At the center of the academy grounds was the Ascension Plaza, a wide circular platform made of smooth white stone. Crowds of new students filled the surrounding walkways, waiting their turn. In the middle of it all stood the Arc Stone, a square slab of dark material infused with mana. It was built to project a person's Talent Name, Talent Rank, and Affinity Class. The affinity class revealed the things someone was most naturally suited for, like strength, speed, or weapon mastery.
A man stepped up the long stairs and reached the center of the platform. He stopped just in front of the Arc Stone and slowly placed his palm flat on the surface. A light buzz filled the air, and glowing letters appeared midair in front of him.
(Name: Quinton Redd)
(Talent: Iron Flex - Tendons harden like cables, granting monstrous swing strength)
(Talent Rank: F)
(Affinity: Greatswords 10%)
The professor overseeing the awakenings called out from the side, clearly interested.
"Alright young man, you're going to the College of Blade. Best branch in the entire academy, if you ask me."
He gave a half-smile and tilted his head slightly. A long sword was strapped across his back, and he carried himself like someone who had spent years in combat. He was probably one of the instructors from the sword college.
Quinton gave a short nod, keeping quiet, and walked off the platform. One of the second-year guides standing nearby waved him over without a word and turned to start showing him around the campus.
Then another student stepped forward under the attention of everyone gathered around the Ascension Plaza. His name was Cole, and he moved with a kind of quiet confidence that made a few people start paying closer attention.
He reached the Arc Stone and placed his hand on it without saying anything. A glow sparked from the surface, and the projection appeared once again.
(Name: Cole Carrick)
(Talent: Dual Pressure - Handles two weapons with more stability)
(Talent Rank: D)
(Affinity: Swords 25%, Daggers 25%)
The professor's eyebrows went up just a little.
"Two affinities, huh? That's not something you see every day, in a male at least…" he said, standing straighter now. "Alright then, you've got a choice. You want to go to the College of Blade or the College of Shroud?"
He gave the question some space and added more detail.
"The Blade college focuses on one handed swords and greatswords. We've got some top tier instructors over there. The College of Shroud, on the other hand, is for daggers, short blades, and dual wielders. It's a bit more technical and quicker in pace."
Cole thought about it for a moment, standing quietly before finally speaking.
"I want to go to the College of Shroud. But instead of one dagger, can i use two short swords?. My talent works better that way."
The professor studied him for a second, then gave a single nod.
"That works. Go to Tony over there by the pillar. He's one of the Shroud guys. He'll take care of the rest."
Cole looked once more at the Arc Stone, then stepped off the platform and made his way over to where the guide was waiting.
"Sup… let's go. I gotta meet my girl after this," Tony said. He looked back for a second, grinning lazily before turning around and walking ahead. He didn't wait for a response. His steps were smooth, like this routine was nothing new to him. He planned to show Cole the Shroud Branch first, then head over to the dorms. Everyone just called it the Shroud Branch because saying College of Shroud was too long and too formal. The truth was, it was just one part of the massive academy known as Arcworth Military Academy Institute.
Cole walked beside him, glancing around as they moved through the wide stone path. He tried to make conversation. "Do you know exactly how big this school is?" he asked, his voice casual but curious.
He had only been in this world for three days. He reincarnated here with no warning, no memory of how it happened. One second he was gone, the next he woke up on a plane surrounded by other teens who looked just as lost as he felt. A soldier told him he had been drafted. That was the end of it. In this world, women had the final say in almost everything. If they wanted you sent off to war or thrown into a school like this, then you were already gone. Arguing didn't matter.
He figured out pretty quickly that he was sent to this specific school for a reason. It was the largest military college on the planet. It was also the deadliest. Every year, about forty percent of the students died before graduation. And seventy five percent of those deaths were males. That part made his stomach turn. Males were born with more physical strength, but that didn't mean much. Females had a much better chance of getting a high grade talent, and the system knew that. It used men like tools, sending them into gates and brutal missions to soften the enemies before the stronger girls came in and cleaned up.
In his mind, that dirty orphanage full of women had sent him here to die.
Tony finally answered. "They say the school has around fifty two thousand acres of land. There are about twenty five thousand students right now, and over two hundred thousand staff," he said, still walking ahead without looking back.
Cole raised his eyebrows. That was not a school. That was a damn country pretending to be one.
