The written examination was kinda insulting.
At least, in Kael’s perspective.
Kael sat in the testing hall—a vast chamber with tiered seating and floating holographic terminals—surrounded by Silver and Gold students who scratched their heads and muttered under their breath. The questions scrolled across his screen in neat, organized blocks.
Mana circulation theory through tertiary ridians—explain the core principles and identify three common failure points.
Describe the structural differences between Cracked, Standard, and Flawless Cores. Include mana density ratios.
A Foundation Establishnt cultivator encounters a Spirit Soul beast. Outline three survival strategies assuming a three-realm gap.
Child’s play.
His fingers moved across the terminal with chanical efficiency. The Void Body Refinent had forced him to understand mana circulation at a level most cultivators never reached. The System’s knowledge dumps had filled his head with theory that exceeded anything the academy taught. And his ti in the underground facility had provided practical context that no textbook could match.
He finished in forty minutes anwhile the exam was scheduled for three hours.
Kael leaned back and closed his eyes.
Around him, the sound of frustrated sighs and muttered curses filled the chamber. Byron was sweating through his shirt two rows ahead.
Status window.
STATUS WINDOW
Na: Kael Cassian Vorn
Race: Human
Age: 19
Talent: Blue (Epic) — Partially Unlocked
True Talent: White (Mythic) — Locked
Cultivation:
Realm: Foundation Establishnt (Rank 4)
Core: Transcendent
Mana Capacity: 480% standard Flawless Core
Mana Regeneration: 215% standard Flawless Core
Mantra Comprehension: 31%
Body Cultivation:
Technique: Void Body Refinent (Legendary Grade)
Current Layer: Tier 3 Early Progress: 12% to Tier 3 Mid
Soul Integrity: 79%
Shadow Points: 21,100
Powers:
Gravity Manipulation — Expert II (87% to Expert III)
Lightning Manipulation — Expert I (43% to Expert II)
Shadow Manipulation — Expert I (31% to Expert II)
Techniques:
Gravity Blade (Heaven Grade — Advanced)
Lightning Fang (Heaven Grade — Interdiate)
Shadow Step (Heaven Grade — Interdiate)
Dark Slash (Heaven Grade — Novice I)
Realm of Darkness — Darker Than Black (Heaven Grade — Novice I)
SILENCE — Gravity-Lightning Fusion (Heaven Grade — Novice II)
Pulsar — Gravity Compression (Origin Grade — Incomplete — Novice I)
Passive Abilities:
Mana Skin (Improved)
Lightning Resonance
Gravity Nexus
Darkness Seed (Dormant)
Mana Ergency Reserve (5% hidden pool)
Inventory:
Concealnt Pendant (masks up to 2 realms)
Tier 3 Dual Short Blades
Tier 4 Compact Shadow-Steel Bow
Void Binding Bandages (200% physical boost)
1 Unused Transcendent Core Pill
Void Crystal
QUEST COMPLETED: THE THORNWICK SHADOWS
Objectives Completed:
— Identify the perpetrators: 1/1 ✓
— Locate the abduction site: 1/1 ✓
— Rescue civilians: 239/??? ✓
Rewards Distributed:
— 5,000 Shadow Points
— Soul Integrity 5%
— 30 Mid-Grade Mana Stones (deposited to System Storage)
Shadow Points: 26,100
Kael closed the window as the examination hall emptied around him.
The mana stones were useful—mid-grade stones could supplent cultivation for weeks if used properly. But the soul integrity increase was the real prize. Seventy-nine percent. Twenty-one points remaining until his soul was whole.
Twenty-one points until he might rember her face.
He stood and walked out.
The holographic board appeared without warning.
One mont the Silver common room was filled with students comparing answers and complaining about question seventeen. The next, every wall, every ceiling, every available surface was covered in scrolling text and ranked nas.
Sector 3 results.
Then, within seconds, Sector 1. Sector 2. Sector 4.
All four sectors simultaneously. All four sectors finally visible after six months of separation.
Kael found his na imdiately.
