"I don't want to be the head of the Cat Academy anymore," Master Shiva said quietly.
Alan's heart sank, and he quickly urged her to take back the token.
"Teacher! You're in your prime. It's too early to retire!"
"You're the backbone of the Cat Academy. We can't live without you!"
Shiva waved his hand, coldly interrupting him.
"I'm tired. I don't want to be bothered."
"With great power comes great responsibility!" Alan urged. "Teacher, you can't shirk your responsibilities just because of a momentary impulse!"
"Hmph! If you say that, I'm even less qualified to be the head of the Cat Academy."
Master Shiva pouted, a look of willfulness on his face.
Alan frowned secretly.
Could it be that his frivolous behavior had so deeply hurt the teacher's heart that she decided to retire? "Teacher, after you resign as the abbot, what are your plans...?"
"After you resign as the abbot of the Cat Monastery..."
Master Shiva's tense face suddenly broke into a wide, mischievous smile.
"I'm going to be the abbot!"
Alan was stunned.
It took him a moment to realize he'd been tricked by the mischievous teacher!
Resisting the urge to rub her face, Alan forced a fawning smile.
"...Teacher, you are wise! Teacher, you are mighty!"
"People strive for heights, and water flows to the bottom!"
"How can we, sparrows, understand the aspirations of the teacher!"
"At Silver Moon Monastery, who else but you can be the abbot?!"
...
Bear Monastery.
The chapel where the shrine is enshrined.
The air was filled with incense, a solemn and solemn atmosphere. The elders of the Bear Courtyard were worshipping the statue of Bailado, the "God of the Earth" and "Father Bear."
Bang!
The door suddenly flung open!
A tall, handsome young man, wearing a red armband, strode in.
"What are you looking at? Checking the hygiene!"
"Did you sort the wet and dry garbage carefully?"
"You! How many days have you not washed your hair? It's overgrown with weeds!"
"Failed personal hygiene! Fifteen points deducted!"
"It's Brother 'Koala' Baker! That's all right!"
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Allen walked straight to the shrine.
Holding up the statue of Bailado, the bear-headed deity with a human body.
"Stop!"
A white-haired elder of the Bear Courtyard quickly stopped him.
"You clumsy boy, don't damage the statue!"
"What are you yelling about? Can't you see I'm checking the hygiene?"
Alan glared back.
"There's incense ash on the statue, and you didn't even wipe it off!"
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the bear statue in public.
Using the handkerchief to cover his face, a bone spur popped out from the palm of his left hand...
"You, boy, aren't you from the cat orchard?"
Another elder from the bear orchard, leaning on his cane, looked displeased, taking advantage of his seniority and scolding the young man.
"It's customary for the three hospitals to conduct spot checks on each other's hygiene, that's true."
"However, it's just a trivial matter, and it's pointless to take it too seriously."
"Young man, let me teach you some moral principles."
"Make a big deal small, and a small matter nothing."
"Just look out for each other, just go through the motions."
"You're fine, I'm fine, everyone's fine."
"You're so ignorant, you're taking a feather for granted!"
"I've never seen such an arrogant young man!"
"If I didn't know, I'd think you were the abbot!"
"Young man, don't get so angry!"
"Put down the statue and leave the chapel immediately!"
"Otherwise, I'll complain to Master Shiva, and you'll suffer!"
Alan sneered, not wanting to argue.
He simply took out his token and threw it over.
Snap!
The elder took the iron plate, glanced down, and his expression suddenly changed.
"Ahem..."
After two dry coughs, the elder calmly changed his tone.
"In this world, the most important thing is to be serious."
"Cleaning may be a small matter, but it shouldn't be neglected!"
"If you can't even maintain personal hygiene, how can you achieve great things?"
"Elder Panthers, your criticism of the hygiene conditions in our bear academy is spot-on. It's worth reflecting deeply, friends!"
At first, the surrounding bear academy elders disagreed.
However, upon seeing the identity token representing the head of the cat academy, their protests died down.
"Koala" Baker retreated to a corner and pulled out a small mirror and a comb.
Looking in the mirror, he plucked the weeds from his hair and combed his messy hair into place.
Alan's sworn brother, Adam, was also a newly appointed elder in the Bear Courtyard.
He walked forward with a beaming smile.
