Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2341  Questions

n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The 30-day group exam had concluded with an outcome that no one could have predicted.

Hall 33, a hall filled with lower-realm acolytes, had risen to the very top of the rankings, beating out not just any competition, but some that came from the most prestigious names in the Magus Alliance. As the 'Starfire' cruise ship docked at the Magus Academy's hangar, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. Hundreds of people gathered, eager to see the young acolytes who had achieved the impossible. Newsmakers buzzed among the crowd, their eyes alight with curiosity, while Academy staff, instructors, and Magus enforcers stood ready to greet the returning students.

But this wasn't just a welcoming committee—many were here for far more serious reasons.

Whispers filled the hangar as everyone speculated on how Hall 33 had managed such a feat. The news outlets wanted to interview the young acolytes, hoping to uncover the secret of their success, while the enforcers were there to ensure that no foul play had been involved.

Amidst the chaos, Emery, Klea, and Ashaka stood with calm authority and gave a reassuring nod, signaling that they would cooperate fully with any inquiries. The more people learned about what had transpired during those 30 days, the more astonished they became. The fact that Hall 33 had competed with just 12 members, and how they were victims of the recent incident with the corrupt handlers. After the final debriefing concluded and their victory was officially confirmed, the 12 acolytes from Hall 33 were summoned to receive their rewards from none other than the Academy's headmaster.

The headmaster, robed in his formal attire, stood at the front of the grand chamber. "Congratulations on your success," he declared, his voice echoing across the hall.

The acolytes, still processing the magnitude of their achievement, stood in stunned silence as they received the Academy's prestigious rewards. In addition to a substantial amount of Academy contribution points, the twelve acolytes were awarded gleaming medals, each one meticulously crafted to reflect their exemplary success. These medals bore the emblem of the Academy, a striking insignia symbolizing honor, achievement, and resilience. Each medal also represented their role in exposing the corrupt magus officials who had tried to sabotage their efforts, marking them as heroes in the eyes of the Academy.

Emery stood slightly apart from the group, observing the scene unfold with a mix of pride and detachment. He could see the overwhelming joy radiating from his students, their faces beaming with delight as they accepted their medals.

Each one of them had come from a low background, often overlooked and underestimated, and now they stood at the pinnacle of achievement within the Academy. For them, this medal was not merely a piece of metal; it was a badge of honor, a symbol of their hard-fought journey.

Yet, amid the celebration, Emery felt a profound sense of disillusionment wash over him. As he watched the headmaster casually drape the medals around the necks of his acolytes, the gesture felt hollow to him.

He had received half a dozen such medals in his past—shiny tokens of recognition that, while celebrated at the moment, had done little to elevate his status or resolve the issues that plagued him. As the award ceremony drew to a close and the applause subsided, Emery seized the moment to approach the headmaster. The grandeur of the hall seemed to fade in the background as he stood face-to-face with Headmaster Goldstein.

"Headmaster, I'd like to ask about the progress of the trial."

For a brief moment, a flicker of discomfort crossed the headmaster's face, but he quickly masked it with his usual stoic professionalism. "Unfortunately, it's an Alliance matter, beyond the Academy's jurisdiction," Goldstein replied, his voice smooth but evasive.

Emery's eyes narrowed slightly. This was not the answer he was looking for, and the dismissal didn't sit right with him. His frustration simmered just below the surface, and he pushed further. "Will the Academy penalize the acolytes and the instructors involved? Is this not under academy jurisdiction?"

His words, though respectful, held a sharp edge to them, cutting through the polite decorum of the gathering. Heads turned, and the crowd of important academy officials and staff suddenly grew quiet, their attention drawn to the unexpected confrontation.

For a moment, the tension was palpable, the headmaster clearly caught off guard by Emery's directness. Goldstein's eyes flickered with calculation, after a brief pause, the headmaster finally responded, "Of course," he said, the words almost forced.

Emery, though outwardly calm, could feel the subtle victory was hollow. The headmaster's words were meant to appease the crowd, not to deliver any real justice. Still, he bowed respectfully rejoined the group of acolytes, and left the grand hall.

After their return to their hall, where they had a brief moment of respite before the upcoming hall advancement events, news of the Academy's official decision finally came. Both instructors of Halls 22 and 38 were expelled from the Academy, and their roles in the scandal were made clear. Along with them, one-third of their acolytes were also dismissed.

However, as the news settled in, it became apparent that this was far from a complete victory. While the dismissal of those directly involved was significant, the real powers behind the scenes remained untouched. The Nephilim's main Hall 6, as well as the Aryan faction's Hall 15, were left unscathed. Worse still, the headmaster himself remained unaffected, by his involvement—or at least his oversight. ####

That night, as the moonlight bathed the academy grounds in a silvery glow, Emery received an unexpected visitor—Grand Magus Aurora, the Oracle and Deputy Headmaster of the Academy. Her arrival was not casual; she had come with purpose. Emery bowed respectfully, his gratitude for her previous guidance evident. Yet, his voice held a weight of disappointment that he couldn't hide. Aurora's expression softened as she regarded him, "Ask me the questions that have troubled your mind," she said, her voice gentle but commanding.

He hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully before finally asking,

"Is the headmaster involved in this matter?"

The Oracle's lips curled into a subtle smile, though her eyes held no amusement.

"You already know the answer to that," she said adding a surprising reply "and that is not the question that truly troubles you."

As if reading his very soul, Aurora whispered,

"You are wondering how far the corruption truly goes… You question the Alliance itself... You wonder whether they are truly worthy of your loyalty."

Her words struck him like lightning. It was as if she had spoken aloud the very thoughts he had tried to suppress. She had unveiled his deepest doubts—about the system he had fought so hard to integrate into, about the Magus Alliance that governed the universe, and about his place within it. For some time now, Emery had felt the growing cracks in the structure he once believed in. The injustice suffered, Fuxi's death, and now the Academy's corruption—it all pointed to a system that wasn't just flawed, but perhaps irreparably broken.

He and his friends from the lower realms had struggled, and clawed their way up, fighting not just enemies but the very fabric of the society they were trying to thrive in. Was it even worth it? Could this system be salvaged, or was it rotten to its core?

Meeting the Oracle's eyes, Emery was waiting for an answer to his dilemma.

The Oracle's gaze deepened as if she were seeing far beyond the present moment, gazing into futures not yet written. Her voice, when she spoke, was both a warning and a revelation.

"You can choose to be an idealist or a realist... You can be a hero to some and a villain to others. ....Wisdom lies in knowing that both paths carry their truth."

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that seemed to echo in his very soul.

"But you… you are something else... You are the destiny breaker... Your choices will shape the fate of more than just yourself, more than just the academy, more than the alliance itself... You have the power to become the savior of this universe… or its destroyer... The path you walk is yours to choose. But every choice you make pushes you closer to one fate or the other."

The Oracle's words sank deep into Emery's mind, like a seed planted in fertile soil.