Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1211 1211: The Spirit Scheme

Their initial plan was straightforward... The Spirit Queen had come to recover, letting her spirits interact with the students at Marshall Academy to build connections across realms.

For this, she received protection to mend her wounds and remain concealed from the Demon Lords or Demon Gods who had stormed the Spirit Realm, seizing nearly half of it.

Yet as she remained in the Human Realm, the Spirit Queen started recognizing its possibilities.

The abundance of its energies, the firmness of its territories, and the remarkable toughness of its inhabitants... Everything exceeded her anticipations. Unlike the Spirit Realm, now battered by the Demon Lord's forces, this realm felt like a haven.

Thus, she started plotting.

If Armin, Vale's initial disciple, managed to claim the Mystic Arts Tower with help from her spirits, it would establish a base, a secure position for her kin.

Precisely, the Mystic Arts Tower alone could form a modest Spirit Realm for them, serving as the foundation of their fresh domain...

Armin suited this role ideally, given his strong ties with Vale, and through him, she could gradually relocate her spirits to this realm, disguised as support for Vale's pupils.

The Demon Lord could devastate the Spirit Realm, but in the Human Realm, her folk could endure, flourish. They might even dominate a portion of it...

A subtle smile tugged at her lips, even in her frail condition.

'Armin... you make the ideal pawn. Vale relies on you, and via you, we'll claim our new abode... The Mystic Arts Tower won't just challenge your destiny, but it will shape mine too.'

Yvaine, devoted and without doubt, cared for her Queen's damaged aura, oblivious to the extent of her schemes.

Meanwhile, as Armin ascended the Tower's lower levels, convinced he was merely demonstrating his worth, the Spirit Queen observed from a distance via the Spirits lurking in his shadow...

***

At that moment, inside Vale's Immortal Tower, the once-oppressive air abruptly eased...

'That Immortal Vale... I can't help wondering how many Avatars he's crafting.'

Mesa, among the Spirit Guardians, found herself pondering this.

Currently, countless Spirits glided quietly along its corridors, tied by oaths and missions.

Mesa grew restless from lingering here, yet she dared not venture out sans the Spirit Queen's approval.

Just then, she noticed someone descending to the fourth floor... It was Hessa, another Spirit Guardian akin to her.

"Where are you headed?" She inquired.

"It's my turn today..." Hessa answered, not halting her stride.

Differing from the minor spirits, Spirit Guardians like them possessed forms resembling humans. Hessa, in particular, stood tall and elegant, with fair traits.

Still, under that appearance, they remained true spirits, originating from the Spirit Realm.

Hessa had lately gained leave to exit the Tower.

Her assignment was straightforward: to supervise the spirits dispatched to Marshall Academy, making sure they weren't squandered or diminished by reckless students.

"Good luck! Grab some mementos!" Mesa called out before choosing to seek out Ceres, the woman Arcanist she'd grown close to inside the Tower.

Meanwhile, Hessa crossed paths with two of Vale's Spirit Beasts in the vast hall.

The first was the Frostborne Vulpestra, a silver fox boasting nine tails that flowed gracefully, each ending in frost resembling glowing ice fragments. Its gaze held serenity, yet it exuded a fearsome chill, its aura evoking the bite of winter.

The second was the Nightreaver Shroudfang, a black panther with crimson eyes resembling glowing coals in the night.

Similar to the Vulpestra, its aura pressed down oppressively...

Both creatures eyed Hessa with interest.

"You're departing the Tower?" Vulpestra's voice whispered gently into her thoughts.

"Yes," Hessa responded, dipping her head in respect. "The Spirit Queen commanded me to monitor the spirits at the Academy. Numerous lesser ones have weakened from the students' lack of knowledge. They require direction, lest they vanish."

Shroudfang's tail flicked once before she resumed her position.

"Master Vale has approved that Spirit Guardians can exit occasionally. It's your role to collect resources and oversee the spirits. We won't hinder you."

Vulpestra inclined her head. "We'll record your exit and notify Vale afterward. Proceed, Guardian. Avoid failure."

