Once a year, three months after every awakening ceremony, the Academy Entrance Exams are held across the continents.

  These exams are more than just a test—they’re a gateway. Designed to measure an awakener’s potential, skill mastery, and combat instincts, the exams determine who is worthy of entering the academies, the institutions that shape raw talent into true power.

  Academies are where awakeners receive elite training, mentorship, and access to rare resources that few could ever dream of acquiring on their own. They teach not only combat and survival but also mana control, skill optimization, and dungeon strategy that separates elite from masses.

  The most prestigious among them are the Top 10 Academies, revered for producing heroes and guild leaders who stand at the peak of power. Gaining admission into one of these academies means stepping onto a path that can change a person’s fate.

  For Ciel, whose unique class gave him both incredible potential and an uncertain path, aiming for anything less than the top ten would be wasting the gift he’d been given.

  The smell of freshly baked bread and lightly spiced tea filled the kitchen, mingling with the golden sunlight streaming through the windows. Ciel made his way downstairs, stretching his arms as the faint ache from yesterday’s dungeon run reminded him of his progress.

  Eve turned from the counter with a soft smile. “Did you rest well after yesterday’s fight?”

  Ciel slid into his seat at the table. “Yeah. Slept like a rock.”

  Eren leaned on the table, smirking. “You should’ve seen him, Mom. Out cold before dinner. I thought he’d fought ten dungeons back-to-back.”

  Ciel rolled his eyes. “I just pushed harder than usual.”

  Arthur set down his cup of tea, his sharp gaze falling on Ciel. “You need to prepare for the Academy Entrance Exams. They begin on April 1st.”

  Ciel blinked. “Academy exams? Already?”

  Arthur’s tone was calm but firm. “With your talent and class, you shouldn’t aim for just any academy—you should aim for one of the top ten. They’ll provide you with the guidance and resources to bring out your true potential.”

  Eren tilted his head. “Top ten? Isn’t that pushing it a bit?”

  Arthur smiled faintly. “For most, yes. But not for your brother. If Ciel continues at this pace, he’ll qualify easily. And…” He leaned forward slightly, his tone turning serious. “You should also aim to reach your Second Awakening before the exams.”

  Ciel froze mid-bite. “Second Awakening… before April?”

  Arthur nodded. “It won’t be easy. Your class has immense potential, but its growth curve is slower. To stand out in the exams, you need more than just levels—you need powerful skills.”

  “What do you mean?” Ciel asked.

  Arthur placed his cup aside and tapped the table thoughtfully. “Every skill has tiers. Each level up brings quantitative transformation, But once a skill reaches level 10, the next level-up pushes it into the next tier, and every tier brings a qualitative transformation in how that skill performs.” He raised his hand, as if recalling old battles. “Take my skill, Quick Slash, for example. When it was at Beginner tier, I could only slice through lighter materials like leather, wood etc. But now, at Advanced tier which is the 4th tier, it can cut through very hard materials like diamond or alloy armors as easily as cutting through butter.”

  Eren’s eyes widened. “Seriously?!”

  Arthur chuckled softly. “That’s the power of skill tier upgrades. For you, Ciel, hitting Novice tier which is next tier of beginner on your core skills before grinding dungeons will make all the difference. Your class will truly start to shine once your skills start to evolve.”

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  Ciel nodded slowly, determination firming in his eyes. “So, my goal is to get my main skills to level 10 and get them to novice tier before focusing on dungeon clears and levelling up.”

  Arthur smiled. “Exactly. Use your resources wisely. The mana stones you have will allow you to train far longer than most awakeners could dream of.”

  Eve set down a plate of eggs in front of Ciel, her expression warm but tinged with concern. “Just don’t push yourself too hard, Ciel. Your strength won’t mean anything if you collapse before the exams.”

  Ciel gave a faint grin. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll pace myself.”

  Later, Ciel appeared within his realm. The air was richer, heavy with mana, and the World Tree had grown to nearly sixty centimeters, its leaves glowing faintly with vitality. The mana wells pulsed steadily nearby, a reminder of his growing power.

  He stretched his hand forward, summoning the familiar Realm Management Window.

  [Realm Resources]

  Mana: 970

  World Power (WP): 241

  [Construct Options]

  Mana Well – Generates 100 mana/day. (Built: 2/5). Cost: 200 WP.

  Monument of Life – Recovers 0.1% HP & MP every second for allied beings. Cost: 200 WP.

  Monument of Protection – Forms a barrier of 10,000 durability around core structures, repairable with mana. Cost: 300 WP.

  Monument of Training – Increases skill growth speed by 10%. Cost: 250 WP.

  Ciel’s eyes lingered on the list. “Let’s see what I can build after the mana wells…”

  The Monument of Life caught his attention first. “0.1% HP and MP every second… Good, but I can already recover MP using mana stones. Not my priority right now.”

  He switched to the Monument of Protection. “A barrier with 10,000 durability… That’ll be useful to protect the World Tree later. But not urgent.”

  Finally, his gaze settled on the Monument of Training. “A flat 10% boost to skill growth… This is exactly what I need.”

  A sharp chime rang in his mind.

  [Unique Skill: Time Flow has leveled up! Current Level: Beginner Lv. 2]

  Ciel’s eyes widened. “Time Flow… leveled up?” He quickly checked its details.

  [Unique Skill: Time Flow (Beginner Lv. 2)]

  - Controls time flow inside the Realm.

  - Current Ratio: 1 hour outside = 3 hours inside.

  - Cost: 1 WP per hour beyond 1:1.

  “Three hours inside for every one hour outside? That’s insane…” He paused, thinking. “How far can this go if I keep leveling it?”

  Ciel adjusted the setting, shifting the ratio to 1:3. The realm shimmered faintly, like time itself had bent. He pulled up the realm management window to see the changes level up in time flow bought.

  [World Tree Output]

  - Original: 25 WP/day

  - With Time Flow (1:3): 75 WP/day

  [Time Flow Cost]

  - 2 WP/hour = 48 WP/day

  [Net Gain]

  - 75 - 48 = 27 WP/day

  [Mana Wells Output]

  - Original: 150 mana/day

  - With Time Flow (1:3): 450 mana/day

  Ciel let out a slow breath, still stunned. “Even with the cost, I’m still making more than before, mana production is tripled now. This… this is incredible. I can train three times faster than anyone else now and it will only keep increasing from here on.”

  His gaze settled on the World Tree, its leaves glowing faintly as if acknowledging his resolve.

  “I will have a lot more time than others… Novice tier will just be the beginning.”