Before teleporting to the academy, specifically to the chairman's office, Alex needed to ensure it was empty.
The risks were too high to act blindly. If the chairman or anyone else was present, it would spell certain death, not to mention the possibility of them hiding the [Vial of Undead Blood] beyond his reach.
To avoid that, Alex sought help from the most reliable source he could think of.
"Arceus," Alex called, approaching the mage who was engrossed in some arcane task. "Can you detect if someone's on the other side of a spatial portal?"
Arceus paused, turning his piercing gaze toward Alex. "I can," he replied evenly, though his tone hinted at annoyance. "But it takes considerable magic."
"Could you do it for me this once?" Alex asked hopefully.
"No." The reply was curt, and Arceus immediately returned to his work, ignoring Alex as if the conversation had never happened.
Alex sighed. "Guess it's up to me, as usual."