"F-for the quality and preservation state..." Jessy smiled brightly, "I can offer you 3 bright bronze crystals for each one, fifteen total!"
"Fifteen?!" the three friends exclaimed in unison.
"Seems good," Ren nodded while his mushrooms pulsed with satisfaction.
While Jessy prepared the payment, the others couldn't stop staring at the crystals with envy... The lucky bastard had five more plates in the room, not to mention the eggs and who knows how much more among his fortunate acquisitions...
While his friends were still processing the figure, Ren pulled out a list.
"I also need some materials," he said casually.
"Oh?" Jessy took the list. "What are you looking for?"
"Speed and elemental control runes," Ren began. "And these components..."
Jessy's eyes widened while reading the list. "These are... unusual combinations. The runes are usually the most expensive parts of cultivation..."
"How much for everything?"
"Ten thousand for the speed rune, fifteen thousand for the elemental control one and with the materials you want... T-thirty thousand," Jessy stuttered. "But I could look for more economical alternatives..."
'It's almost exactly the calculation I had,' thought Ren. 'The cultivation materials for the mantis for 10 days are cheap, no more than 500 crystals, 1000 for the rune guide solution, but the iron wolverine ones are quite expensive, they must be popular among royalty and high-rank nobility...'
"Use my credits, should be just enough," Ren said.
"Credits just enough?!" the three friends exclaimed in unison.
"Next stop," Ren announced after saying goodbye to Jessy, "the bank."
At the bank, Finch was polishing his spectacles when they saw the group enter.
"Theodore!" Finch's high-pitched voice greeted them. "Prepare the withdrawal forms! Look who's come to visit us! Our mysterious fungus magnate!"
The small white mouse sighed, pulling out the corresponding papers.
"How much will it be this time?" Finch smiled sympathetically. "Five thousand for the month's expenses? Your third month report was only ten thousand, still quite impressive for that beast, but you'll spend your luck very soon if you squander it like it's..."
"Actually," Ren interrupted, "I'm here to make a deposit."
Finch blinked. "Deposit? But you just turned in your last report..."
Ren placed 10 bright bronze crystals on the counter.
Finch's mustache trembled violently. "This is... one hundred thousand?"
"Look, I have 5 more here... And wait until they double it in the 4th month report," Ren added with a wide smile.
Theodore dropped the forms.
"In cash!" Finch squealed. "Theodore! Our magnate has returned! And more magnate than ever!"
The mouse began counting frantically while Finch circled around the counter.
"Let me see," Finch adjusted his spectacles. "With the previous hundred thousand, plus the ten thousand from the third month, plus what's doubled from the third month's report... you've already gathered 220,000 crystals total in 3 months!"
For the 3rd month Ren had 'only' managed to obtain 10 thousand crystals from the mines.
Ren's friends stared at him open-mouthed.
"Where did you get so much?"
"Just sold some normal materials," Ren laughed.
"Ha! Normal? Fifteen bright bronze crystals! Theodore, remember when fifteen bronze crystals was our annual budget?"
The mouse nodded solemnly while beginning to count.
"Though..." Finch narrowed his eyes when Ren pocketed the other five crystals. "Not depositing everything? Does the fungus magnate need cash for minor expenses?"
"It's for a project," Ren responded vaguely.
"Project?" Finch's eyes enlarged behind his glasses. "What kind of project requires 50,000 crystals in cash? Are you building a mushroom palace?"
"Nests?" Finch looked at Theodore. "Did you hear that Theodore? Nests! Fifty thousand crystals for 'nests'!"
The mouse paused his counting to look at Ren with curiosity.
Finch removed his spectacles to clean them compulsively.
"Theodore!" Finch turned dramatically. "Add 'luxury nest builder' and 'interior decoration' to our list of side hustles to get rich!"
The mouse pulled out his tiny notebook, diligently noting while his whiskers trembled with amusement.
"By the way," Ren turned to his friends. "Why do you have so much free time? You should join Lin's training."
The instant horror on their faces said it all...
"NO!" they shouted in unison, backing up several steps.
"We value our life," Min explained.
"And our unbroken bones," Liu added.
"And our dignity," Taro completed.
"Cowards," Ren smiled.
"Oh!" Finch clapped. "You're one of Lin's students? That explains so much and so little at the same time!"
"Theodore," Finch turned to his mouse. "Add 'sadistic training' to our list of theories about our fungal friend."
The mouse leafed through the tiny notebook and noted diligently.
"Anything else you need?" Finch asked while Theodore finished the paperwork. "A personal accountant? An investment advisor? A historian to document the legend of the fungus magnate?"
Back in the room, Ren took out the rune guide solution.
His friends watched with curiosity while he traced precise patterns around the mantis core in the 'nest' full of components.
"What are you...?" Min began to ask.
Ren took 2 of the 5 bright bronze crystals.
"No," Liu narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."
"Don't be ridiculous," Taro laughed nervously. "No one would be foolish enough to..."
Ren pressed the crystals against the rune drawn on the core.
His friends' scream of horror probably reached the academy's top floor when the crystal began dissolving, its mana flowing into the core.
"MY EYES!" Min covered his face dramatically.
"TWENTY THOUSAND CRYSTALS!" Liu fell to his knees.
"STOP!" Taro tried to reach Ren. "WE CAN STILL SAVE IT!"
But Ren had already finished with the first core. His mushrooms pulsed while he turned toward the hydra core, holding the three remaining crystals.
"No..." Min's eyes widened with horror. "NO!"
The three lunged forward at the same time.
Lin's teachings kicked in and the first movement knocked down Liu, who fell with a thud.
The second sent Min spinning toward the bed.
The third left Taro blinking from the floor, wondering how he got there.
"If you let me explain..." Ren began.
"EXPLAIN WHAT?!" Liu shouted from his position. "HOW TO THROW YOUR MONEY IN THE TRASH?!"
"This one needs an extra step," Ren continued calmly while tracing a different rune on the hydra core. "Since I'm going to change its beast type..."
He pulled out a male Shadow Stalker tentacle.