Dark Magus Returns - Chapter 1407: A Record Set

Chapter 1407: A Record Set

The rules had been made crystal clear to everyone, and the students were practically buzzing with excitement, eager to step into the portal. Their teachers stood close by, offering last-minute advice and reminders. Some instructors reassured them, saying it would feel similar to the training they’d already been through, challenging but familiar.

Others warned that this might be slightly different from the portal expeditions they were used to. The structure, the pacing, even the energy of the dimensions could shift depending on how the trials were constructed. And then, there were teachers who focused on only one thing, safety.

“Don’t take unnecessary risks,” they said. “Keep your wits about you.”

Still, no one seemed overly concerned, not for students of this caliber. These were the elite, the best each academy had to offer. And besides, the competition wasn’t about surviving the hardest dimension. It was about speed. About who could clear their challenge faster.

It was a friendly competition, after all… or at least that was how it had been advertised.

Though rare, there were stories, students who pushed too hard, made one wrong move, took it too far… and never came back.

“Still,” Panla said with a confident smile, addressing the group one last time, “what can we really say to you guys at this point?”

The transfer students stood before her, calm and collected, prepared for what was to come.

“We’ve talked about this already, haven’t we?” she continued. “I don’t think you really need any luck. Not after everything you’ve been through.”

She paused, her gaze drifting across their faces, each one hardened by trials they had already endured.

“And besides,” she added with a grin, “we already decided what’s going to happen, right? All I can say is, go out there and crush it.”

The minute had finally passed. All the portals began to shimmer, glowing with swirling energy before stabilizing into solid gateways. One by one, the students walked through, confident in their abilities and committed to their strategies. They stepped through with purpose, heads high, ready to make their mark.

Meanwhile, the students from the Central Academy wore smug smiles.

“We’re not going to take this lightly,” Kayzel said, his voice calm but sharp. “Let’s show them the difference between the Central Academy and everyone else.”

His fellow students nodded, their eyes gleaming with fierce determination.

Then, in the blink of an eye, all of them were gone.

Each and every one had disappeared into the dimensions beyond. And now… the waiting began.

Currently, there was no technology advanced enough to live-stream what occurred inside the portals. There were no drones, no magical surveillance. Nothing could broadcast from within a dimension. All they could do was record what happened and play it back later for review.

That was part of the design.

This event had been scheduled early in the competition for a reason, it was meant to build suspense. To create anticipation. To make the crowd lean forward in their seats, desperate to see what had taken place inside.

It was the perfect introduction.

By watching the results from these dimension challenges, the guests, judges, and spectators would get their first real glimpse into the strength of each academy. And from there, they would begin to anticipate the matchups and outcomes of future events.

To build even more excitement, there was a special segment prepared just for the audience.

A presentation showcasing each of the students who had entered the portals, highlighting their names, faces, backgrounds, and notable accomplishments.

Each image was paired with a short summary, a voiceover listing their achievements and potential. It was a spotlight, a celebration, and a subtle warning to their rivals.

The principals of each academy had submitted their notes in advance, highlighting their expectations for the upcoming event. While the students entered the portals and their challenges began, another system had quietly gone live, one designed to involve everyone present.

A voting platform had been set up, allowing attendees to cast predictions for the final rankings of the academies. Each person could select which academy they believed would place first, second, third… all the way down to last.

It wasn’t just for fun, either.

The more accurate someone’s predictions were, the greater the reward. Power stones, precious, tradable resources, were granted in higher numbers based on how close one’s rankings were to the final results.

It turned the competition into a full-fledged event, not just for the students, but for the crowd as well.

The entire venue buzzed with energy as people eagerly submitted their choices, whispering, debating, and second-guessing themselves.

Even the principals themselves were getting in on it.

“I see everyone went for the safe bets,” Ibarin remarked, glancing over the votes with a smirk. “They’ve all placed our Central Academy in first, followed by their own respective academies in second.”

A few of the other principals chuckled at that.

“We all know the Central Academy is a level above the rest,” one of them admitted with a shrug. “It’s no shame in acknowledging it. Our students need someone to chase after, something to reach for.”

But then one voice cut through with something unexpected.

“Hold on a second,” Principal Wilton spoke up. “Before you lump us all together, I’ll have you know that I voted for Wilton Academy to take first place this year.”

Several heads turned, eyebrows raised. And then… laughter.

“Ah, we’ve all done that before,” one principal said, shaking his head. “Back in our first year here, we all had a bit of academy pride. But year after year, the results haven’t changed. And from what I hear, the Central Academy has some of the strongest students it’s ever seen this time around. Betting against them is just…”

“…foolish,” another principal finished. “We’re educators. Dreaming is for students. We deal in facts.”

