Yan P.O.V
I'm still figuring out my likes and dislikes, but I'm certain I don't appreciate chaos and overcrowding. I prefer a peaceful stroll along a mountain path, surrounded by serenity. China, however, was a stark contrast.
As soon as I set foot on the Chinese land, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.
The Great Asian Alliance had to face the most Nexuses in the world, which had significantly reduced the population. Despite this, Asia was renowned for its expertise in harnessing the power of Nexuses for humanity's benefit. The first Unions to reserve rights for exploring Nexuses emerged in Japan, where people seemed fearless. In contrast, other countries fought to seal off Nexuses on their territories, while Asians were already focused on exploring them.
Many exorcism techniques originated in Asia, whereas elsewhere, priests relied on holy water, prayers, and sometimes even chains to bind the possessed. These factors contributed to China's reputation as the Center of Exorcism. By gathering knowledge and resources from around the world, the Chinese developed the most advanced educational system for exorcists. Korea and Japan supported them, though the benefits were unknown to the rest of the world.
What struck me as amusing was that the Chinese adapted to the changing times and lowered their barriers, welcoming many Europeans. I had to navigate from the airport to the academy's front gate on my own, and I never learned any Chinese beyond "Nǐ hǎo" (you good). For me, China was now a melting pot of nationalities, with people from all over the world blending together. And, while not everywhere, the commercial center Wuhan was a hub where it was hard to avoid encountering people from diverse backgrounds. The larger countries all had embassies there.
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Location: Wuchang District, Wuhan - China
Omniscient P. O. V.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden hue over the bustling streets of Wuchang District. The air was filled with the hum of conversation, the occasional honk of a car, and the distant sound of construction work. Yan walked briskly along the sidewalk, his eyes scanning the surrounding buildings for any sign of the Azure Mystical Arts Academy.
He paused at an intersection, glancing down at his phone. The map app was supposed to guide him, but the maze-like streets of Wuchang had him disoriented. Frustration bubbled up inside him as he glanced around, hoping to spot something. Nothing helpful caught his eye, but his senses picked up on a negative entity. Yan stopped his search and pursued the phantom, guided by the direction of an unpleasant feeling. Turning right after a building, he found a passage of stairs leading down.
There was a sign he couldn't read, but as the entity moved further away, Yan decided to descend. An open area appeared before him. An underground market, as far as Yan could tell. However, he wasn't sure if it was just closed or abandoned. The shop signs were in good condition, but the floor was cracked, and the pillars in front had a graffiti design.
As he continued after the phantom, Yan felt more and more negative entities appearing in his spiritual field. It was likely a nest. Negative entities could be born from thoughts that grew over time, attracting spiritual energy of the same vibration and evolving into phantoms. Those phantoms then attached themselves to places or humans that could feed them with more negative energy.
A strange gunshot echoed through the air, but it wasn't the sound of a common gun. Yan ran in that direction, ready to fight. He turned right again after a corner, following the uncomfortable presence he felt.
Approaching, phantoms flew towards him. Common ones, feeding with sadness feeding on sadness. Yan was familiar with them, so he simply slashed them with his hand covered in SE. More gunshots echoed, and Yan spotted a massive, ominous entity barely fitting the underground market. Its hulking form cast foreboding shadows over the stalls, with its presence exuding a palpable sense of dread. The phantom, in the form of a dense, gray cloud, sent minions out of its body to fight the attacker, a girl.
Wearing short jeans, a black tank top, and a cap, the girl had a golden aura surrounding her body. This aura incinerated all the phantoms it touched, serving as an impenetrable defense against such low level enemies. Yan extended an arm, a white rune appearing in his palm. Under his mental command, the rune shot a continuous beam of pure light towards the large gray mass.
Another gunshot covered the wailing of the phantoms, and Yan instinctively raised his other hand to defend himself. The bullet continued to spin against the protective rune in his palm, but it could no longer advance. Closing his palm, Yan brought the bullet to a forceful stop.
"Don't steal my pray!" the girl shouted with a bright voice. "That was just a warning; next time, I will aim to kill."
Yan closed the white rune, stopping his attack on the phantom.
"Just a warning? This came straight for my head," he shouted, keeping the bullet suspended in the air above his palm.
"No, it didn't," the girl retorted, refusing to admit her mistake.
She fired four more shots, and the bullets all pierced the floor. Then, extending her hand, threads of fire rose up from all the bullets around the massive phantom, creating a formation. The girl snapped her fingers, and a red fire engulfed the phantom. Letting her spell do the job, the girl walked with a proud expression towards Yan.
"Give it back," she demanded, extending a hand.
Yan raised an eyebrow. Then he observed her eyeing the levitating bullet above his open palm.
"No," he said, retracting his hand. "You wasted a lot of ammo on that spirit. Go and retrieve those bullets."
The Chinese girl's eyes narrowed to slits, locking with Yan's. Her brows furrowed deeply, creating sharp lines of tension across her forehead. Lips pressed into a thin, tight line, the corners of her mouth turned downward in a severe, uncompromising frown. Her jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles along her neck and cheeks visibly strained, and a slight flush spread across her face.
Yan's eyes brightened, amused by her complexion. He said nothing, waiting to see what she would do next.
