'Why can't I move...' Mirabella's mind screamed. In her previous life, she had studied Hayatobi's legendary deeds, but had never witnessed his actual power. The Master Teachers—one in each of the three core empires—were figures of myth, answering only to the Emperor or Empress. They were the true pillars of Galaxy Fall's power military structure.
She lowered her horrified gaze. Every muscle was frozen in absolute terror, yet her mind remained frantic.
'No matter what happens! I must fight! Fight this paralysis!' She forced her body, pouring every ounce of her willpower into moving a single limb.
She glanced over her shoulder. Carl and Cupcake were on the ground, shaking uncontrollably, trapped in the same psychic prison. This was not a physical restraint; it was a pure, mental dominion achieved through foresight and overwhelming power.
"I won't give up!!" Mirabella screamed internally, channeling her absolute refusal to submit. With agonizing, slow difficulty, she raised one leg, a movement that felt like lifting a mountain, and placed it on the ground.
'Hmm... Impressive. She broke the initial paralysis,' Hayatobi noted, his expression unreadable beneath his silver hair.
"I won't lose!!" Mirabella roared, pushing against the fear, preparing for another move.
Hummm...
Hayatobi, sensing the shift in the earth's elemental energy made his move. Without hesitation, he leaped backward, ascending into the mid-air. Instantly, the ground where he had been standing erupted, five thick spears of stone and earth shooting skyward.
Hayatobi landed lightly in the air, his arms folded, completely untouched.
"Impressive. Truly impressive," he praised, his silver eyes returning to normal. "That was my Tri-Pupil Future Sight. The ability allows me to glimpse my opponent's weakest point and their death in my presence, inducing a paralysis of the will. No one on the lower server should be able to move even an eyelid against it. Now I know why you were given an SS-RANK rating. In the upper server, your bounty would still be A-Rank. Truly fascinating."
"Ah. Ha. Ha. Ha." Mirabella collapsed onto her knees, gasping for breath, soaked in sweat.
'I was at a complete disadvantage, even with my high stats and hidden Multiplier skills,' she thought grimly.
'I must grow stronger. If this were a real battle, I would be dead. There must be a way to defend against skills that target the very soul and will, not just HP or Defense. There must be one.'
"You are strong, Spectral. The ability to move even a single limb proved it," Hayatobi said, descending gently. He landed before her, his posture relaxed.
"You must be thinking of ways to counter this skill," he continued, reading her frustration perfectly.
"But sorry, the counter skill—Absolute Will—can only be learned once you hit the Level 100 benchmark and also complete the Empire's First Path military training. For now, you are at my mercy."
He stretched forth his hand. Mirabella took it, and with his assistance, she stood back up.
"What do you say?" Hayatobi produced the same obsidian Imperial Authority Pass he had given Grace.
"Will you become my student? A student of the Master Teacher of Swords?" He let the gravity of the title hang in the air. "And become a soldier of the Dragon Empire? You won't have to worry about the chaos of the server merge. I will personally guide you when the time arrives."
Mirabella stared at the card. This wasn't just an offer; it was a sanctuary and a fast-track to power in the new world. She gestured toward Cupcake and Carl.
"Cupcake is my Familiar. She goes where I go."
"The Cat is bound to you, I see."
"But... what about my friend, Carl?"
Hayatobi turned to Carl, who was just starting to recover from the psychic shock. "Your friend... He will have to prove himself in the entrance test. If he passes with good scores, I will take him under my wing. But if he fails, he will have to start from scratch as others do in the Cadet Corps."
Mirabella nodded. This was fair. In her past life, she hadn't gotten this close to a Master Teacher. Becoming an Elite Trainee before formal military school was a crucial step. It guaranteed immense knowledge, strength gains, immediate access to secure zones, and eventually, the highly-coveted Military Badge.
"Sir," she asked, sealing the deal with a gesture of respect. "Can I see your badge?"
Hayatobi chuckled and brought forth a glowing, deep red badge adorned with five brilliant stars.
"Whoa! I read that this is a God General Badge! You're a Five-Star God General?!" she exclaimed, looking up at him in genuine awe.
"It's nothing special. I am not that powerful yet," he demurred, though his smile indicated otherwise. "Anyway, I will take my leave. See you in one month, when the servers merge and the tests begin." He turned, and in a silent shimmer of silver energy, he vanished again.
"Who was that monster?" Carl asked, collapsing fully onto the ground, staring at the darkening sky. The trauma of the near-death experience was still fresh.
"That was not a monster, Carl. That was our best chance at survival," Mirabella said, walking back to them and sheathing her swords.
She knelt down between the two, her voice dropping to a serious, tutorial tone, injecting information for their survival.
"When the second server opens in one month, all players will be asked to either join the military of one of the three core empires—Sword, dragon, or eagle—or wander alone, with no backing or support."
She paused, letting the implication sink in.
"Galaxy Fall is a universe of three empires. Wandering alone makes you an immediate target for high-level guilds, imperial spies, hunters, and monsters with overwhelming territorial control. For us, joining the Dragon Empire and passing the exams is the only smart move. Once I get that Military Badge, my life will be infinitely easier."
"These badges, what are they about?" Carl asked, trying to process the sudden shift from boss-killing to imperial politics.
"These badges are like military ranks; the higher your rank, the stronger your influence and authority," Mirabella explained. "Hayatobi's Five-Star God General badge, for example, means he can command up to 5,000 elite Dragon Empire soldiers in a battle, and his commands are absolute."
"What are the ranks then?" Carl pressed.
Mirabella sighed softly. "You really are clueless. Pay attention, this is vital knowledge."
She drew a diagram in the dirt with her finger, illustrating the strict hierarchy of the Dragon Empire's Military Ranks:
"These are the ranks, from lowest to highest: Cadet, Corporal, Sergeant, Master sergeant, sergeant major, second lieutenant, first lieutenant, Captain, Major, colonel, God general, star one to five; and lastly; Celestial General, also having five Stars... Those at the Celestial General rank are the second Rulers of the empire. They hold the same authority as the Emperor and are exceptionally powerful—far surpassing Hayatobi's current strength. That is the true ceiling of power in Galaxy Fall."