Only the sound of a disposable cup being filled with murky liquid from the toilet broke the silence. A thug advanced toward me, while the crowd outside the stall merely watched the show—some even filming on their phones. No one moved to intervene.

*Sigh.* The world’s morals are declining; people’s hearts are no longer as pure as they once were.

As the cup of filth drew closer, I faced the greatest crisis of my seventeen years. In that desperate moment, a line of text flashed in my mind:

【Stonehide Skin: Earth-element apprentice magic. Temporarily hardens the skin like rock.】

I’d skimmed it last night in that *Beginner’s Guide to Magic*. Now, it was my lifeline. I chanted the syllables from memory.

A strange sensation washed over me—like being buried in beach sand, yet utterly different. Something in the air clung to my skin.

The cup was at my lips. One thug pried my jaw open. I slammed my forehead forward.

*CRACK!*

The sound echoed even to the onlookers outside. Blood seeped from the thug’s forehead. He pointed at me, eyes wide with disbelief, then collapsed.

Yuan Kui froze, releasing He Wei. He glared at me, fists trembling. "What trickery is this?"

My mind was foggy, but touching my unnaturally hard skin gave me courage. "You ape," I snapped. "Leave my brother alone. Come at *me*."

"You asked for this!"

Humiliated in front of everyone, Yuan Kui’s right fist shot out—veins bulging, knuckles white.

*THUD!*

I stumbled back, rubbing my stinging nose. Blood trickled down my upper lip. Yuan Kui howled, clutching his fist, sweat beading on his brow.

Just then, the headmaster burst in. "What’s going on?! Fighting on school grounds? You want expulsion?!"

The crowd scattered. We were dragged off for scolding. The thug regained consciousness quickly, but Yuan Kui’s face twisted in agony. He was rushed to the hospital.

By afternoon, news spread: Yuan Kui’s fingers were fractured. He wouldn’t return for a week.

Overnight, I became a legend.

"Hey, Wu Tong," a girl from the back row whispered after class. "You know kung fu, right?"

I’d learned two moves of tai chi from my grandpa at age ten. Pride made me nod, then shake my head.

"My friend said you charged alone into the boys’ bathroom—a den of tigers—to save your buddy! You took down Yuan Kui’s whole gang! You *must* know martial arts!"

Rumors always grow wild. I waved modestly. "This is my Wu family’s secret art. I can’t disclose it."

Suddenly, I was the center of attention. Classmates I barely knew crowded around, probing about my "skills." I deflected with "family secrets," craving nothing but a return to my quiet life.

He Wei, however, grabbed my hands, tears in his eyes. "Bro, you saved me. If we both die single, let’s marry in the Netherlands! I looked it up—we can get licensed there!"

"I appreciate the sentiment... but who’d be top or bottom?"

"I’d totally be the bottom! Be gentle with me, okay?"

Staring at his doughy face—pockmarked like the moon’s surface—I vomited.

—

That evening, I snatched up the *Beginner’s Guide to Magic* and devoured it.

Skipping the theory, I drilled the magic syllables, then tested spells. A coin-sized fireball now hovered above my fingertip—*Apprentice Fire Orb*, just as the book described. Magic was *real*. I practiced Water Orb, Wind Blade...

But my eyelids grew heavy.

*Weird. It’s only 7 PM. Homework’s waiting.* I opened my bag, but exhaustion crashed over me like after an all-nighter. I collapsed onto my desk.

—

*"I have a little donkey, never ride it~ Hand it to Policeman Uncle~"*

My phone’s obnoxiously cheerful ringtone jolted me awake. "Hippo? What’s up so late?"

"Late? It’s *morning*!" He Wei’s voice crackled with panic. "Ten minutes till homeroom! I thought Yuan Kui’s buddies ambushed you!"

"Impossible—" I yanked open the curtains. Blinding dawn light flooded in. "Uh... overslept. Be right there."

No time to wash up. I sprinted out, yawning nonstop. This fatigue felt deeper than any all-nighter. *Why am I so tired?*

After homeroom, the class gossipmonger sidled up. "Wu Tong, top-secret intel: Yuan Kui’s brother, Yuan Ba, is *triad*. They call him Long-Arm Ape. He’ll retaliate. Watch your back after school."

*Triads?* I was just a normal student! But Yuan Kui was a combat sports prodigy—broken fingers could ruin his career. His brother’s rage made sense.

*Would they break my arms?* But I had magic now. *Probably fine. Maybe.*

At dismissal, I shuffled out, yawning. I’d dozed off in every class, earning scoldings. All I wanted was to collapse into bed.

Three steps past the school gate, an arm snaked around my neck. Something sharp pressed into my ribs.

"Walk," a voice growled. "Now."