Mu Chenxing chatted casually with Tong Xiao and the others as they walked, finally getting a rundown on the dorm layouts across campus.
It turned out that the Omega and Alpha dorms were separated at the eastern and western ends of the school, minimizing the impact of Pheromones as much as possible.
The Beta dorms, on the other hand, were right next to the Omegas’. At least half the people on that hovercar earlier had been Betas.
Mu Chenxing couldn’t tell the Betas from the Omegas at all. To him, that whole car was just full of guys.
He tested the waters with a gripe: “All dudes.”
Since his subconscious language system included words for men and women, this world had to have women, right?
Xia Weizhen jumped in smoothly: “What are you thinking? Women are a rare, high-intelligence merchant species. The Alliance treats them like treasures—how could they show up at a Military Academy?”
Mu Chenxing: “?”
Rare?
Tong Xiao: “I really wonder what it was like a thousand-plus years ago, women everywhere on the streets… Must’ve been a sight.”
Tao Xirui’s eyes gleamed with longing too: “Streets full of women—can’t even imagine it.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Got it. Evolutionary biology: women dwindled in numbers, so men split off into subtypes to fill the gap.
What a pain.
By the time they finished talking, they’d reached the classroom.
Mu Chenxing followed his dormmates inside and froze.
It was a 360-degree circular amphitheater like the Roman Colosseum, packed with hundreds of seats at first glance. A massive 3D holo-screen hovered in the center of the air. As he walked halfway around the seats from the entrance, the 3D image followed him—always showing the front view, no matter the angle.
They arrived late. They’d barely sat down and exchanged a few words when the teacher walked in.
The mid-air 3D display switched seamlessly from text to diagrams to live dissection footage—especially the dissections, from the teacher’s perspective, so clear he could see the little animal’s fur and even its capillaries!!
High-tech as hell!
Mu Chenxing, the total country bumpkin who’d never seen anything like it, watched with rapt fascination.
Only when the dissection wrapped up did he pull his eyes away and sneak a glance at his classmates.
According to Tong Xiao and the others, this was a big lecture hall where multiple classes combined.
Everyone wore the same uniform—standard Military Academy attire. Crisp, form-fitting fabric designed for mobility. Hundreds of guys in identical outfits filled the circular space to the brim: harmonious and impressive.
Including the Alphas they’d run into outside.
But on closer inspection, the uniforms weren’t exactly the same.
From what he observed, student uniforms fell into three categories: one was dark green with brown boots and lion emblems on the shoulders; another was camo green with tan boots and hawk patterns on the shoulders; the last was light green with beige boots—no shoulder emblem, just a cluster of delicate little flowers on the left chest.
He had no clue what kind of flowers they were, but… flower cluster—what a pain.
Yup. He was wearing the light green one with flowers.
And in this classroom of a few hundred, there wasn’t a single student with the lion shoulder patch.
But he’d clearly seen plenty outside.
Connecting the dots to this world’s gender classifications, he got it: Alpha, Beta, and Omega distinctions on the uniforms.
Which meant no Alphas in this dissection lecture.
—Wait. What major was he even in right now?
Tong Xiao turned: “Your class schedule? Don’t you have it? —Fine, I’ll send you another copy.”
He tapped the “wristband” on his left wrist.
Mu Chenxing stared at the translucent holo-screen that popped up on Tong Xiao’s wrist, unable to make out the details.
But after Tong Xiao tapped a few times, his wristband vibrated.
“Sent,” Tong Xiao said.
Mu Chenxing thanked him and bent his head to study it.
He fiddled around the wristband until—pop—the holo-screen appeared.
Unlike when he’d tried to peek at Tong Xiao’s, his own screen was crystal clear. Probably some anti-spy tech.
Mu Chenxing breathed a quiet sigh of relief and started tapping away.
Tap—course center opened.
Tap—entertainment center opened.
…
After exploring every nook and cranny, he finally navigated back to the messages and opened what Tong Xiao had sent.
Class schedule for the Nursing Major, fall term, Class of 8028.
Nursing Major. He’d picked up some basics back in his old Military Academy days—should be fine.
—Wait.
Where was the training?
Mu Chenxing scrolled back frantically from the top.
Nothing. Zero training.
No strength workouts, no endurance drills, no combat sims—zilch.
A packed week of nothing but academic classes. Even music appreciation and drawing?
…Music appreciation and drawing? What the hell?
He nudged Tong Xiao and whispered: “Where can I see other majors’ schedules?”
Tong Xiao: “?”
“Why do you want other majors’ schedules?”
Mu Chenxing: “Curious.”
Tong Xiao rolled his eyes at him.
But he still sent a link.
Mu Chenxing eagerly opened it and scrolled.
Medical College, Military College, Command College, Combat College, Mecha Academy—
Mu Chenxing’s eyes lit up. He dove straight into the Mecha Academy schedule.
Aerial training, gravity training, combat drills, strength workouts…
This was what men should be learning!!
Mu Chenxing scrolled excitedly:
XX Energy Theory, XX Mechanics Theory, XX Spatial Studies…
He: “…”
Not just fighting?
