Dormitory Games

"This metal tag is to be worn around your neck. It serves as your temporary pass for entering and leaving the academy before enrollment. Once you officially register, it will be replaced with your student ID." Liu Yuxin briskly stamped the two recommendation letters with bright red "Accepted" seals, then handed Tang Wulin and Na'er a light yet unusually textured metal tag each. They were engraved with temporary identification numbers and East Sea Academy's emblem. "See that blue soul-guided bus behind you? Once the other new students have finished registering and enough people have gathered, it will take you to the dormitory area."

She paused, her gaze falling on Tang Wulin as she revealed a slightly mysterious smile. "But you two don't need to wait for the bus. You know Teacher Wu Changkong, right?"

Tang Wulin immediately pictured the silver-haired teacher with the icy temperament, the one who had taken him to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain his Soul Spirit. He nodded. "I know him. Teacher Wu helped me obtain my first Soul Spirit."

"Good." Liu Yuxin had clearly known already. She gestured for the siblings to wait in the nearby rest area. "Let your parents head home first. Teacher Wu will come pick you up himself in a while. He specifically told me to 'hold onto' you two and put you together." She winked at Tang Wulin, then turned and went back to receiving other new students and their parents.

Not far away, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were reluctant to part with them, but they were also happy and reassured that the children were receiving special attention from a teacher. Lang Yue stepped forward to straighten Tang Wulin's collar, then patted Na'er's hair and softly reminded them, "Wulin, Na'er, look after each other at the academy. Listen to your teachers, study hard, and cultivate diligently. Remember to come home on weekends. Mom will make you something delicious."

"Mm! Don't worry, Dad, Mom!" Tang Wulin nodded hard, while Na'er obediently leaned against Lang Yue for a moment.

Tang Ziran patted his son's shoulder without saying much, but his eyes were full of encouragement. Watching his parents leave in a taxi, Tang Wulin felt both anticipation for his new life and a faint melancholy at parting. Still, he quickly composed himself and waited quietly with Na'er.

Before long, a sleek, entirely black soul-guided sedan silently glided into the temporary parking area before the registration site. The door opened, and Wu Changkong stepped out in simple black clothes. His silver hair was like snow, and his face was cold and stern. His arrival seemed to lower the temperature of the surrounding air by several degrees, and many new students and parents instinctively lowered their voices.

"Teacher Wu." Tang Wulin hurriedly took Na'er's little hand and went up to greet him politely. Na'er also curiously examined this uniquely composed teacher.

Wu Changkong's gaze lingered briefly on the two of them, especially Tang Wulin. He seemed to sense Tang Wulin's soul power fluctuations, then gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Mm." Still sparing with words, he pulled open the rear door. "Get in."

Tang Wulin and Na'er had long grown accustomed—or rather, had heard from Huo Yuhao about—Wu Changkong's cold-faced style. They did not feel restrained or afraid. Instead, they found him especially dependable. The two climbed briskly into the back seat.

The black soul-guided car started smoothly and drove away from the noisy registration site toward East Sea Academy. The car was quiet, filled only by the low hum of the engine. Wu Changkong drove attentively without making small talk. Tang Wulin and Na'er, meanwhile, curiously looked out the windows at the city where they would spend many years. They knew Wu Changkong and Huo Yuhao were close, and that silence instead carried a trust that needed no words.

Not long afterward, the vehicle entered a vast academy district. Towering walls displayed the academy's scale and grandeur, while not far ahead stood its main gate, built from massive blocks of granite—solemn and magnificent.

As a large soul master academy with both an Intermediate Division and an Advanced Division, East Sea Academy's Intermediate Division provided compulsory education and occupied two-thirds of the academy grounds, with a huge student population. The Advanced Division, where the academy's true elite gathered, required rigorous assessments to enter and was where elite soul masters were genuinely trained. Senior Liu Yuxin, who had handled their registration, was an outstanding student of the Advanced Division.

