Chapter 64: The Neighbor Next Door

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Neighbor Next Door

After cross-referencing directions at two separate campus information pavilions, Eric finally navigated through the sprawling eastern residential quad and found his assigned quarters: Dormitory Building 17.

Standing before the ornate wrought-iron perimeter gates, Eric stared upward in genuine disbelief.

Calling the estate a "dormitory" was a criminal understatement. The structure looked like a miniature castle, constructed from dark, polished granite that gleamed softly under the midday sun. It featured vaulted slate archways, glowing amber mana lanterns, and private corner balconies overlooking a tranquil reflecting garden framed by silver-leafed willows.

"Central Research doesn’t cut corners on living arrangements, that’s for sure," Eric murmured, passing beneath the arched stone portal.

Checking in with the hall attendant at the mahogany reception desk on the ground floor, Eric was directed straight to the topmost floor.

Because of his flawless, singular 100/100 score on the national theoretical examination, the admissions board had granted him an elite academic accommodation package: a fully private single suite. No assigned roommates, no shared common baths, and zero unwanted prying eyes.

For a tamer managing an interface like the *Infinity Beast System*, having complete, unmonitored privacy to cultivate, practice blade forms, and decipher evolutionary matrices was an absolute godsend.

Eric climbed the carpeted grand staircase, unlocked the heavy oak door of Room 401, and stepped inside.

The suite was pristine and completely move-in ready. Polished dark hardwood floors stretched beneath vaulted ceilings, a sturdy mahogany study desk sat beside a wide bay window bathed in golden sunlight, and against the far wall rested a plush queen-sized bed made up with crisp, fresh linens. An adjoining private bathroom housed an alchemical shower unit fitted with hot water runes.

Eric kicked off his boots by the threshold and collapsed straight onto the mattress with a soft groan of pure luxury.

"Ahh, this is heavenly..."

Rolling onto his back, he pulsed his soul tether with a warm thought. *Coal, come on out.*

*FLASH.*

A wisp of cool, dark mist curled beside the mattress as Coal manifested into the room. The crow shook out his glossy obsidian feathers, glanced around the spacious suite with curious, darting eyes, and fluttered up to perch comfortably atop a polished brass coat rack near the entrance.

"Classes kick off tomorrow morning, buddy," Eric said, folding his hands behind his head with a wide, contented grin. "A whole new Chapter starts right here. Exciting, isn’t it?"

*Caw.*

Coal let out a low, resonant trill, his pitch-black eyes gleaming with quiet approval as he inspected their new territory.

Eric swung his legs off the bed, fresh energy surging through his limbs. "No point lying around all afternoon like a slug. Let’s head out, explore the pavilions, and get our bearings around the campus avenues."

Coal glided down from the rack, anchoring his ivory talons smoothly onto Eric’s shoulder pauldron. Eric opened his door, stepped out into the quiet, crimson-carpeted corridor, and turned around to engage the brass deadbolt.

Just as the latch clicked shut, the heavy oak door of the neighboring suite, Room 402 creaked open.

A girl opening the door of that room.

Eric turned casually to glance over, and his entire train of thought ground to an instantaneous halt.

She was tall and strikingly poised, her athletic figure framed by a tailored, charcoal-gray coat bearing silver filigree along the lapels. Raven-black hair cascaded down past her shoulder blades like fine silk, framing sharp, porcelain-pale facial contours.

Yet it was her eyes that arrested him completely, pools of liquid ruby that held an unreadable, piercing depth. She exuded an effortless, magnetic elegance that seemed to warp the very atmosphere of the quiet corridor.

Eric’s breath hitched in his throat. Purely on instinct, his ocular talent flared.

*Appraisal.*

│ Race: Human

│ Stage: Soldier | Level: 10

│ Talent: Rank S

"Holy shit..."

The words tumbled out of Eric’s mouth before his conscious mind could even begin to construct a mental filter.

The girl halted mid-stride, turning her crimson gaze fully upon him with a sharply arched, questioning brow. "Excuse me?"

A wave of scalding heat rushed straight up Eric’s neck, setting his ears on fire.

"Ah—! N-Nothing, miss!" Eric blurted out, frantically waving his hands in a flustered panic as his cool, composed facade crumbled into dust. "You’re just... I mean, you look really striking! Wait, no, I mean you look great—sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect at all! My brain just... completely disconnected from my mouth..."

Watching the boy stumble over his own tongue with bright crimson ears, the cold, aristocratic aloofness around her eyes softened. Her lips curved into a faint, amused smile, followed by a soft, melodic chuckle that echoed gracefully down the hall.

"Don’t call me ’miss,’" she said, her voice rich, clear, and remarkably composed. "I’m just an incoming freshman, exactly like you. You must be the top scorer in the national theory rankings, right?"

Eric blinked, momentarily shaken out of his stammering daze. "Uh—yeah, that’s me. But... how did you know?"

"Pretty basic observation," she replied, gesturing slightly toward the polished brass plaque on his doorframe. "I placed second in the nationwide theory standings. The administration assigned my quarters directly beside the top seat, and from the hallway vantage, your suite package has an exterior balcony that extends slightly further than mine."

"Ah... that makes total sense," Eric managed a self-deprecating chuckle, taking a slow breath to finally re-anchor his composure. He extended his right hand toward her. "I’m Eric, by the way."

"A pleasure to meet you, Eric," she said, stepping forward and extending a slender, pale hand to clasp his with a firm, practiced grip. "I am Alena Blackthorn."

"The pleasure is all mine," Eric nodded, feeling the faint, terrifying hum of dense, near-solidified liquid mana vibrating just beneath her cool skin.

Alena offered a polite, graceful nod as she released his hand. "I will see you at the freshman convocation tomorrow morning, Eric."

With that, she unlocked her suite, slipped inside Room 402, and closed the heavy oak door behind her with a soft, decisive click.

Eric stood frozen in the middle of the hallway for three unbroken seconds.

He turned, walked slowly down the carpeted stairs, and pushed through the heavy lobby doors into the courtyard garden, finally releasing a massive breath of air he hadn’t realized he was holding.

"Phew..." Eric wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, shaking his head in mild shock. "Man, she is terrifying... Soldier Stage Level 10, knocking directly on the door of the Captain rank, and possessing an S-rank innate talent? Talk about an absolute generational monster."

He paused, recalling her amused, level-headed smile and lack of petty arrogance.

"Still... she seemed surprisingly grounded for an apex noble powerhouse, didn’t she?"

Coal tilted his head on Eric’s pauldron, blinking his dark, bead-like eyes with quiet intelligence.

*Caww.*

"Yeah," Eric chuckled softly, reaching up to gently stroke the crow’s glossy neck feathers as they walked down the sunlit cobblestone path. "You think so too, huh buddy?"