The next morning, the academy bell rang, marking the end of their first official class.Students started leaving in groups, chatting about training, classes, and new friends.
Alokita, however, was already halfway out the door before the bell even stopped ringing.He wanted to head straight to his dorm and sleep again — until a message blinked in front of his eyes.
[System Reminder: Pending Academy Tuition Payment — Due Today.]
He blinked. "Wait… what payment?"
[Total remaining fee: 10,000 credits. Failure to pay will result in expulsion.]
His eyes widened. "Expulsion?! Already?! I just got here yesterday!"
He sighed deeply, dragging his tired feet toward the administration office.
The office was clean and quiet, filled with shining crystal counters and a few busy clerks.A middle-aged woman sat behind the desk, smiling politely."Next, please."
Alokita stepped forward, scratching his head. "Uh… I think I'm supposed to pay some fees?"
She typed on her crystal board. "Name?""Alokita Chakma.""Ah, F-Class student. Yes, your pending balance is 10,000 credits."
He flinched. "Right. About that…"
[System Alert: Insufficient funds detected.]
Alokita sighed. "You could've told me that before I got here."
The clerk looked at him curiously. "Do you have a guardian or sponsor?"
He thought for a second. "...Does my system count?"
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. I'll figure it out."
He stepped aside, leaning against the wall. "System, you got any bright ideas?"
[Side Task Available: Help clean the training field. Reward: 10,000 credits.]
Alokita's jaw dropped. "You mean… cleaning? Me?!"
[Task accepted automatically.]
"What?! I didn't even say yes!"
A few minutes later, he was outside with a broom, under the blazing sun, surrounded by training dummies and sand.
[Task in progress. Please continue sweeping.]
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sweeping. Happy now?" he muttered, pushing the broom lazily.A gust of wind blew dust back into his face.
He coughed. "This planet hates me."
After an hour of slow, painful sweeping — and one broken broom later —
[Task complete. Reward: 10,000 credits received.]
"Finally." He dragged himself back to the office, hair messy, clothes dusty.The clerk blinked when she saw him. "You… you look like you fought a sandstorm."
He grinned weakly. "You're not wrong."
After paying the fee, he left the office, shoulders slumped."System, next time, please don't make me work like a janitor."
[Reminder: Exercise builds character.]
"Yeah? Well, I'd rather build a bed."
And with that, Alokita trudged back to his dorm, dreaming of a life with no payments, no brooms, and lots of sleep.
The morning sun spilled across the academy grounds, lighting up rows of training equipment, targets, and dummies.Alokita dragged himself out of bed, yawning so wide it felt like his jaw might crack.
[System Reminder: First F-Class training session begins now.][Task: Attend class and maintain minimum effort to avoid penalties.]
Alokita grumbled. "Minimum effort… that's my specialty."He slowly made his way to the training field, dragging his feet like a zombie.
At the field, the F-Class students were already lined up, stretching and practicing simple drills.Some looked excited, some nervous.Alokita simply leaned against a tree, staring at a leaf.
Arpi ma'am walked across the field, clipboard in hand."Good morning, F-Class. Today is your first training session. Basic drills, nothing fancy. Just do your best."She smiled kindly, then added, "Remember, every effort counts. Those who slack will face consequences."
Alokita muttered under his breath, "Consequences… right, right. Sounds fun."
The first drill was light running and stamina training.Most students were jogging, some panting already.Alokita walked slowly behind the line, humming lazily.
[System Warning: Effort too low. Punishment exercise may activate.]
He groaned. "No… please…"
Suddenly, the system activated.
[Punishment: Extra laps — 10 × standard distance. Complete to avoid escalation.]
Alokita blinked. "What?! I was doing barely enough!"He reluctantly started running, shuffling along, barely moving his arms.
Next was target practice with basic spell control and archery.Alokita raised the bow half-heartedly. The arrow barely reached the target.The system intervened automatically:
[Punishment: Repetition until minimum accuracy met.]
Alokita groaned. "I just want to nap…"
Some students snickered at him."Look at that F-Class boy. Is he even trying?"Alokita muttered, "Trust me, I'm trying… just slowly."
[System Reward: Minor Skill Experience +5 for surviving punishment.]
The tiger, invisible to everyone else, flicked his tail."You're pathetic, human. But at least you're moving."
Alokita whispered back, "Yeah, yeah. Don't judge me. It's a survival technique."
By the end of the morning, Alokita had completed the drills.He was covered in sweat, dirty, and exhausted.
[System Notice: F-Class Training Complete | Reward: Minor Skill Upgrade Card | Effort Level: Minimum Successful]
Alokita collapsed on the grass. "Finally… I survived. Barely."
Arpi ma'am walked by, smiling softly."Good job, everyone. F-Class may be the bottom, but consistent effort matters. Keep improving, little by little."
Alokita closed his eyes. "Little effort… perfect… just how I like it."
The tiger hissed softly. "Little by little… my foot. We're going to get stronger whether you like it or not."
Alokita groaned. "Can't we just nap instead?"