Gaode had no idea that while he considered himself a nobody, someone had already placed him on a pedestal he never could have imagined.
The origin of this all stemmed from the high regard of Jose—arguably the greatest achiever in the field of Rune Armor in the Sean Duchy.
It was both completely reasonable and entirely absurd.
Because, in truth, he still had no idea what Rune Armor actually was.
Based on what he had heard, he vaguely guessed it was something akin to the concept of an "equipment set" in a video game.
However, regardless of whether Mentor Jose intended to teach him the knowledge of Rune Armor, or whether he could even learn it... that was not something Gaode needed to focus on right now.
Earning money and credits were what he should care about the most at the moment.
In reality, Gaode wasn’t under any tremendous pressure. He had no bitter blood feuds to avenge, nor any dramatic three-year pacts to fulfill. So, theoretically, he could live a somewhat relaxed life.
But when it came to learning, he instinctively and habitually couldn’t slack off. It was both a habit and a source of enjoyment. He enjoyed the sense of daily achievement, the satisfaction of mastering something new, and above all, the fulfilling feeling of staying busy.
This was especially true when it came to studying magic and runes. The positive feedback of gaining Extraordinary Power kept Gaode’s passion for learning magic burning brightly. The latter possessed a unique, art-like aesthetic that he simply couldn’t get enough of.
Time flew by. Frost Gold quietly slipped away, and the Frost Mist Moon arrived in its place.
A week had passed since Gaode joined the Mutual Aid Association.
Shadi was indeed a woman of her word; she hadn’t just been paying him lip service. On the very night he joined, a 1st Ring Mage Level member of the Mutual Aid Association showed up at his door, asking Gaode to help repair a damaged 1st Ring Alchemy Creation.
This brought Gaode another 5 gold coins in income.
However, that was the only piece of business he received; no one else came after that.
If he were in the Lion Society, there might have been more business. The members of the Mutual Aid Association were mostly struggling students busy with work-study programs, and those who actually owned Alchemy Creations could be counted on one hand.
Of course, this was only the case within the academy. In the academy environment, there were too many places to spend money and too few ways to earn it.
But once these students graduated, left Cyrus Academy, and spent a few years in the outside world, the situation would definitely change. Out there, as long as they were willing, they could quickly monetize the knowledge they had acquired at the academy.
The prerequisite, however, was successfully graduating from Cyrus Academy.
Over this past week, Gaode’s life remained as disciplined as ever: attending classes and practicing his Cultivation Technique. However, he also added a new activity to his routine: going into the mountains to hunt birds.
Gaode knew that as time passed, more and more students would take on the quest, and the number of Red-Eyed Sparrows in the back mountains would dwindle. He had to seize this fleeting window of opportunity.
When it came to making money, he was highly proactive.
Frost Mist Moon, 10th.
Returning from another bird-hunting trip in the back mountains, Gaode finished dinner and arrived back at his dorm room at nearly eight in the evening.
His usual habit was to nearly deplete his Mana before heading back to the academy.
The reason he stayed out so late today was simple: it was getting harder and harder to find Red-Eyed Sparrows in the back mountains. Without targets, he had no opportunities to strike, meaning he naturally couldn’t use up his Mana.
In the end, Gaode only managed to strike twice. Seeing that the sky had already turned dark, he had no choice but to call it a day.
"I’ve pretty much tapped out the potential of this quest. Continuing any further would just be a waste of time and effort. I’ll head to the Logistics Department tomorrow to settle the rewards," Gaode decided inwardly.
Then, he habitually walked into the small kitchenette and cast [Water Creation Skill+] into the large clay jug.
The next moment, as water filled the jug, a familiar, refreshing fragrance wafted out.
This made the physically and mentally exhausted Gaode jolt, instantly waking him up.
"Leakless Water!"
Yes, after nearly two months, Leakless Water had finally appeared again.
Gaode looked at the liquid in the jug as if he had found an invaluable treasure. This time, he wasn’t going to chug it all in one go like he did last time.
"I’ll make fruit drinks and consume a fixed amount every day. Two gallons of Leakless Water should last me about two months..."
Frost Mist Moon, 11th.
Logistics Department, Quest Hall.
"I’m here to settle the [Mountain Patrol] quest," Gaode said softly, placing the cloth bag containing the Red-Eyed Sparrow eyeballs he had collected over the week onto the counter.
"Alright."
During this period, quite a few students had taken on the [Mountain Patrol] quest and come in to settle their rewards. Because of this, the pretty young counter clerk was exceptionally practiced and didn’t waste a single word.
She took Gaode’s identity plaque, swiped it on a specialized Alchemy Machine to log his record, and then opened the cloth bag, tipping it over the desk to count the eyeballs.
To her surprise, the bag was far heavier than she had imagined. Driven by momentum, even though her brain realized something was wrong, her hands subconsciously continued the motion of pouring.
CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER.
It was the continuous sound of eyeballs rolling across the desk.
The pretty young clerk stared at the desk full of slightly scorched eyeballs, her small mouth dropping open in shock.
"A total of 102 eyeballs. Halved, that’s 51 pairs. According to the quest rewards, you are entitled to a payment of 51 gold coins." Suppressing her shock, the clerk finished counting the eyeballs, repacked them into the cloth bag, and stored them away.
Then, she took 51 gold coins from a drawer and handed them to Gaode.
"Please count them."
Gaode nodded and began counting them meticulously.
While Gaode was focused on counting, the clerk couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at him, her mind buzzing with random thoughts. Recently, all the eyeballs brought in by the other students combined didn’t even match what Gaode had brought in alone.
"Did this young student practically wipe out all the Red-Eyed Sparrows by himself? Just who is this guy? The Red-Eyed Sparrow Killer? The Cyrus Academy Bird-Hunting King?" she wondered.
"It’s correct," Gaode confirmed, having verified that all 51 gold coins were there.
The clerk nodded and returned his identity plaque.
Having settled the quest, Gaode left the Logistics Department. He first headed to the academy’s trading district and purchased another batch of fresh seasonal fruits and yeast, spending 3 silver coins.
Afterward, he headed straight for the Library.
The first floor of the Library contained general books and various "theses." The materials on this floor were mostly open to him for free.
The second floor, however, was where Cyrus Academy’s Magic Formulas, Cultivation Techniques, Magic Potion recipes, master blueprints for Magic Arrays, and Alchemy Creation blueprints were stored. It was a repository for high-value knowledge and undoubtedly one of the most important places in the entire Cyrus Academy.
Not only was this floor protected by High Tier Magic Arrays, but the academy had also stationed a High-Ring Mage there to prevent outsiders from breaking in and stealing the formulas.
Upon entering the Library, Gaode took the inner staircase and headed straight for the second floor.
As soon as he set foot on the second floor, Gaode felt as though a gaze swept over him. However, he couldn’t pinpoint the source of the look.
But since Gaode knew he was there openly and legitimately, he ignored the hidden gaze and walked forward with calm composure.
Compared to the first floor, which was filled with one massive bookshelf after another, the layout of the second floor was completely different. It featured a grand hall, behind which were rows of tightly shut archive rooms.
Walking through the corridor and entering the hall, Gaode saw an elderly, frail-looking Elder Mage sitting behind a wide desk. He was leisurely sipping tea while holding a book with a yellow cowhide cover.
The steamy fragrance of tea wafted through the hall.
When Gaode walked in, the Elder Mage glanced at him, set down his teacup and book, and asked amiably, "Young man, what are you looking for?"
"A Magic Formula," Gaode replied, handing over his identity plaque, having already familiarized himself with the procedure beforehand.