The Protagonist Already Knows

Chapter 1: Prologue

Examining my reflection in my mirror, I couldn’t help but sigh and slump against the floor-to-ceiling windows of "my" penthouse apartment.

Pitch-black hair, red eyes...that wasn’t me!

But it had been a week now: I could no longer deny the reality that appeared before me.

I had transmigrated into a novel I had once read in passing for no apparent reason.

My identity, you say?

Not an "extra," not a major antagonist, and not even once of those third-rate villains.

Just a surprise villain who really didn’t have any relevance in the novel until halfway through and then immediatly vanished after a few Chapters.

According to my memory, which I had spent the last week desperately searching through for any information, and... the countless angry shouts I had heard outside my door, coupled with aggressive knocks, I had transmigrated into the body of Ash Fell.

Ash was your regular cocky heir, with his father, Tristan Fell, standing amidst the top 100-ranked heroes in the world.

Heroes?

To put it simply, they were walking advertisements who occasionally protected the world when gates appeared, spewing out varying monsters who had no other wish but to kill humans.

Everyone had the opportunity to become a hero: all you had to do was enter one of those aforementioned gates and survive a life-and-death trial.

From there, you’d be granted access to a personal system, and instructions would follow to rank up.

Poking the light-blue holographic screen that appeared before me, I sighed in relief.

Thankfully, Ash had already completed his trial and became a hero.

===Status Menu===

[User: Ash Fell]

--> Rank: G

--> Strength: G-

--> Stamina: G-

--> Intelligence: G-

--> Speed: G+

--> Mana Pool: G-

--> Luck: G

[Gift]

--> [Locked]

[Skills]

--> [N/A]

Just like that, I quickly sucked back in my sigh of relief.

"...shouldn’t an heir have some amazing stats!?"

Had his father made no effort to train or help him!?

According to my hazy memory, Ash had only made his appearance in the novel when he had mistakenly triggered a specter’s inheritance during an academy-sponsored trip and been consumed by it.

From there, he had gone on a rampage, killing some high-ranked students and a main cast member before ultimately being destroyed by the protagonist.

It seems like he was a complete bot prior to that, though.

Yet I then seriously doubted how he could have survived half of his first year at the World’s top academy.

Just then, another explanation for the measly stat menu that didn’t even surpass a normal adult human appeared in my head.

Perhaps, the system had just taken my stats on Earth and transferred them here...No, surely it’s Ash’s fault, not mine!

"Seriously...what was I exp-"

*BANG*

Snapping me back to reality, the holographic menu instantly vanishing as I lost my train of thought, a loud and aggressive knock suddenly sounded, prompting the entire apartment to vibrate as if there were an earthquake.

Cupping my hands around my ears, I braced myself for an onslaught of yells...but nothing happened.

"Oh? He gave up?"

For the past seven days, I had heard what I assumed to be Ash’s father or perhaps butler yelling outside the door, demanding that he exit.

Of course, there was no way I could exit the room: my act would be instantly exposed, as I did not know Ash’s personality or habits in the slightest.

So, I would just cower in my bedroom for about ten minutes before the outside went silent, and then go about my day.

That also meant,for the last week, I had not left this... formerly gorgeous penthouse.

Walking through the penthouse’s modern kitchen, side-stepping to avoid piles of trash and stains on the white-marble floor, I stood before the door and peeked through the peephole.

A stack of white envelopes lay directly against my door, threatening to topple if my door budged an inch.

However, the new one, atop the stack, had a message written in all red on it.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!"

Not at all menacing...

Tapping the smartwatch that lay on my wrist, I quickly read the date.

[August 13, 2056]

Ah...it was about time for school to start in less than a week.

Slightly opening the door, just wide enough for my hand to enter the outside, I grabbed the letter and immediatly retracted my arm, letting the door slam shut once again.

Hah, g-speed stat, look at that!

Ignoring the fact that, for some reason, my speed stat didn’t increase as a result of my letter heist, I quickly opened the envelope and read the message inside.

[I have put up with your nonsense for enough time. Everyone else in the family has given up on you, but me, and this is how you treat me? The lease on this apartment ends today; either leave or be escorted out by security. Oh, and if you seriously don’t attend The Sunken Pearl’s opening ceremony on the 17th? I will finally listen to everyone and petition to have your last name removed. This academy is your last chance for redemption.]

Having expected the contents, I sighed and dressed myself in the last pair of clean clothes lying around the apartment, relishing the penthouse view of the beautiful capital city of the human country.

If not for the dozens of blurry dots, each representing a flying human, and blue mana particles flowing toward the sky in place of smoke, I would have thought Vael to be a regular city back on Earth.

Could you blame me?

There were skyscrapers after skyscrapers, streets filled with cars, and pedestrians walking along the sidewalk, albeit with axes, guns, and swords that would get you immediately arrested back on Earth.

Grabbing around a thousand dollars that I had found scattered around the penthouse and attaching a sheathed katana to my waist, I exited the penthouse I had called home for the last 7 days.

If I wanted to survive in this world, there was no doubt I needed that "Fell" last name alongside some decent combat skills, so going to Lacuna was, unfortunately, a necessity.