The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

“I’d like to switch with Faris; he seems much more relaxed.”

"Easy my foot! I haven't gotten out of bed for two days!" Faris shouted from his wheelchair. "Seriously, when you made that stupid plan, did you really not consider how far I'd have to run?!"

Lieutenant General Faris gave his all in this battle. He was first responsible for opening the door in the deepest part of the forest, and then he had to run to the trap location to take charge of the spirit trap. Although Lu Wenjun had arranged for him to rent a magical device for transportation along the way, that thing was destroyed by his familiars after only a few minutes of use.

Therefore, Faris overcame most of the distance by "running desperately"...

This was actually the biggest flaw in the operation, because if Faris hadn't been able to activate the Spirit Ground in time, the Ling Bow's spells wouldn't have been able to be chained together, and the second half of the operation would have been a complete disaster.

"Well, how should I put it, it must have been very hard work for you, Faris."

"No, how could I possibly compare to you?"

Miss Linggong sat in the armchair, her eyes almost lifeless. The severe depletion of her magic had left her listless, while the absorption of more fire element had brought about a significant change in her appearance: she now had long, fiery red hair.

Her eyes were lifeless: "The professor said it will take at least half a month to recover naturally... half a month..."

Lu Wenjun comforted her, "Looking at it this way, it's quite fashionable, isn't it? It has the style of a female protagonist from a galgame in the early 2000s."

"I don't want to become that kind of weird style! Wenjun, you really are a homebody!"

"What do you mean, 'otaku' and I'm a nerd! I am a nerd!"

"Quiet down, my head hurts so much..." Pershka groaned.

She was banging her head against the wall repeatedly, and the beast witches, now just blurry silhouettes, all looked at her with pity. The true witch, who prided herself on her magical power, was experiencing the feeling of magical exhaustion for the first time in her life. Having no experience whatsoever, her reaction was exceptionally strong, her face contorted in agony.

“Don’t make a fuss. Drink some centaur milk and rest for a couple of days, and you’ll recover quickly,” Lü Wenjun said. “Look how normal I am.”

"Shut up, mummy..."

Lu Wenjun lay peacefully on the hospital bed, his whole body wrapped in bandages. He was practically ready to be dressed as a pharaoh in a golden coffin.

The result of running the entire course was that almost every muscle and bone in his body was overworked, and his magic power was naturally severely depleted. Even the battle-hardened school doctor exclaimed that the young man was incredibly brave, pushing himself to the brink of death just to take an exam.

"Honestly, I just don't understand. Why is it that after fighting like this, all the injuries are just 'dislocated bones and strained muscles'?" Faris clicked his tongue in amazement. "How did you even dodge that last Chika? I've wanted to ask this for a while now, are all your melee-type movement techniques this powerful?"

“I think the vast majority of warriors wouldn’t be able to do it,” Versa said. “None of the mages would either.”

Lu Wenjun shifted to the lower half of the hospital bed: "It's alright... because although the flowers are dense, they are very large, making them easier to dodge than bullets."

“What do you mean, ‘fucking easier to dodge than a fucking bullet’?” Faris said.

“It’s not difficult at all; even a junior high school student could do it with some training,” said Lü Wenjun. “My dad used to take me to do this kind of special training during winter and summer vacations… Once, we had to dodge a sniper shot in an avalanche environment, which was very similar to this situation.”

Lu Wenjun smiled nostalgically, "Even I thought Dad went too far that time, and we had a big argument. Looking back now, I should really thank him."

Pershka felt her head throb even more: "Are all outsiders like this?"

Faris shook his head repeatedly and said sincerely, "I think it's just that the Lu family is sick."

·

And so, another day later.

The warriors, each with their own tragic stories, were finally discharged from the hospital. All the first-year students gathered in the auditorium, their faces a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Even Lü Wenjun felt his heart pounding in his chest, the tension even greater than before his battle with the gods…

Today is the day the exam results are announced.

