I Became a Genius Magician at the Academy

This was an unfamiliar ceiling.

‘Who am I? Where am I?’

“I never thought I’d be saying these words.”

With a sigh, I felt something change as I stood up.

But I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was.

“Hmm…?”

I blinked my eyes, trying to focus, but everything remained puzzling. I gently pulled the trunk and inspected its contents.

‘Hmm, just like any other day, my little brother is beaming with joy, my dear junior.’

“What could have changed?”

An intense unease lingered in my mind, even though I couldn’t see anything with my eyes. It was like an unwelcome presence haunting me persistently.

I couldn’t grasp the situation, and in my confusion, I let out a big yawn. And then, to my surprise, I noticed something peculiar hovering above my head.

It was the corner of my vision where a window labeled ‘Synchronization’ had been dismissed.

[Synchronizing… 100.0%]

Oh, finally…?

[Synchronization complete. System is now operational.]

“Status window!”

I exclaimed as soon as it appeared.

“This must be the status window, right?”

As if responding to a cliché, a rectangular, semi-transparent window appeared before me.

Woong!

“As I thought!”

I knew it.

It would’ve been a letdown if it wasn’t here!

[Park Jinwoo]

[Skill]

[Librarian (Level 1, (0%)]

[Sub-skill]

[Laplace (Level 1, (0%)]

[Attributes]

[Strength 8]

[Agility 11]

[Stamina 6]

[Endurance 3]

[Magic Power 1]

“Wow…”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

To be honest, it was more like a sigh of disbelief.

The stats were incredibly underwhelming, not even reaching double digits except for one attribute.

In this world, the average ability score for adult men was a mere 10, and there was no denying that it was a woefully low figure.

He was almost like being a bedridden patient, just walking around.

But, oh my!

‘This is unbelievable!’

‘Is this really me?’

“While I may have been somewhat of a recluse, this is still quite disheartening.”

I should have at least spent some time in the gym.

If I had done that, it might have reduced the time I wasted in Laphocal, and I could have moved on sooner.

Wow, on another note, how was I supposed to navigate academy life with such a low ability score?

It was even gloomier than my first day at military camp.

“But there’s still hope!”

This time, I shifted my focus to my attributes.

Actually, these was something more, far more important than the ability score itself.

In Laphocal, your identity was closely tied to your attributes, and it was no exaggeration to say that they shaped your future.

[Librarian]

[Type: Skill]

[Proficiency: Level 1 (0%)]

[Description:]

[A certification that designates one as a librarian of the Great Library.]

‘What on earth is this?’

“A certification?”

After spending ten years in Laphocal, I had never come across such an unfriendly and incomprehensible explanation.

Though somewhat intuitive, it left out too much crucial information.

What was the Great Library, and how did an attribute turn into a certification?

But one thing was clear.

“At least it’s not related to combat ability.”

No matter how one looked at it, it was definitely not that.

I bite my lower lip, holding back a frustrated sigh.

As I mentioned earlier, attributes played a vital role in determining a person’s future.

And now there was someone whose attribute was a certification? What a bizarre situation!

“It’s referring to me, right?”

No, perhaps this dependent sub-attribute might hold some potential!

With a glimmer of hope, I nervously checked the sub-attribute.

[Laplace]

[Type]

[Sub-skill]

[Proficiency]

[Level 1, (0%)]

[Description]

[Laplace is a sub-skill that derives from the primary skill [Librarian]. By attuning to the mana beneath its influence, it grants the ability to perceive the past, comprehend the present, and even predict the future.]

Finally, a promising skill emerged!

“Future prediction?”

I wouldn’t know until I gave it a try.

Strangely, I intuitively grasped how to activate it.

“Laplace.”

As I spoke the name, I felt its power surging within me.

Zzing!

Time seemed to slow down to the point where even floating dust came to a standstill. I distinctly felt the mana enveloping my body within a limited range, merging with my very essence.

Simultaneously, a throbbing headache surged, piercing my mind!

“Argh!”

Unable to endure it, I deactivated Laplace, and the world resumed its motion.

“My head is throbbing! Ugh, what’s happening…?”

Nothing appeared to have changed.

It was as if I had merely glimpsed a fleeting moment, much like the one I experienced yesterday.

This so-called future prediction was elusive.

All that remained was me, standing right where I was.

“Shouldn’t it at least reveal today’s weather…?”

They call it prediction, but what exactly did it predict?

One thing I noticed was the similarity to the sensations I felt yesterday—the tiny granular-like structures of mana. This time, however, I sensed them throughout my entire skin.

So, did this ability also manifest itself yesterday?

“Somehow, it feels slightly different though…”

In the midst of a perplexing feeling, I found myself tilting my head back, while the sunlight seeping through the curtains gently teased the nape of my neck.

“Oh no! What time is it?”

I quickly checked the time and rushed to the bathroom in haste.

* * *

I wonder if my exhaustion was due to using Laplace.

My body felt suddenly drained.

“Wow… I never imagined I’d have to get up and prepare for school again.”

