Ding———
□ Alarm
07:00
The system alarm kept buzzing relentlessly.
Lili, however, remained fast asleep.
Even as the sharp ringing echoed inside his head, his body showed no intention of waking up. Minutes passed. Then more minutes. The alarm continued for nearly an hour and a half before—
Ding———
□ Time
08:31
Lili finally stirred.
"…Morning, Shakky," he muttered lazily, eyes half-open. "Did you sleep well?"
No reply.
He glanced at the translucent panel hovering before him.
8:31.
"Huh… that's new," he said, stretching his arms with a faint crack of bones. "Normally when I sleep, I wake up at night. Guess this world is playing tricks on me."
He yawned, utterly unbothered.
"Anyway… what was I supposed to do again?" he asked, tone flat, like he genuinely didn't care.
Ding———
□ Mission
Enroll at Shrek Academy
Reward: 20 R.P.
"Oh right," Lili sighed. "Enroll… in some Shrek-ing shit."
He rubbed his eyes and added, "Before that, buy me food. Anything edible. Anything drinkable."
Ding———
□ D.D.W. SHOP
Douluo Dalu Cuisines
The panel expanded, displaying various dishes seen in Episodes 1–50 of the series.
Roasted spirit beasts.
Noodles.
Sausages.
Mushrooms.
Soups.
Rice.
Wine.
Lili skimmed through them with mild interest.
"I'll take two portions of Red Tiger beast meat," he said casually. "And… red apple–flavored wine."
The Red Tiger was infamous for its fiery temperament and violent nature—fitting, he thought.
After finishing his meal, Lili finally stood up.
He didn't bother bathing.
Whether it was because he was lazy or because he simply didn't care—only he knew. Or maybe that was just a man thing.
He left his room and headed straight to the counter to settle the bill.
The receptionist from yesterday was still there. Beside her stood what appeared to be the hotel manager.
Both of them froze the moment they saw him.
Yesterday, the woman before them had already been striking—iconic purple hair, dark violet eyes, pale skin. But now… something was different.
If her skin before had looked almost lifeless, tinged faintly with blue, now it was unnaturally pale—Ulquiorra-like—so pale it looked as if all blood had been drained from her body.
Both the receptionist and the manager swallowed hard.
Lili walked forward slowly.
Every step he took drew attention. Guests in the lounge fell silent, their gazes instinctively locking onto him.
He stopped at the counter.
"Bill," he said, voice deep and hoarse.
The receptionist froze, unable to speak.
The manager—more experienced, though equally nervous—stepped forward.
"Y-Your H-Highness…"
He didn't know why the word slipped out.
He didn't know her background. He didn't know her identity.
But instinct screamed at him.
This woman was not ordinary.
"Y-Your H-Highness," he continued, voice trembling, "i-it is o-our h-honor to s-serve y-you. T-there is n-no n-need for p-payment."
Those words weren't his alone.
The hotel owner—hiding quietly in a corner—had given the order. The man had been present when she first arrived, demanding a room with that detached, uninterested expression.
At a glance, he knew.
She was someone they could not afford to offend.
Lili showed no reaction.
Instead, he glanced at the price board behind the counter—room rates, durations, daily fees—quietly reading them with Shakky's assistance.
The silence stretched.
The staff grew increasingly uneasy as she stood there, unmoving.
Then—
Lili raised her pale hand.
Gold coins materialized in her open palm.
One by one, she placed them on the counter.
Without another word, she turned around and walked toward the exit.
Only after the door closed did everyone finally exhale.
"…That was dangerous," a passerby muttered.
"Yeah… not someone you mess with," another whispered.
The manager stared at the gold on the counter and began counting.
"…F-Fifty," he stammered.
"W-What?!" the receptionist gasped. "F-Fifty gold?!"
The owner rushed over, eyes wide.
"F-Fifty Gold Coins… j-just for t-two rooms and o-one night…"
The actual cost had only been four or five gold coins.
Now they were certain.
That woman was absolutely not normal.
Who was she?
What background did she have?
What kind of existence paid fifty gold without hesitation?
Those same questions lingered in everyone's mind—
Especially for a man in the corner, adjusting his glasses silently, who had observed everything without a word.
♤
The man's eyes were scanning the street casually, just passing by the hotel by chance. Then—something hit him. A burst of soul power flared from inside the building. Not a small fluctuation—this wasn't a mere single-level breakthrough. Seven levels at once.
His brows lifted. Curiosity flared. What kind of soul power fluctuation was this? Following the energy, he saw its source: a woman in a tight black suit, moving frantically, scanning the crowd as if searching for someone—someone with purple hair.
The man was no ordinary passerby. He was Flender, principal of Shrek Academy and one of the famed "Three Ships" capable of summoning the Golden Eel—or Dragon, depending on how you counted.
Flender was a tall, middle-aged man in his fifties, slightly chubby, with wide cheekbones, a prominent chin, and a hooked, aquiline nose. He always wore rigid, square-framed black crystal glasses, which only emphasized the calculating glint in his eyes. His face carried a "devious" sort of charm—perfectly in line with his money-hungry, prideful personality.
He watched the scene unfold with sharp, calculating eyes. The black-suited woman approached the counter, radiating intent that even he could sense from a distance. Then he heard a familiar word: Shrek.
And just like that, she vanished into the air.
Flender allowed himself a small grin. If this woman truly enrolled in his school, it would be a jackpot—money, prestige, influence. The thought thrilled him.
But what intrigued him even more was the purple-haired person she had been searching for with such urgency. Fear, determination, longing—it was all there. Who was she? Why did the black-suited woman care so much about finding her?
Flender's sharp instincts immediately scanned the surrounding streets. If anyone matching that description had been around, he would have noticed. Purple hair moving toward Shrek Academy? That meant only one thing: she was either staying in the area or had left the hotel last night.
The principal's grin widened, his curiosity piqued. Money and mystery—two of his favorite things—were right in front of him.