Chapter 1
Upon reaching the train station stop, I walked a short distance until I arrived at the front gate building of Summit Peak University. The name of the university was prominently displayed on the gate in a combination of blue and gold colors. Having visited the university before for enrollment and entrance exams, I was somewhat familiar with the area and had previously explored it to some extent.
The university consists of four main buildings. The first one, which is directly in front of me, is the gate building. It serves as a welcoming area for visitors and ensures that only authorized individuals are granted access. The university's security team is also located here.
The second building is the east building, where I am currently headed for my first class. It houses various classrooms and academic facilities.
The third building is the north building, also known as the main building. This is where most of the university's clubs and important facilities are located.
Lastly, there is the west building, where I will have some of my classes later in the day.
I strolled nervously among the many students who were also heading in the same direction as me. I was promptly stopped by the scanner, wherein I flashed my ID card to gain entry. Inside, there are plenty of security officers roaming around who politely greet students as they enter. I reciprocated the ones who greeted me as I headed for the east building. As I exited the gate building, I passed the beautiful park-like courtyard of the university and saw many students sitting on benches and relaxing under the red oak tree. I kind of envy them since I, too, would wish to spend my time here if I didn't have my first class to attend.
I arrived at the east building and took in the scenery. I then slowly headed towards the classroom I was assigned to. My social anxiety started to kick in. I was nervous and a bit apprehensive as I stopped a few meters away from the door of the room. I saw other students walk inside and composed myself to do the same.
After a brief pause, I took a deep breath, summoning my courage as I entered the classroom. The space before me was a large room, the seats arranged in curved rows, each row ascending slightly for better visibility from the back. There were more than 20 students, most of whom seemed to keep to themselves, with only a few engaging in prior conversations. At the center was the teacher's podium, with a tall and wide screen serving as a blackboard. Spotting an empty seat in the farthest rear corner, I attempted to make myself inconspicuous as I quietly navigated through the rows of seats, ignoring the curious glances directed my way.
Feeling a sense of relief, I settled into the seat in the back row of the classroom. Carefully, I retrieved my school-issued tablet and securely attached it to the table intended for its use while being mindful of its fragility. Unlike my personal tablet and phone, the school's tablet remained their property, so damaging it would not only result in a fine but also an embarrassing explanation on how i messed up so bad. Satisfied with its secure placement, I eavesdropped on some conversations among my classmates.
"I heard from my sister who studies here that our professor in this class is kind and considerate," came from a male voice.
"For real? I hope so. I'm kinda scared, to be honest. It would be a huge relief if our teachers weren't super strict. For real!" a high-pitched female voice responded.
I'd be more relieved if you could just speak normally, for real.
To be honest, I found solace in knowing that I wasn't alone in feeling anxious about the class. It's true what they say: misery loves company, I suppose.
"Did you catch the game yesterday between RG and Eclipse?" a boisterous voice caught my attention.
"Of course! You know I'm a huge fan of Zetta. I never miss any of his matches," a cheerful female voice, most likely his friend, responded.
Zetta..... That's a name I haven't heard for quite a while. The sudden mention of it made me do a quick look at the one talking.
As I shifted my gaze towards the speaker, my eyes landed on a cheerful blonde girl exuding a lively energy. Her face had an appealing charm, leaning more towards cuteness rather than conventional beauty. However, what stood out the most were her prominently large breasts, seemingly restrained by her casual t-shirt and skirt. I couldn't help but wonder if she ever experienced back pain due to their size.
Meanwhile, the boy responded, his tone laced with arrogance. "Hmph, if we ever had a one-on-one match without any advantages, I could definitely defeat that guy," he boasted smugly.
The voice came from a lanky boy with sharp facial features and brown hair with a faded cut. He has an air of arrogance and confidence around him giving off an aura of someone who is prideful and conceited. I'm most likely wrong in my initial deduction but that is just the impression I get from looking at him. I know I'm being biased but considering his earlier statement, it was the first-impression I formed of him.
"If you can't even defeat me in a one-on-one fight, how do you expect to win against any professional player, especially someone like Zetta?" she retorted.
"I was just holding back because you're a girl! If I got serious, you won't stand a chance," the boy claimed.
"Once again, you're making excuses! Just admit that I'm better than you!" the girl fired back.
I get that trash-talking is a part of playing competitive games, even more so between close friends but pick the right place and the right time for Pete’s sake. You guys are garnering stares you know, I feel a second-hand embarrassment just by looking at you two.
Thankfully, the professor arrived halting their bickering. No, wait! Not 'thankfully', I haven't mentally prepared myself for the class yet! I blame these two for this.
Unaware of the internal turmoil I was experiencing, the professor exuded confidence as he made his way to the front of the room.