Centered around Professor Ji Chuanjun, the teachers from various subjects sat down at the long table. Professor Ji held a scroll of bamboo slips, on which each student's grades and rankings were written. She slowly unrolled the scroll, and the students' hearts were in their throats.

"Given the unique format of this midterm exam, the school has decided, after careful consideration, not to evaluate each subject's score separately, but to treat the entire exam as a single test, with a maximum score of 100. The specific scores and rankings are as follows."

Bill looked at the taller students behind him and spoke first: "The vanguard group of 44 people bravely took the lead and laid the foundation for victory, showing commendable courage. They score 90 points."

Cheers erupted from the back of the auditorium, and the Red and Blue Ghost brothers jumped up excitedly, patting each other on the shoulder.

Earl Welton smiled and replied, "The 46-man sniper team made good use of their skills and fought flexibly, successfully delaying the god's actions. Rating: 90."

Tia and the other monsters stood up and applauded in surprise. Most of them were girls with poor physical strength and did not expect to receive such an excellent evaluation.

Merdin maintained his indifferent tone: "The 33 trainees in the trap group spent most of their time waiting, and couldn't wait to leave after using their spells. Such behavior hardly qualifies as courage, let alone wisdom."

Most of the trap group looked just as pale as the God of Wisdom, while Faris wore the expression one would have when called upon to answer a question in a Druid class.

Merding then changed the subject: "But considering that you all taught the otherworldly god a lesson, I'll give you 90 points."

The freshmen erupted in thunderous cheers, and Ariel nearly fainted with joy. Faris shook Lu Wenjun beside him vigorously: "Holy crap, did you hear that? I got a 90 too!"

“I think you deserve a higher score,” Lü Wenjun said sincerely.

"To hell with rankings! Everyone doing well is what truly matters!" Faris cheered. "The floodgates are open! Hooray!"

This will likely be a day that goes down in the school's history. Not only did every first-year student not fail any courses, but they all achieved a score of 90, a remarkable feat in Trista, a school known for its rigorous academics. This achievement is so impressive that it deserves to be included in each of their resumes, and will undoubtedly be a shining point that will make them highly sought after, no matter where they go or what job they do after graduation.

The auditorium was in complete chaos, and Ji Chuanjun had to knock on the table several times to restore silence.

Tuliman said with a smile, "At the same time, there are also several students whose outstanding performances deserve our attention and time."

"Mr. Goodfelix opened the temple gates, which was key to the plan's success. But I think his performance afterward was even more noteworthy—he crossed the battlefield alone to reach the agreed location, proving that he had not betrayed his friend's trust. His overall score is 97 points."

Faris jumped to his feet, mouth agape, completely bewildered. Lu Wenjun slapped his arm hard: "What did I tell you?!"

"Wow..." His voice shrilly, "Wow! Wow!!"

Tuliman looked at the other man: "Mr. Velsa shattered the gods' defenses. Without his valiant fight, all subsequent plans would have been futile. He was qualified to make his final appearance, but chose to remain silent for a greater chance of success. That quality is called responsibility. 98 points."

Vilsa raised his right arm, and the vanguard rushed to embrace him. Lü Wenjun cheered, genuinely happy for his friend, even forgetting the nervousness he felt before the start.

Ten'in Reige gestured for everyone to be quiet and said, "Learning to restrain pride is a form of growth. Geniuses can shine even without the spotlight. Using the Phantom Army to cover the vanguard, using the cold wind to conceal the ambush, and supplying magic power to allow the final strike to be delivered. In this relay race, she didn't take the baton at all, yet she helped everyone complete the entire journey. Pershika Nacht Holler, 99 points."

Pershka snorted: "This time it's just me repaying a favor, but next time it won't be second place anymore."

The tension returned, and Lü Wenjun started biting his nails: "It can't be three 99s, can it? No way, no way..."

