Chapter 3: Contracts, Elitists, and Rules (I)
Silence settled over Class 1-B after my spectacular faceplant.
I sat back in my seat, cheeks burning, trying very hard not to make eye contact with anyone. A few students were still snickering, others whispering openly. Some looked curious. Some looked amused. And a few were looking at me like I'd just walked into a shark tank bleeding.
The teacher cleared his throat.
That alone was enough to shut everyone up.
He said calmly, "let us begin."
He turned and tapped the board behind him. Light spread across it like liquid glass, forming floating text and images.
[Arcanum Vanguard Academy — Orientation Class 1-B]
"My name is Rael Voss," he continued. "And before anyone asks, yes. I am human. Yes, I died too. And no, I don't care how you died."
A few students laughed nervously.
"Everyone in this academy is at least eighteen years old at the time of death or reincarnation," Rael added flatly. "The Academy does not recruit minors. You may relax."
Good to know...
"Now," he said, pacing slowly. "You are all here for one reason."
The board shifted.
[Purpose: Monster Suppression & Dungeon Control]
"This world," Rael said, "is under constant threat from dimensional ruptures. Dungeons. Rampages. Invasions. You are weapons. And the Academy is the forge."
A hand shot up.
"Yes?" Rael pointed.
A tall guy with spiky hair leaned forward. "So we're like heroes?"
Rael smiled.
"No," he said pleasantly. "Heroes die first."
That shut him up.
The board changed again.
[Student Classification]
• Combat Class
• Contract Specialist (Elitist)
Murmurs spread through the room.
Rael glanced around. "You've probably already seen the term Elitist floating around. Let's clear that up."
He tapped the word, letting it sink in.
[A Contract Specialist Responsibility]
• Anchoring—coordinating and supporting team members.
• Balancing—maintaining equal emotional connections with all contracted allies.
• Regulating—controlling how deep contracts go during a mission.
He folded his arms. "You rarely fight directly. Not because you can't—but because you're the lead and main support. If a Contract Specialist dies, their contracts collapse. And when that happens, their team members usually follow."
A murmur rippled through the classroom.
"That's why you must stay alive. That's why you stand behind the line." His gaze sharpened. "Of course, if you're confident enough to support your team while fighting, some of you will be terrifyingly good at it."
My stomach tightened.
"All Contract Specialists are called Elitists," he said. "Not because of arrogance—though many qualify—but because the Academy itself designates them as rare, high value assets."
So… that was me...
"They are chosen by the Academy System using criteria no one fully understands," Rael continued. "Might be talent, mental structure, emotional stability, past experience. Sometimes… maybe irony."
"Combat Classes," Rael said, gesturing to the rest of the list, "are more straightforward."
The board expanded.
[Combat Classes]
• Knight — Frontline, defense, protection
• Archer — Ranged damage, control
• Mage — Magic offense
"Combat Classes possess raw power," Rael said. "Contract Specialists make that power survivable."
A girl near the window raised her hand. "How do teams work?"
Rael nodded. "Good question."
The board shifted again.
[Standard Vanguard Team]
• 1 Contract Specialist (Leader)
• 3 Combat Classes
Note: Contract Specialists must be opposite gender from their allies.
A few students blinked.
"Opposite gender...?" someone muttered.
"Yes," Rael said calmly. "Contract magic relies on emotional resonance. Same gender contracts are unstable at higher levels."
Someone snorted. "Sounds awkward."
"It is," Rael agreed. "If you're bad at feelings."
A ripple of laughter spread through the room.
"Once a team is formed," he continued, "they are deployed together. You train together. You fight together."
The board pulsed ominously on that last word.
Rael clasped his hands behind his back. "Now we reach the part everyone pretends not to care about, but absolutely does."
The board displayed three glowing symbols.
[Contract Levels]
• Level 1 — Professional Contract
Requirements: Talking and coordination.
Effect: Minor status buffs, improved coordination.
"This is the minimum," Rael said. "Without Level 1, your party will move like strangers. No coordination. No trust. And you'll die quickly."
A student near the back raised his hand. "How do you raise it?"
"Time," Rael replied without hesitation. "Train together. Fight together. Get closer to your partners. Learn each other's habits. Trust isn't granted—it's accumulated."
The display shifted, reinforcing his words.
[Contracts only deepen when both sides grow together.]
[Advancement requires mutual acceptance.]
Rael's gaze swept across the classroom.
"A contract cannot be forced. Both parties must consent to its growth. When the bond stabilizes, the next level becomes available—and only then can it be performed."
Another hand went up. A nervous voice followed.
"What if one party… declines?"
Rael didn't soften.
"Then you remain at Level 1."
A pause.
"Forever."
Murmurs spread through the room.
"If your ally refuses emotional growth, physical contact, or deeper synchronization," Rael continued, "the contract stagnates. You fight with half a blade. Half a shield."
He tapped the board once.
"And eventually," he said calmly, "you'll die."
Silence fell.
From my seat, I swallowed. Consent-based magic. That's new.
The board shifted.
• Level 2 — Pyhsical Contract
Requirements: Physical contact.
Effect: Strong status buffs, minor healing and barrier, stabilize ally emotions.
He continued calmly, as if he were explaining something completely normal.
"Physical contact allows a Contract Specialist to grant skills directly to their partners. You'll learn the specifics later, once you unlock the function. For example, holding hands can activate a barrier. A kiss will gradually minor healing your partner."
Murmurs rippled through the class instantly.
I sucked in a sharp breath. A kiss... wait, what? My brain short-circuited for a solid second. Kissing… for healing? Combat utility?
"This is where contracts become more personal," Rael said.
Murmurs rippled through the class.
"At Level 2, emotional connection begins to affect combat performance. Fear lessens. Resolve sharpens. Your ally's presence becomes stabilizing."
A girl near the front raised her hand. "Is romance mandatory?"
Rael shook his head. "No. But emotional trust is."
He paused, then added dryly, "Romance simply happens to be an efficient shortcut for most people."
That earned a few awkward laughs.
Then the board dimmed and the third symbol appeared.
• Level 3 — Intimacy Contract
Requirements: Physical Intimacy and Emotional vulnerability
Effect: Prevents fatal injury, restore critical condition
Cost: Severe physical exhaustion, heavy emotional strain, trauma exposure.
"This is not a power up or buffs," Rael said flatly. "It is a last resort."
The room went quiet.
Rael tapped the board again. "Rather than explain," he said, "I will show you."