In The Game World? As a Magicless Dwarf?!

"Why the hell does it always have to be so cold? Man, I can't wait for summer to get here." 

Steve rubs his hands together and breathes on them to stay warm, his breath visible in the cold air.

"My feet hurt, it's freezing, and my girlfriend just broke up with me. Can life get any worse? All I want to do is just sit down on my couch and finish Platinum Heart Arcade's latest game, Magic Academy!"

Steve keeps himself together as he walks home to his apartment. The anticipation of finishing a game he's become invested in outweighs the physical and emotional pain he's been carrying all day. 

After unlocking his door and walking inside, Steve removes his work clothes, fixes himself a quick meal, leaps onto the couch, and turns on his console. 

Platinum Hearts Arcade: Magic Academy appears on the screen. 

On the main screen are several individuals. 

The protagonist of this game, the main love interests, and the shadowy figures of the game's main antagonistic group.

Steve presses play, and the game starts. 

"I've lost count of how many times I've grinded to get to where I am now. I've slaved away to build up the followers; it's time to see the fruits of my labor!" 

The main selling point of Magic Academy is the world. It's an open-world game that relies on how we, the player, build ourselves. Unlike most games of its type that have one protagonist and a limited number of romance options, the game actually allows us to choose from three saint candidates. Why is it like this? The King of the nation the game takes place in does not have an heir; the game's main premise is for the saint candidates to build up their reputation and power to eventually marry a hero candidate and rule the nation. When both are chosen as rulers, their titles will be made official, and their union will bring forth a light thats vital for defeating the final boss.

Steven spends the next few hours finishing the final chapter of the game.

As the game credits start to roll, the light of the television reflects in Steve's eyes. 

Steve rests his head against a pillow on the couch. His apartment is a mess, his job barely pays him, and he relies on his parents to pay some of his rent. On top of that, his girlfriend broke up with him today. The only solace he has is fantasy games.

Rubbing his eyes and groaning, Steve decides it's time to get some sleep.

"I guess it's not all bad. At least I have food to eat and a roof over my head. Life may suck now, but at least I'm still alive. Life and survival above all else. Man, I wish I could live in a fantasy world like Magic Academy. At least there, I'll have awesome magic! Heh, wishful thinking. I need sleep; otherwise, I'll just be a mess at work."

Steve then closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep. 

After what feels like a few hours, Steve wakes up, but doesn't open his eyes. 

"Huh- this is strange. Did I oversleep? And why is it so bright? I could have sworn my window was closed."

Opening his eyes, Steve finds himself not on his couch, but in the body of a boy out in a field of grass. 

"HUH- What is- Where am I?" 

Jolting up, Steve looks around. The calming sound of water flowing through a river and the rustling of trees from a nearby forest. 

Suddenly, up above, a massive shadow flies overhead. A dragon.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?! Is that a DRAGON??? Wait... hold on... is this a dream? No... it feels way too real to be a dream. This must be... an isekai!"

Steve then stretches and gets up. 

There's something off, though. Steve is much, much shorter than he had expected. He also feels like he could punch a hole through a rock.

Making his way to the river, Steve looks at his reflection. 

It wasn't him. 

It was-

[???] "Brak!"

As if on instinct, Steve quickly turns his head to the sound of the voice. 

"Brak? Who is that? Why did my head suddenly turn-"

The memories came flooding in like a raging river, crashing against his mind. He isn't Steve. This is the body of someone named Brak. 

"Coming!"

Thinking to himself, Steve comes to wonder what exactly happened. This is way too realistic to be a dream, yet it feels as if he's lived his whole life as Brak. 

As he walks, Steve considers many different possibilities as he walks towards the sound of the voice.

"Hmm... could I have died and been reincarnated and suddenly just remember everything about my past? No, that can't be a possibility. I am... I remember myself as Steve, not Brak. Was I summoned into this world by a cute goddess? No... If that was the case, I'd be head over heels in love, and I don't remember seeing a goddess. Wait... could this be what they call... astral projection?! No... It's the most likely candidate, but it feels so cheap. Either way, it's not like I had much going for me in my other life. The only real family I had was my parents and older sister. No pets to take care of. I was estranged from my sister, and I only ever called my parents to beg for money. They wouldn't notice or care if I just suddenly dropped dead or went missing... No use thinking about it. I wonder if Brak would be alright if I took control of things from here..."

Heading inside a house, Steve, now Brak, makes his way to a table.

