Chapter 2

A single, flat declaration of “I’m not having kids” subjected Mu Chenxing to an hour of intense ideological lecturing. He had never imagined three teenage boys could be so incredibly talkative, chattering until his head buzzed.

Fortunately, the harvest of information was substantial. Through their lecturing, he managed to grasp the fundamental biological concepts of this world.

There were three distinct genders here: Alphas, Omegas, and Betas.

Alphas acted as the primary biological males, Omegas acted as the biological females, and Betas possessed a mix of dual-gendered traits. Both Betas and Omegas were capable of carrying children, but Omegas possessed an exceptionally high fertility rate.

Furthermore, Omegas experienced periodic heat cycles.

*Fucking heat cycles.*

Transmigrating to another world had not broken Mu Chenxing’s spirit, but the realization that his new Omega body was destined to go into heat and bear children very nearly did.

Just as he was seriously contemplating ending his own life in the hope of transmigrating a second time, his three roommates pulled up video profiles of various Alphas to demonstrate just how “blissful” it was to bear children for such magnificent individuals.

Mu Chenxing could not care less about that supposed bliss. However, his eyes locked onto something else in the background of those videos—advanced military hardware.

Interstellar vessels, aerospace starships, photon weaponry, experimental energy sources… and starfield Mecha.

*Mecha! Massive, awe-inspiring Mecha soaring through the cosmos!*

As a soldier, he found it absolutely impossible to resist such a sight.

Most importantly, he was currently enrolled in a military academy. Even if his current major was nursing, he could always change it later. He had already survived transmigrating across universes; surely a simple major change was within his reach. The ultimate weapon of the military district—Aerospace Mecha—was waiting for him in the future!

As he lost himself in these grand ambitions, his three roommates dragged him out of the dormitory. Afternoon classes were about to begin.

With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, the campus roads were lined with vibrant, colorful flora. Young, energetic students bustled to and fro, and Mu Chenxing’s spirits rose. clutching the textbooks his roommates had gathered for him, he looked around to observe this interstellar world while listening to Xia Weizhen and the others chatter.

*The pharmacology professor is notoriously strict, conducting roll calls exactly on the hour… Note taken.*

*The cafeteria serves sweet fruit glaze balls and carbonated beverages in the evening, so we need to arrive early to secure some… Sounds delicious, note taken.*

*A few Alphas from Class A are scheduled to play basketball this afternoon… Note taken—actually, never mind.*

Suddenly, Mu Chenxing’s wandering gaze locked onto a figure standing at the intersection ahead. The young man raised an eyebrow upon seeing him, muttered a few words to his companions, and began walking directly toward them.

Mu Chenxing nudged the brown-haired roommate beside him, Tong Xiao. “That guy is coming over.”

It was a masterful display of conversational phrasing; he did not know the person, yet he successfully made it sound like they were old acquaintances.

Sure enough, Tong Xiao turned his head and cried out without a shred of doubt, “Shen Mingshu!”

Mu Chenxing understood immediately. So this was Shen Mingshu—the person who had invited the original owner of this body out a few days ago, ultimately leading to his perilous encounter in the alley.

The other two roommates spotted him as well.

Xia Weizhen’s expression turned angry. “What does he want?”

Tao Xirui, who walked with a slight inward toe-in, muttered quietly, “He caused Xingxing to be bedridden for two days. How does he have the nerve to show his face here?”

By then, Shen Mingshu had arrived. He had pale skin, refined features, and expressive eyes—another delicate pretty boy.

As Mu Chenxing sized him up, Shen Mingshu returned the stare, even leaning in slightly to sniff the air around him.

Tong Xiao immediately pulled Mu Chenxing behind his back, while Xia Weizhen and Tao Xirui stepped forward, shielding him further.

Mu Chenxing: “…”

He was actually the tallest and most solidly built person in the entire dormitory.

“You’re quite something, Mu Chenxing,” Shen Mingshu scoffed, glaring past the protective wall of roommates. “Taking two days off only to return reeking of some random wild man’s scent—aren’t you ashamed of embarrassing our academy?”

Mu Chenxing blinked in confusion. He lifted his own arm and sniffed his sleeve. *What scent?*

Tong Xiao snapped back angrily, “Watch your mouth! Xingxing suffered a sudden pheromone surge, and a police officer had to administer a temporary mark to stabilize him. Stop spreading ridiculous lies!”

Xia Weizhen protested, “How can you be so insulting? Who is the one causing embarrassment here?”

Even the timid Tao Xirui chimed in softly, “You shouldn’t speak about Xingxing that way.”

Shen Mingshu curled his lip. “Do I even need to make things up? There are suppressant vending machines practically on every corner. Why would anyone need an Alpha’s temporary mark unless they were out playing too hard?”

