That night, Hall 120 buzzed with excitent and pride over Dillion's double win. To maintain focus and avoid any distractions for the final duels tomorrow, Klea strictly prohibited any kind of celebratory drink.
Dillion, still awash in disbelief at his rapid progress over the past two weeks, approached Ery with heartfelt gratitude. "I hope I made you proud, Master," he said earnestly.
"You did well," Ery responded, his approval evident.
Dillion's success, though remarkable, was not unexpected. The infusion of Khaos energy had solidified his foundation in the darkness elent and significantly boosted his proficiency with gravity spells. Although he still faced challenges in casting tier 3 to tier 4 gravity spells, his family ruler-type sword style complented gravity spells perfectly, enhancing his combat prowess dramatically.
Unfortunately, as much as Ery would have liked to join the celebration, his mind has been preoccupied ever since he watched Shinta's fights. Witnessing her true strength for the first ti from across the arena had left a profound impact on him.
Shinta was only a first-year, just 15 years old, yet she was able to fight against top geniuses in their 20s. Her prowess was exceptional, displaying a level of skill and power that belied her age. Ery was struck by a whirlwind of emotions: amazent at her capabilities, pride in her accomplishnts, and happiness for her success. However, these words barely captured the depth of his feelings. There was sothing else, sothing deeper and more complex, stirring within him.
He felt a connection, an inexplicable bond that went beyond re admiration. It was as if watching her had awakened sothing dormant within him.
Determined not to let this feeling linger unaddressed, Ery resolved to confront Shinta tomorrow. He needed to understand what it was about her that stirred such intense emotions within him.
####
The much-anticipated final day of the personal examination began with even greater fanfare than the previous days. Half of the 300 participants from yesterday had been eliminated, and the next two fights would determine their ranks among the top 100 geniuses of the academy. The arena buzzed with excitent and anticipation as spectators filled the stands, eager to witness the climactic battles.
The host and headmaster, Grand Magus Goldstein, once again took the stage to open the event. His words of encouragent echoed through the arena, setting the tone for the intense duels that were about to unfold.
Dillion stood among the remaining participants, his mind focused and ready for the challenge ahead. He anticipated fighting an even stronger opponent this ti, likely soone ranked around 50. As he waited patiently for his turn, the virtual screen displayed the nas of the combatants. When his na appeared, his heart skipped a beat as he saw the na of his opponent:
[Zhiruo - rank 8].
It was a na known throughout the academy and beyond. The beautiful girl with long, dark hair stood at the other end of the arena, her presence commanding attention. She was the number one genius of the Hua Sect, one of the three most renowned sword sects in the Magus universe. She was known to possess the sect's secret technique, the Thousand Blossod Flower Sword, a skill that few could master at such a young age.
The matchup drew a wave of complaints from the Hall 120 acolytes. Even Klea, usually composed, was visibly annoyed. She turned to Ery and said, "Is this a mistake, or is soone plotting against us?"
However, Klea soon realized that Ery's mind was elsewhere. "What happened?" The truth was, since their arrival, Ery had been searching for Shinta, but the girl was nowhere to be found. Even with his divine sense, he couldn't locate her. He was deeply troubled; his heart was beating rapidly, and his instincts were screaming that sothing was wrong. Just now, he had received the troubling news that Shinta had been eliminated for not showing up for her duels.
Ery swiftly called upon VIA, to locate her. The information he received was alarming: Shinta had left the academy that morning and was headed to Utopia City.
Why would she leave the academy on such an important day?
Ery asked VIA to further locate Shinta's whereabouts, and the result surprised him.
[Last seen location: Market District]
[Be warned, an incident of fighting was reported half an hour ago.]
[Six academy acolytes were seen heavily wounded.]
Hearing that these were half-blood acolytes from Lucius Corvin Hall 7, Ery swiftly stood up. "You're leaving?" Klea asked, concern etched on her face. "What about Dillion's fight?"
Ery gave Dillion a quick glance and said, "He will be fine," before swiftly teleporting away.
Within seconds, Ery accessed the academy teleportation gates and transported himself to the Market District. As he rushed towards the location, he sent a distress ssage to Heorgar. However, as soon as he arrived, he found Heorgar and his n already at the scene.
A fight seed to be happening at a certain shop, and Ery quickly recognized Kehinde and the first-year wolf half-blood unconscious and being treated nearby. His anxiety rocketed. He barely heard Heorgar's explanations as he walked into the shop, his eyes scanning for Shinta.
Inside, the shop was in disarray. Shelves were overturned, and vials and containers shattered on the floor. Amidst the chaos, Ery spotted a familiar figure lying unconscious.
"Bob... Master Bob!" Ery exclaid, rushing over to the frog gene master. The recognition hit him—this was a gene shop, one that seed newly opened but now lay in ruins.
"What is happening?" Ery demanded, his voice a mix of urgency and anger.
Heorgar told Ery to calm down while he explained that an elite serpent bloodline group took Shinta. Unfortunately, the group not only had powerful grand magus figures but also proper paperwork—an order from the highest serpent authority to retrieve the girl. It even has Ouroboro's approval on it.
"I'm sorry, Ery. I couldn't stop them," Heorgar continued. "They left the planet 15 minutes ago."
The news brought a flood of questions and concerns, but amid the chaos, Ery's foremost priority was Shinta's safety. His instincts scread that she had been taken against her will. The urge to chase after her was overwhelming, but he forced himself to remain calm and think rationally. He knew that rushing in blindly would only lead to more problems. First, he needed to gather as much information as possible.
He should start by asking these wolf acolytes, especially Bob.
Kehinde, who first awakened, was quickly bombarded with question
"She ca here for a gene serum?! What for?!"
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