My successful Spirit Reshaping event, which resulted in the acquisition of the Shadow Stalker Lynx (Rank D), immediately triggered the Jade Feather Clan's official promotion review. I was no longer a negligible F-Rank; I was on the fast track to E-Rank.
This promotion meant an increased workload, more complex mandatory training, and—most crucially—the Level 3 Data Access that held the key to my Query Card search. I could not afford to waste time on tedious academic requirements, but neither could I appear to skip them.
My solution was simple: apply the Controller's principle of Zero-Effort Labor—tricking my fellow students into doing my work for me.
My targets were the same as before, but the method was refined: leveraging their established arrogance and insecurity.
---
I focused on the two groups who needed to prove their superiority, using my new, moderately powerful spirit as the perfect bait:
---
Kael, the C-Rank genius, was obsessed with mastering complex, arcane theory. His mandatory homework often involved deciphering antiquated runic diagrams and solving complex mana flow equations—tasks that took him hours of agonizing, instinctual effort.
The Scheme: I approached Kael with a perfectly crafted expression of bewildered inadequacy. "Kael, my new Shadow Stalker Lynx spirit is fast, but I'm just an F-Rank grinder, you know? My mandatory homework is Advanced Rune Analysis—it's killing me. My brain just can't track these vectors." I presented him with the problem, but I inserted two subtle, nearly undetectable logical contradictions into the provided data set (contradictions only visible to my Hyper-Focus).
The Hook: Kael, seeing the problem—and seeing the chance to show off his intellectual superiority to the "talentless" grinder—took the bait immediately. "It's not hard, Jackal. Your vectors are just flawed. Give me an hour. It's simply a matter of correcting the inherent error. You just lack the foundational understanding." He spent two hours meticulously solving the problem, unwittingly correcting the intentional flaws I had inserted. He saw it as a quick, ego-boosting fix.
The Result: Kael completed my most complex assignments perfectly, achieving top marks on my log. He felt superior, convinced that I was mathematically inept. I had successfully delegated my most time-consuming academic work, allowing me to dedicate those hours to my Level 3 Data Access plan.
---
Rork, the B-Rank brute, was constantly burdened by mandatory physical conditioning—exercises designed to safely push his immense kinetic strength. He hated the monotony of the drills.
The Scheme: Rork needed to complete twenty hours of "Controlled Kinetic Pressure" drills, which involved maintaining a constant gravitational field for set periods. Rork would usually quit early or fake the data. I approached him not as a peer, but as a resource provider. "Rork, I know you hate the drill data. I can't do the kinetic work, but my Shadow Stalker Lynx is excellent at data tracking—it's super fast and silent. I can rig the sensor to run a perfectly compliant log of your twenty hours."
The Hook: Rork was suspicious, but the promise of skipping the tedious data entry was irresistible. He believed my Shadow Stalker Lynx was merely a powerful logistics tool. He began doing the drill—but not himself. He used his powerful Lava Bear spirit to run the heavy-duty simulation instead, using the spirit's raw force to complete the kinetic requirement quickly.
The Result: I sat quietly nearby, my own spirit fully suppressed, using my Hyper-Focus to perfectly log the Lava Bear's kinetic output and upload it under my profile. Rork completed my mandatory physical training in a single, high-intensity burst of his spirit, while my personal log reflected twenty hours of diligent, compliant, low-tier effort. Rork was happy because he was done with the monotonous work; I was happy because I avoided wasting a minute of my true training time.
I was advancing rapidly, earning perfect marks on complex theory and physical aptitude, all while expending zero effort. The Ascendant City believed I was a lucky, clumsy grinder who was finally getting serious. In reality, I was operating the entire Academy as my personal unpaid administrative team.