44

'System error? But the system never had a malfunction.'

Alab found it odd that the system had an error. It didn't sit right with how the system had been operating just fine. Also, the error was rather particular, having malfunctioned only at nighttime.

'I thought that the system is more of an intelligent existence rather than created by gods or Academia,' Alab pondered.

The classes erupted with dismay at the sudden announcement. Still, they could only throw their letdowns before Ms. Savra brushed them off and began her lectures.

After that, Lolita proceeded to her magic lectures as usual. The sun was at its highest in the sky when she concluded her today's lectures and dismissed the class.

Girth forwarded an s-mail from Heres to Carrot. Its content mostly entailed the cancellation of today's class. Heres hadn't finished making the training routines for each student yet.

After Carrot narrated the contents of the s-mail, the students began gossiping about the rumors that were spreading like wildfire to the Copper Class.

"Have you heard the rumor? It is said that Mr. Heres is an incompetent professor!"

"He never attended classes and would even demand students to change their weapons."

"Really?! That's ridiculous!"

The rumors sparked from the mouth of a professor from Gold Class, spreading that Heres was incompetent and was the dark sheep among the professors of Academia.

He didn't have many feats, unlike the other professors. It was questionable how Heres was admitted to Academia in the first place.

He was a disgrace to Academia.

When Girth heard the rumor, he couldn't help but prick his ears for more. He was the nosy type and would never let such hot rumors slip past his ears.

Girth absorbed everything.

"Ke?! Mr. Heres is that bad? He even killed a student?!", Girth was easily deceived by false rumors.

What started as shallow rumors spread and mutated as they traveled from mouth to mouth. It grew tails with every exaggeration and erroneous rumor that the students added.

Girth shivered at what he heard.

"Ke?! He ate a poop?!", he was too gullible.

As they had no practical class, Copper Class 3 had an early dismissal.

Girth dragged Felix into the refectory as he had run out of food again. He also craved to explore the Copper Class buildings as they didn't have the leisure to do so for the past few days.

(Refectory = canteen/dining hall)

Girth anticipated that Alab wouldn't go with him thus he dragged Felix instead. In the hallway, Felix run toward Alab ahead and timidly, he muttered.

"A--ahm, do you want to go to the refectory with us?", Felix gripped his uniform.

"Ke! Don't bother asking him, he will just ignore you----"

"Okay"

Girth was flustered by Alab's response.

"Ke?!"

Alab had similarly run out of food stock. He wanted to replenish his food supply anyways and there were no cons in joining Felix and Girth.

If there was, it would be the nagging of Girth.

'I could just ignore him.', Alab was already used to Girth's childlike qualities.

Walking in the hallway with Felix in between the two, the unusual trio made their way to the refectory...

The Copper Class buildings consisted of two buildings for learning quarters, one building for professors' offices, and the last one was a miscellaneous building comprising of refectories and laboratories.

Alab, Felix, and Girth walked past the learning quarters with students enviously partaking in their ongoing classes. Exploring the buildings, they finally came across the miscellaneous building.

On the first floor were the refectory and armory. A knight cloaked in heavy armor stood in front of the stair leading to the second floor.

"It seems that those floors are restricted for the entry", Felix muttered.

The trio then headed toward the refectory. It was wide and filled with dining furniture whilst food stalls paletted the corners.

Varying chairs and tables loitered in the center, accommodating diverse species. The appetizing scent wafted from stalls which lured the ravenous Girth to dash to the nearby stalls.

Alab and Felix followed.

"How much is this? Ke?"

"50 silver coins"

"Ke?! That's expensive!"

"We only sell popular cuisines from different worlds here, Sir."

Alab could easily distinguish the exceptional flavor in each food. Just from look alone, one could savor the exquisiteness of each cuisine.

Alab was reluctant to spend 1 gold just for a palette of 2 foods. Still, he bought 1 cuisine for 50 silvers and spend the rest of his coins for nourishment.

Nourishments were inexpensive and were the best food for those who dived in the dungeon for long. It was in the form of a pill but could sustain one's hunger for hours.

It was insipid but practical.

Girth on the other hand was reluctant to purchase nourishments and eagerly sent an s-mail to Anastasia. After a while of nagging, she sent Girth 5 gold coins.

Alab somehow felt ashamed as he saw himself in Girth, shamelessly borrowing gold coins from Anastasia.

Felix bought nourishment as well and then they visited the other stalls whilst Girth devoured his food.

Sooner, they visited the armory where a myriad of weapons were hung on the walls. The weapons could be borrowed through the receptionist adjacent to the main door.

