“Congratulations on reaching level three academy grade!” Lizbeth exclaimed from the side.
“Mhm, Indeed.”
A lot might have happened since the last academy grade level-up, but only three weeks had gone by. With the increasing number of players, achieving the next level-up should be feasible within a similar timeframe, perhaps even half that time depending on which timeline he considered — Earth or Seraphia.
Speaking of the time dilation, Victor had no idea how the System was capable of manipulating time, especially on a planetary scale. There could be some sort of a spatial lock encompassing the entirety of Earth, facilitating such manipulation. Well, Earth was considered tiny compared to the planes that existed in this universe. Even so, it was a grand feat that not even the legendary Nexus Conjurer Magus could accomplish. As the overseers of the Steelrose Order had mentioned, the previous headmaster was a totally mysterious figure.
Still, Victor couldn’t help but crease his eyebrows when he noticed an additional requirement for the next level-up. So, he turned his attention back to the main page for more details.
Academy Name: Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi
Headmaster: Victor Asteriscus
Academy Points: 1120
Academy Grade: Level 3
Total Acolytes: 254/500
Total Professors: 0/5
Progression Value: 250/500
Level 1 Academy Grade: Level-1 Nexus Tower, 1:1 time
Level 2 Academy Grade: Level-1 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, 1:1 time
Level 3 Academy Grade: Level-2 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, Alchemical Hall, 2:1 time
Level 4 Academy Grade: Level-2 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, Alchemical Hall, Artificer Hall, 2:1 time
Level 5 Academy Grade: Level-3 Nexus Tower, Magic Botanical Garden, Alchemical Hall, Artificer Hall, Virtual Combat Chamber, 4:1 time
…
Victor had used about 570 AP to buy various magical seeds and plant it in the Magic Botanical Garden. He also expanded the Starfruit Saplings that he had previously planted. There should be enough to sustain a sizeable alchemical production once they matured.
Total professors? That’s a bit abstract for a requirement. After all, anyone could qualify with enough knowledge and at least a master’s degree in their field. Unless there were some specific criteria required by the System, Victor had this in the bag.
“Hmm-hmm, you must be confused about the new requirement,” remarked Lizbeth, crossing her arms with a knowing, smug grin. “Try checking the Academy Inhabitants List, and you can assign them to the professor there. Although, it is more complicated than simply giving someone the role.”
“Is that so?” Victor checked the Academy Inhabitants List, and true enough, he could set people, including the players, as “professors” or as “assistant professors.” However, there were requirements that had to be met to change roles. It appeared that to become an assistant professor or a professor, one had to be at least a third-stage Initiate Attunement or an Elemental Adept Magus in that order and be willing to accept the role, or else it wouldn’t work.
Moreover, there were specifics about the requirement for the total number of professors that were actually hidden on the main page.
Total Assistant Professors: 0/4
Total Professors: 0/1
His former comrades — Elara, Jared, and Dorian — should be able to fill three of the assistant professor roles. At the moment, Eleanor was only a step away from achieving third-stage Initiate Attunement, so she could also fill that role before the other requirements were met.
Unfortunately, Victor, as the headmaster, couldn’t change his role to “professor.” This meant that he would require an Elemental Adept Magus other than himself to fill the role. The golden query here would be how he was supposed to find an official Magus to join his academy.
“Should I consider helping those three to advance?” Victor mumbled to himself. His former comrades were the closest to achieving the rank of Elemental Adept Magus. However, not only did it pose a risk of them breaking free from the mind control spell due to having a similar level of power to him, but there was also the fact that creating an Elemental Adept Magus required precious resources.
“Nah, to begin with, it should be easier to make a pig fly than making them achieve that status in their current nearly vegetative state.” Victor shook his head as he cast the thought aside.
As for the players?
Even with their rapid progress, achieving such a level would take them years unless some incredible resources were used. In this case, it would be better for him to be the one progressing faster so that he could continue controlling them as he did now. This left recruiting an outsider as the most viable option of all.
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“Figures. I wouldn’t be able to stay cooped up in this place forever,” Victor said, his voice trailing off as he looked out the windows.
“What’s that? Are you going somewhere far?” Lizbeth tilted her head, unable to hide the slight curiosity and melancholy in her tone.
“I will in the near future. Though the destination is still undecided for now.” There was much to take care of, and he needed to have a clearer agenda before venturing outside. Otherwise, he would be like a chicken on the loose, confused about what to do.
“By the way, I should be able to change the time flow between the two worlds to a 2:1 ratio. But how am I supposed to do that?” He discovered no direct option for this in the System screen, which led him to believe there was another method he hadn’t yet uncovered.
