It's been a week since I left, and now, I'm just one day out from Suotuo City.
When I first began this journey, I expected to feel something—nerves, anticipation, anything. After all, this small city—nowhere near the grandeur of Heaven Dou—is where all the main players of Tang San's camp first came together.
But... nothing.
No excitement. No dread. Just cold calculation. Another step forward. I guess that brutal training Master put me through really worked, just as he intended.
So why am I heading there?
I don't need hidden weapons. I don't need Tang San's knowledge of immortal herbs—Grandpa Wudi already took care of that. His Tang Sect techniques are interesting, sure, but I've created enough of my own skills to counter them. As for his cultivation technique? Useless to me. With level 20 innate spirit power, I'm already fast enough.
So again—why?
To observe him.
To watch, to listen, to uncover the real thoughts hidden beneath that calm facade. If betrayal taught me anything, it's this: never trust the surface. Fafnir will reveal what lies in the dark recesses of his heart.
And if I deem him a threat... I'll kill him.
But that's still a long way off. For now, I'll focus on my own path.
One day left.
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The donghua didn't do this place justice.
This place is worse.
As I stood in line with the other applicants, I took in the so-called Shrek Academy—a crumbling gate, a hanging sign barely clinging to life, and that ridiculous phrase scrawled across it in fading ink:
"Spirit Masters who dare not cause trouble are not good Spirit Masters."
Idiotic.
The fact that I once thought that was cool makes me want to jump off a cliff.
If Byakko saw that phrase, he'd probably tear the whole place down and bury it six feet under—especially after his battle with Er Ming and Da Ming.
"Next."
A lazy voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I looked down to find an old man slouched behind a desk. His tone was bored, uninterested, until his eyes met mine. He gestured toward a sign: Ten gold coins for testing, and nodded at the basket beside it.
I sighed, pulled the money from my pocket, and tossed it in. No way I was revealing my storage necklace in front of everyone.
"You arm."
Instead, I raised my leg and rested it on the table.
Before he could speak, I cut in. "The skin on my hands is too hardened from training. You won't be able to test my bone age through them."
He blinked, mildly surprised, then pinched the skin on my calf and nodded. "Under twelve. Good. Place your hand on the crystal to test your spirit power."
"No need."
I let my spirit power surge outward. The pressure hit like a crashing wave, cold and suffocating.
The Evil attribute was different. It was inherently stronger then any other, the only counter to it being the holy attribute that only the Seraphim possessed to my knowledge. My spirit ancestor-level power, with it's enhancement, felt more like that of a spirit emperor. And considering his martial spirit was dragon-related, he likely felt as though a mountain had been dropped on his back.
He jumped back, eyes wide, sweat rolling down his temples. His chair toppled behind him as he instinctively summoned his martial spirit, revealing five spirit rings.
Not quite a spirit emperor yet, huh.
"Who are you?" he asked, his earlier laziness gone, replaced by tension.
"Just someone applying to your academy," I said, expression flat. "Now put away your martial spirit before I take it as an act of aggression."
"Listen to him, Brother Yusong. There's no need for violence."
A new voice said from above.
A figure descended from the sky, landing between us. The man had greying hair and a thick beard that covered most of his face. His sharp eyes studied me from behind rectangular glasses that slipped down a hooked nose.
"May I ask who you are, young master?" he said. "You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"I'm not."
His stance eased slightly, though caution still lingered in his eyes.
"Then... would you mind showing me your martial spirit? It's clearly causing quite a stir."
It wasn't his words that unsettled me—it was the emotion behind them.
Greed.
It radiated off him like heat from a forge. But I'd reserve judgment—for now.
I raised my hand. The moment my spirit responded, a roar erupted, shaking the air.
A pitch-black dragon shimmered into view behind me—Fafnir. His scales glistened like obsidian in the sun, and his burning eyes locked onto the man's face, making him flinch.
Then their gazes dropped to my spirit rings.
The jaws of the two men practically hit the floor. They stood frozen, their eyes locked onto my spirit rings as if hypnotized.
"At less than twelve?!" Yusong blurted out in shock.
That single exclamation was all it took for Flender's greed to flare back to life.
"An eleven-year-old Spirit Ancestor... with a never-before-seen martial spirit that exudes this kind of pressure... and even a black fourth spirit ring!" he exclaimed, his voice practically singing with joy. "Heaven has truly blessed my academy today. You, young man, are a true monster!"
