Dormitory Games

"This metal tag is to be worn around your neck. It serves as temporary proof of entry and exit before enrollment. Once you officially register at the academy, it will be replaced with a formal student ID." Liu Yuxin efficiently stamped the two recommendation letters with a bright red "Accepted" seal, then handed Tang Wulin and Na'er each a lightweight yet unusually textured metal tag. Temporary identification numbers and the Eastsea Academy emblem were engraved on them. "See that blue soul-guided bus behind you? Once the other new students finish registering and enough people have gathered, it will take you to the dormitory area."

She paused, her gaze settling 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 demeanor, the one who had taken him to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain his first Soul Spirit. He nodded. "I know him. Teacher Wu helped me obtain my first Soul Spirit."

"Good." Liu Yuxin clearly already knew that. 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 little while. He specifically told me to 'hold you two back' and place you together." She winked at Tang Wulin, then turned to receive other new students and 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 would receive special attention from a teacher. Lang Yue stepped forward to straighten Tang Wulin's collar, then stroked Na'er's hair and softly reminded them, "Wulin, Na'er, take care of 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 and Mom!" Tang Wulin nodded firmly, while Na'er obediently nestled against Lang Yue for a moment.

Tang Ziran patted his son on the shoulder. He did not say much, but his eyes were full of encouragement. As Tang Wulin watched his parents leave in a taxi, he felt both anticipation for his new life and a faint sorrow at parting. But 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 outside the registration point. The door opened, and Wu Changkong stepped out. Dressed in simple black clothes, with snow-white hair and a stern face, his arrival seemed to lower the surrounding temperature by several degrees. Quite a few new students and parents instinctively lowered their voices.

"Teacher Wu." Tang Wulin quickly took Na'er's little hand and went to greet him politely. Na'er also curiously studied this teacher with such a distinctive aura.

Wu Changkong's gaze lingered briefly on the two of them, especially Tang Wulin. He seemed to sense Tang Wulin's Soul Power fluctuations and 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 to—or rather, heard about from Huo Yuhao—Wu Changkong's "cold-faced" style. They did not feel restrained or afraid. Instead, they found him especially dependable. The two climbed neatly into the back seat.

The black soul-guided car started smoothly, leaving the noisy registration point behind as it headed toward Eastsea Academy. The car was quiet except for the low hum of the engine. Wu Changkong focused on driving without making small talk. Tang Wulin and Na'er curiously observed the city where they would be living for years through the windows. They knew that Wu Changkong and Huo Yuhao had a close relationship, and that silence instead carried an unspoken trust.

Soon, the vehicle entered an enormous academy district. Towering walls displayed the academy's scale and grandeur. Not far ahead stood the academy's main gate, built from massive blocks of granite, solemn and majestic.

As a large Soul Master Academy with both an Intermediate Division and an Advanced Division, Eastsea Academy provided compulsory education in its Intermediate Division, which occupied two-thirds of the campus and had a vast student body. The Advanced Division, where the academy's true excellence lay, required passing rigorous examinations to enter and was the place that truly cultivated elite Soul Masters. Senior Liu Yuxin, who had handled their registration, was an outstanding student of the Advanced Division.

Wu Changkong did not take the main gate. Instead, he skillfully turned into a side vehicle entrance and drove straight into the underground garage. After parking, he brought the two children onto an elevator reserved for faculty and went 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 close behind. Inside the Academic Affairs Office, a rather young-looking male teacher in glasses was organizing documents. Hearing footsteps, he looked up. When he 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 little ones?"

His gaze traveled over Tang Wulin and Na'er with interest. It was no wonder he was curious. Wu Changkong, the academy's renowned "iceberg heartthrob" and a formidable combat instructor, had specifically come to speak with him four months ago. A month ago, he had returned solemnly to request these students, clearly asking for the two freshmen to be placed in his class and arranged as close together as possible. This made him deeply curious. What was so exceptional about these two children that the proud Wu Changkong cared so much?

