Beast Gacha System: All Mine-Chapter 238: Chain Accidents

BLAST!

A sharp crackle pierced the ambient hum of the conference hall.

Then another.

Then a whoosh that drew every eye toward the stage.

At the back, near the curtains that framed the demonstration area, flames had erupted. They climbed with terrifying speed. Magic papers, left accidentally by the previous presenter, had caught fire, and the blaze had already kissed the heavy fabric of the stage curtains.

Within seconds, the top of the stage was crowned in orange and gold, smoke beginning to curl toward the ceiling.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Nikolas and Ruby stood closest to the stage, having been making their way toward the front to secure better seats for the next demonstration.

"Oh no!" Ruby exclaimed.

Another committee member’s hand shot out, reaching for the emergency scrolls mounted on a nearby pillar. It was a fire control magic, standard issue at every conference, designed precisely for moments like this. Its function was to suck the fire and heat into the scroll safely.

But Ruby was faster.

Before the committee member’s fingers could close around the scroll, before anyone could even process what was happening, Ruby’s hands snapped up.

"Spring of Herome!"

Water burst from her palms in a concentrated surge. It was not the gentle spray of a controlled spell, but a focused torrent that slammed into the flames with the force of a breaking wave.

The fire died instantly.

Steam hissed and billowed, obscuring the stage for a short moment. When it cleared, the curtains were soaked and blackened at the edges, but intact. The magic papers were a wet, smoking ruin. The fire was out.

Silence.

Then, applause. Thunderous, relieved, grateful applause. The crowd, which had gasped in collective horror moments ago, now erupted in cheers. People turned to one another, wide-eyed and amazed at how quickly she had reacted.

"Who was that?"

"I think that’s Ruby Vaiva, the top student of the Vision Department!"

"She saved the conference!"

Ruby stood frozen for a moment, her hands still raised, water dripping from her fingertips onto the floor. Slowly, she lowered them, turning to face the crowd with a modest, almost shy expression.

"I... it’s nothing." Her voice carried just enough to reach the nearest onlookers. "It’s truly just a reflex. Anyone would have done the same."

More applause. Someone whistled.

Nikolas stared at her. His expression flickered but quickly smoothed away, before he stepped forward to stand beside her, nodding at the crowd as if to say yes, this is my girl, this is the top student of the Vision Department, this is what she can do.

Elsewhere in the hall, Cecilia emerged from behind a large demonstration booth, drawn by the commotion.

She hadn’t seen what happened. She had been reviewing schedules with one of the junior committee members in a side alcove, but the applause and excited murmurs told her something significant had occurred.

She caught the arm of a passing committee member, a harried-looking young man with a clipboard.

"What happened?"

"Fire!" He gestured vaguely toward the stage. "Back curtain caught fire. But it’s fine now, Miss Vaiva handled it. Quick thinking, that one."

Cecilia’s eyebrows rose. "Anyone hurt?"

"No, no. All clear. Conference is still on schedule." He was already moving away, clipboard waving. "Just a small delay while they check the stage!" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Cecilia nodded, releasing him. Her gaze drifted toward the stage, where she could see the aftermath. Darkened curtains, a small crowd of officials and presenters clustering around, Ruby standing at the center of it all, accepting praise with humble smiles.

Huh.

She filed the information away and turned to find the scholars’ booth. She had promised to check on them before their presentation.

Near the eastern edge of the hall, Sloan, Mimoxa, and Yakub remained blissfully unaware of what had just unfolded.

They were too focused on their own preparations. Checking seals, reviewing diagrams, and trying to keep Mimoxa from spiraling into another anxiety attack.

"Did you hear something?" Yakub asked, tilting his head toward the distant sound of applause.

Sloan waved a dismissive hand. "Probably another successful demonstration. You know how this crowd gets, clap at everything."

"I thought I heard gasps first," Mimoxa said quietly, her fingers still tracing the edge of their precious sand containers.

"Gasps, applause, it’s all the same." Sloan shrugged. "Focus. Our turn is next."

