Ren limped into the economics classroom. Professor Mei was already in the middle of her explanation.
“......and this is exactly why understanding the market economy of crystals and the way it flows is so important.”
She spoke while drawing a graph on the blackboard.
“Value fluctuates with the seasons. Rain-attribute crystals, for example, are cheaper during the rainy season.”
Taro waved from his seat and pointed at the chair beside him.
“Wise merchants,”
Professor Mei continued.
“buy when prices are low and put the goods into storage. They must, however, account for storage costs and the risk of quality degradation.”
“Mister Partinder.”
Professor Mei halted the lesson, her voice sharp.
“Do you not even know the basic courtesy of being on time......?”
“Professor.”
Luna cut in from her seat, her voice cold and precise.
“Professor Yang sent Ren to the infirmary. My note should be on your desk, should it not? Please continue the lesson.”
Professor Mei checked her desk and found the slip of paper she had ignored.
“Ah.”
Her expression did not change.
“Take your seat, Mister Partinder. As I was saying, wise merchants purchase when prices are low and put the goods into storage. But they must account for storage costs and the risk of quality degradation.......”
Ren ignored the whispering around him and sat down quietly beside Taro.
As he settled in, he saw that his roommate had meticulously written down the whole first half of the lesson.
“A well-stored Iron Grade crystal,”
Professor Mei continued.
“can rise in value by as much as 30% if it is sold at the right time.”
Most of them still regarded him as rotten trash.
They thought he had merely been lucky, and a single clumsy victory was not going to change that perception.
For anything to truly change, he would have to win far more from here on.
Still, Luna had defended him once again, however indirectly.
***
When the economics lecture ended, the crystal gathering lecture followed. Professor Song laid out a number of samples on the main table of the crystallology laboratory.
“Welcome to my laboratory. Before I take you down to the mines, you had best learn how to identify what it is you are looking for.”
He held up a crystal the size of a fingernail.
“Iron Grade crystals like this one are the most common. Any student on basic support receives one of these every day. Observe the clouded light and the irregular structure. Perfect for an Iron Grade Beast, but.......”
He produced another crystal, ten times larger and brighter than the first.
“Compared with a Bronze Grade, the difference is obvious.”
The students' eyes gleamed, and every one of them leaned forward without realizing it.
“Bronze Grade is rarer and more expensive. One is worth ten Iron Grade. Show steady results for six months and you will receive one of these every day. Provided, of course, that you complete the examinations.”
In the front row, Luna watched with interest as the professor lifted a crystal the size of a strawberry.
“A Silver Grade crystal is worth a hundred Iron Grade. And a Gold Grade crystal.......”
He raised one the size of a fist.
“A single one is worth a thousand Iron Grade....... Well, I do not imagine many of you will have need of one.”
His gaze lingered a moment on Luna, whose Shadow Wolf carried Gold potential.
While the professor went on describing the properties of each type, Ren did the arithmetic in his head. What his own evolution required were Bronze Grade crystals. And those were ten times more expensive than what Taro would be using. He had to find some way to obtain them. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed softly.
“Any truly motivated student must be wondering how to obtain higher Grade crystals, no?”
The professor smiled at the eyes shining with eagerness.
“There are three paths by which you may prove, in this term's examinations, that you deserve the next stage of support.”
He drew three branching roads.
“The first, and the most direct. Evolve your Beast to the next Grade. Of course,”
His smile turned meaningful.
“most choose to study further before gambling with their own futures, so few will take this road.”
Several students nodded. A mistake during the evolution process could ruin a life.
“The second path is to submit a thesis describing in detail the method of your Beast's evolution. You must demonstrate deep understanding and a workable plan.”
He pointed at the second branch on the projection screen.
“It is the most popular option.”
Ren watched many of his classmates relax. It was the safest road.
“And the third.......”
The professor paused for dramatic effect.
“It is to prove with your own hands that you deserve that support. If you can acquire crystals and Beast materials yourself, within the Academy or in the practical lectures, and if they were obtained by your own strength rather than with family money, the Academy will reward you with value equal to the amount you have collected. In other words, for as long as you are enrolled here, you will always receive double the value of what you acquire yourself.”
His eyes glinted.
“This is why tuition at our Academy is expensive. It is also why, should you prove your ability, you can recover a considerable portion of that investment.”
His expression grew serious.
“Of course, setting out after materials carries risk. If you choose this road, the Academy takes no responsibility for your safety. That is why most prefer the thesis. Whichever road you choose, to advance to the next stage you must complete the theory examinations for every lecture. Knowledge is the foundation of all successful training.”
Professor Song smiled.
“Now then, shall we go and see for ourselves where these treasures are waiting?”
The students straightened up, full of enthusiasm.