“You—”

Mu Chenxing placed a steadying hand on Tong Xiao’s shoulder, stepped around his roommates to the front, and spoke politely: “If I remember correctly, you were the one who invited me out two days ago, weren’t you?”

Tong Xiao immediately backed him up. “Exactly! He called you around three or four in the afternoon to invite you to dinner!”

Xia Weizhen added, “And he ended up injured with haywire pheromones that very same night. You must have had something to do with it!”

Tao Xirui nodded in rapid agreement.

Shen Mingshu tilted his chin upward. “Do you have any proof? The police assisted him, didn’t they? If they haven’t come to question me, why are you trying to pin this on my head?”

Tong Xiao and the others fell silent, frustrated by the lack of evidence.

Shen Mingshu pressed his advantage. “Besides, with an Omega like Mu Chenxing running wild at night, how could I possibly stop him? I told him to stop pursuing my brother, but did he listen? He clearly went out and found some random—”

The three roommates erupted in anger:

“How can you say something so awful?!”

“That’s completely false!”

“You’ve gone too far!”

Mu Chenxing patted Tong Xiao, who seemed the most level-headed of the group, and asked quietly, “Does the school ban physical fighting?”

The group froze.

Tong Xiao blinked in confusion. “Not really. The Alphas get into fights all the time and I’ve never heard of anyone getting suspended. At most, it’s minor academic discipline or small private fines.”

Mu Chenxing nodded. “Understood, thanks.”

“Why are you asking—”

*Thud.*

With a dull impact, Shen Mingshu hit the ground, letting out a sharp cry of pain.

Mu Chenxing, who had not anticipated the other boy falling so easily: “…”

His three roommates, who had not expected him to actually strike: “!!!”

Three other students waiting in the distance gasped in shock and immediately began sprinting toward them.

Mu Chenxing rubbed his nose and squatted down beside the fallen youth. “My apologies. I didn’t realize you were quite so fragile.”

He had calibrated his strength against the most delicate member of his dorm, Tao Xirui, delivering what he considered a very light tap. He had not expected Shen Mingshu to fold instantly.

Shen Mingshu stared up at him in utter disbelief. “Y-You… why did you kick me?”

Mu Chenxing replied honestly, “Your mouth is incredibly foul. I found it annoying.”

Shen Mingshu: “…”

The three roommates: “…”

The running students who had just arrived: “…”

Mu Chenxing offered a sincere suggestion. “I don’t particularly care for your attitude, and you clearly don’t like me either. Fighting is usually the most efficient way to resolve differences, but I really didn’t expect you to be so useless.”

His eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Did you just fail to react in time? Would you like to try again?”

Shen Mingshu went red with embarrassment and rage. “Are you out of your mind?!”

Mu Chenxing countered, “Why are you swearing? A vulgar Omega is even less appealing than an unattractive one; you’ll have a very difficult time finding an Alpha like that~”

Shen Mingshu shrieked, “Mu Chenxing!!” He pointed a trembling finger at the three onlookers who had run over. “What are you idiots standing around for? Hit him!”

The three hesitated, their gazes shifting nervously toward Mu Chenxing.

Mu Chenxing’s eyes lit up. He stood up—

Only to be pulled back by Tong Xiao.

“We need to go, quick!” Tong Xiao whispered urgently.

Xia Weizhen grabbed his other arm, and even Tao Xirui clutched the hem of his shirt, attempting to pull him away.

Mu Chenxing gently shook them off. “There’s no rush.”

He pushed his roommates back slightly, rolled his wrists and ankles to stretch, and then gestured toward the three newcomers. “Come on, all of you together.”

Shen Mingshu’s easy defeat had given him a great deal of confidence; he was certain he could handle these three delicate-looking students.

To his surprise, the three took a synchronized step backward.

Shen Mingshu scrambled to his feet, thoroughly humiliated. “What are you doing? Are you actually afraid of a single, useless Omega?”

Mu Chenxing remarked, “Tsk. You’re an Omega too. Do you think of yourself as useless?”

Choked by his own words, Shen Mingshu threw a wild, angry punch. “I’ll kill you!”

Mu Chenxing sidestepped the clumsy attack with ease, parried the arm, and gave a light push. Shen Mingshu lost his balance and faceplanted onto the path once more.

Everyone: “!!”

Mu Chenxing: “…Sigh. I barely touched you. How can you not even stand steady?”

*Aren’t these students enrolled in a military academy?* he wondered. *Is there no physical conditioning? No combat training? No basic strength training? How can they be this weak?*

Feeling a sense of professional disappointment, he attempted to instruct them. “You could have countered my move by twisting your arm like this. And your stance—you need to bend your knees slightly to keep yourself stable. Try it.”

