The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

The students were practically boiling over; their chatter and shouts were so loud they drowned out the principal's booming voice. Principal Trista sat back down in his chair and nodded like a gentleman.

"Work hard, students. Strive to learn something useful and strive to live an interesting life. Remember, these two are not contradictory. Before you become a dull and boring adult, please enjoy your fleeting youth—don't wait until you look back more than ten years later to find that your college years were boring, monotonous, and completely unremarkable!"

Trista rose, bowed to the crowd, and then disappeared amidst applause. A few seconds later, Professor Ji Chuanjun walked onto the podium, his face clearly saying, "I am a rigid and boring adult."

"Thank you, Principal Trista, for your excellent speech. I am Ji Chuanjun, Director of the Academic Affairs Office. I would like to briefly add a few points:"

She looked down at the audience with her hands behind her back, and the freshmen immediately snapped out of their excitement and fell silent.

"First, the school generally discourages private fights; please resolve conflicts in a civilized manner."

Second, textbooks for all subjects do not need to be purchased; they will be distributed during the first class.

3. Students who have no classes today and no additional accommodation arrangements can follow the jade pendant to their school dormitory.

Fourth, your personal jade pendant is on your right hand; you will use it for all inquiries and purchases on campus…

The new students all looked down and realized that they were holding a blue jade pendant, on which their names and student numbers were flashing.

A swipe of the fingertip across the jade pendant reveals a magical projection interface with a layout resembling a mobile phone homepage. The applications, in order, are: personal account, calendar/course schedule, academy forum, and contract hall. The upper right corner of the personal account icon is marked with "1000".

"...1000 magic coins have been pre-loaded into the jade pendant for everyone to use freely," Ji Chuanjun said. "Finally, the first class will begin at 8:30 tomorrow morning in the auditorium. Please do not be late. Dismissed."

The freshmen lined up orderly and left the auditorium, then ran like a pack of mad dogs to every corner of the campus.

Ji Chuanjun's gaze lingered on Lü Wenjun's back for a moment as he watched him leave, chatting and laughing with his newly acquainted friends.

Mingxiao crept up to her furtively and whispered, "Professor, was that really... a blessing from the gods?"

“You’ve already made your judgment, so why ask me?” Ji Chuanjun said. “Get along well with your junior; perhaps he holds the hope you’re looking for.”

"I don't like overly pragmatic approaches..."

Mingxiao stuck out her tongue, made a face, and hopped away.

·

Ten minutes later, in the cafeteria.

"Great news! They're providing beer for the students, so we can drink to our hearts' content!"

Faris slammed three large glasses of ice-cold beer onto the table, the bubbling bubbles flowing down the sides of the glasses. Lu Wenjun was speechless: "As an American, shouldn't you be grabbing a Coke? The first memorable thing you did after entering college was chugging beer."

“I don’t think eating and drinking excessively is any better…” Ling Gong looked up at the high pile of plates.

After a tiring half-day, everyone agreed to replenish their energy before discussing anything else. The canteen closest to the auditorium, "Fire Palace," specializes in Western Region cuisine. Lü Wenjun ordered a whole Turkish flatbread covered with minced meat, large chunks of roasted lamb skewered on iron skewers, hummus, and a large bowl of light green salad.

He buried his head in the mountain of food, wolfing it down with a rather uncouth manner, like a starving ghost who hadn't eaten in ages. Ling Gong felt that this seemingly delicate and gentle classmate was running wildly along the savage road, and just watching him made her feel three-tenths full.

"The transformation technique consumes a lot of energy; my body can't keep up without eating more." Lü Wenjun said nonchalantly, grabbing a glass of beer. "Although beer isn't exactly a high-quality food..."

"Then why did you drink it! You drank half a glass in one go!"

“I’ll stop here. You see, Falis has already had two drinks.”

“You citizens of this ancient Eastern country, how could you possibly understand the suffering of us Americans? We’re not allowed to drink alcohol until we’re 21! 21!” Faris poured out his grievances, raising his glass. “I, a grown-up demon who can run for president, can’t even touch alcohol? Tell me, what kind of nonsense is this…”

Velsa took a small sip of her drink and said, "This rule is unreasonable. Regardless of age, everyone needs a moderate amount of alcohol to warm up and bolster their courage before hunting. Is hunting in that secret realm called America really that easy?"

