Six months later. Adrian, who was supposed to graduate and leave the academy as planned, suddenly sent a request to Davis asking to stay another half year. Davis was briefly stunned. After all, Adrian had already qualified for graduation six months earlier. He only agreed to stay an extra six months after several teachers repeatedly persuaded him. He was the most exceptional student the academy had ever produced—a true genius by any standard. The teachers had wanted more time to observe him. No one expected that after finishing the extension, Adrian would choose to stay even longer on his own. Davis was naturally pleased, but he still couldn't help asking, "May I know why you suddenly want to remain for another six months?"Adrian's expression barely changed as his eyes drifted calmly toward the window. Below, a tall teen in a black-blue military uniform walked steadily across the campus grounds. It was Thora. Following Adrian's gaze, Davis spoke tentatively, "Thora is nearly your equal now. After you withdrew from the overall rankings, she basically took your place. In just half a year, she ranked first in every subject across the academy. It's very similar to how you were back then—only she's moving even faster." He compared them unconsciously, not worried that Adrian might be offended. He knew Adrian wasn't narrow-minded or prone to jealousy—unlike Tobias, who fell far short in that regard. Since the academy was established, only two people had ever earned perfect scores across all institutes—Adrian and Thora. Every course here was built for professional soldiers and tested a wide range of skills. Most people had clear weak points. But those two were nearly perfect in every military field, balanced and overwhelmingly capable. As principal, Davis had carefully studied both of their records. Adrian was a natural-born prodigy, with an extreme learning speed that made mastering subjects feel effortless, almost unfair. Thora, however, followed a different path. She relied heavily on real combat experience and showed remarkable creativity. Though she was only 18, her fighting style felt like that of a battle-hardened veteran. Her techniques had already become instinct. That was the core difference between them. Davis withdrew his gaze from Thora and looked at Adrian with a faint smile. "What do you think?" After a brief silence, Adrian finally replied, "You're right, sir." He paused, then suddenly shifted topics. "I once saw a photo of someone who looked very similar to Thora. Have you ever had that feeling?" Davis paused briefly, then replied evenly, "I wouldn't know. The academy's role is limited to recruitment, education, and training top military talent at Blue Star. Anything beyond that isn't our concern." Adrian didn't push further. He nodded politely, stood up, snapped his legs together, and gave a formal salute before turning to leave. Only then did Davis realize he still hadn't received a real answer. "Adrian—" Adrian stopped. His black combat boots stayed planted, but he didn't turn around. His voice was calm and controlled. "Because I want to see how someone who surprised me continues to grow." With that, he walked out without looking back. Davis didn't need to guess who Adrian meant. He glanced out the window again, but the black-blue uniform was already gone.His aged, world-worn eyes dimmed slightly. For the first time, a sense of confusion appeared. What did she exist for? During the following six months, Adrian remained at the academy. Even though he stayed, he stopped attending classes and continued to stay out of the overall rankings. Few people saw him around campus. Once in a while, someone would spot him in the library. The luckiest even caught him walking beside Thora, who firmly held first place on the rankings. Seeing two top-tier geniuses together was enough to make people lose their minds, wishing they could snap photos on the spot. Throughout those six months, Thora never dropped from first place. Ryan and Tristan hovered near the bottom of the top 10. After Thora completed a double major across two institutes, other qualified students gained the same opportunity. However, most of them were Command Institute students adding electives from elsewhere. Students from other institutes taking command courses were extremely rare. That was the difference between all-around elites and specialists. Astralis Empire, Skybound Tower. Darius sat in the CEO's chair with his back to the desk, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city below. His fingers tapped lightly against his leg. "One year..." There was still one full year before Thora graduated from Blue Star Military Academy. That wait felt endless. Just then, there was a knock on the office door. "Mr. Blackwood, Dr. Hovland is here," Carl said as he opened the door and led Yereah inside.