The silence after Jason's overwhelming display still hung in the air like a storm waiting to break. The ground was cracked, the smell of blood and burned flesh from the Crimson Fire Elephant still lingered. No one spoke. No one moved. Because no one knew what to do.

  Jason stood at the center of the battlefield, his fists still dripping with blood, his breathing steady despite the fight that had just taken place. His aura was no longer suppressing them, but they still felt it. The weight of his presence had changed something in them. They had been blind, living under the illusion that Dante was their strongest, that they had been scraping by at the top of the food chain. That was a lie. But now, they knew it.

  Jason let the silence drag on for a few more seconds, his sharp gaze sweeping across every single survivor, every fighter, every weakling who had been clinging onto this faction without purpose. Then, he finally spoke. "You've finally seen the strength I possess." His voice was cold, sharp as a blade. "So I'll make this simple."

  He took a step forward, the sound of his boot crunching against the broken stone was the only noise to be heard. "You are either with me, or against me." The weight of his words sank deep into their bones. "Those of you who are against me taking over, step forward now." His eyes daring someone to move. "If you don't want me in control, state your case now."

  No one moved. Even Dante, who was fighting for control just days ago, the man who led them into battle, who had believed he was the strongest here kept his mouth shut. Because he knew, everyone knew, that Jason wasn't asking. He was stating their new reality. After a long moment Jason exhaled. "Good. You all understand. Now you will swear it."

  Confusion flickered over the survivors faces. "Swear what?" someone finally asked. Jason's gaze cut through them like a knife. "Swear to the system that you will never reveal what happened here today. You will not speak of my strength to outsiders. You will not spread rumors. You will keep it all to yourselves, unless you wish to die." The threat was real.

  An oath made to the system could destroy their very soul if broken, the system had given them a new life, new power they never had before. It could easily take it all away. Fear was visible now, some hesitated, but when Jason tilted his head slightly, they all got the message. One by one they swore on their lives.

  One by one, the system accepted their oaths. Chains of glowing light wrapped around them momentarily before fading. It had been done. Jason nodded. "Now, we move forward."

  "Now that I've taken over I want to complete my trial as quickly as possible" He thought to himself. "The others will have an opportunity to catch up if I take too long in completing it. Killing a level 85 monster is tough already, let alone taking over the country. The system says that on average First Order beings have stats roughly around three times their levels. So a being who's just reached level 25 will have stats of 75. Something like a level 85 monster will have base stats around 255, plus second order skills. I have to prepare thoroughly."

  Jason wasted no time in restructuring the Faction as he listed his rules. "First rule: Weakness and laziness are not tolerated here." His voice carrying across the courtyard. "From now on, everyone pulls their weight. You work, or you leave." He glanced at the lazy survivors, the ones who had done nothing but use resources and complain.

  "Cooking, cleaning, patrolling, fighting, building, you will do something, or you will be gone. I am not running a charity." A few people looked uncomfortable, but no one dared to speak. Jason continued. "For now, Dante and Kaitlin are second in command." His eyes flickered to Dante. "This is purely based on their strength. This isn’t about pride or favorites. Strength means everything. The more you can contribute, the more authority and rewards you will get."

  Dante straightened slightly. Jason was offering him a place, a real one. It was a wakeup call, but Dante could feel the shift, Jason was handing him a chance to still matter. Kaitlin’s expression was unreadable, but Jason could see the approval in her eyes. "We are no longer just surviving." Jason's voice hardened. "We are taking over. From today onward, the University Faction is no longer just a safe zone. It is a foundation for something bigger."

  He let that settle. "A country." A few people gasped. Even Kaitlin looked surprised. "If we're going to do this, we will do it all the way." Jason's smirk was razor sharp. "This entire country will belong to us." It wasn’t about power. He didn’t care about ruling. This was just his class trial. But they didn’t need to know that. "I'm sure many of you had issues with the way the world was run before, this is our best opportunity to shape the world in our image." One of equality, not where the rich get everything handed to them."

  As his speech ended Jason immediately began assigning roles to the people.

  Resource Collection Teams: Hunting, gathering materials, collecting beast hides and bones for armor and weapons.

  Construction Teams: Repairing walls, reinforcing defenses, setting up storage units.

