Back in his dorm, he immediately shut out the outside world and sank into the depths of his consciousness.
"DSeek, the influx of clients has exceeded expectations. The one-on-one model will consume a massive amount of time and energy, creating a conflict with the first phase of my study plan. Establish an optimized service model."
[Building model... Based on current data and risk assessment, generating product proposals:]
[Product One: "Introductory Diagnosis." Pricing: 1 Low-Level Magic Stone.]
[Service Details: A five-minute, one-on-one rapid consultation focusing on a single Rune construction issue, providing the core insight for a breakthrough.]
[Strategic Objectives: Rapid monetization to cover the time cost; collect data on new students' Spiritual Power models on a large scale through a standardized process; screen for valuable clients to move up to the next tier; establish a reputation for 'instant results.']
[Product Two: "Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group."]
[Format: Membership-based. Pricing: 15 Low-Level Magic Stones/month.]
[Service Details: Two group tutoring sessions and one specialized Q&A session per week. Provide a standardized training regimen and a guide to avoiding common errors.]
[Strategic Objectives: Establish a stable cash flow, form an exclusive community, leverage group dynamics to reduce the service cost per person, keep my influence within a controllable range, and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.]
[Product Three: "Customized Academic Plan."]
[Format: Limited to three clients per month.]
[Pricing: 50-100 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Service Details: Based on DSeek's comprehensive analysis of the client's Spiritual Power aptitude, knowledge structure, and available resources, provide a 'most efficient path to success' study plan for one academic year, detailed on a weekly basis.]
[Strategic Objectives: Secure high profits, establish deep ties with promising apprentices, and lay the groundwork for the future.]
Allen reviewed the three-tiered service model. Each component supported the others, creating a perfect, self-contained system.
This system would allow him to act like a skilled surgeon, precisely carving out his desired slice of the pie from the massive pool of new students, all while keeping his own presence to a minimum.
'The name "Mutual Aid Group" is perfect. It sounds harmless and voluntary, brimming with the simple, cooperative spirit of fellow apprentices.'
「The next evening, outside public practice room A-7.」
It wasn't even seven o'clock, but over twenty people were already scattered about the hallway.
By seven o'clock sharp, the number had surged to nearly fifty.
They gathered in small groups, their faces showing a mix of anticipation and skepticism.
Lester Green was conspicuously present, puffing his chest out like a proud guardsman and constantly bragging to those around him about Allen's "revelatory" guidance.
Allen appeared punctually, wearing a crisp, clean Apprentice Robe. Ignoring the crowd's stares, he walked straight to a table inside the practice room.
He uttered two words: "Line up."
The apprentices murmured and shifted, but quickly formed a long, crooked line.
The first to step forward was a tall, lanky boy. He looked exhausted, and the dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced they looked like they had been painted on.
"What's the problem?" Allen asked without looking up.
"The 'Force Field Shaping' for Wizard's Hand... I... I can never get it to stabilize, and it consumes a ton of Spiritual Power," the boy said, wringing his hands nervously.
"One Magic Stone."
The boy quickly swiped his ID card against Allen's. A faint light flashed, and a Low-Level Magic Stone appeared in Allen's account.
Transaction complete.
Only then did Allen look up at him. "Cast it for me."
The boy awkwardly began to cast the spell, and DSeek completed its calculations instantly.
[Probable Cause of Failure: Incorrect Spiritual Power output. Attempting to construct the entire hand model at once, causing a multi-process overload.]
"Your problem isn't the shaping, it's the process."
Allen's voice reached him, crisp and clear. "First, create an Energy Ring at the wrist to act as a foundation. Then, extend five Energy Beams from that foundation to form the fingers. The final step is to fill that framework with the force field. Build it step-by-step."
The boy was stunned. He had never heard of this approach before. The textbooks and his instructors only ever emphasized the final result.
"Go and try it off to the side." Allen motioned for the next person in line.
The boy walked dubiously to a corner and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he snapped his eyes open, an expression of sheer, disbelieving joy spreading across his face. Though still unpracticed, a blurry silhouette of an energy hand, made of five fingers and a wrist ring, was actually hovering steadily before him!
