Chapter 119: The Infiltrator At The Academy

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: The Infiltrator At The Academy

The morning was already well underway when a male student hurried toward the academy gates.

His pace suggested that he was in a rush, and his expression grew increasingly anxious as he approached the entrance.

Marcus Reed, who had recently taken up his duties at the academy’s gate, recognized him almost immediately.

"Calvin Stone, it’s nearly ten o’clock. You’re late today," he said.

The student stopped in front of him and gave an awkward smile.

"Sorry, brother. I overslept this morning. Please, don’t tell my teacher!" he said.

Marcus gave him a look of disbelief.

"You think keeping quiet will solve anything?" he said.

"Your classmates are probably already in their second lesson. Your homeroom teacher must have noticed you’re missing by now. Be more careful next time. Go on, get inside."

"Thank you!" Calvin Stone said, hurrying through the entrance.

Marcus watched him leave before shaking his head. He had worked at the academy’s gate for more than half a month and had become familiar with many of the students.

Calvin Stone was particularly memorable because of his unusual name.

The young man was a first year student in Class One, the same class as Mira.

According to what Marcus had heard, he was also the weakest student in the class.

Despite his poor performance, Calvin Stone was usually diligent and rarely arrived late.

That was why seeing him show up so close to ten o’clock had surprised Marcus.

Still, Marcus had plenty of work to do and no reason to dwell on a student’s tardiness.

After watching Calvin disappear into the academy, he turned his attention back to the entrance.

What he failed to notice was that Calvin had briefly looked over his shoulder before leaving.

The student’s earlier nervousness had vanished. In its place was a strange gleam of greed.

His eyes lingered on Marcus, and an unsettling smile slowly formed on his face.

What a wonderful discovery.

He had barely arrived at Arcadia Academy, yet he had already sensed the presence of someone with an extraordinary special physique.

The scent is unmistakable. Someone with a superior constitution is right here.

Calvin’s gaze followed Marcus for another moment.

He must taste delicious.

Marcus Reed had no idea that the student he had just allowed through Arcadia Academy’s gates was no longer the person he appeared to be.

The young man calling himself Calvin Stone was, in reality, Damon Veil, the notorious leader of the Bloodshadow Cult.

Beneath that ordinary looking face was a ruthless man whose name carried considerable weight among the underground organizations operating throughout the Valemont region.

Damon had personally come to Arcadia Academy after receiving a call from Reginald Lindsay, the head of the Lindsay family.

During their conversation, Reginald had explained that Graham Cole was responsible for the death of Selene, the Bloodshadow Cult’s deputy leader.

He had also claimed that finding Graham Cole would require investigating Mira, who was believed to have a close connection with the mysterious powerhouse.

Damon had accepted the information without much hesitation.

His Cult had cooperated with the Lindsay family on numerous occasions, and their relationship had always been mutually beneficial.

More importantly, Reginald’s youngest son, Collins Lindsay, had also died at the hands of people connected to Graham Cole, according to the family’s investigation.

With both parties suffering losses, there was little reason for Damon to reject the request for assistance.

He had two objectives in coming to Arcadia Academy. The first was to locate the person responsible for Selene’s death and avenge his deputy leader.

The second was to demonstrate the Bloodshadow Cult’s strength to the other underground organizations, ensuring that no one would mistake its silence for weakness.

Damon was a seasoned assassin, and his cultivation had already reached the 3rd-Level of the Star Sea Realm.

In his estimation, as long as he chose his moment carefully and avoided Victoria Quill, he could infiltrate the academy, seize Mira, and escape before anyone had time to stop him.

After all, Arcadia Academy’s reputation was greater than its actual combat strength.

The institution had strong government backing and had produced numerous outstanding martial artists over the years, giving it considerable influence throughout Valemont.

However, its most powerful figures were not nearly as formidable as outsiders might imagine.

Even Vice Principal Johnny, the academy’s strongest expert, and Samuel Bush, the deputy minister of the Extraordinary Division, were only at the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm.

Against an opponent like Damon, that level of strength was hardly enough to make him feel threatened.

Nevertheless, Damon had survived for so long because he never allowed confidence to turn into carelessness.

Before entering the academy, he had devised a method to conceal his identity and blend in with the students.

His disguise had required a particularly gruesome sacrifice.

