“They’re fools,” the man sneered, “who didn’t even fully bite the bait.”
At nine o’clock that night, within the lavishly decorated Vice Principal’s office at Tiandu University, three figures were deep in conspiracy.
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a decidedly ruffian air. He leaned back in his executive chair, a sneer plastered across his face, his long legs casually propped on the mahogany desk before him. His trouser cuffs were rolled up, revealing well-developed leg hair and muscular calves.
If Huang Xiu had been present, she would have recognized this middle-aged man instantly as Professor Ruan Fei, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
On the wall to Ruan Fei’s right, a live projection displayed scenes unfolding across the campus.
The second batch of new students, en route to their dormitories, had also encountered attacks from scaled monsters. However, with a combination of new and senior students, the scaled creatures were ultimately repelled.
“But this time, we had A-rank students,” the Vice Principal behind the mahogany desk stated, “it shouldn’t have turned out this way, no matter what.”
“In previous years, even if only S-rank new students passed through, at least a general-class Dragon Abomination would emerge from the Dragon Pool.”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The night wind swept in through the unclosed window, causing the flame of the decorative, rather than functional, candlestick on the table to flicker wildly.
The red candlelight danced across the Vice Principal’s face. The long, hideous scar that slashed across his right eye and mouth seemed to writhe, as if alive. Ruan Fei’s gaze lingered on the scar for a moment before subtly withdrawing.
The last person in the Vice Principal’s office was an old man, cradling a sword in his arms.
His eyes were exceptionally sharp, and his hands were calloused.
“After all, we’ve been fishing for nearly ten years,” the old man remarked, “even a fool should have caught on by now.”
“What’s the situation in Gu City now?” the Vice Principal suddenly asked, turning to Professor Ruan.
“Currently, including Gu City, Yunshang Province has seen the emergence of three accompanying Void Realms: Mountain, Tower, and Lake.”
Professor Ruan’s brow furrowed slightly as he spoke.
“At present, we can only broadly determine that these aren’t technology-based Void Realms, and their depth is at least eighty. While depth alone doesn’t measure a Void Realm’s danger, it is well-known that deeper Void Realms are harder to dispel and possess more complex rules.”
“A depth of eighty?” The Vice Principal fell into thought, his right hand gently tapping the solid mahogany table.
Thump, thump…
“What’s the AI system’s assessment?” the old man with the sword inquired.
“Look it up yourself!” Ruan Fei retorted with a sideways glance.
“You!” The old man with the sword bristled. “If I knew how to use that AI system, would I be asking you?”
“Whose fault is it that you old fogeys refuse to learn?”
Ruan Fei seemed to have a strained relationship with the old man, his words laced with sarcasm.
“Large Void Realms represent both wealth and peril,” the Vice Principal said coldly, ceasing his tapping. “Prepare for war.”
“This year truly is a season of troubles! We haven’t even finished dealing with that, and now this…”
The old man with the sword sighed softly, turning to gaze out the window, the moonlight reflected in his clouded eyes.
Tonight’s moon was exceptionally bright, casting a silvery sheen upon the treetops.
Some gazed at the moon with sorrow, while others found joy in its light—different moods under the same celestial glow.
****
“Is the moon really that bright tonight?”
Huang Xiu pulled out her phone, snapped a few pictures of the moon, then casually took a few more of her room.
She opened WeChat and sent them all to her mother.
[Safely arrived at the dorm (smiley face)]
After sending the message and completing the task her mother had assigned, Huang Xiu exhaled in relief and began unpacking her luggage.
The room was only ten square meters, yet it was more than enough space for one person.
The spacious bed was already made with a quilt and pillow, while the wardrobe and desk flanked either side of it.
She busied herself categorizing and putting away her clothes, toiletries, and other daily necessities.
However, Huang Xiaoxian was hiding nearby, engrossed in her phone, which immediately irritated Miss Xiu.
“Stop playing on your phone and come help!”
“Okay!” Huang Xiaoxian readily complied, fearing her master would confiscate her phone.
As she tidied up, Huang Xiu suddenly discovered a small black bag hidden beneath her clothes in the suitcase.
“What is this?”
She had packed her own luggage, yet she had no recollection of ever putting this black bag inside.
In that instant, an ominous premonition inexplicably struck her, and the bag’s color even made her think of a particular item.
‘No way!’
She opened it, took a quick glance, then impassively closed it.
Well, it was indeed a sanitary napkin.
‘Mom, you’re truly thoughtful!’
She had even forgotten about her perpetually delayed period.
