Chapter 93: A Special Assignment

Ethan raised his hand, and a Shadow Wraith appeared beside him.

The creature moved toward the corner of the room and slipped into the shadow beneath a table.

Adrian turned his covered eyes toward it. He could still perceive the Shadow Wraith, but Ethan had disappeared from his perception.

"I can still sense your summon, but I can’t find you."

"Try again," Ethan said.

Adrian focused on Ethan’s position. He knew Ethan was standing right in front of him, yet his talent couldn’t detect him at all. It was an unfamiliar feeling, almost like being truly blind despite knowing exactly where someone was standing.

"I know you’re there, but it’s as if you’ve disappeared completely."

"That’s how the skill works. As long as one of my Shadow Wraiths remains hidden in a shadow, perception abilities can’t detect my presence."

Adrian turned his attention back to the Shadow Wraith. It was still there, perfectly clear to him. Only Ethan remained beyond his perception.

"So that’s why I couldn’t find you during the entrance assessment." He paused, then asked, "Can you turn it off?"

Ethan gave the Shadow Wraith a mental command. It stepped out of the shadow, and Adrian immediately sensed him again.

"There you are." Adrian relaxed slightly when he sensed Ethan again. "So the effect ends when none of your Shadow Wraiths are hiding?"

"Exactly."

Adrian nodded. That explained why he’d been able to track Ethan down today. During the assessment, at least one Shadow Wraith must have been hidden in a shadow.

"Does it work against every perception ability?" he asked.

"I haven’t tested it against every kind, so I can’t say for certain. But it worked against yours."

Adrian fell quiet. God’s Perspective had always allowed him to perceive his surroundings without relying on his eyes. He’d never expected to encounter a skill that could prevent him from detecting someone standing right in front of him.

"That’s a troublesome ability. Thanks for showing me." he said as he got to his feet.

"No problem."

Just as Adrian was about to leave, Ethan’s identification token beeped. He took it out and checked the message that had appeared on the screen.

[Mr. Roland: Ethan, come to my office in the instructor building. I need to speak with you.]

Ethan had barely finished reading when another beep came from Adrian’s token.

Adrian checked his message, then looked at Ethan. "Mr. Roland wants to see you too?"

Ethan glanced at him. "Looks like it."

"Well, that’s convenient. We can go together."

Ethan put his token away and recalled the Shadow Wraith into his Legion Space. There was no reason to keep it outside now that the demonstration was over.

"Let’s go, then."

The instructor building was a short walk from the dormitories. Ethan and Adrian arrived a few minutes later and went to Mr. Roland’s office.

When Ethan opened the door, he found five other students already inside. They stood near the wall, talking quietly among themselves. Their conversation stopped when the door opened, and several of them turned to look at the newcomers.

Mr. Roland was standing behind his desk, going through some documents. When he noticed Ethan and Adrian, he put them down.

"Ah, Ethan. Adrian. You’re both here."

He gestured toward the other students. "Go stand with them. I’ll explain everything in a moment."

Ethan recognized three of the students standing near the wall. Gareth Stone was hard to miss, and Kael, the young Guild Master of Silvercrest, stood a short distance away. The third was the boxer he’d already had a conflict with.

Ethan hadn’t expected to see any of them here, much less all three at once.

Mr. Roland waited until everyone had settled down before speaking.

"We’ve just received word of an incident in a city near the empire’s outer region. According to the report, a group of beastfolk has attacked the city, and the local defenders are having trouble dealing with the situation."

The students exchanged looks. A girl with short black hair raised her hand.

"Do we know why they’re attacking?"

"Not yet. We don’t have enough information to determine what started this, how many beastfolk are involved, or whether more of them are on the way." Mr. Roland tapped the documents on his desk. "That’s why the academy has decided to send a group of students to assist with the situation."

He paused, allowing them a moment to take that in.

