Dawn came. All the students who had broken through to the next realm went to rest with happy faces, and the remaining students continued the process.

  All the instructors also went to take some rest, saying, “Let’s meet again in some time.”

  Winay, walking back to his room alone after his breakthrough, thought, Okay, now I really feel like I’ve entered the true cultivation path. There is a lot of energy flowing through my body, and my Void Eye’s detection range has increased to around ten meters. Everything crossed my expectations… except for one thing.

  I’m still not able to understand what’s missing whenever I try to use the newly learned skill, Singularity Crush. Right after I broke through to the Communication Realm, I went to the training grounds and tried the skill—no improvement. And it’s making me use up one?tenth of my energy reserve if I use it without condensing my energy. I thought after increasing the quantity of energy by reaching the Communication Realm, I would be able to clear all my doubts, but it looks like that’s not possible yet.

  Ha, let’s not think about it. Maybe I will get some opportunity in the future and will be able to complete the skill. Let’s go to the room and see if Gonad also succeeded in breaking through…

  Winay entered his room. The moment he stepped inside, he saw Gonad sleeping like it had been several days since he last slept.

  “Ha, looks like he also succeeded in breaking through,” Winay said softly. “Let’s not disturb him. First I should take some rest.”

  Ting…

  Just as Winay thought of lying down, a clear, high?pitched sound came from both his and Gonad’s communication devices. The sound was set to a certain special frequency, so the owner would know immediately when something arrived on their device.

  The moment the sound came, Gonad woke up from his sleep. His hand automatically went to his communication device, and he opened his eyes to check it.

  “It’s just a message from the school, ha,” Gonad muttered.

  “That was fast…” Winay said.

  “Oh, Winay, when did you come?” Gonad asked, sitting up. “How was your breakthrough? Wait—why am I not able to sense your cultivation progress?”

  “It went well,” Winay said. “I broke through to the Communication Realm like you. And as for why you can’t sense it… it’s because of some innate?skill?applied method.”

  “What?? You can use your innate skill in this way also?” Gonad said, eyes widening. “Can I also use it? I should try it then…”

  “I’m not sure if you will be able to do that,” Winay said. “Mine is very different from yours. But you can still try once you reach mastery over your innate skill.”

  “Does that mean you have already mastered your innate skill?” Gonad asked.

  “No, not yet,” Winay replied. “I only understood some basic principles, that’s it. I still have a very long way to go.”

  (In his mind, he thought, I applied some void energy in the form of ‘cancelling’ my innate skill’s external signature to avoid others peeking. Looks like it worked fine. I’m not sure how much realm difference it works against, but it’s pretty useful.)

  “Looks like I will also have to work hard from now on…” Gonad said. “Oh, this message says we have to go to the central hall before eleven in the morning. I think from there we will be going on our ways to the chosen academies.”

  “Yeah, looks like that…” Winay said.

  While they were talking, a voice suddenly echoed in Winay’s mind.

  “Wini, listen.”

  (Wait, this voice…) Winay thought. Ayaril??

  “Ayaril?? Who is that?” Gonad asked.

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  “I was talking to myself… wait, I’ll be back,” Winay said quickly. Then he left the room and went to the practice room.

  “Ayaril?” Winay called through the void whispering technique. “You said you were going on a mission. What happened?”

  “Wini, listen,” Ayaril’s voice replied. “This is my clone talking to you. Aarya has entered the NULL LAB again, so we’re not sure how long it will take for her to complete the research this time. You know, right, it’s not possible to communicate with the outside world once she enters the LAB. This time the project is very important and very crucial, so she had no choice but to enter earlier than planned. And since you were in the middle of a breakthrough, she didn’t contact you through the communication device. That’s why I came to inform you through this clone. My true body is also very far from here, so I cannot maintain this clone for long—only about two minutes are left. She was worried you might be facing some issues or many doubts in your cultivation, so she asked me to send my clone to inform you about her early entry and also to clear any doubts if you have any.”

  “Mother entered that NULL LAB again?” Winay asked, his voice a mix of slight upset and calm confidence. “Okay, Ayaril, thanks for informing me.”

