Live Streaming Academy

"Tell me more about how all this will work," Solomon requested with a curious look on his face.

"Based on the preliminary scans of an A+ grade environment, you should expect roughly one hundred thousand gold coins a month," the Grandmaster calculated. "That number will increase significantly if our extraction teams discover rare artifacts or high-tier monster cores. Everything will be meticulously logged and reported, and you will have full access to confirm the financial ledgers at any time."

Solomon sat back in his chair, completely stunned by the numbers. One hundred thousand gold coins was more than the yearly salary of a newly promoted A-rank adventurer. Earning that amount every single month sounded almost unbelievable.

"For how long will I receive that payout?" Solomon asked.

"You will receive the monthly dividends for as long as the internal resources exist," the Grandmaster explained. "Once the primary materials are fully extracted, the rift will stabilize into a permanent pocket dimension. We can then lease the internal lands and plots to various guilds and external organizations for private training purposes, which will generate a steady, long-term rental income for you."

Solomon was thoroughly impressed. He had no idea that clearing a single rift could generate such a ridiculous fortune.

’I am rich now?’ Solomon wondered. ’No, I shouldn’t be happy with just this.’

"You also have the option to sell the exploration rights directly to the academy," the Grandmaster added.

"How much would the academy pay me for a full buyout?" Solomon inquired.

"One million gold coins," the Grandmaster answered flatly.

"I would rather just rent it out and keep the monthly income," Solomon decided quickly.

"That is a very wise choice," Balzac’s voice echoed through the office.

Solomon raised his brow in confusion. He glanced around the polished room, trying to locate the source of the lazy drawl. His eyes finally landed on a large, framed landscape painting hanging on the far wall. The artwork depicted a relaxing, sunny beach with gentle waves lapping against the shore.

Balzac was currently lounging on a painted beach chair inside the canvas, wearing sunglasses and holding a tropical drink.

"What are you doing inside a painting?" Solomon asked, pointing at the canvas.

"I am currently on vacation," Balzac replied, taking a slow sip from his drink. "I earned this break after all my hard work and stressful administrative duties."

The Grandmaster rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Solomon. "Your new owl will be ready soon. You can leave for the Martial World again once it is calibrated, if you wish to return. Otherwise, you are free to stay here at the academy and begin your second-year theory classes."

Solomon pondered the options for a few seconds. "I would rather go back to the Martial World. I still have a lot of martial arts to train and new things to learn about Qi and aura cores."

"Excellent," the Grandmaster nodded. "Since you are officially a second-year student now, you will be receiving a silver owl. It comes with upgraded functions and new features. Would you like to add any specific modifications to the drone?"

The Grandmaster listed several default upgrades, including enhanced night-vision lenses, improved audio filters for loud environments, and an expanded Stream Shop inventory that allowed for more weekly purchases of utility items like Null Orbs.

"I would really appreciate it if the new drone did not get destroyed so easily," Solomon requested. "The bronze owl used to hover way too close to my shoulder. It constantly got in my way during fights, which is why it kept getting caught in the crossfire."

"The first-year bronze owls are intentionally designed to hover close," the Grandmaster explained. "First-year novices are only supposed to undertake normal, low-risk missions. Keeping the camera close is important for building audience engagement and establishing a dedicated fan following. However, that proximity protocol does not apply to the second-year models."

The Grandmaster tapped a glowing rune on his desk. "You can dictate exactly how far away the silver owl hovers. Whenever you enter a combat scenario, the drone’s advanced tactical algorithms will automatically fly it away from the danger zone. It will independently seek out the best possible vantage points to stream the fight safely from a distance."

"Then that’s enough."

Solomon reached into his pocket and pulled out the crystallized eyes of the Winter Snow Serpent. He placed the glowing rubies onto the mahogany desk. "What can I do with these?"

The Grandmaster picked the gems up, inspecting the icy energy swirling within the facets. "Are these the eyes of the boss monster you defeated?"

"Yes," Solomon nodded.

The Grandmaster placed them carefully back onto the desk. "These are highly valuable to elemental mages. They are primarily used to forge high-tier frost staffs and craft advanced cooling arrays for alchemical laboratories. Mages will pay a fortune for materials of this purity. You should try selling them at the Spire of Magus or the local Mage Tower."

Solomon picked the gems up and slipped them back into his pocket. "I have no urgency to sell them right now. I will just keep them with me, like that glowing orb from the labyrinth. Maybe one day, if I ever unlock a mana core, they will be useful to me."

The Grandmaster frowned slightly. "It is exceptionally rare for anyone to awaken a mana core after the age of seven. Usually, only royals and high-ranking nobles possess mana cores."

The elderly administrator leaned back in his chair, shifting into a historical lecture. "A mana core is not unlocked through physical training. It manifests solely through a god’s blessing. Since the royal bloodlines are directly tethered to their respective deities, they have an incredibly high chance of manifesting a core. It is nearly impossible for a commoner to awaken one, simply because their blood lacks the divine lineage required to wield that kind of magical power."

"There are only three known ways to manifest a mana core," the Grandmaster continued. "The first is to be born as a royal or a noble. The second is to dedicate your life to worshiping a god, begging for their favor, and hoping they eventually grant you a blessing. The third, which is nearly impossible to achieve, is to form a direct contract with a deity. You must complete a monumental task assigned by the god. In return, the deity grants you a single wish, which is usually spent requesting the blessing to manifest a mana core."

"I did not ask for a discouraging lecture," Solomon replied with a sarcastic smirk. "I was just making a casual comment. Are you trying to get me to sell that stuff?"

"Haha, no. Of course not."

Solomon stood up from his chair. "Where can I view my overall stream report?"

"You can access your full analytics through the academy network at the student help desk in the main lobby," the Grandmaster answered.

"Where can I cash out my stream points?" Solomon asked.

"You can convert your points into physical currency at the help desk as well," the Grandmaster replied, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you need to cash out your points? You just told me you had no urgency for money."

Solomon’s expression turned serious. He looked directly at the Grandmaster. "I would like to take a short leave of absence from the academy to visit my family."