My name is Han Seora, and I'm a transmigrator.
After binge-reading my favorite webnovel, [The Hero is Actually the Heroine]—or HIH for short—I woke up in the last place I ever expected: a dusty, half-destroyed classroom, completely empty except for me… and one weird-looking mage.
I was supposed to be 23 years old.
But when I looked in the mirror, I saw the face of a 13-year-old girl staring back at me.
That was four years ago.
Since then, I've lived under the roof—and relentless training regimen—of that eccentric mage. These days, I call him Master.
He taught me everything: from the basics of mana manipulation to high-level spells that weren't even supposed to exist in the current timeline. Day and night, theory and practice, pain and breakthroughs—it never stopped.
And I didn't waste that time.
With a bit of talent, stubbornness, and a lot of knowledge from the novel's plot, I climbed the ranks fast. In just four years, I reached the level of a 4th-circle mage—a feat unheard of for someone my age.
Finally, I received my admission into Atlas Academy.
The place where the main story is supposed to begin.
The place where she—the original protagonist—would shine.
But just before I was about to step into that future…
My master vanished.
No note. No warning. No farewell.
Just gone—like smoke in the wind.
And now, my mission is simple.
Help the main character avoid the bad ending… and find my master who disappeared without a word.
◇◇◇
[Weapon Selection Day]
Atlas Academy had finally given us permission to choose our starting weapons—something every cadet looked forward to.
But for me, it was nerve-wracking.
What if I picked the wrong one? What if I missed a hidden item like in the original storyline? What if I—
Thud.
Something bumped into me from behind, nearly knocking me off balance.
I spun around, expecting a careless cadet—but all I saw was a staff lying on the floor.
Weird.
I picked it up instinctively and checked its status with my system.
[Appraising Item…]
___
Name: Staff of the Stars
Grade: S
Effect: Amplifies user's magic output by 317%.
Special Trait: Starlight Veil – Enhances cosmic affinity and increases regeneration under moonlight.
Restriction: Requires 4th-circle mage or higher to wield.
___
I blinked.
Wait—what?
This was one of the rarest weapons in the story.
In the original HIH timeline, the character only stumbled upon it much later during a dungeon raid. For me to find it just lying here…
Was it fate?
Or a plot hole?
"…Dibs," I muttered, clutching it tightly.
No way I was letting this one go.
And just like that, the day continued.
Quietly.
Uneventfully.
Yet somehow, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change.
◇◇◇
{Kylen Noor — POV}
Back at the dorm, I couldn't help but feel a little worried about Ji-Hyun.
After the stat evaluation ended, we were told to return—but most of the students seemed to forget one small detail.
We had to take the capsule again.
And just like before, the jump through space wrecked everyone.
Nearly the entire class was knocked out for the second time today, leaving only thirteen of us still conscious by the end of it—including me and Ji-Hyun.
…Though, to be fair, Ji-Hyun was clutching my sleeve like his life depended on it the whole way.
Now he was out cold, curled up in bed, snoring lightly with a slight frown still etched on his face.
I lay back in my own bed, arms behind my head, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
"To think jumping through space could mess people up this badly…"
A quiet sigh escaped me.
Eventually, I sat up.
Still restless.
So I slipped out of bed, grabbed my uniform jacket, and left the dorm quietly.
◇◇◇
Atlas Academy Park
[08:17 PM]
Curfew: [11:00 PM]
Still plenty of time to kill.
The Academy's park wasn't just a patch of trees and benches. No, this place was a full-blown botanical sanctuary—lush, glowing, and eerily alive.
Most of the flora here wasn't even from Earth. They'd been gathered from across the dimensional gates—rare breeds, magical specimens, even plants that could sing if you listened closely enough.
But the real stars of the show?
The gardeners weren't human.
Too boring.
Instead, the ones tending the flowers and trimming the vines were spirits—graceful water elementals and cheeky plant sprites who flitted around the roots and branches like caretakers of a living museum.
Honestly, it was kind of peaceful.
The park was also a hotspot for students—some came here to unwind, some to study under the glowing lantern blossoms… and, of course, others came to flirt and fumble their way through first dates.
"The students should start handing out numbered tickets with how often this place gets used for romance," I muttered, stretching my arms behind my head.
I walked slowly past a cluster of bioluminescent ferns, their leaves gently waving at my presence like they recognized me.
The air smelled faintly of rain, despite the clear skies—probably the water spirits at work.
A few couples sat quietly on the floating benches near the crystal pond, whispering softly and pretending they weren't surrounded by sentient nature.
I kept walking.
Not really sure where I was going.
Just… wandering.
Thinking.
"What am I supposed to do now..."
Ever since I accepted the fact that I transmigrated into Atlas Online, I thought everything would be simple. Just follow the original storyline, hit the right flags, and avoid the bad endings.
But now that I'm outside the main story scenario…
I have no idea what to do.
"It's only been two days, but I already miss my viewers."
Back in my world, I'd probably be streaming another ridiculous challenge. Something dumb, like a "no armor run" or "only use healing spells to win PvP."
And my chat? They'd be spamming emotes and roasting me in real time.
"Today is a really boring day."
With a sigh, I turned away from the peaceful park and started heading back to my dorm.
---
◇◇◇
When I arrived, I noticed a box sitting neatly in front of the door.
"Huh?"
I crouched down and checked it. A paper label was taped to the top, stamped with both my name and Ji-Hyun's.
"Well, that's convenient."
I picked it up and brought it inside. Ji-Hyun was still passed out cold on his bed, completely wrapped in his blanket like a human burrito.
"I guess that space jump really messed him up…"
I set the box down on the desk and peeled it open. Inside, I found two smaller boxes, a few documents, and some other items: new ID cards, matching academy-branded pajamas, and what looked like a starter pack of gear.
"Ooh… To think the school gives out this many freebies."
I sorted through the contents and took my half, leaving the rest neatly stacked for Ji-Hyun.
One of the small boxes caught my attention. Inside it was a sleek flash drive, and taped to the lid was a short instruction sheet:
___
Insert the flash drive into your Smartband terminal.
Installation will take approximately 15 minutes.
___
"Huh… wonder what's on this."
I grabbed my Smartband, flipped open the data slot, and slid the flash drive into place.
The screen flickered to life with a loading bar.
[INSTALLING PERSONALIZED CADET PROFILE… 3%]
"Guess I'll find out soon."
To Be Continued...