Chapter 25: First Mission
Damon stood at the doorway leading to his room. Similar to the guesthouse, it contained a small bed, a desk, and a chair. It also had a chest for belongings and a small meditation chamber. There was a large window and curtains above the desk looking down to a courtyard in the middle of four dormitory buildings. Standing next to him was Skylar, who had guided him to his room after the testing was finished.
“This is the dormitory building G-6. Your room number is 609. The dorms are separated by gender and cultivation realm, so you will only find fellow Node Awakening Initiates from any department near here. The Disciples have different dorm buildings, and the Adepts have personal residences in various parts of the city, with some even granted permission to live in the Verdant Sigil Castle.”
“I see, Senior Apprentice Skylar. Could you instruct me on how the Academy works?”
“Just call me Skylar. I am not much older than you, and have only just reached the late stage Node Awakening realm. For this academy, the only compulsory classes are the biweekly combat class and your department class. You’ll be placed in a random class and notified when and where to attend later. For all the other classes, there are free lessons and paid lectures. The first can be taught by anyone, as long as they have the capabilities. It’s one of the tasks you can accept from the Academy to gain some merit. For the paid lectures, they are generally only taught by the Senior Apprentices with a greater breadth of knowledge, sometimes even by Adepts. You must pay a certain amount of merit points to attend, the amount being decided by the lecturer.”
“I understand, Senior Brother Skylar. So these free classes can be attended by anyone?”
“Yes, Junior Brother Damon. You can attend the classes taught by all departments, too. You can find the schedule in the Mission Hall. You can also apply for a mission or task there as well. Besides that, there is the Legacy Hall that contains all the manuals and tomes containing cultivation arts, secret techniques, rare or advanced spells, and guides on auxiliary paths. Another important location is the Trade Hall. It is linked to the Verdant Sigil Pavilion, granting you access to most artifacts or materials you may need, so long as you can afford the price. Finally, there is the Mess Hall. The Material Handling department manages it, providing fresh and delicious first-tier or second-tier dishes that can help strengthen your constitution and even aid in cultivation progress!”
“Material Handling department? There is such a thing?”
“Yes. They have majors in cooking, herbalism, skinning and tanning, and more. They are cultivators dedicated to finding and processing the raw materials needed for the other departments. Tracking and killing an essence beast is not the end. You must then skin its hide and separate the precious materials from the rest. Only then can these materials be prepared for artifact forging, cooking, or potion crafting. It is a very important field of study. They are the backbone of all other departments.”
Damon was taken aback by the grandiose description of the department. I guess what he says is true, that it is the backbone of all other paths. I should have a look at some of their free classes when I have the time. Currently, my priority is to gain sufficient merit to purchase a medicine or elixir that can heal the injuries to my Arcane Node. Damon mused.
“Senior Brother Skylar, can you show me to the Mission Hall, please? I would like to start gaining merit immediately.”
“Hahaha! You’re a very hard-working one, aren’t you? First, you should change into the academy robes so you aren’t mistaken for an outsider. Also, remember to always carry your identity badge with you at all times, just in case a guard questions you. Some of the guards from the Guard Manor can be a bit strict at times. Also, here, take these…” replied Skylar as he handed Damon a bag.
“This bag contains a few small jars of mystic ink, several rolls of essence beast parchment, and an artifact quill. They are the same ones as you used in the test earlier. Senior Levi asked me to hand them over to you as a gift for entering our Runeology department. These should help you get started on your studies.”
“Oh, thank you very much, Senior Brother. Please give my thanks to Senior Levi, too, if you see him.” Damon was surprised he was being given a gift for joining the academy. Although he had yet to visit the trade market and didn’t know the exact price, he knew that this quill and these materials were definitely not worthless.
After receiving the items, Damon set them down on his desk before getting changed into the academy robes. Looking down at the brand new robes, with their sleek and appealing design, he could not help but become slightly emotional. The journey to reach this moment had been very tough and long, but he was now officially a cultivator of an association.
When Damon emerged from his room, Skylar said, “Wow, Junior Brother, the robes suit you very well. You look like a refined scholar now, not some wandering independent cultivator. You may end up enchanting all the female cultivators in our academy!”
Damon modestly replied, “Senior Brother, please don’t jest. I do not have any desire to waste my time fraternizing with others. I am wholly committed to cultivating and acquiring new knowledge.”
“Such a shame. Though such a disposition is actually going to get you more admirers than if you were a flirt. Anyway, follow me, I will show you to the Mission Hall before I go back to my research lab.”
As the two of them walked through the academy, Damon could see apprentices walking around from every department. Each department had different marks on its apprentices’ robes. His own robe only had one rune currently displayed on his sleeves and collar. As he climbed the rankings of the Runeology department, the number of runes would increase. Looking up, he could also see many cultivators flying through the air above the Academy, but they were all flying at a low altitude.
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“Senior Brother Skylar, what are the rules for flying in the academy?” asked Damon.
“Flying is allowed in the Academy and the city in general, but only at a low altitude. This rule only applies to the Disciples; Adepts are allowed to fly freely.”
