The protests of the nobles grew louder, erupting in a wave of angry shouts, while JENNIFER reached a breaking point. The Light Mana around her began to condense, emitting an audible, high-pitched hiss. Her glare toward ELARA was enough to set the entire hall ablaze.
However, before the situation spiraled out of control, KAY's voice rang out—firm and calm at the same time: "Silence!"
Instantly, stillness fell over the hall. KAY did not look at the nobles; his gaze remained fixed on the black scroll before he finally raised it to look directly into ELARA's purple eyes. He knew that any hasty reaction now would be calculated as a point of weakness before the daughter of ARTHAYER.
"Your conditions are not merely demands," KAY spoke with a solemn and dominant tone. "They are a redrawing of the map of power on this continent. As such, a response to them cannot be born in a moment of anger or impulse."
KAY took a single step forward, projecting his authority as a leader. "We will deliberate among ourselves. We will study every clause using the scales of logic, not emotion. We shall send our final response regarding whether we accept these 'terms' as requested, or if we shall choose another path."
He turned toward JENNIFER with a sharp look that commanded her to remain silent and step back. Then, facing ELARA again, he said: "Until then, you will be hosted in the Western Guest Wing. You are messengers, and the laws of hospitality of the HOUSE OF LIGHTEN are never violated, regardless of the depth of the enmity."
ELARA observed KAY's composure with hidden appreciation; she knew that breaking his calm was a near-impossible task. She tilted her head slightly in a calculated gesture of respect and spoke in a smooth voice:
"There is wisdom in waiting. We shall anticipate your response. I thank you for your offer to stay, but we have some important and urgent matters to attend to."
ELARA signaled her delegation to withdraw. She turned, her dark cloak fluttering behind her, leaving behind a hall seething with conflicts that had only just begun.
Dusk Academy: The War Room
There was no time for spirited speeches. In the Academy's operations rooms, ELEANOR's team was buried under piles of maps and intelligence reports regarding the "Echo Dungeons." A Rank C Raid carries a fatality rate of up to 40% for inexperienced teams.
In the briefing room, ELEANOR explained the role distribution. There was no more shouting or mocking of ADRIAN's status; instead, there was a sense of "professional anxiety."
"ADRIAN," ELEANOR said, pointing to a blind spot on the map, "this area is called the 'Tunnel of Silence.' Mana vanishes there completely. The mages in our team will become nothing more than ordinary humans for ten minutes. There, you will be the leader. Our lives will depend on your raw speed and your ability to react instantly."
ADRIAN looked at her, and for the first time, he saw a reflection of his own destiny in her eyes; she too was a "tool" for her family, just as he was a "tool" for IGOR. He nodded without a word and began mentally reviewing attack angles with mechanical silence as they concluded their discussion.
Dawn of the Raid: Crossing the Abyss
At six o'clock in the morning, the Academy square was shrouded in a thick, cold mist. There were no crowds or cheering; Rank C Raids were treated as classified military operations. The five team members stood before the "Transport Gate"—a spatial rift glowing with an unstable purple light, controlled by specialized devices to lock onto their destination.
ELEANOR wore light armor designed for mobility, while JORIN checked the straps of his heavy plate one last time. They didn't engage in small talk; the weight of the situation sat heavy on their chests. PROFESSOR ROBERT from the Operations Department stepped forward and handed each of them a "Bio-Tracking Device" to be fastened to their wrists.
"Remember," the Professor said in a clinical tone, "once you cross over, you are outside the jurisdiction of human law. You are in a territory governed by the laws of the Primeval World. If one of your heartbeats stops, we will not send a rescue team for 24 hours to recover the bodies... that is, if there are any bodies left to recover."
ELEANOR looked at her team, her gaze finally resting on ADRIAN, who stood like a marble statue amidst the fog. He wore no armor—only his black combat attire which allowed him absolute freedom of movement.
"Formation Alpha," ELEANOR commanded firmly.
She stepped forward and placed her hand into the purple shimmer, her body gradually vanishing. JORIN followed, then the rest. When it was ADRIAN's turn, he paused for a single second, inhaled the cold Academy air one last time, and then stepped into the rift.
He did not feel the dizziness that mages usually experience during spatial teleportation; his "physical" body remained unaffected by mana fluctuations. He opened his eyes to find himself in a giant stone corridor, its walls pulsing with a faint green light, while the distant "echoes" of creatures—already sensing the arrival of their prey—rang out.
The mission has begun...
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