Chapter 204: Point Card
Asher and the rest of the first-year students stood in mild dissatisfaction, their faces betraying quiet irritation as they watched the second-year and third-year students openly making bets on their heads. The mocking laughter of the upper years drifted through the air like an irritating buzz, and though many of the new students clenched their fists in frustration, none of them moved a single step forward.
But could any of them truly do anything about it?
Maybe.
The thought lingered among some of them like a stubborn spark. But reality immediately smothered it.
They still didn’t know the precise rules of the Star Academy. Yes, they had been told they could challenge others to battle in exchange for points, but the structure of such encounters, the hidden conditions, and the risks had not been fully explained.
A single misstep could lead to disastrous consequences. If they jumped in blindly now, the price might be expulsion before they even had the chance to settle in.
Besides, it was far better to remain calm and not react rashly. None of them had any real idea how strong their opponents among the second or third years truly were. The confidence radiating from the upperclassmen suggested overwhelming strength, and the new students knew that reckless defiance could very well end in humiliation.
As for Asher, he simply stood calmly amidst his classmates, his eyes half-lidded in quiet indifference. He was not the type to react to empty words, no matter how sharp they were meant to be. To him, reacting to such provocations was wasted energy.
Lazy people, as he often thought of himself, neither had the time nor the patience to respond to such trivialities. His silence was not cowardice but a deliberate choice, the kind born from both habit and temperament.
Stephanie, who had been tasked with escorting the first-years, noticed the tension among them. The subtle frustration in their expressions did not escape her sharp gaze. With a practiced tone, she spoke swiftly, her words carrying just enough weight to both instruct and comfort.
"As you can see, making bets is also one of the many ways students here earn points," she explained smoothly. Then she leaned forward slightly, her lips curving into a small but knowing smile. "But here is a free piece of advice for all of you. When making bets, ensure you wager only against someone you can fight on equal footing."
Her smile widened ever so slightly as she added the last sentence, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
The students quickly caught the underlying meaning behind her words.
If you made a bet with someone weaker than you and somehow lost, why should you obediently hand over your points? Why would you be obligated to give up something so precious to someone clearly beneath you in strength?
In that case, it was only natural for the victor to enforce the outcome through combat. If the weaker party truly wanted to claim their winnings, they would have to fight for it. After all, there was no official betting headquarters or central authority overseeing these transactions, it was the Star Academy, and here, strength was the only true enforcer.
"Let’s move," Thalric stated suddenly, his voice flat and devoid of any emotion. His tone was so neutral that it felt like it had been scraped cleaner than the flattest surface imaginable.
At his words, he and Stephanie took the lead, walking forward with calm confidence. The rest of the students followed close behind, their steps slightly hesitant but obedient. Soon, they arrived at a line of desks arranged neatly in a row. Behind each desk sat a facilitator, men and women of various ages and appearances. Their expressions were calm, professional, and completely unreadable.
As the first-year students approached, the facilitators lifted their heads in unison, acknowledging their presence with a simple nod. It was not the loud cheers of welcome or exaggerated gestures of encouragement the students might have secretly hoped for, only a quiet recognition. After all, the commotion caused by the second and third years earlier had already made their arrival known long before they physically approached.
"These men and women are called facilitators," Thalric explained, his voice steady, measured, and calm. "Their role is straightforward, they exist to facilitate your needs and wants within the Academy. For now, their immediate task is to provide you with your point cards and your rulebooks."
Stephanie stepped in seamlessly, her voice carrying authority and clarity. "Divide yourselves," she instructed. "Twenty students per facilitator. That way, the registration process will move quickly."
Without hesitation, the first-years began dividing themselves into groups. Asher, William, and Ryaen naturally gravitated toward the same line, maintaining their quiet camaraderie. Meanwhile, some nobles moved with deliberate arrogance, occupying entire lines as though the desks were their personal right. In contrast, many commoners instinctively avoided those lines, preferring not to invite unnecessary confrontation.
Asher remained calm as the line he stood in slowly moved forward, soon enough, it was his turn.
Stepping forward, he approached the desk where a female facilitator sat waiting with a calm, professional smile. Her voice was soft but clear when she spoke.
"Please place your hand on the orb," she instructed gently. "Channel the smallest amount of Astra you can muster into it while stating your name and your current class rank."
Asher’s gaze fell on the object before him, a large, polished orb that seemed to pulse faintly with dormant energy. Beside it lay several neatly stacked papers, clearly meant for record-keeping. To the right of the orb sat a curious machine, compact and metallic, its purpose yet to be revealed.
Without hesitation, Asher extended his hand, pressing it against the surface of the orb. Channeling just a faint wisp of Astra into it, he felt the orb respond, glowing with a soft golden light. His voice, calm and composed, followed.
"Asher Wargrave, Rank 1."
The facilitator paused for a brief moment, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as recognition flickered within them.
’Another Wargrave,’ she thought silently. The name carried weight. But she kept her composure, saying nothing aloud.
She nodded once, then swiftly set to work. Her hand moved toward a second orb as she murmured inaudible words under her breath. A faint hum filled the air, and from the small machine beside her, a rectangular-shaped card slid out with mechanical precision.
She lifted the card delicately and handed it to Asher with the same calm smile.
"To use it," she explained, her tone even and patient, "you must channel your Astra into it. When you do, your current point balance will be displayed immediately. To transfer points, ensure both cards touch while you and the recipient simultaneously channel Astra into your individual cards."
She paused briefly, allowing the instructions to sink in before continuing.
"Finally, understand this: your point card is uniquely bound to your Astra signature. That means no one else can use it, neither with your permission nor without it. If your card is ever lost or destroyed, a replacement can be issued, but be warned, you will permanently lose half of whatever points you had accumulated before. So I strongly advise you to be cautious."
Her tone carried a finality that left no room for questions.
Asher nodded, absorbing the instructions without much concern. He had noticed that the woman repeated this same explanation to every single student, despite the fact that all of them could hear it clearly while standing in line. Yet she still explained it individually each time, almost as if to engrain its importance into their minds.
His gaze shifted downward to the card now resting in his palm. The design was sleek, and to his mild surprise, it bore his own image. How the facilitator had managed to capture an image of him so quickly, he didn’t know. Nor did he particularly care. Beside his image were his personal details, his name, his class rank, and his year, which was represented by a single golden star.
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Name: Asher Wargrave
Class: ★
Rank: Rank 1
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Staring at the card for a brief moment, Asher nodded to himself in quiet acknowledgment. The facilitator then handed him a small booklet.
"This contains the rules of the Star Academy," she said firmly. "I strongly advise that you read it thoroughly before attempting anything else."
"Thank you," Asher replied in his usual calm tone before stepping aside to allow the next student in line to approach.