Shrek Academy Opens Its Doors

Shrek Academy officially opened without a bell or any ceremony.

Flender stood on the training ground, his clothes faded from washing, though his glasses gleamed.

He looked at the eight people before him and spoke evenly.

"From today on, you are students of Shrek Academy."

Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun stood on one side.

Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing stood on the other.

Yuan Yu stood in the middle, carrying his Wine Gourd.

Flender spotted the gourd, and his eyebrow twitched.

"No drinking in class."

Yuan Yu glanced down at it.

"It's water."

Flender held out his hand.

Yuan Yu hesitated, then passed him the gourd.

Flender opened it and sniffed.

No smell of alcohol.

His expression eased.

A moment later, he looked at Yuan Yu again.

"How many people have you fooled before?"

Yuan Yu said earnestly, "Dean, people should trust one another more."

Flender tossed the gourd back.

"At Shrek, trust depends on how much tuition you pay."

Oscar muttered from behind them, "Then trust is pretty expensive at our academy."

Flender looked his way.

Oscar immediately stood straight.

"Wise as ever, Dean."

Flender couldn't be bothered with him.

"First, state your levels."

Dai Mubai spoke first.

"Dai Mubai, level thirty-seven assault-type Soul Elder."

Oscar stroked his little mustache.

"Oscar, level twenty-nine food-type Tool Soul Master."

Ma Hongjun chuckled.

"Ma Hongjun, level twenty-eight assault-type Battle Soul Master."

Tang San said, "Tang San, level twenty-nine control-type Battle Soul Master."

Xiao Wu followed. "Xiao Wu, level twenty-nine assault-type Battle Soul Master."

Ning Rongrong lifted her chin.

"Ning Rongrong, level twenty-six support-type Tool Soul Master."

Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly.

"Zhu Zhuqing, level twenty-seven agility-type Battle Soul Master."

Yuan Yu was last.

He cleared his throat.

"Yuan Yu, level fifty-five."

The training ground fell silent.

Even though they had heard it yesterday, hearing it again still stung.

Flender pushed up his glasses.

"Go on."

"Assault-type?"

Yuan Yu thought for a moment.

"I can defend, run, and attack from a distance, too."

Flender's face darkened.

"Give me a straight answer."

"Tool Martial Soul, Sun Wheel Blade. I suppose assault-type."

Zhao Wuji snorted beside him.

"He didn't look like a 'suppose' yesterday."

Flender nodded.

"Then it's settled. From now on, you're Shrek's eighth monster."

Xiao Wu counted the people around her.

"So there are eight monsters now?"

Oscar immediately said, "Sounds good. Livelier than seven."

Ma Hongjun patted his belly.

"I like it. Food tastes better with more people around."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing.

Ning Rongrong glanced at Yuan Yu.

Shrek's eighth monster.

She had thought that, shabby as this academy was, it would still have something that fell short of her standards.

But hearing that title now left her feeling oddly unsettled.

She was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Yet among these eight, she wasn't the one who stood out most.

Flender went on. "Shrek only accepts monsters, not ordinary people. But calling yourself a monster doesn't make you one."

He turned to Oscar.

"Oscar, step forward."

Oscar's face fell.

"Dean, can't we start some other way?"

"No."

Oscar sighed and raised his right hand.

Soul Power flared.

"Your daddy's got a big sausage!"

The air went still.

Ning Rongrong's expression froze.

Zhu Zhuqing's brow twitched too.

Xiao Wu covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Tang San gave a small cough, trying to look composed.

Yuan Yu studied the sausage in Oscar's hand and asked seriously, "Can't you change that chant?"

Oscar said glumly, "If I could, I would have done it ages ago."

Flender said, "Eat."

Ning Rongrong immediately stepped back.

"I'm not eating that."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't move either.

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San.

Tang San stepped forward, took a sausage, and ate it at once.

"Its recovery effect is powerful."

Yuan Yu took one too.

He bit into it and nodded.

"Tastes good."

Oscar's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Really."

Yuan Yu added, "That opening line wouldn't help you sell them at a stall, though."

Oscar's budding smile collapsed.

Ma Hongjun burst out laughing beside him.

Flender looked at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.

"On a battlefield, a food-type Soul Master's sausage could save your lives. You can dislike the chant, but don't act like you have lives to spare."

After a moment's silence, Zhu Zhuqing took a sausage and ate it.

Ning Rongrong remained where she was.

Flender didn't force her.

He merely glanced at her.

"Ning Rongrong, Oscar."

"You two will run twenty laps."

Oscar's face changed.

"Dean, what did I do?"

"You're support-type. You need stamina."

"What about Yuan Yu?"

Oscar pointed at Yuan Yu.

"He drinks water too."

Yuan Yu looked innocent.

Flender turned to him.

"Yuan Yu."

Yuan Yu immediately stood straight.

"Dean, I think I really need to stay and listen."

"You're running with them."

"Why?"

Flender said, "You have too much free time."

Yuan Yu fell silent.

That was a very Shrek reason.

Ning Rongrong frowned.

"I'm support-type, not an errand runner."

Flender looked at her, his tone cooling.

"Here, you're a student first. Being from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect comes second."

Ning Rongrong's expression changed.

"You know I'm from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"I do."

Flender said calmly, "That's all the more reason for me to teach you."

The atmosphere on the training ground turned cold.

Yuan Yu carried his gourd over to Oscar.

"Let's go."

Oscar looked dejected.

"You're taking this well."

"Whether I like it or not, I still have to run."

Yuan Yu glanced at Ning Rongrong.

"No matter how powerful the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is, it can't run laps for your legs."

Ning Rongrong glared at him.

Yuan Yu smiled and turned away.

Oscar followed.

Ning Rongrong stood there a moment, then gritted her teeth and followed them.

On the first lap, she still managed to keep her composure.

By the fifth, she was panting.

On the tenth, she saw Yuan Yu strolling ahead without even breaking a sweat.

Oscar was struggling too, but he didn't stop.

With every lap, Ning Rongrong grew more irritated.

On the twelfth, she suddenly stopped.

Oscar looked back.

"Why did you stop running?"

Ning Rongrong said coldly, "I'm done running."

Oscar froze.

Yuan Yu stopped too.

Ning Rongrong turned and headed out of the academy.

"There's nothing interesting here."

Oscar grew anxious.

"The dean will be angry."

Ning Rongrong didn't look back.

"Let him."

Yuan Yu watched her go and sighed.

"The little princess has quite a temper."

Oscar asked, "Should we follow her?"

Yuan Yu hooked his gourd back onto his belt.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"If she really disappears, the dean might make me run the remaining eight laps."

Oscar thought about it. That made a lot of sense.

The two followed Ning Rongrong out of the academy.

On a distant rooftop, Ling Yuan watched them, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

"He's good at finding trouble for himself."

Azure Luan said evenly, "He isn't worried about extra laps."

Ling Yuan looked at him.

Azure Luan said, "He's worried something might really happen to her."

Ling Yuan said nothing more.

Toward Suotuo City, the noise of the crowds grew louder.

Ning Rongrong walked quickly.

She didn't know that several people had marked her the moment she entered the city.