Playtime

From here on, the story will be told by Jiang Xueming's students.

Mr. Hasben Madison, 20 years old, in the eighth grade—dreams of marrying an outstanding woman like the Big Sister. He returns to his hometown and talks to his mother about the future and the past.

Mr. Robert Tang Ning is nineteen years old, a seventh grader—his dream is to become a gunsmith, a man who can stand on his own, put Masha down, take a few steps forward, and embrace a new life.

Mr. Bu Liuxing is 21 years old and in the eighth grade. He has many, many dreams, almost too many to count. At present, the most important thing is to awaken his soul power.

Mr. Liu Weiqiang is 43 years old and an over-age athlete on the first-year substitute bench. His dream is to raise his daughter, Xiao Min, and to have extraordinary courage and take good care of his employer.

Mr. Shao Jinghao is thirteen years old and in the first grade. His dream is to stand out from the crowd and make people never dare to look down on him again.

Mr. Daniel is thirteen years old, a first-grader—his dream is to inherit the family business, win the brutal competition among his three twin brothers, and become the head of the family.

Miss Kaycee is thirteen years old and in the first grade. Her dream is to break free from the constraints of her father and travel to faraway places to become a painter.

There are so many, so many classmates. And so many, so many dreams, most of which are hard to achieve, unattainable. They are private, not to be talked about casually with others. Here, let's put our dreams aside for now. They are like piping hot coffee, to be cooled down before drinking.

At the opening ceremony of the Philosopher's Cup anniversary celebration, former Dean Lupin walked step by step onto the grand stage.

He looked like a great wizard in a fairy tale, dressed in traditional festive attire, a simple robe woven from a thick velvet blanket, a pointed hat covering his white hair. Leaning on his cane, holding an ancient and translucent sapphire on the staff, he slowly ascended the platform.

His eyes, like two bright yellow agate stones, remained as innocent and romantic as a child's, shining with a crystal-clear brilliance under the bright lights of the Great Beck Stadium.

Welcome to Galahad, children.

Teachers and students from various departments of the colleges and universities slowly walked in from under the twelve flags.

Xue Ming followed Director Simmons toward the referee's table, and upon hearing thunderous cheers and applause, he joined the team in clapping.

Dean Lupin stood on the highest viewing platform, and waves of deep and long spiritual energy emanated from the audience, like a requiem, sweeping away all the restlessness.

Once tens of thousands of teachers, students, and spectators were seated, the various academic departments began preparing colorful T-shirts to display their departmental symbols based on the seating arrangement.

Dean Lupin immediately picked up where he left off, using the word "child" from the previous sentence, and started joking with the teachers and students.

"I am 112 years old this year. If any of you are older than me, I apologize for my previous wording."

The big screen displayed the witty and humorous expressions of Lupin the Master.

--His beard twitched as he spoke, and after greeting each audience member, he would begin spouting flowery words.

"A hundred years ago, when I was a child, my father brought me to this school."

Lupin waved his hand, his palm circling aimlessly, his eyes following the movement elsewhere.

"You know, it's like when your parents entrust you with important responsibilities."

"He called my dad Hank and me Little Hank —he would tell me with a worried look about our family and our economic situation, as if I were the only son in the family and all the family's money was used to send me to school."

Dean Lupin rolled his eyes and addressed the audience.

"Actually, my family is very wealthy. To be specific, I have four older sisters, a total of four."

A loud shout erupted from the audience.

--It's like a shooting star taking off its shirt, cheering for the old dean's stand-up comedy in the sweltering summer heat.

Lupin pointed in the direction of the shooting star; "Yes, yes, yes, that's the spirit!"

"--That's what I thought back then too. My family was poor, and I had so many women to take care of. I had to make something of myself and then settle down with all my sisters. I couldn't let my father, Hank, down."

Before he could finish speaking, the old dean shrugged indifferently, his expression innocent and helpless.

"Who cares? But who cares? It's fake, classmates, it's fake."

When someone speaks fluent, old-fashioned London English and recounts these old stories, it sounds a bit like a Tianjin-style crosstalk performance.

