NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45: Academy Struggles
Kyle blinked in surprise after seeing Riya approach him. "Riya?"
They met halfway, looking stunned to have seen each other.
"I didn't expect to run into you here," Riya said with a smile before glancing towards the Rune Making store Kyle stood next to. "I guess you chose Rune Making?"
"Yup, I did. I came to grab some supplies," Kyle said with a nod. "But Rune Making isn't as fun as I thought it would be— our instructor is putting us through torture.
Drawing runes over and over again, just to make it perfect and identical to the original."
He rubbed his wrist which was still sore as a result of all the drawing.
Riya laughed a little. "Jeez, that's rough. How're you coping?"
Kyle sighed. "Welp, I finally managed to perfect a rune, at the expense of of my Runic Papers. I came here to the Mall to purchase some, after all, our Instructor called it cheap. You won't believe its cost?"
Riya grinned, enjoying Kyle's tale. "Tell me."
"Thirty credits per sheet. Three hundred credits for a bundle. I bought two bundles today, and now I'm practically broke," Kyle said with a sigh.
Riya's eyes widened upon Kyle's revelation. "What?! That's insane! How the heck did you even get such Credits."
"Hehe. It's a secret," Kyle said with a light smile.
Riya rolled her eyes and said in a sharp tone. "Spill it."
Kyle began to narrate to Riya about the Arena.
"Hmm. That sounds real nice," Riya said after listening to Kyle. "I'm an archer, so I'm not that good with 1v1's, but the elemental fights sound interesting."
"What about you?" Kyle asked. "What brought you to the mall?"
Riya nodded, excited to share her story. "I came to check out the Alchemy store to see how much the ingredients would cost... but seeing the prices, I couldn't buy anything," she said with a sheepish smile.
"Our instructor's been making us cram ingredients. We spend hours memorizing the look, function, and properties of hundreds of herbs and substances. It's so unlike what we expected."
"You're right. None of us are having what we expected," Kyle said with a sad smile. "I never knew the Academy could be this stressful. To be honest, I partly came here to take a break from everything."
Riya nodded her head in agreement. "We both need one."
Kyle glanced around, realizing they were still standing near the store.
"Let's go somewhere else. Wanna walk for a bit?"
Riya agreed, and they started strolling together through the crowded mall, moving away from the stores.
"So, how're y'all dual elementalist coping?" Kyle asked as they walked. "I've been wondering because there's only one period for Wing class."
Riya sighed. "It's brutal, honestly. Having two elements means I have to attend two different wings, alternating between them. One day I'm in the Pyro Wing, the next I'm in the Aero Wing. It's like having twice the workload. I barely have time to keep up with both classes, and it's not like I can pick which one I want to focus on— they're both important."
"Jeez! Sorry. That doesn't seem nice," Kyle said, feeling some sympathy, as he wondered when he'll awaken the rest of his elements.
She nodded. "It will all be worth it when I master both elements. I'll try to keep up."
Kyle gave her a reassuring smile. "I've known you to be great at managing stuff. You'll scale through, don't worry."
"Thanks," Riya said with a soft voice.
They walked a little longer, talking about their classes and how they were adjusting to life at the academy.
Eventually, Riya heard her comm chime, she clicked some stuff on it and let out a sigh.
"That was my alarm," she revealed. "I've overstayed and I have to go. Gotta keep to my schedule."
Kyle gave an understanding nod. "Yeah, I should probably get going too."
They exchanged a light-hearted laugh, and Riya gave him a small wave.
"Don't let those runes drive you crazy."
"You too. Good luck with your studies." Kyle called after her as she disappeared into the crowd.
As she left, Kyle glanced at his comm to confirm his credits.
[Credits: 71]
He bit his lips as he thought about how the mighty had fallen so low.
'I've been meaning to get a sword since coming here,' he thought. 'Might as well check it out now. I just hope these would be enough to get a good one.'
He made his way toward the weapons section, passing by more shops filled with all manner of enchanted gear and magical items.
The swords section was nestled near the back, with an array of blades displayed in glass cases and on racks.
The last time he came here, he could afford none. He silently prayed it would be different this time.
As Kyle browsed the selection, his excitement began to wane. The prices for the swords were well out of his range. Most of the finely crafted weapons cost far more than he could afford after his recent purchase of the Runic Papers.
"Six hundred credits for this?" Kyle muttered, picking up a simple longsword. "This is crazy."
He continued to scan the racks, his eyes falling on a more modest display. The Training Swords section, and he walked over, inspecting the simpler, less expensive options.
They were not like the ones Grace got for him in Frulia. These were more like the ones he used in the Arena— blunt-edged and durable, with a weight that mimicked the feel of a real weapon.
'This will have to do for now,' Kyle thought, picking up a training katana that cost 50 credits. It was nothing special— just a standard, unadorned blade with a plain hilt— but it would serve its purpose.
He figured it would be good enough to practice until he could afford something better.
He brought the training sword to the counter and made the purchase, feeling the weight of his dwindling credits more than the sword itself.
With his new weapon in hand, he left the shop and headed back toward his dormitory.
As Kyle walked through the academy grounds, the sky was already darkened, and few students were seen as he entered the dormitory.
His stomach let out a growl as he passed by the cafeteria, he realized he couldn't head back without eating.
Besides, he had enough credits left for one good meal. 'Might as well use the last of my credits on something worthwhile,' he thought with a small smirk.
Inside, the cafeteria bustled with few students. Some sat at long tables, chatting animatedly over their food, while others lined up at the counters to order their meals.
Kyle quickly joined the line, scanning the day's menu displayed on a glowing board overhead.
He let out a sigh, as he couldn't afford Tier-1 meals anymore, but they were still nice Tier-0 meals to satisfy anyone.
'Let's not go cheap today,' he thought, eyeing the special— a hearty bowl of spiced stew with freshly baked bread on the side. It was pricier than what he'd usually pick for a Tier-0 meal, but it was the kind of meal that would fill him up for the rest of the evening.
When his turn came, he ordered the special, the cafeteria worker nodding before quickly dishing it out and handing it over to him.
Kyle instinctively tapped his comm device against the scanner, and a faint beep confirmed the payment. A glance at his comm showed him what he already knew: his balance was now completely drained.
'Great,' he thought wryly. 'I'm broke until the next allowance. Thankfully, that'll be this night.'
With his tray in hand, Kyle scanned the room for an empty seat.
He sat down, letting out a contented sigh as he dug into the stew. The rich, spiced flavors danced across his tongue, and the bread was perfectly soft, just the way he liked it.
For a moment, all his worries—about credits, classes, and the constant pressure from his instructors— faded into the background.
As he ate, he watched the other students around him, discussing
It was a rare moment of peace from the constant grind of the Academy.
'This was worth it,' Kyle thought, a small smile playing on his lips as he stood up to leave with his stomach full.
After finishing his meal, Kyle reached his house.
He placed his sword in his inventory and continued his ritual of blood-dropping on the egg.
He proceeded to continue his night grind— drawing runes and cultivating.
——————
Beginner Mage: Lv 1
EXP: 161/1000
——————
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kyle let out a tired sigh. 'I need to earn some more credits soon.'
His mind wandered to the arena. It had been a while since he'd signed up for a match, and the thought of battling for some extra credits was appealing.
'Maybe one of these days, I'll return there. I could use the extra cash… and the practice,' Kyle thought.
For now, though, all he could do was rest. He made sure to set his alarm before lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, he slowly drifted to sleep.