Chapter 33 Chapter 9.1 - Black Market
The first class the next day was another theoretical class.
"Today, we will start the second unit of the Mana Theory Class." The voice of the instructor entered my ears. He was not someone that was a named character in the game, though we would see him as a 'Professor' from time to time.
"As we have previously learned, mana is the fundamental essence that permeates our world and all living beings….."
He kept mumbling about the things related to mana, but at the back of the row, I was not listening to him at all.
First of all, the theory he was talking about was something I knew. At least, I knew its main essence since I looked at the course book for a while, and it didn't take too long for me to grasp its essence. As an engineer, it would be weird if I was not good at theory, at the very least.
And the professor was bad at teaching…He may have been good at academics and research, but he certainly was not good at teaching, as his speech was interrupted by himself again and again, making it hard for me to focus.
'In any case, I can study on my own later.' With that thought, I started thinking about what I should do for the future.
'I need money first and foremost.' My bank account was about to hit bottom, and if I was planning to use guns, I needed to be able to afford its expenses.
There were several ways to make money, and the most basic thing for a transmigrator would be buying stocks, as knowing the future of the game would help.
But that also meant I needed funds to invest in stocks first.
'I can solve it by borrowing money from the academy.' I thought.
Each student had their own right to borrow money up to 30000 Valer, which was enough to buy a high-grade gun artifact.
But at the same time, there was no way that I could spend the money I got with a loan in such a way. I knew I needed to invest in stocks, and borrowing money and investing in them looked like a good idea.
'I don't know the details of the stock market too much, but there were quite a lot of small details that would affect the stock market.' I was a nerd that liked to play the games into the details, but even I didn't care about the stocks too much since, as a player, I would rather grind some monsters for money than deal with stocks in a game.
Just like that, I started recounting the small details I had seen in the game to find an opportunity to invest in.
'Hmm…. If I remember correctly, there was a side quest where we would be called by a random girl to join her guild in a dungeon exploration since they were in need of help. And being the good-natured character he is, Ethan would help the girl, and then their guild would suddenly rise in ranks with the help they received.' I thought.
It was a common side quest to help some random NPC to increase the player's reputation and have one more ally for the future. Even though Ethan would help the girl, he wouldn't join her guild, of course. But the girl would still raise their funds and then repay him with her money. The reason she asked Ethan was since, at first, his rank was low, it was easier to talk to him, and she also knew Ethan was a good-natured kid.
I turned my gaze to the girl that was sitting on the front-right side of the classroom to see the girl, and she was there.
She had a basic school uniform, but even in that simple attire, she managed to stand out as I could see some guys looking at her.
Her name was Emily Anderson, and she had long, flowing chestnut hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, like the tranquil sea on a sunny day. When she smiled, her whole face lit up, and it was hard not to notice the warmth and kindness in her expression.
But my eyes could perceive what others couldn't. Her uniform, which would be arranged in a stylish way, showed small signs of neglect. Even though she looked stylish, she didn't have any type of ornament on her body at all, though, on her ears, a small hole could be seen for earrings. She was caressing her wrist from time to time, showing that she used to wear bracelets.
Her eyes looked quite tired, and her hands were filled with calluses. I could even see her flinching from time to time when the wind from the windows blew, touching her arms. It was evident that she was injured on her arm, but she was trying to cover it.
From all these alone, I could infer that she was in dire need of money and had no one to ask for it. In the game, she had already used her loan from the Academy, and she was still in need of money.
'Going with her is the best option.' I thought. '30k or 40k investment would be enough, and I should also join their dungeon exploration.'
I had already looked at the guns that I could buy with my money, and there was quite a good amount of those that I could make use of on the internet, though I was planning on checking the black-market and junk artifact collectors first.
Just like that, I started implementing my plan.
And the most important thing was to observe the girl and strike at the most optimal time. There was still a good amount of time for this girl to seek help now, but considering she was the closest opportunity, it was what it was….
"Student Astron, are you listening?"
Though firstly, I needed to deal with the instructor that didn't like me….
********
Just like that, the days went on until the weekend came.
As the last rays of the Friday afternoon sun streamed into the classroom, signaling the end of the week's final class, Professor Williams, the History and Lore instructor, stood up from his desk and addressed the students.
"All right, everyone, before you head off for the weekend, I have a small assignment for you," Professor Williams announced with a warm smile. "As you know, we've been discussing ancient civilizations and their impact on our world. For this assignment, I want each of you to pick one civilization that we've studied so far and research an aspect of their culture, art, or technology that intrigues you the most."
"You'll have the entire week to work on this," Professor Williams continued. "On next Friday, each of you will present a short presentation on your chosen topic, and feel free to use any visual aids or props to enhance your presentation."
He glanced around the room, making eye contact with each student. "Remember, the goal of this assignment is not just to learn about the civilization itself but to understand how their advancements or cultural contributions have shaped our world today. So, choose wisely and make your presentation engaging!"