“That wretched place is outside, so…most people don’t need to hunt.” Faris shrugged. “We usually buy meat at the supermarket when we want to eat it.”

"Relying solely on transactions? That's really strange."

Lu Wenjun found it quite amusing; these eccentric individuals all seemed to come from different places. He looked at Ling Gong: "Ling Gong, you must be a proper Japanese female university student, right?"

"Do I look like one?" Ling Gong smiled slyly. "Unfortunately, I am a native of the Otherworld, just like Versa. My hometown is 'Mount Fuyue,' as I mentioned when we first met."

"I thought it was some mountain in Japan..."

“That’s a famous secret realm, the dwelling place of eight million gods and monsters, and the Ten'in family is a prominent family in the area,” Versa said. “But I’ve heard that the secret realm is very secluded.”

"The older generation has realized they need fresh blood, otherwise they wouldn't have sent me out to study..."

In the subsequent conversation, Lü Wenjun gained some understanding of his classmates and their general situation.

Vilsa comes from Jotunheim in the "Nine Realms" of the United Realms. It is the famous land of giants and frost in Norse mythology. According to him, it is bitterly cold all year round, so the monsters there have strong physiques.

Although Lingyu's hometown, Mount Fukugaku, is the dwelling place of eight million gods and monsters, it also has some interaction with the outside world. Therefore, her speech and appearance are no different from those of modern people.

The vast majority of students are natives of various secret realms; those like him and Faris, who come from the outside world, are a tiny minority. The flying train travels between these secret realms to accept students from both inside and outside the world.

“We 21st-century residents seem like country bumpkins here,” Faris exclaimed. “Lü Wenjun, what’s your hometown like?”

"What else... it's just an ordinary second-tier city in the south. If you come for tourism, I can take you to have morning tea," said Lü Wenjun. "This morning before I left home, I thought I would spend my whole life there, but now I'm eating scones in Trista."

Ling Gong recalled his self-introduction: "Speaking of which, Wen Jun only started becoming a magician today. Were you originally planning to go to an outside school?"

After thinking about it, Lü Wenjun felt there was nothing to hide, so he didn't bother to make up a lie.

"I originally planned to repeat a year of high school."

Faris gaped, "What?"

Lü Wenjun explained, "Retaking the exam means going through the senior year of high school again to prepare for the unified entrance examination for higher education institutions the following year..."

Faris shook his head violently: "No, no, no, I know about the college entrance exam! I mean, how could a genius like you fail?!"

“Because I was hit by a truck the day before the exam,” Lü Wenjun said dryly. “When I woke up, more than two weeks had passed.”

After venting about this mess, he actually felt much better. He downed the remaining half-glass of beer in one gulp and exhaled a breath of stale air reeking of alcohol.

"Holy crap..." "This is really..." "What's a truck?"

The students reacted in different ways, with Ling Gong being the first to comfort them: "No matter what, you're in Trista now. If another car comes rushing at you, you can easily jump over it."

Lu Wenjun touched the back of his hand, seemingly lost in thought.

After calming down, he made various plans, such as continuing to inquire about ways to return to the outside world, not hoping to go back directly but at least trying to send a letter home; maintaining his excellent student persona and trying to get through school life as peacefully as possible; and using this cheat to gain some benefits and learn more life-saving magic...

But Linggong's words reminded him that "now" and "past" are two different things. No matter how perfect and reliable your plan is, you can never predict what will happen tomorrow.

“At this point, nothing is better than letting things take their course,” he said. “Let’s take a look at tomorrow’s schedule first.”

Chapter 14: Studying with all my might!

The following morning at 8:30, in the auditorium. First session: Introduction to the Ultimate Words of Magic.

"This course has no attendance, no homework, and no final exam, but I hope everyone will attend class on time because this course covers the foundations of Word Magic, including basic classification methods, strategies for studying the original texts, and the rules for constructing various spells. To put it simply, students who don't attend class will find it very difficult to learn magic."

Ji Chuanjun stood with her hands behind her back on the podium, and not a single one of the many freaks below dared to daydream. She nodded in satisfaction, and with a glance, a thick, white-covered tome appeared out of thin air on the students' desks, as thick as a dictionary.

"The Ultimate Guide to Magic", by H.M. Trista.

