Chapter 163: A Separation Without Tears or Regret

Li En originally thought the final day of class would be special, but it turned out he overthought it.

"What does a good teacher do in their final moments? Soul-stirring pep talks? Mindset adjustments?"

Looking at the Kuku before him, Li En was baffled.

"Of course, I'm maxing out the course intensity for you!"

The nightmare of the final stretch before the Gaokao felt like it had returned—facing three Kukus babbling nonstop, Li En's scalp prickled.

The others in the Hall of Spirits felt the same—some had felt a tinge of sadness.

But faced with over thirty Kukus jumping around, forcing you to memorize nonstop, there was no room for sadness—time was spent entirely memorizing, ears and mind buzzing from the constant recitation.

"Probably, that's what teachers are like right before sending students into the exam hall."

Li En was numb, but he gritted his teeth and took notes anyway.

After all, the magical knowledge Kuku shared—the spell theory, the unwritten rules for dealing with foreign creatures—were priceless insights you couldn't buy with money, immensely helping him adapt to this world.

At this moment, he understood clearly: drawing Su'er and Kuku as his first two Spirit Souls was genuinely good fortune.

He even suspected there might have been some behind-the-scenes manipulation—wait, the second one was Heroine Laina? That still-reclusive mess—could she really be called a Heroine?

Kuku had hinted that the other Spirit Souls might not be so easy to deal with—some might even deliberately sabotage you.

"Some of them harbor resentment toward Li Ensu—they might take it out on you," one Kuku said.

"Some are chosen purely for ability, and their personalities or stances are probably problematic," another Kuku was still highlighting key points for Li En.

"Some of them might be outright broken—even though they're all aspects of Li Ensu's nature—you know, when the world turns sour, good people go mad faster," one Kuku sighed helplessly.

The three Kukus' words sent chills down Li En's spine, and he lowered his expectations for what came next.

The disciples were being stuffed full—teachers weren't just chasing them to feed them anymore; in these final moments, they were desperate to crack open their skulls and pour knowledge straight in.

Li En was relatively lucky—he was weak. As a first-rank spellcaster with watered-down magic, even the best teachers could only reinforce his basics and chat about miscellaneous knowledge.

It was like a middle schooler with a total score of one hundred out of a hundred asking PhDs to teach him—there was no point, they couldn't even communicate.

The real agony was for those already on the path—the "graduate students." Other alchemists had thoroughly reviewed their research, magical proficiency, combat techniques, and racial evolution.

These were tailored to each apprentice's individual situation—apparently idle Kuku had spent these days calculating and planning nonstop.

His breadth of vision and personalized guidance meant that, before becoming a Grand Alchemist (fifth-rank or higher), they wouldn't need to consider better career paths.

The result? The anticipated farewell gathering had been turned into a last-minute cram session.

"It's almost dawn! That's enough! Class dismissed!"

Finally, as Kuku retracted his clones, the room was a mess—even Dainya, being a spellcaster herself, had been crammed so hard her vision blurred.

Watching the carefree Kuku above, everyone, no matter how complex their emotions, didn't know how to speak.

"Thank you. You turned my fate around—you'll be my lifelong master," Alekne Tarabal said, bowing deeply. Her life had been reshaped by Kuku; even if he seemed utterly indifferent, she owed him gratitude.

"Thank you, Savior. Thank you, Mentor!" the automaton Ophelia echoed—she had received the gift of rebirth; he might not care, but she had to.

"Thank you, Brother Kuku. Thank you," the magic girl Bai finally smiled like a child—she was the only one who didn't get extra lessons, yet spent an entire night playing with "Brother Kuku," including horseback riding and tag.

Dozens of Kukus playing tag as little chicks was too absurd—it completely shattered the melancholy atmosphere.

Disciples like Gu Gu and Saliman also expressed their thanks, but Kuku waved his hand and severed the connection outright.

Instantly, each figure was ejected.

By splitting his legacy among seven people, he might not have forged a great hero—but he undeniably transformed the lives of these suffering souls to the fullest extent.

Knowing Kuku disliked such displays, their thanks were brief—but still made the now-flesh-and-blood Kuku uncomfortably uneasy.

His little tail poked out from beneath his sage's robe, swishing back and forth.

"Wait, are you blushing? Can't you accept thanks?" Li En was surprised—but looking back at Kuku's past, it made sense.

Kuku had endured too much malice and hostility—he could always face it with confidence—but perhaps he wasn't used to receiving kindness or gratitude.

"Hah, your troubles aren't over yet, and you're talking about me?"

