Chapter 0: Prologue

My second life was ordinary.  

The world I was reborn into was a fantasy-like world.  

The important thing wasn’t that it was a fantasy world—but that it was *fantasy-like*.  

Because while this world had a fantasy aesthetic, it wasn’t an actual fantasy world like the ones in manga or web novels.

It was more like a pre-modern era with a fantasy-themed skin draped over it.  

No superhumans, no wizards, no Demon King threatening the world.  

Honestly, it was disappointing.  

But then again, thinking about it, a world without demon kings or monsters meant no risk of dying a pointless death, so I supposed that was a relief.  

And so, moderately disillusioned, I used the knowledge and memories from my past life to amass enormous social prestige and wealth.  

What’s so great about magic and adventure, anyway?  

Rising to the top with past-life knowledge—that was magic. Gaining wealth and fame—that was adventure.  

I didn’t have the kind of cheat-like abilities or overwhelming power of a novel’s protagonist, but the mere fact that I possessed memories and knowledge from Earth was already broken enough.  

Once I had secured both reputation and fortune, countless offers came flooding in.  

Among them was an invitation to become a teacher at an academy.  

Compared to the wealth and prestige I had built up in my second life, a teaching position at some academy was a trivial matter, hardly worth a glance.  

But I didn’t dismiss it.  

Because the moment I saw that invitation, it hit me.  

Ah. 

This must be a game, manga, or novel’s world.

Otherwise, there was no way such a grandiose, storybook-worthy academy would exist.  

After all, academies were always the center of every story.  

Meaning, if I wanted to join the main storyline, I had to go to the academy.  

I didn’t know what that main storyline was yet, but if some world-shaking event was destined to unfold there—something that could decide the fate of the world—then I needed to be part of it to respond accordingly.  

Why would the world’s fate be decided at an academy, you ask?  

Isn’t that just common sense?  

I still didn’t know which work I’d been reincarnated into, but that much was certain.  

The only thing I could guess was that this world’s genre was probably romantic fantasy?  

It was far too low-powered to be a standard fantasy, but if it was romance fantasy, then it made sense.  

In romantic fantasy, swords and magic were just side elements to set the mood—battles weren’t the main focus.  

Honestly, I didn’t know much about romantic fantasy.  

I liked web novels and games, but I hardly ever read romance fantasy.  

Well, even so, if this was romantic fantasy, at least I wouldn’t suddenly drop dead out of nowhere.  

…With that naive thought in mind, I headed toward Everlight Academy.  

.  

.  

.  

And then I realized.  

This world wasn’t some lukewarm, low-powered romantic fantasy.  

No—it was cosmic horror, where an outer god sealed beneath the academy would revive and bring about the annihilation of everything. The future was already set in stone.  

I think I might be screwed.