Chapter 74

If anyone is interested in managing the book review section, please apply. We need one more person, who must be frequently online.

Dunke led Cook and the others to the cafeteria, which was located on the first floor. This area was the comprehensive zone of the entire academy, featuring various shops, a place to complete积分 tasks, bars, and more, all of which were fully equipped.

Dunke said with great exaggeration, "Once the school year starts, this place will be very lively. And after the start of the school year, you can't leave the academy without the approval of a mentor, of course, except for tasks."

"How many students are there in total?" Lori asked curiously.

"Not many, only about 2,000 or so. Some rare majors don't even have a single student," Dunke replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"2,000 students, isn't that too few?" Cook asked, somewhat disbelieving. After all, in Cook's hometown, schools with 2,000 students were quite common.

"Hehe, not at all. Out of 2,000 students, only a handful graduate each year, with a death rate exceeding double digits, and the number of students who become disabled is in the triple digits. Those who don't graduate make up the quadruple digits. Moreover, Cook, you might not know, but the academy will forcibly expel students who rank at the bottom in terms of points each year, or those who don't advance within a certain period. Auditors are also evaluated annually, and those who don't meet the standards lose their right to continue studying. The same applies to regular students; those who don't score high enough will be kicked out," Dunke said with a smile, but his words made Lori, Miki, and Cook feel a bit uneasy.

Cook then asked, "So, how are the exams conducted?"

"Comprehensive strength! The exams will assign tasks based on different professions and levels. For example, those who make magic scrolls will be evaluated together, and scores will be given based on success rates and the quality of the magic scrolls. There are also combat tests, and in the end, a total score will be announced. The bottom ten will be expelled," Dunke said, raising a finger.

"So, how many points do you earn for doing tasks at the headquarters of the Mage Guild?" Lori asked curiously.

"Only one point. The task board has detailed task descriptions, and anyone can post tasks, but you have to pay points first. There are restrictions on taking tasks, as some are not suitable for junior students. I do daily tasks. Doing low-level tasks reduces points, like the daily tasks I do. If you, as a new student, were to do them, it would be at least five points, while I get only one. For higher grades, it's only 0.5 points. Relatively speaking, collecting magic materials and completing tasks assigned by mentors earn the most points, as they help train students' abilities," Dunke explained as he led Cook and the others around the comprehensive zone.

"Is there a restaurant over there? Isn't there already a cafeteria?" Lori pointed to a large sign with a big knife and asked.

"Hehe, that one requires points, while the cafeteria is free, though it only provides enough to fill your stomach," Dunke shrugged.

"What about the kitchen in the dormitory?" Cook asked again.

"Heavens, Cook, you're not thinking of cooking yourself, are you? There are no ingredients for sale here, only some seasonings. You have to gather the ingredients yourself. From the comprehensive zone, there are signs leading to the back mountain, where the plantation is. Currently, only a small part of it is used by the potion-making students to grow magic plants. Grains can be bought, vegetables have to be planted, and meat requires hunting in the forest. Of course, you can also buy it with points from those who enjoy combat, but it's not cheap," Dunke asked, surprised.

"Do you charge for the land in the plantation?" Cook's eyes lit up as he asked.

"Yes, 2% of the value of your crops," Dunke looked at Cook with a strange expression.

Upon hearing this, Lori immediately exclaimed, "Great, let's grow our own food! We'll go catch crabs!"

"Crabs? They're all bones, how do you eat them?" Dunke asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, that's what makes them delicious. Dunke, do you know where we can find crabs?" Lori asked, very excited.

"Yes, the plantation is in a valley with a lake, where there are plenty of crabs, but they're not very useful," Dunke said, also curious, and led the way.

Dunke led Cook and the others through a corridor and then rode a Lapis Beast, a type of magical creature specifically provided by the academy for students to venture into the forest. It is a second-level gold-type herbivorous magical beast, similar to a rhinoceros on Earth but larger. Students can use it for free with their credentials. The plantation is located at the edge of the forest.

