Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the right stairs leading to the next floor of the building; currently, they were on the first floor of the Student Public Grounds within the Teachers' Faculty Building.

Freya saw Amery Blight leaning on the wall near the right stairs, lost in her own world as few students walked by. She then called out to her.

"Hey!"

Amery was snapped out of her stupor upon hearing a familiar voice, prompting her to look at Freya; but as soon as she saw Amelie Rose, a frown formed on her face.

"She's with me."

Amery understood what Freya said, and without beating around the bush, Amery spoke seriously, causing Freya to constrict her deep blue eyes.

"Fight with me."

...

'What the hell is this?'

Freya thought upon hearing Amery's words. She remembered what Russell, her older brother had said before.

- Some individuals cannot just accept others being equal to them without proof, you know. If you encounter someone like that, you would have no choice but to agree to a fight because if you ignore them, they'll just keep coming.

"Fine... I accept."

She replied after just a few seconds of silence as though hesitation wasn't an option for her.

"But... let it be a formal fight, like in the future practical exams. I'm pretty sure that there will be mock battles in the future, so... yeah.

"By the way, don't think anything absurd like I accepted your offer quickly because I believe I'm stronger than you, and somehow belittling you or whatsoever, it's nothing like that.

"It's just... I don't pick fights without a purpose. That's all."

Amery's face formed a wondrous expression with a mix of disbelief due to the almost instant acceptance of her offer to fight her, even though there was a condition that it should be in a formal event.

"Okay..."

Amery replied, though, with aloofness, her eyes seemed to waver for some reason only known to her.

...

"Hmm. Do you want to come with us...? You know, Electives and Clubs."

Amelie Rose, as if waiting to chime in in the conversation invited Amery to join them; Freya didn't mind it, and it's better to have another person she could talked with.

Without waiting for Amery's answer, Amelie Rose dragged her wrist with a cheerful smile on her face.

The confused Amery responded as she staggered for a moment.

"H-hey stop. Don't drag me, I'll come anyway."

With that, Amelie Rose let go of her wrist and continued their pace to check the list of Electives and Clubs.

After walking for some time, Freya texted her older brother.

...

Sent: 4:09 P.M.

- "Oppa, I'm with my friend, where are you? We'll go to where you are.

...

Freya slowed down walking before she said to Amelie and Amery; the two people who seemed to have a very opposite personality.

"Let's go to the Registration Center for Electives first."

...

"Oppa!"

Russell heard his younger sister's voice as she called out to him as he was walking just outside of the Obelisk of Virtual Technology Building, where the Obelisk Registration Center for Electives could be found. It's also the place where every freshmen this academic year took their written entrance exam.

A student could register or enroll for 2 Elective subjects on the Obelisk Registration Center. Russell decided for this place first because he knew that even though there was about 4 hours of window given to registration, most students would flock to the Obelisk Auditorium to register to Clubs first.

'Some of them still had doubts on what they'll take.'

The students or players with more than one profession that seemed unrelated might have a hard time choosing the Electives related to their professions unless they had already decided on it before even getting admitted to the Obelisk Academy.

'...That...?'

...

"Oppa, hello! This is my friend, Amelie, then this one is Amery, you know... the one in the Disciplinary Officer Trial Exam."

Freya introduced Amelie, the cheerful friend she made, and Amery, who was dragged by Amelie.

'I don't know them in the original story... Also, Amery has an aloof atmosphere or cold personality... Is she perhaps a tsundere?'

Russell thought, but he quickly dismissed the possibility because he felt that Amery was the kind of woman who would never prioritize something like romance.

"Hello, nice to meet you, Amelie... and Amery... I'm Russell, Freya's older brother."

'What's with this almost rhymed names. It's quite playful combination of names. If one isn't attentive enough, this two women can be mistaken with each other.'

He greeted them while slightly scratching his head, acting the usual shy guy he was. Though he has a 33-year-old mentality excluding his years in this world, he was instinctive with making such a reaction when meeting people he didn't know for the first time.

With his family, his Social Anxiety was nonexistent, but when it came to other people even today, sometimes he felt like suffering from PTSD that had chased him to this world.

"Hi Russell, you're the one I saw in the Obelisk Public Training Ground after Freya won. You know, I thought you were his boyfriend. Haha, my bad!"

Said the girl with a mid-length pink hair in twintail while her hands at her back, and slightly leaning her body. Her ruby eyes then scrutinized him with a cheerful smile on her face.

'This one is a talkative type. It's a weird combination if this girl is lump with Amery.'

He thought as he respond with a smile before telling Freya to proceed with registration.

...

Inside the Obelisk of Virtual Technology (OVT) Building, at Obelisk Registration Center (ORC), just a few minutes away by walk from the Obelisk Auditorium.

