Chapter 79: The Uninvited Guest of the Darkness (2)
w7qTyHNade picked up a pen and wrote something on his palm. His friends did the same, etching the words carefully.rW0
uS3– I have lost my memory. Those who know the keyword can be trusted. The keyword is Polaris.7ZcA
VcVWTUSatisfied, Shirone and his group examined their palms. With this mark, even if they lost their memories, they would be able to cooperate.LonV
jxrDk“Alright, that should do it. Let’s go out now.”vN53m
gy13OyRegaining his confidence, Shirone exited Estas the Magic Warehouse.rLOAgS
JdYStudents were wandering the campus as classes ended. Looking around calmly, Shirone noticed several oddities. Normally, students would move in groups, but now they were all walking individually. More strangely, their movements seemed aimless and disorganized.QXbyyv
lC2pqI9“Guys, look at those people”mpQf4
ypgPGRr“I know. I feel it too. They’re just wandering without a purpose.”2hKMvi
Bu5sNade spotted Gabe, a classmate from Class Five.xYQ
J9FrxtO“Hey, Gabe! Where are you heading?”2sibjQ
19gmGabe approached them but responded as if meeting strangers for the first time.Jvav
exhPvuH“Who are you?”ZgOkGGx
nHXlNade was puzzled but quickly shifted his focus to the more pressing matter.yxxt9V
fVA“Never mind that. Where are you going?”IEu
NJEj“Where am I going?”ID3W74u
ZMINLpNade, frustrated, pressed further.aXv3
ZGH“Youve been walking continuously. Where’s your destination?”ToAXC
l10“My destination?”aib
y9HvGabe looked down at his legs as if realizing something. Suddenly, he looked around, bewildered.KJPs
BkMjR“Where is this? What’s my name?”mA4
aDsJkX7Panic-stricken, Gabe grasped at his head. Nade cautiously stepped back, ready for any sudden outburst. Thankfully, Gabe didn’t become aggressive, only increasingly distressed.g15cJ3G
bbi7s“What’s this noise? Why do I keep hearing these strange sounds!”esxSTTn
quoMzAs he shouted, his speech began to distort, eventually becoming incomprehensible.acGoXS
g8sShirone’s eyes shook with shock, realizing Gabe’s condition. Yiruki, still unaware of the true nature of the sounds, listened intently.LA7yo
W0adN“What noise? Are you hearing hallucinations?”sg6C
ZS7fShirone, with a trembling voice, clarified.3mTwck
noPiqxb“No, he’s hearing his own voice.”t0rt
X91“His own voice?”8Za
rIm4zC“He’s lost the meaning of language. He’s speaking habitually but without understanding. Naturally, its terrifying for him.”MGpL
dtQGabe had completely lost his language structure, now sounding almost primal.XA0TZY
oVWShirone’s group felt a chill. The speed of Gabe’s mental degradation indicated that memories were fading rapidly.MRlyBG
GYXn2JAs time passed, Gabe’s voice subsided, his eyes lost their spark, and he eventually lost motor skills. Simultaneously, everyone on the streets froze.xye
Hu2vhmA haunting silence enveloped the Magic Academy, with everyone standing still like wax figures, devoid of movement.lsqy
GBe“What on earth is happening?”rbDAsJn
652x5kR“Anyway, we’re unaffected. Although it’s not something to be optimistic about, it does give us some room for further investigation.”95LWApd
AIJicShirone examined the people around him. It felt like the world had stopped, similar to Armin’s Stop Magic, but time was certainly moving. The occasional blinking of the people indicated they were not frozen.wI7Q
Qym“Their thoughts… have stopped.”J1xGF9
UztukFGIf it were a kind of magic, it was more dangerous than Stop. It could pose a threat to others. In this state, even a child could harm everyone here.Egd
S9L9NRThe trio ventured further, conducting a few experiments. They tickled a junior, who burst into laughter, but soon returned to a rigid expression once they stopped. Threatening looks caused eyelids to flicker, proving that their nervous system was still active.PGnA0
U9oo“Interesting. Only thoughts have halted. This could indicate physical limits. But why do this? What’s the purpose?”4Osh
zYC“Before that, we need to find out who’s responsible for this. Let’s look around a bit more.”Ux5T30I
rQ0GtSShirone’s group headed north to check if the seniors and teachers of the Advanced Class were in the same state.nATBjMq
aDiJFReaching the uphill path, they saw students from the Advanced Class streaming out of the Steel Gate arch.5yPmbt
6uuD0FAShirone’s group hid in the bushes.r8pf
b80The movement of the Advanced Class students amidst the general immobility was reason enough for caution.Cjhu6
AQYAmong the crowd, they spotted unfamiliar facesa boy and girl around Shirone’s age and a man, out of place with dual swords, clearly not belonging to the Magic Academy.15PQXut
6qWks5Lucas whistled nonchalantly, joking around.l460aJK
huj“Wow, I’ve seen some dire scenes in my life, but this is a first. They’ve all turned into zombies, haven’t they?”bGce9
q0X3IAbyss Nova was a spell that blocked the memories of those exposed to it within 24 hours. Without memory, thinking became impossible, rendering it akin to a spell of petrification. The sequence of memory blockage started with the most recent and significant memories.YhZF1tU
65uD9iuIt was Arin’s task to lead those whose memories had been blocked. Specialized in mental magic, she had led the Advanced Class students to the courtyard where Shirone’s group had encountered Gabe.vCnS0on
