Ruined Streets, Part One

"This... is Shrek Academy, right?"

Dai Mubai stared in bewilderment at the battered Shrek Academy sign and the buildings behind it, which looked like ruins. After a grueling journey from the Star Luo Empire, he had finally reached this supposedly famous academy.

"Next."

"You're fifteen and still trying to pass yourself off as a kid? And those Spirit Rings are wrong. One white and one yellow, and you think you'll get in? Next!"

"Stop trying to bribe us. Our boss already pays us plenty."

"Twelve years old and only level seventeen? You're putting on quite a show. You know our boss had already reached that level at seven and a half, right?"

The clamor at the registration desk only confused Dai Mubai further. Level seventeen at seven and a half? Is that even humanly possible? I think I was only level fourteen at that age. What was he taking to advance so fast?

"Um, I'd like to apply." Once much of the crowd had dispersed, Dai Mubai stepped forward. Behind the desk sat a refined-looking middle-aged man and a sturdy boy who looked capable of killing an ox with one punch. Is that boy a senior student? 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 noble academies and advanced Soul Master schools, but never one that charged this much. Ten Gold Soul Coins just to register? Why don't you rob me instead?

"If it's too expensive, you don't have to apply," the man replied evenly.

"Tell me your requirements first." Dai Mubai thought he had better save his coins. 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 to live on and finding a new drink that cost ten and did not even look good. Ten still mattered. It could buy an extra-large bottle of Pepsi, or two one-liter bottles.

"Just apply first." The middle-aged man and the sturdy boy exchanged glances, both struggling to keep straight faces.

"I heard enough to get the gist. Your standards must be high. Anyone below level twenty won't catch your eye, and you consider fifteen too old. So you're probably looking for students between two and thirteen," Dai Mubai reasoned.

"Which means I qualify. I've just turned twelve, and my Soul Power is level twenty-six. Can I apply or not? If not, I'll leave." Dai Mubai made as if to go, though he knew he had won the moment he said it. The sturdy boy's face had lit up with excitement. If anything, the boy had accepted him first.

"We'll take him! Don't let this prodigy get away! My boss needs you!"

Ma Hongjun was thrilled. Passione needed another strong pair of hands. Taking turns with Boss Jo to beat people up had been exhausting, and he had long wanted someone to cover a shift. A two-person rotation becoming three? That was the life!

"Let's test him first," Lu Qibin said. Dai Mubai's qualifications did sound promising. Three years—it had taken three years for a student who met their requirements to appear. They might as well admit him. One more person would make the place livelier.

"Summon your Martial Soul and let me see it," Lu Qibin said after testing his Soul Power and collecting the fee.

"White Tiger, possess me!"

Knowing he had a good chance of getting in, Dai Mubai immediately summoned his Martial Soul. When the middle-aged man across from him froze, his heart tightened for an instant before he 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-type Martial Soul. Still...

"'White Tiger, possess me'? You actually shouted an old-fashioned summoning line like that? You're hopelessly behind the times. Well, even if your Martial Soul is the same type as mine, it's nowhere near as good. Your senior will give you a proper education," Ma Hongjun said smugly.

"What do you mean, behind the times? And what the hell is Phoenix Legend? Your Soul Power is lower than mine, isn't it?"

Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. I have to put up with my older brother's attitude at home, and now I have to put up with yours? Since when does someone with less Soul Power get to talk to someone stronger like that?

"My boss gets back today. Barring any surprises, he'll be the one conducting your entrance test. Hmph. Just try not to let his Stand scare you," Ma Hongjun said, waving a dismissive hand. He had complete confidence in Jodio—well, nine-tenths confidence, at the very least. A mere White Tiger? Boss Jo would make Dai Mubai a white tiger for real.

"Tch." Dai Mubai had no words. How did this guy manage to act so smug? He was practically begging for a beating.

Following Ma Hongjun into Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai first saw a stone-paved path and a sea of flowers. Red, yellow, purple—all kinds of blossoms caught the eye and lifted the spirits. The clear weather made the sight even more pleasant.

"How many students does the academy have now?" Dai Mubai asked after looking around for a while.

"Three. Me, Boss Jo, and 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 guy as cool as him have a little hobby like that?"

Ma Hongjun could not help grumbling. Jodio had developed a few interests over the years. Apart from running Passione, what he seemed to enjoy most was tinkering with Soul Tools and cultivating this sea of flowers.

Granted, he had never made much headway with the former. Boss Jo always blamed his failures on some absurd cause: divine power interfering, a whiff of evil he had sensed that day, a poor night's sleep. The flowers, on the other hand, had turned out beautifully.

Village children often came to play among them in spring. Oscar and Ma Hongjun had considered chasing them away a few times, but Jodio always stopped them. As he put it, he had planted the flowers to please himself. Watching children romp through them was entertaining too. The method 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 cord drop from the sky, then shoot toward a nearby tree and grip a branch. A boy with a figure as perfectly proportioned as a statue descended after it.

"First time meeting 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 the image and traits of a White Tiger to possess the user, greatly increasing attack power and defense. It holds an overwhelming advantage against most Soul Masters and is a typical assault-type Martial Soul.

The first soul skill boosts attack power, defense, and strength by 50%. The second provides some ranged combat ability, with a maximum range of about thirteen meters. Its attack power is also considerable, making it an excellent ranged attack.

As an assault-type Soul Master, Dai Mubai can overpower most Soul Masters in a direct confrontation when using his Spirit Rings and soul skills together. His lack of speed and endurance, however, may leave him vulnerable to tactics used by agility-type or control-type Soul Masters.