Chapter 17: Hush Money and Shattered Illusions

The forest was dead silent, save for the crackling of the burning trees.

The red barrier in the sky finally flickered and dissolved back into the familiar, artificial blue. A split second later, the treeline exploded.

Dozens of high-ranking Academy Instructors, led by a tall, sharp-eyed man in an immaculate white suit, burst into the clearing.

This was Headmaster Vane.

He took one look at the obliterated Level 25 Eclipse Forged Amalgam, the scorched earth, and the exhausted first-year students, and the color completely drained from his face.

A terrorist had bypassed his multi-billion credit security grid and almost slaughtered the most valuable generation of cadets in the country.

If the public found out, the Academy would be ruined.

Headmaster Vane quickly regained his composure. He noticed the hovering camera drones emerging from the trees to broadcast the aftermath. He plastered on a proud, booming smile.

"Incredible!" Headmaster Vane shouted, clapping his hands together.

"Absolutely incredible! You have all survived the Surprise Elite Survival Scenario!"

The students stared at him in utter confusion.

"A surprise scenario?" Neville Hennesy asked, his breathing still heavy.

"Indeed!" Vane lied smoothly, walking into the center of the clearing for the cameras.

"The Vanguard Combat Trial was merely a warmup. We unleashed a controlled Boss-tier anomaly to test the absolute limits of our top rankers under extreme pressure. And you all passed with flying colors! However, because this was an unannounced team exercise, all individual points for Round Two are officially voided!"

Neville froze. His perfect, heroic smile twitched violently.

Voided. The 100 points he had just risked his life to steal.

The massive lead he thought he had secured.

And worst of all, the bet he had made with Draven Mordis.

If the points were voided, there was no winner. He could not claim his prize. He could not claim Estella.

Neville swallowed his rage, forcing a nod of understanding.

"As expected of the Academy. A brilliant test of our resolve."

Aegon Logcheville scoffed loudly, wiping blood from his forehead. He saw right through the political bullshit.

"A surprise test. Right. Tell that to the real corpses scattered in the outer zones."

"To commend your outstanding performance," Headmaster Vane continued quickly, raising his voice to drown out Aegon.

"The Academy will be awarding everyone present in this clearing the Vanguard Bravery Medal, along with a bonus deposit of fifty thousand scholarship credits!"

Draven stood near the trees, watching the Headmaster hand out literal hush money.

The Academy was bribing them to keep their mouths shut about the fact that a cultist had infiltrated the exam.

’Fifty thousand credits is not a bad payout for keeping a secret I wanted to keep anyway,’ Draven thought.

"Reina!"

Neville’s voice broke Draven’s train of thought.

The Golden Boy was rushing over to where Reina Frost was sitting on a broken log, currently being patched up by an Academy medic.

Neville knelt beside her, putting on his most sorrowful, caring expression.

"Reina, thank the Light you are safe. When that beast cornered you, my heart stopped. I tried to reach you, I really did, but I had to strike the monster to save us all. I am so sorry."

Reina looked at him. For years, she had looked at Neville Hennesy and seen a shining, flawless hero.

She had devoted her time, her Guild resources, and her heart to him.

But right now, looking into his bright blue eyes, she felt nothing but a cold, hollow disgust.

She remembered looking at him while the monster raised its claw.

She remembered him looking back, seeing her imminent death, and choosing to attack the monster’s blind spot instead.

He didn’t try to save her. He traded her life for points.

"Save it, Neville," Reina said, her voice dripping with absolute frost.

Neville blinked, genuinely taken aback.

"Reina, please. You have to understand tactical sacrifices..."

"I understand perfectly," Reina cut him off.

She pushed past the medic, ignoring the stabbing pain in her ribs, and stood up.

She did not spare the Golden Boy another glance.

Instead, she limped directly over to Draven.

Draven looked at her as she approached.

Reina stopped a few feet away.

She took a deep breath and bowed her head respectfully.

"You saved my life, Mordis," Reina said sincerely.

"You crossed the entire clearing just to pull me out. I owe you a debt. The Silver Aegis Guild owes you a debt. Thank you."

Before Draven could respond, a small, dark shadow stepped between them.

Estella stepped right in front of Draven. She puffed her cheeks out slightly, glaring up at Reina with fiercely territorial violet eyes.

She crossed her arms, physically blocking Draven’s line of sight to Reina’s customized, form-fitting uniform.

"He accepts your thanks," Estella declared, her voice sharp and protective.

"Now you should go rest. Your ribs are broken."

Reina blinked, completely caught off guard by the tiny, furious girl guarding Draven like a dragon guarding a treasure hoard.

Reina let out a sudden, genuine laugh, wincing slightly as it pulled her bruised chest.

"Alright, alright. I am going," Reina smiled. She looked at Draven one last time. "See you around, Wingman."

As Reina walked back to Natalie Tokks, Draven looked down at Estella, highly amused.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Estella huffed, looking away, though her ears were burning bright red.

"She was standing too close."

Draven chuckled quietly. But his amusement was suddenly interrupted by a cascade of blinding blue screens materializing in his vision.

[Ding!]

[Directive 02 Complete!]

[Fatal Anomaly Prevented. Fourteen Cadets Saved.]

[Hidden Objective Achieved: The Winter Valkyrie’s ’Fatal Devotion’ has been completely shattered.]

[A major tragic subplot has been erased from the timeline.]

[Calculating Reward...]

[Reward: 5,000 System Points!]

[Current Balance: 5,500 System Points.]

Draven’s breath hitched. Five thousand System Points. The payout for completely hijacking a major character arc was astronomical.

He finally had enough capital to open the Vault of Anomalies and buy something that could genuinely break the rules of this world.

"Attention, Cadets!" Headmaster Vane’s voice boomed once more, drawing everyone’s focus.

"Since the points for Round Two have been voided, the final Freshman Rankings are currently tied. Therefore, the absolute hierarchy of this class, and the title of Freshman Representative, will be decided entirely by Round Three!"

The Headmaster pointed toward the distant, towering walls of the Academy.

"Tomorrow, you will enter the arena for the Tactical Duels. One-on-one combat. No holding back. May the best Vanguard win!"

Draven looked across the clearing. Neville was glaring at him with barely concealed hatred.

A few yards away, Aegon Logcheville was resting his silver spear on his shoulders, staring at Draven with a bloodthirsty, manic grin. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The grudges were set. The pleasantries were over. Tomorrow, they were going to tear each other apart in front of the entire world.

’Perfect,’ Draven thought, dismissing his System screen with a cold, predatory smile.

’Let them come.’