Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

As the tenth floor of the Ascension Tower lit up, another wave of surprise washed over the crowd.

It became clear that Vale was not only attempting to win the competition but was on a daring quest to conquer the Ascension Tower that no one had ever done.

The mystery surrounding the final floor added to the anticipation. No one truly knew what challenges and treasures they could find inside.

The crowd could only imagine the trials and rewards that awaited Vale in this unexplored realm of the Tower.

As this realization sank in, excitement surged through the crowd.

Regardless of their chosen Arcane disciplines, Arcanists from all twelve paths eagerly awaited Vale's emergence.

They knew that even if Vale failed to conquer the Tower, the experience that he had would be an important breakthrough for them.

Furthermore, if he shared the secrets of how to reach the 10th floor, it would greatly benefit their Faction.

They were all eager to learn from his experiences.

Suddenly, a commotion occurred, and more than 20 guards started surrounding the Tower.

Apparently, the organizers of the competition quickly recognized the significance of Vale's achievement and took measures to ensure his safety once he came out.

Guards from three Arcane Paths were called in to surround the Ascension Tower, standing ready to protect Vale once he emerged from the Tower.

The crowd watched with bated breath, their eyes fixed on the Tower's highest floor, waiting for the historic moment when Vale would step out.

Among those observing the scene was Princess Ceres, who felt that this situation was getting uncontrollable.

'I should've stopped him from participating from the start.' Ceres thought as she felt that it was a pity that a Dark Arts Practitioner would get the first-place reward for this competition.

However, as she watched the crowd's anticipation and the measures taken to safeguard Vale, she couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and resignation.

She could only accept that Vale was not just an ordinary competitor but a true genius of this generation.

"I guess the Chambers Family will rise once again." Odessa muttered as her eyes seemed to look at a distant past.

"Is that a powerful clan before? Anyway, I think it would be great to bring him to your Mage Tower…" Ceres commented.

Odessa smiled at her question.

"Indeed. Will you help me invite him? I think that if he enters my Tower, the discrimination amongst the Dark Magicians will lessen."

"Mhmm… Since we can't beat him in this competition, it's a good idea to bring him in. I also want to know what rewards he'll be taking out of the Tower." Ceres agreed as she glanced at the location of the Vermont Academy's Headmaster.

***

In the meantime, as this was all happening, a blurry figure materialized beside Headmaster Jean, causing him to shift his attention from the Tower.

Cloaked in a garment that concealed his presence, the figure belonged to the Dark Arts Faction's Order of the Evanescent Vessel.

With a sense of urgency, the cloaked member delivered a report to Headmaster Jean.

"Sir, a Failed Vessel was rushing to this place. He will be intercepted by the Untainted Sentinels if he doesn't stop. We're guessing that he's targeting Vale Chambers, so we wish to hear your opinion."

There was no doubt that if Failed Vessel continued his approach, he would undoubtedly be intercepted by the formidable Untainted Sentinels. Especially now with the heightened security since a terrorist attack had just occurred a few days ago.

Jean's brows furrowed in concern upon hearing the news. "Which Failed Vessel is it?"

The cloaked figure hesitated for a moment before responding… "We assume that it is Wilfred from the Moontomb Clan, Sir."

As realization dawned upon Jean, he let out a sigh of exasperation.

Shaking his head, Jean made a decision.

"That kid didn't know what's good for him. Block his path." He commanded with a stern voice.

"Inform him that we will give him a chance to face Vale once the competition has concluded. Perhaps that will quell his misguided ambitions."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, the cloaked figure nodded in acknowledgment. "I understand, Headmaster. I will relay the message to the squad immediately."

With those words, the cloaked member of the Evanescent Vessel melted into the shadows, blending seamlessly into the surroundings and disappearing from sight.

***

Inside the Tower, Vale carefully examined the three items he had obtained from the Silver Treasure Chest,

He simply used Phantasm State's ability to roughly guess the alignment of these items.

To his satisfaction, these rewards were far from disappointing and appeared to be intricately connected to the test he had successfully overcome.

'As expected of the ninth floor, they were quite generous… It would've been better if I also got the eighth floor's rewards.' Vale thought as he recalled how he failed to get a physical reward from the eighth floor.

Anyway, all three items were imbued with the essence of darkness: a Necronomicon, a Mirror, and a Candle.

He wasn't sure about their effects, so he didn't dare experiment on them until he got them appraised outside.

He could sense the inherent danger they possessed, particularly the Mirror, which emitted an ominous aura.

"Yvaine…"

Recognizing the potential risks involved, Vale swiftly summoned Dark Spirit Yvaine and entrusted her with safeguarding the items within his shadow. He felt a sense of unease keeping them in his pocket so he felt more comfortable this way.

With the items secured, Vale pressed onward.

As he walked further, he finally reached the mysterious tenth floor, only to be greeted by a stark contrast to the expansive ninth floor.

'This felt quite similar to that room in the Dark Soul Tower.' Vale commented in his mind.

He found himself standing in a white room, and the place was filled with otherworldly energy that he felt from the mystical beings he met in this Tower.

Then, to his surprise, as soon as he stepped into this peculiar space, his almost depleted arcane energy replenished instantaneously, revitalizing him for whatever challenges lay ahead.

"That's feels a lot better…"

The recovery was so much better compared to the lower floors.

Vale then looked around to find the floor boss, but he realized that he was all alone.

Nevertheless, the white room might seem boring, but Vale could tell that this place wasn't man-made.

'Is this some kind of an escape room?'

As Vale reached this thought, a melodic voice interrupted his contemplation.

"Are you disappointed?"

This female voice that echoed throughout the room captured Vale's attention.