The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

Because "monsters and spirits can only roam within spirit-filled places," "urban legends always happen in haunted locations." In other words, while haunted locations are the stage for stories, they are also a prison from which the characters cannot escape.

"I understand what you mean. If we use magic to artificially create a tiny spiritual land..."

"Whether they are spirits or monsters, once they enter the sacred land, they can't escape!"

Unorthodox Manifestation: Man-made Sacred Grounds. These are "sealed sacred grounds" with a radius of fifty meters, created using a special medium. Supernatural beings such as demons and spirits within this area cannot escape until the medium is destroyed!

Wendigo immediately stared at the wooden stake. A stake used for exorcism, and also an instrument of execution, it was perfectly suited as an anchor for an ominous spiritual site.

It charged toward the stake, intending to destroy it. However, Wendigo stopped in fear halfway there. For two brave souls were already waiting before the stake.

They cracked their knuckles, stretching their stiff muscles to the limit. Their facial muscles moved to their maximum range of motion… their eyes gleamed with a terrifying light!

That terrifying smile! It was like the genuine smile of a vengeful person who, after being kicked in the balls and robbed of their wallet by a roadside thief, had spotted a bear trap just 50 meters away and caught the thief!

"Hey, Wendigo, let's play the game of the brave."

Lu Wenjun tossed an exorcism gauntlet to Faris, who happily put it on.

"The rules are simple. You win if you stay by this lake until dawn the next day..."

"No matter how terrible things get during this time, you are not allowed to run away!"

Lu Wenjun and Faris pulled their fists up with the force of a drawn bow! Wendigo's face turned even paler than the mist!

"Wait a moment. It was my fault for provoking you. We can talk things out, so please calm down a bit—"

His words were cruelly cut off.

"Are you ready, you idiot?" x2

"No, no...no!!!"

That night, many people heard the screams of evil spirits.

No one knows what exactly happened at Frosty Lake.

No one knows the truth about what happened that night.

People only knew the tragic end of the event, which was revealed when the sun rose and the thick fog dissipated.

—A holiday cabin that was destroyed by an unknown force halfway through construction.

—A variety of strange props scattered all over the ground.

—The members of the Magic Styling Club, unconscious, had dried blood on their pants.

—Strange wooden stakes nailed to the lakeside, bound with evil spirits whose faces have been beaten beyond recognition.

And two first-year students, laughing loudly as if no one else was around, were walking down the avenue to school.

This unsolved case became yet another terrifying ghost story on campus, which later students referred to with awe as:

The Battle of Frostmourne Lake!

·

There's more to come.

"Nerd, let's play Street Fighter!"

"Okay, wait until I finish writing the draft."

Miss Hisamitsu looked on in surprise: "You, why are you not in a hurry at all lately...?"

"After witnessing the ugly side of the 'normies,' I think nerds aren't so bad after all," Lu Wenjun said, twirling his pen. "At least nerds have buddies to go on adventures with."

“Stare…” Hisamitsu narrowed his eyes, “Otaku! Deadbeat! Social anxiety!”

"Whatever, whatever~"

Hisamitsu rolled on the sofa in anger: "Akiyo, I protest! This guy's only been a few days and I can't even get him to cooperate anymore, he's not fun! I want a refund!!"

"It's because your skills are too weak," Mingxiao said with a mischievous grin.

·

Part Two.

“I’ve decided to join the Magic Styling Club!” Faris said.

"Really? That lousy club practically disappeared after that."

“Because Chai Luo said I have a lot of talent, I think I might as well try to become an artist!” Faris said smugly.

Lu Wenjun cautioned, "However, by Chai Luo's standards... he might call your masterpiece 'excrement'..."

"It's fine, I can call him an idiot too, let's see who shouts the loudest." Faris said nonchalantly.

Such magnanimity and thick skin prompted Lü Wenjun to applaud. He sincerely said, "Dude, you were born to be an artist."

“Right!” Faris said cheerfully.

Chapter 51 Who's Secretly Engaging in Internal Competition?

At 3:30 PM, after the usual self-study time in Druid class, Miss Witch routinely walked to the table opposite hers. Lu Wenjun quickly moved his tongue, ready to argue.

