I carefully wrote the runic symbols onto the specially prepared piece of paper. They were called tags since they were used by placing them on a target.

They were worthless against more powerful monsters, which could control their Mana above the surface of their body to disrupt them.

The runic tags were also incredibly fragile since they were being written on paper and not in metal. But tags were an excellent tool to work with as an intermediary weapon. If I needed explosions, mist, or some other effects, I could use the tags.

The College provided the supplies and oversight, and the students in the auxiliary classes copied them. They were sold to Adventurers and armies to help fund the College.

The materials used to produce each tag weren’t cheap, around one silver. They were also checked for quality. The price varied between five and twenty silver depending on the final quality and the effect.

Since I knew so many runic skills, I was given the more difficult tags to work on. Each day there was a new tag I was assigned in the auxiliary class. The main runic classes involved copying massive books and memorization. That kind of training could be done in my downtime in the dungeon. For now, it was better to learn practical runic applications while I was at the College.

I knew from my mother that it was possible to write runes in the air with pure Mana to achieve a range of effects. It wasn’t just one skill, but several skills that would allow me to do such a thing. My mother’s legacy probably carried the instructions on the support skills I should focus on getting and the best way to level up those skills.

Stacking up the tags to the side, I completed one after another. Each rune was made with Alchemically prepared ink and with channeling my Mana.

The trick to the runic structures was to store the maximum amount of Mana possible without triggering the effect. Then a small burst of Mana would activate them.

Once completed, they would go into specially prepared containers to prevent premature activation. One powerful burst of Mana could easily blow themselves up. But for wars and conflicts on the surface, they were useful. A person didn’t need high-level skills to use them.

“First inspection passed,” an assistant professor said after coming over and checking my work so far. They moved them to the side for the second assistant professor to do a secondary check. The first check was to confirm that the tags were functional and met the minimum requirements.

The second inspection would point out any minor flaws or improvements that I could make. They were making their rounds through the auxiliary classroom, where over 30 other students were currently working.

The second assistant professor looked at my work and began filling out a form, highlighting at least one minor error per tag. Even things that were okay weren’t perfect. Slight angle, thickness, amount of ink, and countless other factors went into writing runes. The assistant professor set down the evaluation form on my table and took the tags away.

That was how this auxiliary class paid for itself. Runes were a key discipline here at the College, which was why this auxiliary course was designed in such a way as to be subsidized, so anyone could take it without having to pay an extra fee. There were even a few assistant professors taking this course as well to improve their knowledge of runes.

Once I finished up for the day, I reviewed all the notes on improvements I had been given. Lots of minor details needed to be fixed and considered while drawing runes. I put the notes away with the rest of them in my spatial pouch and made my way to dinner with Judy.

Her father, Nyx Nightveil, gave me a nod and a grunt. He didn’t like me, but as long as I didn’t sleep with his daughter or drag her into the dungeon, he didn’t mind me as a friend.

He was also the professor who taught the Stealth course. I took Stealth several years ago and then Focused Stealth. While it might be the most obviously useful skill, learning to be quiet when I needed to be was never a bad thing in the dungeon.

“You made it just in time. You can dice up those vegetables,” Judy said as I got to work after washing my hands of ink stains.

“So, what is on the menu tonight?” I asked.

“Braised beef wrapped in a pastry. The vegetables will be turned into a fine blend as a side dish,” she said while observing the oven in between preparing a complicated sauce. “I saw you placed second.”

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“Nothing to worry about. Just a step back before a crushing victory,” I replied. My friends were worried about me dropping a ranking spot at the College, but I didn’t mind. It would make my victory all the sweeter as we raced for the finish.

“There is a lot of talk that you might have slowed down, even if you gained a lot more skill levels than in the first semester,” Judy said. Now she was just teasing me since she knew I wasn’t upset.

“Because it is the final semester. Windshell is pulling out all the stops, but it is the result that matters. People who have time to gossip should get better hobbies,” I replied as I quickly chopped up the vegetables into small and evenly sized pieces.

“At least you aren’t discouraged. I know I would be. The competition around the College is so intense.”

“Says the woman who is crushing others with her cooking. I see you even made a dish for Ozy,” I said as the winged snake lifted his head slightly from my shoulder.

