Chapter 13: Arcane Guardian

"Cease the tumult," declared a man dressed entirely in pure white. His appearance resembled that of a scholar, exuding an air of tranquility as he walked through the air as if floating.

With a graceful motion of his hand, he quelled the sword might emanating from the Enchantorium Institute's blade.

The people breathed easier upon seeing this, yet all eyes remained fixated on him. Even the recently arrived forces couldn't help but turn their attention to both the Enchantorium representatives and the enigmatic man.

"Hmph!"

"Is that how little regard the Nexus Arcane Academy has for the Eastern Mystralias Continent Conference to send someone like you?" the Elder of the Enchantorium, standing beside an older man with a long beard, spoke with a hint of irritation and disdain in his voice.

The young man couldn't help but smile warmly, his almond-shaped eyes practically disappearing and dimples appearing on his cheek. His charisma was undeniable, enough to captivate anyone in his presence, regardless of their gender.

"8th Elder Maramba, even if I'm the only one here, I can handle all of you with ease."

"Fool!"

"Shameless!"

"Arrogant!"

The passengers on the large blade couldn't help but mutter, their voices filled with disapproval, but the old man raised his hand ever so slightly, silencing them all.

The newcomers couldn't help but be amused by the encounter between the Enchantorium Institute members and the sole representative of the Nexus Arcane Academy.

Some shook their heads at the young man's words, but they couldn't deny his abilities. Jared was a scholar from the Nexus Arcane Academy, well-known for being one of the top 10 promising arcanists, more commonly referred to as the "Top 10 Junior Arcanists of Mystralia" throughout the entirety of Mystralia.

The release of this list garnered widespread attention across the continent due to its accurate predictions of Arcanist rankings and the rankings of forces such as clans, sects, kingdoms, empires, and schools. So when it was discovered that someone from the Eastern Continent had made the list, it took everyone by surprise. An investigation into the young man's identity ensued, revealing that he was a student of the Nexus Arcane Academy, yet his specific achievements remained a mystery.

"Elder, but..." Elder Maramba was about to retort when he noticed the darkening presence of the First Elder, Signus.

He fell silent and obeyed the command.

After the brief encounter, Jared was about to descend when he received a message on his transmission stone.

'Senior brother, strange phenomena are happening right now where you assigned me.'

'What is it?'

'I'm currently in a village near the Night Forest, just taking a stroll when I noticed an awakening taking place, so I decided to observe...'

'Then what?'

'You won't believe what I saw...'

'Tell me now, don't keep me hanging, or you'll regret it.'

'Two arcane guardians made a reappearance.'

Jared's excitement was evident, even through the transmission stone.

'Shoot, are you telling the truth?'

'That's not all. The awakening is complete with a 100% success rate, and the ranking system is about to begin any moment. You might be interested in overseeing it.'

'Okay, give me 10 minutes, I'll be there.'

Jared briefly excused himself from the Conference Host, knowing that the meeting wouldn't begin until later, as some of the participants had yet to arrive.

While some wondered about his sudden departure, many hardly noticed it amidst the lively atmosphere that surrounded them.

***

Upon hearing her name, Izy ascended the stage with a joyful stride, exuding confidence. She was convinced that she would pass the test, especially since her older brother Iñigo had already succeeded. This gave her a strong belief in herself that she could surpass his achievement.

A massive screen hung overhead, casting a luminous glow upon the stage. On it, Izy's profile information was prominently displayed, gradually joined by the revelation of her arcane power. The audience watched in eager anticipation as the details of her abilities unfurled before their eyes.

Name: Izy Sullivan

Age: 6 years old

Gender: Female

Place of Birth: Whitewood Village, Kingdom of Salamanca

Arcane power: Unknown

Arcane title: Electrifying Butterfly

A collective gasp swept through the crowd as Izy unveiled her profile information, leaving them in stunned amazement.

When Jared arrived at the village Archie had mentioned, the first thing he noticed was the invisible forcefield enveloping the entire area.

"It's an auxiliary type," he muttered, astounded by the strength of the barrier.

"Yes, Senior brother, that was the first thing I noticed when I came here. It suddenly appeared and surrounded everything, so I immediately left," Archie explained.

"How long has this been going on?"

" I've only been here for two hours."

"Good," Jared replied, placing his hand on Archie's head and concentrating.

"You, senior brother," Archie grumbled with a scolding tone, but Jared couldn't help but smile at the young man's expression.

"Interesting," Jared uttered as he observed Izy's profile.

It has been quite some time since they last encountered an arcane guardian. In Mystralia, only a few are knowledgeable about what is referred to as an Arcane Guardian because, unbeknownst to them, there are only three categories of arcane power. However, the ancient powers and academy know that arcane power is not limited to just these categories, as there are still many undiscovered special powers. Some scholars continue to search for answers regarding the truth behind arcane power, whether it has limitations or undergoes mutations and variants.

One of the things that Nexus Arcane Academy possesses is the ability to discover the world of arcane. Hence, an endless mission is always posted on the school's mission center.

Representing the academy at the Eastern continent of Mystralia conference is where Archie and Jared were found. Coincidentally, Jared was qualified to take on this mission. Furthermore, Jared knew that the mission was not dangerous, so he brought Archie along.

Currently, Jared is the Head of the Student Council for Exploring the Arcane Guardian. However, the two of them did not anticipate meeting the possessor of the Arcane Guardian, so their excitement was uncontrollable.

"Actually, Senior brother, I felt something unusual during the awakening earlier. I noticed that the arcane energy was highly concentrated backstage. It seemed like something triggered it, so if you pay attention later, almost all the kids have their own unique arcane powers."

Jared's interest was piqued even more due to Archie's report.

"Why did you only mention this now?" he pretended to be annoyed with Archie but was truly grateful because this would be a significant help not only to their mission but also to the school.

"I was hesitant earlier, afraid that they might not pass the leveling test."

"Let's just watch for now."

As Izy's palms touched the Arcane stone, the first part suddenly lit up, then went up to the third level, indicating that her arcane power was now at level 3. The fourth one lit up.

The villagers couldn't help but cheer when they saw these symbols.

...Level 4

...Level 5

...Level 6

The people in Whitewood Village couldn't contain their sudden astonishment when they saw Izy's level, and even Alcala and the two Royal Arcanists could only gasp while their eyes widened as they stared at the monitor.

For the first time in the history of Whitewood Village, the highest level had been level 5, but now...

...Level 7