The palace corridors were quiet now, bathed in the soft golden glow of enchanted lamps. The students, utterly spent from the day's grueling training, were led back to their respective rooms.
Every muscle in their bodies ached. Legs felt like lead, arms trembled, and even breathing was a chore. None of them had ever pushed themselves this hard — not in school, not in sports, not in anything. The first day had broken them down… and yet, somehow, it had also sparked something unfamiliar.
The rooms they returned to were lavish — far beyond anything they could have imagined back on Earth. Soft beds, plush carpets, warm baths, and trays of food awaited. And, of course, the maids.
They moved with a grace that seemed almost otherworldly, attending to every need. Towels were draped, drinks poured, and for those who dared to allow it, gentle massages were offered.
The boys, still trembling from exertion, sighed in relief as tension drained from their shoulders under the maids' practiced hands. Some sprawled across beds with flushed faces, others leaned back in chairs, eyes half-lidded as the warmth of relief spread through sore muscles.
Even the otakus, previously loud and proud, barely whispered as they were pampered. The air was thick with subtle, teasing glances, the kind that suggested indulgence but never crossed any explicit line.
Ray, sprawled on his own enormous bed, had politely declined a maid's massage at first. But exhaustion soon won, and he sank into the soft sheets, letting a small sigh escape. He pulled up his Status Window out of habit, curiosity outweighing fatigue.
Ray Walker — Level 1
Class: Appraiser (D) ↑
MP: 50 → 50
AGI: 12 → 13
STR: 10 → 12
Skills:
[Item Appraisal Lv. 1]
[Detailed Analysis Lv. 1]
"Well… at least the exercise paid off," he muttered. "Strength increased by 2 points. Agility moved up by 1."
He leaned back against the pillows, eyes scanning his window again — and froze.
A small upward arrow had appeared in front of his class:
Class: Appraiser (D) ↑
"What… does this mean?" Ray murmured, frowning. "The instructor never mentioned anything about this."
He clicked on the arrow. The window expanded slightly:
Class: Appraiser (D) — Upgradable
Upgrade Condition: Unknown
"I can… upgrade my class?" he whispered to himself, incredulous.
Ray leaned back, the ceiling blurring before his tired eyes. Nobody had mentioned anything like this. Was it unique to him? Should he tell the instructor? But how could he explain it without proof? Status Windows weren't visible to others, and any attempt to describe it would sound like childish antics.
"And the upgrade condition… unknown? How am I supposed to upgrade it if I don't know the requirement? What even is the meaning of this?"
The questions spun through his head endlessly, each one pressing on him like a weight. The day's exhaustion was fading, replaced by the strain of curiosity and uncertainty.
Before he could dig deeper, before he could formulate a plan, sleep overtook him. Muscles slackened, mind quieted, and Ray finally surrendered to the exhaustion that had been building all day.
In his dreams, the Status Window flickered faintly, the upward arrow glowing softly — a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
Outside, the palace was silent. The maids moved from room to room, leaving soft candles burning and ensuring that the young otherworlders slept comfortably. For now, the first day of training was over.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. But tonight… tonight was for rest, recovery, and silent contemplation of the strange new powers that lay ahead.
~~~
Days blurred into one another. The first week of training passed in a monotonous rhythm, each day blending seamlessly into the next.
Mornings began with two hours of grueling combined exercises — running laps, strength drills, push-ups, sit-ups, and agility tests. No one was exempt, not even Ray.
After the general warm-up, the students were divided according to class. Each specialty had its own instructor, its own field, and its own style of training.
The swordsmen honed their strikes under veteran instructors, learning angles, parries, and timing. Martial artists practiced fluid combinations, building speed and precision. Spear users drilled relentlessly on reach and control.
The mages were separated further based on their elemental affinity. Fire manipulators learned to regulate heat and form concentrated streams of flame. Water users practiced shaping currents, creating barriers, or precise offensive strikes. Air and earth mages worked on subtle control, mobility, and defensive techniques.
Even the support classes had their separate training, though the instructors seemed unsure how to best utilize them. Ray, once again, found himself lumped into the physical training group, the warriors grunting at his presence but gradually accepting him as part of the routine.
The days were exhausting, the kind of weariness that didn't leave at night. Meals were quick, nights were short, and by the time they collapsed into their lavish rooms, bodies ached from head to toe.
Now, a week had passed. Ray lay sprawled on his bed, staring at the ceiling, beads of sweat drying on his temple. He lazily summoned his Status Window, the pale blue glow appearing in his vision.
Ray Walker — Level 2
Class: Appraiser (D) ↑ Upgradable
MP: 55
AGI: 14
STR: 15
Skills:
[Item Appraisal Lv. 1]
[Detailed Analysis Lv. 1]
He let out a low sigh. "Strength up by 3 points, agility up by 1… MP increased slightly. Progress isn't terrible… but compared to everyone else…"
Across the palace grounds, he could imagine the other students — the S and SS-class ones — rapidly improving. Their classes allowed them to gain levels and enhance skills at staggering speeds. Each day was a leap forward.
Ray, on the other hand, was crawling. His D-class Appraiser status clearly affected the speed at which he could grow. The gap between him and the rest of the students was already widening, and it frustrated him.
"And that stupid upgrade arrow still hasn't told me anything," he muttered under his breath. "Upgradable… Upgrade condition unknown. What am I supposed to do with that? How do I even trigger it?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the frustration settle in. Exhaustion tugged at him, but the mental irritation lingered. Even as the world outside the window moved lazily in the golden afternoon light, Ray couldn't shake the thought:
"I'm behind. Everyone's moving forward… and I'm stuck with a class that barely gives me speed or power. Great. Perfect."
He turned over, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling once more. Tomorrow would bring another day of training, another round of relentless improvement.
For now, all he could do was wait, grind, and hope — hope that somehow, that upward arrow in front of his Appraiser class would eventually give him an advantage that everyone else didn't see.
And yet… that tiny spark of curiosity, the one that made him check his Status Window every night, refused to die.