Xia Weizhen leaned over to peek at his screen, surprised: “Why are you looking at that? Mecha majors have the toughest physics and spatial studies—only one-in-a-hundred-thousand Alphas make the cut.”
He cupped his face dreamily. “My biggest dream is marrying a Mecha Academy Alpha.”
Mu Chenxing asked seriously: “What are my odds of transferring into Mecha?”
Xia Weizhen: “?”
He reached out to feel Mu Chenxing’s forehead. “Does Pheromone surge mess with your brain too?”
Tong Xiao overheard from the other side and scooted closer: “What are you thinking? Piloting a Mecha requires A+ physique or higher—you can’t handle the cockpit pressure changes. A little guy like you gets in one? You’d come out as meat paste.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Devastated.
Without much hope, he asked: “With my physique—what majors can I transfer to?”
Almost slipped and asked his own grade. Close call.
Next second, Xia Weizhen cleared it up: “With our C++ physiques, Military Academy means Medical College or bust. Don’t even dream of the rest.”
Tong Xiao added: “Nursing Major has the lowest cutoff in Medical College. You couldn’t get into the others. Transfer? Forget it.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Academic loser vibes hit hard. He slumped over his desk.
“Quit chatting.” Tao Xirui peeked from Xia Weizhen’s other side, whispering: “Zhang Linlin says Shen Mingtao’s here—waiting right outside our classroom.”
Xia Weizhen and Tong Xiao both sucked in a breath, turning to Mu Chenxing in unison.
Mu Chenxing was still wallowing, mumbling face-down on the desk: “Who’s that?”
Xia Weizhen huffed: “Don’t play dumb. Don’t you like him?”
Mu Chenxing: “…Oh, Brother Shen Mingshu.”
The three heads on either side nodded in sync.
He wailed in despair: “I don’t like him anymore!”
Tong Xiao gave him a sympathetic look: “You don’t look convinced.”
Xia Weizhen patted his shoulder: “Hang in there.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Drained, he changed the subject: “Anyway, what’s he got to do with us?”
“Right.” Tong Xiao and the others turned to Tao Xirui.
Tao Xirui meekly: “You forgot? Xingxing just beat up his little brother.”
Tong Xiao and Xia Weizhen: “!”
Mu Chenxing: “…I didn’t beat him up. He fell on his own!”
Tao Xirui whispered: “You kicked him.”
Mu Chenxing, all righteous: “That was a kick, not a beatdown.”
His three dormmates: “…”
Mu Chenxing pondered: “Is he here to avenge Shen Mingshu?”
Tong Xiao frowned: “Nah? He’d actually hit an Omega?”
Xia Weizhen: “Probably not. This is the academic building—Discipline Committee catches him, that’s demerits. He wouldn’t dare.”
…So in school, Alphas couldn’t fight Omegas?
Mu Chenxing deflated and slumped back down: “Whatever. Play it by ear later.”
They whispered back and forth until the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Next was a small class in another building.
Mu Chenxing led the way, his three dormmates crowding behind him as they flowed out with the crowd.
Right outside the door, there was Shen Mingshu by the corridor wall—and sure enough, a tall, long-legged hunk stood beside him.
Mu Chenxing eyed the hawk emblem on the guy’s shoulder with a flash of envy, then turned to Shen Mingshu.
Yup, he was pointing right at him.
Mu Chenxing flashed him a toothy grin, then sauntered over, dragging his three dormmates who were clutching at his clothes.
Shen Mingshu’s eyes widened: “What are you doing, coming over here?”
Shen Mingtao was sizing him up too.
Huh? Not here for trouble? Mu Chenxing pivoted mentally and said politely: “Sorry about earlier. You okay? No injuries?”
Shen Mingshu puffed up instantly: “Hmph. Good you know you were wrong. I don’t expect much from you—just don’t embarrass our planet. Don’t make people think our planet’s Omegas are trash.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
What a prick.
He rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
“Hold up.” Shen Mingtao called after him, lips curved in a smile but his eyes cold with distance and disgust. “No greeting for me? Even if I was a bit harsh the other day, you can’t just be that rude, right?”
Mu Chenxing stopped.
Almost forgot about that.
He turned back, sizing up Shen Mingtao. “School rules say you can’t hit Omegas. But I really wanna throw down with you. What’s the best way to make it happen?”
Even if the guy hadn’t said much, his attitude pissed him off.
Shen Mingtao: “…Huh?”
Shen Mingshu: “See? Told you he’s gotten way too cocky.”
Mu Chenxing ignored Shen Mingshu completely and nodded: “Figured you wouldn’t know.”
Shen Mingtao and Shen Mingshu: “…”
Mu Chenxing turned to his reliable dormmate Tong Xiao: “If I start it with him, do I get demerits too?”
Didn’t care if the other guy got dinged—as long as he didn’t.
Tong Xiao: “…Huh?”
He hesitated. “Never heard of a rule like that, but—”
“Good enough.” Mu Chenxing got fired up, cracking his knuckles and jerking his chin at Shen Mingtao. “C’mon, spar with me.”
He wanted to test just how tough these so-called Alphas really were.
The Shen brothers: “…”
His dormmates: “…”
This Omega’s lost it.