"This is the plantation," Dunke pointed to a very wide valley. The valley was vast, with patrol personnel occasionally passing by. In the middle of the valley was a large lake, surrounded by some buildings.

"Dunke, we want to rent some land to plant. Where do we go to handle the procedures?" Cook thought about his affinity with plants and the extensive knowledge of plants in his mind, which was more advanced than in this world. He could use techniques like hybridization and grafting to cultivate new plants. Cook planned to cultivate some better thorn seeds, as he believed the Thorn Spell had many complementary aspects with the Hunter profession.

"Go directly to the building by the lake; you can rent land with your credentials," Dunke pointed to a building by the lake and explained.

Cook and the others rode the magical beast on the wide stone path and arrived at the lake in about ten minutes. There were shops, inns, taverns, and places to keep magical creatures. Most of the shops sold unknown magic plants and seeds.

"Since this is the only way to the magical forest, the facilities here are quite complete. See, there's a patrol team stationed there, and it's also the office for the plantation," Dunke pointed to a large stone building by the lake and said.

The rental process went smoothly. Cook selected three plots of land near the lake on the map, totaling about three acres. Each student could only rent one plot, and each plot was one acre.

"Cook, have you read the rental agreement? If you rent the land but don't plant anything, you will be penalized," Dunke came out and reminded Cook in a low voice.

"Thank you, I know!" Under Dunke's surprised gaze, Cook bought many plant seeds at the general store, mostly thorn seeds, and some common magic plant seeds.

Cook was very excited about the three acres of land. This was land specifically cultivated by the magic academy, surrounded by a powerful magic alarm array and patrolled by personnel. Cook saw the magic plants on the already planted land emitting magic waves.

"Cook, why did you buy Green Velvet Grass and Red Stem Vine?" Lori asked, puzzled. She knew that thorn seeds were needed for the Thorn Spell, but she didn't know about the other two.

"These are two relatively rare plants needed for healing potions. It's not that they are rare, but the best Green Velvet Grass is the first ear that sprouts on the first day. Generally, it's hard to achieve this. As for the Red Stem Vine, the best way to extract its sap is to cut a small opening on a living Red Stem Vine and let the sap flow out. The other materials for the healing potion are not very particular," Cook explained while carefully selecting seeds. He used his magic eye to see the brightness of the plant seeds, choosing the brightest ones.

"Uh! Are you also an alchemist?" Dunke asked, surprised.

"No, I just know a formula for a healing potion," Cook replied, looking up.

Then, under Dunke's curious gaze, Cook began to nourish the already selected seeds with wood magic. A pale green wood magic rolled in his palm, and the plant seeds tumbled inside, gradually absorbing the wood magic.

"Damn, this guy is actually a wood magic user, and I didn't sense it at all," Dunke was shocked. Even now, he could only feel a faint magic fluctuation, but Cook's performance did not match the magic fluctuation at all.

"Thorn Spell!" Cook chanted a spell softly and used a small amount of magic to cast the Thorn Spell. Then, countless seeds were scattered on the land, and they grew at a visible speed, finally reaching a few centimeters in height before slowly stopping.

"Really? It took me many days to grow these, and they died soon after," Dunke said, somewhat enviously, looking at the lush Green Velvet Grass.

"Hehe, I not only selected the seeds but also nourished them with magic and cast a wood magic spell, so they grew quickly. The most important thing is to ensure the water supply. See, I opened the water channel in the ditch early. Planting seeds is not just about putting them in the ground; water, sunlight, and fertilizer are all crucial," Cook explained.

"How did you know that?" Dunke recalled that he had never irrigated the land.

"I was originally a farmer," Cook shrugged.

"A farmer?" Dunke was very surprised. After all, farmers who become mages are very rare.

"Yep!" Cook carefully used his magic eye to check and found that the magic waves of the magic plants were very strong. He then went to another plot of land and planted Red Stem Vine using the same method. Finally, he planted thorn seeds. Cultivating thorn seeds was not a short-term task, so Cook temporarily planted them and needed to observe them carefully before selecting the best variety for cultivation.

