"What exactly is this..." Karington frowned deeply.
Although the wineglasses were still some distance from him, Karin felt an intense craving for them deep within him. He longed to hurry up and absorb the liquid in those glasses, just as Enclair had.
"Pay attention, children!" Mage Kirkland's voice rang out. "Watch how quickly you absorb it. Absorbing it too fast could cause your mana to congeal, which could give you some trouble down the road!"
"All-Knowing Eye, can you determine what that is?" Karin could only turn to the magical construct in his mind for help.
"Certainly, host. Please wait. Analysis in progress..." The All-Knowing Eye's voice abruptly cut off.
"Wait... wait... wait..." the Legendary Magical Creation exclaimed. "Good heavens, those are mana crystals! Highly concentrated mana crystals diluted thirty-twofold!"
"Mana crystals... what... are those?" Karington grew even more puzzled.
"Mana crystals can only be obtained from the fresh brains of mages and highly intelligent magical creatures, and the yield from each extraction is extremely low... In Feyrun, one ounce of mana crystals can be exchanged for a drop of Dragon blood or a Phoenix tail feather. Even diluted thirty-twofold, mana crystals are worth more than ten times their weight in gold!"
Karin had no idea what Dragon blood or Phoenix tail feathers were worth, but he certainly knew the value of gold... The liquid in the wineglass before him weighed about fifty grams. Five hundred grams of gold—good grief, that would be enough to buy a bathroom-sized home in the Magic City!
"What does it do, then?" Karin continued.
"Mana crystals are the very source of magic. Absorbing them directly can greatly improve a mage's understanding of the arcane, regardless of their level!" the All-Knowing Eye said excitedly.
Karington suddenly felt rather muddled.
According to the All-Knowing Eye, these mana crystals were extremely precious. Why, then, was something so valuable being handed out to everyone like plain water? After all, everyone present was merely an ordinary mage apprentice.
Karin was not the only one puzzled by the liquid in the wineglasses.
In another corner, an Elf apprentice stood up and asked, "Instructor Kirkland, may I ask what exactly the liquid in these wineglasses is?"
The Elf had a youthful face and a nervous expression, looking like an apprentice who might be attending a Magic Gathering for the first time.
"Very well. It seems I ought to explain this to you new apprentices!" Mage Kirkland said calmly. "These glasses all contain diluted water from the Sunwell!"
"Water from the Sunwell?" Karington's eyes widened.
"More than six thousand years ago, His Majesty Dath'Remar led the first High Elves to Quel'Thalas. He also established our people's eternal sacred treasure: the Sunwell!" Mage Kirkland declared loudly. "The Sunwell's inexhaustible energy nourishes us and continually grants us incomparable power! We have guarded this wondrous well for generations. Even those who leave our homeland of Quel'Thalas can still feel its power."
"For us mages, water from the Sunwell can greatly improve our understanding of the arcane. This is precisely why Quel'Thalas has always been the most magically advanced city on the continent. Every High Elf can receive the nourishing influence of the Sunwell's waters while young, awakening their magical potential to the fullest!"
So the Sunwell's waters had such a powerful effect. Karington suddenly felt that some of his earlier questions had been answered.
"Host, what are you waiting for?" the All-Knowing Eye urged anxiously. "Hurry and absorb these mana crystals. Mana crystals are not particularly stable at room temperature. If left too long, they may..."
"All-Knowing Eye, is this water from the Sunwell-in other words, these mana crystals-addictive?" Karin asked quietly.
"Addictive?" The All-Knowing Eye paused in surprise. "Any powerful source of energy is addictive... But according to this low-ranking mage, Kirkland, if mana crystals are extracted from an open-air well, then the supply can be considered inexhaustible... As long as the Sunwell continues to exist, that addiction cannot flare up!"
"As long as the Sunwell isn't destroyed, is that it?" A bitter smile tugged at Karin's lips.
"Yes. According to the All-Knowing Eye's calculations, the probability that the Sunwell will continue to exist for another ten thousand years is 98.67%. Therefore, host, you need not worry about mana addiction flaring up due to the Sunwell running dry!"
Karin stood up. He had made his decision.
"Instructor Kirkland!" He rose to his feet and spoke quietly.
Mage Kirkland glanced toward his corner and asked calmly, "What is it, Mr. Karin?"
"Well... Instructor Kirkland, I was injured a few days ago, and my wounds haven't healed yet!" Karin said slowly. "Could I refrain from drinking the Sunwell's water this time? I'm worried that drinking it might affect my injuries!"
"Mr. Karin... I have heard something of your recent... exploits!" Mage Kirkland replied. "Strictly speaking, drinking water from the Sunwell will increase your mental burden and have a slight effect on your injuries... Personally, however, I don't think that effect would be very significant. Of course, if you insist, you may refrain from drinking the well water this time!"
"Yes, I insist!" Karin replied.
"Karin, have you lost your mind?!" Beside him, Oliver could no longer hold back and blurted out despite Mr. Kirkland watching them.
The other apprentices immediately began murmuring among themselves, utterly baffled.
After all, Mana Feeding was an extremely important part of every High Elf mage's practice. It could make improving their arcane abilities vastly easier... Passing up such an opportunity was clearly not a wise decision.
"Host, the All-Knowing Eye believes you have made a very, very, very unwise decision!" In his mind, the magical construct was already on the verge of swearing!