Lunch started quietly, my body still aching. I found myself thinking about the training that I had just received, but in the back of my mind something else lingered. Kayla's previous words about me joining an academy kept resurfacing. The information that I had gained from Matt also started to seep into my mind: academies... Places where people go to learn and grow stronger. From what I've heard, they are amazing, but even so, I don't know what they truly are and what it's like to attend one. Other than helping people develop, I'm not sure what else they offer.
I took a bite of the toast that I had made, my eyes looking up at the commander who sat across from me, him being mid-bite as well. Swallowing, I wiped my face with a napkin before opening my mouth.
"Um, sir- I mean Roderic, do you know anything about academies?" I asked.
He coughed slightly when he heard the question. Grabbing his cup, he quickly took a sip of water before swallowing the chunk of bread that was lodged in his mouth. Looking at me, he answered.
"Quite a bit, actually. Why?"
"Well... I was thinking about maybe attending one?" I responded.
"Is that so?" He took another bite. "You know it is awfully difficult to get in, and very expensive."
"I know, most academies are for nobles," I said while sipping on my water. "But I still can try, right? It's not impossible?"
"Ha! It's definitely not impossible. How do you think Liora and I met?" He chuckled.
"Wait... You two went to the same academy?" My hand holding another piece of bread froze. "How'd I not know this!?" I yelled.
"Well, I don't go around telling people about it, and Liora is too embarrassed to tell the story."
"What story?"
"I won't go into detail, but let's say Liora and I were more than just friends."
"What does that mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.
Seeing the genuine confusion on my face, he answered:
"We were together, Luna," he said awkwardly
"What does together mean?"
"I'll... I'll tell you later. Sometimes I can't tell if you've lost your memory or if you were born a month ago," he said while sighing.
"Okay... so what academy did you go to? I asked.
"The academy that I went to is in Valerion, and it was called The Royal Crownspire Academy of Arcana and Arms, or as most people call it, Crownspire Academy."
"It's in the capital!? What was it like?"
"Well, it's one of the most prestigious academies in Elarion, so you could say it was... excessive. Gold lined the halls, art hung across every wall, sculptures and statues were around every corner." I nodded quickly as he spoke. "It was massive, the size of a few dozen Lumere's, maybe even more."
"It's that big..." I muttered aloud.
"Yes, the grounds consist of the main academy itself with the library, dormitories, training facilities, and lecture halls." He sighed. "They also have multiple common spaces that allow for socializing when you aren't busy with your classwork and training."
He coughed slightly before continuing. "The campus also has its very own forest and lake." He continued. "
On top of that, it has artificial environments like a marsh, an open wildland, a scorching desert, a frost region modelled after the Frostreach, a volcanic zone built to represent the ashen expanse, and a monstrous mountain range. They use these for drills to simulate different environments."
My mind pondered how a single academy could be so large, but even with its size, how could it contain all the different biomes? "How can the Crownspire Academy have multiple environments?"
"Good question. Other than the forest and lake, the rest of the environments are all constructed environments."
"Constructed?"
"It means created; multiple powerful mages spent years creating them. When I was there, we called them artificial environments because after their creation, massive ancient arrays of runes were built to maintain each of them," he explained.
At this point, I had stopped eating and was listening, my last piece of toast growing cold on my plate.
"The academy has been around since the beginning of the Kingdom of Elarion, thousands of years ago," he said, taking another sip of water. "These environments have existed for so long that dungeons have even formed within them."
"Dungeons?" I questioned.
He grumbled. "Dungeons... dungeons are enclosed territories that contain monsters, traps, and treasure. Each one has its own unique layout, look, valuable treasures, deadly traps, and even monsters."
He set his cup down onto the table.
"As long as the dungeon's core isn't destroyed, it will continue operating, producing monsters and treasures on its own."
"What kind of monsters are in these dungeons?" I asked.
"It can vary. Newer dungeons might only have a single floor filled with basic slimes."
He tapped his foot suddenly.
"Older dungeons, though... those can contain true monsters and stretch hundreds of floors deep, but all dungeons have a rule: the highest floors have the weakest monsters, and when you go deeper, the stronger they get."
True monsters? Images of the massive flying demons appeared in my mind.
"Could a dungeon create a demon?"
His foot stopped tapping.
"No... From what I know, dungeons can only imitate demons, not create true ones." His eyes drifted toward the sword hanging on the wall. "But I suppose it might be possible."
I tilted my head.
"When I attended Crownspire, I heard about a dungeon that contained nothing but trolls. Then, one day, an ogre wandered inside and was killed. Within a week, the dungeon had formed a new floor populated by both ogres and trolls."
"S-So if a demon were to die within a dungeon...?"
"Maybe, I'm not sure."
My chest tightened as I gripped the side of my chair, my knuckles turning white. Even the possibility of a dungeon capable of creating demons terrified me.
I breathed deeply before continuing. "What are the most dangerous dungeon monsters you have encountered?"
"I haven't encountered them, but there were multiple dungeons within Crownspire Academy that had restricted floors."
