Chapter 126: Results Are Out!

Ethan looked up at him, his face showing a small flicker of shock.

"This order..."

Rin frowned as he asked. "What about it?"

Ethan looked back down at the screen and the delivery location was clear. "This delivery is for someone inside the academy."

***

Rin looked at the delivery information and simply shrugged.

"That’s not a big deal."

Ethan looked at him.

"Not a big deal?"

"As long as you remain anonymous, there’s no reason to worry about it." Rin waved a hand dismissively before returning his attention to the package. "People from the academy can buy things online too, you know."

"I know," Ethan said with a small laugh. "It just caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting someone from the academy to be one of the first people to buy from me."

Rin nodded.

"Well, now you know. Just make sure your seller information stays private and you’ll be fine."

Ethan nodded before returning his attention to the order.

Together, they finished packaging the final spiritual fruit, making sure it was secured properly before placing it in the appropriate delivery packaging. Once everything was ready, they completed the drop-off arrangements through the delivery service and sent the final package off to be collected and transported.

Only after all three orders had been dealt with did Ethan and Rin finally allow themselves to relax.

They lay side by side on Ethan’s bed, both staring up at the ceiling as they released deep breaths.

Ethan let out another tired sigh.

"This was hard work."

Rin turned his head toward him.

"Hard work?"

"Well, maybe not extremely hard work," Ethan admitted, laughing slightly. "But it was exhausting. And that was only three orders. Imagine if we actually made it big."

Rin chuckled.

"Then we’re going to need a much bigger room."

Ethan laughed before settling back against the mattress.

For a while, neither of them said anything.

They simply lay there side by side, staring at the ceiling after everything they had spent the evening doing.

Eventually, Ethan turned his head toward Rin.

"Thanks."

Rin glanced at him.

"For what?"

"For always supporting me."

Rin’s expression softened.

"It’s fine."

"No, seriously." Ethan looked back at the ceiling. "You’ve helped me with almost everything. You helped me figure out how to sell the fruits, you helped me find the rare fruits, you helped me create the store, and now you’re even helping me package and deliver everything."

Rin smiled.

"I told you, it’s fine."

Ethan was quiet for a moment before speaking again.

"When I start getting paid, you can take fifty percent of whatever profit we make."

Rin immediately sat up.

"What?"

"Fifty percent."

"No."

Ethan looked at him.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean absolutely not." Rin stared at him as though Ethan had just suggested something completely insane. "I wasn’t even planning to take anything from you, let alone fifty percent."

"But—"

"No."

"Rin, listen."

"I am listening, and my answer is still no."

Ethan sat up slightly.

"It would never have been possible without you helping me."

"That doesn’t mean I deserve half of everything."

"It does to me."

Rin shook his head.

"You’re the one doing all the work. Those are your fruits, your store, your account, and your money. I’m just helping my best friend."

Ethan frowned.

"You’re making it sound like you barely did anything."

"Because I barely did anything compared to you."

"You’re the reason I even know how to sell them."

"And you’re the reason there are spiritual fruits to sell in the first place."

Ethan opened his mouth, but Rin continued before he could argue.

"We’re best friends, Ethan. Isn’t that what best friends do?"

Ethan stared at him for a moment before smiling.

"Yes."

He lay back down.

"But if I really make enough money to pay off my debt and actually start earning properly, I’m going to make sure you don’t have to keep taking overly deadly Rift missions that could put your life in danger."

Rin’s expression changed slightly.

"Ethan—"

"I mean it."

Ethan turned toward him.

"You shouldn’t have to keep throwing yourself into dangerous Rifts just because you need money. If I can make enough from this, then I’ll make sure you have other options."

Rin stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly reaching over and messing up Ethan’s hair.

"You’re getting way too sentimental."

"Hey!"

Ethan immediately tried to fix his hair.

"Stop doing that!"

Rin laughed as he continued roughing it up.

"Your face right now is hilarious."

"You’re annoying."

"I know."