Ibarin gave a small shrug and a smile. “Still, I don’t mind. It makes things more exciting when there’s a bit of boldness in the mix. But I must ask, Wilton, what’s changed so drastically this year that you’re willing to go all in?”

“There have been some… rather interesting developments,” Wilton replied, eyes gleaming with quiet confidence. “I believe all of us are in for a surprise.”

The other principals chuckled politely, but none of them took him seriously. In fact, more than a few believed he was being reckless. Going against the Central Academy’s dominance, and worse, not voting for them, could very well sour things with Ibarin.

And no one wanted to get on his bad side.

On the other side of the portals, in the heart of the newly accessed dimension, Raze stepped through along with the others.

The transition was smooth, and the world around them was vastly different, foreign terrain stretched out in every direction. Time seemed to pause as they adjusted to the new space, but the team didn’t waste long.

All eyes quickly turned to one person.

“So… what’s the plan?” Chiba asked, her tone direct but curious.

Raze tilted his head slightly. “You wanted me to clear this place as fast as possible, right?”

“Yeah,” Piba answered, nodding. “That’s what we agreed.”

“No doubt,” Chiba added. “We’re not going back on our word.”

“Very well,” Raze replied calmly. “All of you, kill as many beasts as quickly as you can. Don’t waste time collecting power stones.”

He turned, eyes sharp.

“We’re going straight for the Dimensional Boss. That’s the fastest way to finish this.”

The group tensed slightly at the command, but no one questioned it.

Chiba, however, frowned. The strategy seemed reckless, even naive. There had only been a handful of times in past assessments where taking out the Dimensional Boss was even considered a viable tactic. And in those instances, the event had allowed for a longer time limit.

Since then, the organizers had shortened the event duration significantly to prevent exactly this kind of shortcut. The rule allowing teams to clear a dimension by defeating the boss was still technically in place, but only as a formality, a relic of the old structure. No one had pulled it off in years.

It wasn’t impossible.

But it was considered impractical. Unrealistic.

“Question!” Liam said suddenly, raising his hand like they were back in class. “Since no one’s watching us in here and the dimension isn’t being broadcast live… does that mean we can use everything?”

“Yes,” Raze answered simply.

And that one word changed everything.

In an instant, the Wilton students bore witness to something unbelievable.

Dame, Beatrix, Liam, and Safa unleashed their full strength. No restraints. No limits. No holding back.

They poured out all of their Qi, channeled every ounce of power they had at their disposal, and tore through the beasts swarming the dimension.

Enemy after enemy fell.

Their speed, coordination, and raw force were unlike anything the others had seen.

Moze could hardly believe his eyes. “Is it just me, or… when we saw them use their powers in the last dimension… they weren’t going all out?”

“I think you’re right,” Chiba said, equally stunned. “This… this is them going all in.”

Beasts were shredded. Explosions of Qi echoed through the landscape. Energy whipped through the air, shaking the very dimension they were in.

And while all of this was happening, Raze stood still, his body radiating pressure, his Qi rising with each breath. He was building it all up, gathering strength for the final strike.

He knew what was coming.

Any moment now, the Dimensional Boss would appear.

I’ll take it out in one shot, Raze thought, narrowing his eyes. And we’ll clear this place faster than anyone’s ever seen.

Back outside, in the main arena, the audience remained unaware of what was unfolding.

The student introductions were still playing on screen, glowing profiles, fun facts, and past accomplishments being recited with dramatic flair.

Ten minutes had passed since the portals had opened, and everyone was relaxing, casually enjoying food and drinks while waiting for the first updates to roll in.

That’s when someone noticed something strange.

“Hey… hey, look at that! Isn’t the portal… shimmering a bit? The color, it’s changed slightly, hasn’t it?”

People leaned forward.

They were right.

Once a Dimensional Boss was defeated, no new participants could enter that particular dimension. While it took a bit of time for the portal to close entirely, its glow began to shift, a subtle signal that the challenge had ended.

“No way,” someone said, blinking in disbelief. “That can’t be right. That’s way too fast. Something must be wrong with the display, ”

But then gasps rippled through the crowd.

All ten Wilton Academy students emerged from the portal, one after another, their expressions calm, unbothered. The entire stadium went silent.

The portal’s energy continued to flicker behind them, its shimmer slowly fading.

“The portal’s been cleared,” Raze said plainly, stepping forward and tossing a glowing crystal toward the stunned assessor.

“And here’s the proof.”

It was the boss crystal.

Ten minutes.

That’s all it had taken.

Ten minutes to clear an entire dimension, a feat no academy had ever accomplished at one of these events.

History had just been rewritten.

****

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