"This island is where you'll spend the next three years," Principal Grimore said as he showcased the holographic screen. "This island is named Eden. It is an artificial island expressly made to train young heroes."
With a click of another button, the holographic screen changed again. This time, the island was color-coded. Around the coastline, areas of the map appeared in red.
"The red areas are what we refer to as the danger zone. It is infested with beasts and dangerous dungeons. This area is normally off-limits for students unless under special circumstances. Any student found within this area without authorization will be severely punished."
The area just beyond the coastline was colored in orange.
"The orange area is much safer than the area colored in red. These areas still have beasts, only they are much weaker. This area of the map is usually used as a training ground for the students."
The final section of the island was the middle of the island, which was colored in green. With just a click of a button, the holographic screen zoomed in on the green section of the island.
"This is where the school building is located along with different amenities. We've built a small town just for our students. Everything you will ever need will be made available."
Immediately after he said those words, loud chatter ensued among the students. The holographic screen then began to display images of students and the different facilities they had. There was a picture showcasing a group of students happily exiting what seemed to be a mall.
It also showed pictures of students enjoying a movie and even shopping. It showed a group of girls buying jewelry and different stylish clothes. There was even an image of a group of boys at an arcade playing some sort of VR game. Seeing this, the students' expressions visibly perked up.
"What is all this?" Sophia mumbled, seeming even more confused. "It's like they are advertising a resort. This is supposed to be a hero academy. What is the point of all this?"
"That VR game looks pretty fun, doesn't it?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes and her face morphed into a frown as she sighed.
"Never mind, you're useless."
After showcasing the different amenities, images of the school began appearing, showing the different classrooms, the training room, library, and even the swimming pool.
"What you just saw was what you have to look forward to at our prestigious high school," the principal said, smiling happily. To be honest, at that moment he sounded like a used car salesman. "If you would, all turn your attention to your seats. On your armrest there is a small button. I would invite you all to click it."
Following the principal's instruction, we all pressed the small button on the armrest. Immediately, a small space opened up. Inside was a watch.
"Inside you will see a watch. This watch is what you will keep for the rest of your time here at school. In the event that this watch is destroyed, you will receive a replacement free of charge. The moment you attach this watch to your wrist, it will scan your biometric information and display information about yourself."
This watch would scan my biometric information, but I couldn't tell if I was a demon. Demons who took the form of humans had the same genetic makeup of a regular human since they normally possessed a human body. It was nearly impossible to tell them apart unless you knew the demon's true name.
I followed the rest of the students and equipped the watch onto my wrist. Immediately, a number popped up on the screen.
"137"
This was my rank. I was ranked 137/160 students. Not bad. Though even if I was the lowest ranked, it wouldn't affect much other than the amount of money I would receive on a monthly basis.
The ranking in this school was more of a popularity contest. If I was the lowest-ranked student, it wasn't as if I would be bullied and treated like the school dog. That was what made 'Demon Among Us' much better than the rest of the games I played.
In the other games, the MC would always be the lowest-ranked, and he would constantly be bullied and looked down at. All the students they encounter would be arrogant pricks that come up with some scheme to make the lowest-ranked student's life a living hell. Even the teachers would take part in the bullying. At some point, you would have to wonder if it was a real academy.
But this game was different. Sure, if you were high-ranked, you would be more popular in school; everyone would look up to you. And you might receive a bit of favoritism from the teacher every now and then.
But still, if you were the lowest-ranked student, you would still have a social life. You would still have friends. This was high school; if you were fun and outgoing, then of course you would attract people around you regardless of your rank. If you were a handsome boy or a cute girl, you would still attract the opposite sex.
So, having a lower rank wouldn't put any target on my back or cause me to be discriminated against.
"As you must've guessed, the number on your screen is your rank. Your rank is determined based on your proficiency and your scores in the written exam. Your rank determines the allowance amount you receive at the end of the month. The rank 1 student receives 16,000 zencoin at the end of the month. From there, it decreases by 10 zencoin for every rank. If you click the allowance tab on your watch, you'll see how much you'll be paid."
I did as the principal suggested and clicked the allowance tab.
"2410 zencoin"
This was a bit less than what a minimum wage worker makes every month, while the amount the rank 1 student made was as high as most highly ranked heroes.
Feeling a bit curious, I glanced over at Sophia's watch. She would be making 15,010 zencoin a month. That was just 950 zencoin less than what the rank 1 student made. Sophia was also ranked number 10 in the entire first year.
"For the remainder of your time here, you will only be able to use the money made at this school. The watches are programmed so you can only receive money from the school and other students, so it doesn't matter how much money you have on the outside world."
This was to be expected. I may not be able to spend the money I make from my company, but I'll still be able to manage it. I'll most likely need a lot of funds once I graduate, so for now I'll save or maybe invest.
The principal continued to go over the different functions of the watch and things to expect. We were also given a digital pamphlet on the watch, which went over all the school rules.
Afterward, we were given designated rooms in which we would stay until our ship finally arrived at the island.