Chapter 5
Aili was very kind, but Ye Nanxun was used to being alone.
Now that he was the only one left in the lounge, Ye Nanxun tipped his head back and took several gulps of water.
Only after the cup was empty did the tremor in his fingertips, which he had been desperately suppressing, finally subside.
His pale fingers lightly pressed against his chest as his gaze fell on the bouquets covering the entire tea table.
Ye Nanxun walked over and sat on the sofa beside the tea table. Bending down, he took out the small cards nestled among the flowers one by one, read the names on them, then gathered the cards and slipped them into his pocket.
The hall seemed exceptionally lively. Even from the lounge, he could faintly hear the melodious music and bursts of cheerful laughter.
He wanted to sneak out for a look, but he was afraid someone would spot him.
With a thought, a tiny spore, as small as a snowflake, appeared before Ye Nanxun.
This was his Companion Beast, the Mushroom Spore.
Generally, the higher a person's spiritual power level, the more likely they were to awaken a Companion Beast.
A Companion Beast was a physical manifestation of a person's spiritual power. When first awakened, it was a basic Companion Beast.
They were usually common little animals, such as kittens, puppies, little butterflies, or little spiders.
They could share all five senses with their host.
Because of his pheromones, Ye Nanxun rarely went out, but he was no stranger to the outside world.
Many times, he would let the snowflake-sized spore drift away on the wind, becoming his eyes and seeing this colorful world for him.
"Go on. Go take a look at the ball in the hall."
The tiny snow-white spore swayed in the breeze as it floated out the window.
Ye Nanxun leaned against the windowsill and watched his little spore fly farther and farther away.
Besides basic Companion Beasts, some people with even stronger spiritual power had the chance to evolve their Companion Beasts into more powerful creatures.
For instance, Yan Beiyou, the ruler of Ye Nanxun's star system and the world's only SSS-level Alpha. His evolved Companion Beast was a Black Dragon capable of devouring the stars.
"Huh? Your Majesty!"
The instant the private room door opened, Zhu Yucheng, who was holding Teacher Jiang's arm, widened his eyes.
The nearly two-meter-tall Alpha was still dressed in formal attire. He looked as though he had just finished a meeting and hurried over without even having time to change.
Yan Beiyou stood outside the door. "Where are you going?"
Zhu Yucheng pulled Teacher Jiang aside to make way for him and said with a smile, "An Omega surnamed Ye just performed a solo onstage. My Teacher Jiang wants to get to know him, so I'm taking him downstairs to look for him."
"Your Majesty, come in!"
Inside the private room, Ji Yunqi and Song Ren called Yan Beiyou over.
Zhu Yucheng and Jiang Yuenian went downstairs to find someone, while Yan Beiyou sat down by the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ji Yunqi sat opposite Yan Beiyou. "Your Majesty, would you like some red wine?"
"Yes." Yan Beiyou's gaze swept to the right.
Through the one-way floor-to-ceiling glass, the ceremonial hall downstairs was fully visible.
A lavish crystal chandelier illuminated the golden hall with dazzling brilliance. In the center of the dance floor, young Omegas fluttered like butterflies.
"Your Majesty still came a step too late. The most exciting first dance has just ended." Song Ren sat on the inner side of the private room and seemed rather uninterested in today's ceremony.
Yan Beiyou smiled faintly, accepted the wineglass Ji Yunqi handed him, and said nothing.
Ji Yunqi and Song Ren exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of surprise and amusement in the other's eyes.
At the Omega coming-of-age ceremonies held in the Imperial Palace before, Yan Beiyou had been in the Imperial Palace, yet they had never seen him attend even once.
This time, although he had not made an appearance, at least he had come.
Zhu Yucheng started a conversation and chatted idly with Song Ren.
Yan Beiyou listened in silence, occasionally adding a word or two.
His well-defined fingers held the wineglass as his relaxed gaze rested on the lively golden hall.
Young Omegas dressed in splendid attire danced gracefully across the floor amid the music and lights.
Eighteen years old. A coming-of-age ceremony.
Yan Beiyou suddenly realized he had overlooked something.
That little mushroom from the game had been tirelessly challenging the Black Dragon Boss for twelve years.
When it first started playing, wasn't it only six years old?
Twelve years without interruption, logging in every day right on time to challenge the boss.
Was it a gaming addict?
Yan Beiyou had discovered that little mushroom three years ago.
Using his own Companion Beast, the Black Dragon, as a model, he had projected an unbeatable ultimate boss into the game.
On the challenge leaderboard's attempt-count rankings, the second-place player had challenged it a maximum of 1,563 times.
But the little mushroom in first place had more than twice as many attempts as second place.
By chance, the little mushroom was in the boss challenge instance, and on a whim, Yan Beiyou entered the Black Dragon Boss's game interface.
The little mushroom, knocked down in less than two seconds, lay alone on the ground, chattering away in voice messages in the current channel.
This was not challenging a game boss.
It was using the Black Dragon Boss as a venting wall.
[Those big bosses are all rich and powerful bad people. I can only defeat them by becoming stronger than them, or by finding an even richer and more powerful backer.]
The little mushroom's words from the last time it had spoken in the game instance echoed in his mind, and Yan Beiyou unconsciously frowned slightly.
The Omega coming-of-age ceremony held in the Imperial Palace would not make anyone stronger, but there were rich and powerful Alpha nobles here, watching the Omegas at every moment.
Yan Beiyou set down his unfinished glass of wine and rose to his feet. "I'm leaving."
Ji Yunqi and Song Ren hurriedly stood as well.
Yan Beiyou said, "You two have fun. No need to see me off."
Ji Yunqi and Song Ren exchanged glances.
He had only been sitting for a few minutes. He was leaving already?
Song Ren gave a light laugh and sighed. "Looks like there wasn't anyone who caught his eye."
Ji Yunqi considered it for a moment. "Finding someone who can catch His Majesty's eye... won't be easy."
Yan Beiyou had come alone.
When he left, he was still alone.
Compared to the bustling hall, the garden outside was quiet and peaceful.
Bright moonlight cast a soft haze over the snow-covered garden. Shoes rustled over the snow, while the streetlamps stretched the man's shadow long.
A round-headed Little Yellow Dog darted out from the shadows and ran merrily around the garden.
Yan Beiyou gave his little Companion Beast a faint glance and sat down on a nearby bench.
Thinking of how he had rushed straight over the moment his meeting ended just because of something the little mushroom had said, he could not help shaking his head with a soft laugh.
He had just surveyed everyone in the hall from the second-floor private room, but nothing had particularly moved him.
"Woof—woof woof—"
The Little Yellow Dog seemed especially restless today.
Yan Beiyou glanced in its direction.
The Little Yellow Dog bounced about energetically, its bright black eyes fixed on something snowflake-like drifting back and forth before it, as though it wanted to pounce on that fluttering "little snowflake."
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