The previous night, he had captured Calvin Stone, the unremarkable first year student from Mira’s class, and devoured him alive.

Using a low level technique derived from the Devouring Demon Art, Damon had absorbed the student’s physical characteristics and completely taken over his appearance.

Now, he could move around Arcadia Academy under another person’s identity without immediately attracting suspicion.

His plan was to observe Mira’s daily activities, investigate her connections, and discover the true identity of Graham Cole.

At the same time, he intended to examine the academy’s talented students and determine whether any of them possessed physiques worth consuming.

The Devouring Demon Art became more powerful by absorbing the essence of suitable targets.

For Damon, an institution filled with promising young martial artists was practically a treasure trove.

He had expected the infiltration to be straightforward.

What he had not anticipated was discovering an exceptional target the moment he stepped through the academy gates.

The gatekeeper who had greeted him was Marcus Reed, an ordinary looking member of the academy’s staff.

Yet Damon had immediately sensed something extraordinary about the man’s constitution.

Even from a distance, Marcus seemed to give off an alluring aura that made Damon’s appetite stir.

To someone who practiced the Devouring Demon Art, the sensation was unmistakable.

Marcus had awakened a high grade special physique.

Damon’s eyes had nearly lit up with greed.

What an incredible place!

He had come looking for Mira’s Frost Phoenix Bloodline, already a prize that would make the journey worthwhile.

Now, he had discovered another promising target without even needing to search.

If even the academy’s gatekeeper possesses such a constitution, just imagine how many valuable targets are hidden among its students.

His excitement grew with every passing moment.

As long as I have enough strength, Arcadia Academy could become the perfect hunting ground for my Devouring Demon Art.

Until then, Damon had intended to focus on Mira and leave with his target before anyone noticed his presence. But this unexpected discovery changed his plans.

Why limit himself to one prize when he could potentially obtain several?

Damon had never been a man who respected rules or cared about the consequences of his actions.

The reputation of Arcadia Academy meant little to him, and the possibility of offending its powerful backers was not enough to suppress his greed.

He quickly abandoned his original timetable.

Rather than simply abduct Mira and leave, he decided to remain undercover for a while longer.

If he could identify other promising physiques and devour their owners without exposing himself, his cultivation might advance considerably before he ever had to face Graham Cole.

A dangerous smile appeared beneath his borrowed face.

He had entered Arcadia Academy expecting to hunt one man. Now, he intended to turn the entire institution into his hunting ground.

* * *

Far away from the academy’s entrance, Xavier remained unaware that a dangerous enemy had already infiltrated the place where his wife studied.

He had spent the entire day cultivating in the secluded hills north of Arcadia Academy.

By the time evening arrived, he finally emerged from his deep concentration and assessed the changes within his body.

A satisfied expression appeared on his face.

The eighth Spirit Platform space had been completely filled with energy, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the 8th-Level of the Spirit Platform Realm.

At this rate, he would soon be able to fill the ninth space and begin preparing for the next major breakthrough.

Even more encouraging was the progress of his Chaos Body.

After absorbing so many resources, his constitution had advanced into the later stage of its growth phase.

Xavier could not help feeling pleased with his progress.

His cultivation speed was already far beyond what most martial artists could achieve, and the abundant resources provided by the system had only widened the gap.

Of course, such rapid improvement came at a cost. Throughout the day, he had consumed six Creation Pills, one Lesser Enlightenment Pill, one Saint Essence Pill, and a drop of Constitution Holy Water.

An ordinary martial artist would have been fortunate to obtain even a fraction of those resources.

With that much assistance, many cultivators would have already reached the threshold of the Star Sea Realm.

Xavier, however, was different.

The nine Spirit Platform spaces within his body were vastly larger than those of ordinary martial artists, potentially exceeding them by dozens or even hundreds of times.

That immense capacity gave him an enormous advantage in combat, but it also meant he needed far more energy to fill each space.

His cultivation required resources on a completely different scale.

Still, Xavier saw no reason to complain.

A larger foundation meant that once he fought opponents of the same realm, he would possess a substantial advantage.

It also gave him greater confidence when confronting enemies whose cultivation exceeded his own.

He smiled faintly as he considered the benefits.

Everything has its price. If I have to consume more resources to build a stronger foundation, so be it.

Noticing how late it had become, Xavier packed away his belongings and headed home.