novelraw Chapter 273: Prey or Hunter?
Chapter 273: Prey or Hunter?
"That old woman is just single, repressed, and taking it out on others. Don't pay her any mind."
On the way, Flora said, pouting with annoyance.
Lin Mo wasn't particularly bothered by that somewhat off-putting Water Element instructor. Instead, he was rather intrigued, looking at Flora with interest.
"Also, don't ever be alone with her in the future. If she looks for you, come and tell me immediately... Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"
Flora finally noticed Lin Mo's gaze, and her eyes immediately became a bit evasive.
"It's nothing."
Lin Mo smiled and didn't say anything more.
This only made Flora more anxious. "No, you have to explain clearly. What exactly is so funny?"
Her tone wasn't particularly serious; it actually carried a hint of coquettishness.
Lin Mo had no choice but to tell the truth. "I was just wondering, why is Teacher Flora so anxious?""Because—"
Flora started to answer instinctively but then stopped, unable to find the words for a moment.
Yeah, because why?
She hadn't really thought it through; it was all just subconscious action.
So, why did she have that kind of anxious reaction?
After a while, Flora finally thought of a reason that could convince herself. "Of course it's because she was harassing my student... Didn't you say you'd be assigned to my class? Then from now on, you'll be my student. As your teacher, of course I have to look out for you."
"I see."
Lin Mo smiled noncommittally and didn't continue to expose her.
"Alright, I have to go to class. Are you coming?"
Flora checked the time. The midday break at Saint Antonius Academy was very short, even for second-year students.
Although they didn't have classes every day, precisely because of that, the schedule on class days was packed tight.
"I won't be going..."
Lin Mo shook his head. He had only come to the academy at Flora's request to register his name, not to actually study there. For him, the content taught at the academy was already of little use. After all, his strength had already caught up to, and even surpassed, that of a teacher like Flora.
He'd be better off spending this time walking around the academy, taking the opportunity to learn about that so-called credit system.
The reasons Lin Mo agreed to Flora's request were twofold: first, to repay the favor from when she taught him magic and to protect her students; second, naturally, to take advantage of the rewards the academy offered its students.
The academy's credit system was essentially like an additional reward for participating in adventures, distributed to students in the form of points that they could exchange for what they needed.
Among the exchangeable items, besides common materials, alchemical potions, equipment, and weapons, skill scrolls were naturally indispensable.
And as a Royal National Academy, this academy's reserve of skill scrolls was quite substantial.
As long as he could obtain enough credits, Lin Mo wouldn't have to worry about where to find skills in the future; the academy's skills should be enough for him to learn.
Furthermore, previously, if he needed materials, he couldn't purchase them from the academy either, nor could he use credits, which would save a lot of gold coins.
Oh right, speaking of which, I wonder how the progress on forging those mithril gloves is going. I should go to Benerod's place and ask Edgar's father if he's finalized the design plan.
Thinking about these things, Lin Mo bid farewell to Flora and first went to the student affairs hall to get a detailed understanding of the credit system.
There were quite a few ways to earn credits.
For example, if you performed exceptionally well in daily studies, you had a chance to earn some. Alternatively, achieving a ranking in some academy-held activities or competitions could also earn credits. But the simplest method was undoubtedly going out for adventure and training.
The way to calculate credits earned through training was simple: it was based on the difficulty of the mission.
An E-rank mission could only earn 1-3 points. A D-rank mission generally earned 15-30 points. A C-rank mission earned 50-100 points.
As for anything above that, it was completely beyond the level students could handle.
In fact, C-rank missions were almost never completed by students. Even powerful individuals like Flora and Eve basically only took on the slightly more difficult D-rank missions.
Only when they encountered those with unusually low difficulty would they consider attempting them.
Moreover, taking on high-risk missions required applying to the academy, as the academy had to consider the safety of these outstanding students.
As for the purchasing power of credits, it was surprisingly good.
With just 10 credits, you could borrow a common-grade skill scroll from the academy library for a period of six months.
If you hadn't learned it after six months, you'd need to pay another 10 credits.
However, for academy students, this situation basically didn't exist. Their talents were all top-notch in their respective regions; learning a common-grade skill wouldn't take much time.
As for the number of credits required for higher-grade skills, Lin Mo couldn't be bothered to look.
Given his situation, he didn't need to exchange for any high-grade skills; common-grade skills were the best.
He also checked the exchange rates for materials, equipment, and weapons with credits, just to have a rough idea.
After that, Lin Mo left the academy directly and went to the Preston Smithy in the west of the Royal Capital.
Benerod wasn't at the shop, but Lin Mo still managed to meet Andre.
"You finally came..."
As soon as Andre saw him, he eagerly pulled Lin Mo into his workshop and pointed at the carefully packaged "Spirit Vein Mithril."
"I've already designed the plan. Take a look."
Saying this, he took out a design drawing that looked very complex.
Lin Mo carefully examined the text on the drawing. Ignoring the forging steps section, he looked at the required materials. Besides the main material, "Spirit Vein Mithril," many auxiliary materials were needed.
