Chapter 344 – Skills and Deals

Chapter 344 – Skills and Deals

Kai strode among the rows of bookshelves, slowing his steps just enough to avoid the glares from the wandering librarians. The numbers on the plaques indicated he should be in the correct section. His gaze darted over the students around the tables and into the enclosed reading rooms beyond.

Even the smell of old paper and soft lights couldn’t settle his urgency—he couldn’t be late.

It should be around—

Finally, Kai spotted the figure he had been looking for.

Valela sat at a small table cornered between two shelves, appearing the exact opposite of him: calm, collected, with a handle on her academic career. She was reading a book, her lips slightly parted, murmuring to herself. The library enchantments turned her words into a background buzz.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Kai spoke upon crossing the runes beneath the floorboards. He purposefully slowed to not seem too frazzled as he took a seat. “Did you wait long?”

“I didn’t.” Valela closed the thick tome. “You’re on time. I arrived early.” Her face scrunched up as she studied him. “Have you not slept? I know how great it feels to increase your attributes, but a higher Constitution isn’t a substitute for rest.”

“I’m fine. I had stuff to do to stay ahead of my courses. It’ll get easier once I pass the first weeks,” Kai said as casually as he could, though his words couldn’t erase the dark circles under his eyes. “I’ll catch up on sleep next weekend.”

Seeing her frown deepen, she remembered he had said the same thing last week. “I won’t tell you to take things easier,” she said. “Raelion won’t wait for anyone during the first year. But you can ask for help.”

“You are helping,” Kai motioned to the textbooks and papers he was taking out of his bag. “We’re here to pick up my new skills.”

“And to work on our status plans,” she raised a hand, leaning toward the bag beside her chair to grab a pink leather notebook with a happy octopus on the cover. “I’ve a list of points to discuss with you. I’d like to get your perspective.”

Kai smiled as she intently leafed through the notes, knowing it was for his sake. “I won’t say my ideas are worthless, but how much can I contribute? Two weeks ago, I had no idea people studied status planning. You’re way ahead of me.”

“That’s…” Valela pursed her lips. “It’s not a competition. What’s wrong if I help a little more now? I’ve passed most basic courses in the first semester. I can help you prepare for the exams.”

“But you don’t need to.” Since he had escaped from the Sanctuary, she had helped him several times—he couldn’t keep caving in and relying on her.

“I can handle the classes.” Kai forced more conviction into his tone. “I knew it’d be harder enrolling during the Winter Intake.” Many warned him, though he had underestimated how much. “You have your other courses to worry about. I don’t want to take more of your time.”

“You aren’t taking anything, I’m offering,” Valela countered with a stubborn look. “Let me at least lend you my notes. That costs me nothing. Lys said they’re the best she has seen. Even if she exaggerates, she has stopped accepting them from anyone else, so they must be good.”

Great, I’m in the same boat as Lys now..l

Kai chewed the inside of his cheek. His mind raced to search for a reason to refuse without finding any—except his pride. Could he really afford to refuse? Even if he managed, his results wouldn’t be as good. “Okay, thank you. I’ll find a way to repay you.”

You win some, you lose some.

Valela let slip a pleased smile before smoothing her expression. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it is. Many students get tutoring. And remember, we signed a contract in Higharbor. I’m officially sponsoring you, and I haven’t provided a lot.”

“That was an excuse…” He lowered his tone. “To build my identity, and how I met you. It was also about Alchemy, which I’ve not done much.”

“It was a contract of general intent.” Valela waved off his objections with a hand. “You’ve already proven a worthwhile investment by enrolling in Raelion.” She raised her chin and flipped through her notes as if reviewing a business plan. “I plan to get my money’s worth.”

Despite knowing she was playing it up as a distraction, Kai couldn’t help chuckling at her act. “Are you now?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“Of course,” she said—deadpan serious. “You can help me practice mana exercises. We’ll have more practical classes after the spring trials. And this is only in the short term. Proper sponsors know they’ll recoup the costs over years and decades.” She glanced at him and shut her pink notebook in one hand. “I’m looking to gain several times my investment.”

