Twelve o'clock hit, time to rush the rankings. Tomato's boosting posts for everyone, so please smash those votes too~~~
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Spring gave way to autumn, and before Lin Lei knew it, he had been at Ernst Academy for over half a year.
During his time at Ernst Academy, Lin Lei was like a thirsty desert traveler, devouring the fundamentals of magical knowledge with ravenous hunger. His understanding and strength in the Wind System of magic were steadily climbing. Derinkoort, meanwhile, would offer his own insights at just the right moments.
The day was bright and sunny.
The four brothers of Dormitory 1987 had all finished lunch and were wearing sky-blue robes — the standard-issue uniform handed out by the academy. Thanks to his constant training, Lin Lei's lean, tall frame gave the robe a special kind of charm. It was no wonder that several girls from the Wind System classes liked to chat him up after lectures.
At this moment, the four brothers walked along, talking about everything under the sun.
"Oh right, Lin Lei, we're going to the freshmen get-together this afternoon — you coming?" George asked with a grin.
George was the type who threw himself into every social event and had a real knack for gathering intel and befriending people across all grades. He'd only been at the academy for half a year, but he was already considered a notable figure among the first-year students at Ernst Academy.
"No," Lin Lei said flatly.
"Ha ha, I knew Lin Lei wouldn't go," Rein laughed from the side.
Yeru threw an arm around Lin Lei's shoulders and sighed. "I'm telling you, Lin Lei, you train too hard. With your talent, you could hit sixth-rank mage within thirty years just by putting in a little effort. So why push yourself like this? You should enjoy life. There are plenty of adorable girls at the get-together, you know."
"Totally adorable," Rein chimed in, eyes wide.
Lin Lei gave a helpless smile.
This innocent young Rein, under Yeru's influence, had already been "led astray."
"Yeru, you pervert, stop dragging me into this. All right, I'm heading off to train. It's almost the end of the month — I'll go hang out with you tomorrow, no rush." Lin Lei smiled. The last two days of every month were the days he gave himself off.
Yeru, Rein, and George all knew Lin Lei's habits, and they nodded.
Lin Lei set off at once, heading briskly toward the back mountain of the academy. Ernst Academy had several thousand students alone, not to mention all the mages conducting research and experiments on campus, plus a fair number of support staff. The place was bustling with people.
Along the way, he passed plenty of students in sky-blue robes.
"Grrr—" A low growl sounded.
Lin Lei looked toward the source, and his eyes lit up. "A magic beast!"
Flowing mane, sleek teal fur, powerful and sturdy limbs, and a pair of cold, wild eyes brimming with the ruthless cunning unique to wolves. Its gleaming metallic claws sent a chill straight through the heart.
A Wind Wolf.
A terrifying magic beast with speed like the wind.
In the Magic Beast Forest, the most horrifying thing you could run into was a pack of Wind Wolves. Once they swarmed you, with their speed, escape was virtually impossible.
At this moment, a handsome black-haired young man sat astride the imposing Wind Wolf, glancing around with clear satisfaction at owning such a mount.
"He's probably a fifth- or sixth-year student," Lin Lei judged.
Plenty of people at Ernst Academy had magic beasts. Besides the specially hired mages on staff, some fifth- and sixth-year students bought soul-contract scrolls and tamed magic beasts as mounts.
"It's just a magic beast — is that really worth being so smug about?" Lin Lei couldn't care less about the black-haired youth's self-satisfied air.
He passed through the academy's rear gate and stepped into the back mountain.
The back mountain of Ernst Academy was vast. Ages ago, magic beasts had roamed these hills, but the academy's mages had long since hunted them all to extinction. Now, only ordinary wild animals remained.
Once he entered the forest, Lin Lei's speed surged.
He activated the Wind System utility spell, Rapid, and his body became light as a drifting leaf, weaving nimbly through the trees. After covering several li, he reached his destination — a clearing beside a stream.
"Squeak, squeak!" Bei Bei called out to Lin Lei again.
Lin Lei smiled and reminded him, "Going out to play again? All right, but don't wander too far." He trusted Bei Bei. A full year had passed since he'd first met the little Shadow Mouse. Though its size hadn't changed — still about twenty centimeters long — its speed had improved dramatically.
"A mage? Maybe eighth- or ninth-rank warriors could catch a Shadow Mouse, but a mage would have to be at the Saint Realm to manage it," Lin Lei thought. He knew full well how limited a mage's physical body was.