Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Top Fifteen Academies

Vice Principal Dubois’s office was smaller than Kael expected.

The twelve students stood in a loose semicircle before her desk, the space tight enough that shoulders nearly touched. Bookshelves lined every wall, stuffed with files and folders rather than books. A single window behind Dubois offered a view of Orion’s triple sunset—three suns dipping below the horizon in staggered sequence, painting the sky in shades of amber, crimson, and deep violet.

"Here." She slid a thin folder across the desk. Karacus picked it up, opened it, and passed it to Kael, who stood at the center of the semicircle.

Fifteen names. Fifteen academies.

1. Empyrean Celestial Academy

2. Heaven’s Gate Academy

3. Astral Zenith Academy

4. Imperial Academy

5. Scorched Earth Institute

6. Neon Abyss Academy

7. Obsidian Edge Academy

8. The Iron Nexus Academy

9. Sylvan Star Academy

10. The Axis Mundi

11. New Dawn Academy

12. Blood Moon Academy

13. Primal Heart Academy

14. Therion War College

15. Aether Institute 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Kael scanned the list twice, memorizing each name. Beside him, he felt Cassian lean slightly closer—reading over his shoulder with zero shame.

"This tournament will definitely have a knockout round first." Dubois’s voice cut through the silence. "For the arrogant ones among you—I don’t give a fuck about your pride. If that pride can bring first place to Heaven’s Gate Academy, use it. But I will not tolerate anyone not listening to your captain."

Her eyes swept across the twelve faces.

"As for your vice captain—I would have picked Isabella, but we can’t have two Vorns leading the team." A pause. "Therefore, your vice captain is Karacus Drakemore. Listen to them both."

The dragon-kin’s expression didn’t change.

"You can all leave." Dubois’s gaze settled on Kael and Karacus. "Except the captain and vice captain. You two stay behind."

The door clicked shut behind the departing ten.

Silence.

Dubois leaned back in her chair, studying them both with those unreadable eyes.

"Karacus Drakemore." Her tone shifted. "Your performance on monthly missions has been excellent. Especially your missions in the IGF warzones."

Kael’s eyebrow rose. Warzones?

"I chose you not just because of your exceptional battle prowess," Dubois continued, "but because you are certainly the strongest in the group. Every display of power from you is what separates a good team from a dominant one. When enemies see you, they should feel despair before the fight even begins. That is the value of a dragon."

Karacus said nothing. Just nodded once.

Dubois turned her attention to Kael. Her hand reached down, opening a file on her desk—his file, he realized, stacked thick with pages that shouldn’t exist.

"Kael." She flipped a page. "Your exceptional performance with the Guardians." Another page. "Your combat record against enemies two, sometimes three or more ranks above your own." Another. "Your technique versatility, your adaptation speed, your ability to lead teams in high-stress environments."

She looked up.

"Your sister recommended you. So did Cassian Vale. So did Instructor Victor, Master Finnick, and three other teachers who submitted reports without being asked." She closed the file. "That kind of consensus is really something, isn’t it. Don’t let it collapse under pressure."

Kael held her gaze. "I won’t."

"We’ll see." She waved her hand. "Dismissed."

The hallway stretched long and empty as Kael and Karacus walked side by side. Their footsteps echoed in synchronized rhythm—tap, tap, tap—until they reached the junction where their paths split.

Karacus stopped first.

"Don’t embarrass me." The dragon-kin’s voice was deep, flat, utterly sincere. "I hate being vice captain."

"Then don’t act like one. Act like my equal."

Karacus considered this. "Acceptable."

He walked away without another word, white hair catching the last light of the triple sunset.

Kael’s System flared.

