Chapter 118 - 117: Diving to Harvest Clams

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Diving to Harvest Clams

"Are you referring to... this little shovel?" Candice took out the small tool.

Obviously, it was utterly useless for mining.

"Yes, that’s it. It’s called a diving shovel," Instructor Sahu said mildly.

"If you don’t want to mine, there is another option.

"You can go into the water and harvest clams.

"The waters beneath Kuli Cliff are home to a rare creature: the Maiden Clam.

"The Maiden Clam is one of the Magic Auxiliary Materials needed for the Magic Potion corresponding to the 1st Ring Magic, [Master Language].

"Since almost every 1st Ring Mage learns [Master Language], the Magic Potion Department has a massive, unending demand for Maiden Clams. They will buy as many as you can find.

"Every Maiden Clam you find is equivalent to fifty kilograms of Water Gold Ore.

"However, I will warn you now.

"So far, the average time for students to complete their entrance task through mining is sixty-one days.

"Meanwhile, the average time for students who choose to complete the task by harvesting clams is... one hundred and three days."

"Huh?!" Candice was baffled.

"The reason is quite simple," Instructor Sahu said. He was a very responsible teacher and patiently explained it to the group.

"Maiden Clams only hide in the mud and sand at the bottom of the river, so if you want to harvest them, you must dive all the way down to search.

"First, this requires excellent swimming ability, which not everyone possesses."

In this world, far fewer people knew how to swim compared to Gaode’s previous life. There were no physical education classes here, let alone extracurricular swimming lessons. More importantly, certain Magic could completely replace the need for the skill. As a result, unless someone worked in a specialized water-based profession, very few went out of their way to learn how to swim.

"Second," Instructor Sahu continued, "the riverbed has freezing temperatures, limited visibility, and extremely murky waters. These three factors combined massively increase the difficulty of finding Maiden Clams hidden in the mud.

"Furthermore, the Physical Strength required for the constant cycle of surfacing for air and diving back down to search is no less than that of mining.

"Most importantly, as long as you mine, you are guaranteed results.

"With clam harvesting, you might spend an entire day searching and still come up empty-handed. Of course, it’s also possible to hit the jackpot on your very first dive.

"The choice is yours to make.

"My advice is to stick to mining like sensible people." Instructor Sahu offered this recommendation based on his own experience. Whether the group listened or not was none of his concern. His only duty was to lead and supervise the team.

"Oh, there’s one more thing I need to mention," he added. "Although there is no time limit for this entrance task, if you finish within thirty days, the Magic Academy will reward you with one extra credit. If you break the record, you will be rewarded with five credits."

"Instructor Sahu," Roya raised his hand to ask a question.

"Speak."

"What is the record?" Roya’s question echoed the curiosity of every new student present.

Instructor Sahu chuckled before revealing the answer. "Currently, the record holder for the fastest completion of the entrance task is the previous dean of the Cyrus Magic Academy, Gavin Hogg.

"He took twenty-five days, and he chose the mining route."

GASP—

Upon hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.

They were shocked by Dean Gavin Hogg’s incredible time, but even more so by the fact that... even the esteemed dean of the Magic Academy had once dutifully slaved away mining beneath Kuli Cliff.

Having explained everything he needed to, Instructor Sahu responsibly led the group down the winding cliff path to the very bottom of Kuli Cliff.

Beneath the steep, hundred-meter-tall precipice lay a riverbank heavily littered with crushed gravel. Even though they had just walked downhill and barely carried any weight, the six new students were all breathing heavily to some extent—with the sole exception of Gaode, who had been physically training for nearly half a year.

One could easily imagine what a grueling ordeal it would be for these spoiled youths from the Second Generation of Magic to haul dozens of kilograms of Water Gold Ore all the way back up the mountain.

Upon reaching the bottom, the group immediately noticed a massive cave entrance set into the cliff face.

A fraction of the direct Sun rays reached the mouth of the cave, providing a faint glimmer of light at the entrance. The intertwining sunlight and shadows created a series of mysterious silhouettes. However, deep within the mine where the light couldn’t reach, it remained a pitch-black, foreboding place even during the day. It looked like a bottomless abyss, striking fear into anyone who gazed into it.

Beside the entrance, hanging on the cliff wall, were numerous specially designed hard hats. They were forged from metallic ores, and complex Magic Patterns could be seen etched across their surfaces.

Instructor Sahu picked up one of these special miner’s helmets, gently tracing the meticulously carved Magic Patterns. "These miner’s hats were crafted by the Alchemy Department. They come imbued with the [Light Technique] and an auto-triggering [Blade Protection].

"The latter will protect you from any potential falling rocks in the mine, while the former will provide you with a light source."

He clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone, time to get to work!"

Following Instructor Sahu’s command, everyone took a deep breath.

Luke and Kaplan exchanged a glance. Sparks practically flew between the eyes of the two youths from the Second Generation of Magic, both hailing from the Haines Clan. Viewing each other as bitter rivals and driven by a fierce competitive spirit, the two were the first to step forward. They each grabbed a miner’s hat from the wall, strapped it on, and marched through the entrance one after the other, vanishing into the gloomy depths of the mine.

With Luke and Kaplan leading the charge, Roya, the remaining male student, wasn’t about to be outdone and quickly followed suit.

Next to enter was Jelica. She lingered for a moment and glanced at Gaode, who was still standing motionless. She didn’t say anything, but a fleeting hint of encouragement that evaded Detection flashed in her profound eyes before she picked up a hat and gently placed it on her head. Then she walked into the mine with firm, unhurried steps. Her figure was swiftly swallowed by the shadows within.

Witnessing this, Candice wore a conflicted expression. She hesitated for a moment before fiercely stomping her foot, then trotted over to the cliff wall, grabbed a miner’s hat, and trailed in after them.

Outside the mine, Gaode was the only one left standing completely unfazed.

"Why aren’t you moving?" Instructor Sahu asked, mildly surprised.

Among the six students, Gaode was dressed in the most plain yet practical clothing. He looked like the one most capable of enduring hardship, so why was he the slowest to act?

"I don’t want to mine," Gaode replied, giving an answer that entirely caught Instructor Sahu off guard.

"You have to mine if you want to complete the entrance task. If you don’t want to enroll..." Instructor Sahu’s warning came to an abrupt halt.

Gaode had already started taking off his clothes. Seeing this action, how could he not understand what Gaode was planning?

Quickly, Gaode stripped off his outer garments, leaving only his close-fitting underclothes. He walked briskly across the gravelly riverbank and slowly waded into the water.

Even with the scorching Sun directly overhead, the river water felt distinctly chilly. As one dived deeper, not only would the pressure increase, but the water temperature would also drop continuously.

One could only imagine how piercingly cold the currents at the bottom of the river would be.