Wu Changkong did not enter through the main gate. Instead, he skillfully turned into a side vehicle lane and drove straight into the underground garage. After parking, he led the two children into an elevator reserved for faculty and staff, heading directly to the floor where the Academic Affairs Office was located.

When the elevator doors opened, Wu Changkong strode ahead on his long legs, with Tang Wulin and Na'er following closely behind. Inside the Academic Affairs Office, a young-looking male teacher wearing glasses was sorting documents. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Wu Changkong and the golden boy and jade-like girl behind him. He immediately smiled and pushed up his glasses. "Oh, Teacher Wu, right on time? These are the two kids?"

His interested gaze moved between Tang Wulin and Na'er. It was no wonder he was curious. Wu Changkong, the academy's famously icy male idol and practical-combat expert, had specifically come to inform them four months ago. A month ago, he had come again to formally request these students, explicitly demanding that the two newcomers be assigned to his class and arranged as close together as possible. This had filled him with curiosity. What was so extraordinary about these two children that Wu Changkong, who held everyone in such high regard, cared so much?

"Mm." Wu Changkong's response remained a single concise syllable, as if saying one more word would be a waste.

The bespectacled teacher was already used to it. He helplessly shook his head. "Sigh, you're still as dull as ever." He did not waste any more words. Taking out two sets of brand-new East Sea Academy Intermediate Division uniforms—blue-and-white athletic outfits—and two keys with room-number tags from a cabinet, he handed one of each to Tang Wulin and Na'er. "Here. Uniforms and dorm keys. The boys' dormitory is Room 206, Building Three, Area C. The girls' dormitory is Room 105, Building One, Area E. Check the map on the back of the key tags for the exact locations."

Only then did Wu Changkong speak again. In a cold yet clear voice, he told the two children, "Settle into your respective dormitories first. Before school starts, familiarize yourselves with the campus, but do not cause trouble, and absolutely do not fight in private. Report to Class One, Grade One, at eight tomorrow morning. I will be your homeroom teacher and primary practical-combat instructor for the coming years." His gaze lingered on Tang Wulin for an extra moment. "I will do everything I can to teach you. I hope you will not disappoint me."

After saying that, he gave the bespectacled teacher a slight nod and turned to leave, seemingly having other matters to handle.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Tang Wulin and Na'er thanked Wu Changkong's departing back and the bespectacled teacher, then left the Academic Affairs Office as well.

At the fork leading toward the dormitory areas, Na'er shook the key in her hand and said to Tang Wulin, "Big Brother, I'll head to my dorm first! See you in the cafeteria at noon?" The boys' and girls' dormitory areas were in different directions.

"Okay, see you at the cafeteria at noon! Be careful." Tang Wulin watched Na'er head toward Area E before following the simple map on his key tag to find his own dormitory—Room 206, Building Three, Area C.

East Sea Academy's dormitory conditions were quite good. Even in the Intermediate Division, there were four students to a room, and the rooms were spacious and bright. Tang Wulin found Room 206 and pushed open the half-closed door, only to discover that people were already inside.

A sturdy, slightly dark-skinned boy was sticking his backside up as he arranged bedding on the lower bunk by the window. Hearing the door open, he turned around, revealing an honest-looking face with a hint of cleverness. Another boy, smaller and thinner, wore glasses and looked quiet and refined as he sat reading on the lower bunk opposite. As for the last one, he sat on the upper bunk near the door with his back facing the entrance, completely engrossed in his soul-guided phone. His fingers flew across the screen, and he occasionally muttered things like "Tsk" and "Nice," entirely unaware that someone had entered.

Tang Wulin smiled brightly and took the initiative to greet them. "Hello! I'm Tang Wulin, your new roommate!"

