Glan Natural Science Academy

One month later. 

After the academy ceremony, the students began their lessons under different mentors with each different ways of teaching.  

Ryger didn’t know how those new students who were normally distributed to classes learned. But in the past month, under Satro’s earnest tutelage, each and every one of his days was incomparably productive and filled with joy. He progressed with each day. 

Specimens of frogs, tadpoles, mice, passion flowers, serpine yams, crow parrots…

In the past month, Ryger has personally created 40-plus specimens of common natural organisms with different ways of preservation. To a scholar studying evolutionary secrets, these specimens were the fountain of knowledge, the foundation of seeking out the truth. 

Early in the morning, Ryger jogged toward the lecture building. 

Spring was in full bloom, and the chill of early spring a month ago was no longer present. 

As the daytime got longer, sunrise became earlier. Not only did the stores open earlier and earlier, scholars also became more diligent and went to the lecture building or library in groups early in the morning to begin a new day of study.

  In the past month of filled studies, Ryger went to the lecture building early in the morning and only returned to his room deep in the night. He faced Satro’s tireless teachings day after day and didn’t make other friends. But all of this did not make him feel lonely.

Rather, he somewhat enjoyed it. 

An enriched life of learning fully occupied his attention and allowed him to feel a happiness he never felt before. 

After an hour. 

“Fuuuu…” 

After eating Satro’s hot noodles, like he did every day before, Ryger’s body was greatly satisfied. It was still the diligent Satro who was in charge of washing the dishes. While Satro was washing, Ryger took out a specimen of a hairworm 1which he extracted from the body of a mantis yesterday. He intended to consult Satro. 

A hairworm, also known as hairsnake, is a common parasite found in the body of mantises and other insects. 

When young, a hairworm parasitises a mantis, grasshopper or a beetle and grows inside the host’s body. Gradually, it controls the host’s behaviour. When it becomes an adult the host’s body restricts their further growth. This, and  the need to propagate results in the parasite controlling the host to suicide by drowning, completing the extension of life 

“From insects’ point of view, it really is like a terrible devil!” Ryger thought to himself.

When Satro was done cleaning up and came to the laboratory, he saw Ryger’s hairworm specimen.

“This is a hairworm specimen?”

Satro recognized Ryger’s specimen and was surprised. “Junior brother, you seem to be really interested in parasites. This is already your fourth one. I only started to pay attention to studying parasites after my graduation test.” 

Ryger sweated. “It’s just bad luck. The specimens that I caught had parasites in them so I might as well turn them into specimens.” 

Satro didn’t care about that and asked: “What is wrong with this hairworm?” 

Ryger muttered, “Senior brother, I want to know, how does a hairworm control the behaviour of its host?” 

“Hmm?” 

Satro frowned and looked at Ryger in amazement. After a while, he slowly said, “Junior brother, your progress amazes me. You’ve already begun to think about intellectual questions! Yes, if you’re able to discover the secrets behind that and then replicate it to your energy field, then what is formed is your academic profunities. For scholars studying evolutionary secrets, this is the process of completing one’s self-evolution.”  

“Ah!?”

  Ryger didn’t think that senior brother would praise him like this.

  “Your senior brother didn’t study the hairworm so I can’t answer your questions. But it is about time I teach you to control your own energy field. Once you manage to control and combine it with your academic studies, and complete your first academic skill, you will be a true initiate scholar then.” 

Satro continued excitedly. “Completing the basics of an initiate in only 1 month. If mentor knows of this, he’ll surely be happy!”

“Really?” 

Ryger thought of the shocked expression Mentor Kubo would make when he learns of how he himself managed to meet senior brother’s requirements and completed basic initiate education in only 1 month. He also thought of mentor’s words of acknowledgement towards him. This made him chuckle inwardly.   

“Mnn!” 

Sastro was also excited for Ryger. 

For the past month, after constantly getting along with each other, Satro was already full of expectations for this little junior brother. 

It must be said that although this little junior brother hasn’t exhibited his full potential, the wit and intelligence he had already shown far surpassed him back then. Junior brother is sharp, adroit and attentive, and what’s more, he possesses the same discipline as himself.  