Tony slowed his pace just a little, leaned closer, and spoke lower. "Once you get used to your schedule, I suggest you explore. Maybe even link up with a strong girl if you can. Your face can pull that off," he said with a quiet laugh like he was letting Cole in on a secret.
Cole scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "Yeah, sure… I'll think about it."
(Picture Here)
They reached the front of the Shroud Branch. The building was tall and wide, with deep gray stone and glowing blue lines of mana that ran through the walls like vines. Lanterns lit up the inside, and the doorway stretched high above their heads.
Tony led him inside and waved toward the desk. "Alright. This is the main office. Your schedule's right there. Same as every other first year in the Shroud Branch. Grab it so I can show you the dorms and get outta here."
He sighed a little, glancing at the clock. He probably hoped his girlfriend wasn't already blowing up his phone or assuming he was out cheating.
Cole picked up the schedule and followed Tony outside again. As they walked across campus, Cole took in the full scale of the place. The buildings were massive, towering above them like ancient monuments. Some of them were tall enough to rival the biggest towers he had seen in his past life.
Eventually, they reached the dorm area. Cole stopped walking for a second when he saw what stood in front of him. Six huge castles stood side by side, each with walls thick enough to survive a full blown invasion. There were faint glowing lines of mana across the stone, and each one had huge steel doors wide enough to fit tanks.
"Those are the dorms?" Cole asked as they got closer to one of the castles. He tilted his head back, eyes wide.
"Yep," Tony answered. "Your room number is on the paper. Every castle has six floors. Each floor holds a thousand rooms. So if your room number is something like four thousand and three, then you're on the fourth floor. There's an elevator inside, so getting around won't be a problem, also classes officially start in a 7 days."
Tony stretched his arms, cracked his neck, and started backing away. "Anyway, I did my part. I'm out. Good luck."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and took off jogging across the yard, probably hoping he could calm his girlfriend down before she started throwing accusations around.
Cole watched Tony disappear around the corner, then let out a quiet breath and made his way up the stone steps leading to the Shroud dorm. The steps felt heavier than they looked, probably because of the nerves building up in his chest. He had no idea what to expect from his living situation.
When he walked into the building, the first thing he saw was a wide wooden desk positioned near the center of the lobby. Behind it sat a young man with plain features. He had brown hair that hung loosely over his forehead and tired looking black eyes. His posture screamed lazy, and he didn't bother looking up from his phone right away.
Cole approached the desk and cleared his throat. "Hey, sir… can you tell me where room uh…" He paused, pulling the folded schedule out of his pocket and glancing at the printed number. "Room six thousand. Can you tell me where that is?"
The man behind the desk finally looked up. He raised one eyebrow and locked eyes with Cole. "So you're the lucky one who got room six thousand this semester?" he said, slowly sitting up straighter.
Cole blinked, confused. "What do you mean lucky?" he asked. "What's special about room six thousand?"
The man leaned back in his chair, tossing his phone onto the counter. "That room is the only one numbered above five thousand nine hundred ninety nine. So it's the only room on the sixth floor. Which means it's huge. That also means you have the entire sixth floor to yourself. Well, you and your roommate if someone got placed with you. Plus, from what I've heard, the view from up there is pretty insane."
Cole's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. "Oh… alright. So which way do I go?" he asked as he looked between the two large hallways branching out from the lobby. One went to the left, the other to the right.
"The hallway to your left leads to the female dorms. The hallway to your right takes you to the male dorms," the guy explained.
Cole nodded again. "Got it. My name's Cole, by the way. What's yours?"
The man looked back down at his phone, then glanced up for a second. "Name's Jack. Most people just call me Jay though. I'm a third year."
"Cool. I'll see you around, Jay," Cole said with a small wave as he turned to the right and headed toward the elevators. He pressed the button to go up. A few seconds later, the metal doors slid open and he stepped inside. As they closed behind him, soft instrumental music began playing through hidden speakers, almost like elevator music from his old world.
The ride didn't take long. When the doors opened again on the sixth floor, Cole stepped out into a completely empty hallway. There was only one door in sight, placed right in the center of the wall across from him. He walked up to it, curious. There was no keyhole or scanner, just a smooth doorknob. He reached for it, but the moment his fingers touched the handle, a red light flashed across the metal. Then, just a second later, the light turned green with a soft chime.