"What sense of mission, what a hero's journey, it's all clearly written in a letter home. When I graduate—I'm filled with excitement to return to my hometown, to use the knowledge I gained at school to revitalize my family, to save my sisters, to earn money and work, and to do good deeds."

Lupin slapped himself in the face.

"My dad left me over 400 million yuan in assets and told me to live well and not do anything rash. At that moment, I felt numb. Classmates, can you understand this feeling?"

His body language was very expressive, as if his hopes had been dashed and his life had become bleak.

"That was the most difficult time of my life. It turned out that my family wasn't as bad as Hank had described when he brought me to school—my sisters weren't having trouble getting married. That sounds a bit like Versailles, and it might offend you."

Lupin then asked the audience another question earnestly, in a very affected manner.

"I hope this rant won't offend you."

Snickers and boos echoed from above the stadium.

Lupin finally sat up straight and spoke to the people with a serious expression.

"I never married because my father lied to me—he made me mistakenly believe that magic would be my life's work. My family was very poor, and my inner reserves couldn't accommodate anyone else; girls outside of magic couldn't enter my life."

"Everything I did while studying at Galahad was to survive in the school. I thought more than once about what magic really meant to us. Psychic power is so dazzling and beautiful; it is the most sensual goddess in my life."

"There's one more thing—"

Dean Lupin extended his Magic Wand, and a sapphire-focused beam shot towards Director Simmons.

"--I met this classmate."

Director Simmons looked around and saw the dark blue projection shining on him. Seeing his wrinkled old face on the big screen, even this cunning and treacherous jackal felt a little embarrassed.

Dean Lupin said, "Without like-minded friends, it would have been difficult for me to persevere. I am very grateful to Director Simmons for working with me at Galahad for so many years. Friendship lasts forever, and that is the most magical thing."

Then the dean spoke quietly to the audience.

"This is a living example of what not to do. Go home and ask your parents if they're hiding dozens of houses and billions in assets from you. Don't end up like me, determined to fight psychic magic to the death since childhood."

As the opening remarks were drawing to a close, the old dean finally uttered a few reasonable words.

"We come to school with all sorts of aspirations. It is a bridge connecting reality and dreams, guiding you to use knowledge as a tool to achieve your goals and go where you want to go."

"In the journey of life, we seem to find that none of our colleagues are as close as the friends we made in school—because childhood friendships are free from any ulterior motives, deceit, or backstabbing."

"Galahad, as a Knight of the Round Table, went to find the Holy Grail, which can grant eternal youth. May this competition, this tournament of knights, help the children—help you find the most precious Holy Grail in your lives."

The room fell silent, as if the dean hadn't finished speaking.

--Meteor talks a lot and has a loud voice.

When he started yelling, it was like thunder; the whole stadium could hear this clown's shouts.

"Was the dean giving a speech without a script just now? How could he do something so awkward! Hahahaha!"

"Why did the topic suddenly jump from the wicked father to the four older sisters, and..."

Before the words were even finished, the aerial drone shoved its camera right in the meteor's face.

--The meteor waved and gave the camera a bright smile.

"I'm on TV!"

After the opening remarks for the school anniversary celebration, twenty-four dazzling fireworks rose into the sky above the Big Baker Gymnasium.

--That was a flight demonstration by the school's astral hybrid unit, including the youngest first-year students, and the crow-man from Class 78 was also pulled in to make up the numbers.

These hybrid minority animals, with an average height of only about 160 centimeters and a wingspan of more than two meters, flapped their wings. The largest one, a golden eagle hybrid, was the leader of the flight performance team. He held the largest magic firework tube and circled at an altitude of about 400 meters before suddenly diving to a stop.

The contents of the firework tubes are mostly specially treated pyrosulfides, the masterpieces of potion masters. They explode in mid-air, creating colorful streams of light, simulating weather scenes in dramas, or transforming into thunderbolts falling from the sky, scattering arcs of light like ripples on a lake in the sky.

The four professors who gave the inaugural performance for the younger generation on the football pitch are all members of the railway system.