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

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

Wu Changkong spoke again then, his voice cool but clear. "Go settle into your respective dormitories first. Before classes begin, familiarize yourselves with the campus. But do not cause trouble, and absolutely do not fight in private. Tomorrow morning at eight, report to the Year One Class One classroom on time. I will be your homeroom teacher and primary combat instructor for the next several years." His gaze stayed on Tang Wulin for an extra moment. "I will teach you with all my effort. I hope you will not disappoint me."

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

"Thank you, Teacher!" Tang Wulin and Na'er thanked both Wu Changkong's departing back and the teacher in glasses before leaving the Academic Affairs Office as well.

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

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

The dormitory conditions at Eastsea Academy were quite good. Even the Intermediate Division had spacious, bright rooms with four students to a room. Tang Wulin found Room 206 and pushed open the half-closed door, discovering that someone was already inside.

A sturdy, slightly dark-skinned boy was bent over the lower bunk by the window, arranging his bedding. Hearing the door open, he turned around and revealed an honest-looking face with a hint of cleverness. Another boy, thinner and wearing glasses, looked refined and quiet as he sat reading on the opposite lower bunk. The last one sat on the upper bunk near the door with his back facing the entrance, staring intently at the soul-guided phone in his hand. His fingers swiped rapidly, and he occasionally muttered things like "Tsk" and "Nice," completely unaware that someone had entered.

Tang Wulin gave them a sunny smile and took the initiative to greet them. "Hello! My name is Tang Wulin. I'm your new roommate!"

The sturdy boy immediately straightened up and enthusiastically replied, "Hello, hello! My name is Zhou Changxi. I'm from Eastsea City!" His gaze swept over Tang Wulin's well-tailored light-gray casual clothes. They looked ordinary, but their quality was faintly extraordinary. He especially noticed the nearly invisible miniature dragon pattern on the 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 a high-end youth line from Deep Space Dragon Domain—expensive and difficult to buy. It seemed this new roommate had an unusual family background. The smile on his face immediately became more sincere.

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

At that moment, the boy on the upper bunk seemed to have just finished an intense battle. He let out a long breath before finally turning around. He was exceptionally handsome, even somewhat pretty, with lively eyes and a carefree air. He glanced at Tang Wulin and casually waved a hand. "Oh, hello. I'm Xie Xie. Don't disturb me, it's a critical moment!" With that, his gaze stuck back to his phone screen.

Tang Wulin did not mind. Instead, he leaned closer in curiosity and looked at Xie Xie's phone screen. "Xie Xie, what are you playing? You seem really into it."

The screen was filled with dazzling light and shadows, showing what appeared to be a game interface packed with strange visual effects and complex scenes.

"He's playing Containment Records!" Yun Xiao kindly explained, his tone carrying a trace of envy. "Xie Xie is amazing. He's ranked first on the national leaderboard for that game! But..." He lowered his voice slightly. "I heard a mysterious player who suddenly appeared recently has been chasing him hard. His rank is looking a little shaky."

"Containment Records?" Tang Wulin recalled seeing advertisements for it somewhere. It was a hit game produced by Demon Spirit's Demon Spirit Gameworks, combining strategy, card collecting, and role-playing. Its theme centered on gathering and raising all sorts of fantasy "containments" before sending them into simulated battles. It was extremely 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 the screen. "I usually play Spirit Pact Battlefield more." The screen showed the Spirit Pact Battlefield interface, where a gem-like rank emblem flashing with emerald-green light stood out clearly—the Greenstone emblem representing an upper-mid-tier rank!

"Greenstone?!" Zhou Changxi, who had been grinning foolishly just moments ago, instantly widened his eyes and cried out, "My god! Big Brother! You reached Greenstone rank in Spirit Pact Battlefield? I've played for nearly two years and haven't even touched the edge of Radiant Blue!" Spirit Pact Battlefield was another popular five-versus-five competitive game that simulated Soul Skills. Its ranks, from low to high, were Gray Iron, Scarlet Copper, Radiant Blue, Greenstone, Amethyst, Ruby, and Obsidian. Reaching Greenstone already made one a skilled player, especially for someone as young as Tang Wulin.