The door clicked open and Cole stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was the color. Everything was white. The desk, the shelves, the drawers, the dresser. Even the massive king size bed was covered in clean white blankets. A large flat screen television was mounted across from the bed on the wall, and the air smelled like fresh paint and mint.
He looked up and saw a wide glass window taking up nearly the entire wall at the end of the room. It gave him a full view of the campus. He could see the tops of many of the enormous buildings, the roads between them, and in the distance, a forest that looked like it stretched for miles. The view was unbelievable.
He turned and noticed another door on the far side of the room. Thinking it might be the bathroom, he walked over and opened it.
Instead of a bathroom, he found himself standing in a large living room. There was a long black couch near another mounted television, and off to the side was a compact kitchen with a modern look. A small table sat near the fridge, and another tall window gave the same stunning view as the one in the bedroom. There was also a second door on the other side of the living room that matched the one he came through.
Cole headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge out of curiosity. It was packed. Meats, vegetables, bottled water, eggs, juice, and all kinds of seasonings lined the shelves. On the front of the fridge was a note that said it would be refilled every week by maintenance staff.
He was still reading it when he heard the soft sound of a door opening behind him. He turned around quickly.
The second door in the living room, the one he had chosen to ignore, had just opened. A girl walked in like she had been living there for weeks. She had short wavy red hair that framed her face and bright green eyes that stood out against her pale skin. Her jawline was sharp, and her expression was calm. She wore a black tank top and a pair of loose black sweatpants. Her hands were stuffed casually into her pockets as she stepped further into the room.
(Picture Here)
"Oh… I forgot they said this room connects to the male dorms. Wassup. What's your name?" she asked casually.
Cole blinked again. 'This room connects to the female dorms? Why the hell didn't Jay mention that?' he thought as he straightened up.
"My name's Cole. Cole Carrick. You?"
"I'm Raze. Raze Stone. Nice to meet you," she said, giving him a small nod as she walked over to the couch and dropped onto it.
Cole closed the fridge slowly and walked back to the door of his bedroom.
"Where you going?" Raze asked, her voice friendly and soft.
"Oh, uh, just going to read over my schedule. Maybe lay down for a bit. I haven't really rested since I got here," Cole said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, alright," she replied, then grabbed the remote and turned on the television.
Cole turned around and closed the door behind him. The soft click faded into the room as he walked over to the bed and dropped onto it with a tired breath.
'Phew… that was a little unexpected, but I guess it's not that impossible. Wait… does that mean they give a male and a female a room on purpose?' Cole thought. His eyes stayed on the ceiling as he wondered, but he didn't get to think about it much longer. A translucent blue screen began to fade slowly into his vision, hovering in front of his face like a floating panel of light.
(The host has been compatible with the system, you have received rights to use the Super Awesome Gacha System, quick explanation: you get points by doing daily quests, if you fail the quest nothing will happen, but, you will stay a loser if you don't improve, status will be shown now!)
(Name: Cole Carrick)
(Mana Rank: low, 0 (0/1,000)
(Talent: Dual Pressure - Handles two weapons with more stability.
(Talent rank: D)
(Affinity: Swords(25%), Daggers(25%)
(Side talents: none)
(Occupation: cadet)
(GP:1)
'Oh it even knows my occupation,' Cole thought, raising an eyebrow slightly. He was a little surprised at first, but honestly, nothing could top dying and waking up on a plane heading toward your own funeral. Everything after that just felt kind of normal.
'System, what can I do with the one GP?'
(The host could buy a common Gacha draw)
'Alright I'll do that I guess?' he said, sounding unsure even in his own head.
(One GP has been used to buy a common Gacha draw!, you have received: Dual Shortsword affinity (1,000%)
"Hoh…" he let out a small breath, his body shifting slightly in excitement.
From what he understood, one thousand percent affinity in any fighting style was a big deal. People with A rank talents and above were usually the only ones who reached that number. But this was different. His talent was meant for dual wielding. That affinity was a perfect match, and it boosted him beyond what he expected. It made him feel a little less disposable, like he actually had a chance here.
He wanted to get up and train right away, but his body was drained. The day had already taken enough out of him. He decided he would go train tomorrow instead.
He reached over to the small table next to his bed and grabbed the remote. The television turned on, and the screen showed the academy channel, which played news and sports coverage from inside the school. There were other shows too, like movies from outside, but most of it was academy based.
He changed the channel to the fighting section, where cadets dueling in the training stadium were broadcast twenty four seven. Then he leaned back, letting the soft background noise fill the room.