Clad in red robes, hands clenched, with a goat-headed spirit floating beside him, it was Professor Wood Plark. His brows were furrowed, and amidst the deep throat singing and howling of the Lapis Lazuli Guards band, a dazzling explosion painted a sword-wielding figure.

The person dressed in black robes, using her spiritual power to assist the students in wielding calligraphy and painting in mid-air above the stadium, was Teacher Su Ling. She blew a loud whistle, and the spiritual power of the [Phoenix] shifted unpredictably in mid-air, gathering the azure flames in the sky and condensing them into a large blue-gold wolf—which then split into more than two hundred smaller wolves.

The wolf pack raced through the air, following the mixed-race Eagle Falcon and falcons across the stands, bringing with them a humid, sweltering wind.

The third professor, dressed in a blue robe, came from the Scholomance Institute. He took a mimicry potion created by the experimental team and gained supernatural powers through elemental modification. His original Homo sapiens- like throat, tongue, and mouth quickly deformed, and his face also twisted and changed, as if he had been given the appearance of a cockatiel.

This is not blood transfusion, but rather granting the caster temporary access to the power of the unit receiving the blood transfusion.

As the professor sang along with the Lapis Lazuli Guards Guardians' band, he saw swallows and eagles flying across the stadium's canopy.

--The last professor, dressed in golden robes and wielding Magic Wand that was both staff and stone, caused the birds in the sky and the wolves in the room to rise and fall in rhythm with the flames and music.

Once the wolves entered the stadium, they rushed down the track into the locker room, banging against the iron gate frame, reminding the athletes inside to hurry up and prepare for the competition.

After the birds landed on the grass and finished eating the popcorn and potato wedges, they retreated along with the huge wolf shadow.

When the ancient fables told by the phantoms of fire and fireworks are all turned over—the story of Vancleef and the Claymore Ranger—they are released like shadow puppets through the phantoms of fire created by [Sexy Bomb].

Everything quieted down, and the four guest professors returned to the referee's seat.

Meanwhile, the first round of selection competitions began in the venues of each grade, with a total of thousands of students competing. Each grade had to select thirty survivors, who were divided into six groups to enter the final round and were sent to an off-campus venue for the final [survival] competition.

Xue Ming barely had time to sit down before, immediately after the school anniversary celebration ended, she was dragged off by Teacher A Ling to be an assistant referee.

The referee's duties during the competition are simple: observe the physical condition of both the red and blue teams, assess the students' mental state, and make a judgment immediately if one side is unable to continue fighting.

In the lower grades, especially those under sixteen, it's mostly just kids fighting amongst themselves; there's not much danger.

In the older grades, where students are sixteen or older, the use of sticks and sapphires becomes quite interesting.

The match is about to begin--

--The opening match will be started by Bu Liuxing.

"Red team, Grade 8, Bu Liuxing."

"Blue team, eighth grade group, Rock Tyson."

On the sixteen-meter square arena, Meteor revealed the Iron Knight and the Rose Shining Stone. The Great Wolf Mask had been destroyed by the Fly Man during the Little Brotherhood's last mission, and Xue Ming had reforged it for A Xing.

Meteor's opponent is the son of Potions Master Mike Tyson. Unlike his burly, bearded father, this young man has a clean-shaven face, wears a neat school uniform, and carries Magic Wand that is a combination of wand and stone.

The staff is silver-plated and was recast and cut by the Fools' Workshop's Workshop. The stone is a bright purple-blue tanzanite set in a six-pronged base.

"Let me check the props." Teacher Su Ling asked the two students for sticks.

She examined the Iron Knight closely, drew the light sword from the warhammer, and carefully stroked the blade to make sure it was not coated with poison.

"That's enough."

Meteor asked curiously, "A Ling- sensei, is it okay if it has a blade?"

Su Ling: "Okay."

Meteor: "Didn't you say we can't kill people?"

Su Ling: "I am a doctor, please respect my profession."

With that, A Ling and Xue Ming each pushed Meteor onto the arena.

When she received Locke's Magic Wand, Ms. A Ling hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Locke, "..."

"This is a bellows; are you using it to cast spells?"

Locke: "Yes."

A Ling: "How much fuel? How high a temperature can it produce? What's the thermal efficiency?"

