"Dean, when I left the dorm this morning, Oscar was still cultivating. If he hasn't woken up by now, he might be in deep meditation and hasn't woken up yet," Tang San said quickly to explain Oscar as Flanders' brow furrowed.
Flanders' expression eased slightly. "He can attend this class. Tang San, go back to the dorm and call Oscar over."
Tang San nodded and was about to leave the team when a hurried figure appeared from afar, raising dust with every step.
"Dean!"
Despite being late, Oscar was beaming with excitement. Flanders' face immediately darkened. "Oscar, do you want to run laps again?"
He's late and still happy? If I don't teach him a lesson—
"No, Dean! I've broken through! I've reached level thirty!"
Oscar's joyful shout drowned out Flanders' unspoken words. Everyone looked at Oscar, whose white hair was as messy as a bird's nest, with shocked expressions.
However, Tang Sui was not among the surprised.
When she heard Oscar's words, something flashed through her mind, but it was too quick to grasp, only intensifying the anxiety she felt.
What had she forgotten that made her so anxious?
Flanders was the first to snap out of it.
His expression instantly shifted from gloomy to sunny. He stepped forward and patted Oscar's shoulder approvingly. "Good lad! You truly are a little monster of our Shrek Academy! You're the third student to reach level thirty. Oscar, I congratulate you on your promotion on behalf of the academy!"
Oscar scratched his head and chuckled. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San also gathered around to congratulate him.
The other girls, however, remained standing where they were.
"Cough, cough!"
Squeezed to the outer circle, Flanders cleared his throat with a half-clenched fist. Tang San and the others immediately composed themselves and silently returned to their original positions.
Flanders nodded and looked at Oscar. "Then we will begin today's training. Oscar, prepare to use your spirit ability."
Use spirit ability?
Oscar blinked in surprise. His small brain whirred, and he realized what was happening. He glanced at Tang San and the others with a peculiar expression.
The next second, Flanders' voice rang out, "Your task today is to eat the sausages Oscar creates. Each of you must eat at least one."
As soon as he said this, everyone except Tang Sui wore a subtle expression, staring at Oscar as if they could bore holes through him.
Under several intense gazes, Oscar froze, thinking, "This is bad."
Because in the eyes of the other students, his image must have been distorted beyond recognition.
"Hiss, Dean, what kind of class is this?" Xiao Wu asked, her eyes on Oscar with a strange, somewhat displeased yet curious expression.
Flanders turned his back and walked slowly. "This is an adaptability training class. Oscar's sausage spirit is a top-tier food-type spirit. If you're unwilling to eat such a beneficial item, what will you do if you face a crisis in the future? If you're driven to desperation, would you dare to eat the tough, bitter bark of trees, or the mice and earthworms you find along the way?"
The mere thought of Flanders' description made Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing's expressions turn uncomfortable.
Flanders, having successfully intimidated the newcomers, smirked wickedly. He stopped and stood at the end of the line, providing a clear view of everyone. There was no chance for them to play any tricks under his watchful eyes.
"Who will go first?"
With Flanders' sharp gaze fixed on them, Xiao Wu, who was still wondering if she could get away with something, felt her breath catch in her throat, utterly conflicted.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned pale and then flushed. Under Flanders' scrutiny, she stood rigidly, reluctant to move.
Even Tang San showed a troubled, conflicted expression.
"I'll do it!"
Tang Sui, who had been lost in thought, was jolted back to reality by a clear voice beside her ear.
She turned her head and watched Ning Rongrong, who brushed past her, walk unhurriedly with a determined expression towards Oscar.
Tang Sui blinked, a smile flickering in her blue eyes.
Seeing Ning Rongrong step forward, Oscar's face showed surprise.
But Ning Rongrong ignored the astonished glances of others. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the two sausages, one large and one small, floating in Oscar's palm. She reached out and, without a word, began to eat them decisively, bite after bite.
She swallowed the sausages one by one, then wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked at Flanders with a resolute gaze and said, word for word, "I will prove to you that I want to stay too."
—Author's Notes—
Tang Sui: Entering contemplation mode.jpg