  Crafting Teams: Blacksmiths, tailors, weapon forgers, basically anyone with skills in creating equipment.

  Cooking and Medic Teams: Those with no combat abilities were assigned to food and healing duties.

  For the fighters he separated them into categories based on their strength:

  Dragon Squadron: The elites that Jason would personally train, which consisted of his younger sister Kaitlin, Dante, Luke, Emma, and Ryan.

  Heaven Squadron: This group consisted of all the survivors who were beyond the first order.

  Elite Squadron: Combatants who had useful skills but were not yet first order.

  Earth Squadron: Regular Combatants who did not have skills from the system but were willing to fight.

  Jason made it very clear that just because one started in the Earth Squadron, did not mean that they couldn't make it to the Dragon Squadron. There was always room for promotion.

  "I will train you myself." Jason declared to his Dragon Squadron. "We will have real battle training. Not just fighting monsters, fighting like real soldiers. If you survive my training, you will be unstoppable."

  As the strongest of the faction, you will train the squadrons beneath you. Dante and Kaitlin, you will train the Heaven Squadron. Luke and Emma, you two will train the Elite Squadron, and Ryan you will train the Earth squadron.

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  You will all report to me once a fortnight with members you think deserve promotion or if you need assistance. If we are to conquer the country we need to increase our fighting capabilities holistically.

  Later that night, Jason sat on the highest point of the ruined university, looking out over the settlement. Kaitlin approached, arms crossed. "You’re really doing this." Jason exhaled, watching the small fires from camp below. "It’s the only way to get stronger."

  "Is that all?" Kaitlin’s voice was softer. Jason didn’t answer. Because he wasn’t sure.

  At first, this was just about the trial. But now? Something about seeing people finally listen to him, seeing them actually believe in something, made him feel.. something strange. Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to care. Jason clicked his tongue, shaking off the thought. "Don’t get sentimental." He turned away, heading back inside. "Tomorrow, the real work begins."

  The next few days felt like a completely different world. The ruins of the university, once a fragile camp of survivors, had transformed into a functioning faction under Jason’s rule. The chaotic, unstructured way they had survived before was gone, replaced with order, discipline, and strategy. The results were undeniable.

  Since Jason's takeover there had been no more breaches. The new fortifications were solid, reinforced with monster hide, bones, and stone. The barricades had layers now, making them harder to break. Traps lay beyond the walls, with warning systems in place. The faction was looking impregnable.

  Additionally, the crafting teams began making armor and weapons from the resources left behind from monsters, resulting in fewer injuries. The squadrons were now better equipped, faster, and trained in proper formations. They knew what to expect, how to fight, and how to survive.

  The cooking and supply teams were no longer scraping together whatever they found. With proper storage and hunting methods, meals were nutritious, filling, and better for recovery. The survivors weren't just surviving anymore. They were growing.

  Finally, Combat efficiency skyrocketed. No one fought alone anymore. Teams worked together, covering each other's weaknesses, specialized in battle styles that suited them. At the centre of it all.. Jason. He trained them, shaped them, and made them warriors.

  The sun had barely begun to rise when Jason gathered the Dragon Squadron in the main courtyard of the university ruins. The ground was still littered with debris from past battles, but now it served as the perfect training ground. The five stood in a loose formation, some more eager than others.

  Jason stood in front of them, his arms crossed. He hadn't summoned them to spar or practice magic. Not yet, this was going to be different. "Drop your weapons,” Jason ordered. Kaitlin blinked, “We’re not training with weapons?”

  Jason shook his head. “For the first hour, no abilities, no weapons. Just you and your body. If you can’t fight properly without relying on skills, you’re weak.” Luke smirked, stretching his arms. “This sounds fun.” Dante scoffed. “So what, you’re saying a hand to hand fight is going to make us stronger than actual combat?”

  Jason met his eyes. “Yes. Because if you ever run out of mana, if you ever lose your weapon, you need to know how to survive. That’s why we start with this.” No one argued after that. Jason had them start with combat drills. Basic strikes including punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. Then defensive techniques made up of blocking, dodging, countering. Finally, Takedowns and grappling how to break out of holds, how to control an opponent’s balance.

  At first, it seemed easy. They were all First Class fighters that had trained before. But Jason wasn’t letting them off easy.

