Live Streaming Academy

Solomon pushed the door open. The office was empty, save for the scaled falcon perched quietly on the edge of the mahogany desk. Solomon glanced around, failing to spot the grandmaster.

Suddenly, a distinct splashing sound echoed from the far wall. The Grandmaster stepped directly out of a framed landscape painting depicting a raging ocean. He was completely drenched from head to toe, seawater dripping from his clothes onto the rug.

With a snap of his fingers, a pulse of warm magic instantly dried his hair, completely evaporated the water, and flawlessly replaced his soaked clothes with a crisp, tailored academy suit. He then walked over and sat down comfortably in his leather chair.

Solomon raised an eyebrow. "Did you literally just walk out of a painting?"

"Yes, I did," the Grandmaster responded simply, offering absolutely no further explanation regarding the bizarre magical transit.

Before Solomon could ask any logistical questions, the Grandmaster steepled his fingers. "How was your time in the Martial World, Solomon? Did you enjoy your stay?"

"It was very fun," Solomon nodded. He then decided to act completely dumb. "Why was I recalled from the Eastern Realms? I am not a noble or a royal."

The Grandmaster’s expression turned incredibly serious. "There are various political and administrative reasons for your recall. The primary reason is detailed right here."

The administrator slid a thick, magically sealed file folder across the desk.

Solomon picked it up, broke the seal, and opened the cover. He read the contents. The file was a comprehensive, highly detailed intelligence report covering every single thing he had done in the Martial World.

The list included completely ridiculous, yet entirely true events: ’Impersonated a second-year student to conquer an illegal underground fighting ring. Manipulated a royal commander into peeling peaches. Argued with a horse.’

It also listed the seemingly impossible feats he had achieved: ’Corrected a thousand-year-old martial stance on his first attempt. Cut the sky and a mountain peak in half during a disciplinary spar. Single-handedly decimated a cultist launch site and eradicated a hidden Nether Fiend and Crimson Bone Sect base. Defeated an A+ Grade anomaly solo while under a strict aura restriction (Need to confirm).’

Solomon finished reading the extensive report and tossed the file back onto the desk. "Is this supposed to be my resume for some kind of special covert mission?"

The Grandmaster shook his head. "By the supreme authority vested in me, and after extensive, heated discussions with the Academy Board of Directors and our primary cross-dimensional investors, I hereby officially announce your immediate graduation from the first-year curriculum. You are formally enrolled as a second-year disciple."

Solomon was utterly confused. "What is all this about? Why am I graduating?"

"Whenever a student earns their mandatory ten academy stars, they are immediately dispatched on a life-threatening graduation evaluation," the Grandmaster explained. "That final exam strictly requires the student to either clear a C-rank dungeon entirely alone or survive an E-rank rift."

The Grandmaster leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "Dungeon difficulties and rifts operate on vastly different scaling systems. A dungeon relies on physical threats and static boss rooms, consisting of floors and stages. While a rift imposes supernatural laws and environmental restrictions upon the challenger, making the survival rate significantly lower. Therefore, clearing a rift is considered vastly more impressive."

"You did not survive an E-rank rift," the Grandmaster continued, tapping the file. " But you cleared an A+ rank entirely on your own. The Academy Board unanimously agreed to grant you an immediate graduation based on that unprecedented feat."

"Furthermore, " The grandmaster continued, "They were incredibly pleased to secure the legal exploration rights to that newly stabilized rift, especially since acquiring permanent rift rights in the Eastern Realms is notoriously difficult. Many guilds dream of establishing a foothold there but never achieve it."

Solomon was genuinely surprised, but a grin quickly stretched across his face. He had bypassed an entire year of boring academic requirements.

"What about my academy stars?" Solomon asked, quickly calculating his score. "I only have three stars right now. Does this graduation mean the system automatically gifted me the ten stars required to pass? Do my three earned stars count as extra? Do I have thirteen stars now?"

The Grandmaster chuckled softly and leaned back in his leather chair. "I would honestly love to say yes to that logic. But no. I know very well that if I handed you ten free stars right now, you would simply wander into another catastrophic, world-ending situation next week and expect me to grant you a third-year graduation."

The Grandmaster offered a knowing smile. "You currently only possess the three stars you earned. The rest is entirely up to you."

The Grandmaster steepled his fingers, shifting the conversation to administrative matters. They discussed the logistics of transferring Solomon’s academic records and the updated curfew regulations for second-year students.

Eventually, the topic turned to the destroyed broadcasting drone.

"You were just issued a replacement bronze owl before departing for the Martial World," the Grandmaster noted, pulling a fresh requisition form from his desk drawer. "How long has it been, hmm? Not to mention, the way you treat is also very rough."

"I did not destroy it on purpose," Solomon defended himself. "The blast radius from the boss fight was just too wide. And it should have its own defense mechanism or something."

"These magical devices are very expensive to manufacture and calibrate," the Grandmaster sighed, stamping the form with his seal.

"You can just charge the replacement fee to my account," Solomon offered. "How much does it cost by the way? Turns out I’m going bankrupt."

"That will not be necessary," the Grandmaster replied, setting the stamp aside. "Since you successfully secured the exploration rights to a brand new spatial rift, the academy will waive the replacement cost."

Solomon leaned forward in his chair. "What exactly happens to the rift now? How does the ownership work? I am sure all of this is written somewhere in the academy rulebook, but I believe the final terms should always be discussed directly rather than just read off a page."

The Grandmaster smiled, clearly appreciating the boy’s business acumen. "Since it’s a rift, the Live Streaming Academy will claim a ten percent managerial share of everything found or harvested inside the rift. In exchange for that percentage, the academy will handle all the logistical operations. We will fund the exploration teams, map the internal dungeon floors, extract the raw resources, manage the mining operations, and oversee the distribution of the loot."

"That sounds like a great deal," Solomon nodded. "How much should I expect to make from my share?"