The next morning... students were returning from the Ruined Realm one by one, and the stone corridors, training grounds, and educational buildings were once again full of activity.
However, unlike normal days, almost no one was talking about classes or exams.
All the discussions revolved around one topic: the Base battle.
"Did you hear a level thirty-five Fallen had attacked?"
"They say the monster army was destroyed."
"Commander Valerian, the commander of Base #5, personally entered the battle too."
"I heard three commanders were killed there."
"No, I heard a student was the reason the base didn’t fall."
Every few meters, a different version of the story was heard.
Some were exaggerating, some were mixing truth with rumors, and some were just guessing.
But many people knew the full truth of that battle, at the time it happened, a lot of people were there, whether on the defensive lines or hiding.
Lian and Kain left the dormitory building and moved toward the academy’s main building.
A few minutes later, several familiar faces approached from the other side of the courtyard. Seraphina was the first to see them, and a small smile settled on her lips.
"Finally we see each other again, of course, sooner than I thought."
"I thought the student council was responsible for distributing the quotas, what are you doing here?" Kain looked at her and asked in surprise.
"Well, normally I thought so too, but the academy made the decision about the quotas, and apparently they didn’t need us."
"Oh? So do you know who was chosen?" Lian asked curiously.
"No, but I’m sure you were chosen."
Kain also nodded, he too was sure his friend had definitely been chosen.
"Hey Lian." Suddenly Cassian, Selina, Liana, and Marcus also approached.
After a few days of missions and rest, everyone was together again.
"I missed you so much." Liana ran toward him and clung to him, grabbing his arm.
Seeing this scene, Seraphina’s eyes turned cold, and she forcefully inserted herself between them and separated them.
"Any kind of intimate touching between students is strictly forbidden!" She then warned.
"Since when?" Liana looked up and asked with hidden sarcasm and hostility.
"From now!" Seraphina said firmly.
"Still alive? I heard you made a lot of noise in the base too, just like in the border city." Seeing the atmosphere and to change it, Marcus gave Lian’s shoulder a light punch with a laugh.
"By force." Lian laughed and then added.
"What’s up? I didn’t see any of you inside the base, except for Cassian of course." He looked at them, Cassian had helped a lot during the Quest.
But there was no news from Marcus, Selina, or Liana.
"Well, about us..." Liana glanced and explained.
During the conversation, it became clear that Selina, Liana, and Marcus were not inside the Ruined Realm at all during the Base siege.
They had returned to the academy to rest exactly one day before the battle started.
For this reason, none of them had participated in the emergency Quest, and naturally, they had not received its reward either.
But Cassian had stayed inside the base until the last moment.
He had not only participated in the battle but had also completed the Quest along with the other defenders and had received that extra Level.
"I see, so you must have made good progress to come out for rest so soon." Lian nodded.
"Of course! Both of us reached level 15." Liana added.
"I also reached level 16... my progress has been a bit slow." Marcus sighed, he should have been at least at Cassian’s level by now.
But unfortunately, as a tank, hunting alone is not easy for him, and he hadn’t found a good group, while Cassian is in the academy’s strongest group, the student council group.
And Liana and Selina always hunt together and don’t need a group.
"I also reached level 18, I should be able to reach my first evolution soon." Cassian then added.
Lian looked at them, all of them had been busy and had made great progress, he looked at Seraphina and Kain, he didn’t know about Seraphina, but Kain had also made great progress.
"Where is Claire?" Liana then asked.
"She still hasn’t returned from leave." Cassian answered, and everyone sighed, that girl still hadn’t been able to get over those events.
If she keeps blaming herself and can’t get past those traumas, she might fall behind forever.
"You were only together for a short time, but it seems you’re as familiar as those of us who have known each other since childhood, it’s clear the events that happened brought you very close." Seraphina added with a smile, seeing the atmosphere of their conversation.
"Of course, when you experience life and death together, you become close... very, very close." Liana said while licking her lips.
"Huh? What do you mean—" But before Seraphina could finish her words, the academy bell echoed across the entire courtyard.
The general meeting had begun.
All first and second-year students moved toward the conference building, the massive conference hall filled up within a few minutes.
A quiet murmur flowed through the space.
A few moments later... the main door of the hall opened.
Professor Aldric entered with his usual calm steps, just with his entrance, the hall gradually fell into silence.
When he stood behind the podium, he gave a brief look at the crowd.
"All of you saw yesterday’s academy announcement."
Behind him, a massive holographic screen lit up, showing a limited map of the Ruined Realm, with explored points and several golden points shining on the map.
Aldric continued.
"Many of you imagine that Special Areas are just more dangerous regions of the Ruined Realm." He paused briefly.
"But the truth... is completely different."
The image changed.
On the map, spatial cracks appeared; as if part of the space had been torn open and connected to another world.
"A Special Area is actually... a small world inside the Ruined Realm itself."
A quiet murmur spread among the students, most of them were already aware of this... did they really need to be explained again?
Aldric explained.
"Each of these small worlds has its own rules."
"Independent ecosystems, unique monster species, dungeons and ruins that only exist inside that world, and treasures that cannot be found anywhere else."
He changed the image again.
"These areas are extremely rare, unlike Hidden Areas which are part of the Ruined Realm itself and are found more frequently, that is why whenever one of these areas is discovered... the federation immediately takes full control of it."
No country was willing to miss such an opportunity.
"Normally, it depends on the danger level of the Special Area, and based on that, quotas are given either only to powerful awakened ones or to newcomers." Aldric took a deep breath.
"Fortunately, you are lucky, this one’s danger level was not that high, and our academy’s quota has been announced as ten people."
Then he announced the names one by one.
"First... Lian Vorhelm."
Many looks turned toward Lian, no one objected... with all his achievements, this was a given.
Then the next names were announced, and coincidentally, most of them were Lian’s friends... Seraphina, Cassian, Liana, Selina, Marcus, and then...
Rindo Valcrest... the head of the student council, someone all students knew and was recognized as the current strongest student of the academy.
Nathan Crowe, another member of the student council and a third-year student.
And finally, Roderick Ashen... a brief silence followed, and then... Elena.
The murmurs rose again, and Kain unconsciously looked toward Lian, Elena... his former fiancée.
And as he expected, Lian’s face did not change even slightly.
No frown, no smile, not even a pause, he just calmly looked at Professor Aldric; as if that name no longer held any place in his mind.
Kain stared at his friend for a few seconds.
In truth... Lian had not had any contact with Roderick or Elena for a long time, there was no direct conflict between them.
But... Roderick was the type of person who always needed to prove his superiority.
He almost openly referred to himself throughout the academy as the future king of the academy and one of the most powerful awakened ones of the new generation.
And now... a student whose name had spread across the entire academy and the capital in the past few days... was going to enter the most important mission of the year alongside him.
"With Roderick’s personality... I doubt this will end without trouble..." Kain thought quietly to himself.
At that same moment, Professor Aldric spoke his final words.
"From today... you are the academy’s representatives in the Special Area, and I hope that by next week, you will be ready for one of the most difficult missions you have experienced so far."