Ever since my confrontation with that crazy woman, nothing interesting had happened until now.
A week had passed since Marie labeled me as a perverted stalker, and now I found myself once again resting beneath the same tree as last week, carrying a basket filled with freshly baked toast.
Its warmth still lingered in the air, the aroma tickling my nose, so appetizing that anyone who caught the scent would be drawn in. I crushed the bread into fine crumbs and scattered them nearby.
Birds fluttered toward me, their beaks pecking and chirping melodiously—until that voice made my smile fade.
"Hmm... why is there someone here?"
I heard it faintly from behind me, and my body instinctively turned around.
My gaze locked onto a figure, "Noelle Caelith." My lips trembled unconsciously, for the pointed white hat she wore was all too familiar in my memory.
As if time had stopped, my eyes met her drowsy eyelids. Her snow-white hair cascaded beautifully, paired with irises as blue as the sky.
"Hmm, you know me? We've never talked before," she said, raising an eyebrow.
My mouth fell silent. 'Noelle, she's one of Raven's heroine candidates. Why is she here?' My heart pounded rapidly, for she was far more beautiful than I remembered from the game.
I froze.
From a distance, she extended her finger toward me. "Weind," she uttered, before a ball of wind shot forth, striking my forehead.
Thud—!
"Ouch!"
My hand quickly clutched my forehead; it felt swollen to the touch. "That hurts!" I squealed, as the birds flapped their wings and scattered into the sky, leaving me sprawled on the ground.
"What's your problem?!" I barked, clenching my fists, my temper flaring.
"Yawn... I just flicked you because you didn't answer me," she replied lazily, stifling another yawn.
Never did I expect to meet Noelle Caelith today. She was the first heroine candidate featured on the FLA cover.
A heroine known for her quiet personality.
Eventually, I explained why I was resting there—that I enjoyed the peace and how the place felt serene and soothing. Of course, I lied about how I knew her.
"You're pretty famous in Amaranggana Academy," I said.
Noelle rarely spoke; she merely replied, "I'm skipping class," before lying down and closing her eyes.
A heroine difficult for players to win over in the game, Noelle only cared about her sleep.
The only way to win her heart was through time the longer a player stayed by her side, the more she'd grow used to their presence.
As the in-game calendar progressed, her affection status would gradually increase.
Many players refused to waste their playtime just to watch a heroine snore endlessly.
Thus, Noelle became one of the most neglected candidates among players on the internet forums.
Meanwhile, FLA prided itself on freedom, the protagonist's personality was shaped entirely by the player's choices.
Even NPC behaviors could change, thanks to the AI's emotional depth system.
"I wonder how Raven in this world got close to her."
It was still unclear what the protagonist's intentions were, for he was no longer a character controlled by players, but an individual living by his own will.
I glanced at the magical wristwatch on my arm. When I channeled nur into it, green light emerged, forming a three-dimensional holographic display.
"Strangely enough, time here is identical to Earth's."
Apparently, two hours had already passed; I had spent all that time merely accompanying Noelle as she slept.
"Why don't I just leave... yet somehow, I don't want to leave her alone."
The time now showed 8:49 a.m. I looked at Noelle's body lying on the grass.
As a man from Earth, my curiosity stirred; my cheeks flushed as I caught sight of her modestly shaped chest. Snap out of it... I'm not Danu the porn addict anymore!
Slap—!
I smacked both my cheeks, and suddenly Marie's face flashed through my mind, followed by a heavy ache in my chest.
"Ahh... what is this feeling?"
Confusion, that was the only word fitting for my current state. Why did I feel like I wanted to see Marie again? As if this emotion stemmed from her rejection two days ago.
My mind raced, struggling to merge the two personalities—Danu and Alvein.
"It seems whatever Alvein remembers, I can feel too, because this is his body. But my consciousness remains Danu's. I'm still the player of this world."
Thanks to Alvein's above-average intellect, I could comprehend what I was feeling.
As Alvein, I recalled everything he had experienced, but as Danu, my Earthly awareness kept me from being blinded by love or trauma.
I froze once more, lost in thought. 'Remember this, me, this world is just a game. Once again, it's only a game that became reality. I must find a way home as soon as possible. If I can't return, then at least I have to graduate from this academy.' I shook my head quickly and looked back at Noelle.
Her slightly parted lips glistened as a trickle of drool ran down her cheek.
I grinned. "Haha, I've got a brilliant idea." I stood up and stretched my palm toward her. "Vis Telekinesis." A bright light surrounded my body, that was nur, the magical essence that I understood as the game's mana system.
"This is my first time using magic in this world, the third-tier skill from Telekinesis Weapon Mastery."
In the game, the third skill tier unlocked at level 50. But ever since my transmigration, there were no status windows or menu bars. Everything functioned based on this world's logic.
Noelle's body floated upward. Slowly, I maintained my focus so the nur wouldn't leak or lose control.
"You said you wanted to skip class, right? Then I'll take you to your classroom," I muttered, leaving our resting spot.
Whistling, I walked through the academy halls. Since I knew everything about the FLA characters, I knew exactly where Noelle's class was.
When I arrived, I gently laid her sleeping form on the instructor's desk, just so she'd be furious when the teacher woke her up. I burst out laughing at the thought of her irritated face.
"Hahaha, I'm such a petty man. This is payback for flicking me with magic."
I rushed to my classroom and went through the day as usual.
Time eventually passed.
In front of the male dormitory gates, I found myself trembling before the woman who had dragged me into academy gossip, not from fear, but from the awkward tension in the air.
I didn't expect Marie to come see me today.
"Why are you here? It's already late; you should return to your dorm, Marie," I said, eyeing her.
"Who are you to order me around? I just want to propose a deal. You like me, don't you?" she retorted, jabbing her finger at me.
I knew it, this girl was about to cause trouble.
I started walking toward the dorm. "I'm curious about what you want to offer, but..." I paused, turning my head slightly toward her, my back still facing her. "I refuse!" I said with a bitter smile.
How annoying it was to get dragged into someone else's drama. I didn't want to become a puppet in someone's storyline.
As I took another step, suddenly my body froze in place.
"Glantsfessel!" Marie's magic bound me, a golden light emanating from her fingertip. "W-what did you just say?! After confessing your love to me, you're rejecting my offer before I even say it?!" The veins on her forehead bulged in fury.
Things only got more complicated when a weak voice echoed from the twilight sky.
"Hey, strange man whose name I don't even know, why did you carry me to class this morning? I know it was you who brought me."
It was Noelle, floating in midair.
'Dear god, can't I have just one peaceful day?'