16 Explanation of the Universities

There were a total of 10 universities that could be considered "top universities" with 8 of them being in the continent they had moved to.

The top universities didn't accept people purely based on their grades, they were accepted based on their proficiency in their own areas, which included sports and arts. However, the classes they took would vary depending on their grades as well as their diploma.

Most people dreamed of going to these schools because of the mentors there. If you could catch the eye of one of the mentors there, you were nearly set for life. That is if the teacher didn't give up on you, though those cases were within the minority.

There were normal classes there while the honorary teachers, also known as the mentors, had lectures whenever they felt like it.

Most of those times, there were looking for successors or apprentices to take in. Even if someone didn't get a mentor, which was a great majority of the students, the connections made there were priceless, which made going there, all the more worthwhile.

Other universities were still unable to change their education system and acceptance structure due to their lack of autonomy. If the new system proves to be effective, then the education world may change forever. It was only about 20 years ago when this system was first changed.

It just so happened that this change to the education system started from the very top. These universities didn't all occupy one of the top 10 spots, but after 20 years, the 8 of them all had their undisputed place up there.

It was truly a shocking moment. No one knew what this world-shaking change would imply, but as one can see, it was taken very well, and the reputation of these colleges only continued to improve.

Some of the people who wanted to enter the university solely based on their grades were very upset. As they felt all their hard work went to waste, but there was nothing they could do about this.

These were the people who had enough brains to recognize the issues with the previously existing education system. Plus, some had other thoughts on this matter.

They convinced themselves that this system wouldn't work out. Even so, these universities wouldn't change their minds.

They took a strong stance of wanting to move on from the industrial ages where everyone only needed to learn how to follow orders. They didn't want to create robots out of the new generations of prodigies. Nor did they want to undermine any skills that weren't being measured within the premise of the current education system. The world was changing at a fast pace and it was about time that our education systems followed this trend.

The 8 top universities in the Hé Continent were the first to change, and all at the same time too, it was a very strange phenomenon. People suspected that the HC Union's department of education had a play in this, but it was never confirmed.

Others rejected this idea as it would have been great publicity for the Union, so it wouldn't make sense for them to not take credit.

If it worked out, this moment would have gone down in history. It now secured 7th place in the top 10 unsolved mysteries of the world.

These rankings of the universities would affect the allocation of some of the teachers which is why the universities put a great emphasis on them.

The current 4th place, Dong University, was the one Nathen was now attending.

The placements were decided through various factors including, but not limited to, classes, teachers, community, awards won by students in both arts, academics, and sports activities. Points were awarded to students who brought the school honor which could be rewarded through various favors and other resources available, including graduation points.

The other favors would be of great help when the students started working. The points would be kept even after they graduated, and it wasn't a loss for the university either. They were able to keep the people who were skilled enough to get such points connected to businesses that had relations to their universities.

These points were also the reason why Nathen had started going public with most of his achievements.

Every award he got, along with the interviews he attended and magazines he was on, he represented a part of his university. And his influence would only expand. It also allowed him to branch out meeting new people in differing communities.

He was building real-life connections and relations. This was also the goal he was aiming for, something that both his siblings weren't currently capable of doing. He wanted to fill in their gaps as much as possible.

While Emilin and Theodore could build connections and favors through a screen, it wasn't the same.

Emilin wasn't able to do what Nathen was doing for obvious reasons, being the mental barrier that blocked her from forming close-knit relations, or any friendly relations with others.

Theodore on the other hand was unable to do this simply because he wasn't motivated to do so. He had no interest in such matters and had yet to understand their importance.

When the time came, it was still unknown if he could pull it off. He had always remained true to his heart. Doing only what he liked to do and being with the people he liked. Even if he was doing something he didn't want, it was to protect the people he loved.

***

Both Theo and Emilin were in a pickle. It was getting closer and closer to the deadline for the applications for most universities and both had yet to make a choice.

This is also the reason why they were feeling reluctant to continue when their parents had directed the conversation in such a direction. It was a little painful for Emilin when she had realized what they were trying to do. She knew that she wouldn't be able to come up with an answer right then, but seeing her parent's determination to get their children to start thinking of their futures made her unable to change the topic on them.

The two siblings both made their way to the second floor, where their rooms were located and their parents followed soon after to their own rooms to get a rest.

Emilin sank into her soft bed in one swift movement as soon as she closed the door. She laid there staring into the ceiling, basking in the silence of this long night. The fatigue she felt during the day prevented her from raising another finger, much less wash up and change, which was very unusual.

And this was all despite the fact that she had slept all afternoon. Her eyes fluttered again and again, with her efforts to keep them open. But sleep won, as it always does. And so her eyes closed and brought her into the land of dreams.