Chapter 29 — Money
For the next two months, Ren threw himself into magic training.
He no longer bothered hiring teachers whenever he encountered a problem. Burning a portion of his Comprehension Talent to temporarily enhance his comprehension had far greater effects than relying on an instructor.
A teacher could explain a difficult concept to him immediately, but that didn't mean Ren would understand it immediately. He might still need several days to ponder the explanation, practice it, and figure out exactly where he had gone wrong.
By temporarily enhancing his own comprehension, however, he could understand the problem almost instantly.
'I'm essentially trading resources for time.'
To Ren, that was a worthwhile trade.
Over the next two months, he spent around four million Astra.
Most of it went toward various potions that accelerated his training—body-strengthening potions, nutrient potions, mana potions, transformation potions, soul-strengthening potions, training-enhancement potions, and other supplementary potions.
A smaller portion was spent restoring the talent he had burned whenever he encountered a particularly troublesome problem.
The results were significant.
Ren's progress in magic advanced at an astonishing rate.
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He was already far ahead of most of his peers.
Most Rank 1 Apprentice Mages focused on only one or two spells. Even then, reaching Intermediate proficiency in those spells required considerable time and effort. Those who devoted themselves almost entirely to one or two spells might eventually reach Advanced proficiency.
Ren, however, was training multiple spells simultaneously.
After two months, he had raised all six of his primary spells to Advanced proficiency.
And he hadn't stopped there.
Ren had also learned a soul-type defensive spell called Soul Ward.
It created a defensive barrier that protected his soul from attacks targeting it.
Soul-type spells were generally much harder to learn than ordinary spells, so most mages simply relied on artifacts for soul defense.
Ren could learn Soul Ward, however.
So he did.
He quickly raised Soul Ward to Advanced proficiency as well.
His progress was far beyond what most people his age could achieve.
Ren checked his remaining funds.
'It's about time I start earning. I'm really broke right now.'
His current rate of spending was simply too high to maintain without an income.
And his remaining money had already taken another hit a few days earlier.
Ren had spent 500,000 Astra on a Tier 1 Low-Grade defensive artifact in preparation for taking missions. It was a clothing-type artifact that protected both his body and soul.
He had ordered it and had it delivered directly to his apartment. Since then, he had simply worn it as his everyday clothing.
After the purchase, his savings had dropped to roughly 1.1 million Astra.
For Ren, that wasn't much.
Magic training was expensive, and if he continued spending money at his current rate, his remaining funds wouldn't last very long.
Most mages used artifacts for soul defense because soul-type spells were considerably harder to learn than ordinary spells. Ren, however, was capable of learning Soul Ward, so he had learned it anyway.
Having both was better than relying on only one.
There was also another reason many people preferred clothing-type artifacts.
They looked good.
First impressions mattered.
As mages advanced in rank, even those who came from cultures where clothing was uncommon often began wearing clothing-type artifacts instead of relying solely on ornament-type artifacts.
It wasn't necessarily because they had abandoned their cultural preferences. They simply understood the practical value of making a good impression.
Most people were open-minded, but narrow-minded people still existed. There was always a chance of offending someone simply because they disliked the way you looked.
And when dealing with powerful people, that was a risk worth avoiding.
The same applied to ordinary interactions. When working with teammates, dealing with organizations, negotiating business, or meeting people for the first time, looking presentable could make things easier.
He glanced down at the clothing-type artifact he was wearing.
It was protective, practical, and made him look better.
There was no reason not to wear it.
Ren looked at his remaining balance once more.
Roughly 1.1 million Astra.
It wasn't enough to continue spending freely on training.
He needed money.
'It's time to start earning.'