Chapter 3: The new world
936 Words
'What.. just happened?'
The thought struck like lightning, sending a shiver down his spine. It made no sense—one moment he was dead, and the next, he was here, feeling as though he had just woken up from a dream.
Then it happened.
A soft chime echoed in his mind, and suddenly, a translucent screen materialized before his eyes.
[Welcome, Henry. You have awakened your system.]
Henry’s breath hitched. A system? His gaze darted around, but no one else seemed to notice the floating interface before him.
[Scanning host’s condition…]
[System Integration in Progress… 10%]
[Memory processing....20%]
His hands trembled as he read the glowing words. This was real. He wasn’t hallucinating.
A deep voice cut through the murmurs around him.
“Are you alright, boy?”
Henry looked up to see an elderly man with silver hair and a beard that nearly reached his waist. His piercing golden eyes held both wisdom and authority. The aura around him was undeniable—this man was powerful.
Henry forced himself to respond. “I—I think so.”
The man studied him for a long moment before nodding. “You suddenly collapsed under the sun. Have you been feeling unwell?”
Henry hesitated. Should he mention the system? No, that would probably sound insane. Instead, he shook his head. “I’m not sure what happened… I just blacked out.”
The elder stroked his beard, his expression unreadable. “Curious. Your mana was fluctuating wildly a moment ago as if it was trying to break free but couldn’t. Yet you claim you don’t know why?”
'I dreamt about this some weeks ago. I can still recall from the building structure' Henry mumbled inwardly and responded to the old man with a warm smile.
"I'm perfectly okay master"
The elderly man turned to the other robed figures. “He's fine, let's return to our seats.
Henry stood up with a warm smile on his face and immediately the students returned to their line, lining up in twenty rows.
They had a confident smile on their face, their eyes gleaming with anticipation and hope.
"It's time" one of them whispered, his voice shaky.
"Apprentice of The Hunter Academy," The supervisor spoke, his voice loud and bold.
All the students ceased their words immediately they heard him.
'Hunter Academy?' Henry murmured inwardly.
"After the six months of basic trainings, we've finally come to a conclusion where we'll be selecting only Three Thousand Hunters to be our official students"
Henry stood in the middle of the gathering of students, his head began to ache and immediately he was flooded with memories—memories that didn’t belong to him.
'Ahh' Henry cried inwardly, he gritted his teeth, his vision blurring as images of another life flashed before him.
[Memory processed....100%]
*Sigh*
Henry took a deep breath and slowly began to understand what was happening to him.
He was reincarnated into the game world as a weak student who's name was also Henry.
'So I'm in the game world now' Henry mumbled inwardly.
Although he had read Novels, he never once thought this would happen to him.
"Don’t be scared, brother," a voice whispered beside him. Arial, his twin, placed a reassuring hand on Henry’s shoulder. "I’ve already made a lot of sacrifices for you. You won’t get evicted."
Henry looked at his twin, feeling a strange warmth at the familiarity of his presence. He barely had time to process the weight of Arial’s words before the names of the weakest students were called. Some groaned in frustration, others dropped to their knees in disbelief. But Henry’s name was never spoken.
He turned to Arial, whose determined smile spoke volumes.
He must’ve done something to keep me here.
Henry’s chest tightened. He barely knew Arial, and yet, he felt an unexplainable bond with him—one that made his gut churn with unease.
The air suddenly grew heavy. The sky darkened, swirling with unnatural shadows. A gust of wind howled through the academy grounds, sending chills down Henry’s spine.
Then, they descended.
Ghost-like creatures, their forms shifting and twisting, emerged from the darkness above. Their hollow eyes glowed like embers as they let out an eerie, guttural screech.
Panic erupted. Students and academy instructors sprang into action, hurling spells and slashing at the creatures with different skills and weapons. The ground trembled as fireballs exploded, lightning crackled, and blades met monstrous flesh.
Henry stood frozen. His body refused to move as if his own mind rejected the reality before him.
"Noo, I don't want to die?" Henry screamed as he stood still. The memories from the past Henry could tell that this body is took weak In magic and combat.
"Henry, move!" Arial yelled, standing between him and the oncoming threat. His twin fought ferociously, his blade slashing through the shadowy beings with relentless precision.
Henry barely had time to react before one of the creatures lunged at him. Its claws sliced through the air, and just as Henry thought it would be his end—
Arial stepped in.
A sickening sound echoed through the battlefield.
Henry’s breath hitched as Arial gasped, his body arching in pain. The creature’s claws had torn through his side, dark blood staining his uniform. Yet, despite the injury, Arial pushed forward, cutting down the beast before it could attack Henry again.
"A-Arial—!" Henry’s voice cracked, panic rising.
More creatures swarmed. Arial gritted his teeth, standing his ground even as his body swayed with exhaustion. He fought, his movements desperate, driven by a singular purpose—to protect Henry.
But it wasn’t enough.
- Writer