“I saw the fox woman in the Contract Hall yesterday,” Pershka said.

Lu Wenjun nearly stammered, "What did you say?!"

“I saw her nearby when I passed by before, but I didn’t pay much attention at the time…” Pershka emphasized, “but yesterday, I saw her walk into the gates of the Contract Hall with my own eyes!”

Lu Wenjun felt a strong sense of crisis rising in his heart.

"No way, so fast... It's only been a little over a month since school started and we're already at this stage?!"

The witch's eyes held the same sense of urgency; this was an emergency that both of them could feel deeply for! The reason for this... was that the Contract Hall was not only a place to issue missions, but also proof of a mature magician!

As is well known, the Word Magic system only supports a maximum of three free spell slots. This limitation is insignificant in the beginner stage, as most players only master one or two spells. However, if a mage learns multiple spells, they will inevitably face the issue of spell switching.

Learning a spell is merely accumulating knowledge, but changing a spell involves adjusting a mage's mind and spirit, which low-level mages cannot accomplish on their own. Therefore, there are only two ways to change a spell.

1. Become a legendary or higher-level mage.

2. Go to the "temple" created by gods or great mages and rely on the power of the strong to complete the replacement. In the Greater Rift, this special location is the Temple of Contracts.

Therefore, going to the Contract Hall is proof of being a mature mage. It signifies that someone has already mastered more than three spells, and while others are still struggling to fill their spell slots, she is already considering higher-level spell combinations!

Lu Wenjun started sweating: "It's cold, calm down. They might be going to accept a mission. Isn't the main job of the Contract Hall to issue mission notices?"

Pershka retorted, "Everyone uses jade pendants now, who would go there specifically to accept a mission?"

"The library also offers a procedure change service, and I would go to the library if it were me."

"Adjusting spells in the library requires going through a complicated application process in advance; normal people would go to the Contract Hall."

Damn it, I have no way to refute it.

Think about it, Linggong already revealed her third spell when sealing her divinity. Could it be that she... really has four spells now? Secretly and frantically casting spells when no one was looking—is that person really such a despicable fox demon?!

Lu Wenjun grabbed Faris, who was watching the commotion, and said, "How many spells do you have now?"

“Two? The extra spiritual land was something I just learned these past couple of days,” Faris said. “We normal mages are lucky if we can learn one spell a month. I thought everyone could learn them like you, all at once.”

"Vilsa, what about you!"

Vilsa held up two fingers: "2. I've learned a new cultivation technique."

"You only have two?"

"The key to skill is quality, not quantity; physical strength and martial arts prowess are the foundation of one's livelihood," Virsa said.

“I think we were overthinking it,” Lü Wenjun said, relieved. “Everyone’s on the same level, there’s no reason for Ling Gong to be so fast…”

Pershka showed a newly sent photo, and among the magicians at the entrance of the Contract Hall, a pair of familiar fox ears stood out.

"This is what the beast witches just photographed..."

Lu Wenjun was terrified and immediately transformed into a panicked man: "She's really pulling strings! Run, run, run!!"

Three minutes later, two furtive figures appeared at the entrance of the Contract Hall.

Located on the north side of the campus, this temple exhibits a distinct Roman architectural style. Granite and marble columns support a tall and imposing portico, through which one enters the temple's interior, which is covered by a hemispherical dome. The dome is carved with numerous indistinct niches, with a large circular opening in the center that allows sunlight to stream into the temple and illuminate a huge, constantly rotating prayer wheel.

The prayer wheel, about 20 meters tall, refracts ribbons of light as it rotates, its ancient inscriptions reflecting off it. Beams of sunlight stream into the small rooms surrounding the temple, where students who need to spend long periods adjusting their rituals draw upon their energy. Students who adjust their rituals daily require little time; they simply stand still before the prayer wheel for a short while.

There weren't many people in the Contract Hall at the moment, and they easily found the familiar fox ears. Ling Gong walked past the path leading to the quest board and headed straight for the prayer wheel... Not only that, she even specifically chose a quiet room that required a reservation!

Lu Wenjun bit his nail: "She really was studying secretly!"

