Ren woke up in the infirmary.
The pain in his body reminded him of each of Kai’s blows, the mushrooms in his hair glowed erratically.
“Finally awake.”
Professor Lin was sitting beside his bed, a mischievous smile on her lips as she sipped tea.
“You know? It’s the first time I’ve seen someone win a fight while looking so adorably pathetic,” she laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Your form is terrible, darling. Your endurance…” she clicked her tongue, “well, let’s say any novice with any other beast would have more stamina, and your technique…” she shook her head.
“Practically nonexistent.”
Ren tried to sit up, every muscle protesting.
“Ah, ah,” Lin gently pushed him back to the bed. “Boys who let themselves be used as training dummies need to rest a bit while listening.”
“I didn’t let…”
“No?” she arched an eyebrow, amused. “Oh, sorry. I suppose your face and body heroically stopped all those blows on purpose.”
Despite the pain, Ren couldn’t help blushing.
“But…” Lin leaned forward, her smile becoming softer, “your combat reading was fascinating. The way you analyzed Kai’s scales, how you found the weak point in his mana pattern… That was extraordinary.”
“Why are you here, professor?”
“Can’t I visit my new favorite student?”
“Your… what?”
“I want to train you personally.”
Ren blinked, sure he had heard wrong.
“Train me? But…” he looked at the mushrooms in his hair reflected in the window. “I have the weakest beast. Even if I improve my technique, my limit is…”
“And?” Lin smiled, but there was something bitter in her expression. “Let me show you something.”
Lin rolled up her sleeve with a theatrical flourish. “Look at this.”
On her arm, white and red feathers gleamed under the light. A swift crane manifested in her skin, its wings forming elegant patterns that ran up to her shoulder.
“A swift crane,” Ren observed, the mushrooms in his hair pulsing with knowledge. “But the feather pattern…”
Lin traced the feathers with a finger.
“Most cranes can reach Silver easily. They’re creatures naturally gifted for cultivation, with a clear path to higher ranks.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes lost in the feather patterns.
“Mine was especially promising thanks to my family’s resources. The professors said it had potential for Silver 2, maybe even…”
“Well… Pretty impressive, right? Or it was, until this fool,” she pointed to herself, “ruined her cultivation through impatience.”
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed as he analyzed. The pattern clearly showed where the cultivation had deviated.
“Now it’s permanently at Bronze 1 having reached maturity,” Lin continued, pinching Ren’s cheek. “So let’s say I have a weakness for special cases.”
“Why me?”
“Because…” she leaned in so close their noses almost touched, “I saw a little genius today. Sure, a genius who desperately needs physical training, but…” she winked, “that can be fixed.”
Ren saw a flash of pity in her eyes, though she hid it well behind her playful attitude. And she was right, even a mature beast, ruined at Bronze 1, was infinitely superior to his spore.
At least in others’ perception, since he knew the truth… However, Ren could certainly use some extra training…
“So, what do you say?” Lin ruffled his hair, making the mushrooms glow. “Will you let this ruined assistant professor train the weakest student?”
The mushrooms glowed as Ren considered her offer. The knowledge showed him that Lin’s swift crane could have been extraordinary… and that it wasn’t completely lost yet.
“I accept,” he said finally. “But…”
“But?” Lin tilted her head, curious.
“Someday,” Ren looked at the feathers on her arm, “I’d like to talk to you about your crane’s cultivation.”
Lin blinked, surprised, before letting out a crystalline laugh.
“How daring!” she pinched both his cheeks this time. “The little expert wants to fix my cultivation? One thing at a time, darling. First,” her smile turned mischievous, “let’s see if you can last more than two minutes in a real fight.”
The teacher stood up.
“Well, enough rest,” Lin pulled a small green pill from her pocket. “Take this, it will help with the pain and speed up your recovery.”
Ren swallowed the pill, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through his body. The pain didn’t disappear completely, but it became more manageable.
“Now, to class,” Lin helped him up. “You have practical Economics after battle class, and you can’t afford to miss it. With your… special condition, you need to excel in all theoretical units if you want to maintain your support.”
Ren nodded, understanding where the advice came from. Lin believed that with his spore, he would need every point he could get.
“I’ll see you after classes,” Lin smiled as she gently pushed him toward the door. “And this time try not to provoke anyone who might break your bones before you heal, okay?”
The mushrooms in his hair pulsed softly as Ren headed to his next class. The lingering pain reminded him that, despite his victory, he still had a long way to go.
♢♢♢♢
Ren arrived limping to the economics classroom. Professor Mei was already in the middle of her explanation.
“…that’s why understanding crystal economy cycles is crucial,” she was saying while drawing graphs on the board. “The value fluctuates according to the season. Rain crystals, for example, are cheaper during the wet season…”
Taro waved to him from his seat, pointing to an empty space beside him.
“Smart merchants,” Mei continued, “buy when prices are low and store. But they must consider storage costs and degradation risk…”
“Mr. Patinder,” Mei stopped, her voice sharp. “Is punctuality not important for…?”
“Professor,” Luna interrupted from her seat, her voice cold and precise…