Walking through the pearly gates felt like stepping into a realm of mental clarity, where the fog of uncertainty lifted, revealing the wonders beyond.
Before them stood towering structures, their heights piercing the clouds, stretching endlessly across the horizon. Each building seemed to pulse with energy, separated by vast distances that only heightened their majesty.
Yet one building stood out, drawing an expansive stream of students toward it. Among this throng were Anon and Seth.
...
The large hall buzzed with chatter as nearly one hundred and fifty students settled into their seats. It was spacious enough to accommodate even more, its high ceiling echoing the excitement in the air.
Suddenly, a striking young lady entered, her curly red hair cascading down her back. With waist-length locks, a curvaceous figure, and twinkling red eyes, she captivated the attention of the room, even drawing a curious glance from Anon.
"Good day, one and all," she began, her voice ethereal. As her words flowed into the ears of the students, they felt their sense of self dissolve, leaving them in a trance.
Anon frowned, 'What was that?'
He turned to Seth, who watched him with an amused expression.
The red-haired woman caught sight of the two in the back and flashed an enchanting smile. "My name's Victoria Harlen. As you may know, the military academy is slightly different from other schools..."
Her eyes sparkled as she continued, "I am your general instructor for this month of October. I do hope we all get along quite well."
...
Victoria shifted to the center front of the class, where a chair awaited her. "So, does anyone know the names of the six cities?" she asked, observing the hands that shot up eagerly.
Yet, she chose someone who hadn't raised their hand.
"You, do you not know?" she asked Anon.
"Besides the Core City, our city, there's the Ageless City," Anon replied, a slight smile on his face, though it lacked warmth. "The Paradisical City, Voidless City, Sun Fire City, and the Ancestral City are the four others."
Victoria tilted her head, her smile brightening. "Well said, Anon. For an orphan, you're quite knowledgeable about the outside world."
"Back in high school, I simply paid attention in class," he retorted, a subtle rudeness underlying his tone.
"Is that so?" Victoria responded, seemingly unfazed. Behind her, several holographic images flickered to life as she rose, beginning her explanation.
"In the lasting lands, there are six cities, each surrounded by a forest. These forests connect at the center, forming the seventh forest, the most infamous and dangerous of them all."
"Seth Constantin," she called, her eyes sparkling as they landed on another student who had stepped into the second world. "Why don't you convey some of the species we may find across these seven forests?"
Anon turned to Seth, noticing his visible lack of enthusiasm.
Seth scanned the classroom, seeing many students still entranced by Victoria.
He shook his head before meeting her gaze. "I knoweth not."
...
This general class continued for an hour.
"So, remember, students, of the dangerous species, the one-winged monkey horde isn't one to be taken lightly." Victoria warned before snapping her fingers.
The holographic images that she stood in front of then dissipated into blue particles as she took to her seat and said, "That's it for today's general class."
Her smiling expression then made a complete one-eighty, as she folded her legs and coldly watched as these students exited the hall.
As Anon and Seth approached the doors, her voice rang out: "You two, stop."
Being among the last to leave, they found themselves alone with her.
"Those entering the academy able to complete three complex tasks simultaneously are considered genius amongst geniuses. A genius who can manage four simple tasks? A freakish genius." Her gaze bore into them. "If that's the standard, what do we call you two?"
Seth smiled, "I'm sure there have been more than one student to join whilst already in the second world. After all, can the first world even be considered the first?"
"Isn't the second world, the true beginning?"
Even Anon knew this.
Though the first world categorized individuals based on their ability to complete one to four tasks simultaneously, the second world introduced a broader spectrum of capabilities.
Here, one could be recognized as a second world stellar fighter for completing four complex tasks, while the pinnacle of achievement was reserved for those capable of managing up to eighteen tasks simultaneously.
In the second world, there were two barriers that separated the world into three layers.
As he had just entered the second world, Anon could be considered as a layer one, second world stellar fighter.
Like how completing four complex tasks was a great limit, the same thing applied to completing nine and fourteen complex tasks.
And yet, because the barrier that prevented someone from completing eighteen complex tasks was even more robust than any previous barrier, only after breaching this barrier can one be considered to have transcended any power of the second world, and to have stepped into the third world.
"More than one? Heh... Maybe you underestimate yourselves, but the act of breaking that first great limit has many year twos stuck, much less those who've yet to enter this academy." Victoria explained.
"There are year twos still in the first world?" Anon interjected.
"In this academy, year two isn't synonymous with entering the second world. Wouldn't that make all year threes eligible for graduation?" She paused, then shifted her focus. "More importantly, I wish to believe... No, I know you two are whom 'He' referred to, so I felt the need to warn you."
This caught Anon's attention.
"Having potential comparable..." Victoria sighed, her body trembling slightly. "You must be cautious of the other instructors and, more importantly, the other students. There's an assessment every two months, and October's is the most daunting."
"This October is the worst I've ever seen... It's in this chaos that you'll be in the most danger—not just from the assessment, but from forces lurking in the shadows."
Seth casually smiled, "Oh, is that so."
His smiling face though, irritated Victoria, "This isn't something to simply brush over. 'He' would hate to see the fall of geniuses like you two." She continued, "The assessment would allow these forces to-!"
Anon interrupted, "You've rambled on for quite a bit, but what's your reason for being this magnanimous? Or are you some saint? And this, 'He', are we supposed to know him by chance?"
'He... She says it with such reverence, highly likely, it's my father.'
Anon mused inwardly, 'Magnanimous, no, she's a Harlen, part of the Heroes' Covenant, naturally, she, and her family's every move is only in the best interest of the heroes, or more accurately, in the best interest of the leader of the six heroes.'
Indeed, Anon was quite knowledgeable and could almost put everything together.
But he also had a character to pose as.
"Why?" Victoria smiled, glancing at Seth before saying, "I'm sure you, Seth Constantin, understand, right?"
...
For year one students at the military academy, the structure of the day was clear: aside from the mandatory class led by the general instructor during the first hour of the morning, almost everything, thereafter, was optional.
However, to avoid being exiled from the academy, students needed to ensure their strength continually improved.
This responsibility fell solely on their shoulders.
Raising one's strength wasn't merely a duty; it was an instinctive drive, a pursuit that demanded extreme commitment. The academy had no use for soldiers who lacked even the slightest sense of responsibility toward their own growth.
Within the general hall, various classes occupied the first floor, including Victoria's. Anon and Seth found themselves separated, with Anon attending a class focused on grace-related principles, while Seth entered one centered on blood-related principles.
The academy ensured that every type of principle was covered by a qualified instructor, with some instructors covering more than one.
Interestingly, students like Felix, who had awakened on the last night, also had their classes based around their awakened principle prepared already.
Obviously, there were some students who weren't exactly placed in the correct class. With their being countless kinds of principles, even if two principles appeared similar, it may not be the case.
As Anon exited his grace-related class, he was surrounded by a throng of students.
While the principles of grace were relatively common, Anon couldn't help but feel a tinge of annoyance.
'For the love of the Lord, my principle isn't grace-related,' he thought, a tinge of annoyance flashing through his eyes.
Since entering the second world, his principle had undergone a significant mutation, evolving into something far beyond the confines of a grace-related focus.
Yet, Anon wasn't alone in his predicament; many other students faced similar scenarios.
Like them, he found it more advantageous to remain silent about his unique principle instead of exposing it to scrutiny.
Moreover, with the classes being optional, he knew he could eventually stop attending them altogether.