Far North

Five hundred skeleton soldiers and two hundred skeleton knights stood in neat formation under the gray sky. Seven hundred clusters of pale green soul fire merged into one, illuminating the wasteland of the demi-plane.

The infantry phalanx stood on the left, the cavalry on the right. The formation was disciplined and deathly silent.

A true undead legion, a legion that belonged to him.

After a long silence, the voice of Electrolux resonated once more, carrying an undisguised shock: "Five hundred skeleton soldiers at the Soul Grand Master level, two hundred skeleton knights at the Soul Elder level. This force alone would be enough to conquer a small city on the continent outside. And you, having learned necromancy for only one day, have achieved this."

He paused, a hint of self-deprecating humor coloring his aged voice: "When I first summoned the undead, I didn't have such capability. You are truly not simple, kid."

Mu Chen withdrew his gaze from his undead legion and turned toward the gray orb of light within his Sea of Consciousness. He bowed slightly and said two words with solemnity: "Thank you."

"What is there to thank? This is merely the beginning."

The first academic year of the Shrek Academy Outer Academy quietly drew to a close.

In the final week, the entire academy was immersed in an atmosphere of lethargy and restlessness.

The hallways were filled with senior students dragging their luggage, while lower-year students huddled in front of the bulletin boards, checking their respective holiday assignment lists.

The air was thick with the scent of cooking oil from the final canteen feast, mingled with the humid breeze blowing from the direction of the Sea God Lake.

In the final homeroom class of Freshman Class One, Zhou Yi stood on the podium, holding the class roster, her gaze sweeping across the room from behind her lenses.

Her eyes lingered on Mu Chen for a brief moment before moving on, and she began to read the holiday precautions item by item.

"First, do not neglect your cultivation during the holiday. The first day of the next semester will be a soul power assessment; those who fail to meet the standard will be expelled. Second, your holiday assignments have been distributed. Thirty pages of exercises for the soul power theory course, a thesis of no less than three thousand words, and at least twenty records of combat simulations. For every page, every word, or every record missing, you will start with two hundred laps around the track when you return."

A chorus of wails erupted in the classroom.

Zhou Yi ignored the groans, rolled the roster into a tube, and tapped the edge of the desk: "Class dismissed. Mu Chen, come to my office."

Wang Dong turned her head to look at Mu Chen, her powder-blue eyes filled with inquiry.

Mu Chen nodded slightly, signaling her to return to the dormitory first, then rose and followed Zhou Yi out of the classroom.

The hallway was nearly empty. Zhou Yi's heels clicked against the stone floor in a steady, unhurried rhythm. Without looking back, she said, "You requested leave a week early. What for?"

Mu Chen did not hide it: "The Far North."

Zhou Yi's footsteps faltered for a second, then she continued walking. She did not ask why, nor did she spout platitudes like "it's dangerous there." At Shrek Academy, every student had their own secrets, especially a genius of Mu Chen's caliber. As a homeroom teacher, her duty was not to pry, but to ensure her students were fully aware of their choices.

"The Far North maintains temperatures below minus eighty degrees year-round. There are over ten types of ice-attribute soul beasts with cultivation levels exceeding ten thousand years. The top three among them possess strength not inferior to a human Super Douluo. What do you need?" Her tone was flat, as if she were reciting a dry geography lesson.

"Warm gear, and a map of the Far North."

Zhou Yi pushed open her office door, rummaged through the bottom drawer of her bookshelf, and tossed a yellowed piece of animal-hide map onto the table.

Then, she took a crimson bead the size of a pigeon egg from another drawer. A faint firelight shimmered on its surface, and it felt warm to the touch.

"This is a Crimson Flame Bead, a Level 4 Soul Tool. Wearing it forms an insulating layer on your body, allowing you to withstand temperatures down to minus one hundred degrees. I borrowed it from the library; return it to me when the holiday ends." She paused, then added, "Don't break it. It's a new arrival this semester and very expensive."

Mu Chen took the Crimson Flame Bead. It felt warm and smooth, and the fire element spread from his palm throughout his body, like drinking a bowl of piping hot ginger soup.

He looked up at Zhou Yi and said a sincere thank you.

Zhou Yi waved her hand, signaling he could leave. As Mu Chen reached the door, her voice came from behind him, still in that cold, icy tone: "Come back alive."

Mu Chen did not look back, merely raising the Crimson Flame Bead in his hand as a gesture of acknowledgment.

Back at the dormitory, Wang Dong had already packed. Two suitcases sat side-by-side by the bed. One was his own—a powder-blue suitcase adorned with a Radiant Goddess Butterfly sticker. The other was Mu Chen's—a deep blue suitcase, undecorated, with a faint scratch on the corner.

"Why did Teacher Zhou call you?" Wang Dong sat on the edge of the bed, his legs dangling and swinging in the air.

"To approve my leave." Mu Chen opened his suitcase and began packing. A few changes of clothes, a bag of dry rations, a canteen of water, a simple tent, and the animal-hide map Zhou Yi had given him.

Wang Dong's gaze followed his movements. When he saw the tent being stuffed into the suitcase, his legs stopped swinging.

"Where are you going?" His voice suddenly became very soft.

"The Far North."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'll be back before school starts."

Wang Dong was silent for a moment. He hopped off the bed, walked over to Mu Chen, and crouched down to help him pack.

He took the bag of dry rations out of the suitcase and replaced it with two larger ones, then rummaged through his own nightstand and stuffed a pair of thick wool socks inside.

"The Far North is very cold. These were given to me by my mother; I haven't worn them yet."

Mu Chen looked at the wool socks with pink stripes and didn't refuse. He tucked the socks into the corner of the suitcase, zipped it shut, and stood up.

"See you when school starts."

"See you when school starts." Wang Dong's voice was calm, but the knuckles of the hand clutching his hem were slightly white.

As Mu Chen walked out of the dormitory door, he suddenly called out from behind: "Big Brother!"

He turned back.

Wang Dong stood at the dormitory entrance. The winter sunlight poured in from the window at the end of the hallway, dyeing his short powder-blue hair a warm gold.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just pressed them together and forced a smile: "Remember to bring me back some local specialties. Is there anything good to eat in the Far North?"

"Ice cubes," Mu Chen said.

Wang Dong let out a snort of laughter and waved his hand: "Just go already. Don't miss your carriage."

Mu Chen turned and walked down the stairs. His footsteps faded in the empty hallway. Wang Dong stood at the door for a long time, watching until the blue figure disappeared around the corner of the staircase.

Then he closed the door, threw himself onto the bed, and covered his eyes with his arm.

"Idiot," he said to the ceiling.