Ling Ge continued, "Do not rejoice excessively in good times, nor be discouraged by adversity. The magic array that sealed away all the gods proved your talent, and the strategy of overall planning demonstrated your wisdom. Please maintain this spirit of daring to persevere in the flames, and your future will be unobstructed. Ten'in-in Reiko, 99 points."

Linggong shook her bright red head: "It feels so good to be praised!"

Pershka curled her lip: "This person offers absolutely no surprises..."

"I deserve it."

“I think being tied for first place counts as first, right?” Lü Wenjun’s thumbnail was almost worn down. “There’s no reason why it shouldn’t count, right? Preventing me from sending a letter for this reason is just being difficult, isn’t it? I’m saying…”

He shut his mouth because Ling Ge stopped speaking, but Ji Chuanjun spoke.

"In the previous campaign, everyone did their best. But one person's strength is limited, and there is no such thing as perfection in the world. Therefore, regardless of the results, there are always shortcomings."

"However, there was a magician who was well-versed in this art. Knowing that manpower was limited and that one person could not hold up the battle alone, he personally organized the troops for this mission. He stabilized morale and strategized from the rear, while facing the formidable enemy head-on on the front lines, daring to be the first to act. He deceived the gods with his own strength and seized the final opportunity for victory."

"Several of the times he took risks, and the outcome was far from perfect. But it was he who guided the many shortcomings to complement each other, ultimately piecing together this incredible and perfect ending. Even someone as demanding as me cannot find fault with it."

She looked up and smiled: "Lü Wenjun scored 100 points and is awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award by the College. Let us congratulate Mr. Lü on winning first place in this exam."

"—"

Lu Wenjun had forgotten what he was saying; his mind was blank. He only remembered jumping around excitedly, laughing until his voice was hoarse. Everyone came over to congratulate him and celebrate, even the teachers behind the long table smiled.

The auditorium was filled with a joyful atmosphere, as if the world was spinning in colorful bubbles.

This was the best day he had ever had since becoming a magician.

Ji Chuanjun had to raise her voice because even she couldn't stop the freshmen from making noise this time.

"Finally, unfortunately, I have some bad news to announce."

From Lü Wenjun down, everyone stared at her in horror. Ji Chuanjun's voice was extremely stern.

"In this midterm exam, one member performed extremely poorly. Due to a loss of rationality, he squandered his power and damaged the public property of the Great Mythic+; he was unfamiliar with basic spells and did not understand magical theory, wasting opportunities to turn the tide; he was deceived several times and willingly walked into traps, lacking the basic qualities of a modern mage."

"After considering her performance throughout the entire exam, we have to declare her the only member who failed. As punishment, she will be a transfer student and will study alongside the other new students. We hope that all of you will provide her with support and encouragement to help her quickly grow into a qualified magician."

An unfamiliar face walked up the steps with an embarrassed smile. It was a quiet, long-haired girl, wearing a tailor-made school uniform, with a slender figure like a willow branch.

She had emerald green hair, like leaves in early summer.

"My name is Kujiki Chiki, and my race is the God of Wood. Starting today, I will be studying with all the first-year students."

She bowed deeply to the audience and said with a smile.

"Thank you so much everyone!"

·

“I’m telling you, I was really scared just now,” Lü Wenjun said. “I thought she was going to announce any second that she would give us another written test to balance the scores because the grading was too high.”

Ling Gong smiled wryly: "Professor Ji isn't some kind of demon..."

"Do you dare say she couldn't do it?"

"Ah, I wouldn't dare."

"right!"

They walked along the tree-lined path, the deep green leaves rustling, and fairies carrying paintbrushes flitting among the treetops.

With the gods defeated, the long summer is finally coming to an end. O'Para is full of energy, determined to make up for the lost autumn. In just a few days, the sweltering heat will dissipate, and golden autumn will arrive.

At this point, the weariness of summer turned into reluctance. So Reiko suggested a walk in the woods to keep the last days of summer in mind.

