Free Web NovelChapter 44: Blue Rift. Tension in Valecrest
Valecrest Collegiate Grounds was known for its strength, its numbers, and its powerful awakened. These and many more made it one of the top academies in New Liberty. They had strong teachers, mostly talented students, and wise higher-ups. That was what was known. This is not the time to go into certain... sensitive areas...
Well, they were respected by all, and that was why the Board was informed of the current situation of the outing. And expectedly, they weren’t happy with it. It was an anomaly, something no one was prepared for, alright, but it was just too much. Forty of Valecrest’s members were in there, with no knowledge of the situation they were in. They even had a newly awakened S-Rank in there. It was as if fate and destiny were toying with them. Just when they solved a very serious problem, a bigger one dropped on them, and in all of them, they would lose an S-Rank.
Maybe it was selfish of them, but an S-Rank was something they couldn’t afford to lose. A single S-Rank was worth tens of A-Ranks, and this wasn’t an exaggeration. S-Ranks were at the apex of the world, and this wasn’t including wealth or fame or any mundane thing. This was power. S-Ranks were humanity’s shield and spear against the rifts and the apocalypse. Silas was an S-Rank, yes. But he was newly awakened. No matter how powerful S-Ranks were, they were still mortals and humans. They needed experience, and you don’t start from grade 11 when there is grade 1. You had to start low and go up, build the experience, and become accustomed to everything you encounter. But now, that dream was almost in the drain.
***
The atmosphere inside Valecrest’s Board Conference Hall could only be described with one word. Oppressive. No one spoke, and no one dared to. The massive holographic screen dominating the center of the room displayed information that had turned every member of the Board pale.
[Rift Classification: Blue Rift]
[Original Classification: Yellow Rift]
[Participants Inside: 40]
[Confirmed Extractions: 0]
[Communication: Impossible]
[Status: Unknown]
Unknown. The word seemed to mock them. The principal, Theodore, sat at the head of the table with both hands clasped tightly together. The veins on his forehead were visible. Beside him, Vice Principal Elena looked equally troubled. Neither had expected their lives to become this chaotic within a single week.
One of the Board members suddenly slammed a fist onto the table.
"How does a Yellow Rift become a Blue Rift?!"
No one answered because nobody knew. The phenomenon was rare. Rare enough that most people only read about it in textbooks. Rifts occasionally evolved. Sometimes they grew stronger, or expanded, and even had entirely new ecosystems appearing within them. But such events usually happened over months or years, not seconds.
But the recording showed exactly that: a stable yellow Rrft changing to green, then blue, all within moments.
"What are the chances?" Finally, an elderly director spoke. No one needed clarification as they understood what he meant. What were the chances of survival? The answer came from one of the academy’s rift specialists.
"Not good," The man’s voice was grim. "Originally, the outing was designed around a Yellow Rift ecosystem."
He manipulated the hologram, and new information appeared.
[Yellow Rift: F-Rank to D-Rank Threats]
[Blue Rift: C-Rank to B-Rank Threats]
Several Board members visibly winced. The specialist continued.
"The awakened students can survive against most D-Rank threats; some can survive against C-Ranks, and very few can survive against B-Ranks."
The room grew colder the more he spoke. They all knew this, but hearing it from an expert was more real and concerning. It was as if they were seeking validation that it was true.
"Then there are the unawakened."
The situation for them was obvious. The specialist sighed. freeweɓnøvel.com
"If they are isolated, most of them won’t last long."
The words hit everyone like a hammer. Thirty students, thirty futures, thirty families, not forgetting the ten awakened and the four supervisors.
"I already know what the government will ask," Theodore rubbed his face.
The first question wouldn’t be, "How are the students?" or "Can they be rescued?" It would be, "How did Valecrest lose an S-Rank?"
A bitter expression appeared on Theodore’s face. That was the reality of the world. S-Ranks were too important. Entire cities were built around the existence of a single S-Rank. The door suddenly opened, and a staff member hurried inside, with sweat covering his forehead. Everyone looked over.
"Principal!"
Theodore’s stomach sank. More bad news. It had to be.
"What is it?"
"The media is beginning to ask questions."
Several Board members closed their eyes. Of course they were. The outing wasn’t a secret. Forty participants entering a rift wasn’t unusual. A yellow rift suddenly becoming a blue rift? That was very unusual.
"How much do they know?" Elena immediately asked.
"Not much," The staff member swallowed. "We’ve managed to suppress most information."
A collective sigh escaped the room. At least, they didn’t know much, but secrets had a lifespan, and this secret was already dying. The moment a parent failed to receive a routine update, or another academy heard rumors, everything would explode. And once that happened, the academy would be forced to answer questions. Questions nobody currently had answers to.
Theodore leaned back in his chair. He looked genuinely tired.
"We can’t do anything."
The words sounded almost defeated. No rescue team could enter, and the rift was unstable. Any attempt to force entry could trigger a collapse, and if that happened, everyone inside would die. So all they could do was wait and hope. Hope that forty students would somehow survive. Hope that the instructors were alive. Hope that the rift would stabilize. And hope that Silas Ashard was proving exactly why S-Ranks terrified the rest of humanity. Hope was the only thing Valecrest still had at this point, and it was running out very quickly.
It would take a miracle to give them some good news.
