Code looked through the window and muttered, "Our part-time job starts anytime soon."
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around his neck. He turned and saw Caden smiling at him. Torin and Ken stood behind him.
"What are you thinking about? You seem dull and left out," Caden teased.
Code stammered, "I-it's nothing… I was just, you know…"
"Know what?" Caden pressed.
Riven intervened with a smile. "Come on, Caden, don't disturb him." Ken grabbed Caden by the ear and pulled him away.
Code glanced at Riven, who said kindly, "If there's anything you need help with, you can tell me."
Code nodded. "Y-Yes."
Torin chuckled. "It seems he's shy."
Code quickly denied it. "No, it's not like that. I just… I just haven't had friends before."
The group fell silent for a moment, letting his words sink in. Then Ken grabbed him by the shoulders. "Say no more—we'll be your friends. Together we'll have fun, right guys?"
Torin and Caden both nodded. "Yes."
Ken grinned. "Let's check out the cafeteria first."
"I don't—" Code began, but Torin clapped his back.
"Let's go, Code. You said it yourself—you've never had friends. Well, we're your friends now."
Code smiled faintly and stood. But just as they were about to leave—
Beep! Beep!
All of their phones vibrated.
They checked their screens and found a profile photo of their masters.
Code's eyes fixed on his phone. His master was a silver-haired girl wearing glasses. She was a servitor, which meant she belonged to Class C. Her name was Lyra.
Across the room, Aria, who had been reading a book, stopped when her phone beeped. She glanced at the photo of a red-haired boy with sharp red eyes—his name was Reid. She stared for a while, then quietly returned to her reading.
Ken leaned toward Code. "So, who's your master?"
Code turned his phone toward them, showing Lyra's picture.
Torin whistled. "She looks pretty. You're really lucky, Code."
"I am? What do you mean by that?" Code asked.
Ken sighed. "I got a boy as my master."
"Same here," Torin added.
"What about you, Caden?" Code asked.
Caden froze as he stared at his phone, his face pale.
"Caden! Caden!" they called until he finally snapped out of it. Dropping to his knees, he cried, "Why am I so unlucky?!"
The entire class turned to look.
Torin asked, "Who did you get?"
Caden shakily showed them the image of a strong, muscular boy named Albert.
"Why did I have to get a bodybuilder as my master?" Caden wailed. "I'm going to be crushed to dust!"
The group burst into laughter. Caden crawled over to Code, grabbed his hand, and begged, "Code, is there a way we can swap masters? Please!"
Ken dragged him away as Caden wriggled like a child. "Let go of me!"
Torin shook his head. "Just stick with what you were given. Besides, I don't think there's a way to swap masters."
Ken agreed with a nod.
At the center of the class, most of the girls gathered around Ivy, chatting about their masters. Some had boys, others had girls.
Then—Beep! Their phones chimed again.
Code looked down. He had been given 1,000 bronze stars under his job ratings. Everyone else had received the same.
The room filled with murmurs of confusion. None of them had even started working, yet they had already been paid.
The door creaked open. A man in a butler uniform stepped inside. Like Code 11, he wore a mask.
The students quickly took their seats.
The man placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you, everyone."
Ken frowned. "Who are you? And what are you doing in our class? Our homeroom teacher is a woman."
The man raised his head. "So you all refer to Code 11 as 'ma'am'? Well, that's new."
Riven stood. "Yes, we do. But then what are you doing here? Judging by your attire, you can't possibly be a teacher."
The man chuckled softly. "You're sharp. You're right—I'm not your homeroom teacher. But I am a teacher nonetheless."
Caden leaned toward Torin. "Torin, what's he saying? He's not our homeroom teacher but he's still a teacher? I don't get it."
Torin shrugged. "Even I'm confused."
The man continued. "You may refer to me as Code 12. I am in charge of guiding you in your part-time jobs, so you can serve your masters properly and understand your duties."
Ivy raised her hand. Code 12 acknowledged her. "Yes, what is it?"
"When are we starting our part-time jobs, and how long will they last?" she asked.
"I was getting to that," Code 12 replied. "Sit down, and I'll explain."
