Episode 17
Episode 17: I Used to Be in the Bottom Tier, but Now I'm on Par with the Top Ranker in School?!(1)
[Ore Extraction]
▶Using earth spirit magic, you can extract desired ores from the ground. The extractable ores vary depending on the earth's composition. The higher the grade of ore, the more mana is consumed.
※However, this can only be used while an earth spirit is summoned.
▶Skill Level: Shared with the skill 『Summon Earth Spirit』
▶Skill Type: Active
▶Skill Rank: Shared with the skill 『Summon Earth Spirit』
[Mud is attempting to extract a rare ore.]
[A large amount of mana is consumed.]
"Ugh...!"
In an instant, over 80% of the mana drained from Gyeongjun's body.
A feeling of mana exhaustion that he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Of course, since a sliver of mana remained, he didn't actually reach the state of mana exhaustion.
Mud's ore extraction was still in progress.
Had Gyeongjun not possessed a mana stat exceeding 100, Mud's ore extraction would have certainly failed midway.
[Ore extraction has succeeded.]
[Earth-attribute affinity has increased by 1.]
Poof!
Having finished the ore extraction, Mud rose back above the ground.
-Hulgeueuk!
[Mud wipes the dirt from its forehead, relieved that it barely succeeded.]
In the earthen hand Mud held out, a transparent crystal lay gently.
"Ooh..."
It was glass.
However, unlike ordinary glass containing various chemical additives from reality, it was extremely expensive glass composed purely of silica (SiO2).
To put it into perspective, it was the kind of glass that oil tycoons from the Middle East would use to replace all the windows in their skyscrapers to flaunt their wealth.
Moreover, it was over twenty times harder than regular glass—so hard that it would spark when struck against steel.
And its name was as follows:
[Rare item 『Quartz』 acquired.]
Gyeongjun intended to make every single window in his study villa out of quartz glass, just like those Middle Eastern oil tycoons.
* * *
The amount of quartz obtained from a single ore extraction was pitifully insufficient for making windows.
Then what he needed to do now was simple.
Nothing but endless grinding until a sufficient amount was gathered!
[Mud is attempting to extract a rare ore.]
[A large amount of mana is consumed.]
.
.
.
[All MP has been depleted.]
[You have fallen into the status ailment 『Mana Exhaustion』.]
[Headaches will persist until MP recovers above a certain level.]
[Continuous mana consumption has increased your mana by 1.]
.
.
.
[Ore extraction has succeeded.]
[Earth-attribute affinity has increased by 1.]
[Rare item 『Quartz』 acquired.]
"Guh... my head. Mud, one more time!"
-Heugeueueuk...?
[Mud oozes dirt anxiously, worrying about you.]
"I'm fine...! I have to finish everything today so I can study straight through starting tomorrow. Mud, one more time!"
-Heugeueuk....
[Mud is worried about you but says it will comply for now.]
[Mud is attempting to extract a rare ore.]
[A large amount of mana is consumed.]
[Continuous mana consumption has increased your mana by 1.]
"Guh...!"
Gyeongjun once again felt chunks of mana draining from his body.
But even so, it was fine.
Because even while he was consuming mana like this, his HP and MP were continuously recovering.
[Gyeongjun's Ash Tree Chair with Posture Correction]
▶Recovers HP/MP by 5% per minute.
▶If you sit with correct posture and fully recover HP/MP, all continuous recovery effects last an additional hour.
[Gyeongjun's Unshakable Ash Tree Desk]
▶When used together with a chair imbued with a spirit's energy, the chair gains an additional HP/MP recovery function of 5% per minute.
[Gyeongjun's Study Villa]
▶Recovers HP/MP by 5% per minute during rest.
Including the basic rest passive, that totaled 16%!
Just by sitting still in the chair, Gyeongjun was recovering 16% HP/MP per minute.
No matter how much mana Mud's ore extraction consumed, it was no problem for Gyeongjun!
He was essentially no different from a perpetual motion machine.
[HP and MP have fully recovered.]
"Alright! Let's go again, Mud!"