  He moved like a ghost, dodging their best strikes with ease and countering with just enough force to knock them back without actually hurting them. Every mistake was punished immediately. When Dante swung too wide, Jason would catch his wrist twisting him around and sending him to the ground. Luke tried to rely on speed to outdo Jason, but he anticipated Luke's movement and trapped him in a hold before he could escape.

  When Kaitlin overextended on a strike, Jason grabbed her elbow and flipped her over. When Emma hesitated on a counter Jason closed the gap instantly, tapping her lightly on the forehead. “You’re dead,” he muttered. Ryan put up a decent fight, his strength gave him good balance, but Jason still found openings in his stance. One feint, one counter, and Ryan was on his back, staring at the sky.

  “You all rely too much on your abilities,” Jason stated, dusting his hands off. “Strength, speed, magic.. it’s all worthless if you don’t know the basics.” Kaitlin sat up, rubbing her arm where she had landed. “You could have gone easier on us.” Jason smirked. “That was me going easy.” She clicked her tongue but didn’t argue.

  Once they had gone through drills and sparred hand to hand, Jason allowed them to pick up their weapons and use abilities. “Now, fight how you normally would,” he said. “But pay attention to what I tell you.” Each of them had unique fighting styles, and Jason took his time analyzing their movements, strengths, and weaknesses before giving them personalized feedback.

  Jason watched as Kaitlin created layers of spells, weaving Verdant Surge to ensnare Ryan while simultaneously launching a Glacial Spear at Dante. Her control was impressive, but Jason could see her issue immediately. “You’re casting, but you’re not fighting. Fix that.”

  She frowned. “What does that mean?” Jason darted toward her mid cast. Instead of dodging, he slapped her staff downward, disrupting the spell mid air. "Your stance is wrong,” he continued. “You’re not moving like a fighter, you’re too focused on spell execution. Magic should be an extension of your body, not a crutch.”

  He stepped back, motioning for her to try again. “Keep casting, but fight like you don’t need magic. If you’re attacking, defend yourself. If you’re defending, counter immediately.” Kaitlin gritted her teeth but nodded. On her next attempt, she fought while casting, mixing in staff strikes with her spells, using Verdant Surge’s vines to pull herself into better positioning. Jason nodded approvingly. “Better.”

  Luke was fast, but he relied on linear movement. Jason anticipated his attacks easily. “Stop being predictable,” Jason instructed. “You’re fast, but you always move directly at your target. Use misdirection.” Luke clicked his tongue but tried again, using Phantom Step to blink behind Jason. But Jason was already turning, catching Luke’s wrist mid attack. “Good,” Jason said, releasing him immediately. “But don’t just teleport behind people. That’s the first thing they expect.”

  Emma stayed at a distance, using Charm and Disorient to make enemies lose focus, but Jason countered her with sheer willpower. He closed the gap in three steps, dodged her Disorient pulse, and placed a hand on her shoulder before she could react.

  “Dead,” he said. Emma’s eyes widened. “But” Jason crossed his arms. “You rely on disruption, but what happens when it doesn’t work? What’s your backup plan?” She pursed her lips but understood. From then on, she started weaving spells while moving, instead of just staying stationary.

  Jason sighed as he watched Ryan and Dante hurl massive amounts of fire everywhere. “Stop wasting mana,” he ordered. “You’re burning through your mana like idiots. Focus.”

  Dante growled. “You just don’t get fire magic” Jason moved in a blink, stepping right into Dante’s flames without flinching. He grabbed Dante’s wrist mid strike, twisting him down to the ground in a second.

  Dante gasped. “Wha-” Jason’s gaze bore into him. “Power doesn’t matter if you can’t hit your target. Control your flames. Stop swinging like a berserker.” Dante grit his teeth but didn’t argue.

  By the end of training, everyone was bruised, exhausted, and dripping sweat. Jason hadn’t gone easy on any of them, he pointed out every weakness, forced them to adapt, and made them question their own fighting styles.

  Kaitlin was more fluid with her magic, Luke started using misdirection, Emma stopped relying only on Charm, and both Dante and Ryan learned to stop throwing fire everywhere. As they stood in the aftermath, Jason looked at them all and smirked. “Not bad,” he said. “But still not good enough.” The real training had just begun.