[QUEST COMPLETED: THE TOP SEVEN]

[Reward: 20,000 Shadow Points]

[+10,000 Shadow Points for becoming the Leader of the Group]

[Current Shadow Points: 38,100]

[NEW QUEST GENERATED]

THE GLORY OF HEAVEN’S GATE

Source: System-generated (triggered by team leader appointment)

Objective: Lead Heaven’s Gate Academy to 1st place in the inter-academy tournament

Sub-objectives:

• Defeat at least 3 opponents personally

• Discover and counter at least one opponent’s hidden ability

Reward: Will be delivered upon completion

Note: Failure to achieve 1st place will result in reduced rewards. Failure to reach top 4 will result in no rewards.

Kael closed the notification with a thought. No pressure or anything.

Isabella’s room was three floors up, in the Gold Tier luxury wing. She answered his knock on the third try, book in hand, expression shifting from annoyed to curious when she saw him.

"The gravitational theory basics." Kael didn’t bother with greetings. "I need to borrow it."

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you study theory?"

"Since I made an attack I don’t fully understand."

She studied him for a moment—searching for the real reason behind the request—then turned and disappeared into her room. Clack, clack, clack—her footsteps on hardwood. She returned with a thick, leather-bound tome that looked older than the academy itself.

"Gravity compression?" she asked.

"How’d you guess?"

"Because you’re the type to create something devastating without understanding why it works. It’s in the book. Even I haven’t fully learnt it." She pressed the book into his hands. "Don’t damage it. That’s a first-edition Vorn family copy."

Kael tucked it under his arm. "Thanks, sis."

"Mhm." She was already closing the door. "Don’t lose."

Five days.

Five days until they departed for the tournament. Five days to prepare for opponents he knew almost nothing about.

Kael spent every waking hour in two pursuits: comprehending his darkness and gravity abilities, and browsing the System shop.

The gravity theory book helped more than he’d expected. Pulsar wasn’t just compression—it was pull, the fundamental attractive force of gravity pushed to its logical extreme. Understanding the theory behind it opened pathways to refinement he hadn’t considered. The orb didn’t need to be perfectly spherical. It didn’t need to maintain cohesion until impact. Variations emerged in his mind: spread patterns, delayed detonations, sustained fields that pulled and crushed simultaneously.

His darkness comprehension deepened through meditation rather than study. The Spirit Eyes of the Dark Emperor responded to focus, revealing layers of shadow manipulation he’d barely scratched. Shadows weren’t just absence of light—they were something. A substance. A force. The Realm of Darkness technique was barely skimming the surface of what darkness could become.

On the third night, he opened the System shop.

SYSTEM SHOP — TECHNIQUES

Filtering: All Elements, Earth Grade through Origin Grade

EARTH GRADE (500 - 2,000 SP)

• Flame Palm — Fire | 800 SP

• Stone Skin — Earth | 600 SP •

Wind Cutter — Wind | 500 SP

• Shadow Bind — Shadow | 1,200 SP

• Gravity Well — Gravity | 1,500 SP

• Lightning Bolt — Lightning | 700 SP

SKY GRADE (2,000 - 5,000 SP)

• Inferno Fist — Fire | 3,000 SP

• Iron Fortress — Metal | 2,500 SP

• Phantom Step — Spatial | 4,500 SP

• Dark Blade — Shadow | 3,200 SP

• Gravity Crush — Gravity | 4,000 SP

• Thunder Strike — Lightning | 2,800 SP

HEAVEN GRADE (5,000 - 15,000 SP)

• Dragon’s Breath — Fire | 8,000 SP

• Spatial Slash — Spatial | 12,000 SP

• Shadow Domain — Shadow | 10,000 SP

• Gravity Field: Absolute Zero — Gravity | 14,000 SP

• Lightning Judgment — Lightning | 9,500 SP

• Void Palm — Void | 11,000 SP

KING GRADE (15,000 - 30,000 SP)

• Phoenix Rebirth Flame — Fire | 22,000 SP

• Dimensional Rift — Spatial | 28,000 SP

• Eclipse Mantle — Shadow | 25,000 SP

• Star Collapse — Gravity | 30,000 SP

• Divine Thunder Spear — Lightning | 20,000 SP

MYSTIC GRADE (30,000 - 50,000 SP)

