168. Twilight's End (3)
To be honest, she had only graduated a little over a year ago... Before joining the workforce, she had also enjoyed a carefree campus life in the university town. She spent her time goofing around with her girlfriends, dreaming about the future world, imagining how her professional skills could lead to wealth and success, maybe even changing the world.
She graduated from the Frost-Plated Republic's most prestigious institution, Twin Star University, with a degree in Water Quality Engineering.
But after graduation, due to her father's imprisonment, she applied to become a contracted civil servant. She joined Law IV's bureau, spending her days catching people, interrogating them, checking household registrations, and later stepping onto the battlefield to invade foreign territories.
Now, she stood on the soil of a planet within a magical civilization, using her craft as a [Tailor] to become a minor wealthy lady.
Holding a magically insulated lunchbox in her hand, her gaze drifted in a daze.
Life is truly unpredictable...
Watching the carefree students entering and exiting the campus, she thought to herself: They probably wouldn't expect that in the future, most of them would end up working in jobs completely unrelated to their chosen fields, would they?
Yavanna shook her head lightly. Other people's fates were much better than hers. It was better to stop overthinking.
"Let's first meet with Diaran, then deliver this meal to Mr. Li Aozi."
Come to think of it, how coincidental—both of them attended the same school.
Yavanna carried the meal into the campus. Like all universities, the White Candle Interstellar University was easy to enter and exit, but its students were often too busy with their studies and research to leave.
Being unfamiliar with the area, Yavanna stopped a guileless-looking catfish person and asked, "Excuse me, student, do you know where I can find Diaran?"
"Diaran? Hold on a moment," the catfish person opened an information rune and checked. "As it happens, my friend just sent me a message—Diaran is currently at Arena 12. Just follow the road straight ahead, cross the marsh and the central lake, and on the left side of the Lotus Pond teaching building, you'll find the particularly conspicuous white arena in the middle of the second row."
"Thank you very much." Yavanna smiled slightly. "How should I address you? I came in a rush and didn't bring any gifts, but I'll make sure to send you something later."
"Hehe, just call me Lucite," Lucite waved his hand. "No need for gifts; I need to head to the library. See you around."
[Students truly are pure-hearted... Since he's helped me with something so important, I'll make sure to send him some clothes he'll like later.]
Yavanna nodded, thanked him, and turned to head toward the arena.
As for this small interaction, Lucite didn't give it much thought. Recently, he'd been at odds with the president of the Alchemy Club.
The club president, a lover of beauty, somehow found out that Leoz had passed her invitation card along to Lucite. She was sulking about it and would mutter to herself every time she returned to the clubroom.
Phrases like, "Am I really so unattractive?", "He actually brought in a catfish…", and "In his eyes, am I worse than a fish? Worse even than a scavenger fish!" embarrassed Lucite, a plain and honest student, greatly.
Fortunately, his talents were undeniable, so the president couldn't find an excuse to make things difficult for him. However, she still couldn't let go of Leoz ignoring her invitation.
"I've earned a lot of academic credits through the Alchemy Club… I can't let my good buddies down."
With Leoz fighting Diaran today, Lucite brought a newly crafted alchemy tool to meet Hobbs first, curious to hear his evaluation.
Lucite was a straightforward person. His principle was to repay kindness and seek justice for grievances. Since Leoz and Hobbs treated him exceptionally well, he reciprocated by sharing the fruits of his hard work.
"This new creation might surprise Leoz. Maybe he can use it to earn some credits."
Arriving at the library, Lucite activated his rune pass and hurried up the stairs.
He had been the one to arrange the meeting, yet he had wasted so much time giving directions. Hopefully, he wouldn't be late.
Thud.
Just as he stepped onto the second-floor staircase, he encountered a familiar figure descending.
"Oh my?"
The stunningly beautiful Beizhong Guiming was descending with a group of fashionably dressed female students, all carrying pristine books and milk tea.
It seemed like a routine trip to the library to snap photos, post them on social media, and build their "beauty academic achiever" personas.
"Oh dear, who do we have here?"
Beizhong Guiming covered her face with a mocking smile, her eyes openly ridiculing:
"A grotesque armored species, still loitering in our sacred place of learning instead of dropping out?"
"Huh? Beizhong Guiming, is this one of your Silusian catfish people?" asked a curious girl beside her. "So ugly. Covered in armor—is that even clothing?"
Before Lucite could respond, someone had already raised their information rune to take a photo, captioning it:
"OMG, what a nightmare, folks. This terrifying monster is gonna haunt my dreams. Any comfort, anyone?"
"Seriously, some species shouldn't evolve. Saw a creepy armored catfish today and froze in horror. Who's here to console me?"
"Honestly, creatures this hideous don't deserve to live. And a male, no less. What kind of god made this? Just one treasure like Beizhong Guiming is enough for the Silusians."
Lucite stood there silently as they insulted and photographed him, before strutting away.
He said nothing.
As the saying goes: Beauty is a rare resource.
Lucite had realized this upon arriving at the White Candle Star for school.
People like Beizhong Guiming and Leoz could do no wrong. They would always have supporters, no matter what they did.
But for someone like him, born with a terrifying armored appearance, no matter how outstanding his studies were, he would always be loathed and despised.
Yet, Lucite bore no prejudice against the beautiful.
In this world, there were bad people like Beizhong Guiming who exploited their looks, and good people like Leoz, born privileged but still willing to befriend and support him.
Leoz never showed disdain for his appearance and shared everything with him, even giving up a coveted spot in the Alchemy Club.
Lucite wasn't one to hold back either.
"So slow, Old Lu!"
When Lucite finally reached their prearranged window-side spot, Hobbs was already waiting with three large bags of snacks:
"Hehe, I found chips on sale. We can set up a soundproof barrier later and munch while we study."
Lucite scratched his head. "Save some for Aozi. After his fight, he'll be starving."
Hobbs waved it off:
"Ah, you're in college now. Time to learn the college rules—call me dad."
"Huh?"
"Don't get it, Old Lu?" Hobbs began his lecture. "In the dorms, nothing can't be solved with a 'You're my dad.' If that fails, try 'Grandpa.'"
Lucite was speechless.
He glanced around. Luckily, the only other person nearby was a masked tourist reading a book.
No social humiliation.
"…You humans think in ways that are too advanced for catfish," Lucite muttered, stroking his whiskers before pulling out a blue alchemy sphere from his small bag.
"Forget that. Check this out! It's something the minister personally approved."