"Another emergency meeting? It feels like we're in a season of unrest," Duncan sighed, reluctantly setting aside his research, changing out of his lab coat, and leaving the laboratory.
This was the third emergency meeting in recent times. The first was when Catalina noticed something unusual about the Tower.
The second was the day before the Tower opened. And now, this was the third.
Was the Ascended Dimension really worth all this concern from Headmaster Catalina?
Duncan was skeptical.
After all, the Ascended Dimension and their own dimension were originally part of the same world split into two.
The Ascended Dimension might be stronger, but by how much?
It wasn't as if everyone there could dominate those of equal rank, right?
"I just don't get it..."
He wasn't alone in these thoughts; many others, mostly Duncan's supporters, felt the same rather than siding with Catalina.
In fact, when Catalina took over Crossbridge Academy from the previous headmaster, Duncan was already the vice headmaster.
So, in the eyes of many long-time staff, Duncan was influential, and to this day, some believed Duncan should have been the one to succeed the headmaster, not Catalina.
But there was no denying Catalina's overwhelming competence.
If you were dissatisfied, she could tolerate it, but if you tried to act on that dissatisfaction, Catalina would not hesitate to deal with you!
In the early days of her tenure, just after breaking through to Sage-tier, Catalina was still slightly behind Duncan, an established Sage-tier mage, both in prestige and power.
Naturally, there was a lot of discontent within the academy.
Some even speculated that Catalina's rise to headmaster was due to unsavory tactics, such as seducing the old headmaster to seize his position.
These baseless rumors spread widely within the academy for a time.
Catalina's response? She eliminated those who spread them and defeated Duncan in a direct confrontation, proving her absolute strength and silencing all critics.
Whether or not there was lingering resentment, no one dared challenge Catalina openly anymore.
Soon, a group gathered outside the headmaster's office, consisting of branch deans and mentors, all waiting.
Catalina arrived fashionably late, dispelling the protective wards on the office, allowing everyone to enter.
"Headmaster, what's happened? Why have you called us here so urgently?"
"Take a seat first, I'll explain."
Catalina settled into her chair and began, "Earlier, I visited the Tower and encountered Sandra and Leonard."
"The heads of Fenrir Academy and Frostbane Academy?"
"That's correct. I went to the Tower intending to seal the spatial vortex that had appeared, but Sandra and Leonard seemed to have noticed the anomaly as well and arrived near the Tower.
When I arrived, the vortex had already begun to form. Though I managed to seal it, several individuals still passed through into the Tower. Their identities and whereabouts are currently unknown, which means there could be danger within the Tower."
At these words, the branch deans' faces paled—everyone except Duncan, who remained calm.
It made sense; those who entered the Tower were all elite students from various branches, including Catalina's own student.
Only Duncan had sent John inside, so it was no surprise that he wasn't concerned.
His own student, Trisha, was still at the academy.
To make up for it, Duncan had given her plenty of valuable items, repairing their mentor-student relationship.
He had repaid John's favor while protecting his own student—a win-win situation.
"Of course, there's no need to panic. The Tower has strict entry rules: participants must be under 25 years old and below master-tier. Owen won't lose to anyone within those limits. My real concern is the spatial vortex.
Sandra and Leonard have clearly noticed something is amiss.
Though rumors about the Ascended Dimension have dwindled over the years, careful investigation could still uncover clues.
I've called you here today to discuss how we can minimize the damage if this matter comes to light."
Catalina then turned her gaze to Duncan.
Noticing this, Duncan quickly cleared his throat and said, "Headmaster, my suggestion is to go public with The Divine Break before they do. If more people know the truth, it'll be harder for anyone to exploit it."
"That's ineffective—it treats the symptoms, not the cause! If someone harbors ill intentions, they can easily shift the blame onto Crossbridge Academy. Why has Crossbridge Academy kept the truth hidden? Do they have a hidden agenda?
Over the years, other academies have often voiced complaints about Crossbridge Academy. They would use this as an excuse to attack us."
No sooner had Duncan finished speaking than Wilder rebutted, "While this approach might not have immediate negative effects on Crossbridge Academy, it would tarnish the academy's reputation.
If it impacts next year's admissions, leading to a gap between older and younger students, are we going to rely on Owen to carry the entire academy?
Crossbridge Academy is already facing a generational gap.
Frostbane Academy has that girl with the impressive reputation—a young lady with an SSS-grade ice-element mana core.
She's only been at the academy for a year and is already platinum-tier level 7, with incredible potential.
Fenrir Academy has long been allied with the Gratt Duchy, receiving all the best students from there.
But Crossbridge Academy has no fixed source of students, relying solely on its reputation to attract talent. If that reputation is damaged, the consequences will be dire."
"I agree with Wilder."
Felix nodded slightly, adding, "Over the past two years, the Fire School has struggled to recruit top talent, mainly due to the rise of Flamecourt Kingdom. The signs are already there.
Owen is exceptional—he'll likely break through to master-tier within a year, maybe even sooner. When that happens, who among our students can shoulder that responsibility?
Crossbridge Academy's reputation must not be damaged—it concerns every one of us!"
Everyone sighed at Felix's remarks.
As much as they hated to admit it, it was the truth.
Crossbridge Academy was in decline while other academies rose. Flamecourt Kingdom was a prime example.
Flamecourt Kingdom was so extreme that their academy only accepted fire-element mages, rejecting over 80% of applicants.
Yet, it didn't matter—Flamecourt Kingdom's absolute authority in fire magic made it the top choice for those with fire-element mana cores.
If one Flamecourt Kingdom could have this much impact, what would happen if others followed suit with similar academies for water, earth, and wind magic?
They needed to find a way to change the current situation!
"Crossbridge Academy needs innovation. We shouldn't focus solely on the basic four elements. Variant Magic, Demotion Magic, even Ascension Magic—these branches of magic are in a state of ambiguity.
Some people study them, but they haven't been systematized.
My idea is to establish a new branch specifically for teaching these types of magic. As for the branch head...
I nominate Owen. Who among us is more versatile than Owen? That boy is practically a monster."
Felix's suggestion took everyone by surprise.
They had expected Felix to be radical, but not this radical!
Putting Owen in charge of a new branch to teach magic beyond the four basic elements—was that really feasible?
It seemed... it actually was!
First, Owen's competence wasn't in question. Within a year, he would undoubtedly break through to master-tier, fully qualifying him to be a branch head.
Second, once Owen's role changed, his name would become synonymous with Crossbridge Academy. Owen would be the academy's golden brand.
Finally, and most importantly, there was a consensus in the magical world:
Variant Magic, Demotion Magic, and Ascension Magic were widely recognized as more powerful than the basic four-element magic.
With no one else willing to teach these magics, a new branch would surely attract many students, whether they sought more powerful magic or were drawn by Owen himself. For Crossbridge Academy, it would be a win-win, or even a triple win!