Ch.217Chapter 217: Age of Chaos (1)

# Chapter 217: Age of Chaos (1)

After leaving the massive gates of Geruntia Fortress, Valt’s group decided to return to the Duron Kingdom to return the Tempest and go back to the Academy, rather than pursuing the uncertain mission of chasing the Dark Society.

Although the Dark Society had disappeared with the components, Valt’s group judged that completing their original mission should take priority, especially since they lacked knowledge about the continent-wide situation.

The journey from the red earth to the blue plains felt relatively peaceful compared to the chaos they had experienced in Geruntia.

The trees along the road and the distant village landscapes reminded them of the familiar sights of the continent.

Several days later, Valt’s group arrived at the Magitech Workshop on the outskirts of Siduron, the capital of the Duron Kingdom, piloting the Tempest airship.

The workshop personnel were surprised by the unexpected safe return of the Tempest, but relieved that their top strategic asset had been recovered.

A meeting with Duron royal officials was arranged. Princess Siloin was also present.

The Duron royal official wore a complicated expression.

While the theft of the Tempest airship had certainly been a serious issue, it was also clear that thanks to that incident, Dark Society forces that had deeply infiltrated Duron had been largely eliminated.

Valt’s group’s “wrongdoing” had unexpectedly “contributed” to the security of the Duron Kingdom.

Formal procedures and conversations took place in a tense atmosphere.

Valt’s group acknowledged their theft of the Tempest but emphasized that it had occurred due to the Dark Society’s plot and had ultimately helped eliminate the Dark Society’s presence.

Instead of lodging an official protest, the Duron royal court concluded the matter by acknowledging Valt’s group’s contribution to eliminating the Dark Society.

The Tempest theft incident was treated as an “unavoidable commotion” that occurred during the process of eliminating the Dark Society, and the Duron royal court decided not to escalate the matter further, considering their relationship with Quan.

“Prince Valt, and everyone… thank you so much.”

Princess Siloin expressed her gratitude with a sincere voice.

Her face showed relief and respect for Valt’s group.

“I apologize for the airship incident… but thanks to all of you, our kingdom has escaped from an unimaginably great threat. The Lamrpo Trading Company is now safe as well.”

The issue with the Duron Kingdom was resolved in this peculiar manner.

After returning the Tempest to the Duron Kingdom, Valt’s group headed to the Academy, their original affiliation.

“Let’s go back to the Academy.”

Despite carrying the terrible experiences from Geruntia and the anxiety about the Dark Society’s theft of the components, they had at least put out the immediate fire.

Reporting the situation to the Chancellor at the Academy was now the priority.

The return journey was instantaneous thanks to the teleport gate.

Valt’s group safely arrived at the Academy.

The familiar campus and buildings, peaceful students welcomed them.

It was a familiar scene that allowed them to forget the tension, if only momentarily.

“We should report first.”

***

Chancellor’s office.

Valt and Riman faced the Chancellor as representatives.

The Chancellor was relieved that they had returned safely, but he sensed from Valt’s serious expression that something unusual had happened.

The Chancellor’s office appeared calm on the surface, but the wrinkles between his brows showed that he was already troubled by something.

Valt’s report would deepen that concern.

“Chancellor! We’ve returned safely. However… what we experienced in Duron and Geruntia seems… far more serious than we thought.”

Valt began his report. He calmly but urgently reported all the facts he had experienced, from the component acquisition mission in Duron to the component assembly and magi explosion in Geruntia, and the Dark Society’s theft and escape.

He clearly conveyed that the component was not a “Water of Life Storage Core” but a device related to another dimension or otherworld that caused magi to explode,

and that the Dark Society had targeted it.

He detailed Quan’s anger, Geruntia’s chaos, and how they had been entrusted with the mission to pursue the Dark Society.

Valt emphasized the regional seriousness of the situation and the ominous nature of the components.

The Chancellor’s expression grew increasingly grim as he listened to Valt’s report.

It was hard to believe, but Valt’s serious attitude and mention of magi added credibility to the report.

