They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World-Chapter 43: Dorms

Chapter 43: Dorms
I woke up to the sound of Kyle rummaging through his pack like a raccoon in a trash bin.
What time is it?
Pale morning light filtered through the window.
I sat up slowly, testing each movement. Nothing screaming. Good enough.
"You’re awake!" Kyle said, his voice far too cheerful for whatever ungodly hour this was. He was already dressed, hair still messy, grinning like today was the best day of his life.
"Come on, man! We gotta get to the Academy early."
Right. Official enrollment day.
I swung my legs off the bed. The bandages were still wrapped tight around my torso, I’d need to change those soon.
"Give me a minute," I muttered.
"Sure, sure! Take your time!" Kyle said, already bouncing on his heels by the door.
He’s like a dog waiting for a walk.
I splashed water on my face from the washbasin, sighing, the cold shocking me into alertness. My reflection stared back, dark circles under my eyes, healing cuts on my face, the faint bruising around my nose from where Thomas had broken it.
I look like shit.
I pulled on the spare clothes, pocketed the token and turned to Kyle. "Let’s go."
His grin somehow got wider. "Yes! Okay, let’s do this!"
----
The Academy grounds looked different in the morning light.
Students milled about, some still looking dazed from yesterday’s results, others already walking with the confidence of people who knew they belonged here.
Nobles clustered together, their fine clothes and perfect posture marking them clearly. Commoners kept to smaller groups, quieter, more cautious.
Kyle and I made our way to the main gates. Two guards stood at attention, both wearing the Academy’s colors, deep blue.
"Tokens," one said, voice flat and professional.
I pulled out my token. Kyle did the same, holding his up like it was a trophy.
The guard glanced at them, nodded, and waved us through.
"Administration building is straight ahead. Exchange your temporary tokens for official ones and pick up your dormitory assignments."
"Thanks!" Kyle said.
We walked through, joining the stream of students heading toward the large building at the center of campus.
Inside, the building was chaos.
Lines of students snaked through the entrance hall, all waiting to exchange tokens and get their official paperwork. Staff members moved efficiently behind desks, processing students one after another with mechanical precision.
Kyle and I joined the shortest line we could find.
"This is so cool," Kyle whispered, eyes wide as he took in the high ceilings and polished stone floors. "We’re really here."
The line moved slowly. A noble girl ahead of us complained loudly about the wait, her voice sharp and entitled. Her companion nodded along sympathetically, shooting dirty looks at the commoners in line.
Of course.
Finally, we reached the desk. A middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and no-nonsense expression looked up at us.
"Tokens."
Kyle handed his over first. She scanned it, made a note in a ledger, and handed him a new token, this one silver, and the Academy seal.
"Kyle Stoneheart. Rank 389. Combat track. Here’s your dormitory pass." She slid a small card across the desk. "Building C, Room 47. Next."
I stepped forward and handed over my token.
She scanned it.
"Jin Raith. Rank 447." She wrote something down, then handed me my new token. Silver, like Kyle’s. "Combat track. Building C, Room 47."
I blinked. "Same room?"
"Coincidence," she said flatly. "Or fate. I don’t care which. Next."
Kyle grabbed my arm as we stepped away from the desk. "Dude! We’re roommates! That’s amazing!"
I just nodded. "Lucky us." And let him drag me.
Building C was on the eastern side of campus, a three-story stone and timber structure.
Kyle practically sprinted up the stairs to the second floor. I followed at a more reasonable pace.
Room 47 was at the end of the hall.
Kyle pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.
The room was quite good. Two beds on opposite walls, each with a wooden chest at the foot. Two desks by the window. A small shared wardrobe.
And on each bed, a rectangular wooden box.
Kyle immediately grabbed his, popping the lid open. "Whoa!"
I moved to my own bed and opened the box.
Inside, there was...
Academy uniform: Dark blue jacket with silver trim, white shirt, black trousers. The Academy crest embroidered on the breast pocket.
Academy map showing the campus layout, buildings labeled and color-coded. Student manual titled "
Academy Rules, Regulations, and Guidelines
."
And a small card with academy seal, my name, rank and photo.
