I can't disappoint a General now, can I?

"Alright, everyone!" Instructor Kaiden looked to everyone. Sadly, a large amount of Junior Cadets died in training in the 8 months since the start. "It's time for Skill day!"

Phina smiled. She had already benefitted a lot from the last Skill day, when she learned the Expert-rank Skill, Holy Devastation. She was also very close to getting the Flashing Step Skill right. Her current arsenal of Skills consisted of:

Expert-rank, Holy Devastation: Creates a large explosion of Holy World Energy that heals the user and attacks any living thing caught in the explosion.

Advanced-rank, Weapon Light: Launches a slash of World Energy along the weapon's trajectory.

Advanced-rank, World Energy Shield: Creates a barrier of World Energy around the user.

Intermediate-rank, Repulsion: Pushes the user back from something using World Energy.

Intermediate-rank, Slippery World: Uses World Energy to move the opponent's feet, causing them to lose footing.

Intermediate-rank, Flight: Uses a large amount of World Energy to give the user the ability of flight.

Intermediate-rank, Mirage Illusion: Uses World Energy to obstruct light, causing blurred vision.

Beginner-rank, Piercing Sight: Uses World Energy for sight, rather than Life Energy or light.

Adult-rank, Attack Mode: Changes the body's Life Energy distribution to support attacking and dealing damage.

Adult-rank, Defense Mode: Changes the body's Life Energy distribution to support defending and parrying attacks.

She was only a little bit away from learning the Law-rank Skill, Flashing Steps. If she could get it, she could finally challenge the early graduation test and pass it with 100% certainty. She had preformed so well recently that the Head Instructor had given her the chance to take the graduation test early, for double the price.

"Let's see here..." Kaiden looked at the system's chosen Skill that they would learn today. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Kaiden startled the 29 Cadets left. He had shown envy and regret at some of this Skills they got, especially Holy Devastation. But this time he was...he was shaking!!

"What did we get?!" Ian asked in excitement. He had shown great progress in the past few months, managing to learn all the Intermediate-rank Skills they got from their Skill days. He was even close to learning World Energy Shield! He also finally entered the Peak stage Intermediate-rank. He was only two stages from reaching the Middle stage Advanced-rank, the same rank as Phina and the other Senior Cadets.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot this time." Ash smirked.

"Ahem!" Kaiden cleared up his throat as he looked to the Cadets. "Cadets...I would like to offer some personal advice. I advise you to not enter this Skill gate. There is an associated punishment with it. If you fail to learn it in one day, you will be thrown into a random place in the system's arenas until you learn the Skill."

Everyone was stunned. They had been to some of the system's arenas before. It was where they trained for certain environments. It ranged from desserts to forests to jungles, and even civilized humanoid towns where they had bounties on their heads. That was where most of the Cadets died! After all, not only did they have bounties on their heads, they also had to run from intelligent Beasts!!

"What kind of Skill could possibly have a punishment like that?" James asked, almost in a whisper.

"It's a Lord-rank Skill, Bow before the Lord!!" Kaiden said with a heavy tone. This kind of Skill would attract even the four Generals themselves, let alone a bunch of Cadets!!!

"A Lord-rank Skill?" Phina's eyes practically glowed. It had taken her about 8 months to reach barely functional usage of Flashing Step, a Law-rank Skill, yet she wanted to attempt a Lord-rank Skill with such a heavy punishment!

A lot of the common people treated Expert-rankers as the pinnacle of power. They were called "God-ranks" due to their ability to control the Elements. The Cadet system was mostly used to break such misconceptions. The Cadets were taught what were the ranks and what the requirements for each rank is. Advanced-rank was achieved when someone learns how to store World Energy within their bodies. Expert-rank, the one after, was achieved when someone gains the ability to control a single Element. The next rank, known as the Founder-rank, was a rank that was used purely to measure potential. Founder-rank's stages were divided into creating different kind of Skills, and each stage could be entirely skipped. Then after was the Apex-rank. Apex-rank was the rank that was achieved after someone had infused all Elements into their Elemental World Energy Core. After it was the highest achievable rank for normal people, the Law-rank. The Law-rank was where people would try to sense and learn how to use the Laws of the World.

