Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Chapter 278: The Start of a War (4)

Sylra and Kaelor, their bodies battered and barely holding together, staggered through the gates of Necrovauld Academy. Every step was labored, their faces twisted in pain as they forced themselves forward. The once fearsome elders, known for their unmatched strength, now appeared frail and broken.

As they neared the center of the academy, it didn't take long for the gathered disciples and elders to notice their condition. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as shocked onlookers pointed and whispered to each other, wide-eyed at the sight of two of their strongest elders in such a dire state.

"Elder Sylra... Elder Kaelor!" one disciple cried out, her voice trembling with disbelief. "What happened to them?"

Elders Feris, Mirra, and Vorn, all seasoned veterans of the academy, hurried forward. Their expressions were etched with a mix of concern and astonishment as they looked at the severity of the injuries. The air around them grew tense, filled with a palpable sense of unease.

Even Clan Malachor's leader, Velkar, was drawn to the commotion. His eyes narrowed as he approached the scene, his cold gaze scanning over Sylra and Kaelor's battered forms. "What in the world..." he muttered under his breath, his voice sharp with suspicion.

He stepped forward, his tone demanding. "What happened?" Velkar's deep voice cut through the hushed crowd like a knife, laced with urgency. "How could the two of you be injured so seriously?"

Sylra, her breathing ragged, coughed violently. Her usually calm and authoritative demeanor was gone, replaced by the appearance of someone barely holding on. She raised her head slightly, meeting Velkar's intense gaze with difficulty.

"It was Thorne..." she rasped, her voice strained but resolute, each word a struggle to push out. "The top elder of the Celestial Academy."

The reaction was immediate. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and shocked whispers erupted among the disciples.

Even the elders exchanged worried glances. Thorne was a name that commanded respect and fear—one of the strongest in the Celestial Academy, and certainly not someone to take lightly.

Velkar's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Thorne?" he repeated, his voice sharp with disbelief.

"He's one of the Celestial Academy's most powerful elders. What was he doing near the Death Volcano?" His tone was laced with suspicion as if trying to piece together the puzzle.

Kaelor, his voice hoarse and raspy, managed to speak next. "He was lurking near the volcano... watching." He paused, swallowing hard, each breath clearly a painful effort. "He knows about our new cultivation manual."

The weight of his words sent a wave of shock through the gathered elders. Feris's face tightened, his expression shifting from concern to deep alarm. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he processed the severity of the situation.

"If Thorne knows about our manual," Feris muttered darkly, his voice tight with anxiety, "then we're in serious trouble. He'll alert the entire Celestial Academy." His tone carried the urgency of a man who understood the full gravity of their predicament.

Mirra, usually composed, frowned deeply, her eyes flickering with worry as she glanced at the other elders. "That's a huge problem," she murmured, shaking her head slightly.

"They'll be prepared for us if they know what we've discovered." Her voice trembled ever so slightly, betraying the concern she was trying to suppress.

Velkar's eyes hardened, his jaw tightening as he processed their words. "If Thorne knows... then time isn't on our side." His tone was sharp, filled with a sense of urgency and the realization that they had little room for error.

Before the conversation could continue, Sylra, her hands shaking slightly, reached into her robe. The onlookers watched in tense silence as she pulled out a glowing object—a mana stone, similar to the one Thorne had given to Darius. Its radiant light seemed to pulse with life, casting a soft glow on the astonished faces around her.

Her hand trembling, Sylra extended the stone toward the elders. "There's more..." she whispered, her voice weak but urgent. "Something we found during the battle." The glow of the stone reflected in her eyes, making her seem almost ghostly in the dim light of the gathering.

Kaelor, still struggling to remain standing, gave a faint nod. His voice was strained as he spoke, "Our fight with Thorne... it opened something." He paused, his breath labored, before continuing. "A new area near the Death Volcano. We found these... mana stones there."

The gathered elders exchanged startled looks. This wasn't just a report of a powerful battle—it was news of a potentially world-changing discovery. Mana stones of this kind were beyond rare, and their potential could shift the balance of power in the entire world.

Sylra, her energy fading, stepped closer to Velkar and extended the mana stone. Velkar's brow furrowed as he cautiously took the glowing object from her hand, the weight of the stone almost insignificant in his palm. But the moment his fingers made contact with it, his expression changed.

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His eyes widened as an intense surge of power coursed through him, his face reflecting the sheer shock of the experience.

"This... this amount of mana..." he muttered, almost in disbelief, as he turned the stone over in his hand. The energy was pure and potent, far beyond anything he had encountered before.

Elder Feris leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he studied the stone. "Incredible," he murmured, his voice filled with awe. "A stone with this much power... it could fuel a cultivator's growth for years."

Mirra's gaze flickered between the stone and Sylra, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are there... more of these?" Her tone was filled with both excitement and apprehension.

Sylra nodded weakly, her voice now barely audible. "We found it... in the vicinity of the Death Volcano..." Her words were slow, as if every syllable took immense effort.

The crowd, which had been silent in shock, erupted into a buzz of whispers and murmurs. Disciples and elders alike exchanged excited looks.

If there were more of these mana stones near the Death Volcano, the implications were staggering. Such a find could elevate Necrovauld Academy beyond any other power in the realm.

"If we gather more of these stones..." Velkar began, his voice filled with barely concealed ambition, but before he could finish his thought, Sylra's legs gave out beneath her. She slumped to the ground, her eyes dull, her body lifeless.

Kaelor, who had been leaning heavily on his staff, collapsed beside her. The gasps from the disciples and elders echoed through the courtyard as they rushed forward, panic and confusion spreading like wildfire.

"Elder Sylra! Elder Kaelor!" one disciple screamed, rushing to their sides.

But it was too late. Both elders' bodies had gone limp, their eyes void of life. The gathered crowd froze, unsure of what had just transpired. A murmur of disbelief rippled through the onlookers.

Unseen by anyone, the Divine Masks that had been attached to Sylra and Kaelor's faces silently detached. The masks shimmered for only a brief moment before vanishing into the shadows, returning to Lucas without leaving a trace behind.