One month later.
Light was sealed out of Allen's dormitory by heavy curtains. The only illumination came from a desk lamp powered by a Micro-Light Rune, casting a steady and chilly halo over his workspace. He concluded today's Meditation, his consciousness surfacing from his Sea of Consciousness.
There, the binary star system originally formed by the "anchor" and Rune No. 02 had now expanded into a miniature star cluster composed of seven Runes. They echoed one another, rotating steadily. The efficiency of drawing Magic Power had increased by several times compared to when there was only a single Rune.
"DSeek, retrieve the summary report of the past thirty days," Allen commanded in his mind.
A virtual light screen unfolded before his eyes.
[Periodic Summary Report (Second Month of Term)]
[1. Personal Growth Module:]
[Rune Inscription Progress: Completed the inscription of Meditation Runes No. 03 to 07. Current total inscribed Runes: 7.]
[Spiritual Power Limit: Increased by 51% compared to the beginning of the cycle. The current total Spiritual Power can support the construction of the "Wizard's Hand" Magic Model five times while retaining a 20% redundancy.]
[Total Magic Power: Increased by 354%.]
[Course Progress: Completed the learning objectives for three core courses: 'The Essence of Magic Power and Macro Theory', 'Basic Runes and Linguistics', and 'Logic and Magic Models'. Other courses are proceeding in sync with classroom instruction. Current progress stands at 45% of the academy's standard teaching syllabus.]
[2. Business Plan Module:]
[Total Income: 312 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Income Composition Analysis:]
['Beginner Diagnosis' Service: 97 sessions in total, yielding 97 Magic Stones. This income is showing a downward trend, peaking in the first week after launch, and is now nearing saturation.]
['Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group': 20 members, monthly fee of 15 Magic Stones per person. Projected first-month income was 300 Magic Stones. After deducting discounts for mid-term joiners, the actual revenue is 215 Magic Stones. This serves as the core steady cash flow.]
['Personalized Academic Path Customization': Course not yet open (basic theories not fully completed).]
[3. Financial Status:]
[Initial Funds: 197 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Current Income: 312 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Current Expenditure: 65 Low-Level Magic Stones (Beginner Spiritual Power Recovery Potion x 10 and living expenses).]
[Current Account Balance: 444 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[4. Comprehensive Assessment:]
[Phase One Learning Plan (1-2 months) has been basically achieved. The business plan has exceeded expectations in accumulating startup capital, and current resources are sufficient to support the launch of the Phase Two Learning Plan.]
[Notice: The 'Mutual Aid Group' model has sparked small-scale imitation. Three similar paid guidance groups have emerged in the market, priced between 8-12 Magic Stones per month. They lack core competitiveness and pose no immediate threat, but they should be added to the long-term observation list.]
Allen scrutinized the report. The compiled numbers painted a highly satisfactory picture.
The explosive initial income was exactly as DSeek had predicted—a result of harvesting the most urgent and superficial anxieties among the freshmen. Once these desperate needs were met, the income naturally fell back into the steady model centered around the Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group.
A stable intake of over two hundred Magic Stones a month was enough to make any freshman green with envy. However, to Allen, this money was not merely wealth; it was fuel, providing the operational power for his meticulous study plan.
Allen stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body. With a bulging wallet, it was time to spend a little to prepare for the next step. He changed into a clean Apprentice Robe, tucked his ID card into his pocket, and left the dormitory.
The street housing the Apprentice Trading Market was a stark contrast to the solemnity of the rest of the academy; it was a sea of bustling noise. Paved with massive slate-gray stone slabs, the buildings on either side varied greatly in style. Some were stone-built shops with signs made of Magic halos hanging over their doors, while others were simply stalls set up on a piece of cloth spread on the ground, displaying all sorts of bizarre trinkets.
The air was thick with the bitter scent of herbs mingling with the aroma of food. Apprentices wove through the area in groups of twos and threes, their bargaining and friendly banter filling the air.
Allen had zero interest in the secondhand notes and so-called "ancient relics" at the street stalls—ninety-nine percent of it was worthless garbage. His goal was clear. He walked straight toward a shop at the end of the street bearing a sign that read: "Seven Towers Alliance Official Certification."
The interior of the shop was spacious and bright. Neat rows of shelves displayed a comprehensive array of goods protected by transparent crystal covers, ranging from potions and materials to standardized Witchcraft Model Scrolls. An apprentice in a clean uniform was manning the store.
"Ten Beginner Spiritual Power Recovery Potions," Allen's voice was steady, skipping any unnecessary pleasantries.
The clerk glanced at him, seemingly surprised that a fellow apprentice would buy so many potions at once, but asked no questions. He skillfully retrieved a sealed wooden box from a shelf and placed it on the counter. "Fifty Low-Level Magic Stones."
"I also need some study consumables for 'Basic Potions and Toxicology' and a mobile terminal."
"That will be twelve Magic Stones in total."
"In addition, I need a Subordinate Spatial Storage Bag."
"Right away, sir! The standard model is priced at one hundred and twenty Low-Level Magic Stones." The clerk's tone carried a hint of a sales pitch. "One cubic meter of space. It's a must-have for freshmen and will save you a ton of time."
He retrieved an ordinary-looking small black leather handbag from beneath the counter. It was simple in design with only a metal clasp, and he handed it over.
Allen took the storage bag, finding it heavier than it appeared. He channeled a sliver of Spiritual Power into it and instantly sensed a blurry, gray, cubic space. Though rudimentary, it was enough to hold his growing collection of books, notes, and the teaching materials he had prepared for the Mutual Aid Group. This would vastly improve his mobility and save him the trouble of going back and forth to his dorm.
