"This... is Shrek Academy, right?"
Dai Mubai stared in confusion at the battered sign for Shrek Academy, which looked as though it belonged in a ruin, and at the academy behind it. After a long, difficult journey, he had finally come here from the Star Luo Empire, to this supposedly famous school.
"Next."
"You're fifteen and still trying to pass yourself off as younger? Your Spirit Rings aren't right, either. One white and one yellow, and you think you can get in? Next!"
"Stop trying to bribe us. Our boss already pays us plenty."
"Twelve years old and only level seventeen, yet you're still putting on airs? Our boss was already that level at seven and a half, you know."
The noise from the registration desk only left Dai Mubai more confused. Level seventeen at seven and a half? Was that even humanly possible? I was only around level fourteen at that age. Level seventeen—what kind of drugs did he take to get there so fast?
"Um, I'd like to apply." Once much of the crowd had dispersed, Dai Mubai stepped forward. Seated before him were a refined-looking middle-aged man and a sturdy young fellow who looked as though he could kill a bull with one punch. Is he an older student? Then why does he look younger than me?
"Pay the ten-Gold-Soul-Coin registration fee first. Then we'll test your Soul Power," the middle-aged man said, holding out his hand.
"That expensive?" Dai Mubai asked in shock. He had seen plenty of aristocratic academies and advanced Soul Master schools, but never one that charged this much. Ten Gold Soul Coins just to register? Why not rob me outright?
"If it's too expensive, you don't have to apply," the man replied calmly.
"Tell me your requirements first." Dai Mubai figured he should be careful with his money. He had several hundred Gold Soul Coins in his pocket, but that was no reason to throw them away. It was like having a thousand yuan for living expenses and finding a new drink that cost ten yuan and didn't even look good. Ten yuan was still money. That could buy an enormous bottle of Pepsi, or two one-liter bottles.
"Just register first." The middle-aged man and the sturdy boy exchanged a glance, both struggling to hide their grins.
"I heard enough of what you said earlier to know your standards are high. Anyone below level twenty won't catch your eye, and you consider fifteen too old. So your age range is probably around two to thirteen," Dai Mubai reasoned.
"That means I meet your requirements. I've just turned twelve, and my Soul Power is level twenty-six. Can I register or not? If I can't, I'll leave." Dai Mubai made as if to go, though he knew he had already won the moment he said it. The sturdy boy looked excited. He seemed to have accepted Dai Mubai before anyone else had.
"We'll take you! Don't you dare leave, you monster! My boss needs you!"
Ma Hongjun was thrilled. Passione needed another able-bodied worker. Taking turns with Boss Jo to beat people up was exhausting, and he had long wanted someone to cover their shifts. A two-person rotation becoming a three-person rotation? That was the life!
"Let's test him first," Lu Qibin said. Dai Mubai's qualifications really did sound promising. Three years. It had taken three whole years for a student who met their requirements to show up. If he passed, they might as well admit him. One more person would make the place feel livelier, wouldn't it?
"Summon your Martial Soul so I can see it," Lu Qibin said after testing his Soul Power and collecting the fee.
"White Tiger, possess me!"
Now that Dai Mubai knew he had a real chance, he immediately summoned his Martial Soul. When the middle-aged man across from him froze for an instant, his heart tightened, then relaxed. This was Heaven Dou territory. Surely no one would drag him back from here.
"Oho. So your Martial Soul is the same type as my Phoenix Legend."
Ma Hongjun struck a DIO pose and regarded Dai Mubai with interest. Another beast Martial Soul. Still...
"White Tiger, possess me? You actually shouted such a stale summoning line? That's hopelessly outdated. Well, even if our Martial Souls are the same type, yours can't compare to mine. As your senior, I'll be sure to teach you a thing or two." Ma Hongjun grinned smugly.
"You little... What do you mean, outdated? And what the hell is Phoenix Legend? Your Soul Power is lower than mine, isn't it?"
Dai Mubai ground his teeth. I had to put up with my older brother at home, and now I have to put up with you? Since when could someone with less Soul Power talk to someone stronger like that?
"My boss is coming back today. Unless something unexpected happens, he'll be the one giving you your entrance test. Hmph. I just hope his stand doesn't scare you senseless." Ma Hongjun waved a dismissive hand. He was completely confident in Jodio—well, at least ninety percent confident. A mere White Tiger? Boss Jo would set him straight, no question.
"Tch." Dai Mubai was speechless. How did this guy manage to act so smug? He was practically begging for a beating.
Following Ma Hongjun into Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai came upon a stone-paved path and a sea of flowers. Red, yellow, purple—all kinds of blossoms caught his eye and lifted his spirits. The clear, sunny weather made the sight even better.
"How many students does the academy have now?" Dai Mubai asked after looking around for a while.
"Three. Me, Boss Jo, and Little Oscar," Ma Hongjun said, strolling along with his hands in his pockets.
"Boss Jo planted those flowers. I don't get it. Why would a ridiculously handsome guy like him have a little hobby like that?"
Ma Hongjun couldn't help complaining. It wasn't as though Jodio had no hobbies. Aside from running Passione, he seemed to enjoy tinkering with Soul Tools and tending this sea of flowers more than anything else.
Of course, he had never made much headway with the Soul Tools. Boss Jo blamed every failure on some bizarre cause: divine interference, an evil presence he had sensed that day, a bad night's sleep, or something else. The flowers, at least, were a success. He had planted them beautifully.
Village children often came to play among the flowers in spring. Oscar and Ma Hongjun had thought about chasing them off a few times, but Jodio had stopped them. According to Jodio, he had made the flower field to please himself in the first place, and watching the children play in it was fun too. The means had changed, but the result was the same.
"Because I had to."
Jodio's voice came from above. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun looked up to see a hand trailing a long line drop from the sky, then fly toward a nearby tree and seize a branch. A moment later, a boy with a physique as perfect as a sculpture descended.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jodio Joestar." Standing beneath the tree amid the flowers, Jodio folded his arms and gave a faint smile.
"Looks like this sea of flowers has finally served its purpose."
←To Be Continued
Information currently available:
Martial Soul: White Tiger (level 26)
Holder: Dai Mubai
Spirit Rings: Yellow, yellow
Destructive power: A, speed: C, range: C+, stamina: C, precision: D+, growth potential: A
Martial Soul ability: Summons a phantom White Tiger and takes on its features. Possession greatly increases attack and defense, granting an overwhelming advantage against most Soul Masters. A typical power-attack Martial Soul.
The first Spirit Skill increases attack, defense, and strength by 50%. The second provides ranged combat capability, with a maximum range of around thirteen meters. Its attack power is also considerable, making it an excellent ranged attack.
As a power-attack Soul Master, Dai Mubai could overpower most Soul Masters in a head-on clash through the combined use of his Spirit Rings and Spirit Skills. But his lack of speed and staying power left him vulnerable to tactics designed by agility-attack or control-type Soul Masters.
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