Perhaps in the future, he really will replace himself and become the second Peerless. He might even mentor’s pride

When he thought of the mentor’s excitement and happiness at that time, the corner of Satro’s mouth curved up. He looked at Ryger with even more fondness and admiration.

“Junior brother, since you already have academic awareness, let’s start the last step of the basic lessons, magnetic energy field today.” 

“Yes!” 

Ryger excitedly put away the hairworm specimen and took out the Frostfire bird notebook. His cheeks were all red because of excitement. 

Satro looked at the excited Ryger and laughed: “No need to do that, junior brother. A magnetic energy field is also what is known to be magic among the commoners. It’s actually not hard to grasp a level 0 energy field. It is something that is present in everybody and only needs proper guidance to achieve it. Not to mention since we’re under the Scholar’s Tower’s vortex of energy, it’s even easier.” 

As he spoke, Satro took out an ordinary energy crystal and handed it to Ryger.

  Ryger took the energy crystal and didn’t understand. 

“Senior brother, what is this for?” 

Although it was just an ordinary energy crystal, as long as the energy in it was not consumed, this crystal could easily get more than 1 gold coin. 

What was senior brother doing giving himself such a precious crystal stone? 

“Junior brother, close your eyes and feel with your heart.” 

“Okay.” 

Ryger closed his eyes. After a while, his breathing gradually calmed, as if he was feeling the energy crystal in his hand with his heart. 

“Junior brother, do you feel it?” 

“It’s… Mm!” 

After a brief amazement, Ryger said with incredulous excitement, “I feel the abundant energy inside it! It’s like… a ball of fire that’s so dazzling in the darkness! Huh, no. It’s not darkness, there are some specks of light around it. But these specks are moving in that direction…” 

Ryger opened his eyes and looked in the direction of where the specks of light that he had just sensed moved in. He said in surprise, “Scholar’s Tower, the Glan Royal Research Institute!” 

What Ryger felt was the vortex of energy atop the tower in the inner part of the Academy! 

“Yes.”

  Satro was not surprised by Ryger’s reaction.

  “Through a special way, Scholar’s Tower forcibly sucks the energy from the natural to form an energy vortex for the use of the Academy’s scholars. Because of it, the Academy saves countless energy crystals every year. Compared to the vortex of energy of Scholar’s Tower, the energy inside this crystal stone is like a firefly glow under a full moon, not even worth mentioning.”

Ryger pursed his lips and asked, “Then how do we form our own energy field?” 

“Junior brother, it seems that you still do not truly understand the meaning of energy fields! The truth is that each of us has a magnetic field. Not just people, but any living creature, any matter’s way of existence, is a depiction of a ‘field’. We just need to let our energy field be like breathing and absorb the ubiquitous energy. 

Like breathing? 

Ryger closed his eyes again. 

Under the Satro’s guidance, Ryger did his best to exercise his own energy field, as if seeing the vast, boundless starry sky, seeing his own insignificance. He worked to let himself absorb the specks of light around him. 

Huff, huff, huff. 

  Suddenly!

  An indescribable pressure, like the crushing force felt in the deep sea, pressed towards Ryger from all sides. Even breathing became difficult. 

    “Junior brother, do you feel the pressure of this world? Don’t be afraid. This is because your energy hasn’t been converted by your medium partner yet and is being rejected by this world. Just try to get used to it.”   

Beads of sweat ran down Ryger’s forehead. He also remembered Auen’s words.

  For scholars, it was as if the whole world was rejecting them.  

  “Brother, why is this so?” 

Ryger asked in pain and puzzlement. 

Satro shook his head. 

“This… I also don’t know. At present, I only know that humans have this characteristic and are incongruent with nature. Because of this, our road of evolution is unusually bumpy.” 

Satro shifted his thoughts and discarded his worries. Excitedly, he said, “Junior brother, since you can successfully sense the energy field and don’t have a medium partner, you just need to train and accumulate it. Once you complete your first academic skill, you’ll be a true initiate scholar. Let’s quickly tell mentor about this happy news!” 

Satro’s face was full of longing, as if he saw the strict, serious Mentor Kubo making a surprised and content smile when he comes to know about it.

Footnotes

I swear this novel isn’t about bugs.