Chapter 9: A Lucrative Lucid Dream and the Hall of Myriad Affairs

Another achievement unlocked!

What had I even done? All I’d done was sleep, and now I had an achievement?

I gazed at the achievement, particularly its effect: the authority to synchronize lucid dreams while in a meditative state.

Firstly, would I even enter a meditative state? Could the condition I was in before be considered meditation?

After all, I seemed to recall seeing a visualization diagram. But what exactly was a lucid dream? It meant being asleep yet retaining self-awareness. Could that truly be considered an authority?

Was I invincible while meditating?

What was the use of it? Surely one already possessed self-awareness during meditation? The effects seemed to overlap. So, while meditating, could I do whatever I pleased within that state?

But what good would that do?

My mind seemed unable to grasp it, primarily because I couldn’t fathom its practical use.

Never mind. This afternoon was meditation class. Perhaps I could try it then, and if anything unexpected happened, surely the teacher would back me up?

For now, I should head to the cafeteria. After all, I was starting to feel quite hungry.

I picked up my phone, ready to leave, but then remembered to take my ID card. I also brought the Heart of the Witch along, just in case someone tried to steal it.

Though that possibility was infinitesimally small.

After securing everything, I opened my phone, activated the map function, checked the cafeteria’s location, and started the walking navigation.

‘Such functions truly were convenient.’

On the way, I kept my hand in my pocket, primarily fiddling with the Heart of the Witch. I worried it might fall out of my pocket, so holding it in my hand offered more peace of mind.

The path seemed sparsely populated at this hour; I had likely missed the peak rush of students leaving class.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, I was still taken aback by its sheer size!

Then again, it made sense. This academy was a melting pot of so many races, each with their own distinct dietary needs.

It likely had to cater to the customs of various species.

For instance, vegetarianism, carnivorism, and so forth. These weren’t superficial trends adopted by ‘virtue-signaling’ individuals, as they might have been in my previous life.

Instead, they were genuine distinctions necessitated by cultural beliefs, racial characteristics, and other such factors—much like how some animals are carnivores and others herbivores.

I approached the specialty cultural dishes on the first floor. There was every conceivable style, from raw and cooked foods to various purees.

Most of the dishes were completely unfamiliar to me. A wave of worry washed over me: would I get food poisoning from eating these?

What if I had an allergic reaction? My old body used to suffer from pollen allergies; surely this new body wouldn’t be allergic to anything, would it?

My worries, however, proved unnecessary. A very conspicuous infirmary was located on the first floor of the cafeteria, specifically equipped to handle food poisoning, various food allergies, and more. Numerous signs were posted, indicating that such incidents must be quite common…

I calmed myself. I was here to fill my stomach, not to embark on a culinary adventure with bizarre foods.

Therefore, I bypassed the inedible-looking dishes, all while pondering what I actually wanted to eat.

After browsing for a while, I ascended the stairs to the second floor. Here, too, was a plethora of dishes, much like on the first floor.

Lacking much interest, I climbed another floor. The third floor, surprisingly, was a buffet area!

However, a glance at the prices instantly extinguished any desire to eat there. Even the lowest-priced buffet started at three-digit academic credits. With only 1000 academic credits to my name, I couldn’t possibly afford such extravagance.

Just as I prepared to ascend another floor, I noticed the cafeteria’s area divisions at the stairwell, detailing the purpose of each level.

The first and second floors were general dining areas, where one could choose dishes from sections that appealed to their preferences. The third floor was the buffet. The fourth floor operated on an open-style à la carte system, which, if I wasn’t mistaken, was probably akin to a high-end restaurant. I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford that.

And the fifth floor consisted of private rooms available by reservation. Excellent. Definitely somewhere I couldn’t afford to enjoy right now.

As expected, my culinary destiny lay on the first or second floor.

Silently, I made my way back to the second floor. I hadn’t thoroughly explored it yet, and since nothing on the first floor had truly tempted me, I hoped the second floor wouldn’t disappoint.

Throughout the cafeteria, I observed numerous students, some with wildly diverse appearances, not even resembling humanoid creatures.

Yet, I could be certain they were all intelligent beings. Without developed intelligence, there would naturally be no possibility of education.

‘The Witch Academy truly welcomed all races, turning no one away.’

Reflecting on these sights within the cafeteria, I arrived at a counter that seemed to offer stir-fried dishes.

Though each dish had a name displayed, almost none of them were familiar to me.

Pure vegetarian dishes cost 1 academic credit, meat dishes 2 credits, and mixed meat and vegetable stir-fries 1.5 credits.

There was a wide variety of staples: starchy lumps resembling potatoes, pasta-like items, and rice-like main courses. These staples were free and infinitely refillable, a truly generous policy that reminded me of my old cafeteria—even though my old cafeteria used to charge for its staples.

To be safe, I opted for a staple similar to rice. For the dishes, I chose one meat and one vegetable option, totaling three academic credits.

I had no idea what the vegetable dish was, but it was green. The meat dish was a piece of braised pork belly, cooked until incredibly tender, though I couldn’t discern what animal it came from. It was also drenched in a sauce of unknown flavor.

Overall, it looked somewhat appetizing. If I didn’t experience any issues after eating it, I’d make this my regular spot.

Carrying my tray, I found a quiet corner and began my lunch!

The leafy green vegetable had a peculiar texture, but its taste had no strange aftertaste and was quite palatable. The meat was incredibly tender and succulent, and the savory and spicy sauce was simply divine!

It was so good, I felt I’d risk food poisoning just to try it again.

Perhaps it was because this new body was too frail, but just two dishes and a small portion of staples left me feeling quite full.

Still, the sensation of a full stomach was utterly satisfying!

This meal cost 3 academic credits. Calculating it this way, if I had no other expenses, my daily expenditure would be close to ten credits. My 1000 academic credits would roughly last me three months for food alone!

However, I couldn’t calculate it that simply. After one month, I’d need credits for the dormitory, for studying extraordinary knowledge, and for accessing the library. With any other expenses, these credits simply wouldn’t be enough!

It seemed I needed to find a way to earn academic credits.

The methods I currently knew for earning credits weren’t quite suitable for me, but there had to be other ways!

Since academic credits could be traded, it was only natural for students to engage in exchanges of mutual benefit. There might even be various operational teams or organizations that I was currently unaware of.

Perhaps there were even lending services, charging interest on credits.

If academic credits held value, then they could essentially buy anything, provided someone was willing to sell.

It was just like money; with enough of it, you could make anything happen.

The academy should surely have a place for posting tasks, where some would be willing to spend credits to solve their problems, and others would be eager to help for a reward.

I slowly made my way back to the classroom and quietly settled into my seat. Quite a few people had already returned, yet my arrival didn’t draw any attention, as if my reduced presence was truly having an effect.

Silently, I opened my phone. Still pondering about tasks and such, I decided to change my approach and see if I could locate a building with such a function on the map.

Soon, I noticed a building named ‘Hall of Myriad Affairs.’ It wasn’t a particularly large structure; had I not zoomed in, I might not have even noticed this area.

But since it had a label, it also had a description, much like how the description for a ‘Teaching Building’ simply stated ‘Teaching Building.’ While seemingly trivial, it served to inform you of the building’s purpose.

The Hall of Myriad Affairs was a semi-official ‘club’ organized by the Witch Academy’s Student Union, and it even had a slogan.

‘For any needs, seek out the Myriad Affairs Office—your satisfaction is guaranteed!’