Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 279

Chapter 279: Academic Results

At the academy, Eleanor was undergoing a complex training module. The Basics of Cultivation course had been completed, and Professor Sylphania Jovienne Angélique had passed on several elementary cultivation techniques to the cadets. Alongside the race-specific methods, there were also a few techniques so straightforward that they could be practised by any race.

She had explained in detail the process of forming a core, and how the method varied between races according to the true nature of their physical forms. By carefully accounting for one’s unique physiology, a cultivator could significantly enhance the strength of their core. Yet these methods were intricate, demanding absolute focus of both body and mind. Even the slightest disturbance during cultivation could result in a flawed core... and death.

By contrast, the simpler cultivation techniques required far less precision. They allowed the formation of a core in haste... useful when a cadet’s life hung by a thread, but such cores were inherently weak. Those who relied on them would find their future growth stunted, unable to progress beyond the Core Ascendant stage. These methods were taught solely to reduce the mortality rate among the cadets of Vanaheim.

The same could be said for the race-specific techniques. Though slightly more refined, they were still limited, allowing one to reach only Perfect Harmonisation. Beyond that, the path closed. The generalised nature of these techniques imposed an invisible ceiling, preventing ascension to Sainthood.

The finest cultivation methods were those bestowed through trials. Each trial was unique, tailored to the individual. Some cadets faced relatively simple challenges, while others endured ordeals so severe that survival itself was uncertain. The trials tested every aspect of a cultivator... body, soul, and energy... pushing them to their absolute limits to reveal their optimal state. Once completed, the cultivator was rewarded with a technique perfectly suited to their nature.

Those blessed with superior physical strength might receive a body-tempering technique. Those with strong mental fortitude might be granted one that honed the mind. And those gifted with potent elemental affinity could awaken to an elemental cultivation method. Yet nothing was absolute. Over the centuries, the techniques granted by the trials had proven to be the most fitting for each cultivator’s path without exception.

Cadets were required to remain in their human forms while in Vanaheim. Since there were no humans native to that realm, and the beasts who dwelt there lacked the ability to assume human shape like the Midgardians... past confusion had led to disaster. There had been numerous incidents where cadets mistook one another for local creatures and attacked, resulting in unnecessary deaths and the loss of promising young talents. To prevent such tragedies, the Academy established a strict rule: all cadets must remain in their human form at all times within Vanaheim.

However, this regulation had caused an unexpected problem. Many cadets were unwilling to appear unclothed after transforming, yet teleportation to Vanaheim permitted no passage of inanimate matter... only living bodies could cross. The issue was resolved only after the invention of robes woven from the leaves of Yggdrasil. These garments could pass through the teleportation field, allowing cadets to maintain modesty even during transit. They could even carry an additional robe in case of emergencies.

It was soon discovered that arrivals within Vanaheim followed a semi-random pattern. Though the entry points appeared unpredictable, there were tendencies... cadets often appeared in regions aligned with their natural strengths or racial affinities. Merfolk and Naga typically arrived near the seas or islands, Werewolves within forests, Vampires in shadowed lands. Each cadet had to traverse the terrain and confront local beasts to reach the nearest temples of trial.

There was another layer of complexity. Most cadets were teleported in accordance with their elemental alignment. Only a handful of temples allowed trials for all elements; the majority accepted only one. These temples bore distinctive insignia... symbols of water, fire, air, lightning, and others etched somewhere upon their guardian statues. In some cases, the mark was invisible, but an incompatible element would simply fail to trigger the trial. When that happened, the cadet would have to abandon the site and seek another temple without delay.

All this, however, had to be accomplished within the first seven days. If two cadets of the same element were fortunate enough to reach an elemental temple on the very first day, one could wait for the other to complete their trial... a process that rarely exceeded three days. Beyond that window, waiting was folly; cadets were advised to continue their search before the chance for trial vanished entirely.

Fortunately, temples of the same element were often found within the same region. Thus, barring any unforeseen accidents, cadets could usually reach one and complete their trial within the allotted time.

They were instructed to remain within the temple grounds once they arrived, for these sacred places were sanctuaries under the Goddess’s divine protection. No native creature of Vanaheim dared to set foot upon temple soil; the divine will barred their entry. In all of Vanaheim, there was no safer place for a cadet than the grounds of a temple.

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