The White Eagle Federation, St. George University.
The scorching summer afternoon sun filtered through the shade of the trees, casting dappled spots of light across the grass.
The soft lawn gently supported his outstretched body. The scent of grass and flowers lingered beneath his nose, making Sulu contentedly narrow his eyes.
He wore a pure white shirt, a few buttons undone at the chest, revealing a slightly defined torso and healthy skin. Together with his sharply defined features, sky-blue eyes, and short, slightly curly blond hair, it gave him a naturally rebellious air.
...All right, the above was complete nonsense. In reality, Sulu was only average-looking. He was just young and possessed the vitality unique to teenagers. The fact that he was still single with university life almost over was proof enough.
"Four years have already passed before I knew it. I'm about to graduate..."
Sulu opened his eyes mournfully, gazing up at the sky with a wistful expression.
He hadn't originally been a native of this world. He'd come from another time and place, where he'd been a lazy nobody several years out of college, accomplishing nothing. Then, after one all-night gaming session, his vision had gone black and he'd collapsed onto his computer—he'd transmigrated!!
"Even young people shouldn't stay up all night..." Sulu sighed sadly.
As someone who'd been through it, he deeply regretted his past choices.
It had only been a shoddily made, third-rate game. How had he gotten so hopelessly sucked in?
It had started with, "I'll go to sleep after one more minute," then, "I'll sleep as soon as I beat this monster," then, "I'll sleep after this quest." Before he knew it... Huh? How had several hours passed?
It wasn't just games. Novels, movies, and TV shows were the same. No matter how much you gritted your teeth and swore you'd stop, once staying up late became a habit, it was hard to break.
"Sigh... For people who stay up all night, the odds of dying suddenly are far greater than the odds of transmigrating. Don't try it lightly..."
Sulu sighed again.
Don't assume that transmigrating would instantly turn you into a life's winner who married a rich, beautiful woman. As proven by the facts, even if a lazy nobody transmigrated, he was still a lazy nobody!
Well, time to introduce the transmigrator's identity.
Sulu Portley's full name was Sulu Dunstan Andrich Rohard...mon Portley. The long string of names in the middle wasn't of much use in practice. It represented several historical intermarriages and major events, and was also a traditional custom of the White Eagle Federation. Many officials loathed it, and with the movement to simplify names gaining traction, his official documents simply listed him as Sulu Portley, twenty-one years old, and a soon-to-be graduate of St. George University.
He was average-looking, had average grades, and had just barely earned enough credits to graduate. But graduation didn't come with a job assignment, so he was facing the troubles of unemployment and job hunting...
Sulu was positively seething inside.
This transmigration... had been so amateurish! Not only had he failed to get the standard cheat ability that came with transmigration, but, most importantly, how had this long name of his not included a "Ke"?
Maybe he should just change his name to Sulu Ke and become a big winner in life, a great dark overlord.
Or he could just take the surname Potter and have some fun in a magical world.
Unfortunately, his name wasn't Sulu Ke or Sulu Potter. Those were merely the delusions of a lazy nobody.
"At least... I'm not completely empty-handed!"
Sulu sat halfway up, picked up the notebook beside him, and began scribbling with a pen between his teeth.
Four years after transmigrating, he'd finally figured out the world he lived in. The country where St. George University was located was called the White Eagle Federation. It had a history of 278 years, a population of around thirty million, and a vast territory. It also held a place on the world stage.
As for its technological level, it was roughly between the First and Second Industrial Revolutions of his previous life, with steampunk all the rage.
In his previous life, he'd been an engineering nerd. The trials and tribulations after graduation had left him with at least one useful skill. Given the current state of scientific research, he couldn't claim to be the best in the world, but he could at least make a living.
Sulu furrowed his brow and began outlining his thoughts. "Even though the worlds are different and some of the knowledge clearly doesn't apply, I spent my university years looking things up and piecing clues together. I've still managed to put together some useful information..."
Don't underestimate this world's elite!
In his previous life, he hadn't been a leading expert in any field, just an undergraduate who'd come through an exam-focused education system. His specialty had been narrow, but he hadn't studied it in depth.
Besides, his transmigration was his greatest secret. He had to find a way to cover it up. He couldn't just introduce some theory out of nowhere or make a name for himself overnight—that would attract too much attention!
For the past several years, Sulu had spent most of his free time in the library, searching for points of overlap between his knowledge and the new world.
He wouldn't admit that this was because he couldn't find a girlfriend and had nothing else to do in his spare time.
Sigh, why did that make him want to cry?
He'd transmigrated to an immigrant nation, with white people, yellow people, and people of every other ethnicity. The atmosphere was open, yet he still couldn't shake his homebody nature and couldn't find a girlfriend. How could anything be more miserable?
Thank goodness he'd gone straight into university after transmigrating. His hometown was far away, and he'd stayed behind during the holidays under the pretext of working part-time and studying. He'd basically never gone back, so at least he hadn't exposed himself in front of his family.
"Speaking of which, it's strange. Sulu Portley's family seemed poor enough, but the key thing was that he'd apparently fallen out with them over something. It was like he'd left home with nothing to go to university. There'd only been a few letters back and forth over the years, and no relatives had come to visit. I've really been lucky..."
Sulu tapped his head with the end of his pen.
His predecessor seemed to have gone through some painful upheaval, and part of his memories were very hazy. He vaguely remembered where his family lived and a few relatives, but they'd barely been in touch over the past few years. All he could recall were a few indistinct silhouettes.
"Could my transmigration have broken apart his memories?"
Sulu felt a little guilty, but even if you beat him to death, he wouldn't go home to find out.
"Hey, buddy, your sandwich! And your letter!"
As Sulu pondered, a shadow fell over him.
He turned his head and saw a young white man approaching. It was his roommate and partner in mischief, Sean.
Sean was tall and skinny, with triangular eyes and wine-red hair. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and a silver-white necklace. It looked cool, but on him, it seemed completely ridiculous, with an almost sleazy air. He grinned as he handed over a sandwich and an envelope, revealing his white teeth. "That'll be four Toners! Tip included."
Sulu rolled his eyes. He knew what Sean was like, so he took a few coins from his pocket and handed them over. "Thanks... But for a waiter and mail carrier, your rates are too high."
"Oh, buddy, don't you know how far the dorm is from the mailbox? Those damn dorm supervisors are so lazy it's ridiculous..." Sean shrugged, then gave him a curious look. "Come on, take a look. Maybe it's your job offer!"
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