“Mr. Patinder,” Mei stopped, her voice sharp. “Is punctuality not important for…?”
“Professor,” Luna interrupted from her seat, her voice cold and precise… “Professor Yang sent him to the infirmary. There should be a note I left on your desk… please continue the class.”
Mei checked her desk, finding a paper she had ignored.
“Ah.” Her expression didn’t change. “Take your seat, Mr. Patinder. As I was saying, smart merchants buy when prices are low and store. But they must consider storage costs and degradation risk…”
Ren slipped in beside Taro, ignoring the whispers around him.
As Ren sat down, he noticed his companion had taken detailed notes from the first part of the class.
“A well-stored iron crystal,” Mei continued, “can increase its value by up to 30% if sold at the right time…”
Most still saw him as the Rotting Boy… They thought it had been luck, a single quasi victory wouldn’t change their perception.
He would have to win many times more before anything really changed.
But Luna had defended him again, even if perhaps indirectly.
♢♢♢♢
After economics, came crystal gathering class.
“Welcome to the Crystallography Laboratory,” Professor Song placed several samples on the main table. “Before taking you to the mines, you must learn to identify what you’re looking for.”
He lifted a crystal the size of a fingernail.
“Iron-rank crystals, like this one, are the most common. Each student with basic support will receive one daily.”
“Notice the opaque glow, the irregular structure. Perfect for Iron-rank beasts, but…” he pulled out another crystal, 10 times larger and brighter, “compared to a Bronze one, the difference is obvious.”
The students leaned forward, fascinated.
“Bronze-rank ones are rarer and more expensive. Each is worth ten Iron ones. After six months of steady progress, you’ll be able to receive one of these daily… If you pass your exams, of course.”
Luna, in the front row, watched with interest as the professor lifted a crystal the size of a strawberry.
“Silver crystals are worth a hundred Iron ones. And Gold ones…” he held one the size of a fist, “a thousand… Though I doubt many of you will need them.”
His gaze lingered on Luna, whose shadow wolf had Gold potential.
While the professor continued explaining each type’s properties, Ren calculated mentally. The crystals he would need for his evolution were Bronze rank… ten times more expensive than what Taro would use.
The mushrooms in his hair pulsed softly. Somehow, he would have to find a way to get them.
“Truly motivated students wonder how to obtain higher-rank crystals,” the professor smiled at the eager looks. “There are three paths to prove you deserve the next level of support in my semester exams.”
He drew three paths.
“The first and most direct: evolve your beast to the next rank. Though,” his smile became knowing, “most prefer to study more before risking their cultivation so few take this route.”
Several students nodded. A mistake in evolution could ruin their lives.
“The second path is presenting a thesis detailing your evolution method. You must demonstrate deep understanding and a viable plan.” He pointed to the second branch of the projection. “It’s the most popular option.”
Ren noticed how many of his classmates relaxed. It was the safest path.
“And the third…” the professor made a dramatic pause, “prove you can get the support by yourself.”
Murmurs filled the classroom.
“If you can obtain crystals and synthesis materials on your own, without buying them with your family’s money of course, they can be from within the school or… acquiring them in practical classes, the Academy will match your collected amount.”
His eyes gleamed.
“That’s why we’re an expensive school. But that’s also why you can recover much of your investment if you demonstrate capability.”
His expression turned serious.
“Of course, venturing to get materials has its risks. The Academy isn’t responsible for your safety if you choose this path. That’s why most prefer the thesis.”
“Though, regardless of the path you choose, you must pass the theoretical exams of all your classes to advance. Knowledge is the foundation of all successful cultivation.”
“Now,” Song smiled, “who wants to see where we find these treasures?”
The students straightened with renewed interest.
“They’re safe areas, of course,” he smiled, “specifically designed for students to practice gathering without excessive risks. Though… that doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed. If there were official practice caves, that meant the Academy had a whole network of tunnels under its buildings. Perhaps the ruins he sensed…
“Don’t forget to bring your book on crystal types,” the professor interrupted his thoughts. “You’ll need them to identify valuable deposits.”
As students began to leave, Ren couldn’t help but smile. The practice caves would be perfect cover for exploring deeper, where the real secrets waited.
♢♢♢♢
“Welcome to the East Cave,” Professor Song led them toward a reinforced entrance. “One of our four practice zones, and conveniently, the closest to the Gray Wing.”
Ren and Taro exchanged a significant look. The proximity wasn’t coincidence, poorer students tended to spend more time in the mines.
The practice mines were well-lit tunnels, nothing like the natural caves outside. Groups of older students worked on the walls, carefully extracting crystals.
The tunnel descended in a gentle spiral, with depth markers every 25 meters.
Song pointed at the walls, “these are safe practice areas. But remember, even here, a mistake can be costly.”
“You must learn to identify veins. We don’t want you confusing a solid deposit with a liquid one and getting poisoned by mana gases.”
“Also, mana density increases exponentially with depth,” explained Song, stopping beside a 50-meter mark.
“The first levels are completely safe, the mana is barely more concentrated than on the surface. But observe this…”
He pulled out a detector crystal, a simple instrument that glowed in the presence of mana. At this depth, its light was dim but constant.
“Every 50 meters, the concentration doubles,” he continued as they descended. “At 100 meters, where our regular patrols end, the density is 4 times higher than on the surface. And the monsters…”
As if on cue, a distant roar resonated from the depths.
Several students tensed.
