"William, congratulations on your successful promotion." Samuel smiled with a hint of meaning as he congratulated William.

  "Thank you. Congratulations to you too. Let’s hope we both make it," William replied warmly, returning the goodwill.

  This group of students had all received their "divine seeds" at the same time, so their exit from the protection period would align nearly perfectly. By real-world time, the final deadline to leave the protection period was tomorrow.

  For now, they had only stepped into the threshold of Grade 12. Whether they truly advanced depended on one final hurdle: safely teleporting their divine domains back to the human civilization’s secure zone after officially exiting the protection period.

  "Isn’t our success a given? We’ve survived three months already. The final step should be effortless," Richard interjected, barging into their conversation. He grabbed Samuel’s hand, fawning, "Samuel, you’re always so active in the group chats—you’ve clearly got this figured out! You’ll look out for me in the future, right?"

  Richard idolized Samuel, envying his effortless charm with girls. He dreamed of learning Samuel’s "techniques," never considering that his own lack of attention from women might stem from his… questionable style. He hadn’t noticed Samuel’s specific wording: William had already exited the protection period early, a fact only Samuel knew.

  Bang— The classroom door swung open. A stern middle-aged man in a teacher’s uniform strode to the podium, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room. The chatter died instantly.

  "I’m Lex, homeroom teacher for Grade 12, Class 1. It’s a pleasure to meet you—though whether you’ll remain in this class depends on whether you survive the transition to the secure zone." His intimidating opening silenced the room. "You might think arriving here guarantees your promotion, but I assure you, safe passage is not guaranteed."

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  "Every year, students survive three months only to have their divine domains invaded and cores shattered the moment they leave the protection period. That’s why you’re here a day early—to maximize your chances," Lex continued, reigniting the tension the students had briefly relaxed.

  "You all know you can only access the Divine Communication Continent after exiting the protection period. So, once that period ends, how long does it take to complete the entire process? Retrieve a high-grade定向传送卡[1] from the Continent, return to your divine domain, activate the card, and teleport?" Lex paused, letting the question sink in.

  After a calculated silence, he answered flatly, "The record is 3.76 seconds. That’s the fastest achievable time—and why you’re here today."

  He clasped his hands behind his back. "Even with meticulous preparation and coordination from the Continent’s staff, accidents still happen. I hope none of you will be… unlucky."

  The room froze. Some students’ faces twisted with anxiety—until Lex’s stern expression cracked into a smirk.

  "Of course, the odds are minuscule. Only a handful suffer such misfortune each year. No need to panic." The mood shattered into relieved chatter.

  "Holy—! My heart almost stopped! Samuel, is our homeroom teacher secretly evil? That was brutal!" Richard gasped, slumping in his seat.

  "Everything he said was factual, not fearmongering. Post-protection attacks have a 1% chance within five seconds. Still feeling relaxed?" Samuel remarked coolly, clearly impressed.

  "A classic ‘crush then uplift’ tactic. Masterful psychology," William added quietly.

  "You two are insane. I need a minute…" Richard muttered, massaging his temples as Samuel and William remained unshaken.

  Lex clapped twice, restoring order. "Introductions done. Call me Mr. Lu. I’ve sent the protection-period exit protocols and Divine Communication Continent coordinates to your wristbands."

  "Between 9:30 and 9:35—five hours in the Divine Realm—staff at the coordinates will distribute teleportation cards. Everyone must complete this step. Pass, and you’ll get your dorm assignments. Fail, and you go home." He gestured to the door.

  "Next door houses specially calibrated Divine Link pods with precision timers. Move out."

  The room erupted into noise as students hurried toward the pods—some with grim determination, others muttering prayers.