Having mastered the preliminary refining skills that could pass the trial, Lu Li said goodbye to Professor Chris and Claire and left the Alchemy Office.
"The smell of purple flower, sequence potion?"
Claire smelled the scent of herbs that had not yet dissipated in the room: "I heard the news after I came back from outside... Lu Li comes here every day just to refine potions?"
"Otherwise, my dear, Lu Li is preparing for the Level 2 Alchemy Trial." Professor Chris put the blood-red potion on the potion shelf. "Be prepared, Claire. It won't be long before you have a new teammate.
"
…
A new day.
Knowing that Lu Li would take part in the Level 2 Alchemy Trial, Professor Rubehero taught the techniques of refining potions in the alchemy class, including the inspired refining that Lu Li had mastered yesterday.
At noon, Lu Li came to the alchemy classroom.
Only one student, Lu Li, participated in the trial this time. There were no unexpected events in the trial requirements. Lu Li was only required to refine an alchemical potion with a pass rate of over 50%.
After successfully refining the basic potion that he had refined two days ago, Lu Li successfully passed the trial and advanced to level 2 in alchemy.
"Lu Li, can we see you again after you go to middle school?" Gorou asked reluctantly during lunch.
"No...the academy strictly prohibits practicing in the trunk area and the canopy area..." Fodort's expression was complicated. Her time as classmates with Lu Li was shorter than expected.
"Library." Lu Li said calmly.
Fudote's eyes were slightly bright, but Gorou was still dejected: "But I can't read the words..."
In any case, the existence of the library somewhat dissipated Lu Li's sense of separation that he was about to leave.
Tap tap tap tap
Familiar and unique footsteps sounded, and the gatekeeper entered the auditorium, facing the curious students around him and walked up to Lu Li.
The gatekeeper informed Lu Li that the Level 2 Occult Trial would be held tomorrow and asked Lu Li to go to the lift platform in the mixed area at noon to wait.
"I see."
Not long after the gatekeeper left, Lu Li returned to his dormitory to prepare for tomorrow's trial.
"Lu Li is leaving, and you're still eating!" Fudot, who was caught in a dilemma, got angry when she saw Dogrou grunting and eating.
"But I feel hungry..." Gou Rou said aggrievedly.
Fodor was too lazy to pay attention to him, took out a pen and letterhead from the wide pocket of her robe, wrote a few lines in beautiful handwriting, and left the auditorium to find the gatekeeper.
"Mr. Gatekeeper, deliver this letter to the Lins family for me."
…
It's almost noon.
Lu Li arrived at the mixing area and saw another student participating in the trial on the elevator platform.
Bentler.
The new student with the cursed title [Edgewalker].
"Lu Li...uh, hello, Your Excellency." Bentler greeted cautiously.
Lu Li nodded in response and followed the short-cloaked gatekeeper onto the elevator.
The elevator descended slowly, and Lu Li's voice sounded in the silence far away from the brightness: "Where is the trial location."
"Forbidden Swamp."
"The restricted area..." Benteler whispered to himself. He had never been there, but the word restricted area was enough to explain a lot.
After a long landing, a few days later, Lu Li once again saw the magnificent and fantastic swamp restricted area.
Figures the size of ants scattered at the edge of the safety zone below, heading deeper into the swamp.
The lift dropped into the safety zone. Lu Li and Bentler followed the gatekeeper to the north side of the safety zone.
A procession was waiting there, surrounded by gatekeepers.
In addition to the team that was obviously dressed as outsiders, there were old people and children, as well as three middle and high school students.
"I am the leader of the team..." The leader of the migration team was trembling nervously as he was surrounded by the gatekeeper and the students of Giant Tree Academy: "We are heading to the Midnight City terminal. The gatekeeper told us that there is a monster hidden in the team and asked us to participate in the trial...
…”
"Find out the mystery hidden in the team. The time limit is to reach the Midnight City terminal."
"Will the weird ones pass or all of them pass?" Lu Li asked.
"Find what you think is weird and arrive at Midnight City Terminal to reveal the answer."
"Isn't it forbidden to reveal weird identities?" Lu Li noticed the loose trial conditions.
"If you need it, if you believe it," the gatekeeper replied. This meant that if someone found the weirdness and announced it, other trialists would also be able to pass.
But if the wrong answer is announced, everyone will inevitably fail.
After the rules were announced, the gatekeeper told the leader of the team to continue setting off.
As the layer between the surface and Midnight City's main station, the swamp has countless passages to the outside world. Weird or human beings usually choose to go from the swamp to the surface or the old sewers.
The roots and safe zone of the Giant Tree Academy make the outside of the swamp relatively safe. As long as they don't rush into the depths, the swamp may be safer for the team than the old sewer.
At least it won't be like the old sewers that pass through the main branch line and cause covetous observation.
The gatekeeper escorted the team southward.
The diameter of the safe zone is less than 10 miles, and the destination is the southern edge. This means that the trial students will have to find the weirdness in about an hour.
Lu Li quietly observed a dozen people in the convoy. Couples with young children, old people holding clay pots, young lovers... They were worried and nervous, but also relieved.
With the escort of Giant Tree Academy, they no longer have to worry about danger.
It is obviously difficult to determine in what form the weirdness has blended into the team just by observing it. The trial students blended into the team, chatted and tested with the people.
"The ashes of his deceased wife... He was still young... We have been together for a long time..."
The sounds of broken conversation floated on the swamp breeze.
Lu Li entered the convoy, touched everyone, and then returned to the edge of the convoy.
The second person to leave the convoy was a man named Jaeger. He took out everyone's blood and got the answer.
Bentler, who followed Lu Li, fell into confusion. Everyone seemed suspicious. The couple who hugged tightly and were inseparable, the couple who paid special attention to their children.
An hour didn't last long. Walking around the hanging tree roots of the lift platform, they were getting closer and closer to their distant destination.
"Mr. Lu Li, have you... found the weirdness?" Bentler, with sweat on his forehead, left the team and asked in a low voice while licking his dry lips.
"I can tell you." Lu Li looked at him calmly.
"I...I'll wait..."
Benteler didn't want to rely on help...he wanted to pass the trial on his own.
Twenty minutes later, the convoy stopped at the southern edge of the safety zone.
A deep hole leading to the old sewer is opened next to the steps guarded by silhouettes.
The answer to the trial officially revealed that the little boy the couple loved was a weirdo mixed up in the team.
Unfortunately, Benteler made the wrong choice. The weird thing he identified was the old man who lost his wife.
Although he was almost right when he thought the child was weird, the couple's love for the child clouded his judgment.
The couple already knew their child was a mysterious child after their real child died in infancy in a quiet moment.
