The Support Ate it All

Since all the necessary items had been gathered, it was time to start using them one by one.

So, the next day, I made my way to the Mother Nature Club.

On one side of the Dragon Slayer Academy campus stood a large greenhouse, a space shared by clubs closely tied to plants and animals.

Naturally, the Mother Nature Club occupied a significant portion of it.

When I opened the greenhouse door and stepped inside, I saw students tending to plants or looking after mini-sized wild boars, bulls, and other creatures.

Club president Ha Soo-yeon was also there, walking among rows of flowerpots, watering them and infusing them with vibrant mana.

Sensing someone's presence, she looked my way, and I bowed my head immediately.

"Good afternoon, senior."

"It's been a while. I think this is the first time I've seen you here."

"Let's hear it, then."

Ha Soo-yeon readily made time for me.

Our first encounter hadn't been exactly pleasant, but after trading the Cube of Life, we managed to build a reasonably friendly rapport.

Before long, we sat across from each other at a simple table and bench in one corner of the greenhouse.

As she poured me a cup of herbal tea, Ha Soo-yeon opened the conversation.

"I hear about you from Na-ri every now and then. You've been doing quite well, I must say."

"Thank you for the kind words. Actually, I have something to ask of Park Na-ri as well."

"Now I'm even more curious what kind of favor this is."

Ha Soo-yeon smiled faintly. Her eyes seemed to be urging me to speak up.

I pulled a flowerpot out of my inventory.

It was the [Exotic Ceramic Flowerpot] I had won in the first auction.

The soil filling the flowerpot was embedded with a nutrient stick. Specifically, the [Vigorous Growth Nutrient] I'd also won during the first auction.

And right in the center, a tiny sprout was poking its head out.

As the head of the Mother Nature Club, Ha Soo-yeon recognized it at a glance.

"That's a [Sprout of Order], isn't it?"

"That's right."

An A-rank plant. The Sprout of Order.

A glint of interest appeared in Ha Soo-yeon's eyes.

"Now that I think about it, you were the one who won the herb selection ticket at yesterday's auction."

"I used it to get this. You've got a sharp eye."

"Well, one of our club members bid on it too. We were curious who ended up with it…and it turns out, it was you."

She chuckled in amusement, then turned her gaze back to the flowerpot and asked,

"So, I take it the favor is to take care of this until it blooms?"

"That's right."

Once it grows to a certain point, the [Sprout of Order] will bloom and become a powerful magical material.

In my case, it would be the final ingredient needed for the Crow Branch.

With the bonus effects from the flowerpot and the nutrient stick, there was a chance it could become A+ rank or even S-rank, though the latter was rare.

And by entrusting it to a professional, I could raise those odds further, which is exactly why I'd come to the Mother Nature Club instead of doing it myself.

Ha Soo-yeon asked another question.

"Are you planning to leave it with Na-ri?"

"I'd like to, if that's possible."

"She's inside. Go on in."

"Thank you very much."

After bowing deeply, I followed the direction she indicated and made my way deeper into the greenhouse.

Pushing past dense vegetation reminiscent of a jungle, I soon heard some familiar animal noises.

The mewing of a cat and chirps that sounded almost like a chick.

"Meow."

"Beep, beep beep—!"

"Hey, hey! Hold still—ouch, wait—just for a moment, ugh…"

And then, Park Na-ri's voice.

A little farther in, I found her. Sure enough, she was under siege by a mini tiger and a mini eagle.

Her body was covered in scratch and peck marks.

I had no intention of helping her. Just greeted her calmly.

"Hey."

"Ah, hey! H-Hey, you two! Stop it, stop! We have a guest!"

Startled by Park Na-ri's timid outburst, the mini beasts finally backed off.

Though, to my eyes, they looked like they were just waiting for the next chance to pounce.

Fortunately, their attention shifted to me, and they trotted over curiously.

"Meow."

"Beep, beep, beep."

The mini tiger came all the way to my feet, tapped my knee, and flopped down on its back.

Meanwhile, the mini eagle gently landed on my shoulder.

Pointing at the eagle, I asked Park Na-ri,

"This one came this semester, right?"

"Mhmm. It said it wanted to come."

"What's its name?"

"Chammy."

"Why Chammy?"

"Well… because… it's small… like a sparrow…?"

Her voice trailed off sheepishly.

So she named an eagle Chammy because it's sparrow-sized?

Shouldn't that make it Sparry or something?

Not that it really mattered either way.

What mattered was that her naming sense was clearly half-hearted.

Even the tiger and eagle seemed to pick up on my thoughts and showed their displeasure.

"Meowr."

"Beep, beep, beep!"

I was beginning to understand one reason for their aggression.

They were, after all, a tiger and an eagle. But their names were way too plain.

It was like naming a king or general something like "Stinky" or "Poopy".

Of course, it's not like I could just rename them now, so I let it slide and got to the point.

"I need a favor."

"A… favor?"

"Mhmm, I brought this."

I showed her the flowerpot with the [Sprout of Order] planted inside and repeated the explanation I had given to Ha Soo-yeon.

