Chapter 82 Magic Box University

Upon stepping inside the guild building, David, feeling hungry, made haste for the nearest table with an assortment of mouth-watering fruits. As he relished the sweet flavors, he looked at Suzuka and Larry approaching the reception desk, their clothes and armor soiled and reeking of sweat and blood. They had just completed an exhausting quest, slaying over a hundred Zimmers.

From a distance, Lisanna spotted them and happily waved at them. Despite their messy appearance, she eagerly welcomed them with open arms, "Welcome back, I see you two had some serious fight, I hope you two are alright and well."

Suzuka and Larry rushed to turn in their kill proofs, eager to complete their quest and take a much-needed bath, "Yeah! Helen and I are fine, but David had it rough. The quest was a nightmare, as you probably can see. If not for Helen, we could have died in that mine, it was insane. Frankly speaking, Helen did most of the killing. But hey! Laughing Larry is still in business! Altho no time for pleasantries or small talk, my apologies, Lisanna. But I am in dire need of refreshment, so here are the kill proofs."

 Lisanna worked at a lightning-fast pace and completed all the documents in record time. With an enthusiastic smile, she rewarded Suzuka for her successful quest and then dropped incredible news. "Helen, I can hardly believe it! You've managed to slay over 100 Zimmers and a fearsome Skull Knight, all while holding rookie rank one. It's truly remarkable that you're able to take down a 3-star threat-level monster with ease! This is an incredible achievement and earns you two new titles for killing 50 and 100 Zimmers, 'Back to the Grave' and 'Zimmer'. I must congratulate you on this phenomenal accomplishment! Just one more quest and you'll be eligible to apply for rank advancement. Keep up the amazing work!"

Lisanna turn to Larry and said, "Here are your reward, Larry. Don't spend it on that loser David's healing bills. You should just stop helping him already, he is dragging you down. He will get you killed someday, I bet he screwed up on this quest too, didn't he?"   

Suzuka replied with a smile, "Thanks for the compliment Lisanna and yeah, David screw up twice on that quest. We came out empty-handed." Suzuka leaned closer to Lisanna and whispered, "We had our hands on a Rock Golem mana core, but David screw up and reactivated it. I'm just wondering, how much mana core could have sold for?"

Larry said without hesitation or thinking about it, "It cost 20 gold coins, The Rock Golem mana core starts from 20 gold coins." 

Lisanna agrees with Larry, "Yes, that is correct. On today's market prices, the lowest is 20 gold coins in any market at the moment."

Suzuka was shocked to hear that, "What? 20 gold coins? Larry, I'm angry. If David wasn't involved we could have split that gold. His mistakes cost us 20... gold... coins. I'm gonna kill that prick."

Larry steps in front of Suzuka, "Now, now... let's calm down. Relax, please. I understand your anger. Yes, 20 gold coins is a lot, but I'm not doing this for the big coin," Larry extended his hand toward Suzuka, handing her his reward money, "Here, take my share, I know it's not much but please, don't hurt David, okay?"

Suzuka pushed his hand, "Larry, I don't need your reward. I'm not mad with you, I'm mad with David, at least let me strangle him for a minute. Although, he might like it, that little creep."  

Larry insisted, "Please, he is already in a dark place, don't push him over the edge."

Lisanna was quietly chanting in the background to Suzuka, "Do it, do it, do it..."

"Okay Larry, you win. But next time, let's not take David on a quest with us. Anyway, I have to go, bye everyone." She gave a wave and walked out of the guild. 

Suzuka made her way along the winding cobblestone streets of the rackety town, she needs to visit Walter, the blacksmith. As she walked, she took in the sights and sounds of the town, the vendors calling out to potential customers, and the cheers of the market.

After a brief journey, Suzuka arrived at Walter's workshop, a sturdy and unassuming building that was filled with the sound of clanging metal. She stepped inside and was met with the sight of Walter himself, his muscles bulging as he expertly wielded his hammer. She approached him, "Hey! Walter!" She shouted to attract his attention from his work, "I came for the sword!"

Walter put his hammer down and approached the table, he picked up the sword and handed it to her, "Here you go, good as new. I have to say, not a bad sword, if you don't do anything crazy, it will serve you right." 

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I found a greatsword on my most recent quest, it shattered into pieces after I used my box power to strengthen the attack. I was fighting golem, the blade just crumbled after contact with the rock."

Walter let out a laugh and said, "Oh no, no... You need a great axe or great hammer to fight golems or better yet great axe hammer. You don't go against a rock with a sharp object, you need blunt force."

"Yes, yes, I know. There was nothing else on the hand at the moment. In the heat of the moment, it looked like a good idea. But yeah, thanks for the restoration. I will go now, need a bath and also need to wash the armor somehow."

"I'm sorry but I am not doing the cleaning services, there is a clothes cleaning shop nearby. You can bring it there." But he wasn't just letting her leave without ripping some money off her, "By the way, I noticed you are fighting with your bare hands. The sword handle might be comfortable but it will rough up your beautiful hands. And we dont want that, now do we? So happens, I have a deal for you."

Suzuka had a quick thought, "Ah shit, here we go again." She then proceeded with a question, "What is it, Walter? What's the deal?"

