Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 46: Imperial City Mystic College

Aren groaned as he looked at the map on his phone for directions.

Why the hell did they give him an apartment an hour away from campus? It was literally across the entire city.

VIP, my ass.

He waited at the transfer stop, then boarded the next bus. Standing near the back, he hooked one hand around the overhead rail as the vehicle shook forward with each stop.

Thankfully, today was a weekend and there was no traffic. Aren couldn’t imagine the route if there was any.

By the time he transferred buses and stepped off near Imperial City College, an hour had really passed.

He glanced at his phone.

9:42 AM

If classes started at ten, he’d have to leave before nine every day, which was a complete chore.

Aren walked toward the campus entrance, noting something else. The bus fair took him 15 Riels, and would be 30 in total for a round trip.

If he went to school five times a day, it’d be equivalent to 150 Riels per week or roughly 600 per month.

What the hell? Since when were bus prices this expensive?! I could get a decent studio around campus for 500 a month!

Aren looked up at the surrounding district.

The area near Imperial City College was different from the residential tower where his family now lived, with more student-related businesses and accommodations.

No way he was making that trip every day.

Aren pulled up a rental listing app and filtered by:

Distance: Under 10 minutes from campus.

Budget: 400–600 Riels.

Several options popped up immediately.

One in particular caught his eye. It was a two-bedroom unit that was not particularly fancy, but clean and had a reasonable price. Already one tenant had been confirmed.

Aren tilted his head slightly.

Sharing was fine really, he didn’t plan on being home much anyway. Aren shot the owner a message before putting his phone away. Now that the problem was handled, for now at least.

Time to see what Imperial City College was really like.

The campus was divided clearly.

To the left was the Research College. The entire outside was a gigantic glass dome which seemed like the main building, which branched outward into smaller ones in the back.

Aren saw students walk in and out of the building, carrying tablets and stacks of books.

To the right, separated by a broad courtyard in between, stood the Mystic College.

It was completely different from what he’d expected.

While the structure itself was not completely different to the Research College, it was definitely more fortified. Reinforced panels were integrated into the walls along with hardened glass.

But the thing that caught Aren off-guard the most was located above.

Open platforms were built in the upper-levels, circular spaces that rose upward like a barrier. They were sparring arena designed to specifically for one purpose: to train their students.

Aren glanced at a campus map to his right.

Entering from the East Gate meant he’d missed half the facilities on the other side: the Recreation Center, the Fields, and even a full-scale Arena built directly into the campus grounds.

Still, before wandering around, he decided to handle what he came here for first.

The entrance to the Mystic College slid open automatically as he approached. Cool air greeted him, along with a faint floral scent, probably from humidifiers.

Inside, everything was... orderly.

The first thing his eyes drifted to was the built-in cafeteria with digital kiosks lining the walls. It was packed with students, yet orderly. Many lined up with cards in their hands, while others were bringing trays over to automated trash bins.

Smart design, Mystics do tend to consume a lot of calories.

A reception counter curved along the center of the lobby, staffed by a handful of clerks.

Aren stepped into the short queue and waited patiently. When it was his turn, he stepped forward and handed over the relocation packet along with the sponsorship documents.

The clerk accepted them casually before reading the first line and pausing.

"You’re from Sun City?"

"...Yes?" Aren replied sheepishly. "Is that a problem?"

The clerk’s smile softened slightly.

"No, it’s not a problem," she continued. "I just heard about the news...I’m sorry for your losses."

Aren gave a small nod. "It’s fine."

She continued reading the packet before her posture straightened just a little.

"Professor Voss?" she repeated, glancing up at him briefly before looking back at the document.

"Yeah, she handed me a letter if you want to—"

"It’s okay. I got it," she added. "It’s rare to see her give sponsorships."

"Rare?"

"Professor Voss isn’t known for being generous," she said evenly while entering his information into the system. "She’s stingy even with grades."

A small stamp echoed against the paper.

"Let alone her funding."

The clerk finished processing his paperwork and slid the folder back toward him.

"I’ve heard survivors from Sun City tend to be... resilient," she added, her tone light but measured. "I suppose Professor Voss made the right choice."

It didn’t seem exactly like praise but it wasn’t pity either, not really. Aren accepted the papers quietly.

The clerk studied him for a moment before asking, "Before I process your enrollment, I’ll need to confirm your Bloodline and intended elemental school."

Aren blinked. "Intended?"

She nodded. "Imperial Mystic College is structured by elemental schools. Freshmen enroll under their primary element."

"Is that mandatory?"

"For freshmen, yes."

She folded her hands lightly over the desk.

"All incoming students enter at Line 2. The first two academic years are dedicated to mastering their element and refining it to Stage 9."

Only Line 2? Aren’t the standards a bit low?

Though Aren quickly got a grip on himself. His situation was anything but standard.

"Usually, this is around the same time a student would reach Line 3 and gain their new element," she continued. "Which is where they’d switch elemental schools."

Aren absorbed the information quietly.

"Right, if there are no other questions, could you tell me your Bloodline?"

Aren didn’t hesitate. He had to lay low in Imperial City where danger could be right around the corner. The decision was already made before he even got here.

"Snake-type."

Her expression shifted slightly. It wasn’t disappointment, exactly. But he knew what she was thinking immediately.

Snake-type Bloodlines weren’t uncommon, nothing that screamed prodigy sponsored by a known stingy professor.

"I see," she responded flatly, typing it in without further comment.

"And your primary element?"

...

"Can I finalize that later?"

Her fingers stopped over the keyboard.

"Later?"

"Yes. I’d like to look around first," he lied.

She regarded him for a brief moment, weighing the request against procedure.

"You may," she said eventually. "Once your student ID is issued, you can select your elemental school through the student portal."

But even as she said that, her eyebrows narrowed.

"Though I’m not sure why you’d delay it. Freshmen only have one element to work with."

Aren hesitated just a beat before giving a small, almost sheepish shrug, deciding to play the victim card.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I’m just... careful. After everything that happened."

The crease in her brow softened almost immediately.

"Of course," she replied. "That’s understandable."

The clerk nodded once after she finished entering his information into the system.

"Please wait a moment."

She stepped through a door behind the counter, disappearing into the back office.

Aren stood still with his hands loosely at his side before deciding to look around some more.

Students moved past him in small groups, laughing without a care in the world. Outside, some were in a heated basketball match.

It was strange. A week ago, he was fighting for his life. Now seeing how peaceful everything was, made it a bit weird.

The clerk returned shortly after with a small plastic card in hand.

"Here you are," she said before sliding it across the counter.

He picked it up gingerly before examining the contents. The card itself seemed strange, even if it was made out of plastic, the information on it shifted, almost like it was a screen.

Imperial City College — Mystic Division

His name was printed cleanly across the surface.

"Thank you," he said, sliding the ID into his back pocket.

"No problem," she replied before offering a polite smile.

"Welcome to Imperial City Mystic College, Student Aren Cross."