Chapter 133: The Next Move

Caelum extended his hand toward Zane, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Zane grasped it firmly, their brief handshake carrying an unspoken understanding — calm, steady, and unreadable to the others.

Lucen leaned back slightly, his gaze shifting from Caelum to the sealed cells behind the barrier.

“So,” he began, his tone measured, “what did you say before… about them serving the Abyssals?”

Mira cleared her throat softly, breaking the heavy silence.

“Umm… perhaps we should continue this somewhere else,” she said, glancing toward the fifth cell.

Inside, the floor was slick with blackened blood. The headless corpses of the prisoners twitched faintly, still steaming from the remnants of the curse that consumed them. A faint metallic scent lingered in the air, thick and suffocating.

Lucen gave a slow nod. “You’re right.”

Without another word, they turned away from the cells. The echo of their footsteps trailed through the dim hallway as they made their way toward Lucen’s office — a wide chamber lined with towering bookshelves, glowing runes faintly illuminating the corners.

Once everyone settled in, the air remained tense. The faint hum of mana seals filled the silence.

Caelum stood near the window, arms crossed, his pale blue eyes reflecting the distant moonlight. Zane leaned against the wall with his usual calm expression, observing quietly. Lucen sat behind his desk, fingers steepled in thought, while Mira, Iralyn, Corvin, and Varris took their places around the room.

The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone knew the conversation that would follow wasn’t going to be pleasant.

Iralyn leaned forward slightly, her voice soft but curious.

“So, Master… what exactly are these Abyssals?”

Caelum gave a small nod, his expression turning grave.

“Abyssals are the beings that this ’Vassel’ organization worships,” he said.

Zane’s gaze lowered for a moment, a faint smirk flickering in his eyes.

Yeah, as if we don’t know that… he thought silently.

Caelum continued, his tone deep and measured.

“Five years ago, I reached a point where my strength stagnated. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t push further. To overcome that wall, I set out on a journey—one that led me across countless lands and into forgotten ruins.”

He paused, his eyes distant, as though reliving those memories.

“And in one of those ruins, I discovered traces of the Abyssals—creatures from a war that took place over seventy thousand years ago. At the end of that war, the Abyssals were sealed within their origin realm—the Abyss. But the seal that binds them still exists… and it’s weakening. I saw cracks forming within it.”

The room fell silent.

“I ventured into one of those cracks to investigate further,” Caelum said quietly. “That’s how I entered the Abyss itself… and there, I came face-to-face with one of them. I barely survived the encounter, and while escaping, I managed to slay one. But I was too gravely injured to fight the other that was chasing me.”

He exhaled lightly, then smiled faintly.

“That’s when your brother—Zayne—saved me.”

Everyone froze.

Iralyn’s eyes widened. “His… brother is that strong…?”

Caelum nodded firmly. “Strong is an understatement.”

All eyes turned toward Zane, whose face remained perfectly neutral—neither proud nor surprised—only calm, as though he’d already known every word that would be spoken.

Caelum’s voice grew heavier, the faint calm in his tone replaced by quiet gravity.

“After I parted ways with Zayne, I began investigating further,” he said. “My search eventually led me to learn about this… ’Vassel’ organization. That’s why I didn’t return earlier.”

Everyone listened closely as he continued, his words sharp and deliberate.

“I didn’t uncover much more than you already know—but there was one crucial thing I did learn.”

He paused, meeting each of their eyes in turn.

“This Vassel organization… they’re the ones responsible for weakening the ancient seal that keeps the Abyssals bound.”

The words hit like a thunderclap.

Shock flashed across everyone’s faces—Lucen’s expression hardened, Mira’s eyes widened, Corvin’s mana flickered faintly in agitation, and Iralyn’s hands trembled.

Zane alone remained still, his gaze steady, face unreadable.

Caelum drew in a slow breath.

“And if nothing is done to stop them… in three years, the seal will completely break.”

His eyes dimmed with quiet certainty. “And when that happens—the Abyssals will be free.”

Lucen’s voice cut through the silence, low but tense.

“That’s… very concerning.”

Caelum’s tone softened, though the weight of responsibility lingered in his words.

“And that’s why,” he said, “I’m planning to arrange a meeting with the chairmen and chairwomen of other academies. We must address this issue together and prepare—ensure our future generation grows strong enough to defend themselves and protect our world from what’s coming.”