A moment later, the door creaked open again. Raze was standing there with her hands in her pockets and a calm look on her face.
"Hey Cole, watcha doing?" she asked, tilting her head a little to the side.
"Nothing. Just put something on for background noise so I could fall asleep. What's up?"
"Oh, I was wondering if you could come train with me tomorrow. I need to practice my talent. I wanna see how it feels," she said, still standing in the doorway.
(Quest: train with raze tomorrow.)
(Reward: 1 GP)
(Penalty: stay a loser)
'Why do I feel like it's bullying me?' Cole thought, frowning slightly.
"Umm, sure. Why not. Don't have anything else to do for at least a week," he said as he sat up a little in bed.
"Alright. By the way, what's your talent?" Raze asked as she moved a few steps into the room and brushed some of her red hair out of her eyes.
"It basically lets me dual wield better. It's only D rank," Cole said, shrugging.
"What's your affinity?" she asked while flipping the rest of her hair behind her head. It had been hanging down into her face.
"Sword at twenty five percent and dagger at twenty five too. What about you?" Cole asked, looking curious now.
"Two? Pretty cool," she said without much emotion showing on her face. "My talent is B rank. It's called Unseen Reaper. I'm completely undetectable to all senses until my first strike connects. And my affinities are dagger with five hundred percent, plus speed and agility both with two hundred percent."
"Wow… way to put me down, huh?" Cole said with a small laugh. He didn't sound upset, just amused.
"Yeah, I guess girls have way better advantage in the talent and affinity department. Anyway, I'll wake you up tomorrow?" she said as she started stepping back, her hand reaching for the doorknob.
"Yeah, wake me up. Just don't slap me if I don't get up right away," Cole said, falling back into the comfort of his bed.
"Haha, ok," Raze replied as she closed the door gently behind her.
Once she was gone, Cole sat up and looked around for a light switch. He didn't see one anywhere. There were no buttons on the wall, no remotes either. He blinked a few times, then slowly raised his hands and clapped.
The lights turned off instantly.
"…That actually worked," he said, then laid his head down on the pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep with the soft noise of the dueling channel playing in the background.
At the center of the academy grounds was the Ascension Plaza, a wide circular platform made of smooth white stone. Crowds of new students filled the surrounding walkways, waiting their turn. In the middle of it all stood the Arc Stone, a square slab of dark material infused with mana. It was built to project a person's Talent Name, Talent Rank, and Affinity Class. The affinity class revealed the things someone was most naturally suited for, like strength, speed, or weapon mastery.
A man stepped up the long stairs and reached the center of the platform. He stopped just in front of the Arc Stone and slowly placed his palm flat on the surface. A light buzz filled the air, and glowing letters appeared midair in front of him.
(Name: Quinton Redd)
(Talent: Iron Flex - Tendons harden like cables, granting monstrous swing strength)
(Talent Rank: F)
(Affinity: Greatswords 10%)
The professor overseeing the awakenings called out from the side, clearly interested.
"Alright young man, you're going to the College of Blade. Best branch in the entire academy, if you ask me."
He gave a half-smile and tilted his head slightly. A long sword was strapped across his back, and he carried himself like someone who had spent years in combat. He was probably one of the instructors from the sword college.
Quinton gave a short nod, keeping quiet, and walked off the platform. One of the second-year guides standing nearby waved him over without a word and turned to start showing him around the campus.
Then another student stepped forward under the attention of everyone gathered around the Ascension Plaza. His name was Cole, and he moved with a kind of quiet confidence that made a few people start paying closer attention.
He reached the Arc Stone and placed his hand on it without saying anything. A glow sparked from the surface, and the projection appeared once again.
(Name: Cole Carrick)
(Talent: Dual Pressure - Handles two weapons with more stability)
(Talent Rank: D)
(Affinity: Swords 25%, Daggers 25%)
The professor's eyebrows went up just a little.
"Two affinities, huh? That's not something you see every day, in a male at least…" he said, standing straighter now. "Alright then, you've got a choice. You want to go to the College of Blade or the College of Shroud?"
He gave the question some space and added more detail.
"The Blade college focuses on one handed swords and greatswords. We've got some top tier instructors over there. The College of Shroud, on the other hand, is for daggers, short blades, and dual wielders. It's a bit more technical and quicker in pace."
