Chapter 98 - 95: Credit Point Exchange List
Chapter 98: Chapter 95: Credit Point Exchange List
Upon entering the Celestial Secret Tower, a distinctly mechanical aesthetic filled his vision. Rows of metal pipes crisscrossed overhead, and in the center, a thick metal column rose to the top floor. The column had curved screens on its four sides, each facing one of the four main gates.
All sorts of credit missions scrolled across the screens. Unlike the Thief God Hall’s operations system, the Celestial Secret Tower’s mission system was relatively simple.
The academy’s missions were broadly divided into two types: official tasks issued by the academy, and personal tasks posted by students or instructors.
Official tasks were mostly things like cleaning or going on patrol. They were low in difficulty, available long-term, and provided a relatively stable way to earn credits.
Personal tasks, on the other hand, were much more diverse. They ranged from small jobs like gathering herbs, mining, and design work, to major undertakings like monster hunting, bodyguard duty, and crafting equipment. Essentially, any problem or need a Mage might encounter during their training could be solved by posting a task.
Of course, the academy was just an academy, incomparable to a major power like the Thief God Hall. A single high-level job from the Hall could put all of the Five Provinces Academy’s tasks to shame. If you had enough money, you could even post a bounty to annihilate the entire Five Provinces Academy.
"Step right up, take a look! The best job for new students to grind credits! Beiliang Mountain Mine Pit No. 45 is hiring miners! Twenty credits a day! This opportunity won’t last, so don’t miss out!" Beside the screen, a few senior students from the Minerals Department were holding up signs and recruiting miners.
Feng Hao’s interest was piqued. He lowered his head and asked Houhuiyao, "Fifty credits a day sounds pretty good."
"Brother Feng, don’t fall for it," Houhuiyao warned. "These old sharks from the Minerals Department love scamming new students. Mining is back-breaking work. Not only is it dirty and exhausting, but if you don’t dig enough, they’ll deduct credits. People wouldn’t do that job even for eighty credits a day."
"That crooked? The academy doesn’t do anything about it?" Feng Hao frowned.
Houhuiyao shook his head in resignation. "It can’t be helped. As long as a dispute isn’t caused by an official, posted task, the academy rarely gets involved. Why do you think they’re recruiting people on the side like this instead of just posting a formal task?"
"Whoa, the waters in this Advanced Academy run pretty deep, huh!" Feng Hao quipped, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You’re telling me. I heard new students get scammed every year. Not only do they fail to earn any credits, they end up losing their 100 starting credits."
"Heh, let’s go check the credit exchange list first. I hear there’s a lot of good stuff." Feng Hao chuckled and shook his head, then skirted around the group of old sharks from the Minerals Department and strode over to the large exchange screen.
It had to be said, with the Xue-Lian as its backer, the Five Provinces Academy’s resources were formidable. A single glance down the list revealed an array of mouth-watering items:
[Xue-Lian Exclusive Sword Soul]An artificial spirit soul cultivated using the Xue-Lian’s special methods, suitable for sword-type weapons and Secret Techniques. Credits: 300,000
[Xue-Lian Exclusive Demon Soul]An artificial spirit soul cultivated using the Xue-Lian’s special methods, suitable for magic-damage weapons and Secret Techniques. Credits: 300,000
[Custom Lightweight Magic Energy Gun]Developed with the latest technology. Tier-Five quality, immense power, medium rate of fire. Credits: 200,000
[Inference Demon Pattern Inheritance]An Inheritance Demon Pattern exclusive to the Xue-Lian. Credits: 200,000
[High-Spec Crystal Eye]A custom, high-spec Crystal Eye that integrates all expansion functions available on the market. Credits: 200,000
[Intern Instructor Recommendation Letter]Prepared exclusively for intern instructors. Proof of intern instructor status required for redemption. Credits: 100,000
[Small Automatic Mining Machine]Specialized mining equipment for exploring Secret Realms. Ensures you’ll never miss a single precious mineral vein. Credits: 100,000
[Vitality Pill (Five)]Increases Basic Power. Credits: 95,000
[Blood Generation Pill (Five)]Increases Basic Qi Blood. Credits: 95,000
[Night Demon Essence Blood]The Essence Blood of a Tier Ten Night Demon, used for alchemy and Artifact Refining. Credits: 80,000
...