-Heugeueuk....
[Mud says it wants to rest now.]
"No way! We're friends! We're going until we can't go anymore today!"
[Mud is attempting to extract a rare ore while bawling its eyes out.]
[A large amount of mana is consumed.]
[Continuous mana consumption has increased your mana by 1.]
[Earth-attribute affinity has increased by 1.]
.
.
.
And so, it is said that Gyeongjun continued ore extraction until a sufficient amount of quartz was gathered.
* * *
Having finished the ore extraction, Gyeongjun briefly logged out before returning.
He was expressing his gratitude to Mud.
"Mud, thank you so much!"
-Heugeueueueueuk....
[Mud shakes its head with difficulty, saying it's only natural since you're friends.]
"Yeah! Mud, you're my best friend! I'll ask you again next time!"
-Heugeueuk...?!
[Mud says it needs to think about next time.]
Mud recoiled in shock at Gyeongjun's words and soon turned into nothing but earth, disappearing with a rustle.
The direction made it look as though it had died after reaching the end of its lifespan, but that wasn't the case.
[Rare skill 『Summon Earth Spirit』 has been dispelled.]
Its summon had simply been released.
After dispelling the spirit summon, Gyeongjun dispelled one more thing.
"Dismiss Dimensional Study Room."
[Myth skill 『Dimensional Study Room』 has been switched OFF.]
▶Accumulated time: 59 hours 47 minutes → 58 hours 04 minutes
Gyeongjun had spent nearly 3 hours and 40 minutes on quartz extraction.
But in reality, only about 1 hour and 50 minutes had passed.
It was all thanks to the time dilation of the Dimensional Study Room.
Through this process, Gyeongjun's inventory now contained dozens of quartz.
[Quartz (53)]
▶A crystalline mineral with a hexagonal crystal system. Popular as a material for luxury goods among nobles due to its transparent and hard properties. Often used as a magic ingredient due to its ability to resonate with mana.
▶Item Grade: Rare
Besides luxury goods, it was also used for mages' orbs, staves, rods, and so on.
Quartz was extremely popular and rare as a high-quality material for mage items!
"With this much, I can make more than enough windows."
But this precious magic ingredient was destined to become windows that would aid his studies.
2,000 degrees!
That was the melting point of quartz.
Considering that iron melts at around 1,500 degrees, it was an enormous temperature.
Even in reality, quartz was something that couldn't be dreamed of processing before industrialization took place.
Similarly, in the World, processing quartz required high-purity coke (fuel) and a high blacksmith level.
At Teemo's question, Gyeongjun didn't show the slightest troubled expression.
"I thought of everything from the beginning, of course."
Gyeongjun took out five pieces of quartz and piled them in one spot on the floor.
Then he placed his hand on them.
[Rare Skill 『Fine Mana Control (Lv.1)』]
▶Allows more delicate control over mana. 『All magic skill levels +1』
※Does not apply to skills of a higher rank than Rare.
To a normal player, this would be a skill they'd look at only for the 『All magic skill levels +1』.
However, Gyeongjun didn't focus solely on the skill level increase.
Gyeongjun focused on exactly what the skill name and description said: 『Can control mana more delicately』.
True to the description, Gyeongjun began to meticulously control each and every mana particle.
'Quartz is a hexagonal crystal system composed of SiO2, right...?'
Wuuuung.
Gyeongjun concentrated mana in his hand while visualizing the hexagonal crystal system in his mind.
He had already searched and learned what the hexagonal crystal system looked like when he logged out earlier.
At the same time, Gyeongjun was recalling knowledge he had learned in Chemistry I.
'Quartz isn't simply bonded by intermolecular forces; it's strongly bonded by covalent bonds between atoms. So to break and melt it, I have to intensely concentrate every single mana particle into one point.'
With his eyes closed, he began to concentrate his mana, and concentrate even more.
[Continuous mana consumption has increased your mana by 1.]
[Your mana has fallen below 20%.]
[You are exposed to the risk of mana exhaustion.]
[Buff effects have recovered HP/MP by 16%.]
