Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 127: Adelaide Goes Missing

Within the boundless void, Victoria drifted in her spirit form, her luminous form gliding through the darkness with supernatural grace. The space surrounding her was unstable, frequently tearing apart in violent ruptures that released blinding torrents of raw energy. Each time this happened, Victoria calmly extended her hands, her fingers dancing in intricate patterns as she seamlessly resealed the breaches, manipulating the chaotic forces with the practiced ease of someone who had long mastered such skills.

As she continued her journey through this otherworldly expanse, Victoria suddenly halted, an unfamiliar sensation of dread washing over her. Something felt profoundly wrong, a disturbance beyond the normal instabilities of this realm.

"Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?" she whispered, her voice carrying strangely in the dimensionless void.

Victoria glanced down at her hand where an ornate ring adorned her slender finger. She pressed it repeatedly, frustration growing with each failed attempt. The magical device remained stubbornly unresponsive in this place.

She sighed, understanding the limitations imposed by this realm. Even with her considerable power, she couldn't establish a connection with Ambrose or check his status through their normal channels. The only reassurance she had was the faint sense that her son still lived.

Determination hardened her features as she resumed her forward journey. Ambrose, please hang on, she thought resolutely. Mom will definitely come back.

…

Meanwhile, in a very different realm, Ambrose found himself in a precarious situation within Princess Athena's royal chambers. He lay helplessly on the cold floor, his slender wrists pinned firmly above his head by the transformed princess's single powerful hand. His mental strength exhausted, he could only stare upward as Athena knelt over him, her bestial features fixed in an expression of triumphant hunger.

For a moment, she simply observed him, her feline eyes drinking in every detail of his vulnerable form with undisguised appreciation. Then she leaned forward until their faces were mere inches apart, her warm breath washing over his skin in sharp contrast to the cold hand now sliding beneath his shirt.

Ambrose felt her fingers tracing across his chest, the intimate contact sending a jolt of alarm through him. His analytical mind, even in this compromised position, couldn't help wondering about the mechanics of her transformation skill. Why hadn't it deactivated yet? The duration seemed improbably extended, defying the normal limitations of such abilities.

Before he could pursue this line of thought further, Athena closed the remaining distance between them. Her transformed features drew inexorably closer as she went in for a kiss...

…

In the chaotic aftermath of the attack on the Heroes Association, Meihua and Adelaide had taken refuge behind an overturned merchant carriage, its wooden frame offering minimal protection from the violence erupting around them. The two young women crouched low, the rough cobblestones digging into their knees as they periodically risked quick glances above their makeshift barricade to assess the battlefield.

The confrontation between Chairman Darius and the rooster-masked figure had escalated dramatically, their clash sending shockwaves through the surrounding architecture. Each impact of their exchange created fissures in nearby buildings, dust and debris raining down with each thunderous collision. Though neither combatant showed signs of yielding, the chairman's uniform hung in tatters around his muscular frame, revealing a network of fresh wounds alongside his older battle scars.

Despite many of the black-cloaked assailants having pursued Ambrose and Princess Athena, a significant number remained engaged in combat with Marcus. His blade flashed in the afternoon light as he systematically cut down opponents, his movements fluid and precise despite being significantly outnumbered.

Adelaide cautiously raised her head once more from behind the carriage, her merchant's instinct for situational awareness compelling her to gather information. Her breath caught suddenly as she found herself staring directly into the shadowed face of a black-cloaked figure who had silently flanked their position. The enemy's mask revealed only a pair of cold, calculating eyes that locked with hers in a moment of mutual surprise.

Frozen in place, Adelaide's mind raced through her limited options. Her recent training sessions with Marcus had improved her physical capabilities significantly—she could now perform basic defensive maneuvers and even some rudimentary sword techniques. Yet she remained woefully unprepared for actual combat, especially without a weapon. Her mind automatically calculated the odds of survival, and the results were decidedly unfavorable.

Before she could decide on a course of action, the assailant had already drawn his blade in one fluid motion, the steel gleaming ominously as he lunged toward her exposed position. Adelaide's training had improved her reflexes, but not nearly enough to dodge an attack of this speed. Her eyes widened as she realized she wouldn't be able to evade in time.