“They are safe zones, naturally.”
He smiled.
“Specially designed so that students can practice gathering without excessive danger. Although...... that does not mean they are easy.”
The mushrooms in his hair pulsed. If there were official practice caves, it meant the Academy possessed an enormous network of tunnels beneath its buildings. Perhaps the ruins he had sensed.......
“Do not forget to bring the textbook that describes each type of crystal.”
The professor cut into Ren's thoughts.
“You will need it to identify veins worth working.”
As the students began to leave, Ren could not hide a smile. The practice caves would make the perfect pretext for exploring deeper, where the real secret waited.
“Welcome to the East Cave.”
Professor Song led them to a reinforced entrance.
“One of our four practice zones, and as it happens the closest one to Gray Wing.”
Ren and Taro exchanged a meaningful look. That proximity was no accident.
The poorer the student, the more time he spent in the mines.
Unlike a natural cave, the practice mine was a well-lit tunnel. Upperclassmen worked along the walls, carefully cutting crystals free.
The tunnel descended in a gentle spiral, with depth markers posted every 25 meters.
Professor Song pointed at the wall.
“This is a safe practice zone. But remember, even here the price of a mistake can be high. You must always be able to identify a vein. We would not want anyone confusing a solid vein with a liquid one and bringing on mana poisoning, would we? And bear in mind, mana density increases exponentially with depth.”
He stopped beside the 50-meter marker.
“The first stage is completely safe. The mana here is only slightly more concentrated than at the surface. But look at this.”
He took out a detection crystal, a simple tool that glowed in response to mana. At this depth its light was faint but steady.
“Every 50 meters you descend, the concentration doubles.”
Professor Song continued as they went down.
“At the 100-meter point, where our regular patrols end, the density is four times that of the surface. And the demon beasts.......”
As if on cue, a distant roar rolled up from the depths. Several students' faces stiffened.
“Beasts are drawn to crystal veins.”
Professor Song smiled at their reaction.
“The deeper you go, the stronger the mana density...... and the more dangerous the visitors it attracts. And remember, these are no ordinary demon beasts. They are beings of the abyss, Abyssals. They are also the ones that spill out of the Swarm...... the countless horde of monsters the armies contend with.”
Tension ran through the students once again.
“But do not worry.”
Professor Song smiled.
“We maintain rotating guards down to 150 meters and eliminate any demon beast that strays out of its zone. The mana-starved Beasts in this zone are honestly more pitiful than dangerous. Compared with the outer forest, the concentration rises far more quickly here. The density at the 100-meter point is barely comparable to the Iron Ring outside, so it is relatively safe. But beyond the 200-meter point.......”
He gave them a meaningful look.
“Well, let us say there is a reason only professional teams explore those depths.”
The group halted in a small cavern where a crystal vein glimmered faintly in the wall.
Ren examined the vein. Knowledge flowed in. These Iron Grade crystals were only the beginning. The Bronze Grade crystals he needed formed further down, where the mana was more concentrated.
Professor Song demonstrated the basic extraction technique while answering another student's question.
“Abyssals resemble the Beasts outside in many respects. When mana is scarce they grow starved and aggressive. The difference is that down here there is nowhere to flee. Once hunger drives those bastards mad, there is only one way out.”
Another roar, echoing up from deeper than the last, lent weight to his words.
But Ren was barely listening. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed harder and harder, as though sensing something in the abyss. If the practice caves connected to the ancient ruins.......
“Still,”
Professor Song smiled as he gathered up a pickaxe.
“not everyone fears those bastards. Particularly...... the more driven students sometimes form teams and take the risk of crossing past the safe zone. I do not recommend it, but if anyone should be that reckless.......”
He looked meaningfully at the Gray Wing students.
“At the very least, go in a group.”
***
Ren watched Taro working at a nearby vein.
His Digger Beetle had not evolved yet, but in a cave it carried a natural advantage. If he could only help it reach its true potential.......
Ren needed Bronze Grade crystals for his own evolution as well. But more than that, what he desperately needed right now were companions to work alongside.
Professor Song handed out the basic mining equipment: a small pickaxe, a simple detector, and a storage pouch.
One student raised a hand.
“Professor, is it true that we may keep whatever we find?”
“Of course.”
Professor Song nodded.
“Any material you obtain for yourself in this mine is recognized. But remember, only what you extract with your own hands, and only within the designated zones. Well, most of you will have no need to go that deep. Besides, once your first year is behind you this cave yields almost nothing worth having.......”
That remark was plainly aimed at the wealthy students, who had no need to take risks for a few crystals.
“Next week we begin actual mining. Study the crystallization patterns in your textbook beforehand.”
Professor Song finished as they made their way back up to the surface.