Still, what truly piqued his interest was something posted inside the Gamer’s Empire Discord server. He hadn’t checked the messages there in ages, and unsurprisingly, they had piled up like crazy.
As he skimmed through, something unexpected caught his eye — Storm had written a guide on how to properly ingest the Mana Aptitude Enhancement Elixir for maximum efficiency. According to him, instead of drinking the elixir all at once, it was far more effective to take it in small doses over time. This method allowed the body to gradually absorb the elixir’s effects, significantly improving mana aptitude gains compared to downing it in one go.
“Ho. That’s actually correct,” Victor murmured, raising an eyebrow. “Well, for players who have to save spirit coins, using the elixir sparingly is indeed the best course of action.”
By doing this, Storm managed to increase his mana aptitude by two levels as opposed to just one. Although, Victor suspected that one of the reasons for this was because Storm’s mana aptitude had been at the lowest tier of the glimmering grade to begin with. Furthermore, the reason that he used Discord to divulge this information rather than the forum might be because he wanted only the closest of friends to know about this secret. Maybe he was planning something big on his side, too.
Regardless, Victor noticed that a significant number of players were complaining about the academy becoming a bit too crowded and the lack of professors available to give lectures. Some even suggested that it would be beneficial to have lecturers teaching real-world science and knowledge, as it could help them with their studies and other pursuits.
Are they thinking that this place is some kind of university? “But they do have a point. With so few professors, it’s hard to call this place a proper learning institution like it’s supposed to be.”
“So, what are you going to do with that?” Lizbeth chimed from atop his shoulder.
“Hmm.” Victor held his chin. “Why don’t we select some capable individuals from the player base?”
She tilted her head. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
With a small smile, Victor explained, “Simple. We’ll just make an official announcement that the headmaster is seeking intellectuals to serve as lecturers in the academy. Of course, there will be strict requirements. For example, they must have at least a master’s degree in the relevant field and be at least at the second stage of Initiate Attunement and have an online time of at least eight hours per in-game day. In return, we’ll pay them merit points, which they can exchange for mana crystals that they could sell for real-world money on Earth.”
In a sense, it was like opening a metaverse academy where people could be paid in a crypto-like currency. If handled correctly, this could lead to an entirely new industry, becoming a revolutionary blend of education, gaming, and finance. But that was a matter for the future.
For now, Victor’s priority was finding players who were experts in various fields and had at least a master’s degree. It wasn’t uncommon for recent post-graduates to struggle with finding jobs that fully utilized their expertise, so there should be a decent pool of applicants. Of course, given the current player base, only a small percentage would qualify. Naturally, since they weren’t official Magi, they could only serve as assistant professors. But even in that capacity, they would help bolster the academy’s teaching staff significantly.
“Mm-hmm. I think it will definitely work!” Lizbeth nodded.
After finalizing his thoughts, Victor opened Magus Academy Online’s official website and swiftly drafted an official announcement:
[Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi – Official Recruitment Notice]
The headmaster, Astralium, is now seeking qualified individuals to serve as assistant professors.
Requirements:
- Must possess at least a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant academic or scientific field.
- Must have reached at least the second stage of Initiate Attunement.
- Must have an online time of eight hours per in-game day at minimum.
Compensation:
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
- Payment will be issued in merit points, which can be exchanged for mana crystals or other academy resources.
- Mana crystals can be traded for real-world currency on Earth.
- Prestige and fame.
If you meet the qualifications and wish to contribute to the advancement of magic and knowledge, submit your application through the Shadowlink Mark.
Victor reviewed the message once more before confirming the post. Unlike the usual update announcements, this was something entirely different. However, the qualified individuals would only be revealed after the next update, ensuring a more systematic rollout.
Lizbeth, who had been watching over his shoulder, let out an impressed whistle. “You sure thought up something brilliant this time. With this, you’ll create a group of players more loyal to the academy than the rest. For them, this place will become their lifeblood.”
Victor smirked. “Ha. If there’s money to be made, there will always be takers.”
Still, he wasn’t expecting an immediate response — this would take time to digest and spread. Yet, to his surprise, the announcement had already garnered dozens of replies within minutes.
Hornycrab: “Oh my god! Is this real?! I’m first, by the way.”
Storm Bringer: “It’s been a while since the last announcement, and now we get something this shocking?!”