Despite the praise, my expression didn't change. My face remained flat, calm—the same mask I always wore when dealing with strangers or people I didn't particularly care for.
"Am I accepted or not?"
"Of course, of course!" Flender said with a hearty chuckle. "Follow me. As the dean—and one of your future teachers—I'll personally give you a tour of our humble academy. Ah, and to think—I never even asked your name."
"Siegfried."
"Segfryd?"
His mispronunciation made me wince. I suppressed a sigh and corrected him with a quiet grumble.
"Just Sieg is fine, Dean."
"Flender. It's a pleasure to welcome you to Shrek Academy, Sieg."
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I'm done.
So tired.
Living in the forest, where my only conversation partners were a grumpy tiger and a literal god, made me forget how exhausting it is to deal with people.
Guess my introverted personality didn't magically fix itself after all.
The tour of the academy was… interesting. I suppose that's the right word.
Flender proudly introduced me to all of Shrek Academy's "facilities." There was a small dining hall, a set of dorms, and an open clearing they called the training field.
That was it.
After living in the number one sect in the continent and training in the Moon Pavilion, I couldn't help but mentally compare the buildings to rundown storage units.
Still, the visit wasn't a complete waste. What made it worthwhile were the people.
The teachers were cordial enough. Smiles, polite words, a little too much enthusiasm. I didn't even need to use Fafnir's abilities to feel the excitement buzzing off them like flies to honey.
Zhao Wuji, in particular, was so hyped he actually asked me to become his disciple. His face when I declined—telling him I already had a master—was almost comical. He sulked in a corner for the rest of the meeting like a kicked dog.
Then came the interesting part: meeting two of the so-called Shrek Seven Devils.
Oscar was still an innocent kid. A spirit master at level 16, he followed me and Flender around like a curious puppy, asking question after question about my martial spirit, my cultivation level, and even my training methods.
Honestly? He was refreshing.
Polite, focused, and full of genuine curiosity. Not at all like the flirty, shameless Oscar from the donghua. He even looked me in the eye and told me, with no hint of irony, that he'd reach my level one day.
I didn't laugh.
Not because I believed him, but because I saw the fire in his eyes.
Ma Hongjun was another surprise. His evil fire was still there, coiled and dangerous beneath his skin, but he had only just awakened his martial spirit. Barely seven years old, not even chubby yet.
He was surprisingly disciplined for a child afflicted by such a spirit. Instead of feeding the flames with vice, he was suppressing them through pure physical effort—exercises, training, meditation. No brothels. No indulgence.
He still radiated a strange kind of heat, like he was fighting a war inside his own body… but he was trying.
So how did these two bright, driven kids become the versions of themselves I saw in the future?
What happened?
What changed?
...Sigh.
No matter. I'll think about that another time.
Right now, I need to cultivate.
This is the start of something new—and I'm going to use this opportunity to the fullest.
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Author's Note:
And so, we begin Volume 3: The Return.
I feel like this was a solid introductory chapter to Shrek Academy and the characters you'll see more of going forward. Don't worry—both the teachers and students like Oscar and Hongjun will continue to appear and develop through future interactions with the MC. This was just the opening taste.
The next chapter will actually shift focus a bit. It won't center around the MC, but rather give some time to Flender and, of course, his dear old friend. Think of it more as a reaction chapter rather than one that pushes the main plot forward. Still, I promise it'll be worth the read.
Now, onto something a bit more fun—looks like we're officially going the harem route!
Overwhelmingly, most of you want the MC to have a happy ending, so I've decided to go with a harem setup, but one with only two female leads. I've already picked them out, and their arcs will be meaningful—no throwaway additions just for the sake of numbers.
Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts now that we've wrapped two volumes. I know my volumes aren't the longest, but I try to pack them with the right pacing, character growth, and narrative weight. Let me know how you're feeling about the story so far!
One last bit of news for those waiting on my Danmachi fic: I've decided to release it once I have 5 to 7 chapters done instead of the originally planned 10. That way, you'll get a chance to vote on the first Familia member sooner. So if you're excited for that, it's coming soon—just hang tight.
That's all for now. As always, thank you for your support and engagement.
See you in the next chapter!