"Restricted?" I probed.
"I'll give you some examples. To start, there was a dungeon within the frost environment; the deepest floor we were allowed to go to was floor 70, because after that, frost giants began to appear," He shivered slightly. "There was a rumour that the dungeon had recently sprouted its hundredth floor, with a boss monster—an infant ice dragon..."
"Ice dragon..." I mumbled.
"Yes. A dragon—one of the deadliest kinds of monsters to exist."
"Another dungeon, one within the wildlands, was restricted beyond the thirtieth floor. Since that floor contained a lich—an undead monster capable of summoning weaker undead to serve it."
I looked at him, intrigued, leaning forward slightly.
"Actually, that dungeon had a unique set of rules: the maximum number of people that could enter at once was ten, and you could only enter at night; the entrance was sealed during the day."
"What would happen if an eleventh person tried to enter, or if you tried to go in during the day?" I asked.
"You'd be stopped at the entrance by some barrier. People have tried to break them, but even archmages have failed," he said. "And with only 10 people, if they weren't all of an elite calibre, then facing an army of undead was nearly a death sentence."
Finishing his glass of water, he stood up.
"Dungeons are one of the most intriguing things in Clara Astrum; people dedicate their entire lives to studying them."
I watched as he walked over to the sink and filled his cup with water that I got from the stream.
"Do you know how dungeons grow?"
"Not exactly. One theory is that dungeons slowly gather essence from creatures simply being inside them. But when something dies within a dungeon, it receives far more."
He sighed, taking another sip.
"Doesn't matter what dies either. A dungeon monster, a wild creature, a human... once something dies inside, its remains are eventually converted into essence and absorbed by the dungeon."
"What's essence?" I asked, raising my eyebrows slightly.
He laughed. "That's something you'll have to ask Liora; she actually took dungeon study as an elective. I did not."
"I see, alright, I have one last question about dungeons for now!"
"Yes?"
"Aren't dungeons just the best way to level up?" I questioned before continuing. "Since they keep creating new monsters, and their floors are filled with the monsters. It has to be much quicker than hunting, right?"
"Ha! You're right, but also wrong. Dungeon monsters are infinite, and there are plenty of them, but there's a catch."
"Which is?"
"Dungeon-created monsters only give one-fifth the EXP that a wild monster of the same level would."
He paused for a moment, stroking his chin.
What I can remember is that it has something to do with dungeon monsters only having a fraction of the essence that a normal monster would, around twenty percent."
One fifth!?" I shouted.
That would be only one EXP for a level one monster, two for a level two... four for a level three. And so on.
I wonder if that applies to my blood absorption too?
"Yep, but still I do believe that it is much quicker if you have a strong party and can venture into the deeper floors, because out in the wild you won't be able to find the monsters dungeons have," he said, while putting his cup down.
He cracked his back before continuing.
"Plus, if you're quick enough, you can still harvest the valuable parts of dungeon monsters, and any treasure you find is a nice bonus too." He smiled. "Those were the good old days..."
He sighed while looking at me.
"Is there anything else you want to know about Crownspire Academy?" he asked.
I thought for a moment before responding.
"Yes, one more thing."
"Yes?" he responded.
"How can I apply?"
He hummed for a second before responding.
"First, you send in an application detailing your level, skills, abilities, and anything else that might make you stand out. Alongside that letter, you can have recommendation letters from influential people willing to back you."
He pointed at himself.
"I could write you one; same with Liora- we are graduates after all."
I smiled at him as he said that. My chest felt warm and fuzzy.
"If you don't mind, I would appreciate that!" I said. "Is there anything else I need?"
"Yes, you need to inform them that you need to be tested for a magical affinity; they have the capabilities to do that there," he said.
"I understand, thank you."
He stood up and placed his plate in the sink. My eyes followed his movements without me even realizing it.
"I said I could recommend you, not that I would. The evaluation is six months from now, and applications are due in three. You'll have to earn my recommendation, and I expect Liora will make you earn hers as well."
My eyes widened as he spoke, the warm feeling in my chest suddenly turning cold. "Why? What do I have to do?"
"You have three months to impress me and get strong enough to perform well at Crownspire Academy. I will not spend my money and ship you off there only to have you be unprepared and sent back."
My fists clenched, my pearl white hair falling over my eyes.
"I-I swear I won't disappoint you."
"I know you won't... Don't worry, I've seen how hard you work. If you keep it up, I bet you'll have a real chance to get in."
He sighed. "But I have to warn you, if you do get in, it won't be easy. You have no influential family backing you. Liora belongs to a minor noble house, and while I'm well known, I don't have a noble title. At Crownspire, that matters."
I bit my lip, drawing a small amount of blood. I thought of my siblings.
"You'll be surrounded by nobles who have been taught their entire lives that they're above those of lower status. Some of them will look down on you, and some may even target you because of it."
"I know."
My fists tightened beneath the table.
"But it doesn't matter."
I looked at him, my crimson eyes locked with his.
"I will get in."