foundation of power
Chapter 10: Foundations of Power
Life inside Apex Academy was a world apart from anything Tory or Jim had ever imagined. Even after fighting mutated beasts and surviving the wilderness, the scale of knowledge, resources, and pressure here was overwhelming.
The Academy floated high above Solhara County—a sprawling city teeming with cultivators, merchants, and scholars. The academy campus itself stretched over multiple floating tiers, each one larger than a fortress, guarded by spatial barriers, ancient sentinels, and elemental arrays.
Tory and Jim were placed in the Verdant Sky Dorms, designated for top ten entrants. Though they were orphans with no noble backing, their rankings in the entrance exams earned them the highest honors.
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Morning Routine
Their daily routine began before dawn. A spatial chime rang throughout the dorms at 4:00 AM, followed by a wave of spiritual energy to refresh the body.
First came Combat Conditioning, led by Lord Tang Rho—a peak Grand Master realm instructor who once hunted dragon-beasts for the Eastern Frontier Alliance.
Then came Mental Fortification, where students meditated under pressure arrays designed to simulate illusion attacks and emotional turmoil.
After breakfast, the core academic disciplines began.
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Alchemy Class: "The Pulse of Creation"
The alchemy hall was carved into a cliffside of floating black crystal, surrounded by rivers of spiritual fire.
Master Alchemist Veena stood at the center, an elegant woman surrounded by glowing cauldrons and dozens of hovering herbs.
"Alchemy is not merely about pills," she said. "It is about life. Harmony. Intent. Even a beast's blood can become salvation in the right hands."
Jim watched in awe, but Tory's eyes were sharp. The Reality System highlighted temperature imbalances, chemical failures, and efficiency ratios no one else could see.
> [Alchemy Proficiency: +12%] [New Recipe Fragment Detected: Bloodfire Coagulant Pill]
When students tried their first batch of Qi Gathering Pills, only five succeeded. Tory's pill glowed silver.
Veena raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, Vale. You have the touch."
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Array Formation: "The Art of Territory"
Instructor Gorik was a silent man with tattoos that shifted across his skin. He summoned 3D array diagrams using strands of light, placing them in the air like sculpted clay.
"Arrays are how you claim space," he said. "Dominate space, and you control battle, movement, and perception."
Tory resonated deeply with this. His space element affinity made him unusually adept.
He constructed a basic Four-Directional Lock Array within five minutes.
> [Array Formation Proficiency: +17%] [Concept Unlocked: Micro-Compression Rings]
Jim struggled more here. His elemental nature was chaotic, hard to bind with stable patterns.
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Inscription: "The Voice of Symbols"
This class took place in the Rune Amphitheater—a massive dome where every seat had a stone tablet and chisel.
Instructor Talien, a blind Saint-tier inscriber, lectured while painting invisible runes on the air that burned into memory.
"Runes are not ink. They are meaning. Language older than your bloodlines."
Students learned to craft spirit stabilization scripts, vital for weapon enchantment.
Tory's first inscription was jagged but stable. Jim's exploded. Twice.
> [Inscription Proficiency: +8%] [Special Trait Recognized: Reality-Linked Syntax]
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Forging: "To Shape a Soul"
Held in the Heartfire Crucible, this class was pure chaos. Sparks flew, molten cores roared, and hammer strikes echoed like thunder.
Master Dorran, a beast of a man with fire-blooded veins, led the course.
"To forge is to make a piece of the world obey you," he bellowed. "Fail, and it rejects you."
Jim excelled. His elemental flames danced through ores, and his lightning smoothed imperfections.
Tory relied more on calculation, pressure control, and spatial warping of heat.
Their first task: forge a Beast-Tier dagger.
Tory's had curved ash veins along the edge. Jim's blade whistled with charged wind.
> [Forging Proficiency: +14%] [Unique Effect Detected: Dimensional Serration Blade Formed]
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Dorm Life and Rivalries
Noble scions were not pleased.
Selia Aeloria, who placed second in the exam, eyed Tory with icy curiosity. She made no move against him, but her faction whispered.
Kael Zeyvorin, however, was more direct. One night at the mess hall, he blocked their path.
"You don't belong in the top 3," he spat. "This isn't a guild tavern. It's the Apex."
Tory didn't reply. Jim stepped forward. "Wanna test that, lightning boy?"
Kael grinned. "Soon."
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Secrets in the Library
Late one evening, Tory snuck into the restricted wing of the Skyvault Library. Using a cloaking talisman and space-folding steps, he evaded three patrol formations.
There, he found a floating book written in a forgotten tongue.
> [System Translation Initiated...] [You Have Discovered: Chronicle of Fragmented Truths, Vol. I] [This text references the Reality Principle. Caution Advised.]
Tory's eyes widened.
Someone here knew.
Someone in the academy knew about thetime powers
And they were hiding it.