Feng Hao’s head spun as he read through the list, and Houhuiyao, standing beside him, was just as overwhelmed. Although Houhuiyao’s family was wealthy, these treasures were things that money simply couldn’t buy.
This was especially true for the [Sword Soul] and [Demon Soul]—two types of artificial spirit souls exclusive to the Xue-Lian—and the [Inference] Demon Pattern Inheritance. These were all items exclusive to the Advanced Academies; Mages in the outside world couldn’t buy them no matter how many Magic Crystals they were willing to spend!
Scrolling all the way to the end of the list, Feng Hao finally saw something he could afford. The academy’s exchange list normally didn’t have any items under 1,000 credits, but newly enrolled students received special offers:
[Five Provinces Academy Power Set]A Tier-Three set designed for Power-type new students. Credits: 100
[Five Provinces Academy Magic Damage Set]A Tier-Three set designed for Magic Damage-type new students. Credits: 100
[Five Provinces Academy Defense Set]A Tier-Three set designed for Defense-type new students. Credits: 100
[Five Provinces Academy Agility Set]A Tier-Three set designed for Agility-type new students. Credits: 100
For new students from commoner backgrounds, the overall stats on these starter sets were quite good. Spending 100 credits on them was definitely a worthy investment.
The problem was, none of these four "school uniform" sets were suitable for him, which left Feng Hao at a loss for words. ’Dammit, couldn’t they have prepared a stealth-type set?’
"Brother Feng, no need to complain. These sets are just transitional gear. You’re supposed to find your own materials and craft your real equipment."
"Damn it, the more I look, the angrier I get!"
After grumbling a bit more, Feng Hao turned and stormed out of the Celestial Secret Tower in a huff. ’After playing games for so many years, this is the first time I’ve run into one that doesn’t even give you a starter set... though the Mage World isn’t technically a game.’
After leaving the Celestial Secret Tower, he wandered around the four major districts for a while, taking the opportunity to experience the aura of the [Origin Node] up close.
Time passed without them realizing, and soon it was noon. After eating lunch at the Alchemy Department’s cafeteria, the two of them headed to class together.
As it was the very first class for new students, there was no formal lecture. The main purpose was for the students and teachers to get acquainted and to go over some of the academy’s rules and traditions. That alone made it worth attending.
When Feng Hao and Houhuiyao arrived at the classroom, they immediately caused a stir. The Alchemy Department was small, with only one class per year, so everyone present was a familiar face from the assessment.
Thanks to his incredible performance during the assessment and having caught the eye of Dean Sun Yaowen, Feng Hao’s popularity was a given. He was mobbed the moment he walked through the door.
"Feng Hao, you’re finally here! We were all just talking about nominating you for class president!" a few of the rare female students in the department chirped.
"That’s right, Feng Hao! You’re the only one we’d all be happy with."
"From now on, you’ll be the role model for all of us first-years in the Alchemy Department!"
...
Feng Hao was bewildered by the sudden turn of events. Honestly, he had no intention of becoming class president; his goals had nothing to do with alchemy. But faced with his classmates’ enthusiasm, he found it hard to refuse their kindness. "I appreciate the thought, everyone, but I really have no intention of being the class president."
"That’s where you’re wrong, Brother Feng," Houhuiyao chimed in, fanning the flames. "Who else here could command everyone’s respect?"
"Yeah, Feng Hao, just say yes!" The sixty-odd students in the room stared at him with hopeful eyes.
At this point, no matter how uninterested he was, Feng Hao had no choice but to agree. "Alright then. I’ll fill the role of class president for now. If someone else is interested in the future, they can just let me know."
"Haha, that’s more like it!" The crowd immediately broke into satisfied chatter.
Surrounded by a throng of his new classmates, Feng Hao was pushed into a seat in the very front row. Houhuiyao, basking in the reflected glory, happily took the seat next to him.
A short while later, three familiar figures entered the room one after another. It was the three instructors from the assessment; it seemed they would be teaching this class.
"Everyone, please settle down," the female instructor, Yang Caide, spoke first. Her voice was gentle and melodic, exuding a warm friendliness.
The once-noisy classroom quickly fell silent.