Chapter 37: The Expedition day

Monday Morning. The Day of the Expedition.

I woke up before the alarm.

I lay in bed for a moment, staring at the ceiling. A strange flutter of excitement sat in my stomach. Today was the Freshman Expedition. The first real arc of the game. The tutorial was over.

“Finally.”

I threw the covers off and walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.

I paused.

The person staring back at me wasn’t the same person from a week ago.

All my hard work had paid off.

I no longer looked like the weak, skinny “pimp” that Maya had bullied. The hollow cheeks were filled out, giving my jawline a sharper definition. The ribs that used to show through my skin were now covered by a layer of lean, wiry muscle—the kind built for speed rather than bulk. My shoulders seemed broader, my posture straighter.

My height had even increased by a centimeter or two, probably due to the improved posture and the nutrient-dense “bodybuilder diet” I had adopted from my 21st-century knowledge.

“Not bad.”

I flexed an arm. A distinct bicep popped up. It wasn’t massive like a barbarian’s, but it was hard as a rock.

“The System played a big part,” I admitted, tracing the definition of my abs, which were finally visible. “But I did the hard work. Both in the gym… and in bed.”

I turned to my bed. Laid out perfectly was my new combat gear.

It wasn’t anything extravagant, just some precautionary safety artifacts that Lily had practically forced me to take—a necklace that repelled insects and a bracelet that glowed if poison was nearby.

And of course, the standard Academy uniform. In this world, the uniform itself was a defensive artifact, woven with protective spells to withstand minor cuts and burns.

“Time to show the Academy,” I whispered, checking my reflection one last time, “that Alex Edelhart won’t settle for being an extra.”

I grabbed my bag and opened the door.

Lily was waiting in the hallway. When she saw me—dressed in black, sword at my hip, eyes sharp—she stopped. Her breath hitched visibly.

“Master…” she whispered, her cheeks flushing. “You look… dashing.”

“Well, you mean to say I wasn’t dashing before?” I shot back, a playful smirk on my lips.

That was usually a line for girls to use when fishing for compliments, but I pulled the UNO reverse card on her.

“N-No, Master! You are always dashing!” She stammered, flustered, waving her hands.

“Are you trying to cover it up now?”

“No! I swear!”

After teasing her until her face was as red as a tomato, I walked past her. I stopped at the door and looked back.

“Keep the bed warm.”

Lily curtsied deeply, her eyes burning with loyalty and lust.

“Always, Master.”

I stepped out into the morning light. The Academy awaited.

****

The Central Plaza.

I stood at the edge of the plaza, looking out at the sea of students.

’Man, this is like a fish market.’

Since today was the Expedition day, all freshmen from the five sections had gathered here to wait for instructions. Everyone was chattering heatedly, their voices creating a dull roar. The crowd was massive.

I scanned the faces. No one recognizable yet.

’Did I come too early? Man, this sucks.’

Suddenly, someone tapped my arm with an elbow. Hard.

“You look lost? The professor will be here soon, don’t be so oblivious.”

I turned.

A waft of excessive floral perfume hit me first. Then I saw the pink hair, the sharp, manicured nails, and ears full of piercings.

After a moment, I finally remembered her name: Roxy.

She was a student from Class B, a close friend of Maya, and someone who occasionally joined in on bullying Alex in the past.

It was annoying to deal with her so early in the morning. So I didn’t say anything and just looked at her coldly.

“Hey, what’s with that look, huh?” Roxy sneered, hands on her hips. “Do you want to get a bea—”

Her words stopped midway. Her eyes widened as she actually looked at me. She took in the broader shoulders, the sharper jawline, the cold confidence.

“Man… what happened to you?” she mumbled, blinking. “You look… different.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” I replied flatly. “What do you want from me, Roxy?”

Her face twisted into annoyance.

“Hey, I don’t want to talk to you either!” she snapped. “I came to scold you!”

“Scold me?”

“Yes! You bastard! Just because you got some strength, you think you can become a scumbag too, huh? How can you leave a girl hanging after agreeing to a date?!”

She was rambling, her voice getting louder.

“Wait,” I interrupted her, frowning. “What are you talking about? Leaving a girl? That’s absurd.”

At that question, she seemed to get even angrier. She reached out and grabbed my collar.