"I have in mind a pair of battle gloves, you look like someone who would fight close and personal. The palm side would be soft and flexible, the knuckle side would be armored. You could parry attacks, you could punch someone, that would hurt them badly. Better yet, you said you use your magic power to enforce the sword, right? Imagine this, a punch! A gravity punch! Sounds cool! Eh!"

"Yeah, that does sound good. It would fit my fighting style." She couldn't lie, that sounded just what she needed. 

"Right? Now, a simple glow wouldn't cut it here. You would need the finest 'Compressor Leather' for the base shape. The inside of the glove is layered with an elastic slime solution for any vibration or shock absorption, that way you will be able to punch as hard as you like and your fist will be fine. The armored part could be made out of the finest steel."

"Okay, okay, how much? I want it but just you know, I don't have money and it sounds like it's gonna be expensive."

Walter was pretending to think for a second for a dramatic purpose, trying to act like he was making a hard decision, "Hmmm, no money, eh? Hmmm... yeah, they are a bit on the expensive side. Usually, such a custom-made piece of gear would be close to 2 gold coins."

He continues to put up the show, acting like he is making a hard decision, "Hmmm... well, adding all discounts and considering that you're a well-paying customer and if you pay the full amount in silver... I could lower it to, hmmm... 60 silver coins."

"Sorry, too steep for me at the moment, I know it's a great deal, but just have no money to spare."

"Oh, yes. Forgot to mention, the inside of the gloves is self-cleaning, and the slime solution acts as a cleaning agent. Sweating palms? No problem! Rainy day? Do gloves slip? No problem! Got dirty? Just throw in water, rinse and the slime agent will disperse the water. So, the best offer I can give is... 50 silver. And they are stylish too, will fit nicely to your current armor."

"Okay, Walter. I will buy them for 50 silver. When will you make them?"

Walter liked to take risks, he already had them made that's how much he was confident in his bargaining skill, "Oh, don't worry, I have them right here." 

He handed Suzuka the pair of battle gloves, they were a sight to behold a true craft of a master. Gloves were worth every penny and more, and Suzuka was happy with her purchase.

"They feel and look great, thanks. But, I have to go now. Bye." With her purchase, she left Walters's shop in haste before he started to sweet-talk her into buying more. Walter was grinning satisfied with another successful sale. Thinking about the next deal to offer for more money to wiggle.     

Satisfied with her meeting with the blacksmith, Suzuka turned her steps back towards the Mystic Oasis Inn, where she was staying. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden light over the town, and the air was fragrant with the scent of flowers. 

After a long day of adventuring, Suzuka made her way back to the cozy inn she was staying at. She was tired, a soak in the hot springs was just what she needed to rejuvenate her body and mind. As she eased into the steaming water, the tension dissipate, and she felt herself relaxing into the serene environment.

Once she had finished her soak, Suzuka dried herself off and put on her regular clothes. She felt more comfortable now. However, she knew that her armor needed to be cleaned. She picked it up and made her way to the cleaning place in the town. There, she handed it over to the skilled craftsmen who specialized in cleaning armor.

Suzuka had to pay a hefty sum of 5 silver coins per cleaning service for her clothes, which would take a toll on her finances. However, the cleaning service offered her a monthly plan for just 10 silver coins, which allowed her to bring in her clothes for cleaning every day without any additional costs. 

Suzuka was pleasantly surprised by the deal, as it not only saved her money but also gave her the flexibility to have her clothes cleaned whenever she wanted. Impressed by the offer, Suzuka decided to take it up, her funds now are a total of 46 silver coins. 

After the cleaning guy advised her to return the following day, Suzuka left the premises. She made her way back to the cozy inn she had been staying at.

As the sun rose the next morning, Suzuka woke up with renewed vigor and decided to pay another visit to the guild. Upon entering the building, she immediately sought out Lisanna, hoping to learn more about the upcoming semester of Magic Box University and how she could enroll in the program.

Suzuka approached Lisanna and greeted her warmly. After exchanging pleasantries, Suzuka inquired about the start date of the magic box university and expressed her desire to participate, "I was wondering when will Magic Box University semester starts, Dr. Jenkins said that I can join for free if I was interested. I was thinking about joining, to spend some time betvene my quests."

"Oh, the new semester starts at the end of this month, you still have 2 weeks,"

Lisanna kindly explained to Suzuka the process of joining the prestigious Magic Box University, detailing the various requirements and documents needed. Impressed by the opportunity to improve her magical abilities and expand her knowledge, Suzuka eagerly agreed and expressed her gratitude to Lisanna for her help.

Without wasting any time, Lisanna assisted Suzuka in completing the necessary registration forms and submitting them on her behalf. After ensuring that all the formalities were in order, Lisanna successfully registered Suzuka for a six-month learning course at the university. With her enrollment secured, Suzuka felt a sense of excitement and anticipation as she looked forward to embarking on a new chapter of her magical journey.

After their productive conversation, Suzuka bid farewell to Lisanna and stepped out into the street. Although there were no quests available for her at the moment, Suzuka was content with her decision to prioritize her education and personal growth. She knew that the skills and knowledge she would gain at the university would serve her well in her future endeavors.