Chapter 80: The Uninvited Guest of the Darkness (3)
fhQPFLG“Darn! Am I too late?”m2cO
ipTRiding a carriage all night, Thadd arrived in Creas and immediately used Spatial Warp to reach the main gate. As expected, the guards were standing still, showing no reaction.DbAK
Zn9O6It was dark magic.i1bq
BenKnJDAnd of an incredibly high level.pbFhH
NNiGe3‘I need to find the headmaster first.’NV2gj
aQ0GaaCThadd turned towards the teachers’ quarters. But before he could take ten steps, the distinctive sound of Spatial Warp echoed from the sky.3KTdA
w1wmy0cAlert, Thadd entered his Spirit Zone at the same moment Ethella descended in a flash of light.XTCM
5Wo“Teacher Ethella! What’s the situation?”tIR
1gFrThadd, just back from a trip, seemed to know about the situation at the academy and questioned Ethella, who was surprised but quickly got to the point due to the urgency.4IgDcg
baUfEwa“It seems like dark magic. Everyone, students and teachers alike, have lost their memories.”LjBM9
TOVBDThough he had anticipated it, Thadd was astounded when faced with reality. It was madness to attack Alpheas Magic Academy, one of the five prestigious institutions of the kingdom.QVaVHot
Mov6Sr“We don’t have time. Please tell me the situation.”qaCtJ
6jSrU“From my Spirit Zone search, it seems all the students are climbing the mountain. It looks like they’re heading towards The Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed. There are three people leading them, and three others are tailing them. Among the teachers… it seems I’m the only one who managed to escape.”OGsx
wMa5Ethella, a bishop of the Karsis Order, couldn’t have been dominated by Arcane’s dark magic. Thadd was relieved at least for that and explained what he knew.okAfxaM
HeGWth7“Let me brief you quickly. The perpetrator of this incident is Viltor Arcane, an archmage who caused chaos in the world 40 years ago.”qTpY4
V9QD“I’ve heard of him. But why would such a person target the magic academy…?”jIWC
6gz1Tv2Thadd bit his lip. It was a delicate personal matter of Headmaster Alpheas. However, Ethella was the only one he could rely on now, and he trusted her character to accept it without prejudice.0TY
CQUpdH“Viltor Arcane is, well, the teacher of Headmaster Alpheas.”jvU0X
ZSoKHEthella blinked, but as Thadd expected, she didn’t imagine anything beyond what she heard.BUL4O7
xonAs“I see. But it doesn’t seem like Arcane is among those taking the students. We don’t know the reason, but we should first rescue the students.”4lai
DrsIR2m“We can’t do that. As you felt, the magic magic is hard to counter. Trying to save the students one by one will likely lead to a counterattack.”G2Sh8
ehz“But we can’t just leave them either.”NJB
VhBf7i“You said there are three people following them. Any idea who they might be?”mKhr5OU
uJv1CN“I couldn’t confirm it for sure, but… it might be Shirone.”1nx
mmcy“Shirone?”Knbz
wjLHearing Ethella’s words, Thadd also recalled. The timing of Arcane’s magic would be around 24 hours ago. The only student likely to be outside the academy at that time was Shirone’s group, who were on suspension.3TrRi9
YqGG“I didn’t see their faces, but judging by the temperament, it seemed like Shirone, Nade, and Yiruki.”eZGm
kRXcK1m“It must be them. Those kids will be fine for now. They’re smart enough to know what to do. Better leave it to them while you, Teacher Ethella, please find Arcane.”qFDVO7
8iX16i4“What are you planning to do, Teacher Thadd?”h6l
5d3plm1“I’ll look for the headmaster. Finding the headmaster and lifting the dark magic is the priority.”hzIPTRt
HYx6vm0Ethella nodded in agreement.oNYis
CXnR“Alright. I’ll look for Arcane.”ClqkzBQ
5pFEF0sThadd looked over the mountain ridge. The vast grounds of the magic academy made it difficult to guess where Arcane might be.mDi
HguSUl“With hundreds affected at once, this grand-scale magic must have significantly drained his mental strength. He’s likely hiding in a secluded area. Searching around the mountain would be faster. What’s the radius of your Spirit Zone in Zoner mode?”Wxz
xPO“About 2 kilometers in diameter.”LiiRRSu
