「One month later.」
The light in Allen's dormitory was blocked out by heavy curtains. Only a desk lamp, powered by a Micro-Light Rune, cast a steady, cool halo of light.
He finished his Meditation for the day, his consciousness surfacing from his Sea of Consciousness.
There, what was once a binary system composed of the "anchor point" and Rune 02 had now expanded into a miniature star cluster of seven Runes.
They resonated with one another, rotating in a stable formation, their efficiency at drawing in Magic Power several times greater than the original single Rune.
"DSeek, bring up the summary report for the last thirty days," Allen commanded in his mind.
A virtual light screen unfurled in his mind.
[Periodic Summary Report (Second Month of the Semester)]
[I. Personal Growth Module:]
[Rune Inscription Progress: Completed inscription of five Meditation Runes, from No. 03 to No. 07. Total Runes Inscribed: 7.]
[Spiritual Power Limit: 51% increase from start of period. Current total Spiritual Power can support the construction of the 'Wizard's Hand' Magic model five times, with a 20% reserve remaining.]
[Total Magic Power: 354% increase.]
[Course Progress: Learning objectives for three core courses—'The Nature of Magic Power and Macro-Theory,' 'Basic Runes and Linguistics,' and 'Logic and Magic Models'—have been completed. Other courses are being followed in sync with class schedules. Current progress is 45% of the academy's standard curriculum.]
[II. Business Plan Module:]
[Total Income: 312 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Income Breakdown:]
['Introductory Diagnosis' Service: 97 total clients, 97 Magic Stones in revenue. This income stream is on a declining trend, having peaked in the first week after launch and is now nearing saturation.]
['Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group': 20 members, monthly fee of 15 Magic Stones/person. First month's revenue was 300 Magic Stones. After deducting discounts for mid-month joiners, actual income was 215 Magic Stones. This is the core stable cash flow.]
['Personalized Academic Path Customization': Course not yet open (basic theories not yet fully learned).]
[III. Financial Status:]
[Starting Capital: 197 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Income This Period: 312 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[Expenses This Period: 65 Low-Level Magic Stones (10x Basic Spiritual Power Recovery Potions & living expenses).]
[Current Account Balance: 444 Low-Level Magic Stones.]
[IV. Overall Assessment:]
[Phase One Learning Plan (Months 1-2) has been mostly achieved. The business plan has exceeded expectations for accumulating start-up capital. Current resources are sufficient to initiate the Phase Two Learning Plan.]
[Points of Note: The 'Mutual Aid Group' model has attracted small-scale imitation. Three similar paid tutoring groups have appeared on the market, with a price range of 8-12 Magic Stones/month. They lack core competitiveness and do not pose a threat for now, but should be added to the long-term observation list.]
Allen reviewed the report. The numbers, combined, painted a satisfying picture.
The initial explosive income was just as DSeek had predicted—the result of harvesting the most urgent and superficial anxieties of the new students.
Once the demand from these desperate students was met, the income naturally settled back into the stable model centered on the 'Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group'.
A stable income of over two hundred Magic Stones per month was a figure that would make any new student green with envy. But to Allen, this money was not just wealth; it was fuel, powering the engine of his meticulous study plan.
Allen stood up and stretched his slightly stiff body.
'His wallet was full. It was time to make some purchases and prepare for the next step.'
He changed into a clean Apprentice Robe, pocketed his identification card, and left the dormitory.
The street where the Apprentice Trading Market was located was completely different from the solemn atmosphere of the academy's other districts. This place was a sea of clamor.
The street was paved with massive, gray-blue stone slabs. The buildings on either side varied in style. Some were stone-built shops with signs made of magical light hanging by their entrances; others were simply cloths spread on the ground, displaying all sorts of strange and curious trinkets.
The bitter scent of medicinal herbs and the fragrant aroma of food mingled in the air.
Apprentices moved through the crowd in twos and threes. The sounds of haggling and the cheerful laughter of friends filled the air.
Allen had no interest in the secondhand notes and so-called "ancient relics" at the street stalls. Ninety-nine percent of it was worthless junk.
His objective was clear. He walked straight toward a shop at the end of the street marked with a "Seven Towers Alliance Official Certification" sign.
The shop's interior was spacious and bright. Rows of neat shelves displayed a wide variety of goods protected by transparent crystal covers, from potions and materials to standardized Witchcraft Model Scrolls. An apprentice in a clean uniform was tending the store.
"Ten Basic Spiritual Power Recovery Potions," Allen said, his voice steady and devoid of pleasantries.
The apprentice glanced at him, seemingly surprised that another apprentice would buy so many potions at once, but didn't ask any questions. He skillfully retrieved a sealed wooden box from a shelf and placed it on the counter.
"Fifty Low-Level Magic Stones."
"I also need some study materials for 'Basic Potions and Toxicology' and a mobile terminal."
"That will be 12 Magic Stones in total."
"Also, I need a Subordinate Spatial Storage Bag."
"Of course, sir! The standard model sells for 120 Low-Level Magic Stones."
The apprentice's tone took on a hint of a sales pitch. "One cubic meter of space. It's a must-have for new students and will save you a ton of time."
He took out a seemingly unremarkable small black leather handbag from under the counter. It had a simple design with a single metal clasp and handed it over.
Allen took the storage bag. It felt heavier in his hand than it looked.
He extended a thread of Spiritual Power into it and immediately perceived a vague, gray, cubic space.
It was crude, but it was large enough to hold his growing collection of books, notes, and the lesson plans he prepared for the 'Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group'.
