Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Meeting in Suite 4701

Celestia finished her initial suite exploration in fifteen minutes. Then she immediately headed toward the Tower of Stars.

The towers were in the same cultivation zone complex, connected by spatial bridges that shortened the actual distance. What would have been kilometers became a five-minute walk.

She arrived at Tower of Stars’ lobby, drawing immediate attention.

Several candidates were socializing in the seating areas—all from stellar-attribute backgrounds. They recognized her instantly.

“That’s her,” someone whispered. “The one who sent Goldenshield flying.”

“Don’t stare. Don’t make eye contact.”

Celestia ignored them completely, stepping into the spatial elevator and thinking Floor 4701.

She emerged in Runar’s corridor and walked to his suite. The door recognized her presence—Runar had obviously added her to the authorization list already.

She entered.

Runar was standing by the illusory windows, examining the tower’s formation arrays with his Runic Omniscient Eyes. He turned as she entered, a warm smile appearing.

“Your suite acceptable?” he asked.

“Same as yours, different aesthetic,” Celestia said, walking over to him and hugged him from behind. “Lunar instead of stellar. Useful for minor Law comprehension, but not critical for us.”

“Same conclusion I reached,” Runar agreed. “The +300% boost is negligible compared to HDCM, and we’ve already mastered the major Laws. But the minor variants might be worth exploring.”

He gestured to the living area. “Want to discuss strategy?”

They settled onto the large sofa together—Celestia leaning against Runar comfortably, his arm around her shoulders. After sixteen years together in the Pocket Universe, this closeness was natural as breathing.

“So,” Runar began, “thoughts on the other candidates?”

Celestia considered. “Mixed bag. A few genuinely strong, most just talented with good bloodlines. None approaching our level.”

“I agree too,” Runar said. “The bloodline factor is interesting. Khan Storm, i can roughly sense 23% Lightning Law at age 18. Impressive normally, but his bloodline did most of the work. Natural talent without deep understanding.”

“Yuki Frostwhisper,” Celestia added. “42% Ice Law, highest single-Law mastery among them. She felt… genuine. Not scheming, just cultivating sincerely. I might talk to her later.”

“The dangerous ones aren’t the strong ones,” Runar noted. “It’s the manipulators. Lyra Moon—I could see her calculating even as she approached. She’s planning long-term schemes.”

“And Zara Voidwalker,” Celestia said. “Assassin training. She’s smart enough to recognize danger and avoid it. That makes her less threatening than someone like Khan who might challenge us stupidly.”

They discussed each candidate systematically, analyzing strengths, weaknesses, potential problems.

“Marcus Sunfire seems straightforward,” Runar observed. “Just wants to fight strong opponents. No politics, no schemes. Almost refreshing.”

“Thane Ironfist too,” Celestia agreed. “Honest, respectful. He didn’t try to approach me like the others. Just watched, assessed, and minded his own business.”

“Those two might be worth befriending,” Runar suggested. “Genuine people are rare in cultivation circles.”

“Agreed.”

They moved on to strategic planning.

“Original plan was keeping a low profile,” Runar said with a slight smile. “That failed spectacularly when you sent Darius through a wall.”

Celestia didn’t look apologetic. “He touched me without permission. I was restrained—could have killed him.”

“I’m not criticizing,” Runar assured her. “He deserved it. But now everyone knows we’re dangerous. Low profile isn’t an option anymore.”

“New plan?” Celestia asked.

“Modified approach,” Runar said. “We don’t hide our strength, but we don’t flaunt it either. We’re strong enough that people respect us, but not so overwhelming that they either worship or fear us excessively. Middle ground.”

“Show enough to deter challenges, but not enough to reveal true depth,” Celestia summarized.

“Exactly.”

They discussed the upcoming seven-day journey.

“Meridian mentioned a mandatory orientation meeting at 22:00,” Runar noted. “We’ll learn more about the journey schedule then. But from what Korvan said earlier, this trip isn’t just transport—it’s a test.”

