Chapter 32: Pearl Academy

The Wolf Beast raised its head to the sky and let out a long howl. The roar echoed throughout the training room, as a beastly aura transformed into a blood-red whirlwind, ruffling the fur on the Wolf Beast's body.

Clearly, it was on the verge of success!

The Wolf Beast roared a second time.

This time, a stronger wave of energy surged out, hidden behind the previous one. This new wave was unmistakably at the level of a combat general!

In an instant, the Wolf Beast grew to five meters in length. It perfectly inherited all the traits of the Inferno Howling Wolf species.

Combat general-level creatures typically have the strength to take on multiple intermediate mages, so summoner students with a general-level beast would hold a considerable advantage over their peers. Furthermore, with the Inferno Howling Wolf being part of a higher-tier wolf bloodline, Mo Fan's combat abilities were significantly boosted.

After some testing, Mo Fan even realized that his newly evolved Inferno Howling Wolf could hold its own against him, although only because Mo Fan wasn't fighting seriously. If he were to unleash his full strength, the Inferno Howling Wolf would still fall short.

Nonetheless, the wolf's loyalty remained unwavering.

After the Inferno Howling Wolf's evolution, Mo Fan had no time to rest and immediately headed back to the Magic City. Classes started on September 1st, the official beginning of the new school year.

Mo Fan returned the day before and settled into his dorm after finding his room.

Pearl Academy has two campuses: one for first-year students and initial-level seniors called the Pearl Green Campus, and another for those who have advanced to the middle-tier, known as the Pearl Main Campus.

The Main Campus is the academy's true heart, where talented young mages from across the country gather, making it a highly competitive place.

The Green Campus, on the other hand, is more accommodating, housing all the new students and those who haven't reached the middle-tier yet.

Although Mo Fan's strength was sufficient to qualify for the Main Campus, academy rules are rules. Regardless of how powerful he was, he still had to spend his first year at the Green Campus.

Early in the morning, just as Mo Fan was getting up to brush his teeth, a strikingly handsome man entered. He had semi-curled, slightly wavy hair and a princely face straight out of a fairy tale. He was dressed in a simple white sports outfit.

Mo Fan couldn't help but curse inwardly: "This guy, Zhao Manyan, is totally the protagonist of some wish-fulfillment novel!"

Even though Zhao Manyan often ended up as the one being looked down upon in school and wasn't very successful with the ladies, he was like a human cheat code—without the usual flaws of arrogance or excessive self-righteousness.

In fact, when it came to women, it wasn't always about status or power. Zhao Manyan was that "refreshingly unique" guy who, out of 365 days in the year, seemed never to have a single idle moment.

"I thought I was the first to arrive. Let me introduce myself. I'm Zhao Manyan, specializing in Light Magic." Zhao Manyan said with a warm smile, looking very friendly.

"I'm Mo Fan." Mo Fan replied, keeping his introduction brief.

Upon hearing Mo Fan's response, Zhao Manyan sighed and said, "Oh, so you're in the Summoning department. It looks like that senior wasn't wrong; our dorm must be a mixed-department dorm."

The dorm could house six people, and typically, the academy would group students from the same department together for easier communication. However, since the number of students in each department didn't always neatly divide into six, some dorms ended up being mixed.

"Well, Mo Fan, I have a lunch date with that senior. See you later." Zhao Manyan said nonchalantly, not seeming to mind.

Watching Zhao Manyan's suave departure, Mo Fan couldn't help but feel a little envious. Some people had to risk their lives fighting monsters just to grow stronger, like himself.

Then there were people like Zhao Manyan, who lived in luxury, seemingly effortlessly attracting women, and yet managed to become quite strong, even if not exceptionally so.

If he could, Mo Fan wouldn't mind diving into that kind of life himself.

Not long after Zhao Manyan left, two more students entered the dorm. They didn't seem particularly sociable, nor did they greet Mo Fan, instead focusing on setting up their own beds.

Mo Fan didn't mind. Unlike Zhao Manyan, these two weren't worth paying much attention to. He was glad not to be bothered.

Later in the afternoon, a tall, slender man with red hair walked in. His fiery appearance left no doubt that he was a Fire Magic user. He strode into the dorm with the confidence of someone inspecting his domain.

"Whose bed is this?" the red-haired guy asked, pointing at a bed.

"Mine." Mo Fan answered, walking in from the balcony.

"What's your specialty?" the red-haired student asked.

"Summoning." Mo Fan replied.

The once arrogant fire mage immediately toned down his attitude.

"And what about that bed?" the red-haired guy pointed to Zhao Manyan's bed.

Mo Fan didn't bother to answer. Why should he? This guy was a mere initial-tier mage—someone Mo Fan didn't need to waste his time on.

Sensing Mo Fan's indifference, the red-haired student didn't push further, realizing he couldn't gauge Mo Fan's true strength.

However, one of the other students, seemingly more observant, explained that the bed belonged to a Light Magic user.

Upon learning that it was just a light mage—a "walking flashlight" as they were often mockingly called—the fire mage unceremoniously tossed Zhao Manyan's belongings aside and claimed the bed for himself.

Mo Fan didn't care and left the dorm without a word.

After dinner, Mo Fan received a message telling him to report to his class for a new student meeting.

When he arrived at the designated classroom, there were only six people present. With Mo Fan, the group made seven. Soon, their department head, Jiang Yunming, arrived to conduct the meeting.

"The Summoning department is quite unique compared to other magic disciplines. The way you'll be studying here will be different too. Aside from a few essential classes each week, you'll mostly be left to your own devices, raising your summoned creatures. If you get bored, you can always sit in on other departments' classes." Jiang Yunming said, getting straight to the point.

"Our academy has a special welcoming event for summoning students that you'll soon have to face. This is the first major challenge ahead of you, and the top two performers will receive a bottle of Beast Blood." Jiang Yunming continued.

However, as he mentioned this, a hint of resignation appeared on his face.

(End of Chapter)