BhfTgrCalculating roughly, Thadd nodded.dxFyo
GeCXB“Marking about five points should do. Please patrol starting from the training grounds. I’ll head to the academy.”f4OP
u3B“Alright. After I capture Arcane, I’ll rescue the students.”62xG7tB
By3Z911“Don’t push yourself too hard. Arcane is…”rWJQHrz
lkNgZiUThadd swallowed his words. Saying the opponent was strong would only fuel her sense of duty more. After all, who else to trust if not a bishop of the Karsis Order and a nationally recognized Zoner?2uUjCv
HG3n“No, thank you.”CLTajrf
YYPDRFeeling a sense of responsibility as a disciple of Alpheas, Thadd respectfully bowed his head. Ethella, slightly smiling, shook her head modestly.EaMwy
bmX52wA“I may not know the full story, but I’m a teacher of this academy too. I’ll do my best for the students.”OI8Jp
pXS“Yes. Then…”pZRLR
mtvCXwNow it was a race against time.OvTSAu
pxqRaThadd cast Spatial Warp and flew towards the academy, while Ethella took a deep breath and focused her mind.r6t
LsWmSequence Method accelerated as her Spirit Zone expanded. Only Zoners could extend their zone like this, enveloping everything within a 2-kilometer radius in her synesthesia.GK7adJf
gfWC‘First to Training Ground 26.’aYPm
rLdTTransforming into a beam of light, Ethella flew towards the mountain peak, covering 1 kilometer with a single Spatial Warp.UcdQ
h4gtsy5Canis and his group gathered those whose memories were blocked at the starting point of The Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed.j64Zz
52Jv4Arin, having completed her task, looked pale. Even though she was under the influence of Abyss Nova, controlling the minds of hundreds of people was an immense labor.lK78X
V3xyMEHNade, observing Canis’s group from the bushes, spoke up.0Ua
gZ2F“Why this place? It’s just a bridge and a cliff.”FXyh
9wA8“I’m not sure. Maybe they’re waiting for someone?”X22rTKY
agCYiruki, counting off on his fingers, suggested,Slws
AB6“Cliffs, mind control, villains. Considering these three elements, the answer seems obvious. They plan to throw them off the cliff.”k0z
bSnlqBx“What? Why would they do such a crazy thing?”XVjfR
cUX“Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Dropping students off the cliff gains them nothing. But what if it’s an emotional issue? Like hatred or revenge.”PSdFr
s66J2Shirone thought it made sense. Moreover, if they really intended to do such a thing, simply waiting wasn’t the best approach.PTQiH
6vQD5x“We should intervene before that situation arises. We might even have to fight.”gxm
V5jkFor 10 minutes, nothing happened. The students and teachers, under mind control, just stood there blankly, while Canis and Arin looked beyond the cliff, waiting for their teacher.XMK
iOwA0p“Is it really okay, Canis? We searched the entire academy and still couldn’t bring Alpheas.”JwgrTg
buJVic“We can’t help it. Teacher told us to be especially careful around Alpheas. We just have to do what we can.”ykHQ
go4“Still… I feel like we might get scolded.”NTwfo7v
7MDJvNMCanis looked at Arin with annoyance.QoSZJ
MQ7Uv1y“Arin. Our master is a good person. Don’t worry; he won’t scold us for this.”mn0
SR2lUWgHearing their conversation, Lucas started to get annoyed. He came along for the promise of a large sum, but didn’t expect to conduct a terror attack on the entire magic academy.S82
k4AHVZConsidering the mission’s difficulty, even the advance payment he received was less. Moreover, Arcane was still nowhere to be seen, despite the promised time having passed long ago.lIFX
MNbGH3“Hey. When is your master coming? Did he run away, by any chance?”pSTa5
9ujhcsIt was a massive event, targeting one of the top five prestigious academies of the kingdom. Considering most students were from noble families, the aftermath of this incident would be immense, even if it ended without incident. Even an archmage might have fled in fear.yvtUn
Q5Ukjq“Don’t casually judge our teacher. He’s not someone you should be talking about.”mKbRM
hrSucD“Ah, what nonsense.”1zb5
Z4cipbLucas scratched his head in irritation. Then, suddenly, he raised his head and glared at Canis with a look in his eyes never seen before.yKH9ANN
