He looked back at Aria. "The necklace has other functions too—barrier generation, healing acceleration, mental protection, poison immunity, several others. I've encoded the full manual into the pendant itself. Study it when you have time. But remember: these are last resorts. Don't become dependent on external protection. Trust your own strength first."

Aria touched the pendant reverently. She could feel the power contained within—dormant but ready, like a sleeping dragon that would wake at her need. "I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't seem sufficient."

"Then don't say anything. Just promise me you'll be safe. Be smart. Don't take unnecessary risks." His expression softened. "And remember—you're not alone. Even when I'm gone, you have people who care about you."

"Speaking of which," Sarah interjected, "I should mention—I'm staying at the academy. As a guest teacher, I maintain a permanent residence here. I teach advanced Dao of Cooking courses twice a week."

"And I'm staying too," Kaelen added. "Sarah has agreed to mentor me. I want to learn from her while advancing my own Infinity Law comprehension. I'll be here on campus, just in a different section."

Aria's face brightened. "So I'll still see you both regularly?"

"Of course," Kaelen assured her. "I'm not abandoning my daughter just because she's a student now. We'll have tea weekly. Visit each other. I'll be here whenever you need me."

"Just not in the student dormitories," Sarah said with a smile. "Academy rules. But we're both faculty-adjacent, so we'll be around."

Relief flooded through Aria. Father was leaving, but Mother and Sarah were staying. She wouldn't be completely alone.

"Good," she said softly. Then, to Elias: "Be safe out there, Father. The Infinity Realm is vast and dangerous."

"I'm a Sovereign with 99% Infinity Law comprehension. I'll be fine." He pulled her into a brief hug—rare for him, which made it more meaningful. "Be brilliant. Make discoveries. Become even stronger than I am. That's an order."

"I'll try," Aria promised.

"Don't try. Do. Trying is for people with uncertainty. You have certainty." He stepped back, already preparing to leave. "Kaelen, take care of her."

"Always," Kaelen promised.

"Sarah, thank you for your hospitality and assistance."

"It was my pleasure. Go find your opportunities, Elias. We'll keep things stable here."

Elias nodded once, then his form began to shimmer. Space-time warped around him as he prepared for long-distance teleportation.

"Oh, one more thing," he said, pausing. "Aria—don't let anyone push you around. You're stronger than most students, probably stronger than some instructors. But don't let it go to your head either. Pride makes people stupid. Stay humble. Stay learning."

"I will."

"Good." He smiled—barely, but it was there. "I'm proud of you, Aria. More than I can easily express. Now go show this academy what the daughter of Elias Vance is capable of."

With that, he vanished. One moment present, the next simply gone, teleported to some distant corner of the Infinity Realm to begin his journey of exploration and breakthrough pursuit.

Aria touched the necklace pendant, feeling its weight. Not physical weight—conceptual weight. The weight of her father's protection, his trust, his confidence that she could handle what came next.

"Well," Kaelen said, breaking the emotional silence. "That was dramatic. He always has to make an exit, doesn't he?"

"It's his style," Sarah agreed. "Efficient, direct, emotionally impactful. Very Elias."

Aria laughed, the sound breaking the tension. "Yeah. That's Father."

They spent the remaining time together simply talking. Kaelen gave motherly advice about making friends, being kind, not overworking herself. Sarah shared tips about navigating academy politics and which instructors were worth learning from.

All too soon, a chime sounded—the signal that the hour was ending.

"That's our cue," Kaelen said reluctantly. "The acceptance ceremony is about to begin."

They walked back to the gathering area together. At the entrance, Kaelen pulled Aria into one last hug.

"I love you so much," she whispered. "Be safe. Be smart. Be yourself."

"I love you too, Mother." Aria held on for a long moment, then forced herself to let go. "I'll see you soon?"

"Tomorrow, if you want. Just send a message through your student token once you get it."

Sarah gave Aria a warm hug as well. "You're going to do amazing things here. I can't wait to see what you accomplish."

"Thank you for everything," Aria said sincerely.

Then she turned and walked toward where the other students were gathering, leaving her family behind.

She glanced back once. Kaelen waved, smiling despite the tears. Sarah stood beside her, one hand on Kaelen's shoulder in support.

Aria waved back, then faced forward.

This was it. The beginning of her academy life. Her chance to learn, grow, and become something extraordinary.

She touched the necklace pendant again, drawing strength from its presence.

Father was out exploring the realm, seeking his final breakthrough. Mother and Sarah were here, providing support and stability. And she was here, ready to prove herself among the best students in the Infinity Realm.

The future was uncertain. Filled with challenges, dangers, opportunities.

But Aria Vance had never backed down from a challenge.

She wouldn't start now.

Vice Dean Yara stood before the assembled students, now arranged in neat rows for the formal ceremony. Behind her, the Academy Dean himself had appeared—an ancient figure whose very presence made reality feel more stable, more real. This was a cultivator who had reached The Infinite, 100% Infinity Law comprehension, standing at the absolute peak of what was possible.

His eyes swept across the students, and Aria felt that gaze pause on her for the briefest moment. Then it moved on.

"Welcome," the Dean said, his voice carrying the weight of eons, "to the Epochal Ascendance Academy. Today, you begin your journey from talented individuals to true cultivators. Learn well. Grow strong. And perhaps, one day, you will stand where I stand—at the threshold of transcendence."

He raised his hand, and 847 tokens materialized—one floating to each student. Aria caught hers, a crystalline disc that warmed at her touch, bonding with her soul signature.

"You are now officially academy students," the Dean declared. "Make us proud. Make yourselves proud. Make history."

The ceremony concluded with cheers, celebration, and the beginning of something new.

Aria looked down at her student token, then up at the impossible architecture of the academy stretching before her.

This was where her legend would truly begin.

And she couldn't wait to see where it led.

END OF ARIA TRIAL ARC

EPILOGUE - Elias's Journey

Far from the academy, in a dimension that existed between spaces, Elias Vance stood on a floating platform overlooking infinity itself.

The Infinity Realm stretched before him in all its impossible vastness. Continents that defied geometry. Dimensions folded into dimensions. Ancient mysteries waiting to be discovered. Powerful beings pursuing their own goals. Secrets hidden since the realm's foundation.

This was what he needed. Not the safety of one location, but the challenge of the unknown.

He could feel it—that final step to 100% Infinity Law comprehension. It wasn't about understanding more principles. It was about experiencing them. About seeing infinity not as an abstract concept but as lived reality.

The Hierarchy organization was out there somewhere, still a threat despite their losses. Ancient ruins contained techniques from The Infinite. Hidden dimensions held resources that could revolutionize cultivation. And somewhere in this vast realm, perhaps, lay the answer to the question that had driven him since Earth:

What lay beyond The Infinite? What came after 100% comprehension?

"Time to find out," Elias said to himself.

He stepped off the platform into the void, space-time bending around him, and vanished into the infinite expanse.

His journey was just beginning.

Mysteries to solve. Realms to explore. Powers to master. Threats to eliminate.

And at the end of it all, perhaps, the breakthrough to 100% that had eluded so many for so long.

The Infinity Realm would reveal its secrets.

Elias Vance would make certain of that.

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