Chapter 28: The Hero and the Shadow
The Vanguard dical Ward was perfectly quiet.
Draven lay comfortably on a crisp white hospital bed. He stared up at the ceiling.
Estella sat in a chair beside him. She was carefully peeling a red apple with a small knife.
"Are you sure about this?" Estella asked softly.
"I am sure," Draven replied. "The idiot is about to fight Aegon. Everyone in the city is watching the arena. Nobody is watching the basent."
"I will cover for you," Estella promised.
She raised her hand. A soft, white-gold light blanketed Draven’s bed.
It rippled for a second before forming a perfect, lifelike illusion of Draven sleeping under the covers.
Draven sat up and slid off the bed. He cracked his neck.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A massive, flashing crimson screen materialized directly in Draven’s vision.
[ALERT: FATAL ANOMALY DETECTED IN TILINE.]
[Directive 03: Prevent the Outer Ring Massacre.]
[The Original Plot: During the distraction of the Freshman Finals, a Cult Sleeper Agent will successfully steal the Aegis Core from the Academy Reliquary. Thirty days later, the Cult will use the Core as a spatial battery to open a dinsional tear inside the Bastion walls. Thousands of civilians will die.]
[The Hero’s Flaw: Neville Hennesy will arrive too late to stop the breach. He will save a handful of orphans for the caras, shed tears over the ruins, and use the tragedy to solidify his status as the tragic, burdened Savior.]
[Your Mission: Intercept the Sleeper Agent in the underground sub-levels. Secure the Aegis Core. Deny the Hero his tragic backstory.]
[Reward: 10,000 System Points, Increased Inventory Space: 200 lbs & Title: The Phantom Thief]
Draven read the floating text. A cold, predatory smirk ford on his lips.
’So it is exactly as I predicted,’ Draven thought. ’The Aegis Core is not just a shield. It is a portal key. And Neville uses mass murder as a PR stunt just to look like a tragic hero. Disgusting.’
"I am leaving," Draven said. "Blank Canvas."
A cool, refreshing wave washed over his body. His presence completely vanished from the physical and magical spectrums. To the naked eye, he was simply gone.
He opened the heavy door and stepped out into the shadows.
BZZZT!
---
The massive holographic bracket flashed high above the sunlit arena.
[Neville Hennesy vs. Aegon Logcheville]
The crowd roared so loud the stadium physically shook.
Neville Hennesy stepped into the ring. His silver armor was spotless. A warm, majestic golden aura radiated from his body.
He raised his hand. The massive crowd instantly quieted down.
"Citizens of Bastion Seven!" Neville’s magically amplified voice echoed across the arena.
"Today, we stand in the Light! The tragedy in the forest tested our resolve. But we did not break. We showed rcy to the darkness, and we erged stronger. I dedicate this final match to the fallen, and to the unbreakable spirit of humanity!"
The civilian stands erupted into frantic cheers and applause. Won threw flowers toward the ring.
Up in the VIP box, Lord Hennesy smiled proudly. The perfect political speech.
Down in the ring, Aegon Logcheville walked up the stone steps.
He did not look at the cheering crowd. He did not care about the caras. He ignored the flowers on the stone floor.
Aegon stared dead at Neville.
He gripped his silver spear. The tal humd violently.
FWOOSH!
The Asura’s Devouring Crucible ignited. A terrifying pillar of boiling, blood-red flas exploded from Aegon’s skin.
The intense heat instantly warped the air around him. The stone floor beneath his boots began to crack and blacken.
Neville lowered his hand. His perfect smile twitched. He drew his pristine silver sword.
"Match start!" the referee shouted.
Aegon did not hesitate. He did not circle his opponent to gauge his strength.
He kicked off the stone floor so hard the ground shattered.
BOOM!
He crossed the ring in a fraction of a second. He thrust his silver spear directly at Neville’s chest.
Neville’s eyes widened in sheer panic. He barely raised his sword in ti.
CLANG!
The kinetic shockwave blasted dust and loose rocks high into the air.
Neville was pushed back two heavy steps. His arms went completely numb.
The sheer physical strength behind Aegon’s strike was monstrous. It felt like trying to block a speeding train.
"Is this the Light?!" Aegon roared. His voice echoed like a demon over the clash of steel.
Aegon spun his spear. He unleashed a savage, relentless barrage of heavy thrusts.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Neville was instantly forced on the defensive.
The elegant, graceful swordsmanship of the Golden Boy was completely overwheld.
Aegon’s raw, brutal power battered Neville’s guard relentlessly.
---
Deep beneath the cheering stadium, the world was completely silent.
The sub-levels of the Academy Arena were dark and cold.
Draven walked calmly down the concrete hallway.
Red laser grids swept across the corridor. Magical alarm runes pulsed on the walls.
’Blank Canvas is working exactly as I expected. I might be the next Phatom thief if I used this properly.’
Draven walked straight through them. The Blank Canvas skill made him entirely non-existent.
The lasers did not trip. The runes did not blip. He was a ghost in the machine.
He reached the end of the long hallway. The massive, reinforced steel door of the Academy Reliquary ca into view.
The door was already breached.
’He has already stolen the Core, it seems.’
A perfectly circular hole had been lted straight through the foot-thick titanium lock. The edges of the tal were still glowing bright orange.
Draven stepped silently into the Reliquary.
The room was lined with ancient artifacts, glowing weapons, and rare spell scrolls.
But the centerpiece of the vault sat on a raised marble pedestal in the exact middle of the room.
Or rather, it used to.
The pedestal was empty.
Standing next to it was a tall, heavily scarred man wearing a dark Academy uniform.
’Instructor Graves.’
The gruff combat instructor was carefully placing a massive, pulsing blue crystal into a heavily warded lead briefcase.
’The Aegis Core.’
Graves snapped the briefcase shut. The tallic locks clicked loudly in the quiet vault. He let out a low, sinister chuckle.
"The fools are too busy watching children play with swords," Graves muttered to himself. "The Eclipse will consu this city from the inside out. Hmph! Idiots!"
Graves turned around. He gripped the heavy handle of the briefcase. He took a single step toward the exit.
Draven stood completely still in the dark shadows of the doorway. He did not draw his combat knife. He did not speak.
He simply raised his right hand.
High above them, the crowd roared, shaking a thin layer of dust from the concrete ceiling.
Draven smiled.
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