After all, since John dared to kill Robert Carter, he certainly wouldn''t hesitate with Isabe.


    This thought alone felt like a heavy mountain pressing down on Albertus'' heart.


    Of course, John had no idea what Albertus was thinking.


    Even if he did, it wouldn''t concern him in the least.


    Should anyone provoke him, John genuinely wouldn''t mind teaching this haughty Miss of House Medici a profound lesson.


    After bidding farewell to Albertus, John, along with a few individuals who had passed the preliminary test, followed a student assigned to guide them into the Star Cluster Academy.


    Crossing the grand and imposing gates of Star Cluster Academy, they were greeted by a spacious and tidy campus square.


    Casting their gaze further, they could see towering academic buildings and libraries rising from the ground.


    The campus of Star Cluster Academy wasn''t much different from the university campuses John had seen before.


    Whether it was the architecture or theyout, everything bore a modern style.


    Had it not been for the sight of busy cleaning robots back and forth, John might have thought he had returned to Earth.


    As John silently critiqued this in his mind, someone next to him suddenly eximed with emotion, "This truly lives up to the fame of the Federal''s renowned Star Cluster Academy. This type of minimalist yet majestic retro architecture, I''ve only seen it in books and photos before. I never thought I''d get to see it with my own eyes today."


    Everyone else appeared equally astounded, as if they had seen something extraordinary.


    John looked puzzled.


    Really, was all this necessary?


    It was just a typical academic building.


    ncing around, he noticed that the other candidates who had passed the preliminary test also had eyes filled with fervor and excitement.


    Their gaze was akin to beholding an ancient relic.


    At that moment, John suddenly had an epiphany.


    To him, these buildings might seem quite ordinary.


    However, in this world, such architectural style would probably be considered retro.


    After all, the old era had passed more than 130 years ago.


    Their reactions now were much like his own when he saw those grand and ancient relics in tourist spots.


    With this thought, a humorous idea sprang to mind.


    Did that make him, in a sense, an ancient person living in modern times?


    The group continued on their way.


    Apart from John, everyone else was eagerly taking in the sights of the academy''s environment and scenery, their expressions filled with excitement, asionally bursting out with exmations and praises.


    John, on the other hand, was leisurely checking out the beautiful uppersswomen they passed by.


    The weather in the Imperial Capital could be artificially controlled, so for most of the year, it remained in a state of perpetual spring,fortable and inviting.


    Moreover, since the Star Cluster Academy didn''t impose a dress code on its students, many of the girls were dressed in light, airy dresses, showcasing their slender, fair legs to their advantage.


    This indeed was a feast for John''s eyes.


    Just as John was contemting whether to approach some of them for their contact information, hispanion beside him burst into excitement again, eximing, "Look over there, isn''t that a statue of Chancellor Federick Hohenberg?"


    John paused, redirected his gaze towards where the other was pointing.


    At the center of the campus square stood a circr fountain pool, with water bubbling forth.


    Within the pool, a colossal statue stood quietly erect.


    It depicted an elderly man, his hands cradling a ball of spark fire, gazing into the distance as if he had seen something.


    His face bore a kind smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were clearly visible, carved so lifelike it seemed he might speak at any moment.


    As everyone looked upon the statue, a sense of respect was evident in their eyes.


    Even John, who typically carried himself with aid-back air, couldn''t help but regard the figure before him with a rare touch of reverence.


    For the man immortalized in stone truly deserved his respect.


    The elderly figure carved in the statue was the founding chancellor of Star Cluster Academy, named Federick Hohenberg.


    He was among the earliest of humanity''s awakeners.


    However, Federick Hohenberg was not known for his formidable strength; he was merely amon awakener with a C-level talent.


    In the old era, he had been just an ordinary elementary school teacher.


    Yet, it was this ordinary awakener who left an indelible mark on the annals of human history following the descent of the virtual world.


    When the virtual world first emerged, the power of the awakeners was still in its nascent stage.


    The order of the human world crumbled, monsters roamed freely, and countless lives were lost to their ferocity.


    It was one of the darkest periods for humanity, teetering on the brink of extinction.


    Surviving through the power of an awakener, Federick Hohenberg recognized the significance of this strength, understanding that awakeners represented thest hope for humanity.


    In a bid to grasp and utilize this extraordinary power more effectively, he constantly skirted the edges of danger and death.


    He gathered and documented various data and information, summarizing the patterns and characteristics of different awakeners and dungeon monsters.


