“You are free to explore now! Let’s see how many spirit beasts you can find here. But remember, do not leave this valley. Anyone caught crossing its boundaries will be considered in violation of the rules.”

As soon as the instructor of the Introduction to Spirit Beasts class finished speaking, more than 150 freshmen scattered excitedly, eager to begin their search.

This was their first Valley Exploration.

After weeks of dull theoretical lessons, they finally had the chance to go outside and stretch their legs. The students were in high spirits. Top students clutched their books, while others carried snacks, chattering away in excitement.

The Purple Antler Valley, located right next to the academy buildings, was a designated area for raising low-level spirit beasts. These creatures were gentle and harmless; some were timid, while others were affectionate and friendly—perfect for the clumsy newcomers to observe and interact with.

It was early afternoon, and the warm sunlight filtered through the sparse branches overhead, which cast dazzling patches of light onto Loewen. The golden hues shone on his already brilliant blond hair, making him stand out even more.

“Qixiu, do you want to look for spirit beasts with me?”

Hearing someone call her name, Qixiu Dongfang turned her head and found herself face to face with “Miss” Loewen Flenqi, who stood there radiating confidence and elegance, smiling at her.

Too… too dazzling…

Qixiu quickly looked away and gave a silent nod.

Because of her strict upbringing, she was naturally reserved and slow to warm up to people—in other words, socially awkward. She rarely initiated conversations in class, and only responded politely when spoken to.

Over the past few days, this noble “young lady”, Loewen Flenqi, had occasionally approached her, acting surprisingly friendly.

To be honest, Qixiu was a little intimidated by “her” presence. For some reason, Loewen’s eyes always seemed to glisten with unshed tears whenever “she” looked at her, as if “she” were gazing at a long-lost sister.

“We should go that way. It looks shadier over there,” Loewen suggested, pointing ahead.

“Okay,” Qixiu responded softly, and obediently walked beside him.

Loewen glanced at her, feeling a bit melancholic.

“Ugh, I’m surrounded by foreigners! At least I have a compatriot here with me,” Loewen thought, unaware of the irony that he was actually the foreigner.

As they walked, Qixiu found herself stealing glances at Loewen—specifically, at his chest.

Qixiu was an observant child, and she had noticed something odd: Loewen’s chest size seemed to change from time to time.

Though the differences were subtle, her keen eyes caught the slight variations. However, her upbringing made her too polite to ask. No matter how curious she was, she would never be so rude as to bring it up.

Thus, the mystery remained unsolved.

Actually, the answer was quite simple: due to the warm weather, Loewen had to change the cotton padding he stuffed in his blouse every day. Since he usually just grabbed whatever was closest from his mattress before heading out, it was impressive enough that he managed to keep both sides somewhat symmetrical. Achieving perfect consistency was simply impossible.

Fortunately, aside from Qixiu, no one else seemed to notice.

Suddenly, excited voices rang out from ahead.

“Wow!”

“It’s so cute!”

Loewen and Qixiu exchanged glances before hurrying over to see what was going on.

They squeezed through the crowd and spotted a small bird covered in vibrant blue feathers, pecking curiously at the ground.

The bird had a dopey-looking face and hopped around on one foot, its movements clumsy yet adorable. Its cute behavior instantly won over the watching students.

“What is that? It looks so weird,” one student muttered.

“No idea,” another said, scratching his head.

“That’s an Ashmon, a type of blue-feathered long-tailed pheasant. They are commonly found in warm, humid river valleys. Their wings are underdeveloped, so they can flap but not fly. They nest in low shrubs and only enter their mating season during the once-in-five-years Purple Moon Day.”

Loewen rattled off the information in a single breath, causing the surrounding students to turn and stare at him.

Some looked surprised, while others were skeptical.

“How do you know all that? You’re not just making it up, are you?” someone asked suspiciously.

Loewen smiled good-temperedly. “If you don’t believe me, check the textbook. It’s in the chapter on ‘The Thirty Most Common Spirit Beasts.’ It’s likely to be on the exam, so you might want to take notes.”

Gasps spread through the crowd.

That was the last chapter! They hadn’t even covered that yet!

And this “girl” had already memorized it?!

Students who usually only crammed the night before an exam suddenly felt a crushing sense of defeat.

Just then, someone scoffed from the crowd, muttering under their breath, “A talentless loser with no magic—of course, all she can do is memorize books.”

Another voice quietly chimed in, “Exactly.”

Loewen showed no sign of annoyance despite being hit where it hurt. Silently, he turned and stepped into a nearby thicket, swiftly plucking one red-purple berry after another from between the leaves.

