Avince groaned as he sat up in his bed, his mind still swirling from the bizarre sensation of "dying" once again in Althiel’s dungeon. He ran his fingers through his hair, which was damp with sweat, and muttered to himself, "Does she even need to kill me that randomly I had no idea what was going on? Or is she just showing off her power?" The thought lingered as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
I should ask her next time. How she’s been killing him… Avince shuddered at the idea of her casually obliterating him every time she wanted to leave her dungeon.
Shaking off the unease, Avince decided to refocus his energy. His mind immediately jumped to the pressing matter. He pulled out his phone and accessed the Alliance Trading Center’s marketplace, looking up the current prices of silver.
“Ten Alliance Credits per gram,” he muttered, his brow furrowing. Silver had been steadily climbing in value due to its exceptional ability as an electrical and thermal conductor. Not as precious as gold, but at this rate, it was quickly becoming a valuable commodity.
Avince opened his balance summary, wincing at the sight of his funds: a meager 15,000 Alliance Credits. Buying that mithril ring had been a significant investment, but the purchase left his finances in tatters.
"That ring was worth it though," he muttered as he switched to the academy’s resource portal to compare prices.
To his surprise, the academy sold silver at only 8 contribution points per gram—much cheaper than the trading center. However, there was a limit of 5 kilograms per student per semester.
“Figures,” Avince said with a smirk. “They wouldn’t want anyone flipping it for a quick profit.”
As he debated how much silver to purchase, another thought crossed his mind: transmogrification. He remembered the advanced art of reshaping his body through mana manipulation that Althiel mentioned. “She seemed adamant about it too” Avince thought
As he debated how much silver to purchase, another thought crossed his mind: transmogrification. The advanced art of reshaping one’s body through mana manipulation had fascinated him ever since Althiel mentioned it. The idea of enhancing physical traits or adapting to different environments held immense appeal, especially given the versatility it could bring to combat.
Driven by curiosity, Avince decided to look for potential instructors. His first stop was the Alliance Trading Center, a bustling hub not just for materials but also for skilled individuals offering their services. Scrolling through the listings, he found various experts advertising their specialties—everything from advanced mana control to weapon enchantments. However, transmogrification seemed to be a niche field.
The few posts he did find were either vague or outrageously expensive. One instructor claimed to be a “body-sculpting genius” but charged fees that could rival an A-ranked dungeon bounty. Another offered group lessons but was located on the other side of the continent. Frustration began to set in as he realized that most of the offers were either impractical or financially out of reach.
Not ready to give up, he shifted his search to the academy’s website, a more accessible and familiar option. After a few minutes of browsing, he came across a promising post. Christian Valdris, an alumnus reputed for his expertise in transmogrification, was offering private lessons to current students. The post highlighted his ability to tailor transformations for both combat and utility, with an emphasis on precise mana control.
The prices, however, were staggering: 1,000 contribution points for a single trial lesson or 40,000 for a comprehensive semester-long course, including weekly lessons, personal guidance, and a tailored improvement plan.
“Forty thousand points…” Avince whistled low. It was an enormous investment, but given the popularity of Christian's courses among students with transmogrification abilities, it seemed worth considering. For now, though, the trial lesson seemed like the best option to gauge its value.
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Avince quickly enrolled in the next available session, set for the following week. The timing was fortunate, as the semester break would delay the next round of lessons until the new year.
Satisfied, he returned his focus to acquiring silver. While the academy's pricing was unbeatable, he was cautious about overusing his contribution points. After some deliberation, he decided on a balanced approach: spending all 15,000 Alliance Credits to purchase 1.5 kilograms of silver and using an additional 12,000 contribution points for another 1.5 kilograms.
The total haul of 3 kilograms left him with no credits and 340,000 contribution points after accounting for the 1,000 points for Christian’s trial lesson.
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Avince sat back, his phone still in hand, and stared at the summary of his transactions. While he felt slightly more prepared, the nagging anxiety of limited resources remained. His thoughts drifted to the future, imagining the possibilities transmogrification might unlock for him.
"One step at a time," he told himself, feeling a surge of determination.
The room grew quiet as Avince began thinking what to do next. His eyes then fell on the amulet he placed on the table. Avince took it and felt the amulet’s mana pulses
Avince sighed, leaning back in his chair as he glanced at the faintly glowing amulet in his hand. A quick check confirmed his suspicions—its mana reserves were almost completely depleted. The light that once pulsed vibrantly was now dim and flickering, a testament to how much he’d been pushing himself. His mind flashed back to his intense training by the waterfall and his repeated use of mana during the academy’s trials.
It was still early in the evening, and the thought of heading to bed with his amulet nearly empty didn’t sit well with him as he might want to use his ability before resting. He stood up, deciding to find his father. Erwin had been the one to refill the amulet for him before and should know how to do it best.
Avince searched the house, checking the living room and even the study, but Erwin was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he walked to the kitchen, where his mother, Ashna, was carefully slicing vegetables for dinner.
“Mom, have you seen Dad?” he asked, leaning against the counter.
Ashna glanced up from her work, her icy-blue eyes warm but curious. “He had some errands to run. Why? Do you need something?”
Avince hesitated, then held up the amulet. “It’s running low on mana. I was hoping he could refill it.”
Ashna set down the knife and stepped closer, her brow furrowing in concern as she inspected the amulet. “You’ve been using this a lot, haven’t you?” she asked, her tone tinged with worry. “You shouldn’t overexert yourself, Avince. Pushing your mana reserves like this isn’t good for you.”
Avince quickly shook his head, a sheepish smile forming. “It’s not that bad, Mom. It’s just… you know, the Dungeon trial run at the academy. It took more out of me than I expected.”
Ashna’s sharp gaze lingered on him, and Avince felt his excuse crumble under her scrutiny. She didn’t say anything, though; instead, she sighed and held out her hand. “Fine. Give it to me.”
Relieved but slightly nervous, Avince handed her the amulet. Ashna then went to her room and retrieved a palm sized, glowing crystal —a decently high-ranked unattuned monster core. Holding it in one hand and the amulet in the other, she began to channel her mana and crushed the core in her hand. Her eyes glowed faintly, and the air around her turned noticeably colder as her ice-attuned energy surged, breaking down the core’s mana and infusing it into the amulet.
It took longer than usual—longer than when his father did it. The process seemed to demand more focus and effort from her, and Avince couldn’t help but notice the faint sheen of sweat on her brow when she finished.
“There,” Ashna said, handing the now-glowing amulet back to him. The light was brighter than before, though still not as vibrant as when Erwin had charged it.
“Thanks, Mom,” Avince said, sliding it back over his neck. He hesitated, then added, “It seemed harder for you to charge it than Dad. Is it because you’re more attuned to ice mana than unattuned mana?”
Ashna gave a small smile but didn’t directly answer his question. “Let’s just say your father has his own way of handling things. Next time, don’t wait until it’s almost empty to ask for help, alright?”
Avince nodded, her mother’s words still lingering in his mind. He knew there was more to it than she let on, but he decided not to push. For now, he was just grateful to have his amulet replenished.
As he turned to leave, Ashna spoke again, her tone softer. “Your father will be home soon. We’ll eat dinner together later, so don’t get too comfortable in your room.”
Avince paused at the doorway, glancing back at her. He gave a small smile. “Alright. Thanks, Mom.”
The faint glow of the amulet in his hand gave him a sense of reassurance as he headed to his room, the rhythmic hum of its mana a quiet reminder of the effort his parents always put into supporting him.