Lu Wenjun munched on the pancake, still basking in the afterglow of the magic's exhaustion, and his earlier nervousness had caused him to experience a bit of low blood sugar.

Linggong sighed, "Looking back, it really wasn't easy!"

“Especially difficult for you, it’s amazing that you were able to persevere under those circumstances.”

"Thanks to Wenjun for helping to improve the design."

"I never expected you to come alone... The original plan was for the ranged team to provide mana together, okay? You said you were worried about insufficient output during the journey and insisted on coming alone. I really admire you." Lu Wenjun sighed, "Seriously, was it necessary to go to such lengths? Just because you're from the same hometown?"

"Hmm... because of my stubbornness, right?"

The girl smiled contentedly.

"I think the beauty of life lies in the right to choose. If you fall into evil because of your own choices, then there's nothing to say. But isn't it too tragic to strive and persevere, give your all, and then turn into a monster because of simple misfortune?"

She wiped her glasses with the corner of her clothes, her red hair falling down to conceal the expression in her eyes.

"There are already many unreasonable stories and many regrettable situations in reality... That's why I really hope that the stories I've personally experienced can have a happy ending."

"Such a classic romantic, no wonder she's a literary girl."

Lu Wenjun responded listlessly, letting out a large yawn. He felt a bit dizzy again after his emergency energy replenishment; the afternoon sun made his head throb. Seeing this, Ling Gong suggested they rest for a while; she was always a considerate girl.

They found an old tree, not as huge as the one that could be embraced by ten people. They simply sat under the tree and looked into the distance through the half-yellowed leaves.

"And what was the reason for Wenjun's [complaints]?"

Lu Wenjun casually replied, "It's that one. I'm a descendant of immortals and also the number one. Out of a sense of responsibility and competitive spirit that I thought I had..."

“Hmm~” Ling Gong made a strange muttering sound, “I thought we were close enough to listen to the truth.”

Lu Wenjun remained quiet for a while, then closed his eyes.

“If I didn’t have the ability, I wouldn’t want to get involved in this mess… but I believe I can save her, so there’s no reason not to do it.”

His voice was low, as if he were talking to himself.

"Being limited by ability and talent and unable to achieve anything is unavoidable. But if you have the ability and the opportunity, you should try to do your best. Even if you fail in the end, at least you tried."

"What kind of life is it if you don't even try? Besides..."

"Why can't I create miracles? I'm a genius magician!"

Lu Wenjun chuckled softly, whether in self-mockery or smugness was unclear. As he chuckled, he closed his eyes and fell peacefully asleep in the afternoon sunlight.

He was so exhausted that he became careless and made a mistake that shouldn't have happened. He fell sideways to the side, about to bump into Ling Gong next to him.

Linggong gently caught him and let him lean on her shoulder. She looked down at the sleeping young man, who had lost his genius and was now just an ordinary face before her.

"True love is about putting on a brave face."

Lü Wenjun was a clever fellow. But there was one thing that even he had remained unaware of.

—Tenkainin Reiyu possesses the ability to sense auras.

That wasn't magic, but rather the fox spirit's talent for manipulating humans, much like a sense of smell. Lingyu had always been adept at sensing the emotions and states of those around her, and on the train on the day she entered school, she sensed panic.

The boy who called himself an immortal was actually very scared. The feeling he had was like that of a child who had wandered into a wolf's den.

Was she unprepared? Was she framed? Did something go wrong? This piqued her curiosity, and she approached the immortal under the guise of cooperation, wanting to see his true face.

As a result, he spoke fluently and confidently. His confident expression betrayed no trace of his inner trembling.

She was genuinely surprised at that moment.

The unease did not diminish in the slightest, yet he still acted decisively. Planning, fighting, winning, laughing and joking, radiant with confidence. It's as if a person can have two completely different sides; beneath an all-powerful exterior lies a timid heart.