The moment Jake stepped out of the house, the truth hit him like a slap to the face, his suspicion is true...he wasn't on Earth anymore.
The world around him buzzed with a strange, impossible harmony, sleek machines that looked far too advanced to be made by human hands that could only be said to be made by aliens, streets paved with shimmering lines of light as if trying to make the day brighter, and carriages that floated inches above the ground. Everything he saw screamed TECHNOLOGIA, yet it pulsed faintly... as if it breathed magic.
"Is this even science anymore?" Jake muttered under his breath. "Or did someone just mod reality with magic?"
Then he saw it, up above in the sky, cutting through the clouds, hung a vast and deep shadow. Not a cloud and definitely not a building, but a city.
Yes, a freaking city, an entire metropolis floated in the sky, held aloft by pillars of light that stretched down to the earth like divine anchors. Towers gleamed in the sunlight, and from his distance, he could even make out small specks of people or ships gliding between one part of the city to another or rather floors.
Jake's jaw dropped. "A floating city… just like in isekai webnovels."
For a good minute, he couldn't tear his eyes away. The sight was too much also too perfect and too unreal.
Finally, with an effort, he forced himself to look away and follow the crowd. The streets were full of people heading in the same direction, all wearing various uniforms, armor, or robes.
"Guess we're all going to the same place," he said, falling into step behind them.
His eyes flicked back up toward the sky. Don't tell me that's where the school is, he thought with a grin tugging at his lips. The idea of standing above the clouds naked with the wind blowing on his member, sipping coffee while watching the world below, it made him giddy.
"Assuming they even have coffee in this world…" he muttered, half laughing to himself.
But his excitement dimmed as the crowd turned.
He bit his lower lip, realizing they weren't heading toward the floating city after all. Instead, they stopped in front of a massive building on the ground.
The Arcane Star Academy.
The academy was no less majestic, its walls shimmered faintly with runic energy, and its tall spires pierced the air like spears of glass and stone. A massive emblem floated above the main gate: a seven-pointed star encircling a sword and a quill, symbolizing both a star and a sword. (I'm not a f*cking philosopher)
People arrived from every direction, some were flying on glowing platforms, others stepping down from strange floating carriages that resembled Earth cars if cars could glide like boats.
Jake stood there for a moment, taking it all in. His heart pounded with awe and a pinch of anxiety.
Then he exhaled, squared his shoulders, and stepped forward.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's see what this exam is all about."
-
Jake sat alone on a bench, staring blankly at the examinee moving up and down the grand hall of the academy.
The hall itself was breathtaking with high ceilings carved with constellations, walls lined with glowing runes, and massive crystal chandeliers that floated weightlessly above. The floor shimmered faintly, reflecting the endless bustle of students in uniforms of every color and design. It was like stepping into a cathedral built by a gamer with unlimited mana and zero architectural restraint.
The examinee were currently on break before the final exam. Some sat in groups chatting confidently, others were meditating, and a few were even practicing magic tricks to show off. Meanwhile, Jake sat there, chin in hand, staring into the void like a man awaiting divine intervention.
He sighed. "Welp. I'm cooked."
He'd already gone through two tests, and to call both of them disasters would be too kind.
The first was the written test, to be honest it wasn't too different from what he knew back on Earth, except for questions that made him question existence itself.
"Calculate the average mana expenditure during an ejaculation under low lunar alignment," one of the questions had read.
Jake had blinked at the paper for a full minute. How the hell am I supposed to know that?!
Apparently, everyone else did. He could see the other students writing furiously, and he swore one guy in the corner was… well, conducting a very hands-on experiment to calculate the mana lost.
Jake groaned into his hands. "And they said I was down bad."
Still, he had a sliver of hope. It was multiple choice, after all. Maybe the gods of luck would pity a transmigrator with no clue.
Then came the second test.
It was an aptitude test.
It was supposed to measure one's "connection to mana." The teacher had explained that everyone born in this world naturally carried a link to mana, it was what allowed them to use magic, after all. The brighter the orb glowed when touched, the stronger that connection.
Simple enough.
When Jake's turn came, he stepped forward, placed his palm on the orb... and nothing happened.
Not even a flicker, not a single spark.
The silence that followed was painful, then after the silence came the laughter.
The teacher frowned. "That's... highly unusual."
"Unusual?" Jake repeated, trying to smile through the humiliation. "So, like, rare genius unusual or..."
The teacher cleared his throat. "No connection detected."
And the laughter doubled.
Jake could still feel the echo of it even now as he sat on that bench, staring at the students around him.
He leaned back and sighed. "Yeah, that's it. I'm definitely failing this one."
The final exam was about to start soon. He had no clue what it would be, but after everything so far, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know.
A deep metallic ring echoed through the hall.
Jake lifted his head as the sound reverberated in his chest. Around him, students stood up almost in sync, the break was over.
"That's it," someone said beside him. "The final exam's starting."
Jake sighed, dragging himself to his feet. "Yay. Another chance to humiliate myself in front of strangers."
The crowd began moving toward a wide set of crystal doors at the end of the hall. The floor glowed with guiding runes as they walked, leading them into a massive circular chamber where an instructor waited on a raised platform.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a coat laced with gold symbols that shimmered faintly with mana, his voice was carried easily across the chamber.
"Listen well, candidates!" he announced. "The final portion of your entrance examination will be a practical combat test."
A murmur rippled through the students.
"This test will measure your survival instinct, teamwork, and adaptability in the field," he continued. "You will be transported to an alternate dimension, it's a controlled space where several of your instructors will act as hostile entities."
Jake's eyes widened slightly. Alternate dimension? Instructors acting as enemies?
"The rules are simple," the instructor said, his voice calm but heavy. "Survive for four hours, that is all you need to do to pass. If you are incapacitated, the system will automatically remove you from the trial."
Jake frowned. "Four hours? I can't even survive four minutes without embarrassing myself."
Then the instructor raised his hand. "Prepare yourselves."
The air shimmered and then a deep hum filled the chamber.
Before Jake could blink, a massive red portal blossomed in the air behind the instructor spinning, pulsing, alive. It wasn't like any portal he'd seen in fiction; it rippled like liquid fire, casting red light that danced on everyone's faces. The edges sparked with lightning, humming in a tone that made Jake's bones vibrate.
Gasps filled the room. Even the confident ones went silent.
Jake swallowed hard. "Okay… that's definitely not CGI."
"Enter the portal when your name is called," the instructor ordered. "Your timer begins the moment you step through."
Names were read out one by one, and one after another, students disappeared into the swirling red light. Each time someone stepped in, the air trembled, the portal pulsing as if tasting them before swallowing them whole.
When Jake's turn came, his legs felt heavy.
He stood at the edge, staring at the swirling crimson vortex. It looked hot and cold at the same time, like it might burn and freeze him simultaneously.
"Well," he muttered under his breath, "if this kills me, at least it'll be cooler than dying from dehydration at my desk."
He took a deep breath then stepped forward.
The moment he touched the light, a violent rush of energy shot through him. His body felt weightless and crushed at once, like he was being pulled apart and reassembled atom by atom. The world dissolved into red and white flashes, then heat, noise, pressure and then, suddenly…
Silence.
He opened his eyes.
And found himself standing in the middle of a wasteland.