In no time, he had gathered a handful.

With his palms full of fresh, juicy berries, Loewen walked slowly to a small clearing. Suddenly, he let go, scattering the berries all over the ground.

The surrounding bushes instantly rustled violently. Leaves brushed against each other, and created a continuous whispering sound.

From all directions, flocks of blue-feathered long-tailed pheasants dashed out, clucking excitedly as they scrambled to Loewen’s feet. They were competing to peck at the berries on the ground.

“Oh my god! So many again!”

“Wow!”

The group immediately gathered around Loewen to watch the spirit beasts feast with excitement.

Several Solstice Class girls, their eyes sparkling, couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re amazing!”

“This is nothing.” Loewen remained humble, and spoke gently to them. “Go pick some of these berries over there and scatter them on the ground. They’ll gather around you just the same.”

Upon hearing this, everyone scattered in a rush, eagerly competing to pick the wild berries.

Loewen couldn’t help but click his tongue in amusement: They really are pampered young masters and ladies—have they never seen chickens being fed in the countryside? No wonder they’re this excited.

The students who had mocked Loewen earlier looked embarrassed, spat in frustration, and slunk away.

“Miss Flenqi!”

A voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the forest.

Loewen turned his head and saw Oran Flynn rushing toward him. He looked rather anxious.

Oran Flynn was one of the few Crescent Class students whose name Loewen actually remembered.

The Flynn family, like the Flenqi, was one of the continent’s top ten magic families. As the eldest son and heir, Oran had been meticulously groomed from a young age, instilled with extensive knowledge and etiquette. His distinguished demeanor and exceptional abilities had earned him the position of class president as soon as the school year began.

“What’s wrong?” Loewen was puzzled.

“…Flenqi!” Oran finally reached him, grasping a thick tree trunk for support as he panted heavily. “Felix Shillman is in trouble! He told me to come find you!”

“Trouble?” Loewen’s brows twitched.

“It’s some upperclassmen. Felix said you know them.”

Loewen’s mind went blank.

Upperclassmen? The only one he knew was…

“…Gian?”

Oran’s expression grew more urgent. “They took him to that old wooden hut on the western edge of the forest. You should hurry over! I’ll go find a teacher!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation from his tone, Loewen immediately shoved the half-gathered berries into Qixiu’s hands, lifted the hem of his dress, and sprinted westward into the forest.

***

Squeak, squeak… Squeak, squeak, squeak…

Inside a rusty iron cage, a large red-eyed rat with bristling black fur scurried restlessly, gnawing frantically at its own half-bald tail with its sharp, yellowed teeth.

“You know what this is?”

A fat guy lifted the cage, and shoved it right in front of Felix’s face.

Felix’s arms were pinned behind his back by another upperclassman, and was forced to kneel on the ground. Unable to move, he tilted his head back as much as possible to avoid the icy touch of the iron cage against his cheek.

“…A rat.”

The fat guy let out a sinister chuckle, his narrow eyes gleaming with malice. “This isn’t one of those dumb, harmless low-level spirit beasts you were introduced to in your class. This is a corrupted rat—one tainted by dark mist.”

Felix’s breathing deepened as he watched the rat shriek and gnaw frantically at the rusty bars of its cage—a pitiful, crazed beast, trapped in its own relentless struggle,  just like himself.

“You’re going to release it, aren’t you?” His voice was soft, his expression disturbingly calm—like a still lake, devoid of any ripples of fear.

“Exactly. We’re going to stuff it down your collar.”

Sayak Lombardi sneered. He grabbed a fistful of Felix’s hair and yanked his head back. His voice turned cold.

“Your father, Viscount Shillman, owes a huge gambling debt to my family’s casino. I’ve heard your family’s magic ore mines are almost drained. In three years, you won’t be able to dig up a single piece. So tell me, how are you planning to pay back that debt, huh?”

Felix endured the pain in his scalp. He said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Sayak repeated mockingly. His lips curled into a wicked grin. “You should ask your gambler dad. Otherwise, when your family falls apart and you end up a broke commoner, you won’t even know what hit you. How pathetic would that be?”

His voice turned even colder. “Maybe he’ll sell you to me as a slave—just to clear his debt.”

Felix remained silent.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Little bastard, you’re pretty stubborn!” Sayak said with an uninterested expression. He stood up and gestured for the others to take action.

His lackeys immediately understood. One pressed down on Felix’s shoulders, while another grabbed his collar and yanked it open.

The fat guy unlocked the cage, gripped the rat by its tail, and dangled it over Felix’s open neckline—then, with a swift flick of his fingers, let go.