• Abyssal Flame Sovereign — Fire/Darkness | 48,000 SP

• Phantom Dimension — Spatial/Shadow | 45,000 SP

• Gravitational Singularity — Gravity/Void | 40,000 SP

• Eternal Lightning Prison — Lightning/Space | 37,000 SP

ORIGIN GRADE (50,000+ SP)

• Darkness Incarnate — Darkness | 65,000 SP

• World Crusher — Gravity | 80,000 SP

• Temporal Lightning — Lightning/Time | 120,000 SP

• Void Annihilation — Void | 150,000 SP

Kael scrolled through the lists, jaw tight. Origin Grade techniques cost more than most families earned in a year. Even the Mystic Grade options would drain his entire reserve for a single technique.

He kept scrolling.

SYSTEM SHOP — ITEMS

Filtering: All Categories

• Mana Restoration Pill (Earth Grade) — 100 SP

• Mana Restoration Pill (Sky Grade) — 500 SP

• Mana Restoration Pill (Heaven Grade) — 2,000 SP

• Body Tempering Elixir (Sky Grade) — 3,000 SP

• Body Tempering Elixir (Heaven Grade) — 8,000 SP

• Soul Mending Pill (Earth Grade) — 2,000 SP

• Soul Mending Pill (Sky Grade) — 8,000 SP

• Meridian Repair Elixir (Earth Grade) — 1,500 SP

• Concealment Pendant (Upgraded) — 5,000 SP

• Dimensional Storage Ring (200 cubic meters) — 4,000 SP

• Emergency Teleportation Token (Single Use) — 3,000 SP

• Spirit Stone (Mid-Grade) — 200 SP

• Spirit Stone (High-Grade) — 800 SP

SYSTEM SHOP — WEAPONS

Filtering: All Types, Tier 5+

TIER 5

(500 - 2,000 SP)

• Iron Longsword — 500 SP

• Steel Spear — 800 SP

• Basic Short Bow — 600 SP

• Bronze Daggers (Pair) — 1,000 SP

• Standard War Hammer — 1,500 SP

TIER 4 (2,000 - 5,000 SP)

• Shadow-Steel Longsword — 3,000 SP

• Lightning Spear — 4,500 SP

• Reinforced Short Bow — 2,500 SP

• Gravity Gauntlets — 5,000 SP

• Flame Edge Sword — 3,500 SP

TIER 3 (5,000 - 15,000 SP)

• Void Edge Dual Blades — 8,000 SP

• Starfall Bow — 10,000 SP

• Demonic Crescent Blade — 12,000 SP

• Thunder God Spear — 9,500 SP

• Phantom Cloak Dagger — 7,000 SP

TIER 2 (15,000 - 40,000 SP)

• Abyssal Reaper — 25,000 SP

• Heaven’s Fall Greatsword — 30,000 SP

• Eclipse Twin Blades — 22,000 SP

• Storm Caller Bow — 35,000 SP

• World-Breaker War Hammer — 38,000 SP

TIER 1 (40,000 - 100,000 SP)

• Dimensional Splitter — 50,000 SP

• Soul Severing Blade — 65,000 SP

• Star Destroyer Spear — 70,000 SP

• Void Walker Daggers — 55,000 SP

• Heaven’s Judgment Bow — 85,000 SP

SPECIAL GRADE (100,000+ SP)

• Calamity Edge — 150,000 SP

• World-Ender — 200,000 SP

• Temporal Rift Blade — 150,000 SP

• The Void Emperor’s Claws — 100,000 SP

Kael closed the shop and stared at his ceiling.

Twenty-eight thousand shadow points. Enough for one Mystic Grade technique, or a handful of King Grade options, or a Tier 2 weapon.

His current Twin Fangs of Eclipse were Tier 2. His Shadow-Strike Bow was Tier 3. Both had served him well, but the tournament would pit him against opponents from fifteen academies—the best of the best. Good enough might not be enough anymore.

He’d have to choose carefully.