When did they take that?
I examined it,
So it’s an identity card, huh!
Then I pulled out the uniform, holding it up. The fabric was high quality, better than anything I’d owned since arriving in this world.
Kyle was already stripping off his shirt, tossing it onto his bed. "Come on, let’s try them on!"
I sighed but complied. The shirt was crisp, the jacket fit surprisingly well, and the trousers were comfortable.
I caught my reflection in the small mirror by the wardrobe.
I look... handsome, I guess.
Kyle finished buttoning his jacket and struck a pose. "How do I look?"
"Like you’re about to ask someone to prom."
"Is that a yes?"
"Sure."
"Yes!" He pumped his fist, then grabbed my arm. "Okay, we gotta go explore. Come on!"
Of course. Why would we rest when we could wander aimlessly?
"Kyle—"
"Come on!" He was already dragging me toward the door.
I sighed, letting myself be pulled along.
This is my life now.
The campus was massive.
We passed training fields where older students sparred with weapons and magic.
A library that looked like it could house half the knowledge in the world. Gardens with benches and fountains where students sat studying or chatting.
Kyle pointed out everything with the enthusiasm of a tourist seeing a famous landmark for the first time.
"Look at that! Is that a dragon statue?"
"Probably."
"And over there, those are the advanced training halls, right? Man, I can’t wait to—"
I stopped walking.
Kyle kept going for a few steps before realizing I wasn’t following. He turned back. "What’s wrong?"
I was staring at two students walking past us.
One was tall, graceful, with pointed ears and silver-blonde hair that caught the sunlight.
Her uniform was identical to ours, but somehow she made it look elegant.
The other had wolf features, sharp amber eyes, ears flicking as she scanned the surroundings. Her tail swished behind her as she walked.
Elves?
Beastkin?
But I didn’t see them at the trials.
Kyle followed my gaze. "Oh yeah, the transfer students! I heard about them. Apparently, only humans do the entrance trials. The elves and beastkin come from their own academies in other regions. Like... diplomatic exchange programs or something."
Right. International relations.
I watched them disappear into a building.
So the trials were just for humans. Everyone else gets slotted in from other academies.
Makes sense. Sort of.
"Come on," Kyle said, tugging my sleeve. "I wanna check out the main board. See the overall rankings."
Rankings.
Oh, this should be fun.
The main board was located in the Central Plaza, a massive stone slab mounted on a wooden frame, enchanted to display glowing text that shifted and updated in real-time.
A crowd had already gathered around it. Students craned their necks, pointing and whispering.
Kyle pushed forward, and I followed.
The board displayed:
ACADEMY RANKINGS — FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
1. Toren Graves
2. Seraphine Ashcroft
3. Sadric Ferren
...
8. Adrian Westmore
9. Emma Vale
10. Marcus Valen
I stared at the names.
Toren Graves.
The armored monster from the trial grounds.
Thomas’s twin brother?
Of course he’s rank one.
Kyle whistled low. "Holy shit. That guy’s a beast."
My eyes moved down the list.
Adrian. Rank eight.
Marcus. Rank ten.
Around us, I heard the whispers.
"Ccommoner in the top ten? That’s absurd!"
"She probably cheated. There’s no way..."
"What’s the Academy thinking, letting her kind—"
A group of noble students stood off to the side, their expressions sour. One of them even sneered openly.
"Rank nine," he muttered loud enough for others to hear. "Embarrassing. A commoner taking a spot that should belong to someone with actual breeding."
His friends laughed.
Kyle’s jaw tightened. "That’s messed up."
Yeah. It is.
But not surprising.
I looked back at the board.
Toren Graves. Rank one.
I eliminated his brother, I’m sure this guy will probably going to make my life hell if I ever cross paths with him.
Fantastic.
I stared at the board a moment longer, then turned away.
Top ten. Toren Graves. Adrian. Marcus.
Enemies at the top. Me at the bottom.
Yeah great. Everything is fine.
Kyle slung his arm over my shoulder. "Come on, man. Let’s grab food. I’m starving."
I let him steer me away from the board, away from the whispers and sneers.