My F-Rank Sagea is Secretly an EX-Rank Calamity

Chapter 11: The Chaos of the Merit Trials

>>>>>>> <<<<<<<

Asher arrived at his dorm, shoved the door open, and trudged inside.

Suddenly, a sharp, mechanical chime rang directly in his skull.

DING!

[CONDITION ACTIVE: REST EASY]

"Rest easy? Seriously? Why am I even being targeted anyway?!" Asher yelled at the empty room, his frustration boiling over.

[ERROR: SYSTEM JURISDICTION RESTRICTED. CANNOT ANSWER.]

"What the..." Asher buried his face in his palms, dropping heavily onto the edge of his mattress.

"I’m so doomed..."

A soft, warm weight pressed against his cheek.

Kaito had materialized out of thin air, snuggling tightly into Asher’s neck.

Asher lifted his head slowly, running a tired finger over the creature’s fur. "At least you’ve been quiet."

Kaito nodded solemnly.

"Wait... why aren’t you speaking?" Asher asked, his voice suddenly laced with concern.

Kaito just squealed softly, flopping down onto the bedsheet beside him.

DING!

[NOTICE: SYSTEM REBOOT COMPLETE]

[UPDATING STATUSWINDOW]

[NAME: Asher Flynn]

[RANK: Umbrax Faction (Absolute Bottom)]

[FAME: 120 (Status: Infamous — "The Clever Fraud")]

[SAGEA PARTNER]

[REGISTERED: Kaito (F-Rank: Squirrel) | Sync Rate: 93%]

[LOCKED DATA: UNAVAILABLE UNTIL RUNETIME CRITICAL OVERLOAD]

[ACTIVE SKILLS]

[Charm Sense - Passive: Tracks minor spiritual vibrations and natural paths]

[Stone Wall - Active: Deploys a basic earth barrier for sudden defense]

[??? LOCKED: Skill hidden due to catastrophic core instability during the cafeteria crisis]

[SYSTEM CONDITIONS]

[Mana Drain: Human core currently recovering from extreme energy output (45\%)]

[Contract Bound: Seraphina’s Gamble. Failure to complete the upcoming Merit Trial will result in immediate expulsion]

[Current Quest: The Forbidden Sector Salvage. Retrieve a lost artifact from the hazardous zone within two days]

"Would you look at that..." Asher muttered, his eyes scanning the glowing blue holographic text.

"But I still don’t get it. Vesta, how did Kaito just lose his voice?"

[DIAGNOSTIC BLOCKAGE: CANNOT ANSWER.]

"Fine! Prove you’re not totally useless by at least telling me how to survive tomorrow!"

[TACTICAL ADVICE: FOCUS ON DEFEATING BEASTS.]

"How is that helpful?!" Asher groaned, collapsing backward onto his pillows.

He was simply too exhausted to argue further.

>>>>>>> <<<<<<<

The morning sun rose over Ravenhurst Academy, illuminating a courtyard packed with anxious students gathered in their designated trial groups.

Unfortunately for Asher, fate had separated him from his only allies—Remi and June had been sorted into a squad overseen by an elite Argentum vanguard.

Once the logistics were finalized, the factions deployed, scattering toward their respective territories across the region.

At the head of the vanguard, Rowan led the prestigious Auric Circle. As the Academy Captain, his authority was absolute, though Seraphina walked a half-step behind him as his assistant, her eyes burning with thinly veiled envy.

>> THE ARGENTUM FACTION <<

Deep within the local forest, Remi and June stayed close together, keeping their eyes locked on the back of the upperclassman leading their line.

Her name was Sapphire—a tall, striking beauty with shoulder-length, pale blue hair and sharp, deep blue eyes. She carried a strange, intricately carved wooden staff, its tip clutching a flawless cerulean crystal orb. Pacing beside her was her Sagea: a sleek, predatory Lynx.

"So tell me, Remi, June," Sapphire said smoothly, not even bothering to turn around as she navigated the dense undergrowth.

"Why are you two friends with a guy like Asher?"

June exchanged a quick glance with Remi, whose brow furrowed.

"I don’t need a specific reason to be someone’s friend," Remi replied defensively.

"Actually, it’s because he’s naturally gifted," June added with a supportive smile, gently nudging Remi’s shoulder.

"I don’t know him terribly well yet, but you can just tell he has something special. I honestly don’t know how he handles all the humiliation here, but I really hope everything goes well for him."

Sapphire remained silent, offering no commentary on their loyalty.

A few minutes later, the line suddenly ground to a halt.

"Huh? Why are we stopping?" an Umbrax student called out from the middle of the pack.

"We’ve been surrounded!" the vanguard leader yelled, drawing his weapon.

Instantly, a wave of panic rippled through the ranks. The Argentum students moved with practiced discipline, immediately summoning their defensive and offensive Sageas to form a protective ring.

A high-pitched, deafening buzz filled the canopy as a massive cloud of gigantic insects descended upon them.

"Umbrax students, stay down!" the leader roared.

"What are those things?!" Remi cried out, terror gripping her chest.

The arriving creatures possessed translucent wings that flapped with dizzying speed, making them look like vibrating blurs.

Their faces were dominated by elongated, hollow, needle-sharp beaks dripping with a volatile, smoking green fluid.

"Those are Caustic Acid-Flies!" Sapphire commanded, raising her crystal staff as it began to glow. "Stay sharp, protect the rear!"

>> THE AERIUS FACTION <<

While the forest erupted into chaos, the Aerius faction was navigating a subterranean path.

