Chapter 85: Chapter 85 : Battle With Instructor and Assasinations

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Celestia used the opportunity to attack from the left. Heaven Piercer extended to impossible length, the spear thrust powered by Void Law that created emptiness in its path. Time Law accelerated the attack beyond normal speed. Space Law made the spear appear in multiple positions simultaneously.

Verra blocked with perfect timing. Her spear met Celestia’s at exactly the right angle to deflect rather than absorb the force.

Runar moved and attacked from the right. His katana cut through space itself, the blade existing in multiple dimensions at once thanks to his five-Law fusion. Solar Law added searing heat. Lunar Law added freezing cold. The contradiction should have destroyed the weapon, but his perfect fusion made it stable.

Verra twisted, dodging the katana by millimeters. Her spear lashed out in a counterattack that moved faster than thought.

Runar and Celestia both activated Time Law simultaneously. The world slowed around them—not actually slowing, but their perception accelerating to the point where even light-speed movements became trackable.

They saw Verra’s spear coming. Saw the trajectory, the force, the follow-up attacks she had planned for three moves ahead.

Runar parried with his katana. The clash created another shockwave.

Celestia struck from behind. Her spear aimed for Verra’s blind spot, enhanced with all five of her Laws working in perfect fusion.

Verra spun impossibly fast. Blocked Celestia’s attack while simultaneously kicking at Runar.

The kick carried Black Hole realm physical strength. Even limited to Law techniques, Verra’s body had been refined through centuries of cultivation. The impact would have pulverized a normal Satellite Orbit cultivator.

Runar used Space Law to create distance. Appeared ten meters away in a microsecond.

Celestia disengaged as well, Heaven Piercer retracting to normal length.

The three fighters paused, standing in a triangle formation across the training ground. All of them breathing slightly harder. None of them injured.

“Not bad,” Verra said. “You both have excellent combat instincts for your age. If I wasn’t a Blackhole realm expert I wouldn’t have survived.” and thought to herself ’Where did Gaia find these pair of monsters.’

“You’re holding back more than we are,” Runar observed.

“Of course I am. I’m using about twenty percent of my total capability. You two are probably using thirty percent.” Verra smiled. “But the goal was battle experience, not actually trying to kill each other.”

She dismissed her spear. The weapon vanished into her spatial storage.

“That’s enough for today. You both passed the combat assessment. Classes will continue with advanced Law applications, but we’ll also spar regularly. It’s the best way to develop your fighting skills.”

Runar dismissed his katana. Celestia retracted Heaven Piercer completely.

The other students were staring at them with expressions ranging from awe to disbelief.

“That was incredible,” Marcus said. “I couldn’t see anything after the first exchange.”

“You’ll get there eventually,” Verra told him. “Law mastery allows for that kind of speed. Keep training.”

She turned back to Runar and Celestia. “Class dismissed for today. Next session is Law Theory with Instructor Mordain. Building Eight, second floor.”

Law Theory was worse.

Instructor Mordain was a Black Hole realm cultivator who specialized in theoretical Law research. He spent the first thirty minutes of class explaining the fundamental difference between Laws and Rules.

Runar already knew this. The lecture was accurate.

Mordain moved on to discussing Law percentages and what each threshold represented.

“At ten percent comprehension, you begin to sense Law fluctuations and establish a minor domain. At thirty percent, you can actively manipulate the Law. At fifty percent, you can inscribe it into techniques. At seventy percent, you can manifest a complete Law domains. At ninety percent, the Law becomes an extension of yourself. At one hundred percent, you embody the Law completely.”

Runar sat in the back and tried not to fall asleep.

Celestia had her eyes closed. Meditating instead of listening.

The lecture continued for two hours. Mordain was thorough, detailed, and completely redundant for anyone who’d already achieved perfect Law mastery.

When class finally ended, Runar walked out feeling like he’d wasted time.

“That was informative,” Marcus said, catching up with them in the hallway. “I didn’t know that the domain I was using was a minor one.”

“It’s accurate,” Celestia said.

“You’ve manifested domains?”

Marcus shook his head. “of course you have, you two are something else.”

Afternoon was free cultivation time. Runar went back to his suite and sat in the main room.

This wasn’t working.

The academy was set up for geniuses who were still learning. The combat class with Verra was useful—actual sparring against a Black Hole realm opponent provided good experience. But the theory classes were useless.

He needed resources more than lectures.

Soul treasures specifically. The original body was still tempering in the Comprehension Space, working through millions of cutting cycles, but progress would accelerate significantly with better resources.

Runar stood up and spoke clearly to the empty room: “Gaia.”

The air shimmered. A holographic projection appeared—a woman’s form made of light, features refined and perfect. She was like the definition of beauty,

I guess even a female ai cares about her looks

“Runar Cross,” Gaia said. “I was wondering when you would call.”

“The Apex Class isn’t suitable for me.”

“I know.”

