Currently, the admitted candidates were all listening to the instructor as he explained the academy's rules.

Just like when they had arrived in the trial city of Thalor, their air travel speed had reached nearly Mach 8 to 9. And like before, the leader eagle at the front deployed a translucent barrier that split the rushing air, preventing the violent pressure from ravaging those riding behind. The wind still roared past, sharp and piercing, tugging at clothes and hair.

From his position, Leo could also see Brant at least a few kilometres ahead, riding his storm-variant Skyrend Eagle, streaks of faint light flickering around its wings as it cut through the sky.

But unlike before, this time it was Lily and Miho sitting together. Lily sat close, subtly supporting Miho with one arm, shielding her from the biting cold and the sheer intensity of the flight. Leo, meanwhile, sat a little behind them, his attention fixed on the instructor's voice.

"You might be thinking…" the instructor began, his voice carrying easily through the rushing wind.

"That you will get inside a building premise, get your desired dorms, wear uniforms, attend your classes on time, study, train, and etcetera, etcetera—blah blah blah." His lips curled slightly.

"YOU ARE WRONG!"

The instructor was clearly a high-level individual, around peak 3-star. His words were laced with faint traces of aura, enough to make many of the candidates stiffen and flinch as the pressure brushed against them like an unseen hand.

To Leo, however, it felt no different from watching television in the background.

He understood what the instructor was doing. This tone—harsh, overwhelming—was meant to intimidate the candidates, to force them to listen carefully. It was a good tactic. Leo was familiar with it; he had been used to the same methods back when he was a soldier.

The instructor continued, his gaze sharp.

"You think you are children who will be sheltered?" he barked. "Do you know that being twenty to thirty years old was considered peak physical condition before the apocalypse? So don't think you'll be treated like students who are children."

"You pay for your living! You pay for your clothes! You will pay for everything!"

He paused deliberately, allowing his words to sink in.

A wave of murmurs spread through the group, low and uneasy.

"What is this?! I don't even have a single silver coin!" someone shouted.

"How will I pay for things? I thought the academy would provide for us…"

Similar voices echoed from other candidates, confusion and panic mixing in the air. The instructor nodded calmly; this reaction was exactly what he had expected.

"Now, you will ask what the academy is for if you need to do everything by yourself," he said.

"Then listen—"

By now, he had fully captured the candidates' attention. The murmurs died down as he began speaking in earnest, finally moving to the core of his explanation.

"First! You receive guidance from trained and experienced individuals. That makes your mistakes less likely and your growth far faster." He swept his gaze across the gathered youths. "And since we're here, let me explain how you will be taught and trained."

He paused.

"It entirely depends on you."

At his words, many stared at him blankly. The instructor smirked faintly before continuing his explanation.

The academy's rules, he explained, were as simple as living in a common city. The only real benefit it provided was an unparalleled opportunity to gain strength in a safe environment—one where the risk of death was nearly zero, even if someone recklessly threw themselves into the jaws of danger.

Everything was voluntary.

If you wanted to attend class, you could. If not, you didn't have to. There was no mandatory attendance, since many classes were repeated numerous times. Part of that was because new research and techniques were rare, and part of it was because repetition itself enhanced one's prowess. Someone could even go through an entire session without attending a single class—except for mandatory ones, where crucial instructions and information were shared. Missing those resulted in credit deductions and a fall in ranking.

There were four terms in a single academic session, and each term lasted five years.

It was also revealed that the instructors were, in fact, students themselves—those in their second and third years. For that, one's personal strength needed to reach the 3-star rank, not the strength of their beast.

Leo was genuinely shocked by this revelation. These seemingly average instructors might actually possess 4-star beasts.

Of course, such cases were rare—but still.

Damn! So joining an academy means slapping away twenty years of my life? Fuck! I don't want to go to college once again!

Leo grimaced inwardly, but the next words from the instructor eased some of the tension in his chest.

They were free to roam the world if they wished—but only at the risk of real death if they stepped outside the academy's range of protection. Leo found that unlikely to be an issue, considering the academy grounds were even larger than the Earth Kingdoms he had read about in history books.

From all the information presented, Leo arrived at a single conclusion.

"Strong backing."

That was what the academy truly was. A powerful influence to belong to—one that trained its members to grow stronger in a safe environment, make strong connections, all with the ultimate goal of helping humanity reclaim its footing.

Leo understood this better than most.

In this beast-dominated world, he had seen firsthand what happened to people with no backing—dying in some dark alleyway, with no one to care and no one to avenge them.

The instructor then introduced the academy's way of living.

Everything operated on credit points.

Aurelius Credit—shortened as AC.

That was the academy's primary currency. There were several ways to earn it: exchanging beast materials such as crystals and cores, completing issued tasks from Aurelius Hall, and participating in competitions. There was also a monthly salary system that provided AC, though the amount heavily depended on one's academy ranking for each individual term. Additionally, various annual challenges could be won to gain even more credits.

Aurelius Credits could be used to acquire almost anything the world could offer—provided you had enough of them.

But what truly caught Leo's attention was the next rule.

It was mandatory to either own a territory or be part of one.

The choice was entirely personal. One could establish a new territory out in the wild or join an existing one created by their seniors. However, if you joined an existing territory, you were bound to follow its rules—no matter how inhumane they were.

After all, it would be your own fault for choosing to join it.

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