Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 522: Advice

The replay ended.

Professor Veylin adjusted his glasses slowly, his face calm as though he hadn’t just been proven wrong on live broadcast.

Darius shot him a sidelong look, grin wide and teasing.

“Professor,” Darius said, chuckling, “didn’t you just say it would take time?”

Selene stifled a laugh, covering her lips with her fingers. The playful jab rippled across the audience like a slap of truth.

But Veylin, seasoned as he was, did not falter.

He inclined his head, his voice smooth. “Indeed, I did. And yet, this only emphasizes my point.” He leaned slightly forward, gaze steady on the camera.

“This round is unpredictable by nature. I warned that hesitation could be fatal. And as you can see, the very first to fall underestimated the pace.”

A murmur of agreement rolled through the cafeteria at Bright Academy. Even the students who wanted to laugh at the professor’s “misstep” now found themselves nodding reluctantly. He had turned the embarrassment neatly, framing the kills as part of his own prediction.

Selene let him have that dignity, then shifted back into her poised role. “Let’s review those two scenes for the viewers. Since eliminations were meant to be rare this early, we’ll take the chance to slow the footage down.”

The professor’s smile turned sharp. “For those watching at home, remember—these clips are slowed multiple times to capture what happened. The real footage…”

The system cut to raw speed. Michael’s kill appeared as nothing more than a shadow flashing in the mist and a blink of light.

It was over in less than a second.

The two reporters were taken aback.

A look of brief horror appeared on their faces.

Seeing this, the professor’s smile grew bigger.

The raw-speed clip ended, leaving only silence in the studio.

Selene blinked hard, her voice faltering. “That… that was less than a second. If we hadn’t slowed it before, you’d barely even see the movement.”

Darius gave a nervous laugh, though it didn’t mask the unease flickering in his eyes. “That kind of speed—let’s be honest—most people only ever see that in action movies. Not in reality.”

Gasps and murmurs spread across the audience. Bright Academy’s cafeteria was no different—students glanced at one another wide-eyed, as if the entire foundation of their understanding had just shifted.

Professor Veylin adjusted his glasses, his smile cool and steady. He leaned forward, tone quiet but carrying weight.

“You are correct. To ordinary eyes, this is impossible. To most of you, it seems like fantasy, because until now, all you’ve seen are the shallow edges of what supernaturals can do.”

The camera zoomed on him.

“Online clips? Training demonstrations? The casual displays of strength you see in public? Those are either the weakest of the supernaturals, or the weakest versions of their powers. What you just witnessed—that is what the higher end of the spectrum begins to look like.”

Selene frowned slightly, still shaken. “You mean to say… what’s usually shown isn’t a real measure?”

Veylin’s faint smile deepened. “Not even close. And even this…”—he paused deliberately—”is far from the peak.”

His words sent another wave of silence over the broadcast. Viewers leaned forward in homes, cafes, and schools across Aurora, struck by the realization that the world was deeper, sharper, and more dangerous than they had been told.

At the cafeteria table, Lily’s arms stayed folded, her expression steady. She wasn’t shocked. Not really.

Because she had seen a glimpse of her cousin’s strength before. And she knew, deep in her gut, that his ability could never be reduced to something as simple as “a bit stronger than a normal human.”

The hush after his words lingered, heavy in the studio.

Professor Veylin allowed it to stretch, then leaned back slightly.

“And I should remind everyone… what you are seeing now are awakeners. But do not forget the other path—cultivators. Their road is longer. Yet those who persist can reach this same level… and surpass it.”

Selene blinked, startled. “Surpass this? Professor… surely that’s an exaggeration.”

His gaze held steady. “It is not. Yes, talent matters. Yes, progress may take decades instead of years. But power… is power. Regardless of how it is earned. Tell me—who among you would refuse the ability to appear at your workplace from home in a single second?”

Darius let out a nervous laugh, half-joking. “Teleportation? You mean that’s possible?”

