Chapter 45 – Null Spire Military Academy
The air shimmered with invisible energy currents as the trio stepped out of the transport pod.
Before them, the Null Spire Military Academy stretched across the horizon — a fortress of steel and light suspended above the clouds. Dozens of floating platforms orbited the main spire, each moving in geometric harmony. Energy conduits pulsed like veins of molten silver, and skyward towers split the heavens like colossal lances.
The world of ordinary gravity and silence was left far behind.
Shin's mouth fell open. "Uh… is it just me, or did we just enter a sci-fi anime?"
Alicia sighed. "We're literally standing on a floating platform. Try to look normal for five seconds."
Shin tilted his head. "Define 'normal.'"
Vaibhav simply adjusted his Band, scanning the data feed that displayed gravity fluctuation, air density, and electromagnetic resonance. His expression was calm — eyes sharp, studying every mechanical hum.
Above them, AI drones zipped by, their metallic wings glowing with blue glyphs. Holographic instructors floated midair, adjusting student formations while analyzing energy signatures.
Null Spire wasn't just an academy — it was a living fortress of technology and spirit fusion, one of Earth's greatest marvels.
The trio entered through a massive gate framed by twin energy pillars. Inside, hundreds of aspiring cadets stood in formation — cultivators from various cities, some wearing exosuits, others holding holographic swords that shimmered in synchronization with their energy pulse.
An automated voice echoed:
> "Welcome, new applicants, to Null Spire Military Academy.
Please proceed to the first evaluation zone: Physical Aptitude Assessment."
The floor beneath them reconfigured — shifting like liquid metal into glowing runes. Shin jumped back, startled.
"Okay, nope! Floors aren't supposed to move like that."
Vaibhav replied flatly, "It's a kinetic field stabilizer."
"Translation: floor's alive," Shin muttered, earning a light smack from Alicia.
Physical Test — The Gravity Chamber
They stepped into an enormous dome, walls lined with gravity emitters glowing red. The instructor, a silver-haired man with a mechanical eye, faced them from a levitating podium.
> "Test one: Gravity endurance. You'll each withstand increasing gravitational pressure while maintaining combat stance."
With a gesture, the emitters roared to life. The air grew dense; the ground hummed.
1x gravity… 5x… 10x…
Around them, students struggled to breathe, some dropping to their knees at 12x.
Shin stretched lazily. "Feels like leg day."
Vaibhav stood perfectly balanced, aura faintly igniting beneath his skin.
Alicia moved her hands behind her back, steady — expression calm but focused.
15x… 20x… 25x.
Metallic cracks spread across the floor beneath weaker students. Alarms flashed, drones rushed to pull them out.
At 30x gravity, only a handful remained standing — the trio among them.
The instructor narrowed his eyes. "Impressive… you may stop now."
Shin grinned, "Stop? I was just warming up. Can we go 50x? For fun?"
"Denied," the instructor said immediately.
"Figures," Shin sighed.
Obstacle Field — Reflex and Balance
Next, they entered the kinetic obstacle course — a labyrinth of shifting platforms, laser grids, and anti-gravity zones.
The instructor announced,
> "You must cross to the end. Drones will monitor reflex accuracy and damage avoidance."
As soon as the signal beeped, the entire field came alive — panels rotated, lasers fired in patterns, wind bursts threw cadets off balance.
Vaibhav sprinted forward with composed speed, using momentum to glide across moving tiles. His movements were surgical — no wasted effort, no unnecessary flourish.
Shin, however, treated it like a game show.
He leaped from one platform to another, sliding under lasers like an acrobat. "Ten points if I stick the landing!"
Alicia rolled her eyes, parrying a laser beam with her energy blade. "This isn't a circus!"
"Correction: I am the circus," Shin replied, vaulting over a drone and landing perfectly at the finish line.
When the results flashed —
> Reflex Efficiency: Vaibhav – 99.2%
Alicia – 98.7%
Shin – 100% (Unorthodox Pattern Recognition Detected)
Everyone froze.
The instructor blinked twice. "…Unorthodox pattern recognition?"
The AI panel added, "Candidate ignored all official pathing algorithms yet achieved full mark completion."
Shin smirked, hands on hips. "Translation: I cheated creatively."
