Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

"Ah…" Vale was stunned after hearing the question.

Since the Professor asked, he probably heard that he had previously filled the 30-Strand Spirit Converging Crystal during their assessments in their third year.

This question also attracted his classmates... They looked at Vale curiously, causing a momentary silence to envelop the room.

"I haven't checked my Spirit Strands as well, Professor… Since I don't have a Spirit Converging Crystal that can record above 30 Strands."

That was a lie. However, he didn't want to appear presumptuous by simply stating the number of his Spirit Strands. Instead, he decided to let his actions speak for themselves.

Professor Ludwig nodded at this as he gestured for Vale to continue holding the Crystal.

Perhaps because the Crystal's quality was high, it only took three minutes or so before the 45 Strands appeared on the Crystal.

Aside from Leonore and Felicia, who had seen this several times in their first-year to third-year Spirit Strands Assessments, all the others were surprised.

They exchanged intrigued glances, their eyes fixed on Vale. They had heard the tales of his extraordinary abilities. They had also seen his duel and heard about his Spirit Strands surpassing the norm. However, they had never seen his Spirit Strands until now.

"Did he reach the limit?"

"Incredible… So all those rumors are true."

"Indeed. Perhaps that rumor about him consuming a Dark Spirit is also true?"

"Consuming a Dark Spirit? Is that the reason why he has such a high Spirit Strand?"

"Idiot… I heard from Neil that Vale's mother was a Dark Spirit. He's an offspring of a human and a spirit."

"Neil? Who was that?"

The excitement in the room was evident as the other students leaned forward, commenting about Vale's background and rumors they had heard about him.

"Ahem… I'm not a Half-Spirit." Vale suddenly said as he heard their conversation.

Nevertheless, none of his classmates seem to care about it as they eagerly await the Professor's words. They were hoping that he would bring a larger Spirit Converging Crystal!

On the other hand, Professor Ludwig took a moment to compose himself, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and admiration as he announced… "Vale, your Spirit Strands exceed the capacity of this 45-Strand Crystal. It seems we will need a more powerful instrument to accurately measure the extent of your extraordinary gift."

Indeed!

The room erupted into a chorus of excited murmurs and whispers. The students couldn't contain their curiosity and admiration, their eyes filled with a newfound respect for Vale.

Maya and Leonore, in particular, looked at him with a newfound interest, recognizing the magnitude of his potential.

"However, I won't be forcing you to take another assessment. The fact that you have at least 45 Spirit Strands is more than enough for me. We can just stop here. But if you're also curious about your Spirit Strands, I can make a request for better equipment to be brought here." Professor Ludwig said.

As a Professor, they weren't really required to know the exact Spirit Strand. As long as they weren't below the recommended Spirit Strands, then there shouldn't be any problem.

This announcement had obviously alarmed Vale's classmates.

"Professor, you should've said that it's mandatory."

"Right… Now, Vale won't be revealing it."

"Vale, go ahead and have another test with a different instrument. Whatever the result is, it won't get out of this room. It'll be our secret."

His classmates said with a mixture of laugh. They didn't seem serious about their words, so Vale answered. "That should be enough, Professor…"

"I see… I will respect your decision. I won't be asking how you reach that level, but I can tell that you have a harmonious energy in your body, so I know you're not using Forbidden Arts. That's good enough for me."

"Thank you, Professor… But I have a question. Are there even Half-Human and Half-Spirits in our current era?" Vale asked as he recalled that he was already accused of being an offspring of a Spirit before.

It may sound like a valid argument why he had such an absurd Spirit Strands, but he wanted to know how often it happens.

The question stunned the Professor momentarily. However, he could understand why Vale would suddenly be curious. To be honest, he also felt that Vale might be related to the Spirit World, considering how he could summon a Dark Spirit using the most basic Ritual and even had astounding Spirit Strands.

Professor Ludwig then smiled warmly at Vale, appreciating his honesty. "I understand your curiosity, Vale. The existence of Half-Human and Half-Spirits is indeed rare, but it is not unheard of. Throughout history, there have been accounts of individuals with mixed heritage, possessing both human and spiritual qualities. So there might be a few of them living in every city."

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing, "In our current era, while it may not be common, it is still possible for such individuals to exist. The blending of human and spiritual energies can occur through various circumstances, whether it be through ancestral connections, unique encounters, or even a convergence of powerful energies during significant events... or perhaps what we call Special Ceremonial Rites."

Vale listened intently, his curiosity piqued. Although he wasn't questioning his origins, considering the rumors surrounding him, he felt this information may be quite helpful.

Professor Ludwig continued. "However, it is important to remember that the true nature of one's heritage is not solely defined by their Spirit Strands. Your Spirit Strand exceeding the 45 mark will not necessarily tell that you're an offspring of a Spirit. There are many factors that must be considered."

Vale nodded, absorbing the Professor's words..

The classroom fell into a thoughtful silence as they realized that there was indeed a chance that Vale was an offspring of Spirit!

"If that's all, then let's continue with the assessment." Professor Ludwig said.

It didn't take that long before the Spirit Assessment was completed. As expected, only three students had exceeded the 20 Spirit Strands.

They were Vale, Leonore, and Maya.