CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194 - A STRANGE START TO THE EXAM

[Some time ago]

The air in the underground chamber was damp and heavy, the kind that clung to the lungs with every breath. Faint torchlight flickered across stone walls lined with ancient inscriptions, shadows stretching over the gathered figures of Arcadia Academy’s most powerful instructors. At the center of the chamber, a crystal screen shimmered faintly, streams of glowing letters reporting intelligence from scouts and informants.

Halreth, the knight instructor, crossed his arms, his stern jaw tightening.

"Hmph," he scoffed, his voice sharp with contempt. "Those cultists... do they truly think they can outsmart us every time?"

A ripple of agreement swept through the chamber, several instructors sneering under their breath. But before the mood could rise further, a single, steel-edged word cut across the room.

"Silence."

The voice belonged to the vice dean, a man of iron posture and knightly bearing. Instantly, the chamber fell quiet, all eyes turning toward him as he continued.

"We have received confirmation," he said, his tone measured, unyielding. "The cultists are targeting our dungeon examination—more specifically, Saintess Aria herself."

A murmur stirred, one instructor raising his voice.

"Shouldn’t we inform the Holy Kingdom, then?"

The vice dean’s expression hardened, a cold scoff escaping him.

"She is now our student. A student of Arcadia Academy. We have already suffered heavy losses to those vermin. Do they believe our academy’s prestige means nothing? Have they forgotten that this institution was built upon the blood of a great hero?"

The weight of his words struck deep. Shoulders straightened, fists clenched, and fire lit in the eyes of the instructors, their indignation transforming into resolve.

"They think they can do as they please, unseen, unchecked," the vice dean continued, his voice swelling with conviction. "This time, we will tear their schemes apart. We will eradicate them."

At that moment, the groggy old dean—who had sat slouched and silent through the entire exchange—finally stirred. He let out a long sigh, his tone weary, almost absent-minded.

"All the preparations our teachers made for the final exam... wasted. How very sad."

The vice dean turned to him sharply.

"What do you mean, sir?"

The old man tilted his head, reaching lazily toward the table. His gnarled fingers picked up a block of wood, which he snapped apart effortlessly—like butter yielding to a blade. With a small knife, he began shaping the fragment as though carving away at his own thoughts.

"Why not," the dean murmured, chips of wood falling softly, "use their own knife against them to carve our timber?"

The chamber fell still. Several instructors sucked in sharp breaths, their eyes widening in realization.

Seraphina’s voice trembled as she spoke, though her gaze was steady.

"Sir... but wouldn’t that be too much?"

Others nodded, echoing her hesitation. But the old man only chuckled faintly, his knife never pausing.

"What? If the students cannot even endure this much... do they deserve to stand against calamity?" His eyes, once clouded, now gleamed with a sharp, terrifying clarity. "They were planning to pit thousands of their forces against twenty of our own students, were they not? Then let us gift them three hundred instead."

Whispers of protest stirred again, but they died as the dean’s aura suddenly surged. Gone was the fragile, groggy elder—before them stood the true master of Arcadia, his presence suffocating, ancient, and commanding.

The chamber’s air thickened; some instructors felt their knees weaken as the groggy elder’s aura bared down on them like a mountain.

"I," he declared, his voice reverberating through the stone chamber, "as Dean of Arcadia, make the decision. The final semester exam for the first-years will be changed..."

The knife pressed into the wood, finishing its sharp edge.

"...from dungeon subjugation—" his eyes burned with unshakable will, "—to demon eradication."

***

[Back to Present]

The courtyard of Arcadia Academy, usually buzzing with youthful chatter and laughter, had fallen into a thick haze of confusion. Hundreds of first-year students stood scattered in loose clusters, their voices rising and falling like restless waves.

"What? The exam started?"

"But when—and where?"

"Are we already inside the dungeon, or what?"

"What is happening!?"

The murmurs grew into a low roar of uncertainty, bouncing off the academy’s stone walls. Some students clutched their uniforms as if grounding themselves, while others fiddled nervously with the metallic bracelets that glimmered faintly around their wrists.

Eric elbowed his way closer to Luca, his expression twisted with incredulity. "Hey, what’s this nonsense now?" His arms flailed in frustration before he let them fall against his sides, palms open, as if surrendering to the absurdity.

Luca didn’t immediately answer. His gaze lingered on Seraphina, the blue-haired instructor, who stood on the raised platform above them all. There was something about her stance—calm, unwavering, her back straight and her chin slightly raised—that felt different.

Her eyes, sharp and cold, swept across the restless sea of students with the certainty of someone who knew far more than she revealed.

When she finally spoke, her voice cut cleanly through the chaos.

"You all were given a bracelet with your uniform. You will soon be given a location through it. You must reach there as soon as you can. Your grading will depend on your performance. The rest... you will understand when you arrive."

Her words were clipped, leaving no room for protest. With a sweep of her cloak, she turned and descended the platform, her figure vanishing beyond the archway.

The silence that followed was only temporary. A storm of voices broke out again, more frantic than before. Hands waved in the air as students pulled at each other’s sleeves, demanding explanations none of them had.

Luca turned toward his companions, studying their faces. "What do you all think?" His voice was calm but carried an edge of tension.

Eric threw his hands up, shaking his head, his brown eyes flashing with irritation. "I think the academy has finally gone senile." He barked out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it.

Selena crossed her arms, her snow-white hair falling neatly over one shoulder as her icy gaze flickered toward the retreating figure of Seraphina. "Maybe this is just another test," she said in her usual cool tone, her lips barely moving. "Whoever reaches the dungeon first might gain an advantage. That sounds like something the academy would do."

The Saintess, however, stood apart from them, her expression distant and clouded. Her fingers toyed absently with the edge of her sleeve, but her silver eyes were narrowed, thoughtful. "I doubt it," she murmured softly. "I don’t think things are... this simple."

Luca’s brows furrowed, and he nodded faintly. Even I don’t think this is as straightforward as they make it seem. There’s something else going on... but what?

Before he could dwell on the thought, a sharp, mechanical beep, beep, beep filled the air, echoing from every bracelet at once. Startled, dozens of students raised their wrists. A glowing mark flickered onto the surfaces of their bracelets, each pointing in a specific direction.

Luca lifted his own, the bluish light reflecting against his eyes. "We have a location."

But before he could utter another word, the ground beneath them quaked violently. Cracks splintered across the cobblestones as dust rose into the air. Gasps and shouts erupted across the courtyard.

From the academy grounds, shadows ascended—massive winged beasts shrieking as their wings sliced through the clouds. On the ground, the thunderous pounding of claws and hooves shook the earth, sending ripples through the academy’s once serene courtyard as students raced to reach the location first. Trees lining the edges swayed violently, and students screamed as monstrous forms burst into view—fangs, horns, and glowing eyes glinting with murderous intent.

Aiden ,Lilliane and Kyle, standing not far from Luca, exchanged a quick look. Their expressions hardened, their beats already summoned. Aiden and Kyle glanced at Luca briefly, their eyes burning with unspoken challenge—fiery determination that dared him to keep up. Without hesitation, they darted off, their beasts in the sky as they charged toward the given location.

Eric swore under his breath, gripping the handle of his weapon and glancing at Luca. "Why don’t we move as well, before we get trampled?"

Selena, her gaze icy and unwavering, gave a small nod. The Saintess, though tense, gathered herself quickly, her staff already in her hands.

But just as they prepared to move, Luca raised his hand sharply. His voice cut through the growing chaos.

"Wait!!"