They hadn’t even reached their primary destination yet, but their journey through an ancient, abandoned transit tunnel was already turning up remarkable discoveries.

"This is too easy!" a background student laughed, unearthing a glowing gemstone.

"For real! We could do this all day!" another chimed in, dusting off an old scroll.

Everywhere they looked, the forgotten ruins yielded treasures—spellbooks inscribed with ancient runes, rare magical plants, and pristine mana crystals.

"Guys! You wouldn’t believe what I just found!" a male student shouted from the far end of the corridor.

Curiosity piqued, the students rushed toward the voice.

It belonged to Kael, their energetic team leader, renowned throughout the academy for his easygoing humor and his powerful bond with a rare Phoenix Sagea.

Kael stood at the threshold of a hidden chamber. A massive stone door, which had previously sealed the room, had already been rolled to the side, leaving the interior fully exposed.

Stepping inside was like walking into a treasury of ancient lords. The cavernous room was overflowing with mountains of glittering gold coins, masterfully crafted staves, glowing potions, and codices of forgotten lore.

"Whoa..." a student breathed in awe.

"Well, talk about lucky!" Another laughed, immediately stepping across the threshold.

Eager to bolster their trial scores, the rest of the students flooded in, frantically scanning and logging the artifacts into their system inventories.

[ALERT: SAGEA EXTRACTION PLANT IDENTIFIED. BOOSTS PARNTER STRENGTH & AGILITY BY 30%.]

"Sweet!"

[ALERT: AETHERSCOPE STAFF IDENTIFIED. ALLOWS REMOTE SAGEA SYNCHRONIZATION AND LONG-RANGE COMMANDS.]

"No way, I am absolutely keeping this one!"

But as the students greedily gathered their spoils, a heavy, grinding vibration echoed through the cavern.

THUD!

The massive stone door slammed shut, sealing the exit. Total, suffocating silence fell over the room.

"Um... guys?" a student whispered, his voice trembling as the temperature in the chamber plummeted.

In one swift, horrifying motion, the metallic artifacts nestled in the students’ hands began to liquefy.

The gold and iron rippled like living water, twisting into grotesque, predatory shapes. They were Mercurial Mimics.

"AHHH!" a girl screamed, violently shaking her arm as the liquid metal on her staff sprouted razor-sharp iron spikes, impaling her palm before attempting to crawl up her wrist.

"Ouch! What the hell is this?!" another yelled, dropping his prize as the mutated metal lashed out like a viper.

>> THE TERRA FACTION <<

Unlike the chaos splitting the other groups, the Terra faction’s march was incredibly smooth.

They marched directly into the city’s grand public battle arena, their heavy, synchronized steps drawing the attention of everyday citizens.

"Mommy! Mommy, look! It’s the Ravenhurst students!" a young child squealed from the stands, pointing down at the uniformed students.

Xana, the strict faction leader, raised her hand, signaling her squad to form up in the center of the stadium.

She expected a wild beast ambush the moment they arrived, but the sands of the arena remained entirely still.

"Stay on your toes, everyone," Xana commanded, her eyes scanning the high walls. "We are out in the open. Assume we are being watched and exploited."

Beside her, her partner—a massive, stocky Iron-Hide Badger—lowered its head.

Its metallic fur gleamed under the sun, its claws twitching with the urge to burrow into the earth and construct emergency pitfall traps.

Suddenly, a massive rift of light tore open mid-air. An enchanted Aetherscope projection materialized, bearing the glowing crest of the Order of the Veil.

The students instantly snapped to attention, their spines straightening.

"You should all take a seat," a cold, resonant voice echoed through the stadium.

Confused but bound by academy law, the Terra students immediately obeyed, retreating to the perimeter benches and leaving the center of the arena completely barren.

"Each of you will step forward individually," Lady Vespera’s voice announced from the projection, a slow, mischievous smile spreading across her holographic face.

"You will engage in single combat with the specific beasts I have personally prepared for you."

The announcer’s words caught the ears of the surrounding townsfolk. Whispers turned to excited cheers as civilians rushed to fill the upper stands, thrilled by the sudden prospect of witnessing the elite children of Ravenhurst duel live.

The Aetherscope hovered higher, projecting Vespera’s image across the entire stadium.

"Townspeople of the realm, you are all welcome to enjoy these duels! Take your seats and join us. Behold the true, terrifying potential of your children!"

>> THE AURIC CIRCLE <<

Miles away, Rowan continued to lead the academy’s ultimate elites toward their designated high-tier raid zone.

But despite his stoic stride, his jaw was clenched tight. The whispers from the students marching behind him were cutting straight through his focus.

"So he actually kept that loser a secret from the faculty this whole time?" a student murmured.

"Right? I still can’t believe Asher is his actual biological brother. Talk about a genetic downgrade," another whispered back.

Rowan stopped dead in his tracks.

The entire line immediately halted behind him, the sudden silence in the forest thick enough to cut with a knife.

Rowan turned around slowly, his expression entirely unreadable, but his aura radiating a terrifying pressure.

"I would highly appreciate it if all of you dropped this topic right now," he commanded, his voice dangerously low.

Seraphina stepped forward, letting out a sharp, mocking scoff. "Oh, come on, Rowan. Everyone is bound to talk about it. You can’t silence the whole academy. I mean, it’s hot news."

Rowan locked eyes with her, his posture rigid and commanding. "As your Academy Captain, I am ordering you to end this discussion immediately. That goes for everyone."

A few of the elite students scoffed under their breath, but none dared to challenge his authority directly. Grudgingly, they fell into a tense, silent line as the journey toward the high-tier zone resumed.