Persica raised his hand high: "Professor Ji, is its original work considered mythical?"

“Yes, this book was written by the principal himself, while the ‘copy’ in your hands is a simplified version of the original,” Ji Chuanjun said. “If any of you are selected as the college’s star at the end of the semester, you can apply to the library to take away the original copy of this book. I think the librarian will be happy to approve it, which would force the principal to write a new book.”

She seemed to be joking, but no one dared to laugh.

"Now, please turn to the first page of your textbook."

Lü Wenjun did as instructed, his gaze sweeping over the first line of text.

If you open this book without taking any precautions, I must praise your courage, and then slightly mock your foolishness—after all, you'll most likely throw up.

"Ugh!" "Wow!" "Quack—" "My eyes!!"

In a split second, the auditorium was filled with screams of agony. The textbooks they had just received were thrown everywhere, and students rolled on the floor, covering their eyes and retching uncontrollably. Lü Wenjun collapsed onto the table, feeling a burning heat coursing through his body, as if his brain was being scorched dry.

He glanced at Ji Chuanjun and saw him make a gesture; a cool sensation washed over him, extinguishing his feverish desire. The students, who had been swaying back and forth, drifted back to their seats, clutching the closed book.

“There’s an old saying in my hometown: ‘A lesson is taught in one go,’ and I wholeheartedly agree with that,” Ji Chuanjun said. “Always remember to be careful with the original texts. The textbooks you have are just copies, but even so, you should still be cautious.”

"The best way to analyze the textbook is to read it simultaneously with the teacher's protective explanation in class. If you are not satisfied with the teaching pace, you can also study on your own in safe places such as the library or dormitory."

Remember, don't aim too high and try to analyze the textbook on your own. This isn't life-threatening, but it will inevitably lead to the depletion of the "magic" you just experienced. That means missing at least two weeks of classes, and your final grade will be very difficult to pass.

She wrote four words on the whiteboard behind her: strange tales, bizarre stories, legends, and myths.

"We usually divide the original texts into the above four levels based on the amount of information, and the level of a magician corresponds to them. Most of you here are not magicians yet. Only when one of you officially masters a 'heterodox level' spell can he or she be called a heterodox level magician, and the same applies to the rest."

"Over the next four years, you will encounter and learn a great deal of magic, but the vast majority of you will stop at the level of wonders. This is because becoming a legend requires a certain level of accomplishment—Mr. Versa, please."

Vilsa raised her hand: "For example?"

“To stop a large-scale war. To slay a dragon that is harming a region. Things like that,” Ji Chuanjun said. “We will discuss this in detail in the career planning class in the third year. However, you all need to remember that legends are only a very small minority. Most magicians have limited abilities and are by no means omnipotent—to give a practical example, most of the time you can only use three kinds of magic.”

10:45, Classroom 301, Teaching Building. Second period: Modern History of Magic.

“Yes…only three.” Professor Tulliman stroked his graying goatee. The history teacher was thin and bony, wrapped in a faded robe.

“You can learn many spells, you can invent new spells, but you can only use three spells at a time. This basic principle is a bit like…” He paused, “Has anyone played Dungeons & Dragons?”

Faris exclaimed excitedly, "Spell slots!"

The old professor nodded: "Yes, but in the game, it's a consumable item. It's more like an 'equipment slot' in some video games. You have many spells memorized, but you always have to select the three you want to use in advance in the hall, otherwise you can't fit more. When you advance to the Legendary level, this number will become four... and it won't change much after that."

He leaned on the podium, lost in thought, ignoring the murmurs from the audience.

“You know, many older people complain about how unfair this is,” Tuliman said thoughtfully. “Almost 400 years ago, the Monkey King yelled at me…”

Lu Wenjun was drinking water when he choked and exclaimed, "Excuse me, Professor, who is this?"

"It's that Bull Demon King with the big horns—his cross-realm heating business is doing quite well now—and he keeps rambling on. He says that the monsters of his generation could breathe fire, curse, create clones, grow bigger and smaller, and were omnipotent, while now he only has four silly spells."

“I told him then that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Your ancestors may seem to have great powers, but they actually paid a much higher price. In comparison, you can use magic with a clear conscience without worrying about losing your power or becoming ethereal one day. I think this is much better than the old methods like divine gifts, sacrifices, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.”

