Noah remained frozen in place for a few seconds, staring at his phone as it continued to ring.
His heartbeat quickened slightly. After a brief hesitation, he took a quiet breath and pressed the accept button.
He lifted the phone to his ear. For a moment, there was only faint static from the other end.
Then a heavy, indifferent voice came through.
"Noah."
Just hearing that single word made his back stiffen unconsciously.
"I heard about what happened during your exploration... about how you were injured."
The voice remained cold, calm and distant.
"Are you okay?"
Noah's eyes widened slightly.
He was shocked. It was his father.
Duke Eldritch—the man who had exiled him from the family. Yet now he was calling to ask about his health.
He didn't know how to react. For a moment, he remained silent.
The voice spoke again, a little firmer this time.
"Noah. Are you listening?"
"...Yes," Noah replied quickly, steadying his voice. "I'm fine."
His reply came a little abruptly.
Silence followed.
Not the comfortable kind.
Just a heavy pause.
Then his father spoke again.
"The academy will begin soon."
His tone remained as strict and composed as ever.
"If you perform well... and rank among the top students... then I may be able to bring you back into the family."
Noah's fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
"But your mother is still against it," his father continued. "I will try to convince her if you become one of the academy's top-ranked students."
Another brief pause followed.
"At least I hope you can achieve that. Even if it's difficult, it will only benefit you."
His voice neither softened nor wavered.
"Take care. If you need money, just message me."
Before Noah could respond, the call ended.
The line went silent.
Noah slowly lowered the phone from his ear.
The screen had already gone dark.
"What just happened in the Seven Hells? Did my father really call me... ask about my health... tell me how I could return to the family... and even say I could ask him for money whenever I needed it?"
He mentally went over the entire conversation.
But the thing that made him happiest was the money.
He could ask his father in this life for money whenever he needed it.
"Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, Noah burst into laughter like an idiot.
"Oh God, this is so much better. I thought I'd have to deal with some family drama myself... getting caught up with terrible parents. But it seems they don't actually hate me... they just had to exile me for political reasons... Wait... my father doesn't seem to hate me. But Mother... she's still angry."
Noah lay down on the bed and covered his face with one hand.
"Hah... for now, I need to focus on the academy. I have no desire to return to the family or anything like that. But being part of the Duke family could be useful... so I still have to do it."
Noah remained there, thinking about his future plans.
The academy would begin next week.
It was currently the first month of the year 2048.
The academy's name was Novaris Academy.
The most prestigious academy in the Aurelian Imperium.
It was located in a city called Novaris.
Yes, the city was named after the academy.
At least, that was what he had read on the internet.
Noah had already looked it up.
This year was supposed to be the same year the main protagonist of the game would enter the academy.
So naturally, this year had to be different from all the others.
'I need to get ready and leave for Novaris City this Saturday.'
The academy would begin next Monday.
Today was Tuesday.
Noah really didn't want to attend the academy, but he had no choice.
The world was bound to descend into chaos.
If he wanted to become stronger, he had to attend the academy where the main events of the game would take place.
He needed to contribute to the storyline in order to earn rewards from that so-called useless system.
That might be his only cheat.
It could grant him rewards that would help him grow far beyond his imagination.
'Shit... I'm really screwed. I have no future knowledge and no guide. How am I supposed to survive in this world?'
After thinking for a while, Noah decided to push those thoughts aside.
He needed some sleep.
'I'll sleep for a while.'
He was mentally exhausted.
Sleep claimed him almost instantly.
Noah slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind still hazy from sleep.
Then he turned toward the bedside table and picked up his phone.
3:30 PM
He blinked twice.
"I slept that long..."
His body felt lighter than before.
The mental exhaustion had eased.
The headache from earlier had almost disappeared.
He sat up on the bed and stretched his arms.
"No point wasting time."
If he truly wanted to survive in this world—especially with the academy starting next week—then resting alone wouldn't be enough.
He needed strength.
He needed better control over his mana.
He needed experience.
Noah stood up and adjusted the same navy-blue T-shirt and black trousers he had been wearing earlier.
He didn't bother changing.
They were comfortable enough for light training.
After slipping on his shoes, he grabbed his phone and wallet before stepping out of the apartment.
The hallway was as quiet as ever.
He took the elevator down and walked out of Silvercrest Residences.
The evening air was cool.
The sun was still in the sky, though it had begun its slow descent.
Noah walked out of the residential complex with his hands in his pockets.
Not far from the complex, about a ten-minute walk away, stood a large building made of reinforced glass and dark steel panels.
A glowing sign hung above the entrance.
Crythos Combat & Mana Training Center
In this world, training centers were as common as gyms had been on Earth.
Except these were far more advanced.
And far more expensive.
Fortunately, the previous Noah had already paid for a one-month membership.
Inside, people didn't just lift weights.
They trained with swords, spears, shields, elemental magic, and mana control techniques.
There were specialized training compartments designed to contain mana bursts. Reinforced floors. Impact-resistant walls. Naturally, the cost was high. Mana-infused equipment wasn't cheap.
Noah stopped in front of the building and looked up at it.
"Well... I guess this is where my suffering begins."
He exhaled before stepping inside.
The interior was spacious and modern.
To the left was a regular gym area.
Rows of enhanced weight machines, free weights, treadmills, and resistance platforms designed to measure physical ability.
To the right were private training compartments separated by thick transparent barriers that glowed faintly with protective runes.
Farther inside stood weapon racks filled with training swords, spears, staves, and even practice bows.
All of them were forged from special alloy materials designed to withstand mana infusion.
Several people were already training.
Some practiced sword forms.
Some sat cross-legged in meditation while mana swirled faintly around their bodies.
Others sparred inside the enclosed compartments, flashes of elemental light flickering with every clash.
A small spark ignited within Noah.
This felt right.
'This place is amazing.'
He walked toward the reception counter.
Time to start preparing.
Novaris Academy wasn't going to be kind to an exiled young master.