No, they were not. I was 100% sure my eyes had been dark blue—nearly black—when I'd checked in the mirror just hours ago. But now, as I blinked up at Professor Aldrick Voss back. I realized something fundamental had shifted.
The infirmary's polished silver tray reflected my face back at me, warped but unmistakable. My irises, once the color of deep ocean trenches, now glowed a vivid, unnatural green—the same hue as the interface's text, as the binary code that had overwritten my vision.
What if? Ill mutter this under my breath:
"Temporal Anchor, disable"
Professor Aldrick Voss turns around
"Hm? Did you say something Mr Isaa-" he quickly pauses "Sorry I was hallucinating it. Are you fine?"
"Still some residual pain in my retina professor"
"I see… How did this pain suddenly come to be? Isaac?"
"I'm personally not too sure sir. It was a spur of the moment sharp pain"
"Interesting. I suggest you rest well, keep your eyes closed. It could be possibly anterior uveitis but i'm not one to diagnose"
"... Ah will do, Sir. I apologies for the trouble I caused"
"Don't be. Safety is No.1 for us Professors. Rest well" And he exits the room.
Fascinating, this world is quite medically advanced too. So much so that Professor Aldrick is able to narrow down the cause of my eye pain to the most similar condition. But sorry sir. It's not anything medical.
"Epigenetic conditions met," the system had said.
A cold understanding settled over me after some time of thinking.
The criteria for Temporal Anchor's improvement hadn't been arbitrary. Each condition was a precise variable in an equation I was only beginning to parse:
Collective Observer Effect.
The fact that quantum mechanics meets narrative causality. In quantum theory, the act of observation collapses probability waves into defined states. Here, in this world, the "observers" weren't just passive witnesses—they were most likely narrative anchors.
The key figures like the side characters, the heroines, the professor and most importantly the protagonist were present in that moment, Therefore the more "real" the world became. Their collective presence asserted an effect on me, allowing the 'system' per say to tap into deeper layers of information in the game I'm in.
Chronon Density & Manifest gauge invariance being "kept"
"Time isn't a river—it's a fractured pane." Chronons, a hypothetical particle of time, were theorized back on Earth as the building blocks of temporal flow. Here, they were apparently tangible. The academy's wards, the lingering magic of ancient spells, and maybe, just maybe. The mana of the main cast
In quantum field theory, gauge invariance is the principle that the fundamental forces of nature such as electromagnetism must remain unchanged—invariant—under mathematical transformations. It's the universe's way of enforcing symmetry as a non-negotiable law.
And that implies that… Key characters aren't just watching—they're defining reality. The more "main cast" witnesses an event, the harder the System enforces its "invariant" plot. My role as a meta-aware entity, I am both observer and perturbation and I have threaten a cardinal invariant
Finally, the most importantly to the equation: Bioelectromagnetic Fields
The body's hidden currents. Human brains generate electromagnetic waves—theta, alpha, beta. Mine, overloaded by stress and the electromagnetic waves of the other key character, had spiked into uncharted frequencies. The system had synced with those pulses, using them as a carrier signal to rewrite my neural pathways.
Of course, this was all my scientific breakdown of it. But this theory suggests…
The upgrade wasn't just software. It was biological.
I pressed trembling fingers to my eyelids. The pain had faded, but a residual thrum lingered—like the aftershock of a high-voltage shock. My optic nerves now thrummed with an alien sensitivity, tuned to wavelengths beyond visible light.
"Mr. Isaac?" A voice that I was unfamiliar with called out, cutting through my thoughts.
Professor Ilsa Vexley steps into the room. The extra probability of this world.
"Your vitals are stable, but your mana channels are... reconfigured. Have you undergone any unsanctioned magical experimentation before enrolling?"
Only the kind where I died twice and got dumped into a corrupted game world.
I forced a weak smile. "Uhm not any that I can recall of Professor."
A half-truth wrapped in a lie. The professor nodded, and did not press.
I throw my head back down on the infirmary's pillow. It still wouldn't escape my mind…
Kael's stats weren't just wrong—they were impossible.
In Elenos Arcane Academia, the protagonist began with balanced 5-Star ratings across the board, his intellect slightly lower. But this Kael?
Unreadable Intellect: A value so high that I couldn't quantify it.
Phylogenetic Root: A trait that shouldn't exist—genetic optimization beyond human limits that allowed him to possess multiple powers? The system does not refer to magic as power.
One-Star Affinities: The hallmark of someone who'd only cast little to no spells in his life.
Yet he'd enrolled. He'd passed the entrance exams. I didn't go through them but I do know the difficulty.
Unless...
This wasn't the Kael from the game.
This was a construct.
A vessel. A hollow frame wearing Kael's face, programmed with just enough of his personality to mimic him. The Phylogenetic Root suggested artificial enhancement—like a homunculus forged from stolen blueprints.
But by whom?
The Covenant of Ouroboros? Rivaling Kingdoms? Or something worse?
I needed data.
Monitor Kael: Track his movements, his spellcasting or lack thereof.
Investigate the New Professors: Their presence was a deviation. Were they involved?
Decipher the System's Warnings: "Main Storyline Corrupted" wasn't just a glitch—it was a surefire warning.
As I swallowed my saliva, the infirmary's door creaked open.
A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, his presence bending the light around him like a gravitational field.
Headmaster Orthellius.
"Isaac Mun," he said, his voice deceptively mild.
"Headmaster…"