A FEW DAYS LATER

The threat of the Thornhill family loomed over me, larger than ever. I reflected on everything that had just happened, I knew one thing for certain: I would need to grow stronger, much stronger if I wanted to survive in this world.

That fight at the walking path was far from over, and the challenges ahead were only going to get more dangerous, specially considering what I heard the Thornhill Knight pointing out how dangerous The Hoseki is.

The academy finally recovered from the turmoil the shadow creature invasion had cursed and studies resumed as usual. The chancellor— Hans Wagner was still in recovery, that meant that the Vice Chancellor Elara Voss ran things at the school full time, one of the most spectacular things she did was to bring in the services of S-Rank Reaper and member of The Vanguards— Korvessa into the security system of the school.

In fear that the Boss monster Regazan would return again, she made sure the school had mighty reinforcements to ensure the protection of her students.

I continued training and studying hard, reaching level 50 in just a short amount of time.

The systems sudden notification of my new level milestone had come with an unexpected mission: Clearing a mid level dungeon gate known as the Cavern of Shadow.

From what I understood through the systems description, it was a mission meant to imitate the conditions of The Hoseki but several degrees lower, so as to prepare me for my aim at this academy.

I knew this mission would be no ordinary challenge. It would take time, effort and careful planning to complete it.

But before I could accept this mission, there were things to take care of.

My siblings, Percy and Jackson, were too young to fully understand the dangers I constantly faced, and I wanted to ensure that they would be safe during my absence, specially with the possibility of Dazzai Thornhill coming back to finish where he left off, or even worse that bastard Regazan.

The frist step was securing things at home. I had recently entrusted the care of my siblings to a nanny, an ex-Reaper who was trying to leave her retirement days in the quiet named Kovira, she had been recommended to me by the Witch of The West Korvessa.

She was efficient and attentive, someone we had come to trust over the past few days.

~

That being said, I packed my gear and got ready to embark on my mission.

Before leaving, I checked my siblings room to see if they were secure.

Inside, Kovira was sitting with the two children guiding them through their studies. Both siblings looked up as I entered.

"Levi!!" Jackson called, running up to me with excitement. "Are you going on another adventure?"

I smiled, rubbing a finger across his puffy chicks. "Yeah, little one. But this one might take a few days."

Percy was reserved, simply nodded from his spot at the table. "Be careful Levi…" he said in a serious tone that reminded me of my father.

I nodded faintly, "While I am gone, I need you both to listen to Kovira. She'll take care of you, and if anything happens, I want you to use the emergency talisman I gave you."

Kovira approached, her expression calm but reassuring. "Don't worry, Levi… they'll be safe with me. I'll make sure they stay out of trouble."

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Kovira. I'm counting on you."

After sharing a meal with them, I gave one last hug to each of my siblings.

They both promised to behave under the guidance of their nanny, and with a final wave, I left the house, feeling a mix of excitement and concern.

I knew I had to trust Kovira, but the thought of being away for an extended period always weighed heavily on me.

As I returned to the academy's campus grounds, I checked my equipments one last time, and stocked up of Anti-arcane stone for the trip. The school allows students to have unlimited supply of this negative magic stones during training, so I took the liberty to pack for myself.

I upgraded on magic gear too, taking an upgraded leather chestplate, gauntlets and a few healing potions. Everything was effectively stored in my inventory.

Before embarking on the journey, I pulled up my stats:

~Strength: 73~

~Agility: 70~

~Endurance: 68~

~Intelligence: 68~

~Memory: 54~

~Arcane reserve: 3500/3500~

In a few minutes, I entered the city of Cindralock that was still covered in the pale blue light of dawn when I saddled my horse and set off. The streets were full of people who were already going about their day but it was relatively quiet compared to how it usually is during the midday.

Merchants were only just starting to open their stalls and the scent of baked pastries and iron dust lingered faintly in the air.

The huge gates of Cindralock, built from reinforced obsidian steel was almost very visible from any part of the city's elevation. I tugged the reins lightly and the horse snorted, hooves echoing against the cobblestone. As the gates opened with a low metallic groan, a rush of wind washed my face.

I didn't even look back.

The moment I crossed the gates—

Ding!

~Navigation route~

~Destination: Cavern Of Shadows~

~Estimated distance: 184 kilometers northwest of current location~

A semi transparent map unfolded before my eyes, glowing lines tracing a route through forests, winding valleys and stretches of unclaimed land. I gave a small nod and kicked the horse gently.

The journey was long, long enough for the silence to start feeling like it was alive. Forests gave way to barren plains, the sky dimmed and brightened again and I lost count of how many times I checked my supplies.

Every now and then, Shadow Creatures appeared near the road, nothing too serious, just strays who escaped a dungeon and were drawn to the scent of my Arcane.

By the time I reached the marked coordinates, the sun had dipped low again, covering the horizon orange and violet. The landscape was empty. Just a wide stretch of farmland, dry soil cracking underfoot, broken fences and the ghostly outline of abandoned barns.

At first, I thought the system had glicthed. But then I felt a pressure of Anti-arcane energy emanated from an old grain silo standing crooked at the far edge of the land, its metal frame was half rusted and its ladder was missing a few rows.

I exhaled slowly, gripping the reins before dismounting the horse. The horse let out a nervous whinny. "Eaasy boy," I muttered, patting its side. "I'll be back soon."

I walked over the land and close to the silo, peered through the cracked entrance, I saw it. The portal.

With one last glance at the dying sunlight outside, I stepped toward the silo. The moment my foot crossed the threshold, the portals pull hit me gently and started to spaghettify parts of my body.

I had learned to always approach new challenges with caution, and with a deep breath, I allowed the pull of the portal to transport me within, vanishing into the unknown.

The world shifted around me, and I found myself standing at the entrance of the carven of shadows.

The air was thick with oppressive energy and the darkness seemed to stretch endlessly before me.

I activated my spacial control skill to create a barrier of protection around me and also my Divine Thread skill to anticipate any surprise attacks from the unknown. Knowing fully well the creatures inside this gate would test every skill I had.

I gripped my sword tightly and ventured into the cavern.

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