“…Kim Chundong.”

With furrowed brows, the teacher, Kim Soohyuk, called Kim Chundong’s name for the third time, soon after, he looked to his left wrist, to look at what I assume is the smartwatch that people normally use on this world.

From the smartwatch, I could see what he was seeing, just like Kim Hajin should be doing right now, he was looking into Kim Chundong’s information. At least to the moment, I do seem to have Kim Hajin’s gift Observation and Reading.

“Didn’t you use a sword?”- Asked Kim Soohyuk

“I decided to change my weapon.”

“After coming all the way to Cube?”

“Yes.”

Kim Soohyuk nodded with a slight frown. To him, it must be a really weird choice for Kim Chundong to suddenly change to a gun after training all his life with a sword. Even more taking into account that he is not among the best, not even over the 900th rank.

“That’s fine. Cadets can make their own choices at Cube. Instructors won’t interfere at all. But that also means the responsibility falls on cadets.”

It’s normal to warn him, after all, aspiring heroes wouldn’t even dare to try a gun. Not only circumstances obliged them. Guns, at least in this world, can’t conduct magic power as other weapons. So, at most, they could use magic powered bullets, that are indeed strong, but only if talking at the level of mercenaries and normal people.

Heroes usually choose weapons of the old times like swords, spears and bows because they don’t only conduct magic power, but also have more “history”.

To say it short. “History” here is important, because the origin of the weapon could drastically change its own power, let’s say a really old sword from the tales like Excalibur could become a 1st tier weapon, and if a hero of great caliber use it, he would become a legend, maybe King Arthur himself.

So, what about guns? What history do guns have? Taking into account that this world went to shit when monsters began to appear in 1971, is not really hard to understand why guns doesn’t have a strong origin, at most, old guns used by famous pirates or warlords like Napoleon would have some kind of origin, not modern ones.

And it wasn’t only Kim Soohyuk that was weirded out, other cadets also felt it was really strange for someone to actually pick a gun being a hero candidate.

Whispers like “Gun? Is that guy insane?” or “Why did he even come to Cube if he wants to be a mercenary?” could be heard all over the place, or well, at least I and Kim Hajin could hear it.

“You can easily change the main weapon you chose today. And regardless of what you chose, you will go through the same training and tests. That means the weaknesses of a weapon will be yours to handle.”- Said Kim Soohyuk while looking at Kim Chundong.

/Hajin is probably feeling like hiding under a rock or something/- I think to myself while softly chuckling.

“Now, we’ll assign you your rooms and your personal belongings will be sent there. Afterward, you’re free. Classes will start four days later, that’s next Monday.”

Spoke the teacher after confirming everyone chose their weapon and after looking with pity at Chundong. /Hold on Hajin! You can do it man!/- Thought to myself while trying not to laugh about the looks he is receiving.

*

After that, we all went to the dormitories for first year. So it was time to say hello to my new home, and probably, almost time to get my real-self back.

On the way there, a few kids tried to pick a fight with Hajin, calling him gunner this, attention seeker that. Puts you to think how kids would spite on everything that is different for what they think is normal.

As they couldn’t get any reaction, they finally decided to leave in the direction of the girls.

“Man, you ignored them like a champ”- I think as I see Hajin looking at the girls, especially Chae Nayun, Rachel and Yoo Yeonha, who are truly beautiful, by the way. What you would usually expect from the important characters.

“Here are the dorms for the first years.”

After some time, we ended up arriving at the dorms. I could see 6 big skyscrapers in front of me, each one of about 100 floors. If I’m not wrong, each floor should have about 5 rooms, except the penthouse, and each cadet should have one room, with each penthouse being for the top 3 of each male and female ranking.

“Guys are to the right; girls are to the left. The key to your rooms will be stored in the smartwatches you’ll get now.”

Of course, there would be no mixed buildings, but people could still go visiting their friends even if they were on the other side of the invisible line. So, it’s not like couples couldn’t be with each other. At least until 10:00 PM, there’s curfew.

While the teacher was explaining, I could see other classes apart from the Veritas’ one getting here. With 9 other classes, the first year is indeed full of students, and a lot of them won’t make it all the way to graduation.

