Chapter 1053: Chapter 22: New Year Approaches
Alchemy still requires time to consolidate, but Lu Li is ready to face the Level 1 trial of Weird Knowledge Study—even if he fails, the prerequisite of the Level 2 Weird Knowledge Study won’t affect his progress.
At noon, Lu Li and six students participating in the trial enter the classroom and begin the Level 1 trial under the supervision of the Gatekeeper.
[Ghosts in the Four Major Systems can advance to ____]
[Evil spirits hunt according to ____ rules]
[The commonality between evil spirits and evil entities is ____]
Basic knowledge similar to that of Mysticology, with some overlap.
The goose feather pen inscribed answers on the parchment: wraiths, evil spirits; ritual; ritual, continuing with the subsequent fill-in-the-blank questions.
From the middle to later part of the parchment, the difficulty of the questions advanced, covering not only basic knowledge. For instance, the choice question about the source of worms and the Weird Leader that occupied Conrad Town.
The former is already an ally of Lu Li, while the latter is highlighted in a book called “Lost Territory.”
Conrad Town was once one of the tentacles extending eastward from the Dark Wilderness, a bridgehead reaching outward. But at its inauguration, it sparked a strange uprising, with anomalies from the eastern wilderness rushing into the Spirit Town, tearing apart the divinity and occupying the town.
The surging onslaught of anomalies continued to strike the Dark Wilderness, eventually being blocked by the mutual support of three Spirit Towns in Conrad Town’s rear, preventing a catastrophic collapse of humanity.
After this, it became the closest Weird Town to human territory. Before the darkness of the Unknown Lands arrived, people contemplated reclaiming Conrad Town, fearing it would spark new uprisings.
Ultimately, with the arrival of darkness, all such ideas were extinguished in the primordial darkness, and humanity retreated into Spirit Towns and underground.
Selecting the Eye Demon Worm and Chaotic Hive, Lu Li faced the final question of the Level 1 trial of Weird Knowledge Study.
[Write down what you know about the habits and structure of the ghoul clans]
The first part of Lu Li’s “Strange Community Atlas” contains a detailed description of ghoul clans.
The book, which should be on the third floor of the library, is temporarily shelved due to severe knowledge pollution. It can be reopened once the pollution is resolved, or Lu Li’s humanity can resist the pollution.
After completing the final question, Lu Li, having finished checking, submitted the parchment and left the Weird Knowledge Study classroom early.
At the corridor corner, Lu Li encountered Fudote walking towards him. She unexpectedly seemed flustered, hastily explaining, “I just happened to pass by, not waiting for you on purpose!” and quickly left.
Soon after, footsteps returned.
“Not following you either!”
The girl pretended to be haughty, said again, and left.
In the afternoon, Lu Li only chose the Inside World Course for electives, spending the rest of the time reviewing Otherworld Study knowledge—for Lu Li had chosen the trial for Otherworld Study the next day.
As evening approached, students who finished the last class trickled out to the hall for dinner.
In the dormitory, Lu Li opened Alchemy after breaking away from the chaotic Otherworld Study.
Excessive exposure to certain knowledge can lower the Sanity Value, but this can recover with rest, staying in bright or lively environments, or generating positive emotions.
Lu Li chose to recover sanity with Alchemy.
With “From Beginner to Alchemist,” Lu Li went to the hall.
The bustling atmosphere and aroma of food did indeed relax the mind.
Dogmeat seemed to have been there for a while, as the plates beside him were stacked three layers high.
Fudote propped her chin, idly stirring the lotus soup with the other hand, pretending not to pay attention but stealing glances.
“Are you preparing for Alchemy?”
After receiving confirmation from Lu Li, she put down her spoon and proudly said, “My cousin told me the Level 1 trial of Alchemy is harder than the Level 2 trial, but I find both easy.”
“You’re at Level 2 Alchemy?” Dogmeat lifted his food-smeared face in astonishment.
“…Not yet, but I already passed the Level 1 trial of Mysticology!”
“Oh.”
Hailing from the slums, Dogmeat held a natural reverence for Alchemy. As for Mysticology? Was that kind of all-around a hard thing to learn?
Fudote was displeased with Dogmeat’s attitude, but with Level 1 Mysticology, there wasn’t much to show off. She could only mock Dogmeat for not even reaching Level 1 in Mysticology.
“Hagrid said my talent is better suited to Alchemy, but it’s too hard…” Dogmeat drooped his head in dejection.
Many students knew the boy, who constantly ate, was illiterate, so studying Alchemy would only bring pain and torment. Fudote considered a possibility: “Because of your talent?”
“Yes, I can smell scents.”
Theoretically speaking, talents involving secrets shouldn’t be revealed, but in the human world environment, the atmosphere in the Tree Crown Area is the best, and students find it hard to maintain caution and vigilance consistently. Professors also encourage students to befriend one another.
“More subtle scents?” Fudote found Dogmeat’s candor complex, although she knew it was only because he was too foolish.
“What does subtle mean?” Dogmeat muttered, “I can smell pollution and every kind of scent.”
“Like Lu Li, he started to smell bad a few days ago, but now he smells better than before.”
With those words, the sounds of many sniffing surrounded Lu Li.
Fudote’s nose twitched, but she held back from sniffing like the students around her.
“What’s your talent?” Dogmeat’s question drew her attention away.
Fudote proudly lifted her chin: “It’s the Lins Family bloodline, which will make me the best Mysticology witch.”
The looks directed at Fudote’s surroundings turned into awe and complexity.
Bloodline power, Lu Li saw it described at the end of “Introduction to Mysticism.”
The offspring of humans who gain mysterious powers for various reasons inherit these powers from their descendants, known as bloodline power.
The Lins Family is one of them.
But humanity knows little about bloodline power, and benefits and drawbacks can’t be ascertained. Even families and lineages that had offspring at the start of the Weird Times now are at most only three generations. More information is difficult to determine.
Perhaps the ancient bloodline families of the Old Era knew more, only they hid themselves too deeply—or weren’t recorded, at least not in introductory books like “Introduction to Mysticism.”
“Are there anomalies in the canopy layer…” asked a student in a small voice beside Dogmeat.
“No. The academy is the cleanest place I’ve seen!” Dogmeat spoke with eyes seemingly alight. Unknown whether it was from seeing the chicken leg platter or his fondness for Giant Tree Academy.
Two students passed by from the hallway behind, holding elegantly wrapped gift boxes with ribbons. Lu Li caught bits of their conversation, including words like New Year and gifts.
Lu Li realized there were only five days until the New Year.
It’s his first New Year in this world in the year 24.
The Weird Times inherited the festivals of the old calendar.
The next morning, Lu Li received news that he passed the Level 1 trial of Weird Knowledge Study.
And Giant Tree Academy also started preparing for the approaching New Year.