The principal wants to see me?
Link's eyelid twitched, but he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Soon, he followed the teacher to the administrative building of Yilan Middle School, stopping outside the principal's office.
The teacher brought him to the door, then excused himself with a brief nod and left.
Link was just about to knock when, to his surprise, the office door opened from the inside.
"Ah, Link. You're here."
The principal greeted him with a warm smile.
"Come in. I was just about to give you something."
Link followed the principal into the office and was instantly taken aback.
The principal's desk was covered in trophies—large and small, at least a dozen of them.
Seeing the confusion on Link's face, the principal chuckled and took the initiative to explain.
"Congratulations, Link. You've become a Level 1 Esper in just one month."
"Even in the capital, among the most elite talents, that kind of growth would be considered extraordinary."
"Now, there are two things I'd like to talk to you about today."
"You probably know that according to our school's tradition, the top three scorers in each Power Values Test receive rewards. First place gets 50,000 dollars."
The principal paused, then opened a drawer in his desk and took out a golden bank card, placing it in front of Link.
"This card contains 300,000. It has no password and is directly linked to your ID."
"It's yours now."
Link took the card in surprise. He hadn't expected the school to be so generous.
But there was something strange about it—wasn't the reward supposed to be 50,000 for first place?
Why was he receiving 300,000?
As if reading his mind, the principal smiled again.
"No need to overthink it. Based on your performance today, it's pretty clear you'll be first in all the upcoming Power Values Tests as well."
"So I'm just giving you the full rewards in advance. You won't need to participate in those tests anymore."
"Thank you, Principal!"
Link couldn't help but smile, though not just because of the 300,000 reward.
More importantly, he wouldn't have to come back to school every month for these tests.
That meant more time for training.
As for the money—it was a generous sum.
If he brought it home, his parents would surely be thrilled.
Maybe they could even use it to support his younger brother's development.
But Link also understood: the real reason the principal had called him in wasn't just to hand over some money.
This was also about the very thing he'd come to school for today.
"Link," the principal began again, "I'm not sure if your teacher has told you yet."
"But across the kingdom, there exists a training program specifically for gifted students. We call it the Eagle Hatchling Camp."
Link nodded. In fact, this was precisely what he had come to school to ask about: the letter of recommendation to Eagle Hatchling Camp.
Still, he didn't know much about the camp—only that it was a place where the kingdom's most talented youth trained together.
"I've heard a bit about it."
The principal nodded in return, but his expression grew serious.
"Link, I know you're probably feeling confident right now. And you should be. But let me make this clear—everyone in Eagle Hatchling Camp is seen as a genius."
"You've heard of the Four Capital Universities, right? In our entire Yilan Kingdom, those institutions represent the absolute pinnacle of education."
"And Eagle Hatchling Camp was jointly established by those four universities, the military, and His Majesty King Yilan himself."
"Put simply—if you complete the training at Eagle Hatchling Camp, you won't even need to take the Spiritual Powers Grand Exam."
"You'll be admitted directly into one of the Four Capital Universities."
"And not as a regular student, mind you. You'd be enrolled as an Elite Scholar."
Link's heart stirred. He knew full well what that meant.
In simple terms, Elite Scholars were the cream of the crop—the top-tier talents even among the elite.
They were the focus of each Capital University's most intensive nurturing efforts.
Not only did they receive generous scholarships, but also a range of premium treatment and special opportunities.
"You might not know this," the principal added, "but Elite Scholars receive monthly scholarships of around one million."
One million?!
Link's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had worked hard to sell his potion formulas and had only earned a few million over time.
But now, just by qualifying as an Elite Scholar, he could receive a million every month—
and that wasn't even including the other perks the principal hinted at.
Seeing the look on his face, the principal grew solemn once again.
"You might think that's a lot of money," he said, "but once you reach that level, you'll realize—money is the least valuable resource."
"Trust me, if you can complete Eagle Hatchling Camp, what you gain will be far more precious than wealth."
"Every student who survives the camp goes on to become a major figure among humanity."
Link's brows furrowed slightly.
The principal's words revealed something important: Eagle Hatchling Camp was dangerous. Possibly even deadly.
Still, Link wasn't afraid.
If anything, this confirmed how brutally elite the program really was.
"Link, I hope you'll give this serious thought," the principal continued.
"Eagle Hatchling Camp offers incredible benefits—but it comes with tremendous risk."
"From what I've gathered, less than 10% of the students manage to complete the training."
"Because during the program, you'll be facing moonfolk—directly."
The mention of moonfolk piqued Link's interest immediately.
The principal's tone grew even more serious.
"I urge you to be cautious. The moonfolk you'll face in the camp are far more terrifying than the ones you've seen on TV."
"The ones kept in zoos? Those aren't even moonfolk anymore. They're just semi-intelligent animals."
"The real ones—those you'll face—are the reason this training is so dangerous."
"So think it over carefully. Whether or not you choose to participate, the school will respect your decision."
Link, however, was already filled with anticipation.
Without any hesitation, he spoke up.
"Principal, there's no need to think about it. I want to join Eagle Hatchling Camp!"
Principal Ximar froze for a moment.
He hadn't expected that.
Most students, when they heard about moonfolk, would instinctively flinch or hesitate—some even refused outright.
But Link?
He hadn't even blinked before giving his answer.
"Link," the principal said again, his expression grave,
"I really think you should consider this more carefully."