pl04HI“Do I look that easy to you?”bzPRk
n6hTsPhAs an overwhelming hostility surged, Arin, with her sensitive mental empathy, hastily retreated. In contrast, Canis remained calm. This kind of look was something he had experienced countless times in Radum.vabtqn
yMN25‘Serpent Eyes?’kL8Rp9u
tLBA Schema technique that uses the gaze to target the brain and paralyze the central nervous system. It was a skill manifesting from practical experience and innate tendencies rather than training. The fact that Lucas could employ Serpent Eyes was indicative of the life he had led.1M2P1Z
EBbHiT“No more kid gloves. From now on, you’d better watch your words. You talk about contracts, but it’s you guys who are delaying things.”Krb2W
imDCanis couldn’t refute this time. Why wasn’t their master coming? It was strange for someone who had been eagerly waiting for this day to be late.9hAHQY0
obZE0As Canis remained silent and withdrew his fighting spirit, Lucas also relaxed his Serpent Eyes. After all, they were still a team for now, and importantly, he had yet to receive the rest of his payment.ejb
fuhYO1‘I wasn’t supposed to be part of this from the start.’aHvver1
wPKpOoLucas looked over those affected by Abyss Nova. Since their metabolism was normal, the time they could remain standing was running short. Those with weaker stamina would soon start collapsing, making things more complicated.Ug1gvY
B59s“Hey, why not just kill them now? It’ll be troublesome if they faint. We can’t pick them up and throw them off one by one.”jU90f
9pyKLucas was hired as a professional swordsman. While mages were suitable for reaping many lives, swordsmen were unmatched in dispatching survivors one by one. Eventually, as their stamina depleted, it would all fall to Lucas, so he wanted to reduce their numbers in advance.6Au
rXWX2“We can’t do that until the teacher arrives. The core of the plan is to annihilate them all in front of Alpheas.”ZPInD
QhsPs“Damn, then let’s at least have some fun. They’re all going to fall off the cliff anyway.”wGpz
z6hNCanis glared at him in disgust, but in the current situation, there was no reason to stop him. Born in Radum, he knew how dangerous a person like Lucas could be. Ultimately, Lucas would do what he wanted. It was infuriating.pbKkau
umP“Filthy man.”WfWM
RxTuxELucas stopped in his tracks. He should have killed Canis at the first use of Serpent Eyes. The human brain adapts to shocks, so the effect diminishes with repeated use on the same target.gf1XJZ2
1XnHT8t“Heh, you know why I hate you? You pretend to have some grand principle. You and I are just criminals. After today, you’ll also be a mass murderer of hundreds.”tfNGcea
kbyPrg“I don’t maintain my principles to be great. I just find people like you repulsive.”E2mlE
GvzrvG“Ha? Really? Do you know what’s truly repulsive? Weak people who only talk big. What will you do if I’m disgusted by you?”znnAVy
Y7zsLucas turned to face the front and grabbed Siena by the throat. Lifting her distorted face with one hand, he walked briskly toward the edge of the cliff of The Bridge That Cannot Be Crossed.v51BOAe
DeuQCH“Once I kill one person, you’ll realize. You’re just the same garbage as me.”qwx
bf49As Lucas extended his arm, Siena’s legs dangled over the edge of the cliff. She kept making gasping sounds from her mouth.lpjZi
R8L“This woman isn’t bad either. It’s a shame to kill her, but well…”899NvEh
uhRzr0Lucas released his grip, letting Siena fall. At the same moment, his eyes sparked. A sensation unique to Schema users, a thrill only felt in the Spirit Zone.8qu3
Tin‘Where is it?’cAiLr
AclBzsHis sensitive nervous system pinpointed the focus of the Spirit Zone. As he leapt into the air, an explosion occurred where his right knee had been. If hit directly, the bone would have shattered.688x
eGT1Lucas landed and immediately rolled backward to gain distance. Even if he couldn’t estimate the range of the Spirit Zone, it was standard practice to keep distance from a mage in a fight.zq4ivqb
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