Fantasia Library

"Ding-dong—"

A pleasant bell rang throughout the modern, open-style high-rise building, filling the school campus with the lively hum of chatter and footsteps.

Students in uniforms streamed out of the school building one by one. Some laughed and talked with friends, while others hurried along, radiating youthful energy.

Aizen blended seamlessly into the crowd of students leaving their classes, appearing like an ordinary student himself.

This was because he, too, was now dressed in the academy's uniform. Moreover, his appearance had been rejuvenated—he looked like a high schooler no older than 17 or 18, exuding vitality as he strolled along a lush tree-lined path.

"I didn't expect entering a fantasy world to come with perks like this," Aizen mused.

He touched his face, marveling at the smoothness of his skin. It felt full of collagen, free from even a hint of oiliness.

Amused by the novelty, Aizen began organizing his thoughts.

"There's no doubt—I'm in Asterisk now."

Asterisk was a massive artificial city floating atop the impact crater of an enormous lake. Its shape, as the name suggested, was a perfect hexagon.

The city's official name was Rikka, and it had been built by the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, a powerful economic conglomerate, to serve as a battleground for duels.

Of course, these duels weren't about card games like in certain other worlds but were instead fiercely competitive matches involving real weapons and live combat.

This world revolved around a hugely popular combat spectacle called the Festa.

The Festa was the most-watched global entertainment event, blending combat and performance into a dazzling display. It also drove significant economic growth worldwide.

Asterisk served as the main stage for the Festa and the primary training ground for its participants.

According to the rules of the Festa, only individuals aged 13 to 22 and belonging to the Genestella—a new generation of humans born with extraordinary abilities—could compete.

Most of the Genestella in this age group were students.

Thus, Asterisk had six academies, each designed to train competitors. These academies catered to students across three levels: middle school, high school, and university, encompassing the full 13-to-22-year-old range.

"And the academy I'm in now is Seidoukan Academy."

Seidoukan Academy wasn't just one of the six institutions—it was the primary stage for the original protagonists of The Asterisk War.

According to the backstory assigned to Aizen's life in this world, he was now a first-year high school student at Seidoukan Academy. His reason for coming to Asterisk? To compete in the Festa.

It wasn't exactly a unique ambition.

After all, 70-80% of the students who came to Asterisk were here for the Festa. The remaining 20-30% were drawn for various other reasons.

Aizen was now just one of the majority - an uninteresting student with a dream.

"Looks like I didn't draw the 'main protagonist' backstory," Aizen thought indifferently.

In this life, his abilities were middle-tier within Seidoukan Academy—not at the bottom, but far from the elite level required to shine in the Festa. Mediocre in every sense.

Still, Aizen was satisfied.

"Starting at the top might be thrilling, but it's not realistic."

As he walked, Aizen found himself in a quiet corner of the courtyard.

This area was sparsely populated, featuring a lone gazebo surrounded by a lawn and flowerbeds. Occasionally, faint shadows passed in the distance, but otherwise, it was tranquil.

Aizen stretched his body lightly.

"Yeah… My physical abilities are definitely much better now," he muttered.

He could clearly feel that his body wasn't just younger and more energetic—it was stronger in every way.

"With this level of physical prowess, I could easily win multiple world championships back in the real world. But here, I'm just average…"

Aizen sighed in amazement.

"So this is what it means to be a Genestella?"

As the teacher had explained earlier, following the catastrophic Invertia event in the 20th century, humanity had discovered a mysterious element called mana within the meteorites.

This discovery revolutionized science and technology while giving rise to a new breed of humanity: the Genestella.

Genestella were physically far superior to ordinary humans, and they also possessed a unique spiritual energy called prana.

Prana significantly enhanced their offensive and defensive capabilities, with its defensive effects being particularly notable.

Ever since arriving in this world, Aizen had felt this mysterious power flowing through his body.

Recalling his earlier experiment in the classroom, Aizen began channeling this power again.

"Zing…"

As if stardust were dancing around him, the prana surged within his body, enveloping him in a shimmering radiance.

Watching the spectacle and feeling the transformation in his body, Aizen's eyes gleamed.

"If I got shot now, I'd probably just feel the impact, with no real injury," he thought.

And this was considered average for a student at Seidoukan Academy?

It was staggering to imagine how powerful the truly exceptional Genestella must be.

Still, Aizen couldn't help but feel satisfied with his newfound strength.

"Too bad this kind of opportunity only comes once."

This initial boost—aligning his abilities with his assigned backstory—was a hidden benefit granted only during the first life experience.

Such privileges wouldn't be repeated.

"If I had drawn an 'overpowered protagonist' backstory, I'd probably be invincible right now," Aizen mused.

But he quickly dismissed the thought as unrealistic.

Given the Fantasia Library's ultimate goal of creating authentic worlds, it was unlikely to allow anything that would disrupt a world's balance too severely.

Perhaps the random selection process was subtly influenced by the Librarian's own capabilities. A highly capable Librarian might have a better chance of drawing an overpowered backstory, while a less capable one would be more likely to draw a modest or even tragic start.

"With my current abilities, making this life experience exciting will be tough," Aizen reflected.

The Fantasia Library had made it clear: rewards would be based on how remarkable and lively the experience was.

To live an exciting life in this world, what could be more thrilling than competing in the Festa and battling renowned champions?

But with Aizen's current mid-tier abilities, he'd probably get knocked out in the first round.

"I need to find a way to get stronger."

How?

The answer came to Aizen almost immediately.

"I need a weapon."

"A weapon strong enough to make me stronger."

Though his current self was unremarkable, his Authority—the ultimate dominion over armaments—lay dormant within him.

This power applied exclusively to "armaments," making acquiring a powerful weapon the quickest path to growth.

"Looks like I'll have to start there," Aizen decided, a plan forming in his mind.

But first, he needed to test the limits of his Authority.

Aizen's gaze shifted to his waist.

Attached to his uniform's belt was a fabric holster.

Reaching into it, Aizen pulled out an object.

It was a device resembling a sword hilt, embedded with a green crystal.

"So this is a Lux, huh?"

Aizen examined the device curiously before focusing his thoughts.

"Zing!"

The front end of the hilt emitted a bright flash as a long, glowing blade extended from it.