Chapter 26: Grayhaven [2]
Sitting in the class, Klein leaned back slightly in his seat and glanced down at the newly issued ID card in his hands.
The card was made of a special mana-infused crystal material that felt both lightweight and durable.
On the front, there was his photo, which was taken during registration; his full name, Klein Faress; his division [Spirit Division - Elite Class], and a unique 8-digit student number.
The academy emblem, a glowing white tree with roots that turned into chains, was elegantly embossed in the corner.
He flipped the card over. On the back, there was a small glowing silver chip embedded into the material.
’That day, Liora used something similar to this to pay for the coffee,’
At that moment, Julia, who was sitting right beside him, leaned over slightly "This is your ID card. Don’t lose it."
Klein looked at her and nodded, waiting for her to continue.
Julia turned her own card over, showing him the same silver chip on the back.
"This is not just proof that you belong to Grayhaven Academy. It’s also your wallet, your key, and your record inside these walls. You can’t use real-world currency here. Everything inside the academy runs on credits."
She tapped the chip with her finger.
"You can use this card to buy food, potions, training equipment, manuals, access to private training rooms, and even rare herbs from the academy stores."
"The chip automatically deducts credits when you make a purchase."
"You can only earn these credits by completing missions from the Academy Mission Hall."
"Whether it’s subjugating monsters in training dungeons, helping with research, gathering rare materials, or completing special tasks assigned by instructors, everything gives you credits. The harder and more dangerous the mission, the more credits you earn."
She tapped her card gently "This system was created to ensure that anyone with hard work and merit can rise here. It doesn’t matter if you’re a commoner or from a powerful noble family."
"Right now, even someone like me, a daughter of a Duke has the same starting balance of credits as you. Hundred."
Klein’s gaze condensed slightly "I see..."
She continued "The academy wants to promote fairness based on effort, not background. Of course, nobles can still use their family influence outside the academy, but inside these walls, credits are the true currency."
Klein looked down at his ID card again, ’So this is how they maintain balance. Interesting... It forces even talented people to work for what they want.’
’Not a bad strategy.’
Julia noticed his contemplative look and spoke "Don’t worry too much. With your abilities, you’ll probably rack up credits faster than most."
---
The morning classes finally came to an end.
Klein leaned back in his seat and let out a soft sigh ’It was all theory...’
He spent the entire morning listening to lectures about the history of the Spirit Realm, spirit classification, and the fundamental laws governing contracts.
While the information was useful and detailed, a part of him hoped they would at least give them a brief introduction to the Spirit Realm.
’I guess it’s too much to expect for them to let us enter a Spirit Realm on the first day,’ he thought, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.
Julia glanced at him and spoke "You have attracted a lot of attention. Some might bring trouble, so be careful."
Klein gave her a small smile "I will do my best."
---
After the morning classes ended and lunch concluded, Klein decided to head toward the Academy Mission Hall.
As he walked through the entrance, the air was filled with the buzz of students talking, the rustle of papers, and the faint hum from the large holographic display boards.
Hundreds of students crowded around massive walls covered in digital and physical mission posters.
Some boards displayed urgent requests in red, while others showed long-term or routine missions in blue and green.
Klein walked deeper into the hall.
Mission Board Sections:
Training Missions (Green): Low risk, good for beginners.
Exploration Missions (Blue): Investigating rifts or ruins.
Subjugation Missions (Red): Hunting monsters or clearing dungeons.
Special Requests (Purple): From instructors or research departments.
He stopped in front of one of the larger boards and began reading some of the postings.
[Herb Gathering - Moonlit Valley]
Rank: E
Reward: 250 Credits
Task: Collect rare spirit herbs in the academy’s controlled valley. Beware of E-tier beasts.
Requirement: Combat ability.
He crossed his arms ’Herbs, huh... most likely for Alchemy.’
’Reminds me of Aeloria; she was also fond of Alchemy, creating potions in her free time.’
’Hmm, there are also missions from students asking for Duels.’
As he stood there, a few other students began whispering again, recognizing him as the Mythic-rank awakener from the entrance exam.
As Klein walked deeper into the Academy Mission Hall, he entered the Internal Exchange Pavilion.
The space opened up into a massive, multi-level hall filled with elegant glass displays, glowing holographic projections, and rows upon rows of high-quality equipment.
Weapons, armor, accessories, potions, spirit herbs, and even rare skill manuals were neatly arranged.
Students and staff moved around quietly, some browsing, others making purchases with their ID cards.
Klein’s eyes swept across the displays with quiet interest.
’I see. With enough credits, students can buy powerful equipment here.’
He walked past sections filled with gleaming swords, robes, defensive artifacts, and various items. Many of the items had tags showing their rank, effects, and credit price.
But then, something caught his eye.
In a special display case near the center of the weapon section, a spear stood out prominently.
Klein stopped in his tracks, and his heartbeat quickened.
’That one...’
He hurriedly walked over and stood directly in front of the reinforced glass case.
It was a magnificent black spear, nearly two meters long.
The shaft was made of some unknown dark metal, with faint crimson runes running along its length.
Klein’s gaze softened with deep appreciation ’Such magnificent craftsmanship...’
In his past life as Irakiel, he was a true spear fanatic.
He collected hundreds of spears.
It doesn’t matter if the spear is powerful or not; he appreciates the craftsmanship.
Seeing this black spear brought back a flood of memories.
A rare thrill raced through his body, something he hadn’t felt in a long time.
’I want that spear.’
He leaned closer to the glass, ’It’s so... beautiful.’
Then his eyes drifted to the small holographic price tag beside it.
[Abyssal Night Spear]
Rank: Epic
Price: 1,000,000 Credits
Klein’s jaw almost dropped ’O-One million credits...?’
He stared at the number in disbelief, ’Are they fucking nuts?’
Even for an Epic-grade weapon, that price is absurdly high.
’How the fuck am I supposed to buy that?’