Then someone would enter into the true pinnacle of the World, the Lord-rank. The Lord-rank was only achievable through His Eternal Majesty, Leo Adam Walter. His Majesty would recognize someone's strength and offer them a chance to reach a power higher than even his own!! Yet every person that took the test failed, all of them dying less than a month after. After the test, they all returned with unbelievable strength that could squash any Law-ranker. They were thus dubbed, Lord-rankers. The fact that they all died in less than a month caused there to be very little Lord-rank Skills, with only two being known to the upper-echelon of society. One was the Enforcer's Exodia's Lord-rank Skill, Bow before the Lord. The second one was the unhinged madman, Law-ranker Ito who had inherited the Skill from one of his ancestors.

"I want to go in." Ian and Phina both voiced out at the same time.

"Both of you are insane!!" Ash practically yelled. Although she did not like Ian's arrogance or Phina's uncaring attitude, she had grown to like both of them. After all, they had all helped each other during Instructor Kaiden's lessons. She did not want to see the two throw their lives away. "Don't be stupid! The only reason we can survive is because Instructor Kaiden is always with us! And even after a single day, we return and he's exhausted. How are you two going to survive for months, or even years in there?!!"

Ian started to hesitate, while Phina stood her ground. "I trust in my talent, Ash."

"You still haven't learned Flashing Step, a Law-rank Skill! Instructor Kaiden is a Founder-rank, you're going to die!!" Ash had panic in her eyes. Phina had no thought of letting this Skill go.

"I...I can do it." Phina started to think about it. She was going to bet on her Ender State, which she hasn't used yet. If she could learn this Skill, she would be invincible! Finding the Core would be easier than flipping her hand over!

"I..." Ian started to think. "I'm not going."

The Cadets sighed in relief. Ian was hated among a certain group of Cadets, but none of them wanted to see him dead. They all still looked at Phina was anticipating eyes. They all wanted her not to go!

"You really shouldn't go, Seraphina." a voice said from behind the crowd.

"Vice Captain!" Phina looked to Samantha with an excited expression. "I'm going in!"

"While it is true that Founder-rankers like Instructor Kaiden and I can survive there if we didn't have a group to protect, we would still die a horrible death with the slightest mess up." Vice Captain Samantha sighed. "So, get that stupid thought outside your head and don't go in. No one can stop the system within the Exodia."

"That is true Vice Captain Virgile." a deep voice shook everyone's hearts, even the two Founder-rankers.

Vice Captain Samantha paled as she saluted. Everyone looked at her in confusion, was a Captain here?

She quickly greeted with her loudest voice, "General Wilfer!!"

"At ease, Vice Captain." another voice sounded out, this one more gentle.

"Who do you think you are to command my soldiers, Listerous?" a third, harsh, female voice said. Four figures descended from the sky as everyone looked up. It was the Four Generals of the Exodia!!

General Zach Wilfer was the general of the Tiger Army. He was the one who had spoken with the deep voice. He looked to be a middle-aged with a small goatee, but his silver hair indicated his actual age. His large figure was barely hidden behind his silver suit of armor.

General Mera Listerous was the general of the Dragon Army, the most powerful Army currently. She had long blonde hair along with beautiful golden eyes. Her figure was perfectly overshadowed by the suit of armor she wore, which was a pure gold armor covered with moving runes.

General Ram Walter was general of the Tortoise Army, the one that Vice Captain Virgile was in. She was her commanding officer. General Walter was the only one in the world who publicly held the last name Walter. She was awarded the position of Imperial Princess, His Eternal Majesty's most favored from the world's females to pass his Lord test. She was given permission to choose from the three names Leo, Adam and Walter. Her black hair was cut short and could not reach her sharp eyes. Her serious expression was always on her face as she frowned with her thin lips.

