The academy spent the next three days talking about one thing.
The Inter-Academy Evaluation Event.
Classes continued.
Training continued.
Assignments continued.
But every conversation eventually circled back to the same topic.
Who was participating?
Which academies were coming?
How strong were their elite students?
Would there be rankings?
Combat?
Team events?
Nobody knew.
And uncertainty only made students more interested.
Kai mostly ignored the speculation.
Mostly.
He was more interested in the information nobody had.
Because the academy wasn't acting excited.
It was acting prepared.
There was a difference.
Tactical Studies
The first sign appeared during a strategy lecture.
Usually, Tactical Studies focused on beast behavior, territory control, or mission logistics.
Not today.
Professor Halden stood at the front of the lecture hall.
Behind him floated a massive projection of the continent.
Dozens of academy markers glowed across the map.
Students immediately became attentive.
The professor looked across the room.
"Since most of you have already heard the announcement…"
A pause.
"…we may as well discuss reality instead of rumors."
Several students straightened immediately.
The map shifted.
Six academy markers brightened.
"These are the institutions participating this year."
Whispers spread instantly.
Professor Halden ignored them.
"Many students assume the event is a tournament."
He shook his head.
"It is not."
The room became quieter.
"It is an evaluation."
The projection changed again.
Combat scenarios.
Recovery operations.
Resource management.
Leadership assessments.
Strategic simulations.
Kai immediately understood.
The academy wasn't interested in finding the strongest student.
It wanted to measure the strongest future hunter.
A completely different objective.
Professor Halden pointed toward the display.
"Individual combat matters."
A pause.
"Far less than most people think."
Several students looked disappointed.
The professor seemed amused.
"Strength without judgment creates casualties."
The room stayed silent.
Nobody argued.
Because everyone understood that statement.
Resonance Growth
After class, Kai headed toward the eastern training grounds.
The synchronization core had been unusually active all morning.
Not intrusive.
Just noticeable.
Awareness Link Stability: 16%
It had increased from eleven percent.
Without additional purchases.
The system was still evolving.
Kai reached a quiet section of the grounds and began training.
Basic movements first.
Sword forms.
Footwork.
Balance transitions.
Simple.
Efficient.
His movements flowed naturally now.
Months ago, every technique required conscious correction.
Every improvement demanded deliberate effort.
Now many actions happened automatically.
Not because they were easy.
Because they had become part of him.
Combat Pattern Compression would improve this further.
The thought lingered briefly.
Kai still hadn't spent additional RP.
Current RP: 663
The synchronization core purchase had reduced his reserves significantly.
He wasn't rushing another decision.
Not yet.
A familiar sensation touched the edge of his awareness.
Subtle.
The resonance link.
Kai paused.
Someone nearby.
Not physically nearby.
Linked nearby.
Lena.
The awareness wasn't detailed enough to reveal thoughts.
Only presence.
Direction.
General intent.
It felt like noticing movement in peripheral vision.
Nothing more.
But it was enough to recognize.
Interesting.
The sensation faded as quickly as it arrived.
The Forge District Returns
That afternoon, Kai found himself walking back toward the forge district.
Not because of a quest.
Not because the system told him to.
Because he still had unanswered questions.
The crystals he'd been collecting remained unused.
And the Inter-Academy Event was approaching.
Preparation mattered.
The familiar heat greeted him as he entered the workshop district.
Furnaces roared.
Metal rang against metal.
Students moved between workstations carrying materials and equipment.
The same older craftsman from before noticed him almost immediately.
"Back again."
Kai nodded.
The craftsman grinned.
"Good."
He gestured toward an empty workbench.
"Took my advice?"
Kai approached.
"Still thinking."
The older man laughed.
"That's usually better than rushing."
Kai placed several beast crystals onto the workbench.
The craftsman's expression shifted slightly.
He picked one up.
Examined it.
Then another.
"Hm."
A third.
"Hm."
A fourth.
The grin disappeared.
Now he looked interested.
"Where exactly are you finding these?"
Kai didn't answer.
The craftsman snorted.
"Fair enough."
He arranged the crystals into several groups.
Different colors.
Different structures.
Different densities.
Then he pointed.
"These four?"
A tap.
"Useful for reinforcement."
Another group.
"These?"
A second tap.
"Energy retention."
A third.
"Rare."
Kai's attention sharpened slightly.
Rare.
The craftsman lifted a dark crystal.
Unlike the others, faint silver lines moved beneath its surface.
"This one shouldn't be wasted."
Kai studied it.
The crystal came from an elite beast defeated weeks ago.
He had nearly absorbed it.
Interesting.
"What can it become?"
Kai asked.
The craftsman smiled.
"Now that's the right question."
He set the crystal carefully onto the table.
"Depends on the creator."
Kai waited.
The craftsman continued.
"Some materials are valuable because they're powerful."
A pause.
"Others are valuable because they're adaptable."
His finger rested on the dark crystal.
"This one adapts."
Kai immediately thought of the synchronization core.
Adaptation.
Again.
The same theme kept appearing.
The craftsman leaned back slightly.
"If you're serious about forging something…"
He pointed at the crystal.
"…start with that."
The system flickered.
MATERIAL IDENTIFIED
Adaptive Beast Crystal
Potential Compatibility: High
Kai stared at the notification.
Potential compatibility.
Not guaranteed.
But significant enough for the system to react.
The craftsman clearly noticed his interest.
"Whatever you're building…"
He smiled slightly.
"…build it for the future version of yourself."
Kai remembered those words.
Because they sounded similar to something Aiden would say.
Or Victor.
Not advice focused on immediate power.
Advice focused on growth.
The Summons
As Kai left the forge district, another academy notification appeared.
This one wasn't public.
It appeared directly on his academy communicator.
SUMMONS
Great 17 Assembly
Attendance Mandatory
Location: Strategic Operations Hall
Time: 19:00
Kai looked at the message.
Mandatory.
That word wasn't used often.
The Inter-Academy Event was getting closer.
Which meant information was finally coming.
And if the academy was gathering the entire Great 17—
the next phase had already begun.
As evening settled over the academy grounds, students continued speculating.
Training continued.
Classes continued.
Life continued.