Chapter 519:Things going down hill.

Chapter 519: 519:Things going down hill.

The officer looked toward his injuries, then reluctantly signaled for a medic.

Silver leaned back.

His smile disappeared as he finally began processing what had just happened to him.

Someone had tried to kill him, a Rank Five Contractor had ambushed him on an authorized return route, and the first concern of the responding officer was damaged military property.

He closed his eyes.

He had a feeling the next few weeks were going to become considerably more complicated.

---

At the academy, Ravenna received news of the attack less than an hour later. She was in the research laboratory when her communicator vibrated.

The notification was brief.

[Student Emergency Report.]

[Silver Ruddington has been transferred to the academy medical facility following an incident during an authorized field exercise.]

She froze.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the screen, then she stood so abruptly that her chair fell backward.

Professor Ross looked up.

"Arkland?"

She was already moving toward the door.

"Emergency, Professor."

"Miss Arkland, you cannot simply..."

"My boyfriend has been hospitalized."

The professor stopped.

Ravenna didn’t wait for permission and ran out.

Silver was sitting upright in a medical bed when she entered the room. His chest was wrapped in bandages, and several medical devices were monitoring his condition.

He looked toward the door and smiled the moment their eyes met.

"Hello."

Ravenna stopped.

She simply stared at him at him for a little while before slowly approaching him.

Silver’s smile faltered.

"Ravenna?" He hesitantly called.

She looked at his bandages, then at his face, then at the dried blood still visible near his collar.

Her expression became frighteningly calm.

"Who?"

Silver blinked.

"What?"

"Who did this?" She repeated.

He sighed.

"Ravenna..."

"Silver," she coldly cut him off.

Her voice trembled.

"Who?"

He looked toward her and quietly answered, "A Rank Five Contractor."

She froze.

For several seconds, she didn’t move, then she whispered, "Rank Five?"

He nodded.

She was left speechless for a few seconds before asking.

"You fought a Rank Five Contractor alone?"

Silver considered.

"Fought might be a generous description," he quietly said.

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Silver!"

He reached toward her.

She immediately caught his hand.

He smiled faintly.

"Hey."

She shook her head.

"You could’ve died."

"I know."

"Silver..."

Her voice broke.

He gently pulled her closer.

Ravenna sat beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He winced slightly.

She immediately loosened her grip.

"Sorry."

He laughed softly.

"It’s fine."

She stared at him.

"Stop saying that," she quietly said, while trying to hold back tears.

He sighed.

"All right." He looked directly at her. "It wasn’t fine."

Ravenna remained quiet.

Silver continued, "He was stronger than me. Faster than me. And he had equipment specifically designed to interfere with my spatial abilities. If I’d tried to fight him directly, I would’ve died."

She swallowed.

"Then how did you escape?"

He smiled faintly.

"Improvisation," he proudly said and continued, "And nine hundred Affection Points."

Ravenna blinked.

"What?"

He laughed.

"I bought something from the system."

Her expression changed before she slowly exhaled.

"Thank goodness."

He nodded.

"Exactly."

She looked toward him.

"Do you know who sent him?" She asked.

His smile faded.

For several seconds, he remained silent, then he answered.

"I have a suspicion."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Your family?"

He nodded slowly.

"Probably."

Her expression slowly fell.

"Silver..."

He looked toward the window.

"Shawn warned me that my uncles were becoming more active. The assassin knew my route, knew my abilities, and had equipment designed specifically to interfere with spatial movement." He paused. "And he mentioned my family, which is stupid on his end."

Ravenna’s expression hardened.

"Then we need to tell your grandfather," she said.

He nodded.

"We will."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Now."

He smiled faintly.

"Yes, ma’am."

Ravenna shook her head and then rested her forehead against his.

"Please don’t make me receive another message like that."

He closed his eyes.

"I’ll do my best."

She remained quiet, then whispered, "I can’t lose you."

Silver tightened his grip on her hand.

"You won’t lose me easily."

Ravenna looked at him.

