My existence in the Jade Feather Clan Hunter Academy continued its agonizingly slow pace. I shuffled boxes, endured the jeers of the Bruisers, and perfected the vacant stare of a truly unmotivated F-Rank. The daily task of hiding my Infinite Knowledge was exhausting, but necessary to maintain the mask of The Reliable Loser.
My only consistent success, and my lifeline for currency, remained the Clear Brew—the ultra-pure spirit wine I distilled using my Blue Trash Grass spirit. The wine earned small profits but kept my profile low.
But relying on low-tier spirit sales was inefficient. My Controller's Instinct demanded optimization. My knowledge of the Trash Grass' obscure properties extended far beyond simple purification.
---
My initial process involved the Trash Grass purging only the inorganic contaminants from the spoiled mash. I then simply discarded the filtered residue. However, my Hyper-Focus had cataloged the precise molecular structure of that discarded waste: it was a unique concentration of metallic salts and crystallized pollutants.
My Infinite Knowledge provided the historical context: in the original timeline, a forgotten lineage of rural alchemists had discovered that these specific discarded compounds, when subjected to low-frequency sonic vibration, could be refined into a specialty component.
This component was Mana-Sensitive Dust.
The dust was useless in high-tier combat, but it had one peculiar property: when applied to F-Rank or E-Rank runic enchantments, it created a brief, visible surge in the rune's power, making the enchantment appear far stronger than it truly was. It was the perfect substance for low-tier vanity and fraud.
This was exactly what the Jade Feather Clan students craved.
I immediately refined my brewing operation in my cramped quarters. While purifying the mash, I installed a small, custom-built resonator (constructed from scavenged logistics parts) to vibrate the discarded residue. The process was slow and required immense, continuous control—a task only my Arcane Catalyst could sustain without external sensors registering the activity. The result was a fine, shimmering silver powder.
I now had a product with a vastly higher profit margin and, more importantly, a product that would establish key, exploitable contacts.
---
My new venture allowed me to transition from a humble supplier to a hidden power broker. I didn't sell the dust openly. I initiated a series of subtle, targeted contacts.
The Over-Achiever (Gaining Influence): My first target was a high-strung, failing D-Rank student named Rell. Rell was desperate to advance but lacked the natural talent to maintain E-Rank level enchantment required for the final promotion exams.
The Hook: I approached Rell discreetly. "I found this dust... it seems to make low-level runes look much better. Maybe useful for practice?"
The Exchange: Rell immediately became my primary customer, buying the dust in small, panicked increments. He was convinced he had secured a revolutionary, unique resource. He didn't care about the true utility; he cared about the illusion of power that would impress the instructors. Rell now owed me favors and provided a steady income stream, while simultaneously directing scrutiny away from my operations.
The Gatekeeper (Gaining Intel): My second target was Unit 77, an emotionless, overworked Rank C logistics administrator in the Academy's supply depot—a crucial node for both physical goods and digital access.
The Hook: I didn't mention the dust. I noticed Unit 77 constantly struggled with an overloaded data terminal. Utilizing my Hyper-Focus, I briefly analyzed the terminal's flawed command sequence and, while pretending to sort inventory, manually corrected the input error.
The Exchange: I brought Unit 77 a fresh bottle of Clear Brew wine. "Your terminal was struggling, Sir. Maybe the heat? I fixed the sorting parameter." I used basic, technical language, making it sound like a happy accident. Unit 77, stunned by the sudden, effortless efficiency and the clean wine, became instantly pliable. I now had an ally in logistics who would grant me small, untraceable favors: access to archived training logs, temporary overrides on low-level security cameras, and, most importantly, unmonitored access to the Clan's discarded data feeds.
I was no longer just the wine brewer. I was the silent, invisible source of the Jade Feather Clan's small, immediate benefits. My external image remained F-Rank—the unassuming boy with the Trash Grass spirit. But internally, I was forging the first links in my global infiltration network, leveraging the deep-seated vanity and apathy of the Ascendant City's underbelly. My low-profile war continued, one successful scheme at a time.