The old man concluded, "Our course teaches history. By comparing the past and present, I believe you will all have your own answers."

"The first lesson will always be about things that everyone is interested in. You all know the classifications of magic, right? Condensation, Manifestation, and Assimilation..."

1:30，教学楼13876教室。第三节，德鲁伊入门。（因近半学生没有找到138楼入口而推迟至2:00开始，教授不怎么高兴）

Claas Merdin sat in a willow chair, still wearing a fur coat and a hood even indoors. His gloomy eyes beneath the hood swept over the panting freshmen and the latecomers outside the window who were still climbing the magic ropes.

"Assimilation magic is the technique of influencing others." His voice was soft and indistinct, as if he didn't intend for anyone to hear him clearly. "You concoct potions, deciding whether to spread plagues or heal wounds; you build idols to cast curses or bestow blessings; you tell stories, chant, and prophesy, leading them to follow your guidance, whether it is the main road or a wrong path."

"This is technology, young people. It's not a whim or art. There's never a universal solution to assimilation magic; even the same potion needs to be adjusted for different casters. You need careful observation, bold hypotheses, and meticulous verification..."

He coldly glanced at the unlucky guys who were still struggling to climb the rope, while the two leaders, one red and one blue, laughed in a way that looked more like a grimace.

"For people who are old enough to attend school but still don't know how to read a map, it may be too early to be exposed to these technologies."

Merdin walked over and pulled the rope, which turned into a giant caterpillar that carried the wailing idiots into the classroom.

"This old man doesn't seem very friendly," Faris whispered.

Lu Wenjun replied softly, "Don't say anything, he'll definitely cause trouble..."

"Number 3, Mr. Good Faris."

Faris immediately stood up: "Here!"

“You will suffer the agony of being burned by fire today.” Merdin glanced at him. “Please sit down. This course covers transfiguration, apotheosis, divination, each a vast and profound subject, and I will only lecture for one hour at a time because I cannot bear to waste any more time on you.”

3:15, SGCM Lab, Experimental Building. Fourth Period: Elementary Elements and Alchemy. (Everyone sprinted across half the school to avoid being late.)

“Manifestation is the art of changing the world.” Earl Welton said with great enthusiasm. “We create objects, we control familiars, we change the environment, we build bridges, houses, irrigate farmland, change the weather… What manifestation magic can do depends on what we can think of.”

The magician, who called himself "Earl" but was actually an associate professor, was dressed in a flashy black and white checkered suit, wore a top hat, and held a full glass of red wine.

He took a leisurely sip, swirling his glass as he said, “You need a bold imagination, plenty of good luck, and, of course, the courage to never give up. I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Ji’s teaching methods: every time you stumble, you learn a little more about the world. So why not give it a try!”

With a wave of his cane, the textbook "Elementary Elements" vanished from the students' desks, replaced by a jumble of glass bottles, ores, bones, and other odds and ends. Each student had a different set of items on their desk.

A bottle of red liquid on Ling Gong's desk was shaking violently. She quickly pushed it to Faris.

The latter gaped, "Count, this—"

With a loud bang, a miniature flame shot into the sky, turning Faris's blond hair into an afro.

He opened his mouth dumbfounded, a smoke ring coming out of his mouth: "This will explode..."

“That’s it! That’s the extract from the petrified chicken snake’s bladder; it explodes when it comes into contact with air.” Welch snapped his fingers. “You’ve discovered a useful little trick, and I hope you all will be bold and proactive in trying it out.”

The laboratory shook violently, and the Gorgon Ariel inadvertently spilled a drop of green liquid onto the hand of the Dryad Tia. Tia rapidly grew taller and longer, her branches expanding rapidly until she was submerged in tender green foliage. The ghost Momo attempted to rescue her, but her lack of a physical form hampered her efforts.

"Help—" "I'm still growing! I'm about to break through the ceiling!" "Hang in there, Eriel-chan—"

"Very creative. This is the first time I've seen someone use soil extract as a growth promoter," Earl Welch commented.

Faris continued blowing smoke rings. Linggong silently shifted her gaze, remarking with a sigh, "Mr. Merdin's prediction was truly accurate..."

Lu Wenjun glanced at her sideways: "Did Mo Ding tell you that you're suffering from softening?"

"What?! My arm has turned into jelly!"