Alicia muttered, "Unbelievable."
Vaibhav looked at him sideways. "You accidentally outsmarted the system again, didn't you?"
Shin shrugged, "Accidentally? Please, I call that instinct."
Mental Test — The Illusion Core
The next hall was quiet — pitch black, lined with glowing blue spheres hovering in rows.
The instructor's voice echoed:
> "Inside each Illusion Core, your mind will be placed under stress simulations.
You must remain conscious while facing fear, confusion, and memory distortion."
Shin cracked his knuckles. "Cool, brain gym time."
Vaibhav took a deep breath, stepping into his sphere.
Alicia followed, expression calm yet wary.
As the spheres activated, light engulfed them — and suddenly each was trapped within their own simulation.
Vaibhav stood amid fire and storm — illusions of collapsing buildings, people screaming, faces he'd once failed to protect. His hands trembled… then steadied.
He clenched his fists. "Not again." The illusion shattered like glass.
Alicia, meanwhile, found herself in an endless void — whispers of her beast heritage echoing. Monster… not human… outsider.
She raised her chin. "So what if I'm both?" The illusion broke apart.
Shin's illusion… was a little different.
He stood before a giant version of himself — smug and shirtless, flexing.
Illusion Shin smirked. "You can never surpass me, the ultimate you."
Real Shin stared blankly. "…Wow, my subconscious has issues."
He pulled out an imaginary bat and hit the illusion over the head. The orb shattered instantly.
When he stepped out, the system voice faltered:
> "Subject… completed in 0.3 seconds. Possible malfunction detected."
Instructor: "...How?"
Shin shrugged. "Self-awareness therapy."
Final Evaluation — Energy Aptitude
The trio stood in a vast hall filled with holographic projections of elemental cores. this test analyzed energy stability and adaptability — how a cultivator's essence responded to technological interference.
Each candidate placed their hand on a glowing prism.
The prism under Vaibhav's palm flared red and gold, stabilizing instantly — the AI registered near-perfect coherence.
Alicia's prism shone blue with crystalline purity, waves of calm energy rippling outward.
When Shin touched his, it overloaded — the entire console shorted out, sparks flying.
The instructor yelled, "Candidate! Remove your hand!"
Shin raised both palms. "I didn't touch anything! It touched me!"
Vaibhav sighed. "You broke another one."
Alicia folded her arms. "Second time today."
"Hey, I'm just too compatible for technology," Shin grinned.
Despite the chaos, the readings recorded impossible stability ratings — higher than any recorded candidate that year.
The Result Hall
At last, the applicants gathered in front of a massive holographic display. Rows of names flickered, glowing green for those who passed.
Shin leaned toward the screen. "If my name's not on that list, I'm suing the AI."
"Can't sue a machine," Vaibhav said calmly.
"Then I'll emotionally damage it," Shin muttered.
The announcer's voice echoed:
> "Top Performers of the Entrance Evaluation —
Rank 3: Alicia.
Rank 2: Shinosuke Nohara.
Rank 1: Vaibhav."
A wave of murmurs spread through the hall. Students stared in disbelief — whispers rising.
"Who are they?"
"They broke all three test records!"
"Wait, did the second guy blow up the energy prism?"
Shin puffed his chest. "Yeah, that was me. No autographs."
Alicia jabbed him with her elbow. "You're going to get us kicked out before we even start."
"Worth it," Shin said.
Then came the final announcement:
> "By order of the Council of Null Spire —
Team registration approved.
Vaibhav Nyxer, Shinosuke Nohara, Alicia…
Welcome to Null Spire Military Academy."
As the trio walked out of the evaluation dome, the academy skyline shimmered with floating ships, glowing runes, and roaring thunder from distant training zones.
The world of ordinary struggle was behind them — ahead lay the next stage of their evolution.
Shin threw his hands behind his head. "Alright, who wants to bet I get detention on the first day?"
Alicia: "Not betting. It's guaranteed."
Vaibhav: "Try to last an hour this time."
Shin grinned, eyes glinting beneath the neon sky. "Challenge accepted."
And with that, the gates of Null Spire Military Academy opened to three names destined to echo through realms.
Author's Note: this academy was rebuilt by The Current Principal