Cole thought about it for a moment, standing quietly before finally speaking.
"I want to go to the College of Shroud. But instead of one dagger, can i use two short swords?. My talent works better that way."
The professor studied him for a second, then gave a single nod.
"That works. Go to Tony over there by the pillar. He's one of the Shroud guys. He'll take care of the rest."
Cole looked once more at the Arc Stone, then stepped off the platform and made his way over to where the guide was waiting.
"Sup… let's go. I gotta meet my girl after this," Tony said. He looked back for a second, grinning lazily before turning around and walking ahead. He didn't wait for a response. His steps were smooth, like this routine was nothing new to him. He planned to show Cole the Shroud Branch first, then head over to the dorms. Everyone just called it the Shroud Branch because saying College of Shroud was too long and too formal. The truth was, it was just one part of the massive academy known as Arcworth Military Academy Institute.
Cole walked beside him, glancing around as they moved through the wide stone path. He tried to make conversation. "Do you know exactly how big this school is?" he asked, his voice casual but curious.
He had only been in this world for three days. He reincarnated here with no warning, no memory of how it happened. One second he was gone, the next he woke up on a plane surrounded by other teens who looked just as lost as he felt. A soldier told him he had been drafted. That was the end of it. In this world, women had the final say in almost everything. If they wanted you sent off to war or thrown into a school like this, then you were already gone. Arguing didn't matter.
He figured out pretty quickly that he was sent to this specific school for a reason. It was the largest military college on the planet. It was also the deadliest. Every year, about forty percent of the students died before graduation. And seventy five percent of those deaths were males. That part made his stomach turn. Males were born with more physical strength, but that didn't mean much. Females had a much better chance of getting a high grade talent, and the system knew that. It used men like tools, sending them into gates and brutal missions to soften the enemies before the stronger girls came in and cleaned up.
In his mind, that dirty orphanage full of women had sent him here to die.
Tony finally answered. "They say the school has around fifty two thousand acres of land. There are about twenty five thousand students right now, and over two hundred thousand staff," he said, still walking ahead without looking back.
Cole raised his eyebrows. That was not a school. That was a damn country pretending to be one.
Tony slowed his pace just a little, leaned closer, and spoke lower. "Once you get used to your schedule, I suggest you explore. Maybe even link up with a strong girl if you can. Your face can pull that off," he said with a quiet laugh like he was letting Cole in on a secret.
Cole scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "Yeah, sure… I'll think about it."
(Picture Here)
They reached the front of the Shroud Branch. The building was tall and wide, with deep gray stone and glowing blue lines of mana that ran through the walls like vines. Lanterns lit up the inside, and the doorway stretched high above their heads.
Tony led him inside and waved toward the desk. "Alright. This is the main office. Your schedule's right there. Same as every other first year in the Shroud Branch. Grab it so I can show you the dorms and get outta here."
He sighed a little, glancing at the clock. He probably hoped his girlfriend wasn't already blowing up his phone or assuming he was out cheating.
Cole picked up the schedule and followed Tony outside again. As they walked across campus, Cole took in the full scale of the place. The buildings were massive, towering above them like ancient monuments. Some of them were tall enough to rival the biggest towers he had seen in his past life.
Eventually, they reached the dorm area. Cole stopped walking for a second when he saw what stood in front of him. Six huge castles stood side by side, each with walls thick enough to survive a full blown invasion. There were faint glowing lines of mana across the stone, and each one had huge steel doors wide enough to fit tanks.
"Those are the dorms?" Cole asked as they got closer to one of the castles. He tilted his head back, eyes wide.
"Yep," Tony answered. "Your room number is on the paper. Every castle has six floors. Each floor holds a thousand rooms. So if your room number is something like four thousand and three, then you're on the fourth floor. There's an elevator inside, so getting around won't be a problem, also classes officially start in a 7 days."
Tony stretched his arms, cracked his neck, and started backing away. "Anyway, I did my part. I'm out. Good luck."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and took off jogging across the yard, probably hoping he could calm his girlfriend down before she started throwing accusations around.
Cole watched Tony disappear around the corner, then let out a quiet breath and made his way up the stone steps leading to the Shroud dorm. The steps felt heavier than they looked, probably because of the nerves building up in his chest. He had no idea what to expect from his living situation.
