The Orientation II
Ferocity: 5%
Ferocity: 10%
Ferocity: 17%
Ferocity: 23%
Mike's fingers dug into his chair, his fingers sharpening and elongation unbeknownst to him as he stared at the Vice Principal on the stage.
Just from looking at him, all his instincts screamed that he was dangerous, far more dangerous than what he perceived from Gerald or Beatrice. His body reacting instinctively to the danger that was the man who stood on the stage.
He grit his teeth, barely suppressing a growl.
'Calm down... he's not even paying any specific attention to you. You aren't in danger.' He told himself as he did his best to look normal despite the internal struggle.
He briefly closed his eyes and took some deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.
Slowly, he managed to stop himself from having a meltdown on the spot.
'Fuu... that was close.' He thought as he glanced at his ferocity meter. It was steadily decreasing, so he was out of the woods for now.
Still, he wasn't a fan of having such a visceral reaction simply from looking at someone. He was both curious at just how strong a single person could be, and annoyed at it happening.
Regardless, he forced himself to inspect the man now that he had calmed down a bit.
Vice-Principal Joseph had an average build. His hair was slightly messy with some Grey streaks here and there. His face, despite having a few wrinkles, was still quite handsome, giving him the air of a handsome uncle. However, his build was quite robust, not bulky per se, but the suit he wore looked like it was struggling just a little bit.
However, the most notable part of his appearance was his eyes.
Piercing green eyes the shape of slits, like that of a feline, or perhaps a cat?
Mike shuddered.
'Why are so many people in this place so threatening?' He thought and looked around. However, unlike him, the other new students just seemed intrigued. Perhaps they hadn't noticed the absurd level of danger the man before them exuded.
'I guess it's just me, then.' Mike sighed inwardly and looked forward, finally paying attention to the speech the man was giving.
"... and while you've been accepted into this Academy because you showed potential, potential alone won't be enough to carry you far." Mike blinked and finally focused, pushing down the remnants of ferocity he had suppressed to pay attention. Joseph's voice was calm and measured, giving Mike the impression that he was used to being listened to.
'The speakers are pretty gentle too.' He thought as the sound reverberated through the auditorium gently, without that annoying feeling of sound passing through you.
This is Eventide Academy. You aren't here to be sheltered or coddled. You're here to be shaped. Molded into people who will lead humanity tomorrow. The Core Pathways you've chosen are your challenges. They will test you, break bad habits, and refine you into something purer. Like refining gold through fire. That analogy might be an exaggeration for some and an understatement for others. For some of you, that will mean sharpening what you're already good at. For others, it will mean being dragged out of your comfort zones, some you didn't even know you had. Either way, no one leaves this Academy the same way they came in." His slitted pupils swept across the auditorium slowly and even though he was sure it was just a coincidence, Mike felt like they had lingered on him for a fraction longer.
"Know this. Competition isn't an occasional thing here, it's perpetual. Constang. You will be measured in your classes, your projects. For those who are taking combat, it will be in your sparring. For those taking politics, it will be your charisma and charm. For those taking engineering, it will be your ideas. You will be challenged by your peers and instructors, some directly, some randomly, and without warning. That is deliberate. Our graduates aren't just survivors. No, they are contenders in a universe that isn't keen on second chances."
A small smile touched his lips, but it lacked humor. "The rules are simple. Learn, adapt, and improve, or you will be left behind. Some of you will find allies, others allies, some enemies, and some all three." He let his words sink in, the previously playful atmosphere now distinctly somber.
"And before you ask, no, we do not intervene in every dispute. If you can't handle pressure in here, you won't be able to handle it outside. But be warned, there is a line. Cross it, and you'll find out what happens when you become my problem.." A collective shudder went through the crowd. He wasn't bluffing, and they knew it.
The room was silent for a moment, then Joseph smiled, a bit more genuinely this time.
"Now. With that out of the way, let's move on to more interesting things, shall we?" He snapped his fingers, and a large projection of what looked like a coin with the Eventide logo appeared above the stage.
