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Near the Royal Tombs Mountains.
Inside a huge auditorium, the night was full of lights. All the top brass and most of the scientists of the Astra Militarum were present.
Today was the time for the Greater Terra Awards, and the auditorium was full of people. Thousands of scientists from various fields had arrived and were looking forward to the awarding of the Greater Terra Award, the highest honor awarded to the Imperium's scientists.
Unlike the Nobel Prize in the previous world, the Greater Terra Award had only one recipient per year and no specific categories such as physics, chemistry, or biology.
The team judging the award consisted of a highly respected panel of doctorates, all of whom were previous winners of the Greater Terra Award. Elizabeth was also among them. Only with their approval could a research invention be considered the most significant of the year.
In the past few years, the current discovery marked the official arrival of the age of electricity. Many new inventions were appearing frequently, making the competition for this award more intense.
Another point of note: after receiving the Greater Terra Award, one would automatically be promoted to a doctorate. The doctorate was the highest title within the Astra Militarum. There were thousands of "scientists" and "doctors," but far fewer were awarded doctorates.
To obtain the title of "Doctorate," there were three main conditions:
To receive the Greater Terra Award, which would automatically promote the recipient.To create a major research invention, which would be evaluated by Elizabeth herself.To make significant contributions to the Glory War.
The third method was the primary route to promotion. Currently, only a few dozen doctorates remain, most of whom were promoted through the third method. The competition for this year's Greater Terra Award was particularly fierce.
Finally, the winner was a middle-aged scientist who invented the "telegraph." He successfully used the "on," "off," and "long and short" of electric current to replace spoken words for transmission.
The invention of the telegraph marked the opening of the telecommunications era, creating a historical precedent for the use of electricity to transmit information. Its significance warranted the award.
The scientists present were envious. Most had concentrated on their research, and while there might not have been as great demand for other aspects, the Greater Terra Award felt like a dream come true.
"William, look at them. You'd better change your career and help with our steamship team. Don't focus on your impossible ideas," Said a young and handsome scientist seated below. His tone was quite sarcastic as he addressed William, who looked a little lonely.
This circle of scientists had internal competition; the two had once been classmates. But now, the young and handsome scientist was part of the promising research team for a new ship, leading to a bright future for him.
"Don't you worry about that?" William replied, holding back his anger. He couldn't help but clench his hands, secretly vowing to develop his flight project and make everyone eat their words.
Not all scientists cared about this event; some were so engrossed in their research that the Greater Terra Award meant little to them. For example, the currently famous Dr. Hans. Although he was now well-known, he remained the same as before, with all kinds of strange ideas in his mind.
That night, he stayed in the lab, staring at a dozen or so Fire Giants locked in huge cages. He rubbed his chin with his hand, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Sensei, are these Fire Giants not sprouting flames from their bodies because they lack supernatural energy?" A teenager next to him asked.
This was the only student Dr. Hans had ever accepted. In some ways, the student was even more whimsical than he was.
"That's right," Dr. Hans nodded. "The Fire Giants currently have no supernatural energy in their bodies, so the flames can't emerge."
"Wouldn't that cause a significant drop in their strength, meaning they wouldn't be that useful?" The teenager asked.
"How can they be useless?" Dr. Hans's eyes lit up. "Even if the Fire Giants no longer possess supernatural energy, their strong bodies remain unchanged. We can work with that. Perhaps we will develop a new biological weapon."
Dr. Hans and the boy were once again engaged in mind-boggling research.
There were others in the research group like Dr. Hans. Sebastian observed them closely, and after surveying the scene, even he felt a little surprised.
"If this can be developed, the technological progress in certain fields will take a big step forward compared to my previous life," Sebastian thought to himself.
[ ===== ]
After assessing the situation in Greater Terra, Sebastian felt a little hungry. He then disconnected from the awakening space. Standing up, he headed to the nearest canteen. However, with the campus's vast size, even the nearest canteen was at least 10 kilometers away.
Fortunately, there were automobiles available, and Sebastian contacted one using his communicator. It wasn't free, of course, and he still had to pay for it. Soon enough, he arrived at the cafeteria.
At the cafeteria, many students and teachers were dining, much like in his previous life. A maid was serving food, and surprisingly, all of them were Planet Masters, each at least Level 2. While it was possible to use the automatic service, these Planet Masters were willing to work in the cafeteria because there were job openings.
"You're a freshman, right? Where are you from?" The maid asked. She had an excellent memory and keen eyes, able to tell at a glance that Sebastian was a newcomer.
"Atlanta," Sebastian replied.
"Ah, Atlanta," The maid nodded, a trace of memory flashing in her eyes. "I visited your city once when I was young."
She chatted with Sebastian for a while. As the meal was wrapping up, she spoke in a professional tone: "You may not be able to do much else in this university, but you must focus on building relationships. Otherwise, when you leave the campus, it will be hard to find a partner. Look at the girl behind you; she also seems new. She looks beautiful and would match you well; why not approach her while you can?"
Hearing this, Sebastian picked up his rice bowl and turned to look. A beautiful girl had caught the attention of those around her. In this world, beauty was indeed a scarce resource.
"Bailey," Sebastian raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. Why had she come to Hope's Peak Academy?
At the same moment, when Sebastian saw her, her eyes looked over in his direction. A flicker of surprise crossed her face as well. Being old acquaintances, they exchanged a slight nod as a greeting.
