Chapter 565 Task Master by Interest (6k)
Tasks in the Saint Maryann Academy’s clubs are generally divided into two types.
One is the official tasks released by the academy.
The other type consists of unofficial tasks released by students, professors, staff members, and even merchants from Traveler’s Street.
Typically, official tasks have guiding educational purposes and offer generous credit rewards, but they usually come with strict conditions and limited availability.
On the contrary, unofficial tasks may be more conservative in terms of credit rewards, but they often have more relaxed restrictions and varying difficulty levels, allowing for free selection.
Club tasks refresh automatically every morning at six o’clock and at noon, and can be viewed using the “Club Card.”
If one wishes to post a task, they can apply at the Students’ Union task window.
Additionally, even students not affiliated with any club can take on tasks under their personal names, though they won’t earn equivalent task points along with the credit rewards.
Within the academy, an extensive task system has been established.
The Students’ Union has always functioned as the Adventurer’s Guild.
Every student permitted to enter the dungeon is considered an adventurer within this guild.
In about two weeks, Dark and others will integrate into this vast network.
…
Dark unfolds his “Club Card,” switching to the “Club Tasks” page, first having the “Mana Book” scan all the tasks before displaying them in front of the club members and golems.
He then carefully examines the “Club Card” himself.
Official tasks, due to their instructional nature, are usually the top choice for students. Only when no suitable official tasks are found do students turn to unofficial tasks.
The most common restriction for official tasks… is grade level!
To accommodate new club members, the academy typically releases some exclusive second-year tasks during the first two months of school for their selection.
Among these, the most common are material collection tasks that can be completed in the first few layers of the dungeon.
Though not labeled, these tasks are often referred to as “rookie tasks” by upperclassmen.
Within these “rookie tasks,” there are two particularly unique missions:
Task Name: Safety First
Task Description: Enter the dungeon and use the (Mana Collector) to gather a certain amount of mana from the mana markers at the entrances from the first to the tenth layer, then craft a special mana card — (Dungeon Storage Box I).
Task Restriction: Second Year
Task Reward: Dungeon Escape Device x1
Task Name: Gateway to Advancement
Task Description: Press forward bravely and defeat the floor boss on the tenth layer.
Task Restriction: Second Year
Task Reward: Gate Key (11) x1
When Dark found these two tasks, Catalya and Broni were already explaining the details of these tasks to Diana and Rose.
Catalya placed the “Mana Book” on her lap, pointing to the task name and saying, “These two tasks are fixed tasks released annually in September and October. Starting with the first task, ‘Safety First,’ the condition for completing it is crafting a ‘Dungeon Storage Box I,’ which grants a ‘Dungeon Escape Device’ as a reward. For newcomers entering the dungeon, these items are essential.”
Diana swallowed her chewed candy, curious, “We know what a ‘Dungeon Escape Device’ is, but what is this ‘Dungeon Storage Box I’?”
Catalya explained, “‘Dungeon Storage Box’ is a special card developed by the professors in recent years, effective only within the dungeons of Saint Maryann Academy. The core material of the ‘Dungeon Storage Box’ is gathered from the mana markers in the safe zones.”
“The mana gathered from the markers at the entrances from the first to the tenth layer can be used to craft a Level One ‘Dungeon Storage Box,’ which can summon a cubic storage box with a capacity of one cubic meter. The mana gathered from the markers at the entrances from the eleventh to the twentieth layer can be used to craft a Level Two ‘Dungeon Storage Box,’ which can summon a cubic storage box with a capacity of eight cubic meters, and so forth.”
“Furthermore, only one ‘Dungeon Storage Box’ of identical properties can be activated.”
“Therefore, each student needs to craft only one ‘Dungeon Storage Box.’”
“Cards involving spatial changes like this are extremely rare; under normal circumstances, they are beyond our reach. However, the ‘Dungeon Storage Box’ created by the professors relies on the special power of the dungeon, effectively taking a shortcut. We can view it as a key to opening space, with the actual storage space rooted within the dungeon.”