GL23‘Shadow of Capture.’yHX
JxQHQMThere, she cast another spell. Her shadow undulated like tentacles, threading through the shadows of the people around her.wyV
5XMThis unique form, not present in the Four Way Formation, was a standard for mental mages known as the ‘tentacle form.’tO8FCbY
75UZIfmThe tentacle form allowed for a finer and more flexible control of the Spirit Zone, compared to the Four Way Formation. However, it took considerably longer, requiring at least 20 minutes to pass through the shadows of all the Advanced Class students.6qcI
6yGWhile Arin worked, Lucas passed time by eyeing the female students. Their noble status evident in their pale skin and delicate fragrance. His snake-like gaze settled on a girl who caught his fancy.9bk
isxs“Look at this one.”nellB
JzFplEven in her memory-lost state, the girl’s eyes were clear. Her retro-styled hair, with red highlights, partially covered one eye, but her beauty was unmatched among the students.X4tx
vKbVi“She looks feisty. I like wild women.”qrruO
z9cCJust as Lucas’s hand reached out to Amy, Canis grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around.xqukil
j8uwm“Lucas, stop it. Maintain some dignity.”hZF
Gteeox“What? You’re lecturing me now?”oREEm
u0voJL“Any foolish behavior will not be tolerated.”bT3niz
2bELucas laughed derisively. Was the Parrot Thieves’ Guild’s reputation so diminished?lOR5
21PdZ“What’s the harm in having a bit of fun? I heard it’s all for revenge anyway.”QYy14Vi
JhwvB2“This is revenge to reclaim our master’s dignity. I will not tolerate vile acts.”SDw4nnE
02Fd“And what will you do if I don’t comply? Fight here?”S7lH
280rKwr“I’ll terminate the contract.”kDM3eX0
zPzMCmLucas scoffed, stepping back. He knew all too well the risks of revealing aggression in the Spirit Zone.idUr2Hr
uE1z“Fine. I won’t do anything to miss out on my pay.”UVkSmIY
2JM“Remember, if you interfere again, I won’t hold back.”RvU
68Ae“Such fuss over a bit of fun. Where’s our master anyway?”eAsW
CjY“Master is preparing something important. We’re to handle this simple matter ourselves.”xu7rOBy
BamqhaiArcane was currently hidden, recovering the mental energy expended casting Abyss Nova. Canis, however, chose to keep this information hidden.5bcQ0Lx
hbQMq2“Yeah, sure.”dcC7J4
SJFsZLucas turned away, his eyes briefly flaring with intensity.earAP
8rR‘He must be resting somewhere.’6LK
lJBusJLucas understood the concept of equivalent exchange in magic. A spell that blocked the memories of hundreds was not something an ordinary mage could cast. Even an archmage would be significantly weakened for a while.ANo
Td2D‘This charade won’t last, kid. I won’t miss this entertaining opportunity.’pcO1h
uSN3mAs Arin finished her task, the Advanced Class and Advanced Class students began to move en masse. Shirone’s group emerged from their hiding only after the crowd had dispersed. It seemed the intruders intended to take the entire school somewhere.8ZwUB1
XFvwB“Who are those people?”ORBzG1I
jmeBMD“No time to ponder. They might not do anything for a while, but once they reach their destination, anything could happen. And the teachers are captive too.”yAyr3N
2V5XEShirone remarked.GU14dtF
M3o“The magic that the girl cast looked like dark magic. Could this situation be their doing?”H6Lo
CWy6ma“It’s unlikely. Such a large-scale spell requires an enormous Spirit Zone. Two are too young, and the third, armed, is likely not a mage.”HzIegb
olBhXg“A third party involved, then?”ObPo2z
Iqj“It seems so. Let’s focus on tracking them. If danger arises, we can intervene.”SxvmJ
GhLl“Controlling the Magic Academy… Madness, especially with dark magic…”0d4X9
RCoEd6hWith an ominous sense, Shirone’s group followed the trail of the unwelcome visitors.6C0Q3E
dbGCcDyEthella, dressed as she was the day before, remained in the training hall, motionless in meditation. Her eyebrows twitched, and her face contorted in agony. Clenching her teeth, her body shook violently.be3hPU
iS0vAcPThe entire building vibrated with her, dust raining down. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she fell forward, gasping for air.1pwRD
gyJt“What was that?”Zzm
2ubUeShe couldn’t pinpoint it, but it was a form of dark magic that infiltrated the mind to block memories. Its malicious nature pushed Ethella’s vigilance to the extreme. Had it not been for the Karsis Order’s laws, she too would have lost her memories.F9Yhs
wY9e6M‘Dark magic in the academy?’rGjGWR2
qYPiuNChecking the time, she realized it was well past class hours.EWV
szRU‘I’ve been trapped by the evil spirit for over 12 hours?’PCFjAQ
4yBW9Considering Ethella’s supreme mental fortitude, it was an incredibly powerful spell. What puzzled her more was that no one had come to check on her.WJZwG
ZndYShe wasn’t the only target.TW9kv
VTOWith this realization, Ethella rushed out of the hall without even changing her clothes.Q2U
nPlSmVoA flash streaked across the sky above the Magic Academy, then plummeted to the ground like a magnet. A man landed without a sound.sV6qXbl
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