Chapter 19: The Price of Talent and a Tempting Offer

“Hoo… I’m a bit sleepy. Does the refinement of spiritual power consume so much energy? I somewhat regret coming out.” I glanced at the map on my phone; the entire area seemed to be filled with shops.

I rarely visited such places. The area was vast, with buildings interwoven, making it almost impossible for me to figure out where anything was sold.

The snack streets below were an exception, of course. I could already smell their enticing aromas from a considerable distance.

Indeed, it seemed that even across different races, the appreciation for various spices remained remarkably similar.

If my pockets weren’t so embarrassingly empty, I would have loved to indulge in some of them.

All I desired now was to find an affordable clothing store, purchase some new garments, and then return to enjoy a thoroughly refreshing shower!

As I walked along the bustling street, my hand unconsciously brushed against my Witch’s Heart. It wasn’t out of fear of theft, but rather a concern that it might accidentally get dislodged by the dense crowd.

Moreover, many of the people here were beautiful senior students. After their transformation into witches, only faint traces of their original racial characteristics remained, and indeed, the appearance of a witch perfectly suited my aesthetic preferences.

They, too, wore their Witch’s Hearts as pendants, pinned to their bodies. Some even had custom-made attire, with their Witch’s Hearts embedded as decorative elements on their clothing.

A few even carried staffs, using their Witch’s Hearts as the very head of their implements.

I also noticed that the colors revealed after a Witch’s Heart resonated varied greatly, as did their luminescence. I wondered what accounted for these distinct differences.

My own Witch’s Heart had now turned ‘manly pink.’ Putting everything else aside, wasn’t ‘manly pink’ actually quite appealing?

I thought it was fantastic!

Unconsciously, I had grown rather fond of this color, even though I used to have no particular liking for pink before.

Naturally, I also spotted several temporary roadside stalls, some even selling Witch’s Heart accessories, with the option for on-the-spot customization.

A significant number of new students, just like me, were gathered around them. I could tell they were freshmen because their Witch’s Hearts were still a dull gray, a sight only visible during these specific seven days each year.

My gaze swept over the surrounding crowd, revealing a surprising number of freshmen.

Among them were pure-blooded non-humans, devoid of any witch characteristics, and individuals who boldly wore their unactivated Witch’s Hearts.

There were also quite a few who were unmistakably male.

Did these people feel no urgency about the seven-day deadline? Or had they already achieved success with unwavering confidence?

On the very first day of school, instead of diligently cultivating, they were simply strolling through the night market?

‘They truly don’t know what it means to be anxious,’ I thought.

Of course, it was also possible they felt hopeless and simply wanted to spend their 1000 academic credits enjoying themselves during these seven days. ‘What else could they be doing?’ I mused maliciously. ‘Scavenging for scraps?’

As I continued browsing, I stumbled upon a specialized store for transcendent materials. While I had previously ignored smaller shops retailing such materials, I now realized this particular establishment actually sold incense!

‘Good heavens, is this something that can be sold?’ I wondered. ‘I thought it was an academy-controlled item; I never expected it to be available for purchase.’

Driven by curiosity, I followed my instincts and stepped inside. As a part-time senior student greeted me with a cheerful “Welcome!”, I entered the shop.

Upon entering, I immediately noticed prominent signs advertising “Meditation Technique Auxiliary Materials” and similar products. ‘They’re clearly targeting new students, aren’t they?’ I thought.

They were brazenly siphoning off freshmen’s academic credits during this crucial period. Had I not already completed my meditation, I might have even been tempted myself.

However, the moment I saw the prices, my enthusiasm instantly died.

The store seemed to specialize in incense, with a wide array of types catering to different needs: some designed for focus and tranquility, others for dispelling distracting thoughts, and some for calming the mind.

One could even choose the scent!

But the price… it started in the triple digits! That wasn’t even the most terrifying part; in fine print, it specified “single serving, lasts for half an hour!”

