I had to wait for the remaining battles to finish before I was dismissed, along with the other students. Once the fourth round of the entrance examinations was over, and everyone was done with combat, Yan Jin made an announcement.
"You can all return to the dormitory to rest. You have all been assigned to your own dormitories, so make sure you go to the right room. Dismissed!"
Leaving the stadium, I was among the throng of students who flowed toward the direction of the dormitories. Already from this distance, I could see the five huge buildings that made up the dorms. The white paint was pristine, and they looked clean, resembling condominiums. I guess no matter the universe, cultivators were all treated like VIPs. That said, some buildings were better than others, and when I neared them, I could immediately see there was a hierarchy.
"Let me check…I applied for a room in the Epsilon dormitory, right?"
Glancing at my smartphone to ensure I had the right details, I glanced back up and confirmed that my intended destination was the lowest quality building, and also the furthest from the stadium. It wasn't bad, not to the extent where it was dingy and decrepit, but there was an obvious contrast to the other buildings. Some paint was peeling off, the amenities seemed a little less.
But I didn't care. I didn't need fountains or magnificent gardens or deluxe gyms. I deliberately applied for Epsilon because it was the cheapest and I didn't intend on staying for long. I was going back home in a couple of days after handling all the administrative matters in the university.
The dormitories were labeled Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon, and were ranked in that order. The very best or richest students lived lives of luxury in the Alpha dorm. Beta was the next best if you weren't willing to splash out so much cash, followed by Gamma. Epsilon and Delta were the budget options.
As I took a winding route toward the dorm, trying not to get swept away by the masses, one of the female students approached me. She was cute, with a cheerful look and her long dark hair tied into side tail. Bouncing in delight, she waved at me.
"You're the new student who defeated Kai Fan, aren't you?"
"Um…I guess."
"I'm your senior from the second year! Let's get to know each other. Do you have Wechat? We can add each other."
"I don't have Wechat," I replied truthfully. The senior was taken aback, but she didn't give up.
"That's fine. We can still exchange phone numbers. How about I take you on a tour of the university?"
"Um, that's fine. I wasn't planning on sticking around…"
"Eh? Where are you off to? We can have a drink together if you don't intend on staying in the university."
"No, I mean I have a few admin matters to handle."
"Ah! I can help you…"
"That's fine, senior. I'll help Song Jun Wen." Thankfully, Myria came to my rescue. She took my arm and smiled brightly. "We already arranged to meet beforehand. I'll be showing him to the office."
"Who…who are you?" The senior demanded, taken aback by Myria's sudden appearance.
"She's my girlfriend," I replied. The senior turned pale and spluttered before turning around and running away. I watched her leave and shook my head. Myria giggled.
"You really are popular, aren't you? It's only natural, after the performance you put on in the entrance examination."
"Don't worry, I was going to refuse her."
"I know. But that senior isn't the type of girl who would take no for an answer. She would have continued insisting on showing you around if I hadn't shown up."
"Thanks." I grinned. "We're in the same university now, Myria."
"Yeah! I look forward to seeing you around! You should have applied for the elite class, though."
"Nah. I already told you why I prefer the regular classes." I shook my head. "Anyway, let's go. You said you'll bring me to the office? I guess I might as well head there first before going to the dorms."
"Good idea. Let's go!"
It took a while, but I managed to submit the required documents to the appropriate places and get my administrative matters settled. Once we were done, though, we returned to the dorms together.
"I'm currently staying at Alpha dorm," Myria explained when we stopped at the building. As expected of a princess, she wouldn't settle for nothing less than the very best. She then made a face. "But I might move back to my old apartment. The rules here are pretty restrictive and suffocating. I mean, the facilities are great, and the room is comfortable, but…they don't allow visitors. Plus the curfew."
"Yeah." I had to stop outside the Alpha building to send her off because I wasn't allowed inside. "I'll see you around. I will return home in a couple of days, so you're free to visit my house after that."
"I definitely will!" She gushed. She waved before whirling around and heading into the entrance. I watched her disappear past the automatic sliding glass doors, then I turned and continued toward Epsilon dorm.
"Hey, who is that kid?"
"Isn't that the goddess's boyfriend? Is she blind? Why does she have such bad taste?"
"Yeah, he's pretty plain and weak looking."
"I know him! He's one of the new regular students."
Apparently, a group of guys from Alpha dorm had spotted me parting ways with Myria, and they seemed pretty miffed about it. I would learn later that none of them had watched the match between me and Kai Fan, otherwise they would never have provoked me. As it was, they had spent the day slacking somewhere, and when they returned from clubbing, drunk and high, they decided to vent their frustrations on me.
"Why would Myria pick someone like him over us?!"
"Hey, you!"
Despite minding my business, I suddenly found myself surrounded by the drunk seniors. They were still holding wine bottles, sporting expensive watches, branded clothing and leather shoes. The typical second-generation rich kids. They leered at me, forming a ring and cutting my route off whenever I tried to walk around them.
"That direction…you're not even heading to the Beta dorms. Don't tell me you're going to the Epsilon dorm?"
"Why are you ignoring us? We're your seniors, you know! Show some respect, damn it!"
