Come to the Ancient Capital to Beg for Food!

"Should I scan yours, or will you scan mine?"

"I'll scan yours."

Beep!

Seeing "Added successfully" on his phone, the Military Mage beamed and patted Xu Fang firmly on the shoulder.

"Good! When you start military training, come straight to my class. If you do well, I'll make sure you get to be our deputy squad leader!"

Before Xu Fang could answer, a voice like a thunderclap rang out.

"Qi Lao San, you shameless bastard! How dare you deceive the flowers of our nation!"

A burly man with hair as short and stiff as steel needles strode over, swearing under his breath.

"The deputy squad leader is supposed to be whoever ranks first on the class's Undead List. With this young man's ability, he could be deputy squad leader anywhere! And you have the nerve to take credit for it yourself!"

His voice brimmed with righteous indignation.

Qi Lao San rolled his eyes. "Qin, what are you putting on airs for? Don't tell me you're not here to poach him too?"

"Hmph! Don't lump me in with you!"

Old Qin pulled out his phone. "The young man's a Light Mage, and so am I! If you run into any trouble with your cultivation, just ask me... Scan this code."

Xu Fang: "..."

He'd still underestimated the impact of "Fluorescent Light · Radiance." After Qi Lao San and Old Qin, nearly all the new-recruit squad leaders showed up.

They were so relentless that Xu Fang was reminded of the Undead besieging a city. With so many people crowding around him, he made a quick getaway before they could squeeze him into a sausage.

The last time he'd fled in such a sorry state was when he'd encountered a One-Eyed Demonic Wolf.

By dawn, the faint tremors in the earth coming from far away had stopped.

Third floor of the hotel.

Xu Fang opened the window. Before him lay the city district, its streets and alleys, and the hazy outline of a massive, elongated shadow in the morning fog.

The scent of steamed buns drifted up from the breakfast shop downstairs. People in slippers yawned by the entrance, lining up alongside office workers who kept checking their watches.

Peace and quiet.

The terrifying Undead Tide beyond the city seemed not to exist in this world.

Xu Fang took out his phone and dialed a number Zhan Kong had given him before he came. He'd planned to call as soon as he reached the Ancient Capital, but it had been rather late yesterday, and Xu Fang hadn't wanted to bother anyone.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable. Please try again later..."

No answer.

Xu Fang was a little surprised.

But considering Zhan Kong's acquaintance was probably a soldier too, they might have been fighting the undead on the city wall yesterday and could be resting now.

Xu Fang didn't call again. He gathered his personal documents and prepared to take care of the paperwork for auditing at the school.

......

Ancient Capital No. 2 High School.

A black sedan slowly pulled to a stop. A slightly plump, plain-looking young man got out.

He yawned, revealing deep bags under his eyes. Though he was still in high school, he looked exhausted, as if he'd run both kidneys dry.

"School doesn't start until September. Why do I have to come here now?"

The driver smiled apologetically. "Young Master, this is the old master's order. He hopes you'll be able to cast a second-level Basic Magic within a month, so you can compete for a deputy squad leader position during military training..."

"Enough, enough!"

Sun Rui Zhi waved him off impatiently. "Blah, blah, blah. Aren't you tired of nagging? It's just some stupid deputy squad leader position."

"Young Master, only deputy squad leaders are eligible to compete for a chance to cultivate at the Wild Goose Pagoda..."

"I'm a Lightning Mage, understand? Lightning Element!" Sun Rui Zhi rudely cut him off. "Getting a measly deputy squad leader position will be a piece of cake!"

"I know." The driver was respectful, but didn't budge. "But this is the Ancient Capital. Against the undead, the Lightning Element doesn't have an absolute advantage."

The Lightning Element was known as the foremost of the elements, partly because of its overwhelming destructive power and partly because its paralyzing effect was nearly impossible to counter.

Against a Demon Beast, a single Thunder Seal could numb its muscles, leaving it unable to fight back.

But undead were different. Those things barely had any flesh on their bones!

The Lightning Element's damage might not even be stronger than the Light Element's.

Sun Rui Zhi snorted, deeply dissatisfied. Yesterday, he'd been partying with a bunch of his good-for-nothing friends. Then, early this morning, someone had dragged him out of bed.

If his father hadn't ordered it, he would've lost his temper long ago.

