Morning arrived quietly at the Imperial Academy.
The bells rang across the enormous campus, echoing between the towers, dormitories, training grounds, and ancient stone buildings.
Students gradually entered their classrooms.
Some were still discussing yesterday’s challenge.
Others were discussing the strange rumors surrounding Nihil Mora.
But Nihil himself sat quietly at his desk.
Mimi stood nearby as his attendant, while Seraphina sat beside him.
Around them, students continued whispering.
“That’s him.”
“The Perfect Human.”
“The one who defeated the Hero of Dawn.”
“And the Student Council President.”
“I heard he used mind manipulation.”
“I heard it wasn’t actually magic.”
“Then what was it?”
Nobody had an answer.
The classroom door opened.
The teacher entered.
Every student immediately returned to their seats.
The teacher placed several books on the desk and looked across the classroom.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Professor.”
“Today, we’re going to study something fundamental.”
The teacher turned toward the enormous board.
Then wrote a single word.
# HIERARCHY
Several students looked at one another.
The teacher turned back.
“Today’s lesson is the hierarchy of beings.”
He paused.
“Before we begin, however, understand something.”
He pointed toward the windows.
“You live inside an existence far larger than the world you can see.”
The classroom became quieter.
“Our researchers have already confirmed the existence of countless worlds and astronomical structures.”
He tapped the board.
“Current astronomical records contain more than **one hundred trillion stars** that have been catalogued.”
Several students murmured.
“One hundred trillion…”
“And our known records contain approximately **nine hundred thousand galaxies**.”
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, nine hundred thousand galaxies?”
“Yes.”
“Do we know if there is life in them?”
The teacher smiled slightly.
“That’s the problem.”
He turned back toward the board.
“We don’t know.”
The classroom became silent.
“There are still countless regions we haven’t reached.”
“There are worlds we’ve never visited.”
“There are stars whose existence we can only infer.”
“There are civilizations that may have risen and vanished before our people even learned how to observe their worlds.”
He paused.
“And there may be beings living beyond everything we currently understand.”
A student swallowed.
“So…”
The teacher nodded.
“Exactly.”
He wrote another sentence beneath the title.
**THE KNOWN HIERARCHY IS NOT THE COMPLETE HIERARCHY.**
“Everything we teach today is based on what civilization has managed to discover.”
He looked around the room.
“It is not necessarily the absolute truth.”
Nihil quietly watched the board.
The teacher continued.
“Now let’s begin.”
The teacher wrote the first name.
## **SHUEN SHINKAI**
Several students immediately recognized it.
A few whispered.
“That ancient monster…”
“The one from yesterday’s lecture?”
“The one supposedly stronger than the High Rulers?”
The teacher nodded.
“Shuen Shinkai.”
He turned toward the class.
“According to the oldest records available to us, Shuen Shinkai is the strongest being our civilizations have ever discovered.”
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, isn’t Shuen Shinkai supposed to be a myth?”
“Correct.”
The teacher paused.
“That is why this is complicated.”
He opened an ancient book.
“Some records claim Shuen Shinkai was merely an ancient beast.”
“Others describe it as something capable of rivaling the highest immortals.”
“Several ancient records go even further.”
The teacher looked toward the class.
“They claim Shuen Shinkai could **surpass the High Rulers themselves**.”
The students became restless.
A boy near the back raised his hand.
“Then why isn’t it classified as a High Ruler?”
“Because classification depends upon what a being is, not merely how powerful it is.”
The teacher closed the book.
“Shuen Shinkai does not belong to the established immortal hierarchy.”
“It exists outside our known classification.”
A student frowned.
“So we don’t actually know what it is?”
“Correct.”
The teacher smiled.
“And that is precisely why researchers continue searching for information about it.”
Nihil remained completely expressionless.
Mimi quietly glanced toward him.
She wondered whether the name meant anything to him.
His face revealed nothing.
# II.
IMMORTALS
The teacher drew a line beneath Shuen Shinkai.
“Below that unknown level comes the immortal hierarchy.”
He wrote:
**HIGH RULERS**
“High Rulers are the highest recognized authorities among immortals.”
“They possess power beyond ordinary gods and have existed throughout countless eras.”
A student raised his hand.
“Are they stronger than gods?”
“Generally, yes.”