In his eyes flashed a spark of astonishment, as if trying to connect Valt’s report with other “pieces” he already knew.

“…Valt. Your report is… shocking… but at the same time, it terribly connects with other news I’ve just been receiving.”

The Chancellor’s voice grew heavy. His eyes mixed with deep anguish and shock.

The Chancellor had already received reports that “artifact theft incidents were occurring in various locations.”

Just as he was about to tell Valt about the shocking events happening across the continent—

Ring! Ring! Beep beep beep!

Suddenly, all the magical communication devices in the Chancellor’s office began ringing frantically and simultaneously.

Dozens of communication devices on the desk and mounted on the walls flooded with emergency signals and urgent communication requests.

The once-peaceful office instantly became the center of an emergency.

“What’s happening?! Why are all these going off at once?!”

The position of Academy Chancellor required sensitivity to information.

The Academy naturally needed information as it handled requests from across the continent.

However, not much information was directly conveyed to the Chancellor.

The Academy’s intelligence department filtered information and only reported important matters to the Chancellor.

But for communication devices to ring simultaneously like this?

It was unprecedented.

The Chancellor manipulated the nearest communication device in confusion.

At the same time, urgent voices poured out from other devices. Reports overlapped, creating a chaotic bombardment of information.

[Emergency report! Northern Reinhem Kingdom’s treasury raided! The Chalice of Baiyar has been stolen!]

A scream erupted from one communication device.

The Chancellor sighed and picked up the next device.

[Southern Atria Kingdom! Sudden civil war eruption! Several high nobles have rebelled against the royal family!]

From another device came urgent voices accompanied by battle noises.

[Central Vertrion Palace seized! King Vertrion’s fate unknown!]

The unbelievable reports continued.

The Chancellor desperately checked the multiple incoming reports and relayed their shocking contents to Valt’s group almost in real-time.

His voice was tinged with shock, despair, and confusion at being unable to keep up with the scale of the situation.

“This can’t be… what on earth…?!”

The Chancellor exclaimed. His pupils shook violently.

“Previous reports already indicated… precious treasures and artifacts being stolen from various locations. North, East, South, Central… This isn’t a single incident. A continent-wide… planned theft… Far more powerful artifacts than we knew about… are vanishing without a trace…”

Valt and his team members were shocked. Was what they experienced in Geruntia just one small piece of this massive plan?

“And reports of simultaneous rebellions and civil wars breaking out in small kingdoms and duchies… This is unbelievable…!”

Valt’s group was dumbfounded at the incredible news. Rebellions of national scale occurring simultaneously across the continent?

One name came to everyone’s mind.

“The Dark Society…!”

No one else could cause such continent-wide incidents.

And again, another sharp communication tone.

The Chancellor operated another communication device.

[Imperial capital… emergency report! Internal rebellion occurred! The Chancellor and high nobles involved! His Imperial Majesty… personally… suppressing it! Situation extremely critical!]

Shock and terror peaked on the Chancellor’s face.

Even the Empire… its heart had been pierced.

Another communication device rang.

[Western Continent Great Forest… unidentified forces… declared a nation! A massive fortress-like city appeared overnight!]

The communication device dropped from the Chancellor’s hand.

His gaze was empty. All the pieces fit together.

The Dark Society… had established a nation… and orchestrated all this… against the entire continent.

“In a single day… the entire continent… how could this…”

The Chancellor exclaimed desperately after finishing the final report.

Inside the office, only heavy silence and the sounds of the Academy’s emergency situation from outside filled the air.

The Academy immediately entered emergency mode.

Alarm sounds continued without pause, and professors and students scrambled to evacuate or assess the situation.

Inside the Chancellor’s office, emergency communications and reports flooded in.

Valt’s Geruntia report was now just one small piece of this unimaginably continental disaster.

The Academy and other nations had to devote all their resources to managing this simultaneous chaos.

Suppressing rebellions across regions, protecting artifacts, containing magi-affected areas, defending key facilities… Mobilizing large-scale forces to attack the Dark Society’s base or pursue the stolen artifacts was… nearly impossible at this point.

The continent began to groan under unprecedented chaos.