chapter 39 was an alarm
The Shadow of the Chancellor spoke again, the sound vibrating as if from a great distance.
Shadow of the Chancellor: [ Veera, you are well aware of the situation. The longer we delay, the worse the consequences for the students. We must change the curriculum. ]
The shadow seemed to shift its weight, "looking" in her direction. Saint Veera did not meet its gaze. She simply lowered her head slightly.
St. Veera: "Noble Hero, I understand."
She took her seat in silence.
When a Story Bearer reaches Chapter 5: Hero, they are formally addressed as Noble Hero, a title of reverence. Yet, Veera—having reached the absolute peak of the Mate rank—held nearly as much influence in the UCA as a Hero. She rarely used such formal titles. In her eyes, the gap between a Hero and those who reached Chapter 6: Monarch was a chasm; why should she address them with the same breath of awe?
Shadow of the Chancellor: [ I want to know the status of the new intake. ]
Right Gate Firha spoke up, his voice cutting through the gloom.
Right Gate Firha: "Yes, Chancellor. This year, we have more Story Bearers than any previous cycle. There are one hundred twenty-one Natural Story Bearers, and more than nine undiscovered Paths of Story have been identified. We have found five SSR-class students so far. In your absence, Professor Veera acted as the examiner for two of them. Surprisingly, the two she tested share the same... humble background as her."
Firha looked at Saint Veera with a cold, pointed gaze, clearly implying favoritism or a deeper connection.
The Shadow of the Chancellor seemed to let out a quiet sigh. He is a small-minded person, the Chancellor thought. Well, perhaps it is not entirely his fault.
Shadow of the Chancellor: [ Veera, tell me about these two students. How many steps did they take, and what was the manner of their trial? ]
St. Veera: "Yes, Chancellor. First, Kaizer. Age 18, from the slums. He was originally a candidate for the non-Story Bearer branch. He received a Book titled Ascended Gold Emperor. The Book's rank is Blessed. His Script is Moments. He took ten steps through sheer willpower."
The room erupted into a frantic buzz. Blessed was a rank unheard of in modern records; only one human in known history had ever received a Book of that caliber.
When the Chancellor spoke again, the room fell instantly silent.
Shadow of the Chancellor: [ Pure willpower? He is an interesting boy. ]
The Chancellor's thoughts raced. The Book's name is new. If he succeeds, humanity will have another Monarch—and another Path of Story.
St. Veera: "The second is named Fighter. Also from the slums. He received a Book titled Spawn of Scrap, ranked between Hero and Mate. His Script is Fly. He has no System. He took five steps properly, then attempted to dive beneath the Quagmire. He barely reached the eighth step. His ability is the summoning and control of flies, alongside some form of vision-based capability."
The professors gasped. While Kaizer's description was legendary, Fighter's was baffling. Every professor knew the terror of the Quagmire; simply looking at it inspired primal fear. To put it simply: no sane man willingly shoves his head into quicksand just to see how deep it goes.
Shadow of the Chancellor: [ It seems he is an interesting figure as well. ]