Markus stepped through the portal, returning to the academy grounds.
"Done already, young boy?"
The professor stationed at the guardhouse noticed his silhouette step through the portal.
"Yeah, a beast mutated, which caused mana-instability in the portal zone," Markus commented, the glimmering blue portal behind him stabilized into a smooth circular flow of mana."
"I took care of the mutated thunderous bull and several other cattle that got in my way. I left the rest alone in the portal zone to maintain its natural ecosystem," Markus added, as he scanned his student badge on the ID scanner, marking his mission completion.
[Tier:2, Mission completed, 100CP awarded]
Markus exited the basement and went back to the mission hall to check for more tasks.
"Back again, junior?" the familiar student manning the counter greeted Markus with a warm smile.
"Yeah, any new tier1 to 2 missions involving portals or hunting?" Markus asked.
"Scan your Student ID, take your time to browse the mission board," she replied.
[Tier 1 - Harvest Glimmer herb]
Location: Outskirts of the Forbidden Forest
Objective: Collect 10 stalks of Glimmer Root.
Reward: Up to 50 CP, dependent on the quality of harvest.
[Tier 1 – Eliminate Stoneskin Rats]
Location: Capital Sewage System
Objective: Eliminate the growing herd of Stoneskin Rats in the Valerian Capital Sewage System.
Reward: 30 CP. Bonus if the source of rats is discovered.
[Tier 2 – Mana-Orb Calibration]
Location: Academy Training Halls
Objective: Stabilize the Mana – Orbs surrounding meditation chambers and arena grounds.
Requirement: Alchemical Knowledge of Mana Orbs
Reward: 50 CP.
[Tier 2 – Tutoring Session]
Location: Valerian Royal Family Estate
Objective: Tutor the youngest daughter of the Valerian Crown Prince
Requirements: Proficiency in the lightning element
Reward: 150 CP
[Tier 2 – Portal exploration]
Location: Oakhaven Borough
Mission start date: In 1 days time.
Objective: Explore a newly formed portal, determine if it's suitable for relocation into the academy grounds
Requirements: 5 students with tier 2 or above combat abilities (4/5)
Reward: 200-500CP
Markus tapped on the portal exploration mission, eager to learn about the underlying principles behind portal formation.
[Mission Accepted: Assemble in the mission hall in 19 hours 33 minutes]
The mission timer was synchronized to his student badge.
"Alright, cya around senior~" Markus waved as he headed for the Contribution Point exchange center.
Markus scanned his Student ID on the exchange counter, and a comprehensive list of items was displayed:
[Current CP: 150]
Tier:1
Health potion - 1 CP
A basic health potion restoring 100 health
Mana potion – 1 CP
A basic mana potion restoring 50 mana
Strength enhancement potion – 2 CP
Increases strength by 10 for 30 minutes
Agility enhancement potion – 2 CP
Increases agility by 10 for 30 minutes
Constitution enhancement potion – 2 CP
Increases constitution by 10 for 30 minutes
Intelligence enhancement potion – 2 CP
Increases intelligence by 10 for 30 minutes
Body refinement pill (99% Purity) – 5 CP
Refines the body, cleanses impurities
Body refinement pill (1 Mana Vein) – 15 CP
Refines the body, cleanses impurities with 3 times increased effectiveness
1-hour Elemental Guidance (Level 30 coach) – 5 CP
1-hour Elemental Guidance (Level 40 professor) – 15 CP
30 minutes Combat Training (Sparring partner) – 10 CP
Tier 2:
Mid-Grade Mana stone – 5 CP each
Pure energy for rapid mana replenishment, stable currency within the Valerian Empire
Beast-Core Essence (Level 30+) – 30 CP
Highly concentrated mana forms when a beast enters Tier 3. Aids breakthroughs from level 29-30.
Gravity Chamber (1 hour) – 10 CP
Adjustable gravity training room, for body refinement and physical training
Private Meditation Room (1 hour) – 20 CP
20% increased Mana concentration, packed with dense Elemental essence
Rare Knowledge & Privileges
Library "Forbidden Section" Permit (2 hours) – 50 CP
Access to historical records of the Mana Apocalypse and forbidden areas
Alchemical records – 20 CP
Contains information on recorded alchemical experiments, including forbidden research topics
Markus tapped on the exchange counter, confirming the purchase of the Library permit.
[Library Permit – 2 hours remaining]
The digital system deducted 50 CP from his student badge.
For the average student, 50 CP could be an entire week's earnings from grinding missions at the academy.