When he walked into the building, the first thing he saw was a wide wooden desk positioned near the center of the lobby. Behind it sat a young man with plain features. He had brown hair that hung loosely over his forehead and tired looking black eyes. His posture screamed lazy, and he didn't bother looking up from his phone right away.
Cole approached the desk and cleared his throat. "Hey, sir… can you tell me where room uh…" He paused, pulling the folded schedule out of his pocket and glancing at the printed number. "Room six thousand. Can you tell me where that is?"
The man behind the desk finally looked up. He raised one eyebrow and locked eyes with Cole. "So you're the lucky one who got room six thousand this semester?" he said, slowly sitting up straighter.
Cole blinked, confused. "What do you mean lucky?" he asked. "What's special about room six thousand?"
The man leaned back in his chair, tossing his phone onto the counter. "That room is the only one numbered above five thousand nine hundred ninety nine. So it's the only room on the sixth floor. Which means it's huge. That also means you have the entire sixth floor to yourself. Well, you and your roommate if someone got placed with you. Plus, from what I've heard, the view from up there is pretty insane."
Cole's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. "Oh… alright. So which way do I go?" he asked as he looked between the two large hallways branching out from the lobby. One went to the left, the other to the right.
"The hallway to your left leads to the female dorms. The hallway to your right takes you to the male dorms," the guy explained.
Cole nodded again. "Got it. My name's Cole, by the way. What's yours?"
The man looked back down at his phone, then glanced up for a second. "Name's Jack. Most people just call me Jay though. I'm a third year."
"Cool. I'll see you around, Jay," Cole said with a small wave as he turned to the right and headed toward the elevators. He pressed the button to go up. A few seconds later, the metal doors slid open and he stepped inside. As they closed behind him, soft instrumental music began playing through hidden speakers, almost like elevator music from his old world.
The ride didn't take long. When the doors opened again on the sixth floor, Cole stepped out into a completely empty hallway. There was only one door in sight, placed right in the center of the wall across from him. He walked up to it, curious. There was no keyhole or scanner, just a smooth doorknob. He reached for it, but the moment his fingers touched the handle, a red light flashed across the metal. Then, just a second later, the light turned green with a soft chime.
The door clicked open and Cole stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was the color. Everything was white. The desk, the shelves, the drawers, the dresser. Even the massive king size bed was covered in clean white blankets. A large flat screen television was mounted across from the bed on the wall, and the air smelled like fresh paint and mint.
He looked up and saw a wide glass window taking up nearly the entire wall at the end of the room. It gave him a full view of the campus. He could see the tops of many of the enormous buildings, the roads between them, and in the distance, a forest that looked like it stretched for miles. The view was unbelievable.
He turned and noticed another door on the far side of the room. Thinking it might be the bathroom, he walked over and opened it.
Instead of a bathroom, he found himself standing in a large living room. There was a long black couch near another mounted television, and off to the side was a compact kitchen with a modern look. A small table sat near the fridge, and another tall window gave the same stunning view as the one in the bedroom. There was also a second door on the other side of the living room that matched the one he came through.
Cole headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge out of curiosity. It was packed. Meats, vegetables, bottled water, eggs, juice, and all kinds of seasonings lined the shelves. On the front of the fridge was a note that said it would be refilled every week by maintenance staff.
He was still reading it when he heard the soft sound of a door opening behind him. He turned around quickly.
The second door in the living room, the one he had chosen to ignore, had just opened. A girl walked in like she had been living there for weeks. She had short wavy red hair that framed her face and bright green eyes that stood out against her pale skin. Her jawline was sharp, and her expression was calm. She wore a black tank top and a pair of loose black sweatpants. Her hands were stuffed casually into her pockets as she stepped further into the room.
(Picture Here)
"Oh… I forgot they said this room connects to the male dorms. Wassup. What's your name?" she asked casually.
Cole blinked again. 'This room connects to the female dorms? Why the hell didn't Jay mention that?' he thought as he straightened up.
"My name's Cole. Cole Carrick. You?"
"I'm Raze. Raze Stone. Nice to meet you," she said, giving him a small nod as she walked over to the couch and dropped onto it.
Cole closed the fridge slowly and walked back to the door of his bedroom.
"Where you going?" Raze asked, her voice friendly and soft.
"Oh, uh, just going to read over my schedule. Maybe lay down for a bit. I haven't really rested since I got here," Cole said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, alright," she replied, then grabbed the remote and turned on the television.
