Necromancer: I Am A Disaster

By now, Lin Moyu had reached level 26 and was beginning to embrace his identity as a Wave Mage. He gradually adapted to the Mage combat style, much of which he learned directly from Lin Li. Imitation was easy; the rest stemmed from Lin Moyu’s own combat experience.

As time passed, Lin Moyu’s proficiency deepened.

Both of them had activated Magic Shield, engaging in fierce, dynamic combat. They weren’t stationary but fought while constantly moving. Mage battles weren’t just about standing still and dealing damage. The static approach worked only when Knights held the line, allowing Mages to turn into stationary cannons of destruction. In one-on-one duels, however, mobility was essential—attacking while dodging became the key to survival.

Lin Moyu had always relied on his undead army to hold the line or used his Bone Armor as a tank. Fighting actively on the move was a first for him.

Lin Li, sensing his opponent’s rapid growth, became more serious. The combat style Lin Moyu was using felt uncannily familiar—it was a near-perfect copy of his own. Realizing this, Lin Li quickly switched tactics, altering his approach to keep the upper hand.

Although Lin Moyu stumbled briefly, he adapted in no time. The two entered a deadlock.

While Lin Li initially held the upper hand, it was steadily eroded by Lin Moyu’s astonishing progress. His sharp learning ability, combined with extensive combat experience, soon enabled him to not only match but surpass Lin Li.

Lin Li was stunned. His opponent wasn’t just mimicking his style—but perfecting it and taking it further.

With both sides evenly matched in level, attributes, and skills, the battle came down to raw technique, experience, and adaptability.

After 12 grueling rounds, when both had reached level 32, Lin Moyu finally defeated Lin Li. By then, Lin Moyu had gained a deep mastery of the Wave Mage’s abilities below level 40.

Lin Li didn’t leave the Shenxia Tower. Instead, he was teleported to a separate space to reflect on his performance. Despite his loss, he gained valuable insights into new combat strategies. In the end, even defeat was not without its rewards.

Outside the Shenxia Tower, all eyes remained fixed on its towering form.

After Lin Li entered, the tower was eerily silent for nearly 20 minutes before Meng Anwen’s voice echoed once more: “The second participant, Qingfeng Institute—Xiong Xiaoyan.”

A gallant female Mage stepped forward confidently. She entered the Shenxia Tower, initiating her trial from level 10.

Xiong Xiaoyan was a Gale Mage wielding the wind element, and her combat style was sharp and swift, far faster than Lin Li’s water-based approach. Her wind blades came at Lin Moyu in rapid succession, forcing him into a defensive scramble as he struggled to adapt to the sudden shift in pace.

In the first round, Lin Moyu managed to last only 10 seconds. But, true to form, he quickly began adjusting, pushing himself to become faster and more reactive.

As the trial progressed, the pressure began to mount for Xiong Xiaoyan. What started as an easy victory for her turned into a fierce battle. Eventually, the match leveled out into an even contest.

Just as with Lin Li, by the time both participants reached level 32, Xiong Xiaoyan was ultimately defeated.

After her defeat, Xiong Xiaoyan felt a twinge of disappointment, believing she hadn’t unleashed her full combat potential. After all, despite being a level 46 Mage, she had only managed to reach level 32 during the trial.

Moments later, she was teleported to an independent space, where she unexpectedly encountered Lin Li.

Their gazes met. Though they came from different institutes, both were students of Xiajing Academy. They had even teamed up for dungeon raids in the past.

Xiong Xiaoyan broke the silence, asking, “What level did you reach?”

Lin Li, seeing no reason to hide, replied, “Level 32. You?”

Xiong Xiaoyan’s expression remained neutral, “Same.”

Lin Li felt a sense of relief—at least she hadn’t outdone him. To him, the trial seemed reasonably fair. Otherwise, how could he, with just level 42 combat power, stand a chance against the others?

Among the 500 participants, his level and class were among the weakest. Many were not only legendary class users but also above level 50.

The trial’s starting point at level 10 placed everyone on the same footing, giving him an equal chance to compete. This realization eased his tension, and his expression softened.

Xiong Xiaoyan, however, stomped the ground lightly in frustration, “It’s a pity I couldn’t fully show my strength. The other party’s learning speed was insane.”

Lin Li nodded in agreement, “It’s ridiculously fast. At first, it didn’t even move—it was just like a wooden dummy.”

Xiong Xiaoyan was taken aback, “My opponent started moving right from the beginning, just a bit clumsily.”

