That night, Aeris couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered Seraphina's obsessive gaze and the threats she had made to Leon and Elena. The system kept sending him warnings, making him even more anxious.
[THREAT ANALYSIS UPDATED]
[SERAPHINA VALENCIA: YANDERE LEVEL CRITICAL]
[EXTERNAL SURVEILLANCE: 15 ACTIVE AGENTS DETECTED]
[ROYAL MAGE TOWER: Investigation team dispatched]
[ESTIMATED TIME TO EXPOSURE: 36 HOURS]
"Thirty-six hours," he muttered softly as he stared at the ceiling of his dorm room. "Soon everything will be revealed."
he got out of bed and walked to the window. In the distance, he could see the academy's main tower towering with its crystal light still on. But what worried him were the shadows moving through the trees on campus.
[MOTION DETECTED: Multiple hostiles positioning around dormitory]
[IDENTIFICATION: Guild Association scouts]
[RECOMMENDATION: Immediate relocation advised]
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on his door. Aeris stiffened—who would be coming in the middle of the night?
"Aeris?" a familiar whisper came from outside. "It's me, Elena."
Aeris opened the door to find Elena standing there, her face pale and her eyes troubled.
"Elena? What are—"
"We need to talk. Now." Elena stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "There's something you need to know about the investigation."
"What do you mean?"
Elena sat on the edge of the bed, her hands shaking as she formed the words. "My father... he's one of the advisors at the Guild Association. He sent an emergency letter last night."
Aeris felt her chest tighten. "And?"
"They already know, Aeris. About what you did in the dungeon. About your abnormal taming abilities." Elena looked at her with teary eyes. "Tomorrow morning, an official investigation team will come to the academy."
[CONFIRMED: EXPOSURE IMMINENT]
[GUILD ASSOCIATION: Full investigation protocol activated]
[ROYAL MAGE TOWER: Mage Hunters deployed]
"Investigation team?" Aeris tried to remain calm even though his heart was pounding.
"Not just an ordinary investigation. They brought Mage Hunters—special mages who can detect abnormal or... forbidden magic." Elena swallowed hard. "Aeris, if there's something you're hiding, something about your abilities, you have to tell me now."
Aeris was speechless. How could he explain that he was reincarnated from another world with a cheat system that gave him extraordinary powers?
"Elena, I—"
Suddenly, a loud noise boomed from outside—like a small explosion. The two of them ran to the window and saw a red magical light in the academy's back garden area.
"What's that?" Elena whispered.
Before Aeris could answer, the system gave an emergency alert.
[EMERGENCY: HOSTILE ENGAGEMENT DETECTED]
[SERAPHINA VALENCIA: Combat mode activated]
[TARGETS: Guild Association scouts]
[CASUALTIES: 3 AGENTS DOWN]
"Oh no," Aeris muttered. "Seraphina."
In the academy's backyard, Seraphina stood amidst the destruction, her violet eyes glowing in the darkness. Around her, three dark-clothed figures lay unconscious, their bodies wreathed in dark magic that was still emanating.
"You think you can spy on what's mine without consequence?" her voice was as cold as ice. "You think I wouldn't notice?"
The only agent still standing backed away trembling, his wand raised but his hand shaking. "S-Seraphina Valencia... you must not attack a member of the Guild Association—"
"Guild Association?" Seraphina laughed, but her laugh held no warmth. "I don't care what organization you belong to. All I know is that you threaten Aeris."
Dark magic flowed from her body like living black smoke, forming into tentacles that moved ominously.
"And anyone who threatens Aeris..." her violet eyes flashed with a terrifying glint, "...will know what it means to oppose the Valencia family."
The last agent tried to flee, but Seraphina's dark magic tentacles moved faster. In an instant, he too lay unconscious.
"Seraphina!" Aeris' voice suddenly appeared from a distance. he ran over with Elena behind him, his face filled with a mixture of worry and panic.
Seeing Aeris, Seraphina's expression immediately changed. The dark magic around her disappeared, and she smiled a sweet smile that was a stark contrast to the scene of destruction around her.
"Aeris!" she ran over and immediately hugged Aeris' arm possessively. "Are you okay? I was worried they had—"
"Seraphina, what did you do?" Aeris looked at the agents who were lying down. "They were—"
"They were stalking you," Seraphina interrupted with a dangerous glint in her eyes again. "Since this afternoon. Hiding behind the tree, watching your dorm room, recording your every move."
Elena stared at the scene in horror. "Seraphina... did you kill them?"
"No," Seraphina answered in a tone that was too casual. "But if they tried to touch Aeris..." she stared at the agents with a cold gaze, "then that would be a different choice."
[SITUATION ANALYSIS: CRITICAL ESCALATION]
[SERAPHINA'S ACTIONS: DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST GUILD ASSOCIATION]
[CONSEQUENCE: FULL MANHUNT IMMINENT]
"Seraphina, you don't understand," Aeris said in a voice that tried to remain calm. "By attacking them, you're making things worse."
"Worse?" Seraphina tilted her head with an innocent yet terrifying expression. "Aeris, there's nothing worse than letting those people threaten you. I promised to protect you, remember?"
Suddenly, the academy's alarm began to sound. Emergency lights flashed, and the sound of footsteps could be heard coming from the direction of the main building.
"They're coming," Elena whispered with a pale face. "Academy security, maybe the Professor too."
