Sonia's lips parted slightly, but she quickly smiled and shrugged. "I just thought the titles of these two books were interesting while passing by, so I picked them up. No special reason. If they aren't worth reading, I'll return them later."
Celia nodded thoughtfully, a knowing expression on her face. "You didn't have to explain it in such detail…"
Sensing Sonia's distraction, Celia shifted the topic. "It's surprising to run into you at the Forest Library. I thought you'd be taking part in the Eradication Operation."
"Eradication Operation?"
"Yes. Didn't Professor Trozan mention it to you? Ah, I suppose your rapid progress made him more cautious. He probably didn't want to risk you getting involved in something dangerous, even if it meant missing out on an opportunity."
"What's the Eradication Operation?" Sonia's curiosity was piqued. This was completely outside her limited knowledge base.
Celia hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure either. It's a confidential school mission aimed at talented students. Those without sufficient strength wouldn't even receive an invitation, and participants are bound by a contract to keep all details of the operation secret."
"The only reason I know about it is that Lorien signed up for it. He mentioned that even Leonie is participating. I assumed you wouldn't miss something like this."
She paused and added, "Apparently, it's an event involving young mages from all over Galasite. Even the prodigies from the University of Truth are joining in!"
Leonie—and even those legendary figures from the University of Truth?
Sonia instantly felt she had missed out on a golden opportunity. But she knew it made sense. The term 'operation' strongly implied danger and combat.
Though she had already unfolded her Silver Wings, Sonia was still a novice mage with less than a month of experience in the Void Realm. Whether to protect her or to prevent her from dragging the team down, Professor Trozan would never allow her to take part in something so risky.
"I need to prove my strength to the professor soon," Sonia thought, resolving to earn his trust and future opportunities.
Bloodmoon Dominion, Kaimon City outskirts, a hillside halfway up a small mountain.
"Shift change. No abnormalities."
It was 10 a.m., and two adventurers stationed to monitor the Void Realm portal quietly reported in by tapping the chips on the back of their necks. Shortly after, two replacements emerged from the camp tents and took over their watch.
Barely ten minutes into their shift, the younger of the two adventurers began complaining. "Hey, old man, how much longer are we stuck here? The heat's getting worse, and there's no air conditioning. And these mosquitoes—what the hell? Not even industrial repellents work!"
"Another 12 hours. If there's no sign of 'the rabbit' after 72 hours, we can assume it's dead."
The older adventurer, clad in a heavy cloak, spoke in a mechanical monotone. Upon closer inspection, his arms, legs, and even one of his eyes were cybernetic.
"If it weren't for the massive merit points on this job, I'd rather be in the war zones fighting water ghouls," the younger man grumbled. "Honestly, whoever triggered this Void portal deserves to rot. More work for us, and they're a damn security risk for Outer Invasion threats…"
"Only mages can trigger Void disturbances," the older man replied. "Currently, there are 86 unknown Void portals near Kaimon City, which means 86 mages caused disturbances. Odds are, one of them might be you. That's something only a mage would have the audacity to complain about."
The younger man fell silent, muttering, "Just talking… You don't complain at all?"
"Just like I accepted my lack of aptitude for becoming a mage, I've also accepted these disturbances as natural disasters caused by mages," the older man said, shaking his head. "Complaining about them? I got tired of that before I turned forty."
The younger man changed the subject. "So, old man, what're you planning to do with the merit points from this job? I've saved up enough to trade for a 'Blade' spirit—finally something to stand my ground against Knowledge Beasts."
The older man didn't respond, his mechanical eye coldly scanning the portal 30 meters away, its space warped like a sinkhole.
"I'm trading for information," the older man finally said.
"What kind of information?"
"My child's."
"You… have a kid? That's illegal!"
"I know. That's why I've been saving merit points for years. Otherwise, no one would risk giving me this intel."
"You're insane!" The younger man was stunned. "Why bother? If anyone finds out, you and that kid will be thrown into the abyss to explore the Waterway Depths!"
The older man shook his head. "I don't plan to raise the child. That would be impossible. I just want to see them, just once."
The younger man still couldn't understand. "What's the point? You don't even know what they look like. You're paying just to find out their name and face?"
"He's not a stranger. He's my child."
"But isn't it the same as being a stranger? You need to pay to know anything about him!"
"But he exists because of me."
"Still can't wrap my head around it. You'd be better off spending those points on yourself."
"You're a mage and still young. You wouldn't understand." The older man chuckled mechanically. "When I was your age, I'd blow my pay on Moonshine Sugar, gamble at First Blood Casino, or upgrade my mods. But as I got older, none of it excited me anymore. I lost interest in tomorrow.
"Then, one day, I remembered—years ago, I donated for the Reproductive Fund. Somewhere, I have a child. It was like dawn broke over my life.
"That child is my miracle." He tapped his unmodified left eye. "I kept this eye intact so I could see them with it, just once."
The younger man muttered under his breath, "Still can't get it…"
"You don't have to," the older man said, smiling faintly. "It's illegal, after all."
A sudden boom sent the younger man flying. Dazed, he spat angrily, "What the hell, old man—"
His words froze as he turned and saw her.
Standing in his former position was a girl clad in dark blue combat armor, her orange hair glowing like a flame.
She stepped on the older man's fallen body, her longsword dripping with crimson blood and blue fluid. The older man's severed head lay nearby, his mechanical spine spurting fluids in a grotesque display.
The younger man's pupils dilated. A notification flashed in his vision:
"Detected—"
Slice!
The girl's blade ended his life before the notification completed.
Moments later, 163 heavily armored figures gathered at the campsite, their equipment gleaming with alchemical craftsmanship. Though uniform in appearance, each bore a glowing, blood-red shackle around their neck, pulsating ominously.
"The game has four rules," a voice declared.
"First, kills must be dealt with a Star Weapon to count for points.
"Second, survive for as close to 48 hours as possible.
"Third, prioritize high-value targets: humanoid monsters first, followed by others. Mage monsters take precedence.
"Fourth, at the end of 48 hours, activate your armor's teleportation miracle to return. Afterward, the Stars will destroy this Level 2 Void portal."
"The sacred stars connect us all. Their light will guide our paths. Let the game begin!"
With violet-blue hues radiating from their eyes, the figures saluted in unison before dispersing.
Viewed from above, most of the blue dots surged toward Kaimon City, while only a few trickled toward the northern and southern villages.