The golden light from their bracelets intensified, text scrolling across displays as the Academy's system calculated their performance and distributed rewards.

[Elite Threat Elimination Bonus: Grandmaster Low Rank Beast]

[Additional Kingdom Points Awarded]

[Additional Academy Points Awarded]

[Individual Performance Assessment Complete]

[Rewards Distribution:]

[KING - Raze Dragonheart]

[Base Reward: 50,000 KP, 25,000 AP]

[Leadership Bonus: 15,000 KP, 10,000 AP]

[Elite Elimination Bonus: 30,000 KP, 20,000 AP]

[Zero Casualty Bonus: 10,000 KP, 5,000 AP]

[Exceptional Performance Multiplier: x1.5]

[Total Rewards: 157,500 KP, 90,000 AP]

[Current Totals: 219,500 KP, 130,000 AP]

Raze's eyebrows rose slightly at the numbers. The rewards were substantial, particularly the exceptional performance multiplier that had pushed everything significantly higher. Over two hundred thousand Kingdom Points meant serious infrastructure development possibilities.

Around him, his kingdom members were receiving their own rewards, excited murmurs spreading as people saw their Academy Point totals climbing from their individual contributions during the horde battle.

[QUEEN - Fedora Westia]

[Role Performance Bonus: 8,000 AP]

[Combat Contribution: 3,500 AP]

[Zero Casualty Achievement Share: 2,000 AP]

[Total Rewards: 13,500 AP]

[ROOK ONE - Darius Crawford]

[Role Performance Bonus: 7,000 AP]

[Combat Contribution: 5,200 AP]

[Logistics Management Bonus: 1,500 AP]

[Total Rewards: 13,700 AP]

The notifications continued scrolling for each Piece and general member, everyone receiving rewards scaled to their performance and contribution. Even those who hadn't directly engaged in combat received points for maintaining defensive positions and supporting the overall kingdom success.

Then a new notification appeared simultaneously across all bracelets in every kingdom:

[Academy-Wide Announcement]

[All combat operations have concluded for initial assessment period]

[No formal classes will be held for the next two days]

[Students are advised to rest, recover, and familiarize themselves with curriculum schedules]

[Refer to your bracelet's Academy Curriculum section for detailed class information]

[Standard instruction begins in 48 hours]

[Good luck, delegates]

Raze was walking back toward his kingdom's central structures, Bephe limping alongside him. The prehistoric predator had taken some serious hits during the Grandmaster fight but nothing that wouldn't heal with rest and proper care.

He pulled up his bracelet interface while walking, navigating to the Academy Curriculum section. The display expanded to show a detailed weekly schedule:

[ACADEMY CURRICULUM - FIRST YEAR]

[GENERAL CLASSES - All Students]

[Monday Morning: Economics of Scarcity]

[Monday Afternoon: Human Behavior Under Rule]

[Wednesday Morning: War Theory Fundamentals]

[Wednesday Afternoon: Ethics of Power]

[KING CLASSES - Provisional Kings Only]

[Tuesday Morning: Decision Making with Incomplete Data]

[Tuesday Afternoon: Sacrifice Mathematics]

[Thursday Morning: Crown Stability Theory]

[Thursday Afternoon: Endgame Rule]

[PIECE CLASSES - Role Specific]

[Friday Morning: Role-specific instruction with counterparts from other kingdoms]

[Friday Afternoon: Advanced role development and cross-kingdom coordination exercises]

[ELECTIVE CLASSES - Optional Enrollment]

[Beast Companion Training and Development]

[Advanced Weapon Techniques]

[Cultivation Theory and Breakthrough Assistance]

[Tactical Command and Large-Scale Coordination]

[Diplomatic Negotiation and Soft Power Application]

[Intelligence Gathering and Counter-Intelligence]

[Various other specializations available upon request]

Raze's attention caught on the Beast Companion class. That would be valuable for both him and anyone else in his kingdom with bound creatures. Bephe could benefit from structured training, and understanding how to maximize a companion's development seemed strategically sound.

He made mental note to enroll in that elective once the registration opened.

The curriculum was comprehensive, balancing theoretical knowledge with practical application. The separation of King classes from general instruction was interesting, isolating leaders to teach them skills that shouldn't be shared with the broader population. Made sense from control perspective, though it also meant trusting his Pieces to manage kingdom affairs during those isolated sessions.

Raze reached the central plaza where his kingdom members had gathered, everyone apparently waiting for his return. The atmosphere had shifted noticeably. Where before there had been respect mixed with uncertainty, now there was something approaching reverence.

They'd watched him systematically slaughter over two hundred beasts before soloing a Grandmaster Low rank threat. Master Low rank cultivators weren't supposed to do that. The display had fundamentally altered how his people viewed their King.