“However, having a ‘Dungeon Storage Box’ can greatly enhance our exploration efficiency.”
…
As Catalya explained, Diana and Rose finally understood the details of the ‘Dungeon Storage Box.’
Observing their whispered conversation, Catalya smiled, “Knowledge and methods for crafting ‘Dungeon Storage Boxes’ are usually taught to new adventurers before they enter the dungeon. You will learn about them by the fourth week of your Mana Theory course.”
“Oh oh oh,” Diana blinked her eyes and asked, “What about the gate keys?”
“Gate keys, also known as floor keys, are exclusive dungeon items,” Catalya said. “By activating a gate key in front of the mana markers at each floor entrance, you can directly teleport to the corresponding floor.”
“The ‘Gateway to Advancement’ task reward, ‘Gate Key (11),’ represents a key that allows teleportation to the eleventh floor entrance. It is also a treasure to boost exploration efficiency.”
Rose nudged Diana’s side, whispering, “Didn’t Professor Nina mention this?”
Diana puffed up her cheeks, “I forgot!”
Catalya couldn’t help but smile, “Let me explain further. The cooldown for a gate key is one hour. After that, you need to recharge the mana to activate it again. Each activation can transport up to three people. If you want to transport more, you need the advanced item for gate keys—the Gate Crystal!”
Diana asked curiously, “What is a Gate Crystal?”
Catalya replied, “A Gate Crystal, fully called ‘Dungeon-specific Teleportation Crystal,’
“Gem,” it can summon a crystal gate that can teleport up to thirty people at once. Its cooldown is three hours. It is rarer than a Gate Key and consumes a significant amount of magic each time it’s used.”
“As for how to obtain them… they can be acquired through club missions like this one, or purchased from Traveler’s Street.
“But because of the rarity and practicality of Gate Keys and Gate Crystals, they are very expensive and rarely sold.
“So generally speaking, the main way to get a Gate Key is by obtaining it from treasure chests in the Dungeon. Additionally, Gate Crystals can only be obtained from high-level treasure chests guarded by Bosses on higher floors.”
“Completing the ‘Advance Gate’ mission will earn you a ‘Gate Key (11)’, which is entirely within the realm of benefits for newcomers.”
“Of course, not everyone can complete this task, as finding the Boss on the tenth floor isn’t easy either.”
“Like me and Broni, we couldn’t complete this mission back then. Our ‘Gate Keys’ were from other floors…”
…
After carefully listening to their conversation, Dark gradually deepened his understanding of these two tasks.
He then lowered his head in thought for a moment before flipping to another task and asking, “What about this one?”
[Task Name: Guide]
[Task Description: As the new second-year students are about to enter the Dungeon, do you, as seniors, recall your past selves? Lead them through their first adventure.]
[Task Restriction: Third Year]
[Task Reward: 1000 Credits]
Catalysta glanced at the task description and suddenly looked up, saying, “This is just a routine task every year. Basically, as long as you lead the second-year students to complete the ‘Safety First’ task, you’ll get 1000 Credits.
“The reward is decent enough, but it takes quite some time from the first floor to the tenth floor.
“If you set out on Friday at noon, you’d have to camp overnight in the Dungeon.
“So, not many third-year students are willing to accept this… Alright, I understand. I’ll take on this task.”
“I’ll take it too,” Broni thought for a moment with a smile. “But it’s been a while since I’ve adventured in the Dungeon, so I might end up being a hindrance.”
Catalysta said, “For the ‘Guide’ task, whether you lead one person or ten, the reward is the same. So usually, people only bring one person.”
After getting the answer he wanted, Dark said, “Then let’s have Diana, Rose, and the two of you join us. For the first formal Dungeon adventure, I want to try going alone. Maybe if we’re lucky, we can meet at the entrance of the tenth floor?”
“Eh? Not together?” Diana immediately asked.
Dark shook his head, “I have plenty of experience with solo adventures. You should also gradually get used to adventuring alone after this. Anything can happen in the Dungeon, and if something unexpected happens and you get separated, the ability to survive on your own can save your life.”