Believing he was being mocked, Shen Mingshu exploded, “Lin Xiu, are you dead? Are you just going to stand there and watch me get bullied?!”

The three classmates exchanged uneasy glances, reluctantly clenched their fists, and charged forward with awkward, inward-toeing steps and their elbows tucked tightly against their sides.

Mu Chenxing: “…”

*My eyes actually hurt watching this.*

Any desire to fight evaporated instantly.

With very little enthusiasm left, he easily dodged their uncoordinated advances, delivering a series of light taps to the backs of their knees.

With three successive thuds, the trio fell to their knees on the pavement. One of them actually began to sob softly.

Mu Chenxing massaged his temples. Now his head was starting to ache as well.

Shen Mingshu, standing with one hand on his hip, pointed a finger accusingly. “Mu Chenxing! You’re ganging up on classmates! I’m reporting this to the instructor!”

Mu Chenxing replied, “Look closely. There are four of you and only one of me. If anything, you are the ones ganging up on me.”

Having spent years in military barracks, he had learned that if you master nothing else, you must at least master having thick skin.

Furious, Shen Mingshu stomped his foot. “Just you wait!” He turned and stormed off, and the other three quickly scrambled up to follow him.

Mu Chenxing clicked his tongue. “How rude.”

The three roommates remained entirely speechless.

Mu Chenxing scanned the surrounding area, noting the small crowd that had gathered. “Don’t you all have classes to attend?”

The onlookers scattered instantly like startled birds.

“That Omega is incredibly fierce.”

“Which department is he from?”

“I’ve never heard of an Omega being that aggressive before!”

Mu Chenxing frowned and turned to his roommates. “Am I fierce? I thought I was smiling and speaking very politely.”

The three roommates: “…”

A distant bell rang across the campus. The trio snapped out of their daze.

“Oh no, the shuttle is about to leave!”

“Hurry!”

“Xia Xia, run!”

Seeing Mu Chenxing standing still, Tao Xirui grabbed his arm and dragged him along. Mu Chenxing kept pace with a light jog, boarding the vehicle in the final seconds before the doors sealed.

Before he could lament the fact that a short sprint had left his current body slightly winded, the shuttle lifted off. Within seconds, the campus buildings outside the window blurred into streaks of light.

Mu Chenxing’s eyes widened in excitement. He began exploring the interior, completely ignoring the whispers of the other passengers.

Tong Xiao pulled him toward the rear of the cabin, glaring protectively at anyone who stared. Even the normally timid Xia Weizhen and Tao Xirui stood in front of him, keeping their backs to the crowd and looking tense.

Amused by their protectiveness, Mu Chenxing swept his gaze over the other passengers. Those who met his eyes quickly looked away.

Through the crowd, he spotted Shen Mingshu, who was currently surrounded by a group of sympathetic classmates. Shen Mingshu was complaining loudly to someone, ignoring Mu Chenxing entirely.

Mu Chenxing withdrew his gaze and assessed the students in the cabin. There were over a hundred people on board, with heights ranging from roughly 5’7″ to over 6’2″. He stood out near the top of that range, which suggested his current body was easily over six feet tall.

He let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed that even as an Omega, his physical stature still matched his personal standards for a man.

***

Or so he thought.

A short while later, Mu Chenxing watched as groups of tall, muscular youths walked past him, their average height approaching 6’3″. He felt entirely defeated.

Hoping for a different answer, he asked Tong Xiao quietly, “Are Alphas always this tall?”

Tong Xiao replied, “Not all of them, but the Alphas at the military academy have a much higher average height. They’re considered top-tier!”

Xia Weizhen smiled. “That’s why everyone wants to get into the military academy. The Alphas here are the most attractive!”

Tao Xirui twisted the hem of his shirt, looking shy. “They really are very handsome.”

Mu Chenxing: “…”

With a mixture of envy and irritation, he watched a group of particularly broad-shouldered Alphas walk toward them.

The group noticed his gaze. One of them let out a loud whistle from a distance and called out, “Hey, little Omega, you’re adorable. Want an upperclassman to buy you dinner?”

Mu Chenxing looked around, met his roommates’ envious expressions, and understood.

He turned back to the Alpha, kept his face entirely expressionless, and raised his middle finger.

*Adorable my foot.*

To ensure the gesture was understood in this world, he clearly mouthed the word: *Idiot.*

The Alpha’s smile froze instantly. His companions stared in absolute shock.

“Whoa, that Omega is incredibly fierce!”

“Did an Omega just swear at us?!”

“When did the Omegas at our school become so aggressive?”

Thoroughly satisfied with their reaction, Mu Chenxing slung an arm over the shoulder of a stunned Tong Xiao. “Come on, let’s head to class.”