DipNovel Chapter 22: Chapter Academy
Chapter 22: Chapter Academy
The morning sunlight shone on the white stone walls of Ernst Academy, bathing this ancient magic academy in a warm golden light.
Standing outside the academy gate, Lin Yun looked at the familiar crescent-shaped gate and felt an indescribable sense of familiarity welling up inside him. Nearly two months of training in the Monster Mountain Range, countless life-or-death battles, had almost made him forget what life at the academy was like—quiet, peaceful, and without the constant need to be on guard against corpse demons lurking in the shadows.
Beibei perched on his shoulder, her little head looking around, chirping twice, clearly excited.
"Let's go, Beibei, let's go home." Lin Yun smiled and stepped into the academy.
He walked through the gate and along the wide stone path, the neatly trimmed lawns on both sides gleaming green in the morning dew. A few younger students walked past him, glanced at him curiously, and then hurried on to class.
Lin Yun pushed open the gate to dormitory number 1987.
In the courtyard, Lin Lei sat cross-legged under the unnamed tree, meditating with his eyes closed. Morning light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on him that swayed gently in the breeze. He had grown taller and broader than two months ago, and the childishness on his face had faded, replaced by a more mature demeanor.
Bebe jumped off Lin Yun's shoulder, transforming into a gray lightning bolt that pounced directly on Lin Lei's face.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
"Hey—what is that!" Linley suddenly opened his eyes, frantically scratching his face, and grabbed Bebe. He froze for a moment, then his eyes widened, "Bebe?!"
"Chirp chirp!" Beibei rolled around in his palm and rubbed her little head against his fingers.
Lin Lei suddenly looked up and saw Lin Yun standing at the gate of the courtyard.
"Lin Yun!" He jumped up and rushed to Lin Yun, grabbing his shoulder. "You're back! You're finally back!"
Lin Yun was startled by his reaction, then smiled and said, "You're back."
"Why have you been gone for so long? Didn't you say a month? It's been almost two months!" Lin Lei looked him up and down, his eyes filled with worry and joy. "You've lost weight and gotten darker... Are you injured?"
He saw the faint scars on Lin Yun's chest—although they had healed, the three claw marks were still clearly visible.
"It's alright, I'm all better now." Lin Yun patted his hand. "Let me come in and sit down first. My legs are sore from standing for two months."
Lin Lei then realized he was still blocking the doorway, so he quickly moved aside and called out as he walked inside, "Yale! Reno! Lin Yun is back!"
The dormitory door was pushed open with a bang, and Renault was the first to rush out, barefoot and with messy hair, clearly just woken up. He saw Lin Yun, paused for a moment, then grinned: "Hey, isn't this our busy man? Finally made the time to come back?"
Yale followed behind, wearing his signature blue robe and carrying his workout equipment. He looked Lin Yun up and down, nodding slightly: "You've lost a lot of weight, but you look great. Looks like you've made good progress."
"It's alright," Lin Yun said with a smile.
George from next door in 1988 heard the commotion and came over, smiling gently: "Lin Yun, welcome back."
Several people sat down around Lin Yun at the stone table in the courtyard. Reno ran to the kitchen and brought out a pot of hot tea, while Yale pulled out some pastries from somewhere and placed them on the table.
"Tell me, what have you been up to these past two months?" Renault asked, pouring tea with curiosity in his eyes. "You said you were going to train in the Monster Mountain Range when you left, we were all worried sick. Going to a place like that alone, are you crazy?"
Lin Yun picked up her teacup and took a sip, feeling the warm tea flow down her throat, and she relaxed completely.
"It's just training. Fighting monsters and honing my magic." He didn't go into too much detail, afraid of scaring them, "I encountered some level 5 and 6 monsters, fought dozens of battles, it was quite exhilarating."
"Level five or six magical beasts?" Renault's eyes widened. "You alone?"
"Um."
Reno opened his mouth, then closed it again, turned to look at Linley, then at Yale, and finally managed to stammer, "You really are... a monster."