Park Na-ri seemed to understand most of it, but then a question appeared to cross her mind.

"But… why are you asking me instead of the club president…?"

Ha Soo-yeon who was a third-year club president had high-level skills and traits, not to mention plenty of experience raising all kinds of plants. She was clearly a more suitable choice. So she was wondering why I'd ask her instead.

I replied in a calm tone.

"It works better when you put it in the cube."

"Oh…!"

The effect of Park Na-ri's Life Cube was simple but powerful.

It increased the effect of any life-type item stored inside by 1.3 times.

That included the flowerpot, the nutrient solution, and of course, the sprout itself.

If it bloomed inside the cube, an S-rank result was practically guaranteed.

Realizing this, Park Na-ri slowly nodded.

"Then… I'll give it a try."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"No, um, we're…"

Her voice trailed off shyly.

Then, with a slightly nervous look, she spoke again….half asking, half stating.

"We're… friends… right?"

"Yeah, friends."

When I confirmed it, Park Na-ri visibly relaxed.

She must've been worried I'd respond coldly with something like, "Why would we be friends?"

But we've helped each other more than once, taken midterms and finals together. If that doesn't make us friends, what does?

I added one more thing.

"But still, if you ever need something, let me know. Friends help each other, don't they?"

"M-Mhmm. Thanks. When it blooms… I'll message you."

"Got it."

I didn't think it would take long.

With all the bonuses and the Life Cube's multiplier applied, it should be within a week at most.

Meanwhile, Bum was curled up at my feet, and Chammy was perched peacefully on my shoulder.

Sitting like this, it really felt like I'd become a beast tamer.

In a quiet voice, I called the two mini-beasts.

"Hey, guys."

"Meowr."

"Beep?"

Then I pointed my finger straight at Park Na-ri.

"Attack."

"Meooow—!"

"Beep beep—!"

The beasts lunged at their owner without a moment's hesitation.

***

After offering up Park Nari as food for the wild beasts,

My next destination was the Sculpture Club.

All the materials were finally ready here, too.

After walking for quite a while, I eventually found myself standing before a worn-out door.

I immediately reached out and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in."

A familiar voice came from inside.

No need to check; it was the head of the Sculpture Club.

As I had done before, I opened the door and bowed as I stepped in.

"Hello, senior."

"You again?"

Seemed like she remembered me, probably because visitors were so rare.

Unfortunately, the memory didn't seem to be a fond one.

Not that I felt the need to fix our relationship, so I got straight to the point.

"I'd like to make a sculpting request."

"And who said I'd accept it?"

The club president replied with a frown.

But even when I had requested that octopus sculpture, she'd initially refused only to accept in the end.

Something told me it'd play out the same way this time, so I pressed on.

"Let me just show you the materials first. Who knows? It might spark your creative spirit."

"Fine, whatever."

Just as expected. She wasn't going to kick me out outright.

I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out a large ingot.

Its color was a mysterious blend of black with a faint silver shimmer.

Its shine was subtle, not overly glossy.

[Stirling Black Mithril Ingot (A)]

A Black Mithril ingot drawn from a random box by the Bundle of Light.

It's an alloy made by melting down the Sterling Mithril Axe I got from the first part of the auction.

It wasn't anything particularly difficult or time-consuming, so even the Blacksmith Club handled it in no time.

I also used the B-rank material selection to exchange for a gem.

[Onyx (B)]

A chunk of obsidian with a black sheen.

The head of the Sculpture Club gazed at the two materials for a while, then asked with a hint of interest,

"Going for all-black?"

"If possible. If you have any other requirements, I'll try my best to meet them."

After all, when it comes to art, the artist's inspiration is just as important as the materials.

She thought for a moment before replying.

"No need to change the materials. All-black could work. But this time, there's a labor fee."

"Would skill proficiency not be enough?"

"Nope. Not happening."

She drew a clear line, firmly.

Well, even if it was a B-rank material, in terms of rarity it was far below Craketite, so it probably wouldn't help much with skill or trait leveling anyway.

I had expected this, so I pulled out the VIP crafting ticket I'd prepared in advance.

"I'll use this."

"……!"

The Sculpture club president froze and her eyes were locked onto the ticket.

I waited a while, but she stayed like that, so I gently asked her.

"Senior?"

"……Just surprised. It's my first time receiving a VIP ticket."

Honestly, who would even think to commission a sculpture?

Everyone's too busy trying to level up their specs.

There was no queue, so there was even less reason to waste a VIP ticket.

I felt the same. It was a precious item.

"So I'd like to add a condition."

"Of course you would. What is it?"

"I'll probably be asking for another commission later. Let's include the labor for that in this ticket as well."

"As long as it's not too much."

"It won't be anything excessive."

She nodded slightly.

"Alright. Anything else?"

"The deadline. Could you finish it within a week?"

"Should be doable. Depends on what you want made, though."

The more intricate the sculpture, the longer it naturally takes to carve.

Of course, I had no intention of making an unreasonable request.

What I wanted had already been decided when I gathered the materials.

Since it was going to be all-black anyway—

"I think a crow would be good."