This would drastically improve his efficiency, saving him the trouble of running back and forth to his dorm.
"That's all." "A total of 182 Low-Level Magic Stones."
Allen tapped his student card on the counter. A faint light flashed, and the transaction was complete.
He stuffed the wooden box with the ten potions and a pile of other vials and containers directly into the bag. Feeling the weight vanish from his hand, he nodded in satisfaction. 'On Earth, such a convenient creation only exists in works of fiction.'
The mobile terminal was equivalent to a crude cell phone. Its functions were identical to the public terminals in the dormitory hallways, but it could only be used within the academy.
His account balance was now 262 Magic Stones.
Next, he planned to visit the Low-Level Universal Witchcraft Zone in the library to learn some Magic not found in his textbooks.
Just as he turned to leave the market and head for the library, two familiar figures appeared at a street corner.
Vera and Colin were standing in front of an herb stall, struggling to move sacks of pungent-smelling dried plants onto a nearby cart.
Their Apprentice Robes were stained with dust and bits of grass, and a thin sheen of sweat covered their foreheads.
"Allen?" Vera straightened up, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"Vera. Colin," Allen said, walking over and greeting them politely.
"You're browsing the market, too?" Colin put down the sack he was holding and pounded his lower back. "The two of us are working. We're helping Hansen Potion Shop process a batch of raw materials. We can earn half a Magic Stone for an afternoon's work."
Half a Magic Stone. Allen mentally entered the number into his database, but his expression remained unchanged.
"How are your studies coming along?"
"They're okay, I guess," Vera said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "We just don't have enough cultivation resources. Incense for Meditation, blank crystals for recording lectures... everything costs Magic Stones. Not like you, Allen. We heard your Mutual Aid Group is doing exceptionally well."
Her tone was filled with sincere admiration, not a hint of jealousy.
In their eyes, Allen's success stemmed from his unfathomable knowledge, so it was only natural.
"I'm just sharing some personal insights," Allen replied calmly. "If you ever run into a problem you can't solve, feel free to come find me."
"How could we impose? You're a busy man now," Colin said with an honest smile. "We'll take it slow. We'll catch up eventually."
Allen nodded but said nothing more.
He knew that for apprentices like Vera and Colin, who had no extra resources, working part-time and taking things one step at a time was their only path forward.
Everyone had their own path. He was in no position, nor did he feel the need, to interfere.
Just as he was about to take his leave, a small, thin figure pushed through the crowd and came to a purposeful stop in front of him.
It was a somewhat frail-looking first-year student. He looked nervous, not even daring to meet Allen's gaze directly.
"Excuse me... are you Senior Allen Wesren?" he asked in a small voice.
"I am."
Receiving an affirmative answer, the new student visibly relaxed.
He took a folded note from his robes, offered it with both hands, and said in a rapid-fire voice, "A senior student asked me to bring you a message. He said he wants to talk to you about 'business.'"
Allen's gaze swept over the note, but he didn't take it.
"Which senior?"
"He... He didn't give his name."
The new student grew even more flustered under Allen's calm gaze. "He only said that you'll understand when you see the address. He told me to tell you that he's very interested in your 'bakery' and that perhaps you could discuss cooperation, rather than fighting over the wheat."
Bakery, wheat.
Allen's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
'It must be that apprentice who sells study notes for 2.5 Magic Stones. This metaphor alludes to the fundamental difference between our business models.'
"What's the address?" Allen asked.
"It's written on the note. H District, Alchemy Workshop No. 17." After saying this, the new student added, as if specifically instructed by the other party, "The senior said you should go on your own. The time is up to you. He is very sincere."
H District, Alchemy Workshop No. 17.
DSeek's database immediately pulled up the previously entered relevant information: it was a private laboratory the academy rented out to Advanced Apprentices, equipped with basic Alchemy Equipment. The cheapest annual rent was as high as five hundred Low-Level Magic Stones.
This was not just a meeting place; it was a silent display of power.
Vera and Colin listened from the side, completely bewildered, but they could sense the shift in the atmosphere.
Allen hesitated for a moment before finally taking the note. After completing his task, the small new student immediately bowed and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
"Allen, you..." Vera looked at him with some concern.
"It's just a business invitation," Allen said, his expression unchanging. "I have other things to do. I'm heading to the library first."
He nodded to the two of them, then turned and walked away, his steps steady and composed.
On the way to the library, DSeek was running at high speed.
[Event Analysis: Business Meeting Invitation from an Advanced Apprentice.]
[Analysis of Opposing Party's Intentions:]
[1. Probing and Assessment: Using a high-profile meeting location to display financial strength and status, thereby applying psychological pressure.]
[2. Interest Integration: The 'bakery' and 'wheat' metaphor indicates the other party clearly recognizes the difference in your business models and is inclined to seek cooperation rather than malicious competition. Forms of cooperation may include: channel sharing, customer referrals, or a business merger.]
[3. Potential Threat: If negotiations fail, the other party may use their status as an Advanced Apprentice and their connections to suppress you and the 'Basic Rune Mutual Aid Group.' Risk Level: Medium.]
Allen's steps halted before the library's magnificent doors. He glanced down at his identification card and walked inside.
An invitation from an Advanced Apprentice was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity.
It meant his influence had begun to spill beyond the circle of new students, reaching into the interest networks of a higher tier.
If he handled it well, he might be able to use this opportunity to integrate into the upper echelons of the academy's ecosystem even faster.
'I'll continue studying Magic tomorrow as planned. The day after, I'll go to the meeting.'