He snapped his fingers. A holographic screen appeared before the class.
"As you all know," Code 12 began, "the academy functions on your ratings. There are two types:
One: Your academic rating, which defines your star level as students. Right now, you are all one-star students.
Two: Your job ratings. You can consider these your salaries, based on your performance in serving your masters.
Your masters rate your work and submit it to ARCS—the Academy Ratings and Conversion System. This body converts your ratings into salaries, which then become your income and can be used as currency within the academy."
He paused, scanning the class. "I believe you all received 1,000 bronze stars?"
"Yes!" the students answered in unison.
"That," Code 12 explained, "is your income for this month. Since you are just starting, you need money to operate within the academy. Think of it as a starter gift. From now on, you'll be paid monthly, and your salary will rise depending on how your masters rate you."
Juro raised his hand. "You said our salaries increase according to our masters' ratings."
"Correct," Code 12 confirmed.
Juro held up his phone, showing the balance. "If it increases, then that means there must be more to it. If ratings serve as our academy's currency, then there has to be a hierarchy to them, right?"
Code glanced at Juro, impressed. Sharp… I wonder how he ended up in Grent.
Aria studied her phone and thought, He's right. If ratings act as currency, then there must be a ranking system behind them. Seems there's a clever one among the Grent students after all.
Juro adjusted his glasses. "Isn't that right, sir?"
Code 12 smiled. "Yes."
The room buzzed with whispers.
"The bronze star," Code 12 continued, "is the lowest form of currency. Above it lies silver, and above silver, gold. Gold stars are the highest form of payment you can receive for your work."
He pointed at the hologram.
"Here are the conversions:
1,000 bronze stars = 1 silver star
100 silver stars = 1 gold star"
Gasps echoed around the room.
Juro sat down, clutching his chin. "So 1,000 bronze stars equals just a single silver star… At first glance, 1,000 seems like a lot. But once you see the exchange rate, it's practically worthless."
Meira raised her hand. "If that's true, then we only have the value of a single silver star. That isn't enough. What are we supposed to do with just one silver star? We're still kids—we have needs!"
"You're not children," Code 12 said flatly. "You're working adults now. If you think one silver star isn't enough, then work harder. Do overtime. Maybe your masters will raise your salary to a maximum of two silver stars."
Sena protested, "We're girls! We need to shop and look presentable. How do you expect us to manage with just one silver star?"
"You should be grateful you were even given anything at all," Code 12 replied coldly.
"Excuse me?" Sena shot back, offended.
But Code 12 ignored her. "Take this as a gesture of goodwill from ARCS."
Riven stood. "Forgive them, sir. They're only voicing their concerns. But still, I also feel that one silver star won't be enough."
"The academy considered that," Code 12 explained. "As one-star students, the prices you'll encounter will be cheaper, but the quality will be lacking. Quantity over quality—that is your reality. If you want quality, then rise higher. Move up to the fourth floor."
Yua raised her hand. "We were told that to rise, we need to excel in academics and sports. But that isn't guaranteed. The students on the fourth floor won't let us climb so easily—they'll fight to keep us down. Isn't there another way to reach the fourth floor?"
Code 12 said calmly, "There's one way."
Everyone's faces brightened with hope.
Ivy leaned forward eagerly. "What is the way? We'd really like to know."
Code 12 answered, "The only way is to become a Two-Star student. And to do that, you need to achieve high ratings. Just like the conversion rate of stars in your job ratings."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "I'll give you the conversion rate now for your academic ratings. In order to gain one academic star when it comes to golden stars, you must have a maximum of ten golden stars."
The room filled with murmurs as everyone immediately began calculating in their heads.
Code 12 continued, "When it comes to silver stars, you'll need to possess one thousand silver stars."
Caden's eyes widened. "One thousand silver stars?!" He quickly pulled out his phone, checked their current balance, and frowned. "And we only have one silver star already."
Juro clenched his fists under the desk, his thoughts heavy. Getting to the fourth floor is going to be difficult with this so-called exchange rate of stars…
Aria's expression darkened as she thought to herself, Seriously, one thousand silver stars just for a single academic star rating? And we've only got one to begin with. This is going to be a real problem.