Helena stepped forward first, dropping to one knee with her fist pressed against her chest. The formal salute of a warrior acknowledging superior. "My King. Your victory honors Westia and proves the wisdom of following your leadership."

Others followed her example. Darius, who'd known him longest among the delegates, still took a knee with the same formal respect. Garrett's rapid response team knelt together, synchronized movement that spoke to their military backgrounds. The general members who'd been less familiar with him before today bowed deeply, recognition of demonstrated capability overriding any lingering doubts.

Even Fedora inclined her head, though she remained standing. Her Precognition had shown her the outcome, but witnessing it directly had clearly reinforced her commitment to this partnership.

Raze looked at them all, his poker face softening slightly into something that might have been a genuine smile. Small expression, barely noticeable, but real.

"Stand," he said simply. "We don't need theatrics. Save the formality for when outsiders are watching."

They rose, though the respect in their eyes didn't diminish. If anything, the casual dismissal of ceremony seemed to increase their regard rather than decrease it.

Cole, his young Pawn, spoke up with hesitation clear in his voice. "My King, what you did out there... I've never seen anyone fight like that. How did you kill a Grandmaster rank beast when you're only Master Low?"

Several others nodded, clearly having the same question but uncertain about voicing it.

Raze considered how to answer. Truth was complicated and potentially dangerous. Lies would undermine the trust he was building. Partial truth seemed the appropriate middle ground.

"Cultivation rank is one measure of capability," he said, choosing his words carefully. "But it's not the only one. Technique can bridge gaps that raw power alone can't cross. Understanding your opponent lets you exploit weaknesses that brute force would miss. And sometimes..." he paused, "sometimes you're capable of more than your rank suggests because you've experienced things that changed you fundamentally."

That was vague enough to avoid specifics while still providing some explanation. The delegates seemed to accept it, though Fedora's eyes showed she recognized he was holding information back.

"The important point," Raze continued, "is that all of you are weaker than you need to be. Not because you lack potential, but because you haven't pushed past comfortable limits. Tomorrow we start changing that."

Helena straightened. "What kind of training are we talking about, my King?"

"The kind that hurts," Raze replied bluntly. "The kind that makes you question whether it's worth continuing. The kind that transforms adequate into exceptional through sheer refusal to accept less than your absolute best."

He swept his gaze across the assembled group, making brief eye contact with each person.

"I watched you fight today. You're disciplined, you follow orders, you maintain formation. That's good. That's the foundation. But foundation isn't enough when other kingdoms have students who've been training since childhood in the finest facilities their nations can provide. Gareth Valorian has access to resources we can't match. Alex Dawnsblade has divine backing that creates opportunities out of nothing. Seraphine Lumis has cross-kingdom talent that gives her diversity of capability."

"What we have," he continued, "is Westia's stubborn refusal to accept being underestimated. We have shared background that creates natural coordination. And we have me, someone willing to train you past what you think you can handle until you discover reserves you didn't know existed."

Darius spoke up, his tone thoughtful rather than challenging. "You're talking about pushing us beyond our current limits. That's dangerous if done incorrectly. How do we know we won't injure ourselves permanently?"

"Because I'll be monitoring every session personally," Raze replied. "I'm not interested in breaking you. I'm interested in forging you into something harder than what you currently are. There's a difference between productive difficulty and destructive overtraining. I know where that line exists."

Fedora's voice joined the conversation, carrying the authority of her Queen position. "What about those of us with non-combat specializations? Lysa isn't a fighter. Julian's strength is intelligence gathering, not direct engagement. How does intense physical training benefit them?"

"Different training for different roles," Raze acknowledged. "Lysa needs mental conditioning to maintain ideological consistency under pressure. Julian needs situational awareness drills that sharpen his observation skills. Everyone gets pushed, but the direction of that push varies based on their function within our kingdom."

He noticed several people relaxing slightly at that clarification, apparently worried they'd all be forced into identical brutal physical regimens regardless of aptitude.

"One more thing," Raze said, his tone shifting slightly. "What happened today, what you saw me do... don't discuss it outside our kingdom. Other Kings don't need to know the full extent of my capabilities. Let them underestimate us. Let them think today was luck or exceptional circumstances. The element of surprise is valuable, and I'd prefer to keep it as long as possible."

Understanding dawned across multiple faces. This wasn't just about training them stronger. This was about strategic positioning, about creating advantages through information control and misdirection.

"Is that understood?" Raze asked.

"Yes, my King," came the unified response.

"Good. Now go eat, rest, recover. Medical Bay is available for anyone with injuries that need treatment beyond natural healing. Darius, coordinate with anyone who took damage during the fight. Make sure everyone gets appropriate care."

"Already on it," Darius confirmed. "Helena took a claw strike to her shoulder, and three of the general members have minor wounds. Nothing serious, but worth treating properly."

"See it done." Raze turned his attention to Fedora. "Walk with me?"

