Saturday morning.
Professor Garcia woke up as usual.
As the professor of Fishman Language, he possessed an unmatched advantage among his colleagues—his Fishman identity—but this also ant he bore a pressure other professors of foreign languages did not have to endure.
For instance, dealing with remarks about a Fishman’s appearance, a Fishman’s scent, and even so well-aning but hurtful questions from young wizards like, "Can Fishn perform magic too?"
Thus, every single day at the First University, Professor Garcia worked diligently to make his preparations.
He got up early, polished his scales with Colorful Stones, soaked in a dicinal bath to eliminate the characteristic fishy sll, applied layers of Malsoil Essential Oil to mask his scent, donned his heavy black robe, affixed his brooch, cufflinks, and badges of all colors, striving to present himself as a respectable wizard.
It had to be acknowledged that his efforts greatly improved many young wizards’ perceptions of Fishn.
Today was Saturday, and originally he didn’t have classes, aning these elaborate preparations weren’t necessary. However, Mr. Zhang from the Library had invited him to help translate an ancient Fishman Language Magic Scroll. Considering that the library was currently crowded with students as the end of term approached, Professor Garcia made his usual ticulous preparations.
Just as he anticipated.
At dawn, the path to the library was already bustling with young wizards. Many students politely greeted the old professor walking slowly under the shady trees with his cane, and Professor Garcia responded to each greeting with a bow.
Until the golden web appeared in the sky above the academy.
"Oh, heavens, heavens."
The old Fishman gripped his cane tightly, gazed upward at the humming web suspended in mid-air, muttering continuously, repeating aningless words: "Oh, heavens... rlin above!"
Around him, students in red robes darted past like flas; his ears buzzed with sharp cries conveying the chaos erupting lakeside:
"A demon has broken into the school!"
"They say it’s the female demon from the arrest warrant—the one who hijacked the aircraft last year!"
"Unbelievable! Such audacity!"
"She’s not alone though—she brought a male demon, ard with a Charm Gun, and they both erged from the lake! Word is, they’ve taken so students hostage... including little kids!"
"Has the school caught them yet?"
"Not yet... The professors aren’t in their offices, and the School Committee’s staff are all from the Student Union... The Assistant Team can’t locate anyone... but the Protective Barrier did activate."
"No need to state the obvious, everyone can see it... Judging by the formation’s response, it looks like it’s about to destroy the entire academy!"
"The folks from Alpha Fortress are bound to be thrilled..."
Professor Garcia stood listening to the students’ noisy discussions. He lingered for a while, until he gradually adjusted to the imnse pressure the web exerted on non-human entities, before collecting his thoughts—The demons erged from Lin Zhong Lake?
A foreboding sense rose in the old man’s heart.
Just last year, a conflict between the Fishman Tribe in the lake and the academy’s young wizards had finally settled down. If sothing chaotic erupted from the lake again now, the school likely wouldn’t tolerate it or "compromise for peace" this ti.
With this realization, concern spread across his face. Quickening his pace toward Lin Zhong Lake, he muttered to himself repeatedly, "Oh, heavens... rlin above... heavens, heavens!"
Lakeside of Lin Zhong Lake.
Inside a pavilion along the Lakefront Corridor.
Cadres from the Student Union and Club Union were the first "official representatives" to arrive at the scene. However, without older wizards to lead them, they dared not act impulsively as they faced the vibrating golden web spanning the lake and the coiling green vine twisting over the water.
Because the incident unfolded suddenly, these young wizards had rushed to the lakeside and couldn’t locate a relevant authority figure. As a result, they naturally ford a reporting system centering on Lei Zhe, and an increasing stream of information poured into the pavilion where Lei Zhe stood.
"The principal’s office is empty,"
A burst of fire flared within the pavilion, revealing Judgent Hunting Team Leader Erwin Hoffman’s face. His expression was grim as he spoke quickly: "...The Door Gods told Professor Yao hasn’t been to the office in two days. Even when teaching, he’s been using a projection instead."
"The Professor Joint eting’s office is empty too," another of the Sacred Will’s ’Three Heroes,’ Zhao Qiao, followed closely behind with a report: "We’ve contacted multiple senior professors’ offices, and all known Big Wizards are absent from the academy."
"The School Works Committee’s head is also missing," Student Union Vice President Zhan Yuchen hurried into the pavilion: "The ones remaining at the duty center are all our people... Word is, there was an ergency summons last night, and all the old folks were called to the Black Prison."
"Black Prison."
Lei Zhe repeated the term, instinctively casting a glance at the low white tower in the center of the lake.
As Jiuyou Academy Student Union President and head of the Sacred Will, he knew more school secrets than the average student.
For instance, he knew that the small white tower in the lake was indeed one of the entrances to the Black Prison. He also knew the academy had been preoccupied with an important project there over the past year. The Naless Principal hadn’t surfaced for ages, and multiple channels of information suggested the Silent Forest would soon erupt into a larger, more devastating Black Tide.
Lei Zhe’s gaze swept past the white tower briefly, before shifting to the golden glow over the lake.
He and his companions had hurried over after the incident began, so they hadn’t witnessed the rumored female demon. However, on his way here, he had observed the golden web erge from the void, initially faint gold, then solid gold, and finally golden-yellow. The net grew clearer, brighter, and smaller.
By the ti he arrived at the pavilion, the web had already contracted to cover only the Lin Zhong Lake area.
Once the Protective Barrier locked onto its target, its magic power began shrinking rapidly, forming a golden-yellow "sphere" above the green vine within the lake—a radiant orb akin to a miniature sun.
Except its brilliance far surpassed the real sun.
Blinding golden rays descended from the sky, enveloping the lake’s surface, before reflecting upward again. Over and over this continued, completely subrging the green vine in a flood of golden light. From the shore, all anyone could make out were indistinct figures obscured within the golden glow.
"I can’t see anything."
Qi Qinglan moved his hand away from the Crystal Ball, turned to face the lake, and grimaced: "...The magical interference is too strong. Divination Magic doesn’t stand a chance, let alone discerning what is happening."
"Why is the Protective Barrier reacting so intensely?" Lei Zhe stood at the edge of the pavilion, arms folded, staring at the indistinct figures with furrowed brows. "This isn’t the first ti demons have appeared here... Did the Protective Barrier Monitoring Office send any updates?"
"They did!" Zhan Yuchen clutched a freshly unfurled Paper Crane, reporting: "Apparently the barrier received Advanced Directives and initiated an automatic response, bypassing office control... The Advanced Directives ca from the Two-Dinsional Evolution Lab, but the lab’s head is away on a business trip to Danghag and currently unreachable."
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