FIRST NIGHT

Luo Yan took Noah and gave him a tour of nearly half the university grounds, explaining the basics. In summary, there are 11 sectors. Each sector has two train stations, one in the north and one in the south, to facilitate transportation. Every sector represents a large area dedicated to a specific purpose. For example, Sector 1 is the university campus itself. Sector 2 is the library, the closest place to the campus and the most popular destination for students after classes end.

Sector 3 is the central market, the largest of all sectors, where everything is sold—from daily necessities to goods like weapons. It resembles a public market, full of restaurants and relaxation areas like parks. It even has an auction house run by the students themselves, and the university takes no profit from student-run auctions.

Sector 4 contains the homes of honor students and top performers. They have private wings or entire houses just for them. This area is located at the center of the university grounds and is off-limits to ordinary students unless they are specifically invited by an elite student.

Sector 5 is a tourist destination and resort area designed for maximum comfort, mainly for visitors. It's usually closed and only opens during significant events that require parents to come see their children.

From Sector 6 to Sector 10, Luo Yan didn't take Noah there because the sun was about to set. However, she explained

Sector 6 is the girls' residential complex.

Sector 7 is where the professors live.

Sector 8, the smallest, is a massive gym.

Sector 9 is the combat arena where students fight, train, or host big events.

Sector 10 is literally a prison, housing students who committed actual crimes but were not transferred to external prisons to avoid major scandals. It's heavily guarded 24/7 and is the farthest sector from the others, located at the northern edge of university grounds.

Sector 11 is the boys' dormitory, where Luo Yan quickly led Noah, as it would be his new home starting today.

After showing Noah to the boys' dorm, Luo Yan gave him a few quick tips. Students are allowed to leave at night but must return before midnight. Because of Noah's rare condition and his late arrival, he would have a room to himself until the end of the first year. She then left shortly before sunset.

Noah entered the building—it was very spacious and luxurious inside, with several floors. On the ground floor, he found a reception desk manned by a receptionist in a black suit. The man's slicked-back black hair gleamed under the dim lights, and he stood upright. Noah approached, and the man bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Grace, your belongings arrived earlier—they're already in your room," the man said politely, turned to a shelf behind him, and took a key that was hanging there.

"This is your room key. Your room is on the 7th floor, at the end of the hallway—room 476. There's a phone in each room that connects directly to the front desk. Please, if you encounter any issues, call us right away," the man said with a calm, cold tone and a slight, clearly fake smile. He wasn't even looking at Noah, as if his mind was elsewhere. It was obvious he wasn't trying to hide his disinterest—room service must be tough.

Noah took the key and nodded respectfully.

"Thank you," he said. Despite the man's coldness, at least he didn't treat Noah with racism—though he didn't really look at him at all.

Noah took the elevator, which was empty at that hour, and went up to the seventh floor. When he arrived, he opened the door and stepped out. The hallway was unusually silent and empty. Most students were likely sleeping or studying quietly. He walked to the end of the hallway to his room. Standing before the door, he whispered

"Room 476..." He inserted the key, turned it, and opened the door quietly. The room was dark, so he turned on the lights.

It was fairly spacious. There were two beds, and on one of them were his bags. The room had a fridge and a stove in case a student wanted to cook instead of eating from the cafeteria. There was a large closet made for two people, two desks in opposite corners that one of them had a room phone, a bathroom, and even an air conditioner.

Noah noticed an open window where the curtains fluttered in the breeze. He closed the door behind him and sat on the empty bed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, some solitude… This place is really like a city. It even has a prison. The surveillance here must be intense… Could there be a camera watching me?" Noah wondered silently, feeling a shiver at the thought that someone might be monitoring him even in private.

He got up, opened his bags, and began unpacking and organizing his room—folding clothes into the closet, dusting the place. He closed the window when he finished cleaning, then showered and changed.

When he was done, he threw himself on the bouncy bed and opened his phone. The time was 6:32 p.m, April 8. He set the phone down and adjusted his posture.

"…What should I do now? Should I just sleep…?" he thought, feeling a little anxious as he remembered his recent fight with the red orc, which had made sleeping difficult.

Just then, someone knocked on his door. He jumped up in surprise, stared at the door, and opened it.

There were three boys standing there. The one in the center had jet-black hair, black eyes, and a beauty mark under his left eye. To his right was a handsome boy with dark brown, nearly black hair and red eyes. The third boy looked shy, with black hair that had a green streak and dark green eyes. He was notably short.

"Oh! There really is someone here!" said the boy in the middle, placing his hand over his heart and flashing a wide smile.