“Well, you must head over to the Nexus Beacon to make the change there,” Lizbeth explained before quickly raising her finger to caution him. “However, keep in mind that once you adjust the time difference, it cannot be immediately reversed. There’s a cooldown period of twenty-four hours.”
“Neat.” Victor nodded in understanding.
If what Lizbeth said was true, then it would be better to synchronize the time change perfectly, aiming for either six in the morning or the evening to avoid any temporal discrepancies. Being a perfectionist, he wanted everything just right. Right now, it was still one and a half hours before six in the evening, so he had some time to spare.
Anyway, now that he had come to an understanding, Victor found it right to move on and place down the new building — the Alchemical Hall. If the name of the building was anything to go by, it must be a facility for Alchemists to do alchemy, potion-making, and enchantments. Quite a useful facility to have.
[Alchemical Hall is available to be constructed.]
[Please select a location on the map to place the building.]
“Umm,” a sudden tug at his sleeve, accompanied by Lizbeth’s concerned voice, interrupted Victor’s planning, “Master, the players are bewildered by the Nexus Tower as it suddenly grows bigger and taller. A few have even gone inside to explore.”
“Oh right, I nearly forgot that that building too was upgraded.” Victor smacked his forehead in a mix of surprise and annoyance.
Initially, Victor had intended to clear the game of all players before introducing the Alchemical Hall to prevent exactly this type of confusion. However, it seemed now that such precautions were unnecessary. Furthermore, some unprecedented problems actually came to his mind: Forcibly logging out players could expose them to various dangers, like predator attacks or other environmental risks, depending on where they were in the world.
Whatever, Victor decided to proceed with placing the Alchemical Hall. He also quickly drafted a notification to all players about the impending update. With a firm nod, he turned his focus back to the task at hand. He chose the industrial area near the center for the Alchemical Hall’s location. It was not only strategically advantageous for monitoring but also the most suitable site for such an essential facility.
“Alright then, it’s decided.” With a decisive press of a button on the holographic screen, Victor finalized the placement of the Alchemical Hall.
Once that was done, Victor, with Lizbeth following closely, took off to the new site. Exactly the same as when he had first placed down the Magic Botanical Garden, two groups of players — each about two dozen strong — already gathered around the newly emerged and upgraded structures.
These stupid-looking players were all spouting shocked remarks one after another.
“Holy hell!” one player shouted, eyes wide. “Did you see how this building shot up from the ground?! Those people weren’t kidding!”
“This building is no less grand than the others in terms of look, but it also gives off a wondrous feeling for some reason. It’s as if it’s calling me inside. Wonder what this is used for.”
Right.
As that one player said, the Alchemical Hall was a structure that was two stories high, with a central tower that reached skyward, crowned by a small dome that gleamed in the sunlight. The building’s exterior was composed of sturdy stone, meticulously carved and sculpted to create intricate patterns and designs. Tall, slender pillars lined the front of the building, supporting an archway that beckoned visitors inside. One wouldn’t have guessed that it was an alchemical building at first glance.
“We’re on the cusp of a big update. I’m so hyped!”
“Hey, check your Shadowlink Mark,” someone informed, “there’s a notification by the headmaster. We have to log out in about an hour.”
“Nooo! I don’t wanna!” The distraught scream came from a player who began thrashing about on the ground, clearly reluctant to disconnect.
Observing the chaos, Victor felt that the academy seemed to attract more and more weirdos by the day. Maybe he should have been more stringent in the player screening process, but he shrugged off the thought. Right now, that wasn’t the priority.
“Look, the headmaster and Miss Fairy are here,” a player’s voice announced, rippling through the crowd and ushering in a wave of quiet as all eyes turned toward Victor and Lizbeth. Murmurs of “Sir Astralium” and “Miss Fairy” filled that air, greeting them with a blend of awe and reverence. Victor acknowledged the assembled players with a nod, signaling them to hold their positions and not to venture inside just yet.
Lizbeth, however, suddenly leaned closer and whispered to Victor’s ears, “Master, a brief explanation might calm their excitement and prevent any hasty actions.”
“Mm, good idea,” Victor agreed. He cleared his throat, drawing the attention of all the players once more. “As many of you acolytes have noticed, we have introduced the Alchemical Hall — a new facility dedicated to the study and practice of alchemy.”
He paused to let his words sink in, all the while noticing the players’ eyes lighting up with curiosity and anticipation. “However, for today, you can only admire it from outside. Also, please pay attention to the notification on your Shadowlink Marks. It’s imperative to have a long rest before you explore this new marvel.”
Despite some lingering reluctance, the players began to disperse. With the crowd thinning, Victor and Lizbeth approached and entered the Alchemical Hall after a moment of sightseeing.