"This woman is too insidious..."

"Damn it, I have to cut back on sleep starting today. I need to prepare my midterm exam strategies as quickly as possible..."

Pershka remained silent: "Did you really have to go this far?"

"I have a reason why I absolutely cannot lose—"

"Could you two please explain your reasons for sneaking around here?"

Poke. Poke.

Lu Wenjun turned around in shock, only to bump into a pair of familiar rabbit ears. Senior Mingxiao had stealthily approached and was tapping their heads with the rabbit ears.

She whistled loudly, and Ling Gong, who was about to enter, turned around at the sound, only to meet the awkward gazes of the two of them.

"Hey?"

·

"No way!" Reiko couldn't help but chuckle. "You've been following me specifically for this?"

"A narrow-minded duo," Mingxiao commented.

Lu Wenjun argued forcefully: "Because this is very strange! Ling Gong isn't the kind of person who studies particularly hard, yet her progress has suddenly skyrocketed!"

Linggong glanced sideways: "So, in Wenjun's eyes, I'm a lazy woman... I'm a little sad..."

No, no, that's not what I meant!

Pershka added insult to injury: "That's outrageous! A heartless, emotionless learning machine."

"Do you, who started this whole thing, have the right to talk to me like that?!"

"Waaah, waaah." Ling Gong pretended to cry.

Lu Wenjun begged for mercy: "Please spare me, Lady Linggong..."

Ling Gong chuckled to herself and took out a large box.

"Now, let's reveal the correct answer: I'm here to play board games."

The box was printed with the Trista Academy's three-star emblem, and below it, in exaggerated artistic lettering, it read: "Reach the pinnacle of the secret realm with magic coins~ The battle for wealth among magicians!"

Mingxiao explained, "This is a board game designed by the master of the Contract Hall and the Earl. It's a bit like Monopoly. The game generates character cards based on the players' abilities, using the players' spells as special abilities. Then, while rolling the dice, you move across the squares to run random events. After completing a round, whoever has the most magic coins wins."

Lu Wenjun clicked his tongue: "This thing must be very expensive..."

“That’s why we came to the Contract Hall. You can play for 2 hours here for only 20 magic coins.” Ling Gong rubbed her hands together. “Not only does it offer remote battles on the forum, but it also provides spell rental services. If you don’t have any spells that are easy to earn money with, you can borrow them from the Contract Hall for only 50 magic coins for 2 hours.”

"Damn it, I was planning to study, but this thing sounds kind of interesting..."

Linggong extended a tempting invitation: "It supports up to 4 players in a single battle. Want to join?"

Pershka was the first to agree: "I won't lose in a battle of wits and tactics."

"I'm in." "It's been so long since I played this game~ Let me join too!"

And so, the game began!

·

The first step is to use a technique to create character cards.

By using the technique of "introspection" in a quiet room and focusing one's mind on the depths of one's soul, one can enter the "temple of the self" built by knowledge and magic.

The Self-Temple exists within the heart of every Spellcaster, a place to store primordial magic and spells. During the Heterodox Stage, everyone's Self-Temple is identical: a triangular prism-shaped structure built of translucent bricks, with three curved walls, but not yet fully constructed. Therefore, at this stage, the Self-Temple has no "ceiling," and the top is shrouded in a hazy light.

These translucent bricks that construct the temple are the magicians' primordial magic, that is, the knowledge and spells they have acquired. When the inner vision is complete, the magician's spirit will appear at the center of the building's ground floor, casting three reflections under the hazy light.

At the end of each reflection is a magic circle, which are the three free spell slots of the Sage of Words. The appearance of the magic circle changes according to the content of the spell. In Lu Wenjun's three magic circles, there is a silver spring, a small flying saucer and a burning pumpkin lantern, respectively, which correspond to the three spells he has currently learned.

Normally, the temple of a heretic would only contain these things. But during this internal inspection, Lü Wenjun discovered that a bridge-like golden light had appeared inside the temple.

This bridge of light is an extra aid provided by the Contract Hall; its power is needed for both adjusting and renting spells. Lu Wenjun tried to touch the bridge of light, and a projection of divine power popped up, displaying a dense array of rentable spells.