"Come on, Young Master. Let's apply to stay at school first," the driver urged again. Sun Rui Zhi followed reluctantly.

When they arrived at the office, they were surprised to find that, besides the teacher in charge, another young man was sitting there.

The young man wore ordinary, bargain-bin clothes—a complete loser's outfit. But his hair was unexpectedly stylish, and he was far better-looking than Sun Rui Zhi.

"Pretty boy," Sun Rui Zhi muttered sourly.

"Teacher Qian, I've brought Sun Rui Zhi to report," the driver said respectfully. If this had been an ordinary teacher, the Sun family wouldn't have given him the time of day.

But Teacher Qian was different. He came from one of the local prominent families, and he was also the teacher leading this year's military training.

"Mm, come in." Qian Kuan nodded and gestured for them to enter.

Sun Rui Zhi was annoyed again.

Damn it, you were grinning at that loser just now. Why are you acting so cold with me?

He turned to the driver. "Three minutes. I want all his information."

"Yes, Young Master."

The driver nodded, then asked Qian Kuan, "Teacher, this student is...?"

"His name is Xu Fang. He's a Light Mage who came all the way from a small city on the South Sea coast to the Ancient Capital by himself, to grow stronger through cultivation." At the mention of Xu Fang, Qian Kuan couldn't help smiling.

The mass exodus of second-year students had long been a persistent problem in the Ancient Capital.

When students trained in other cities, their opponents were usually a single Servant-level Demon. In safer cases, they faced a Summoned Beast. As long as they could Release Magic, they were allowed to pass.

The Ancient Capital was different.

Here, they really sent you up onto the city walls to face the undead pouring in like a tide!

Every year, students were torn apart and eaten alive by the undead. If their bodies weren't collected in time, they could turn into undead at night and attack their former comrades. Faced with such terror, anyone without a strong will wouldn't dare stay.

Even dangling carrots and wielding sticks couldn't stop the exodus. Students who left were given demerits on their records, while the top student in military training could earn a chance to cultivate at the Wild Goose Pagoda—a chance that even students from Gudu Academy coveted.

Xu Fang was one of the few who'd gone against the tide. That was the passion and sense of responsibility a young Mage ought to have!

"The Light Element?" Sun Rui Zhi sneered.

A Light Mage was useless. The only place they were any use was the Ancient Capital.

Mystery solved. This country bumpkin had come to the Ancient Capital to beg for food!

"Come on. Let's test your abilities." After filling out the forms, Qian Kuan led the two of them toward the main field.

Xu Fang was a little surprised. "We have to take a test just to report in?"

Sun Rui Zhi scoffed. "What kind of country bumpkin are you? Do you think Ancient Capital No. 2 High School is some lousy county high school? We've got all these facilities and resources. You think just anyone can use them?"

Xu Fang looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Sun family. Sun Rui Zhi."

Xu Fang replied, "Your name suits you. You really are wise."

"What did you say?" Sun Rui Zhi flew into a rage.

He didn't know exactly what it meant, but he didn't need to ask. That bastard definitely hadn't meant it as a compliment!

"Young Master!" The driver lowered his voice in warning. Only then did Sun Rui Zhi rein himself in, his face dark as he wondered what to do.

They arrived at the field.

"Which of you wants to go first?" Qian Kuan asked.

"Me!" Sun Rui Zhi thrust his hand up before Xu Fang could, then shot him a sidelong glance. He was going to use his thunder to make this out-of-towner recognize the difference between them.

It'd be even better if he scared him so badly he couldn't cast his magic.

After picking out a Magic Puppet, Sun Rui Zhi circulated his Star Orbit and shouted, "Thunder Seal · Python Mark!"

Purple lightning gathered in the sky, then crashed down, striking the puppet hard.

Crack! Crack!

A teeth-grating noise came from inside the puppet, and then it exploded with a bang.

"Not bad." Qian Kuan didn't change expression. He jotted down a note in his notebook.

To be fair, Sun Rui Zhi was genuinely quite capable, about on par with Xu Zhao Ting. The difference was that Xu Zhao Ting was the top student at Tianlan Magic High School, a teacher's favorite, while all Sun Rui Zhi got was "not bad."

As expected of the Ancient Capital...

"Next, Xu Fang."