"A celestial phenomenon! The star cluster is rolling back!"
"A galaxy has emerged in the universe, eclipsing both the sun and the moon!"
"It appeared in a flash and vanished just as quickly!"
"This must signify the birth of a legendary lord!"
"Incredible! What kind of person must they be to cause such a spectacle?"
"As expected from Earth, the cradle of civilization!"
"This year has produced an unparalleled prodigy—utterly terrifying!"
"I think I saw a figure on the star cluster—a woman. If she's truly manifesting, then this must be a female prodigy!"
The Earth trembled.
In the depths of the universe, though no sound could be heard, countless beings felt a shift and turned their attention to the phenomenon.
Even beyond the universe, mysterious entities silently observed this world.
But at least for today, every person on Earth and every lord received the same message:
A peerless genius has been born.
Heaven and earth are in upheaval as the star cluster rolls back!
In the living room, Lucian's figure materialized.
He appeared somewhat pale and unsteady, his legs feeling weak beneath him.
But his eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement!
The items he had selected from the void rewards were enough to ensure an infinite future for his domain.
Among them, three legendary-grade items were immediately usable, significantly boosting his strength.
Of the two major rewards, one cost 100 Legendary Points, and the other 10—both choices that would enhance his territory's potential immeasurably.
One offered short-term benefits, the other, long-term gains. The choice had been clear.
"I am now a fully-fledged lord!"
Lucian smirked, focusing inward. He could see his domain, now an independent space, suspended within his body.
Buildings and people thrived within it, time flowing naturally.
Every lord carried their domain within themselves, able to enter it at will. However, returning to the endless void required a cooldown period.
[Domain Re-entry Cooldown: 29 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 42 seconds.]
Lucian glanced at the timer and then at his territory, now several times larger than before.
He recalled the Territory Expansion Token that Qin Keqing had used earlier.
"It's remarkable. Perhaps I should visit to see the changes?"
But as he considered it, memories of the previous day surfaced, making him blanch.
"Never mind… I'll wait. I don't want to get caught up in… more surprises."
The exhaustion was real. Lucian's current state was not feigned—he truly looked haggard.
"Just you wait, Lin... Once I recover and break through, I'll settle the score with you!"
Grumbling, Lucian noted the time—barely an hour had passed since his return.
A peculiar temporal law ensured that regardless of how long a lord spent in the void, they always returned at the same point in Earth's timeline.
This was because the void operated on its own unique time rules.
"I should head to school. I think I have to report back."
With a sigh, Lucian stepped out of his house.
The streets of Silvermoon City buzzed with activity.
Lucian briskly made his way to the school, passing several students—many of whom were fellow rookies who had become lords this year. Their faces bore varying emotions, from pride to anxiety.
Silvermoon High School.
In Class 5 of the third year, the teacher, Mr. Kenneth Smith, sat silently at the podium.
Below him, over 20 students were engaged in animated discussions, filling the room with lively chatter.
When Lucian entered, no one paid him much attention.
He didn't care for theatrics, so he quietly took his seat.
The moment he sat down, he overheard a conversation between two students ahead of him—one chubby, the other lean.
"How long did you last?"
"Eleven days. You?"
"Phew, I lasted 30 days!"
"Wow, that's impressive! What level are you now? I only made it to Level 4 after 11 days. Just couldn't hold on anymore."
"Level 6!"
"Level 6 after 30 days? That's a bit low."
"I got lucky. My territory was on an island, and the invading monsters were sandworms. They couldn't move well, so I managed to build a crossbow barracks."
"That's great! My luck was horrible. I had 40 militia fighting over 100 minotaurs. They all died."
The entire classroom was abuzz with similar conversations.
Some students were celebrating their good fortune. One claimed they'd received a rare barracks as their void reward.
Others spoke of bad luck, such as summoning a healer as their hero and being overrun by monsters on the third day.
A few had adopted steady strategies, relying on militia and grinding through the days. However, they too eventually quit when things became overwhelming.
The worst off were those who survived all 30 days but were wiped out by the final boss. One student lamented that their 100-strong militia stood no chance against a boss leading 300 giant beasts.
Lucian listened with interest, a slight smirk on his lips.
Suddenly, the two students in front turned to him.
"Lucian, how about you? What level are you?" asked the skinny one.
"Level 10," Lucian replied with a smile.
He chose his words carefully—highlighting his success without revealing too much.
"Did you complete the trial?"
The pair looked surprised.
Lucian nodded. "I fought my way through and kept advancing."
"Lucky you. The 30-day boss must've been a pushover," the chubby student said with a hint of envy.
Lucian merely chuckled, offering no further explanation.
"What void reward did you get?"
The skinny student's curiosity got the better of him, though he quickly realized his mistake. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine," Lucian replied nonchalantly, though he didn't answer.
Amid the lively chatter, time flew by.
Gradually, more students trickled into the classroom, bringing the total to over 30.
Eventually, Kenneth Smith looked up from his desk, surveying the room before speaking.
"Those who passed the Rookie Trial, stand up."
At his words, Lucian rose to his feet.
Five other students stood as well.
Six in total.
"Not bad. Six of you passed this year!" Kenneth Smith remarked, a rare trace of surprise in his tone.
In previous years, the success rate for the Rookie Trial had been abysmally low—less than one in ten thousand.
"You'll transfer to Class 20 of Year 3. The rest will continue as usual."
With that, Kenneth Smith stood and gestured for the six to follow him.
Lucian strode forward without hesitation, the others close behind.
Before long, Kenneth Smith led them to a large lecture hall in another building.
"From now on, this will be your classroom," he said.
"There will be one lecture a day. Check the school's online portal for the schedule, or manage on your own."
With those curt instructions, Kenneth Smith left.
"Man, Kenneth's a tough one," one student muttered, shaking his head.
The group entered the lecture hall and took their seats.
Over the next half hour, more students filed in. By the end, the room held over 200.
These were all the lords from Silvermoon High School who had successfully completed this year's Rookie Trial.