Proof of a Monster (I)

"Le Bai! I'm here to play!"

Oscar had come early again today.

Over the past two years, the only two areas where he had improved were his Soul Power Level and the fact that he had finally learned to lower his voice a little when calling for people early in the morning.

Although Le Bai had told him many times that the door was unlocked.

However, Le Bai was no longer woken by the noise. He had already gotten up before Oscar arrived and made himself a hearty breakfast.

Most of the breakfast was for Le Bai himself, while a small portion was prepared for Oscar.

Ever since Old Master Huang started giving him one Gold Soul Coin every month, on top of the twenty Silver Soul Coins he earned as an apprentice, Le Bai had never scrimped on food expenses.

Since training his body also required nutritional supplements, Le Bai prepared meat for nearly every meal. Of course, to maintain a balanced diet, he made sure there were no fewer vegetables than meat.

Ever since Oscar had mooched a meal two years ago, the frequency of his free meals had gradually increased until he was coming every day.

Fortunately, eight-year-old Oscar was not too thick-skinned yet. He felt embarrassed about freeloading all the time, so every month, he gave Le Bai twenty Silver Soul Coins as payment for his meals.

Since cooking for one person was the same as cooking for two, Le Bai tacitly accepted Oscar's habit of mooching meals. He also accepted every bit of the meal money Oscar paid afterward without being polite about it.

Flender had even come specifically to confirm the situation, seemingly worried that Le Bai was eating too poorly and dragging Oscar down with him.

After checking for himself, the Dean left with "tears" hanging from the corners of his mouth.

"Le Bai, what level is your Soul Power now?"

Halfway through breakfast, Oscar suddenly asked about Le Bai's Soul Power Level. "Yesterday, I asked Teacher Li, who handles admissions every year. He said that as long as you're under twelve, have Soul Power above level twenty, and have some practical combat experience, there's a good chance you can enter Shrek."

"I haven't tested it in the past two years. Around level eight, I guess."

Le Bai glanced at [Soul Power] Lv8 on the Panel and gave an exact figure. "But it's probably impossible for me to enroll normally. It's been more than two years since my Martial Soul awakened, and my Soul Power has only risen six levels. I'll be twelve in another four years. At this rate, I'll be lucky to just reach level twenty. Besides, the higher your Soul Power Level, the slower it improves. I can say for certain that I won't reach level twenty before I turn twelve."

"Don't give up so quickly! There's still a chance!"

Oscar said seriously, "As long as your First Soul Ring is as old as possible, the extra Soul Power you gain when absorbing it might raise your Soul Power by another level, or even two! Then..."

"Stop."

Le Bai cut off Oscar's fantasy. "You're a student of Shrek Academy, so Shrek's teachers can help you hunt Soul Rings. But I'm not, and I don't have enough money to hire a high-level Soul Master to take me hunting for Soul Rings. In that situation, where am I supposed to get a Soul Ring with as many years as possible?"

"This..."

Oscar froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Then I'll beg the Dean! A Century Soul Beast is nothing to him; it'd be easy! If that doesn't work, I'll beg Teacher Zhao! If that still doesn't work, I'll find Teacher Li! Shrek Academy has so many teachers—I refuse to believe none of them would be willing to help me!"

"Don't get so worked up yet."

Le Bai reassured him, warmth filling his heart. "I only said that I had no hope of entering Shrek through normal admissions. I never said I couldn't enter through some other route."

"Some other route?"

Oscar's face was full of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you an example yourself?"

Le Bai pointed at Oscar. "As long as Dean Flender acknowledges you, you can enroll even if you don't meet the admission requirements."

"Oh, that!"

Oscar understood, but then looked puzzled again. "But didn't the Dean refuse to let you enroll back then? Has he changed his mind recently?"

"No."

Le Bai swallowed the final bite of breakfast. "But I've become stronger."

