The team arrived at a farm on the outskirts of the city. There, they met the owner of the farmhouse—a middle-aged man who looked visibly anxious.
After a brief introduction, the captain asked, "We heard you've had some trouble lately. What can you tell us?"
The owner nodded nervously. "For the past two days, strange sounds have been coming from the warehouse. I haven't gone near it... I fear there might be a demon inside."
"Well, it's good that you stayed cautious," the captain replied. "What's stored in the warehouse?"
"Just some fruits and meat."
"Hm," the captain mused, "perhaps the demon is drawn by the food. What time do the noises usually start?"
"After 6 or 7 in the evening, once it gets dark."
"Alright, then we'll wait until nightfall to observe it. Can you give us a quick tour of the farmhouse in the meantime?"
"Yes, of course. Please follow me."
After a short tour of the property, the team asked the owner to leave for his safety. They stationed themselves in the farmhouse, waiting for darkness to fall.
As they waited in the living room, Mo Fan turned to the captain. "So, Captain, what kind of demon do you think it is?"
The captain crossed his arms. "Based on what the owner said, it's likely a Colossal-Eyed Ape Rat. They're drawn to food and are excellent at tunneling."
Mo Fan leaned forward. "Can you tell me more about it? How does it attack? Anything we should be careful about?"
The captain smirked. "Good to see you taking this seriously, Ming Chen. Most newbies are too scared to think. The Ape Rat is about 1.5 meters long with a massive, basketball-sized eye in the center of its forehead. It can shoot a laser from that eye—its ultimate attack. It's also pretty fast."
Mo Fan nodded, processing the details. "So how do we deal with it?"
"Good question. Normally, we have Caitang freeze the demon or slow it down first. Then we bombard it with spells. But since you're here, you'll use Lightning Strike to stun it. That'll give us an opening."
The team discussed their strategy until nightfall. As the sun dipped below the horizon, strange noises began to echo from the warehouse—just as the farmer had described.
They moved out quietly and gathered at the warehouse entrance. The captain whispered, "Everyone ready? Feishi, wait for my command to cast your Earth magic. Ming Chen, once it's slowed, you hit it with Lightning Strike. Understood?"
"Yes," both Mo Fan and Feishi responded.
The captain pushed open the door. Inside, a grotesque rat with a colossal eye was feasting on fruits and meat. It paused, sniffed the air, then turned toward them with a low growl.
"Feishi, now!" the captain shouted.
Feishi slammed his palm to the ground. "Earth Wave: Delay!" A ripple of energy surged forward, and the rat slowed noticeably.
"Ming Chen, now!"
Mo Fan raised his hand. "Lightning Strike!" A crack of electricity shot out and hit the demon, stunning it.
"Caitang!" the captain barked. Ice crept up the demon's legs, locking it in place. Xiaoke followed up with a barrier to shield the team, and the captain launched a flurry of fireballs.
The demon shrieked and began to recover. Before it could move again, Mo Fan cast another Lightning Strike, stopping it in its tracks once more.
After a few more coordinated attacks, the rat collapsed, breathing heavily. Seizing the moment, the captain unleashed his most powerful spell—Novice Level 3 Fire Magic—engulfing the beast in a pillar of flame and ending its life.
As the demon died, a faint glow emerged—a remnant spirit flew toward Little Loach and was absorbed instantly.
The team inspected the demon's corpse for any valuable materials. Once the area was secure, they called the owner back and arranged for the carcass to be taken away.
For successfully dealing with the demon, the team received a reward of 500,000 yuan. Mo Fan earned 80,000 for his key contributions.
That night, as Mo Fan returned to his dorm, he felt deeply satisfied. It had been his first real demon hunt—and a successful one at that.
The next two months passed quickly. During that time, Mo Fan participated in five more demon hunts, earning an additional 400,000 yuan. With his growing income, he finally bought a magic shield—specifically, the Bone Scythe Shield, the same one Zhankong had given him in the original timeline.
Unfortunately, none of the demons he killed released a soul essence. Still, Mo Fan wasn't discouraged. All he needed now was a pair of Magic Boots before he could begin hunting demons completely on his own.
It had now been nearly six months since he awakened his magic. With his Lightning Element already at Novice Level 1, he had shifted focus entirely onto his Fire Element, aiming to push it to Novice Level 2.
During this time, he also handled a personal matter—some hooligans had been harassing his step-sister. Mo Fan confronted them the first time he went to visit her, making it clear that she wasn't to be messed with.
Today, Mo Fan sat in the Practical Magic class, waiting for the teacher to arrive. He noticed something odd: most of the boys in class were staring intently at the door.
Curious, Mo Fan glanced over—and saw a woman in her early twenties step into the room. Her face was average, but her figure drew obvious attention.
"Good morning, class," she said confidently. "Your Practical Magic teacher has fallen ill and is currently recuperating at home. From today onward, I will be in charge of your Practical Magic lessons. My name is Tang Yue."
She quickly transitioned into teaching mode. "It's been six months since you awakened, and most of you still haven't successfully cast a spell. You must understand—possessing power doesn't mean you can control it. If you fail to grasp proper control, your own magic will backfire on you."
As she lectured, Mo Fan watched her closely, thinking:
'I still don't get what the Tribunal is thinking. Sending her undercover to search for the Black Vatican? Seriously? What mid-level Mage comes to teach at a high school in some backwater city? An old man would've drawn less attention. She's practically begging to be noticed the way she dresses. No wonder she hasn't found a single clue even after three years. Anyone with half a brain would know something's off about her.'
After the short lecture, Tang Yue raised her hand. Fiery light gathered in her palm as she performed Fire Burst: Burning Bones, a Level 2 Novice Fire Spell.
The class was stunned. They had never seen a real fire spell used in person before.
Tang Yue looked around. "Which students here have awakened the Fire Element?"
One by one, students stood and introduced themselves. Finally, Mo Fan introduced himself.
Tang Yue's gaze lingered on him longer than the others. Mo Fan noticed but didn't react.
'Maybe the principal told her about me. Probably instructed her not to expose anything.'
The class ended without any additional surprises.
As the semester drew to a close, the students braced themselves—the Annual Examination was just around the corner.