"That's all."
"One hundred and eighty-two Low-Level Magic Stones in total."
Allen swiped his student card lightly across the counter. A faint light flashed, and the transaction was complete. He shoved the wooden box of ten potions and a pile of various bottles and jars directly inside. Feeling the weight vanish from his hands, he nodded in satisfaction. On Earth, such convenient creations only existed in works of fantasy.
The mobile terminal was essentially a rudimentary smartphone. Its functions were identical to the public terminals in the dormitory hallways, though it could only be used within the academy.
His account balance was now down to 262 Magic Stones. Next, he planned to visit the Low-Level Universal Witchcraft Zone in the library to learn some Magic outside of his textbooks. Just as he turned to leave the market and head for the library, two familiar figures appeared at the corner of the street.
Vera and Colin were standing in front of an herbal shop stall, struggling to load sacks of pungent dried plants onto a nearby pushcart. Their Apprentice Robes were stained with dust and grass clippings, and thin layers of sweat coated their foreheads.
"Allen?" Vera straightened up and wiped the sweat away with the back of her hand, her eyes lighting up when she saw him.
"Vera. Colin," Allen stepped forward, greeting them politely.
"Are you browsing the market too?" Colin set down his sack and kneaded his lower back. "The two of us are working part-time, helping the Hansen Potion Shop process a batch of raw materials. We can earn half a Magic Stone for an afternoon of work."
Half a Magic Stone. Allen silently logged this number into his database, though his face revealed nothing. "How is your study progress coming along?"
"It's alright," Vera smiled somewhat sheepishly. "It's just that we don't have enough cultivation resources. The incense for Meditation, the blank crystals needed to record lectures... everything requires Magic Stones. Unlike you, Allen. We heard your Mutual Aid Group is doing exceedingly well."
Her tone carried genuine admiration without a trace of jealousy. In their eyes, Allen's success stemmed from his unfathomable knowledge and was entirely well-deserved.
"I'm just sharing some personal insights," Allen replied calmly. "If you ever encounter problems you can't solve, you can come find me anytime."
"We couldn't possibly do that, you're a busy man now," Colin laughed good-naturedly. "We'll take it slow. We'll catch up eventually."
Allen nodded, saying nothing more. He knew that for apprentices like Vera and Colin, who had no extra resources, working to support their studies and taking it one step at a time was their only path. Everyone had a different trajectory; he had neither the standing nor the necessity to interfere.
Just as he was about to take his leave, a small figure quickly squeezed through the crowd, stopping purposefully right in front of him. It was a rather scrawny-looking first-year freshman, looking so nervous he did not even dare to meet Allen's eyes.
"Excuse me... are you Senior Allen Wesren?" he asked in a small voice.
"I am."
Receiving a positive answer, the freshman visibly breathed a sigh of relief. He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and offered it with both hands, then spoke rapidly, "A senior asked me to pass a message to you. He said he would like to chat with you regarding 'business.'"
Allen's gaze swept over the slip of paper, but he didn't reach for it. "Which senior?"
"He... he didn't give a name." The freshman became even more flustered under Allen's placid stare. "He only said that you'd understand once you saw this address. He told me to tell you that he's very interested in your 'bakery', and perhaps you could discuss cooperation instead of fighting over the wheat."
A bakery, and wheat. Allen's pupils contracted imperceptibly. It had to be the apprentice selling study notes for 2.5 Magic Stones. This metaphor alluded to the fundamental difference in their business models.
"What is the address?" Allen asked.
"It's written on the note. H District, Alchemy Workshop No. 17." The freshman added another sentence, seemingly specifically instructed to do so, "That senior said you may go there on your own, at a time of your choosing. He is very sincere."
H District, Alchemy Workshop No. 17. DSeek's database immediately provided previously recorded information: it was a private laboratory the academy rented out to Advanced Apprentices. It came equipped with basic Alchemy Equipment, and the cheapest annual rent was up to five hundred Low-Level Magic Stones. This was not merely a meeting place; it was a quiet display of power.
Vera and Colin listened from the side, completely lost, but they could sense the shift in atmosphere.
Allen hesitated for a moment before accepting the slip of paper. Having completed his task, the scrawny freshman immediately bowed and swiftly vanished into the crowd.
"Allen, are you..." Vera looked at him with some concern.
"Just a business invitation," Allen's expression remained unchanged. "I have things to do. I'll head to the library first."
He nodded to the two of them and turned to leave, his footsteps steady.
On the way to the library, DSeek was operating at full speed.
[Event Analysis: Business meeting invitation from an Advanced Apprentice.]
[Analysis of the opposing party's intent:]
[1. Probing and Assessment: Utilizing a high-end meeting location to display their wealth and status, applying psychological pressure on you.]
[2. Interest Integration: The 'bakery' and 'wheat' metaphor indicates that the opposing party clearly recognizes the difference in your business models and is inclined to seek cooperation rather than vicious competition. Potential cooperation forms may include: channel sharing, customer diversion, or business merging.]
[3. Potential Threat: Should negotiations break down, the opposing party might use their status and connections as an Advanced Apprentice to suppress you and the 'Mutual Aid Group'. Risk Level: Medium.]
Allen halted before the majestic doors of the library, glanced down at his ID card, and walked inside.
An invitation from an Advanced Apprentice was a challenge, but more importantly, an opportunity. It signified that his influence had begun to spill beyond the scope of freshmen, reaching higher tiers of profit networks. Handled well, he might be able to use this chance to integrate into the upper echelon of the academy's ecological chain at a faster pace.
Tomorrow, he would continue studying Magic as planned, and the day after, he would attend the appointment.