"If memory serves me right, Brak was supposed to head to the river and fetch... water... Oh-"

[???]: "Young man! Where is the bucket of water I sent you to get?"

Brak lowers his head. 

"Sorry, Mom. I sort of... forgot."

Looking up, Steve, using Brak's eyes, gazes at the one Brak remembers as his mom. A young woman with light blue hair, fiery orange eyes, and a stern but loving expression. She has her hair tied into a braid that rests over her left shoulder, alongside a small necklace and a black cloak.

"Wait- I know her. She's a part of the Mellalan family! I remember seeing her mentioned on Julian's route. Lucia Mellalan, a promising young mage who became a disgraced noble after she married a dwarf. Because of that, she was stripped of her name and was exiled to the outskirts of another lord's domain. If Brak thinks of her as his mom... that must mean-"

Brak's eyes then widen, fear written all over his face. 

"If she's Brak's- No... our mom, then that must mean one thing. I'm a dwarf!"

[Lucia]: "If you're not feeling well, just say so. Go get some rest. I'll get the water myself.

Lucia then walks out, leaving Brak alone. 

"Oh crap! When I thought I could live a quiet isekai life, I JUST had to become a dwarf... My memories all point to this being... Magic Academy. I just realized it when I saw Lucia Mellalan. In this world, dwarves, alongside those who have little to no magic power, are all seen as inferior and treated as second-class citizens. It's one of the main driving forces for the game's primary antagonist, the Fractured Axe. They use the deep-rooted hatred that the dwarves have, along with the people being treated like dirt, to inspire a rebellion within the kingdom. If I'm a dwarf... No, I need to check something!"

Brak runs up to his room and rummages around through a few notebooks and some papers.

"Brak's memories are still a little fuzzy, but I think I got the picture. Brak is a half-dwarf. His father was a dwarven craftsman and mercenary who fell in love with a kind noblewoman. Because of the social structure of the kingdom, the mercenary was ostracized by the dwarves while the noblewoman was beaten, stripped of her status and name, and then cast into the mud. Sheesh... Reading it firsthand makes it way more tragic than seeing it on a videogame screen. It was worse than I had thought."

He then closes the books and leans back in the chair.

"I need to think this through. I'm in the Magic Academy world as a half-dwarf named Brak."

Brak looks in the mirror and places a hand on his face. 

"Light brown hair mixed with a few blue streaks. Orange eyes. Brak's- no, my body is taller than an ordinary dwarf but shorter than a human. More muscular than a normal person of my height. In the lore of Magic Academy, Half-Dwarves are treated even worse. They're seen as disgusting and can only ever work as servants to abusive nobles or become traveling mercenaries. From what I can recall, our- no... my father was the same as it was in the game's lore. A craftsman and mercenary. His name was Ston, named after stone but with the 'e' removed. Not very creative..."

"Mom... it seems she's been hiding me away from others. The only one to give me unconditional love in a world where I'm hated by every side. Dwarves can't use magic, but they have the greatest physical strength and endurance of any humanoid race. That makes them the ideal mercenary for situations that ordinary people can't handle. They're only ever seen as useful if it's fighting and dying for a nation that treats them like garbage. Dwarven females have it worse... I won't try to think about that."

Looking at his hand, Brak wonders.

"I'm thinking more like Brak instead of Steve. Hmm... earlier I theorized it was astral projection. I think I have my answer. I... am Brak. Always have been. Steve's memories suddenly manifested in this body and temporarily overpowered Brak's conscience. I still feel like Steve, but I know who I am."

Brak sighs and then gets up. He wanders over to the window, which overlooks a small garden outside the house alongside the river he woke up at. 

Lucia is down by the river collecting water and making the bucket float with a levitation spell.

"If this is what life has for me... screw that! I won't become this world's pushover. I've picked up that this world is set exactly three years before the game's main setting. Brak- I am 13. Meaning, I have another 3 years to go. I'll enter the academy, make a name for myself, and try to honor the dwarves' reputation! I'll... I'll be the one to challenge the heroes and conquer this world! But... there's one slight problem."

Brak looks at himself in the window's reflection.

"I've got no real strength. Can't use magic. It's not like I can just walk into town and ask around for a job... Man, this sucks. But there is one thing I do have that others don't! I know all the game's lore, characters, and how the system works. I've practically got my own cheats! The hard part... is actually using them. But first order of business... I need to get stronger. There's one line of work that accepts anyone from any background..."

With a firm resolve, Brak makes his declaration. To become stronger...

"I'll become an Adventurer."