Yet, her mother had remembered, slipping it into her suitcase when she wasn’t looking.
Huang Xiu hesitated for a moment, ultimately deciding not to throw it away, instead placing it in the deepest part of her wardrobe.
‘I hope I won’t have to use this!’ she prayed.
****
May 17th, overcast.
Dark clouds pressed down on the city, fierce winds howled in gusts, bending treetops and scraping against building exteriors.
Today was the day of the new student orientation ceremony.
Though it was scheduled to begin at nine, many new students had already left their dormitory compound before eight o’clock.
Huang Xiu was among them.
Her mood remained unaffected by the weather; she walked along the path with a light, joyful step.
Two beautiful girls accompanied her.
One was Ying Zhiyu, fair-skinned and smooth, dressed in a dark green plaid shirt and a long checkered skirt, exuding a distinct British charm.
The other was Jia Qianrou, her other roommate, a “lucky” first-batch new student who had only returned to the dorm at nine the night before.
She was completely different from Huang Xiu’s expectations.
Tall and with a cool, detached beauty.
Paired with her white shirt and black pleated skirt today, she truly embodied the image of a “high-mountain flower.”
Despite her cool demeanor, her personality seemed quite pleasant.
The night before last, upon arriving at the dorm, she had shared many local specialties with Huang Xiu and Ying Zhiyu.
This made Huang Xiu, who hadn’t brought anything, feel a sudden flush of embarrassment.
In fact, Huang Xiu thought it would be more fitting if Jia Qianrou and Ying Zhiyu swapped names.
Gazing at Huang Xiu’s white short-sleeved top and black trousers, Ying Zhiyu’s face was etched with confusion.
“Sister Xiu, why aren’t you wearing the skirt uniform? Your legs are so long and fair; you’d look absolutely stunning in it.”
Yesterday, the school had issued four sets of uniforms per student, each exquisitely made and varied in style.
Two of these sets included skirts, which were the very ones Ying Zhiyu and Jia Qianrou were wearing.
However, the outfit Sister Xiu was currently wearing—a white short-sleeved top paired with black trousers—was a style virtually no other girl would choose.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Huang Xiu argued, “I call this being unique.”
“If all of you wear skirts and I wear trousers, people will notice me more easily!”
“Is that how it is? I see!”
Ying Zhiyu clasped her right fist into her left palm, looking as if a profound realization had dawned upon her.
Jia Qianrou, however, was not so easily convinced and turned to cast a suspicious glance.
‘She knew her reason was flimsy, but she couldn’t possibly admit she was too shy to wear a skirt, could she!’
“Are you on your period?” Jia Qianrou suddenly asked.
“Oh, I’m hungry! Let’s go eat first!”
Huang Xiu quickly changed the subject, eyeing the cafeteria not far away.
Yesterday, as the Research Department’s new students reported, the Exploration Department’s new students were free to roam, so they had spent the entire day exploring the campus together.
While they weren’t intimately familiar with the school, they had at least located the essential cafeteria, academic buildings, and Yanghai Hall, where the orientation ceremony would be held today.
“But speaking of which, why is it called Yanghai Hall?” Huang Xiu wondered.
Yanghai was a large sea within Yunshang Province.
While famous within Yunshang Province, it made no sense for it to be the name of a major conference venue at Tiandu University.
Tiandu University’s cafeteria resembled a church, with arched beams forming its ceiling.
Hundreds of wooden tables filled the center, and high-stool chairs, similar to those at a bar, were arranged nearby.
As soon as Huang Xiu and her two companions entered the cafeteria, they were enveloped and enchanted by a myriad of enticing aromas.
The cafeteria’s food selection was incredibly diverse, a fact they had confirmed during dinner yesterday.
Tiandu University, in its seemingly inhuman generosity, had hired a full ten master chefs.
From regional Chinese delicacies to international cuisine, there was enough variety to satisfy every student’s palate.
However, while the daily menu items were free, ordering à la carte or special dishes required additional payment.
Of course, students could also pay with academic credits.
Indeed, at Tiandu University, academic credits were equivalent to money.
Anything that could be purchased with money could also be paid for with academic credits.
However, money could not be converted into academic credits.
According to the conversion rate Huang Xiu had learned yesterday, ten academic credits were worth approximately one thousand yuan within the school.
This meant that in just a short while yesterday, she had earned a staggering three thousand yuan.
“What’s on the menu today, let me see.”
Huang Xiu eagerly looked towards the electronic screen in the center of the cafeteria.
The screen continuously displayed today’s menu, complete with text descriptions and accompanying pictures for reference.