He immediately pounced over with a smile spread across his face. "Big Brother! No, Brother Wulin! From now on, you're my real big brother in this dorm! Hurry, log in! Carry me through a few matches! Let me experience the pace of a Greenstone boss!"

Yun Xiao's eyes also lit up. Although he was not as excited as Zhou Changxi, he quickly pulled out his own phone. "Add me too, add me too! I'm stuck at Radiant Blue. Please carry me!"

Even Xie Xie on the upper bunk finally looked away from Containment Records again. He glanced in surprise at the Greenstone symbol on Tang Wulin's phone, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, didn't expect you to be good. Give me two minutes. This Containment Records match is almost over, then I'm joining too. I haven't really climbed the Spirit Pact Battlefield rankings, but I should be decent enough." There was noticeably less casualness in his voice and a little more recognition.

Tang Wulin had not expected everyone to be so passionate about games. He scratched his head and readily agreed. "Sure! It's more fun when everyone plays together!" The faint barrier born from their unfamiliarity was instantly swept away by the topic of games, and the atmosphere in the dorm became lively.

Girls' Dormitory, Room 105, Building One, Area E.

It was a standard double room, clean and tidy, with two beds equipped with desks and wardrobes. When Na'er pushed open the door, she found that someone was already at the bed by the window.

A silver-haired, violet-eyed girl sat cross-legged on the bed, equally focused on the soul-guided phone screen in her hands. Her fingers flew across the screen, while her expression shifted between tension and excitement. She muttered under her breath, "...Hmph, trying to turn it around? No chance! Elemental Burst! ...Nice! My points went up again!"

When Na'er saw that face, which looked seventy or eighty percent similar to hers yet possessed an entirely different temperament, she froze. It was Gu Yue! She had actually been assigned to the same dormitory? And... she looked radiant, her eyes sparkling. The tired and haggard expression she had worn before was completely gone, and she was wholly immersed in the game world.

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

"Mm?" Gu Yue did not even raise her head as she casually answered, her fingers never stopping. "You're here? Find a place to put your things. I'm climbing the rankings. It's a critical moment, don't disturb me."

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

"Of course!" Gu Yue's tone carried both pride and gritted irritation. "I had Demon Spirit get me an internal testing account with better resources. I don't know why, but seeing that number one national-ranked ID, 'Lightshadow Instant Kill,' makes me mad! That playstyle is too sneaky! Just watch, I'm going to knock him down today!... Ah, so close again! Fine, just wait. Once I finish taking these resources, I'll deal with you!" She was completely absorbed in the game, as though it were some great undertaking 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 ask why Gu Yue was here. Shouldn't she have been buried in study at the Spirit Pagoda, participating in all sorts of high-level affairs? Why had she come to study at Eastsea Academy Intermediate Division? Why were they in the same dormitory? And why was she... so obsessed with gaming?

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

She secretly observed Gu Yue and realized that, at this moment, Gu Yue carried none of the heaviness and exhaustion she had displayed while studying at the Spirit Pagoda, nor the obsession and sharpness she had shown during their confrontation at the seaside. Instead, she was like an ordinary girl who had found something she enjoyed, radiating a kind of... pure happiness—and intense fighting spirit toward a certain game ID.

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

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

"Brother Wulin, that was awesome! That crowd control combo was perfect!"

"Xie Xie, go for their backline! Ignore that tank!"

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

"Watch this—Bluesilver Entanglement! Three caught! Go!"

Meanwhile, Girls' Dormitory Room 105 was relatively quiet. There were only the occasional sounds of Gu Yue tapping the screen and muttering under her breath, along with the faint sounds of Na'er organizing her belongings. A peculiar, slightly eerie kind of "harmony" spread through these two newly formed dormitories.

The first day of school quietly began amid this seemingly peaceful atmosphere—for the boys' dormitory—or subtle atmosphere—for the girls' dormitory. Their future academy life would surely be even more "exciting" than any game.