‘I could take advantage to collect some crystals,’ Ren thought while heading toward the practice mines. ‘If I start now, before other students finish their classes…’
“Oh! But look who we have here!”
Ren froze mid-step. That cheerful voice…
“My favorite student!” Lin appeared from nowhere, practically materializing in front of him. “What are you doing wandering the halls at this hour? Shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Professor Wei gave me permission to…”
“Free time!” Lin’s eyes sparkled with a joy that made Ren instinctively step back. “What a coincidence! I have this hour free too.”
“Actually, I was going to the mines to…”
“Exercise?” Lin grabbed his arm. “How dedicated! I was just thinking you needed more work on your core endurance.”
“No, I meant to collect cryst…”
“Excellent idea!” Lin began dragging him in the opposite direction from the mines. “We’ll collect muscles! Though,” she pinched his arm, “first we need to find them. Where did you hide them, little one?”
“Professor, I really need to get some materials…”
“Oh, you also need to get some endurance. And look! We have all morning to work on it.”
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed with what seemed like resignation while Lin dragged him toward the training field, humming cheerfully.
“You know?” Lin smiled while opening the field door. “I think today we’ll focus on leg exercises. Since you seem so eager to go to the mines, I’ll help you prepare for all that walking!”
Ren sighed. Apparently, the universe had other plans for his free morning. Very painful plans.
♢♢♢♢
“Come on, one last set!” Lin smiled while Ren struggled to complete another series of exercises.
Every muscle protested from the previous day’s training. The push-ups that were already difficult had become almost impossible.
“Can’t… can’t…” Ren panted, his arms shaking.
“Oh?” Lin crouched beside him. “Does the little expert give up so easily? After beating a boy with stone scales?”
“That was… different…”
“True. That was luck and knowledge,” she pinched his cheek. “This is hard work. Which would you prefer backing you up next time?”
“All of them!”
Ren tried another push-up, but his arms gave way. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed weakly, as if they too were exhausted.
Lin watched him struggle a moment longer before sighing theatrically. “Alright, alright. I suppose I’ve been a bit cruel.” She pulled another green pill from her pocket. “Here. This will help with recovery.”
“More magic pills?”
“Nothing magical, just my basic fatigue medicine.” She winked. “Can’t have my student dying on his second day, right?”
As the pill’s effect spread through his body, Lin helped him complete the last exercises. The pain didn’t disappear completely, but at least now he could move without wanting to scream.
“Just in time,” Lin heard the bell. “Time for battle class.”
“Can’t I take a break?”
“After I gave you a pill?” She dragged him toward the main field. “Besides, today is special, core training for everyone.”
♢♢♢♢
The main field was already full when they arrived.
Yang watched as students organized themselves in rows.
“After yesterday’s evaluations,” he announced, “it’s clear most need basic strength work. Powerful beasts are useless without a solid foundation.”
The exercises that followed were similar to those Lin had made him do, but Ren was already exhausted before starting.
“Look at the rotting boy!” someone whispered when Ren stumbled during an exercise. “Already tired?”
“What did you expect?” another answered between laughs. “With that pathetic spore…”
“Less talk, more movement!” Lin passed between the rows, correcting postures.
When she reached Ren, she murmured: “Don’t mind them. They’re only doing the exercise once.”
Ren nodded, understanding. While others started fresh, he had two training sessions under his belt. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, he was working triple.
“Patinder,” Yang called when Ren failed another exercise. “Was yesterday’s victory luck after all?”
More laughter. But Ren noticed something in Yang’s voice, it wasn’t mockery, it was a test.
“No, professor,” he stood up, legs shaking. “I’m just working harder than the rest.”
“Harder?” Jin sneered from his row. “Is that what you call being pathetic?”
“Continue,” Yang ordered, silencing everyone, but Ren caught a slight smile on his face.
As class progressed, Ren kept pace through pure determination. Lin was right, if he wanted to compete at his best, he needed to work harder than everyone else.
His spore gave him knowledge, but the body to use it… that he would have to earn.
The mushrooms in his hair pulsed stronger, as if approving his resolution. The laughter and mockery continued, but now they felt distant, irrelevant.
It didn’t matter what they said. They only saw the present; he was building his future, one aching muscle at a time.
♢♢♢♢
“Wasn’t so bad,” Lin smiled as students left the training field. “You just need to build more endurance.”
Ren, still panting, looked at her incredulously.
“Oh, and about mornings…” Lin began collecting training equipment. “Since a certain professor gave you free time, we’ll continue with the routine. But,” she raised a finger at Ren’s horrified expression, “you can dedicate afternoons to collecting crystals.”
“Really?”
“Of course. We’ll have night training but it’ll be lighter, just to maintain the improvement pace.” Her playful smile returned. “And I always have more recovery pills.”
Ren didn’t know whether to feel relieved or worried.
Though the promise of another pill at day’s end was tempting…
♢♢♢♢
Mei’s history class proved surprisingly basic.
While the professor explained the formation of the first cities and their relationship with low mana concentration zones, Ren found he already knew most of the material.
His old father had liked to tell him all sorts of things…
“The first cities were established in areas where mana was low enough to keep powerful beasts away,” Mei explained. “That’s why our city is where it is, the mana here isn’t enough to maintain even Iron-rank beasts without cultivation.”
‘And that’s why the ruins under the academy are so interesting,’ thought Ren while his mushrooms pulsed. A place with dense mana under a naturally mana-poor zone…
♢♢♢♢
Finally came the crystals gathering class.
Song handed out their mining equipment: small but sturdy picks, basic mana detectors, and special bags for crystals.
“Ren!” Min called him as they headed to the caves. “Liu taught us some tricks yesterday. Want us to show you?”