Jokes aside, while the software for creating spell models was within grasp, Victor found himself at an impasse regarding where he could actually run the program.

  To solve this, Victor had two solutions: He could either use his own devices or opt for online virtual machines. The former was immediately ruled out, which left the latter as the most viable option. But then it brought about a new conundrum—money.

  He might be rich among commoners in this world, but platinum coins would be worth shit on Earth simply due to their inability to traverse dimensions. Even if they could, they lacked intrinsic value, meaning he’d still need to convert them to hard currency before any transactions could take place. This left him with no alternative but to find a way to dip into Earthly currency directly.

  However, it was safe to assume that all his assets from his previous life had gone down the drain, likely inherited first by his mother and then by his sister as the last surviving member of his family. But reaching out to reclaim his funds would be tantamount to the scams of the supposedly “falsely deceased,” claiming they were embroiled in some sort of scandal or something and in desperate need of financial aid.

  Should he begin charging subscription or console fees to his players?

  On one hand, it could potentially galvanize them to invest even more time and effort into the game. But it would be way too early for such a move, and it would cast the game company in an unfavorable light, proving what the trolls said on the forum to be right.

  Besides, he didn’t even have a bank account!

  Everything from his past life as Simon was long gone… He had no access to his previous bank accounts and couldn’t even recall his account numbers… What a total dilemma.

  “This truly is a conundrum. I don’t even know where to start,” Victor muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes in deep thought.

  “Why not turn to your players for assistance?” Lizbeth proposed, tilting her head. “You can mask it as a new innovative ‘feature’ where players can craft their own spell models. Subsequently, you could request them to create some on your behalf.”

  “I can’t... Making such a request would be crossing a delicate line, potentially arousing their suspicions.” Victor recognized the gravity of the situation from the beginning. If the request solely pertained to the players using the program for their personal gain, it wouldn’t pose an issue. However, leveraging it for his own advantage wasn’t a viable option. “Unless…”

  A spark of hope ignited. If there was someone he could confide in back in the other world, the entire issue could be resolved effortlessly. Alas, such an individual was absent from his life at present.

  “Guess it’s best to shelf this issue for now. With time, a solution may naturally present itself.”

  “Mm-hmm. I believe it’s prudent to postpone tasks that can be done later,” Lizbeth concurred, smiling at Victor’s direction.

  “Eh, that sounds like your usual excuse to procrastinate. But I’ll let it slide this time.”

  “Hehe. Anywho…” She perched herself on Victor’s shoulder. “There's a fresh mission up for grabs. Why don’t you check it out?”

  Curious, Victor opened the mission tab on his Shadowlink Mark.

  —— [Headmaster’s Journal] ——

  Mission: Trace Back Your Steps

  Having extensively explored the surrounding territories, you’ve unveiled a myriad of intriguing phenomena and points of interest. Now, it’s time to retrace your steps to uncover a hidden treasure of immense value and claim it from anything standing in your way. This treasure holds the potential to boost the academy’s development exponentially.

  Type: Main mission

  Special Place Found and Occupied: 0/1

  Reward: 200 academy points

  That’s gonna be another 200 AP in the bag! If these rewarding missions were to keep popping up, reaching 4,000 AP and unlocking the Nexus Temporal lootbox might just be around the corner... Ahem, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

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  “But where’s the place that the mission implies?” Victor murmured to himself, lost in thought.

  He had traversed various points of interest nearby, like the Lesser Hiveborne Arachnid’s nest, the Thornwood Flower field, the expansive river flowing eastward, and finally, the mysterious cave located within the ravine upstream. Of all these locations, the cave was indeed the most suspicious of them all, and it was a place that Victor dared not venture to previously because he sensed a great danger inside.

  Regardless, conducting a thorough investigation during the hunting expedition tomorrow would be wise. With this plan in mind, Victor went about his afternoon routine to do his daily necessities before dedicating the remainder of his evening to practicing the Myriad Elements Method. He channeled his energy and focused on accumulating the necessary infused mana for his impending breakthrough.

  He believed that moment was not far away..

  ***

  The commencement of the hunting expedition on the following day mirrored the first one in many ways. But there was something that made it different from last time. Notably, Zero’s team seemed much calmer and more prepared. This was particularly evident when Victor intentionally vanished from sight, leaving the team to fend off a surprise beast attack on their own, which they managed to take down and carry back to the academy with ease. They were even wise enough to avoid bringing any unnecessary baggage with them.

