Chapter 24

On the other side, likewise in the freshman dormitory area, except it was in front of a dorm room at the end of the fifth-floor hallway of Building B.

Qi Hengyu looked at the small note on the key that read 'B512', then lifted his head to check the door number, and finally his gaze fell into the room.

He wished he had taken the wrong floor, but Building A had no fifth floor, and the person with his back to him, standing silently at the desk and neatly laying out a stack of thick hardcover books, was none other than Shen Zexi, whom he had only met three days ago.

Qi Hengyu's face looked like an overturned paint palette—embarrassed, unwilling, and a bit awkward, all mixed together.

Because of the sudden Alien Invasion during the entrance examination, the two of them were forced to flee together, which in a sense counted as Shared Hardship.

But asking Qi Hengyu, a guy who grew up in the Slum relying only on his fists and brotherhood, to share a roof with a 'Dome' young master was practically worse than sending him bare-handed against an Alien Invasion.

What's more, this guy's point ranking even topped his!

Although the other's first place was also a fluke, his score was genuinely higher than Qi Hengyu's.

Qi Hengyu vexedly scratched his head, hoping to make his upcoming years at the Academy more comfortable, so he prepared to have a proper talk with Shen Zexi.

He took a few steps to stand behind Shen Zexi and, out of habit, spoke in a loud, rough voice.

"Hey! Dome!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Shen Zexi's hand, which had been arranging books, froze midair.

He slowly turned around, and the gentle smile that usually lingered on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold expression.

His gaze swept over the luggage bags plastered with exaggerated street graffiti at Qi Hengyu's feet, as well as the key Qi Hengyu held in his hand, and he immediately understood the situation.

A sense of helplessness dubbed Unfavorable Flow of Years surged up in his heart.

He had wondered who his roommate would be, but why did it have to be this oaf, Qi Hengyu?

Screw getting along well with the new roommate.

"Qi Hengyu," Shen Zexi said in a steady voice that carried a detached chill, "I hope this is the last time you address me with that word during our time as roommates."

Qi Hengyu was momentarily choked by his sudden change in aura, and inexplicably felt a bit weak inside.

He muttered to himself, this Shen kid looked like a sheltered greenhouse flower who'd never suffered hardship—his complexion was as pale as paper, his frame slender, as if a gust could blow him over.

But Shen Zexi truly lacked the nauseating false arrogance and condescending attitude typical of Dome folk; he and Qi Hengyu had communicated somewhat last time, and this kid actually knew quite a bit.

Shen Zexi seemed to dislike the Dome quite a bit?

Indeed, who among normal people wouldn't dislike the Dome?

Thinking this, Qi Hengyu's opinion of Shen Zexi improved slightly.

"Fine, fine, just call you Shen Zexi, okay?"

Qi Hengyu waved his hand, laying all his belongings on the dorm floor.

"Never mind that for now, drop your stuff here! Let's go outside and fight!"

His idea was simple and pure: see the truth under one's fists—this is the most direct and straightforward way to communicate.

Fight it out, and whoever wins gets to call the shots, establishing dorm hierarchy, while also settling the vague grudge left from the examination.

He intended to have an unconventional 'Make Friends Through Martial Arts' with Shen Zexi.

Shen Zexi quietly looked at Qi Hengyu, seeing a face full of fighting spirit, eager to try, his eyes burning with a desire for the contest itself, not malice or deliberate provocation toward him personally.

This undisguised frankness, though rash, was unexpectedly... simple.

Indeed, just as rumored, he was a battle maniac whose thoughts were pure enough to be reduced to muscle and fists.

Shen Zexi silently passed judgment on Qi Hengyu in his mind.

For such a single-celled organism, this direct approach was actually the most effective.

Staying cooped up in the room was indeed stifling; taking a breath of outdoor air and moving his body, stiff from prolonged sitting, was also a good option.

More importantly, if he could use sparring to burn off this overly energetic roommate's excess stamina, gaining a spell of peace afterward, it would be quite worthwhile.

After weighing his thoughts, Shen Zexi had already made a decision.

"Sure."

He accepted Qi Hengyu's challenge, but added a condition: "Let's find a secluded spot to fight; I don't want to draw unnecessary attention or trouble."

"No problem, follow me!"

Upon hearing Shen Zexi's agreement, Qi Hengyu's eyebrows shot up in delight, his earlier embarrassment and awkwardness swept away as he slipped into his most familiar rhythm of handling things.

Without a word, he turned and hurriedly led the way out, as if afraid Shen Zexi might change his mind midway.

Shen Zexi watched his impatient back, could only shake his head helplessly, and, as an afterthought, put the book he had been browsing back on the shelf before following at a leisurely pace.

The two, one after the other, tacitly avoided the bustling main thoroughfare and the lively Freshman Gathering Area.

Qi Hengyu seemed to have an innate knack for sniffing out the blind spots of such large Academy venues, always able to precisely locate corners where surveillance was sparse and foot traffic rare.

After all, school regulations clearly forbid private brawls among students, but Xunlianchang hasn't opened these days, and they didn't want to be summoned by the Disciplinary Committee for tea on the first day of school.

He led Shen Zexi on a winding route through several old corridors seldom used, finally arriving at the edge of a small Open-air Training Ground behind a few derelict old halls.

This place had likely been abandoned for a long time; most of the training equipment was rust-blotched, the ground was coarse gravel, and tall trees surrounded it, forming a natural sound barrier—indeed an ideal spot for Solving Private Issues.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled spots on the gravel ground.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

The two took their positions in the center of the field, five steps apart.

There was no referee, no announcement of rules, not even a starting signal.

Combat erupted suddenly in their unspoken understanding, Qi Hengyu like a tiger released from its cage, launching the first attack.

He let out a low roar, pushed off with his feet, and shot toward Shen Zexi like a cannonball.

A plain, unadorned Straight Punch aimed straight at Shen Zexi's face.

The punch packed tremendous power, yet Shen Zexi's reaction was equally astonishingly fast.

Just as the punch's wind was about to hit his face, Shen Zexi's body slid to the right as if weightless, his steps light, narrowly avoiding the heavy blow by a hair's breadth.