Everyone waiting in line saw it clearly. A wave of stifled gasps erupted from the crowd.
"Next," Allen's voice remained perfectly level.
One, two, three...
The whole process was shockingly fast. Allen operated like a well-oiled machine; each "patient" spent no more than five minutes before him. With just a sentence or two, he could always identify the core of a problem that had plagued someone for days, even weeks.
"The trick to 'Stable Grasp' isn't to sense the weight; that's the method for those gifted in Spiritual Power. You should set a 'pressure threshold' for the force field. Let it wrap around the object like an airbag inflating on its own, rather than trying to grab it with your hand."
"Your Meditation efficiency is low because your breathing rhythm is out of sync with the tides of your Spiritual Power. Try pausing for a second at the end of your inhale before you diffuse your Spiritual Power."
Each piece of guidance was direct and brutally simple, yet unnervingly effective.
Without exception, the apprentices who received his advice would step aside to practice, their faces lighting up with looks of dawning comprehension and elation.
The problems they had spent countless Magic Stones and hours on, buying recovery potions and practicing in vain, were all solved here in five minutes, for the cost of a single Magic Stone.
"Is this what a genius is like..." someone in the back of the line muttered to themselves.
Simultaneously, DSeek was working furiously in the background, analyzing and tagging each apprentice Allen diagnosed.
[Oliver Page: Moderate Spiritual Power control, strong learning aptitude. Recommended for the 'Mutual Aid Group'.]
[Fiona Clark: Family crest on robe sleeve, wearing a 'Calm Heart Ring' (estimated value: 30 Magic Stones). Shows interest in long-term planning. Recommended as a potential 'Path Customization' client.]
[Marcus Bell: High Spiritual Power reserves, but impetuous and lacks foundational knowledge. Well-suited for the 'Mutual Aid Group' to receive systematic correction.]
A little over an hour later, the last apprentice had received his answer. 47 Low-Level Magic Stones now lay quietly in Allen's terminal, but this was just the appetizer.
More importantly, DSeek's database now contained a comprehensive data model on nearly fifty first-year students.
He cleared his throat, and the practice room instantly fell silent.
"Starting today, I will be forming a 'Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group' to help you systematically solve all the course-related problems you'll encounter in the first month of school."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes lit up.
"Spots are limited to twenty members. The monthly fee is fifteen Magic Stones. There will be two group tutoring sessions and one dedicated Q&A session per week. I will send invitations later to candidates I find suitable. If you receive an invitation and fail to confirm within one hour, the spot will be passed to the next person."
Fifteen Magic Stones! Some people gasped at the price, but most were already doing the math in their heads. A single Spiritual Power recovery potion cost five Magic Stones, and all it did was let you fail a few more times. Fifteen Magic Stones bought a month of smooth sailing—saving them countless hours and effort. It was a simple calculation.
Someone in the crowd immediately shouted, "I'll sign up!"
"Me too!"
"Please be patient," Allen replied coolly. 'I have to keep the selection process firmly in my own hands.'
The commotion in the practice room didn't subside for a long time after he left.
Meanwhile, on the second-floor corridor of another building in the academy district, a young man in a dark Advanced Apprentice Robe was leaning on the railing, gazing off in the direction of practice room A-7.
"Draven, what are you looking at?" his companion asked.
The young man called Draven didn't turn around. He was handsome, but his eyes held a merchant's cunning. He was the one who sold the advanced notes for 2.5 Magic Stones a copy.
"An interesting first-year," Draven's voice was steady. "He didn't use a sickle to steal my wheat. He opened up a bakery instead."
His companion didn't understand the metaphor.
A slight smirk touched the corner of Draven's mouth. Sales for his notes business had dropped by nearly thirty percent over the past few days.
At first, he thought the market was saturated, until he saw that post about the "Pointing" Rune and heard about tonight's "paid consultation" session.
His product was the fish, while the other guy was selling custom-made fishing gear.
"Look into this Allen Wesren for me." Draven turned around, his voice laced with a chilling coldness. "I want all his public records, including his talent assessment report, his background, and who he associates with."