A satisfied smirk played across Wei's lips as he considered the possibilities.
'The tournament finale was somewhat crude, but did Klein have diarrhea in the semifinals then? It made no sense...
How could that crazy spore kid, with the most pathetic beast in existence, and his team of a mediocre beetle and a support snake possibly deal with…'
A high-pitched squeal interrupted his thoughts, making him jump.
"Theodore!" Finch's voice pierced through the hallway like they didn't exist. "THEODORE! Bring the special calculator! The one we use for big accounts!"
Wei froze mid-step. He hated dealing with Finch when he got . Perhaps he should use the other reception, even if the line was longer he could avoid his nonsensical banter and his...
"Three hundred and ten thousand in one month from an iron 1 student!" Finch's shout nearly made Wei drop his papers. "Theodore! Are you seeing this or am I dreaming? THREE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND!"
Wei crept closer to the hallway intersection, partially concealing himself behind the corner. His manticore's eyes and ears manifested slightly, responding to his burning curiosity.
"The mushroom magnate has returned with a new record!" Finch practically danced behind the counter. "And more magnificent than ever! We must kneel this time in front of him for a chance to share in his money making secrets!"
Wei narrowed his eyes. Was that the mushroom boy? Three hundred thousand?
"Mr. Finch," Ren's voice sounded amused. "The prince practically gave it all to me for free. It's not like I helped much, not that big a deal..."
"Not that big a deal?" Finch removed his glasses to clean them frantically. "Theodore! Note this in your book! The magnate is being modest!"
The small mouse wrote furiously in his tiny notebook, his whiskers trembling with concentration.
"The hydra plates he gave me are particularly valuable," Ren continued, clearly enjoying Finch's theatrically exaggerated expressions. "And with the cores I processed for him, next time he comes I could be rewarded too..."
"Processing cores? Information only noble families control?" Wei almost revealed his position with his muttered questions. Was the brat still on about his absurd weird knowledge theories?
Wei pressed himself harder against the wall, his mind working furiously. Processing cores? Obtaining 310,000 crystals? In one month? That was more than he earned in three...
"Theodore!" Finch was practically hyperventilating. "Open a new section in the notebook! We need to document this!"
Wei silently retreated from the intersection, his monthly report forgotten in his trembling hands. Something didn't add up. The useless spore boy, generating those amounts... processing cores? Selling hydra materials?
'The bet,' he thought suddenly. The brat had wagered with such confidence. Soon he'd have to demonstrate his ridiculous theories...
'Perhaps they weren't so ridiculous? Impossible!'
"THE LORD OF MUSHROOMS!" Finch's final cry followed him down the hallway. "Theodore! We need a grander title! This one no longer suffices!"
Wei clutched his papers tightly. Perhaps he should pay more attention to the demonstration the boy had promised.
Just to prove him wrong, of course.
Today was the day, on the 10th day of the 5th month, 130 days since the semester's start, Taro would rank up and obtain his Living Tunnel variation according to Ren.
The defense rune and final crystal glowed with a deep brown tone in Taro's trembling hands.
One hundred days of cultivation, each crystal processed and absorbed exactly as Ren had indicated, culminated in this moment.
Liu and Min watched silently from their beds, the tension so thick it felt almost tangible. Min's scales rippled in waves across his skin, reflecting his tamer's anxiety.
'Please,' Min clenched his fists. 'Please let it work.'
After seeing cores transform into eggs before their eyes, it was easier to believe in Ren's "impossible knowledge" now.
But this... seeing this happen before their eyes was a bit different.
Five hundred years of records stated the digger beetle had only one mediocre option.
"Come on," Ren smiled, his mushrooms pulsing with confidence. "It's still early, but I want to show you some things you can do before we go to Wei's class."
The beetle's markings on Taro's skin shone more intensely than ever. A hundred days of cultivation had strengthened the bond, but... would it be enough?
"What if...?" Taro swallowed, his fingers tightening around the crystal. "What if it doesn't work?"
"It will work," Ren maintained his smile, but his friends could see the slight concern in his eyes. "Your beast is ready. The crystals are perfectly processed. You just need to take the final step."
Min shifted restlessly on his bed. If it worked, if Ren was right... it would not only prove his "crazy" theories true but confirm that his own beast was now on a different path as well.
"Remember," Ren approached Taro, "when you feel the change begin, don't fight it. Let the energy flow naturally. Your beast knows what to do."
Taro nodded, though his hands continued to shake.
Liu remained silent but drummed his fingers, his gaze intense with anticipation.
"What if Wei is right?" he whispered. "What if it only evolves into a Great Digger like the books say?"
"I've told you a thousand times already, it will work," Ren maintained his smile, though he could feel Lin's evaluating gaze from her corner.
It hadn't been easy convincing her to stay and witness the cultivation instead of taking him to morning training.
"If this is a waste of time..." she had warned when Ren explained he'd attend Wei's class today, "tomorrow's exercises will be twice as intense."
"Trust me," Ren had responded. "Today Taro evolves."
Lin had only agreed to let Ren skip training with the explicit condition that there would actually be an evolution.
"If your friend doesn't evolve and this is another of your tricks," she had threatened, "you'll compensate for the lost training with interest."
"Wei can shove his books where the sun doesn't shine," Lin muttered, surprising everyone.
She blushed slightly when they stared at her. "What? That man needs someone to knock him off his pedestal again. And if my student says it will evolve differently..." she left the sentence hanging, but her message was clear.
The tension broke momentarily with nervous laughter.
"It's now or never," Ren pointed to the crystal and defense rune.
Taro looked at the materials one last time. A hundred days of hope, of trust in theories that defied everything established, converged in this moment.
"Here we go," he whispered, and began to absorb them.