SECTOR 3 — FIRST YEAR FINAL RANKINGS
GOLD CLASS (Top 10)
Atlas Graves — Foundation Establishnt Rank 7
Cassian Vale — Foundation Establishnt Rank 6
Karacus Drakemore — Foundation Establishnt Rank 7
Mason Croft — Foundation Establishnt Rank 6
Kael Vorn — Foundation Establishnt Rank 4
Sage Moonveil — Foundation Establishnt Rank 6
Mira Chen — Foundation Establishnt Rank 5
Rue Moonveil — Foundation Establishnt Rank 6
Byron Field — Foundation Establishnt Rank 6
Elara Solwyn — Foundation Establishnt Rank 5
SILVER CLASS (Ranks 11-80)
11-35: [Nas scrolling]
36. Zane Ashford — Foundation Establishnt Rank 3 ...
58. Kira Storm — Foundation Establishnt Rank 1
... 80. [Final Silver listing]
BRONZE CLASS (Ranks 81-180) ...
DROPPED [Nas scrolling — hundreds of them]
Kael scanned the dropped list out of curiosity. Knox’s na appeared near the top. The Bronze Tier student who’d been confident, loud, present in every common room conversation for the first three months.
Gone.
Just a na on a board.
"Attention."
The holographic display shifted. A new announcent replaced the rankings—larger text, formal language, the sterile tone of institutional authority.
ACADEMY ANNOUNCENT — YEAR ONE CONCLUSION
Effective imdiately, the following restructuring applies to all first-year students across Sections 1-4:
Gold Class: 30 students total
Silver Class: 70 students total (divided into two sections of 35)
Bronze Class: 100 students total
Total continuing students: 200
All students who have not reached Foundation Establishnt Realm by the conclusion of Year One examinations are hereby removed from the program.
The common room exploded.
"What—" "That’s not fair—" "I was one rank away—" "My family will hear about this—"
Kael ignored the noise.
Two hundred. Out of approximately one thousand students across four sections, only two hundred remained. A seventy percent attrition rate in six months. And the announcent said more would drop in year three.
This wasn’t an academy.
It was a cull.
The holographic display continued.
Additional notice: All four sections will be consolidated effective imdiately. Students will be transported to Planet Orion, second world of the Crucible, within two weeks. Further instructions will follow.
Four sections together with different geniuses clashing.
For six months, they’d existed in isolation—separate countries, separate training grounds, separate everything. Now they’d be thrown into the sa space, sa classes, sa competition.
Kael found Sage across the room. She was already looking at him. Her golden eyes flicked to the Gold Class listing, then back to him.
Fifth place.
She’d taken sixth.
Her tails swished with satisfaction.
Byron appeared at Kael’s elbow, face flushed with barely contained excitent.
"Did you see? Did you see the rankings? Fifth place! I knew—we knew—our group was exceptional. The mission results clearly demonstrated—"
"Byron."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
Byron’s mouth closed.
Mira materialized beside them, glasses glinting. "Zane made Silver. Barely. He’s at the bottom of the ranking, but he’s in."
"Good for him."
"You don’t sound like you an that."
"I don’t."
Mira shrugged.
The holographic display flickered one final ti.
Transport to Planet Orion: 14 days.
Prepare accordingly.
The text faded. The walls returned to normal. The noise in the common room shifted from shock to calculation—students figuring out their new rankings, their new classmates, their new competition.
Kael walked toward the exit.
Sage fell into step beside him.
"Planet Orion," she said. "Wonder what’s waiting for us there."
"More culling, probably."
"You’re cheerful."
"I’m realistic."
She bumped her shoulder against his. Her tail brushed his hip.
"Try being optimistic. Just once."
They walked out into the Athelas sunlight—such as it was, filtered through perpetual gray clouds and the faint shimr of atmospheric mana.
TRANSPORT TO PLANET ORION — 14 DAYS
The countdown pulsed at the bottom of the display.
Kael turned away.
Fourteen days.
Then the real academy began.
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