Villainous Instructor at the Academy

"For fuck's sake, why him?"

I cursed after seeing my reflection in the mirror of that lavish room. I leaned in closer, but the reflection didn't change. Same face. Same damn guy. Lucian Drelmont.

Out of all the people I could have ended up as, why did it have to be him?

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration boiling inside me. The room around me screamed wealth—fancy furniture, expensive decorations—everything looking like it belonged to someone important. But that wasn't the problem.

The problem was that Lucian Drelmont was a dead man walking.

He was one of the minor villains from the game Sword of Radiance—the same game I had poured more than 800 hours into.

.

.

My name was Allen Cross before I became this guy. I wasn't anyone special. Just another corporate drone stuck in a soul-crushing 9-to-6 job at a design company—one of those so-called black companies where they overworked you, paid you just enough to survive, and expected you to be grateful for it. No bonuses, no promotions—just endless deadlines and stress.

Gaming was my only escape. Sword of Radiance was my go-to, the one thing that made life bearable. And now, somehow, I was inside it.

But instead of being a hero or even some random adventurer, I got stuck as him.

Lucian Drelmont.

A bottom-tier instructor at Noctis Ardentis Academy. A joke of a character. A corrupt, talentless noble despised by both students and faculty. And worst of all—he died early in the game. Not even in a dramatic way. He was just a stepping stone, an NPC caught up in the academy's politics who met an ugly end.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Great. Just fucking great."

I glanced around and spotted an envelope sitting neatly on the desk, sealed with a wax emblem—probably Lucian's family crest, though I didn't recognize it.

After a brief hesitation, I tore it open. At this point, anything could be useful.

The letter inside was written in fancy, looping handwriting:

Professor Drelmont,

You are required to attend the faculty meeting tomorrow morning. Your repeated absences have been noted, and further negligence will not be tolerated. Consider this your final warning.

—Noctis Ardentis Academy Administration

I let out a groan.

Final warning? That meant I was already on thin ice.

If I got fired, I was screwed. In the game, Lucian's dismissal led straight to his downfall—no money, no protection, and eventually, death. Staying at the academy was my best shot at survival.

But even that option was dangerous. There were so many ways to die in this place.

"Fuck."

I slumped into the chair, gripping the letter tightly. No matter how I looked at it, I was in a losing position.

If I stayed at the academy, I'd have to deal with deadly students, strict faculty, and constant danger. If I got kicked out, I'd be even worse off—Lucian had no allies, no backup plan, nothing. He was a disposable character, meant to be erased early in the story.

As I was brooding over my predicament, I noticed something—a small red dot flashing in the corner of my vision.

I froze.

The hell is that?

I blinked a few times, but the red dot remained, hovering at the edge of my sight. It wasn't part of the room. It was something else—something only I could see.

Slowly, I focused on it.

The dot pulsed once, and then a faint screen appeared before me.

<____[Archive]____>

[1] Personal Status

[2] Quest Logs (Locked)

<____[Archive]____>

I swallowed hard.

This is… the character log from the game.

With cautious fingers, I tapped the first option—Personal Status.

The screen changed again, displaying information that made my stomach drop.

=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=

<____[Personal Status]____>

[Name] Lucian Drelmont

[Age] 25

[Title] ---

[Occupation] Instructor at Noctis Ardentis Academy

[Affiliation] Drelmont Family (Estranged)

——

[HP] 190/190

[MP] 120/120

[Mana Color] Gray

[Elemental Affinity]

✦ Fire - «Mastery»

✦ Water - «Adept»

——

<[Attributes]>

Mana Control ★★☆☆☆

Spellcasting ★★☆☆☆

Swordsmanship ★★★☆☆

Insight ★★☆☆☆

Mental Fortitude ★★☆☆☆

Instruction ★☆☆☆☆

___

<[Martial Manuals[>

➤ Split-Style Swordsmanship (★★★☆☆)

➤ Drelmont Family Swordsmanship – Severance Form (★★☆☆☆)

___

<[Unique Dispositions]>

➤ Grimoire of Patterns – Allows the user to store spells and important details. Cannot store multiple spells at once. Requires mastery to efficiently use stored spells. Gains increased learning efficiency when analyzing repeated patterns in combat or magic.

➤ Shadow Step – Temporarily blends with nearby shadows, rendering the user invisible for a brief period. Also enhances speed for short bursts.

=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=×=

I stared at the screen, my eyes locked on Lucian's status.

It felt like the game's system was taunting me—giving me just enough information to either succeed or die trying.

Mana Color: Gray.

I knew what that meant. The game had its own categorization for mana, and Gray was tied to logic, adaptability, and mental resistance. So, no overwhelming power for me. No insane fireballs or reality-breaking magic.

Instead, I'd have to think my way out of problems. Great. As if I didn't have enough on my plate already.

My eyes trailed down to Shadow Step. Invisibility and a speed boost? That could be useful. Maybe I could sneak past a few problems before they caught up with me.

But the one that really stood out was Grimoire of Patterns.

My only lifeline, and I had no idea how to use it properly. The description made it sound useful—storing spells, recognizing patterns, learning faster—but there was a catch. Only one spell at a time? And I needed mastery to actually make it work efficiently?

That wasn't exactly game-breaking.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. If this was really happening—if I was really stuck as Lucian Drelmont—then I had two options.

One, I could try to follow the game's story and inevitably get myself killed.

Two, I could break away from the script and find a way to survive.

The problem? I had no idea where to start.

A loud knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Professor Drelmont." A calm yet authoritative voice came from the other side.

"The faculty meeting is in two hours. Your presence is required."

I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. So it begins.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." My voice came out rougher than I intended.

There was a brief pause, then the voice spoke again. "The Headmaster will be present."

That made me sit up straight.

The Headmaster of Noctis Ardentis Academy wasn't just some figurehead. In Sword of Radiance, he was a force to be reckoned with—a powerful mage who rarely involved himself in trivial matters. If he was attending, that meant the meeting wasn't just some routine check-up.

I needed to be careful.

Pushing myself up from the chair, I took another look at the mirror. Same face. Same problems. But now, I had a goal—stay alive.