The gigantic, almost exaggerated world shuttle was already docked in the plaza.
Tianyue University was located in District 11, not within the [Core Nexus Realm], but in another world controlled by the Federation, the [Vault Sky Realm].
To get there, one could only rely on either world shuttles or teleportation gates.
However, opening a teleportation gate consumed an outrageous amount of energy, so they were rarely used. Most people used the world shuttles.
From the outside, the shuttle looked like a giant silver-white elliptical egg.
Its maximum speed could exceed a hundred times the speed of sound.
Departure announcements had already begun in the waiting area. Lin Qianyi stood up, ready to leave.
Wang Xiaoyi looked at Lin Qianyi with some reluctance.
"We'll meet again," Lin Qianyi comforted her.
"Mm." Wang Xiaoyi held back her tears.
Lin Qianyi felt a bit sentimental about the purity of youth, waved his hand, and turned away.
"Senior!"
He turned at the call, and Wang Xiaoyi ran straight into his arms.
This time, he didn't dodge.
Wang Xiaoyi quickly stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips against his.
It was clumsy, impulsive—even a bit painful for Lin Qianyi.
The kiss was full of youthful awkwardness.
After a moment, they separated.
Lin Qianyi teased, "Couldn't you be a little gentler?"
"No!" Wang Xiaoyi let go, stubbornly saying, "You have to remember me forever!"
"Hard to forget something like this..." Lin Qianyi waved and said, "Goodbye!"
As he ascended the elevator, Lin Qianyi gradually moved toward the world shuttle.
Looking at Wang Xiaoyi's distant figure, his emotions were tangled.
He had wanted to cut off this youthful emotion—but the more he tried, the messier it got.
But maybe that was fine. After all, who could truly sort out feelings perfectly?
He found his seat, fastened a seatbelt designed to help him "die in one piece" if something went wrong, and received a message from Wang Xiaoyi on his phone.
They could still chat freely for now, but once in the Vault Sky Realm, cross-realm signal delay would be at least ten seconds—video calls would be impossible.
After all passengers boarded, the departure broadcast began.
An energy ring expanded rapidly from the front of the shuttle, eventually enveloping the entire craft.
With the internal and external force fields activated, even at hundreds of times the speed of sound, passengers would feel no different than standing on solid ground.
Lin Qianyi looked out the window as the scenery began to rise.
After reaching a certain height, the shuttle began accelerating. The view outside changed rapidly, until it became a blur.
Suddenly, they seemed to pierce through something—everything outside turned dark.
Behind the shuttle, a glowing bubble-like object sparkled in space.
That was the Core Nexus Realm.
They were now in deep space.
The Core Nexus Realm's world bubble floated quietly in place.
Far off in the distance, tiny points of light could be seen—other worlds, many of which were uninhabitable.
The hottest career in the Federation was currently "Deep Space Adventurer."
The Federation encouraged Evolvers to explore deep space.
Registered adventurers would receive direct funding from the Federation to help kickstart their explorations.
But that money wasn't easy to claim. The death rate among adventurers was frighteningly high.
Trying to cheat by registering without actually departing within six months was illegal.
Still, the rewards of deep space exploration were immense.
Rare minerals, strange creatures, even contact with other civilizations—anything was possible.
With luck, discovering a unique mineral vein could mean instant fortune.
According to Federal law, any unclaimed discovery found first by a citizen granted them 50% ownership by default.
If the discovery was valuable enough and the finder lacked the ability to develop it, the Federation could do it on their behalf—taking a 20% cut.
Some private companies also offered this service, often at lower rates, but with less reliability.
In fact, if an adventurer was just lucky and lacked status, power, or connections, they might just mysteriously vanish during the process.
Reality was harsh.
Unlike a teleportation gate, which could cross realms in ten minutes, this shuttle ride would take a full day. After replying to messages from Fang Jun, the principal, and some acquaintances, Lin Qianyi reclined and closed his eyes to rest.
The seat could flatten into a bed, and the space was quite comfortable.
Lin Qianyi began thinking about weapons.
His folding sword was sufficient for close combat.
For long-range, he had originally considered a slingshot from the main world, but after thinking it over, he decided to use his earned time credits to enter a training world and acquire a real firearm.
