A knock on the door alerted Li that it was time to get dressed. He had spent the last few hours immersed in the news presented from the small device. He had almost memorized the entire sequence of events in the last Standard "week".
"Li, humans get up now."
Li opened the door slightly, it was Tavo. The other doors in the hallway were also propped open and the hallway was now bustling with life.
"Alright, thanks Tavo, I'll get dressed."
"Good, meet me at cafe"
"Sure…"
Li closed the door gently, and went over to the bed. The chief's daughter had heard the noise from the hallway and was awake now.
"Li, we haven't arrived yet have we?"
"No, there is still a while. Tavo, that small furry thing told me to go to the cafe. You should come too."
"Sure… wait, let me get dressed,"
Li washed his face in the bathroom, letting the cold water rinse off the dried sweat on his face. Overseer Zhang had mentioned training and Li figured there would be enough sweating coming later in the day.
He dried his face with a sigh, then stepped out, finding the chief's daughter already waiting by the door. Without a word, they exchanged a loving glance, and stepped outside.
The three Guardians Li had saved earlier were chatting in a corner but walked over when Li emerged.
"Come with us to the food court, Li Xuan! You've got to eat if you want to make it to A-tier!" One of the Guardians grinned before glancing at the woman beside him. "Oh? Who's this—your girlfriend?"
Li smiled, shaking his head. "My wife."
The three Guardians barely had time to react before they were drawn to the newcomer. As if by instinct, the girls closed in, conversation sparking effortlessly, their energy shifting from playful banter to excited chatter in an instant.
Tavo took the chance, and caught up with Li.
"Li, never asked you this, but do you remember how old you are here?"
Li froze. The thought had never crossed his mind. In both worlds, his physique felt the same—except when he was injured or utterly exhausted, sensations that mirrored his body on Earth. But then again, he was married, and reaching A-tier must have taken years.
"Do you know, Tavo?"
"I think 26 in human years."
For the first time, Li realized just how fast he had grown. Not that long ago, he was 17 and now he was 8 years older and to think that all this time, he never realized.
This explained his sudden endurance levels and knowledge and physical skills. Ha, how stupid am I to have never thought about this before? Li wondered how much else he had forgotten to think about, being so absorbed into the occurrences of everyday life!
"21! How many birthday parties have I missed?"
"Birthday party?"
"Yeah, Tavo, back on Earth, we used to throw parties every time someone made it to another birthday! It was an annual tradition, always celebrated with cake, though I have to admit, it was mostly inspired by Western customs."
"Earth seems so… divided. On the Great Swamp, our customs unified across species. Only differences in sects. Conflict only from those disturbing peace. Come, let's pick up food. Very hungry."
The two walked into a large bustling room with a spherical kiosk in the center. Large lines had formed depending on the species and the breakfast for humans(or late evening snack for others) were being doled out.
Tavo decided to stay in the human lane, just one more time. Apparently, he had once done this and nearly died of an extreme antibody response but now, the food regulators and labs had modified them so that in general, it was safe for any species to consume.
Taking a clean metal plate with several uniform indents, Li walked up. Surprisingly, it was Aoki who was on the food duty and he grinned when Li appeared.
A large clump of unappetizing clear jelly was plopped on the tray, with a clear can of iced water and spices.
"Eat up! Training begins in 5 minutes; Tavo will bring you down."
Li nodded, and took the tray to one of the small tables. The squad was far larger than he had expected. There were far more here than there were waiting on the extended platform last night. How big was Squad A67, then?
The clear jelly had no real flavor—just a faint coolness, like water. It wasn't unpleasant, but it didn't add much to the meal. The real star was the beans. As soon as Li bit into one, his taste buds lit up. The rich, savory sauce clung to their soft texture, delivering a depth of flavor unlike anything he'd ever eaten.
It reminded him of the food Aoki had once shared with him and the first vessel, but this was on a whole different level. He savored every bite, wishing Aoki had given him more. Whatever these beans were, they weren't just delicious—they felt nourishing, like his body could tell how good they were for him.
As Li scooped up the last of the sauce with his fingers, savoring the lingering taste, Tavo walked over.
"Training, Li!"
Li slid his plate into the washer and followed Tavo out of the cafeteria. As they passed the three Guardians and the chief's daughter, he caught her laughter—light, untouched by the universe's cruelty.
Li clenched his jaw. She didn't know what was out there, and he would make sure she never had to.
Training would be brutal, but he didn't care. He'd push through, get stronger. When the time came, he'd be ready.