After spending hours cleaning and throwing out the broken furniture, I collapsed into a chair, feeling like I might just fall asleep right here in the middle of the school. But before I could enjoy the silence, another quest popped up.
[New Quest: Hire at least one staff member.]
I groaned. Of course, the system would send me a quest at the most inconvenient time.
[Hire a staff member within 72 hours. Failure to complete this quest will result in penalties.]
The clock was ticking, and 72 hours felt like nothing. The school was barely cleaned, and I didn't even have a plan for how I was going to hire anyone. I considered posting an advertisement, but who would come to a random, haunted-looking school in the middle of nowhere?
A new screen flashed.
[This is important. Please hire someone as soon as possible.]
"Ugh, I get it, you're pushy." I sighed. "Maybe I can spread some rumors around town. It's a small village; word will get out fast."
I could just imagine the whispers about the ghostly school. "Oh, there's a new headmistress at the old building! Weird things happen at night, but she's hiring!" Yeah, that would definitely get some attention, right?
I set to work on spreading the rumors, hoping something would come of it.
The Next Day:
It wasn't much longer before I summoned my first staff member using the system's "Staff Summoning Ticket" which I had no idea about until today..
[Summoning staff…]
A bright light filled the room, and when it faded, a man stood in front of me, looking a bit disoriented. He had a strong build, his features stern yet somehow calming. His clothes were simple, but I could tell from his posture he was no stranger to battle.
"I am Alexander," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "I am here to serve as a combat instructor and tactical trainer. What would you have me do?"
I blinked, still getting used to this whole summoning thing. "Wait, so... you're a combat instructor?"
He nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Indeed. I was summoned to assist you, Headmistress. If you require training, or if there are tasks that need... 'handling,' I am capable."
I raised an eyebrow. "Handling?"
He cracked a smile, though it was small. "Let's just say I'm well-versed in managing... difficult situations."
I chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Alright then, Alexander. You're hired. For now, can you help me clean up the school? It's a mess and I'd rather not do it all myself."
His lips twitched slightly as he bowed. "As you wish, Headmistress. I shall assist with the cleaning."
We spent the next few hours moving furniture, clearing debris, and throwing away the broken items. Alexander was efficient—his calm demeanor and strength made the work go by faster than I anticipated. There was a strange satisfaction in working alongside him, even though it was... well, work.
"Not exactly what I had in mind when I hired a combat instructor," I muttered as I lugged a broken desk out of the room.
"One must begin with the basics, Headmistress," Alexander said, not breaking a sweat. "Even combat requires discipline and order."
I snorted. "Right, order. I guess I didn't think about it like that."
When the last of the junk was cleared away, I let out a deep breath. "Thanks, Alexander. I think we're done here for today."
He nodded, standing at attention. "It was an honor to serve you. Shall I return to my duties, or would you prefer to dismiss me for the night?"
I hesitated for a moment. "You can go for the night. I'll call on you when I need you again."
"Very well. I shall await your next command." With that, he disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me standing alone in the school once more.
That evening, after the chaos of the day, I decided to take a break. I headed back to my small hotel room, ready to collapse into bed. But as soon as I entered the room, something caught my attention. The system's alert had gone off again.
[Unrecognized presence detected.]
My heart jumped in my chest. What now? A thief? A rogue hunter? I quickly grabbed my coat and rushed back to the school.
At the School:
I arrived at the school gate, scanning the area for any sign of movement. It was eerily quiet. I'd been expecting to find someone sneaking around, but there was no one there. Still, something felt off.
I stepped inside the building, and there, on the floor near one of the classrooms, was a boy. A young boy, no older than twelve, curled up and fast asleep on the cold floor.
I blinked, startled. "Hey, kid! What are you doing here?"
He shot up, eyes wide in surprise. "Ah! I... uh, I didn't mean to fall asleep here! I was just... looking around!"
I narrowed my eyes. "Looking around? At a school in the middle of nowhere?"
He scratched his head nervously, glancing around. "Well... I heard it was haunted, so I thought I'd check it out. But it's really clean in here. Not what I expected."
I raised an eyebrow. "So, you thought it was haunted? You're a brave little guy, aren't you?"
The boy blushed and looked down at his feet. "I... I wasn't scared. I just wanted to know if the stories were true."
"Well, they're not," I said, crossing my arms. "This school is mine now. I'm turning it into a place for... well, for something new."
The boy perked up at that, curiosity piqued. "Really? You're opening a school? For what?"
I hesitated. "For... special students, I suppose. Students who are learning something important. Maybe even training to become Hunters someday."
His eyes widened. "Hunters?"
I nodded, giving him a small smile. "Yeah. But that's a long way off. For now, it's just a school, okay?"
The boy nodded slowly. "Okay... I want to learn too. Can I be one of your students?"
I froze. What was I supposed to say to that? Then, a new system notification appeared in front of me.
[System Notification: Potential student detected. Would you like to accept this student into your school? Yes/No]
I glanced down at the boy, who was now looking up at me with hopeful eyes. "I... I'll think about it," I said, trying to keep things casual. "For now, just get home. Don't sneak around here at night, alright?"
He nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I'll tell my dad I was here, but... can I come back tomorrow?"
Before I could answer, I noticed an older man walking toward the school. He looked around, clearly searching for the boy.
"Tobi!" The man called out. "Where have you been? Your mother's worried sick!"
The boy, Tobi, groaned. "I'm fine, Dad! I was just... looking around the school!"
His father grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Looking around? At night? You're lucky nothing happened to you. Come on, we're going home."
As they walked off, I sighed and locked the gate behind them. I hadn't expected that tonight to go the way it did, but at least it was... interesting.
---
The next day, I woke up feeling slightly more exhausted than usual, but the day ahead promised some answers. After breakfast, I received another system notification.
[You have unlocked a part of the School Build Mode.]
I blinked. What? A build mode?
The system explained that I could now customize parts of the school, starting with the floors, walls, and even adding new rooms. I could choose from a basic resource pack or go all out with customization—though, I was warned that the basic pack had questionable design choices.
I smirked. "Questionable design? Yeah, I think I'll pass on that."
As the day went on, I spent hours experimenting with different layouts and designs, figuring out how I wanted my school to look. With each change, I felt a sense of ownership over this place—a place that could become something special.
That night, I headed back to my hotel room, ready to get some rest. It had been a day full of unexpected twists, but I was finally starting to get the hang of this new life. Tomorrow, I'd figure out the next step—whatever that might be.
For now, though, I needed sleep.