NOVPUBIn the end, I decided to head out. Staying stuck inside the dorm was boring as heck.
Compared to that, I’d rather snoop around and see what Witch School had going on. Yeah, it stunk that Bai Yu ditched me last night.
I still had no idea what was so urgent—but it had to be something major, right? I couldn’t exactly yank her back here.
Problem was, my “map” of this place was pretty much just Snack Alley. Exploring a whole new part of campus solo? Yeah, just thinking about it gave me headaches.
After some waffling, I decided to swing back to the enrollment area from yesterday.
It was packed with people—a perfect spot to find some nice seniors who’d help a newbie out.
Bai Yu had said they were volunteers, steering freshmen through the mess. If I wandered over and asked around, I’d probably be good.
No clue if they got paid for it, though. If there’s money in it, I wouldn’t mind playing guide myself.
I mean, I’d just crushed the enrollment process yesterday—I could totally walk other newbies through it. Only problem? I had no idea how to jam a mana core into someone.
Even if I couldn’t volunteer, that place was a blast to watch. Seeing tricked freshmen lose it and cry? Hilarious.
And the best part—watching guys turn into trainees? Man, I get why the seniors loved pulling that move. I was already sold on it myself.
It was just too fun.
Fingers crossed those guys didn’t take it too rough and do something dumb. Living’s way better than the alternative—at least, that was my take now.
I caught a bus to the enrollment spot. It was right by the academy’s main gate, basically the big landmark of Witch School turf.
Tons of routes roll through here—you can check the schedule on your phone. The stop even had a little sign with a QR code vibe for real-time updates. Pretty neat.
Technically, it was still morning, but I’d wasted so much time messing with my hair that I’d skipped breakfast. My stomach growled a little, but meh—one missed meal wasn’t gonna kill me.
By the time I rolled up, the place was already buzzing with seniors running around, even though barely any newbies had shown up yet. Early birds like me were the odd ones out.
“Hey, freshman—what’s up?” a senior called out, spotting me as I got a little too close.
She clocked my witch cloak and figured I was already in the system. Solid guess.
“Hi, uh, yeah—I just enrolled yesterday,” I said, throwing her a polite smile. “I was hoping to ask a few things, if that’s okay?”
It was quiet—no newbies clogging the line—so she seemed free. Plus, she’d basically invited me to hit her with my questions.
“Sure, I’ve got time,” she said, setting aside whatever she’d been messing with. She leaned in, all relaxed and ready to help. “What’s on your mind?”
“So, uh, about part-time jobs,” I said, getting right to it. “Does the academy have any rules or stuff I need to know? I’m new here, totally lost, and my wallet’s basically empty. Thought a job might save me.”
No sense dancing around it—finding work was my top goal. I wasn’t about to wander campus begging every shop for a temp job if there was an easier way.
“Part-time stuff? Nah, the academy doesn’t really care,” she said, mulling it over. “No hard rules or anything—you can hustle if you want. So, you’re looking for a job, huh?”
She tilted her head, like it hadn’t occurred to her before. Guess she wasn’t the job-hunting type herself.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I said, shrugging. “I’m kinda broke. Had a huge fight with my family and everything.”
“Oh, wow, a blowout with the family, huh?”
The senior’s eyes lit up, like she’d just sniffed out some prime gossip. Her tone got all warm and excited. “So, you’re after some fast cash, then? Honestly, the academy’s got tons of ways to rake it in—part-time jobs are probably the slowest option.”
“Tons of ways?”
Her words rang like a winning slot machine in my head.
My eyes practically twinkled—cash is cash, no shame there.
I leaned in, cranking up the charm, even throwing in a little cute voice. Not too hard, though—didn’t want to overplay it and ruin the mood. “Uh, could you maybe clue me in with some tips?”
“‘Clue you in’ might be pushing it,” she said with a grin. “It’s not some big mystery—you newbies just don’t know the system yet. Easiest place to start? The Witch School app. It’s got everything—grades, class schedules, sections, academy tasks, all right there.”
“Oh, got it…”
I fished out my academy phone. It didn’t have much on it, but the Witch School app was hard to miss, glowing like a beacon.
“Oh, heads-up,” the senior added, snapping her fingers like it just hit her. “You’ll need your student ID to sync it. Otherwise, you might not get in. Just tap the ID on the back of your phone—it’ll update your info automatically. If it bugs out, you can tweak it in settings.”
“Cool… got it.”
I opened the app, fumbling a bit as I swiped my ID. The layout was smooth—everything neat and simple, practically begging me to dive in. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
“Find it yet?” she asked. “There’s a part-time job section under academy tasks. Tons of listings show up there—safe ones, too. If someone posts a scam, you can report it and even get some reward.”
“Oh—found it! Thanks, senior!” I chirped, piling on the sweetness with a big smile. Looks like the charm trick works on everybody.
“Glad you got it,” she said, leaning back. “Anything else you want to know?”
“Yeah, uh, one more thing,” I said, jumping at the opening. “That volunteer job—guiding newbies during enrollment—does it pay? Is there, like, a sign-up catch?”
I was already imagining it: running the freshman orientation, showing off what I knew. Even if it didn’t pay, it’d be a dope story to flex later. I’d totally mess with it a few times if I got the shot.
But cash was still the goal—I couldn’t play around too much.
The senior cracked up, like I’d just said the funniest thing ever.
Her grin was huge, no holding back, as she leaned back in her chair, eyeing me with a mix of laughter and curiosity.
“Newbie, you’ve got a crazy mind,” she said, still laughing. “Volunteers? Come on—it’s volunteering. No pay. It’s an academy task—you can see it right in the system. They’re tagged special, super obvious. But sorry, kid, you don’t even meet the signup cutoff yet.”
“Cutoff? What cutoff?” My excitement fizzled halfway at “no pay.” The other half clung on for the fun, but it sounded like I wasn’t even in the running. “You mean the mana core thing for newbies?”
That had to be it. I couldn’t even handle the magic in my own body—how was I supposed to shove a mana core into someone else?