  “How was your breakthrough?” Ayaril asked. “Looks like you achieved more than just a normal breakthrough?”

  “Wait, you’re able to detect my energy even though I’ve covered my whole body with my soul energy?” Winay asked.

  “Of course I can,” Ayaril said. “Even if this is just a clone, it has most of the skills of the true body. And don’t forget, I was born with void energy…”

  “Ha, I get it now,” Winay said. “You were able to detect my cultivation because we both use void energy. And since you are in a higher realm than me, it’s very possible. Am I right?”

  “Yes, you are right,” Ayaril said. “This clone will fade away in about one minute.”

  “I have one thing to ask you,” Winay said quickly. “I’ll show you a skill which I’m not able to execute completely. Can you look at it and tell me?”

  “Yes, show me,” Ayaril replied.

  Winay began to demonstrate his skill, Singularity Crush. He activated his Void Eye, saw the countless small nodes in space, and started compressing those small nodes into a single node at the center. Then he crushed that compressed node, making the space around the point of execution ripple and displace slightly.

  “How…? How did you learn this skill?” Ayaril asked, shocked. “Ha, actually that’s not important right now. Yes, this skill is incomplete—and that is for the best. Because if you had really succeeded in completing this skill, you would have put a hole in the void.”

  “But why is it best if I don’t complete this skill?” Winay asked.

  Ayaril’s figure started to fade little by little. “It’s not that you shouldn’t complete this skill,” she said. “It’s that you are not ready yet. Actually, you won’t be able to understand the base principles to fully perform this skill at your current level. And also remember this: even if you understand the principles to execute this skill completely, don’t do it.”

  “Why is that?” Winay asked.

  “The reason this skill’s complete execution forms a ‘hole’ is because it destroys the coordinates that connect the surrounding space,” Ayaril said. “What happens when there are no coordinates in the surrounding space? Everything around that area will be pulled into the void. And the void is not something you can deal with. It is instant death the moment you enter the void without understanding it.”

  “Once you reach greater realms, you will understand the things I’m saying to you now,” he continued. “So just focus on improving your cultivation first. You will get to know everything about the principles of your soul energy in time.”

  They exchanged a few more words.

  Ayaril’s silhouette flickered more intensely. “Okay, looks like that’s it. This clone is fading away. Focus on your cultivation. And if you need anything, you know whom to talk to, right?”

  She paused for one last message.

  “Oh, and also—your mother told me to inform you that once you meet the requirements, you should visit the ‘Designer’s Ruins’. She said that place can help you in your growth, and you can also activate your Void Eyes completely there…”

  The clone faded.

  “Ha… this is too little information,” Winay muttered. “They never talk straight and complete.”

  “Mother entered the NULL LAB again, huh,” he thought, feeling a dull heaviness in his chest. “She never told me anything about that place. All she said is that it’s a very important place and she has to visit it once every five years. But this time she entered six months early for some reason. Whenever I ask about that place, she always talks in loops, saying her research is very important for the world’s protection and safety…”

  “And if I ask anything more, all she says is, ‘Unless you are in the Ascension Realm, it cannot be disclosed.’ And now Ayaril also joined her, saying I have to reach the peak in cultivation first. But there is definitely something going on, that’s for sure.”

  “Ha… let’s not think about anything else. Unless I reach the Ascension Realm as soon as possible, I can’t resolve these worries, it seems.”

  He looked at the time. “Let’s go back. It’s already eight in the morning. I’ll have to pack my things, since today is the last day I’ll be staying in this school’s dorms…”

  Then something suddenly flashed in his mind.

  “Wait, at the end Ayaril said something about ‘Designer’s Ruins’… but what is that place? I’ve never even heard of it. Let’s enquire about that once I reach Infinite Academy…”

  Winay went back to the room and started to pack his things. Gonad had already finished packing earlier and had gone back to sleep again.

  “How is he falling asleep this easily?” Winay muttered. “Ha, I should take some tips from him before going to the academy. First, let’s take some rest…”