Chapter 7 : Chapter 7
Chapter 7 : Colorful Cohorts
By the time Sal had emptied half his coffee, he had already arrived at the Amphitheater, with plenty of time to spare.
Students were still arriving and were busy choosing seats.
Among them, quite a few had already formed groups, and the way they exchanged conversations looked as natural as old friends.
Sal didn't feel lonely at such a sight, but he was slightly bewildered by an experience he had never had since childhood.
On one hand, he wondered what it would feel like to have that many friends.
But on the other hand, he was rationalizing his situation.
Thinking that if he had come this far on his own until now, he could continue to do so in the future.
It wasn't because of his personality that Sal's friendships had collapsed in the past.
The problem was always his ability.
If he hid it, he was ignored or pitied, and if he revealed it, he bought contempt and rejection.
The fact that he could perfectly copy others' abilities didn't help at all in making friends.
So it was much easier to just pretend to be an appraiser and live quietly.
The only ones who treated Sal warmly were his family and close acquaintances of the family.
Even Vila or Neuro might not have treated him like this if they knew all about his ability.
“I’ve never been this clear-headed. This is ridiculous!”
Hannah’s voice burst out right next to him, causing Sal to flinch in surprise.
Hannah burst into laughter and then apologized as if sorry.
“Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you. It's just… I feel like I can do anything. That coffee was seriously amazing.”
She looked at Kane sitting quietly beyond Sal and sent a look telling him to add something, but Kane was only looking at the ranking board.
“You said your name was Sal, right?”
Hannah asked again.
Sal looked up at the leaderboard and smiled bitterly.
Now it would start again.
He wondered if they would distance themselves from him upon seeing him like the other students in the elevator, or if they would try to stick to him because of his rank.
Sal didn't like his tendency to always imagine the worst first, but at the same time, he knew that premonition was usually not wrong.
Kane almost choked while drinking his coffee.
It was the moment he discovered Sal’s name on the ranking board.
“You’re in the top 20! Why didn’t you say so?”
Sal shrugged and didn't answer.
He didn't want to make excuses, nor did he intend to deliberately look good.
If sitting together became uncomfortable because of a single number received a day ago, that was a problem with that person's character.
At that moment, Hannah stepped in.
“Didn't you hear earlier? He said he wanted to know his neighbors. He was trying not to look at each other as just numbers.”
Then she added in a playful tone.
“Thank you for the coffee, Mr. Argento.”
Kane looked back and forth between the two for a while, then looked at his own miserable rank.
He must have had pride, but what was stronger than that was ambition.
“Can you give me some advice perhaps? If you climbed up that far, there must be some secret.”
Hannah also turned her body from her seat and sent a look as if she wanted to hear too.
But Sal didn't have any impressive advice prepared.
Instead, he briefly summarized the information he heard last night and passed it on.
“Don't do stupid things. Take risks and test yourself. That should be enough. At the very least, if you show that you are sincere and moving within the rules, your rank will naturally go up.”
Kane and Hannah nodded and smiled.
“Welcome to the first day of Quest Academy. From now on, the Academy Introduction Course will proceed.
We will now call names and assign you to different groups. This group is the cohort you will be with for this semester.
Each cohort has a different module rotation configuration, which is a measure for the faculty to conduct classes on a manageable scale.
As some of you may have already noticed, only mandatory subjects are currently assigned to your timetable. You must register for electives necessary to achieve your individual goals by yourselves.
Some elective modules are already open for registration, and please be aware that capacity is limited as you heard.”
While Headmaster Quest continued speaking toward the students, new information appeared on the ranking board.
It was the list of available elective modules.
It was placed next to the existing mandatory subjects, emphasizing importance with a bolder font.
Sal originally intended to watch carefully which cohort other students were assigned to, but his eyes had already moved to the list of electives.
If the theory he established was correct, his current Q-Credit assets would be superior to most students.
Theoretically, it was a very advantageous condition, but the problem was that Sal had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do.
It was unclear whether to specialize or not, and his biggest goal was just to graduate safely and make his parents proud.
And, to use his ability for good.
