Miss Mary smiled gently and patted Nate on the head.
"Well, how about we go inside?"
Nate crossed his arms and tilted his head away."Well… how about I just go home?"
The professor burst into laughter.
"Oh? Then how about I drag you inside like a prison warden?"
Nate gasped.
Inside his mind, panic exploded.
If I don't walk in within the next few seconds… she will definitely do what she just said. Better go inside than lose my dignity in front of all these people.
Miss Mary, who had clearly caught his thoughts, smiled faintly. She stretched her hand toward him.
"Come on, let's go."
Nate glanced at her hand and immediately puffed up his chest.
"I'm old enough to walk inside without getting lost, hmph."
Just then, a loud announcement echoed from beyond the enormous gates.
"All students are requested to enter the school within the next five minutes. After that, the gates will be closed."
The officer quickly stepped forward.
"Young master, please hurry. We wouldn't want the gates closing in your face. Here is your bag. Your luggage will be sent to your dormitory for the week. Enjoy your time at the school."
He bowed slightly.
"Goodbye."
With that, the cloud-like vehicle lifted into the air and disappeared above the towering gates.
Nate stood silently for a moment before finally walking forward beside Miss Mary.
The moment he stepped through the giant entrance of the School of Pearls, a powerful gust of wind rushed past him.
"Whoa—!"
Nate shut his eyes instantly to protect them. His hair whipped wildly in the sudden wind.
When he opened them again, he turned toward the source.
Students were flying past the great entrance hall on hoverboards, gliding smoothly through the air like shooting stars between the massive pillars of the school.
Nate's scarlet eyes lit up with excitement.
"Woah…"
Miss Mary smiled as she watched his reaction.
"They're your seniors, Nate," she said calmly.
"They're heading to their classes."
Nate's scarlet eyes followed the seniors gliding through the air on their hoverboards, weaving between the massive pillars of the entrance hall.
"Woah… this place is insane," he whispered under his breath.
The main hall of the School of Pearls stretched farther than he could see. The ceiling rose like the inside of a cathedral, covered with floating spheres of light that looked like tiny moons. Transparent bridges connected different levels of the building, and students moved across them in all directions.
Some walked.Some floated.Some rode hoverboards like the ones Nate had just seen.
The entire place felt alive.
Miss Mary watched his reaction with amusement.
"This is only the entrance hall," she said calmly.
Nate blinked. "Only the entrance hall?"
"Yes. The School of Pearls has four main academies inside this structure."
She pointed upward toward different sections of the enormous building.
"Combat Academy."
A distant training field could be seen through a massive opening in the wall. Students were sparring, energy flashes lighting the air.
"Navigation and Exploration."
Far above, giant star maps floated like holographic galaxies.
"Science and Cosmic Studies."
A glass dome filled with rotating machines and energy rings spun slowly in the distance.
"And the Power Discipline Academy."
At the very center of the structure, a massive glowing sphere floated quietly, surrounded by platforms.
Nate stared at everything with wide eyes.
"So… this whole building is just one school?"
Miss Mary nodded.
"The original design was made by the first students of Elder. Every School of Pearls across the universe follows this structure."
Just then—
A group of seniors zipped past them on hoverboards, laughing as they shot through the air.
One of them spun in a perfect loop before landing on a floating platform.
Nate's eyes sparkled like a child seeing magic for the first time.
"…I brought mine too."
Miss Mary slowly turned her head.
"Nate."
"Yes?"
"You are not riding a hoverboard inside the entrance hall."
He sighed dramatically.
"This really is a prison."
Miss Mary smiled again.
"Come on. I need to show you your dormitory before the gates close."
They began walking deeper into the massive hall.
But just as they passed the center of the hall, something strange happened.
The floating sphere in the middle — the one belonging to the Power Discipline Academy — flickered for a brief moment.
Just one second.
No one seemed to notice.
Except Miss Mary.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…interesting."
And Nate, who was busy staring at the hoverboards, had absolutely no idea that something in the school had just reacted to his presence.
"Nate, the orientation of the school will begin tomorrow," Miss Mary said calmly. "So for today, just relax. Walk around, meet other students… but remember, riding your hoverboard inside the school is strictly prohibited."
Nate sighed and replied, "Okay…"
Satisfied, Miss Mary nodded and turned to leave. She had other responsibilities to attend to—and more importantly, she needed to report the unusual response the school system had shown when Nate arrived.
As she walked away through the vast hall of the School of Pearls, a thought lingered in her mind.
That reaction… it shouldn't have happened.
But Nate, standing there with curiosity sparkling in his scarlet eyes, had no idea that his arrival had already caught the attention of the school's hidden systems.
For now, he simply looked around the massive hall, wondering what kind of people he would meet here.