Instructor Tull's voice cut through the dispersing murmurs after the final pair finished dueling.

"Let me say something," he said, standing firm at the edge of the platform as the spirit dome dimmed around him.

The class quieted immediately. No one dared ignore Instructor Tull—not after what they'd seen.

"Potential is not everything," he began. "You lot—especially the new ones—get caught up in colors. Red this, blue that. But I've seen red-potential tamers kill green-cores in the field. Because they were smarter. Sharper. Prepared."

His gaze passed deliberately over the class before pausing—just briefly—on Aston.

"You get one shot in a real fight. Potential won't save you. Skill might."

He let the silence hang.

Then with a clap of his gauntleted hand, he dismissed them. "Next session, terrain interchange. Dismissed."

—

Later, over dinner, the mood was lighter—just slightly.

Kai was still pink in the face, his tray mostly untouched as Rowan reenacted his victory with exaggerated motions and crusty bread as props.

"And then—BAM! Shield up. Sparks flying! That rat thing just—mrrgggh—cooked itself."

Kai mumbled, "It's a rat…"

Seria sipped her soup, hiding her smile.

"Too bad I wasn't there," Lyra said, flopping dramatically onto the table. "How did you four get the same Battle Tactics class?"

The gang continued eating and laughing as the sun dipped from the horizon.

—

The next morning came early.

Class: Scouting Tactics.

Instructor Oscar Valen stood at the crest of the training ridge, coat flaring in the highland wind. The students gathered quietly—expecting map analysis or terrain adaptation drills.

But the instructor didn't open with tactics.

"You've been students here for a month now," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "Some of you think that means you're safe."

A few exchanged glances.

"You started with sixty Academy Points. You need thirty per month to stay. The first month has gone…" The instructor paused and continued a beat later, "and the second month has started. Has any of you checked your points?"

That got their attention.

"If you have not, you most probably have zero points. Now, AP isn't just a number. It's your value to Dawn Crest. You pay it monthly, at the beginning of the month. If you don't pay it—or if you can't—you're out." He added, "Unable to pay it once, and you'll get flagged. Twice, and the academy starts looking at your file like it's already half-closed. Doesn't matter if you're nobleborn or streetdust."

He tapped a rune scroll and floated a board in the air beside him.

"Here's how you earn it. Pay attention."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

—

Daily Class Attendance: 3 AP per week upon complete attendance

Combat Performance: Variable—1 to 5 AP based on instructor evaluation

Weekly Recon Report: 3 AP minimum—more for accurate, high-value info

Auxiliary Tasks (cleanups, errands, spirit maintenance): Variable—minimum 1 AP per task

Duel Challenges (approved and logged): 2 to 6 AP depending on difficulty

Trading: Variable.

—-

"You want to survive this place? Learn how to turn your time into value."

He paused.

"And if you're coasting? You'll feel it next month."

Instructor Oscar let the board float a second longer—then dismissed it with a flick of his fingers.

"No classes for today—including in the afternoon. I have already talked with the other instructors to give you the day to adjust. For now—study the system. You want freedom? Earn it."

The students dispersed, murmuring, calculating.

Aston remained still a moment longer, eyes fixed on the faint shimmer where the projection board had floated.

Thirty points a month.

And only so many ways to earn them.

He turned quietly and walked back down the ridge path where the others had gathered—near the base outcrop, just outside the instructor's earshot. Rowan was already pacing, muttering numbers under his breath.

"Alright, alright—so class attendance gives me, what, 3AP a week, max?" he said. "Times four weeks, that's twelve. That's not even half, and that's if I'm never late. Or breathing too loud during lecture."

Seria nodded. "Which you are."

"I'm expressive," Rowan replied, hands splayed. "And spirited."

Kai adjusted his glasses and looked up from the small spirit-notepad he was scribbling on. "I've already got a few extra points lined up."

Rowan turned. "You what?"

"I've been doing assistant work in the central library," Kai said, not quite meeting anyone's gaze. "Sorting spirit tomes, logging restoration glyphs, rebalancing damaged scroll matrices. It's quiet work, but they give two points per half-shift."

Seria looked mildly impressed. "You never mentioned that."

Kai rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. "Didn't think it was important."

Rowan pointed at him dramatically. "You're secretly clever."

"I mean, I just… read the orientation pamphlet," Kai said. "It's listed in the auxiliary tasks table."

Rowan groaned. "I skimmed that thing! Barely made it past the part where they told us we'd die if we went inside prohibited grounds."

"You would've seen the rest if you didn't fold the page into a paper glider," Aston said flatly.

Rowan grinned. "A worthy sacrifice."

From behind them, a familiar voice chimed in.

"You're all overthinking it."

They turned as Lyra approached, arms folded, a slight breeze catching the ends of her scouting uniform.

"We're going to the Spire of Dawn," she said.

Seria tilted her head. "The mission office?"

Lyra nodded. "They just refreshed the postings. Some are restricted to second-years or staff, but a bunch are still open for first-years—especially low-risk scouting, relay errands, and supply runs. Most of them offer three to six points if you don't mess them up."

Rowan looked instantly interested. "Wait, do we get to pick? Like teams?"

"If you register together and meet the requirements, yes," Lyra confirmed.

Kai perked up slightly. "I heard some even offer bonuses if the whole team finishes without mistakes."

"We'll need to be careful," Aston said. "No backup means no one to bail us out if it goes wrong. But if we choose smart…"

"We build our buffer," Seria finished.

Rowan leaned back, arms behind his head. "So, we're becoming proper point mercenaries now."

Kai raised a hand. "Just… don't call it that when we're in front of mission staff. Please."

Aston looked to the horizon, where the spires of the Academy glinted behind spirit barriers. The Spire of Dawn loomed in the distance, half-cloaked by light haze and sigil-glass reflections.

He nodded once.

"Then we go."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.