Lin Li’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

The two quickly exchanged summaries of their trials.

Before long, ripples surged in the air as another participant was teleported into their space—a level 46 Flame Mage. He fared worse than both Lin Li and Xiong Xiaoyan, losing at level 28.

As they compared notes, Lin Li made a startling realization: the puppet’s combat style was evolving. When he faced it, the puppet had been slow and clumsy. Against Xiong Xiaoyan, it had become more adept.

Now, according to the new arrival, the puppet had grown even more formidable. Its combat style appeared to integrate the strengths of water- and wind-type Mages while discarding their weaknesses. Its power was escalating rapidly.

A suspicion began to form in Lin Li’s mind.

As time passed, more participants were teleported into the independent space. Each one faced Lin Moyu and lost to him, and the level at which they failed kept decreasing.

By the time the tenth participant arrived, they were defeated at level 22, signaling a clear increase in the trial’s difficulty.

Lin Li’s suspicion grew stronger, though he couldn’t yet confirm it.

Noticing his pensive expression, Xiong Xiaoyan leaned in and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Li stepped closer, lowering his voice, “I have a guess, but I’m not sure yet. Let’s observe a bit more.”

His warm breath brushed against her ear, causing a slight itch. Xiong Xiaoyan blushed involuntarily.

“Fine. You wait then.” Flustered, she retreated to a corner, her cheeks still tinged with redness. She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

Meanwhile, the trial’s difficulty continued to climb. Now, participants were losing at level 18.

As more challengers appeared in the independent space, Lin Li noticed a pattern: they were all Mages—and not just any Mages, but superior class Mages.

Lin Li grew increasingly certain that his guess was correct. All he needed now was one final confirmation.

Finally, a Knight was teleported into the space—a level 45 Sacred Knight.

Standing among the group of Mages, the lone Knight looked distinctly out of place.

“Xu Zhou.” Lin Li muttered.

Xu Zhou was someone he knew well. They were from the same institute, had a decent relationship, and had raided dungeons together in the past.

Pulling Xu Zhou aside, Lin Li inquired about his experience with the puppet.

Xu Zhou had lasted until level 38, outperforming Lin Li and achieving the best result so far. Although he seemed puzzled by Lin Li’s curiosity, Xu Zhou shared his account in detail.

This was all Lin Li needed to confirm his theory.

He approached Xiong Xiaoyan and whispered, “It’s just as I thought. We’ve become grinding stones for Godly General Lin.”

Xiong Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical, “What do you mean?”

Lin Li began explaining, “I once read in the biography of a God-level powerhouse that such figures could acquire understanding of their own abilities while simultaneously gaining insight into other classes. I didn’t fully grasp what that meant before, but now I do.”

Xiong Xiaoyan, her thought process clearly much simpler, frowned, “Speak plainly.”

Lin Li sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Lowering his voice further, he said, “The one we fought might actually be Godly General Lin.”

“Ah!” Xiong Xiaoyan exclaimed in shock, only for Lin Li to immediately cover her mouth with his hand.

“Keep it down.” Lin Li urged, his voice sharp but quiet, “This isn’t something others should know. Don’t tell a soul.”

Xiong Xiaoyan, her eyes wide with curiosity, pulled his hand away. “Why not?”

Lin Li glanced around cautiously before answering, “I’ve heard that Godly General Lin’s teacher is White God, and White God and Serene God [1] are sworn brothers. It’s just a guess, though. Even if I said it out loud, who would believe me? And even if the rules were tweaked for Godly General Lin, do you think anyone would dare to speak up against it?”

Lin Moyu’s reputation was soaring, his name shining brighter than ever. Few would have the audacity to question or criticize him.

Finally, the realization dawned on Xiong Xiaoyan. She nodded vigorously in agreement.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang in Lin Li’s ear, low and calm yet filled with authority.

“You’re quite clever, little one. Don’t spread this any further—keep it to yourself.”

It was Meng Anwen’s voice, audible only to Lin Li.

His expression froze, and his mind raced. The words left him speechless.

“What’s wrong?” Xiong Xiaoyan asked, noticing his sudden silence.

Lin Li shook his head, his voice low and careful, “Serene God just spoke to me. He told me to keep this to myself.”

Xiong Xiaoyan’s jaw dropped. After a moment of stunned silence, she nodded hurriedly, “I understand.”

[1] - the character an (安) in Meng Anwen’s name means serene, hence the moniker Serene God