King-Chapter 1091 - 160: Cruel Selection

The Continent’s situation had stabilized, and the Mountain Domain, now on the right track, ran smoothly by itself, leaving Hudson, having nothing urgent to attend to, cooped up at home all day long to spend time with his wife, children, and lover.

If one set aside achievements in his career, becoming engrossed in enjoying life at the tender age of over twenty, he was a textbook example of someone who "lacked ambition."

On the contrary, the reality was different; the Hudson who stayed at home had become the epitome of a good husband. Frankly speaking, the Aslante Continent’s standards for a good husband were really low.

Anyway, Hudson dared not claim this title; having lovers in his own house, he had nothing to do with being a good husband.

In this regard, Hudson had to thank his father-in-law, whose promiscuous lifestyle influenced Melissa’s views, resulting in his own comfortable life now.

Out of gratitude to Count Orlan, Hudson had specially ordered a batch of potions to restore a man’s vitality and sent them over, sparing the old man from exerting himself beyond his capacities.

Reality had perfectly validated the saying, "When the world is ill, and you alone are normal, it must be you who is ill!"

The Soldier Training Academy was already established, and several undeveloped mountain peaks near the Black Stone Mountain Range had become the site of the academy.

The school buildings and teaching blocks were all constructed by the students themselves. It wasn’t that Hudson wanted to save money, but teenagers of this age were already part of the workforce in their homes.

The children of nobles found it a bit challenging, but with supervision from the instructors, they managed to complete the tasks successfully.

Complaining or being tired was futile; since its establishment, the academy adopted a completely enclosed, militarized management.

Rioting? A beating would do. From the moment they stepped through the gates, they were members of the reserve forces.

Here, everyone’s identity was that of a student, and personal records were all sealed; regardless of their backgrounds, they received the same education.

Academic courses: literacy and reading, loyalty to the Lord; martial courses: foundational knight training.

In the initial phases, the training for knights and warriors was the same, all focusing on physical conditioning. Only when their physical strength reached a certain stage could they advance to the next level of training.

Whether their future path would be that of a knight or a warrior wholly depended on their performance in the academy.

Talent was an important factor affecting their future development but not the only factor.

In theory, students with low-quality talent could still access "Life Essence" and become a knight if they worked hard enough.

On the Aslante Continent, most noble children stepped into the realm of knights at the ages of fifteen or sixteen, after which point their paths diverged.

Those with genius talents quickly distanced themselves from their peers, entering a period of rapid personal strength growth over the following decades.

Everyone awakened their Seed of Life at this age, not because of any delay in basic training, but because natural growth in their bodies didn’t keep up.

If physical development lagged, awakening the Seed of Life too early would affect their potential for future development. If it awakened too late, they would waste the period of rapid strength growth.

After countless years of exploration, it was concluded: the optimal age to awaken the Seed of Life was fifteen or sixteen.

For many in the academy, they had actually missed the optimal period of awakening, but this was of little importance.

It wasn’t about mass-producing strongmen; the upper limit of personal potential did not affect their ability to become an excellent soldier.

Today was a special day, as the first round of assessments since the entry of students was about to begin, also marking the start of the elimination round.

It couldn’t be said that becoming a dragon or a worm depended on this wave alone, but those who were eliminated in the first round were essentially confined to the lower echelons in their future lives.

To underscore its significance, Master Hudson, as principal of the academy, personally presided over the assessment.

Since the focus was different, the assessment and elimination criteria between the Magic and Martial academies were entirely different.

The Knight Academy, nominally in the business of training soldiers, was actually training junior officers, with an emphasis on "strictness."

Academic and martial courses accounted for 20% and 80% of the grades respectively, with the bottom 10% being eliminated by the cumulative grade.

The Magic Academy was different; there were no fixed elimination quotas. As long as one could become a magic civilian worker, they could stay and continue their studies.

According to Hudson, some of the top students in potion-making at the Magic Academy could now concoct simple potions.

After a few more months of training, they would qualify as magic apprentices, contributing to the potion business of the domain.

Even if they lacked a talent for potion-making, as long as their practice speed met the standards, they too could continue their education.

It was evident that everyone had put in great effort. Following the first round of assessments, only three people from the Magic Academy were eliminated.

The Knight Academy was far more ruthless; regardless of how hard they worked regularly, 10% of the students would leave.

For the multitude of students entering the academy, this place was where their destinies could change.

Having stepped out of their original circles and seen different horizons, who would willingly depart in such a subdued manner?

For over 99% of the students, this was their only opportunity. Even for noble children, once eliminated here, it was tough to get a second chance in the future.

The world was pragmatic; no one would invest limited resources in the defeated. Unless all those ahead of them in succession died, they could forget about receiving resources from their families again.

Bluntly put, this assessment wasn’t fair. Everyone’s family backgrounds differed, and thus their foundations differed. Enrolling together didn’t mean they were all on the same starting line.

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