Zhao Nan froze when he heard the guard's words, then said a little sheepishly, "That's right. It was probably five years ago.
I went out to gain experience five years ago, but some things held me up, so I never came back.
Now that I've taken care of everything, I just returned today."
After Zhao Nan said this, the guard didn't press him for details and let him through without hesitation.
After all, this was an academy, not some other place.
According to Ernst's rules, students could graduate only after reaching the Level Seven Mage rank. Some people even spent decades living at Ernst.
You couldn't expect people to stay in the academy the entire time, could you?
So it wasn't unusual for many upperclassmen to be away for years at a time. It was just rare for someone like Zhao Nan to be gone for five years, but he hadn't broken any school rules.
Zhao Nan nodded to the guard, then stepped into the academy.
As soon as he entered and saw the unchanged scenery, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Zhao Nan didn't go looking for Linley and the others right away. Instead, he headed for his old dormitory, Room 1653.
Following his memories, Zhao Nan walked for a full half hour before finally reaching Room 1653.
He tried the door, but it wouldn't open. So he rummaged through his Space Ring, found the key, and unlocked it.
When he entered the dormitory, Zhao Nan found that a layer of dust had settled over the entire room. All the personal belongings were still there, but it was clear that no one had lived here for a long time.
Seeing this, Zhao Nan had no desire to go inside. He stepped back, locked the door, and