Lott

The military university worked with impressive efficiency.

The moment Bai Xiaodu signed his name, a card was tossed into his hand with a sharp slap.

He reflexively caught the card and looked at it.

“Scanning... Scan complete.”

A clear, front-facing headshot of Bai Xiaodu appeared on the card.

Los explained, “This card is your all-in-one pass for the university grounds. Different ranks—students, instructors, directors, and deans—have different clearance levels.

“You'll need it to make purchases and collect supplies. Keep it safe; a replacement costs several hundred credits.

“My younger brother, Lott, is also a freshman. He's lived on Tiannan Star since he was a child. If you'd like, I can have him show you around the campus to help you get familiar with the environment.”

“Thank you.”

Knowing that the other party was extending a gesture of goodwill, Bai Xiaodu readily accepted.

After all, he really did need a guide. The instructors all had their own duties and couldn't possibly tag along with him every day.

Los waved his hand, telling him not to mention it, and the two went their separate ways.

Watching Bai Xiaodu walk away, Los quietly marveled to himself.

Strong, warm-hearted, and most importantly, asking for nothing in return—such a person was truly a rare find.

By contrast, his own younger brother...

All he knew how to do was hide in a safe spot and cast spells from afar, his fur puffing up in fright at the slightest hint of danger.

Hopefully, he could get on Bai Xiaodu's good side tomorrow.

If anything ever went wrong in his assigned territory, for the sake of their friendship and Los's own connection, Bai Xiaodu might be willing to lend a helping hand.

...

The night passed in silence.

Rather than a school, it was more like a giant city.

Deep within lay the city's true core, which required a pass to enter.

Looking at the grand, imposing gates, Bai Xiaodu felt a bit dazed.

“Hey, Brother Bai!”

A cute demihuman about the same size as Bai Xiaodu, with a pair of bright orange cat ears on his head, suddenly bounded out!

Seeing that Bai Xiaodu was still dazed, he eagerly introduced himself.

“I'm Lott! Los's younger brother! An orange cat demihuman! I'm currently a Rank 0.9 Mage. I'm good at using Friendship, Shocking Grasp, and Create Water. I like reading books and sleeping in the sun. My favorite food is cake made with dairy cream, and my favorite drink is original milk tea.

“Oh, right, right! I also like making magical crafts. Do you need any little flying butterfly decorations for your house? They're really pretty! I've made several. You can pick one or two of your favorite colors, but don't choose the orange ones, because I really love orange!”

“Uh, right...” Bai Xiaodu nodded, but before he could say anything else, Lott grabbed his hand.

Lott dragged him toward the inner gate, chattering away without giving him a chance to speak.

“You arrived at the perfect time. Today is the opening ceremony for Tiannan Star Military University. I'll take you to check it out. It's super lively, you'll definitely love it!

“According to past tradition, the opening ceremony is hosted by student-run clubs and organizations. It's way more interesting than those dull, official school events.”

Bai Xiaodu was slightly curious.

“Clubs? Aren't transcendent-level students supposed to be out guarding Secret Realms?”

Lott chimed in instantly.

“That's because not all students are transcendents! Our military university is divided into four cohorts, from first to fourth years. Most first- and second-year students are just ordinary apprentices.

“Brother Bai, you're a transcendent, so you know how dangerous the ascension ceremony is. Some people don't force themselves to advance to transcendent status until it's a hard requirement for graduation.

“The core elites of the clubs are all transcendents. They're usually deployed elsewhere and stay in touch online. They only return for major events or monthly assessments. The ones left on campus are basically all apprentices, so of course we have plenty of time to hang out and talk about our hobbies.”

Lott's mouth showed no signs of stopping.

“Brother Bai, do you want to pick a club to join? There are real benefits to being in one. For example, we share information on Secret Realms and enemies, trade items privately, and some mechanical clubs even sell handy clockwork puppets and stuff. There are a few major clubs on campus worth considering. I can give you some recommendations.”

Without waiting for a reply, he rambled on with another massive wall of text.

Bai Xiaodu couldn't help but facepalm. He had run into a total chatterbox!

“First and foremost is definitely the Combat Club. Following our military university's tradition, the Combat Club is the undisputed ace. Usually, the strongest third- and fourth-year students serve as the club president, and holding a long-term position in this club is something you can even write on your resume!

“The current president is named Aurelia. Speaking of which, what a coincidence—she's from the same major race as you, except she has golden hair. I've never seen her in person, only her photos, but she is incredibly beautiful! She practically glows like a little sun! The students' private campus beauty rankings change every year, and whichever year she's in, she automatically takes the number one spot. Plus, her combat talent is insanely strong.

“I've seen plenty of geniuses at this school, but even they call Aurelia a genius!

“Then there's the Magic Club, which is usually for discussing various spells and developing new ways to use them. My current set of skills was recommended to me by the older members there.

“The Magimech Club is also really interesting... Hey, hey, Brother Bai, don't cover your ears! I haven't finished yet!”

Bai Xiaodu forced a smile, letting the localized wind pressure he had used to block his ears dissipate.

This guy was just way too noisy.

Los seemed like such a serious and earnest person; how did he end up raising such a noisy brother?

Aside from being slightly interested in this club president he mentioned, all he wanted was to hurry up and see what kind of territory Lingxin had been assigned.

Nothing else was really that important.

Still, Bai Xiaodu didn't actually dislike him.

Seeing his lack of interest, Lott immediately raised a finger and said conspiratorially, “Seeing is believing! The opening ceremony is about to start. Since President Aurelia is going to give a speech to the freshmen today, some people didn't even sleep last night, running straight to the front row to secure seats.”

Hearing a certain word, Bai Xiaodu's heart instantly tightened.

As if a keyword had been triggered, he immediately asked, “President? What president?”

Lott looked at him with relief, completely unaware that Bai Xiaodu had just been yawning a moment ago.

As expected, no one could resist the chance to see Aurelia with their own eyes!

“She's not just some ordinary student council president. She's the President of the Campus Council and the Chief Student Representative of Tiannan Star Military University. She's incredibly amazing!”

Lott quickened his pace, forcing Bai Xiaodu to speed up and jog along with him.

He pointed toward a massive venue not far away.

“The opening ceremony is about to start. The clubs will take turns entering, walking in like they're on a red carpet to showcase their unique features.”

Lott excitedly waved his other hand.

“I asked someone to save us spots ages ago. Let's get down to the front row and watch!

“Brother Bai, since you're from the same race as her, your standards of beauty should be similar. Don't lose your composure when you see her!”

He confidently patted his chest and guaranteed, “Trust me, nobody dislikes Aurelia!”