Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1798 What is Stellar Academy?

”Huh?” A surprised, almost disbelieving smile slowly formed on Morganaʼs face. ”You want me to found a Stellar Academy? Me...?!”

Stellar Academies were considered the greatest institutional powers in the universe, second only to the Behemoth Galaxies themselves. Countless civilizations spoke of them with awe, and it was often claimed that if all Stellar Academies across the sectors ever united under a single banner, their combined strength would eclipse that of every Behemoth Galaxy put together many times over.

After all, Behemoths were merely a few dozen entities, scattered thinly across a thousand sprawling sectors... while every single sector contained at least one Star Academy, a stable foundation of knowledge and power. And in any sector that lacked Behemoths, the absence was compensated with multiple academies that formed the backbone of all learning and cosmic defense.

For instance, in Mid Sector 99 alone there were three Stellar Academies. Even though Dawn Light Stellar Academy stood as the most influential and the most formidable among them -thanks to the overwhelming presence of Monarch Althera- the difference between the three in terms of overall heritage and competence was not that vast. Each academy was a titan in its own right.

Every one of those academies was led by a Monarch, a Guardian, or a Seven-Star Soul Master-individuals whose single strike could reshape planets. Each academy had a storied legacy filled with tales of cleansing corrupted planets overrun by plagues, of hunting down and sealing some of the universeʼs most dangerous criminals, and of standing as immovable fortresses in times of chaos. Most of them could trace their origins back millions of years, many founded shortly after the Cosmic Elder eradicated the Abyss of Doom and the ancestral space beast that had once threatened all.

And she-Morgana-was merely a teacher who received a yearly wage. Just two short centuries ago she had been wandering alone through endless specter farms with no real direction, clinging to the naïve belief that she was fulfilling some noble mission before her inevitable death... What credentials, what cosmic weight, what grand qualifications did she have to create something as monumental as a Stellar Academy?

”Donʼt let the title overwhelm you, Morgana. The name sounds grand, but the core of it is much simpler than it appears,” Robin replied with a calm, unwavering tone. ”Do you know what is actually required to establish a Stellar Academy?”

”No... not really. But I remember hearing that many of those academy founders were once the ones who marched into battle against the Abyss of Doom in ancient ages?” Morgana said, searching her memory.

”About half of those present today came into existence that way-by earning the favor or acknowledgment of the Cosmic Elder-but certainly not all of them,” Robin corrected gently. ”A Stellar Academy follows the same functional structure as any regular academy. You provide a library, a good teaching staff, cultivation materials, study resources, arrays, techniques, and so on. Students pay fees in exchange for access to all of that. The real differences that elevate a normal academy into a Stellar one are three very specific conditions.”

Robin raised three fingers deliberately.

”First: a strong foundational base-this means a vast and respectable library, a notable roster of instructors, and enough prestige to attract students from wealthy or powerful families.

Second: receiving official nomination from three existing Stellar Academies to grant you permanent membership in the Star Academy Council.

And third-and this is the most crucial and immediately visible requirement- the Academy Head must possess at least the power of a low-level Guardian, equivalent to a Seven-Star Soul Master.”

Then he waved, ”That crab about honor and protecting the weak and so forth, itʼs subjective and isnʼt essential, most of the stellar academies doesnʼt care about these things!”

He then lowered the first hand.

”As for the foundational base... that part is practically already solved. I possess the life-time library of the Second Heaven Chosen, Dragan, and that single asset alone is enough to rival the greatest collections. Add to that my own writings, the accumulated works and manuals of Sky Opening City, and the troves of rare texts that the Shadow Swords have bought over the years. Combined together, this is more than sufficient to create a library not merely equal to, but very possibly superior to, the one in Dawn light Stellar Academy”

”As for the planet on which the Academy will be established, I can give you an excellent one-one of the best we have in our collection. In the Cradle Empire we have thousands of suitable worlds to choose from, each with unique features, resources, and strategic potential. And as for the instructors, you are already the most famous and respected teacher in the entire sector, Morgana. I will also appoint Jabba and Shaddad in honorary positions as Truth Chosen to support you, ensuring that the Academyʼs leadership has both experience and strength. On top of that, Iʼll have the Shadow Swords recruit several renowned professors from other academies. We can lure them with higher pay, access to rare techniques, advanced research support, or specialized funding-our arsenal of incentives is practically limitless.”

