The synchronization ended, and one by one we opened our eyes.
Some students were pale, others were sweating, and a few wore smiles that clearly meant things had gone well for them.
The teacher clapped her hands to get our attention.
"Alright. One by one, tell us what you found in your spiritual world. Don't leave anything out," she said as she turned on her tablet to take notes.
The first one to speak was Nolan, who raised his hand as if he were about to explode.
"I got two wolves! Black wolves! Beautiful! Perfect!" he shouted.
"Resources?" the teacher asked calmly.
"A small stream… I think. And a half-dead tree," Nolan answered.
The teacher took notes without reacting.
Then it was everyone else's turn.
A girl said she found a lake full of spiritual fish.
Another mentioned his world was filled with low-grade minerals.
A third confessed, embarrassed, that he didn't see anything alive.
"That's normal," the teacher said to comfort him.
"Some worlds start empty. What matters is what you do with them afterward."
When my turn came, everyone stared with curiosity.
"An island," I said simply. "No visible resources. Just my creatures."
The teacher raised an eyebrow but didn't ask further.
She wrote something quickly probably 'empty world' and moved on.
Good.
I wasn't planning to tell anyone what my slimes could really do.
Once everyone finished, the teacher switched the screen to a new diagram: circles, arrows, old symbols.
"Now we'll talk about spiritual power training manuals," she said as she walked to the front of the class.
Everyone straightened their backs.
"There are different types of manuals," she continued. "Each one works best with certain kinds of spiritual worlds nature worlds, beast worlds, mineral worlds, summoning worlds, elemental worlds, and so on. Each manual has different functions, but the most important one is this:
Absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth to expand your spiritual world."
The screen showed a human figure absorbing energy into their chest, which then transformed into a glowing sphere around them.
"The larger and more stable your world becomes," she explained, "the more creatures it can support, the more resources it can generate, and the stronger your overall development will be."
Some students swallowed nervously.
I did too.
"The school will provide each of you with a basic manual," she said, showing a small white book.
Instantly, the excitement in the room deflated.
"It works, it's simple… and it's limited," she added mercilessly.
Nolan raised his hand:
"Teacher, are there better manuals?"
"Many," she replied. "But you'll have to buy them with credits or obtain them elsewhere. Some of you, if you come from influential families, may also have access to private ancestral methods."
Several students exchanged looks—
some proud,
others envious.
I stayed silent.
I had no credits.
No powerful family.
But I had something better:
A world where creatures could multiply by devouring resources.
A race that could grow without limits.
All I needed was a good plan.
"Pick up your manuals from the front desk," the teacher said. "Tomorrow we begin real training."
The class moved like a single wave.
I picked up my basic manual near the end.
Simple, yes.
But enough to start.