In the fraction of a second before the blade connected, Adelaide felt herself suddenly propelled sideways, her body lifted entirely off the ground. Meihua had reacted with astonishing speed, throwing herself bodily against Adelaide and sending them both tumbling beyond the attacker's reach. They crashed ungracefully onto the hard cobblestones several feet away, the impact driving the breath from Adelaide's lungs as sharp pain blossomed across her shoulder and hip.

Gasping for air, Adelaide rolled onto her side just in time to witness their former hiding place being cleaved perfectly in two, the heavy wooden carriage splitting apart as though it were parchment beneath the attacker's blade. Splinters exploded outward, pieces of the severed vehicle clattering across the street in a shower of destruction.

The black-cloaked figure stood motionless for a moment, seemingly examining his handiwork before slowly turning to face the two prone women. His posture radiated calm confidence as he approached them with measured steps, sword poised for a finishing strike. Adelaide and Meihua remained sprawled on the ground, neither having recovered sufficiently from their desperate evasion to attempt another escape.

As the attacker raised his weapon for the killing blow, his body suddenly jerked, his fluid movement interrupted by an unexpected impact. An arrow protruded from his back, its shaft quivering with the force of its penetration. The assailant whirled around in surprise, searching for this new threat—only to be met by Marcus's blade sweeping in a perfect horizontal arc. The precision strike separated the man's head from his shoulders in a single clean motion, ending the confrontation instantly.

Marcus stood over the fallen enemy, breath slightly elevated from his exertions. He knelt to examine the arrow lodged in the corpse, carefully extracting it for closer inspection. The projectile's design caught his attention immediately—its craftsmanship matched neither the Kingdom's standardized military equipment nor the distinctive styling of Imperial weaponry.

"A civilian weapon?" he murmured, brow furrowing as he scanned the surrounding rooftops and windows, seeking the unseen archer who had provided such timely assistance. Yet despite his keen perception, he could detect no sign of the mysterious ally. Had they retreated immediately after taking the shot?

Setting aside this puzzle temporarily, Marcus turned his attention to the two women. "Are you guys okay?" he called, crossing the distance to where they still lay recovering.

"Yeah, thanks," Meihua responded, accepting Marcus's outstretched hand as he helped her to her feet. Her clothing was disheveled and smudged with dirt from the rough landing, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.

Marcus glanced around, his expression shifting to confusion. "Where is Adelaide?" he asked, scanning their immediate surroundings.

"What do you mean? She was just here a second ago…" Meihua replied, turning to indicate where Adelaide should have been—only to find empty cobblestones where her companion had lain moments before. "That's strange, I could've sworn she was here," she added, her voice tinged with genuine bewilderment.

Marcus frowned deeply, surveying the area with growing concern. He had clearly seen both women just seconds earlier, yet Adelaide had vanished without a trace during the brief exchange. It seemed implausible that she would have fled voluntarily, especially without alerting Meihua—and Adelaide had never struck him as someone who would abandon her companions.

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A more troubling possibility formed in his mind: had someone taken her during those few moments of distraction? If so, they would need to be extraordinarily skilled to abduct someone so quickly without leaving evidence—and without either Marcus or Meihua noticing despite their proximity.

"Follow me," Marcus decided, already moving with purposeful strides. "We'll look around for her before joining up with the young master." His voice carried a note of urgency that matched the gravity of the situation.

Meihua nodded silently, falling into step behind him as they began their search for their missing companion.

…

Hualing carved through the remaining black-cloaked assailants with surgical precision, her bloodforged weapon gleaming crimson in the fading light. The royal knights who attempted to intercept her fared no better, their training proving inadequate against her ruthless efficiency. Bodies collapsed in her wake, their blood rising to join the crimson fabric of her dress like tributaries flowing to a river.

Finally, she stood before the massive reinforced door of the princess's chamber, her expression cold and focused. She didn't need their oath-bond to locate her master now—the connection was merely confirmation of what her enhanced senses already told her. His scent, uniquely familiar to her, permeated the air despite the thick barriers between them.