QuantumMind: “Wait, so we can actually work as professors in-game and get paid real money?! Me! Pick me! ?? I have a master’s degree in computer science!”
NeuroMage: “Damn. If I’d known my physics degree would be useful in a magic academy, I wouldn’t have wasted my time applying for teaching jobs IRL… High schoolers are a nightmare to teach. Maybe I should just resign?”
Castlefrost: “Bruh, imagine writing a dissertation in a VR game. ??”
Captain Derp: “I mean, if it pays well, why not?”
MsMelody: “Um, I don’t have a necessary degree, but I used to help the infirmary in a school. Can I apply for a different role instead?”
As Victor had expected, once money entered the equation, people started taking things seriously. Most of these gamers were people who had too much free time, and many of them had degrees but only worked part-time jobs to cover expenses. If properly structured, the money they could earn in the game as an assistant professor would exceed their real-world salaries several times over.
However, these weren’t the only responses that the players made. There were some more ridiculous ones:
ButaYaarou: “I wonder if my degree in anime science and Japanese literature is useful here. I want to establish a Department of Waifu Studies in the academy and grade all female NPCs and players based on waifu potential. (?° ?? ?°)”
GiveMeTheNuclearCode: “Seconded! I vouch for Lillie as the number one waifu in the academy! Who’s with me?!
Locktekei: “Me, me, me!”
Prominence: “+1.”
Storm Bringer: “+2.”
CookieMons: “+3.”
SirLaughsALot: “This is the FBI! Open up! ??”
Mythos Detective: “Twenty years of prison should be enough to discipline them.”
Victor pinched the bridge of his nose. “…Of course. This kind of comment would show up.”
Lizbeth burst into laughter, hovering beside him, clutching her stomach in mid-air. “Pffft! A Department of Waifu Studies?! Oh, I like this one! Master, you should totally approve it!”
Victor shot her with a deadpan look. “Absolutely not.”
Still, the sheer variety of responses made one thing clear: The announcement had successfully captured the community’s attention, and many were genuinely interested.
Victor then told Lizbeth to prepare the application form and start reviewing any submissions that come in. Only those who met the requirements would go through a screening process before he would interview them personally. This way, he could exclude any trolls who would sign up just for fun; he didn’t want to repeat what happened when examining the workshop applicants.
With that taken care of, Victor could finally put his attention on something else. Early that morning, he had checked the schematic of the Teleportation Waypoint that Eleanor and her apprentices had designed through his Master Shadowlink Mark. A prototype had even been built based on it, but the magic formation was proving difficult to figure out, and no experiment could be done without a voidstone; it was like putting the cart before the horse.
“Guess I have no choice but to buy it,” Victor muttered as he made his way down to the basement. On the way, he opened the System shop. Just as Lizbeth had said, a single voidstone was listed for 2,000 AP, and it could only be purchased once.
With a bleeding heart, he tapped the screen to finalize the purchase. “Ugh… I could have pulled a Nexus Temporal lootbox for twice that amount…”
A moment later, the voidstone materialized from the Nexus Beacon, landing in his palm. It was a dark purple gem, resembling an amethyst, but it pulsed with thick Cosmo elemental energy. Just holding it, he could feel the dense spatial properties contained within. This was one of the precious treasures sought by Magi.
If each Teleportation Waypoint required one such voidstone, then he would need three of them. Three times two thousand… That’s 6,000 academy points gone!
No matter how he looked at it, this wasn’t a beneficial endeavor. But since the System shop wouldn’t let him buy more than one, he needed to find another way to circumvent this issue. There has to be an alternative…
“Master, you mentioned that Lillie has two different powers. If one lets her manipulate dreamforce and open passages to the Dreamscape, then what’s the other one?” Lizbeth inquired, tilting her head.
“Actually, I’m not entirely sure either,” Victor admitted. “She can use her other eye to materialize objects and living beings using dreamforce…”
Wait.
Was Lizbeth hinting at something? Could she be suggesting that Lillie might help with his voidstone issue?
Thinking back, what were the limits of Lillie’s creation ability? Could the things she materialized be permanent? Or, at the very least, last a very long time? He recalled the bird she had created. It had been indistinguishable from a normal, living creature. If something like that was possible, then maybe… There was potential here.
Victor made a quick decision. “Liz, bring Lillie to my office.”
“Aye, Master!” Lizbeth saluted with a playful giggle before zipping off toward Lillie’s room.
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