It didn't take Eryx long to register his name and ID. After that, he got a temporary pass from the teacher in charge and headed straight to the dormitory.
Being from the renowned Sullen Family, his dorm had not been reassigned to another student, even though he had been absent for an entire year. Perhaps it was because of his family's influence that the academy had kept it empty for him.
If Eryx wanted to continue staying, he would have to renew his registration and pay the required fees. But Eryx had no plans to do that. Since his first mission was about making his own choices and seeing whether they differed from the original Azadin's, he decided to do just that.
Azadin had chosen to stay in the academy dorms. Eryx would not follow the same path. He would live in his own house instead. There was no reason for him to remain in the dorm when he had a place of his own.
The dorm assigned to Azadin was a single-person room that offered both privacy and comfort. As Eryx entered the room, he was greeted by the familiar sight of a small, clean, neatly organized space. However, it felt empty, as if no one had lived here for a long time.
Eryx didn't waste time. He wasn't here to stay, only to gather the items Azadin had left behind. Ignoring the surroundings, he focused on a few things scattered on the table.
There were two bottles of shimmering white liquid, glowing faintly in the dim light. Next to the bottles was a small stone, which seemed ordinary but held a soft hum of energy. And finally, there was a sleek black gun with three distinctive patterns carved into its barrel.
Eryx quickly gathered the items. These were the only valuable belongings Azadin had left behind in his dormitory room. The gun, in particular, was special. It was a high-tech weapon with some unique functions.
With the items in hand, Eryx was ready to leave. He had no intention of staying in the dorm any longer.
Because Eryx hadn't come to the academy for an entire year, he was already far behind the other students in his year. When he registered earlier to retrieve his things from the dorm, the teacher told him he needed to meet the principal before attending any classes.
Eryx took a floating platform to another building. Once there, he used the elevator to reach the top floor. He then knocked on the door after arriving at the principal's office.
"Come in," a hoarse voice called from inside.
Eryx entered and greeted the principal politely. The principal was already familiar with him. Due to his special situation, Eryx was well-known throughout the academy. Almost all the students who had started the same year as him knew about him, and the same goes for all the teachers and the Principal too.
"So, you're back!" The principal chuckled. Following that, he made a gesture for Eryx to sit, and Eryx sat down.
The principal understood why Eryx was there. Without wasting time, he explained the situation.
"If you want to continue studying here, you have two options. You can either attend classes with the first-year students who entered the academy this year, or you can take an assessment. If you pass the assessment, you can attend classes with the second-year students—the ones who would have been your classmates if you hadn't taken a year off."
Eryx listened carefully and thought for a moment. He didn't want to go back and study with first-year students, so he made his decision almost immediately.
"I'll go through the assessment," Eryx said firmly.
The principal nodded. "Very well. Go back for now. The assessment will be held tomorrow, and we will inform you of the details then."
Eryx nodded in return and left the office. He left the academy and took a flying shuttle straight back to his house.
In this world, the people don't cultivate Qi like they do on Infinite Land Star. Instead, they follow the Psionic Cultivation Path, which is all about evolving the mind to unlock psychic and spiritual abilities. Cultivating psionics requires more focus on mental and spiritual strength, not physical energy like Qi.
However, before a person can begin Psionic Cultivation, they must go through a process called Awakening. Awakening is the first step. It involves unlocking the mind's power. Only after a person's mind power is awakened can they start cultivating psionic energy. This was the step where Azadin always failed. He was never able to awaken his Mind Power.
The small stone Eryx found in Azadin's dorm is called the Mind Stone. This stone contains a large amount of Mind Power, which can help a person awaken their mind. It acts as a tool for awakening. Once a person successfully awakens, they enter the Awakening Realm.
In the Awakening Realm, a person's mind undergoes a transformation. They gain a mental world where their thoughts and spiritual power gather. Along with this, they can release Psionic Energy, which is a type of mental energy that allows them to use psychic abilities. The Awakening Realm is the starting point for anyone on the Psionic Path.
After the Awakening Realm, the next step is to create a Psion Seed in their mental world.
In this step, the psionic warrior creates a seed of psionic power in their mental world. This seed, called the Psion Seed, is the source of their psychic abilities. The stronger the seed, the more powerful their psionic abilities become. Cultivators in the Psion Seed Realm focus on nurturing and growing their Psion Seed, increasing their control over Psionic Energy.
Once the Psion Seed has fully grown, the cultivator must evolve it into a Mental Core. This is done by refining the Psion Seed, turning it into a more solid and powerful source of psionic energy. In the Mental Core Realm, a psionic warrior's abilities become much stronger, and their mental world becomes more stable and solid.
To compare this with the Qi Cultivation System on Infinite Land Star: The Awakening Realm is like the Qi Refinement Realm, where cultivators start their journey. The Psion Seed Realm is similar to the Foundation Establishment Realm, where the foundation of power is built. And the Mental Core Realm is like the Core Formation Realm, where a person forms a core of power.
In this world, everything is based on mental and psychic power, and a person's strength comes from how much they can control their mind and psionic energy.
After Eryx returned home, he wanted to use the Mind Stone to see if he could awaken his mind power. However, he hesitated.
From Azadin's memories, he knew that Azadin had tried several times to enter the Awakening Realm and had wasted many Mind Stones, but he never succeeded. Eryx figured he was also unlikely to succeed right away. So, he decided to wait and attempt to awaken his mind power after completing the assessment tomorrow.
With that thought, he set the Mind Stone and the other items on the hi-tech table in his room.
.....
The next day...
_Star God Academy_
Eryx stood in front of an altar that was covered with complex patterns. There were four giant patterns in total, and together, they formed a large circular formation. This was called a Space Jump Formation.
Space Jump Formation is a type of technology used to jump from one place to another. In the Cultivation World, this would be known as a Teleportation Formation, but the Space Jump Formation was essentially different. It is because it was powered by technology hidden under the altar instead of Qi or Spirit Stones.
The Principal and three other teachers were standing there with Eryx. Among the three, one was the Vice Principal, another was the teacher who would have been his second-year homeroom teacher, and the last one was the first-year homeroom teacher.
Obviously, the Principal was fully prepared for both outcomes—whether Eryx passed or failed the assessment.
Observing the altar for a while, the Principal spoke, "Your task is to visit the Ember Queen of the Eon Archivists in Solhaven City. The Ember Queen is facing some trouble with her daughter, and you have to help her. If you can solve the problem, you'll pass the assessment. If not, you'll fail. As for the details of the trouble, the Ember Queen herself would explain when you meet her."
"I have chosen this assessment for you because it doesn't necessarily require a Psionic Warrior. And in return for helping her, you can ask her to help you awaken. Of course, that is only possible if you solve her problem."
When Eryx heard this, he immediately nodded and said, "I accept."
There was nothing to think about this assessment. It is because Eryx already knew about Ember Queen and the Eon Archivists from Azadin's memories.
Eon Archivists is a powerful and respected force that preserves forgotten cultivation techniques and ancient galactic history. The Eon Archivists are known for their massive amount of historical knowledge, and many people feared them because of what they knew.
As for Ember Queen, she is a powerful Psionic Warrior in charge of the Eon Archivists' branch located in Solhaven City.
Eryx knew that if it was Ember Queen, then she could definitely help him awaken.
With that in mind, Eryx prepared himself for the assessment. He was ready to space jump.