2026-09-25 19:24:23
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Meridian Hall was difficult to miss.The enormous structure stood near the centre of the district, surrounded by several elevated walkways and open courtyards. Its entrance was wide enough to accommodate dozens of students at once, and the academy's emblem was engraved above the doors.Liam and the others joined the stream of students entering the building.Inside, the hall was even more impressive.Rows of elevated seating surrounded a central platform. The ceiling was so high that it was difficult to determine where it ended, and several glowing formations provided illumination without the need for ordinary lights.Students were already gathering in groups.Liam noticed that the students here seemed more confident than the first-years he was accustomed to seeing.There was also a noticeable difference in their cultivation levels.A considerable number of them had reached Silver, while others had already stepped into Gold.It made sense.These were students who had survived their fir
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“What the hell?” Liam exclaimed as he stayed at the space in front of him. Liam had expected to find the others in Room 1313 when he returned.Instead, he found an empty corridor.He stopped in front of the familiar door, checked the number engraved on it, and reached for the handle. The door opened without resistance, revealing a room that looked nothing like the one he had left behind.The furniture was gone.The spacious living area, the reinforced walls, the cultivation chambers, and even the decorations they had gradually grown accustomed to were missing. Only an empty, dimly lit space remained. The walls were bare, and the floor had been stripped of the familiar runic patterns.Liam stepped inside, looking around."Did they renovate the place again?"He walked a little farther, expecting to find some explanation, but there was nothing. He even checked the bedrooms. All of them were empty.Before he could decide what to do, his academy watch vibrated.A notification appeared ab
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Alaric continued."The academy uses the term planetary mission because these settlements are isolated from ordinary civilisation and operate under conditions that resemble independent worlds. However, the places you visited were not necessarily entire planets in the astronomical sense."He pointed to one of the marked regions."Many are secluded settlements, enclosed territories, artificial habitats, or isolated regions with their own defence systems and populations. Some possess extensive terrain and infrastructure, but their boundaries are limited. We call them planets in the context of these missions because they function as separate operational environments."Liam's brows rose slightly.So Veyra and Havenridge weren't necessarily planets in the literal sense.That explained why the missions focused on a particular settlement, its defence systems, and the surrounding territory rather than an entire planetary civilisation.Alaric continued."These locations are often selected becaus
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Liam considered the question."Different.""That's all?""My mana responds more easily than it did before. I can maintain flight without constantly adjusting my circulation, and controlling the surrounding mana feels more natural."Lily sat up slightly."Even without a technique?""Not exactly. I still need to understand what I'm trying to control. Gold gives me a much stronger affinity with mana, but that doesn't mean I can do anything I want with it."He paused."And Dark Mana Control is a separate problem."Lily's expression became more serious."That ability you used during the mission?"Liam nodded."It lets me interfere with dark-mana flow. It doesn't mean I can control every Abomination or shut down an entire network whenever I want.""Good."He raised an eyebrow."Good?""I would have been worried if you thought otherwise. You already have enough ways to get yourself killed.""Thank you for your concern.""You're welcome."She settled back against the couch.Liam smiled despit
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Eleanor looked at the fading black marks on Liam's chest and her expression became difficult to read."That," she said quietly, "is what we're going to find out."Lucas approached, his face pale from exhaustion."The projection knew him."Karl stood beside him, his remaining wolf spirits fading around his legs."And it called him a vessel."Lily looked toward the sky where the ancient figure had appeared."That thing came from another planet. How did it find us here?"Nobody answered.Even Eleanor remained silent for several seconds.Then she rose."We're leaving."One of the senior instructors stepped forward."What about the settlement? And the remaining Abominations?""Recovery teams will handle the settlement. The barrier has weakened enough for them to enter, and the academy will send a containment unit to investigate the underground structure."She looked at the injured students."My priority is getting everyone back safely."An instructor opened a spatial passage.Eleanor caref
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Angelina had no answer Elena asked so she kept quiet. The Abomination drew Liam closer to its face.A black symbol began forming across his chest, spreading over his clothes like ink.His Adaptive Core pulsed violently.[Foreign Authority Detected.][Forced Synchronization: Initiated.][Warning: Core Integrity at Risk.]Liam's breath caught.The creature wasn't merely trying to kill him.It was trying to establish a connection with his core.He felt something pressing against the evolved structure within him, searching for a way inside. His Dark Mana Control responded instinctively, but the force pushing against him was overwhelming.He couldn't stop it.He had analysed the battlefield, identified weaknesses, and used his abilities as efficiently as he could but it still wasn't enough.The creature's grip tightened and his vision began to darken.Then the sky changed.A sudden pressure swept across the battlefield, forcing the Abominations to pause. The air above the outpost distort
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