Most of them were quite valuable.
"If this piece of equipment is successfully forged... it will definitely be stronger than ordinary low-tier Epic-level equipment. It could completely surpass your sword!"
Andre patted his chest confidently.
"That powerful?"
Lin Mo was somewhat skeptical.
"Of course!"
Andre seemed a bit dissatisfied with his doubt. "Your sword's craftsmanship is excellent, and the material comes from a dragon, but what was used is, after all, just a dragon's scale—something that's more like scrap material for a dragon. So, it's not much different from ordinary low-tier Epic-level weapons."
That's true.
The other Epic-level equipment Lady Behira had shown back then was also more or less on par with Lin Mo's "Frost Dragon Scale Sword."
"I've also calculated the price of these materials for you. If you get them through the shop, it will cost a total of 12,000 gold coins. Of course, you can also choose to procure them elsewhere..."
"However, this particular material is generally very difficult to buy."
Andre pointed to the item written in larger font and specially circled on the drawing.
"Mountain Giant's Heart?"
Lin Mo frowned tightly. This thing was indeed hard to get.
Mountain Giants were a very powerful type of magical creature. Rumors said these creatures had Titan blood flowing in their veins. Even the most ordinary Mountain Giant possessed high-tier Lord Level strength, equivalent to a Transcendent Level expert among humans.
With Lin Mo's current strength, it was impossible for him to defeat such a creature!
Moreover, such creatures didn't exist near the Royal Capital...
So, not only was this thing expensive, but it was also scarce in the market; you couldn't buy it even if you wanted to.
"Is there no alternative?"
"No."
Andre shook his head. "Even if you swap it for something else, it would be something of a similar level, and the effect of the forged item wouldn't be as good..."
As a blacksmith, having the rare opportunity to forge Epic-level equipment, of course he had to pursue perfection and do the best he could.
Not only were there no suitable alternatives, even if there were, he wouldn't agree to use them.
"Alright."
Lin Mo nodded. "I've noted it down. I'll come back to you if I manage to obtain this material later."
...
After leaving the smithy, Lin Mo still had a headache. Mountain Giants were mostly solitary creatures without clear distribution areas. Even if he had the strength, they wouldn't be easy to find.
He could only rely on luck.
He couldn't slack off on improving his strength either. Although Lin Mo planned to wait for the next couple of days of classes to finish before going out with Eve and the others, that didn't mean he should waste these two days.
Now, he had two choices before him...
The first was to simply leave the city and go to the Silent Forest to kill monsters and grind proficiency.
But this would be very time-consuming. The Royal Capital wasn't very close to the Silent Forest; it would be difficult to make a round trip in a single day, which would delay practicing the [Shared Cultivation] skill in the evening.
Although everyone was understanding and wouldn't rush Lin Mo, he knew very well that those girls were eager to become stronger, to improve their strength, to keep up with him as much as possible and not fall too far behind.
The second choice was relatively simpler.
That was to find someone to spar with.
Compared to before, the improvement Lin Mo could gain from practice now was not insignificant.
For example, those status-type skills, including the newly acquired Epic-level passive skill—Unyielding Body.
And also the coordination between different elemental magics, as well as attempts to combine warrior skills with magic skills—these were all things that required practice.
It's just that previously, Lin Mo had always found it difficult to find suitable sparring partners.
But now...
Most of the instructors at the academy were stronger than Flora. After all, Flora was a recent graduate, a new teacher who had just started her job, still young and inexperienced.
People were definitely available, but asking them to help with sparring might not be so simple...
With the strength of these instructors, if he tried to hire them with money, Lin Mo probably couldn't afford it. At times like this, he had to make use of his identity as a student.
Ah!
Lin Mo's eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of someone.
That was the "Amy" instructor he had met during lunch!
Sometimes, good looks were also a resource that could be utilized. For the sake of becoming stronger, these were necessary sacrifices.
And to be fair, although she was a bit off-putting and slightly older, Instructor Amy's appearance wasn't bad either... at least, she was pleasant to look at.
For the entire afternoon, Amy was a bit distracted during her class.
As a woman about to enter her thirties, she couldn't help but start considering her life's major matters.
Although she had a quite good job and strength, along with matching wealth and social status, these weren't necessarily advantages when it came to relationships.
Most of the people attracted were those who coveted her identity and status, wanting to reap the benefits without effort.
She looked down on those lazy, good-for-nothing types.
Moreover, when it came to feelings, Amy paid great attention to that initial spark... to put it bluntly, she cared about looks.
She had worked so hard to become an academy instructor, to become a powerful expert—couldn't she enjoy herself a little?
But people who were both excellent and good-looking were far too few.
Even if she was lucky enough to encounter one, such an excellent person might not necessarily have the same intentions.
So, as time went on, she became more and more repressed.
She had even harassed academy students quite a few times, for which she had been docked a lot of bonus pay and even gotten into fights with teachers from the neighboring Warrior Academy.
After paying so much, she still hadn't gotten a taste.
Today was the same. Finally encountering someone she liked, only to find Flora sitting right beside him.