"Uh, you're lashing out because you're caught out—that's the classic guilty reaction. Fine, fine, I won't say anything," Li En sighed, raising his hands in surrender as a fireball ignited in Kuku's palm.

No more words—he didn't want to break his own record for dying in a Spirit Soul's dream.

"Alright, I'm off. Take care of yourself," Kuku said, as carefree as if heading out for a stroll.

"There are still a few hours left," Li En said, feeling a pang of reluctance.

"No need. I told you—my story is over," Kuku looked at Li En calmly, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

Hope. Pity. Even resignation.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Li En's promise might not be fulfilled now—but later, he could make it happen.

Li En had resolved—even if Kuku asked him to research a Potion of Calm or build a community of kind goblins, he'd try. But the response was a bemused chuckle from the goblin.

As he himself said—he truly didn't care about anything anymore. He wasn't that still-reclusive idiot Heroine. The dead shouldn't interfere with the living.

"I already said it before—my life has no regrets."

He smiled faintly and slowly shook his head.

"If I must ask for something, live. Live longer. If we ever meet again in the Hall of Spirits, tell me your stories."

He paused, then added one last thing.

"By the way, your coursework failed. Next time, study harder. Read more."

With Li En's face frozen in disbelief, Kuku's time finally ran out.

He gave Li En no chance to speak—simply dissolved into mist. His little hand gave a cheerful snap.

"Snap! 59 points—retake!" In that instant, Li En was utterly stunned.

Then the settlement screen flooded his vision.

【Synchronization Rate: 60. %, Satisfaction: 41. %】

【Settlement Complete. Spirit Soul approves your effort—evaluation: Pass!】

【Spirit Soul's Message: Scared? Scared?】

Li En finally relaxed—he knew this guy, even at the end, had to pull one last prank.

Did he really hate sentimental goodbyes that much?

Li En let out a silent laugh, helplessly shaking his head.

If it's a farewell, make it joyful—Kuku hated overly sorrowful partings.

【Rewards: One random Spirit Soul card, Mage class level, Dragon Tongue Speaker class level】

【Reward Spell List: Shield Spell.】

Before he finished reading the list, Li En froze.

A flood of magical knowledge poured into his mind—this time, it was learning methods and underlying principles. His body stiffened instantly—even his spirit form couldn't handle such an overwhelming influx.

Whether it was a moment, a few minutes, or longer, when Li En finally snapped out of his daze, he noticed his body was stiff.

"That's quite a gift," Li En murmured, reviewing the knowledge in his mind.

With this, his learning speed for low-rank spells had accelerated dramatically.

He was still a first-rank mage—but now he possessed a solid foundation in second-rank magic.

His first-rank Dragon Tongue Speaker rank also let him use Dragon Tongue spells more easily—and likely helped activate some Dragon Bloodline abilities.

"Five first-rank, three second-rank spells—that's at least half a year's accumulation. With my talent, it would've taken me two years." The most valuable thing was always the seemingly basic magical knowledge.

These required time to accumulate and refine—and Li En's talent was so poor he couldn't even play without cheating.

Li En guessed this was Kuku's adjusted gift—compared to an extra Spirit Soul card, this magical knowledge was far more valuable to him now.

Conversely, his spellcaster rank mattered less now—even if forcibly upgraded to second-rank, without the corresponding spells, it was like having a gun with no bullets.

【Dragon Tongue Awakened: druj (Split/Multiple)】

"So this was the word?" Though not the exact pronunciation Kuku had used, the meaning was identical.

The Dragon Tongue Kuku had mentioned was now accessible—meaning Kuku's past Dragon Tongue spell experience was now Li En's to use.

Before meeting Kuku, Li En had been a complete magic novice (Kuku: "Glowing canister idiot!")—now he was no worse than most three-year apprentices.

With the granted Mage rank, he'd likely reach second-rank soon—and once he did, these spells would gain real combat value for him.

Finally, as a second-rank knight, first-rank mage, and first-rank Dragon Tongue Speaker, paired with his "Multi-Headed Dragon" advancement, he could now be called a true powerhouse.

"At last, I can start shaping my own fate."

Li En glanced at the spot where Kuku had stood, took a deep breath, and ended the dream.

In his final glimpse, he thought he saw the white-robed figure smiling and waving at him.

"Walk well."

"Uh…" He snapped out of his daze to find a pretty face inches from his own.

"What's wrong?"

"You've been asleep for three days—I was about to die of worry!" The girl pouted, eyes red.

(End of Chapter)