Calm down, calm yourself… the rich are considered rich because they possess something precious in abundance, this was true on Earth and also true here. Money is the standard measurement on Earth, with the majority of the world relatively free of conflict, ordinary people use their money for the betterment of their standard of living, lifestyle, health care, education, entertainment, and so on.

Here, danger lurks everywhere, humanity thrives but the world is still full of danger, people of this world add personal strength to the standard of living measurement so it makes perfect sense for materials like Mana crystals which can make someone stronger, to be treated as precious as gold on Earth.

In the wuxia novels, many of the stories also use the same concept so no need to be down so much. Even though wealth will help, it will give the wealthy some edge compared to those without the bling, I don’t believe just having mountains of Mana crystals will be enough to make you the strongest. So I shouldn’t emphasize too much of the unfairness of life.

Some born with much, some born with little, some born with talent, some born with disability. It’s like a lottery, a child couldn’t pick the way they came to the world. We all have to make do with the cards we’re dealt, even if it’s a crappy hand, it’s up to you how you would use it. I just have to keep going one step at a time.

Now, Nakala has taught me how to use my sole Mana crystal so I can absorb it later when I get back. With more Mana can I control my new senses…? No, I don’t think so, at the very least I need the next level after that, I need to know their magic system. How they cast magic spells, how they use Mana to make their body stronger, the whole mechanics package… I’m afraid I can only wait and hold the line for the time being.

On the side note, I drank the woman’s blood yesterday before I slept. With how hectic this morning was, I haven’t thought much about this, I thought my super senses was because I ate the bull but it could also because I drank the blood… Hmm, my intuition leans on the bull, since the new ability that manifests on my body possibly a cousin to my healing factor then I think the bull is the more likely answer.

When Guo Song died, my knife failed to pierce his hide. When the woman was alive… granted she was already dying, but I can stab her neck just fine. So the bull body is stronger than the woman… maybe her ability, Path-seekers ability all tied to Mana? She was already spent so even someone as powerful as her can be killed if they have no Mana? It’s possible, but it’s just a hypothesis for now.

Since her body is not so different from normal human, if there was any ability to get from drinking her blood that would be on the magical side, on Mana-mastery, that woman was light element user so maybe I can use light element now? It would be great if so but it could also be a big nothing, I can conduct more tests once I have some ounce of Mana-mastery.

Well, whatever the case, I should just use the crystal. I rather use it soon for myself, better I use it than hide it. The Shrub Hills was destroyed and currently flooded by people so I don’t think going there to take my buried treasure would be possible anytime soon, I also prefer to avoid the place for a while.

Oh right the Red Sorrel, I suppose my quest will end in failure then… and so the first epic adventure of the fearsome Herb Slayer comes to an end... Oh no, Herb Slayer ended up in debt because of the book he borrowed was damaged. Hehe, should I report to the guild about this? Well no need to rush, for the time being I have no pressing need for anything so I should lay low, I may be watched after all, I will focus on Mana-mastery, I need a breakthrough to the next level ASAP so I can control my mutation power.

Mutation… I don’t like the word, should I change it? Why not Viers? Let’s make it something cool sounding, let’s see… I have regeneration that I call healing factor, and I may have super senses but uncontrollable. Mutation… are about genes right? Shall I call my mutation based power package, gene power…? It doesn’t sound that good… oh screw it, my naming sense is so bad, why waste my brain cells for this? I will just call it mutation, I may not like it but it’s simple enough, I can change it after some cool name appeared in my brain, hahaha.

“Thinking about something funny?”

Viers opened his eyes, Terry was meditating beside him.

“Close enough, with the things that happened yesterday followed by the accident this morning, they were somewhat baffling me.”

They were in the pool, Viers had skipped the pool period for two days straight, now that he had nothing better to do, he went and meditate as usual with the other three.

“I think you should take it easy sometimes Viers, you always seem busy, why are you in such a rush?” Terry asked.

“Eager, I suppose, I want to quickly become a Path-seeker like teacher Nakala then went adventuring, going out to the whole wide world.”