  Victor couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Was their calmness a result of forewarning from their fellow players, or was it attributed to Zero’s steady leadership? Whatever it was, the players seemed to treat this adventure as a secondary tutorial phase.

  Diverging from the previous day’s route, as Victor had planned, he guided them toward the river to the academy’s east, tracing along the stream that had been extensively excavated for clay. Of course, Victor didn’t forget to impart knowledge of the flora and fauna, as well as the necessary survival skills for navigating the forest.

  All was normal and fine until it took an unexpected turn when an injured Shadow Panther crossed their path. It appeared to be the same one that had attacked the players a few days prior. As the players were still too weak to face it, and to minimize any potential casualties, Victor took matters into his own hands and dispatched the Shadow Panther.

  As Victor and the players stepped out of the forest, they were greeted by the sight of a vast river. Its water was flowing and sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight—anyone who saw it would think that the water was clean and safe to consume.

  “Gosh, look at that! There’s a large river ahead!” exclaimed one of the players.

  “I’m kind of hoping there’s a river goddess or maybe even a sultry water nymph lurking around in there,” said someone who Victor knew well, as he was one of the six players that had taken a post as a guard to keep watch on the wall—ButaYaarou.

  “Seriously, is that the first thing that pops into your head?” another player retorted, shaking his head in amusement.

  “River, huh…” Mike stared at the large river with apprehension. “I suddenly remembered something unpleasant from nearing a large body of water.”

  “You mean when a fish was about to bite your—”

  “Shut it, you!”

  “Silence!” Victor shouted. He didn’t join in the idle chatter between the players and simply remained silent, not reacting to the players’ banter and jokes, playing the part of a proper NPC.

  “We will trace the river upstream on this hunt,” Victor announced, his eyes scanning the surroundings. “Remember that even if the river may appear calm at first, don’t let it fool you; there are hidden dangers lurking beneath and around it. Stay alert and stay together. Let’s move.”

  Upon hearing Victor’s words of caution, the players instantly shifted into high alert, gripping their weapons tightly and forming a strategic line along the riverbank. Their eyes keenly observed the water’s surface and the surrounding foliage, ready to face whatever might pounce at them. Well, it wasn’t the first time that his words were proven to be true. Victor was aware that they would believe almost everything that an NPC said.

  “No need to be so tense. If something beyond your abilities comes approaching, I will lend you a hand,” Victor reassured them.

  “We’re just making sure, esteemed Headmaster,” Zero responded with a steady tone.

  “Mm.” Victor nodded. There was indeed nothing wrong with being overly cautious, which was proven to be the case a few minutes later.

  Barely a few hundred meters from the starting location, there was a disturbance on the tranquil river at their side. Looking there, a large blue crustacean creature came walking out, sporting a pair of menacingly sharp pincers. It was a giant blue crab.

  “Azure Mystique Crab.”

  This creature was likely one of the magical beasts native to this river, and Victor was pretty sure it was the name of its species. While its precise classification wasn’t of utmost importance, the sheer size of it—with a leg span reaching up to six feet and a height comparable to an average adult—meant that its deadly nature was pretty apparent.

  Despite its luminous blue carapace, mud and algae hung all over its body, making it appear from afar like a muddied, precious gem. Its domed, arc-shaped exterior served as natural armor, strong enough to deflect any ordinary weapon. Nevertheless, it was barely a first-stage Initiate Attunement magical beast, and any acolytes, with sufficient preparations, would be able to take it down.

  But one couldn’t underestimate its deadly offensive; its blue hue stemmed from its innate ability to launch water jets from its claws, functioning much like a magic spell. They were rumored to be powerful enough to shoot through rock, and the claws were able to cut trees in half easily.

  “Holy shit! That crab is so big!”

  “I wonder if it’s even tastier than those Alaskan king crabs.”

  “Shit, hearing you say that makes me want to boil it with oyster sauce seasoning. There must be a lot of flesh inside a crab that big!”

  “Headmaster, let us deal with it!”

  “…”

  Victor was speechless. But it was good that the players were fired up to take this matter into their own hands. Seeing their enthusiasm, he gave them a nod of approval.