He put his arm around Alan's shoulders and whispered in his ear.
Alan nodded reluctantly, put down the statue, and turned to leave.
Adam breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to the elders and smiling:
"It's all right! It's all right!"
"My sworn brother, you're still reasonable."
"After this surprise hygiene inspection, our Bear Courtyard should at least be rated 'good'!"
"Going forward, have the disciples be more diligent, or we'll embarrass ourselves!"
Everyone felt relieved after hearing his words.
It seemed Alan wasn't just some naive young man.
Getting close to him and building a friendship was working!
Not long after, the same scene unfolded again in the Pig Courtyard.
Actually, the hygiene at the Bear Yard was quite good.
In comparison, the Pig Yard was truly filthy!
It wasn't much better than a pigsty!
Everyone in the Pig Yard knew the situation on their side.
They surrounded Alan with smiles, asking him to be flexible.
Out of respect for his sworn brother, Adam, and his good friend, "Electric Pig" Hogg, Alan reluctantly gave the Pig Yard a passing grade.
He also picked up the statue of the "Pig Elder" and examined it.
After leaving the Pig Yard, Alan opened the system page.
Immediately, two notifications popped up.
Ding Ding—
"Consume special ingredient: Divinely Infused Bone Marrow (Bear Statue)!"
"Potential +3!"
"Spirit +1!" "
Ding ding—
"Consume special ingredients: Divinely Infused Bone Marrow (Pig Statue)!
"Potential +3!"
"Spirit +1!"
Current Attributes: Constitution 43, Agility 29, Spirit 51
Potential Reserve: 11 points
Alan smiled faintly and closed the system page.
Integrating the seventh-level "Soul-Calming Meditation" had consumed a significant amount of potential.
Alan desperately needed to make some extra money to replenish his health!
So, he set his sights on the statues enshrined in the Bear and Pig Yards.
Using the pretext of a surprise hygiene inspection, he approached the statues of "Father Bear" and "Elder Pig" up close, seizing the opportunity to acquire potential.
Alan's next stop was the Heritage Pavilion.
The thought of the injection made him a little nervous.
"Elder Panthers, what can I do for you?"
The administrator of the Heritage Pavilion, a bespectacled man, had a gentle smile.
"A second-level 'Wind Communication' awakening potion," Allen said.
"Wind Communication" transmission range = 10 kilometers x Spirit Attribute.
With the "Mystic Seal," the distance can be increased tenfold!
"Okay, please wait."
The bespectacled man turned and opened a drawer.
He took out a Wind Communication awakening potion and handed it to Allen.
"Anything else?" the administrator asked politely.
Alan pondered for a moment and then mentioned two martial arts he had long admired.
"Give me one each of 'Clairvoyance' and 'Vortex Dragon Claw' awakening potions."
The administrator was stunned for a moment, shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Sorry! Clairvoyance and Whirlwind Claw are both fifth-tier martial arts. Unless you've reached the fifth tier, you can't exchange them."
Alan frowned slightly.
"Are you, the elder of the monastery, not qualified to exchange for a fifth-tier martial art?"
The administrator adjusted the frame of his glasses, shrugged, and spread his hands.
"Sorry, elder, I'm not qualified!"
"Rules are rules. No one can break them."
"Hehe... unless you're the abbot."
Pa!
Alan slammed the cold iron token on the counter.
"So, with this, is that enough?"
The administrator looked down and jumped in shock!
"You... dared to steal the abbot's token?!"
"It's over! You're in big trouble!"
"Master Shiva, I will never forgive you!"
Alan sneered and waved his hand to signal that there was no need to make a fuss.
"This token was personally bestowed upon me by Master Shiva."
"From today on, I will be acting as the Head of the Cat Academy."
"How is that considered stealing? Can you speak?"
"Huh? Acting Head of the Cat Academy...?"
The administrator examined the token, confirming it wasn't a forgery.
He adjusted his glasses again, carefully observing Alan's expression.
There wasn't a trace of panic on the young man's face.
He didn't look like he was lying.
The administrator, doubtful, hurriedly sent a letter to Master Shiva.
Soon, Shiva replied, confirming what Alan had said and apologizing profusely.
"Elder Panthes! No, I should call you Master Panthes!"
"Please forgive my inattention!"
Alan waved his hand, indicating no need for formalities.
