While Adonis was training his ass off, there was a secret meeting was being held in:
Stellar Tower – Elders Hall
Top Floor – Council Chamber
The circular stone chamber was lit with soft celestial fire floating near the dome ceiling. Seven figures sat around a rune-etched obsidian table, their expressions solemn, and the air thick with tension.
The Headmistress, with her composed and authoritative demeanor, opened the session with a firm tone.
"Instructor Daze, what is the result of the interrogation of the elves found in the Flame Dungeon? Also, what did the Disciplinary Committee uncover during their investigation?"
Instructor Daze, a seasoned man with grey hair, a fine mustache, and calm, piercing eyes, leaned forward, placing a stack of scrolls on the table.
"The results… are disturbing," he said gravely. "But I've compiled what I believe to be the most reasonable version of the truth."
Everyone leaned in. A few shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"The elves we detained belong to the Gaza Tribe—one of the oldest and most reclusive elven bloodlines," he began.
"Apparently, years ago, a member of their tribe served as a teacher here at Stellar Academy. Before she died—inside the Flame Dungeon's second floor—she left a message with her tribe, revealing where she had fallen, and... that she carried with her the tribe's ancestral treasure."
The Headmistress's brows twitched slightly.
"So that rumor was true."
"Yes," Daze nodded.
"However, the Gaza tribe was far too weak to enter the second floor of the Flame Dungeon. Fearing the treasure would be stolen, they kept the information hidden and began training a single successor capable of retrieving it in the future."
Another instructor leaned forward.
"Then how did this 'Devil's Backyard' cult get involved?"
Hearing the name Devil's Backyard everyone's mood turned sour, It was some type of cult or organization consisting of mostly dark element users, nobody knows much about them but they are mostly involve in inhumane or criminal activities.
Instructor Daze's face darkened.
"Somehow, they intercepted the information. They discovered the tribe's plan, took their people hostage, and captured the very successor the Gaza were preparing. They used them to guide their agents to the treasure's location. Fortunately—or unfortunately for them—the students' interference and the arrival of the Lava Dragon ruined their operation."
Gasps and murmurs echoed around the table.
One elegant female instructor asked with narrowed eyes,
"Do we know what this ancestral treasure is?"
Daze shook his head.
"No. The elves refused to say, even under intense interrogation. Whether out of loyalty or fear, we don't know."
That's when Instructor Rowan, the youngest and most hot-blooded of the council, slammed his fist on the table.
"Nonsense! Just give me one hour with them and they'll scream the truth themselves! "His red hair flared slightly as if reacting to his rage, and his eyes glowed faintly crimson.
"Calm yourself, Rowan," the Headmistress said coldly.
"They are not the enemy. From their perspective, we are the outsiders chasing after something that belongs to them. Their actions were desperate, but not malicious."
Rowan gritted his teeth, still fuming.
"Be that as it may," he said, lowering his voice, "the moment Devil's Backyard gets involved, this stops being an internal affair. If those lunatics want it, then it's not just a cultural relic—it's dangerous."
Another older instructor nodded gravely.
"Rowan's right. They only ever chase after items with potential to unbalance the world. If this treasure can empower dark forces—or worse, summon them—we have no choice.
We must find out what it is, and secure it."
Silence returned to the chamber as all eyes turned toward the Headmistress.
She closed her eyes briefly… then opened them with resolve.
"Very well. We will form a covert investigation unit. No students are to be informed. And
—" she paused, eyes narrowing, "—I want Justin Dawn updated. Now."
That very moment, in the distance, Justin—who had just finished healing Adonis for the thirteenth time—straightened abruptly, receiving the Headmistress's mental message.
Without a word, he stood up, tossing his flask aside.
"You continue training. I'll be back soon."
Adonis, slumped on the ground, groaned.
"…That man really has no concept of rest…"
As Justin vanished from the training hall in a flash of teleportation magic, Adonis looked toward the sky.
"I wonder what happened. I've never seen him this serious before…"
And somewhere, far above, the gears of fate were beginning to turn once more.