The road leading away from Notting City was long and dusty, bordered by fields of tall grass swaying gently in the breeze.
Lin Chen walked at an unhurried pace beside Tang San and Xiao Wu, their figures small beneath the wide sky. Behind them, Yu Xiaogang followed silently, his thoughts anything but calm.
Two monsters…No—one monster, one variable.
They hadn't gone far when footsteps sounded from behind.
"Wait."
A hoarse, lazy voice—yet filled with an unmistakable sharpness.
Lin Chen stopped.
A man in worn gray robes approached, his back slightly hunched, carrying a wine gourd at his waist. His eyes looked half-asleep, but the moment they swept across the three children, something flickered deep within them.
Danger.
Yu Xiaogang stiffened.
"Flander," he said quietly. "You're early."
The man snorted. "If I weren't, I'd miss the good stuff."
His gaze locked onto Tang San first, then Xiao Wu—
And finally Lin Chen.
The air changed.
Flander's pupils shrank.
"…Interesting," he muttered.
Lin Chen met his stare calmly.
For a brief moment, the two stood locked—one a Soul Saint who had clawed his way through blood and desperation, the other a child whose existence mocked cultivation itself.
Flander laughed suddenly.
"Hah! So even Notting City can grow something like this."
He turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Master, you didn't exaggerate."
Yu Xiaogang pushed up his glasses. "I never do."
Flander straightened slightly, his expression turning serious.
"I'm here on behalf of Shrek Academy," he said. "We don't accept ordinary geniuses."
His gaze sharpened.
"We only accept monsters."
Tang San's heart beat faster.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Monsters? That sounds fun!"
Flander ignored her enthusiasm and focused on Lin Chen.
"And you," he said slowly. "Are you willing to come?"
Lin Chen tilted his head. "What if I say no?"
Flander paused—then grinned.
"Then Shrek loses its future," he said bluntly. "And that would be a shame."
The system interface flickered faintly.
[Major Plot Node Detected: Shrek Academy][Reward Prediction: Multiple Fate Intersections]
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"I'll go," he said. "But I won't be bound."
Flander's grin widened.
"Good," he said. "We don't bind monsters. We survive them."
Shrek Academy lay hidden beyond a decaying village, its wooden gate barely standing, the words SHREK ACADEMY crudely carved above.
Xiao Wu blinked.
"This… is it?"
Tang San hesitated. "It looks… poor."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
But the pressure is real.
The moment they stepped inside, an invisible force brushed past them—probing, measuring.
In the courtyard, several youths stood scattered.
A tall boy with arrogant eyes and a spear-like presence—Dai Mubai.A quiet girl in black, sharp as a shadow—Zhu Zhuqing.And a plump boy eating sausages with a lazy grin—Oscar.
Their gazes snapped toward Lin Chen simultaneously.
Dai Mubai's pupils shrank.
"What the hell is that?" he muttered.
Zhu Zhuqing's breath hitched—instinct screaming danger.
Lin Chen felt it.
First contact.
At the far end of the courtyard, a burly man with a fierce beard opened one eye.
Zhao Wuji.
A Soul Saint.
His gaze met Lin Chen's.
For the first time in years—
Zhao Wuji sat upright.
"…This academy," he said slowly, "just got noisy."
Lin Chen stepped forward, calm and composed.
Behind him, fate tightened its grip.
And Shrek Academy—
Had just accepted something it could never cage.