"Cook, can we go to the lake to see if there are any crabs now?" At this moment, Lori saw that Cook had finished and came over to ask.

Cook nodded, and the group went to the lake. For others, it might be difficult to spot aquatic life, but Cook's magic eye could see both magic waves and life waves. In fact, wood magic is also known as nature magic or life magic. Once Cook's eye magic reached a certain level, he could see life waves, though not from a great distance, only up to a few dozen meters.

"Cook, look, look, I caught a soft crab!" Lori flipped a stone, and a palm-sized crab appeared. She exclaimed excitedly.

"That's a newly molted one. Catch it, and we'll fry it at home!" Cook went over and saw that the poor thing had just molted.

While Cook was catching crabs by the lake, an old man looked at the three plots of land Cook had rented and muttered, "Sigh, what are these? Green Velvet Grass, Red Stem Vine, these low-level magic plants have no value to plant. Beginners are beginners!"

"Hey! What are you doing?" Just as Cook caught a crab as big as a basin, he heard someone shouting nearby. Cook saw several warriors.

"Who are you?" Cook saw that they were also students in the academy, but their tone was not good, so he didn't give them any face.

"Who are you? Don't you know we're here to complete a task?" Five people came, holding fishing nets, spears, and other tools. The leader was a young man in his mid-twenties.

"Sorry, we didn't know..." Cook quickly apologized.

"Cook, what task? These guys are secretly fishing here and selling the fish to the cafeteria or restaurants. There's no task in this lake," Dunke interrupted, sneering.

"So what if it's a task? We're not breaking any rules," the young leader shouted, seeing his companions eager to fight.

"Are you saying we're breaking the rules here?" Dunke sneered back.

At this moment, Bell came over, and Beth, Beth, Lucy, Martha, and Connie did not come out. Lori and Miki gradually gathered around, and Bell's eyes showed a hint of disdain.

"Boss, what do we do? This task seems impossible now," the five people gathered, and a young man behind the leader asked anxiously.

"Third and Fourth, you two distract that young man. Second, deal with the older mage. Fifth, handle the younger mage. I'll take care of the fat guy. He's at least a Mage level, and Second, you need to subdue your opponent quickly because that young man looks like his bodyguard. We'll deal with them first and then complete the task," the leader gritted his teeth and ordered.

"Boss, fighting is not allowed in the academy!" the Fifth, the young man, said weakly.

"We're not in the academy anymore. I'll tell you, I worked hard to get this task. Once it's announced, more people will come. Five hundred points, that's a big reward," the leader whispered.

"Then what about the guy holding a child?" the Fifth asked again.

"Shut up! If you're holding a child, can you still fight? Idiot! Remember, we start attacking when we're ten meters away. At that distance, only the young man has a chance to resist. As for the other mages, they're no match for us," the leader whispered.

The young leader took a step forward and said, "I don't know if you broke the rules, but you scared away our prey. What do you have to say for that?"

"Exactly, it's not easy for us!" the Second behind the young leader also shouted, though his aura was already running, just pretending to find fault.

"Hmph! It's none of our business! Who knows if you're telling the truth," Dunke snorted, not in a good mood.

"Hehe, since you won't admit it, we won't be polite. Attack!" The young leader saw that the distance was close enough, though not yet ten meters. For warriors, it would take less than a second to cover that distance, while mages would need more time to cast spells. As for Bell, the young leader didn't consider him a threat, as Bell was just a bodyguard. Once the master was captured, the bodyguard would have no choice but to submit.

"Be careful!" Dunke and Bell shouted together, and the five people on the other side had already charged over.

"Ah!" Bell's longsword was just drawn when two figures with earth-yellow aura rushed at him. These were the Third and Fourth, both using two-handed greatswords. One greatsword aimed at Bell's upper body, and the other swept horizontally at his lower body. Bell's green aura immediately formed a green shield.

"Silver Swordmaster!" The Third and Fourth saw the single-handed sword in Bell's hand glowing with white dots and exclaimed.