    All of this he recorded diligently, to aid future generations in their understanding.


    Even today, the knowledgepiled by Federick Hohenberg remains a fundamental part of the curriculum.


    Moreover, he adopted many children, nurturing them with care.


    He educated these children about the knowledge he had amassed, informed them about the different dungeons and monsters, not seeking any form of repayment.


    His only wish was that one day, they might do something significant for humanity in its darkest hours.


    As the number of children adopted by Federick Hohenberg grew, he decided to establish a school dedicated to their upbringing and education.


    This institution was the precursor to Star Cluster Academy and represented the first awakener academy in human history.


    The students he nurtured did not disappoint.


    Among them, some continuously broke through human limitations, venturing into higher realms of extraordinary powers, and bravely paving the way forward for awakeners.


    Others delved deep into the mysteries of secret realms and dungeons, documenting their rules and findings just as Federick Hohenberg had done, leaving a legacy for future generations to learn from.


    Notably, the first sage-tier awakener in human history was also a student of Hohenberg.


    Throughout his life, he saved countless lives and rescued humanity from peril on numerous asions.


    Even as he died in battle, he never retreated, his heroic deeds celebrated through the ages, inspiring generations without end.


    Looking at the statue of Federick Hohenberg, John felt a surge of emotion.


    It seemed that in times of crisis, there were always those who would stand up, shouldering the copsing heavens, shining a light in the darkness, and moving forward with silent determination.


    Before leaving, everyone bowed deeply out of respect for the great man.


    Crossing the campus square, John and hispanions followed the guide to their destination, a vast open-air sportsplex.


    It was surrounded by a red running track, with a lush greenwn in the center, equipped with basketball courts, football fields, and various other facilities and equipment.


    At that moment, the candidates who had passed the preliminary tests were gathered in the sports field, forming a dense crowd that numbered in the thousands, at least by estimation.


    Behind the sports field stood a square-shaped gymnasium, its structure predominantly grey, nked by open-air stands on either side.


    These seemed capable of amodating tens of thousands of spectators at once.


    Already, many people had taken their seats, gathered in small groups, theirughter and conversation asionally drifting through the air.


    Among them were students and teachers from Star Cluster Academy, as well as some visitors from outside the institution.


    This scene brought John back to his university days when he yed in campus basketball games.


    He felt a twinge of nostalgia, regretting that back then, he had focused too much on the game and not enough on connecting with the girls.


    Lost in these thoughts, John and hispanions had already made their way to the center of the sports field.


    Isabe stood out from the crowd at the very front, her gaze locking onto John almost immediately.


    "I thought you wouldn''t dare to show up," she said coldly.


    John merely nced at Isabe briefly before shifting his attention away, showing little interest in engaging with the young woman.


    Currently, a physical confrontation wasn''t an option.


    However, he was determined to teach this arrogant girl a lesson once the assessment began.


    Isabe was visibly irritated by John''s tant disregard.


    She had never been ignored like this before.


    Despite her haughty and domineering nature, Isabe was not witless.


    She understood this was neither the time nor the ce for a confrontation.


    Silently, she vowed to herself, letting John have his moment of arrogance.


    She promised that once the assessment started, she would make him regret his attitude.


    The standoff between Isabe and John quickly caught the attention of everyone present.


    Curious nces were cast in John''s direction, even many of the instructors looked on in surprise.


    They were all aware of Isabe''s preliminary test scores and her background, which had caused quite a stir among the crowd.


    Not only did Isabe possess the top-tier S-level aptitude, but she also held the House Medici''s inheritance ss of "me Wielder," making her one of the most formidable contenders for the championship.


    Yet, this neer dared to confront her directly.


    Could it be that he was also a once-in-a-generation prodigy?


    Suddenly, a voice rose from the crowd, tinged with confusion, "Speaking of which, this young man... he looks somewhat familiar. Haven''t we seen him somewhere before?"


    Another person scoffed, "Of course, you''ve seen him. That guy''s name is John. Recently, he made headlines for taking down Rean by exploiting an opportunity, hailed as the Federal''s top genius."


    The crowd then had a moment of realization, recalling the widespread news from a while back.


    One individual sneered, "A country bumpkin, not even checking his own strength, dares to be called the Federal''s top genius?"


    Another joined in, "Indeed, any random person from the Imperial Capital would likely be a thousand times stronger than him. Only those unsophisticated country folks would believe such a story. Killing Rean? What a joke."