"Uncle, with this token, is it enough to redeem a fifth-level martial skill in advance?"
"Of course!"
The bespectacled uncle turned and ran into the back room, rummaging through drawers.
When he returned, he had two fifth-level awakening potions in his hands.
"Clairvoyance" corresponds to the magic equivalent of "True Seeing."
After being enchanted, one can see through all illusions below level 9!
See through transformation magic.
Perceive dark enchantments created by magic!
"Vortex Dragon Claw" is a truly unique martial skill!
Magic power converges in the palm of the hand, forming a powerful gravitational vortex.
Drawing heavy objects from afar, it then sends them flying with a single blow.
The damage dealt is 50% more powerful than the equally fifth-level "Ice Soul Palm," and it deals "force field" damage.
Hit incorporeal monsters like ghosts and will-o'-the-wisp with unwavering accuracy!
Alan chose the Swirl Dragon Claw because of its gravitational field properties!
It's similar to a move from a previous anime, "Universal Heavenly Attraction."
The Swirl Dragon Claw's pulling distance depends on the Spirit Attribute.
Alan's current Spirit Attribute is 51.
Using the Swirl Dragon Claw, it can pull targets up to 510 meters away.
The Swirl Dragon Claw's gravitational load depends on the Physical Attribute.
Alan's Physical Attribute is 43.
Thus, using the Swirl Dragon Claw, it can lift objects up to 43 tons through the air!
Equivalent to a tank or heavy truck!
Grabbing a tank with one hand from over 500 meters away...
Alan gets excited just thinking about this scene!
For the next period of time, he planned to focus his main energy on cultivating the Whirlpool Dragon Claw.
Mastering this unique skill would not only directly enhance combat power, but also allow for the development of many ingenious tactics.
It could both control the situation and kill enemies!
…
One month later.
Silver Moon Secret Realm.
In the bamboo forest.
The autumn wind blew, and leaves fell like rain.
Alan performed the "Dancing in the Air" technique.
Flying through the forest like a gust of wind!
A small silver vortex swirled in each of Alan's palms.
Flying at high speed, with nowhere to rest.
The immense inertia made it difficult to turn.
Whenever he was about to collide with a bamboo, unable to dodge in time, he would unleash the power of the Whirlpool Dragon Claw.
Grabbing distant rocks through the air.
Puff!
The rock trembled slightly, scratches appearing on its surface.
Alan used the force to pull himself along, making a sharp turn.
With a critical moment, he narrowly avoided the bamboo blocking his path!
Aerial Dance + Whirlwind Dragon Claw
The clever combination of his physical skills and martial arts greatly enhanced Alan's high-speed aerial maneuverability!
Circling in the air.
Sudden stops and starts.
Right-angle changes of direction.
A variety of flying acrobatics, all expertly executed.
Swept through the dense forest without a single leaf touching him!
At this moment, a system notification suddenly rang in Alan's mind.
Beep—
"Do you want to spend 5 potential points to fuse the 2nd level 'Transformation', the 2nd level 'Phantom Step', and the 3rd level 'Aerial Dance' to deduce the 5th level unnamed teleportation secret technique?"
Alan landed in a clearing in the forest.
First, he checked his potential reserves; he still had 11 points.
Alan suddenly remembered that the Silver Moon Monastery possessed a 4th-tier teleportation technique called "Void Escape."
Its corresponding magical counterpart was the 4-ring "Anywhere Door."
Its maximum teleportation distance was a full 400 meters!
The 5th-tier teleportation technique fused into the system would surely be far more powerful than "Void Escape," making it worth investing 5 potential points in.
Furthermore, the fused teleportation technique could serve as raw material for future fusions of even more powerful, higher-tier teleportation techniques.
Alan made up his mind and chose "Fusion."
Investing 5 potential points, he activated the system's high-speed deduction.
A moment later, the fusion result was obtained.
...
5th-tier Unnamed Teleportation Technique: Spend 12 mana points to teleport to a designated location.
Maximum teleportation distance = 100 kilometers x Spirit Attribute
Maximum teleportation load = Warlock Rank x 1 ton
Notes:
The teleportation landing point may have errors.
The degree of error depends on your familiarity with the location!
Attempting to teleport to a completely unfamiliar place may lead to unexpected risks!