Lin Yun smiled but didn't reply. He didn't want to dwell on the topic and turned to Lin Lei: "How about you? How have you been these past two months?"
Lin Lei's eyes lit up: "I broke through to level five last month!"
"Level 5?" Lin Yun was somewhat surprised. Lin Lei broke through to Level 4 when he was eleven and a half years old, and now he is almost thirteen years old. He broke through to Level 5 in just one and a half years, which is even faster than in the original story.
"After you left, I spent all my time either in class or cultivating," Lin Lei said, scratching his head a little embarrassed. "Grandpa Delin said I've improved very quickly!"
Lin Yun nodded. He knew that Lin Lei's progress was not only due to talent and hard work, but also because he used his younger brother as a mirror—the faster Lin Yun ran, the closer Lin Lei chased.
"You two brothers are really..." Renault sighed, leaning back in his chair, "Each one is more freakish than the other. I'm still hanging around in my third year, and you're one at level five and the other at level six, are you trying to kill me?" They didn't know that Lin Yun had already broken through to level seven, and if they did, they would probably be even more shocked.
Yale patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "You'll get used to it. Monsters and geniuses are different!"
After chatting for a while, Renault and George had to go to class, so they left first. As Yale left, he patted Lin Yun on the shoulder and whispered, "Let's have dinner together tonight, it's on me."
"Okay." Lin Yun nodded.
Only Lin Lei and Lin Yun remained in the courtyard. Bei Bei squatted on the stone table, holding a piece of pastry in her two little paws, nibbling on it with relish.
Lin Lei looked at Lin Yun, his expression turning serious: "Grandpa Delin wants to see you."
Lin Yun nodded: "I know. Let's do it tonight, somewhere secluded."
"it is good."
That evening, when the moon was high in the sky, the two brothers went to the grove behind the mountain.
It's still the same here—lush trees, soft grass, and the occasional chirping of insects. Lin Yun spent countless mornings and evenings here, practicing magic, learning stone carving, and seeking the secrets of earth magic from Delin. Now that he's back, nothing has changed.
Delin floated out of the Panlong Ring and hovered in front of the two. His white, illusory figure appeared somewhat ethereal in the moonlight, but his gaze remained sharp and profound.
Lin Lei was about to relay Delin's words as usual when Lin Yun raised his hand to stop him.
"Big brother, wait a minute." Lin Yun stared at Delin and tentatively asked, "Grandpa Delin, can you hear me?"
Delin's body trembled slightly, and he stared wide-eyed at Lin Yun in disbelief.
"You...you can see me? You can hear me?" Delin's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes," Lin Yun nodded. "I know very well."
Lin Lei was stunned: "What's going on? Lin Yun, you can talk to Grandpa Delin directly now?"
Lin Yun thought for a moment and said, "It might be because I suffered a soul attack. After being blocked by the small cauldron, my soul was not only undamaged, but became more solid. Perhaps it was from that time that I was able to sense the existence of the soul body."
Delin remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice tinged with astonishment: "Soul mutation... In my five thousand years of lifespan, I've only heard of this phenomenon, never witnessed it firsthand. After being impacted by external forces, the soul not only doesn't collapse, but undergoes a qualitative change, gaining new abilities. This requires an extremely special soul foundation, as well as precise stimulation from the external force—a near miss would result in death, a near miss would render it ineffective. You... are truly lucky."
Lin Yun smiled and said, "Luck is also a part of strength."
Delin nodded: "From today onwards, you no longer need to go through Linley. We can communicate directly, which will make many things much easier."
Lin Lei, standing to the side, touched his nose somewhat dejectedly: "What about me? Am I superfluous?"
Delin glanced at him: "You are the owner of the ring, and I reside within it; that will not change. Lin Yun's ability to communicate with me is his special ability, and has nothing to do with you."
Lin Lei thought about it and agreed, so he stopped worrying about it.