The sturdy boy arranging his bed immediately straightened up and warmly replied, "Hello, hello! I'm Zhou Changxi, a local from Eastsea City!" His gaze swept over Tang Wulin's well-tailored light-gray casual clothes. They looked ordinary, yet faintly carried an exceptional texture. He particularly noticed the nearly invisible miniature dragon pattern on Tang Wulin's cuff, and his eyes lit up slightly. His family ran a small business, so he had seen more than most children. He recognized it as Deep Space Dragon Domain's high-end youth line, expensive and extremely hard to buy. It seemed this new roommate's family background—or perhaps connections—was anything but ordinary. The smile on his face immediately became even more sincere.

The refined boy reading also put down his book, pushed up his glasses, and said gently, "Hello, I'm Yun Xiao, from Lin Hai City."

At that moment, the boy on the upper bunk who had been focused on his phone seemed to have just finished an intense battle. He let out a long breath before finally turning around. He was extremely handsome, even somewhat pretty, with lively eyes and an air of carefree irreverence. He glanced at Tang Wulin and casually waved a hand. "Ah, hello. I'm Xie Xie. Don't distract me. Critical moment." With that, his eyes stuck to the phone screen again.

Tang Wulin did not mind. Instead, he curiously stepped closer and looked at Xie Xie's screen. "Xie Xie, what are you playing? You seem really absorbed."

The screen was filled with dazzling light and shadows, seemingly displaying a game interface full of strange visual effects and complex scenes.

"He's playing Containment Records!" Yun Xiao kindly explained from the side, with a trace of envy in his voice. "Xie Xie is amazing. He's ranked first on the national server leaderboard for that game! But..." He lowered his voice slightly. "I heard a mysterious player who suddenly appeared recently has been chasing him hard, so his ranking is getting a little precarious."

"Containment Records?" Tang Wulin recalled seeing advertisements for that game somewhere before. It was a hit game produced by Demon Spirit Gameworks, Demon Spirit's company, combining strategy, card collecting, and role-playing. It centered around collecting and nurturing all kinds of fantastical "contained entities" for simulated battles, and it was hugely popular among both soul masters and ordinary people.

"Is that a game from Demon Spirit Gameworks?" As he spoke, Tang Wulin took out his own soul-guided phone and unlocked it. "I usually play Spirit Pact Battlefield more." The screen displayed the interface for Spirit Pact Battlefield, with a gemstone-shaped rank badge shimmering in emerald green prominently visible—this was the Greenstone badge, representing a mid-to-high rank!

"Greenstone?!" Zhou Changxi, who had been grinning foolishly just moments ago, instantly widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Oh my god! Big Bro! You made it to Greenstone in Spirit Pact Battlefield? I've played for nearly two years and haven't even come close to Radiant Blue!" Spirit Pact Battlefield was another 5v5 competitive game that simulated soul skill battles and was equally popular across the continent. Its ranks, from low to high, were Gray Iron, Scarlet Copper, Radiant Blue, Greenstone, Amethyst, Ruby, and Obsidian. Reaching Greenstone already made one an expert among players, especially for someone as young as Tang Wulin.

He immediately pounced over, his face full of smiles. "Big Bro! No, Brother Wulin! From now on, you're my real big brother in this dorm! Come on, log in! Carry me through a couple matches! Let me experience the rhythm of a Greenstone boss!"

Yun Xiao's eyes also lit up. Though he was not as excited as Zhou Changxi, he swiftly pulled out his own phone as well. "Count me in, count me in! I'm stuck at Radiant Blue. Please carry me!"

Even Xie Xie on the upper bunk finally lifted his attention from Containment Records again. He looked in surprise at the Greenstone symbol on Tang Wulin's phone and raised a brow. "Oh, didn't expect you to be good. Give me two minutes. This round of Containment Records is almost over, then I'll join too. I haven't really climbed ranks in Spirit Pact Battlefield, but I should be decent enough." There was noticeably less casualness in his tone and a little more acknowledgment.

Tang Wulin had not expected everyone to be so enthusiastic about games. He scratched his head and readily agreed. "Sure! It's more fun when everyone plays together!" The faint barrier between strangers in the dormitory was instantly swept away by the topic of games, and the atmosphere grew lively.