…
After reading the introduction, Alan fell into deep thought.
First, this teleportation secret method is actually a martial arts version of the 5th-level "Teleport" spell.
It eliminates the need for spells and hand gestures, and costs one extra mana point.
Everything else is exactly the same.
For Alan, using this method, he can carry an additional 4 tons of weight, not just himself, up to 5,100 kilometers away.
The entire Warlock world, the islands on the sea, can be freely traveled!
However, teleportation also has its risks.
For example, you can directly teleport to a specific coordinate point on the map.
But what will happen at the landing point?
No idea!
Teleporting rashly and finding yourself in the crater of an erupting volcano or a monster's lair is no joke!
If you're not familiar with your destination and are afraid of hitting obstacles, you might want to cast the "Air Dance" spell before teleporting.
Teleporting to an open, high altitude is relatively safer.
Alan collected his thoughts.
He named this teleportation secret "Thousand Miles of Leisurely Garden."
Having mastered the long-range teleportation skill, Alan's mind couldn't help but stir.
After two years of seclusion in the secret realm, it was time to get out and about.
After the injection, Alan awakened the "Wind Signal" spell as he wished.
He sent a letter to his friends and family at the Warlock Academy.
Still no news from Ella.
Julie and Flint did write back to him.
In the letter, the Griffin siblings spoke about the war on the front lines, both seeming somewhat
Pessimistic.
The war between the North and South Federations has entered its second year.
A new force has emerged from the South Island Federation's enemy camp.
The Human Demon Cult is collaborating with the North Island Federation in an attempt to retake the secret Mushroom Garden.
The South Island Federation has dispatched a hundred sorcerers to guard the Mushroom Garden.
The captain and vice-captain are Pamela and Marvin, respectively.
Both have reached the late fourth stage of cultivation.
Julie and Feilin, along with their close friend Gluttony, have also been recruited by the academy to serve under Pamela.
As Feilin revealed in his letter, the war has continued to this day, and the South Island Federation has reached its limit.
In contrast, the enemy's power continues to grow.
If the war continues at this rate, the day of national destruction is not far off!
To combat the North Island Federation, the Beast Cult, and the Human-Demon Cult, the South Island Federation urgently needs strong external support!
To this end, Rear Admiral Wendy Randolph, who has recently been making a name for herself, has proposed sending a special envoy to the Silver Moon Monastery to request assistance.
The three ruling families of the South Island Federation are divided on this proposal.
The Randolph family supports the request for assistance.
In fact, without the Randolph family's involvement, Admiral Wendy's proposal would not have received the highest level of attention.
The Ganesha family, believing the Silver Moon Monastery to have ulterior motives and seeking to exploit misfortune, opposes co-opting this force.
The Russell family was initially vacillating.
However, as the battle situation on the front lines intensified, the Russell family could no longer hold back and expressed support for requesting assistance from the Silver Moon Monastery.
By a vote of two to one, the motion for assistance passed.
Shortly thereafter, a special envoy from the South Island Federation arrived on Silver Moon Island.
New developments had recently occurred within the Silver Moon Monastery.
Originally, the Bear, Pig, and Cat Houses each had a late-stage fifth-level chieftain, competing against each other.
However, with Master Shiva breaking through his bottleneck and ascending to a sixth-level sorcerer, becoming the new headmaster,
the balance among the three branches was disrupted.
The Cat House dominated, while the Bear and Pig Houses became supporting players.
As headmaster, Master Shiva had the final say on major decisions.
Masters Bachs and Varaha could only offer suggestions, ultimately relying on the younger sister's decision.
Master Shiva had no interest in intrigue or politics.
His pursuit of the headmastership and his condescension to receive the special envoy from the South were entirely for Allen.
Even the terms of cooperation offered to the special envoy were drafted by Allen.
Master Shiva was merely responsible for signing and endorsing them.
Allen's terms were not onerous.
They primarily included three items.
First, the South Island Federation authorities would no longer pursue the issue of Halsey's fleet transporting refugees. Furthermore, a shipping route would be opened to facilitate the refugees' relocation to Silvermoon Island.
Second, the Mushroom Garden Secret Realm would be transferred to the Silvermoon Monastery.
Third, Pansen and Tanya, father and daughter, would be supported in their advancement.
Tanya was specially appointed Vice President of the South Island Warlock Academy.
