Enrollment Storm (Part Two)

"The Summoning Element is the most unconventional department in the entire school, and our approach to instruction is completely different from every other department," Jiang Yunming said bluntly. "We essentially give you free rein. Outside of a handful of important sessions each week, you're on your own to raise and develop your Summoned Beasts. If you find yourself bored with nothing to do, feel free to sit in on other departments' classes."

Mo Fan opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded.

*That's actually exactly what I was hoping for.* He was a man cultivating four Elements at once — he needed all the breathing room he could get.

"Our academy has always held a special welcome event for the Summoning Element," Jiang Yunming continued. "It's going to be the first major challenge you face here. The top two performers will each receive a vial of Beast-Refining Blood."

The moment Beast-Refining Blood was mentioned, the other six Summoning Element students lit up, eyes burning with hunger.

"So... what exactly does Beast-Refining Blood do?" Mo Fan asked quietly, leaning toward the short, boyish-looking student sitting beside him.

The boy stared at him with naked suspicion — the look practically said: *Mate, are you sure you're in the right department?*

"Beast-Refining Blood allows your Summoned Beast to undergo a marrow cleansing," Jiang Yunming cut in and explained directly. "Its strength grows substantially as a result — far faster than the slow process of feeding it your own Magical Energy. There's even a chance it could push a Summoned Beast already at the peak of Servant-class to break through to the next rank. Low odds, but it's possible."

Mo Fan nodded. That made sense.

"Professor Jiang, what exactly is this welcome event?" asked the student sitting dead center — hair so slick it practically gleamed. "How do we decide who gets the Beast-Refining Blood? Why don't we all summon our beasts right now and compare? Strongest wins?"

"Hai Dafu, you don't set the rules here." A mysterious smile crept across Jiang Yunming's face. "You'll find out what the welcome event is soon enough. It might make you the talk of the entire freshman class — or it might make you the laughingstock of the whole school." He offered nothing more.

Mo Fan's curiosity gnawed at him. Just what had they cooked up for the Summoning Element freshmen?

He wanted that Beast-Refining Blood. His Gloom Wolf Beast was already reasonably powerful, but by Mo Fan's standards, it wasn't nearly enough. If something existed that could push it further, he was going to fight for it.

Coming to this school was all about seizing resources.

The vast majority of magical resources were in the hands of powerful clans and factions. For a Mage with nothing behind him like Mo Fan, if he couldn't even grab what was available at school, he'd have no hope of keeping up with anyone.

Carrying that lingering curiosity about the "welcome event," Mo Fan made his way back to his motley dormitory.

His mind was still turning the question over as he dropped into his chair — and Zhao Manyan, sitting nearby, broke into a grin. "Brother Mo Fan," he said, "I heard the Summoning Element is in for some serious trouble."

"Serious trouble? What do you mean?" Mo Fan frowned.

"I heard it from one of the upperclasswomen," Zhao Manyan said. "About the welcome event."

Mo Fan's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I've been trying to figure out — tell me everything." He hadn't expected Zhao Manyan to already have inside information.

"So here's how it works." Zhao Manyan trimmed his nails as he spoke, perfectly at ease. "Every year at the welcome assembly, Pearl Academy holds a Beast Battle. The entire school — students and faculty alike — packs into the biggest arena on our Youth Campus. A creature is placed inside the arena's oversized iron cage, and any new student who wants to can step in voluntarily and fight it. It's basically a chance to show the whole school what you're capable of."

"Fighting a Demon-Beast?" A flicker of excitement crossed Mo Fan's face.

*Now that's what I'm talking about. Barely through the door and they throw you straight into a fight in front of the whole damn school. This place is something else.*

"What kind of Demon-Beast?" Mo Fan pressed.

"Who said anything about a Demon-Beast?" Zhao Manyan raised an eyebrow. "The 'beast' in the Beast Battle is the Summoned Beasts belonging to the Summoning Element freshmen."

Mo Fan's mouth fell open into a perfect O.

The other dormitory residents glanced over, wearing expressions that ranged across the spectrum.

"What the hell — is the school seriously throwing us Summoning Element students under the bus?" Mo Fan burst out.

"Ha!" Zhao Manyan laughed. "Well, your department is the special one, isn't it. Honestly, I'm a little jealous — getting to show off your Summoned Beast in front of the entire faculty."

Mo Fan's face crumpled.

Now Jiang Yunming's cryptic words finally made sense.

Pearl Academy held a Beast Battle for all new students, and the beasts were the Summoning Element freshmen's own Summoned Beasts. He had to hand it to them — what a way to test students.

When he'd first heard there was a Beast Battle, Mo Fan had actually been thrilled. It had been a while since he'd fought anything worthwhile. And then it turned out to be *this.*

*This isn't exciting. This is completely unhinged.*

The more he thought about it, the worse his head felt.

Everyone who'd made it into Pearl Academy was formidable — nobody here was going to buckle at the sight of a beast. His Gloom Wolf Beast was no pushover, but it couldn't hold out against the entire freshman body going at it in rotation...

Winning that Beast-Refining Blood wasn't going to be easy at all.

"You're on your own, brother. It's getting late — I'm going to bed." Zhao Manyan patted him on the shoulder with a mischievous grin, then climbed into his bunk.

Mo Fan was still wearing a pained smile as he moved to follow — and then something occurred to him. He glanced over at Zhao Manyan, already sprawled out on his mattress. "Hey, that guy — what was his name... oh, the red-haired one. Where is he?"

"He probably put in for a room transfer," Zhao Manyan said, perfectly nonchalant. "Nothing to worry about."

Mo Fan looked around at the other roommates. Every one of them was looking somewhere else with carefully blank expressions, as if they were ever so slightly afraid of Zhao Manyan and had absolutely no intention of touching the subject.

From their reactions alone it was obvious the story was more complicated than Zhao Manyan was letting on. It caught Mo Fan off guard. This guy wasn't just a pretty face — there was clearly some real weight behind him.

Mo Fan didn't press. He had a more pressing headache of his own.

The other six students in the Summoning Element all looked like people you wouldn't want to cross. So how exactly was he supposed to come out on top and claim that Beast-Refining Blood?

And poor little wolfie was going to be put through the wringer.