I am Arthur Norris. I go to a decent Highschool in America where I have hopes to become a teacher. I mostly want to be one out of spite but still.
I've begun reading web novels to pass the time. A few months ago I started to read through "Magepunk - The Iron Heart" by Yoshir* at the recommendation of my older brother before he magically disappeared.
IMIH was a 3.2/5 star rated web-novel with just over a hundred thousand views and well over five thousand chapters. I'm only a few hundred chapters in though, I don't have much time to read.
One day I went to sleep earlier than normal. But when I opened my eyes I was inside a classroom, but unlike modern rooms this one had a more magical vibe. The walls had manuscripts of magical systems and types of abilities, and I was surrounded by people with unnatural hair colors and clothing.
The one to my left had long pointy ears and flowing amethyst purple hair. She wasn't an elf but she very much resembled one. To my right an athletic teen sat drinking out of a cup, his naval blue hair reminded me of the ocean.
My phone was in my hand but it looked unnatural. Instead of my anime case it was a fine wood with a copper rod coming off it, almost as if it had been transferred here.
Putting my finger over the power button that was now a switch I tried to turn it on to no avail. I looked at the screen closely to see if it might have just been dead to see a pair of unfamiliar eyes staring right back at me. No, unfamiliar isn't the right word. I know whose eyes they are. As described in the book.
「Beautiful silver eyes reminiscent of finely made jewelry, the pupil shaped as if every single planet aligned.」
I never fully understood what that line meant until now, these eyes… are spectacular. Looking inside I can tell everything about this pers—- wait, why am I here?
Quickly realizing the severity of the situation I rushed out of the room. The voices of my classmates could be heard behind me calling out a name but I ignored them.
Heading into the closest bathroom, I looked at the stalls. They had total privacy even though the walls were made of wood inside there was a weird type of toilet and a small cubby with three seashells.
Sitting down I pulled my phone back out trying to see my reflection again. The silvery eyes kept staring back at me, as if there were two people looking at me. Pulling my hair forward kept it unnatural to me. My normal hair was short and unkept while this was long and silky.
Instead of my sweatshirt and jeans I have a school uniform on. It's a dark blue overcoat with a red tie. Above my heart is an emblem similar to a magical stone with something written above it.
Before I could try and figure it out my phone buzzed, on the screen a throbber slowly spun.
[Initiating {Ouroborus} program]
"Huh."
Ouroborus program? What is that‽ An ouroborus is a snake eating itself, so what the hell is an "ouroboros program"? When it was done loading more text appeared.
[Greeting user {2051883}]
"2051883? How many people have been in this predicament?"
[Please log in]
The web-novel site I was familiar with was asking me to log in?! Is the site the cause of the 'ouroborus program'? Typing in my login information It sent me to my profile.
[Welcome {Hel1o's_P1caro} please go though the new tutorial]
"Tutorial? For a web novel site?"
Clicking on the tutorial brought me to a new menu, one I haven't seen before. It reminded me of a typical game menu. There's stats, store, skills, quest, and a locked tab.
But why am I here? How did I get transferred into a novel? I've read about this a hundred times but I never expected it to actually happen.
Then there's a million questions on top of that like what part of the novel am I in? Why am I the main character? How do I get out? Do I want to leave?
Okay first things first I need to assess the situation. The parts of "Magepunk - The Iron Heart" I've read can be split into nine-ish arcs. I can assume I'm near the beginning since Stara Zagora is still alive.
If this follows the plot from the beginning first I would need to go through the academy test to get into Volzic. Then the Volzic arc where Kael Ereva attacks. Then the Elfheim Forest. Then… What was after that? I remember the last few I read but I can't remember the middle…
"If this is the web novel app, maybe the novel is still uploaded!"
Clicking through the app to find the novel I search it up. The top result… "Magepunk - The Iron Heart". It is still on here, with this I'll be unstoppable! Once I clicked on the novel a new screen showed up.
[Please pay { دج 50} to view chapter{1}]
"What the fuck kind of currency is that!?"
So the novel is now paid content and it costs fifty of whatever type of currency that is. I'm going to die here.