Sebastian found a random place to eat. After he finished his meal, he went outside and called a car. However, he noticed a familiar figure appear next to him. Who else could it be but Bailey?
He immediately deduced that because both were from the same location, their accommodations would likely be assigned nearby, albeit in different areas. Once they boarded the car, there was silence between them.
Upon reaching the villa area, just as they were about to part ways, Bailey suddenly asked, "By the way, have you chosen... a mentor yet?"
"Mentor?" Sebastian was slightly taken aback, then he recalled what Prokopy had told him.
As every student built a different planetary civilization, they were required to choose a mentor in their first year. The kind of mentor one chooses should be beneficial for the planet's development. Sebastian had been focused on observing the advancements of Greater Terra these past few days, leaving little time for this matter.
"Not yet," Sebastian said.
"You should choose early; each teacher has a limited number of students," Bailey reminded him.
Sebastian blinked and looked at Bailey. "Could it be... you've already chosen?"
Bailey nodded.
Sebastian suddenly understood why Bailey had enrolled here; she must have a particular mentor with whom she had a great affinity.
"Thanks for the reminder. Do you have any recommendations?" Sebastian asked, feeling lazy about the selection process.
He had heard from Ms. Nelissen that many factors came into play at the Super-Tier Academy. Within those intricate relationships, a good mentor would provide more than just effective teaching; they would also offer better resources.
For Sebastian, the mentor's level didn't matter as much as the quality and availability of those resources.
"The civilization you're building is different from others, so I don't have any solid suggestions," Bailey replied.
But then, something seemed to occur to her, and she added, "Since you are the Champion, you might consider participating in the 'Selection of Heaven.'"
"Selection of Heaven?" Sebastian blinked in surprise. "What is that about?"
"I'm not clear on the details, so you'll have to ask someone else," Bailey said.
After they exchanged contact information, they each headed back. Sebastian returned to his villa and sat down. He turned on his communicator and searched for a long time but couldn't find anything related to the "Selection of Heaven" Bailey had mentioned.
"This seems to be a relatively secretive matter," Sebastian muttered to himself.
After some thought, he decided to reach out to Teacher Prokopy. He connected through the communicator.
"Student Sebastian, what's the matter?" Prokopy's mellow voice came through the device.
"Mr. Prokopy, excuse me; there's something I'd like to ask," Sebastian said.
"Go ahead."
"I heard someone talking about choosing a mentor today and something called 'Selection of Heaven.' Is that true?" Sebastian inquired.
"Selection of Heaven?" Prokopy's tone became serious. After a pause, he asked, "Do you... want to participate in the Selection of Heaven?"
"Not really, I just don't know much about it," Sebastian replied.
"It's not surprising that you don't know," Prokopy said with a smile. "This is a relatively secretive aspect of our academy; it's not commonly discussed. However, I can tell you that there is indeed something called the 'Selection of Heaven.'"
Prokopy continued, "It can also be seen as a selection process for mentors, but there's something unique about these mentors."
"Unique?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
"Do you remember the Spirit of the Planet when you first arrived at the school?" Prokopy asked.
"Is it possible that what Mr. Prokopy is saying..." Sebastian blinked, starting to put the pieces together.
"That's right," Prokopy confirmed, "This special teacher is the Spirit of the Planet. A long time ago, the Planet Master of this world personally served as a teacher, but later, for various reasons, that practice was discontinued. The responsibility of mentoring has since been handed to the Spirit of the Planet."
"It's not the true Spirit of the Planet, but an incarnation of it. Other than that, it is not much different from other teachers. Because it is the Spirit of the Planet, you can imagine the benefits of having it as a mentor. This also explains why the number of students applying for it is very high and the competition is fierce."
"Although you are the Champion in the examination, I fear it will still be somewhat challenging," Prokopy said politely.
Sebastian understood that despite being the Champion, his city was just one of many in the vast Federation, a relatively inconspicuous area considered insignificant by outsiders. Historically, Hope's Peak Academy had offered a hefty 1 billion to secure a Champion, as they hadn't admitted one in over a century.
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Prokopy, but I will give it a try regardless," Sebastian said with a smile.
"That's true," Prokopy chuckled. "You're the only Champion among this year's admitted freshmen. It would seem unjustifiable if you did not attend the Selection of Heaven. However, I want to caution you that the Selection will be very intense. Importantly, there is only one spot available for the annual Selection of Heaven."
"One spot?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, the competition is treacherous, as the top geniuses from other regions will also participate," Prokopy explained.
"You should take some time to think about it, and you don't have to fixate solely on the Selection of Heaven," Prokopy continued. "The academy offers many other excellent mentors to choose from, so if you're uncertain, feel free to reach out to me."
"Understood, and thank you," Sebastian said, ending the connection.
"The Spirit of the Planet as a mentor..." He mused to himself. He didn't need to deliberate long; it was the best choice for him.
"Let's assess the situation first. Following Mr. Prokopy's advice, there's still plenty of time before the Selection of Heaven, so there's no rush."
Sebastian set the matter aside for now. He turned around and took out a Sealed Crystal, the same Crystal Gacha Box that the Mayor had given him, which he hadn't opened yet.
"I wonder what will be inside?" He wondered, his eyes sparkling with anticipation as he looked at the Crystal Gacha Box in his hand.
If it contained something like a 10x Multiplier Card, that would be more than satisfactory.