Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Gate Corruption

The very next day, the atmosphere surrounding Silford Academy was both tense and electric. With this being the mid-term’s final phase.

A gate exploration one they would be doing for the first time, and everyone was on edge as expected.

There have been rumors that this will be a joint exploration, Class S against Class A.

A test to see if Class S would falter and have someone removed or they’ll stand tall and show everyone why their the best.

There was a massive training field that was behind the academy, and that field has already transformed.

There were dozens of instructors all ranging from B-A rank, they were guarding the two shimmering portals that were connect to one singular realm.

It was hovering midair and glowing faintly with unstable mana, each of the gates were humming with light blue hues which showed that this was a C rank gate.

For now, at least.

Then there was Professor Seraphim homeroom teacher of class S and Professor Vargas who was in charge of class A, they were both standing infont of all the students, their expressions were calm but also firm.

“Class S and Class A will enter from different points, but it’s the same gate.” Vargas announced. He had a deep voice that was carrying authority. “Each of of these groups will start at a very different zone, and you task for this exam is to reach altar at the center. There’s a mana crystal that you must retrieve and its embedded at the altar. Your marks will be gard d on your combat performance, teamwork and also your survival.”

And Seraphim added more to his statement. “Class S and Class A will each enter the same gate for this final exam, but each of them will begin in a different region. All of you must avoid unnecessary conflict. This is an evaluation not a fight for your pride, remember you’re all being watched so you better act accordingly.”

Despite this warning Jake von Bazel was gazing at Adam with looks that could kill but Adam just ignored him treating it as an annoying mosquito buzzing near his ear.

Adam got irritated by this after he felt his glare for a whole minutes and met his gaze.

His voice was calm and cold. “If you staring at me like this… i will pluck out your eyes in the gate.”

Jake just clicked his tongue, he was clearly irritated but just looked away.

’Just you wait’ he said to himself.

___

The Gate- Section A (Class A: Adam’s Team)

It was Adam’s group that stepped through the gate first, and the world was shifting around them.

A cold wind was brushing against their faces as their surroundings began to change. The air was very dense with mana, and there was a scent of moss and decay that was lingering.

There were crumbling stone towers that were looming over broken bridges and there were also shattered statues, these were showing old gods that have been long dead.

“This place is… beautiful.” Said Eve as she whispered, she was gazing at the faint light that was filtering at the dark green canopy that was above.

“Everyone must stay alert,” Selena cautioned them. “A gate’s beauty can also be a trap. The calm it has never lasts.”

Brad just cracked his knuckles. “All the more reason we should all be ready, So let’s get moving!”

Selena and grace were walking ahead, they were scouting the whole area. Their eyes were sharp as they were scanning for any mana traces. There was a faint hum of monsters, they were echoing through the distance and these were all C-rank monsters, there were a lot but also scattered.

That’s when he got numerous system notifications.

[Ding!]

[Main Mission: Conquer The Gate]

[Reward: ???]

[Mission: Defeat The C rank Monsters]

[Rewards: 500 SP, +2’000Xp]

’It seems these are going to be hard.’ Adam thought to himself.

He was walking silently at the center of the whole group, his instincts were telling him to be careful as the mana was rippling around them.

His instincts started to flare even further, the gate was unstable.

Too unstable.

___

Inside The Gate – Section B (Class B)

Class B’s entry point was vastly different though.

They were in a barren wasteland that was littered with remnants of battle, there were rusted weapons that were buried in the sand and also turn banners that were fluttering in the wind.

But the sky above them was burning with a hue of orange and crimson.

“Looks like were in a very rough part.” Damian muttered.

“Wether it’s rough or not, this is perfect.” Akira replied to him, her violet eyes were glinting. There was lightning that was flickering faintly around her fingertips.

Sarah Corven just lifted her staff, and activated a detection rune. “The mana that’s flowing here is too abnormal. Seems like somethings off.”

Simon just frowned. “Well that shouldn’t be possible. The academy shouldn’t be that careless.”

Kain though, was just sketching sigils into a small notebook he held and added. “Unless, there’s something tempering with it… from the outside.”

And there was a brief silence that followed.

“Well whatever it is, we should just finish this test and leave,” Akira concluded. “If it mutates we should escape, we don’t have a death wish.”

—

A distant place beyond the veil

Far from the gate in the academy, it was deep beneath the Academy’s sealed barrier, there was a group of hooded figured that were standing within a ritual circle.

All their chants were echoing softly, it was rhythmic and also inhuman.

A colossal eye with tentacles coming out was opening it the darkness, it’s pupil spiraled like the abyss.

“Let there be chaos, let there be judgement… Kyrexis commands it.”

The leader of the group was raising a black crystal that was pulsing with crimson veins and it was pressed onto the sigil.

That’s when reality warped, the gate that was outside was beginning to pulse erratically, the stable flow it has was turning into something darker, redder and more corrupted.

___

Inside the gate.

Adam was walking and froze mid-step, his instincts were flaring even more intensely. There was a deep vibration that rippled through the ground.

Everyone was sensing it, and the mana began to twist violently in the air.

“Didn’t professor Seraphim say something like this wouldn’t happen—!?” Grace stated, but her words were cut off, the sky started to fracture.

The fain blue glow that was the gate started to turn black and red, it’s mana density increased to astronomical levels as its howls were echoing from the distance.

“It’s a gate corruption!” Duke shouted. “Brace yourselves, e everyone!”

There were cracks in the sky, dark tendrils were slithering down, and touching the ground they spread like veins.

And monsters that were hidden in the shadows began to emerge, their bodies were warped, and all their eyes glowed crimson.

“Fucking shit…” Drake whispered, his hand was trembling slightly as he gripped his greatsword. “We’re fucked.”

___

Class A

At the very same time, in the opposite side of the gate, Class A was also thrown into chaos.

The ground beneath them was shattering, crimson energy started to erupt, the sandy battlefield was now turned into molten earth.

“Regroup, everyone!” That was Mary who shouted, she conjuring a massive stone wall that was blocking the wave of corrupted mana.

Jake them drew his sword, his expression was also grim. “This isn’t part of the test. This is a full scale attack!”

Akira’s eyes also narrowed, she was observing the spreading wave of corrupted mana. “This isn’t a random occur academy. Someone is doing this deliberately.”

She could feel the mana, it was foreign was spreading through the whole gate. Instincts were screaming of danger, and it was not from the monsters, but it was something beyond them, the mana that they were being infused with.

And also somewhere, deep in the gate, there was a faint echo, it was distorted, ancient and it was also filled with hunger.

___

Class S

The ground beneath them started to tremble violently.

The were massive cracks that were splitting across the ground, this was corrupted mana that was spilling out like liquid fire.

It painted the air with an eerie crimson hue. The whole peaceful green canopy was covering the gate’s interior was now rotting with black vines. The sky itself was bleeding.

“Everyone, get behind me!” Duke shouted, he then summoned a radiant barrier of light that was covering their position.

The veil shimmered as it was able to hold off the first wave of corrupted beats that were lunging from the shadows.

It was wolves, not it looked like wolves, they charged forward and their fur was covered in a black ooze and their eyes were glowing red.

“Fuck!” Drake screamed, as he was launching arcs of winds using his sword from inside the barrier slicing the wolves that approached.

“We’re in deep shit Right now.” Adam said as he summoned his sword from his inventory as it glowed in a violet hue.

’What the hell is going on!?’ he thought to himself.

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