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Chapter 34: The Screen
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The skies of Rothesia might seem somewhat murky and gray compared to the fantastical dome of the Void Domain—less clear, but in return, they carried a hint of realism.
With just a long, lingering background melody, a classic over-the-shoulder perspective, and sufficiently refined visuals, it was enough to immerse players fully.
After leaving the textile factory, Lin Qi visited all the marked locations on the map. The merchant NPCs greeted him warmly wherever he went, leading him to speculate that these were places the game’s protagonist frequently visited, hence their familiarity.
However, aside from smiling and congratulating the main character on being accepted into Rothesia Academy, there were no other triggerable storylines.
After circling around this entire area, Lin Qi had roughly explored what could be called the “starter village.” Though calling it exploration was generous—it was more like a casual stroll. After all, if he wanted to collect items or complete tasks, it would be better to wait until later when his abilities were fully developed.
Upon returning to the inner ring by train, he followed the main quest marker straight to its destination: Rothesia’s central district, home to the city’s sole—and finest—academy.
The academy was located near Lunya Square, also the economic hub of the region. To outsiders, if you wanted to understand Rothesia’s culture, you went to Lunya Square, where you could witness all the unique cultural aspects of the city.
Students were already gathering at the entrance, chatting amongst themselves. There was none of the curiosity or bewilderment typical of new students—instead, they exuded a polished, seasoned air.
These must be the older students… Viya bypassed the chattering crowd, dragging her suitcase toward the gate.
“Unbelievable! Is this year’s batch of freshmen going to be completely wiped out?”
“Don’t laugh. If you were in their shoes, you wouldn’t have passed the average score either.”
“I heard Professor Haggai is organizing the candidates for a retake!”
“Scary stuff. This year’s admission cutoff…”
Retake?
Due to the distance, Lin Qi only caught that one word.
He distinctly remembered being told to simply report to the school.
“I didn’t misread it, did I?” He opened his inventory and double-checked the acceptance letter, confirming he hadn’t imagined things.
Could it be…
“Did something major happen during the practical exam?”
“For instance, spies infiltrating from the empire, cultists blowing up the test site, or the dead rising to start World War III?”
You’re thinking too far ahead… Mr. Yog, this is just a small entrance interview… Viya muttered inwardly as she listened to the faintly puzzled voice in her ear.
Lin Qi maneuvered the character toward the group of students and directly typed out a question:
“What’s this about a retake you mentioned earlier?”
“You haven’t heard? It’s been all over the forums recently. Check out the pinned post.” The long-haired female student handed over a flat, square box.
With a flick of her wrist, the top of the box projected a holographic screen. Viya recognized it immediately—the iconic item of the Second Mana Revolution: the "Pharos Screen," commonly referred to as the "Shadow Screen."
When the nature of the Magic Web was defined and its ability to transmit information confirmed, the Shadow Screen was born. It could receive data from the Magic Web and visualize it while also simulating signals sent back.
To counteract the instability of the Magic Web, Shadow Screens were often equipped with numerous auxiliary stabilization devices, making them quite expensive and unaffordable for the average person.
However, Rothesia itself had a dense internal Magic Web, so students here didn’t need to spend extra money on "stability" features—they could purchase basic models for a fraction of the cost.
"Shocking! Today..."
This familiar setup made Lin Qi’s lips twitch. As expected, anything related to the internet couldn’t escape clickbait titles.
He continued reading:
At this point, Lin Qi’s eyes lit up. So something significant had happened in the storyline.
At the same time, he felt a pang of regret for being so engrossed in roguelike gameplay that he missed such an interesting plotline.
"No freshmen this year? A pass rate of less than one percent? An unimaginably brutal cutoff score?"
Could there really have been a massacre…? If so, wouldn’t that make me the sole survivor…? Lin Qi found this development highly plausible—and intriguing.
It would highlight the protagonist’s uniqueness, logically introduce the game’s main antagonist, and conveniently establish the overarching plot.
With great anticipation, he continued reading to find out who this "main antagonist" was.
"Just two individuals raised the average score above 100,000 points. Who exactly are Mithra Camia and Viya Fanyar?"
Lin Qi silently mouthed the two names, raising an eyebrow as they sounded vaguely familiar.
Viya… Viya Fanyar… Isn’t that the name of my game character?!
"What a letdown."
So the main antagonist was… me.
Lin Qi suddenly felt bored. He jokingly thought to himself how terrible he was, ruining young people’s chances at education.
I’m guilty… He mockingly "repented" for a full two seconds.
"What club are you from? Do you even browse the web?" The long-haired girl frowned.
"Clearly not the News Club. Those lackeys run faster than anyone once they catch wind of something." Another student chimed in.
"I don’t have a club yet." Viya asked, "Where’s the dormitory?"
No club… You could at least pretend… The long-haired girl rolled her eyes and pointed to a tall building in the distance:
"The tallest one over there."
"Thanks." Viya expressed her gratitude plainly and dragged her suitcase toward the building.
Once Viya’s figure disappeared into the depths of the campus, the long-haired girl couldn’t help but remark:
"So arrogant. One might think she’s the child of some count."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere grew strange. Only then did the long-haired girl notice everyone looking at her with subtle expressions.
"Is there something on my face?" She instinctively touched her cheek.
"Senior Rolinka, is it possible that person is the one we were just discussing?"
The four or five people around her remained silent until a seemingly honest junior quietly spoke up.
They had already noticed something off about Viya. After all, anyone capable of getting into Rothesia wasn’t lacking in intelligence. Out of sisterly affection, they’d refrained from pointing it out.
What do you mean, the person we were just discussing?
Rolinka was confused. Suddenly, she furrowed her brow as details flooded her mind:
Long blond hair, blue eyes, arriving at school today, unsure of the dormitory location, no club affiliation, behaving like a newcomer unfamiliar with everything.
The one who fit all these criteria…
"Oh no!"
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