Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy
chapter-319

Another week had quickly passed after the strange phenomenon that had occurred in the skies above the Vermont Academy.

Captain Stein Nova, a dignified man in his forties, was assigned to protect the Vermont Academy, one of the kingdom's most prestigious institutions of Arcane Arts. As a leader of the fifth squad, he acted as a model for his squad members. He made sure not to miss his patrols every day.

He had been stationed here for only a few months, but he had grown fond of the place and its people.

He was planning his usual patrol around the academy grounds, checking for any signs of trouble or danger. There are many naughty students in this Academy, after all. Cases of misused Dark Spells, failed Rituals, and quarrels between students from different branches of Dark Arts could happen any time of the day.

He had a routine that he followed every morning, starting from the main gate and ending at the Headmaster's office. He enjoyed his job, as it gave him a sense of purpose and responsibility.

Seeing the growth of the students that will soon become the pillars of the Dark Arts Faction was something he enjoyed every day.

"Hmm? A failed ritual?" Captain Nova muttered as he felt a burst of energy. He wasn't sure where it came from, but his first guess was that it was from the 8th-Year students of the Dark Magic Branch.

But as he was about to leave his quarters, he heard a loud explosion outside.

He quickly grabbed his sword and ran to the window. He saw a huge fireball rising from the nearby forest, followed by a cloud of smoke and ash. He also saw several figures flying in the air, hurling fireballs and lightning bolts at each other.

He recognized them as Elementalists, a type of Arcanists who could control the natural forces of earth, air, fire, and water.

"The Academy is under attack?! Is it the secret organization again?! They're pushing their luck!" Captain Nova angrily said as he put on his mask and cloak, which bore the symbol of his Fifth Squad: a golden circle with a white star in the center.

He rushed out of his room and headed towards the main gate. He hoped that his squad was already there, ready to deal with the intruders.

In any case, there was no way these Elementalists could enter the Academy so easily. It is now fortified by the Fourth Division, and even his squad would probably need an hour to destroy it.

However, to his surprise, the Formation Nodes that were hidden on the walls of the Academy had been destroyed already!

A hole was made in the Barrier, and the gate was already open. He saw several guards lying on the ground, wounded or dead. He saw several Elementalists flying over the wall, laughing and taunting. He saw several lower-year students running away, screaming and panicking while the Professors and the higher-year students who happened to be near the gates protected them.

He felt angry and outraged. He drew his sword and activated his Dark Aura. He felt a surge of dark energy coursing through his body, enhancing his senses and abilities.

Then, he shouted with all his might…

"Descend!"

This word seemed simple… However, if it was said by a member of the Evanescent Vessel, it had a very powerful meaning.

As he shouted this, all the members of the Order heard this as well.

They recognized the voice of the man who shouted with all his might.

Even Captain Cleo and Vice Captain Ashe, who were rushing to the Academy, heard Captain Nova's voice.

Because of that, they realized that the situation in the Academy was serious. After all, calling for the Descent of the Order's Secret Existence, could affect the lifespan of the Vessels.

Soon, the 14 members of the Order inside the Academy shouted the same word.

"Descend!"

Suddenly, a suffocating pressure descended around the Academy.

The higher-year students and professors who were rushing to help, suddenly felt the pressure. It was bearable for them but certainly not for the Elementalists that were causing trouble at the gates of the Academy.

***

Lisa Grayback, who was managing the library, looked outside the window as soon as she heard the commotion. She didn't plan to leave this building since they were already informed that this was one of the safest places in the Academy as this place was guarding important books and documents of the Dark Arts Faction.

As she looked outside to see what was going on, she heard the battle cry of the Members of the Order of the Evanescent Vessels.

"Descend!"

It seemed to be a spell that triggered the descent of a mysterious being!

The whole Academy's temperature started dropping as Lisa saw one of the members of the Order start morphing outside!

It was such a terrifying but magical sight to behold!

"So it was like that… They're really Vessels for a Mysterious Being in another realm." A familiar voice muttered beside her.

Lisa looked at her side, only to see Vale standing close to her.

"V-Vale… Do you think that they can protect us?" Lisa worriedly asked.

Vale nodded without hesitation.

"It's fine… The enemies are too weak. They're just a diversion, similar to the tactics used by the Secret Organization… That won't work twice." Vale calmly said as if he could see what was happening within the entire Academy.

Vale seemed so reliable when he said this, so Lisa also calmed down as she prayed for everyone's safety.

***

In the meantime, Captain Stein Nova, who had first called upon the presence of a mysterious being, transformed into being closely similar to the Death Knights with high intelligence.

He charged toward the Elementalists, ready to fight them.

But before he could reach them, he heard another explosion from afar. He shifted his attention to the source of the explosion and saw another group of Arcanists attacking the nearby settlement or town. They were wielding various weapons and tools, emitting different colors and shapes.

He recognized them as Aura Masters… However, he didn't mind them. These Aura Masters are like cockroaches with strong vitality. Curse Experts are required to kill them quickly. The other squads should be able to deal with them even without his assistance.

Boom!

As soon as he killed one of the Elementalists who dared to attack one of the fleeing students… He saw the enemies retreating so hastily! They were using some Talismans to allow them to survive the Pressure brought by their Descent.

'So it's another diversion… It doesn't matter.'

"Chase after them! Do not capture them! Kill!" Captain Nova shouted with his deep and coarse voice.

He didn't mind whether the Elementalists were just a diversion.

He believed that whoever sneaked inside the Academy would be dead for sure!