Russell, Freya, Amelie, and Amery glanced around after they entered the building where they took the written exam. Its interior was intricate, and somehow made of gaudy white walls and ceilings.

"Oppa, there are several students already."

Freya muttered, seemingly feeling dejected with the thought that they wouldn't be able to register quickly.

"Hmm. it's fine, they probably have no time to accommodate students personally.

"Look at that holographic screens."

Russell pointed towards a few white bulletin boards with his right index finger from a distance; he saw it from afar with his profound vision, thanks to his Trait: Under the Night.

These white bulletin boards were projecting the Elective subjects that a first year student could choose from.

Electives, in a sense, were the permanent subjects a player or student could take throughout their academy years, then the difficulty of these subjects increased when the player or student advanced to their next year; from first until up to third.

A best example of this was if the player or student chose to take the Elective: Swordsmanship; from first to third year, the lessons would only be about it.

From first year, it would cover the Basic to Mid-level; second year, the Intermediate level, and third year, the Advanced and Expert level.

The third year was more focused on practical than theoretical, and must possessed a "Sword Technique" already, but with the help of Obelisk Academy, third year students would receive a "Free" Sword Technique with limited options to choose from, depending on one's profession.

Russell pondered on what Electives he would register or choose, considering that he already had a Sword and then Scythe Technique.

"Oppa, have you decided yet on what you'll take?"

His younger sister cut off his various thoughts as she, Amelie, and Amery was staring at the bulletin white boards where's the projection of holographic screens could be seen.

...

"Hmm... Introduction to Melee Weapons."

He muttered, though there's quite a noise due to numerous other students, his voice could still be heard by Freya and the other two women.

"W-what?!"

Freya looked at him in disbelief and with bewildered expression.

It was not just her, but also Amelie and Amery; they looked at him with the same expression that Freya had.

'It's an understandable reaction, though.'

The Elective: Introduction to Melee Weapons wasn't focused on just a sword, but rather the commonly used melee weapons such as spear, mace, rod, shield, gauntlet and so on.

It would mean the division of learning, not having the depth in knowledge on how to wield just one weapon skillfully. This Elective was only appropriate to be taken if the player or student has a Skill: Weapon Mastery, this was a rare skill; not rare in rank, but rather rare to find.

"Hey, what's with that reaction...? I just want to learn other weapons, you know."

"B-but that's basically useless right, Oppa?"

'Well, she's technically right.'

Russell thought inwardly as he browsed with his deep blue eyes the other Elective subjects.

Learning to wield other weapons that were not aligned with the player's profession was basically useless, though, it would only let a player to learn up to Intermediate level, but a Swordsman profession wouldn't be able to learn a Spear-related Technique even if the player learned up to Intermediate Spearmanship.

"Yeah, you have a point, but who knows, maybe it may come in handy someday."

"Sigh... alright, Oppa. How about the other Elective?"

Russell slightly scratched his head with Freya's question.

'I'd rather not tell her that at the moment, it's f*cking embarrassing when I thought about it; and that guy will also be there for sure.'

"That..."

Russell kept his mouth shut, and as if his younger sister understood that he somehow couldn't tell at the moment, she just shrugged it off.

"Fine, anyway, I'll take Magic Utilization and Introduction to Sword Technique, though I don't have a Sword Technique yet, I heard that we'll be given Basic Technique Skill depends on our profession after the first semester as first years."

Apart from the "technique" that would be given when they became third year, a "technique" or Skillbook regarding one's profession would be provided after the first semester during their first year; along the way, the "technique" that they would learn must be honed so that it would complement well to the "technique" they might acquire when they reached third year.

"...How about you Amery?"

Amelie interjected as she asked the aloof woman who seemed to never smile.

...

"Sigh... why they didn't just post it in the Obelisk Website?"

Freya lampooned inwardly after they came to learn the instructions on how to register their respective Electives.

...

'Upon choosing the appropriate electives, please follow the instructions:

1. Log in to your Obelisk Personal Account

2. Go to 'Elective Registration' section

3. Choose two electives, and;

4. Click 'Submit'

NOTE:

- The Electives cannot be changed as per Obelisk Rules, please refer to your profession before choosing.

- There are no maximum student accommodation for an elective.

- Wait for the notification of your schedule update on your Obelisk Personal Account.

...

Russell recalled the instruction posted on one of the bulletin white boards as he pondered for some time before he answered his younger sister's question.

"It's probably about testing our discipline."

If the students couldn't learn how to discipline themselves with the simplest of things, they would easily die when raiding a Strayed Dungeon or Dungeon Tower with worst environmental condition and behavior.

"Anyway, let's go to the Obelisk Auditorium for Club Registration."

He casually added, which somewhat improved his younger sister's mood before they strode towards the Obelisk Auditorium.