“You scum! You bastard!” she yelled, shaking me. “How can you be so indifferent?! Even though Maya used to bully you, how can you disregard her after… after what you did with her?!”

At the end of the sentence, her face became red, but she didn’t let go of my collar.

“After what I…”

I froze.

Flashback.

’I’ll see you later then,’ Maya had said, blushing.’I guess I can fit you in,’ I had replied.

Then… I went to the library. Met Elara. Came home. Grinded my Internal Circuit. Slept with Lily.

“Shit.”

I cursed aloud.

I had agreed to meet Maya at the café after the Academy on Friday. And I had completely ghosted her.

’I stood up the school bully after taking her virginity.’

That was… definitely scumbag behavior. Even for me.

“I…” I looked at Roxy, realizing I couldn’t argue. “I was clearly at fault here.”

I sighed, raising my hands in surrender.

“You’re right. I forgot. I got caught up in… training.”

“Training?!” Roxy looked incredulous. “You stood her up for training?”

“Look, I’m sorry,” I said sincerely. “I’ll make it up to her. Tell her… tell her I’ll explain everything after the Expedition.”

Roxy stared at me for a moment, clearly still pissed, but the commotion was attracting onlookers—melon eaters eager for drama. She realized making a scene here wouldn’t help Maya’s reputation.

“You better,” she hissed, releasing my collar and smoothing it down aggressively. “If you make her cry again, I’ll kill you myself.”

She turned and stomped away, leaving me standing there feeling like a jerk.

“What was that about?”

A familiar voice came from behind.

I turned to see Hanks, my glasses-wearing friend, looking at me with wide eyes. He had been among the spectators.

“Did… did Roxy just say you made Maya cry?” Hanks whispered, terrified. “Dude. What did you do?”

“Nothing,” I shrugged it off, fixing my uniform. “Just a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding with the Delinquent Queen?” Hanks shook his head. “You have a death wish, Alex.”

Before he could pry further, the magical loudspeakers around the plaza crackled to life.

[Attention, Students. Please gather by your assigned Class Banners.]

The topic instantly changed to the Freshman Expedition. The mood shifted from gossip to nervousness.

“We should draw good teams… Ah, I’m nervous,” Hanks muttered, clutching his staff.

“Why don’t we just let the people who want to be together form teams?” someone else complained.

The plaza, filled with freshmen, was buzzing with noise. It was natural, considering they were about to face their first expedition.

****

“Everyone, pay attention.”

The chatter in the plaza died instantly. A familiar, languid voice resounded through the air, amplified by wind magic.

A swirl of mana coalesced on the makeshift stage, and a professor wearing a large, stereotypical cone-shaped witch hat appeared. It was Cassandra, the Professor of Magical Theory.

“Before explaining the exploration assignment, I’ll announce the group formation,” she said, waving her wand lazily. “They were thoroughly randomized, so don’t worry about favoritism.”

Rather, because they were “thoroughly randomized,” the surrounding students gulped nervously. It meant you could be paired with a genius… or a complete deadweight.

Cassandra flicked her finger.

Hummmm.

A massive Mana Board materialized in the air, glowing with blue light. Hundreds of names scrolled rapidly before locking into place, grouped in sets of three.

“Ah! I’m with Sarah!” “No way! I got the bottom-ranker!” “Yes! A carry!”

Exclamations erupted as joys and sorrows intersected here and there. There were voices of relief, and there were also voices that bordered on screaming.

“I’ll give you three minutes,” Cassandra ordered, checking her pocket watch. “Stand together with your team members. Introduce yourselves to each other. Don’t waste time.”

The crowd began to move with a loud noise of shuffling feet and shouting names. I scanned the board, ignoring the chaos, until I found my name.

[Group 11]

Emily Frost

Martin Luke

Alex Edelhart

My eyebrows shot up.

’Emily Frost?’

The “Ice Princess.” One of the main heroines. A prodigy of Ice Magic who usually froze anyone who tried to talk to her.

The fact that I was assigned to a team with a main female character… well, it seemed the world was bending for me.

’I was wondering how I would get close to the heroines without forcing it,’ I thought, a small smirk forming. ’But it seems luck—or the Plot God—is on my side.’

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