The mana depleted by the prolonged magic usage was recovered thanks to the Study Villa's buff.
Wuuuung!
The moment mana concentrated and concentrated again on one point of the quartz, Gyeongjun used another skill.
[Normal Skill 『Energy Bolt (Lv.6)』]
▶A skill that condenses mana into a spherical shape and fires it forward.
Energy Bolt, originally used for attacking!
Gyeongjun was using it not as an attack, but as a means to melt the quartz.
Up until now, among players and NPCs alike, Gyeongjun was probably the only one who had ever utilized Energy Bolt in this way.
Ssssss.
The mana concentrated in Gyeongjun's hand converted entirely into energy and began severing each and every atomic bond in the quartz.
Severing bonds was synonymous with melting.
In other words, the quartz had begun to melt!
Without high-purity coke, high-level blacksmith skills, or a blazing blast furnace—without anything!
He had begun processing that precious quartz using nothing but pure mana!
[Rare Skill 『Transmutation』 has been realized through self-enlightenment.]
[Transmutation]
▶Can transmute all kinds of materials into desired forms. What can be transmuted is determined by the materials used. As the skill level increases, more complex transmutations become possible.
▶Skill Level: Lv.1
▶Skill Type: Active
▶Skill Rank: Rare
[10 hours have been added to the Dimensional Study Room.]
[Normal Skill 『Energy Bolt』 has increased to level 7.]
[Advanced Skill 『Magic Delay』 has increased to level 3.]
[Advanced Skill 『Magic Modification』 has increased to level 3.]
[Rare Skill 『Fine Mana Control』 has increased to level 2.]
The Magic Modification and Magic Delay skills used together to delicately control the Energy Bolt had also risen in level.
And the newly acquired rare skill, 'Transmutation.'
Ever since obtaining it, he felt that adjusting his mana had become much easier.
"Great! I'll keep going like this!"
And so, Gyeongjun continued transmuting the quartz.
* * *
Before long, Gyeongjun had processed all the necessary quartz into quartz glass and installed it in his study villa.
[Gyeongjun's Quartz Glass Window (5)]
▶A glass window made of 99.99% pure quartz with zero impurities. Possesses a purity unattainable through ordinary processing, making it extremely hard yet transparent. Imbued with the energy of an earth spirit, it makes the building sturdier.
▶When equipped to a building: Building durability +10%
▶When used by a Seeker of Infinite Knowledge: Creativity +5%
▶Item Grade: Rare
He installed one window on the front of the study villa, two on the sides, and two on the back, for a total of five.
But that wasn't all.
[Gyeongjun's Quartz Glass Ceiling]
▶Made of 99.99% pure quartz with zero impurities... (omitted) ... makes the building sturdier.
▶When equipped to a building: Building durability +30%
▶When used by a Seeker of Infinite Knowledge: Creativity +15%
▶Item Grade: Rare
Gyeongjun had punched a glass hole right in the middle of the wooden ceiling!
Now he could study even at night under the bright moonlight.
It was no different from a natural lantern.
Since he had made it so that wooden doors could cover it when desired, there was no problem even when the sunlight was too strong during the day.
Thus, another buff was added to Gyeongjun's buff status window.
[Currently Applied Buffs]
▶Gyeongjun's Ash Tree Chair with Posture Correction: Tenacity +10%
▶Gyeongjun's Unshakable Ash Tree Desk: Tenacity +10%
▶Desk/Chair Arrangement Bonus: Tenacity +10%
▶Gyeongjun's Quartz Glass Window (5): Creativity +25%
▶Gyeongjun's Quartz Glass Ceiling: Creativity +15%
▶Gyeongjun's Study Villa: Tenacity +10%
Tenacity +40% and now Creativity +40%!
Gyeongjun instantly felt his head clear and his mind become more flexible.
All sorts of new approaches he had never thought of before flashed chaotically through his mind.
"Creativity problems, you're easy prey now."
Gyeongjun gripped his pencil once more, issuing a renewed challenge to the creativity problems that had only defeated him until moments ago.