The Lowest of the Low
The Academy. It wasn't some grand educational institution. It was a gateway to adapting to this new world. If you really looked at it, it was nothing more than a boot camp.
"Heh, you've got to be kidding me."
I let out a dry laugh the moment I saw the Academy, tucked away on the outskirts of Briel. Whether it was to protect the students from the outside or to keep them from escaping, the place was surrounded by massive outer walls topped with something that looked suspiciously like barbed wire.
"A human? You're the first one this term."
The admission papers I’d secured in Briel only contained basic information like my name, race, and age. The Academy official scanned me up and down repeatedly, looking at me as if I were some rare specimen.
"A human in the Lowest Class. That's going to be a rough road."
The night before, Ariel had briefly explained the Academy's structure. Instead of grade levels, there were four tiers. The one I’d been assigned to was the lowest of them all—essentially a remedial class. It wasn't just because of my late enrollment; it was because of my race. Among all the races, humans had the lowest base stats.
"And you got in for free? You're in for a world of hurt."
The official—or rather, the Orc—left his mocking laughter ringing in my ears.
"To put it simply, this is the training ground. The buildings you see behind me are..."
It was a massive sandy field that reminded me of a military parade ground. Various buildings surrounded the field. It was a bleak environment, a far cry from the romanticized Academy life I’d imagined.
Before I even had a chance to be disappointed, the official pointed toward the dormitory building.
"Go down there."
He was pointing toward a staircase. It was a basement.
"You want me to go underground?"
"The Lowest Class lives in the basement."
Leaving perfectly good buildings empty just to shove us underground? I couldn't bring myself to take a step forward.
Sniff.
The distinct, musty smell of mold hit my nose. Water dripped from somewhere, and there were spiderwebs in the corners. Just looking at it was enough to make me feel suffocated.
"Now, wait here until lunchtime."
How could he say that with a straight face, telling me to rest comfortably in a place like this? After the official left, I stepped into the dark, dreary den. It was the kind of place where it wouldn't be strange at all for a monster to jump out of the shadows, so I instinctively went on guard.
"It's spacious."
There were several rooms lining the long, narrow hallway. Only one of them had light leaking through the crack in the door. Knock, knock. Maybe it was the thought of having a companion to share this hellhole with that gave me some comfort. I didn't hesitate to knock.
Creeeak.
The old door opened, and I found myself staring into eyes hidden behind a thicket of hair. A massive pair of glasses covered half of her face, and her black hair was a tangled mess.
"Wh-who are you?"
A trembling voice from behind the door asked for my identity.
"I'm Choi Suhyun, assigned to the Lowest Class. It's a pleasure to meet you."
I tried to sound as natural as possible, extending my hand through the slightly opened door.
"..."
No answer. It was humiliating to have my hand just hanging there.
"Ah, I never dreamed anyone would actually come..."
She muttered something in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. I didn't know why, but she was frozen stiff.
"Excuse me for a moment."
"A-a-ah, no, you can't!"
There were several beds in the room. But it looked like she’d been living alone until I arrived; only one bed was a total disaster. Personal items were scattered everywhere, and wet clothes were strewn across the floor. It was a complete pigsty.
"Is this a dumpster?"
Only then did I realize why she’d tried so hard to stop me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look..."
"P-please get out!"
I was kicked out. The firmly closed door didn't open again. Creeeak. I checked the other rooms, too. They were filled with dust-covered beds, devoid of any sign of life. It seemed there were only two students in the Lowest Class.
"*Sigh.*"
Even if it was only for a year, the thought of living here made me let out a deep sigh. To make matters worse, my only colleague smelled like a total failure. My head was starting to ache. Was coming to this Academy really the right decision?
Just as I was clutching my head in frustration, a voice called out.
"Umm... are you still there?"
She was looking for me, waving her arms around as if she were sensitive to the dark.
"I'm sorry about before, I was just so flustered..."
"No, it was my mistake."
I had to stick with her. Even if she looked like a total loser, it was better than living alone.
"F-follow me."
When I followed her back into the room, it was somewhat tidier. Aside from the mountain of junk piled in one corner, it was actually bearable.
"I'm Lumi."
With her hair pushed back, I could finally see her face. Her skin was similar to Ariel's, and the eyes behind those oversized glasses were the same brown as mine. Since they said I was the first human this term...
"Are you an Elf?"
"Ah...! I'm a half-elf. My father is human, and my mother is an elf."
A half-elf. Elves were usually tall and slender, but Lumi had the build of an average human woman. If anything, she was smaller than most humans.
"Y-you can speak informally to me."
"Oh, alright."
Whether she was shy or just frozen, Lumi kept stuttering.
"I'm sorry. It's been so long since anyone came down to the basement..."
"How long have you been here?"
"About a year...?"