She nodded, and they moved away from the group toward the Watchtower. Slith remained coiled around her shoulders, the serpent seeming content despite the extended day.

Once they had relative privacy, Fedora spoke quietly. "You're not telling them everything."

"I'm telling them what they need to know," Raze corrected. "Full truth would create more questions than I can answer without revealing things that are better kept private."

"Things like what actually happened to you after that Sovereign rank assassin attacked you in Clearwater?"

He glanced at her, poker face firmly in place. "Your Precognition show you that?"

"My Precognition shows me a lot of things," she replied. "Including the fact that you survived that day and somehow came back different. Changed in ways that go beyond simple survival. But it doesn't show me the mechanism, just the outcome."

Raze was silent for a moment, weighing how much to share. Fedora was his Queen, his partner in leading this kingdom. Trust had to exist between them or the entire structure would fail under pressure.

"What happened that day," he said slowly, "involved things I don't fully understand myself. Power that shouldn't exist, intervention from sources that defy normal explanation. The result is what you see now. Capabilities that exceed my cultivation rank, knowledge that feels both mine and borrowed, awareness of threats that most people don't recognize exist."

"That's not really an answer," Fedora observed.

"It's the best answer I can give right now." He met her eyes directly. "Fedora, Everything I'm doing serves our collective success. But there are aspects of my existence that exposing would create complications neither of us want to deal with."

She studied him for a long moment, Precognition clearly showing her multiple futures depending on how she chose to respond. Finally, she nodded.

"Alright, but understand that my loyalty is conditional on those secrets not endangering our kingdom. The moment I see a future where your hidden complications threaten our people, we're having a different conversation."

"Fair," Raze acknowledged. "I wouldn't expect anything less from someone competent."

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the sun fully set over their territory.

"You were impressive today," Fedora said eventually. "Terrifying, honestly. But impressive. I've seen a lot of warriors through my father's court. None of them could have done what you did."

"Then it's good I'm on your side."

She smiled slightly. "Yes. It really is."

Raze left her at the Watchtower and headed toward his room in the Barracks. Several kingdom members nodded respectfully as he passed, the earlier formality replaced by more natural acknowledgment now that he'd dismissed the ceremony.

Bephe was waiting outside his door when he arrived, the prehistoric predator having apparently limped there ahead of him. The creature curled up across the entrance, clearly deciding that guarding his master's quarters was more important than seeking his own rest.

"You did well today," Raze said quietly, scratching behind Bephe's ear ridge. "Rest. Heal. Tomorrow we'll work on making sure you never get thrown around like that again."

The creature rumbled contentment, eyes already closing as exhaustion claimed him.

Inside, Raze's room was spartanly furnished. Bed, desk, storage chest, small window overlooking the kingdom's western border. Nothing excessive, just functional space for sleep and contemplation.

He stripped off his torn and bloodstained shirt, examining the claw wounds across his chest. They'd already begun healing, his bloodline's enhanced regeneration knitting flesh back together faster than normal recovery would allow. By tomorrow they'd be barely visible scars, by next week gone entirely.

The small bathroom attached to his quarters had basic amenities. Raze filled the basin with water and washed away the grime and dried blood, the cool liquid refreshing after hours of sustained combat. He changed into clean clothes from his storage chest, simple tunic and pants that would be comfortable for meditation.

Evening had fully settled over the kingdom now, darkness broken only by the moon and stars overhead. Through his window, Raze could see the Watchtower silhouetted against the night sky, Helena already stationed at the top for first watch rotation. The faint glow of the Mess Hall suggested some of his people were still awake, probably discussing the day's events over late food.

He moved to the center of his room and settled into lotus position, back straight, hands resting on his knees, breathing falling into controlled rhythm. Meditation had become crucial practice since his bloodline awakened, the quiet allowing him to sense the changes occurring within his body and cultivation.

Minutes passed in silence. His mind cleared, external distractions fading as consciousness turned inward. He could feel his mana circulating through meridians that had been fundamentally restructured, the flow smoother and more efficient than before Asura had broken the first seal on his bloodline.

The day's combat had pushed him in ways the training sessions never quite matched. Real danger, real consequences, real need to perform at absolute peak or face genuine failure. His bloodline had responded, capabilities flowing more naturally during the extended fight than they ever had in practice.

Half an hour of perfect stillness. No thoughts, no concerns, just awareness of breath and energy flowing through his body. The meditation deepened, consciousness sinking further inward until external awareness faded almost completely.

Then, from the depths of his consciousness where Asura's presence had been dormant since arriving at the Academy, sound emerged.

Laughter. Maniacal, unhinged, the kind of sound that suggested the entity producing it found something absolutely hilarious about existence itself.

The ancient demon's voice resonated through Raze's mind, carrying amusement and something darker.

"Did you miss me, successor?"

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