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Chapter 21 - Chapter 20: Darius warning

 In the dorm room of Van Leon where only him resides, Van Leon Bryce was in a frantic, desperate mess. Scrolls were scattered all over the floor, potions sloshed precariously in knocked-over bottles, and his usually neat furniture was completely messed up. His face, normally so stone-faced, was now contorted with raw pain and growing horror. Red visible veins throbbing in Van Leon's skin, but these were a deeper, scarier black, squirming under his skin. His breath came in ragged gasps, every one a struggle.

 "No... not again," he rasped, his voice a low growl of pain. His hands, shaking uncontrollably, fumbled with a small, fancy wooden box he'd pulled out from under a loose floorboard. Inside was a single, thin silver needle and a small, corked bottle of shimmering, dark liquid. With practiced, yet agonizing, speed, he uncorked the bottle, drew the thick fluid into the needle, and plunged it into the big vein on his forearm.

 A gasp tore from his throat, part pain, part desperate relief. The black veins on his face seemed to writhe, then, as if pulled by something invisible, they started to shrink back into his skin, leaving only a faint, lingering red tinge. But the hunted and cold looks stayed.

 "when will I see it?" he muttered, his voice cold, filled with a grim determination. He then fell on the floor panting slowly his eyes now black as it slowly fluctuates into the original state and he closed his eyes falling asleep.

 Eryndor was still thinking of what to say, tons of questions bubbling in his mind but couldn't seem to find the right one to say, the slime stared at him shaking it's slimly body and sighing tiredly, "they've been standing here since forever," Gloop thought.

 "Oh fuck! What will I tell him now?" He thought.

 

 "Umm Eryndor I just asked a question how did you reverse my spell why are you stationed like a statue? How did you reverse my spell when you are just a ordinary?" Kaiden asked again curious to know how someone with normal human skills could reverse his mutation spell.

 Eryndor's mind raced, trying to find a way out. He stuttered, "I... I don't know, Kaiden. It was... it was just a fluke. A lucky guess." He cursed himself internally. A fluke? Is that really the best I've got?

 Kaiden's expression didn't budge; he was too sharp for that. "A fluke? My Arcane Binding spell is complicated, made to test exactly how well you understand magic. No 'fluke' reverses it, especially not from an ordinary like you with no real training. I felt a clear, opposite flow of arcane energy." His eyes narrowed, looking deep into Eryndor's. "Are you holding something back, Eryndor? Talents like that aren't something to mess around with, or hide."

 Eryndor tried desperately to sound more convincing. "No-----umm, I honestly don't know. Maybe... maybe it was just an adrenaline rush? Or I messed up my basic defense spell? I was just trying to protect myself." He tried to seem sincere, wide-eyed and innocent, hoping Kaiden would buy the complicated story. The lie tasted bitter, but telling the truth about his grandpa's spellbook, his sudden system messages, and how fast he was leveling up felt impossible. They'd never believe him; they'd call him a fake or worse.

 Kaiden studied him for another long moment, his gaze piercing. Eryndor shifted awkwardly under the scrutiny. A flicker of something – doubt? resignation? – crossed Kaiden's face. He sighed, a hint of frustration in it. "Ordinary," he thought to himself. "What could he possibly do? He's just a commoner."

 "It's of no use even asking you, what more could I get from a person like you," he sighed, "you want to become an archmage right?"

 "Yes....." He trailed wondering why he was asking.

 "Your dreams can never be achieved."

 "What!?"

 "For someone like you, ordinary and not even seem want to have knowledge about magic, you can never even get to the A rank, you are a waste of my energy," kaiden said and left leaving Eryndor to seethe in fury, his jaw clenched and his knuckles having veins on them.

 "I'll show you what I'm made of kaiden when I've got to your rank," He practically sprinted down the hallway, Kaiden's final words weighing heavily on him, a familiar chime rang in his head, followed by a shimmering blue screen popping up right in front of him.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

New Quest Received: "The Forest's Blight"

Objective: A mutated Magic Monster called a Gloomfang Strider has started terrorizing the edge of the Whisperwood Forest, getting too close to Academy grounds. Take it down.

Difficulty: Moderate

Rewards:

 * +750 Experience Points

 * +2 Skill Points

* Bonus Exp

*Skill unlocks likewise the slime

 * New Ability: "Mana Sense" (You can passively feel the flow and strength of magic around you and sense mana).

 * New Skill: "Quick healing and regeneration"

 "Basic Beast Lore" (Gives you fundamental info about magic creatures and what makes them weak).

 * Rare Material: Gloomfang Core (A powerful magic ingredient that alchemists really want).

Failure Condition: The Gloomfang Strider keeps spreading its influence, or it turns into an even bigger threat.

 Eryndor stopped short, staring at the quest message. "Fuck a quest? Exactly what I want to level up, I need to get to the Acranums rank." This was his chance to prove himself, to get stronger, and maybe, to finally understand how deep his connection to magic really was. He had to pull this off.

 

 As he walked through the main gates, Finn started screaming out his name but his voice was lost to the air, "where could he be I've been searching for him since forever jeez," he then left.

 The fluorescent lights of the Proctor Chamber hummed, casting a sterile glow on Darius's defiant face. "Darius Vaughn," Proctor Valerius began taking after Percival Willow who left to face some important work, his voice a low rumble, "we're aware of your… unauthorized 'modifications' to what happened near the gate of the academy."

 Darius smirked. "It was just a bit of fun. Loosened a few cogs, sped up the gears. Nothing major."

 Proctor Aerion, her gaze sharp as a falcon's, interjected, "Nothing major? You nearly caused a temporal cascade, Vaughn? Your actions almost lead us to the expulsion of Eryndor Thorne."

A flicker of genuine amusement crossed Darius's features. 'that was what I was aiming for but it didn't work," he thought, "Well, i guess you didn't so can I leave?" He opened his mouth again, likely to launch into another rambling justification, but Valerius cut him off with a raised hand.

 "Enough, Darius," the Proctor boomed, his patience clearly wearing thin. "We aren't here to debate your motivations, however misguided. This is a final warning. Your actions were reckless, disruptive, and showed a profound disrespect for the order of this institution." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a grave whisper. "If you engage in any further acts of sabotage, any more 'modifications,' however minor you perceive them to be, you will be expelled. No exceptions. Is that understood?" He continued, "using cheap tricks just to get Eryndor expelled that might not be working young man," the old man said brushing his white beards.

 Darius's smirk finally vanished, replaced by a sullen scowl. He merely nodded, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the Proctors.

"You may go," Aerion dismissed him, her voice cool.

As Darius turned to leave, the heavy oak door creaking open, he muttered under his breath, "got lucky this time Eryndor, now what that guy deal he is so powerful who knows if he's using forbidden magic, I'll get to the bottom of this," he smirked as he strides to the boys dorm.

A/N: Dear readers thanks for reading this book I hope y'all enjoyed reading it, please support this book in any way you can 🤗 I would really need your support by voting for this book with power stones and gifts, thanks once again.😊

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