Module Selection Categories
Skills - Foundation (Mandatory)
Field - Foundation (Remaining Seats: 370 / 500)
Combat - Foundation (Mandatory)
Survival - Foundation (Mandatory)
Crafting - Practical (Remaining Seats: 43 / 200)
Analysis - Foundation (Remaining Seats: 181 / 200)
Administration - Foundation (Remaining Seats: 98 / 100)
“Combat, Survival, and Skill modules are basic courses that freshmen must complete.”
“Through these courses, you will learn gathering methods in the Red Zone, how to defend yourselves from demons, and basic techniques to treat the injured.”
“You will also learn strategies to hunt and evade monsters, and most importantly, how to utilize your own abilities to the maximum.”
“These modules are strictly introductory courses, configured to build a basic understanding of each field.”
“Completing these modules grants qualification to take the next level courses in the respective fields, and completing more modules now becomes an investment for future Academy life.”
“For example, qualifications will be attached to specific events like field raids or boss battles. If you want to participate in that team, completing the relevant module is mandatory.”
“Also, Crafting, Administration, and Analysis modules are selected courses from professional tracks. Through these modules, students can participate in external contract work, earning Q-Credits and building official performance records.”
“More specialization modules will be introduced in the coming weeks, but these are the options currently provided.”
“Even if you cannot secure a seat for the module you want now, opportunities to register again will be given later.”
“Generally, it is recommended to complete all introductory classes, 3 core modules, and 1 elective module.”
“Which path to choose is entirely up to you.”
Introductory Courses:
Introduction to Quest Academy
Overview: Dungeons, Towers, Rifts, Portals
Overview: Lineage, Class, Grade, Evolution
Overview: R&D, Combat Gear, Crafting
Overview: Guilds, Factions, Society, Sect Structures
Overview: Survival, Encounters, Conquest
Overview: Trade, Bounties, Betting, Requests
“Once you complete all introductory courses, you are given the qualification to select courses from the advanced course list.
These advanced courses deal with specialized fields, and successful completion can bring very good effects to your overall module grades.
Certain qualifications are required for enrollment, and considerable Q-Credits will be consumed, but it is an essential process for students aiming for specialized classes or hoping to advance to the Savior Class.”
Scheduled Courses:
Skill Foundation (Discovery)
Skill Growth (Development)
Skill Proficiency (Advanced Techniques)
Hero Business Theory (Mercenary, Guild, Supporter)
Combat (General, Advanced, Specialized)
Research and Development (Appraisal, Repair, Crafting, Enhancement, Replication)
Survival (Exploration, Gathering, First Aid, Signal Systems)
Field Practice (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
Field Encounters (Reconnaissance, Hunting, Securing, Defense)
Field Conquest (Territory Recovery, Suppression Operations, Boss Battles)
“This afternoon will be used to guide you through the Academy campus and introduce various facilities provided here.
Registration can be done directly at the administration terminal, or you can look around the facilities first and register then if you find a module you like.
You will visit the Analysis Department by your assigned cohort group, where you will register your existing abilities and be issued a Q-Card.
The Q-Card becomes a single standard for personal identity and growth information encompassing your time at the Academy, recording completed modules, ability levels, and various data that will be importantly used in the future.
Also, you can purchase dedicated tracking devices at the R&D Department, and receive dedicated tablets loaded with class materials at the Administration Department.”
“Tracking device…?”
Sal was surprised enough to fail hiding his shock, and seeing that, Hannah asked with a worried face.
“Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
Only then did Sal realize.
That there was a high possibility other students here didn't know.
That tracking device sold by the R&D Department was actually special equipment developed exclusively for Source, the strongest reconnaissance guild.
Sal, who didn't want to miss a single piece of information, gave Hannah a short and simple explanation.
“My family runs an auction house.
That tracker was originally proposed as equipment to replace appraisal for guilds.
It can collect not only basic appraisal functions but also low-level skill utilization, weak monster analysis, target designation, and various other data in real-time.
The production difficulty is ridiculously high too.
And they are just selling that to students now…?”
Sal shook his head from side to side and looked at the Headmaster again.
