Chapter 27: A Reason To Panic?

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: A Reason To Panic?

The Arcane Affairs Directorate

At the center of Valemont stood the headquarters of the Arcane Affairs Directorate, the government’s organization responsible for awakened abilities, powerful mages, magical incidents, and supernatural threats beyond the reach of ordinary authorities.

An important meeting had been underway when the phenomenon appeared. The discussion had stopped almost immediately.

Everyone in the conference room had gathered around the enormous windows, watching the strange spectacle spread across the evening sky.

At the front stood a broad-shouldered middle-aged man with his hands clasped behind his back.

His name was Gavin Cross.

He was the regional director of the Arcane Affairs Directorate and one of Valemont’s deputy mayors.

More importantly, Gavin had reached the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm. He was only one breakthrough away from entering the Star Sea Realm.

Among the publicly known martial artists in the region, very few possessed greater strength.

Gavin watched the final traces of the phenomenon disappear before turning back toward the conference table.

"That frost phoenix was almost certainly the manifestation of the Frost Phoenix Bloodline," he said.

His statement immediately caught everyone’s attention. His gaze then shifted toward the enormous black and white vortex that had appeared alongside it.

"But what about that?" he asked.

Nobody answered.

"Has anyone seen a manifestation like that before?" he asked.

The people around the table exchanged uncertain looks. These weren’t ordinary officials. They were senior commanders and officers within the Valemont branch of the Arcane Affairs Directorate.

Nearly all of them had reached the Spirit Platform Realm, and many had spent decades studying magical bloodlines and unusual manifestations. Yet none could identify the second phenomenon.

The moment Gavin named the Frost Phoenix Bloodline, however, the atmosphere changed. Several people exchanged stunned glances.

One of the commanders finally spoke.

"If that really was the Frost Phoenix Bloodline..." he said.

He paused.

"Then this is far more significant than we initially thought," he added.

Everyone understood why. The Frost Phoenix Bloodline was one of the most powerful bloodlines ever documented.

Nearly eighty years ago, a woman in the Western territories had awakened the same bloodline. She eventually became known throughout the world as the Ice Queen.

Her rise had been extraordinary. Within only ten years of awakening the Frost Phoenix Bloodline, she had reached the Divine Power Realm, becoming one of the most formidable martial artists of her generation.

Her life ended during a catastrophic monster invasion. Had she survived, many believed she could have eventually reached the Venerable Realm.

Some even believed she possessed the potential to enter the legendary Saint Realm. Of course, those possibilities could never be confirmed.

But her legacy alone was enough to establish the Frost Phoenix Bloodline as one of the world’s most terrifying and coveted bloodlines.

In the hundred years since the beginning of the Martial Age, however, only one person had ever awakened it. Until now.

"After eighty years..." one of the commanders said, slowly exhaling.

"The Frost Phoenix Bloodline has appeared again," he added.

Another man’s eyes lit up.

"If that’s true, then this is a blessing for our world," he said.

Gavin’s expression remained serious.

"Whatever the circumstances, we have to find this person," he said.

He looked around the room.

"And we need to find them before anyone else does," he added.

Another commander immediately nodded.

"The situation beyond our borders is already unstable. If someone with this level of potential falls into the hands of another faction, we may never get them back," he said.

"We should locate them and secure their protection," he added.

"Not just protection," another person added. "If they’re willing, the Directorate should provide them with the resources necessary to develop," he said.

Gavin nodded.

"Agreed," he said.

His attention returned to the strange black and white phenomenon.

"But we’re still missing something," he said.

The room quieted.

"The vortex, it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before," he said.

One of the commanders frowned.

"I’ve gone through every record I can remember. Nothing matches it," he said.

"Could it be another bloodline?" someone asked.

"Possibly," another replied.

"Or some kind of rare magical talent," someone else offered.

"Whatever it is, the manifestation was enormous," another added.

A commander sitting farther down the table suddenly spoke.

"Why are we assuming it belongs to someone else?" he asked.

Several people turned toward him.

He continued.

"The two manifestations appeared almost simultaneously. Why couldn’t they have come from the same person?" he said. ℯ

A few people immediately rejected the idea.

"Because they’re completely different," one said.

"The Frost Phoenix Bloodline produced the phoenix manifestation," another added.

"The second phenomenon was entirely different," someone said.

"They’re too incompatible to originate from one person," another finished.

The commander shook his head.

"Different doesn’t mean impossible," he said.

That single statement sparked another heated debate. Some argued that two different people had awakened simultaneously.

Others believed the second phenomenon represented an unknown bloodline. A few suspected it might be an unprecedented magical talent. No one could reach a definite answer.

But everyone agreed on one thing. They needed to find the source.

Gavin finally raised his hand. The room fell silent.

"As the regional director of the Arcane Affairs Directorate, I’m making this an official priority," he said, his voice hardening.

"Deploy every available team," he said.

"We find the awakened individual, or individuals, before the private organizations do," he added.

"And once we find them, we protect them," he finished.

No one objected.

The Sinclair Family

The phenomenon had also caught the attention of the Sinclair family.

At the Sinclair estate, Adrian Sinclair, the eldest of the Sinclair brothers, had just emerged from a secluded training chamber. His younger brother, Victor Sinclair, was waiting for him.