As Lassim, Sirium, and Lustria made their way to the mission hall.
Arriving, the hall was a simple, rustic space with wooden beams overhead and worn stone walls that spoke of years of use. Almost similar to a cozy tavern in mood to where groups of students could gather and chat before and after their adventures.
Despite its humble appearance, the hall buzzed with activity. Rows of wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room, each one occupied by a student or group of students discussing their missions.
They couldn't help but appreciate the cozy charm of their surroundings. The walls, though plain, were adorned with faded banners and tapestries depicting scenes of adventure and exploration. The air was filled with the sound of eager voices and the occasional rustle of parchment as students perused mission scrolls and maps.
Approaching the front desk, they were greeted by a friendly clerk who welcomed them with a warm smile.
"Welcome to the mission hall," she said, her voice cheerful and inviting. "How can I help you today?"
"We're new students," Lassim explained, "and we're interested in learning more about the missions available and how we can earn academy points."
The clerk nodded, her smile widening. "Of course! We have a wide variety of missions available, ranging from simple tasks like gathering herbs or delivering messages to more challenging assignments like hunting down dangerous creatures or exploring uncharted territories."
She gestured towards a giant wooden notice board on the wall to the right of her, where a list of missions was displayed, each their own sheet of paper to be grabbed by any interested party and taken to the registration counter.
"Each mission is assigned a point value based on its difficulty and importance," she explained. "You can earn points by completing missions, and you can use those points to purchase items from the academy store or to participate in special events and activities."
Lassim and his friends nodded, their interest piqued. "Do you have any recommendations for new students?" Sirium asked, eager to get started.
The clerk smiled, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I would recommend starting with some of the simpler missions to get a feel for how things work," she suggested.
"There are plenty of opportunities to earn points, so don't be afraid to take on a variety of tasks and see what you enjoy."
They thanked the clerk for the information and left, letting the next person that queued up behind them in line move forward.
The trio browsed the board of missions, their eyes scanning the list of tasks and adventures. There were a variety of options, from simple errands to more challenging quests.
After spending a few minutes browsing, they huddled together, discussing their options and weighing the pros and cons of each mission.
"Maybe we should start with something easy," Sirium suggested, pointing to a mission that involved gathering herbs in the nearby forest. "It's not too far from here, and it shouldn't be too difficult."
Lassim nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the board for other options. "That sounds like a good idea," he said. "We can get a feel for how things work and earn some points in the process."
Lustria, however, had her eyes on a different mission. "What about this one?" she asked, pointing to a mission that involved exploring an abandoned mine. "It's a bit more challenging, but the rewards are higher."
"That could be a good mission later, but let's hold off on it for now. I still need to visit the library to use the token I received from Elder Tom. I get to pick any martial tome from the first floor and I still need to figure out how to adapt what I learned from my foundation in the [Fire Halberd] technique to be adjusted to both Lightning and Water elements." Lassim stated with a bit of frustration in his voice.
"Ah I think we all got one of those," Sirium interjected. "We can go there next after deciding on a mission."
"Well, how about this one?" Lassim stepped forward and took the mission scroll from the board, reading it aloud to his friends. "The mission is to gather wind grass," he said, "a magical plant that's similar to traditional grass but is blue in color and has unique properties. For every well-kept set of 10 stalks of wind grass we bring in, we'll earn 10 academy points. The mission is open-ended and will accept as much wind grass as we can gather. It's also got a deadline of one week. We can take some time to go to the library and practice for a few days before heading out to gather the herb."
Sirium and Lustria nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with excitement.
"Let's do it!" Sirium exclaimed, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
With their mission chosen, they made their way to the registration desk to sign up. The clerk behind the desk greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome, young warriors," she said. "I see you've chosen the herb gathering mission. It's a good choice for beginners. Just be careful out there. The wilderness outside of the city can be dangerous as there's no elders watching over like the forest on our academy's mountain."
"We'll be careful," Lassim assured her, his voice confident. "We're ready for the challenge."
The clerk nodded, handing them a map of the area where the wind grass was known to grow. "Good luck," she said. "And remember, safety first."
The library was a vast and imposing structure, its walls lined with towering bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and ink, and the sound of rustling pages filled the room as students and scholars alike pored over the countless tomes that lined the shelves.
As Lassim, Sirium, and Lustria entered, they were greeted by the sight of a sleepy elder sitting behind a desk, his eyes half-closed as he leafed through a thick volume. He looked up as they approached, his expression brightening when he saw their martial tome tokens in their hands.
"Ah, new students," he said, his voice gruff but friendly. "Welcome to the library. I'm Elder Thalos. What can I do for you?"
"We're here to study," Lassim explained, holding up their tokens. "We're on a mission to gather wind grass, and we thought it would be a good idea to not only do some research before we head out, but also use these tokens for some martial techniques."
Elder Thalos nodded, his eyes twinkling with interest. "Wind grass, eh? A fascinating plant, to be sure. Let me show you to the section on flora and fauna first."
He led them to a section of the library filled with books on plants and animals, pointing out several volumes that might be of interest. "These books should give you a good overview of wind grass and its properties," he said. "Take your time and read through them carefully. These general tomes are free for all students. When you're ready, you can head over in that direction for the martial techniques." The elder gently gesturing in a direction towards the inner bookshelves. There was a door glowing at the edges with a golden glow, perhaps a protection array of some sort for books to not get stolen or even perhaps keep a record of which books are checked out.
"Enjoy your time in the academy's library young warriors. Knowledge is power, after all." Elder Thalos winked and then sleepily walked back towards the front desk.
With a grateful nod, the trio settled in at a nearby table and began to study.
As they read, they couldn't help but be amazed by the wealth of information contained in the floral and fauna books. They learned about the history of wind grass, its uses in medicine and alchemy, and even some of the legends and myths surrounding the plant. Not only wind grass, but all kinds of special plants with their own medicinal uses, and even lists of beasts that had their own special properties that is useful for creating powerful potions and pills.
They learned about the incredibly healing properties of moonflower, a rare plant that only bloomed under the light of a full moon, and the potent venom of the night viper, a snake that could only be found in the darkest corners of the deepest forests on the Veridian continent, useful for poisoning beasts twice as strong as the viper's level when turned into a smoke bomb pill.
They read about the elusive firebloom, a flower that could only be found in the heart of a volcano, which could increase fire elemental user's store of fire elemental energy inside their bodies and the elusive ice lotus, a plant that only grew in the coldest regions of the world, which was useful in tempering the body to grow stronger and more healthy. They learned about the powerful effects of dragon's breath, a rare herb that could cure any ailment, and the deadly poison of the bloodthorn, a plant that could kill with a single touch.
As they read, they couldn't help but be amazed by the incredible diversity of the natural world. They marveled at the ingenuity of the ancient alchemists who had discovered the properties of these plants and creatures, and they felt a sense of awe at the power that could be harnessed from the natural world.
After several hours of intense study, they felt confident that they had a good understanding of wind grass and how to find it. With a sense of satisfaction, they closed their books and made their way towards the glowing door of the inner library where they might find a suitable martial technique.
Lassim was a bit worried that he wouldn't find anything useful, but he had hope that he could at least find something worthwhile.