Tall and professional-looking, with neatly trimmed dark hair, he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, emanating a sense of maturity accentuated by his attire—a white polo shirt and tie. He proceeded to organize his materials, completely disregarding the presence of the class, as if it were an everyday occurrence, which, to be fair, it probably was. This continued for a while, with no one in the room daring to break the silence by uttering a single word. As the quietude grew increasingly unbearable for me, the professor unexpectedly broke the silence with a brief greeting, marking his first vocalization since entering the room.
"Good morning, everyone. I will be your instructor for World History A010. You can call me Mr. Abel Jones or simply Mr. Jones," he announced in a strong and clear voice, as his full name appeared on the large screen behind him.
The class responded to his greeting, though not in perfect unison and with varying levels of audibility.
"Before we begin, I have one crucial rule that all of you must abide by during my class: do not interrupt me while I am teaching," he commanded.
"I don't mind if you choose not to pay complete attention to my lectures as long as you pass the practical assignments and exams. However, I expect you to respect the learning environment for those who are sincerely willing to learn. Do I make myself clear?" he proclaimed, his voice loud and intimidating.
The entire class responded with a resounding "Yes, sir."
"Good. As long as you adhere to that simple rule, we will get along just fine. Now, let's move on to attendance. Please verify your attendance," he instructed.
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In response to his prompt, a verification screen appeared on each student's tablet. This efficient method of taking attendance required a thumbprint verification, ensuring an accurate record of attendance. It was a time-saving and cheat-proof system, far superior to the traditional roll call method... unless, of course, someone resorted to cutting off a classmate's finger to falsify attendance... what the heck is wrong with me with these grim thoughts just randomly popping out of nowhere today?
"So, it seems that everyone is present except for... 'Mr. Harrison Walker'?" he called out, seemingly expecting a response from this particular student, but no voice replied.
"Now, let's begin your first day of class by pairing you up with another student," he continued as the screen behind him displayed the IDs of the entire class, forming pairs of two.
I glanced at the face and name on my assigned partner's ID and realized it belonged to the blonde girl with whom the boisterous guy had been arguing before. Elizabeth Miles. I quickly glanced in her direction, and our eyes met briefly. She flashed me a radiant smile, and I nodded in acknowledgment before diverting my gaze, pretending to pay attention to the professor in an attempt to mask my own nervousness.
"These groups were randomly generated by the computer. For today's assignment, I would like you to write a biography about the student you have been paired with. This will serve as practice for writing an autobiography about yourself, which will be one of your later projects. Your completed biography should be sent to me via your class tablet prior to our next meeting. Keep it concise for now, providing a general summary of about 250 to 500 words. Please note that you will be graded individually. Any questions?" he explained.
A girl raised her hand from the front of the classroom, her features slightly obscured from my location, but she appeared to be quite nervous.
"Um... my partner is absent," she spoke in an almost inaudible voice.
"Oh, I forgot about Mr. Walker. Please join another group for now," the professor acknowledged, pressing something on the podium, causing one of the pairs to form a temporary group of three. "You three can decide amongst yourselves who will write about whom. Any other questions?"
After a brief silence, the professor continued, "Okay, you may begin. Move to your pairs as you wish." He then retrieved an old-fashioned leather-bound book, a rarity in today's digital age, from his bag and began reading, leaving us to work on the assignment.
What that guy said earlier about the professor seems true. While he may be intimidating at first glance, he probably paired us in consideration of those who have no acquaintances yet in this class to make friends. Like me, for example...... How depressing.
As I was ruminating about our professor's actions, I heard someone call out to me.
"Katherine Katyusha, right?"
A polite yet cheerful sound came from the girl who was supposed to be my pair. Okay, Kat, don't screw this up; better make the best first impression you possibly can.
"Elizabeth Miles, I presume?" I gave her a polite smile
'I presume' my ass! Now, I sound like a stuck-up honor student. God, I'm not used to interacting with other people.
"You can just call me Elizabeth, or Liz for short."
I nodded, not knowing how to respond to her straightforwardness.
"Ohh, are you Russian? I mean, your surname sounds like one."
Is she doing the activity thing already? Probably not judging by her demeanor. I think she is just genuinely curious.
"My father is half Russian and half American, and my mother is pure American, so I guess that makes me a quarter Russian," I replied.
"Really? That's fascinating! Where do your parents live?" she asked excitedly.
"They live in a town called Ardmore, just west of this city. I'm new to the city, so I don't have many acquaintances yet," I explained.
None at all in fact besides my aunt, but let's not tell her that.
"Oh! I grew up here in Philadelphia, so you can ask me anything you'd like to know!" she proudly proclaimed.
"I'll definitely keep that in mind. But for now, let's focus on writing the biography so we don't forget any important details," I suggested, emphasizing the need to stay on track.
"Oh, right! I... uhm... almost forgot about that," she replied apologetically, casting a sheepish glance in my direction.