Lucen nodded firmly. “Agreed. We’ll do it exactly as you said. I’ll prepare the invitations and contact the others.”

Then, turning to everyone, Lucen added, “Outside of us, make sure none of this information leaves this room. Not a single word—to any other professors or students. It remains between us for now.”

Everyone nodded solemnly in agreement.

Lucen exhaled quietly and left the office, followed by the other professors.

Caelum gave one last glance at the window before walking out, his expression thoughtful and distant.

The room fell silent—only Zane and Corvin remained.

Corvin’s gaze lingered on the fragments of the shattered Hexlock Charm in his hand, his expression dark with regret.

Zane tilted his head slightly. “Was it that important?”

Corvin sighed. “Yes. That was an S-rank artifact… and a cursed one at that, which makes it incredibly rare.”

Zane gave a faint nod. “Speaking of artifacts,” he said casually, “I got one after defeating that S-rank monster in the dungeon.”

Corvin looked up, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “Really?”

Zane reached into his side bag and pulled out a delicate silver brooch shaped like a crescent sun, its center cradling a milky-white gem that emitted a soft glow when it caught the light. Golden threads of mana shimmered from it like rays of sunlight before fading.

Corvin’s eyes widened slightly. “Judging by the mana it’s releasing… it should be an S-rank artifact as well.”

Zane smiled faintly. “Oh, really?” he said aloud.

But in his mind, he thought, It’s not even that strong… but whatever.

Corvin straightened and said, “You should show it to Professor Mira Sorenhal. She can examine it properly and tell you what kind of effect it holds.”

“Sure,” Zane replied lightly. “I’ll do that.”

As Corvin gathered the remnants of the shattered silver band and walked out, Zane watched him go, a faint smile curling on his lips.

He treats it like something precious…

Maybe I can use it as a reward of the exercise I’ll prepare for students later. That would be perfect.

Zane leaned back slightly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You know,” he said aloud, his tone light but cutting through the silence, “I can sense you. The way you’re hiding is… pretty sloppy.”

A faint chuckle echoed from the corner of the room.

Then, Caelum stepped out of the shadows, his posture relaxed and a mild grin on his face.

“Haha… sloppy, huh? No one’s ever called me that before. Most people can’t even detect me when I conceal myself.”

Zane’s violet eyes glimmered faintly as he turned to face him.

“So,” he said calmly, “what do you want… or what do you want to say?”

Caelum crossed his arms, his expression softening slightly.

“Nothing much,” he replied. “I just wanted to tell you something your brother mentioned.”

Zane raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading into curiosity.

Caelum continued, “He told me that you’d be the one to help in the upcoming war… the one that’s coming in three years.”

Zane’s gaze lowered for a moment, then he chuckled under his breath.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “My students’ lives will be on the line… so I’ll help—just a little.”

Caelum smiled faintly at that answer, but his eyes remained observant, analytical.

“You’re really stronger than him,” he said after a pause. “Though… I couldn’t sense your brother’s power either. When I met Zayne, I felt something in him that made my instincts scream—that he was far beyond me.”

He took a small step closer, his voice lowering slightly.

“But you…” Caelum’s eyes narrowed, studying Zane’s calm, unreadable expression. “You feel different from him.”

He exhaled softly. “I feel… nothing from you.”

A quiet smile spread across Caelum’s face as he added, almost in awe,

“And that’s even more terrifying.”

Meanwhile,

In a vast desert, the air shimmered with heat.

The sky burned in hues of orange and crimson, and two red suns hung above, casting long, wavering shadows across the dunes.

A lone figure walked through the scorching sands—Zayne Creed.

His light purple eyes glinted beneath the twin suns as his black coat fluttered faintly with each step.

Before him stood the remnants of an ancient civilization—colossal, broken statues half-buried in sand, their faces eroded by time. Crumbled murals lined what seemed to be the remains of a once-grand pathway, leading toward a massive stone door, its surface engraved with faded runes and symbols.

Zayne stopped before it, brushing a hand across the hot, rough stone.

A faint smile curved his lips.

“So…” he murmured, eyes narrowing with intrigue.

“This is what they call… a ruin.”

He stepped closer, placing his palm against the cold center of the door as faint runes flickered to life beneath his touch.

“Let’s explore,” he said softly—

—and the door slowly creaked open, a whisper of ancient air escaping into the blazing desert.

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