“Then why are gods separate?”
“Because hierarchy isn’t simply about strength.”
The teacher pointed toward the next level.
“Authority, nature, existence, and power all influence classification.”
He continued.
### **HIGH RULERS**
THE ABSOLUTE BEINGS
“These are the major immortal classifications recognized by our civilization.”
A student asked:
“Have we met any High Rulers?” Find the original chapter at g.com.
The teacher gave him a serious look.
“Some historical records claim contact.”
“Others claim those encounters were misunderstandings.”
“And some records…”
He paused.
“…were never supposed to be opened.”
The class became silent.
The teacher closed the book.
“Do not assume that knowing someone’s rank means you understand them.”
# III.
MORTALS
The teacher drew another line.
“Below the immortals are mortals.”
He wrote:
## MORTALS
“Mortals possess shorter lifespans, but that does not mean they are insignificant.”
He wrote five names.
### ELVES
### DRAGONS
### HUMANS
### DEMONS
### BEASTS
“The races differ greatly in lifespan, physical ability, culture, and natural talents.”
He pointed toward the first.
### ELVES
“Elves possess the longest natural lifespans among the major mortal races.”
“They possess extraordinary affinity with magic and nature.”
“But their greatest treasure is something else.”
He wrote:
## DIVINE TREE
“The Divine Tree.”
“The foundation of much of elven civilization.”
A student whispered:
“So that’s why the elves protect their forests so fiercely.”
The teacher nodded.
“Among other reasons.”
He moved to the next.
### DRAGONS
“Dragons possess tremendous physical strength and extraordinarily long lifespans.”
“But their greatest advantage isn’t simply their bodies.”
He wrote:
## TREASURES
“Dragon civilization possesses treasures accumulated across countless generations.”
“Ancient weapons.”
“Artifacts.”
“Materials.”
“Relics.”
“Things that cannot simply be reproduced.”
A student raised his hand.
“Is that why dragon houses are so wealthy?”
“Partly.”
The teacher smiled.
“Sometimes the treasure is more dangerous than the dragon protecting it.”
### DEMONS
The teacher wrote the next name.
“Demons.”
“Their civilization is particularly famous for two things.”
He wrote:
## WEAPONS
## POWER
“Demons possess tremendous combat traditions.”
“Their societies have produced powerful warriors, weapons, and techniques throughout history.”
“They are particularly dangerous when their military strength is combined with their supernatural abilities.”
Several students nodded.
Finally, the teacher wrote:
### HUMANS
The classroom became slightly quieter.
“Humans.”
The teacher looked across the room.
“Humans do not possess the longest lifespan.”
“They do not possess the strongest natural bodies.”
“They do not possess the oldest treasures.”
“They do not possess the Divine Tree.”
A student frowned.
“Then why are humans considered one of the major races?”
The teacher smiled.
He wrote one word.
# KNOWLEDGE
“Because humans learn.”
“Humans record.”
“Humans experiment.”
“Humans build.”
“And when humans discover something impossible…”
He tapped the word.
“They attempt to make it possible.”
Several students looked toward Nihil.
The teacher noticed.
He continued.
“That is why human civilization has advanced so quickly.”
“Knowledge can be passed from one generation to another.”
“One human may discover something.”
“Another may improve it.”
“Another may weaponize it.”
“And another may discover something completely new from it.”
He looked at the class.
“That is humanity’s greatest weapon.”
### BEASTS
The teacher finally wrote the last name.
## BEASTS
The atmosphere became uncomfortable.
“Beast races possess extraordinary physical potential.”
“But their civilizations have suffered greatly throughout history.”
A student asked quietly:
“Because of humans?”
The teacher didn’t immediately answer.
“Because of many civilizations.”
He looked toward the board.
“In many regions, beastfolk were enslaved.”
“They were denied political freedom.”
“Some kingdoms treated them as property rather than people.”
“Their history is one of the darkest records of the mortal world.”
Nihil’s eyes remained fixed on the board.
The teacher continued.
“Yet even after centuries of oppression, beast civilizations survived.”
“That survival itself is significant.”
He underlined their name.
“Never mistake a low position in a hierarchy for a lack of value.”
# THE FIVE GREAT GIFTS
The teacher stepped back.
“Every major race possesses something that shaped its civilization.”