‘How many years has it been, I wonder?’

With a murmur of discontent, I stepped outside my room and caught sight of students in their Academy uniforms passing by in the hallway.

Fresh-faced twenty-year-olds, young ones who hadn’t completely shed their youthful innocence.

Yet, what they were being taught revolved around the enigmatic arts of this world, techniques for lethal combat, and methods for enduring a harsh existence.

And this educational institution took it all in stride, imparting and researching these things, even earning praise from the world.

Yes, this was the kind of world it was.

“Oh! Jinwoo! You finally came.”

In the lobby, Yu Hyun-sung welcomed me with a casual wave of his hand, sporting a smile as refreshing as one you’d see in a 90s commercial.

The gazes of those around us immediately fixated on me.

“Isn’t he the top scorer?”

“And the one beside him got a zero.”

“Haha! The perfect scorer and the one who flunked, what a combination!”

Yu Hyun-sung, who was celebrated for achieving a perfect score in yesterday’s practical exam, and me, infamous for scoring zero.

Perhaps that was why I was met with predominantly negative looks. I wish I could blame it on my mood.

Come to think of it, I messed up the written test too.

Looks like I was destined to rank last in the class this year.

*Sigh.*

As I strolled along, I found myself receiving undesired attention, and before I knew it, I had entered the correction area.

Turning left from here would lead me to the training ground, while going straight would take me to the correction area and the park. On the right, I could see the main building of the academy.

Right in front of the main building’s entrance stood a massive screen in the form of a bulletin board, displaying an image file.

“It must be the moment we’ve been waiting for.”

Of course, it was none other than the exam results!

I squeezed my way through the crowd of students gathered around, eager to see the scores.

“Wow! Look at those top scores! The rankings are separated by just 1 or 2 points.”

“Seems like everyone performed remarkably well. This year truly lived up to its reputation of being challenging.”

“Ugh, I got 120th place! I was so sure I did better!”

Amidst the chorus of admiration and disappointment, I searched for my name.

In truth, there was no need to search. My score was predictably dismal.

At the very bottom, my name appeared – Park Jinwoo.

────────

Class A, Park Jinwoo. Written test 0 points / Practical test 0 points / Total 0 points

────────

“Well, it’s a result I somewhat anticipated…”

Wait a minute, I scored 0 points on the written test too?

Why?

I should have at least gotten the question about the ‘Harvester of the Blue Moon’ right!

But was it wrong as well?

“Seriously? Were they trying to trick us with those questions…?”

Even deceiving us with the simplest of tasks.

‘Impressive, Guardian Academy! Well played! I can leave without regrets now!’

“Wait, what about the others…?”

────────

Class A, Yu Hyun-sung. Written test 100 points / Practical test 100 points / Total 200 pointsClass A, Ha Sung-jun. Written test 100 points / Practical test 100 points / Total 200 pointsClass B, Hyeon Woo-min. Written test 100 points / Practical test 100 points / Total 200 pointsClass D, Kim Bo-mi. Written test 100 points / Practical test 97 points / Total 197 pointsClass A, Luna. Written test 100 points / Practical test 96 points / Total 196 pointsClass A, Ria Winterlake. Written test 95 points / Practical test 100 points / Total 195 points

────────

“Great!”

Our protagonist, Yu Hyun-sung, was also a top student with Ha Sung-jun and Hyeon Woo-min.

Luna and Ria took the 5th and 6th places, respectively.

The majority of the top students, excluding Hyeon Woo-min and the 4th place, were from Class A, creating a situation specifically designed for the game progression.

“It’s just like the original!”

I saw the names of some other key characters below, but I didn’t bother to remember their rankings.

Anyway, now that I knew that the main characters had moved into the special dormitory “Maehwa Dorm” in Class A, just like in the original, that was enough.

I wish I could have been in there too; it would have made it easier to be part of the story…

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

Oh well, it was regrettable that I messed up the exam unintentionally, but let’s resign ourselves to it.

At least we were in the same Class A. I might have cried if I ended up in a different class.

“Wow, just imagining it gives me goosebumps.”

I couldn’t help but picture myself secretly stalking Class A while skipping the common lectures.

Thank goodness it didn’t turn out that way.

– Sigh.

“You’re in Class A too? Thank goodness. I’m glad I have a friend I know in the same class.”

“Uh, nice to meet you. Please take care of me.”

“I should be the one saying that to you.”

Yu Hyun-sung smiled like a true protagonist and genuinely felt happy.

The words “perfect scorer” and “zero scorer” were being whispered around again.

Now, with the written test included, it was officially a perfect zero, so there was no way I could make excuses.

“A final score of zero is something even Laphocal has never seen.”

Being low-ranked means you’re ignored, and there was a short episode about lower-ranked students occupying the annex as a result. So, my future could be interpreted in various ways from now on.

If only I had some special ability or something, maybe I could turn the tide somehow…

[Librarian]

[Description:]

[Certification for the position of a librarian at the Great Library.]

“Sigh.”

‘… No matter how I look at it, this is a failure, right?’