Theoretically speaking, going back to school was something he was long familiar with; there was no reason to be nervous.
After all, the Alliance First Comprehensive Education School was an all-age education base. He had been attending school here since he was a child, moving seamlessly from kindergarten all the way through high school.
Therefore, the summer breaks between elementary and middle school, or middle and high school, were no different from any other long holiday in his eyes...
The students were the same group, the classes didn't change, and even if he wanted to find a teacher or a classmate, he could see them at any time.
So, the transition to the University Department didn't seem like a big deal to him until recently.
Moreover, it wasn't as if he hadn't attended university in his previous life; he already had the experience.
The problem was that not long ago, his entire worldview had completely collapsed!
Would this school he had known since childhood really be just an ordinary university as he had imagined?
He went to ask Ren Man, but in return, he only received a blank stare.
Fine, it seemed his older brother had never been to university—at least not an Alliance university.
Left with no choice, Ren Yi could only harbor a heart full of trepidation as he suffered from back-to-school syndrome, stepping once again into this "familiar" yet now alien campus.
As he stood at the school gate pulling his suitcase, his gaze swept over the familiar entrance. The first person Ren Yi saw was his high school homeroom teacher, Ms. Zhang.
She was standing at the gate, holding a bright red banner that read: "Welcome New Students of Class 1, Grade 10."
After his batch of students graduated, Ms. Zhang was starting a new work cycle again.
When Ms. Zhang had visited his home previously, Ren Yi hadn't noticed anything unusual.
At the time, Ren Yi thought she was the kind of Anomaly who liked to maintain a humanoid form and wouldn't easily expose her True Form.
But looking at it now, that wasn't the case.
Because on the back of Ms. Zhang's beautiful black-and-white patterned dress, several flat, pitch-black eyes were slowly swimming around.
Ren Yi felt like he finally knew why Ms. Zhang could immediately catch any student whispering or making small movements under their desks, no matter how well they hid it.
As if sensing his gaze, two of the eyes on Ms. Zhang's back turned toward him.
They blinked gently and then squinted slightly—a look that clearly told him to "wait a moment."
Don't ask Ren Yi how he could read the meaning in those eyes...
At this moment, Ms. Zhang was facing away from Ren Yi, speaking to a strange humanoid object.
The object looked like a chaotic mass of sketch lines.
It had no clear facial features or a regular body shape; there was only a jumble of disorganized black and white patterns that barely outlined a human silhouette.
Ms. Zhang seemed to say a few comforting words, and the line-man instantly became "happy."
Where its blurry mouth should have been, a crescent-shaped piece of white paper suddenly unfolded, as if revealing a brilliant smile, and the lines became much softer.
Immediately after, the line-man extended a hand made of lines and gently patted the head of a small boy beside it, then leaned down as if giving him some final instructions.
After the instructions, it gently pushed the boy toward Ms. Zhang with a tender, reluctant movement.
To an uninformed observer, the scene might look like two monsters trading an innocent human child...
But Ren Yi knew in his heart that this was simply a parent bringing their child to school on the first day.
It was just that the parent's appearance was indeed a bit stimulating.
He wondered if this newly enrolled junior would be able to handle it when he eventually awakened in a few years.
As soon as the thought occurred, Ren Yi was suddenly struck by a realization.
Had the seniors in the past looked at him the same way?
While he was lost in thought, Ms. Zhang had already handed the boy over to a nearby teacher and was walking quickly toward Ren Yi.
The familiar gentle smile on her face hadn't changed, but the eyes on her skirt had moved to her shoulders, becoming much better behaved and no longer darting around.
They just sat quietly on Ren Yi, as if observing a student they hadn't seen in a long time.
"Ren Yi, you're quite punctual," she said. "I still have to receive your juniors, so I probably can't walk you in."
"However, the school has arranged a Student Mentor for all incoming freshmen in your year."
Fearing Ren Yi might be confused, she added a quick explanation:
"A Student Mentor is a student guide, served by upperclassmen."
"They'll mainly help you get familiar with the University Department environment, explain school-related regulations, and handle various registration procedures and emergencies."
"One Student Mentor leads three freshmen; they'll be your first point of contact after entering university."
Ren Yi nodded, indicating he understood.
"I've already checked the groupings for you," Ms. Zhang said in a relaxed tone. "You, Qiuqiu, and Lu Zihan are in the same group, so you can look out for each other."
Ren Yi was stunned.
Zhang Qiuqiu and Lu Zihan... those two were actually in the same group as him?
It seemed no one had mentioned he was the last to know?
He instinctively pulled out his phone to contact the two and confirm the meeting point.
As soon as he opened his contacts, he saw a group chat sitting at the top that he had never actively joined.
Group Name: School Bombing Squad.
Group Members: Slime Flight Edition, WhatAreYouLookingAt, Truly Baffling.
Ren Yi: "..."
Fine, this was very much in character for those two.
After saying goodbye to Ms. Zhang, he followed the signs toward the University Department area.
The moment he crossed that invisible boundary, the atmosphere changed instantly.
Outside in the High School Department, one could still occasionally see children who hadn't awakened and lacked any anomalous aura, making noise like a normal school.
But here in the University Department, it was much quieter.
Before long, Ren Yi received a message from Zhang Qiuqiu.
"Meeting under the largest tree next to the University Department playground. The Student Mentor will be waiting for us there."
He headed in that direction and saw two familiar figures standing under a tree in the distance.
Zhang Qiuqiu had her arms crossed, looking around impatiently.
Lu Zihan was standing obediently nearby. When he saw Ren Yi, he immediately waved.
Ren Yi just raised his hand, preparing to call out a greeting.
Suddenly, the towering Wutong Tree beside them moved without warning.
The thick branches swayed gently, the large palm-shaped leaves rustling loudly, and several of the longest branches slowly dangled in front of Ren Yi, tapping up and down twice.
It was like... it was waving a greeting.
Ren Yi's eyelid twitched, and he blurted out almost instinctively:
"Ah... Wutong Senior."
It was naturally the Wutong Tree he had seen in the Lu Family Courtyard.
So this one hadn't graduated yet either.
The branches of the Wutong Tree shook slightly, as if in response.
Ren Yi looked left and right but didn't see any other suspicious characters, so he asked casually:
"So... Wutong Senior, are you the Student Mentor for our group?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Qiuqiu shook her head decisively, her expression saying, "You still haven't figured out the situation."
Ren Yi was stunned.
"Then where's the Student Mentor? It seems like it's time; haven't they arrived yet? Are they late?"
Just as he finished speaking, an extremely gruff and powerful voice exploded from near his feet:
"Your grandpa... I, your Student Mentor, have been here for a long time!"
Ren Yi froze and looked down blankly.
On the ground stood a round, black-and-white animal with a tuft of fur at the tip of its tail, standing tall and straight with its head held high.
Its short legs were spread apart as it looked up at him, its presence filling the area.
Ren Yi was silent for half a second before it suddenly clicked.
"... Ah."
He called out very sincerely:
"It's Lord Cha!"
Rate on N.U.