Professor Veylin’s smile turned razor-thin. “Not only possible. Achieved. Do not mistake the images on your screens as the peak of humanity’s strength. What you are seeing is only the beginning of what is possible if one does not falter.”

The revelation rippled outward like a dropped stone in water. Viewers across Aurora leaned closer to their screens. The cafeteria at Bright Academy was a storm of whispers.

For some, the professor’s words were like fire poured into their veins.

And somewhere, in a modest apartment in Dawn City—a weary man turned to his wife, eyes bright for the first time in years.

“…Maybe I should start cultivating again. What if I really can…”

But his wife shook her head, resting her hand gently over his. Her voice was soft, warm, unshaken.

“You’ve already given enough years to chasing impossible things. Why waste what little time you have left to live? Better to spend it with me.”

The man fell quiet, lips parting… then closing. The fire dimmed, replaced by a fragile smile. He tightened his grip on her hand instead.

Back in the studio, Selene’s voice carried the awe of a million households. “So you’re saying… if fate allows, even someone like us could one day reach that?”

Professor Veylin inclined his head. His smile softened, becoming almost gentle.

“If you are fortunate enough—and stubborn enough—then yes. One day, you might.”

Across the city, countless hearts swelled with chicken-soup hope.

Professor Veylin didn’t let the awe fade before he pressed further.

“And this…” he gestured faintly toward the frozen screen of Michael’s lightning-fast strike, “…is not the only benefit. Power is not only speed or strength.”

“It is also… life itself.”

“Life?”

“Yes.”

“Consider the average man today. With wealth, he can afford strengthening medicine—perhaps extend his health to his late ninety, maybe hundred, if fortune is kind. But even so. He is likely bound to a chair most of the time. His body withers, his time runs dry.”

He paused, adjusting his glasses. His gaze was heavy, as though addressing not just the two reporters, but every citizen staring through their screens.

“But cultivators, awakeners… They live past a hundred and remain vigorous. Imagine reaching your hundredth year, and still moving as if you were forty. That… is the difference.”

A stunned hush filled the studio.

The words rolled across Aurora like a wave.

In Bright Academy’s cafeteria, students shifted uneasily, some biting their lips. The thought of living longer burned through their minds.

Professor Veylin straightened, his expression steady, his voice clear.

“And this is why,” he continued, “the Federation has decided something very important.”

Selene tilted her head, caught off guard. “Decided?”

“Yes.” His tone softened slightly, but the weight in it only grew heavier. “They do not want this generation—or any generation—to lose their chance. So, for those who fail this round of college exams, take heart. There will be another opportunity. The Council has agreed: beginning next month, there will be a chance to rewrite. You will not be cast aside after one failure.”

Veylin wasn’t finished. He adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping the cameras. “And that is not all. From now on, schools will be granted greater resources—better medicines, better manuals, better environments, better education about the supernatural—to make cultivating easier. This is the Federation’s promise. If the citizens do not give up on cultivation… then the Federation will not give up on them either.”

The words landed like thunder.

Across Aurora, the effect was immediate. In living rooms, parents glanced at their children with renewed determination. In dingy taverns, young men and women straightened their backs, fists tightening around cups and chopsticks. Even the weary sighed with a spark of something they thought long extinguished.

Somewhere, a young boy muttered under his breath, “Then I still have a chance…”

And in the same room, his older brother scoffed, “Don’t be stupid. You’ll just waste your time.”

But the boy’s eyes shone brighter, unshaken by doubt.

Back in the studio, Selene’s hand rested on the table, her voice trembling with the awe of a million listeners. “So this… is truly a new age.”

Veylin inclined his head, his tone calm but resolute.

“It must be. Because if we do not rise together, then sooner or later—we will fall together.”

*****

A/N: That’s enough world building if that’s what it is lol. The next couple of Chapters will be slightly fast paced so it’s too much, unneeded or too little. Please comment about it

Thanks for reading today’s Chapter. More Chapters tomorrow without failure. And thank you all for the continued support. It means a lot.