Richard went directly to the laboratory and inserted the metal badge into the alchemy platform. A clear magical projection appeared, detailing Richard’s financial statement for the month. The alchemy platform was powered by mana crystals, whereas activating the badge alone would require five mana points. Richard wanted to save every bit of mana for spell practice rather than waste it on badge activation.

  The very first line on the statement stunned Richard: “Replacement of Magical Golem Dummy – 1,600 gold.”

  The magical golem dummy was the iron construct Richard used to practice Fireball and other spells. He had already noticed a new dummy installed on the testing field, but he never imagined it would cost 1,600 gold. Although Richard didn't have much sense of money, he knew that his mother had lived for ten years in Rooseland Village and had accumulated only a few dozen gold coins in total. Even a large beast’s hide would fetch only one or two gold coins in town, and hunters risked their lives to obtain it. Perhaps the wealthiest villager—the village chief—might possess around a hundred gold coins, much of it saved from military pay and bounties.

  Two fireballs—and he'd destroyed 1,600 gold?

  He mentally reviewed every detail of the dummy. Apart from precisely matching the defensive capability of standard half-plate armor, he couldn’t see anything exceptional about it. Richard had yet to grasp that the golem’s precision was exactly what drove its staggering cost. Standard magical dummies and military half-plate armor might vary by one or two power levels in defense, while Deep Blue’s golems had accuracy within one-tenth of a power level. Such precision increased costs nearly thirtyfold. The concept of power levels roughly correlated to the energy contained in a standard level-one Magic Missile spell.

  Cold sweat trickled down Richard’s forehead as the enormous numbers pressed heavily upon him. Rooseland Village shared the Sacred Alliance’s currency system, so 1,600 gold was a debt he felt he could never repay. He disliked debts, a trait inherited from Elaine—priestesses of the Moon Goddess avoided owing anyone anything. Overwhelmed by pressure, Richard’s vision darkened briefly before he steadied himself and continued down the list. As he expected, every item listed was outrageously expensive. For instance, a single mana recovery potion cost nearly 500 gold. Richard’s perception of the rows of potions in the storage room completely shifted. Those labeled potions were primarily used by mages to accelerate magical growth, enhancing mana affinity and recovery.

  Before entering Deep Blue, Richard had spent over a month learning about the outside world. In the city of Ashan, prices had already shocked him—but compared to Deep Blue, Ashan seemed practically free. A mana recovery potion in Ashan was only about 10 gold, whereas here it was 500 gold, fifty times more expensive.

  Richard didn’t realize, however, that Ashan’s potion lasted only three hours with a recovery acceleration of 0.5 times. The potion he'd consumed lasted 24 hours, doubling recovery speed—a sixteen-fold improvement in overall effectiveness, explaining the fifty-fold price increase.

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  From advancing levels to potion-making, progress grew exponentially harder and more expensive. The pyramid structure of achievement was universally applicable, and Richard's new understanding reflected a concept he’d recently learned: diminishing returns.

  At the bottom of the first page, Richard saw his monthly expenditure total: 18,000 gold.

  The second page detailed income, and Richard saw only one entry: “Tuition Subsidy – 30,000 gold.”

  Richard had somewhat adapted to large numbers by now, but the scale of the subsidy still left him stunned.

  Never mind 30,000 gold—just yesterday, 30 gold alone was a sum beyond Richard’s wildest imagination. Mountain life had been self-sufficient; aside from cloth, Richard couldn't even think of anything else requiring money.

  But 30,000 gold… “Enough to carpet the entire laboratory,” he thought dizzily.

  Yet when Richard glanced around the laboratory, an exact figure instantly appeared in his mind: precisely 333,300 gold coins would cover its floor.

  Richard shook his head vigorously, banishing these distracting numbers. Thirty thousand or three hundred thousand—it made no difference. Both were equally unfathomable.

  And the 30,000-gold subsidy was merely a beginning. Several blank income categories remained on the second page, their future use implied by their vague titles. The last one baffled him, labeled simply: “Su Helen’s Joy.” What kind of income was that?

  Calming himself, Richard realized the 30,000-gold subsidy wasn’t extravagant at all. Expenses in Deep Blue were practically infinite. This was only his first month, and most of it had been spent in classes. He’d barely practiced spells for a week, using minimal resources, yet his expenses had already hit 18,000 gold. Maintaining a balanced budget next month would be challenging enough, and by the third month, 30,000 gold would certainly fall short.

  Richard didn’t dwell on it further. While he still struggled with comprehending money, he recognized that every day in Deep Blue consumed vast resources. Despite the generous subsidy, Richard knew this wasn't free. The surface reason for his admission was Marquis Gordon’s considerable effort, but the deeper truth was Elaine’s sacrifice—her life traded for this rare opportunity. History and politics were essential lessons at Deep Blue, and Richard had gained a basic understanding of Norland. A personal apprenticeship under a legendary mage was a dream coveted by the Empire's elite. Marquis Gordon wasn't especially powerful or influential, so obtaining such an opportunity must have cost him far more than it would other nobles.

  Exploration in the world of magic was limitless. Richard silently terminated the magical projection to conserve mana crystals, carefully placing the badge in clear view. He had committed every income and expense to memory, more firmly than any memory spell, and quickly returned to his studies.

  Two months passed quickly. Immersed daily in magic and numbers, Richard hardly noticed time slipping by. Now proficient with both his Wisdom and Precision talents, he appreciated the tangible benefits hidden within the digitized world. For instance, he could immediately assess others’ strengths. Minnie and Randolph, Su Helen’s other students, were level five and six mages respectively at only fourteen years old. Minnie’s mana was 70, while Randolph reached an impressive 110—comparable to a level-seven mage. Their mana far exceeded peers, granting more spell slots and an undeniable advantage. Moreover, disciples of Su Helen possessed extraordinary bloodlines, which often determined outcomes in high-level battles.

  Yet, each morning, flames would flash before Richard’s eyes, his mother's silhouette within them. Sometimes blood stained his blankets, the result of biting his lips in troubled sleep.