Arrived Too Early (Part 2)

...

The following morning.

6:10 AM.

Riley, with dark circles under his eyes, appeared in the living room. He glanced around and noticed that his mother was still sleeping in her room.

Well, it was quite early...

Yesterday was the day of another Interstellar Conference match he had placed his bets on.

Recalling how he couldn't sleep the night before due to a loss, he decided not to watch the game last night to avoid losing sleep and affecting his mood for today's St. Angela High School special admission exam.

However, the more he thought about it, the harder it was to fall asleep...

He had a tumultuous night, his mind oscillating between thoughts of how the Interstellar Conference match had gone and the upcoming special admission exam for tomorrow. He stayed awake until 2 AM, thinking that he might be better off staying up late and waking up early the next day.

With thoughts on his mind, he woke up naturally before his alarm could ring.

Riley prepared breakfast, not quite feeling his best, while Fire Dog eagerly wagged its tail, anticipating its meal.

This little fellow seems quite energetic...

Well, it wasn't in vain that he gave it a hard massage yesterday.

After breakfast, Riley left a portion for his mother in the pot and headed to the subway station.

St. Angela High School was located in the Sky District of Enchantia City, quite far from the area where Riley lived.

If he took the bus, he would need to change at least four or five stops along the way, but with the subway, he could reach his destination directly via line 2.

...

St. Angela High School.

A few people sat scattered on the benches beside the open-air field.

"Minston, has Lance arrive yet?" asked a middle-aged man with a slicked-back hairstyle and a noticeable potbelly.

It's a common stereotype that middle-aged men tend to have potbellies, but the man before their eyes had his facial features framed by a neatly combed-back hairstyle, and he exuded a mature, poised aura, giving off the impression that he might have been quite handsome in his youth.

"Not yet. I called him to remind him, but he said he's stuck in traffic," replied a woman in professional attire who was standing nearby.

"Nonsense, he clearly went to a bar last night, stayed out late, and even posted about it on his social media. He doesn't look like a teacher at all," scoffed Gary.

"And it was you who recruited him for the school," the man with the papers retorted leisurely.

"Brian, You can't blame all on me. You also the one who voted him back then," Gary grumbled.

"That you gave me Water Gathering Gem, and you asked me to vote for him," Brian said calmly.

"You!" Gary was so angry he couldn't find words to reply.

"Alright, enough of that. Let's get back on track. Do we have any promising candidates among these special admission students?" The middle-aged man with the slicked-back hair tried to change the subject.

"The real talents have already received guaranteed admissions," Gary retorted with a hint of frustration.

"But there is one," Brian's gaze settled on a particular line in the papers. "You know Luke from Trafalgal Middle School, right? He made the news about six months ago."

"You mean the kid who awakened his Beast Tamer Codex as soon as he entered 3rd grade of Middle School?" Minston asked.

"Yes, that's the one," Brian confirmed.

Most children tend to awaken their Beast Tamer Codex close to the age of 15, but Luke, who had just turned 14 and just started his 3rd grade Middle School year, awakened early.

If it weren't for the fact that the high school entrance exams for that year had already concluded, and all the schools had filled their quotas, with classes already underway, Luke might have been able to skip a grade and attend a Beast Tamer High School.

"Why wasn't he granted a guaranteed admission?" Minston inquired.

"He didn't attend school much after awakening on his own, and his academic performance suffered as a result," Brian explained.

Minston understood.

Probably because he already made a contract with a Spirit Beast and couldn't tolerate the monotonous routine of just studying.

If that's the case, he might be a promising candidate. Luke has had a contract with a Spirit Beast for over half a year, so his strength is likely superior to his peers.

...

Outside St. Angela High School.

Riley sat by the flower bed, lost in thought.

He had arrived too early.

The gates weren't even open yet...