I was sitting in Alyssa’s office.

  After the tour with Headmaster Caelum Varros, I thought nothing in this place could surprise me anymore. Then I found myself sitting on a cloud.

  In space.

  Or at least, it looked like space. The vast expanse of stars stretched in every direction, endless and surreal. I wasn’t dead, so it had to be an illusion. Probably.

  Alyssa leaned forward, eyes glinting with barely contained excitement. “You made quite the impression today.”

  I exhaled through my nose. “Yeah, I got bored and decided to beat up some little snot-nosed brat. Didn’t think it’d turn into a full-school introduction, like I was some prized stallion.”

  The memory made me grimace. It had been awkward, no question. But I couldn’t deny it felt good. Now, some of the best instructors in the school wanted to teach me.

  I leaned back—or tried to. The damn cloud had no solid backing. “By the way, those points I bet, what are they actually used for?”

  Alyssa’s excitement dimmed. This time, she was the one grimacing.

  “I still can’t believe you threw down a thousand points just to prove a point,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s enough to book a month with an Elite Instructor—or buy out half the school’s recovery potions. No wonder the Headmaster noticed. You don’t see one-sided bets like that unless someone’s making a statement.”

  She gave me a level stare. “Points are everything here.”

  I scratched the back of my head, laughing awkwardly. “So how do you get them? And why was I able to bet so much?”

  Alyssa crossed her arms, expression unimpressed. “You earn points the way you’d expect—fighting, winning, and proving you belong. Official duels, tournaments, combat evaluations. Even certain training exercises and survival trials. The better your opponent, the more points you get.”

  That made sense. “And the betting?”

  She sighed, rubbing her temples. “You weren’t supposed to have that many.”

  I raised a brow. “But I did.”

  “Because the system adjusts to perceived skill,” she said, voice laced with exasperation. “New students get a baseline amount, but the moment you fought, the system ranked you as an unknown variable. It let you bet high because it didn’t have enough data on you yet.” She gestured vaguely. “The problem is… now it does. And after what you pulled, I’d say you’re officially on everyone’s radar.”

  I frowned. “You make it sound like I committed a crime.”

  She huffed. “Throwing down a thousand points on a one-sided match? That’s what high-rankers do when they’re making a statement. Or idiots do when they’re about to lose everything. The fact that you did it on a whim?” She shook her head. “No wonder the Headmaster took notice.”

  Alyssa’s tone shifted. She wasn’t just explaining anymore—she was making sure I understood.

  “You’re in a unique situation,” she said, watching me carefully. “Normally, attending classes costs points. But when a teacher invites you—like all of yours have—they’re waiving their fee to train you.”

  I frowned. “So, they’re paying for me?”

  “Essentially,” Alyssa said. “And it doesn’t stop there. The system is covering your room and board, plus you got at least a thousand points just for being an unknown variable. Right now, you don’t have to worry about earning or spending points. You just need to focus on your studies and getting stronger.”

  I let that sink in. Focus on getting stronger.

  I had everything I could possibly need at my fingertips, but for how long?

  I leaned forward. “When do I compete to be the leader of Earth? Am I already in the competition? Like… is it just whoever reaches level 1D first?”

  Alyssa laughed, a sound I was starting to enjoy. “No, no, silly. It’s not that simple. At the end of this year—about nine months from now—you’ll compete in a series of events against the other candidates.”

  I raised a brow. “So, they’re here too?”

  She shook her head. “No. I brought you here because I’m a teacher at the academy, but the other instructors have their own training programs. Their students are off training elsewhere, just like you are now.”

  I leaned back into my cloud cushion, finally letting myself relax. The weight of everything—the school, the competition, the ridiculous amount of points—settled for just a moment.

  Then Alyssa jabbed me with a stick.

  A stick made of cloud.

  I blinked at it, but she was already scowling. “You don’t have time to sit back. Everyone else in the competition is busting their asses, and I expect you to do the same.”

  Her gaze pinned me in place, sharp enough that I gave a reluctant nod. Satisfied, she leaned forward.

  “Your first class starts now. It’s time you found your talent.”

  Then she grinned—wide, almost unsettling.

  “Luckily for you, I specialize in that.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Before I could process what that meant, an unseen force yanked me off the cloud and hurled me into the abyss below.

  It reminded me of the Colosseum—except this time, there was no fight, no strategy, just free-falling into oblivion while Alyssa watched. She later told me it was a test to gauge my composure under pressure.

  I didn’t scream, but I sure as hell never wanted to repeat it. Apparently, that was enough for her to determine I had no talent for flying.

  Training under Alyssa felt like stepping into a different reality. Being in her personal training area was like meeting someone operating on an entirely different level of existence.

  She had me do things that made no sense. Like crossing a river of sheer death using my tail as a pogo stick, bouncing across ice cubes barely big enough to land on.

  Or hanging from a bar with the literal sun beneath me, its heat scorching my skin if I dropped too low.

  Whatever she imagined, the space shifted to make it real. It was hell. And honestly, I had no idea how any of this was helping me find my talents.

  By the time the session ended—which couldn’t come soon enough—Alyssa clapped her hands together with so much energy I half-wondered if I’d be trapped here for the next nine months.

  “You are excellent!” she declared. “Seriously, your body, your race—you’re literally built for life-and-death situations.” She rubbed her hands together in glee, that same unsettling grin stretching across her face.

