"Thump!"
Su Hao, frantically catching up on homework just before the start of senior year, slammed his head onto the desk and jolted awake.
"Mmm..."
His dazed eyes swept over the exercise books and textbooks on the desk, when suddenly he felt something was off.
[Multiple Choice Question] [1. Please select the option that is different from the other three from the following four options (__).] [A. Blade Leaf Lizard B. Fluffy Monster C. Thorn Turtle D. Whirlwind Rabbit]
Su Hao: "Meow meow meow?"
Whose prank was this?
He looked around, surrounded by piles of books—Chinese, Math, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics... and a colorful book with several uniquely shaped animal illustrations on the cover. The cover bore the title "Basic Knowledge of Spirits (Volume One)."
Su Hao: "???"
I must be too tired!
He went to the bathroom, splashed his face with water, then returned to his desk and picked up the book he had no memory of.
The book's cover was quite exquisite, 16mo in size, the same as his Chinese and Math textbooks. The edges were slightly creased, as if it had been frequently flipped through.
Su Hao examined it closely, thinking it might be a manga one of his classmates had left behind, but his gaze suddenly froze.
At the top of the book was a line of small text: [Standard High School Curriculum Experimental Textbook].
Below the title was another line of small text:
[Guangnan Basic Education Curriculum Resource Research and Development Center], [Compiled by the Spirit Textbook Writing Group].
He opened the first page of the textbook, and the two large characters "Su Hao" were written in a bold, flowing script that was impressive enough to draw admiration—it was definitely his handwriting!
Could it be...
Suddenly, an absurd idea sprouted in his mind, impossible to suppress.
Su Hao picked up his phone and swiped the screen. It lit up.
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
A message notification popped up at the top of the screen. Oh, it was the familiar penguin chat app, but the penguin icon on the app looked a bit different from what he remembered.
Liu Ren: Su Hao, tomorrow's the day for testing soul power. I'm so nervous. Don't you think I might fail? If I can't contract a spirit... boohoo.
Su Hao: "..."
I need a moment.
Ignoring Fatty Ren's message, he opened the browser and scrolled through trending news.
"Ma Tianwang Attends Magic Capital Summit with Blazing Nine-Tails" "Ministry of Education Issues Important Directives on Cultivating the New Generation of Spirits" "Fifth National Intercollegiate Spirit Master League Concludes; Flamingo University Wins Championship, Longdu University Player Chen Ting Takes League MVP"
Su Hao blankly scrolled through the comments.
Day and Night: Longdu University's team this year is weak. My Chen Ting can't carry four dead weights.
Helpless Rage: I heard the championship prize is Flamingo's initial form spirit, 'Baby Fire Chicken.' Did Flamingo University plan on winning all along, to be so generous?
Cutest Kid in the Village: Spirits are so cute, why fight? Boohoo.
Su Hao put down his phone, his head throbbing.
He had a rough idea of what was going on.
"I'm still me... but the world is no longer the same world."
Having read countless novels over the years, Su Hao easily accepted reality... or so he thought!
The divergence in history occurred about sixty years ago, when the first spirit on Earth was born.
According to scientists' research, some unknown change in the world was defined as 'spiritual energy resurgence.' This resurgence caused corresponding changes in Earth's environment—plants grew more vigorously, and within just a few decades, new species of plants were discovered one after another.
Wild animals became fiercer, more agile... but they were still animals.
Humans remained humans, too, not turning into superhumans as some had imagined.
Except...
Spirits, born from nature itself, inherently possessed the ability to control "flame," "water," "plants," and more. Mountains nurtured earth-type spirits, rivers and lakes nurtured water-type spirits, and those born from plants were wood-type spirits...
Spirits were beings that were close to humans. Powerful spirits had abilities comparable to or even surpassing thermal weapons. Over the decades, spirits' abilities had been applied in every aspect of life, leading to many major breakthroughs in technology.
Compared to the original world, the tech tree was noticeably different—civilian technology had developed faster, and there were now these wondrous beings called spirits.
"Spiritual energy resurgence in a spirit world?"
"I thought I'd be able to shatter mountains with my fists and split rivers with my kicks after the resurgence."
"At least..."
His parents hadn't changed, and his relationships were just as he remembered.
The school Su Hao attended was still Ancheng's best high school—Ancheng No.1 High School. The only difference was that high school used to only have liberal arts and science tracks, but now there was also a spirit track, which officially started in senior year.
Of course, during freshman and sophomore years, there were some required courses on spirits that both liberal arts and science students had to take.
Su Hao found some sophomore textbooks on his bookshelf, including "The History of Spirits (Volume One)," "Key Points for Raising Infant Spirits," "Spirits and Spirit Masters," and more. He moved all the spirit-related books to his desk.
"So the reason the spirit track only starts in senior year is because you can only contract a spirit starting from senior year?"
"And I already chose the spirit track at the end of last semester?"
Su Hao found a subject selection form.
He felt a sense of relief, even though he knew nothing about spirits yet.
"Hao'er, you're testing your soul power tomorrow. Go to bed early tonight and keep your energy up."
His mother's voice came from the living room.
Su Hao responded, glanced at his phone, saw it was 11:45, and didn't think much of it.
It was still early!
"That guy Liu Ren mentioned testing soul power tomorrow too. What exactly is that about?"
Su Hao tapped away on his phone, searching for answers.
A moment later, he understood.
When humans contract spirits, they need sufficient soul power. The Spirit Master Alliance set the required soul power for contracting an infant spirit at "1." Generally, humans only have more than 1 unit of soul power after the age of 16, allowing them to contract a spirit and become a glorious... apprentice spirit master.
For safety, a soul power test certificate from a relevant institution is required before contracting a spirit.
Tomorrow was the day the school had organized for the test.
Su Hao understood and was thrilled.
He had no intention of sleeping—he couldn't sleep at all!
On his desk, he picked up "Basic Knowledge of Spirits (Volume One)," "Spirits and Spirit Masters," and other books, flipping through them with great interest.
"So, because of the different environments where spirits are born, some attribute types are extremely rare. Wood, earth, and water are the three most common types. Spirit masters from ordinary families can almost only contract spirits within these three types."
"So, a few years ago, spirit masters and ordinary people were almost two separate circles. Infant spirits were rare, and the cost of raising them was high, so ordinary families rarely produced a true spirit master. It was only in recent years that breakthroughs in spirit breeding technology made spirits accessible to common people."
"So, the contract between humans and spirits is mutually beneficial. A spirit's growth can nourish the spirit master, not only increasing soul strength but also slightly improving physical fitness... but it's nowhere near the spirit's growth rate. Spirits are nature's true darlings.
However, spirits have a long growth cycle—from birth to adulthood, it often takes decades or even centuries. Spirits in their growth stage only begin to develop combat abilities. But when contracted with humans, the time from infancy to adulthood can be shortened by dozens of times."
That was also why spirit contracts started in senior year, and why the college entrance exam included spirit battles.
Su Hao put down the book, his mind filled with images of lively spirits, and he grew even more eager for tomorrow's soul power test.
"Ding! Intelligence points +1."
A sudden sound rang out.
Su Hao's fingers froze. He rubbed his eyes, pinched his thigh, and finally fixed his gaze on...