'There is no footwear in here'

Alab scanned all the items and most were C-rank. He felt that it was odd as there was no footwear among the hundreds of items. In the rearmost part, an item that dazzled differently, bringing shame to the neighboring weapons was enclosed in a glass rack.

Alab scanned its detail.

[Sword of Judgement (C)

Description: A normal sword bound with a C-rank mana crystal. It has become more potent with additional skills.

Effect:

+250 physical damage

+ 1% penetrating power

+ .1% base damage

Additional Skill:

Stun Slash (C)

Description: Coats your sword with golden light. Once hit, the enemy will be stunned for 1 second.]

It was a sword with additional skill!

Alab had never seen a weapon bonded with a magic crystal. Magic crystals were abundant in the market since C-grade monsters and above had a 100% drop rate of mana crystals.

However, aside from weaker skills engraved in crystals, it also required an adept craftsman to bind a magic crystal to an item.

For this reason, only a few such weapons existed. Some magic crystals were utilized for concocting potions, power sources, or other usages.

As they looked at the [Sword of Judgement (C)], Felix couldn't help but blurt out his worries.

"I heard that other higher classes are getting stronger each day and yet we didn't even have a practical lesson...", he muttered.

"If we have this powerful item, we could shorten the gap in power at least.", Felix was keen on acquiring such an item.

"Ke! Just dream, joker elf! Craftsman is rare, ke!", Girth pulled Felix back to reality.

Even the higher beings were gawking for a skilled craftsman, then what was more for lower beings such as them? Felix tried to ponder for more ways but it was futile.

Among the species, only the dwarves were inclined to weaponry. But, would such beings aid them in binding items? Alab found it close to vain.

Looking at his inventory, Alab glanced at several magic crystals he obtained from [Red Hornet Dungeon (C)]. Their engraved skills were terrible.

Alab couldn't also convert these crystals into points.

'Maybe these crystals are the remaining consciousness or soul of the deceased monsters. The system didn't consider these as convertible items.', Alab pondered.

With that, he had been selling these crystals to the stores in Arkhe Town. Adjacent to the mana crystal, Alab's eyes were fixed on the sole mana crystal that was glowing brighter than others.

It was dark in color and the aura was deadly. Alab scanned its detail.

[Wight Mana Crystal (D)

Description: An item bound to Alab Lukeford. A reward drawn from the Mystery Chest (D).

Contained skill: Death Coil (D)]

[Death Coil (D)

Description: Summoned the hands of the wight to coil around your enemy. Restricts the movement of your target.

MP Cost: 50

Cooldown: 1 hour

Restriction: This item can only be bounded in a staff]

(AN: It does not apply the effects of Zero Cooldown and MP Cost Reduction yet)

It was the item he drew from the Mystery Chest (D)!

Alab couldn't bond it yet for two matters. First was its restriction wherein staff was inherently scarce and difficult to obtain. So far, he had seen Empre (Dean of Academia), and Heres owning a staff.

Next was the crisis in binding the item. Alab didn't have the relevant skill nor he knew any craftsman.

He was left with no choice but to let the mana crystal rot in his inventory for a while.

'I hope Kim knows someone who can bind a magic crystal.', Alab pondered over the potion store in Arkhe Town.

He hadn't added them to his [Friend List] yet, deeming him unable to send her an s-mail.

Nagging in the corner, Girth checked his system interface as he added Felix to his friend list. The latter was shyly overjoyed, attempting to conceal his joy from finally having a friend in his [Friend List].

Felix timidly glanced toward Alab. He hoped to add Alab as well.

They were now going to the water training facility and would be departing with Alab, Felix felt that time was urging him to reach out to Alab and add him.

Girth, noticing the glance of Felix, instantly knew of his intention. He slapped the back of Felix.

*slap*

"Ke! Don't bother asking him, he will just ignore you!", Girth recalled how reluctant Alab was last night. If nor Anastasia's sweet words, Alab wouldn't give out his account number.

Girth scrolled through his friend list and shortly sent the account number of Alab to Felix.

Felix was reluctant to add him but he did anyways.

Finally, after an hour spent exploring the buildings, refractory, and armory, Alab strode out of the area. He just glanced at the two before evacuating the premises.

Alab didn't plan to head directly to the dungeon today. As there were fewer students since their classes were still not over, Alab planned to visit the water training facility.

Incidentally, Felix and Girth were heading the same way.

"Ke! Look at you going ahead, keke, and here we are going the same place. KEKEKE!", Girth sneered.