Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

"This is just too much… I can't die here yet…"

With a plan in his mind, Vale signaled a retreat, leading Gorath and Zarvok through the twisted paths of the Abyss towards the Rift that Azzak had used.

Standing before the Rift, Vale did not hesitate...

He hadn't met the Demon Lord yet, and barely knew the places of the Rift inside the Abyss Realm… He didn't even have a good grasp of its place yet. However, to stay would be to risk everything he had learned, everything he could still achieve with this Avatar.

With a heavy heart, he rushed to the Rift. The knowledge he had gained about the Abyss Realm was still too valuable to be lost!

Whom~

Vale stepped through the Rift, the Demon Generals in tow. The transition was abrupt, the chaos of the Abyss replaced by the charged atmosphere of the Human Realm.

But there was no respite.

As they emerged, a barrage of arcane energy and even celestial arts greeted them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Vale had no choice but to deploy his Spell Dispersion hastily followed by Darkness Manipulation and Water Vortex to defend from the remaining Spells.

With his remaining energy, he even summoned his Ember Spirit and Wind Spirit! Just like that, Vale displayed five Spells at the same time!

Boom!

"That's enough!" Vale shouted…

The Arcane Bureau, alongside their most formidable Half-Immortals, had formed a barricade around the Rift.

Spells and weapons were unleashed in a relentless assault, a clear message that no entity from the Abyss would find easy passage here.

Vale parried and defended himself and the two Demon Generals.

As for the Celestial Arts thrown by Director Selene, Captain Stone, Seraphina, and Lucian, Shane had personally stepped in and used his Black Runic Sword to destroy them with Shadow Divinity…

Gorath and Zarvok could tell that the attacks aimed at them were too strong. They could only trust their new master to keep them safe until the bombardment was over.

"Hmph! A Demon Saints imitating an Immortal… Kill him!" Director Selene shouted.

The Half-Immortals of the Bureau, recognizing the prowess of their unexpected adversaries, redoubled their efforts.

Their attacks were more concentrated as they summoned a power that was perfected to subdue the greatest threats from the Abyss.

In the midst of the fray, Vale's eyes met those of Director Selene, her gaze sharp with recognition and surprise.

A moment of silent communication passed between them—a realization that the situation was not as it seemed!

"Wait!"

With a gesture from Selene, the Bureau ceased their attack, the air still vibrating with the echoes of their Arcane Spells.

Vale, seizing the moment of calm, spoke… "Are you that agitated, and you can't even recognize me? We are not your enemy. These two Demons are now under my command, and the knowledge we bring is vital..."

"Shadow Immortal?" Seraphina asked, her eyes widened in shock.

"That's me…"

"How--What are you doing inside the Abyss?" Lucian asked in confusion, but he immediately shook his head. It doesn't seem to be surprising that a true Immortal was able to enter the Abyss…

He even captured to high-ranking Demons in the process.

'So it's true that this Immortal excels in Psychic Arts…' Director Selene thought.

The revelation shifted the atmosphere from hostility to a wary alliance.

The Bureau lowered their weapons, and the Half-Immortals stepped back, their expressions a mix of curiosity and caution.

Because of this, Vale and the Demon Generals were escorted to the Bureau's stronghold, where they would share their intelligence and forge a new plan of defense.

The battle at this Rift was over, but the war against the Abyss was just beginning…

***

Meanwhile, amidst the continent-wide chaos formed by the Rifts, Vale's castle was still peaceful within the Forbidden Forest.

Its four outer barriers remained unbreached, a testament to the formidable defenses laid by Vale, Magnus, and the Immortals.

Within the castle walls, Vale's main body was still sitting cross-legged near the two Dragons. His presence was still so powerful that even the thought of an assault seemed folly to any would-be aggressors.

Of course, the castle was not solely under Vale's watchful eye. Four Immortals, each a Paragon of their own, had sought refuge there, slowly regaining their Divinity in the safety of its hallowed halls.

