Daily Rewards! Transmigrating into a novel as a side-character!

After speaking to my father, I was confident that Kojiro would soon be making his way to the wilderness to hunt a Transcendent-rank beast and achieve his breakthrough. The preparations were in motion, and my guards would ensure his safety while allowing him the combat experience he needed.

Before heading back to the academy, I decided to make another visit to the materials shop where Elen and I had purchased our crafting supplies. My mind was buzzing with different kinds of project ideas and to implement them, I needed to have resources.

The same merchant greeted me with obvious enthusiasm when he saw me return so soon. This time, I purchased a much more extensive collection of materials - additional Mithril for structural components, more Orichalcum wire for magical conductivity, and various alloy samples for experimentation.

The total came to nearly a thousand golden coins, a substantial investment that would have bankrupted most students but didn't even make a dent in my family's resources. These materials would allow me to pursue multiple ambitious projects simultaneously rather than being limited by supply constraints.

On the way back to the academy, I continued practicing with my Blood Enhancement trait, focusing on maintaining the enhancement for longer periods and achieving more precise control over the effect. The constant practice during my walks finally paid dividends.

[Your Blood Enhancement trait has reached level 2]

A smile erupted across my face as the notification appeared. This was exactly the kind of progress I needed to see. The enhanced version would provide even greater physical improvements and likely consume less mana to maintain.

But even this advancement wasn't enough. I needed to level up all of my traits if I wanted to survive what was coming. I couldn't afford to remain a sitting duck, hiding safely within the academy's protective barriers while threats gathered beyond its walls.

I wanted to be more proactive in my approach to gaining strength, and that meant actively seeking out combat opportunities to kill beasts and gain soul power. Only by accumulating enough soul power could I advance to the next rank and truly begin to matter in this world's power structure.

Elite-rank awakeners were considered cannon fodder at best when real battles occurred. Only by reaching Transcendent rank would I have meaningful influence and the ability to protect myself and those I cared about. The path forward was clear.

I spent the rest of the day immersed in training, alternating between practicing my various abilities and working on blacksmithing techniques. The repetitive routine was becoming mind-numbing. My life had been remarkably boring lately, consisting of nothing but endless training sessions.

It was a stark contrast to my previous life on Earth, where there had been countless entertaining diversions, reading web novels, playing video games, watching movies, socializing without the constant threat of assassination. Here, every moment was focused on survival and strength acquisition.

I cursed my family's enemies under my breath, vowing silently to make them regret forcing me into this prison-like existence within the academy walls. The next time they attacked, I would be ready. I would tear them apart before they could even consider their self-destruction tactics. Now that I understood their methods, I wouldn't give them the opportunity to reach that desperate stage.

The next day arrived with an unusual sense of anticipation in the air.

Unlike the previous routine days, today marked a significant new chapter in my academic career. When I entered the classroom, Instructor Sylvia's expression was more serious than usual, and there was an energy among the students that suggested something important was about to happen.

"Good morning everyone," Sylvia announced, her voice cutting through the morning chatter. "I will get straight to the point as we don't have much time. Today will be your first entry into the academy's beast training ground. This will be a class examination, and like we've said before, during class examinations, you will be tested as a whole group rather than as individual students."

The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. Students sat up straighter, their casual morning demeanour replaced by focused expressions.

"The examination will be held against other classrooms," Sylvia continued, "and I say this with complete seriousness, you should not underestimate any of them. Winning this examination will not only provide you with the points you all desperately want, but will also allow the highest contributing student of the winning classroom to gain the swap card."

Confused murmurs rippled through the class. Several students exchanged puzzled glances before someone finally voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"Swap card? What's that?" Kyle asked from his position near the front of the classroom.

Instructor Sylvia's expression grew even more grave as she prepared to explain. "The swap card is exactly what it sounds like, a card that essentially allows its user to swap places with any student in the Elite class. Which means, if another class wins this tournament, they will have the ability to replace one of you. The selected student will be demoted from Elite class status and take the winner's place in their original classroom."

The implications hit the room like a thunderbolt. Murmurs spread rapidly across the classroom as students began to grasp the true stakes of this examination. This wasn't just about points or academic rankings - this was about maintaining their privileged position in the academy's most prestigious class.

"Wait," Elen said, her voice tight with concern, "you mean we could actually lose our spots in Elite class?"

"Precisely," Sylvia confirmed. "Elite class positions are not guaranteed. They must be earned and maintained through consistent performance. This examination system ensures that only the most capable students remain in advanced programs."

The casual confidence that had characterized most of my classmates evaporated instantly. Everyone understood that the competition had just become deadly serious - not just against beasts, but against their fellow students who were hungry to claim their positions.

I felt a grim smile tugging at my lips. Finally, something interesting was about to happen.