Chapter 48: Generating Mana Crystals

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Generating Mana Crystals

For a brief moment, the grand hall was so quiet that only the gentle bubbling of the hot-spring fountain outside could be heard.

?Aegon looked down at the golden key in his palm. Flipping it over, he noticed the tiny runic engraving on the back that read [ Prime Villa - East Wing ].

?Because no applicant in thirty years had ever crossed 480 points in the Ironwood Expanse, the Academy had only prepared a single top-tier residence at the summit of the hill. Neither Elder Vaelen nor Chief Instructor Wane had anticipated that two monsters would break that exact threshold in the same year.

?Letting out a slow breath, Aegon slipped the key into his pocket and looked up at the girl standing on the marble staircase.

?Aria did not stay on the balcony. With light, graceful steps, she walked down the curved stairs, the hem of her white night-robe trailing softly behind her like a drifting cloud.

She walked right up to Aegon, halting less than a single pace away from him.

?Up close, the faint, sweet fragrance of winter jasmine and starlight mana lingered around her. Tilting her head slightly, Aria looked into Aegon’s dark eyes, a playful curve lifting the corners of her lips.

?"What is with that tragic expression, Genius?" Aria teased lightly as she leaned in just a fraction closer.

"You know lalf the young heirs in the Imperial Capital would gladly trade their family estates just for a chance to walk beside me in the courtyard. Yet you look as though Chief Proctor Ronin just locked you in a cage with a pack of Giant Puppets."

?Even with the [ Ring of the Focused Mind ] cooling his thoughts, Aegon could smell the delicate floral scent wafting from her silver-blonde hair.

?In his original story, Aria Everlight was famous throughout the Empire as an untouchable ice flower who kept even the Imperial Princes at arm’s length.

But, seeing her act so familiarly with him on their very first day was completely outside his script.

He replied,

?"I am merely thinking about how troublesome my mornings are going to be, Lady Everlight. Once word gets out that the pearl of the Everlight Grand Duchy is sharing a roof with a country noble from a subordinate kingdom, every love-struck aristocrat in the Academy will be lining up outside that iron gate to challenge me to a duel."

?Aria smiled ans took another light step forward, closing the gap he had just made.

Her crystal-blue eyes sparkled with genuine amusement as she reached out a slender finger and lightly brushed a stray bit of forest dust off the edge of his red scarf.

?"Oh? Is the ruthless boy who crippled fifteen noble heirs in ten seconds without drawing his sword suddenly afraid of a few jealous suitors? Besides, if we are going to live under the same roof for the next four years, don’t you think calling me ’Lady Everlight’ is a bit too cold? You may call me Aria."

?Aegon looked down at her porcelain face. "But we only met this afternoon."

?"And in a single afternoon, you beat me at the Mana aptitude test , beat me in the written exam, and beat me in the combat trial. In the Everlight Duchy, there is an old saying that a girl should only share her roof with a man who can outshine her stars. Since you took the triple crown from me today, shouldn’t you take responsibility for leaving me in second place?"

?"Is this girl actually flirting with me?But She is ten years old. More importantly, having an Oracle with the Eyes of the Astra living ten meters away from my bedroom is the biggest security hazard imaginable."

Aegon felt a headache coming on.

?If anyone else in the Empire possessed ATUM, they would have been thrilled to live with the most talented beauty of the generation. For Aegon, however, it meant he would have to set up strict privacy wards whenever he wanted to summon his primordial Grimoire and write new items into existence.

?"You are enjoying this far too much, Aria.

Anyway, the East side has its own study and bedroom, and the West side has yours. The common hall, library, and training courtyard will be shared spaces. However, when the door to the alchemical refining room is locked from the inside, do not disturb me."

?Aria’s blue eyes curved into bright crescents, clearly pleased that he had dropped the formal title.

?"Deal. But In exchange, since both of us received the free meal badges tonight, you have to accompany me to the Sky-Garden Dining Hall for breakfast tomorrow morning before the Opening Ceremony. Eating alone at the top table is far too boring."

?"Fine. But before that, I need to wash off the dirt from the canyon and meditate on these Mana Crystals tonight. So goodnight."

?Watching Aegon’s calm back as he walked toward the East wing, Aria leaned lightly against the marble banister.

?"Goodnight, Aegon," Aria murmured softly. "The next four years are going to be very interesting indeed."

Once the door to the East Wing clicked shut, Aegon immediately activated the bedroom’s built-in privacy barrier.

Only after confirming that nothing could spy on him did he wash up, sit cross-legged on his bed, and empty the leather pouch onto the sheets.

?Clatter.

?Fifty High-Grade Mana Crystals tumbled out, glowing with dense blue energy.

?"Fifty High-Grade crystals, each one is worth five hundred gold coins in the outer kingdoms. The Academy really was generous."

?However, as he sensed the volatile energy inside the stone, he frowned. His current Mana stat was only 20. If he absorbed a High-Grade crystal now, his nascent mana veins wouldn’t be able to handle the density, and over ninety percent of the energy would be wasted.

?Suddenly, an idea struck him.

?"When I made the Flame Sword, I needed to understand its structure first. Since I have a real Mana Crystal right here as a reference, what happens if I use ATUM to generate it?"

?His heart beat faster. Without hesitation, he summoned the black notebook and the Quill of Finality.

?[ Soul Power: 15 / 19 (Nascent) ]

?Holding the crystal in his left hand to trace its structure, Aegon began to draw blank page.

After a while:

?[ Item generated: Low-Grade Mana Crystal x10 ]

?[ Effect: Contains pure, gentle mana. Can be absorbed by Novice Mages with zero energy loss. ]

?Aegon stared at the ten white stones. They had been downgraded from High-Grade to Low-Grade.

?Yet instead of feeling disappointed, hebwas grinning.

?"Ten Low-Grade crystals for just ten points of Soul Power! Forget High-Grade, this is even better!"

?At his current stage, he could absorb Low-Grade crystals with one hundred percent efficiency and zero risk.

More importantly, his Soul Power regenerated for free every single night while he slept.

?Even royal princes and ducal heirs had a limited supply of resources. Aegon, on the other hand, had just turned his Grimoire into an infinite crystal mine. He could print free Low-Grade crystals every day to train, while saving the fifty High-Grade ones for emergencies.

?Dismissing ATUM, Aegon grabbed two of the new Low-Grade crystals, closed his eyes, and began absorbing them.

?As a result, his Mana Reserve began to climb steadily.

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