Diana patted her chest confidently, “If it’s just one person, I’m definitely fine. Just Rose…”
She glanced intentionally at Rose.
But Rose immediately retorted, “A person who can’t even find their way around is looking down on me.”
Diana stuck out her tongue and said, “I’m just not familiar with it!”
Rose sighed, “But Dark is right. We can’t always stick together. We need to learn how to face danger alone.”
…
After this topic ended, Dark looked at the eagerly awaiting golems and sat down in front of the sofa.
“Meow—”
Amidst a chorus of meows, the golems rushed over and gathered around him.
He picked up his “Club Card” and pulled up the task interface to the “Unofficial Task” section.
“Official Tasks” usually have conditions, so if the golems want to take on tasks, they really need to look at “Unofficial Tasks”.
Dark went through the list from top to bottom, pausing slightly when he found suitable tasks, allowing the golems to examine them more closely.
Once they had recorded the details, he continued scrolling down.
The number and variety of “Unofficial Tasks” were incredibly vast. With careful searching, he could even find tasks with credit rewards in single digits.
These tasks were extremely simple, mostly because the task-givers weren’t proficient or wanted to save time, thus seeking help.
But for the golems, who can only earn credit rewards from Dark, even the smallest amount of credits was valuable.
They would gladly use their spare time to earn credits for themselves, then use those credits to buy what they want.
However, accepting and completing tasks required going to the Students’ Union task window or task hall.
Once he had the “Commercial Version” Selection Cards, Dark planned to take some time to bring them to the task hall.
…
The moon shone brightly.
On the second Saturday of the semester, the members of the Magical Animal Club and the golems each expressed their opinions.
On Sunday morning, Dark received a stack of “Commercial Version” Selection Cards from the external representative of Saint Maryann Academy.
The representative seemed very enthusiastic, repeatedly saying, “It was a pleasure working together.”
Confused, Dark arrived at the Public Dueling Society shop, only to suddenly notice that the previously deserted shop was now bustling with people.
It seemed that the “Simulated Duel Game” had spread throughout Saint Maryann Academy in just two nights.
Although not many people came to buy dueling discs, the store was crowded with people buying card packs!
Standing at the door for a while, seeing Eve and Irina busy dealing with customers, he slipped away silently.
“Though I don’t know how it started, it seems quite popular, doesn’t it?”
He laughed heartily, pleased with the outcome.
Meanwhile, in the Magical Animal Club, the golems were already itching to get their hands on the “Commercial Version” Selection Cards.
Among them, Meow was particularly eager.
As the most skilled cat among Dark’s golems, it could undertake a wide range of tasks.
Especially carving tasks, which not only earned credit rewards but also honed its skills, making it a win-win situation.
In contrast, the task choices for the other golems were much narrower.
They could only take on tasks like “Kikyō Potion Brewing,” which took six hours and had no real technical challenge.
Normal students wouldn’t learn anything from such tasks.
However, the golems could use these tasks to gain experience and exposure to various things.
Various things gradually enriched their knowledge.
Of course, there were also very popular tasks like “temporarily hiring a taste tester”—Little Cubone had its eyes set on these early on.
…
As noon approached, Dark brought the “commercial version” of the Selection Card to the Magical Animal Club.
He waved the box in his hand in front of the Golems and smiled, “One by one.”
The Golems immediately stopped their rush, each obediently lining up as if they were collecting meal cards.
Once every Golem had their own Selection Card, Dark slowly explained, “Although these Selection Cards are limited commercial versions, they still need to be activated. There are two ways to activate them: mana activation or blood activation. Of course, you can only use mana activation.”
“Once activated, the Selection Card will be fully bound to you. Pressing the circle in the lower right corner allows you to check the stored credits.”
“If you want to exchange small red flowers for credits, you can start queuing now.”
After carefully listening, the Golems immediately began activating their Selection Cards.
Except for Agumon, the other Golems had already mastered mana perception and mana output, making the activation process not difficult.
Dark saw Agumon’s puzzled look and went over to help it complete the activation.
After a few minutes, with beams of light shining, all the Selection Cards were successfully activated.