Maybe not. Clicking back through the app I head to the 'skills' tab to see if I had anything good.
I could have a skill like prophecy, or the main character's abilities . Maybe I could even have my own skills.
[Skill list: N/A]
[Please summon for skills]
Summon? Dead god don't tell me. Very slowly I clicked the 'summon' button as it led me to the store. On the store page there's a surprisingly cute girl in front of a slot machine with a large neon sign hanging from the side.
[1 summon is 150 {Zephrite}]
[Chances: Common 50%, uncommon 25%, rare 15%, epic 8%, legendary 1%, mythical 0.9%, divine 0.1%, Omnipotent ???%]*
I'm going to die due to a gacha skill system. All hope I had at survival fled immediately. I played a lot of gacha games in my life and I never got anything good. Most was an event skin for a character I didn't like. But now instead of a mid skin it's my capability in this world. I'm fucked.
[You have {3} free spins]
Looks like I'll have to try my luck. Clicking the spin button the number went from three to two. A chibi girl showed up beside a slot machine like some kind of mascot. A prompt showed up for me to click again, once I did the girl spun the wheel.
Watching the slot machine spin my heart raced, common, uncommon or mythical what would I get?
[Common]
Fuck.
[New skill acquired! {Agility: temporary speed boost upon activation}]
I mean a speed boost is decent I guess… wonder how much it is? I clicked the summon button again, crossing my fingers hoping for something good.
The girl reappeared and spun the wheel this time though…
[Rare]
"Hell yeah!"
[New skill acquired! {Astral Projection: Project ones consciousness away from their body}]
"Hell no!"
What am I going to do with 'Astral Projection'??? This is an action fantasy novel. I have to fight people! Maybe I can play the role of a support or something. Wait no I'm the main character…
Looking up to the roof I clamped my hands, "Please give me luck." Clicking the summon button one last time. Hoping – no praying for something good.
For a final time the girl showed up and spun the machine.
[Common]
Just kill me, I'm fucked in this world.
[New skill unlocked! Bioluminescence: Emit light from your body}]
And with that final skill I'm out of skills. If I want to make it into Volzic I have to pass a combat test and right now I have no fighting skills. Not only that, one of them is completely useless. Even in creatures bioluminescence is used as a tactic to survive or mate.
How am I supposed to follow the novel if I can't even pass the first arc?
While I worry a voice from outside the stall called a name.
"Arthoria you in here?"
The names called out Arthuria, that was the name of the main character in MPIH. funny how our names are similar. Putting my phone away and flushing the empty toilet I exited the stall.
"Yeah.. I'm here."
The blue haired boy from class stared at me from the door with a book in hand, Stara Zagora, he was a supporting character near the beginning of the novel. I really liked him since his powers were really cool but he died in a fight somewhere in the third to fourth arc.
"Thank god, I was worried when you just ran out of class,"
"Shit, I was in class wasn't I"
"So you just really had to go huh… I'll let the teacher know you're okay.'
He grinned so happily at me like this was funny. He thinks I'm his friend that he's known for years. He has no idea I'm not him.
"Hurry back though, you know how teach gets when someone's out of class for long."
"Yeah yeah, I'll hurry."
And with that he exits. But, I feel like something's wrong. Washing my hands I stared at my phone walking back to class.
On the stats menu it had a list of my stats and skills.
[Strength Level {4}]
[Agility Level {3}]
[Vitality Level {5}]
[Intelligence Level {7}]
[Magic-Power Level {9}]
[Charisma Level {4}]
[Current maximum during this chapter is {10}]
[Skills Equipped: N/A]
Decent stats, definitely not a melee fighter. I have the stats of a good magic user. Too bad all my skills are useless. Once I was done reading my stats I reached the class. Walking back in I could feel the teacher shooting daggers at me.
Taking my seat, the book Stara had earlier sat on top of my desk. Looking right, Stara staring at me, I finally realized my mistake.
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Authors note
[1]Yes I did that, I wrote all 5000~ pages. Im so goated.
[2]As fun as it would have been to give him some random overpowered ability I deadass spun for his power… like I spun a rarity and then I spun another wheel with powers on it. I find it funny how his faith is dependent on my luck.
M