Chapter 520: Lost
The enemies observed the barrier protecting the students for a moment.
They seem to be analyzing the type of barrier that they are about to hit. After some time, they all smiled as if they knew that this wouldn't stop them from attacking the students.
"Hmph... You think you can escape from us?" One of the hooded figures said as he looked at the young students.
Although the students looked composed and ready for battle, the intruders knew that many of them were terrified of their Aura.
After all, the Dark Magicians could probably feel the Holy Aura around them and knew their Dark Spells would not do anything against them.
"Attack!"
The Shamans, Runecasters, Priests, and Holy Knights unleashed a barrage of spells aiming to incapacitate or capture the students.
Holy Arts Spells illuminated the space with radiant energy, seeking to burn the students of Vermont Academy. They seemed to be trying to breach the barrier with their Holy Arts!
Mystic Arts Spells also weaved through the air, conjuring powerful mystical forces to break the barrier created by the Formation Arts...
Then, Runic Weapons materialized in the hands of the Rune Casters, their intricate markings pulsating with raw magical energy as they struck the barrier.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The spells collided with Barrier Formation, but because of the combined attack, it still trembled slightly.
Luckily, there was no visible damage, and the barrier remained firm.
The attacks were effectively blocked!
A wave of relief washed over the gathered students, and cheers erupted amidst the chaos.
"Amazing!"
"This Formation Arts is too good!"
"Bring it on! Once the Vessels arrive, you guys will become undead!"
They exclaimed, their spirits lifted by the successful defense.
Then, as hope began to swell within their hearts, the Formation Art finally activated, signaling the commencement of their transport away from the besieged Academy.
"Yes! It's time!" Stella was also happy to see the activation of the Formation Arts.
Well, since plenty of students will be transported, the Formation Art took quite some time to be activated.
However, in the midst of their departure, a powerful Mystic Arts Spell was unleashed by the enemy.
"Ethereal Star Pillar?!" Stella was shocked as she knew that this Tier 3 Spell could only be used by a Master Arcanist or those above the First Class!
She didn't expect that the intruders would be so shameless to send such a powerful Arcanist to attack the young students of the Academy.
She was worried that Formation Art would cause trouble to their teleportation!
The ground trembled as a pillar of ethereal energy surged upward, colliding with the Formation Art. The impact shook the very core of the transport mechanism, causing significant damage.
"Not good..." Stella held her breath as she monitored the activation of the Formation Arts.
Luckily, she only sensed a slight damage, and it shouldn't stop them from leaving.
Indeed, despite the chaos and the threat of the Ethereal Star Pillar, the transport process continued.
Whom~
Miraculously, the students were successfully transported to their intended destination, disappearing from the basement just in time.
The Arcanists from other Factions were obviously disappointed after seeing them disappear.
"Tsk! We lost them!"
"What a pity... I almost caught those Dark Magicians. You guys should've held them back for a few more seconds." A man wearing a white robe laced with golden patterns said in a deep voice.
He looked a bit weary after casting the Ethereal Star Pillar.
Perhaps, if he had five more seconds, he would have stopped the Formation Art from activating.
Unfortunately, they didn't arrive in time and failed to stop the students from leaving.
"Sir Forbes... There are still a few Dark Magicians struggling outside. Should we leave them to the Guardians and Sentinels?" One of the Runecasters assigned for communication reported.
The Vermont Academy had strange Formation Arts hidden everywhere. One of them was able to disrupt their communication, so only Runecasters with their unique Runic Device could help them communicate with other squads.
"Leave it to them... We failed to capture the students, so let's proceed to destroy the Academy... The symbol of their education and future must be destroyed! Take all the valuables after appraising them and burn this place! Do not touch any cursed items!"
As soon as the man who was called Sir Forbes gave this instruction, everyone's mood immediately lit up.
Although they had to be wary of the Cursed Items and various Formation Arts, it was still a lot easier now that those Dark Magicians had escaped.