Code 12's voice cut through their worries, sharp and unrelenting. "And when dealing with bronze stars—you'll need to possess an ultimate number of… one hundred thousand bronze stars."
The words hit like a thunderclap. The entire class froze, stunned into silence.
Juro gritted his teeth, his anger boiling over. "One hundred thousand bronze stars?" He looked straight at Code 12's masked face, desperation burning in his eyes. "How does the school expect us to get that much? It's impossible!"
Chaos erupted. The class exploded into frantic voices, everyone panicking at once.
"Quiet." Code 12's voice cut them down instantly. "Each student has to have one hundred thousand stars."
The class stiffened again.
Riven shot to his feet. "That can't be right! We thought the whole class had to accumulate one hundred thousand bronze stars together. And now you're saying each person individually?"
"That is the rule," Code 12 replied firmly. He glanced at his watch. "It's already 2 p.m. I should be going. Your part-time jobs begin at 6 p.m., which means you have four hours to prepare."
He turned to leave when Torin quickly asked, "When do our part-time jobs end?"
"That depends on when your master dismisses you," Code 12 replied. "But rest assured, when it's time for class, you are not slaves."
Caden sighed in relief. "At least that we can handle."
But Code 12 wasn't finished. He turned sharply to Riven. "If I were you, I wouldn't befriend anyone here. You're their master, and they are your slaves. You should learn to act like one—or else you'll fall behind in control. The other masters in each class are already doing the same. I suggest you stop playing the friendly card."
The entire class froze, stunned by his words.
Code 12 pressed on coldly. "You've seen the exchange rate to ascend to the fourth floor. Rather than wasting time going together, use your authority as their master. Seize all their stars until you've accumulated one hundred thousand bronze stars. That way, you can move up to the fourth floor and leave them behind. In this academy, friends won't help you—they'll only drag you down."
His words lingered in the air like poison.
He turned and walked toward the door. "Think about it. There's still time." With that, he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.
The classroom sank into heavy silence.
Riven stood there, motionless, his fists tightening at his sides. He didn't say a word.
Juro glanced at him, his thoughts bitter. What are you going to do, Riven? Ascend to the fourth floor alone and abandon us—or stay with us and fight to accumulate more stars together?
Aria clenched her teeth, her eyes narrowing. I can't believe he, as our master, has the ability to seize our stars… and he's still silent. Will he really listen to what that instructor said?
Caden stood slowly, his voice unsteady. "H-Hey, Riven… you wouldn't actually think of leaving us behind, would you?"
Riven remained silent.
Ivy spoke up quickly, trying to calm them. "Wait, guys. Don't jump to conclusions. Riven himself said we would move to the fourth floor together."
Ken scoffed, glaring. "How can we be sure of that, Ivy? For all we know, he could seize all our stars for himself. Speak up, Riven! What are your intentions toward our class?"
The entire class turned on him, pressing him with questions. Their voices grew louder and more accusing.
Only Huegene seemed unfazed. He glanced down at his butler uniform and muttered, "These clothes lack style…"
Meanwhile, Riven stood frozen, silent. He clenched his fists tighter, his thoughts in turmoil. What should I do? What's the right step? Should I abandon them and ascend to the fourth floor? He shook his head, firmly rejecting the thought. No. They're my friends and my classmates.
Ashir's voice broke through the noise. "His silence is enough of an answer. He's selfish."
Finally, Riven lifted his head. His voice was low but steady. "Everyone, don't worry. I won't leave anyone behind. Like I said—we will move together as a team. Our teamwork is our strength, not our weakness. And as for this whole master and slave category—I don't see you as slaves. You're my classmates. We're equals. We should live like that."
He raised his hand with conviction. "Our first step toward the fourth floor is to accumulate one hundred thousand bronze stars—or better yet, to chase after the ten golden stars. Everyone, we shall move to the fourth floor together!"
The class hesitated at first, still shaken. But one by one, they nodded and agreed.
Juro finally spoke, his voice firm. "Then it's decided. Our aim is to get ten golden stars."