HUNTERS ALLIANCE - CHAPTER 12 CRACKS BENEATH THE CELEBRATION

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Chapter 12: Cracks Beneath the Celebration

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The capital of Rashenghart glittered beneath the evening sky.

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Golden lights illuminated the streets while music drifted through the air.

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Inside one of the grandest halls in the kingdom, nobles, high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and influential military figures gathered for a lavish celebration.

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Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

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Servants moved through the crowd carrying silver trays filled with expensive food and drinks.

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Laughter echoed across the room.

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Tonight was not a night for worry.

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It was a night for celebration.

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A massive banner hung above the ballroom.

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"Three Hundred Years Under the Barrier."

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One official raised a glass.

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"To the Barrier!"

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The crowd cheered.

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"To the Barrier!"

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Glasses clinked together.

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A musician began playing near the stage while nobles danced.

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Near one of the balconies, several older officials stood together discussing politics.

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One of them, a man with gray hair and a sharp beard, frowned slightly.

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"I still find it strange."

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Another official looked at him.

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"What is?"

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"We have no official ruler."

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The small group fell silent.

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A woman dressed in blue nodded.

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"He has a point."

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The bearded official took a sip from his glass.

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"Every kingdom has a king."

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"Or a queen."

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"Or an emperor."

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"But not us."

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Another man chuckled.

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"Technically we do."

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The others turned toward him.

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He shrugged.

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"The royal bloodline still exists."

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"Then where are they?" the woman asked.

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No one answered immediately.

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The man rubbed his chin.

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"The royal family withdrew from politics generations ago."

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"Which makes no sense."

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"Perhaps they preferred peace."

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"Or perhaps they were pushed out."

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The conversation grew quieter.

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One official glanced around before speaking.

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"Careful."

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"We shouldn't discuss such matters publicly."

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The others nodded.

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The topic changed.

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Yet curiosity remained in their eyes.

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Because everyone knew the same thing.

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Rashenghart had a royal bloodline.

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Yet nobody ruled.

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The kingdom instead operated through councils, bureaus, military departments, and governing committees.

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It worked.

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Mostly.

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But lately...

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More people were beginning to question it.

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Meanwhile, at the center of the ballroom, another group laughed loudly.

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One merchant raised his drink.

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"The Barrier has protected us for centuries!"

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Cheers followed.

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Another noble grinned.

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"At this point I doubt it'll ever fall."

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Several people agreed.

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None of them noticed the worried expressions exchanged by a few military officers standing nearby.

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Not everyone shared their confidence.

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---

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Far from the celebration.

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Deep inside the Alliance Bureau headquarters.

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The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.

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Unlike the Hunters Alliance, the Alliance Bureau focused on administration, records, intelligence gathering, logistics, and national security reports.

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Their job was information.

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And tonight...

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Information had become very dangerous.

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Rows of clerks worked late into the night.

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Stacks of reports covered countless desks.

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In one secure chamber, several analysts gathered around a table.

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A young woman hurried inside carrying a folder.

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"Director!"

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An older man looked up.

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"What is it?"

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She placed the folder on the table.

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"You need to see this."

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The director opened it.

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His eyes narrowed.

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Then widened.

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"What?"

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Several analysts moved closer.

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The room became silent.

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Page after page contained monster activity reports.

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Migration routes.

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Sightings.

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Attack patterns.

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Mana fluctuations.

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Everything appeared normal.

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Until the final pages.

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One analyst frowned.

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"That's impossible."

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Another swallowed.

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"No..."

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The director slowly stood.

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"Check the numbers again."

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"We already did."

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"Then check them again."

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The young analyst nodded nervously.

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Minutes passed.

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No one spoke.

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Eventually she looked up.

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Her face had become pale.

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"The calculations are correct."

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Silence.

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The director's hand tightened around the report.

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"The barrier's outer mana density..."

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His voice lowered.

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"...is decreasing."

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Several people immediately stood.

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"What?"

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"By how much?"

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The director looked at the chart.

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"Not enough to alarm the public."

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"Yet."

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A heavy silence followed.

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"But enough to concern us."

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One analyst shook his head.

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"Could it be natural?"

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"No."

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The director's answer came instantly.

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"The decline pattern is too consistent."

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Another analyst looked nervous.

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"Should we inform the council?"

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The director stared at the report.

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"They already have dozens of warnings."

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"And they keep delaying action."

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The room fell quiet again.

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Everyone understood what that meant.

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If the barrier truly weakened...

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The consequences would be catastrophic.

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And nobody outside this room knew.

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---

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Hundreds of kilometers away.

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Commander Aaron stood atop a watchtower overlooking the northern frontier.

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Cold wind battered his coat.

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Below him, soldiers moved through a small fortified settlement.

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The atmosphere was tense.

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Exhausted hunters returned from patrols.

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Supply wagons sat nearly empty.

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Medical tents overflowed.

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Aaron's jaw clenched.

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A soldier approached carefully.

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"Commander."

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Aaron didn't look away from the horizon.

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"What?"

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"The latest supply request was denied."

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His fists tightened.

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"Denied?"

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"The Hunters Alliance says they're still processing allocations."

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Aaron laughed.

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A cold laugh.

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The kind that contained no humor.

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"Processing."

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The soldier remained silent.

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Aaron turned.

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His sharp eyes were filled with frustration.

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"Do they think monsters wait for paperwork?"