I’d heard that completing the Academy took six months at the fastest, and a year at the latest. She hadn't graduated, and she’d been stuck in the Lowest Class for a whole year? I had a gut feeling: getting close to her was dangerous.
"I see."
Perhaps she sensed my cold reaction.
"B-but I've lived here for a year, so if there's anything you don't know, I can teach you..."
I looked around the room. I wasn't exactly a neat freak, but if I stayed like this, I felt like I’d pick up Lumi’s bad habits.
"Let's start by cleaning up."
***
I cleaned until sweat beaded on my forehead, but there was no end in sight. My stomach was practically glued to my spine. I put the cleaning aside for a moment and followed Lumi to the cafeteria.
"It's packed."
The three-story cafeteria was overflowing. Of course, the massive Orcs took up a fair amount of space.
"Is that him? The human who just enrolled?"
"They said he's in the Lowest Class. Nothing to see there."
"And isn't that a half-breed next to him?"
"The losers are sticking together well, aren't they?"
The whispers didn't stop the moment we entered. Lumi was already infamous for all the wrong reasons.
"Meat."
I didn't care what they were saying. I scanned the cafeteria quickly. The food was laid out buffet-style. Having barely scraped by with scraps for the last few days, it was hard to keep my sanity in front of all that food.
"Are you going to eat all of that?"
My plate was piling up like a mountain. Lumi watched me with anxious eyes, but I didn't care.
"You have to eat when you can."
From the moment I entered the game until now, I couldn't remember the last time I’d seen a proper meal.
"Oh."
As I popped a piece of well-cooked meat into my mouth, a shiver ran from my head to my toes. This was the moment I truly felt alive. I devoured the food like a starving beast.
"..."
My plate was empty in an instant. I wanted to go back for more because the hunger was still gnawing at me, but...
"There probably won't be any food left by lunchtime."
All that food had vanished. I’d barely finished one plate. I deeply regretted not taking more.
"Do you want mine?"
Lumi had barely touched her food. Maybe it was obvious on my face how disappointed I was, because she offered her portion to me.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I don't really eat much anyway..."
"Then I'll gratefully accept."
Lumi might turn out to be a better friend than I thought.
"Ugh, human stench."
Just as I was finishing off Lumi's food, I felt someone behind me.
"Maybe it's because there are two of you, but the smell is even worse today."
I turned around to see a group looking down at us. Blonde hair, pointed ears. Elves. They had gold badges pinned to their collars.
"Lucky you, Lumi. You made a friend."
"Now you won't have to eat alone anymore."
"Pfft!"
I knew Elves hated humans. But they seemed to hate Lumi even more than they hated me.
"Ahaha..."
Lumi hunched her shoulders and gave an awkward laugh. She was used to this. She was just waiting for them to leave.
"Eat up. Have some of mine, too."
Something dropped onto my food. It was trash—a mix of leftover scraps.
"Ah."
A short gasp escaped my lips. It was my first decent meal in a while.
"Eat plenty."
The Elf woman laughed as if she were enjoying the sight of my furrowed brow. The Elves following her giggled along.
"You must not be intimidated."
Ariel’s advice came to mind. The condition for surviving the Academy.
"You will be ignored. Especially as a human."
The Academy was a microcosm of this world. While different races trained together, power struggles between them were inevitable.
"Do not avoid a fight that is brought to you."
It was a cutthroat competitive society. Her advice was to get used to the competition starting right here at the Academy. Since Ariel had emphasized it so strongly, there had to be a reason.
"Hey."
Even if there was a difference in skill, everyone here was a student. I had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Do you want to die?"
A deep anger welled up from my gut. It wasn't just the power play; I was furious that my meal had been ruined.
"What did you say?"
The Elf woman’s expression crumpled instantly.
"I was eating that."
I stood up and faced her. Maybe it was because she was a pureblood, but she was about my height.
"W-what of it? I heard humans eat anything they're given?"
The Elf woman's eyes wavered.
"Why don't you try it? Do you want to eat it?"
I shoved the plate full of food waste toward her.
"Ugh."
The Elf woman covered her nose and stepped back.
"How dare a human..."
Her face flushed red, perhaps because she hadn't expected such a reaction. Judging by the gold badge on her collar, she seemed to be of a fairly high rank. But who cares?
"Shall we go outside and talk?"
"What?"
"Let's not do this here. Let's go outside."
If you asked me if I had a chance of winning, I didn't know. All I’d fought so far were monsters inside the Tower. But for the sake of the future, I needed to gauge the combat capability of other races. Especially here in the Academy, where safety was guaranteed.
"Choi Suhyun."
A deep voice. It was the Academy official.
"It's time to do the dishes."
A fact I’d briefly forgotten. I’d enrolled in the Academy on the condition that I would handle the menial labor. Why did he have to show up at such a humiliating time?
"Try that again, and see what happens."