Chapter 239: 69
The moment Ophelia stepped into the Control Chamber, the conversations scattered throughout the room gradually faded away.
One after another, the instructors turned toward the entrance.
Surprise flickered across many of their faces.
None of them had expected the Chancellor to appear here so soon. The first day of the examination had only just begun, making her visit all the more unexpected.
It was such an uncommon sight that several of the younger instructors remained frozen for a moment, almost doubting their own eyes.
Then reality caught up to them.
One after another, they straightened their backs before lowering their heads.
"Chancellor!"
Their voices rang throughout the chamber.
Ophelia acknowledged them with a slight raise of her hand. "There is no need," she said in her usual authoritative tone. "Continue."
Only then did the rigid atmosphere slowly relax. The instructors returned to their duties, though more than a few still found their eyes drifting toward the Chancellor every now and then.
Without another word, Ophelia made her way deeper into the chamber until she stopped before the largest enchanted display. Streams of information flowed endlessly across its surface, recording every change taking place throughout Vazrun Island.
"How has the examination progressed?" she asked.
A senior instructor stepped forward without delay.
"So far, everything has proceeded according to plan," he reported. "Compared to last year’s intake, this year’s top 10 squads have made a considerably stronger start. Their pace of gathering points has exceeded our original projections."
Another instructor took over the report.
"I believe much of that can be credited to the quality of this year’s squad leaders," he said. "Silvena D’Elvoire, Calyra Arcanis, Rosalin Varion, Julian Rozenberg, and Loden Armand have all demonstrated remarkable judgment since the examination began."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Given their family backgrounds and the education they received long before entering the academy, such performances are hardly unexpected. They have been regarded as this generation’s most promising scholars for quite some time."
Ophelia listened quietly, her gaze remaining on the enchanted display before her.
None of those names were unfamiliar.
Each belonged to a family whose influence reached across the continent. From the day they were born they had the best resources, the finest teachers and opportunities galore that ordinary scholars only dreamed of.
So it was only natural that they would grow into outstanding talents.
Yet Ophelia had never believed that greatness belonged only to those born beneath illustrious names.
After all, history had already proven otherwise more than once.
She was also part of that history.
Ophelia’s gaze slowly swept across the Control Chamber once more.
The instructors remained occupied with their own responsibilities, their attention shifting between the enchanted displays and the reports constantly arriving from the island.
Then she noticed something.
One person was missing.
Instructor Edvoss.
’Hmm... where is he?’
Her eyes moved across the chamber again, making sure she had not overlooked him.
No.
He truly was not here.
It was unusual.
Whenever the Vazrun Island Examination began, Edvoss would almost always remain inside the Control Chamber. He was known for spending hours before the displays, carefully observing every movement made by his scholars. Rarely would he leave his post before the examination concluded.
For him to be absent...
Something must have happened.
"Where is Instructor Edvoss?" Ophelia asked.
Before anyone else could answer, another figure stepped forward.
It was Instructor Veliana.
She lowered her head respectfully before speaking. "Edvoss had volunteered to serve as a Field Overseer on Vazrun Island."
Hearing that, Ophelia immediately remembered.
’I see...’
Everyone who had been present during the examination three years ago still remembered the incident.
The Malice Voidspawn had appeared without warning, claiming the life of the scholar Edvoss had placed the greatest hopes on.
The beast had returned once during last year’s examination as well, though it fled before causing another tragedy. Even so, the encounter only deepened Edvoss’s resolve.
This year, before the examination had even begun, he had personally requested to be stationed along the western region of the island.
Should the Malice Voidspawn appear again...
He intended to be the one waiting for it.
After understanding the situation, Ophelia’s gaze remained on Veliana. "Which part of the island is he stationed at?"
Veliana walked over to one of the control panels. With a few quick movements across the configuration, the display shifted, revealing a detailed map of Vazrun Island.
A point of light appeared over the western region.
"Grid B4," she said, pointing at it. "Near the hilltop. According to the Bracelet Locator, that’s where Edvoss is stationed."
Ophelia studied the map for a moment.
"And how many squads are in the western region?"
Veliana checked another display.
"Twenty squads."
She tapped the panel again, bringing up another layer of information.
"The western region was thoroughly cleared before the examination began. Every Voidspawn above Wretched Rank was eliminated, and the academy’s barrier has been active since the test started."
"Under normal circumstances, no powerful Voidspawn should be able to enter the island. Yet last year, the Malice Voidspawn still appeared."
She frowned slightly.
"To this day, we still don’t know how it managed to bypass the barrier. It may have found a way to enter the island unnoticed... or perhaps it had been on the island and somehow escaped our purges."
"But I believe Instructor Edvoss will deal with it this time," Veliana said. "We already know the creature’s hunting pattern. It usually begins moving around the final third of the night. He requested to be stationed at B4 for that very reason. It overlooks most of the western region, making it the best position to respond no matter where the beast appears."
Ophelia gave a faint nod.
"I see."
She turned her gaze back toward the display, her violet eyes calmly following the western region.
"I trust Edvoss. It’s just a Malice-Rank, after all. And among everyone here, he has the greatest reason to bring that creature down."
Silence settled over the chamber for a brief moment.
"Though..." Ophelia said quietly, "I would have preferred if the scholars were capable of dealing with a Malice Rank themselves."
A faint shake of her head followed. "But expecting first-year scholars to accomplish such a feat would be asking far too much."
Chime!
Suddenly, a sharp chime echoed throughout the Control Chamber.
Several instructors immediately turned toward the nearest display as one of the enchanted panels began flashing with crimson light.
Veliana wasted no time as she quickly stepped before the control panel, her fingers moving across panels as layer after layer of information unfolded before her eyes.
"...What a coincidence," she murmured, her expression growing serious. "We’ve just detected the Malice Voidspawn."
The atmosphere inside the chamber instantly became heavier.
With another wave of her hand, the island map expanded across the display. A crimson marker pulsed near the western region before locking onto a single location.
"Grid B5," Veliana reported. "The beast has appeared in B5."
At the same time, another instructor had already rushed to a communication panel.
"I’ve already dispatched an emergency message to the nearest Field Overseer," he reported while activating the transmission. "Instructor Edvoss should receive it within moments."
Ophelia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is there a squad within that sector?"
Veliana finished examining the surrounding sectors. "Yes, there is..." she said quietly before her brows knit together.
At those words, a faint smile touched Ophelia’s lips.
"Which squad?"
Without taking her eyes off the display, Veliana answered.
"It’s Squad....."
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[Chapter 239: 69]
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