“I know the feeling, I want it too. Still, you should take it easy once in a while, the world is not going anywhere… So what’s your impression about adventuring after almost dead on your very first quest? ” Terry stood up, went out from the pool and started to rotating his waist left and right.

“Unlucky, but it won’t stop me from trying again.” Wishing for a change of pace, Viers mimicked Terry and mirrored his exercise.

“Having fun?” Farley asked from the pool, she was disturbed by the sounds of her peer’s conversation.

“Just straightening our backs, don’t mind us Farley, apologies if we disturbed you.” Viers replied.

Farley was floating around in the water, Paina was a little bit away. Terry, Farley, and Paina wore different swimwear from their first swim lessons together, all of them including Viers had a few different swimwear because they supposed to be at the pool every day.

“Uh-huh, so what’s the deal with you and Mirella? I heard you vomited because of you overwhelmed by jealousy about her approaching and talking with Terry?” Farley dipped her head in the pool and asked as she wiped the water from her face.

“… I’m sorry but did you just said I was jealous because Terry was talking to her?”

“Yeah, that what some of the girls were saying, I mean you don’t seem the type so I asked.” She combed her brown hair to the back with her hands, and sat at the side of the pool. “Do you like Mirella?”

Before Viers could answer, Paina intervened. “I heard differently, trying to prevent the inevitable, not wanting Mirella stole Terry’s love, Viers vomited on her.” Paina said with a soft voice, she was friendlier and more open to the water-type group compared with the first time they met.

Viers opened his mouth in a big O.

“…Viers, I’m flattered but I can only see you as a friend.” Terry took a step away from Viers.

“No, NO! Both versions are wrong, its falsehood without an ounce of truth. Do you all believe this far-fetched gossip?” Viers sighed as he said that, he sat at the side of the pool, his feet to the water.

“Well…” Farley said while whistling, she turned her face away.

“We can’t simply deny it.” Paina said as she swam away, her long black hair followed her like black silk.

“All right enough of this topic, it's driving me crazy. Let’s talk about more interesting things, after graduating the TC, do you three want to become adventurers?”

It was not driving him crazy, Viers placed minuscule amount of importance about his classmates' opinion on him, he simply felt his time better be spent on more relevant topics.

“I will be generous and allow you to shift the topic of conversation my friend, as for your question, I want to be adventurers of course. However my parents don’t want me to, adventurer's life is dangerous and full of lies, what the bards sang in their songs were only the good parts. It would be for your own good if you never go face to face with monsters that can kill you in the wilds, was their words to me.” Terry sat next to Viers.

“So what will you do after graduating?” Viers said.

“I shall follow my father’s footsteps I guess, he has quite a position in the town hall, I suppose he will groom me to be his successor,” Terry replied.

“It’s not an option for me, my father told me that only if my talent was tier 4 or above he allowed me to be adventurer. I enrolled here mainly for the education and getting to know how to defend myself was just a bonus. I suspect father already arranged a marriage for me after my year in TC is over.” Farley said with a bit of sadness in her voice.

“Going by your tune, you didn’t get the qualification then? Actually, forget about that, it was insensitive for me to ask, I’m sorry.” Viers said.

“It’s okay, I am the fourth child of five siblings. I was prepared for this somewhat,” Farley replied with a smile.

Contrary to her words, Viers could glimpse that Farley wasn’t quite as accepting as she said. Teen rebellion? Or something else… Viers thought.

“I… will be an adventurer!” Paina said with a small but determined voice.

“Oh? This is unusual, I never thought you of all people would say that Paina, you were always the quiet type.” Terry tilted his head.

“I want to find my father…” Paina said while playing with her hair.

“Did you know roughly where to look for him?” Viers asked, a bit surprised by her reason.

“Valkut city, Mother said so before she died…” Paina said.

The atmosphere turned heavy.

“If I’m not wrong that city is very far from here, cities are the place where the rich and powerful lives right? Are you from a noble house Paina?” Viers asked seemingly unfazed with the heavy topic.

“Viers!” Farley chided him.

