The classroom was circular, with seats arranged in ascending levels.
Ren found himself in the same group as the tiger boy Jin and his friends, who shot threatening glances at him from a distance.
Fortunately, Taro, one of his roommates, was also there...
Though he had arrived late and sat on the other side of the classroom, as there was no other place.
Luna was there too, her Shadow Wolf scarcely visible as an ethereal silhouette beside her.
"In this, your first semester," announced Professor Wei, a robust man with a Silver rank 2 Manticore manifesting in silver patterns across his hair, "student groups are random. Afterward, you'll be reorganized according to your performance, so pay attention if you don't want to lose your place here... I'll begin the class."
He turned around, opening his wings to impress.
Ren observed the patterns on the professor's hair, wings and skin.
The Common Manticore had been cultivated with daylight but not all midday daylight as it should be
There were some details suggesting other wrongly used techniques...
First of all, the manticores did not have great potential; it was not even one of the best variants of a Bronce-rank Panthera Principialis from the Iron-rank Caracal's evolutionary line.
Oblivious to Ren's thoughts, Wei began drawing a diagram on the board.
"The basic principles of cultivation have been studied for hundreds of years," Professor Wei explained. "Every successful method follows three fundamental phases and has a proven maximum duration."
He drew three circles on the board.
"It's all about mana absorption. The beast must receive energy appropriate to its nature."
He touched the first circle, "first, the energy in the crystal needs processing, which decides how that energy is transformed so the mana is suitable."
He touched the second circle, "then, fixation, how that crystal's power is stabilized and made permanent."
He touched the third and last one, "and finally, you can proceed with the absorption."
Wei made a significant pause.
"Yet, there is something crucial you must understand before investing those crystals: no effective cultivation method lasts more than six months. This is a fact proven through countless studies..."
"...The most common methods last 150 days, and although some charlatans propose longer processes, the evidence is clear, after six months, any cultivation attempt becomes inefficient or downright useless. So, after 180 days..."
"Stop wasting crystals!"
Ren shifted uneasily in his seat. He knew why this perception was also wrong, all methods without exception were easily doable in just 100 days, but...
"Luna Starweaver," Wei pointed. "Could you explain how these phases apply in practice?"
"In practice," Luna stood, her shadow still moved like it had its own life, "first we must obtain the rank appropriate mana crystals. These are processed based on the target beast, in the case of shadow beasts like mine, under moonlight. Then they're sealed with specific techniques before the beast can absorb them."
"Correct," Wei nodded. "The type of crystal, the processing method, in your case moonlight, and the sealing determine the final effectiveness when the beast absorbs it and lead it to the correct path of its highest potential."
"Excuse me, professor," Ren couldn't contain himself anymore. "But your knowledge is not entirely accurate. First, about crystal processing for dark mana beasts..."
Silence fell like a slab. Even the tiger boy seemed to forget his hostility, too surprised by the 'Rotting Boy's' audacity.
"Oh?" Wei turned slowly and looked at him with evident annoyance. "The famous new student with the spore has something to contribute about cultivation? Enlighten us!"
Laughter and giggles.
"Mana crystals must be processed differently than broad cases like 'moonlight', they need to be more specific. For example, Luna's wolf crystals shouldn't just be exposed to "moonlight at night", but on a night with 7 differently colored moons..."
Ren was so lost in the joy of sharing knowledge that he didn't notice the egos he would bump.
"...Another example would be your Common Manticore, which could have benefited from not using half of your crystals processed under the first light of dawn, all of them needed to be from midday, it would have reached its full potential as a Silver 3 Greater Manticore instead of..."
"Enough," Wei cut him off. "I see we have another 'expert' who thinks he knows more than generations of research. Young man, I studied for twenty years before cultivating this manticore. We only reached Silver rank 2 after buying and following secret expensive methods proven by generations. To suggest that..."
Wei straightened, his silver patterns glowing with irritation.
"Five points less for the student... what's your name?"
"Ren Patinder, sir."
More laughter.
"Not that it matters much," Wei smiled maliciously. "I doubt a spore will obtain many resources from the Academy anyway."
"But the knowledge..."
"Enough," Wei cut him off again. "I understand some students try to compensate for their... limitations with extravagant theories. But in this class, we'll stick to proven methods..."
"Our texts have been proven by many generations," Wei frowned. "To suggest they're wrong based on... what exactly? Readings in a story?"
Laughter still filled the classroom. The tiger boy and his friends practically glowed with satisfaction.
Luna and her circle of 'friends', however, watched the scene silently but with intense interest. Neither did Taro, maybe empathic as his roommate.
Ren clenched his fists under his desk. Not only had he lost points he didn't even have yet, it seemed like he could also lose the opportunity to gain the support he so desperately needed.
Reaching 100 points in this class by the end of the semester would now be a bit more difficult.
'I need a way to prove I'm right,' he thought while the mushrooms in his hair pulsed softly. 'Something irrefutable, something not even Professor Wei can deny.'
The answer had to be somewhere. And he had to find it before his opportunity to be recognised by his knowledge and to obtain resources quickly vanished completely.
Ren sank into his seat...
But he hadn't expected wrong knowledge to be so deeply rooted. How could he prove he was right when everything they knew contradicted the truth?
"Let's continue," Wei returned to the board. "As I was saying, basic cultivation follows simple rules..."
This was going to be harder than Ren thought.
The rest of the class was torture. Every time Wei asked a question, he deliberately ignored Ren's raised hand. When he finally did call on him, it was only to say:
"See, this is how you answer, with established facts, not absurd theories."
♢♢♢♢
"As we saw in those historical records," Wei continued, pointing to Taro, "the Digger Beetle is a classic example of a beast with mediocre natural limits. None has surpassed Bronze rank as a tamed beast in the more than 500 years we have of its species documentation."
Ren saw how Taro's shoulders slumped. His roommate had a ton of books, he seemed to have been studying cultivation methods at home, hoping to find some exception in the last week.
He had thought about telling him some of his knowledge but decided to wait until he knew him a bit better.
However, now...
Ren straightened in his seat. This was his opportunity.