In the main world, the Federation strictly regulated guns. Under the classification system, ordinary citizens had limited access.
Of course, it was possible to obtain one illegally—but that came with risks.
Given his current identity, he couldn't afford unnecessary trouble.
But the training worlds were different.
The one he'd visited before felt like a low-magic realm, so even causing a bit of trouble there wouldn't be a big deal.
Once he officially became an Evolver, he might even be able to live there freely.
"Enough thinking… massage function, on…"
---
After who knows how long, Lin Qianyi even had a meal onboard.
A broadcast announced they were ten minutes from arrival. Lin Qianyi sat up. Before long, the shuttle broke through another world bubble and entered the Vault Sky Realm—something Lin Qianyi had only ever seen online.
This world was named Vault Sky Realm because all its cities floated in the sky, with vast oceans beneath.
It wasn't originally habitable, but the Federation had transformed it.
As the shuttle slowed down and approached District 11's "City of Innovation," Lin Qianyi saw various flying vehicles, even Evolvers flying with their bare bodies, streaking through the sky like light.
"What a spectacular sight!"
Lin Qianyi's heart surged with excitement.
There was a longing in his eyes.
In life, one had to pursue something, right?
He'd been given a second chance at life—he might as well dream big.
First small goal? Become a Realm Master!
The shuttle docked. Lin Qianyi took the elevator down, dragged his suitcase through inspection, and entered the city.
Various low-altitude vehicles zoomed by. Lin Qianyi pulled out his phone to call a ride to Tianyue University.
Under normal circumstances, the university would send someone to pick up special admits.
But since he came early, he had to go himself.
"What? Need to download a separate app? Vault Sky is really full of itself! Thank goodness my phone still works..."
Lin Qianyi grumbled as he downloaded the local ride-hailing app, registered, and requested a ride.
The first trip was free.
Within ten minutes, a driverless hover shuttle arrived.
It looked like a lying yellow egg, unlike the silver shuttle from before.
The door opened, revealing two seats. No driver.
Lin Qianyi got in, scanned his phone, and it set off automatically.
Thanks to AI-planned routes, there was no traffic. The speed climbed rapidly—over 300 km/h—making Lin Qianyi's heart race.
Country boy that he was, he was used to taxis being fined for going 100 km/h back in the Core Nexus Realm!
"Didn't think they had yellow Ferraris here too!"
Outside Tianyue University, Lin Qianyi got out clutching his chest—he wasn't used to the speed.
Good thing he had a near-superhuman physique now—anyone else would've vomited.
Reaching BYD speeds in ten minutes? He barely survived the ride!
Still, he left a five-star review. For a free, thrilling ride? Totally worth it.
He looked up at the towering gate with "Tianyue University" written like a heavenly palace entrance.
He was excited.
Tianyue University was massive—more like a city. Over 1.2 million students and staff.
It basically was an academy city.
Thankfully, Lin Qianyi had done his research and didn't just barge in blindly.
At the entrance, hoverboards were available for free after downloading an app.
He scanned the code and received a black disc about 3 cm thick and 52 cm wide, which synced with his phone for control.
Standing on it, he clicked a button and the board lifted into the air.
Though new to it, Lin Qianyi's coordination helped him adapt quickly.
After spinning in place a few times, he headed toward the university interior.
There was a security checkpoint at the gate, but with nothing contraband, he passed easily.
The guard was a bionic robot—almost indistinguishable from a real person. Only a subtle earpiece gave it away.
It reminded Lin Qianyi of the foster-care bots at his childhood orphanage.
After adjusting, he sped up the hoverboard.
Its max speed hit 80 km/h, making Lin Qianyi want to bring one into the training world.
Unfortunately, due to its compact fusion battery and anti-gravity tech, minors like him couldn't take it off-campus without being investigated.
In this AI-surveilled world, one misstep would get you caught.
Inside, he saw other students. Not many used the hoverboards—most had personal mounts or even their own hovercrafts.
Here, his board was like a shared bicycle back at his old high school.
It wouldn't do for carrying cargo—or a girl.
But with just a suitcase, it was more than enough for Lin Qianyi.
After about twenty minutes, he arrived at a lush garden covered in vines.
"Found it, [New Botanical Garden]!"