He wrote:
**Humans — Knowledge**
**Dragons — Treasures**
**Elves — Divine Tree**
Then he added:
**Beasts — Survival**
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, does that mean one race is actually better than another?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
“That is one of the most dangerous misunderstandings about hierarchy.”
He looked around.
“Hierarchy tells you about classification.”
“It does not tell you about worth.”
A pause.
“An elf may live longer than a human.”
“A dragon may possess greater physical strength.”
“A demon may possess a superior weapon.”
“A human may possess knowledge that none of them have.”
“And a beast who survived generations of oppression may possess something none of the others understand.”
He put the chalk down.
“Every strength creates another weakness.”
“Every weakness can become another strength.”
# THE PATH UPWARD
The teacher turned back toward the board.
“Now comes the part that interests many researchers.”
He wrote:
## ASCENSION
“Researchers have spent generations attempting to understand whether mortals can rise through the hierarchy.”
Several students immediately became interested.
“Some believe it is impossible.”
“Others believe it is inevitable.”
“And some believe the distinction between mortal and immortal is merely a limitation created by our current understanding.”
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, have we ever succeeded?”
The teacher smiled.
“We have made progress.”
He wrote:
## THE CELESTIAL TEST
“This is one of the greatest discoveries in modern research.”
“According to ancient records, a mortal seeking to cross into the celestial level must pass a test.”
A student asked:
“What test?”
The teacher looked at him.
“Purity.”
The classroom became quiet.
“Only purity is said to be capable of passing the test.”
Another student frowned.
“What does purity mean?”
“That’s precisely what we don’t know.”
The teacher’s expression became more serious.
“We have never encountered a confirmed human who possesses the purity required.”
“Not one.”
A student whispered:
“Then why do researchers still believe it exists?”
The teacher smiled.
“Because someone wrote about it.”
“And because our entire civilization is built upon people attempting to prove impossible things possible.”
He looked around the classroom.
“That is why the search continues.”
Nihil quietly raised his hand.
The teacher noticed.
“Prince Nihil?”
Nihil stood.
His expression remained completely calm.
“If the hierarchy is based on what we have discovered…”
The teacher nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then wouldn’t discovering something outside the hierarchy change the hierarchy itself?”
The teacher paused.
Several students looked toward Nihil.
“That’s theoretically correct.”
Nihil nodded.
“Then the hierarchy is incomplete.”
The teacher smiled.
“Exactly.”
Nihil sat down.
The teacher looked at the board again.
For some reason, his gaze remained on the first name.
**SHUEN SHINKAI.**
Then on the final section.
**THE CELESTIAL TEST.**
Two things that civilization still couldn’t completely understand.
Two mysteries sitting quietly inside their greatest theories.
The teacher finally turned toward the students.
“Remember this.”
“The hierarchy you learned today represents what civilization **knows**.”
He erased the bottom of the board.
“But the universe does not care what we know.”
The classroom fell silent.
“There may be beings above Shuen Shinkai.”
“There may be civilizations beyond the nine hundred thousand galaxies we’ve recorded.”
“There may be powers our books haven’t described.”
“There may even be forms of existence we don’t have words for.”
He put the chalk down.
“So never confuse the edge of your knowledge…”
“…with the edge of existence.”
## THE LIBRARY
That evening, the curious student sat at the same old table.
His tired companion dropped into the chair opposite him.
“So.”
The curious student looked up.
“What’s next?”
The tired student placed another small book on the table.
Its cover contained only four words:
**THE FIVE GREAT HOUSES.**
The curious student smiled.
“That’s the book we found before.”
“Yep.”
The tired student yawned.
“We’ve been reading about hierarchy for hours.”
The curious student opened the book.
“Then let’s see where the Great Houses fit into it.”
The tired student stared at the first page.
“Do you think the hierarchy is actually correct?”
The curious student paused.
After everything they had read, he no longer felt confident.
“I don’t know.”
He looked toward the dark shelves surrounding them.
“But I think that’s the point.”
“What point?”
The curious student turned the page.
“If the world already knew everything…”
He smiled.
“…there wouldn’t be anything left to discover.”
And somewhere far beyond the academy, beyond the mortal world, beyond the known stars and galaxies— something ancient remained outside every hierarchy humanity had ever created.