The loud afternoon bell finally rang through the courtyard, signaling the end of the academic lectures.
The massive iron gates of the academy opened, pouring thousands of tired recruits out onto the streets.
The six friends walked together down the paved sidewalk, enjoying the peaceful quiet after a highly exhausting day of physical combat tournaments.
The sun cast long, warm shadows across the road.
“I still cannot believe the absolute size of that crater,” Rivb said, laughing boisterously while throwing his arms out wide to show the scale.
“Chrites, you literally flew through the air like a thrown rock!”
“It was definitely not my best landing,” Chrites replied, letting out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle as he walked with his hands tucked into his pockets.
“But at least the head examiner gave me a passing grade today.
That is all that really matters for my record.”
“You got incredibly lucky,” Shevy noted, her expression turning stern and serious as she looked back over her shoulder at him.
“If Linease had aimed that combination beam even an inch to the left, you would be resting in the emergency hospital right now.”
“I was completely aiming for his blind spot,” Linease added, offering a bright, teasing smile to the entire group.
“I honestly did not mean to hit him that hard, but the adrenaline of the tournament just took over my senses.”
“Well, it was an amazing match to watch,” Melise said, speaking up with a quiet, shy tone as she walked closely next to Shevy.
“Everyone fought really well in the ring today.
Especially Chrono.”
“Thank you, Melise,” Chrono said, his chest puffing out slightly with a proud, confident demeanor.
“Kaelen left his defensive line wide open during his lightning charge.
It was a basic tactical error on his part, and I just took advantage of the gap.”
“Oh, listen to the grand military strategist,” Rivb mocked, rolling his eyes with a highly sarcastic smirk.
“You always have to sound so serious about everything.”
“Tactics save lives, Rivb,” Chrono argued, sighing with a tired, exasperated expression.
“You should try reading a book sometimes.”
“Books are boring,” Rivb countered, grinning widely with pure amusement.
Chrites watched them bicker, offering a calm, amused smile.
“Let them bicker, Chrono.
Rivb only understands how to punch things anyway.”
“Exactly!” Rivb agreed loudly, shouting with a triumphant, cheerful tone.
As the group walked and chatted along the quiet commercial district, a sharp, sudden magical vibration echoed directly inside Chrites’s mind.
It was a direct telepathic call, utilizing advanced telekinesis and mind-linking magic to establish an untraceable, silent connection.
It was a communication method reserved entirely for urgent syndicate business.
“Sir, can you hear me clearly?” Silas’s voice echoed mentally, his thoughts sounding incredibly tense and anxious.
“I hear you,” Chrites responded telepathically, keeping his outward facial expression perfectly neutral and relaxed so his friends would not suspect a single thing.
“What happened now?”
“It is a highly critical situation, sir,” Silas relayed through the mental connection, his thoughts pacing rapidly.
“It is really important, and we do not have the time to explain the full details through a telepathic link.
You have to come to the underground bunker right now.”
“Understood,” Chrites thought back, his mental tone instantly shifting to cold, absolute authority.
“I will be coming in a twenty to thirty-minute time interval.
Chrites severed the mental link completely.
He stopped walking on the sidewalk, letting out a loud groan while grabbing his stomach.
“Sorry guys,” Chrites said out loud, forcing a strained, embarrassed tone.
“I think that cafeteria lunch is really disagreeing with my stomach.
I need to go find a public bathroom immediately.
You guys go on home without me.”
“Ugh, that is way too much information,” Shevy complained, wrinkling her nose in genuine disgust.
“Hope you survive the battle, buddy!” Rivb shouted with a loud, echoing laugh as Chrites turned and jogged away down an empty side alley.
Once Chrites was entirely out of sight behind a closed brick warehouse, he tapped into his spatial magic.
He quickly removed his standard school uniform, replacing it with the sharp, tailored black formal suit and long coat of the syndicate leader.
He pulled the painted demon mask securely over his face, hiding his civilian identity completely since this was an official operation.
With a silent command, the shadows rose from the pavement, teleporting him directly into the underground headquarters.
Silas was already standing at attention near the central tactical map, holding a glowing digital report.
“Sir,” Silas greeted, bowing his head with deep, absolute respect as the boss stepped out of the dark portal.
“Intelligence operators just confirmed that a massive robbery is happening tonight.”
“Where is the target located?” Chrites asked, his voice deeply distorted, heavy, and serious behind the terrifying demon mask.
“In the nearby Cebel continent,” Silas explained, pointing a gloved finger at a large landmass highlighted in red on the digital screen.
“A highly specialized team is moving to rob a heavily fortified facility holding a super powerful magical item.
And the thieves are not just normal street thugs or common mercenaries.