The Golems finally had their own little treasuries.
But after waiting for a long time, no Golem came to exchange small red flowers for credits.
He couldn’t help but smile, feeling somewhat relieved.
Just then, he saw Meow carrying a small backpack, preparing to leave, and couldn’t help asking, “Meow, where are you going?”
“Meow!” Meow turned back and glanced at him, waving the Selection Card in its hand.
It was eager to earn credits!
Dark hesitated for a moment and subconsciously said, “We’ll go together later…”
“Meow!” But Meow shook its head vigorously and pushed the door open with an arrogant expression.
It was as if it embodied “Pride,” not “Greed.”
Dark blinked and gave a signal to the Imp Beast.
The Imp Beast understood and immediately tied a small bag to its claw, flew out of the classroom, and caught up with Meow.
The other Golems were also restless.
Dark bent down, picked up Lil’Eevee, and gently stroked its back.
“Not in a hurry.”
He wanted to see how far Meow could go alone.
…
Despite Dark’s efforts to provide better education and more freedom for the Golems, he himself wasn’t sure if his approach was correct.
He didn’t know if what he was doing was right.
Because this was unprecedented.
In records, even Red, the founder of Mind Summoning, never provided Golems with education beyond their limits.
A Golem is a Golem.
Even if their intelligence level exceeds 3, they are still just Golems.
Mind Magi who achieve this will form bonds with the Golems, teach them combat-related knowledge, help them perform better in battles, and grant them limited freedom in daily life.
Claire Kate is actually a very standard Mind Magus. When she rests, she releases her Golems, so her bedroom is full of animals.
But that’s about it.
No one provides basic education to Golems, nor do they give them personal space to learn how to enjoy life.
Would Golems become lazy if they learned to enjoy?
Would those accustomed to freedom rebel?
Would knowledgeable Golems become indecisive?
If Golems became unsuitable for battle because of this, wouldn’t all efforts be counterproductive?
Sometimes, Dark also had such concerns.
But once he made a decision, he wouldn’t regret it.
During his most difficult times, without the company of his Golems, it would have been hard to persevere.
When everything improved, he couldn’t forget his past companions.
Embrace the past, look forward to the future.
As for whether his actions were right?
The Golems would give him the answer.
…
Meow stepped down from the tenth floor of the Spiral Bell Tower with a growing sense of joy.
The moment it got the Selection Card, its excitement was uncontrollable.
The more foundational education it received, the more it understood the importance of money.
Whatever it wanted, as long as it had enough money, it could buy it.
“Greed” wasn’t a bad thing.
What was bad was uncontrolled greed.
It needed to earn money through its own efforts and use that money to buy everything it desired.
Currently, the richest among the Golems were the Big Milk Jar, the Imp Beast, and Huhu, but soon it would be Meow!
It glanced at the Imp Beast chasing after it, suddenly sneering inwardly.
“How could a pitiful bat, relying solely on errands to earn fixed tips, compare to Meow?”
Thinking this, it felt increasingly happy.
Descending from the Spiral Bell Tower took Meow very little time; its steps were quick, and in no time, it arrived at the castle gate.
Many students around it cast their gaze toward it.
Although they had been free to move around the castle for a week, the students’ gazes hadn’t changed much.
Some immature humans even tried to tempt it with sausages?
“Meow!”
Meow quickly held its breath and sped up, running into the castle.
Its mobility was top-notch among the Golems, and it had basically explored all areas with students during this period.
Of course, it knew where the Students’ Union was and quickly found the adjacent task hall.
On Sunday afternoon, many students returning from the Dungeon used this time to hand in their tasks. The task hall was bustling with people.
Meow skillfully navigated through the crowd and in a blink arrived at a window.
It raised its head, read the text above the window, and queued up in front of the window marked “Task Window ⑨.”
The line was long, though Meow was anxious, it did not cut in line.
No stealing, no cheating, be civilized and polite.
It was the future “world’s richest person” and couldn’t leave any blemishes here.
“Plop!”
The Imp Beast landed behind it, curiously watching.