Mimoxa took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. Next. We’re ready."

Yakub grinned, ink-stained fingers clasped in a gesture of confidence. "We’ve got this."

They walked toward the stage. The area had been decently cleaned and reorganized in the short time since the fire. Crews had worked quickly, restoring order with the efficiency of conference staff who had seen far worse disasters than a small curtain blaze. The stage was ready.

Cecilia met them halfway, emerging from behind a cluster of attendees with her gentle, encouraging smile they had come to associate with quiet competence.

"I’m so excited for your presentation." Her voice was warm, sincere. "I’ll be right in front of you, under the stage, alright? Close enough to see everything."

Mimoxa’s eyes widened. She reached out impulsively, grasping Cecilia’s hands with both of hers. Cecilia felt the tremor running through her, the fine, constant vibration of barely contained nerves.

"Thank you!" Mimoxa’s voice was higher than usual, breathless with a mixture of terror and gratitude.

Cecilia squeezed her hands once, firmly, then released. "Good luck!"

She gently pushed Mimoxa forward, toward her waiting friends, and turned to find a spot near the stage. Not in the crowd but somewhere with a clear view, where she could supervise, could watch, could ensure that nothing went wrong.

This was one of the more sensitive presentations of the conference. Not the most dangerous, that honor belonged to the alchemists two booths over, who were demonstrating volatile reaction containment, but sensitive enough.

One misplaced variable, one unexpected complication, and the enchanted sand could do more than just misfire.

The stage was clean. Dry. No visible water remained from Ruby’s intervention. The crew had been thorough, using mild restorative magic to repair even the charred tips of the curtains. Everything looked pristine, professional, ready.

Mimoxa, Yakub, and Sloan emerged onto the stage with nervous smiles on their faces.

The crowd’s murmur settled as the three scholars arranged themselves. Sloan stepped forward first, the unofficial spokesperson, his unshaven jaw and rumpled robes giving him the air of a man who cared more about results than appearances.

"Good afternoon, everyone." His voice carried well. "I’m Sloan, and these are my colleagues, Mimoxa and Yakub. We’re here today to present something we’ve been working on for the past four years."

He gestured, and Yakub moved to the table at the center of the stage. With careful, deliberate movements, he uncapped one of the sealed jars and poured a stream of shimmering sand into the shallow basin.

The crowd leaned forward. The sand caught the light, each grain glowing faintly.

"Enchanted sand," Sloan continued. "Individually enchanted grains, each one calibrated to respond to specific magical frequencies. Combined, they can form structures, conduits, pathways."

Mimoxa stepped forward, her voice steadier than Cecilia had expected given the trembling hands from moments ago.

"We’ve developed a method to shape this sand into temporary teleportation gates. Portable gates. Gates that can be configured on the fly, adapted to any terrain, any environment."

She picked up a small rod, plain wood, unassuming, and tapped it against the edge of the basin. The sand stirred, rose, began to move.

"Traditional teleportation gates are permanent structures," Yakub added, his ink-stained fingers gesturing at the swirling sand. "They require years of construction, massive magical investment, and can only connect fixed points. Ours—"

The sand was forming an arch now, delicate and shimmering, grains swirling in patterns that hurt to look at directly.

"—can be shaped anywhere. Any time. For any purpose."

Sloan grinned, the expression making him look boyish despite the stubble. "Imagine rescue operations in disaster zones. Military supply lines behind enemy lines. Trade routes that can be established in hours instead of decades."

The sand arch completed itself, hovering above the basin, a perfect circle of swirling light.

"Today," Sloan said, his voice dropping to something quieter, more serious, "we’re going to show you that it works."

Cecilia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

It went smoother than expected.

The presentation was flawless so far. The sand responded perfectly. The crowd was engaged. Everything was proceeding exactly as it should.

But then, at the edge of her vision, something caught her attention.

A reflection. Subtle, almost invisible, but there. Under the side curtain, at the corner of the stage, a small puddle of water glistened in the stage lights.

Cecilia’s eyes narrowed.