Published at 16th of February 2024 2:21 pm

Chapter 17. Too Little Money. Even Less Time.

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Nox didn’t enjoy discussing his concerns and sources of stress. Even though Lillin was his closest—and perhaps only friend—he never enjoyed dumping his concerns on her. The young woman hadn’t displayed much empathy since the godfall eighteen years ago. Her parents’ death was the least of the horrors Lillin Grey experienced. However, their years of friendship had taught her to read his expressions, and she could often guess whatever was bothering him. Their poor finances was no secret anyway.

Thanks to his course load, Nox didn’t know when he’d get the time to make money for alchemy ingredients. Finding the time to turn the materials into products and then profit from them felt even more daunting.

The schedule got busier the second week onwards once all the induction sessions were out of the way. Dungeon Theory and Mana System Theory would go on for four hours once a week. He had them every Seconday and Fourthday respectively. The schedule listed Advanced Alchemy once a week, too, on Sixthday. It lasted all day, from eight in the morning until five in the evening, with an hour’s break in between.

Introduction to Barriers and Shields and Spell Weaving demanded Nox’s attendance twice weekly, but the classes lasted only two hours. He had them back to back after Dungeon Theory and Mana System Theory. The schedule listed the rest of his classes every Firstday, Thirday, and Fifthday. Professor Wolfhammer’s class started at the sixth-morning bell and ended at noon. Shaping lasted four hours, from the first Bell after noon until the fifth.

Instead of carrying around Kris’s letter, Nox tabulated them at the back of his notebook. He only had time on Seventhday, which felt insufficient for starting a business. Nox worried he wouldn’t have energy for much on most days except Seconday and Fourthday since they only had one practical lesson.

6th to 8th Bell

8th to 10th Bell

10th to 12th Bell

12th to 1st Bell

1st to 3rd Bell

3rd to 5th Bell

Firstday

Intermediate Dungeon Combat

Lunch

Beginner Essence Shaping

Seconday

Beginner Dungeon Theory

Lunch

Defensive Magic

Spell Weaving

Thirday

Intermediate Dungeon Combat

Lunch

Beginner Essence Shaping

Fourthday

Intermediate Mana System Theory

Lunch

Defensive Magic

Spell Weaving

Fifthday

Intermediate Dungeon Combat

Lunch

Beginner Essence Shaping

Sixthday

Advanced Alchemy

Lunch

Advanced Alchemy

Seventhday

Break Day

“I suppose my only choice is to finish some of these practical classes early,” Nox said, sighing.

“Why are you even taking alchemy?” Lillin asked. “Mou said you’re an accomplished Journeyman.”

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be taking Defensive Magic either. We could’ve left it for next semester once I had a functioning Shaping planet. It would’ve left me time to delve and brew.”

“We’ll have some extra time this week after all the induction classes are over. We’ll just have to squeeze in market research and brewing before the second week starts.”

“I suppose we have no other choice.”

Professor Wolfhammer didn’t believe in giving students time off and refused to delay their training until regular classes began. Nox suspected the man worried that the class would rush into available dungeons and rifts given the opportunity, and the time between semesters had stagnated their skills. So, he had everyone report on the department’s roof at the sixth-morning bell.

During the laps around the ring-shaped rooftop, Nox discovered more terraces. Each of them had a wolf centaur waiting on them. The specimens appeared mostly the same besides bulkier frames. It was the hammers they held that looked different. Instead of resembling meat tenderizers with a spike on one end, they looked more like wolf heads. Unlike the weapon the professor held, the maws were open, and the hammerhead stuck out of it. The wolf’s fur jutted out of the opposite end as five conical spikes.

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The class murmured while passing them. Most sounded worried. Nox guessed the detail on the hammers betrayed the accompanying beast’s power. He didn’t doubt the creatures would have greater strength, speed, and durability.

Viktor and Roque fell back from the head of the pack, leaving Edward and Louis to run with their entourage. They joined Lillin and Nox. “Would you like to share a terrace with us?” the Oakheart heir asked. “We don’t have to fight together. I just don’t want to get stuck with some pleb that wastes our time.”

“The professor will probably stick us with some random duo if we aren’t five,” Roque added.

Nox saw no reason to refuse the offer. He and Lillin wanted a better look at the trio before deciding to join the party. So they accepted. As the aristocrat trio predicted, Professor Wolfhammer divided the class into groups of five or six—students, without his approval, stayed on the main terrace to fight the easier summons.

While Viktor and his two companions sped off to their preferred terrace, Professor Wolfhammer held Nox back. “Have you tested how much mana the bow uses for the most basic shot?”

“Three, sometimes four,” Nox answered.

“That’s far too high. I reckon your cast is inefficient, and your poor Shaping is primarily to blame.” He claimed the rod half of Ratra’s Bow. Professor Wolfhammer held it up to the above sunlamp’s light and studied the runes. “It’s a mighty fine weapon,” he commented, studying the runes and spell circles covering it. The professor sniffed at the rod before returning it to Nox. “The craftsmanship is impeccable. Not even the Imperium’s artisans can make something of the sort.”

“It’s from beyond the Sapphire Straits,” Nox said. “My great-grandmother and her son made it together.”

“The runework suggests they only intended people of their bloodline to benefit from its full potential. Unfortunately, it’s not like other weapons of its kind and power. You can’t just pick it up and benefit from its full strength. You need excellent mana control and the appropriate planets to get the most out of it. I can’t tell you precisely what you need, but I can tell you where to start.”

“Let me guess, Shaping is the first requirement?”

