The Transmigrated Author

[Pinnacle Academy Stadium 1 - Arena A: Allen's Cafe]

At Allen's cafe, the infamous trio of the 1-A Class were enjoying their break before the round of 32 knockouts began.

Lyra energetic as ever was humming a tune in her seat, unable to contain her energy even within the cozy confines of Allen's Cafe. while, Camila slumped against the backrest, a picture of nonchalant boredom. Valencia, usually a balanced blend of the two, stared out the window distracted by the students arguing outside.

Arghhh

"Honestly," Camila spoke up, "why is Jan such an airhead? I thought I was laying it on thick." She punctuated her complaint with an exaggerated groan.

Lyra and Valencia immediately snapped to attention. "What happened?" they asked at the same time.

Camila sighed dramatically. "I texted Jan to meet me by the tunnel." The other girls nodded. "Well, I finally saw him coming, and I got all excited…." She trailed off, a scowl replacing her excitement. "Then guess who he had with him? Rel."

"Rel?" Lyra blinked, ever the picture of cluelessness. "What's wrong with Rel?" Lyra asked out of curiosity.

"...!"

cough!, cough!

While Valencia was taking a sip of her Ice latte she almost spat her drink out after a certain person's name was called.

"...R-R-Rel?..."

Valencia let out a fake cough as if to cover up what happened between the two earlier.

She recalled yesterday's incident with her father, the way the world shattered when she was spotted by Rel and her perfect image shattered. The thought that he might spread rumours of her daddy's girl persona filled her with dread.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" Camila smirked, noting Valencia's rare lapse in composure. Valencia swiftly turned away, a faint red blush on her cheeks as she tried to bury the embarrassing memory.

"Hmph! Nothing happened!" Valencia's voice rose slightly, but Camila wasn't convinced.

"Okay then, if nothing happened, then it's not worth speaking about, I guess." Camila shrugged, a teasing tone barely concealing her determination to uncover the truth.

"Oh! Continue with the Jan thingy, Camila!" Lyra's cheerful interjection shifted the focus, much to Valencia's relief.

Camila continued her rant. "Speaking of shopping, Jan and I did some over the weekend. We were looking for outfits for the club trip to France – wasn't that sweet of him? He even bought me this adorable keychain!" Camilla held up a chibi keychain featuring a character from a popular novel from the novel's extra. "Isn't it cute? He remembered I liked the series!"

Lyra, oblivious as ever, gasped. "Shopping? You two? Oh, wow! – did he pick out anything nice for you? Did he take you somewhere fancy?" A puzzled frown then crossed her face.

"Wait, how did you even get a date with Jan in the first place?"

Camila smirked, enjoying the spotlight. "Well…" she began, recounting the tale of how she'd casually suggested the shopping trip to Jan.

As Camila talked, Valencia completely forgot about her embarrassment a few minutes ago and was surprised at how Camila asked Jan. "Wait, so you just asked him directly? Wow, you're so bold!" A sliver of admiration twinkled in her eyes.

***

{Rel's POV}

[Pinnacle Academy Stadium 1 - Arena A: Academy Office Reception]

After running away from Jan's stupidity I found myself at the Academy reception office where all the weapons handed in are stored for the meantime as Students aren't allowed to have weapons on them in public spaces or the crowd stands.

I reached the designated reception desk a polished wooden counter stacked with forms and clipboards.

"Rel Laurence," I said, placing my student ID down. "Here to reclaim my crossbow for storage."

The receptionist, a young woman with neatly coiled hair, nodded and tapped a few keys on her computer. "Just a moment, Mr. Laurence." Her fingers flew across the keyboard. "Ah yes, here we are. Please sign here to confirm receipt." She slid a clipboard and pen towards me.

I quickly scrawled my signature. The routine was oddly comforting and Just as I finished, she turned and retrieved a sleek case from a shelf behind the counter. "And here's your weapon, Mr. Laurence."

I opened the case, the familiar weight of my crossbow settling into my hands. With a quick glance at my watch, I checked the time and I realised my next match was starting soon.

[Your Upcoming Match Schedule...]

[Round Of 30 Knockout stages:]

[Name: Axel Saint Rel Laurence]

[Matches Completed: 20]

[Match Number: 2]

[Time: 9:30 AM]

[Opponent: Sergio Vex - [Arena A] - ]

[Please arrive 15 minutes early for inspection.]

If I'm going to secure my spot in the top rounds of the tournament, I need to start taking it a bit more seriously.

As I began walking towards Arena A through the bustling student lobby, I figured I needed information beforehand to see what this Sergio Vex guy is like. Anyone who makes it to the round of 32 is no longer a nobody. At least in my head they aren't.

"System."

FWANG!

[Yes Mr. Axel? :D]

"How much PPP would it be to see the battle stats of Sergio Vex?"

[That would come to 165 PPP Mr Axel!]

[Would you like to purchase this information?]

"Yes," I answered swiftly.

[Displaying battle information of the opponent: Sergio Vex]

FWANG!

[Character Role: Background Character, Preferred Weapon: Sword and Shield, Strength: 72, Speed: 47, Durability: 110, Mana: C, Swordsmanship: 4.2/10, Elemental Attributes: Earth]

[Would you like me to reveal his abilities for an extra 50 PPP Mr. Axel?]

"No, It's fine I think this is enough..."

I placed my crossbow to the side and hurried off, weaving through the crowded halls towards Arena A. It felt good to have a plan, an advantage for once.

...

[5 minutes later...]

...

[Pinnacle Academy Stadium 1 - Arena A: Hallway Entrance To The Main Stadium]

Finally, I reached the designated tunnel entrance leading down into the heart of the arena. they did their regularly conducted inspections, not just for weapons, but for a far more insidious problem: mana doping. The Academy took cheating seriously, and with good reason. Pushing yourself beyond your limits with potions and forbidden magics came with a heavy price.

A price a few desperate competitors were willing to pay...

"Student ID" the guard's voice blunt.

I presented my student ID to the first guard. He took a quick glance to confirm against his roster, and I was waved through.

Next, weapon check. It wasn't uncommon for students to try sneaking in modifications. That's why all weapons went through review. I held my crossbow aloft.

The inspector guard took hold of my weapon, "Standard issue, nothing special," he said as he inspected it carefully.

The inspector handed my weapon back. He seemed satisfied probably because of the aesthetics of it I assume.

Finally, the scanner. Its light swept across my body, detecting any trace of doping. Predictably, the light remained a bland green. "Clear," the operator called out. I nodded and passed through the tunnel, the roar of the Arena crowd building with each step.

_______________

Authors Notes:

- The chibi character that Camila got from Jan was a Yoo Yeonha! (Just had to make the reference tbh)

- There are only 4 matches that go on at a time in the main arena stadium and when it reaches to quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals the 4 stages will combine to make a larger stage for the competitors to fight on.

- Valencia, Lyra, and Camila's Matches are after Rel's match!