“Today’s special is Chinese sauerkraut pork hock!”
Huang Xiu’s eyes widened slightly; this was a renowned foreign dish on her culinary bucket list.
“I absolutely cannot miss today’s Chinese meal!”
She clenched her small fists.
The breakfast selection was extensive, and Huang Xiu transformed into a Tam, feasting until her belly was perfectly round.
Her terrifying appetite made both Ying Zhiyu and Jia Qianrou’s eyebrows twitch involuntarily.
While they could eat a good amount, they certainly couldn’t eat that much.
‘No wonder she’s S-rank,’ Jia Qianrou mused inwardly, ‘her energy intake is higher than mine.’
Yanghai Hall, where the new student orientation ceremony was to be held, stood directly opposite the small building where Huang Xiu had registered.
After finishing their meal, they immediately hurried over, intending to secure a spot that was slightly towards the back but still offered a good view.
However, by the time they arrived at Yanghai Hall, they discovered that the senior students typically occupied the very back, while the middle sections were completely filled with other new students. This left only the front rows, closest to the school leaders.
“No way! Is even the new student orientation this competitive?” Huang Xiu muttered, utterly speechless, and had no choice but to sit in the third row.
Another drawback of sitting in the front was that every action one took was under scrutiny.
Awakened individuals inherently possessed heightened senses, and Huang Xiu could feel gazes sweeping across her back.
Although these glances were not malicious, merely fleeting, they still sent a slight shiver down her spine.
She would eventually get used to it.
Huang Xiu was playing on her phone, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure entering.
It was Yun Ning.
He was dressed in the small suit style of the male school uniform, his hair seemingly styled with wax. Several handsome boys followed him.
After inwardly assessing the situation, Huang Xiu waved to Yun Ning.
“Hey, Senior Yun.”
Yun Ning heard the familiar voice, looked up, and saw a girl with a smile on her lips greeting him. He smiled, nodded in acknowledgment, and then, along with the boys accompanying him, took a seat in the first row.
Seeing her actions, Ying Zhiyu exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, “Quickly, spill it! You know a senior? What’s your relationship with him?”
Jia Qianrou, to her left, turned her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Huang Xiu quickly explained, “We only met during admissions. He came with a teacher at the time.”
“Oh, I see,” Ying Zhiyu nodded. But Jia Qianrou still felt something was amiss. If they had only met during admissions, why did they seem so familiar with each other?
However, since Huang Xiu didn’t elaborate, Jia Qianrou had no intention of pressing further; she understood boundaries perfectly.
The new student orientation ceremony did not differentiate between the Exploration and Research Departments. However, Research Department students generally arrived later than those from the Exploration Department.
With ten minutes remaining until the start, Research Department new students and senior students continued to trickle in.
Huang Xiu was actually a little apprehensive about facing anyone from the Research Department. Partially due to the lingering trauma from the bus incident that day, and partially because Fang Miaoging was also in the Research Department. She feared being recognized and having her true identity revealed.
However…
Huang Xiu felt that, given her current fame and the speed at which her reputation was spreading, it wouldn’t be long before even those in the Research Department knew about an S-rank new student named Huang Xiu from Yunhai City this year.
Fang Miaoging must have arrived very early, as Huang Xiu didn’t see her among the later arrivals. But this was bad news. The thought of Fang Miaoging likely being behind her, searching for the male version of herself, intensified the feeling of being watched. It was as if she had daggers in her back.
Her suspicions were confirmed. Fang Miaoging, ever the ‘Roll King,’ had arrived exceptionally early, deliberately choosing a spot with the best view to easily spot Huang Xiu the moment he entered.
However, to her disappointment and confusion, the new student orientation had already begun, yet the boy’s figure was nowhere to be seen in Yanghai Hall.
“Where is Huang Xiu?” Fang Miaoging wondered, stroking her chin. “Could it be that he didn’t get into Tiandu University and went to one of the other three major institutions instead?”
All students in their Research Department had been granted access to information about the true world. This was because the Research Department’s goal was to study Void Realm creations through modern methods.
During the fifteen days since gaining access to the true world, she had been immersed in its data, frantically catching up on truths she had never known before, concerning Awakened individuals and Void Realms.
To be honest, most Exploration Department new students probably knew less about the true world than she did now.
“No wonder I couldn’t get him to meet up all summer.” Fang Miaoging felt she had most likely deduced the truth of the matter.
She couldn’t help but sigh.
However, time waited for no one. A round of applause suddenly erupted around her, signaling the start of the new student orientation ceremony!