General Liftin Asenu was general of the Phoenix Army. He was the person who was honored to be the Imperial Prince, though he refused to change his last name as he had said that without his family's help, he'd be nothing. His body was covered with a literal ton of armor with a giant black shield on his back. His long black hair flowed and almost seemed to merge with his armor.

"T-T-T-The Four Generals?!?" Ian paled as he saw them. Everyone present fell into a salute, Phina included.

"You." General Wilfer's deep voice shook Phina to the core as he pointed at her. "Step forward."

"SIR, YES, SIR!!" Phina stepped forward, almost tripping from the shaking of her legs.

"What is your name, Cadet?" the General asked as he looked her up and down.

"SERAPHINA ENDER, SIR!!" Phina introduced as she yelled.

"Dear Leo! Were we that loud when we were Cadets?" General Walter asked as she covered her ears in pain.

"S-Sorry, Ma'am!" Phina apologized as she still looked forward.

"Seraphina Ender, would you like to join my Phoenix Army?" General Asenu wasted no time as he asked. "I just checked your progress report and you have been doing well. If you join my Phoenix Army, we will equip you well to learn the Lord-rank Skill."

"You bastard!! We agreed to bait her first!" General Listerous looked at General Asenu.

"I have no time to waste here. I'm stationed at the frontlines. I am constantly in battle with those damn Beasts, I only dropped by to recruit a possible Lord." General Asenu said then turned to Phina. "What's your answer?"

"Who here can offer me the most?" Phina asked.

Everyone was stunned. She was being asked to join the Phoenix Army by the General himself, yet she still turned around and asked for a better offer?!

"I can get you free access to all Advanced-rank Skills available to the Exodia." General Listerous smirked.

"Who are you smirking at, Listerous?" General Wilfer scoffed then turned to Phina. "I can get you 10 Expert-rank Skills every year."

"Anyone got anything better?" Phina was tempted. After all, her two Adult-rank Skills she had were not ones she learned from a Skill day, but ones she bought herself! She had checked the prices for Advanced-rank and above Skills. Each rank increased the price by at least one digit!!

'The audacity on this girl! No wonder Captain Virgile wanted me to check her out.' General Walter smiled. "I can offer you three Founder-ranked Skills to train for survival, then a Law-ranked Skill after you learn Bow before the Lord."

The other Generals grit their teeth. Giving three Founder-rank Skills before she even learned the Skill was insane! They had thought of equipping her with armor and weapons for the Skill learning gate, not Skills! Even to Generals, Skills were incredibly precious. To learn Skills from the Exodia, it was a one time use. The system would give you a crystal that, when crushed, would display the Skill being used. It could only be used on one person. If Phina failed, General Ram Walter would have lost three Founder-rank Skills she could've used on herself, or her Vice Generals!!

"Fine, you win."

The Generals all backed off. General Ram laughed as she approached Phina. She put her hand on Phina's shoulder as she looked deep into Phina's eyes.

"This is a big investment from me, Seraphina. Do not disappoint me." the General smiled as she looked at Phina coldly.

Phina felt a chill crawl down her spine as she answered, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Great!" the General pulled out 3 crystals and handed them to Phina. "You know how to use them?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Phina replied as she accepted the three Founder-rank Skills.

"Use them as soon as you enter the Skill day's enhanced space." the General instructed. The white void they were put in would boost their learning capabilities. She can't learn the Lord-rank Skill in a short time, so it would be better to learn the three Founder-rank Skills to boost her survivability.

"Yes, Ma'am." Phina said. She had no intention to use them in the white void. She was going to learn as much as she can from the Lord-rank Skill in there!

"Again...do not disappoint me." General Ram reminded.

Phina smiled. "I can't disappoint a General now, can I?"