  “I can’t wait to teach you more,” she continued, eyes practically glowing. “But it’s time for another one of my students. Go take a class with your other teachers, then come back. We’ll all take turns.”

  Before I could process that nightmare of a sentence, a door opened in the ground. And through it, she rose. The young woman who ran into me earlier.

  She didn’t step out—she glided up like she was riding an invisible elevator, except there was no elevator. She smiled in a way that was probably meant to be warm, then bowed politely to Alyssa.

  I wasn’t about to stick around. Before either of them could say anything, I sprang toward my escape route—the door in the ground.

  Once outside I activated my ring—easily one of the most useful things I owned—and checked the time. Still had almost an hour until my next class.

  The ring functioned as my class schedule, points tracker, and personal portal opener. Honestly, it made life a lot easier than when I went to school back on Earth.

  With time to kill and my stomach reminding me of how much energy Alyssa had burned out of me, I opened a portal to the dining area. I had the system’s endless food, but I was tired of eating the same meals.

  Stepping through the portal, I immediately locked eyes with the last person I expected to see. The boy I pummeled earlier.

  He was healed—fully recovered—but there was no crowd around him this time. Guess word had gotten around that he got his ass handed to him.

  What I didn’t expect was for him to smile and wave me over. Weird. I decided to see what he wanted and stepped over.

  “Hey man, thank you for the lesson yesterday,” he said, tone surprisingly sincere. “I was arrogant. I needed to be put in my place.”

  That caught me off guard. He was being humble? I didn’t think he had that in him. I stared at him, waiting for the trick, trying to figure out what game he was playing. As my silence stretched, he rushed on.

  “I’ve been waiting here for you to show up. I also wanted to say thanks for not maiming me permanently. You could have.” He hesitated. “I got a scolding from my family for accepting a fight against an unknown opponent who was reckless enough to put a thousand points on the line.”

  Ah. There it was.

  He hesitated again, clearly uncomfortable. “And… they want me to formally apologize. And invite you to dinner.”

  So that was it.

  He ran home to Mommy and Papy, and they told him off. Now he was back, trying to play nice with the guy the Headmaster himself had given a tour of the school.

  "I'm not interested," I said casually, stepping past him.

  That got more of a reaction. His carefully composed expression cracked just a little, frustration slipping through. He wasn’t used to being brushed off.

  "HOW—" His voice cut off the moment I glanced back at him, the memory of his recent beating still fresh in his mind. He swallowed, shifting his tone. "I-I mean… how? Why not? It’s not often my family invites someone to dinner."

  I stopped and sighed. He wasn’t going to let this go. If I didn’t shut this down now, it’d turn into an issue later.

  "Look, I have no interest in you or your family. This is my first time here, and you happened to stand out among the newcomers. I thought I'd challenge myself."

  I didn’t add that I was bored or that he had been laughably weak. No need to make things worse.

  "You held up well," I added instead. "I believe this school will make me stronger after our bout."

  I gave him a friendly smile, a final wave, and walked off, not bothering to listen to whatever excuse or retort he had ready.

  I got my food—as easy as thinking of something I wanted, pressing my ring against a box, and waiting a second. Honestly, it was ridiculously convenient.

  Before I could think about that, something smacked my tray clean out of my hands.

  The impact wasn’t strong—just precise. I looked down at the culprit. A… dwarf devil?

  They were small and stocky, with glowing red skin that pulsed with heat. Not oppressive, just there. Warm, like standing near a well-lit forge. Their horns radiated a golden hue, flickering like embers. Their eyes—sharp and focused—locked onto me, a silent challenge burning behind them.

  They had a face, sure, but it was unlike any I'd seen before. Their features were rigid, almost sculpted, like molten rock frozen mid-shift, with deep lines of fiery gold running beneath the surface. Their mouth curled slightly, more grim determination than smirk.

  Then, without a word, they thrust their hand out to the side. I stared at them, confused but not remotely upset about losing my food. Oh no. I’d have to reorder something that cost nothing and appeared instantly. How tragic.

  "What do you want?" I asked flatly. "We will battle now. Summon the cagers."

  Their voice was feminine, though rough, like embers crackling in a dying fire.

  I activated Cloaked Appraisal.

  ???

  Nothing. Damn. That meant that they must also have the same skill, or something similar.

  I should have asked Alyssa more about the points system, but honestly? I was ready to fight.

  Her class had my adrenaline pumping with no payoff. Just endless tests. No real reward. No outlet. This? This was something real.

  I mimicked their stance, raising my arm at an angle, crooked slightly upward like a turn signal. Almost immediately, a moderator appeared, which must be the ‘Cager’.

  He glanced at the dwarf devil first. "Player A has initiated a formal bout against Player B." Then his gaze shifted to me before going back to the swarf devil. "Declare the points."

  "Fifty," the dwarf devil said without hesitation.

  The moderator nodded. "A battle with no weapons or attack skills. Both participants' levels will be set at 27E, the lowest among you."

  Then his gaze returned to me. "Do you accept?"

  "Yes." Of course, I did.

  I could already feel it—the tension settling in my bones, the anticipation curling in my chest. I was starting to crave the fight.

  I had fought stronger opponents, ones that were trying to kill me. I had survived worse. But this? This was something else. This was structured, a game within the system, and I had to learn to play it right.

  Then the cage formed around us, except it was not glowing golden this time. This time it was just a dull grey.