A month later, inside the elite class's lecture hall.
As Xue Musheng, our homeroom teacher, slammed his hand onto the podium to restore order to our boisterous class, I found myself musing over how lucky I had been to wriggle out of trouble a month ago.
I had even managed to frame the whole situation so that I wouldn't have to fight right now. After all, beating up a weakling isn't «noble» when he's a full tier below me. But holding it closer to graduation, as entertainment during my dear and deeply respected older cousin's coming-of-age ceremony-that was just right. It gave my «rival» plenty of time to build up his strength.
Afterward, the victor would duel Yu Ang for the right to cultivate in the Sacred Water Spring. Naturally, I made a point of emphasizing that no matter who won, the opportunity would remain within the Mu family regardless.
Mu Zhuoyun and Mu He were hardly pleased, of course. For one, his scheme to steal the spring was in danger of falling apart, while the other was watching his precious «son» stripped of an opportunity. Yet before such a crowd of witnesses, they had no choice but to nod generously and even praise me for my nobility-no air quotes required.
Granted, after that little incident, the family completely cut off my supply of resources. I couldn't help but smile faintly at the memory; the «generous» Yu Angs from parallel worlds were more than happy to share theirs, sometimes multiple times a day.
Whatever Ice-element resources were useless to me were promptly traded on the magic market for whatever I actually needed at the time-again, not in my world. Here in Bo City, I wouldn't find a damn thing for cultivating Space, Healing, Mind, or even Light. Simply because there was literally only a single mid-tier Light mage in the entire city: Zhang Kong, who had been transferred here just a week ago and would spend his days degrading here until the Bo City disaster, pining away after his separation from his beloved.
And as for the Novice level, no one in this city actively cultivated the Light element anyway.
I honestly couldn't fathom why Ancient Capital Xi'an didn't snap up mages like them in a heartbeat. Was it a lack of talent? Given their dire situation, they ought to be glad for Novice-level mages too. I just didn't get it. Was it politics? Did the local mayors refuse to let their mages go? Not enough to go around?
While I was pondering whether it was plain stupidity or petty politics, Xue Musheng finally managed to quiet the class down after our month-long break.
«Today is the day we distribute the Stardust Magic Tools,» the teacher announced, reading off the schedule. «The allocation of cultivation time will be determined by your annual assessment rankings. First place receives thirty days of cultivation with the tool; second place gets twenty-five; third place, twenty; fourth place, fifteen; and fifth place, ten. Sixth through tenth place receive five days each; eleventh through fifteenth place get three days; sixteenth through twentieth get two days; and twenty-first through fiftieth get one day. The bottom fifty students will receive an increased allowance of standard resources.»
«The faculty will re-evaluate these rankings every half-year,» Xue Musheng continued, striving to guide these young minds onto the right path. «Pay close attention to your cultivation. Even a student in the top five can be demoted to the standard class, losing their right to use the magic tool or receive extra resources. Reclaiming your spot without that advantage will be exceedingly difficult.»
When classes ended, I sat turning a dark, carved wooden plaque over in my hands, a blue magic gem embedded in its center. It was a Stardust Magic Tool-the cheapest variety available, boosting cultivation speed by twenty percent.
Cultivation tools like this housed a soul within; by channeling external magical energy through it, a mage could amplify and then absorb that energy. If you managed to trap the soul of a Commander-level beast inside and used higher-grade materials, the cultivation boost could reach forty percent.
All in all, the plaque was entirely useless to me. I decided I'd go exchange it with the main character for a future favor.
After all, trading an item he would shatter within the very first second of cultivation for his future time-say, in the Three-Step Tower… Yes, I'd say that was a rather profitable deal. For me, at least.
***
Tianlan Magic High School, boys' dormitories.
«So what you're saying,» Mo Fan said, looking at me with deep skepticism, «is that you're giving me your thirty days with the Stardust Magic Tool, and all you want in return is a single favor-one you'll only collect if we end up at the same university?»
Mo Fan didn't trust me in the slightest. But thirty days of cultivation with a tool like this was a massive windfall for a dirt-poor protagonist who had yet to awaken his Totem Vessel. Especially considering he had to cultivate two elements instead of just one like everyone else.
«That's right,» I replied, wearing an annoying smile that plainly hinted that nothing about this was right and that he was getting thoroughly scammed. Yet when the guy tried channeling his magic through the tool, he found it worked perfectly.
«And you don't need it yourself because…?» He needed a solid reason why I was giving up something so valuable in exchange for a strange favor that might be completely voided if we attended different universities.
«I already told you, my uncle gave me one for permanent use,» I answered in a thoroughly carefree, cheerful tone, the slightly mischievous grin never leaving my face. «Why would I need two? I just want to help out a classmate and a promising mage. Who knows, maybe we really will end up at the same university, and I'll demand something much grander from you to turn a nice profit.»
Mo Fan didn't believe me-hardly a word of it. But faced with my reasonable arguments, and being completely clueless about magical theory-meaning he had no idea what could possibly be more valuable than the magic tool sitting in front of him-he finally caved.
Sealing the deal with a handshake, I took my leave of his dorm room, that mischievous grin still plastered on my face. I didn't wander far, though, ducking behind the storage building adjacent to the dorms.
«Five, four, three, two, one…» I whispered, counting down the seconds to the inevitable.
«MU BAI!» Mo Fan's furious roar was loud enough to be heard well beyond the dormitory grounds.
«Hee-hee-hee-hee,» came my soft, sly laugh-the chuckle of a cunning fox who had just hoodwinked another poor soul.