In due course, Pansen would return to the academy to teach and reopen the Pansen Martial Arts School.
Disciples of the Pansen Martial Arts School could come to the Silvermoon Monastery for further training.
Disciples of the Silvermoon Monastery and its affiliated martial arts schools could also visit the Pansen Martial Arts School for exchange and learning.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see it.
Pansen and Tanya, father and daughter, were actually the Silver Moon Monastery's agents at the South Island Sorcerer Academy.
The South Island Federation's special envoy returned with Allen's terms of cooperation.
After the meeting, Master Shiva left Allen alone and said something profound.
"The sorcerers of the Northern and Southern Federations think they're chess players."
"In reality, on the larger chessboard, they're just pawns at the mercy of others, puppets on the stage of war."
"In this manipulated war, who wins and who loses doesn't really matter."
"What matters is to use this war to demonstrate yourself well; it will pay off in the future."
Allen noted his teacher's advice and thought of the other two people.
Herent and Spanner had expressed similar sentiments. Considering their backgrounds, Allen couldn't help but suspect that Helen and Spanner had heard some rumors from their respective family elders.
Who in this world could manipulate the North and South Federations, the Beast Cult, the Human-Demon Cult, and even the Silver Moon Monastery, among other forces, into slaughtering each other?
What was their purpose?
Alan hadn't yet come to a clear conclusion on these questions.
However, through Master Shiva's hints, he had already vaguely guessed some of the inside story.
Will the South Island Federation accept the Silver Moon Monastery's offer?
Federal authorities had yet to respond.
However, Dean Randolph's granddaughter, Pamela, had sent Allen a letter.
Since crossing into the warlock world, Allen had come into contact with many young and beautiful women, most of whom he had gotten along well with.
The only exception was Pamela!
From the very beginning, he had disliked Pamela.
Although she was a stunning beauty with impeccable looks and figure, her arrogant and brutal personality was truly unacceptable! What Alan couldn't stand the most was Pamela's rude attitude toward her fiancé, Ella.
Ella was Alan's best friend.
Alan felt bad for him having such a fiancé. Ella hadn't been heard from since entering the secret realm.
Alan was always worried about him. Despite numerous inquiries, there was still no news of Ella.
Pamela was the person closest to Ella. No one knew Ella's situation better than her.
Pamela was clearly aware that Alan was trying to find out aboutElla Ella's whereabouts.
Her letter contained a blatant threat. "If you want to know what's happening with Ella, come to the Mushroom Garden!"
Pamela's letter left Allen baffled.
Ella was definitely not in the Mushroom Garden.
Otherwise, Felin would have tipped him off long ago.
What was Pamela planning?
Alan grew increasingly uneasy.
He could no longer gather any new information from South Island College.
He sent a "Wind Message" to Taffman, Spanner, and Sonia, each asking about the Mushroom Garden.
Spanner was the first to reply.
She was still on Quint Island and didn't know much about the Mushroom Garden.
Taffman's reply revealed that he, Beiting, and Beiting's brother, "Wolf Prince" Akbar, were on their way to the Mushroom Garden.
Their goal was to assist the North Island Warlocks and the Human-Demon Cult in conquering this secret realm in one fell swoop! Second Brother's letter prompted Allen to speculate.
Pamela, perhaps sensing the enemy's imminent arrival, frantically sought help.
This old classmate of his had been doing quite well over the years.
In her eyes, he was somewhat useful.
So she had proactively sent a letter, using Ella as bait, to lure him to the mushroom farm and help fight the North Island coalition.
If this were the case, Allen thought he might as well strike a deal with Pamela.
He could help, but Pamela had to agree to one thing:
Break off her engagement with Ella!
Restore Ella's freedom!
If Pamela accepted this offer and, after securing the mushroom farm, Allen planned to bring Ella to Silvermoon Island to settle down.
From now on, he'd be free from all the drama and trouble, no longer having to endure Pamela's wrath.
Compared to the sorcerer academy controlled by aristocratic families, Silver Moon Monastery was a far better place for Ella to unleash his extraordinary talent.
Alan's thoughts drifted further and further away...
Until Sonia's reply brought him back to reality.
After reading her reply, his expression suddenly changed!
He immediately activated "Thousand Miles of Leisurely Garden" and teleported directly there!