"And one more thing," Professor Williams added, "I encourage you all to have fun with this assignment. History is not just about memorizing dates and names; it's about discovering the stories of our past and how they have influenced our present."
"Have a great weekend, everyone," Professor Williams said, waving goodbye to his students. "And remember, history is an adventure waiting to be explored!"
With that, everyone in the classroom was dispersed as he left the classroom with a smile. However, that wasn't the case for students, as everyone booed after he left.
"Sigh…What a boring class…" I heard Julia speaking with her cheeks puffed. Beside her were Ethan and Irene.
"I know. Let's get this over with. I don't want my grades to drop too much." Julia added while putting her head on the desk.
"Anyway, what are you guys going to do on the weekend?" Irene asked, especially looking at Victor sitting in the front. Though, the said person's eyes were not on her but on a different girl.
"Julia, my guild found a new dungeon yesterday…. It is ranked slightly lower… What do you think? Should we explore together?" Victor said, his eyes were looking at Julia with brightness.
"Okay, I am in," Julia answered with a smile, not understanding what her answer implied. She was a bit air-headed when it came to these types of things. She probably just thought about how she would swing her sword.
"Okay, we can arrange the meeting time later," Victor answered. His serious face was filled with a smile.
However, seeing Victor blatantly ignoring her didn't make Irene happy. With her sly fox mind, she butted in. "Then, I am coming too."
"No, it is-"
"Sounds good. I wanted to see a magician using magic for a long time; why not show it to me."
"Jul-" Victor was about to refuse, but Irene didn't let her be.
"Okay. Inform me when you are going to leave." Irene approached Julia with a smile of her own, but I was familiar with that smile. I saw it in the dungeon, after all.
I could also see Ethan wanting to go to the dungeon with them, but he was too weak to tag along with them for now.
"Ethan, do you have any plans?" At that moment, Lucas butted in as he poked absent-minded Ethan.
"I am going to train."
"Come on, let's hang out in the city." Though in the end, he couldn't convince the workaholic protagonist.
"No. I am going to train."
"Sigh…."
As they were talking amongst themselves, I stood up and left the classroom. With the appearance of the weekend, I could finally leave the academy grounds.
I had trained non-stop all week while also using the ingredients from the game to maximize my training, and the results were pretty bright.
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?Name: Astron Natusalune
?Occupation: Weapon Master (level 1)
?Talent Limit: 6
?Passives:
- Vengeful Bane
?Attributes:
Variable Attributes:
- Strength: 1.4 -->1.5
- Dexterity: 2.1 --> 2.2
- Agility: 2.0 --> 2.1
- Constitution: 1.4 --> 1.5
- Intuition: 2.2
- Magical Power: 2.6
- Mana Capacity: 1.8
?Traits:
- Perceptive Insight (Unique)(Unchanging)
- Lunar Enigma (????) (Growth Type) (Stage 0)
- Shadowborne (Legendary) (Growth Type)(Stage 1)
?Arts:
- Lethal Arsenal Ascendancy (????)(%9)
?Skills:
- Dash
- Keen Eye
?Body Imprints:
--------------------------------
My strength, dexterity, agility, and, most importantly, constitution increased. In a way, it was one of the most important stat for me.
Right now, I have reached the average stats of a normal adult for all of my stats. But, that being said, an average adult couldn't run at 20 km/h speed; thus, my constitution being average didn't mean it was good.
In any case, for a ranger, that was enough for now. For the past week, I have been observing Emilia and how she behaved, her condition, etc., and for now, I have quite a good amount of time to make some money on my own.
Reaching my room, I started preparing for the weekend trip I was about to do.
Opening my watch, I checked my bank account and saw 40.864 Valer on there.
Wednesday, I made an application for the student loan, and the academy responded at a fast speed immediately.
And here it was. My money that I would use in order to get some good equipment. The academy lets the students use the weapon supplied by them outside, but one would also be using the same weapon on the exams, joint training sessions, and assignments. Therefore, if you lose your weapon, then you are basically dead….Until you buy a new one which is 100k Valer each for normal weapons.
And this guy on my back is more expensive than normal weapons because it values around 125k….
In any case, that is the reason why most of the students prefer using their own weapons outside of the academy, but I don't care too much about it.
This is a risk I need to take for now.
Just like that, I left my room heading to the train station of the Arcadia Train station.
On the way, I found out that it was the same guard that let me out last Friday, and seeing me getting out again, he put on a knowing expression.
"Family, right?"
'Family, huh?'
"Yes." Though, I didn't bother with his misunderstanding and nodded in response.
"Good…Passing time with your family is good, but make sure to come before the curfew on Sunday."
"Thank you, sir." With a nod, I left the academy grounds not long after, reaching the train station.
Thanks to the fact that the Hunter Academy students were allowed to travel anywhere without paying, I booked a seat for the Ariopolis, where the place I aimed located.
Just like that, my weekend started fast…..
---------------------------A/N-----------------------------
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