"Respect has to been earned, not demanded," I finally spoke up, meeting their glowering eyes evenly. One of them barked out in laughter.
"Did you hear that kid? The first time he makes a sound, and that's what he says?"
"Oh, if you want to earn our respect, then you'll have to earn it the hard way." Another senior sneered, his speech slurred. Qi exploded around his fist and he swung it at me, despite swaying haphazardly from intoxication. Thanks to that, it was easy to dodge him. He cursed when he almost fell over after his punch hit empty space. "Don't avoid it, dumbass!"
"Ha ha, look at this guy," one of his friends chuckled, hiccupping. "He thinks his target should just stand still and let him hit him!"
"Hey, that's the privilege of being a senior."
"I'm sorry, seniors, but if you want to challenge me to a match, you should wait until you sober up first."
"Challenge? A weakling like you? We're from the elite class! A regular student like you should just kowtow to us!" The assailant threw another punch, but I easily stepped to the side, avoiding the blast of explosive qi that burst from his fist. "Oi! Stop dodging, damn it!"
"Should we help you?" One of the others guffawed before he used a footwork technique. One moment, he was beside his friend. The next, he disappeared, only to reappear behind me. With a bellow, he tried to grapple me, his hands swinging through the space where my shoulders occupied. "Damn, but this kid's fast!"
I prepared to fight back, but before I could, light shone upon our location. A security guard rushed over, waving his flashlight.
"Hey! What's the ruckus about? You guys again? Didn't I tell you to cut it out?"
"Tch." One of them clicked his tongue. "That old man again. Always spoiling the fun."
"Let's split, guys."
"Hmph. I'm losing interest already."
The five or so drunkards spun around and shambled back to the Alpha dorm, all but falling through the automatically sliding doors when they attempted to push the glass open and failing spectacularly. The elderly security guard, about sixty and balding, with some grey hair rimming the bald pate under a cap, hurried toward me.
"Are you okay, kid?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
"Sorry about that." The security guard sighed and shook his head. "Those brats are notorious for picking on regular students. I've reported them several times, but because their parents are rich, they get away with a slap on the wrist. I'll do my best to keep an eye on them, but stay away from them, all right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now run along. I don't think you're from this dorm?"
"Yeah. I'm going to Epsilon, sir."
The security guard gave me a sympathetic stare and patted my shoulder. "Well, do your best, kid. The world's unfair, but we can't give up. Keep working harder and I'm sure you'll be able to improve."
Like the second-generation rich kids, he had no idea who I was. It was almost amusing. Still, I nodded and thanked him before returning to my dorm. My room looked a little basic, with nothing more than a bed and a desk inside. At least it was a single room with its own bathroom, and that was all I needed.
Dropping on the bed, I closed my eyes and rested. Even though I managed to pass the entrance exam smoothly, it had been quite the exhausting day. Punching a device, outrunning a Crimson Cheetah, evading a Tree Revenant's strikes, and then fighting Kai Fan all on the same day at once…yeah, of course it would be tiring.
It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, and before I knew it, the next day had arrived. As I stirred and got up to wash up in the morning, I received a text message from Myria. That was right. We had plans to meet for breakfast.
However, when I got downstairs, the first persons I saw wasn't Myria but the group of drunk dudes I had met last night. The only difference was that they were sober. I tensed, bracing myself for an attack. They must have wanted revenge, being the typical arrogant young masters or spoiled second-generation rich kids who thought I had humiliated them somehow, or stole Myria from them, or had their fun spoilt by the security guard.
Before I could coalesce my qi into a defensive aura, though, the five dudes threw themselves to the ground and prostrated before me.
"What the f…?"
My jaw dropped as I stared at them, completely taken by surprise. The lead rich kid pressed his forehead to the ground, sobbing.
"We apologize for last night, junior! We were drunk and uninhibited! We should never have offended you! Please don't take revenge on us!"
"Take revenge on you? Why would I do that?"
"W…we saw what you did to Kai Fan," another of the rich kids muttered, quivering in fear. "Please don't do that to us too! We'll pay compensation if necessary! Is 10,000 yuan enough?"
"I don't need compensation! Get up! Please!" I was frantically waving at them because their commotion was drawing stares from all the other students in Epsilon dormitory. "I want to keep a low profile and you're ruining that! Just leave! Don't worry, I'm not so petty as to seek revenge over such trivial matters!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"
"We are grateful for your magnanimity! You have such an upstanding character! We have wronged you!"
"As expected of the man that Myria Poseidon chose! We are convinced of your superiority!"
"From now on, you can call upon us for anything you need!"
"I don't need anything! Just leave!"
I sighed a breath of relief when they scrambled away. They must have learned of my match against Kai Fan yesterday night or this morning, and panicked when they saw how I utterly crushed him. Wealth or not, they were afraid of my strength, as all bullies were wont to be.
"Isn't that great?" Myria chuckled as she showed up, strolling toward me while she spared their retreating figures a glance. "You have just gotten your first underlings in Divine Path University."
"No…" I groaned as I buried my face in my palm. "I'm not here to start a gang, and I don't want anything to do with them."