Athanasia: My Hacker System-Chapter 28: The Competition Rules

John stood at the heavy, dark-wood office door in the Administrative wing, his knuckles making a sharp, rhythmic sound.

"I thought you would come after classes!"

Nikolas’ voice boomed from the other side. When John stepped into the office, he was met with a look of genuine surprise on the teacher’s face. The office was cluttered with topographical maps, discarded papers, and many books.

"How did you know my office was here in the first place?!" Nikolas asked, leaning back in a chair that groaned under his weight.

"You are our class lead master," John replied, momentarily taken aback by the teacher’s sharp notice. "It’s only logical to ask about your office location since day one."

"Clever boy," Nikolas complimented, a slow grin spreading across his face. He gestured to a sturdy wooden chair across from his desk. "Sit. You’ve got good timing. I just ended a meeting with the headmaster, and the rules for the competition have finally been decided!"

"Good," John said, though his mind was elsewhere.

He took his seat, forcing himself to appear attentive. Internally, he was itching to skip the formalities. He wanted to directly ask for the night patrol badge, head back to his dorm, and prepare for a midnight hack to the library.

But under the infectious excitement radiating from Nikolas, John knew he would have to play the part of the diligent Class President for a while longer.

"The competition this year will be held in two main stages," Nikolas said, slapping a large, glossy poster onto the desk. It was brightly colored, clearly designed to be hung in the main thoroughfares to attract the eyes of every student in the department. "The academy wants a good show this time."

John leaned in, scanning the poster.

"The first part will be individual matches," Nikolas explained, tracing the points with a thick finger. "Five students against five. Then, the team match will start—three students in each team. For every win in the individual matches, the winner will get one point, totalling five possible points for that stage.

Then, the winner of the team match will be awarded five points. If there is a tie in total points, the winner of the entire competition will be decided by whichever year secured the victory in the team match!"

John did the math in his head instantly. If the individual matches only provided one point each, and the team match provided five, then it was clear which part the academy prioritised and preferred the most. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"So... In other words," John summarised, his brow furrowing, "to win the competition, we essentially need to secure a win at the team match. If we lose the team match, even winning the five individual matches wouldn’t be enough to clinch it. It seems like a weird system. Why even have the individual matches if they can be rendered moot so easily?"

"Don’t belittle the individual matches," Nikolas’ tone shifted, his eyes went serious in a second. He noticed the dismissive edge in John’s voice and leaned forward, his shadow looming over the desk.

"In this academy, talent and strength can only take you to a certain extent. To truly rise further, you will need backing, you’ll need resources, funding, and political support if you want to climb higher."

"Do you mean something like... Sponsors?" John asked, reading between the lines.

The realisation hit him like a cold breeze. He knew the academy highly respected the hierarchy, but he hadn’t fully grasped that it operated where the Commoners were separated from the Elites not by power and talent, but by the wealth and bloodlines of their houses.

"We prefer the term, Guardian Teachers," Nikolas coughed, seemingly uncomfortable with John throwing the bare, unvarnished truth right into his face. "Anyway, for certain people, the individual matches are the best way to show off their raw potential and attract the attention of the academy and external observers."

When he said ’certain people,’ Nikolas’ eyes narrowed slightly, focusing entirely on John. The hidden advice was clear. In the academy’s records, John Mirage was a nobody—a student with no known family name, no estate, and no wealth.

He was someone who had seemingly stumbled into the academy by sheer luck. For someone like him, an individual match was a stage to prove he was worth more support and investment from the academy.

"I’ll do my best, sir," John said, clearing his throat and shifting the subject back to his primary objective. "What about my badge? The night permit?"

"Badge?"

The slight pause and the genuine look of confusion on Nikolas’ face caused John’s heart to clench. He felt a surge of anxiety. Had the teacher forgotten the one thing John had actually asked for?

"Ah, that night permit you asked for... Well..." Nikolas rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. "I tried, John. I really did. But the administration is stubborn. The best I could do was give the privilege to all the students taking part in the competition training.

You and your team will enjoy the right to roam the training grounds at night to practice, in addition to being granted a formal leave from standard classes during the preparation period."

He paused, his voice turning stern as he saw the disappointment on John’s face. "Breaking the general and ancient rules of the academy for a single freshman is simply not possible, no matter how much I like you.

However, after you win the competition—and I expect you to win—I promise to bring it up to the headmaster again. A champion carries more weight than a Class President."

"T... Thanks, sir," John said, forcing a polite nod while struggling to suppress his inward anger.

He knew Nikolas meant well and that his logic was sound, but it didn’t change the fact that John’s plans for a quiet, legal nighttime hack of the library were now in jeopardy.

"Don’t look so down," Nikolas said, tried to console, "just do your best and win the competition."

John had nothing else to say but to nod in return.