Ten years ago…

A group of children were gathered before a familiar place where a cluster of starlight was gently parked together.

The starlight ahead radiated an intense glow before gradually receding.

As the light receded, the little girl in the midst of the celestial star gate was revealed to the group.

The little girl stood there in a daze, then she heard the murmurs and slowly glanced up.

A frown formed on her face before tears streamed down her cheeks…

"I… my eyes! I CAN'T SEE! MOM! MY EYES!" She clawed at her face as though trying to remove whatever was blocking her sight.

But she realised she simply couldn't.

The hall fell into silence as everyone watched the scene, their eyes filled with emotions.

"Child," an older woman stepped forward after a long sigh.

The little girl had already begun sobbing quietly, knowing something had gone wrong during her awakening.

And she had lost her sight.

Hearing the woman call her, she raised her blank gaze toward the direction of the voice.

"I… can no longer see the world anymore."

"It's alright, my baby." The woman gently consoled her, pulling the little girl into a hug.

"It's alright, my little Natasha… the world is too vile for your precious eyes." She ruffled Natasha's hair, calming her down as she continued softly.

"There are no useless gifts in this world. Only weak and talentless gifted ones. Gifts take all sorts of forms, and only those who awaken while losing something precious can gain the greatest strength. This is a good thing for you."

Finally, the little girl's cries died down, though she still sobbed silently.

Losing one's sight was a very painful thing.

Especially for a girl who was just five years old.

…

There, in his room, Amon gradually woke up from sleep after a long while.

Strangely, he had slept for an unusually long time.

He peered through the window only to notice the sunset hanging above his roof.

It was mid noon.

Noting the time, Amon sat up on his bed, then closed his eyes and entered a state of meditation.

There were still two of his cores remaining for him to recover his primordial energy from.

And Amon wasn't willing to waste even a little of his precious time.

Time dragged on in this manner and soon night fell.

Amon finished his round of energy recovery and began the process of cultivation.

Absorbing primordial energy from the surrounding air, he aimed to form the thirteenth core.

…

Night passed with Amon still unable to form the thirteenth core.

It was to be expected though, since condensing a core always took far longer than a single day.

DING! DING! DING!

The loud chime of the morning bell echoed through the entire place, waking everyone up.

Amon glanced through his window and realised the sky was already brightening.

The sun was slowly peeking through the clouds, its golden rays streaming across the roofs.

Amon stood up and stretched with a faint smile.

"Time to learn the rules of the academy." he muttered inwardly, then went to take his bath.

Surprisingly, something close to a shower from his previous life existed here.

Amon studied it but didn't understand the mechanics behind it.

It just seemed to magically produce water from the pipe.

Shrugging, Amon quickly put on a set of random clothes and walked out of his room.

To his right, the blind girl was also emerging from her house.

She had a purple blindfold wrapped around her eyes.

And she walked with graceful movements, stepping quietly out from the doorway.

"Hey, Natasha!" Amon greeted warmly, waving a hand at her.

Feeling it was a little inappropriate, he awkwardly lowered it before she noticed the embarrassing gesture.

"Amon." A smile formed on Natasha's lips as she approached him.

"I was about to head along with the other students toward the classroom section. I think that's where the announcements will be held." she explained.

"Yeah," Amon nodded. "I was also heading there. Don't want to be late on the first day. Lets go together."

Internally, Amon was impressed that she could recall the full description of the place he'd casually told her yesterday.

Still, he didn't let his surprise show. Not that it mattered.

The two briskly headed toward the massive gate with a few students following at the same pace.

Along the way he and Natasha chatted a bit, getting to know each other more as they approached the gate.

They soon entered and noticed what looked like a hall to the right, where students were already trudging in.

Inside, the two found a place to sit as they waited for the instructor.

Time dragged on with the clatter of boots echoing in the hall and the soft shuffle of seats filling up.

Amon waited in silence, occasionally glancing around to study the crowd.

At the front he noticed Helena keeping her cold gaze fixed on the stage. There was also Mei Aiko and others scattered randomly among the seats.

After admiring them briefly, Amon sensed a shift in the hall.

Instantly, he turned his attention to the front of the stage.

There, an elegantly dressed lady stepped into view with light steps.

She radiated an air of calmness and authority as her grey eyes swept across everyone.

Her grey hair flowed freely behind her as if swaying gently to the music of a nonexistent wind.

Subconsciously, the students began standing up as a sign of respect.

Amon stood up as well, and they all greeted her reverently.

"Greetings, school head!" everyone's voice rang out with respect.

Amon followed along, surprised by her title.

'The school head? Is she the founder of the academy or just the one in charge?'

'Either way,' he muttered inwardly, curiosity filling his eyes as he gazed at those grey eyes that seemed to contain countless destroyed worlds, 'she's… strong.'

"Settle down, everyone." The school head smiled faintly, placing her hands behind her back with grace.

Walking evenly across the stage, she addressed the crowd.

Her eyes swept through everyone as though she could see every secret laid bare.

"My name is Claudia, the school head. And I officially welcome all of you to the Behemoth Academy.

"As the name implies, here we strive for the highest attainable heights in life. You will each be divided into three different classes depending on the color of the core you awakened."

"There are various benefits in having a higher grade core. Here, we acknowledge strength above all, and only by displaying your strength can you obtain greater benefits from the academy."

She paused a moment, letting her words settle.

"We don't tolerate weaklings here at Behemoth Academy."

'I'm… screwed.' Amon wanted to cover his head in shame, feeling Natasha's gaze on him.

He never expected the academy to be this strict.

Still, he wouldn't advance his core just because of this minor setback.

'I'll find a way to overcome it like I always have.' Amon consoled himself and continued listening.

…

A/N: Some of you might think the rules are pretty cliché. But read the next chapter before judging.

Everything in this novel is connected, and even things you might have dismissed earlier could link to a bigger plot.

As promised, the second arc will be more interesting, just enjoy.

I really need your golden tickets and powerstones. Seeing the pitiful number is demotivating… I need some inspiration to keep writing. I'm not a robot, you know?

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