Kai stood back, his face a mask of theatrical shock, his arms raised defensively. “Damn, such cutthroat terms. I knew I should have read the small print before signing.” He couldn’t curb his playful smirk. “I should probably take advantage of my sponsor before I’m ruthlessly exploited.”

Their contract wasn’t nearly detailed enough to guarantee any returns, but she had a point about looking at the long term. Reaching Yellow at their age, they could easily live for a couple of centuries. If he wanted to repay any favor, he’d better focus on growing stronger and graduating from the academy.

Hmm… was I being the stubborn one?

They bantered a little longer about exploited talents and evil plans. Valela cracked up halfway through and took a minute to stop laughing.

“We should…. get started,” she said. “You need to choose your skills. I assume you made a list. ”

“I did.” Kai reached into his bag for the papers of pros and cons he spent the night compiling. “I focused on paired skill paths since I plan to free two slots.” Synergistic abilities could influence each other’s evolutions, though they’d also level slower if they overlapped too much.

Valela nodded. “That’s a good idea. I would have suggested the same. Can I see the skills you’re considering?” Her gaze followed him as he slowly took out more written sheets. “How many do you have?”

“Uhm…” Kai rubbed his neck before surrendering the papers. “I narrowed it down to sixteen pairs last night… but some skills repeat in different combinations. So, there are only twenty-four unique skills, really.”

Her eyebrows rose as she read. “Yes, you’ve been very… thorough with your pros and cons,” she took out an enchanted pen. “Mhmm… we should cut Eidetic Memory, Cognitive Leap, Script Savant and…”

“Wait!” Kai took a moment to react as she started crossing names off his painstakingly drafted list. “Those are some of the best ones.” He vainly reached over the tables to stop her.

Valela leaned out of his reach as she sharply drew line after line. “Those are only good if you learn the Yellow variants. You noted that yourself. It’s already hard to get Orange study and memorization skills. I’ve never heard of someone getting them first at Yellow without long experience and supporting abilities.”

“Hard doesn’t mean impossible.” Kai abandoned his attempts to get the paper. His writing would still be legible beneath a single line. “I only selected Yellow skills when the books clearly explained how to get them.”

“And did they not list the other requirements? Or the time they’ll take?”

“I… uh, most said practice and experience were the most important factors.”

Valela stopped her ruthless cuts to meet his gaze. “Mat, I know how it feels seeing the endless shelves of skill tomes in the library. It’s the same for every commoner who enrolls at Realion, and even some patricians. They’re overwhelmed by the skills available and the potential benefits. So, they reach for too much and are still trying to acquire the perfect skill set when they fail their first year.

“I’m not saying you can’t learn them. If anyone I know can defy expectations, that’s you. But it’s also a matter of how long it’ll take. In the best case, these Yellow skills will require months to learn at a minimum. Some people take years, and others never get them. Can you afford to wait that long?”

Kai opened his mouth but didn’t speak. He couldn’t afford to wait weeks, let alone months.

She’s right. Perfect’s the enemy of good.

A slightly less ideal pick beat failing to pass the basic courses. He threw a mournful look at his dream list. At least getting them at Orange would give him more control over their evolutions.

“Keep cutting. And thank you.” The words came out with a resigned sigh.

“Happy to help,” Valela smiled, brandishing her pen like the Grim Reaper. “We should cut Perfect Recall and Arcane Cognition. Insight skills are too unreliable to get. Also, Peerless Learner and…”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Kai winced at each name. “You don’t have to read them out loud.”

“Maybe not, but it’s so fun seeing the face you make.” Her straight expression only lasted a few seconds before she giggled. “I— I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. It’s just… you look exactly like Hobbes when he’s grumpy.”

“I don’t.” Kai crossed his arms and looked away—stoic and silent. He took a fresh paper to redraw the list. “How many did you manage to cut anyway?”