By the way, the names of the other classes are Acceptance, Intelligence, Wisdom, Cultivation, Honor, Virtue, Potential, Friendship and World.

“Ross David.”

I hear the teacher calling my name and turn around to where he is.

“Come and take your smartwatch, and don’t lose it.”-said Soohyuk looking at me sternly.

“Yes, thanks.”-I answer as I took the watch.

After that I start going my way, only to stop after hearing the next words from the teacher.

“Next is… Kim Chundong.”

“…”

“Kim Chundong.”

“…”

“Kim Chundong. Kim Chundong!”

“Huh, me? Why?”

“…Why?”

The look on the teacher’s face was priceless after that little comedy skit. I swear his left brow and eye were slightly twitching before narrowing into a hawk’s glare that froze Hajin in place.

“…Your smartwatch, come to take it.”-Said Kim Soohyuk kind of disappointed with Hajin’s reaction.

“Ah, yes”-Answered Hajin while almost tripping on his way to pick the smartwatch.

/You better grow some balls man; you will really need them…/-I think to myself as I watch all this unfold. With everyone laughing around.

After glancing a few seconds again, I reassume my way to the dorms, as I imagined, David was probably the same as Chundong, not even over the 900th rank, as my room was on the first floors, which is kind of annoying, since I like the view from high places.

*

Finally arriving at my room, I put my smartwatch over the electronic lector to open the door.

“It is indeed a nice thing to have, without needing any key and truly hands free. I have to adapt to this as soon as I can, never had a smartwatch before.”

I accommodate myself inside my dorm, and start exploring the place. In a few words, It’s big. Really big. Probably bigger than the department I lived the past two weeks.

“There you have it, elites having it really nice huh… Well, I’m somehow supposed to be one of those elite members of society…”

I sat myself on the couch and drop my bag at the side. I’m already here. The day is almost over.

“Now I only have to wait for David’s belonging to come, and maybe I would receive some kind of personal item of mine among them. Maybe even Hajin’s laptop, who knows.”

I grab the smartphone I still have and start listening to some music while I wait.

There’s really not much to do for the rest of the day. I’m not one to be very active, so music is kind of like my eternal companion, always there with me, as much as I can, I will listen to some music.

That’s been me for almost my entire life, isolating myself under headphones whenever my mind was overexerting with negative thoughts, or whenever the depression attacked harder than usual.

Just lay on the bed, put on my headphones, and start listening to whatever I feel like at the moment. That’s what I did almost always I hadn’t anything else to do. Just letting the time flows, forgetting about everything and anything.

I guess I have been like that from long ago, always letting things pass by, not worrying about whatever happens around me, and just enclosing in myself. At least when days feels rough.

It got better once I awakened, I got more things to do, new things to explore, so I had things to focus on after that. But is not like the void isn’t there, it is just waiting, for the moment I stay quiet, for the moment it can attack again.

And in those moments, in those days, it all just feels hopeless, meaningless, like whatever you do isn’t worth anything. I somehow have myself under control, but it isn’t always like that.

“ding, dong”

“Rank 915th, David, Ross, Take, your, luggage”

While thinking about myself, and listening to some music on the smartphone, the bell rang, and immediately after I could hear a robotic voice.

“Rank 915th huh… I guess David is a little better than Chundong. Still a mob though”

I said as I stand up and go to the door to receive the package.

As I open the door, I can see a big box outside. I pick it and bring it inside, right in front of the couch I was before.

/Agent Military Academy Rank 1495; Hero Military Academy Rank 915 David Ross, belongings/

“Here it is. What I was waiting for. I guess It’s time to know the true, whether I’m fucked up, or saved.”

I slowly start to take off the tape from the box, and open it entirely.

“Ok. Now this is a surprise.”

What I see inside isn’t Hajin’s laptop, not even the smartphone I was using before falling asleep.

Inside the box, there’s my own laptop, the really old one I had from the moment I started doing therapy. More than ten years ago in my world's time and more than one hundred years ago in my own time.

“When was the last time I saw you friend? Let’s see what I find inside you.”