“The ship is a warship,” Celestia agreed. “Fully armed, combat-ready. They wouldn’t need that just for transport. Something’s planned.”

“Probably combat scenarios,” Runar guessed. “Maybe simulated invasions, something to test candidates under pressure.”

“Good,” Celestia said. “I could use real combat experience against proper opponents.”

Runar laughed. “Sixteen years of sparring with me isn’t enough?”

“You hold back too much,” Celestia accused playfully. “You’re always worried about hurting me.”

“Because I love you,” Runar said simply. “I can’t help being protective.”

Celestia turned to face him fully, silver-blue eyes meeting his starlight gaze. “I love you too. But I’m not fragile. My physique is Primordial-grade. I can handle myself.”

“I know,” Runar said softly. “Doesn’t stop me worrying.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, simply enjoying each other’s presence.

They discussed other topics: the academy itself, what they might face there, their cultivation plans.

“I’m going to use the suite’s resources to reach Stage 17 tonight,” Runar said. “Six hours in the meditation chamber should do it.”

“I’ll aim for Stage 451,” Celestia said. “Eight hours for me.”

“We could use the time dilation,” Runar noted. “Ten hours inside the chamber is one hour outside. We could both cultivate overnight and still attend the orientation meeting.”

“Good plan.”

They sat together a while longer, simply enjoying the quiet companionship. After years together, they didn’t always need words.

Eventually, Celestia stood. “I should head back to my suite, gather some cultivation resources, then return here for the night.”

Runar raised an eyebrow. “Return here?”

Celestia gave him a look. “We’ve slept in the same bed for sixteen years. I’m not stopping now just because we have separate suites.”

Runar smiled. “Fair point. I’ll prepare the meditation chamber for dual cultivation.”

“Not dual cultivation,” Celestia embarrassed and corrected. “We’re just cultivating in the same space. Dual cultivation has… different connotations.”

“Right,” Runar said, slightly embarrassed. “Poor word choice.”

Celestia laughed—a rare sound she only made around him. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

She left through the door, and Runar began preparations.

Orientation Meeting – 22:00 Ship-Time

The candidates gathered in a massive assembly hall—different from the reception hall, this one was clearly designed for formal military briefings.

The hall could accommodate thousands, but currently held only forty-eight candidates (forty-nine if Darius hadn’t still been in medical bay recovering from Celestia’s hand-flick).

Vice-Captain Meridian stood on a raised platform at the front, flanked by two Neutron Star realm officers. Behind them, a massive holographic display showed the Absolute Infinity’s route through space.

“Candidates, attention,” Meridian’s voice cut through the murmuring conversations. Instantly, everyone fell silent.

“You are here because you represent the top 0.0001% of your generation across this galactic cluster. Each of you has been selected by Gaia’s algorithms as having potential to reach Universal Realm or beyond.”

She let that sink in. Universal Realm—the level of the Eight Supremes. The highest known cultivation level in the Federation.

“Prime Origin Academy accepts ten thousand candidates per year from across the entire Federation. You forty-nine represent your cluster’s allocation. Other clusters are also sending candidates. In total, this ship is transporting 2,473 candidates from various sectors.”

Runar and Celestia exchanged glances. They’d known there were other candidates, but 2,473 was significant.

“The journey to Earth-Prime takes seven days,” Meridian continued. “During this time, you are not passengers—you are probationary recruits. You will be tested, evaluated, and ranked. Your performance during this journey will determine your initial placement at the academy.”

The holographic display shifted, showing different sections of the ship.

“You will participate in three major evaluations:”

Evaluation 1 – Combat Assessment: “On Day 3, this ship will pass through the Crimson Nebula sector—a region controlled by various pirate organizations. We will deliberately broadcast our presence and use illusion laws to change the appearance and powers of the ship. Pirates will attack. This is not a drill—they will try to board and capture this ship. Your job is to defend assigned sections. Performance will be measured by kills, territory defended, and tactical decisions.”

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