**
Old Darwin didn't bother looking up from his book as Markus approached the intricate library doors.
"Scan your student badge to enter," Isaac grumbled, his sensitivity to sound tracking the excited heartbeats of Markus.
"There is a second door before the forbidden section; you have to scan your pass again to enter. The time starts ticking when you scan through," Isaac explained, "If you have any remaining time left, scan your pass after you exit, it will freeze the remaining time."
The library did not just contain books; modern technology recorded knowledge in Mana-Ecoded crystals and digital tablets.
Old parchments have been phased out to prevent wear and tear from repeated usage.
Markus ignored the "Basic Elemental Theory" section. His eyes—one reflecting the white light of the hall, the other a void of shadow—scanned the higher-tier aisles.
Markus ascended the spiral staircase at the end of the library's first floor.
He scanned his pass on the gate, sealing the forbidden section.
[Time remaining: 1:59:59]
The air in the Forbidden Section didn't just feel old; it felt heavy, as if the forbidden knowledge were mourning the world that existed before the stars fell.
Markus's shadow stretched long against the pillars, flickering with a faint purple hue as his Spatial affinity reacted to the 'Primordial Epoch' records. He wasn't just reading history; he was looking for the footprints of his own kind.
Markus stepped through and used his Fate's Eye to look for resonances.
Markus pulled a thick, leather-wrapped tome from the shelf.
'Novus said my signature is superior to Mana,' he mused, his fingers hovering over a crystal labeled [The Primordial Epoch: Before the Apocalypse]. 'If the Empire doesn't have a name for what I am... I'll have to find it in the ruins of the old world.'
It contained early satellite imagery from the first hour of the Mana Apocalypse.
The Australian Collapse: Detailed maps showing rapid mutation of beasts in the wetland regions of Australia. Spiders, Snakes, Crocodiles, and even Coral structures are awakening to mana, descending on humankind.
Coral structures mutated, grew to impossible lengths, rose like titanic structures, revealing jagged teeth to sink military and evacuation ships.
The entire continent is now a forbidden zone. Teeming with wildlife, devouring one another to grow stronger due to scarce resources.
The Fall of Western Civilization: In the early 21st century, between 2010 and 2070, mass migration from Middle Eastern and African countries made its way into Europe and the Americas.
Mass migration without social integration caused a total societal collapse after the mana apocalypse. The Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist organization, revolted against the UK, US, and European nations.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been designated as a terrorist organization in several nations, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Facing an external threat of mana-enhanced beasts and an internal threat of Islamic terrorism, Western society imploded. What remains in the 22nd-century world order is one crafted through the dominance of power.
Markus checked his student badge.
[Time remaining 1:20:13]
Markus closed the tome and returned it to its rightful place, as he felt a pull 3 shelves down.
He pulled out a tablet containing information on different systems developed in the 3 major continents.
America's System:
Awakener system in North and South America revolves around meditation, attunement to the elements in nature. The body is the natural conduit for magic, using mana pathways within it to channel spells.
Europa-Russian System:
Awakener system in Europa-Russia utilizes a conduit, in most cases a wand or a staff, to channel mana and the elements.
China-Asia System:
The Asians developed a unique cultivation system; they refine their bodies to the extreme while training with cold weapons such as swords, spears, etc.
At level 70, America's and Europe's systems both condense a mana core. However, China-Asia condenses what they call a dantian.
The Western systems condense mana rings around their mana core as they progress; however, the Asian system liquifies their mana in their dantian.
When it's full, it completely solidifies and forms a perfect, solid golden core.
[Time remaining 47:10]
Markus sighed, an hour passed way too quickly when he was immersed in discovering important historical events.
He left the forbidden section with over 40 minutes remaining, intending to come back to discover more knowledge on rare elements.
Markus sat beside old Isaac as he browsed the digital tablet for general information on portals.
Portals are classified into 3 categories:
1 Dungeon Portals: These portals respawn mobs every time someone enters. One can only exit the dungeon after completely clearing all monsters within. An exit portal will spawn at the end of the dungeon.
2 Portal Regions: A portal region is a piece of land in another world that consists of a living ecosystem. Generally used for cultivating herbs and farming wildlife.
3 Elemental domain portals: This portal leads to elemental domains, which are dense in elemental laws. It is populated by local tribes or beasts that have acclimatized to the elemental domain.
(Hmm, I probably have to go dungeon diving; it is the fastest way to earn resources and CP)
"See you around, Elder Isaac," Markus politely bowed and made his way back to his dorm room.