2025-04-11 01:24:02Chapter 56: A New Responsibility
Max stood at the doorway of the Vance residence, his sharp eyes scanning the familiar entryway before turning his attention to the young woman before him. Yura Vance, dressed in casual home attire, tilted her head slightly in curiosity at his unexpected arrival."I'm here to see your father. Is he in?" Max asked, his tone neutral yet firm.Yura blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before nodding. "Um, my father? Yes, he's inside."She stepped aside, allowing him entrance. Just as he took a step forward, a deep, commanding voice echoed from within the apartment."Come in, Max."Recognizing Theo Vance’s voice, Max proceeded inside, his boots making barely a sound against the polished wooden floor. The apartment had a warm yet modest aesthetic, its interior illuminated by soft evening light filtering through the window blinds.Theo Vance sat on a navy-blue sofa to Max’s right, his broad fr
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Chapter 98 — The Relentless Mandate
Chapter 98 — The Relentless MandateThe atmosphere in the grand hall thickened with a mix of anticipation and dread. Holland, that insufferable genius from Atrihea City High, had once again dismantled a question with the ease of a man swatting flies—his voice cutting through the room with cold precision, each answer a dagger to the pride of every other school present.A male student, his knuckles whitening as he rose to pose a question, was promptly overshadowed by Holland’s swift and flawless rebuttal. The room, once buzzing with hopeful energy, now simmered with quiet intimidation.Out of the seven questions that had been volleyed around, Holland had already shredded three like they were child's play.Across the hall, Echelon Academy’s meager effort to claw back some respect was pinned on Maltida, whose two correct answers—though respectable—felt like drops in an ocean of looming failure. Draco, the usual hotshot, had only managed one correct re
Chapter 97 — Opponent in the Shadows
Chapter 97 — Opponent in the ShadowsMax Vale lounged in his seat, face carved from marble—disinterest radiating off him like cold steel. Around the hall, the intellectual battle surged onward, but he remained untouched, a ghost drifting through the storm of voices.The question volley continued, each school rising to their turn with eager eyes and sharpened minds. The pace was relentless, yet Max’s gaze skimmed the scene with detached boredom.Atrihea City High was last in line, their panel flashing the number 12 as the seconds ticked down.At last, a slight, pale figure with hair like spun silver stood up. His slim frame carried a quiet intensity. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and spoke, voice calm but edged with quiet challenge:“My question pertains to ancient spacecraft. The Slarkovs ship that landed two millennia ago—what propulsion system powered it?”Silence fell like a heavy curtain.The studen
Chapter 96 — Conclave of Wits
Chapter 96 — Conclave of WitsA cavernous hall buzzed with restless anticipation, the sharp scent of polished wood and faint traces of chalk dust lingering in the stale air. At the heart of BB City High School, an arena of intellect and rivalry was about to unfold.“WELCOME, SCHOLARS, TO THE CONCLAVE OF WITS!” boomed a commanding voice, reverberating across the expansive chamber.The crowd stilled, hundreds of students frozen mid-whisper, eyes fixed on the grand stage dominating the room’s center. The stage itself was a marvel of sleek, transparent materials—two podiums stood opposite each other, their surfaces gleaming with embedded crystal-like panels glowing faintly. Between them, a colossal screen hovered suspended from the ceiling, flickering softly, awaiting its command.The first podium held a circle of translucent seats that looked more like simulators than mere chairs, designed for those about to clash in cerebral combat. Above, the scree
Chapter 95 – The Mask That Hides All Things
Chapter 95 – The Mask That Hides All Things“This one here,” the elderly vendor said, holding up the third mask as if it held the weight of ancient stories, “takes the form of a fox. That alone should speak volumes. Foxes, in the Old Dominion myths, were seen as messengers to the spirits—sometimes guides, sometimes deceivers.”The man’s voice rasped like dry paper as he continued, eyes gleaming beneath his heavy brows. “They say these masks were used in rites of offering. To commune with gods, spirits, creatures long thought forgotten. They wore these not to hide—but to become. To become worthy of their gods' attention. Blessings came, sometimes... other times, curses wrapped in silk.”A pause.Then a grin spread over the old man’s leathery face, something like mischief dancing there. “But the other meaning... well, that’s the one most folk whisper about. It’s a fox. Cunning, clever, a liar’s face and a hero’s soul. Tricksters wore these when they
Chapter 94 – Faces of the Forgotten
Chapter 94 – Faces of the ForgottenThe dusty sun hung low over the ancient sprawl of Marrow Market, casting angled rays that filtered through smoke-filled air and awnings of deep indigo and rust red. The air pulsed with the rhythm of footfalls and the clamor of bartering voices. Traders, draped in archaic cloaks, peddled relics, herbs, and artifacts from long-buried civilizations. Magic-infused items glimmered from crooked stalls, catching the eyes of both casual visitors and treasure-seekers alike.A crackle of static flared through the comms bands wrapped around the wrists of the selected group leaders—digital maps encoded into metallic bracelets, tethering them to the zone’s encrypted grid. Max Vale, hood pulled low over his sharp eyes, stood with the group that had branched southwestward, following one of the female leads—a well-dressed girl from Cheryl High. They would reunite with the other three teams in exactly one hour. That was the agreement. But Max alr
Chapter 93 - Relics Beneath the Veil
Chapter 93 - Relics Beneath the VeilAfter the blast within the ancient ship, the students were swiftly herded to another section of BB City—one known not for violence or hidden weapons, but for something far more subtle: history.Max Vale sat at the back of the bus, quiet, though his name was anything but. The students buzzed like electric wires, hissing out rumors and praise, obsessed with what he had done."He absorbed the beam!""He said it wasn’t that strong, but I swear that thing could've leveled a building!""You think he’s like, indestructible or something?"Max kept his gaze fixed out the window, feigning disinterest. But inside, thoughts were coiling like serpents.He hadn’t expected the ancient spacecraft to be powered up—hell, no one had. The damn thing had been dormant for centuries, and yet, the moment that alien energy surged... something inside him responded.If I didn’t have the defense glyph m
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