Rin finally pulled his hand away and stood up.

"I’m heading out. I still have a lot of assignments and projects to finish."

"Already?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

Rin stretched before heading toward the door.

Ethan was about to lie back down when his eyes landed on the glass tube sitting nearby.

He paused.

"Speaking of assignments..."

His gaze moved to the Core Tracker and the glass container he had been given during class.

The practical.

Mr. Davin and Mr. Kingsley had instructed them to take the equipment back with them and practice the Burn-Off technique before the next guiding lecture.

Ethan picked up the materials and stared at them.

He remembered the demonstration from earlier.

Mr. Kingsley had made the entire process look effortless.

The sacrificial layer had formed perfectly around his hand, the synthetic miasma had attached itself to the outer layer without touching his core energy, and when the ten seconds were over, he had simply performed the Burn-Off and removed the contaminated energy.

It had looked so easy.

So why had Ethan struggled so badly?

He decided to find out.

Instead of putting the equipment away, Ethan sat down and began practicing.

He activated the Core Tracker and watched the holographic display appear.

His spiritual energy showed clearly on the monitor.

Ethan took a slow breath and concentrated.

He carefully drew out a secondary layer of spiritual energy and guided it toward his skin, deliberately keeping it separate from the core energy deeper within his spiritual pathways.

The first attempt was unstable.

The outer layer formed, but it fluctuated slightly.

Ethan frowned.

He adjusted the amount of energy.

This time, the layer settled around his hand.

He stared at it.

It was thin, but stable.

"Okay..."

Ethan took another breath and slowly moved his hand toward the glass container.

The synthetic miasma reacted almost immediately.

Dark energy moved toward his spiritual layer and began clinging to the outer surface.

Ethan could see the contamination appearing on the Core Tracker.

Black began spreading across the sacrificial layer.

He immediately focused harder.

He could not let the contaminated energy touch his core.

He maintained the outer layer, carefully controlling its thickness while continuing to guide his spiritual energy through the simulated conditions.

His concentration deepened.

The layer remained intact.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

He had done it.

The sacrificial layer was holding.

He maintained it for the required period before finally breaking contact and preparing for the second part.

The Burn-Off.

Ethan concentrated his mental energy into a precise point.

Then he triggered the flare.

The contaminated outer layer reacted instantly.

The blackened spiritual energy burned away from his hand, disappearing without touching the pure energy underneath.

The Core Tracker flashed.

His inner spiritual energy remained completely clean.

Ethan stared at the display.

Then a huge grin spread across his face.

"I did it!"

He had actually done it.

The technique that had seemed so difficult during class had finally worked.

Ethan looked at his hand, then at the Core Tracker again, almost as if he expected the result to suddenly change.

It didn’t.

He had successfully maintained the sacrificial layer and completed the Burn-Off without allowing the corruption to reach his core.

He immediately grabbed his phone.

His first thought was to tell Jake.

He opened their messages and typed quickly.

Were you able to figure out the practical stuff?

Jake replied after a short while.

No.

Another message appeared.

Lara and I have been working on it, but we’re still getting nowhere.

Ethan grinned.

He typed back.

I actually succeeded.

There was a brief pause.

Then Jake responded.

What?!

Another message immediately followed.

We’re coming to your dorm tomorrow.

Ethan laughed.

Why?

Jake’s answer came almost instantly.

So you can teach us.

Ethan shook his head, amused.

"Those two..."

He put his phone aside after agreeing to help them the next day.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him.

After everything that had happened, Ethan finally fell asleep.

By the time he groaned awake, it was already mid-morning.

Ethan blinked several times, still half-asleep as he pushed himself upright.

Thankfully, he didn’t have morning classes that day.

He rubbed his eyes before reaching for his phone.

The moment he unlocked it, a notification appeared.

It was from the academy.

Ethan opened it.

His sleepy expression immediately changed as he read the announcement.

[Academy Notice: All students are required to report to the Main Hall for the long-awaited Rift Practical Result Announcement.]