“It’s okay Farley, and no, I don’t think so Viers, mother said to go to a restaurant called The Fabled Sheep and talk to the owner.” Paina sighed then looked to the sky.

“So why don’t you just issued a quest to have adventurers escort you to the city?” Viers puzzled.

“Don’t have enough money left now, but even if I don’t use it for TC and use all my money to hire the best adventurers, it would be a long journey Viers, about four months' journey by caravan, who knows what could happen in the way… I plan to become an adventurer then take quests to move closer village by village, town by town until Valkut city. Besides, I have no one else…”

“Oh Paina… I will talk to my father, I’m sure he could help you.” Farley said full of sympathy.

“Thank you Farley but it’s fine, I can’t always rely on someone else. I have to be strong,” Paina said as she clenched her fists.

There was silence in the air, almost like the air turned stagnant, no one spoke for some time.

“Sorry for the gloom, I didn’t mean to make it gloomy, really… what about you Viers?” Paina said with a forced smile.

“Me? Adventurer, a hundred-percent. No compromises.” Viers talked flatly.

“How about your family? They have no problems with your decision?” Terry asked.

“They didn’t know yet, like Farley, pops said I have to meet a certain talent requirement before allowing me to be full-fledged adventurer, If I didn’t make the cut, I was supposed to return and do some business, becoming a merchant or something.”

“Nice, so you got it covered in the talent department?” Farley kicked the pool water with her feet, the splash made it to Viers.

“Nope, pops said…”

“If your talent is 4 or 5 you can do whatever you wish. If tier 3 you can go adventuring but unless you're really lucky, you won’t be successful, come back home after you had enough of nomadic lifestyle, however, always be careful and take care of yourself out there. If your tier is below 3… I don’t raise you all these years so you could become monster food, come back here immediately and don’t be a fool.”

“So said my father. Talent was never my department.” Viers calmly shrugged.

With the way Viers said it, Terry, Farley, and Paina assumed Viers talent was tier 3. Viers knew this and hoped they assumed his talent wrong, he didn’t say his talent was tier 2 outright was not because of shame and wanted to hide his shortcoming. Because it may cause trouble later on down the road, Viers had low talent but he also had something else, something that cannot be simply measured and quantified.

Viers looked at Paina. “Still, my pops’ words were very sensible. If your talent is below tier 3, I’m afraid you will die as some monster’s dinner, I urged you to consider this carefully.”

“Thanks, but it’s fine, I am tier 3.” Paina nodded.

“Well, since we are being honest here, I’m also tier 3.” Said Terry, his right thumb pointing to his chest.

“As long as this stays between us, yes, I’m tier 3.” Farley smiled, she went to the center of the pool and put her right hand forward.

“To friendship, I hope we will always be friends even after we go our separate ways and have many great adventures together before our year is up.” Her face was beaming.

Terry jump dived to the pool, making a big splash and put his hand above Farley’s. “Can’t say no to that, we all only live once, also don't forget, we only young once right? To our friendship!” Terry said after splashing water with his hair backward.

Paina hurriedly follows, her face looks brighter, her gloom had vanished. She used her left hand to tuck her hair behind her ears while her right placed on top of her two friends. “To friendship, may it last forever between us.” She smiled.

The three of them looked at Viers, they were smiling while their eyes bright with passion, waiting for him. Viers was stunned for a while by the sight of three kids before him.

Ah youth, how great this spectacle before me is, I can’t deny there is beauty here, they shine so brightly that their light shines upon my soul, they give warmth that can be felt from inside my heart. It was just being born, still in its infancy, but I can feel it, the power of friendship! This power can grow as they overcome trials and tribulations together, no wonder so many villains failed and defeated by this power!

Viers went to the center of the pool, he put his hand on top the other three, he looked at each of their eyes, Viers smiled and closed his eyes.

“To our shining future,” Viers said.

They threw their hands to the sky and the three of them laughed merrily.

Viers only smiled as he watched them, like a traveler met a warm fire in the cold night, he came closer to this fire, warmed his body beside it, took solace in it… before continuing his journey.

Alas… how unfortunate… this is not my Path.