This was far inferior to the incense used in class. The classroom incense burned for a long time and was shared by the entire class!

‘Isn’t this just price gouging?’ I wondered.

Just then, a senior student working as a shop assistant gently pulled me aside. “You look a little unfamiliar, junior,” she said. “Are you here to buy incense?”

The senior student held onto me and spoke in a low voice.

“Those up front are specifically for new students,” she whispered. “But for a senior student like you, seeing how cute you are, I’ll give it to you at the original price~ Let’s talk more in the back.”

With a bewildered expression, I allowed the senior student to pull me to the back of the store. ‘I’m being mistaken for a senior student?’ I mused. ‘Is it just… because my Witch’s Heart has resonated?’

“Um… senior student, I’m not buying incense,” I stated.

‘Honestly, after spiritual power threads are condensed through meditation, shouldn’t there be a feeling of being anchored?’ I wondered. ‘Do senior students really need incense for assistance?’

“Not buying? You could still stock up a bit,” she suggested. “If you don’t use it, you can just sell it to new students at a higher price…”

“I am a new student,” I stated directly. After all, this senior student didn’t know me, and given my limited social connections, it wouldn’t really affect me much.

My social circle, after all, consisted solely of my class, and even then, I had only spoken to my deskmate so far.

Furthermore, Qieluo, the teacher, hadn’t seemed overly excited when speaking with me today. This suggested that there were likely quite a few people who had completed both spiritual power refinement and Witch’s Heart resonance on the very first day.

‘Otherwise, Teacher Qieluo couldn’t possibly be emotionless, could she?’ I thought. ‘Wouldn’t she smile if a genius emerged in her class?’

As for what Teacher Qieluo had said about “enviable talent,” I had already disregarded it. At the time, I had been somewhat hypnotized by her words, and even if I heard it, I hadn’t paid attention, only remembering her rather emotionless tone.

It was also she who had informed me that spiritual power was invisible in reality.

“A new… a new student! Oh!” Upon hearing my reply, she seemed to become even more agitated. She gripped my shoulders with both hands, shaking me excitedly, seemingly unconcerned about revealing any secrets in the process.

“What’s there to be so excited about?” I asked, feeling a little dizzy from her powerful shaking. I quickly interrupted her actions, realizing, despite my usual slowness, that I had underestimated the significance of resonating with a Witch’s Heart on the very first day.

“You don’t know what this means, do you? The first day! The… Oh, I’ll speak softly,” the senior student said, seemingly realizing her lapse in composure. “On the first day, just after being introduced to the meditation technique, to complete spiritual power refinement and then resonate with a Witch’s Heart! This talent! It’s enough to drive one mad with envy!”

Hearing the word “envy,” I vaguely recalled Teacher Qieluo having said something similar.

“Ahem, junior student,” the senior student began, abruptly shifting from her previous excitement to a serious tone. “Would you be interested in a romance with me? I can use my authority to get you all transcendent materials here at the original price—no, at my internal discount price…”

“Stop, stop, stop! I don’t need that!” I exclaimed. ‘With so many beautiful witches at the Witch Academy, why would I tie myself down to just one?’ I thought.

However, her mention of an “internal discount price” did pique my interest. ‘Wouldn’t that be a direct way for a middleman to profit from the price difference?’ I pondered.

‘Buying low and selling high is the quickest way to make money!’ I concluded.

“You’re right, junior student, you’ll certainly find a better half,” the senior student conceded, pulling out her phone with an eager expression. “So, could you add me as a friend? When I have time, I can share some… knowledge with you, transcendent knowledge! How about it?”

“If you ever want to buy materials, incense, or anything else, I can give you a discount~” She looked as if she wouldn’t let go until I added her as a friend.

“Sigh… fine, alright, I agree,” I relented. “But please don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” I nodded in assent, primarily swayed by the prospect of discounted materials!