“Alright, before we set off, let’s grab some lunch,” Leixar suggested, clapping her hands.
Indeed, none of us had eaten lunch. While going without food wouldn’t cause any real problems, the feeling of hunger was still quite uncomfortable.
Our group discovered a small restaurant near the plaza. Though described as “small,” it was only so in comparison, spanning at least several hundred square meters.
Yet, inside, it contained only a dozen or so tables. The decor was remarkably simple: pure white dining tables, each separated by half-height white wooden fences adorned with a few winding vines, creating a rather charming aesthetic.
I gazed around with a hint of admiration. The Divine Realm truly lived up to its name; every single shop’s decoration was meticulously crafted, making each sight a pleasure to behold.
Upon reaching a table, I casually chose a seat. Everyone else settled down, save for Ryan Micheus. With only the spot beside me remaining, he hesitated, then slowly took the seat, all while subtly observing my expression.
Resting my chin in my hand, I merely cast a fleeting glance at him as he sat, then dismissed him from my thoughts.
Noticing my lack of any opposing reaction, Ryan Micheus couldn’t help but feel a flicker of delight, assuming I wasn’t particularly averse to him. After all, if a girl truly disliked a member of the opposite s*x, she would surely display her displeasure at such an action.
I hadn’t anticipated that my indifferent attitude would inadvertently grant this fellow a hope destined for disappointment. Honestly, as a boy, if another boy you found slightly irritating sat next to you, wouldn’t showing any overt displeasure seem incredibly childish and petty?
When it came to ordering, I merely glanced at the menu, filled with items I couldn’t identify, before uninterestingly tossing it to Ryan Micheus, who sat stiffly beside me.
Across from me, Liu Han mirrored my reaction, utterly bewildered by the offerings. After a quick flip through, she too set it down on the table with a sigh of boredom.
Ryan Micheus accepted the menu I’d discarded, his thoughts swirling. ‘This time, no matter what, I must make Little Mengmeng happy,’ he mused inwardly. ‘I’ve done so many things to displease her, yet she doesn’t seem to utterly detest me. Such a wonderful girl is truly hard to find, even with a lantern.’
In truth, his entire premise was flawed. First, how could he hope to please a girl when he understood nothing about her?
Second, I wasn’t actually a girl.
Third, I’d disliked him from the very first moment I saw him.
Fourth, his description of “such a girl” was hardly applicable to me.
However, one part of his thought was accurate: a girl like ‘this’ was indeed hard to find, even with a lantern. After all, how many other girls with a boy’s soul and the appearance of a super beautiful maiden had he ever encountered?
Ryan Micheus, seemingly destined for misfortune, stared at the menu in deep contemplation. Finally, he placed his order, convinced that a ‘cute little goddess’ like me would undoubtedly favor sweet dishes.
Alas, he was mistaken. While I had recently succumbed to the allure of a particular dessert, it was solely due to its exceptional taste. Dishes that were overly sweet, however, were entirely unpalatable to me.
The dishes arrived one by one. The girls found them quite to their liking, eating with gusto. I, however, simply hunched over the table, spooning plain white rice mouthful by mouthful, occasionally reaching for a plate of less-sweet greens tucked away in the corner.
It had to be said, the food here was genuinely good. Yet, it was a long-standing habit of mine to avoid sweet flavors during a main meal.
Witnessing my reaction, Ryan Micheus grew visibly dejected. It seemed he had botched it once again. The usually cheerful Ryan Micheus was now utterly crestfallen, quickly finishing his meal before trailing listlessly behind us.
“Come on, let’s head to the station. The Winged Beasts will find their way back on their own,” Leixar announced once we stepped out of the restaurant.
Along the way, I happened to walk beside Qianyue, feeling utterly suppressed by their imposing aura. I couldn’t muster the courage to speak, and I found myself involuntarily admiring that idiotic Ryan Micheus for his audacity in trying to strike up a conversation.
We reached the station, where, remarkably, the Divine Realm’s “trains” required no tickets. One simply boarded to ride; it was entirely free of charge.
Once inside, I found a window seat and settled down. Liu Han took the spot beside me, while Lavishly Karafar, Xilinka, and Mifeier occupied the seats opposite.
Freed from the oppressive scrutiny of Qianyue’s aura, I let out a subtle sigh of relief. The sensation of feeling every single movement, every nuance, perceived by another was truly unbearable.
The train journeying to the Land of Disorder was remarkably empty, almost devoid of passengers. This stark emptiness clearly reflected the strained relationship between the Land of Disorder and the Divine Realm.
Soon, a ‘crunch’ echoed, as if something had snapped. The train began to move, accelerating like a gale. In mere moments, its speed reached a truly terrifying velocity.
The surrounding scenery blurred increasingly. Within seconds, I could see nothing clearly, yet then, the landscape shifted once more, and the surroundings were no longer indistinct.
Ahead, a passage akin to the one that had led Liu Han into the Divine Realm stood tall. The “train” charged straight into it without hesitation.
Unlike the brilliant skies encountered when traveling from the Human Realm to the Divine Realm, this path was a scorched, desolate land. It served as the connection between the Divine Realm and the Land of Disorder, appearing utterly barren.
However, after only a brief moment, the train arrived at another grand gate.
‘Hmm… what’s with this aesthetic?’ Before me stood a colossal city wall, constructed entirely of steel, exuding a thoroughly modern, high-tech style. Dazzling light shimmered across its surface, flowing in gentle currents.
“This… this is the Land of Disorder?” I stammered, feeling that it differed quite significantly from my expectations.
Although Liu Han was as surprised as I was, her expression remained far calmer. The Divine Realm had inundated her with too many shocks recently—gods selling barbeque, deities strolling through shopping districts, and the realm itself so strikingly modern. Consequently, Liu Han had gradually developed a greater resilience to all manner of unexpected revelations.
The train passed through the gate, entering a circular, azure tunnel, where it soon came to a halt.
“Who are you people?” a guard demanded.
Leixar offered no verbal reply. Instead, she simply handed over an envelope bearing the logo of Tianqi Academy. After scrutinizing it intently for a long moment, the guard took the envelope, opened the isolation barrier, and led us into the Land of Disorder.