That little girl, saying he was her student... but Amy wasn't a fool... or rather, even a fool could tell their relationship wasn't that simple.
She just wanted to have him all to herself... Hmph, I hope she chokes on it!
Sigh, what in my life has ever gone smoothly?
Amy walked dejectedly down the corridor of the teaching building, preparing to return to her dorm as usual to drown her sorrows in drink.
However, as she turned and headed downstairs, she ran straight into a familiar figure.
A handsome, young face, a pure and clean aura, and a tall, well-proportioned physique...
Wasn't this the student of Flora's she had met at noon?
He was holding a pile of materials in his arms, hurriedly coming upstairs.
Amy's eyes darted around, and a plan immediately formed in her mind.
So, she pretended not to notice and also quickened her pace going downstairs, bumping right into Lin Mo.
The materials in Lin Mo's hands scattered all over the floor, and he hurriedly bent down to pick them up.
"Sorry, sorry..."
Lin Mo apologized hastily, lowering his head to gather the materials.
"It's alright, the teacher wasn't paying attention."
Amy smiled and helped him pick things up, intentionally leaning over him from above. Her considerable chest was less than ten centimeters away from Lin Mo.
The moment he looked up, Lin Mo saw the basketballs filling his vision and immediately took two steps back, showing a shy, flustered expression.
What an adorable reaction!
Amy, like a tiger spotting its prey, tried her best to calm her breathing and calmly handed the materials in her hand to him.
"Thank you, Instructor Amy."
Lin Mo gave a shallow smile. The perfect curve of his lips made Amy's heart flutter again.
"You're Flora's student, right?"
She stopped Lin Mo, who was about to leave, and asked.
"Y-yes... I just transferred today."
"Oh?!"
Amy was immediately surprised. That's right, she remembered all of Flora's original students, and there wasn't such a handsome little cutie among them.
But being able to transfer directly into a second-year class meant this little hottie's talent must be quite high too.
Indeed, the strong are full of pleasant surprises. Amy was even more satisfied with this young man before her.
"Are these materials Flora asked you to deliver?"
Amy said while patting his shoulder. "Don't be so nervous. The teacher won't eat you."
"But, Teacher Flora told me not to get too close to you..."
Lin Mo said somewhat awkwardly.
Amy's eye twitched. That damn girl, slandering my reputation again!
She put on what she thought was a "gentle" smile. "That was just a joke. Instructor Flora and I have a very good relationship; we often joke with each other. You don't need to take it seriously."
"Is that so?"
Lin Mo blinked, looking exactly like an ignorant little lamb.
"Really, really... Alright, I won't disturb you anymore. Go deliver your things."
Amy restrained the impulse in her heart. She couldn't appear too eager at a time like this. She had to take it slow, like warming a frog in water, gradually dissolving his wariness.
"Mm."
Lin Mo nodded, ran a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "Um... Instructor Amy..."
"What is it?"
Amy turned back, somewhat pleasantly surprised, seeing him looking like he had something to say.
"Actually, I'm also somewhat interested in Water Element magic..."
"Oh?"
Amy could barely contain the joy in her heart. She clenched her fists, still trying to maintain a proper demeanor. "Are you planning to learn dual-element magic?"
"I just want to give it a try. I feel like there's not much more I can learn from Teacher Flora's classes, so..."
Hehe, young little girl, you're still too green after all!
Amy felt even more pleased with herself. "In that case, do you have time tomorrow? I happen to have no classes. I can teach you one-on-one~"
"This... wouldn't it be too much trouble for Instructor Amy?"
"No trouble, no trouble... I love helping students who are passionate about learning!"
Amy waved her hands repeatedly. If she weren't afraid of scaring him, she would have suggested he come to her dorm tonight to start the lesson.
She then remembered something and added, "However, you mustn't tell Instructor Flora about this, or she might get upset."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Instructor Amy..."
After hurriedly saying goodbye and leaving, Lin Mo's mouth twitched as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
This older sister was practically drooling. No wonder Flora warned him to be careful.
These days, even boys have to protect themselves!
But at least the sparring partner problem was solved. And as the academy's Water Element magic instructor, her understanding of Water Element magic should be quite profound. He might actually learn something.
Anyway, he'd deal with it tomorrow. For now, he needed to go back and find the adorable little Finnie to heal his heart.
When Lin Mo returned to Flora's dorm, everyone was basically already there, discussing the day's lessons.
Ellie was chattering away, looking very excited, as if she had learned a lot.
That was to be expected, as it was the kingdom's highest institution of learning; the teaching standard was undoubtedly top-notch.
Lena also seemed to have learned a lot of specialized knowledge she couldn't have figured out on her own through trial and error, and was organizing her notes.
Sherfilia and Finnie didn't seem to have gained much.
After all, they came from extraordinary backgrounds to begin with. Finnie, in particular, had been personally taught by Bishop Fletcher of Silverstream City, so her foundation and theory were quite solid.
As for Flora...
After teaching all afternoon, she was now "lying flat" on the sofa. Seeing Lin Mo, she asked curiously, "Where did you just go?"