As for the remaining ones, they don't have to worry about them either.
"Yes, Sir Forbes!"
***
In the meantime, as the students of the Dark Arts Academy realized that they were outside the castle of the Featherstar Clan, they couldn't help but start celebrating.
They had left the Academy and arrived at the most vital stronghold of their Faction!
They knew that they should be safe in this place, and they no longer had to worry.
However, as they were celebrating, a few fourth-year students realized that a couple of their classmates could not be seen!
"Chad and Lisa are missing!" Warren from the Necromancy Branch exclaimed.
As soon as he said this, the others also started looking for their friends and classmates.
However, aside from the two, no one else was missing!
"What? How could this happen?" Stella also activated her Magic Zone. However, she indeed couldn't find those two students.
She could remember how those two should be inside the Formation Art.
'Wait... Was it because of the damage done by the Tier 3 Spell? Did they get transported elsewhere? Not good.'
Stella realized that it could be connected to the Ethereal Star Pillar that was released by the old Mystic Arts Practitioner before.
The other Professors also came to this conclusion as they couldn't help but exchange glances.
Right now, they couldn't tell where the two students were unless the Headmaster or the Vice Headmaster, who had their shadows, locate them.
"Do not worry... Those two shouldn't be in immediate danger. They were probably transported elsewhere. I believe that the Formation Arts malfunctioned after the last attack of the enemies. Once the Headmaster was back, it would be easy to find them." Stella announced as she had to control the situation.
Soon, various people arrived.
They were the guards and medical practitioners of the Featherstar Clan. They seem to be expecting their arrival as they immediately tend to those who are wounded.
***
In a land outside the Millton Kingdom, a strange event occurred.
Splash!
Out of nowhere, two figures landed in a fountain!
Their drop was accompanied by the sound of lightning that illuminated the dark sky.
Gasping for air, the two figures quickly climbed out of the fountain. It was dark and cold due to the pouring rain, so they quickly used their Spells.
Despite the darkness, their mastery of Dark Arts allowed them to see clearly in their surroundings.
They looked around, realizing that a problem seemed to have occurred, and they were now separated from the rest of the students. Uncertainty filled their hearts as they grappled with the reality of their new surroundings.
Confusion and concern filled the air as Chad and Lisa exchanged worried glances.
"W-what's going on? Where are we?" Chad stammered, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Where are the others?"
Lisa had a similar question as her mind quickly raced to make sense of their situation.
Then, she took a deep breath as she realized what seemed to have happened...
"It seems we really got separated... We have to return." She muttered as she kept looking around. "Perhaps the Formation Art malfunctioned because of the last attack."
As Chad activated his Darkness Manipulation to shield himself from the rain, he contemplated their predicament.
"So we end up here by accident... What do we do now?" He mused as he looked around.
Lisa's gaze shifted toward the looming castle in front of them. Its silhouette was shrouded in darkness and devoid of any signs of life.
"It appears to be abandoned..." She observed, her voice tinged with caution.
"Seeking shelter within the castle might be our best course of action for now. We need to assess our surroundings and gather information to understand where we are. We can't do that while it's raining..."
With a shared nod, Chad and Lisa made their way towards the castle, their footsteps splashing in the rain-soaked ground.
The heavy wooden doors creaked open, revealing a dimly lit interior. A few glowing flowers were inside the castle, allowing them to confirm that this castle was not being taken care of.
Nevertheless, they had to be wary as they activated their Dark Spells to scout the surroundings.
At this moment, apprehension filled Lisa and Chad's hearts as they desperately hoped that they had not stumbled upon a dangerous territory.
Sensing Lisa's unease, Chad tried to reassure her, his voice filled with conviction.
"Don't worry, Lisa. Headmaster Jean should be aware of our whereabouts through our shadows. I'm confident that he will dispatch someone to retrieve us..." Chad reassured, his hand gently closing the door of the castle behind them, creating a sense of temporary security.