Ray sat by the opposite window in the back. Lily naturally took the seat between him and Violetta.

Raziel cursed inwardly. Too controlling! She's hogging Ray all to herself!

Lily ignored him completely.

Ray, long used to her behavior, didn't comment. If anything, he felt warmth bloom in his chest. The food she'd saved for him wasn't much, but it was enough to pull him back from the brink.

Lily nudged him lightly.

He turned to see her holding out a juice box.

Ray smiled and took it, drinking quickly.

For a brief moment, happiness flickered across Lily's eyes before she closed them and leaned back to rest.

They sat shoulder-to-shoulder, her cool arm brushing against his warm one. The atmosphere in the back seat was calm, quiet, almost peaceful.

Giselle drove fast, but smoothly. Her control was precise, movements clean and efficient, allowing the soul car to reach its maximum speed without discomfort.

Outside the window, Central City rushed past in a blur.

For the first time, class zero truly saw the city beyond the station.

It was vast. Lively. Endless.

When Ray had first left Ironspire City, he thought West Ocean City was overwhelming.

Now, Central City made West Ocean feel small.

This… really is the number one city on the continent.

Thanks to Giselle's driving, they reached Central Academy within the hour.

Ancient city walls stretched beyond sight, towering like a colossal dragon coiled around the academy. Plain, undecorated, without even a signboard, yet carrying an indescribable weight.

A massive crowd surged outside the main gate, voices overlapping into a roaring sea of excitement and tension.

Instead of stopping, Giselle veered to the side. After several sharp turns, they arrived at a smaller gate along the wall.

She pressed a button.

The gate slid open.

The soul car slipped inside.

Once the gate closed behind them, the noise vanished.

Silence. Tranquility.

It felt as though they had crossed into another era entirely.

"Are we… inside Central Academy now?" Raziel asked.

Giselle nodded. "This is the Old Central City. It was the original Central City before the expansion. The entire city exists for the academy. Only those recognized by Central may enter here."

The car never slowed as she spoke, speeding deeper into the academy's core.

"Because you were late," Giselle continued, "your exam will be harder. Same tests, less time, and possibly no rest at all. If you pass, you'll only be accepted as working students."

"Working students?" Ray asked.

Giselle replied, "You'll cover your tuition by working for the academy."

"Huh?!" Ray's scalp went numb at the word pay.

Raziel laughed. "No problem! Our captain is great at making money. He'll carry us!"

Ray had no comeback.

Giselle added calmly, "You're not paying Central money directly. Normal students attend for free. Working students contribute labor instead."

Work?

Ray's mood instantly lifted.

Hard work never scared him.

Raziel, however, grimaced. "What kind of work?"

Giselle shot him a sidelong glance. "Ask me again after you pass. It's still too early for you to know."

The soul car slowed to a crawl as a vast open space unfolded before them.

A colossal plaza stretched out ahead, its ground paved with massive slabs of ashen-gray stone, each one far larger than the black bricks lining the streets outside. Buildings of uniform height encircled half of the plaza in a grand semicircle, their architecture ancient and solemn.

Even at a glance, it was obvious that the plaza spanned at least a kilometer in diameter. The stone walls of the surrounding structures were carved with countless figures, every chisel mark steeped in history.

At the very center of the plaza lay a perfectly round artificial pond, nearly a hundred meters across. Rising from the fountain within it was a towering sculpture.

The moment Ray recognized the figure depicted, his heart slammed against his chest.

The sculpture was vivid beyond belief. It portrayed the only man who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Azrael, the founder of the Immortal Guild. The Spirit Tower's founder. The master of Sea God's Pavilion of that era.

Spirit Ice King, Orion Starlight.

He stood at the center, dignified and resolute, with his powerful spirit souls gathered around him like divine guardians.

Spirit Ice King Orion Starlight had been the sole individual of his era to ascend to godhood. His sculpture appearing here was proof of the immeasurable impact he had left upon the world.

The same sculpture existed in the Immortal Guild. In the Spirit Tower. And now, here as well.

Ray's eyes gleamed with reverence.

"This is Spirit Ice Plaza," Giselle explained calmly. "It was built ten thousand years ago, when Central Academy expanded into what is now the inner city. The outer court's main teaching buildings are located here. As you might have guessed, it was named after the legendary Spirit Ice King, Orion Starlight. I'm sure you're all familiar with his deeds, so we won't dwell on them. Let's go inside."

She led them toward the ring of ancient buildings.

As they drew closer, the carvings on the stone walls became clearer, each sculpture lifelike and distinct.

"These are all sculptures of inner court disciples," Giselle said when she noticed their astonishment. "Every student admitted into the inner court will have a sculpture made in their likeness. It is both a commemoration and a record of Central Academy's history."

Before they could admire them further, she ushered them inside.

The sheer scale of the interior stole their breath away.

The ceiling soared more than ten meters overhead, even though the building itself had six floors. Elaborate murals covered the walls and domed ceiling, each illustration exquisitely detailed. The grandeur was overwhelming, yet refined, never crossing into extravagance.

"This is House Central," Giselle said as they walked. "The murals depict twenty thousand years of Central Academy's history."

Twenty thousand years.

The words alone carried weight.

The four students of class zero felt a powerful urge to bow before this accumulated legacy. Only now did they truly understand why Central Academy was regarded as the sacred temple of soul masters.

To come here was not merely to study.

It was a pilgrimage.

Ray's guilt deepened, his blood surging as his hands clenched into fists.

I almost made them miss this place.

We have to get in. All of us.

Even with only a glimpse of Central Academy's magnificence, he knew one thing with absolute certainty.

He must step inside.

No soul master alive could resist this temptation.

They passed beneath the dome and climbed a wide staircase lined with arched windows. Through them, they could see manicured greenery stretching across the courtyard. Beyond it stood yet another massive stone structure, identical in style to the one they were in.

The original semicircle of buildings was merely a fraction of the whole.

The scale was staggering.

Even the imperial palaces of ancient eras might pale in comparison.

No wonder Giselle said Central Academy lacked nothing. Just how much wealth had been poured into this place?

Ray inhaled deeply, letting the atmosphere sink into his bones.

After navigating two more corridors, they entered a circular hall.

The domed ceiling here rose nearly twenty meters high, and another massive mural spread across its surface.

The instant their eyes fell upon it, their bodies trembled.

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