Delin stared at Lin Yun for a while before speaking, "Tell me, what have you encountered these past two months? Don't lie to me, I can sense the lingering aura of the undead on you. Did you encounter a necromancer?"
Lin Yun took a deep breath and began to recount his experiences over the past two months.
From entering the Monster Mountain Range, the story recounts battles against level three, four, and five monsters, the opportunity and process of breaking through to level seven, the pyrrhic victory against the level seven Black-striped Leopard, the attack by the Corpse Demon on the return journey, the discovery of the necromancer's cave, tracking the Corpse Demon, the continuous harassment and attrition warfare, the final duel with Morton, and Morton's soul attack before his death.
Delin frowned when he mentioned that the small cauldron had blocked the soul attack.
"That small cauldron on your body?" Delin's voice carried a hint of seriousness. "Can it withstand the soul attack of an eighth-level necromancer?"
Lin Yun touched the small bronze cauldron on his chest and nodded: "It saved my life."
Delin remained silent for a long time. He stared at the small cauldron on Lin Yun's chest for a long time, his eyes full of inquiry and doubt.
"I have lived on this continent for five thousand years and have seen countless wondrous magical artifacts," Delin said slowly, "but I have never seen anything like this small cauldron you are wearing. It doesn't seem to be a product of this world."
Lin Yun's heart skipped a beat. It didn't seem to be a product of this world—Delin was right, the little cauldron was indeed not from this world. It came from Earth, carrying him through two worlds and building a bridge at their intersection.
"I don't know what it is either," Lin Yun said, "but it has been protecting me."
Delin nodded and didn't press the matter further. Everyone has their own secrets, and he respected that.
"What about the necromancer's relics?" Delin asked. "You said you found his spatial ring?"
Lin Yun took the spatial ring off his finger and handed it to Delin. Although Delin was only in a soul state and couldn't touch physical objects, he could use his mental power to examine them. He was silent for a moment, then his voice held a hint of surprise.
"A massive amount of gold coins, crystal cores, magic books... and..." His voice suddenly stopped, "...a necromancer's magic inheritance stone tablet?"
"Yes," Lin Yun said.
Delin withdrew his mental energy and remained silent for a long time.
"Do you know what necromancy is?" His voice was serious.
"One of the three supreme magics," Lin Yun said, "can only be cultivated by those with extremely pure souls."
Delin nodded: "Necromantic magic is different from elemental magic. Elemental magic cultivates laws, while necromantic magic cultivates rules. Laws can be comprehended, but rules... require enlightenment. They are more profound and harder to learn than laws, but once mastered, their power far surpasses that of elemental magic."
He paused, his gaze landing on Lin Yun: "You want to practice necromancy?"
Lin Yun didn't hide anything and nodded: "I want to give it a try."
Delin did not answer immediately. He looked at Lin Yun, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Your soul is indeed very special," Delin said slowly. "It is far more powerful and purer than that of ordinary people. If you are willing to practice necromancy, you might actually be able to get started. But you must think carefully—necromancy is the mortal enemy of the Church of Light. If news of your practice of necromancy gets out, the Church of Light will hunt you down at all costs."
"I know," Lin Yun said.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"I'm afraid," Lin Yun said frankly. "But does being afraid mean I shouldn't do it? Necromancy is one of the three supreme magics. If I don't learn it because I'm afraid, then what's the point of my training? What's the point of becoming stronger?"
Delin stared at him for a long time, then smiled.
"Alright," he said. "Since you're so determined, I won't stop you. But there's one condition—until you have enough strength to protect yourself, you absolutely cannot let anyone know you're practicing necromancy."
Lin Lei listened from the side, his expression complex. He knew what necromancy meant, and he knew how risky his brother's decision was. But he didn't try to dissuade him. Because he knew Lin Yun—once a decision was made, even the Nine-Headed Dragon couldn't pull him back.
"I will keep your secret," Lin Lei said.
