"Alright, enough with the talk." The instructor's voice boomed across the lecture hall, sharp and authoritative. He tapped his wrist device, and a massive holographic projector lit up the front of the room. A sprawling diagram of glowing orbs connected by shimmering threads materialized, slowly rotating above the podium like a miniature galaxy.
The classroom was packed. Nearly two hundred first-year students filled the tiered seats, their uniforms a mix of deep crimson and gold. Some leaned forward eagerly, while others slouched, still recovering from the morning's excitement. A few glanced curiously at the two latecomers — Helix and the Shadow — who had just slipped into seats near the middle row.
"You are all already familiar with the world's history and the fundamentals," the instructor continued, "so we will begin directly with Traits." He gestured toward the rotating orbs. "Every Core manifests a Trait. Most of you received yours during the Awakening Ceremony. For those who didn't attend or still have questions, my office door is open after class."
He zoomed in on one orb that pulsed with emerald light. "Traits are the unique expression of your potential. One Core might grant accelerated regeneration. Another could manipulate shadows, summon flames, or even alter probability in small ways. There is no fixed limit. Cores have existed since the birth of life itself, which is precisely why we still don't fully understand them. Knowledge is boundless — even if you studied for ten thousand years, you would only scratch the surface."
A boy in the back row raised his hand. "But sir, what about the Gods of Knowledge? The stories say they know everything."
The instructor chuckled lightly. "The God of Knowledge is not omniscient. Think of them as extremely old scholars. They have simply accumulated far more information than others of their era. They are not gods in the mythical sense — they are simply… ahead. Like a scientist among primitives."
The boy pressed on. "Then are we all just… lower?"
"Not at all," the man replied, his tone growing more serious. "Imagine a scientist from our world fleeing into a stone-age tribe and revealing basic medicine, agriculture, or electricity. To that tribe, he would seem like a god. The same knowledge we consider ordinary would be divine revelation to them. Anyone can become a 'god' under the right conditions. But ascending to a true God… that is an entirely different threshold."
Helix, who had been quietly listening while scanning the classroom, spoke up for the first time. His voice was calm but carried clear curiosity. "So… are there actual recorded instances of such beings?"
The entire hall seemed to quiet down a notch. Several students turned to look at the newcomer with the strange aura. The instructor's eyes gleamed with interest as he met Helix's gaze.
"That, young man, is a question even the Academy cannot answer definitively." He smiled. "Over countless eras, we have deliberately chosen a different path — one that follows the world's own rules rather than blindly defying them. Science seeks the fundamental laws. Magic commands the elements. Cultivation allows us to glimpse possible futures. Every discipline is ultimately an attempt to understand the universe's objective truth."
He swiped across the holographic display. Ancient religious symbols — crosses, crescents, mandalas, and forgotten runes — appeared before shattering like glass. "Before the Apocalypse, humanity prayed to these beings and fractured into countless factions. Without a common enemy, we turned on each other. The Apocalypse was both the greatest curse and the greatest blessing we ever received. It forced us to abandon those divisive delusions and stand united as one race."
The screen transitioned again, showing intricate diagrams of cultivation realms stacked like a towering pagoda. At the very top, the structure blurred into uncertainty.
"Cultivation contains countless stages. Many of you will spend years — perhaps decades — climbing them. Yet no matter how strong you become, cultivation alone cannot bring true supremacy. We are borrowing the world's laws. We cannot use those same laws to completely defy the world itself. That is why the Sun Martial Academy exists. Every manual, every technique, and every method you will learn here has been rigorously tested — not by a single powerhouse, but by research facilities with thousands of subjects. Side effects, compatibility issues, breakthrough risks… everything was recorded and refined before approval. Without this process, humanity would have collapsed long ago."
The instructor paused, letting the weight of his words settle. A low murmur spread through the hall. Some students looked inspired, while others seemed slightly overwhelmed.
Helix stared at the glowing diagrams, his mind racing. Borrowing the world's laws… His own Diverger physiology felt different somehow — like it didn't fully obey the same rules everyone else followed. The words "Under Observation" and "Unknown Skills" on his newly issued ID card suddenly felt heavier.
The Shadow leaned slightly toward him and whispered, "Told you it gets intense. Pay attention. This part actually matters."
The instructor clapped his hands once, the sound echoing through the hall. "Now then… who wants to demonstrate their Trait for the class?"
To be Continued -->