Chapter 298 - 270: Encounter Again
He had a serving of pan-fried buns and a serving of meatballs. During the meal, Lu Tianjiao also went to the snack stall across the way and ordered two servings of grilled noodles.
After three full dishes, Li Qian was stuffed.
Even though he was far from home in an unfamiliar place, the food was good and the flavors were decent. In that respect, at least, he had no trouble adjusting.
After dinner, at Lu Tianjiao’s suggestion, the two of them began to stroll around the campus.
It was mostly Lu Tianjiao giving him a tour, familiarizing him with the campus.
"This is the Martial Arts Dojo. When students want to have Pet Beast battles, it’s pretty much always in here!" Lu Tianjiao said, stopping in front of an oval-shaped building to introduce it.
Li Qian paused to look, a puzzled expression on his face. "This is the battle hall? But it doesn’t look that big."
In terms of scale, the oval building wasn’t small. It might not have been the size of a soccer field, but it was comparable to a basketball arena.
And yet, this was a battle hall meant for Pet Beast combat.
After all, the destructive force of Pet Beast battles, with all their clashing Energy and Skills, was terrifying. A building of this scale couldn’t possibly contain that.
And that was precisely why Li Qian looked so confused.
Lu Tianjiao understood Li Qian’s confusion. He smiled and explained, "This battle hall is just a facade, really. You could even call it just an entrance. The truth is, there’s a passage inside that leads to a small-scale Secret Realm. The real fights all happen in there."
At this, a look of dawning realization crossed Li Qian’s face.
That made sense.
But understanding was one thing. He couldn’t help but wonder...
’Is this guy really just a "local"? How could a local know this much about Shazhou Beast Taming University? He even knows the internal structure of the battle hall inside and out.’
Li Qian was baffled.
’There has to be some kind of secret here. Or maybe... this guy’s background isn’t as simple as just being a "local"?’
Despite his doubts, Li Qian didn’t ask.
They were neighbors who had only just met, after all. It wouldn’t be appropriate to pry too deeply.
Li Qian had that much tact, at least.
The two continued to walk and talk, finally strolling back to their dorm around eight o’clock in the evening.
They had just entered Xianya Garden and were on the stone path not far from the main gate, still a short walk from their dorm in Building Three, when Li Qian spotted a familiar figure.
Not far ahead, the back of a figure walking toward Building Four looked a lot like the Gaochang Race girl from the basement level.
In other words, Lu Tianjiao’s ex-girlfriend.
After watching for a moment, Li Qian was certain. The elegant figure ahead of them was, without a doubt, Lu Tianjiao’s ex-girlfriend.
"Small world, huh?" Li Qian said with a grin, once he recognized who was walking ahead of them.
"What small world? This is a damn curse!" Lu Tianjiao, who had obviously also spotted the familiar figure, blurted out. His mood was a stark contrast to Li Qian’s lighthearted teasing.
"Running into an old flame... you’re not going to go say hi? Or are you afraid she’ll slap you again?" Li Qian said, nudging his chin in her direction as he continued to rib him.
"I doubt it. She looks fierce, but who knows? She’s probably still hung up on me," Lu Tianjiao said with a narcissistic smirk, pointing at the elegant figure ahead.
"Well, if she’s still hung up on you, why not go say hello? Maybe you could rekindle that old flame," Li Qian continued to prod.
"Nah, let’s not. A good horse doesn’t graze the same patch twice," Lu Tianjiao said, shaking his head and affecting a carefree, unbothered attitude.
Li Qian was just about to be impressed, but his next words nearly broke Li Qian’s composure. "The main thing is, I... seem to have forgotten her name. It’d be a bit awkward to just walk up and say hi..."
On hearing this, Li Qian couldn’t stop himself from screaming internally, ’What the fuck!’
’A real piece of work, this one. A goddamn prodigy! How many exes does a guy have to have before he starts forgetting their names?’
’And then there’s me. We’re about the same age, but I’ve never even held a girl’s hand. It’s pretty pathetic, really.’
Through this incident, Li Qian had basically figured it out: his new neighbor, it seemed, wasn’t just a shameless jokester, but a full-blown player.
As the two of them watched, the elegant figure disappeared around a bend in the stone path ahead, turning into the alleyway between Buildings Three and Four.
Once Lu Tianjiao’s ex-girlfriend was out of sight, Li Qian quickened his pace.
Before long, the two were back in their dorm in Building Three.
As soon as he was back in his dorm, Li Qian called his parents to let them know he was okay.
On the video call, he could see his parents still strolling down a bustling, crowded street somewhere in Zhonghai City.
A smile touched Li Qian’s lips as he watched the scene.
’Looks like having them come out for a visit was the right call.’
After hanging up, Li Qian put on his VR glasses and settled in for his long-standing habit: reading before bed.
Maybe it was because he was in a new, strange place, but his mind felt unsettled. He just couldn’t get into a good headspace for reading.
A little after nine, Li Qian gave up, took off his VR glasses, and got ready for bed.
According to what Teacher Jin had said, they still had one more day to rest. The day after tomorrow, a week-long military training session would begin.
’Right. What a pain in the ass.’
’This Otherworld, with its highly advanced Beast Taming Civilization, actually had a tradition of military training for new students. And unlike the military training for new students in his past life, the training in this world included many different elements. In addition to military drills, there were also events like Pet Beast battles and Pet Beast showcases.’
As incredible as Li Qian found it, he accepted the reality of it soon enough.
His mind racing, Li Qian tossed and turned in his new bed for about an hour before finally falling asleep.
He hadn’t been asleep for long, however, when a jumble of chaotic noises suddenly reached his ears.
Drowsy, Li Qian paid it no mind, simply assuming it was the commotion of another out-of-town student moving in.
But before long, the sound grew louder and clearer, even seeming to come from right outside his window.
Just then, the Energy Detector he’d left on his nightstand suddenly let out a series of alert tones: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!