The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 952: Level 1 Trials

“I think it’s too early for you to be taking the level 1 trials...”

In the mysticism office, Professor Spit Haig’s surprise gave way to a frown as he addressed Lu Li, who had followed him in.

“I’ve already mastered the level 1 mysticism knowledge,” Lu Li answered calmly.

“You’ve only been at the academy for ten days...”

Professor Haig, unaware of the Book of the Apocalypse, couldn’t comprehend how Lu Li had absorbed the material so quickly; the doubling effect on memory and intellect was far more potent than a simple sum.

In fact, if not for the delays caused by recent events, that timeframe could have been shortened to a single week.

And for Lu Li, ten days was already a slow pace—he needed to reach level 7 in mysticism before he could access the knowledge on how to release a Cursed Title.

This meant that even if each subsequent level took ten days, Lu Li would still have to remain at the Academy of Giant Trees for another two months.

And that didn’t even account for the trials in other disciplines.

“When does it start?”“Later this afternoon. The gatekeepers will be proctoring.”

Relieved, Professor Haig answered quickly, then hurried away to spread the news of Lu Li’s participation in the trials.

Professors from the other departments soon heard the news. In the subsequent alchemy lesson, Professor Ruberhro even “leaked” the test material, circling potential questions on the alchemy trial for Lu Li.

After class, the professor hinted to Lu Li that he hoped he would also take the level 1 alchemy trial as soon as possible.

Although the level 1 trials were merely introductory and of limited difficulty, a failure meant a two-week waiting period. Since Lu Li had not yet mastered all the material, he decided to postpone it for the time being.

During lunch, Lu Li ate quietly in his usual spot.

Dogmeat was either engrossed in his food or chattering nonstop, his mouth never idle. Fudot was the other extreme; she wanted to speak to Lu Li, but some combination of restraint, pride, or shyness kept her silent, forcing her to feign indifference.

After bidding farewell to Dogmeat and leaving a frustrated Fudot behind, Lu Li finished his meal and left the church, heading for the trial location: the mysticism classroom.

Lu Li met Professor Haig, who was waiting for him specifically, and the professor subtly asked if he was confident about the level 1 trial.

The level 1 trial, though simple, had strict rules—no mistakes were allowed. Even a single wrong answer on a multiple-choice question would result in failure.

There were only two possible outcomes for the trial: a perfect score or a fail.

As they approached the mysticism classroom, Professor Haig was stopped by the gatekeepers, who watched as Lu Li entered.

Three other students, already inside and nervously reviewing their notes, looked up in astonishment, wondering why Lu Li was there. Just as they convinced themselves he must be a proctor, Lu Li sat down at an empty desk just like them.

“Your Highness Lu Li... are you also here for the trial?”

The student who had quietly asked the question received a nod of confirmation. Before he could ask anything else, two gatekeepers entered the classroom carrying parchment exam papers.

Silence fell over the empty classroom as the gatekeepers announced the single rule:

“Cheaters will be docked five academic points and confined for one month... regardless of their fame or status.”

The gatekeepers delivered the last phrase while looking directly at Lu Li.

It seemed they had forgotten about the commission Lu Li had given them and their supposed “friendship.”

The gatekeepers distributed the parchment exams, and Lu Li glanced over the first part: it consisted of fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions.

His long fingers picked up the quill, dipped it into the inkwell, and his dark eyes scanned the first question.

The first fill-in-the-blank question was on basic knowledge: “List four types of anomalies from the Ancient Era ____ and four types of anomalies from the Age of Anomalies ____.”

Ghost, Evil God, Spirit of Defilement, Anomaly, and Spirits and Monsters.

The second question was also on basic knowledge, and only with the third did the trial begin to show some difficulty.

“The essential difference between a ghost and an Evil Spirit is ____.”

After writing “Ritual,” Lu Li looked at the fourth question, which featured a simple map of the Wastelands: “Fill in the following blank areas.”

Lu Li studied the marked areas and wrote from memory: “Gauss Basin at the foot of the World's Spine Mountains to the north, the gloomy western plains where Midnight stands, a cluster of anomalous towns as black as the abyss to the east, and the salt marshes of the Unknown Lands to the south.”

After finishing the fourth question, which was related to geography, the subsequent questions dealt with alchemy, divination, and knowledge of anomalies.

Mysticism could be seen as an umbrella term, much like how Ghost, Evil God, Spirit of Defilement, Anomaly, and Spirits and Monsters could all be classified under the general term “anomaly.” It blended all knowledge “belonging to the mystical,” including that of other departments.

Having answered the ten fill-in-the-blank questions, Lu Li moved on to the multiple-choice section.

Compared to the fill-in-the-blanks, the multiple-choice questions were relatively simple—in a sense.

But the textual traps hidden within them made it easier for students to make mistakes.

“The progress of the Academy of Giant Trees in reclaiming the surface is: ( )”

“1. The outskirts of Midnight. 2. The outskirts of the divine town. 3. The extension of the Old Sewer. 4. The surface belongs to the people!”

Option 4 was an emotional misdirection. Only 1, 2, and 3 were related to the answer, but since the question concerned the surface, 3 was excluded. The remaining options, 1 and 2, could easily lead a test-taker to subconsciously choose between them, but both 1 and 2 were incorrect.

The Academy of Giant Trees’ progress in reclaiming the surface only included the Colonial Zone, the Safe Zone, and the Cleared Zone.

The next few multiple-choice questions did not contain any such non-option answers. Lu Li quickly finished the questions and looked at the end of the parchment, where a blank space followed.

“In the winter of the 24th year of the Age of Anomalies, old Belfast became the Land of Light. Write what you know about the events that took place there.”

No one knew better than Lu Li what had happened in the Land of Light.

Without hiding anything, he wrote that Belfast had become the Land of Light because of the Deep God, then set down the weightless quill.

The results of the trial would be sent out the next day. But without needing any notification, Lu Li was already certain he had passed the level 1 mysticism trial.

As he stepped out of the classroom, Professor Haig, who had been waiting by the door, asked Lu Li about his performance—

“Easier than I thought,” Lu Li said.

“The academy must always consider all the students,” Professor Haig said gently.

Because of the conditions humanity now faced, many students were at a stage where they “knew it but couldn't write it”—they were illiterate.

Therefore, they were also frequent attendees of linguistics classes, where they had to learn to write.

“Professor Haig.”

The three students greeted him and walked away together, their quiet muttering about Lu Li being a distraction and possibly causing them to do poorly drifting back faintly.

And so, the news of Lu Li’s participation in the trial spread via those three students.

The students weren’t surprised. In fact, if the results were announced tomorrow and Lu Li hadn't passed, that would have surprised them.

That evening in the assembly hall, Lu Li, who had gradually faded from the spotlight due to his sociability, once again became the topic of conversation and the center of attention.

“It’s very simple. I’ll be taking the level 1 trial tomorrow as well,” Fudot said, tilting her pale chin up like a swan.

The knowledge she had received from her family allowed her to handle the trials with ease.

“I’ll be there soon too...” Dogmeat mumbled indistinctly.

“...soon I’ll be able to write my own name!”

After dinner, Lu Li went to the library to borrow books on anomaly studies, preparing for the upcoming level 1 trial in that subject.

“Anomaly Class - Ghost Division”

“They have existed for as long as humans have, for they are born from human bodies themselves. Whether the soul is a new being of the deceased, or a new being that possesses the memories of the deceased, we do not know—”

At that moment, Antoni the Merchant arrived, carrying a letter signed by Professor Kris.

“Are you ready?”