Chapter 30: Snacks

Dana cut the Moon Berry fruit into pieces, and they snacked as they studied the morning away, feeling instantly refreshed every time they ate another piece. The tree only had a dozen or so fruits, so it wouldn't be possible to eat them every day, but one every off day to wipe away the stress and fatigue of the week didn't sound bad at all.

The tactical manual was incredibly boring to read, and Karl was a quick study with the help of a refreshed mind and Hawk's input on the best ways to hunt prey, so his mind began to wander. There were so many different plants here, and while he had looked through the journal, he didn't memorize the use of all of them, especially the ones that didn't have any fruit on them at the moment.

So, he switched books, reading through the details of the journal on the greenhouse instead, and discovering that there were a lot more fruits like the Moon Berry, but most importantly, there were a variety of teas, tonics and potions that could be made with the various plants, though some required a particular magical affinity.

The previous resident had been what the seniors called a witch, and she had been quite adept at brewing potions, but Karl had very little experience with that. His kitchen at home wasn't big enough for more than one person to work in at a time, so he hadn't ever tried to usurp his mother's position making breakfast, and two of his meals a day were provided by the school and the mine, respectively. Precooked and ready to eat.

That was one of the advantages of working a short shift in the mine yard after school, you got a guaranteed hot meal, and it would be portioned for a hardworking adult.

As he searched through the textbook, he noticed that Dana was getting increasingly excited, and beginning to glow slightly with some sort of magical effect.

She had already learned one spell other than her initial magic since she arrived at the Academy, and it looked like she was about to grasp another.

He didn't actually know how fast spells were usually learned, but from the chatter in the common areas and cafeteria, it sounded like most of the students were still working on their initial spell, trying to master it before moving on.

But according to the cook and the guard on the train, everyone had different capabilities, so maybe Dana was one of the fastest learners? The cook made it sound like he had never managed to get through even the basics of the spells he could have learned, due to a lack of aptitude, but she seemed to be the opposite.

The easiest way would be to just ask.

"You're really moving through the spells, onto a third one already." Karl remarked.

Dana looked up and smiled. "I've got an excellent memory, and while my power isn't as strong as some of the others, I am excellent at new magic. I had my first spell under control before we even left the train, but casting it twice was all I could do. Now, I can get a third casting in, or I can channel the fog slowly, but Gil, the strongest in our class, can cast five magic arrows at a time, and do it repeatedly. His power is insane, but he's still having trouble controlling the direction and stability of the arrows."

"So, the early advancement is more about what you're talented in? I can see how having lots of power but no control would become a problem rather quickly in class. But having too little power, like the cook on the train, means that anything else doesn't really matter.

They must have high hopes for you if they're setting you up to be a public figure, though." Karl suggested.

Dana rolled her eyes. "The dance instructor said that it's because I'm a fast learner. You don't need to be really powerful to be famous, you need to be versatile. As long as I can make it to the upper end of Awakened before I graduate it should be fine, but Ascended would be best, according to the choreography teacher."

Karl chuckled and Dana raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you think that they're training you for? Not many get a dedicated tutor, and you've got a whole dedicated class schedule. They're obviously grooming you for something special."

He shrugged. "The first thing that they told me on the train was that it would be better to have a golem to fight for me, and that's how they want to guide the combat mages who can learn it. So, they're probably hoping that I will join the military or the government to do monster control.

I don't really have a skill set that is good for much except combat or scouting, so that's most likely the only thing that they could think to do with me, and it's a unique class, so I don't even fit into the regular courses."

Dana thought about it for a while. "Hawk learned another skill after you got him, right? I heard from the second year mages that he can use Wind Barrier. Maybe you can teach him to use more skills, or you can learn to use more monster skills. That might make you more versatile.

If you could do something like using the ability of the Ascended version of that cooling aloe plant, you could heal wounds. That would make you into a top medic all on its own."

Karl looked at the plant. "That thing can heal wounds?"

Dana shook her head. "No, that one can treat rashes, sunburn and numb pain a little. It's really useful, but it's a common grade magical resource. They sell it at the drugstore, and in the supply room downstairs. There is a higher quality version of it, which can reach the Ascended Grade, and that one can actually cure all sorts of wounds, but not illnesses or disease. I saw it in a nature drama."

Karl's family didn't own a television, so he only ever watched what was on in public, and that was rarely a nature documentary. He had taken a few classes on magical botany, but they were pretty basic, and didn't really cover much on medicinal plants, they were more concerned with the ones that might kill you if you happened across them in the wilderness.

"Well, I don't know much about raising them, but maybe it's worth looking into how to improve the aloe plant up another Rank so that it can treat more wounds. There are plenty of special plants here, but the guide that came with the greenhouse said that they're almost all edible ones, snacks for the residents." Karl explained.

Snacks that might help their abilities grow, but still snacks.