Chapter 205: The Point Sucker Academy
A few minutes blurred by as each of the students received their card along with the same booklet Asher had been given. The process was monotonous, yet necessary. Each facilitator repeated the exact same words to every single student without the slightest deviation, as though they were mechanical constructs bound to a script, incapable of improvising or altering a single syllable.
Their tone was calm, professional, and uniform, further strengthening the impression that they were less people and more like precise instruments of the Academy.
Eventually, all the first-years obtained their cards and booklets. Asher, never one to linger unnecessarily over such things, casually tossed his booklet into his system space with little thought, treating it as nothing more than another tool to be examined later.
"Let’s continue," Stephanie declared with crisp authority. Without wasting further time, the group moved on, exiting the Logistics and Missions Operations Hall in the same manner they had entered.
From there, Stephanie and Thalric guided them from building to building, pointing out significant locations, explaining their functions, and describing their purposes with a clarity that suggested familiarity. They moved with the confidence of individuals who knew this place as intimately as the back of their own hands, their words efficient, direct, and practiced.
Asher listened attentively but could not help forming his own conclusions. Based on everything introduced so far, he thought the Academy might as well abandon its current name entirely. To him, Star Academy was far too generous a title.
A more accurate name would be The Point Sucker Academy. After all, the institution had devised a system that drained points from its students at every possible opportunity. The name, in his mind, would be a literal and brutally honest reflection of reality.
For instance, Thalric and Stephanie showed them a series of specialized training buildings, each equipped with facilities tailored to particular skills. Some training grounds specialized in elemental manipulation, others in illusionary abilities, while still more catered to widely used abilities of combat or support. The facilities were undeniably impressive and seemed capable of shaping a student’s talents in remarkable ways.
But none of it came free.
To step into any of these training spaces, one needed points. Not a symbolic amount either, but a significant cost, as though every second of improvement demanded a toll.
There were also cultivation chambers specifically designed for Life Rank advancement and refining the Astra veins. These places were rich with abundant Astra energy, far denser and purer than anything a student could normally access in the outside world. But again, the use of such spaces required points, and quite a hefty sum at that.
The same principle applied to the weapons training facilities, entry demanded points.
Even the Academy library, revered as a repository of knowledge and wisdom, adhered to this rule. A handful of the books available were free to read, but anything beyond a certain threshold, particularly the more advanced or secretive texts, required students to pay with their hard-earned points.
Asher’s thoughts turned sardonic. This is basically how governments operate on Earth, he reflected privately. Everything requires money, and if you lack it, you are nothing more than a slave to the system.
The sentiment resonated deeply with several of the other students as well. Many of them could already feel the leash tightening around their necks as they considered what lay ahead. Without points, survival in this Academy was impossible.
Without points, they would never make the progress demanded by Berion, the Ninth Vice Principal. Progress required training, training required points, and failure to progress meant only one thing, expulsion.
’At least they don’t charge for food,’ Asher thought quietly, his lips almost twitching into the faintest trace of a smirk.
Had the Academy charged its students for meals, some of them might well have died of malnutrition or hunger long before they had the chance to face a monster or an Emovira.
Still, the Academy did not lack for indulgences. There were cafes scattered across the campus where students could spend points on pastries, tea, or cakes if they desired such luxuries. Shops for clothing and other supplies were also present, designed for students with the points to spare.
Asher found the idea somewhat absurd. He could not imagine wasting valuable points on cake when survival, training, and cultivation were far more pressing.
Then again, it made sense. In every economy, regardless of its structure, there were always people wealthy enough to indulge in excess. The Star Academy, in this respect, was no different.
’Wouldn’t be surprised if they even allowed students to borrow points,’ Asher mused. ’And if those students failed to pay back their debts on time, the Academy would probably force them into labor. A convenient way to keep cheap workers in supply.’
This was only speculation, but it was the kind of idea that felt all too plausible in a place like this. Just because Stephanie and Thalric hadn’t mentioned such a system didn’t mean it didn’t exist. Only a naive fool would assume that they both had revealed all of the Star Academy’s hidden rules.
But Asher also understood why the Academy was structured this way. The real world was no different, resources were scarce, competition was brutal, and survival demanded constant struggle. Nothing was handed out freely, not even the smallest opportunity. One had to fight for every ounce of progress, every shred of growth. The Academy, in its harshness, merely mirrored reality itself.
Even if a student were expelled in their second year, they would still leave with enough strength and knowledge to survive for a time outside. Of course, the real world was more vicious, more unforgiving, and infinitely deadlier. But at the very least, such students would not be entirely helpless.
The orientation continued steadily. Thalric and Stephanie explained as much as they could, covering building after building. Their tone remained steady and neutral throughout, neither warm nor harsh. They showed no malice toward the new students, but neither did they show kindness.
Their words and expressions suggested complete detachment, as though they had no interest in remembering the names or faces of people who might not even survive until the following morning.
Chatter filled the air as the students spoke among themselves, their excitement gradually overshadowing their earlier worries. They marveled openly at the vast structures and wondrous sights, their voices echoing with awe. Strangely, they seemed to have already forgotten the thirty-four students who had been expelled mere hours ago, their memory erased by the spectacle of the Academy’s grandeur.
’It seems the orientation will be ending soon,’ Asher thought to himself.
’I wonder if Thalric and Stephanie Ravencroft are being paid in points for this. Perhaps it’s considered a mission for them. Still, I doubt a Wargrave would ever lower themselves to guiding a group of new students. Too little reward for too much effort.’
Even Asher himself would never consider accepting such a task if it were offered to him. The points earned would hardly justify the energy spent.
Eventually, the group arrived at another location, where two large buildings stood side by side. Their exterior differences were stark and immediate. The first building was a magnificent structure, its grandeur befitting nobles, aristocrats, and kings. Its architecture exuded refinement, status, and overwhelming prestige.
The second building, by contrast, was designed for the rest, those who were not nobles. Though it was still impressive by standards and provided a higher quality of life than most would ever know, its splendor paled next to the first building’s magnificence.
At the entrance, Thalric, Stephanie, and the group of first-years encountered another procession. A different group of thirty-four students, clearly newly admitted replacements for those expelled earlier, stood there. They were being led by another second-year student. Thalric and Stephanie exchanged a brief nod with the boy, an acknowledgment of equals.
’They must be the substitutes for the expelled students,’ Asher thought calmly. ’And the one leading them is likely the second-year Rank 3.’ Anyone with even a fraction of common sense could draw that conclusion.
"These are the two buildings where all two hundred of you will be staying," Thalric announced, his tone even and informative. "This area is reserved solely for first-years, so you will not encounter students from other years here."
Stephanie stepped forward, continuing seamlessly. "The first building is for students ranked from one to one hundred. The second building is for students ranked from one hundred and one to two hundred. Your current class rank will correspond exactly to your room number."
"Any questions?" the second-year Rank 3 asked, his eyes sweeping over the gathered students.
None of the first-years raised their hands. Their silence was answer enough.
With that, the three guides turned without another word and departed, leaving the newcomers to decide whether to explore their surroundings or proceed straight to their rooms.