No matter how much he thought about it, that couldn't be an affordable price.
“Group activities to improve your teamwork are scheduled for lunch today, and after that, a tour of the workshop facilities will proceed.
For high-ranking students who have already received Q-Credits, opportunities to purchase some items prepared by 2nd and 3rd-year seniors are also arranged. These seniors are those who have experienced what you will go through first, and the equipment or tools they made will surely be of practical help to your life. If you are a student who already knows exactly what you want and has sufficient Q-Credits, you can also commission production directly at the workshop. On the other hand, students who don't have credits yet, don't be too disappointed. Some students take orders in exchange for raw materials or ingredients.
Finally, before today ends, you will meet your assigned instructors in person, and through meeting them, you will gain more information about each module and class. Seats may close quickly, so please do not delay your choice and decide swiftly.
Now then, how far has the cohort assignment progressed?”
Headmaster Quest looked up at the ranking board and snapped his fingers.
Then the information about modules faded as if disappearing, and instead, a number array consisting of ten rows filled the screen.
The order wasn't a typical descending order.
Instead, it went from left to right, then conversely from right to left on the second row, and proceeded normally again from the third row.
Sal thought as he looked at it.
‘Is this a method to balance the power of the top ranks?’
He thought he would naturally go into the Black Team, but due to that reverse sorting, it seemed he was assigned to the Silver Team.
“Judging that it is unfair for students to compete all at once in units of 1,000, we have introduced a new system, ‘Cohorts’.
From now on, remember your color. That color is your family to belong to for this semester.
Each color family has 100 members, assigned by dividing combat power and skill distribution as fairly as possible. In most cases, there will be people around you whose rank is about 10 places higher or lower than yours.
To prevent the problem of a team with the top 20 concentrated becoming excessively advantageous in team-based activities, we placed the order in reverse from the 2nd row instead of simple rank listing.
For example, the foremost Gold Family has 1st, 20th, and 30th place in one team.
The last tenth Purple Family would have 10th, 11th, and 21st place in one team.
In this way, we adjusted the skill gap between all color families as balanced as possible.
Our goal is to create a fair and competitive environment.
You will strive to rise to the top within your respective families, and special rewards and incentives will be given to top-ranking students.
On the other hand, relegation tournament matches are prepared for low-ranking students to bounce back. Through this, you can prove your skills and pull up your ranking.
If you stay in the bottom 25% within the cohort until the end of the semester, a consultation with me will proceed, and we will evaluate if Quest Academy is a suitable environment for you.
Rankings are updated every month, and this introductory semester is a total of 6 months. In other words, a total of 5 opportunities are given to you.
Thank you for your time so far. Now, the faculty members in charge of each color family will guide your tour. Their uniform color will match your family color.
Good luck. And sometimes I will visit classes in person to check progress, so please always do your best.”
Sal blinked and tried to understand the situation.
But it was Kane who actually organized the reality.
“You’re 2nd in your group now, right?”
To Sal who was laughing awkwardly not knowing how to answer, Kane shrugged and smiled.
“Still, 86th in the Orange Family sounds much better than a little while ago. I should get going now. Thanks for the coffee. If I don't get expelled, I'll definitely treat you later.”
Saying that, Kane stood up and walked down toward the groups starting to form.
“Are you going too?”
Sal asked Hannah.
She was also just getting up from her seat.
Hannah pointed to the group of students gathering on the left side of the stage and said.
“Yeah, I think I’m over there. You said Room 6 earlier, right? Let’s hang out later if we have time. Dragging Kane along by force too.”
Before Sal could answer, Hannah had already disappeared into the crowd.
Tracking her movement with his eyes, it seemed she belonged to the Purple Family.
But he couldn't know her exact rank.
‘What ability does she have? Would it be rude to ask about her ability later?’
Thinking that, Sal also stood up and headed toward his group, the Silver Family.
At least, it was good that he wouldn't forget the color.
‘Starting off good?’
A familiar voice was heard by Sal, who was heading toward the family in a good mood.
“Hey, did you blab everything?”
It was that guy he encountered in the restroom last night.