N-A-A Chapter 1: Seemingly an Old Friend
Chapter 1: Seemingly an Old Friend
"Witness our bond! Boss, evolve!!"
Luo Yan's loud voice suddenly rang out, instantly breaking the dull atmosphere in the high school classroom.
Just a second ago he was sound asleep, but the next second he suddenly sprang up from his seat, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a screeching sound, and his body subconsciously assumed a commanding posture.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The teacher's voice on the podium stopped abruptly, and all the heads that were either buried or daydreaming suddenly looked up, with dozens of eyes focusing on Luo Yan, who stood abruptly, like searchlights.
A brief, suffocating silence.
Immediately afterwards—
"Pfft, hahahahahaha!!!"
"Holy crap! Luo Yan, what are you doing?!"
"Leader evolution? Pokémon have that kind of evolution? Are you crazy?"
"This is a hopeless case of terminal chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), hahaha!"
"Is he still half asleep?"
A deafening roar of laughter swept through the classroom like a tsunami, nearly lifting the ceiling and startling a few Bobos outside the window, who flapped their wings and flew into the sky.
Some people laughed so hard they were doubled over, some slapped the table, and some pointed at Luo Yan, laughing until tears streamed down their faces.
This sudden, passionate shout, in the midst of a dull senior year classroom, was more comedic than any joke.
Luo Yan stood frozen in place, like a statue that had been frozen in place.
He looked around blankly, his mind a complete blank. Two completely different scenes overlapped in his vision, and then one of them began to disappear, leaving only the bright world in front of him.
What comes into view are familiar desks piled high with books, countdown signs for the college entrance exam on the wall, and the students' faces beaming with laughter... as well as the chalk dust and the sweaty smell of adolescence that permeates the air.
Well...
Luo Yan blinked.
His last memories were of overwhelming nightmare energy, the shouts of his companions, and his confident shouts when facing that indescribable, terrifying being.
The energy fluctuations that tore through space, the power of bonds surging from the depths of his soul... he should be in the Kingdom of Locke, engaged in a final battle with Enzo.
...How did it end up here?
Senior 3 (7) Class?
In the classroom?
Chaotic thoughts crashed against his fragile nerves like a tide. Luo Yan subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to confirm whether he was still wearing that colorful unicorn outfit with special emblems, but his fingertips touched only soft, ordinary school uniform fabric.
Where is my divine gear?
Where is my elf?
There was no magic wand, and no contractual connection with the elven companion.
Just then, a very noticeable gaze, like a cold probe, was firmly fixed on him, making him feel as if a sharp blade was piercing his back.
Luo Yan almost instinctively looked in the direction of that gaze.
On the podium.
A middle-aged man, wearing a dark blue jacket and thin-rimmed glasses, who looked both familiar and unfamiliar to him, was standing there quietly.
It's Teacher Wang.
His high school homeroom teacher was Wang Zhenguo.
It felt familiar because this face, these glasses, and this serious yet somewhat weary demeanor had accompanied him throughout his first and second years of high school; it felt unfamiliar because, in his memory, he hadn't seen this teacher for three whole years.
Since he inexplicably traveled to that strange world called the Kingdom of Locke, a place full of magic and elves, three years have truly passed there.
He experienced countless adventures, made friends, and also experienced betrayal and growth, transforming from a naive high school student into a 'guardian' shouldering heavy responsibilities.
Teacher Wang, along with this classroom and this city, have long become chapters deep in his memory.
But now, he's back?
Is it a dream? An illusion? Or...?
The immense cognitive dissonance made Luo Yan dizzy. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but didn't know what to say.
My cheeks were burning hot from extreme embarrassment and confusion.
The laughter in the classroom continued, but it seemed to lessen somewhat because of Teacher Wang's silent gaze. The students' laughter began to be mixed with whispers of curiosity and amusement.
"Luoyan? Luoyan!" Teacher Wang finally spoke, her voice not loud, but clearly drowning out the noise in the classroom.
"You're awake? What did you dream about that made you so excited?"
Teacher Wang pushed up his glasses, took two steps forward, stood at the edge of the podium, and looked down at Luo Yan, who was standing stiffly beside her seat.
"It seems to have been a very 'wonderful' dream."
"Is everything so exciting that you can't even tell what's in class anymore?"
Teacher Wang's voice carried a sense of exasperation and disappointment.
"...Luo Yan, you're already a senior in high school, almost at the age to get your starter Pokémon. Instead of studying properly, you're just drifting through life. Are you planning to graduate and work in a factory with a Magnemite, screwing in screws? That meager salary won't be enough to support yourself and your Pokémon! You won't even be able to afford evolution stones! You..."
Starter Pokémon?
Luo Yan lowered her head.
In the Kingdom of Rock, his initial contracted spirits were Water Blue, Spark, and Meow Meow...
The name Pokémon is a bit too far removed from him.
He didn't look up, nor did he look at the unusually sharp eyes behind Teacher Wang's glasses, but at the same time, his chaotic thoughts were racing.
Looking at his "well-behaved" appearance, Teacher Wang sighed heavily, seemingly having lost the strength to continue scolding him.
He shook his head and waved wearily, "Sit down, Luo Yan. Listen to the lesson, focus your mind, and getting into a good university is your only way out!"
Luo Yan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and silently sat down.
The suppressed giggles and curious glances in the classroom felt like needles pricking his back, but he couldn't care less. The students around him were quickly pulled back to the monotonous rhythm of the class by Teacher Wang, and the scratching of pens on paper and the teacher's deep voice once again became the main theme.
However, for Luo Yan, the world has been completely turned upside down.
He appeared motionless, like a diligent student listening attentively, but in reality, all his senses were on edge.
He forced himself to close his eyes, not because he was sleepy, but to verify—to verify what he had glimpsed in the blink of an eye when he was in a state of confusion!
Darkness arrived as expected.
But then, in the depths of this darkness of consciousness, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared.
The light was not dazzling, but rather possessed a profound, distant, and gentle quality, as if it contained the light of endless stars. It quickly condensed and stabilized, eventually revealing a clear circular outline.
Luo Yan's heart pounded wildly in his chest, and a burning sensation filled his entire body.
They won't admit they're wrong.
That is—a star compass!
...