Delin nodded, then turned to Lin Yun: "You can read the necromancy theories in those magic books first, but don't rush to practice them. Beginners in necromancy must be extremely cautious. If you make a mistake, the power of death will erode your soul and turn you into a mindless undead. Once you have thoroughly grasped the basic theories, I will help you plan your practice steps."
"Okay," Lin Yun replied.
"Furthermore," Delin continued, "the other magic spells you obtained from the necromancer are also very important to you. The seventh and eighth level spells of wind, lightning, and light, and the complete set of sixth to ninth level spells of dark magic—these are things you can't learn at the academy. In the coming days, you need to learn all these spells and complete your magic system."
Lin Yun nodded.
He spent nearly two months in the Monster Mountain Range, breaking through to the seventh-level mage, obtaining the necromancy inheritance, and acquiring a large number of magic books and resources. Next, he would indeed need some time to digest these gains—learning new magic spells, consolidating his seventh-level cultivation, and studying the fundamental theories of necromancy.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating Lin Yun's face. A resolute light shone in his eyes—the light that only someone who has found their direction possesses.
"By the way," Delin suddenly asked, "you just said you encountered a level seven Black-striped Leopard and won?"
"Mm." Lin Yun nodded.
"How did you win?"
Lin Yun recounted the battle in detail—how fast the Black-striped Leopard was, how his defense was almost torn apart, and how he used earth-type restrictions, wind-type mobility, water-type support, and lightning and light-type attacks to finally win with great difficulty.
After listening, Delin remained silent for a moment, then said, "It's not easy for a level six peak cultivator to defeat a level seven Black-striped Leopard. But if you have enough magic power reserves, you can use a more reliable method—for example, first use an earthen wall to restrict its movement range, and then use the Spear of Light to wear it down from a distance. Your victory was largely due to luck."
Lin Yun nodded humbly: "I know. That battle was indeed very dangerous; I almost died."
"That's how you accumulate combat experience," Delin said. "You only truly grow by experiencing life and death. Your combat awareness is much stronger now than before you left, and that's the greatest gain the Monster Mountain Range gave you."
Lin Yun deeply agreed.
"What are you planning to do next?" Delin asked.
Lin Yun thought for a moment and said, "First, I'll learn the magic spells I got from the necromancer, especially the light and wind spells. Light spells are very effective against undead creatures, and wind spells can improve mobility. Then, I'll study the basic theories of necromancy to see if I can get the hang of it."
"How should the time be arranged?" Delin asked.
"We attend regular classes during the day and study new spells and necromancy at night," Lin Yun said. "We can't neglect stone carving either; it's the best way to hone our mental strength."
Delin nodded in satisfaction: "The arrangement is very reasonable. Since you already have a plan, I won't say anything more. Remember, cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight; you must be patient."
"I know," Lin Yun said.
A gentle night breeze rustled the leaves. Bebe, perched on Linley's shoulder, was asleep, her little head bobbing gently.
Lin Lei looked at his younger brother, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. In the two months since they last met, Lin Yun had become more composed, his eyes more profound. The trials of the Monster Mountain Range had left indelible marks on him—not just the scars on his chest, but his entire demeanor.
"Let's go back to sleep." Lin Lei patted his younger brother's shoulder. "We have class tomorrow."
Lin Yun smiled, stood up, and brushed the grass clippings off his clothes.
Goodnight, Grandpa Delin.
Delin nodded, transformed into a beam of white light, and disappeared into the Panlong Ring.
The two brothers walked back to their dormitory along the same path they had come from. The moonlight shone on them, casting long shadows.
When Lin Yun pushed open the dormitory door, he heard Reno's even snoring and Yale's occasional turning over. Everything was so familiar, so peaceful.
He lay in bed with his eyes closed, but couldn't fall asleep.
The necromantic inheritance stone tablet inside the spatial ring glowed faintly in the darkness.
That was the call of the rules of death, another path to the pinnacle.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and slowly entered a meditative state.
A new journey begins tomorrow.