"I see..." Hoshimi, who knew nothing about the mystery, could only nod his head in vague understanding.
He didn't know much about spiritual energy, but he did understand that the cup's 5 million yen value wouldn't last ten days.
Five million yen in ten days... an average of five hundred thousand yen a day, and this was just at the entry level. It seemed that cultivation was far more expensive than he had imagined.
"Hoshimi, actually I didn't want you to practice at first. Do you know why?"
Hoshimi raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Kotoko explained calmly: "First, cultivation is a money pit. In the modern world, where spiritual energy is almost gone, cultivation equals burning money. In ancient times, various cultivation sects could absorb spiritual energy from nature. However, in the modern environment, that's no longer possible, so you have to rely on items filled with spiritual energy."
"These items are very costly. Take the cup you just used, for example. It costs five million yen but can only support your entry-level cultivation for less than ten days. To truly enter cultivation, it would take at least two or three years, assuming you use spiritual tools like the cup continuously."
"If you don't use tools and just tough it out on your own, it would take anywhere from twenty to thirty years or maybe even a lifetime to get started."
"And once you do make it past the entry level, a cup like that would probably only last you half a day. Then, in the higher stages, the daily expenses will become astronomical."
While listening to Kotoko, Hoshimi mentally did the math. Two to three years of using the cup as a tool daily would mean 1,270 days and 127 cups, amounting to 635 million yen—about 6 million USD.
Just to get started would require 6 million dollars? And after that, the expenses would only keep rising.
After the entry level, one cup would last only half a day. So, a day would cost 10 million yen, about $100,000. Cultivating for a year would cost... $36.5 million. And it might take at least ten years to advance to the next stage...
"..." Hoshimi was speechless. Cultivation truly seemed like a path only the wealthy could afford, which made sense considering the ancient saying about the "four essentials of cultivation: money, partner, method, and place." It was no wonder that "money" came first.
Having done his mental math, Hoshimi set aside his thoughts and continued listening to Kotoko's explanation.
"Second, mysteries things attract each other. If you cultivate, it may draw unusual beings toward you, which is not a good thing. If your dreamscape ability becomes known, it could cause trouble."
"Third, from my perspective, I am the 'Goddess of Wisdom' who maintains the balance between humans and yokai. It's not my place to provide humans with a feasible cultivation method. If something goes wrong..."
Kotoko paused and continued solemnly, "My reputation, the reputation of the 'Goddess of Wisdom,' will be affected. It might lead to situations I don't want to see when resolving disputes between humans and yokai in the future."
Kotoko didn't elaborate on what kind of situation she meant, but anyone with a normal mind could understand the seriousness of it.
It was like a judge in court being caught in a bribery scandal. In such a case, would anyone trust the judge's fairness?
"So, Hoshimi..." Kotoko looked up at Hoshimi, her tone serious. "You absolutely must not casually act against the yokai."
"Yeah, I understand." Hoshimi nodded calmly.
Knowing Hoshimi's temperament, Kotoko relaxed. She clung to his arm, her voice soft and gentle as she continued, "Okay, now that I've explained why I didn't want you to cultivate, let me tell you why I agreed to it."
"First, you don't have to worry about the money for cultivation. I'm the 'Goddess of Wisdom,' so I can find items rich in spiritual energy for you. At the very least, I can ensure that you reach the threshold of the 'Strong' level."
Hoshimi's expression turned subtle. Although he didn't know where the 'Strong' level stood in the entire cultivation hierarchy, judging from the word itself, it was probably not simple. And Kotoko had just promised to provide all the resources needed to reach that stage...
What could he say? Among the "four essentials of cultivation," a partner was indeed second only to money. Not marrying Kotoko and having a few daughters with her would feel like a waste of her dedication.
While contemplating how many daughters they should have, Hoshimi continued listening to Kotoko's explanation.
"Second, your dreamscape is a ticking time bomb that might be exposed anytime. Given that, it's better to prepare early. With strength, you can protect yourself better."
"Third, I'm curious about what might happen if you start cultivating."
Kotoko looked up at Hoshimi, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"Heh." Hoshimi chuckled and raised his other hand to rub Kotoko's head. "Don't worry; if anything changes, I'll tell you right away. You're the only person I can turn to when it comes to the mysteries."
"Hmph~" Kotoko proudly puffed out her chest. "That's more like it~"
While they were talking, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Not far ahead, Kotoko's cool and charismatic driver stood by a tree, waiting.
Seeing Kotoko appear, the driver immediately stood up straight and respectfully approached her.
"Miss." The driver bowed to Kotoko.
"Mm~" Kotoko nodded slightly in response.
Kotoko then turned to Hoshimi and asked, "Hoshimi, where are you planning to go next? Home? Or...?"
Hoshimi: "I'm planning to go to the city library."
"The library? What are you going to do there?" Kotoko looked at him curiously.
"Increasing my knowledge storage." Hoshimi tapped his temple.
Kotoko blinked, realizing what he meant. Hoshimi was likely trying to add more books to his dream library. So, was this his idea or that honor student Yukinoshita's?
Kotoko's eyes curved with amusement. She wrapped her arms around Hoshimi's and said sweetly, "Hoshimi~ I want to go too~ I want to read books too~"
"Sure, no problem, but..." Hoshimi gestured at their dust-covered clothes. "Let's each go home first and change, then meet up at the library."
Kotoko: "Right~ Let's go then. We'll take my car; I'll drop you off."
Hoshimi made an "OK~" gesture.
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