I thought so. She's not writing anything at all, and I doubt she has a perfect memory to remember all that I've said so far.
Our conversation continued while writing the important points. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her with her leading the conversation of course. When it came to hobbies, she became much more energetic and expressive than she usually was (which is a lot). She talks about her being a streamer of the game Champions of Andartha. A game that I was very familiar with.
Champions of Andartha or commonly called CoA by its players. It is the most successful game that came out when the full immersion virtual reality pod was in its initial stages of becoming well renowned. It has drastically risen in popularity along with the full immersion VR with a current player base of over 870 million and rising. That is all according to the article I read back then, which, in hindsight, might be a blatant promotion of the game by highlighting their huge player base. Its meteoric rise is mainly due to its competitive scene, which has garnered a lot of attention from potential players and the like. It was out for almost four years, but every year, the player base keeps increasing. Its biggest event, the Andartha Cup, a yearly tournament held every late November, has the largest prize pool in the history of esports and is also integral to its popularity. Being a champion in that tournament can set you up for a lifetime of luxurious living, except for the first tournament, though.
"What about you? What are your hobbies?" she inquired with genuine curiosity.
"Um... I also play VR games, mostly single-player ones," I responded hesitantly.
"Ohh, you should definitely try playing Champions of Andartha! It's so much fun, especially when you engage in team-based PvP!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, attracting a few glances from our surroundings.
"Actually, I've already played it," I replied in a hushed voice, gesturing for her to lower her volume.
"Really!? What's your in-game name? What level are you, and what role do you specialize in?" she asked with excitement, like a child who had found a new playmate.
"Well, it's not actually my account... I just used someone else's," I admitted, partially revealing the truth.
As memories of my sister rushed back, my heart sank, and a wave of nausea threatened to overpower me.
Not here. Not now, Kat. Hold it in.
"......Katherine?"
"O-ohh sorry! I didn't hear you. I was lost in thought. What was it again?"
"I said. My friends and I scheduled a friendly match later with the local VR cafe players. Wanna come with me later? Pleaasssee?" She begged cutely, making me want to accept it there and then.
VR cafes, huh? I've never been into one, but I heard it became commonplace after the rise in popularity of the VR pod. The news I read said that it would experience a boom just like those PC cafes back in the day, though I was probably just a baby back then when the net cafes were commonplace.
Conflicting thoughts raced through my mind. Part of me yearned to spend more time with Liz, while another, more logical part resisted the idea.
"I already told you I don't have my own VR account," I responded, using the excuse as much to convince myself as to turn down her invitation.
A smug smile formed on her face as if she had found the perfect solution to my dilemma.
"I have another account that I don't use much anymore, and it's max leveled. If you come with me later, I promise you can use it whenever you want!" she offered, tempting me with the prospect of free access to an account. It was a generous gesture, and I felt guilty even considering declining her offer.
"I'll think about it," I replied neutrally, trying to maintain a sense of detachment.
She pouted, and I couldn't help but notice how adorable it looked. However, I did my best to ignore it and succeed in doing so... just barely.
"But for now, let's focus on the activity," I redirected the conversation, steering us back to the task at hand.
We talked a lot, sharing most of the things we are both comfortable with sharing, like our courses and such. I mostly avoid the topics about my family, and thankfully, she doesn't pry either. I also found out that aside from being a streamer, she is also the guild leader of Concord of Heroes'. It doesn't ring a bell, though. To be fair, I'm not up to date with the current popular guilds. She is adamant about only recruiting members that she knows personally, which is a big reason why she wants me to play with them later and also join her guild. Time flew as we talked and listened to things about each other and pondered what we were going to write in the bio. She is surprisingly fun and easy to talk to, even for an introvert like me.
Suddenly, the teacher interrupted the class, bringing our attention back to the present moment.
"As our time is up, those who haven't finished yet may continue working even after class if you wish. Just remember to submit your partner's biography in our next meeting on Wednesday. That's all for today. Class dismissed," he announced, leaving the class in a manner as eye-catching as when he had entered.
As the professor left the room, Elizabeth and I both exchanged looks.
"I guess that's the end of this class," she remarked, accompanied by a wistful smile.
"Yeah, I suppose so," I nodded in agreement.
She suddenly asked, "Do you have any more questions for me?"
"No, I think I have enough information to work with. How about you?"
"Hmm... actually, I do," she said mischievously, her smile widening. "So, about the PvP game later... you're coming, right?" she asked, her tone pleading and hopeful.
I let out a sigh, reluctantly conceding to her request.
"Fine, fine," I said, giving in.
I decided that if I couldn't play the game later, I would come up with an excuse. For now, though, I set it aside and resolved to let my future self deal with it.
She beamed with happiness, and her contagious smile assured me that I had probably made the right choice.
"See you later then!" she said, waving as she headed off to her next class, which unfortunately wasn't the same as mine.
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