Chapter 429 [Event] [Semester-Exam At Vanadias] [17] The Hardest Exam

Chapter 429 [Event] [Semester-Exam At Vanadias] [17] The Hardest Exam

"Are you really sure about this, Harvey?" James Raven's voice rang inside a room.

The room itself was a hub of constant motion, filled with people seated at control panels, their eyes glued to the myriad of screens lining the walls. Each screen displayed live footage of different zones of the sprawling forest. The students, scattered across the forest, could be seen stirring from sleep, some already beginning to rise, stretching their limbs as they prepared for the day.

Harvey Zestella, standing tall, shifted his gaze from the nearest monitor and looked toward James. "About what?" He asked, though the knowing look in his eyes suggested he already understood James' concern.

"I understand the logic behind sending the strongest students to the most dangerous zones, but... even for them, this could be life-threatening. We're pushing them hard. Too hard, perhaps," James said.

Harvey remained unfazed. "There's no true risk of death. We have seasoned teams stationed in every zone, ready to intervene if things spiral out of control. And as long as the students wear the Life Screens on their arms, they are shielded from fatal harm."

His eyes darkened as he continued, "This is the hardest Practical Exam for a reason. Every student who passes through our Academy must endure it at least once. They need to learn to face real danger head-on. Especially now, with war looming over us."

James met Harvey's hardened gaze, knowing he was right but still unable to shake the gnawing unease in his chest. "You're right. We'll be closing the Academy temporarily once this Exam is over."

Harvey gave a curt nod. "We have decisions to make—hard ones. The students are the future, after all. Utopia will likely target them, especially those with promise. But at the same time, we might need their strength. They could become powerful allies in the coming conflict. It will be up to us, the elders, to protect them from the shadows."

James didn't respond immediately, his thoughts drifting into a swirl of conflicting emotions. If it were up to him, he would keep the students as far from the war as possible. Shield them from the brutal reality that awaited beyond the safety of their house during the war.

He shifted the conversation deftly, trying to hide his embarrassment. He could almost imagine Celeste's reaction if she found out he'd been hovering over her screen like some overprotective parent. She'd probably call him a 'creep,' a term she had no qualms using when his fatherly instincts went too far. The thought made Harvey cringe inwardly. He didn't think he'd be able to recover easily from such a sharp insult, especially coming from her.

A nearby staff member cleared his throat and quickly answered, "Oh, those students? They recovered quite fast. We checked their vitals, and everything seemed stable, so we sent them out into the forest with the others."

"What? On whose authority did you send them back out? Did you at least verify what caused the synchronization issues with their Life-Screens in the first place?" Harvey asked, annoyed.

The staff member faltered, his eyes darting nervously away. "Ah... no, Professor. They seemed fine afterward, and the Life-Screens were functioning perfectly. We thought it was just a temporary glitch, so we didn't think further investigation was necessary..."

Harvey's frown deepened in displeasure. He shot a quick glance at James, hoping for some clarification, but James appeared just as unaware of the situation as he was. ***

"Centuries ago, in the heart of Sancta Vedelia, there was a day that time itself has tried to bury. The people of this land might have forgotten, but Sancta Vedelia could never forget. The Elves, of all beings, should have remembered—but the elders of Sancta Vedelia made a choice. They swore to keep the truth locked away, shared only amongst themselves. Yet, secrets are like whispers carried in the wind. They cannot be contained forever. The Elves who fled Sancta Vedelia took that forbidden knowledge with them, scattering it across the world beyond the safety of our borders."

A young Elven woman, very beautiful, stepped out from the shadow of a towering, ancient tree. Her delicate features were illuminated by the soft, filtered light breaking through the forest canopy. Her deep hazel eyes were fixed on the dome of shimmering energy in the distance—a dome erected to safeguard the ongoing exam within the forest. "What secret could that be, Lady Viessa?" A voice broke the silence, drawing attention to the figure standing behind her. His green hair, twisted and wild, gave him a disheveled, almost feral appearance, though his Elven heritage still clung to him, visible in the sharp angles of his face.

Viessa didn't immediately respond. Instead, her lips curled into a subtle, almost cruel smile as she glanced back toward the towering white tree far away behind them.

The Holy Tree of Eden.

"Every blessing comes with a price."