"Students, today is your last day of classes at Chuanhai Academy, and this is your final lesson."
"After this lesson, you'll begin your new lives. Perhaps once you leave Chuanhai, you'll rise to great heights, or perhaps..."
Teacher Yu kept talking at the front of the classroom, while the students below were all full of fighting spirit.
Li Chen gazed out the window, lost in thought.
A moment later...
Everyone had three forms in hand: admission forms for Imperial Capital and Canglan, and a form for entering society. With these three forms, they could choose which academy to attend, provided their awakened talents met the requirements.
Teacher Yu spoke again. "You can also choose not to attend either academy and continue studying at Chuanhai Academy, then decide after you finish your studies."
"Of course, I don't recommend it. The best years for learning are from sixteen to eighteen. Don't end up regretting your choice."
"Once you've made your choice, you can take your form and leave for the academy you've chosen to begin your new studies."
"You've graduated."
"..."
Li Chen took one last look at Teacher Yu, then called out to Su Baozi and walked out of the classroom. Most of the students had already decided where to go and barely lingered.
Along the academy paths, quite a few students were saying goodbye to one another, while many others excitedly discussed the academies they would be attending.
Li Chen looked at the sea of people by the school gate and asked helplessly, "Su Zhe, isn't your dad coming to pick you up?"
"He could take me along when he picks you up."
Su Zhe stood on tiptoe and looked around. After confirming that he couldn't see his family's car, he said, "Guess he didn't come. A busy man like him has probably run off somewhere to enjoy himself again. Are we going straight home to get our luggage, or heading there directly?"
"Hm? Going directly? You don't have any luggage?" Li Chen was puzzled. He had brought his own luggage out with him, and he had spoken to his landlord and given up the little place he rented that day. He still had some of his deposit left.
Su Zhe gave him a wicked, cheeky grin. "Hehehe."
"Chen-ge, to tell you the truth, my family has a house in every city. If I weren't studying in Magic City, my dad wouldn't have bothered staying here for even a day."
"My luggage and everything was shipped to Canglan ages ago. My information's probably already been registered by now."
Li Chen: "..."
Perhaps this was the difference between their families.
After a moment of silence...
Li Chen carried his luggage and took one last glance at the crowd around them. In the end, the two chose to leave by a side path.
Rumble~ rumble~
The sound of the engine rumbled incessantly outside the windows of the speeding green train. Inside, Su Zhe wore a miserable expression.
"Chen-ge, why didn't we take a plane or a high-speed train? This is so uncomfortable!"
"A little green train!!"
Li Chen answered helplessly, "I'm poor."
He was already short of money, and he didn't even know if he would have somewhere to stay once the train arrived. How could he have money for a high-speed train or a plane?
Su Zhe smiled wryly. "Chen-ge, you should've said so earlier. I would've had my dad send a check right over. There are things I might be short of, but money's not one of them!"
Li Chen lowered his head. He could have done as Su Zhe suggested and gotten to the academy quickly to report in, but after thinking it over, he decided not to trouble his dad.
It wasn't good to keep doing this. If he could cover his own expenses, he should do so himself. That way, he wouldn't trouble others or risk them getting fed up with him.
Still, Su Zhe had it rough. He was a little chubby, and sitting in a single seat was very uncomfortable.
Li Chen watched the scenery flash past. He would have been lying if he said he felt nothing. This was his first time traveling far from home, after all. He'd had no money before, and even when he had nothing to do, he hadn't known what to do if he went out. Now he had a rare chance to leave Magic City and see the world.
The train was full of students. Most were about the same age as Li Chen and Su Zhe, leaving their hometowns to study in other cities.
It was very subdued... and very quiet...
Except for the snores of Su Zhe, who had already fallen asleep.
Who knew how much time passed...
Li Chen glanced at the annoyed looks from the people around them, then pinched Su Zhe awake.
"Mmm~ that felt good!"
Su Zhe rubbed his backside. He felt refreshed after his nap, though his backside was a little numb and his bones ached. He turned and asked, "Chen-ge, are we there?"
"Yeah, we're here."
After getting off the train...
Su Zhe was a little bewildered. Quite a few people were giving him strange looks, making him rather embarrassed. He asked quietly, "Chen-ge, could they be looking at me because I'm so handsome? Do they have a secret crush on me?"
Li Chen didn't want to bother with this idiot, but he told him the truth anyway. "You were snoring on the train. If a girl hadn't had a sound-silencing ability, your snores would probably have caused a riot on the train."
"Huh? I snore in my sleep? And surely it wasn't as bad as you say, Chen-ge. A riot?"
Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly at the sun hanging in the sky. The trip from Magic City to Shenzhou had taken a few hours. He had to hurry and report to the academy, or he really would have to sleep on the streets.
Canglan Academy
Quite a few students had already arrived with bags big and small, all looking for the entrance where they could report in. Canglan was divided into two areas: on one side stood distinctly modern high-rises, while on the other were low buildings like those in period dramas. A small river separating the two sides ran between them, giving the place an elegant air.
Countless commercial buildings lined the river, and shops filled the streets. Students were everywhere, and quite a few were even showing off their abilities within the permitted limits, drawing cheers from other students.
It was like a combination of a food street and an entertainment street.
It didn't look like an academy.
Li Chen and Su Zhe walked along the road, exclaiming in amazement. A sight like this was rare. Awakened Sequence users weren't allowed to use their abilities in the city; anyone caught doing so would have to spend three days in detention at the Special Affairs Bureau and read a legal warning.
Su Zhe wandered this way and that, amazed. "Chen-ge, damn, is this really a freaking academy?"
"Did we come to a fake academy or something?"
Li Chen had the same thought, but they shouldn't have come to the wrong place. This was Canglan Academy, though it was different from what he usually saw in videos—vastly different, even.
For now, they still had to find the registration desk.
Just as Li Chen looked up at an airship floating in the sky, a low voice sounded beside their ears. It stammered a little, and he could even hear a hint of nervousness.
"Two... two senior brothers, how do I get here...?"