[Fusion Complete]

[Technique Acquired: Long Range Art]

[Long Range Art: Attacks released by this technique can strike targets up to one kilometer away]

The shattered light sphere hovered before Caelum in an unbelievably dazzling display, like fireworks frozen at their brightest moment.

But after the fusion completed, the giant red button did not disappear.

[Continue Crazy Critical Fusion?]

Reforge.

Infinite fusion.

No limits whatsoever.

The process could continue endlessly until a satisfactory technique appeared, though higher quality fragments naturally increased the odds of producing stronger techniques.

The stronger the Cursed Spirit or Sorcerer, the higher the quality of the fragments they dropped.

[Yes]

The moment he selected it, the critical bar reset instantly as the scattered light reformed into a glowing sphere once more.

[Begin Critical Sequence]

This cheat genuinely impressed Caelum.

Grinning with interest, he started hammering the giant red button again at absurd speed, his hands moving so fast they blurred completely.

[Crit Crit Crit Crit Crit]

[CRAZY CRITICAL HIT!!!]

The progress bar maxed out instantly again.

The sphere exploded once more.

[Fusion Complete]

[Technique Acquired: True Hit Art]

[True Hit Art: Any attack released at a target within sight is guaranteed to hit]

[Continue Crazy Critical Fusion?]

This time, Caelum stopped.

[No]

The shattered light immediately merged into his body.

At once, Caelum fully grasped the True Hit Art.

The giant red button and critical bar vanished afterward.

Continuing the fusion process might have produced an even stronger technique.

But it was equally possible he would never roll True Hit Art again.

There was no point gambling further.

Knowing when to stop was the smarter choice.

The effect of True Hit Art was simply too powerful for Caelum to give up.

As far as he was concerned, the restrictions of a core technique didn’t matter at all.

Any technique produced through fusion could be learned and used by him freely.

No limitations whatsoever.

Adjusting his black framed glasses, Caelum walked toward the edge of the pit and looked down.

Just as he prepared to head inside, the sound of rushing water echoed from below.

Boom!

A waterfall surged upward against gravity.

Using the upward force of the torrent, Zephyr and Sylas shot back out of the underground chamber.

Each of them carried an unconscious person in one hand.

"I thought you guys got yourselves killed," Caelum remarked.

"You kidding?" Zephyr laughed.

"You think we’d lose to two pathetic Grade One Sorcerers like those guys? Throw two more at us and it still wouldn’t matter."

Sylas glanced at the corpse of the red-haired youth.

"An accomplice?"

"Yeah."

Caelum nodded.

"Grade Three Sorcerer. Guess his attention was too focused on you two. He ended up being the weakest one left behind, otherwise I probably couldn’t have handled him."

In reality, the red-haired youth was stronger than the other two attackers.

Much stronger.

Sylas scanned the surroundings carefully.

Nothing seemed unusual.

And he had no reason to doubt Caelum’s explanation.

Earlier, when Caelum killed the red-haired youth and the Cursed Spirits, he never used Tenfold Limit Art.

He had simply enhanced his Heavenly Restriction physique with raw Cursed Energy.

Since no actual technique had been activated, there were barely any notable traces of powerful Cursed Energy left behind.

No matter how carefully Zephyr and Sylas inspected the scene, they couldn’t spot anything suspicious.

Caelum looked toward the two unconscious attackers.

"Should we interrogate them here?"

Zephyr nodded.

"Works for me."

"This attack was clearly aimed at me and Zephyr," Sylas said coldly.

"They prepared all this before we even arrived. That means there’s a mole inside the Academy."

"Rather than handing them over, I’d rather get answers myself."

Sylas splashed water onto the two attackers, waking them up.

Then he stood before them silently.

His face remained calm, but the pressure radiating from him made their scalps tingle.

The two attackers instantly turned pale.

"I ask. You answer."

A while later, the group exited the abandoned building carrying two completely limp prisoners.

The poor bastards had nearly died during Sylas’ interrogation, but they eventually revealed the identity of the mole.

The supervisor dispelled the barrier and frowned at the captives.

"What exactly happened here?"

Zephyr shoved the two half-dead men into the trunk like sacks of garbage.

His grin looked downright sinister.

"We’ll explain later."

"First, we’re gonna play a little game."

Back at Cursecraft Academy—

Not long afterward, the door to Alpha Division slid open.

A tall second year girl with a ponytail leaned inside.

"Sylas, the instructor asked me to come find you guys..."

Her gaze swept across the classroom.

The room was mostly empty.

Instinctively, she skipped right over Caelum’s existence before suddenly pausing and looking back at him.

She stared for a moment.

Then realized she had absolutely no idea who he was.

"Uh... where are Zephyr and Sylas? The instructor sent us to get them."

Caelum glanced at the second year student.

"They’re busy right now."

"Try again tomorrow."

"Alright then. Sorry for bothering you."

The moment she left Alpha Division, Winifred’s expression darkened immediately.

She sighed helplessly.

"So they figured it out."

Zephyr and Sylas returning unharmed meant the ambush had failed.

Anyone with a functioning brain would realize there was a mole inside the Academy.

Staying any longer was too dangerous.

Whether those idiots talked or not, Winifred refused to gamble on luck.

She immediately left Cursecraft Academy without hesitation.

The next day.

Blackreach Central District.

Wearing casual clothes and a black baseball cap, Winifred moved through the crowded commercial streets before eventually entering an upscale private club.

A black sedan pulled up outside moments later.

Zephyr cracked his knuckles as he warmed up.

Sylas radiated murderous pressure.

Neither of them said a word as they followed Winifred into the building.

Flush the snake out.

Then wipe out the nest.

Eliminating the Academy mole alone wouldn’t solve anything.

These anti Academy groups would simply continue targeting them.

Rather than waiting passively, they chose to strike first.

Destroy the entire organization in one go.

Most importantly, this operation belonged entirely to Zephyr, Sylas, and Caelum.

They never reported it to the Academy.

The moment they made the decision, they acted immediately.

Meanwhile, the Academy was still busy interrogating the two captured attackers.

By the time they realized what was happening, everything would already be over.

Inside the private VIP lounge, dozens of people dressed in identical uniforms chatted in small groups, resembling some kind of underground cult.

More importantly—

Every single one of them was a Sorcerer.

All of them belonged to the Cursed Spirit faction opposing Cursecraft Academy.

Suddenly, the room fell silent.

Every Sorcerer turned toward the entrance, their expressions twisting into visible disgust.

Boom!

The door exploded open from a kick.

Zephyr swaggered inside casually.

Facing dozens of enemy Sorcerers, he looked as relaxed as if he were sightseeing.

Sylas scanned the room coldly.

"So the Divine Grace Society headquarters was hiding inside Blackreach all along."

"And the Academy somehow never noticed?"

"At this point, calling it a blind spot feels a little hard to believe."

"Anyway," Zephyr said with a grin.

His hands flashed through signs instantly as violent lightning erupted around him.

"You guys are dead."