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Chapter 106: The Chaotic Situation

After the incident during the Trial of Blue, a rescue team formed by the Verdant Council, the Blue Mage Sect, and the Academy sprang into action, but after several hours of fierce battle, they returned with bad news.

“The Cultists have already set up barriers and taken advantage of the terrain, and they’ve even captured many students, so a direct assault is difficult?” Janthea ground out each word through clenched teeth.

Not just her, but all the big shots from various factions in the conference room wore grim expressions, the atmosphere stifling to the max.

The first one to lose his cool was a burly duke from the Golden Sands Kingdom.

“What on earth is the organizer of the trial doing?! Not only did they let Cultists slip in, but they can’t even manage a rescue? What good are you?!”

Also furious was Old Duke Raymond from the Lionheart Kingdom.

“If you can’t handle this, our Lionheart knights can take over at any time!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the representative from the Southern Sea Kingdom, a middle-aged man with squinty eyes and blue hair, immediately shot a chilling glare and sneered, “No wonder you northern barbarians are all brawn, no brains.”

“What did you say?”

“Right now, the Cultists have captured noble children from various countries. Charging in recklessly will only provoke them. If something happens to heirs from other nations, who will be responsible? Or do you think it’s okay just because fewer from your kingdom have been taken?”

Old Raymond was left speechless, while the duke from Golden Sands was so angry he started cursing. “You don’t want to resort to violence? Are you planning to negotiate with a bunch of unreasonable madmen?!”

The Cultists weren’t the ones wanting money or power; they were kidnapping noble children specifically to hinder their advance, but also hadn’t made any further declarations.

In such a tricky situation, the representative from Southern Sea Kingdom fell silent.

At that moment, the kindly-faced priest suddenly chuckled.

“Everyone, when it comes to dealing with the Cultists, it should really be left to our Holy Light Church…”

“Get lost!” “Not necessary!” “Thanks, but no thanks!”

Before he could finish, he was met with unanimous opposition from representatives of the three nations.

The church may be professional, but after all, it came from the east—an external force. Unless absolutely necessary, avoiding the church’s interference was a consensus among the nations of Veszyra.

After a long discussion of mutual blame and ridicule, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, yet there was still no progress on how to rescue the students.

It wasn’t until the SAGE sighed slightly, tapping his staff on the ground, releasing a heavy extraordinary aura, that this meaningless bickering was finally halted.

“Everyone, the All Things Wither group has launched an attack, capturing noble children from various countries. Now is the time for us to unite and solve this problem. With the crisis still not over, how can we afford to bicker amongst ourselves?”

“The Cultists are beyond reasoning, there’s no room for negotiation. We can only fight back, but as the rescue team reports, they were well-prepared, having set up barriers. How to assemble a rescue team needs careful planning.”

The rescue team’s strength was significantly greater than that of the Cultists hiding in the forest, yet they still faced tough battles and almost faced annihilation.

The root cause was the barriers established in advance by All Things Wither, greatly boosting their combat power.

According to the team leader, Academy teacher Sada, if it weren’t for new changes occurring in the forest that made the Cultists retreat, let alone rescue anyone, the rescue team would’ve been trapped there.

With the esteemed SAGE presiding, they finally hammered out an action plan.

However, when the meeting concluded and everyone dispersed, Janthea didn’t get up.

Once it was just her and Buk, she sighed heavily and spoke the truth.

“I’m sorry, this time it’s my fault.”

“The personnel assigned to set up the trial were replaced by the Cultists, indicating there are issues within the upper echelons of the Verdant Council.”

However, Buk smiled wryly and delivered worse news.

“It’s not just you. There’s also a problem on the Academy’s side. Just now, my people found the body of Teacher Boke, who was responsible for overseeing the trial setup.”

Janthea couldn’t help but rub her aching forehead.

No wonder so many Cultists managed to infiltrate; it seemed the Council, or more likely, even the Mage Society was compromised.

The extent of the Cultists’ infiltration far exceeded their imaginations.

Especially since Janthea hadn’t expected that her order for rangers to keep a close watch on the safety of the secret realms was in vain.

The powerful barriers and the hostage noble children weren’t the real tricky parts.

What made them most wary was still the traitor among them.

Since they could meddle before a trial, why couldn’t they do the same within the rescue team?

With traitors in the Verdant Council and the Academy, how could they fully trust other factions?

But they weren’t just going to sit there and wait.

Janthea looked at the Old Man beside her: “Was that just a stall tactic? Sitting idle isn’t your style.”

The Old Man smiled slightly, a glimmer in his eyes: “Don’t worry, my people are preparing.”

A seasoned extraordinary being with years in the Academy surely had a few trusted confidants, right?

“But needing some time is no lie. Until then, the kids will have to fend for themselves.”

Hearing this, a deeper concern crossed Janthea’s face.

She glanced at the overcast sky, momentarily recalling the day she learned of Ain’s death.

Yet the elder beside her smiled gently, reassuringly, “Don’t worry, those kids won’t let you down.”

“Especially Roy.”

After Buk spoke, he couldn’t help but feel emotional.

The heir of the False King had always faced a turbulent fate but never bowed out easily.

He had a vague feeling that the trial belonging to the young ones was only just beginning.

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At the center of the Misty Forest, Shalan lay crouched under a massive decaying tree, clutching her cracked body, shaking uncontrollably.

It was not just fear, but also hate.

The Source Wind brought her a bone-deep pain more horrifying than dragon flames, almost tearing her apart from the inside out. Even though the Mother Goddess’s power healed her deadly wounds, it couldn’t erase the humiliating pain that spread every second.

Above her head, a burning dark green orb loomed, dripping with mockery.

“Shalan Priestess, you’ve failed again.”

“Last time it was the Sword Demon, and this time you lost to a mere student. What a waste of the great power bestowed by the Mother Goddess!”

At this, Shalan, overcome with emotion, had pus seeping from her eyes and trembled as she denied, “He’s not a mere mortal!”

“To wield dragon flames that should not belong to mortals and to awaken the Forest Elf’s Source Wind, he’s that filthy False King’s blood!”

As soon as that was said, the once arrogant taunts fell into a dead silence.

The False King’s blood was sometimes a treasure the Cultists would go to any lengths to obtain, and at times, a bitter enemy they would never forget—yet for All Things Wither, it was a terrifying opponent they preferred not to face.

 

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