Keshav stood outside the towering obsidian gates of the Administrative Spire, the building where the school's most powerful figures resided. His heart pounded—not from fear of punishment, but from uncertainty.
He had received a summon from the Principal himself.
As the gates parted with a soft hum, Keshav stepped into a chamber laced with ambient Origin patterns and silent floating sigils. Two figures stood within.
One was the Principal—a stern, ageless figure radiating an aura that distorted space subtly around him. The other was the teacher who had tested his divine power purity just a day before.
Keshav stiffened.
'They found something…' he thought. His mind raced to the moment of his divine refinement, the System's smirking words echoing in his memory.
Before he could overthink further, the principal's calm voice cut through his rising nerves.
"Sit, Keshav," the principal said. "Don't be nervous. We did not call you here to interrogate your methods."
Keshav sat slowly, tense but attentive.
"We have no intention—and no right—to force students to reveal their secrets," the principal continued. "The Laws of Civilizational Integrity safeguard you during your education. That's why even I didn't ask your teacher to explain what he saw yesterday. And he hasn't told anyone either."
The teacher beside him nodded solemnly. "I was surprised, yes. But we are bound."
Keshav relaxed slightly, but the principal's next words tightened his chest again.
"But this protection is not permanent."
The room quieted. Only the faint humming of data crystals filled the air.
"If you fail your final exam… or your marks fall short of university entrance," the principal said, "those protections will be lifted. You'll be a civilian. And in our world, a secret this valuable will attract all kinds of attention—especially from families of elite students who already suspect something."
Keshav's eyes widened.
"They will come with questions," the teacher said grimly. "Some with gold. Some with blades. And none will care for your excuses."
The principal leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "So I will only say this once, Voidwalker Sovereign… don't fail."
Keshav clenched his fists unconsciously.
"You've earned attention. Now earn the right to survive it."
"One more thing."
Keshav turning back with a questioning gaze.
The principal stood, folding his hands behind his back as he looked out of the translucent crystalline wall into the distant glowing spires of the Divine City.
"As you know, admission into Divine Universities is determined by birth date batches. Every high school cohort consists of students born on the same calendar day. Which means…" He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes sharp. "Every day, somewhere in our civilization, students are taking their final exams."
Keshav's breath caught. He had known that in theory, but hearing it aloud, in this setting, gave the information new weight.
The principal continued, "You have the option to take the final exam early, if you think you're ready. You'll be grouped with students born days—or even months—before you."
Keshav's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's the benefit of taking it early?"
"Points," the principal said. "Bonus merit points added to your final tally. Enough to qualify for elite universities that you may not otherwise reach. The exam board rewards those who step into the fire early—and survive."
But then his tone turned grave.
"However… if you fail the early exam, you don't get a second chance. You forfeit your original slot with your own birth cohort. It's over. One test. One life-defining outcome."
The room fell silent.
"So," the principal said, returning his full gaze to Keshav, "choose carefully when you decide you are ready. Early ambition may elevate you—or destroy your path."
Keshav nodded slowly, feeling the weight of those words settle deep inside him.
"Now go," the principal said, stepping back. "Prepare your believers. Nurture their growth. Build their strength. Combat power will be a decisive criterion. But don't ignore the other requirements of our civilization—governance, expansion, innovation, faith management. This is not a game of muscle alone."
"Yes, Principal," Keshav said quietly.
Keshav stood, bowed with respect, and turned to go.
But as he reached the threshold, he heard the teacher mutter under his breath, almost thoughtfully:
> "Purity that high… even True Gods would envy it."
The moment the doors closed behind him, the principal let out a breath and muttered softly to himself, "Let's see how far you can climb… Voidwalker Sovereign."
-----
[Scene: Keshav's Dorm Room – Late Night]
Keshav sat cross-legged in front of the terminal, eyes flickering with determination. The conversation with the principal echoed in his mind — a clear warning and a subtle opportunity. He couldn't afford to waste time.
"Combat power… Miracles… World expansion…" he murmured.
He opened the [Terminal: Kingdom of God Interface].
---
[God's Name]: Voidwalker Sovereign
[Domain]: Space
[Clergy]: The Star Priests
[Believers]: 137 (Shamans, hunters, and villagers)
[Faith Energy (per day)]: 64 units
[Accumulated Faith Energy]: 632 / 10,000
[Divine Power]: 1
[Miracles Performed]: 1
[Current Cult Influence]: Moderate (3 tribes)
[Faith Conversion Rate]: Standard
[Faith Link Stability]: 77% (Improving — Tribal Alliance forming)
----
He knew that time was limited and his believers were still too weak to survive, let alone dominate, in the upcoming combat assessment.
He opened his System Interface.
> [System Interface: Energy Points]
Current EP: 148
"I'll use 100 EP for now," Keshav muttered. "That should give me enough faith to invest in my believers."
He initiated the conversion:
> EP Exchange Activated
Converting 100 EP to Faith Energy…
Result: 100,000 Faith Energy
A surge of divine energy shimmered around him momentarily, invisible to all but the System. Keshav then opened the Terminal's Creation Website, where techniques and resources were traded using Creation Points.
He selected the Faith Market tab and offered the newly acquired 100,000 Faith for sale.
> Transaction Complete
Faith Sold: 100,000 units
Creation Points Gained: 10,000 CP
With 10,000 CP in hand, he began browsing combat-oriented techniques for his believers. He filtered through categories: tribal stage compatibility, low mana requirement, and rapid adaptability.
Finally, he selected three technique packs:
Basic Combat Techniques – For immediate military training.
Spiritual Channeling Rites – To help potential shamans and priests develop spiritual senses.
Martial Doctrine of the Beast Path – A versatile system suitable for wild, tribal life.
> Purchase Complete
CP Spent: 9,000
Techniques injected into the Kingdom of God.
In his divine world, the scrolls of glowing knowledge descended from the sky into the minds of his chosen Star Priests and tribal warriors. Dreams were infused with training, rituals with structure, and instincts with deadly precision.
Keshav sighed in relief. "Good. Let's see how fast they can grow."
Behind the scenes, the System processed the influx of techniques with cold efficiency, calculating battle-readiness simulations.
Combat capacity was expected to surge within weeks.