"Friend zone."
F–friend zone…?
When Flender heard those words, he froze. His mind immediately went into a spiral, trying to process what she meant by that. Was it mockery? Insult? Some strange insult from a different culture?
Before he could figure it out, her hoarse voice cut through his thoughts.
"So… when is the enrollment here?"
Lili asked the question casually, like she was asking for directions to a market.
That snapped Flender back to his senses. He threw the whole friend zone thing aside and focused on the question.
"Well, you're late for the enrollment time," Flender said, regaining his composure. "It ended an hour ago. Bu—"
He paused deliberately.
Flender was trying to intimidate her.
The truth was, the other applicants were already inside taking the next evaluations. Only four people were currently being tested; the rest were trash—wastes of time. When they heard the ridiculous standards—Soul Power around level 21 with two spirit rings, or at least level 12 with potential—most people immediately lost interest and left.
That was why the academy grounds looked so desolate and empty.
But before Flender could continue his explanation—
He saw the woman stand up.
Then she slowly walked away from the entrance.
"W–what?" Flender exclaimed in shock. "W–what are you doing? W–where are you going?"
He hurriedly followed after her.
Lili kept walking, unhurried as ever.
"Well," she said flatly, "you said the enrollment is over. So I'm leaving."
Her voice and expression were completely uninterested.
"W–wait a moment!" Flender blurted out, genuinely speechless at how this woman's mind worked.
Then, quickly, he added, "I can give you a way in and let you take the entrance exam!"
He straightened his posture, flicked his glasses, and revealed his identity with pride.
"I didn't tell you earlier—I am Flender, a level 78 Spirit Saint. The principal of Shrek Academy."
He watched carefully, waiting for shock. Awe. Fear. Excitement.
Anything.
But—
She kept walking.
Flender felt his blood pressure spike.
What kind of creature am I talking to?!
He was completely losing it.
Lili continued toward the exit, not even slowing down.
She hadn't heard a single word of Flender's grand introduction.
Or worse—
She heard it.
And didn't care.
♤
"T–this… is u–unacceptable."
Flender completely lost it.
Not just because he was ignored.
Not just because he had spent so much time stalking someone for Shrek's future.
Not just because this was an old academy with a proud legacy.
Not just because he couldn't understand how this woman's mind worked.
Not just because he felt looked down upon.
He was a level 78 Spirit Saint—a man who had never been disregarded in his entire life.
And definitely not because of the words friend zone.
No.
This was something deeper.
Slowly—
Boom.
Seven spirit rings erupted from the ground around Flender.
Two yellow.
Two purple.
Three black.
The terrifying aura of a high-level Spirit Saint surged outward as he released his soul power. It wasn't an attack—this was a test. A probe. A way to force an answer from reality itself.
Just who are you?
The pressure crashed forward.
Flender watched the woman carefully.
She kept walking.
Unaffected.
Not even her posture changed.
Flender frowned and increased the pressure—around the level of a fifty-ranked Soul Master.
Still nothing.
Her steps remained slow. Lazy. Almost bored.
Flender inhaled sharply, then shouted toward her retreating back.
"If you can withstand this pressure—then you are considered enrolled!"
Without waiting for a reply, Flender released everything.
His full level 78 Spirit Saint pressure exploded outward.
The ground trembled.
Inside Shrek Academy, seven students staggered as their breathing turned heavy and unstable. Even the vice principal felt it. His expression darkened as he looked toward the source.
"Flender… what is he doing?"
With a single leap, he rushed toward the disturbance.
Back outside—
Flender stared.
The woman was still standing.
Still unaffected.
No resistance.
No defense.
No fluctuation.
Nothing.
How old is she?
What level is she?
Why isn't she affected at all?
Questions battered his mind.
Finally, Flender exhaled deeply and withdrew his soul power. One by one, the seven spirit rings vanished back into nothingness.
The woman stopped walking.
Flender straightened himself and spoke.
"You have passed."
Then, with a stiff bow of acknowledgment:
"Welcome to Shrek Academy… Your Highness."
A pause.
"…But you still need to pay the entrance examination fee."
Because no matter what just happened—
Flender was still Flender.
And money was still money.
---
Ding—
□ Mission
Mission accomplished: Get accepted to Shrek Academy
Reward: 20 R.P.