Their presence alone was a deterrent to any demonic incursion since they weren't hiding their Divinity!

Additionally, two majestic Dragons secretly lay in wait, ready to be unleashed upon Vale's command, just their dragon's breath would probably more than enough to destroy a horde of Demons.

There was also Denise, the castle's Golem Expert. She had fortified the defenses further with her Golems or what Vale would sometimes call as Androids—creations of precious stones, metals, and magic that patrolled the grounds tirelessly.

At this time, they were more than capable of handling the lesser demons that lurked in the forest's shadows from time to time.

On the seventh day of the Abyss Realm's invasion, as the morning sun cast its golden rays through the window of her laboratory, Denise was roused from her slumber by an urgent report.

'What is it this time?' Denise frowned. She would always receive reports in the morning whether urgent or not, so she wasn't too bothered.

Anyway, one of her androids, one that was dispatched to monitor the surrounding forests and settlements, brought news of a spreading plague.

"A plague?" Denise frowned as he thought that Vale's Avatar had already taken care of the Demons who were planning to spread the plague.

Anyway, she had to take this seriously. A plague that originated from the Abyss could be extremely dangerous for their Human Realm.

Denise then continued reading the report.

Well, the small villages had already evacuated to larger towns and cities capable of withstanding a demonic siege.

Right now, they only have to focus on a few areas to contain the plague.

'Tsk… Dealing with Demon horde is probably better than this…' Denise muttered as she couldn't help but pity the people who were facing this new, insidious threat.

Denise sighed as her mind raced with possibilities and solutions. She knew that time was of the essence and that the right medicine or potion could mean the difference between life and death.

Without hesitation, Denise reached out to Lisa the Vampire…

"Lisa, we have a situation…" Denise began, her voice steady despite the urgency.

"A plague is spreading through the towns and cities surrounding our forest. We need to identify the cause and find a cure before it's too late. There are many possible solutions to different plagues, but there's no all-in-one medicine for it. We have to study it…"

Lisa, was already getting bored in the castle so she wasted no time.

"I'll send a message to Vale then… Anyway, I just have to gather samples and question the victims, right? Then, we'll find the source of this plague…"

"That's right… Make sure not to make contact with them. Use your familiars so you won't get affected… Even if you're a Vampire, we don't know what plague it is, so it's better to be careful" Denise replied.

"Got it." Lisa replied.

Lisa then left the laboratory to report to Vale and to gather more information.

The androids' capabilities to gather information were just too limited. It wasn't that advanced yet since it hadn't been two years since she started the Golem Creation, after all.

Nonetheless, thanks to Lisa's familiars, the gathering of information didn't even take a day.

Denise, with Magnus' help, worked tirelessly in their laboratory, analyzing the data Lisa provided.

Their potions in the laboratory started bubbling as they brewed the medicine needed by the affected.

After a couple of days passed, the fruits of their labor began to show.

However, their investigation uncovered the plague's chilling origins.

They initially thought that it was a Demonic Curse or some sort of virus that was brought by the Demon's bodies.

Magnus also had the same thoughts. He believed that it was spread by the lesser demons that had slipped through the Rifts. That was why he aimed to use anti-demon ingredients as the main materials for the potion.

However, that wasn't the case at all!

The reality was far more sinister.

Apparently, Vale informed Lisa that something was off about this plague.

Lisa took it seriously and, with her continued pursuit of the truth, coupled with the Arcane Bureau's resources, unveiled a startling revelation.

The plague was not a byproduct of the demonic invasion but a deliberate act of sabotage by the Church of the Eminence of the Sea—a faction whose motives were shrouded in darkness.

The news sent ripples of shock through Vale's stronghold.

Even Vale, who had seen the depths of treachery the world could harbor, felt a cold anger at this betrayal of humanity.

With the urgency of the situation escalating, he issued a command to the two Immortals in his castle…

"Go forth and dismantle this malevolent Church…" Vale commanded, his voice tinged with a simmering fury.