"This won’t be a solo assignment. You’ll be working as a team of seven, and I expect you to act like one. You’ll travel to the city, meet with the local authorities, and help them understand what’s happening. If the defenders need assistance and the situation is within your abilities, you’ll help them. But don’t go charging into a fight just because you think you can win it."

The brown-haired student Ethan had noticed earlier frowned.

"With all due respect, sir, wouldn’t it be better to send experienced fighters? If the defenders are already struggling, I’m not sure what a group of new students can do."

"That’s a fair question," Mr. Roland replied. "You’re not being sent to replace the city’s defenders. You’re being sent to support them. The academy has its reasons for choosing students for this assignment, and you’ll understand more once you arrive."

He picked up another document and looked over it before continuing.

"There’s something else you should know. This assignment will also serve as a special assessment for all seven of you. It’s a rare opportunity, and your performance will affect your final grade."

That caught their attention.

"Your grade won’t depend on how many beastfolk you defeat," Mr. Roland continued. "I’ll be looking at how well you work together, how you handle unexpected situations, whether you follow instructions, and how you make decisions under pressure. Someone who charges ahead alone and gets himself into trouble won’t receive a good grade just because he defeats a few enemies."

His eyes moved across the group, lingering briefly on each student.

"If you notice something important, share it with your teammates. If you need help, ask for it. And if your team leader gives an order, I expect you to take it seriously. You’re being assessed as a team, so your individual actions will affect the others."

Ethan listened without saying anything. The assignment sounded like more than a simple trip to help some city defenders. The academy was giving them a real situation to deal with and would judge them on how they handled it.

Mr. Roland put the document down.

"There’s also a reward for those who complete the assignment successfully. You’ll receive reputation points based on your performance."

Several students straightened at that.

Reputation points were useful to any student who wanted to advance within the academy. They could open doors to opportunities that weren’t available to everyone, and earning them through an ordinary assessment wasn’t easy.

Mr. Roland noticed their reactions and smiled.

"I see some of you understand the value of those points. Good. Just don’t let the reward distract you from the assignment itself. If you perform poorly, you shouldn’t expect to receive much."

He folded his arms and looked at them.

"Now, I want to make something clear. This assignment is optional. You’re free to decline if you don’t want to take part. I won’t punish anyone for refusing, and your decision won’t affect your standing in the academy. I’d rather send seven people who are willing to work together than force someone to come along when they don’t want to be there."

Before anyone else could speak, Adrian answered.

"I’m willing."

His reply came so quickly that several students turned toward him.

Ethan glanced at Adrian. One of his hands was clenched into a fist, and there was a tension in his expression that Adrian hadn’t shown during their earlier conversation.

Ethan knew why. He remembered what the beastfolk had done to Adrian, and he understood why Adrian had volunteered so quickly. This wasn’t just another academy assignment to him.

Mr. Roland looked at Adrian and then nodded.

"All right. I’ll count you in."

The girl who had asked about the attack spoke first. "I’m willing to go."

Gareth nodded. "I’ll join as well."

Kael glanced at him before looking back at Mr. Roland. "Count me in."

One after another, the remaining students agreed to take part. None of them seemed eager to miss an opportunity to earn reputation points, especially one that could also help them improve their standing at the academy.

Once everyone had answered, Mr. Roland’s smile widened slightly. He seemed pleased that everyone had agreed so quickly.

"Good. That’s what I wanted to hear."

He picked up the documents again, then looked toward Ethan.

"Since all seven of you are willing to participate, there’s one last thing to settle. Ethan, you’ll be the team captain."

Ethan looked at him.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Mr. Roland’s smile didn’t change. "You’ll be responsible for leading the team, making sure everyone understands their roles, and keeping things organized once you arrive. I’ll expect you to listen to your teammates, but when a decision has to be made, I want you to be able to make it."

Before Ethan could respond, a voice spoke up from the group.

"Sir, I don’t think he’s the right person to lead us."