“The order doesn’t particularly matter,” Professor Wolfhammer answered. “But, yes. Shaping will help you grow more efficient and lose less mana per shot. A well-formed arrow will do more damage, too, and it shouldn’t cost more than a couple of units of mana. Essence glass projectiles will be even stronger but will, of course, cost more mana. You’ll also benefit from the essence’s nature. I’m going off track, though.”

“I imagine Manipulation could greatly benefit me, too,” Nox said, identifying one of the spellforms on the rod. “I imagine this will help me add power, propulsion, rotation—”

“—and a lot more.” The professor cut him off. “Your imagination is the limit. The weapon is adaptable. Kris tells me you’re good with runescripts. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” He handed Nox a quiver of arrows. “For now, use these when you don’t want to waste mana.”

“Are they special arrows?” Lillin asked.

“No,” Nox said, accepting the gift. His acute senses studied the quiver and its contents as soon as they entered his mana zone. “They’re well made but perfectly ordinary. But if I stick a fleck of essence glass to the nocks, they should function with the bow.”

“I knew you’d figure it out,” Professor Wolfhammer said. Despite the gruff exterior, the man proved warmer and kinder than Nox first expected. As soon as he and Lillin turned away to join Viktor and his companions, the man turned to a group of newcomers and ripped into them like a sadistic drill sergeant in Queen Mercer’s army.

When Nox and Lillin reached their terrace, Viktor and his companions were already engaged in combat with the wolf centaur. They worked like a well-oiled machine. Their spells and attacks inflicted little damage to the summoned beast. However, it failed to hurt them too.

Viktor zipped to and away from the wolf centaur, using hit-and-run tactics. He left dozens of slashes on its person. Whenever the beast got close to landing a hit on him, Roque was there. He carried a war axe glowing with crimson light. Crescent arcs of energy followed every swing. Unfortunately, the weapon failed to make contact, and the ranged attacks inflicted negligible damage.

Meanwhile, Annabelle danced around the battlefield, moving with the speed of someone using the Haste cantrip. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Nox guessed she had a spell for speaking directly into her companions’ ears or heads. A wrist-mounted weapon also fired unidentifiable projectiles. They kept the wolf centaur off balance while suffering no injuries. The beast suddenly froze mid-attack, and the trio flumped on their bottoms, panting.

“Do you see why we want you?” Viktor asked, panting. “We can keep Apprentice-rank boss creatures busy, but we lack the power to put them down. Join us, and we’ll make a killing in the rifts and dungeons.”

“You’re impressive,” Nox said. “That’s undeniable. The truth is: I don’t know if I can trust you. After a lifetime of dealing with those two, I can't help but be suspicious of people of your station.” He nodded at the next terrace over. Edward fought the wolf centaur with his entourage. Louis stood talking with his companions on the distant terrace beyond it. “I don’t mean any offence, but people in your position often suffer from a bad case of self-importance and hidden agendas. How can I trust you not to abandon us when things go wrong?”

“No offense taken,” Viktor said. His smile appeared strained. Nox guessed he was testing his patience. “I’d tell you to take your time deciding, but we don’t have that luxury. The three of us intend to challenge a rift in a few weeks and could use your help.”

Roque seethed behind his friend but said nothing. Meanwhile, Annabelle shot Nox a polite smile. It was more than anything he got from her during their first meeting. The trio cleared the terrace letting Nox and Lillin have their turn.

The beast proved far more powerful than the specimen they fought during the previous class. It moved faster and suffered significantly less damage from the crystal-glass-empowered projectiles and Lillin’s gravity orbs. The duo had no choice but to go on the defensive. They danced around the attacks, doing their best to get by without suffering injuries.

When the five-minute session ended and the beast froze, sweat dripped from the brow’s temples and soaked their hair. Nox felt light-headed. It wasn’t mana drain since he had used the regular arrows, too. It was plain exhaustion. Nox had resisted using his brews to improve his body’s cardiovascular abilities and reaction time.

“If that’s what boss-class beasts are like, we won’t make it on our own,” Lillin said. “Your cocktails won’t get us far. We should accept their offer.”

“Give me a few days to explore a couple of other options,” Nox replied. “If I can’t find anyone good enough, we’ll go with Viktor.”

“You don’t get it.” Lillin’s shoulders drooped, and her volume dropped. “Viktor is what I need right now. Let me have some fun. Please.”

“Why don’t you just go out into the city? I’m sure you’ll find someone just as appealing in the taverns.”

“It’s not the same,” Lillin replied. “I want Viktor. Please?”

“I’ll think about it,” Nox replied. “What about Roque?”

“Not my type.” She shrugged. “Don’t think I missed you peeking at Annabelle. Are you interested in her?”

“I don’t have the time to waste on such pursuits.”

Nox sat cross-legged and focused on absorbing mana. The proximity to Ygg made the air dense with arcane energies. He circulated it through his mana system. The energy first danced through the two spells in his star and then seeped into the cloud around it. The loose mana didn’t diffuse. Instead, it spiraled around the core. The mana again entered the star, passed through the three-dimensional spell form, and then returned to the cloud. Nox felt himself growing more efficient with each circulation. He lost less mana every time.

The energy in Nox’s mana zone grew in density, and he overflowed with energy before long. He refused to miss out on the opportunity and also used the time to practice his defensive magic exercises. The cloud surrounding Nox’s star shrunk, growing denser as he worked. Shaping took less effort as well.

Nox checked the manameter.

Nox Ratra

Apprentice

Custom Slow

49/41

Nix smiled. He was no closer to forming his planetoid, but his star had grown. He didn’t expect to raise his maximum mana level so soon after developing his star. Viktor and his friends finished their time with the wolf centaur. Nox and Lillin eagerly started their turn again. The pair didn’t hold back and burned more mana than before. After all, Ygg would help restore their stars afterward.

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