They are official elite operatives belonging directly to the DTN organization.”
Chrites leaned both hands on the edge of the tactical table, his glowing blue eyes narrowing with cold focus.
“So, what are we planning to do in this situation?”
“The tactical council suggests that you deploy there personally and stop the robbery,” Silas answered, his expression grim and highly calculated.
“Intelligence confirms that the Cebel continent operates as the absolute main base of operations for the DTN.
If there is a massive problem, an ambush, or a complex magical lock, only you possess the sheer strength to solve it.
Sending a standard syndicate squad would be really dangerous to the valuable assets and personnel of our organization.”
“You are completely right,” Chrites agreed, nodding his masked head with absolute determination.
“I will handle the interception personally.
But I am not deployed alone tonight.
Tell Vane and Linease to gear up immediately.
They are coming with me.”
“I will notify both of them right now, sir,” Silas affirmed, his tone brisk and efficient as he turned back to his communication console.
Chrites stepped back into a pool of shadow, using a precise teleportation spell to jump back to his family home.
The house was entirely silent, his parents still out working.
He walked into the dining hall, quickly eating a highly nutritious lunch to ensure his physical stamina and mana reserves were at absolute peak capacity for the upcoming battle.
Once finished, he walked upstairs to his secure private quarters.
He unlocked a hidden wall panel and retrieved his plain black sword.
He drew the heavy steel blade from its scabbard, inspecting the perfectly polished metal to ensure it was shining and flawlessly sharp.
Fully prepped and ready for anything, he adjusted his long coat, secured his demon mask, and teleported directly back to the underground bunker. This story is hosted at g.com.
Vane and Linease were already waiting inside the armory, standing at attention in their matching black syndicate uniforms.
“Chrites,” Linease asked, her voice filled with polite, eager curiosity as she looked at his masked face.
“What is our assigned task for today?”
Chrites turned his head toward the tall Master, completely bypassing her question.
“Vane, your primary duty tonight is to teach Linease how to fight in a real tactical scenario and navigate the basic procedures of an active field mission.
I want the two of you to perform the main combat operations.
I will only step in and assist if there is a massive, uncontrollable problem.”
“It will be a privilege to guide her, sir,” Vane replied, bowing with a calm, highly professional demeanor.
Linease nodded quickly, smiling with bright enthusiasm.
She was entirely unaware that the Cebel continent was the heavily guarded main stronghold of the DTN.
Vane understood the extreme, lethal risks perfectly well, but keeping his facial expression completely neutral and stoic, he said nothing to break her confidence.
“Are we taking the large flying disk again tonight?” Linease asked, offering an excited, hopeful smile as she looked toward the exit ramp.
“No, not for this mission,” Chrites answered, his tone flat, calm, and highly educational.
“The disk draws too much attention in highly monitored airspace.
We have something much better—a specialized teleportation gate.
It is incredibly hard to create and requires massive concentration to use, but it is perfect for total infiltration.
By using the gate, no one on the enemy continent will be able to catch our magical energy or track our mana power.
It leaves absolutely zero trace.”
Chrites gestured for them to follow.
He led them away from the main armory, walking down a long, reinforced mountain corridor that descended deep into the lowest subterranean levels of the bunker.
They finally stopped inside a massive, completely empty stone room.
There were no computer terminals, no lights, and no equipment racks.
Chrites walked to the exact center of the empty chamber.
He raised both of his hands toward the open space, closing his eyes to focus his mind.
He reached deep into the absolute depths of his magical core, pulling out brilliant, blinding strands of pure Light magic alongside heavy, suffocating waves of Dark magic.
Combining the two opposing elements with pure soul purity, he forced the magic to harmonize perfectly without a single spark of resistance.
The empty room vibrated intensely.
A powerful, massive gate erupted in front of them, taking the distinct shape of a deep, glowing dungeon portal.
The circular edges spun rapidly with dense, beautiful white and black mana.
“Enter the portal,” Chrites commanded firmly, his voice echoing loudly.
Vane gripped his weapon and stepped directly through the swirling circle without a single moment of hesitation.
Linease took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the magic right behind him, with Chrites following closely behind.
The subterranean room vanished instantly.
When the portal faded, they were standing on the cold concrete roof of a towering skyscraper under the dark, unfamiliar sky of the Cebel continent.
Linease gasped loudly, her eyes wide with absolute shock as she looked out over the sprawling, highly advanced foreign city below them.
She did not travel across global continents on a daily basis, and the sudden, instantaneous jump left her completely breathless.
Beside her, Chrites and Vane stood perfectly still, their masked faces completely cold, calm, and stoic as the night wind blew the hems of their long black coats.