CHAPTER 177: SILVERSHADE REALM!

The immense relief that washed over Daniel was overwhelming.

He felt like a man who had crossed a fiery canyon on a tightrope and somehow reached the other side unscathed.

Principal Finch, the most powerful and perceptive person he had ever met, saw the impossible results of his SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] and simply attributed them to the kind of luck that often follows a genius.

It was a perfect, if somewhat unnerving, misunderstanding.

"Now then," the Principal said, his demeanor turning serious once more.

"Your foundation is tempered, your bones are forged anew.

You are ready for the third stage of your cultivation.

But be warned, Daniel, this next trial will be significantly harder, and far more dangerous, than the previous two."

"I’m ready, Principal," Daniel replied, his earlier fear replaced by a renewed, unshakeable resolve.

"The third ingredient you require," Alistair began, his gaze turning distant, "is a legendary divine medicine known as the Everfrost Aetherium.

It is a unique, crystalline fungus that grows only in environments where the energies of absolute zero and pure life force meet.

It is the key to the third stage of your cultivation: Perfect Marrow Tempering.

It will purify your blood, enhance your regenerative abilities, and grant you a profound resistance to both elemental and spiritual corruption."

"Where can I find it?" Daniel asked, his mind already racing with possibilities.

A heavily guarded cryo-lab? A frozen peak on some distant, hostile world?

The Principal’s expression grew grim. "That is the difficult part.

The Everfrost Aetherium does not exist on this platform, nor in any of the commonly accessible lower Verge levels.

It can only be found in a highly secretive, unstable sub-dimension known to the Academy’s highest ranks as the Silvershade Realm."

"The Silvershade Realm?" Daniel repeated, the name unfamiliar.

He had scoured the Academy’s public archives and found no mention of such a place.

"It is a hidden location, its gateway sealed within a place we call the Southern Warehouse," the Principal explained.

"The warehouse itself is a front, a simple storage facility.

But deep within, there lies a spatial array, a key to a world that defies our understanding."

He paused, his ancient eyes filled with a sad, reflective light.

"Legend has it, Daniel, that the Silvershade Realm was not born of natural dimensional chaos.

It is rumored to have been formed from the Eternal Relic Ring of a legendary human expert, a true hero who fell in a great battle on the tenth level of the Verge, many, many years ago.

The Principal’s voice was filled with a deep, personal sorrow that made Daniel feel a sudden, unexpected connection to this long-lost legend.

He could see the faint reflection of a painful memory in the old man’s eyes.

"This legendary plane," Alistair continued, his voice a low murmur, "is filled with countless treasures, the accumulated wealth of a lifetime of adventure.

Rare herbs, divine medicines, priceless artifacts, legendary skill books... a hoard beyond imagination.

However, there is a powerful restriction laid upon the realm, the final will of its former master.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can be brought out. Any item taken from the realm will dissolve into dust the moment it crosses the threshold of the gateway.

The only way to benefit from its riches is to enter, find what you need, and use it to cultivate on the spot."

Daniel’s mind reeled. A realm of infinite treasure that you couldn’t take with you. It was a tempting, frustrating contradiction.

"Because of the immense danger and the vast resources required to open the gateway for even a short time," the Principal concluded, "entry is strictly limited.

Only a handful of our most elite senior students are granted access each cycle.

You, Daniel, will be the only freshman to ever join such an expedition."

He slid a data-chip across the desk.

"This contains the contact information for your new team. They are the best of the best, the top students from each of the four main schools.

You will meet them at the Southern Warehouse tomorrow.

Your primary objective is to find the Everfrost Aetherium and complete your third refinement. Everything else is secondary."

The weight of the mission settled on Daniel’s shoulders. This wasn’t just another resource run. This was a team mission, a journey into a legendary, dangerous plane, alongside the Academy’s most elite students.

The pressure was immense. But so was the opportunity.

"Thank you, Principal," Daniel said, taking the data-chip. "I won’t let you down."

He returned to his villa that evening, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He had a free evening before the mission, a rare moment of quiet.

But rest was the last thing on his mind. There was one last piece of unfinished business he needed to attend to.

A score that needed to be settled!

He found Ayra in the villa’s reinforced training room, relentlessly striking a new adamantium training dummy.

The air crackled with her berserker energy. She looked up as he entered, a defiant glint in her fiery eyes.

"Come for a rematch, Vance?" she asked, a challenging smirk on her face.

"Or did you just want to admire my perfect punching form?"

Daniel just smiled, a slow, dangerous smile that made the hair on the back of Ayra’s neck stand on end.

"Something like that," he said, his voice low and smooth.

He let the training room door slide shut behind him, the sound resonating with a heavy finality.

"Remember the other night, Ayra? You seemed to be under the impression that you had the upper hand."

Ayra’s bravado faltered slightly as she saw the predatory light in his eyes, the same light she had seen just before he had obliterated the S-Grade beasts.

His power was unsealed now. The tables had turned!

"I believe," Daniel continued, taking a slow, deliberate step towards her, "it’s my turn to teach you a little something about... emotional control."

The last time he had faced her like this, he was powerless. But now.... Ayra’s in deep shit!