Chapter 167: Genesis Artifact
"I see you have made it in time," a deep, formal voice came from behind, gathering the squad’s attention.
They turned to find Aldric standing there, his hands resting behind his back. His sea-green hair swayed in the cold breeze around his antlers as he looked at them with his emerald eyes from behind his rimless rectangular glasses.
"Good afternoon, Professor Aldric," the squad greeted in unison. Even though Aldric was the Vice Principal, he always preferred to be addressed as Professor, being the former teacher of Spirit Summoning.
"Good afternoon, students," he replied before continuing, "Now, I shall give you the details of the quest so you can prepare accordingly."
He tapped the floor with his black cane. A layer of blue mana spread beneath their feet, forming six translucent chairs of blue energy, five at the front and one behind him.
"Take a seat," he said as he settled into his own seat.
’H-he can even summon objects from the spirit world?’ Vlad gasped inwardly as he took his seat. ’He must be one heck of a Spirit Summoner. Oh right, now that I think about it, I also enrolled in Fundamentals of Spirit Summoning but never once attended the lecture. How am I gonna pass the examinations?’
He decided to worry about it later and focus on the task at hand first. With what Seraphina had just revealed to him, exams were the least of his concerns.
"As you all know, the Principal built this academy to teach humans about the ways of magic so that they can protect themselves from the dangers of the vast world beyond," Aldric began, adjusting his glasses. "The Dark Continent is chaotic, filled with mindless monsters, unseen creatures, and endless dangers. Each month, the academy sends third-year students and professors to scout the Forest of Death and wipe out the monsters there to keep the borders safe."
He pointed at the vast forest covered in a thick sheet of snow, the one he had referred to as the Forest of Death.
"Since the last two ventures, both students and professors have noticed that the number of monsters had strangely increased. This isn’t an unforeseen phenomenon. It usually happens when a Genesis Artifact is about to form."
His words caused a ripple of gasps from the squad, their composure loosening for a moment. Only Vlad remained calm.
’Staying composed even after such a revelation,’ Aldric nodded inwardly, impressed as he glanced at Vlad. ’He might have the ability to make proper decisions during an emergency situation.’
"Umm... excuse me, Professor Aldric," Vlad raised a hand, confused. "What is a Genesis Artifact?"
Now everyone looked at Vlad as if he had committed a crime by asking that question. Only Seraphina wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know. It had only been just over a month since he had arrived at the academy, after all.
’I see, he is just ignorant,’ Aldric sighed inwardly before explaining. "When an immense amount of magical energy or elemental mana is either accumulated in one place or intertwined with elemental mana of a different nature, Genesis Artifacts are formed. These artifacts cannot be compared to human-made ones. Only Master Bram’s inventions could come close to the Genesis Artifacts. Whenever a Genesis Artifact is about to appear, it attracts a lot of monsters. The closer you get to its location, the stronger the monsters you will face."
The explanation left Vlad with widened eyes and parted lips. Artifacts even greater than Master Bram’s inventions existed? It was a shock in itself for Vlad, not to mention that the artifacts were formed naturally.
’Definitely not the one who can keep his composure,’ Aldric sighed, seeing the shock on Vlad’s face as clearly as day.
From his storage ring, he took out a scroll and lightly tapped it towards them. It hovered through the air before landing in Seraphina’s hands.
"This is the map of the Forest of Death," Aldric revealed, his tone turning serious. "Your mission is simple. Find the reason for the sudden increase in monsters. If it is truly the Genesis Artifact, retrieve it. However...if it isn’t, you must return to the academy instantly, no exceptions whatsoever."
"We will do as we are instructed," Seraphina replied, putting the map in her storage ring.
Aldric retrieved one more thing from his storage ring. It was a bunch of papers. They hovered through the air, each one landing in their respective hands.
"It is unlikely, but at the core location of the Genesis Artifact, you might find monsters of Rank Four or higher, which wouldn’t be possible to defeat with your current strength," he told them clearly. "If you find such a monster, you should give up the artifact and return. Even finding its location will be considered the success of this quest, since your main mission is just to find the reason for the monster surge. Nevertheless, successfully escaping such monsters is an entirely different matter. The paper in your hands is the Assumption of Risk Agreement. It states that you agree not to hold the organization responsible under specified circumstances. Think carefully about what you are getting yourself into before signing it."
The squad instantly signed the forms and submitted them back to Aldric. Only Vlad remained still, reading the form carefully.
"Professor, may I ask you a question before signing it?" he asked.
"Sure," Aldric replied.
"What does this third clause mean?" he asked, pointing at the clause on the paper.
The Academy shall not be held responsible for any accidents or injuries sustained during the mission. However, should a participant lose their life, the Academy will provide support to their family.
"Just as it is written," Aldric replied, saying nothing further.
Vlad’s lips rose into a faint smile. Even though the academy was not forcing any of its students to participate in the quests and could clearly avoid taking any accountability for the lives lost during the mission, they were still willing to provide support to those affected by the death.
He filled out the form and handed it back to Aldric.