The classroom was quiet, sunlight filtering through half-drawn blinds. Kairon Vale sat at his desk, head resting on his arms, lost in sleep as the noise of the outside world faded. His breathing was calm. Unbothered.
A soft click echoed as the door opened. A girl stepped in—brown hair falling neatly down her shoulders. She glanced around, her eyes narrowing as she took in the empty expressions of her new classmates.
Her gaze landed on Kairon.
Tch... how can someone sleep so freely in a place like this? she thought, sliding into the row beside him. This is the loser class… and I'm stuck here. Why?
Her eyes shifted back to him.
He doesn't even look smart. I bet he earned that Obsidian rank without even trying.
Before her thoughts could spiral further, a voice broke the silence.
"Everyone," a student said as he walked to the front, his tone calm but filled with presence. "Today, we have two transfer students joining us. Let's introduce ourselves and work toward becoming better… as a class."
The boy smiled confidently. "I'm Riven Halden. I look forward to working with you all. Let's aim for Platinum rank—together."
Polite applause followed.
The girl beside Kairon scoffed under her breath.
So he's the class captain, huh? I don't care about making friends. I'll reach Platinum alone. I won't let anyone drag me down.
Riven gestured to the first row. "Let's begin there."
A composed girl with jet-black hair stood first. "Good day. I'm Neela Vire. I look forward to working with you all."
A boy with glasses followed, adjusting his frame. "Juro Kessai. Nice to meet you."
Then came a soft-spoken girl: "Sena Valtier. A pleasure."
A short response from another girl: "Rika Tenebrism."
A tall boy stood straight. "Torin Graves."
Next row.
A lively voice rang out: "Caden Myles!"
Then, a blond boy leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"What's the point of this?" he said. "This class is for losers. I'm not here to make friends. But at least remember the name—Ashir Vance."
Riven nodded. "Nice to meet you, Ashir."
A boy with sleek hair, holding a mirror, finally spoke without looking up.
"Lucien Crowe."
A cheerful girl beamed. "Yua Morin. It's a pleasure!"
Then came a boy with a cocky grin. He stood, pointing at himself.
"Kei Strathmore. You can count on me when it comes to strength and sports!"
Riven chuckled. "Good to know."
Another row.
A quiet girl stood. "Meira Solace."
Kairon slowly blinked awake. He lifted his head as a warm voice spoke nearby.
"My name is Ivy Draelin. I hope to make friends with you all," the girl said with a smile.
He looked at her hands.
Oh… she was the one looking for her necklace earlier.
His eyes then shifted to his side—and met the cold gaze of the brown-haired girl sitting near him.
"What are you staring at?" she asked sharply.
Kairon replied without flinching, voice flat, "I wasn't."
He looked away.
She frowned.
What's with him?
Then she stood. "I'm Aria Nyre. I will reach Platinum. I'm not here to make friends. But… nice to meet you all."
Whispers filled the room.
Riven clapped once, regaining order. "Last row."
Kairon stood.
"Kairon Vale," he said simply. "Nice to meet you all."
He sat back down, turning his gaze to the window. Aria glanced at him again.
Such blind confidence… I still don't think he's that smart.
The door opened with a soft creak.
A tall woman walked in, holding a leather-bound book. Her heels echoed softly against the tiled floor. Her gaze swept across the classroom.
"Stand," Riven said quickly.
All students rose in unison. "Good day, ma'am."
"You may sit," she said, stepping forward.
"I am Elira Voss," she began, voice sharp and clear. "I'll be your homeroom teacher for the rest of your lives at this academy."
The students tensed.
"Some of you already know how things work here. You've been assessed. We've explained the cafeteria, the school shop—"
Rika raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"But… we don't have money. How are we supposed to get anything?"
A faint smirk played on Elira's lips. "I was just getting to that."
She snapped her fingers. Two men in janitor uniforms entered, carrying a metal box. They placed it in front of her and left silently.
"Riven. Distribute these."
He walked over and began handing out what looked like sleek phones—matte black, with the academy's emblem faintly glowing on the screen.
"These," Elira said, "are your lifelines here."
Kairon powered his on.
The screen flashed.
His profile appeared on one side—Obsidian rank, Class D.
Beside it: 100,000 Points.
Elira continued, "Your phones display your profile, rank, and… currency."
Murmurs spread across the room.
"Those numbers you see are your points. Think of them as money. You earn them through exams, assignments, class performance—almost everything. And you'll spend them on food, materials, and yes, even favors."
Juro raised his hand. "But… only 100,000? That won't be enough, some of us have real needs."
Some students nodded, others looked stunned. For a few, it seemed generous—for others, it barely scratched the surface.
Kairon glanced at his own. . Even 100,000 isn't much to the large spenders but to the preservers , it's more than enough, depending on the pricing. But it makes sense… We're Obsidian. The lowest.
Elira tilted her head. "Too little? Well… higher-ranked students received more. This is what you get for being where you are."
Kei stood up. "That can't be fair!"
"It is," Elira snapped. "But relax. Points are renewed every month. If that's not enough… too bad."
Her expression darkened.
"But listen closely. Points aren't just individual. They're shared."
The room went quiet.
"Your class will be judged as one. If one student fails—none of you get points next cycle. You rise… or fall… together."
Aria clenched her fist. "So we're judged as a group?"
"Exactly," Elira said. "Even if one of you slips, the rest suffer."
Kairon looked ahead, a shadow passing his eyes.
So this is a group gamble… The weight of the whole class… rests on each person's back.