He paused and allowed a small, confident smile to spread across his face. ”Ast long as we have the Pearls, we do not need to laboriously progress step by step from a small academy to a medium, then to a large institution. With the Pearls, we can establish a colossal academy directly, bypassing years of incremental growth. And it would only take ten years to reach full scale! Beyond that, my resources are limited-these Pearls are all I have at the moment.” He tilted his head slightly, thinking. ”Hmm... I put an Age Control Device up for sale five years ago. I wonder how many were sold in that time... Regardless, Iʼll send you five billion Pearls to spend as you see fit, Morgana. This is entirely separate from the actual costs of establishing the Academy, which the Shadow Swords will cover in full.”

”Five billion?” Morganaʼs eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head in mild disbelief. ”Could you exempt me from this, Your Majesty? I... Iʼm not skilled with money, accounting, or large sums-I might make mistakes...”

”No problem,” Robin said with a firm nod. ”I will assign Kristan and Emily to assist you in administrative duties. Their role will be to handle the management and financial aspects, so you can dedicate yourself fully to teaching, research supervision, and the development of your students.”

Robin then lowered his second finger. ”The second requirement is gaining recognition from three existing Stellar Academies. This will naturally take some time, but it is entirely possible. At the right moment, I can secure their support, either through demonstration of high-level martial potential, an appropriate bribe, or other forms of persuasion. There are thousands of academies across the sectors; finding three that the Shadow Swords can sway will not be difficult.”

”....” Morgana nodded slowly, considering his words, though she hesitated before adding, ”Do we really have to do this? Why not remain a normal academy? Entering that closed circle of Stellar Academies seems... dangerous, and highly competitive.”

”Why not?” Robin countered, raising an eyebrow slightly, his tone calm but carrying weight. ”The real advantage of Stellar Academies is the alliances and influence they provide. Through a Stellar Academy, we can place our roots within a massive, far-reaching institution, gaining leverage and connections we could not otherwise access-even if the immediate benefits seem minor or indirect.” He paused, his gaze sharpening. ”And we will not settle for merely joining this circle or being just any Stellar Academy. Listen carefully, Morgana- if I choose to enter a field, I must aim to dominate it, or I wonʼt enter at all. And since we are establishing this Academy, it must be the greatest Academy in existence, surpassing all others!”

”...” Morganaʼs eyes glimmered as she took in the sharp intensity in Robinʼs gaze, listening to the audacious words carried by an ambition so vast it seemed

endless.

But she exhaled slowly, a tinge of self-doubt in her voice. ”I fear I am not the

right person for this... I cannot truly lead a Stellar Academy, because I do not

meet the third requirement.”

To rule such an academy, one must at least be a Guardian or a Seven-Star Soul

Master... at minimum!

”Hmmm?” Robin studied her forehead for a long moment. ”Youʼve already

pushed your third star over the past twenty years. In that time, youʼve risen from a One-Star Royal Soul Master to your third star. And yet, what is causing you to hesitate, to feel discouraged now?”

”I fear the next one will be the last,” Morgana admitted quietly, her voice tinged

with both resignation and sorrow. ”Not because I lack the desire, but because I have reached my natural limits. There are things that cannot be changed, boundaries that cannot be crossed, consequences that regret cannot undo. There are truths that time itself cannot heal or correct...”

”Things that cannot be corrected?” Robin raised a single eyebrow, a spark of challenge lighting his eyes. ”I will consider that a personal challenge.”