Chapter 39: Returning the Book: Gaitbalon's Dark Magic Insights

After a while, the waiter brought eight glasses of juice, 99 magic crystals, and 4 gold coins. Everyone watched as the colorful, coin-sized magic crystals were placed into her small bag, each of them enviously drooling.

Magic crystals are second-grade elemental crystals. On the continent, elemental crystals are divided into six ranks, from 0 to 3. Crystals of these four grades are generally available in medium-sized shops.

0-grade crystals, due to their low energy storage, are considered low-grade and are typically used for daily life, priced at about 23 silver coins. For example, the crystals used in civilian teleportation arrays, and the light, fire, water, and ice crystals used for lighting, heating, and cooling in academies are of this grade. Luo installed ice crystals of this grade in the decorations on his furniture and under his water bottle.

1-grade crystals are less casually used, priced at around 4550 silver coins. They contain more elemental energy and are generally used for setting up ordinary magic arrays. This grade of crystal is affordable for ordinary families, so the consumption is high, and there is still potential for price increases.

2-grade crystals are priced and standardized by the Holy Garden and various countries. They are usually made into a fixed size in general stores, priced at 100 gold coins each. Over time, this grade of crystal has been directly used as currency, known as 'Magic Elemental Crystals' or simply 'Magic Crystals.'

3-grade crystals are relatively rare due to their high elemental content, making them suitable for large magic arrays. Many mages and magicians use these crystals for experiments, so they are very expensive, typically priced at over 4000 gold coins.

The ranking of these crystals is determined by fixed elemental energy multiples and the power of instantaneous energy release. In addition to this standard, their price also considers their practical value and rarity. For example, 1000 0-grade crystals of a fixed size contain energy equivalent to about 70% of a 2-grade crystal, but their total price is only about 30% of a 2-grade crystal, or at most 30 gold coins.

Irina looked at Teacher Sophina with envy, "I also want to be a successful person like Teacher!"

Blanche chuckled. Sophina also smiled, "What kind of success is this? If you can strive to become a Light Knight, that would be true success, so you should work hard!"

"Light Knight." Irina made a gesture as if looking into the distance, then fell weakly onto Konelia beside her.

Vain grumbled, "But no matter how rich you are, you can't afford to keep Ice Zheye. A meal costs 50, two meals a day would be 100, and ten days would be 1000... It's a terrifying nightmare."

Carole and Irina also started to criticize Ice Zheye.

"He is Ice Zheye!" Blanche looked at the young man in a fashionable yellow magic robe across from her, recalling the book *Gaitbalon's Dark Magic Insights* and the attached note. She thought, "Why did Sophina give such an important thing to such a young guy?"

Ice Zheye naturally saw her looking at him and asked with a feigned innocent smile, "What's the matter, Aunt Blanche? Is there something on my face?" He then touched his face with his tender, pale hand.

"No, I just think your clothes look very nice and well-matched," Blanche smiled.

Ice Zheye pointed at Sophina happily, "Teacher bought them for me."

Blanche said to Sophina, "No wonder, they are so stylish."

"Alright," Sophina stood up, "The compensation for the danger you faced yesterday is nothing much, but it's part of your training. I have work to do, so you all should return to the academy."

"Thank you, Teacher Sophina."

"Goodbye..."

"Bye."

"The food was so delicious, I wish I could eat it again..."

Sophina said, "It's a return for the trouble you went through to bring me the clothes from so far away."

"Hey, it doesn't seem like you specifically invited me, you passed through more than a dozen districts," Blanche waved her hand, "Oh well, seeing how much you spent today, I can't bear to make you spend more."

Sophina said, "I have to go to work. I have two classes this afternoon, so I need to prepare."

Blanche walked out of the hotel with her, "The shop has been very busy lately, and I'm almost overwhelmed with setting up magic arrays. If I don't go, the boss will dock my pay. I don't have your generous salary. So, goodbye."

"Bye."

Dibelas has many such shops because not everyone can use magic, not everyone can set up magic arrays, and not everyone can set up every kind of magic array. For example, lighting with crystals or the fire crystals used in barbecue shops require various arrays to support them.

Not long after leaving the hotel, Sophina heard someone call her, "Ice Zheye, you didn't go with them? What do you want to talk about?"

Ice Zheye took the black book from his magic robe pocket and handed it to her.

"Hmm?"

"I can't accept this."

"Can't accept it? Why?" Sophina was puzzled.

"Because..." Ice Zheye lowered his head and was silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled, "Because I don't need this."

Sophina looked at him for a long time, a bit disbelieving, "You don't know what this book is? It is..."

"I know, it's a very precious book, and it's priceless," Ice Zheye said, "But... I can't accept it. I understand your kindness, Teacher, but if I want to see it, I want to do it on my own."

Sophina was stunned for a moment, "You're quite determined." She squatted down and looked into his eyes with a smile, "Then, this book will be in the Great Blue Crystal Tower. You can go and get it yourself."

On the way back to the dormitory, Ice Zheye thought about what had just happened. He really couldn't accept the book. First, he didn't want to receive sympathy, even though Sophina said it wasn't sympathy, he still felt that way. Second, the book was too valuable, and he couldn't repay the favor, nor did he want to owe anyone. Finally, he felt he would be betraying someone because he had a different purpose for being there.

When he returned to the dormitory, only Luo and Vain were there, and Carole was nowhere to be found. They were still talking about yesterday, discussing how much the rhinoceros horn materials from the killed monsters were sold for, or what tasks they had completed at the mercenary guild with the materials. They chatted enthusiastically, one after another.

Vain asked Ice Zheye when he returned, "When do you think we can go to the Ten Forbidden Areas and kill those monsters to get their treasures? Luo says we need to be at least as strong as Teacher Sophina to go there, but I don't believe it."

Luo snorted, "Do you know how powerful the monsters in the Ten Forbidden Areas are? Otherwise, why would the materials from their bodies be so expensive? It's because most people don't dare to go in, making them so expensive! The stronger a person is, the less they care about money because money is easy for them to come by."

Vain retorted, "You said they don't dare to go in because they are cowards. If I were as brave as me, wouldn't I be able to do it?"

"Idiot, you don't understand," Luo said angrily, "It's because the monsters inside are so fierce that they are afraid they won't come back! You were scared out of your wits yesterday!"

Vain stood up from the stool and roared at him, "That was the first time I saw such a big monster, I had no experience. If you ask me to go now, I promise... I promise..."

"Promise what?" Luo asked.

Vain snorted, "I promise I won't be like yesterday."

Luo laughed, "You're talking nonsense."

Ice Zheye ignored the two idiots and walked to the balcony to bask in the sun.

They continued to argue. Luo said, "Do you know what a three-headed fire python is in the Monster Forest? It's this." He raised his little finger, then continued, "That level of monster is everywhere in the Ten Forbidden Areas, it's just a child's play."

"Hmph, keep bragging, keep bragging," Vain said disbelievingly, "You've never been to the Ten Forbidden Areas, how do you know?"

Luo couldn't take it anymore, "Idiot! It's all written in the books, have you even read them? I don't know how you got into Kulandtin."

"Of course, it's by my own ability," Vain said proudly, "What's the use of reading books? Can reading books defeat monsters? I don't know what's going on in your silly head."

Pig Luo felt so frustrated talking to him that he wanted to bang his head against the wall, "I won't talk to you anymore." Suddenly, he added, "You'll know in September."

"Hmm?" Vain didn't understand what he meant.

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