Nex stepped through the towering gates of Nexus Academy, his eyes tracing the sharp lines and glowing symbols carved into the walls. Everything felt bigger than life — the kind of place he'd only read about in old pages and scattered articles. Now, he was here.
For real.
The campus buzzed with quiet energy — students in fresh uniforms, staff giving directions, holographic signs floating mid-air. His headphones hung around his neck, silent for once, as his eyes soaked in the sight.
"Focus," he told himself. "This is just the first step."
He followed the stream of applicants into a massive hall lit by natural sunlight pouring through the high glass ceiling. At the center, desks hovered neatly in rows, each paired with a smooth, glowing aetherpad.
A staff member handed him his ID chip and pointed to a seat.
"Written exam. Mana Theory, Affinity Basics, World Law Application," she said curtly.
Nex nodded, eyes scanning the exam interface as it came to life.
He took a deep breath and sat down.
---
(Nex's pov)
"Okay... Affinity distribution, mana cycle equations, flow resistance. All standard stuff. Vector Law's not here. Not surprising — this world still doesn't even know it exists."
His fingers danced over the screen, answering question after question. Years of reading, watching, and studying — both before and after transmigration — made the questions feel almost basic.
Still, something felt off.
He wasn't the same person who used to read this stuff for fun. Not after what he'd seen… what he'd become.
Mana flow during elemental channeling... basics.
Nex answered it without a second thought.
Then came mana circuit control, core output levels, affinity distribution. All of it — familiar. He knew this.
Too well.
"It's all the same… just like in the novel."
He paused for a moment, tapping his pen against the screen.
"But... there's still nothing about vector manipulation."
"Not a word."
It hit him again — hard.
This wasn't just a rare power. This wasn't some hidden chapter in the book.
Vector Law didn't exist here. Not yet.
And yet, he had it.
He looked down at his hand. The same hand that had twisted air, redirected force, and carved through space like it was paper.
"This power... it's not from this world."
"It's mine alone."
A chill ran down his spine. Not fear — but weight.
Responsibility.
Power like this, with no history... no guide... no rules.
He wasn't following the story anymore. He was rewriting it.
And no one else even knew.
He leaned back slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching into a tired smirk.
"Guess I really am the anomaly here."
He put his pen down.
Done.
The soft chime of submission echoed through his screen. A small countdown still blinked in the corner — 32 minutes left.
Around him, the hall was far from quiet. Pens scratched against screens, fingers tapped anxiously, and chairs creaked under pressure.
60 applicants, all around his age, scattered in neat rows.
None wore uniforms. They couldn't. They hadn't earned them yet.
Their clothes were casual—street jackets, training gear, hoodies. Some had a wild look in their eyes, like they'd been preparing for this their whole life. Others looked like they had been thrown into the deep end and were trying not to drown.
Nex leaned back, eyes half-lidded, just watching.
A boy near the front scratched his head in frustration, whispering curse words under his breath.
A girl diagonally across bit her lip, muttering mana terms like they were spells.
Another one, lanky and pale, just stared blankly at his screen—like he'd already given up.
Nex's gaze moved slowly from one face to the next. His expression unreadable.
"They're all the same age. But they feel… softer."
He wasn't trying to look down on them.
He just felt… apart.
He rubbed the scar near his collarbone — faint, but still there. A mark from that brutal awakening.
No one here had screamed like he had.
No one had bled that much.
No one else carried silence like it was armor.
And yet, he didn't hate them.
He almost… envied them.
"They still feel fear. They still look nervous. That's… human."
He blinked slowly.
"I wonder what I look like to them."
Probably just another quiet guy.
But if they saw his memories… if they stood in that black room…
They'd never smile the same way again.
His hand reached up to adjust his headphones — sleek, white, and humming faint music. The sound grounded him, just enough to stay steady.
Then he sat there. Still. Calm.
Just another kid with a past no one knew.
Waiting for the next trial to begin.
He let his gaze wander again.
A few rows ahead, a boy was shifting… too much.
Not the usual nervous tapping or adjusting his chair.
Something else.