Room 105, Building One, Area E—the girls' dormitory.

It was a standard double room, clean and tidy, with two beds that each came with a desk and wardrobe. When Na'er pushed open the door, she found someone already occupying the bed by the window.

A silver-haired, purple-eyed girl sat cross-legged on the bed, equally focused on her soul-guided phone screen. Her fingers moved like flying birds, while her expression shifted from tension to excitement. She muttered under her breath, "...Hmph, trying to turn this around? No way! Elemental Burst!... Nice! My points went up again!"

Na'er froze when she saw that face, which looked seventy or eighty percent like her own but possessed an entirely different temperament. It was Gu Yue! She had actually been assigned to the same dormitory? And... she looked vibrant, her eyes shining. The exhausted, haggard expression she had worn before was completely gone. She was utterly immersed in the game world.

"Gu Yue?" Na'er called out tentatively.

"Mm?" Gu Yue did not even raise her head as she responded casually, her fingers never stopping. "You're here? Find somewhere to put your things yourself. I'm climbing the rankings. Critical moment, don't interrupt me."

"...You're playing Containment Records too?" Na'er looked at her speechlessly.

"Of course!" Gu Yue's tone carried both pride and gritted-teeth irritation. "I had Demon Spirit get me an internal test account with better resources. I don't know why, but every time I see that national leaderboard's number-one ID, 'Lightshadow Instant Kill,' I get annoyed! That playstyle is way too sneaky! Just watch, I'm taking him down today!... Ah, almost! Fine, just wait. Once I finish taking this wave of resources, I'll deal with you!" She was completely immersed in the game world, as if it were some grand cause concerning the survival of soul beasts.

Na'er opened her mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment. That was not what she wanted to ask about! She wanted to know why Gu Yue was here. Shouldn't she have been buried in study at the Spirit Pagoda, involved in all kinds of high-level affairs? How had she ended up attending East Sea Academy Intermediate Division? Sharing a dormitory with her? And... being so addicted to gaming?

"No... that's not what I'm curious about..." Na'er rubbed her forehead, feeling rather powerless. But seeing Gu Yue skillfully put on a pair of soul-guided headphones with excellent soundproofing and throw herself entirely into battle, clearly with no intention of explaining anything now, she could only swallow all her questions for the time being and silently begin organizing her bed and luggage.

She secretly observed Gu Yue and found that, at this moment, Gu Yue had none of the heaviness and exhaustion she carried while studying at the Spirit Pagoda, nor the stubbornness and sharpness she had shown during their confrontation by the sea. Instead, she seemed like an ordinary girl who had found something she enjoyed, radiating a kind of... simple happiness—and fierce fighting spirit toward a certain game ID.

The contrast felt incredibly strange to Na'er, yet she vaguely felt that... perhaps this version of Gu Yue was not so frightening? At least, she seemed easier to get along with than the original body who had only wanted to control everything and oppress her.

In Room 206 of the boys' dormitory, the stirring background music of Spirit Pact Battlefield soon rang out, accompanied by the boys' shouting—mostly Zhou Changxi's.

"Brother Wulin, that was awesome! That crowd control follow-up was perfect!"

"Xie Xie, go for their backline! Stop bothering with that tank!"

"Yun Xiao, heal me! I'm about to die!"

"Watch my Bluesilver Entanglement! I caught three of them! Go!"

Meanwhile, Room 105 of the girls' dormitory was comparatively quiet, containing only Gu Yue's occasional tapping on the screen and low muttering, along with the faint sounds of Na'er organizing her belongings. A peculiar, slightly unsettling harmony spread through the two newly formed dormitories.

The first day of school quietly drew back its curtain amid this seemingly peaceful atmosphere—for the boys' dormitory, at least—or subtle one, for the girls' dormitory. Their future academy life would surely be even more "exciting" than any game.