"So this is a teleportation array? I didn't expect humanity to have mastered this technology even a hundred thousand years later."

  Lance’s eyes shimmered as he looked at the gate.

  Buzz!

  In that heartbeat, a faint light flickered within his pupils. Instantly, the complex energy trajectories of the entire array manifested before his eyes. Seeing the dense, overlapping web of Source Essence flow, Lance couldn't help but marvel. Formations were clearly far more intricate than he had imagined.

  I was planning to pick up alchemy earlier; this might be the perfect opportunity. I remember them mentioning that Solaris Academy has specialized departments for Alchemy and Artificing.

  The thought intrigued him. Most students only applied to Solaris Academy after completing five years at their respective planetary preparatory academies. By then, their strength and fundamental understanding of the world were fully developed, allowing them to keep up with the Academy's brutal pace.

  Lance, however, had jumped straight from the Unified Exam to the first academy of the Solaris Sector. He was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. In the Academy’s history, almost no one had ever qualified before the age of twenty.

  A fifteen-year-old entering with a top-three rank was practically a joke—if it weren't a reality.

  "Stop gawking and move! It’s getting late," Corbin barked, cutting through the awe of the crowd.

  Without another word, he led his entourage into the shimmering center of the gate. Lance gave a faint smile and kicked off the ground, leaping into the gargantuan teleportation array. Selina followed close behind, and the rest of the candidates scrambled to catch up.

  Vroom!!!

  Space rippled around them. A brief, disorienting wave of vertigo washed over the group, and a heartbeat later, they found themselves standing in the center of a massive, open-air plaza.

  However, as the examinees opened their eyes, they gasped in shock. They weren't on a planet anymore—they were in a massive, floating pocket dimension.

  The sky above wasn't filled with the familiar constellations of the Milky Way. Instead, it was a turbulent, swirling vortex of spatial currents and raw energy. A massive, translucent guardian array enveloped the entire space, shielding the interior from the chaos outside.

  "This is a secret realm opened by a [Galactic Realm] powerhouse before their death," Corbin explained, a hint of pride in his voice as he noted the shock on their faces. "Humanity discovered it ages ago. After the Federation finished harvesting the original resources, our Solaris Emperor bought the remaining space. He then established Solaris Academy right here."

  A collective breath was sucked in. A secret realm from a [Galactic Realm] expert?

  A [Galactic Realm] warrior was a supreme being capable of erasing entire star systems with a wave of their hand. If such an entity ever appeared in human territory, it would be a disaster of mythical proportions. To think that such a being had died within the Milky Way...

  "Don't be too surprised. These types of pocket dimensions are actually fairly common across the Milky Way," Corbin added, his tone softening slightly. Since these youths had officially entered the Academy, his attitude was significantly more professional. "The human Federation controls thirty or forty intermediate systems that possess similar realms.

  "Unfortunately, most of these were constructed millions—if not billions—of years ago. Most of the artifacts have either been looted or have simply turned to dust over the eons. In the end, only the stabilized spatial dimensions remain."

  The candidates were stunned. Millions, billions of years? Humanity’s recorded history only spanned a hundred thousand years. Even the oldest of the other four great races only went back two million.

  How many civilizations had risen and fallen before them? Were there horrors in the ancient past that made the current Federation look like a child’s toy? No one knew. It would certainly explain the abundance of these high-tier spatial remnants.

  Interesting. Even a hundred thousand years later, humanity’s understanding of this universe is still in its infancy, Lance mused.

  Take the soul inside Selina, for example. Her power level is far beyond anything a human [Stellar Class] could achieve. Living on as a soul after physical destruction isn't something our race is capable of yet. I wonder if there really were [Star Sea Realm] or even [Universal Class] powerhouses ruling the Milky Way millions of years ago?

  Lance chuckled to himself. A [Galactic Realm] expert was already invincible within a galaxy. A [Star Sea Realm] powerhouse could likely control dozens of galaxies, and a [Universal Class] being? Their domain would be unimaginable.

  A tiny place like the Milky Way likely couldn't give birth to such a being naturally. They probably just hailed from here originally or died here in transit.

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  "Come on. I’ll walk you through the Academy rules," Corbin said as he touched down on the plaza floor.

  Buzz!

  A massive holographic projection of the Academy’s layout flickered into existence.

  "The Academy grounds span a hundred thousand kilometers in length, width, and height. It’s not exceptionally large, but it's more than enough for a population of a few tens of thousand people."

  Corbin pointed to the circular map, systematically highlighting the lecture halls, the dueling arenas, and several other key landmarks.

  "Sir, what about our accommodations?" one of the geniuses asked eagerly.

  Corbin gave a mysterious, knowing smirk.

  "Solaris Academy dormitories are divided into four tiers. Each tier provides a different concentration of Mana Energy.

  "The lowest tier—Tier 4—utilizes a Rank 5 [Mana Gathering Array]. As a result, the Mana Energy concentration is ten times higher than in the outside world. Theoretically, if your talent is high enough, your cultivation speed here will be ten times faster. Even if you're a slow learner, you’ll see at least a three-to-four-fold increase."

  A wave of gasps rippled through the group. Ten times the Mana concentration? Most of them had heard of such things, but even scions of wealthy families with [Great Grandmaster] elders usually only had access to fields with a seven-to-eight-fold increase.