As they discussed a few more rules, they finally arrived in front of a large three-storey rectangular building. Upon entering, Damon looked around and saw a vast and spacious hall. Aside from the staircase leading upstairs in the center of the hall, there was only a seamless counter that almost encircled the entire hall by hugging the walls adjacent to and opposite the entrance. Behind this counter, numerous men and women of varying ages were servicing the apprentices here to accept a mission or enroll for classes.
As Damon was still looking around and taking in the fresh sight, Skylar explained how the Mission Hall worked. “Only the first floor is accessible for the Initiates, so don’t try to go upstairs. If you look at those large wooden boards mounted on the walls behind the counters, you will find what you’re looking for. The counter on the left handles internal missions, tasks that can be completed without leaving the city. The counter on the right handles external missions, tasks that will require you to travel outside. The opposite counter is where they handle the enrollment for classes and lectures.”
Damon’s eyes landed on the wooden boards mounted behind the counters. Numerous glowing lines of text could be seen listed out neatly on the boards. Some of these lines flickered before disappearing, while new lines appeared immediately after. The disappearing lines were missions that had just been accepted, whereas the appearing lines were new missions being posted. Damon exclaimed in wonder at the sight of these boards.
“Senior Brother, these boards… Are they artifacts? They seem very useful!”
“Yes, they work similarly to a communication orb. The managers overseeing the hall have a separate artifact that is connected to those large boards, which they use to modify the listings in real time. It looks like a simple device, but the innovation that was required to design and produce such artifacts is incredible. These little projects are usually the focus of the Tinkering department. Some of their inventions are astonishingly useful, whereas the others are just silly or unusable.”
Damon once again was surprised at how inventive his fellow humans were. He realized that cultivation was not something that only existed to increase one’s lifespan and strength. There are an infinite number of roads you can walk down aside from the three paths of mind, arcane, and body. However… These infinite roads will eventually reach a dead end. They won’t be able to take you down the path of omniscience. Damon regained his composure as he came to this thought. No matter how wondrous and spectacular an auxiliary art was, it would always be secondary to cultivation.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for guiding me all the way here and explaining the academy rules. I can make my own way from here.” Damon said.
“It was my pleasure, Junior Brother. I’ll be returning to my research lab in the Runeology department. If you ever need me for anything, just leave me a message at the main building. I’ll see you around.” Skylar said, before exiting the hall.
Damon continued to stand near the entrance as he watched the other apprentices proceeding with their activities. After monitoring the situation for a while, he finally decided to go to the counter on the left. I can always start attending classes later; my first priority is healing the injury of my Arcane Node. My progression will be stalled if I leave it for too long. External missions could put me in danger. Though I am not afraid of any mission that may be given to an Initiate, it is better to remain in the safety of the city for now.
Approaching the left wall, Damon looked up and started inwardly reading the list of missions available.
Assist in processing essence beast corpses. 10 merit points per shift. Prior material handling experience required.
Damon paused after reading the first mission. 10 merit points per shift? How valuable are 10 merit points? I should have gone and had a look at the Trade Hall first to get a gauge on the value of the points prior to coming here. That was my mistake. Still, it won’t hurt to find a suitable mission for me first. He then continued down the list.
Essence plant field manager. 5 merit points per day. Manage and tend to a field of Crimson Snakefang Grass. Long-term commitment required.
Elixir tester. 3 merit points per elixir. Caution: the elixirs have never been consumed before, and the effects may vary.
Damon paused yet again. Elixir tester? This is a mission? It seems dangerous… Who would take a mission like this? As he was in the middle of thinking this, he saw the mission disappear. Someone had actually taken the mission. Though perplexed, he continued reading.
Entrance Hall attendant. 10 merit points per shift. Assistant for Claire is required. Accept the mission at your own risk.
Damon let out a chuckle after reading the next line. He couldn’t help but think about the cheerful girl from the previous day. Though he had been annoyed by her actions at the time, her spirited personality definitely lightened the atmosphere around her. Shaking his head with a smile, he focused back on the list.
Assist a Senior Apprentice in forging. 100 merit points. Three Junior Artificers with a medium or high lightning element affinity required to assist in forging an offensive artifact.
Teach a class. 10 merit points per lesson. Can be any subject related to the Academy departments. Assessment by Senior Apprentices prior to commencement required.
Upon reaching this line, Damon paused to consider the task. This might be a viable option. Though I have only mastered the several runes that were described in the enchanting guidebook I own. Although it is technically mastery, my comprehension of those runes is actually almost nonexistent… Whether I can actually teach others is a different matter.
After concluding his thoughts, Damon continued to read through the long list of missions. Although there were many tasks posted by every department, most of them were catered to apprentices in their own field. As he started to grow a bit anxious at being unable to find a suitable job, his eyes finally landed on a mission that seemed designed specifically for him.
Scribe required. 5 merit points per book. Scribe with steady and clean calligraphy required to copy guides in the Legacy Hall into brand new tomes. Comes with some custodian duties. Long-term commitment required.
Damon's first mission... But it comes with a twist!
If you were an apprentice in this Academy, which mission would you accept?