The girl kept her expression for a few more seconds after the phantom finished burning. Then, with a mental command, the bullets embedded in concrete all flew back into her palm.
Yan squeezed the bullet in his, refusing to let it go.
"Now, you can give it back," the girl said, raising her chin high.
"I think I'll keep it as an apology for almost killing me," Yan's eyes gleamed as his gaze wandered on the girl's face.
"Fine, you can keep it. Hope it will make a hole in your pillow," the girl said, departing in anger.
Yan burst into laughter.
"What are you saying? You assume I'm gonna sleep with it?"
Without bothering with him, the girl stored her bullets in a pouch and took out the Eternal Clepsydra to collect the spirit fragments. At the end of the process, the container displayed a +7% increase.
"Look, I don't want to be a jerk. I know that this kind of bullet is expensive, so I will give it back once you apologize for almost sending me to the afterlife," Yan said.
"Nothing would've happened if you weren't trying to steal my job," the girl rebuked.
"I didn't try to steal your job. I was just trying to help; I never intended to get something from it," Yan explained.
The girl analyzed his expression through narrowed eyes.
"Well, don't do that again. In this part of the world, wanting to help someone who doesn't need it means you have hidden motives," she explained.
"I see." Yan threw the bullet back, even though he wanted to add it to his collection. "What's your name?"
"Zhou Ying," the girl played with the bullet between her fingers.
"Then,Ying, can you be kind enough to show me where the Azure Academy is? I just got here and my GPS seems to no longer be on my side," Yan explained.
"Ah, Azure Academy? I'll point it out to you, but I won't come along," Ying said.
"It's good enough for me."
Taking the lead, Ying exited the underground market onto a street unfamiliar to Yan.
"Go straight down this street until you see a blue restaurant with chopsticks on it," she pointed, "then turn left at the second traffic light. You'll see a park on your right. The academy is just past the park."
"Thank you very much," Yan said joyfully.
"You're welcome, have a nice day." Ying left in the opposite direction. "Oh, and I wasn't aiming to kill you. You just interpreted it wrongly in the heat of the moment."
Yan threw her a gaze void of emotion. It was one thing to make a mistake and another to persist in covering it. But then again, maybe she was afraid that her superiors might hear about her mistake.
With that in mind, Yan set off in the indicated direction. He walked past rows of shops and restaurants, the rich aroma of street food making his stomach rumble. At the second traffic light, Yan turned left, just as told. And soon, he found himself walking alongside a large, verdant park. The sight of people jogging, children playing, and families enjoying the evening relaxed him slightly. As he continued, he noticed a towering building hiding behind ancient trees across the main road.
Yan's pace quickened, excitement filling his eyes as he approached the massive gate. He was close, so close to beginning a new chapter in his life.
"Welcome, sir. How can I help you?" asked the warden as soon as Yan passed the gate.
"Good evening, I'm a transfer student who just arrived. Can you please tell me where I have to go?" Yan asked.
"Of course, come with me. I was notified about your arrival. Mr. Rain, if I remember correctly," the warden said politely.
"Yes, thank you very much."
Yan was led through a secondary road to a smaller building at the back of the academy. The woman at the reception was still there, even though it was 8:47 on a Sunday. After confirming his identity and signing a few digital documents, completing the registration process, Yan was officially admitted as a student. He received two sets of uniform, a badge with a blue Chinese character, a digital book, and a key, and was led to the dorms.
"In the guide you received is a map of the campus as well as all the information you need regarding everything around here," the man guiding Yan to his room explained. "You are allowed to do almost everything you want, including skipping the classes you have decided to take. Also, you can change them as much as you want before the exams. However, you have to be aware that if you fail to score above fifty points in a single exam, you will be expelled and banned from ever returning here."
Stopping at a door, the man placed the tablet with Yan's name on the wall, next to the other one, and said, "Fighting is mostly prohibited outside the arena. Breakfast will be served at 07:00, don't miss it." Finishing his job, the man left.
Yan entered the room, greeted by a small hallway and the open space of the living room. From it, four doors leading to a kitchen, bath, and two bedrooms were symmetrically designed.
"Oh, so you're my new roommate? Welcome, I'm Jack," the young man extended his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Yan, nice to meet you," Yan said, accepting the handshake.
"Ian with an 'Y' or with an 'I'?" Jack asked.
"With an 'Y'."
"You don't look like a Japanese to me?" Jack looked skeptical.
"Chinese maybe, and no. I'm not Chinese, but my mother liked the name so..."
"Yeah. Anyway, you know how to cook, bro? I totally miss that skill in my arsenal. Like when the skill for cooking was imparted in my family, I was playing in the sand or something. I can cut a carrot or peel an egg, but when I put them in a pan, that shit needs to be exorcised immediately. You know what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I think I have a pretty good idea," Yan said. "I know how to cook, but don't expect something too great, and you must help as well. But, don't we receive free meals?"
"About that. Something happened and all the students in Left Court were punished to make dinner for themselves for two weeks. We receive all the ingredients, but you don't want to know how they end up being prepared. Few boys know how to cook, and they started to charge a ton of money because of the high demand," Jack explained.
"That's... new. Alright, come, let's make something to eat," Yan said.