Seraphina smiled with a confident smile. "Let them come. I'll explain that I'm only protecting someone important to me."
"No," Aeris tugged on Seraphina's arm. "We have to go. Now."
"Go?" Seraphina's violet eyes widened. "Where? Why are we running?"
Before Aeris could answer, Professor Aldric emerged from the darkness along with several academy security guards. Their eyes immediately fell on the fallen agents and the damage around the area.
"Valencia!" Professor Aldric snapped in a loud voice. "What are you doing?"
Seraphina stood up straight, a dark aura beginning to flow from her body again. "I'm protecting my classmates from intruders, Professor."
"Intruders?" Professor Aldric stared at the Guild Association badge on one of the fallen agents.
"This is an official Guild Association agent!"
"I don't care," Seraphina replied coldly. "They're stalking Aeris. Threatening him. And I won't let that happen."
Professor Aldric looked at Aeris with suspicious eyes. "And why are they watching Aeris?"
[CRITICAL MOMENT: EXPOSURE RISK MAXIMUM]
[PROFESSOR ALDRIC: SUSPICION LEVEL CRITICAL]
[MULTIPLE WITNESSES: COVER STORY REQUIRED]
Aeris felt all eyes on him. Elena stood beside him with a worried expression, while Seraphina still had her arms wrapped around her possessively.
"I... I don't know, Professor," Aeris answered, trying to sound confused and innocent.
"Don't know?" another voice suddenly emerged from the darkness. A man in formal attire with a large wand appeared, followed by three people wearing Guild Association uniforms.
"Master Roderick," Professor Aldric bowed respectfully. Aeris recognized the name—Roderick was one of the Guild Association's top Master Mages.
Master Roderick stared at the scene of destruction with sharp eyes. "It seems we are too late."
Hanzel's eyes then focused on Aeris with an intensity that made Aeris feel like he was being analyzed to the bone.
"So you are Aeris," his voice was deep and authoritative. "The student who can control a level 89 Ancient Basilisk."
Seraphina stepped forward, placing herself between Master Roderick and Aeris. Dark magic flowed from her body like a black mist.
"Stay still," her voice turned into a terrifying growl. "Don't you dare touch him."
Master Roderick smiled faintly. "Valencia. Daughter of the Duke of Valencia. I've heard that you are very... protective of your friends."
"Aeris is not just a friend," Seraphina replied with a gleam in her eyes. "he is mine. And I will do anything to protect him."
"Interesting," Master Roderick nodded slowly. "And did you know, Valencia, that this special friend of yours has a very... unusual ability?"
Elena took a deep breath, while Professor Aldric stared at Master Roderick with questioning eyes.
"What ability?" Seraphina asked in a dangerous voice.
Master Roderick pointed his staff, and suddenly a large magic circle appeared on the ground, with Aeris right in the center.
"The ability to control Ancient-class monsters without rituals, without preparation, and most interestingly..." Master Roderick's eyes flashed, "the ability to use Ancient Taming Magic that should have been extinct hundreds of years ago."
[EXPOSURE CONFIRMED]
[ANCIENT TAMING MAGIC DETECTED]
[COVER BLOWN: EMERGENCY PROTOCOL REQUIRED]
The magic circle beneath Aeris' feet began to glow with a blinding light. he felt something trying to read, analyze, and uncover all the secrets within his.
"NO!" Seraphina shouted in a thunderous voice. Her dark magic exploded with incredible power, destroying the magic circle and creating a protective barrier around Aeris.
"You will not touch him!" her violet eyes flashed with terrifying intensity. "I will not let anyone hurt or take Aeris from me!"
Master Roderick took a step back, his eyes narrowing at the power of Seraphina's dark magic.
"Interesting. It seems the Valencia bloodline is not to be underestimated."
He then looked at Aeris who was still protected by Seraphina's barrier. "But this will not end here, young one. The Guild Association will not stop until we get answers."
"Then you'll have to go over my dead body first," Seraphina replied in a voice cold as ice.
Master Roderick smiled, but it was not a friendly smile. "If that's what you want, Valencia. But remember—when you attacked our agents earlier, you declared war on the Guild Association."
He turned to Professor Aldric. "The Academy won't be able to protect them much longer. Tomorrow morning, we will return with full authority to arrest them both."
After Master Roderick and his agents left, the atmosphere was very tense. Professor Aldric stared at Aeris and Seraphina with conflicted eyes.
"You two," he said finally, "you have some explaining to do. And it better be good, because after this, I'm not sure I can protect you anymore."
Aeris looked at Elena, who stood with a pale face, Seraphina who was still hugging her arm possessively, and Professor Aldric who was waiting for her with suspicious eyes.
[MISSION PARAMETER UPDATED]
[SITUATION: POINT OF NO RETURN]
[ALL COVERS BLOWN]
[SERAPHINA: FULL YANDERE MODE ACTIVATED]
[RECOMMENDATION: EMERGENCY EVACUATION IN T-MINUS 6 HOURS]
He knew that after tonight, his life at the academy would never be the same again. What was even more frightening—he saw a glint in Seraphina's eyes that told him that she was ready to do anything, even the most extreme things, to "protect" him.
And in the distance, beyond the windows of the academy's main tower, a pair of glowing red eyes stared at the scene with a smile of satisfaction.
"Finally," whispered a voice in the darkness, "the real game begins."