"These are Academy credits. They are the internal currency the school makes use of, and while in here, they are one of the most important things to you." He regarded them.
"You can use credits for almost everything. Do you want to buy food? Credits. Upgrade your accommodation? Credits. Buy or upgrade equipment? Credits. Access high-level parts of the library? Credits. Make use of special training rooms? Credits. Hire instructors as mentors? Credits. Needless to say, Credits run the show here, and just like outside, if you lack them, then you're in trouble." Mike felt his mouth twitch.
'Yeah, no way in hell am I letting myself be poor again.' He thought resolutely.
"Now you may be thinking, how can you earn credits? Well, outside of the weekly allowance you will all receive of 500 credits, you can do a variety of things." He flicked his wrist, and the projection of a coin changed to what looked like a list.
"This is the commissions board. You can all access it via your watches, and as the name implies, it's a place where one can either get something commissioned or have someone commission you. You can be hired to do odd jobs around the school by your fellow students or instructors, help make equipment, help train, and so on. And if you don't feel like doing a commission, you can always just sell things directly. These are just examples, as the sheer scope of commissions simply depends on you... and the rules." He chuckled to himself. And everyone looked thoughtful with this.
'Commissions, huh?' Mike rubbed his chin. 'That sounds nice. What could I do though that would make me worth commissioning...?' His thoughts were cut off as Joseph continued.
"Another way to earn points is through completing missions." He flicked his wrist, and another list appeared.
"This is the mission board. This displays missions solely given out by the Academy, and they usually take place outside school grounds. They tend to give a lot of points, but in return, most missions are time-consuming and often difficult in some way. Due to this, you won't be able to access this board until you become second years." There was a wave of disappointment at that, but Joseph simply didn't address it as he most likely didn't care.
"With that said let's move on to the next thing..."
Mike listened closely as Joseoh went on to give in-depth explanations concerning various things related to the school. From training facilities to the staff and how they should be treated, the scope of movement new students had within the Academy, and so on.
He noticed that not everyone was paying so much attention, though, most likely having learned these things before they enrolled.
Like that, time slowly passed, and soon enough, over 2 hours had elapsed as Joseph continued to speak, making sure that no topic went untouched.
Mike felt his hunger start to bite him, but he ignored it as he made sure he didn't miss anything Joseph said, no matter how mundane it seemed.
"Finally, I'm going to talk about the rankings." Joseph said at last, and everyone seemed to perk up at this.
'Must be an interesting topic.' Mike thought.
"Each of you belongs to a Core Pathway. Within that Pathway, there is a ranking system. It's a list of the best performing students that is constantly updating in real time. Your position is determined by many factors. Academic results, combat performance—if applicable. Completion of commissions or projects, peer evaluation, instructor feedback, and of course, official challenges." The projection above the stage shifted again, now showing several lists with different labels on them, each pertaining to a different Core Pathway.
Moreover, there were names beside them that showed shifting numbers, as though the ranks were alive and constantly moving.
"The top ten in each Pathway enjoy certain privileges, and those privileges aren't small. Higher credit allowances, priority access to advanced facilities, free access to restricted archives, first choice for team selections, private training rooms or labs, and perhaps most importantly, attention from sponsors. A sponsor can be an instructor, a high-level alumnus, or even an external organization with influence. That kind of backing can make or break your career after graduation." Joseph's voice scanned the crowd once more, his voice dropping slightly.
"And if you're thinking of just scraping by and doing the bare-minimum, don't. Those who sink to the bottom lose their privileges just as fast as those who rise to the top. Loss of credit allowances, restricted access to certain facilities, less freedom in choosing your schedule, and in extreme cases, reassignment to a different Pathway entirely."
A ripple of unease passed through the auditorium.
"Now, one last note. Your rank is not static. You can ascend or descend at any time. Sometimes in large leaps or falls, sometimes in small steps. You might spend months climbing into top ten, only to lose it in a few days because you underestimated someone." He straightened, his tone returning to its earlier smoothness.
"To summarize, if you want comfort, resources, and opportunities here, you fight for your place. If you can't, someone else will take it from you. Simple as that."