at the potioneering, in the end, being natural was the best.

'Then, let's start with this one.' Choosing the potion that I wanted to go with, I ordered the ingredients on the internet. 'At least they are not that expensive.' I thought.

The mixture was a blend of ingredients that came from the dungeons and was known for their ability to enhance the circulation of blood, physical performance, and stamina.

Looking at my bank account, I saw 783 Valer was left. 'I also need to make money.' I thought.

No matter where you were, money was the most important thing in one's life. This applied more where you were in a world where dangers lurked everywhere and where strength was essential most of the time.

'But, I first need to build up my strength.'

Thinking that, I grabbed my equipment and left my room…

******

As I arrived at the training grounds, an imposing and tall building stood before me. A hub of activity and growth within the academy.

From the outside alone, it was pretty obvious that the amount of funds poured into the academy was enormous.

In a way, that was pretty normal, considering the students here were the future protectors of humanity.

Entering the building, a calm environment greeted me. Since it was still fairly early in the morning, there were not many students inside, aside from some hard workers that could be seen training.

The training building contained quite a lot of sections and segments for students to train efficiently.

Combat Arena – A vast, open space adorned with formations to protect students from injuring themselves severely. You could see some seniors fighting amongst themselves with sparks flying through everywhere.

Archery range – A dedicated area for rangers, complete with targets at varying distances.

Seeing the archery range, a thought arose within me. 'My skills are also suited for being a ranger.' I thought.

I hadn't considered it before since I had always been a close combatant, but my skills and my trait are much more suited to being a ranger. 'In the description, [Lunar Enigma} says amplifying projectiles with moon energy.'

'That means I can imbue arrows or throw projectiles with my mana. And my [Keen Eye] skill also enables me to have good eyesight.'

I thought. Just from these skills alone, I was suited for becoming a ranger. 'But, let's see my Trait first.' In a way, that might not be how it looked, and judging without knowing did not make any sense.

With that thought, I kept walking in the corridors of training rooms, with my eyes perceiving everything with more detail. There I saw a place fairly emptier than others.

Elemental Training Chambers – Specialized chambers designed to simulate different elemental environments, allowing students to acclimate themselves to various elemental conditions and practice their mana in different attributes.

Since it was a place that rather stimulated different conditions, it was expensive to use; therefore, most of the time, only higher-ranking students would be able to enter there.

After walking a little further, I reached the last open space.

A space filled with dummies all around. This place was for those who wished to practice their combat arts and increase their efficiency.

Dummy Center was the name of this place, as it stimulated one's arts in their mind.

"HA!"

/SLASH/ /SWOOSH/

There a shout entered my ears, followed by a couple of slashing sounds. Turning my gaze towards the source of the voice, I saw a long spear moving back and forth with a fast and precise speed.

My gaze fixated on the source of the commotion, and there he was— Ethan Harley, the protagonist of the game.

'Ethan Harley.' A name everyone would know if they played the game. His blue hair glistened with sweat as he gracefully moved, his spear a blur of motion. The sheer force behind each strike generated a gust of wind capable of inflicting damage on the training dummies.

"Huff…. Hufff…." As he stopped moving for a second, I could see a faint glimpse of his face.

A face that exuded an air of confidence and determination greeted my gaze. Ethan's hazel eyes sparkled with a mix of intensity and warmth, drawing one's attention with their captivating depth. They seemed to reflect his unwavering focus and passion for his craft.

His chiseled jawline accentuated the contours of his face, adding a touch of ruggedness to his otherwise refined features. His perfectly styled blue hair framed his face, complementing his striking appearance. Even with the sheen of sweat on his forehead, his skin radiated a healthy glow, enhancing his overall attractiveness.

His bright hazel eyes were looking at his spear with a determined expression as he once again raised his weapon to the dummy.

"HA!"

And with a loud shout, he started spinning his spear and attacking the dummy once again.

'I forgot, he was such a guy.' I thought to myself, seeing his dedication in the morning.

Ethan Harley was the protagonist of the game who belonged to the renewed family of hunters. Hartley Family.

The Hartleys have a long-standing legacy of being elite hunters, respected for their skills and formidable lineage. Everyone belonging to this family always had a considerable position in the Hunter industry.

However, different from his family members, Ethan was considered a failure in the family at the beginning of the story since he was not able to awaken at first. Therefore, he was mostly ignored by his family members, at least in terms of fighting for succession, since most of them actually liked him and his good-natured personality.

But, as he approached the age of 16, he was able to awaken suddenly as he witnessed a young girl almost getting killed by a monster in front of his eyes.

Stepping up and putting his body in front of the little kid, he put his life forward even though he was a non-awakened person at that time. As his life flashed before his eyes, the cutting scene would enter as we would see Ethan's dream and awakening.

And that would be the start of the game. From there, the academy would start since his family would learn about his awakening and would send him to one of the best academies, arguably the best, in the world.

With him entering the prestigious Arcadia Hunter Academy, where he will receive rigorous training and education to become an even more formidable hunter. The academy serves as a central hub for hunters from all walks of life, allowing Ethan to interact with diverse characters and develop friendships or rivalries.

However, because he was someone that had recently awakened, he would start as one of the last-ranking students of the academy and would rise up in the ranks at a fast rate thanks to his hard-working and heroic nature. However, the skills he had learned from his father and his sisters were always there, differentiating him from others.

Despite his exceptional abilities, Ethan is portrayed as an easygoing and approachable individual known for his heroic nature and willingness to help others. He quickly gains a reputation for his sense of justice and willingness to put himself in harm's way to protect innocent lives. His easygoing personality and charismatic demeanor make him popular among his fellow students and garner respect from both allies and rivals.

This is what kind of character Ethan Harley is at the beginning—a simple good guy that would do everything he could for the people to be saved.

'What a bullshit.' I thought, seeing his resolute face and bright smile. "Saving others…. Where were you at that time, then… Where were you all this time…" I mumbled to myself as I walked far away from the place where he was standing, reaching the end of the dummy section. The memories of my getting beaten haunted me. 'There is no way you wouldn't know.'

But I actually knew the answer and also knew he was not the one at fault.

'Those who wait to be freed do not deserve freedom.' As I remembered the phrase, I grabbed the dagger on my waist and started swinging it.

In the end, I could only blame myself for being weak….

-----------------A/N-----------------

Now, the next chapters will be small indo dumps about the main cast. Hope you liked the chapter.

You can check my discord if you want. You will be able to see the illustrations here and engage in a conversation with me if I am available.

https://discord.gg/XJEgBRM3C