After breakfast, Oscar took Le Bai to find Flender, only for Zhao Wuji, who was sitting in the Dean's Office, to tell them that Flender had gone out on business and would not return for two days.

Two days later, Oscar and Le Bai found Flender after he returned.

"Dean!"

Oscar shouted as he rushed up to Flender. "Dean, please, please wait!"

"Oscar, and Le Bai."

Flender turned around and adjusted his glasses. "What do you two need from me?"

Oscar steadied his breathing and slowly said, "Dean, I hope you can approve Le Bai's enrollment into Shrek Academy."

"Oscar, I should have explained this to you long ago. Shrek only accepts Monsters."

Flender frowned slightly. "I admit that Le Bai is indeed outstanding in other respects, but as a Soul Master, he is far from Monster-level."

"Ah, no!"

Oscar panicked, and the words on his tongue would not come out. "Dean, that's not what I mean! I mean..."

"Oscar, let me say it myself."

Le Bai pressed a hand on Oscar's shoulder, indicating that he would handle it.

"Dean."

Le Bai stepped forward and met Flender's gaze. "If I can prove that I have reached the level of a Monster as a Soul Master, would you agree to let me become a member of Shrek?"

"Oh?"

Flender adjusted his glasses and looked Le Bai up and down. "In my impression, you are not someone who would casually say such things. It seems something has happened to you over the past two years."

"Nothing special has happened."

Le Bai smiled. "I've merely worked hard to become a little stronger. Besides, I also want to see how far I still am from the Monster you spoke of."

"That sounds about right."

Flender nodded and asked, "Then, Le Bai, how do you intend to prove that you have reached the level of a Monster as a Soul Master?"

Le Bai did not answer immediately, instead asking, "You should remember that my Martial Soul is Food System bread, right?"

"Of course."

Flender said calmly, "I was the one who awakened both of your Martial Souls. It has only been two years—I'm not so forgetful that I'd forget that."

Le Bai asked again, "I remember you saying in class that Support System Soul Masters have no combat ability."

"Yes, I said that."

Flender nodded. "That could be called common knowledge in the world of Soul Masters."

"Then—"

Le Bai lightly tapped his chest with his fist. "If I can defeat a Battle Soul Master at the same level as myself, or even one whose Soul Power exceeds mine by several levels, without relying on any external assistance, would that prove that I am a Monster?"

"Without relying on any external assistance, defeat a Battle Soul Master with equal Soul Power or even several levels higher?"

Flender looked seriously at Le Bai, his tone solemn. "Le Bai, I don't know how much stronger you've become these past two years, but I hope you understand—battles between Soul Masters are different from children fighting."

"Yes, I understand very well."

Le Bai was equally serious. "Battles between Soul Masters can result in injuries at best and death at worst. I absolutely do not mean to treat my life as a joke."

"You know that, yet you still dare say something like this?"

Flender's gaze at Le Bai carried a hint of appreciation. "Then do you know that a Battle Soul Master's Martial Soul can greatly enhance their attack power and physical abilities? A Support System Soul Master's Martial Soul has no such effect. That gap alone is enough for a Battle Soul Master to easily crush a Support System Soul Master."

"Of course I know. You explained it in class."

Le Bai smiled. "But only by doing what ordinary Soul Masters cannot can I prove that I am a Monster."

"Well said! Those who can do what others cannot are Monsters!"

A smile appeared on Flender's face. "You've put it that way, so refusing you now would make me seem unreasonable. A Monster with exceptional practical combat ability? Perfect! Since Shrek was founded, we have never had a Monster of that type. If you can do it, then on behalf of the Academy, I will acknowledge you as a member of Shrek!"

"Then without further delay, I ask the Dean to arrange a fight for me as soon as possible."

Le Bai said confidently, "As long as the Battle Soul Master you arrange has not exceeded level nineteen in Soul Power, or is level twenty but has not yet obtained a Second Soul Ring, I am confident that I can win."