Hessa nodded once more. "I won't."

With those words, she left the Tower... Shortly after, her shape dissolved into vapor, then reemerged beyond its entrance.

The trip to Marshall Academy passed quickly.

Spirits journeyed unlike mortals, weaving through shadows and flows of power.

After roughly an hour, Hessa arrived at the Academy's boundary, her human-like shape intact, clad in attire akin to local folk.

The Academy hummed with activity as usual.

Students rushed to lessons, rehearsed spells in open areas, or clustered in discussion rooms.

Amid them, certain Mystic Arts Practitioners lingered near various lesser spirits.

Indeed, they hovered by their linked students, some robust and lively, while others appeared dull and waning.

Hessa's gaze sharpened.

'It's confirmed... Many are indeed fading.'

They had foreseen risks in bonding students with Spirits so soon. Yet, due to the pact with Vale, they accepted the gamble.

After all, they refused to endanger the Queen's well-being over concerns for their own.

Before long, Hessa strolled across the Academy grounds, initially overlooked.

Her essence was understated, veiled by a Spirit Guardian's aura. But as she moved, the lesser spirits roused, sensing her command.

A few approached nearer, murmuring softly in tones only she perceived.

One pupil faltered in the courtyard, his spirit scarcely visible at his side.

Hessa halted, observing as he tried casting a spell, his power unsteady. The spirit, too, teetered on dispersal.

"Reckless," Hessa whispered. She reached out, and the spirit stabilized, its light brightening as she channeled additional Spirit Energy into it.

The student inhaled sharply, feeling the abrupt boost, but upon looking, Hessa had vanished.

She pressed on with her review, shifting from corridor to corridor. Certain spirits flourished under attentive students.

Others languished, dimming from neglect. Whenever needed, Hessa aided discreetly...

She offered a soft word of advice, a surge of vitality, a reassurance to the spirit of its companionship.

As dusk settled, the Academy stirred with tales. Students murmured about an enigmatic presence that had emerged, bolstering their spirits, steering them from the shadows.

Some insisted it was Vale in person, while others suspected a trial.

Yet solely the spirits grasped the reality.

Hessa, the Spirit Guardian, had arrived to safeguard them.

And as she lingered at the Academy's fringe, surveying the soaring structures, she reflected in silence...

'This location... it could serve as the anchor the Queen seeks. Should Armin prevail, the way forward will clear for us all.'

A gentle smile formed on her lips, and thus, she melted back into the shadows, her duties for the day fulfilled.

They sought not merely the Mystic Arts Tower, but ambitions far grander!

***

Meanwhile, Armin inhaled deeply upon stepping into the tower...

The ground level was uncomplicated. It featured a spacious chamber laden with snares demanding fundamental Mystic Arts insight...

The challenge targeted novices, assessing concentration and precision. Budding Arcanists frequently faltered here, ensnared by sudden Spells that trapped them.

By now, though, Armin had grown far too capable. He bypassed Mystic Arts entirely. His mind, honed against trickery, saw him through.

In mere moments, he arrived at the actual doorway.

The next level examined mastery.

Scores of hovering energy spheres floated across the room, each volatile.

The objective involved steadying them to prevent bursts. It demanded exact handling of Arcane Energy...

"This ought to be straightforward..."

Armin reached forward, directing his energy. As he instinctively drew on his Dark Energy, the spirits inside him awakened and reshaped it, calming the orbs one after another until they shone mildly and dissolved.

"Ahhh..." Armin noticed the trial had been cleared by the Spirits!

"Well... This counts as my ability too." He said under his breath.

The third level demanded stamina.

A tempest of arcane gusts assailed him, with visions of swords and flames rushing toward him...

Even novice Arcanists could overcome this through grit, but the Tower gauged endurance without faltering...

Armin steadied himself, yet the spirits bolstered his barriers. He withstood until the gale quieted!

And so, it concluded!

The fourth level marked the final basic ordeal.

There, he confronted a typical trial in Arcane Arts Towers... A duel against his reflected self. More precisely, an illusion employing his very own Dark Arts!