Locke: "There's no danger to my life. I know the rules of the Philosopher's Cup."

A Ling: "OK, let's go on stage."

The match begins--

--Xue Ming gave the opening introductions for both parties.

"Blue Stone People, Locke Tyson, is skilled in fire magic."

"Red Stone People, Bu Liuxing, is skilled in combat."

Meteor urged, "Let's start fighting!"

Teacher A Ling gently tapped the brass bell, and the competition began.

In an instant, Meteor lifted the Iron Knight and hurled it toward the target!

Rock Tyson never expected that his opponent would be a 195-centimeter-tall giant. He had to contend with Meteor in a 16-meter square ring. He had devised several blocking plans and magic schemes, but they all seemed to be completely thwarted by this flying hammer.

Just as he brought the staff to his lips, he heard the whistling of the Iron Knight cutting through the wind. He ducked and rolled awkwardly, but his body was still agile, and he had the instinct to dodge. His robes were covered in dust. He calmly blew on the staff, and a tongue of flame over 700 degrees emerged from the azure gemstone base, then spread outwards like a screen or feather fan.

--That's it! Yes, that's how we won.

Locke had just recovered from his rolling motion when the sound of the flying hammer hitting the ground behind him was astonishing. His mind and vision finally cleared, and with a flash of light, the gust of wind that hit him made him feel a chill.

Sitting in the stands, Tyson was filled with regret; he deeply lamented his son's first-round loss.

"--I told you to take some medicine! Take some medicine! You wouldn't listen! You could at least drink some alcohol! Food supplements can pass drug tests! And it's not considered cheating! You idiot!"

When Locke came to his senses--

He had fallen to the ground, his nose broken, and two teeth flying out.

"How did I lose?!"

Completely baffled, he could only cover his mouth and go to Teacher Xue Ming to ask for White Lady's medicinal products to treat his injuries.

"How did I lose? How did I lose? Teacher? And A Ling- sensei, can you tell me how I lost?"

Ms. A Ling showed the students the drone footage from the judges' stand.

--The whole process was very fast.

Bu Liuxing threw the Iron Knight's Flying Hammer, but Locke Kid dodged, and the hammer missed.

Locke stood up and blew on the fire to force Meteor to move. Meteor did not back down and threw the Shining Stone Wolf Mask, which hit Locke in the face, breaking two front teeth, cracking the bridge of his nose, and causing him to lose his will to fight.

"Who throws their own Radiant Stone out as a projectile in the second round?!" Locke exclaimed, his mouth agape, his words slurred. "That guy is too reckless!"

Ms. A Ling remained expressionless, unable to articulate her feelings. "It's a pity."

Teacher Xue Ming, expressionless, echoed A Ling's words, "Yes, that's a pity."

Meteor finally retrieved the stick and the brilliance stone, punching and kicking the air all the way down from the ring, looking radiant.

"Hey! Locke! Those sparks, holy crap! That's fucking awesome! Even Gandalf couldn't use magic that powerful!"

Locke found it difficult to accept Meteor's praise so readily.

He couldn't quite understand the other person's pyroxene magic, also known as slinging magic or stone-throwing magic.

But the children in Class 78 knew that this was an archery technique that Teacher Xue Ming had taught countless times.

Meteor took the White Lady artifact from Ming Ge's hand, fixed his opponent's broken tooth and the gap in his mouth, and then hugged Locke, wanting to ask him for a blowpipe to play with—you should know that this kind of thing that combines a staff and a stone is very rare and is a very unusual toy.

On the other side--

--Teacher A Ling hasn't seen Jiang Xueming for a very long time.

Suddenly, she reached out and used her [Phoenix] superpower to pull out a long list of game-wide titles, character panel attributes, and recently added supplementary descriptions above Xue Ming's head.

Xue Ming was puzzled as to why Teacher A Ling had the mind to examine his body.

"Is there a problem, teacher?"

Su Ling rubbed her hands together, making a surprised face, as if she had seen a ghost.

She pointed to the text description of the Phoenix.

[Last Login - Bai Ziqing]

[Total playtime: 4 hours and 36 minutes]