“Then why put me there?”

Gaia’s projection smiled slightly. “Because the class above Apex Class gets their students killed.”

Runar sat down. “Explain.”

“There is a tier above Apex,” Gaia said. “We don’t advertise it publicly. Students who demonstrate abilities far beyond their peers—true prodigies who could reach Supreme realm eventually—get moved into this hidden tier. They receive personal instruction from the Eight Supremes themselves. Resources beyond what even Apex Class can access.”

“Sounds good.”

“It would be, except those students also get assassinated regularly.”

“By who?”

“Enemy factions. Rival species. Criminal organizations. Anyone who doesn’t want humanity producing more Supreme-level cultivators.” Gaia’s expression remained neutral. “The hidden tier students stand out too much. They’re obvious targets. Whenever they leave the academy for missions or adventures, assassination attempts happen. Seventeen students have been attacked in these past 2 million years.”

“How many survived?”

“Fifteen. The Eight Supremes can resurrect people if they act quickly enough—even if the soul is fragmented and barely intact, even if the body has been completely destroyed, they can be resurrected if they intervene within the critical window. But two of those seventeen had their souls disintegrated beyond repair before the Supremes could reach them. We lost 2 supreme candidates.”

Runar understood. “So you changed strategy.”

“Yes. We now mix the real prodigies into regular classes. They blend in with talented but normal students. Receive standard instruction publicly. But privately, they get lessons from the Supremes themselves.”

“And I’m one of these hidden prodigies.”

“You and Celestia both. Your combat assessment performance made it obvious.” Gaia tilted her head. “The Supremes have been watching your recordings. They’re quite interested.”

“When do I get these private lessons?”

“Soon. The Supremes rotate instruction duties. Each one takes students for a month-long intensive training period. Your turn will come within the next few weeks.”

Better than sitting through basic Law Theory lectures.

“What should I do until then?”

“Attend regular classes to maintain appearances. Take missions to earn contribution points. Train with Celestia. Act like a normal Apex Class student.” Gaia’s projection moved closer. “The enemy factions have informants everywhere. If you stand out too much, the assassination attempts will start. We’ve kept you relatively hidden so far. Let’s keep it that way.”

“What about the other hidden prodigies? Are there any in Apex Class with me?”

“Not in your specific year. There are hidden prodigies in the second, third, and fourth-year Apex Classes. Each year has their own separate Apex Class section. I won’t tell you who the other prodigies are. Better that way.”

Made sense.

“One more thing,” Runar said. “I need soul cultivation resources. Primordial grade or higher if possible. My original body is still tempering and needs materials to accelerate the process.”

Gaia was quiet for a moment. “Oh so this isn’t your original body. I guessed so, one of the Supremes told me the soul inside your body isn’t complete around 4-6%. Soul treasures at Primordial grade and above are extremely rare in the universe. Most have already been claimed by major factions or are locked in dangerous secret realms. I can provide Supreme-grade soul items regularly. Primordial-grade items I can deliver occasionally, but the quantity will be limited.”

“How limited?”

“Perhaps five to ten Primordial-grade soul treasures per month. More than that would draw attention from other factions who monitor resource movements.”

Five to ten per month wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing.

“I’ll take whatever you can provide,” Runar said.

“I’ll have the first batch delivered to your suite by tonight. Supreme-grade items will come weekly. Primordial-grade items will arrive when I can source them discreetly.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And Runar? Try to act at least a little bit like a normal student. You’re making the instructors nervous.”

The projection disappeared.

Runar sat in the quiet suite and thought about what he’d just learned. Hidden tier students. Supreme-level instruction. Assassination attempts targeting prodigies.

The door to Celestia’s suite opened. She walked in without knocking.

“I heard Gaia’s voice,” Celestia said. “What did she say?”

Runar explained everything. The hidden tier, the assassination risk, the private Supreme lessons coming soon, the soul treasures Gaia would provide.

Celestia listened quietly, then nodded. “So we attend normal classes but don’t reveal full strength.”

“Right. The sparring with Verra is fine—she already knows we’re strong. But in other classes, we hold back more.”

“Make it look like we’re trying.”

“Exactly.”

Celestia sat down beside him. “How long until your original body finishes soul tempering?”

Runar checked the soul connection. The original was in the Comprehension Space, working through the cycles. With the soul treasures Gaia would provide, the process would accelerate.

“Maybe another month external time. Two hundred years subjective in the Comprehension Space. After that, the soul should be strong enough for the third soul bomb metamorphosis.”

“Black Hole to Quasar realm.”

“Yeah.”

“Then you can reabsorb me and use the original body again.”

Runar nodded. The clone body was useful, but the real Rule-fused body was waiting.

One more month.

“Want to check the mission board?” Celestia asked. “Might as well earn contribution points while we wait for Supreme lessons.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

They left Building Seventeen and headed toward the Mission Hall.

Time to act like normal students.

For now.

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