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"No, sir."

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"Do they think injured hunters can eat paperwork?"

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"No, sir."

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Aaron paced across the tower.

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Each step heavier than the last.

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"We requested supplies three weeks ago."

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"Yes, sir."

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"We requested reinforcements two weeks ago."

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"Yes, sir."

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"And now?"

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The soldier lowered his head.

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"No response."

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Aaron slammed his fist against the wooden railing.

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The loud crack startled nearby guards.

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"Damn it!"

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Several birds flew from nearby trees.

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Aaron stared toward the distant wilderness.

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The endless forest stretched across the horizon.

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Dark.

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Silent.

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Dangerous.

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Something felt wrong.

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His instincts screamed it.

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The monster attacks were increasing.

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Patrols reported strange movements.

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Scouting teams vanished more frequently.

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Yet the Hunters Alliance continued moving slowly.

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Too slowly.

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Aaron exhaled heavily.

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"If they won't send help..."

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His voice hardened.

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"We'll survive with what we have."

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The soldier nodded.

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But neither man looked convinced.

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---

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Back at the academy.

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Instructor Reese sat alone in her office.

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The room was dark except for a single lamp.

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Several reports rested on her desk.

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Normally she remained calm.

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Calculated.

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Composed.

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Tonight was different.

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Her fingers tapped the desk repeatedly.

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Tap.

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Tap.

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Tap.

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A rare sign of irritation.

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Earlier that day she had overheard students gossiping.

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At first she ignored it.

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Students created rumors constantly.

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Most weren't worth attention.

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But this rumor refused to disappear.

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Every hallway.

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Every classroom.

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Every training ground.

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The same story.

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Government officials had personally visited Roshan Ryn.

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At first she dismissed it.

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Then more students mentioned it.

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Then more.

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And more.

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Eventually she summoned her assistant.

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The young man stood nervously before her desk.

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"You wanted to see me?"

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"Verify something."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnys1Axb7s

"Yes, ma'am."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOq5m3FYLtV

"The rumors regarding Roshan."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdyhqiHh8V

The assistant hesitated.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IhLt1IzKD

Then his expression changed.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplWvO7TZVy

And immediately Reese knew.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9GzY3ourK

"They're true."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95BkI3ulum

The assistant nodded.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5MKj1iKWL

"Unfortunately."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3mjoCfvTW

Silence.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnr3BBKiZz

A dangerous silence.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgVR5VRYc9

"Who authorized it?"

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLTpqd8t5d

"We don't know."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbYNBsiRMz

"And nobody informed me?"

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaENjCGrky0

"No, ma'am."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQB6IKUCVa

The assistant wisely remained still.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQoa0KcKHc

Reese dismissed him shortly afterward.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbah4qcGorv

Now she sat alone.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdomMkscCB

Thinking.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h96ErIZeV

Analyzing.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcyiNTzx6A

Calculating.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy2D3kOe1L

Someone had interfered.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU9PdUxV1e

Someone powerful.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulxpOjGJ7f

Powerful enough to bypass academy channels.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JztzY2yvy

Powerful enough to send government officials directly to a trainee.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRKOWMYr08

Her eyes narrowed.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSFTGzOXOi

A few names surfaced in her mind.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdQtJR250L

Council members.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AtTmCBhFO

Alliance directors.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSc3Jmo5Tp9

Military commanders.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTyklBBAAO

Political figures.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDcLA4sa1H

One by one she dismissed them.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesQ4UQPX1e

No.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2af3JGv53o

It didn't fit.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtoofpG21p

Then another possibility appeared.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUi9gZtwaaX

And for the first time...

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWkLoYDdUx

Reese felt uneasy.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPjna0wCSd

Her chair creaked as she leaned back.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHzerD3YkB

"No..."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RNBRe3zeH

She whispered.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tDPB2soc1

"Surely not."

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVEj7LoA5p

If she was right...

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTSCOmQPkg

Then Roshan had attracted attention from someone far more important than she initially thought.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMskv0g3FZ2

Someone she couldn't easily manipulate.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DC0roUUBg

Someone capable of disrupting years of planning.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsecHV9aUEY

Her expression darkened.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zXzc0z1FZ

Outside the office window, the academy grounds remained peaceful.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8K3F7tChC

Students laughed.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZVzYB4k5x

Others prepared for tomorrow's physical assessment.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7t1lVSF2N

Nobody noticed the storm building beneath the surface.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1zT8jggDw

Meanwhile, far beyond the kingdom's borders...

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCssREYm1z

Far beyond the barrier...

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnsbIXc7fh

Something enormous opened its eyes.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNbesOzC0u

Deep underground.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPPDzBwHE4

Hidden beneath layers of stone.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0OOAxPaVS

Ancient blue light illuminated a cavern larger than entire cities.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgZVajAyLK

The creature slowly stirred.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nxdJGY0lc

Mana surged through the surrounding walls.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe1dv3oHwz

Cracks spread across ancient crystal formations.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHBWltYzx5

A low rumble echoed through the darkness.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtKUqtuKyh

Then...

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1p9pzkYOA

A single massive claw emerged from the shadows.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoLTQ7hLGE

And somewhere within the Alliance Bureau, a warning crystal suddenly shattered.

17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIoQ7REx6L

To Be Continued...17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65NpxHCpuW

ns216.73.217.22da2

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