Nex narrowed his eyes slightly.
The kid had one hand on the screen, the other subtly under the desk, thumb tapping lightly against a ring he wore.
A faint blue shimmer flickered every few seconds.
A mana relay device—illegal in written exams.
Clever. Most wouldn't catch it.
But Nex had spent enough time reading military-grade tech manuals in the void vault as only some of the memories were available at that time, to know exactly what he was looking at.
He tilted his head slightly, amused.
"Creative, I'll give him that."
The shimmer grew for a second, and the boy whispered something under his breath. Probably trying to pull an answer from somewhere.
Then—
CRACK.
A loud noise like static tore through the air.
Everyone flinched. The boy's chair skidded.
The blue shimmer shattered like glass.
An invigilator appeared beside him in less than a second — tall, grey-robed, with an expression that could kill pride itself.
His voice was calm, but sharp enough to cut.
"Candidate #27 – Rian Velk, final warning."
Nex blinked once.
The name rang no bells. But the humiliation sure echoed.
The boy's face had gone white. Sweat poured down his temple. The whole room was staring now.
The invigilator leaned closer, his voice just low enough for only nearby students to hear.
"Another infraction, and your application is voided. We don't care how 'genius' your father says you are."
Then he vanished just as fast as he came.
The room slowly settled again, but not fully.
Rian Velk sat frozen, staring down at his screen, hands trembling.
Nex turned his head back forward.
His lips curved into the smallest, briefest smirk.
"Genius, huh?"
He didn't hate the guy.
Honestly… he admired the effort.
But trying to cheat in Nexus Academy's entrance test? That takes boldness…
Nex adjusted his headphones, leaned back once more, and let the faint music carry him back into stillness.
The quiet rustle of papers filled the large exam room as students began finishing their tests one by one. Pens clicked, chairs scraped lightly against the floor, and soft footsteps echoed as participants walked up to the front to submit their answer sheets.
Nex sat in the very back, his sharp eyes following each student as they left. Sixty young applicants, all around his age, all trying to get into the most prestigious academy in the nation.
He wasn't nervous. Just...watching.
Some scratched their heads and sighed, others looked confident, a few looked like they'd already given up. One kid even tried to sneak a cheat note under his sleeve—but got caught. The invigilator didn't yell, only gave him a flat stare and a final warning.
"Cayden Volst. One more trick like that, and you're out."
Nex raised a brow slightly. At least the academy didn't tolerate stupidity.
Eventually, the room emptied out, leaving only him. He stood up quietly and walked to the front, placing his paper down on the invigilator's desk.
The man glanced up. "Taking your time, huh?"
Nex just gave a polite nod and turned to leave. But just as he passed the doorway, he heard voices from the room next door—two staff members talking casually now that the exams were over.
"Looks like all five prodigies showed up this year," one said, sounding half-excited, half-exhausted.
"You're serious? All five? The main heirs of the founding families?" the other replied.
"Yeah. Aria Irelith—the Sacred Flame girl. Heard she awakened during a blood moon hunt. Burned down a corrupted beast nest alone."
"And Ruby Drazmere... the one with brutal martial power. Her weapon control's unreal. I heard she's got dual affinity too—earth and water."
"Lucas Dragonborne's also here. That cheerful one. Dragon lineage, unmatched stamina and holder of all 5 basic affinities and his special bloodline. Real golden retriever type but deadly when serious."
"Then there's Marcus Corvax," one of them said in a lower voice. "That boy's affinity is dark. Nobody really knows how his spells work… just that they do. Quiet type. Gives me the creeps."
"And Kaelith Vaelthorne…" The other invigilator chuckled. "Light and blood affinity. Sharp, smart, deadly. That kid's the one to watch. You can feel his presence when he speaks.
Nex paused by the door, eyes narrowing slightly. These weren't just rumors. These were the same people he had read about—characters who once lived only on the pages of a story.
Now they were real.
And so was he.
He slid on his headphones again, the soft hum of music dulling the hallway buzz. He walked forward slowly, not needing to look back.
"Looks like the story's already begun," he thought to himself. "Let's see where I fit in."