He smiled faintly.

"I’m annoyingly difficult to kill."

She laughed through her tears.

"Idiot."

He nodded.

"Your idiot."

She smiled sadly.

"Unfortunately."

The disciplinary investigation began the following morning.

Silver had expected the academy to question him about the assassination attempt, collect evidence from the maintenance route, and coordinate with military security to identify the attacker; instead, he received a formal notice requiring him to appear before an internal review committee.

The charges were absurd.

• Unauthorized use of destructive equipment.

• Damage to military infrastructure.

• Violation of field exercise boundaries.

• Failure to follow emergency response procedures.

Silver read the notice twice, then slowly lowered it.

Ravenna sat beside him.

"What does it say?"

He handed her the tablet.

She read, her expression becoming colder with every line.

She looked up.

"Are they serious?" She furiously asked.

He smiled bitterly.

"Apparently."

Ravenna stared at the charges.

"They’re accusing you of damaging military property after someone tried to kill you?"

He nodded, also feeling indignant.

"Yes."

"And they’re ignoring the Rank Five assassin?"

"Not entirely. They mention an unidentified hostile individual," he corrected her.

Ravenna’s expression darkened.

"Unidentified hostile individual?" She asked.

He shrugged.

"Very mysterious," he jokingly said.

She looked toward him.

"Silver, this isn’t funny," she coldly said.

He sighed.

"I know."

Ravenna continued reading until stopped at something familiar.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Wait."

Silver looked toward her.

"What?"

She pointed toward the committee members.

"One of these names..."

He leaned closer.

Ravenna tapped the screen.

"Deputy Administrator Corvin Saler."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Know him?" He curiously asked.

She slowly nodded.

"He’s connected to the research department."

His expression changed.

She continued, "I saw his authorization signature on several restricted archive notices. Including the documents I was trying to access."

Silver stared at the name, lost in thought.

For a moment, neither spoke, then he smiled faintly.

"Well."

Ravenna looked toward him.

He continued.

"That’s an interesting coincidence."

She shook her head.

"I don’t think it’s a coincidence."

He leaned back.

"Neither do I."

The following days became increasingly unpleasant.

Silver attended several hearings, during which academy administrators questioned his decisions during the assassination attempt and repeatedly emphasized the damage caused to military property. His testimony concerning the Rank Five Contractor was recorded, but several officials appeared more interested in determining whether he’d violated regulations than identifying the attacker.

Ravenna, meanwhile, continued investigating the restricted research archives.

Her attempts to access Project 006 and Record 096 attracted additional attention, and she was eventually summoned by a senior research administrator who warned her that further unauthorized inquiries could result in disciplinary action.

She refused to accept the warning quietly.

"With respect, sir, I’m not asking for access to classified military operations," she said during the meeting. "I’m asking why publicly catalogued biological specimens are being linked to restricted experimental records, and why those records contain references to research conducted before the recent containment incidents."

The administrator stared at her.

"Miss Arkland, you’re a first-year student," he said with an annoyed tone.

"I’m aware."

"Then perhaps you should concentrate on learning the fundamentals before questioning the decisions of experienced researchers."

Her expression hardened.

"Being a first-year student doesn’t mean I can’t recognize inconsistencies."

The man’s eyes narrowed.

"Careful."

She looked directly at him.

"Professor Ross taught us that research requires evidence, observation, and the willingness to question assumptions. I’m doing exactly that."

The administrator leaned forward.

"You’re confusing curiosity with entitlement."

She remained silent.

He continued, "There are matters within this academy that you are neither qualified nor authorized to investigate. I strongly recommend that you remember your position."

Ravenna slowly stood.

"Understood."

The administrator nodded.

"Good."

She turned toward the door, then stopped.

"One more thing."

The man frowned.

"What?"

She looked back.

"If those records are unrelated to the recent beast incidents, why are you so concerned about a student reading them?"

The administrator’s expression changed. For a moment, he said nothing, then his voice became cold.

"Leave."

She nodded.

"Gladly."