“Cooking for a monster is interesting. It is more about the Mana than anything else. Pet food is making progress, and pets are becoming more popular. You are a trendsetter,” Judy said.

“Only because of the studies and research papers the College is releasing to drive up business. I think it is all over-hyped. A pet is useful, but only if you have a specific synergy and can invest in it,” I replied.

Too many people were getting caught up in a fad. Like a certain color of armor or skill. People thought it would give them a slight edge, not realizing all the hard work that went into raising a proper pet with combat synergy.

Healer Melon had been working hard teaching Ozy, and I had been putting him through Alchemic courses as well to improve his speed and control. While it wasn’t comprehensively reflected in his stats, Ozy’s combat and support abilities had soared over the last six years.

There was always room for improvement, but I wasn’t concerned about him if I had to fight. He could hold his own and support me while I fought.

At least, that was the hope.

While there had been a lot of practice, I hadn’t gone on another descent over the years.

It had been tempting to go into the dungeon during the breaks, but I didn’t want to risk it. A team would allow me to temper myself with a higher degree of safety. Since I wasn’t looking to gain main class experience, such an action would only limit skill level gain to a certain degree. Any kind of combat and risk would be around the same level of training that the College gave and far superior to training outside the College.

“I saw the newspaper talk about the war mech, The Indomitable. You were in one picture. They say you are going to be part of an adventuring team with it.”

“Yes. But I do not know how useful it is. Just have to wait and see once we are down in the dungeon.”

“Does it eat?” Judy asked.

“Mana cores from monsters for its internal implosion engine. Otherwise, it is fairly static. Like a crystal golem as a pet. I know they are popular,” I said.

“Hmm, but certain metals and mixes can alter their composition. That is something I have made a lot of progress in. We could start seeing custom monster farms on the surface in increasing quantities,” Judy said.

“Do they produce enough value?”

“Yes, if you have the right type of monster. The College has been aggressively pursuing such monsters with its recent pet push. I know you think it is all monetization, but there is real progress being made.”

“No argument from me. I doubt pets in the dungeon itself. It isn’t to get one plus one equaling over two. And in several cases, it will be less than two, if coordination and synergy aren’t good enough. Spending the years with Ozy here has let him adapt to me and my thoughts much more than when he was first born.”

“He is well behaved.”

“Because he enjoys your cooking.”

“Well, it helps when I am not learning a hundred skills, like you,” she replied.

“It’s not a hundred,” I weakly protested. I felt a presence behind me and turned. Her father was standing in the doorway. He pointed at his eyes and then at me before ducking away. For a professor at the College, he sure was dramatic. He should have worked on social skills with that much drama.

Judy was a friend, and we both enjoyed cooking together over the years. While I had considered romance over the years, it just wasn’t possible. My soul fruits would fully wear off eventually, and earning skill levels would be more difficult.

There was a reason my mother waited so late into her life to have a child; it was a huge commitment to start a family.

I wouldn’t be able to give any kids the same advantages I had been given. I was racing forward myself with the help I had received. I didn’t have the time to help others reach the pinnacle of skills, stats, and power.

Judy would remain a friend. When I left the dungeon and visited the College for new books and training materials, I would enjoy some of her cooking to relax. Cooking was a hobby for me, which was why I was put to work cutting vegetables and not on the main courses.

Her father could be dramatic, but I didn’t take it that seriously. I knew he was just joking around. If he had really wanted to go after me, I would have had a much harder time sensing him. He was just reminding me he was watching me and was bored. Since he no longer went into the dungeon, he didn’t get to practice his Stealth skills freely.

There was only so much improvement one could make to his stealth courses. He had his comfortable position and was happy living at the College until retirement overseeing a minor course in the Combat discipline.

“You are going to spoil me like this. Cooking in the dungeon is going to be a hassle, even with spatial storage.”

“There has been research into removing the Mana from monster meat, but it causes it to completely degrade, unfortunately.”

I knew this but just nodded along. Monsters were primarily made of Mana which didn’t make for good eating for actual people. For other monsters it was fine, and I noticed the orange-colored cookware Judy was using to prepare a specialty dish for Ozy. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novｅlfire.net

He got pampered, and she got skill levels. I got to enjoy a good meal with a friend. A perfect win-win situation for all of us. Oh, and her father got to tease me by playing hide and seek, stressing out my sensory skills.

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