A challenge?

Early weeks lessons went like for the last two weeks, the only difference being that other students were bothering us. While walking along the hallways, people would talk behind my back and point at me. Ben told me that he hasn't experienced anything like that, but I don't believe that.

Some people tried to ask for my badge and to see it, I of course refused and they walked back irritated. Ayla's maid told me that people had been avoiding Ben and not been talking to him. Should I do something about this situation?

I was sitting in our home classroom and only thinking about what to do with these people and make Ben's life easier.

"Okay, todays topic is... Coins."

That made me wake up from my daydream.

"These coins are a currency used only in this school and you can buy something like magic plants or weapons from other students with it. You don't need the for classes but more for clubs and free time." I wonder what the average cost of everything with coins is. The teacher continued her speech about coins.

"Coins are earned by doing quests that sometimes appear on the board on main square, winning tournaments or selling/changing items in school. " I checked how many coins I had, after visiting the principal and it was 80.

I hope that it's good enough and I don't need to some weird quests. As a alchemy student, I could sneak some magic plants from the forest and then sell them on some "school black market".

After the home class ended I decided to check if there were any quests available and see if the amount of coins, that I had was good enough.

After arriving, there were indeed some parchments with pictures, prices and descriptions on them.

Catching jumpy frogs.

Killing goblins

Capturing plants

etc.

Most of them paid less than 10 gold coins. So, with my 80, I think that I'm doing pretty great right now. I was going to eat lunch now but I was stopped, there were the guys that I beat up and the short one that pissed his pants.

"What do you want?"

"Show your badge color."

"No"

"I am a disciplinary student. so, show it to me!"

"You're not from my dorm, so you have no rights to ask for it"

"Are you hiding because you're weak?"

What was he trying to pull here? Only my killing intent was enough to knock him out, did he get a memory loss?

"Where are you going with this?"

"Ayden! I challenge you to a duel!"

"Huh?"

"Did you not hear me? I said, I challenge you to a du"

"No, I did, but are you sane?

"What"

"I beat you once, overwhelmingly. So now you want a rematch?"

"Yes, you probably used an artifact or something, maybe that sword had something to do with that"

Was he blind and insane at the same time? I don't want to accept this challenge, not because I'm afraid of losing but because I don't know what happens after this.

"I won't accept"

He frowned at my comment, did he not expect that? What an idiot.

"The winner gets fifty coins."

That's a good amount, I could get back the money that I lost and get even thirty extras. The boy was shocked but then said.

"Follow me then"

I did as asked and followed him to a big arena, others didn't instantly start following us to watch the show but eventually, people started pouring in.

We fought in one of the fighting classrooms. This one was mostly used for magic fights so it had a controllable barrier that protected spectators. First years didn't use this because most first years had just awakened or hadn't practiced magic at all, it was as big as a basketball court.

The boy asked someone to press a button on the side of the arena, when they pressed it a big blue barrier surrounded us but soon turned invisible. I had taken normal sword from the classroom, because they thought that my sword was an artifact.

We were now standing on the other sides of the arena and ready to fight. He didn't have a sword or other weapon with a blade but a staff. It was taller than him, made from a branch of an old tree and had a blue gem inside of it.

Then the one that had pressed the button started counting.

"1...2....3"

When they got to three, the boy started casting magic. However, he was too slow. When he finally finished casting, I was already behind him. He didn't even notice me before passing out when I hit him in the head, with the tilt of my sword.

The fight was over in just a few seconds, the opponent didn't get even a chance to fight back.

I hope that no one else now tries to challenge me. I wonder how I will get my coins. At that moment, my badge started vibrating. I took it from its pocket and saw a text appear.

Coins added + 50

Nothing else, it seems to be automatic. I don't know how it knew to give me the right amount of money, but now I don't need to start acting like a local mafia wanting their loans back. The teacher didn't explain, that how we are supposed to buy the things that we need.

I haven't seen any shops or anything like that. Do I post a request on the board in main square or what? I should ask the teacher on alchemy class. If I don't fall asleep in there, I skipped lunch and now feel really tired.

(*(

When the day was over and I finally got back to my room and fell on my bed, fed Sophia. I went to take a shower because of all the sweat that I got from fighting with Ayla. She had improved a lot. Her brother really knew what he was doing when he showed her that style.

While putting my clothes on after a shower, I was thinking about what to do with my coins and should I earn more? According to the alchemy teacher, use buy stuff from students that are selling it, post quests or give an order to a club. Someone could ask for a fancy meal from the cooking club for coins.

With those coins, the club can order more ingredients and earn some extra. I really didn't want to explore the forest and try finding some mushrooms for a potion or soup. If I wanted to go camping, then I could but not now.

I had returned to my room.

"Where were you?"

"I had a duel"

"With whom?"

"The kid that beat you up"

"Didn't you already give him enough trauma?

"He was the one who challenged me, so seems like I didn't"

Ben looked surprised but then shrugged his soldiers and continued doing whatever he was doing before. I too only went to get Sophia, fed her, and played with her a little bit. I made a little fake mouse and she liked chasing after her.

When she finally caught it, she would get some of my mana. I also checked on my realm but nothing major seemed to be going to but I got this feeling that something big would be happening soon.

I started to gather mana and strengthen my core but then it happened. I had enough to make a fourth ring and upgrade its color once. I immediately took a lotus stance on my bed and entered "ghost state". I could then save my mana by creating the ring on it's right place.

I had already decided to create one more smaller ring and make it spin on the other side of the core. Now the smaller one was spinning from north to south, so this one would be spinning from west to east.

I then started. I took half of the required mana for the process and started to create the ring. The fourth time was easy. It was now the second ring from the core and spun a little bit slower than the colored one. This would fix it.

I took the rest of my mana and started to slowly infuse it with my ring. I had to control it well or the ring would start sucking all of my mana and I could possibly die. Again, this was the fourth time so it was easier.

I now had four deep blue rings. Two smaller ones that kept making it more pure which makes my magic faster and stronger. Two outer shells were protecting the core and kept mana inside the core.

I now had to send a message to my master and tell her about my achievement. She told me that when I get my fourth ring, I should send a letter to her. I have a fighting class tomorrow; I hope that no one challenges me to a duel or it would end even faster than today.

Only two and a half months till I can visit home and talk to mom. I wonder what she thinks about the things that I've done. I hope that she doesn't get mad at me for not getting many friends or tell me to get a girlfriend.

These girls are forty years younger than me mentally so it feels simply wrong. Now however, it was my turn to go to sleep and study here for less than three months...