Cole turned around and closed the door behind him. The soft click faded into the room as he walked over to the bed and dropped onto it with a tired breath.
'Phew… that was a little unexpected, but I guess it's not that impossible. Wait… does that mean they give a male and a female a room on purpose?' Cole thought. His eyes stayed on the ceiling as he wondered, but he didn't get to think about it much longer. A translucent blue screen began to fade slowly into his vision, hovering in front of his face like a floating panel of light.
(The host has been compatible with the system, you have received rights to use the Super Awesome Gacha System, quick explanation: you get points by doing daily quests, if you fail the quest nothing will happen, but, you will stay a loser if you don't improve, status will be shown now!)
(Name: Cole Carrick)
(Mana Rank: low, 0 (0/1,000)
(Talent: Dual Pressure - Handles two weapons with more stability.
(Talent rank: D)
(Affinity: Swords(25%), Daggers(25%)
(Side talents: none)
(Occupation: cadet)
(GP:1)
'Oh it even knows my occupation,' Cole thought, raising an eyebrow slightly. He was a little surprised at first, but honestly, nothing could top dying and waking up on a plane heading toward your own funeral. Everything after that just felt kind of normal.
'System, what can I do with the one GP?'
(The host could buy a common Gacha draw)
'Alright I'll do that I guess?' he said, sounding unsure even in his own head.
(One GP has been used to buy a common Gacha draw!, you have received: Dual Shortsword affinity (1,000%)
"Hoh…" he let out a small breath, his body shifting slightly in excitement.
From what he understood, one thousand percent affinity in any fighting style was a big deal. People with A rank talents and above were usually the only ones who reached that number. But this was different. His talent was meant for dual wielding. That affinity was a perfect match, and it boosted him beyond what he expected. It made him feel a little less disposable, like he actually had a chance here.
He wanted to get up and train right away, but his body was drained. The day had already taken enough out of him. He decided he would go train tomorrow instead.
He reached over to the small table next to his bed and grabbed the remote. The television turned on, and the screen showed the academy channel, which played news and sports coverage from inside the school. There were other shows too, like movies from outside, but most of it was academy based.
He changed the channel to the fighting section, where cadets dueling in the training stadium were broadcast twenty four seven. Then he leaned back, letting the soft background noise fill the room.
A moment later, the door creaked open again. Raze was standing there with her hands in her pockets and a calm look on her face.
"Hey Cole, watcha doing?" she asked, tilting her head a little to the side.
"Nothing. Just put something on for background noise so I could fall asleep. What's up?"
"Oh, I was wondering if you could come train with me tomorrow. I need to practice my talent. I wanna see how it feels," she said, still standing in the doorway.
(Quest: train with raze tomorrow.)
(Reward: 1 GP)
(Penalty: stay a loser)
'Why do I feel like it's bullying me?' Cole thought, frowning slightly.
"Umm, sure. Why not. Don't have anything else to do for at least a week," he said as he sat up a little in bed.
"Alright. By the way, what's your talent?" Raze asked as she moved a few steps into the room and brushed some of her red hair out of her eyes.
"It basically lets me dual wield better. It's only D rank," Cole said, shrugging.
"What's your affinity?" she asked while flipping the rest of her hair behind her head. It had been hanging down into her face.
"Sword at twenty five percent and dagger at twenty five too. What about you?" Cole asked, looking curious now.
"Two? Pretty cool," she said without much emotion showing on her face. "My talent is B rank. It's called Unseen Reaper. I'm completely undetectable to all senses until my first strike connects. And my affinities are dagger with five hundred percent, plus speed and agility both with two hundred percent."
"Wow… way to put me down, huh?" Cole said with a small laugh. He didn't sound upset, just amused.
"Yeah, I guess girls have way better advantage in the talent and affinity department. Anyway, I'll wake you up tomorrow?" she said as she started stepping back, her hand reaching for the doorknob.
"Yeah, wake me up. Just don't slap me if I don't get up right away," Cole said, falling back into the comfort of his bed.
"Haha, ok," Raze replied as she closed the door gently behind her.
Once she was gone, Cole sat up and looked around for a light switch. He didn't see one anywhere. There were no buttons on the wall, no remotes either. He blinked a few times, then slowly raised his hands and clapped.
The lights turned off instantly.
"…That actually worked," he said, then laid his head down on the pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep with the soft noise of the dueling channel playing in the background.