  So it’s basically the 'Spirit Gathering Arrays' from the novels, Lance thought, his interest piqued. Teleportation arrays, spirit gathering arrays—it seemed his previous life's fiction was becoming his daily reality. It was a fascinating blend of high-tech and ancient cultivation.

  "As for the Tier 2 dorms," Corbin continued, "the Mana concentration is twenty times the standard. There are only two ways to secure one: either become the Chief Student of your grade, or fight your way through the [Tower of Trials] and clear at least the tenth floor!"

  "As for the [Tower of Trials], you'll learn more about that soon enough.

  "To enter the Tier 3 and Tier 4 dormitories, you must pass the corresponding trials in the tower. The requirements are significantly higher. Tier 3 dorms offer a forty-fold Mana concentration, while Tier 4 dorms reach a staggering hundred-fold.

  "It’s not just the dorms. Everything here—the lectures you attend, the [War Arts] and cultivation techniques you’re eligible for—all have tiered requirements.

  "The rule of thumb is simple: the stronger you are and the higher your talent, the better your treatment. One last thing—combat is strictly prohibited within the Academy grounds, unless you are inside a designated Dueling Arena."

  Corbin continued his lecture, giving the wide-eyed freshmen a crash course in the reality of life at Solaris Academy. Once he finished, he let out a long, weary sigh of relief.

  "Alright, that’s about it. You’re free to explore on your own now. My job is done.

  "Damn it... I have to hit [Grandmaster (Rank 2)] by next year. I don't know which idiot came up with the rule that the Year 1 Chief has to play babysitter for the new batch."

  Corbin’s blunt complaint left the group of geniuses speechless. It turned out the helpful "senior" wasn't acting out of the goodness of his heart; he was just fulfilling a mandatory requirement.

  "Wait, I almost forgot. Which one of you is Chase? I’ve established a club here at Solaris Academy. Are you interested in joining?" Corbin asked, looking back at the group.

  "What? Yes! Of course, I’d be honored!" Chase exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

  He knew that although Corbin was currently in Year 1, his potential was at the absolute peak of the Academy. Barring any accidents, Corbin would likely dominate their generation for the next century. An S+ Rank Genius was not someone to be taken lightly; Chase didn't hesitate for a second.

  "For the rest of you, if you want to join, come find me after you've officially settled in. Anyone who passed the entrance exam is eligible to apply, but don't bother if you don't have at least S-Rank talent and [Proficient] skill mastery. We only take elites."

  With his new disciple in tow, Corbin didn't waste any more time. He turned and began to lead his entourage away.

  "Lance, aren't you going to join their club?" Selina asked curiously, watching them leave.

  In her eyes, joining a small, elite society could provide a massive boost to one’s future growth and networking within the Federation.

  "Me? Nah," Lance said, his tone indifferent. "Those clubs just seem like a bunch of kids playing house."

  Lance genuinely had no interest. To him, these organizations were trivial distractions. He viewed his time at Solaris Academy as a transitional phase—a place to scavenge whatever high-tier resources and techniques he could before moving on to greater heights.

  The surrounding freshmen froze, horrified by his words. If an upperclassman heard that, Lance would be in for a world of pain. At Solaris Academy, many top-tier geniuses founded clubs to build their own power bases for life after graduation. In fact, many Speakers who ruled hundreds of planets drew their primary officers from the members of their old Academy clubs.

  "Brat... did you just say our clubs are 'playing house'?"

  An icy voice drifted over.

  The freshmen jumped in fright. Corbin and his group, who had been halfway across the plaza, had come to a dead stop. They turned back, their expressions darkening as they strode toward Lance.

  "Yeah, I said it," Lance replied with a light smile, completely unfazed by the aggressive group. "It’s just a personal opinion, though. No need to take it so personally."

  The other freshmen turned pale. Lance’s response was essentially: I did insult you, and if you think it applies to you, that’s your problem.

  Coming from a supreme powerhouse, it would be a statement of fact. But coming from a freshman? It was the height of arrogance.

  "Good. Very good," one of Corbin’s followers sneered, stepping forward. "It’s been a long time since I’ve met a junior this cocky. I like your spirit, kid. But to make sure someone else doesn't break you later, I think I’ll teach you a lesson today. I'll make sure you remember that this is Solaris Academy!"

  The student didn't wait for Corbin to speak. He tapped a command on his [Wrist Communicator].

  [System Alert: Initiating Local Combat Arena!!]

  Buzz!!!

  In an instant, a massive, translucent energy barrier erupted, sealing off a several-kilometer radius of the plaza. The shield locked together over their heads, creating an isolated dueling space that separated them from the rest of the campus.

  Lance looked at the barrier and chuckled. These "geniuses" really did have fragile egos. All he did was call their little games "playing house" and they were already frothing at the mouth. It seemed pride and talent often went hand-in-hand.

  "So, you're the one who wants to fight me?" Lance asked, his gaze sweeping over the group. "But you seem a bit weak. Tell you what—why don't you all just attack me at once?

  "Since you guys love playing house together anyway, it only seems fair."

  System Notification: A massive stockpile has been detected!

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