"Hello! I'm Sirius Soren. Tell me, are you the new student?" Sirius asked, eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at Noah.

"Y-Yeah… I'm Noah Grace…" Noah replied nervously, confused by Sirius' energy and openness.

"Oh, right! The guy on my right is Neriah Grey, and the other one is Enel Hale. We live in the room next to yours, so we thought we'd say hi since you're new," Sirius said enthusiastically. His sparkling eyes showed he was the type to say whatever was on his mind without hesitation.

Noah looked at Neriah, who scoffed and looked away. He seemed like the arrogant, perpetually angry type. Then Noah looked at Enel, who kept his gaze down—definitely the shy type who hides behind others.

"W-What do you want?" Noah asked anxiously. He wasn't used to visitors. He didn't have friends, in or outside the university, and was used to people coming only to bother or sell him something.

"Ah, well, I was just curious about you and decided to visit. But after seeing you—you're really interesting. I heard you got into a fight with Cyprian today right after entering the university, and the fight was so intense that a professor had to step in!" Sirius said, trying to recall the rumors he'd heard.

Noah froze, surprised by how quickly false rumors spread.

"There wasn't really a fight. Luo Yan was the one who almost fought him, but Professor Mei Rinhu intervened before anything actually happened," Noah explained awkwardly, trying to correct Sirius.

Sirius stood there silently for a moment. Then a dumb expression crossed his face as he processed what Noah said.

"So… there wasn't a fight?" Sirius asked.

"Nope. No fight," Noah confirmed.

Sirius remained silent for a moment. Then, the silly expressions vanished from his face, and his eyes gleamed once again with excitement and curiosity.

"That doesn't matter! Tell me, tell me—do you want to come to our room?!" Sirius asked excitedly, which only made Noah more confused. Why would this person want to invite him to his room in the first place?

"A-a-actually, I'm tired from traveling, so I'd prefer to rest—" Noah said, trying to avoid Sirius. But Sirius suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him toward their nearby room.

"Come on, come on, enough lying! Let's have fun together! We're friends now!" Sirius exclaimed as he continued pulling Noah toward their room. Neriah smacked his own forehead, frustrated by Sirius's foolishness, and both he and Enel had no choice but to follow them into the room.

Noah suddenly found himself inside their shared room. Unlike his own room, theirs was noticeably larger, with three beds, a fully equipped kitchen, a spacious bathroom, and even more furniture than his—sofas, a TV, and more. Enel and Neriah entered and closed the door behind them.

"Please have a seat. Sirius will only bother you more if you try to leave," Neriah said, trying to reassure Noah. Noah was a little surprised—Neriah's appearance gave the impression of someone who might explode in anger at any moment, but his voice was calm.

Noah sat on a nearby couch, and Enel sat next to him but kept to the far corner, away from Noah. Noah gave him an awkward smile, which only increased Enel's confusion.

"Why is he smiling at me?! Is he going to talk to me?! Stay away! There are two other people in the room—don't talk to me!!" Enel panicked internally, his anxiety and nervousness spiking as his heart pounded rapidly.

Noah then turned to Sirius and Neriah, who were sitting on the couch across from him.

"What do you want from me?" Noah asked, nervous and confused. The intentions of the person in front of him seemed innocent, but Noah couldn't help but remain suspicious of any hidden motives.

"I want us to be friends, Noey-kun!" Sirius said, crossing his legs and resting his head on his hand, his fingers tapping his face slowly.

"Noey-kun?" Noah thought to himself, feeling a bit uneasy with the nickname. But he was surprised by Sirius's desire to be his friend. It seemed sincere. And unlike the other students who had looked at him with strange and contemptuous eyes just for being new, Sirius and his friends didn't.

"How about we introduce ourselves again so you can feel more comfortable? I'm Sirius Soren, and I'll probably be your classmate. You can call me Siri or whatever you like. Also, don't worry—I don't plan to reject or look down on you!" Sirius said enthusiastically. Noah was surprised by the last part—it was almost exactly what he had been thinking. It was as if Sirius had read his thoughts and reassured him directly.

"I'm Neriah Grey," Neriah said in a calm, slightly cold voice.

"...I-I'm E-Enel H-Hale," Enel stammered anxiously, his voice sharp and clearly showing how tense he was.

"What's with these boring introductions?! He already knows our names! Let me do this properly for all of us then!" Sirius said, slightly annoyed by his friends' short introductions.

Both Neryah and Einel looked nervous, as if they were expecting Sirius to do something foolish.