Chapter 276: Alpha’s Evolution: the Veiled Wing of Eros (2)

Silas turned away from Alpha’s cot, his pink eyes cool and calculated as he surveyed the chaotic field medical pavilion.

Around them, emergency alarms chirped continuously, frantic medics shouted orders over the groans of injured academy students, and volatile mana signatures clashed in the overcrowded air. It was a chaotic, high-stress environment- the worst possible atmosphere for someone undergoing an delicate, ancestral racial evolution.

"He isn’t staying here," Silas said, looking directly at the lead medical director who was supervising the triage zone.

The director paused mid-stride, clutching a glowing digital clipboard tightly against his white coat.

"Mr. Ashard, your teammate is suffering from severe thermal mana shock and a high-grade core fever. Moving him now without stabilizing his conduits could cause permanent neural damage-"

"He isn’t in mana shock," Silas interrupted, his tone laced with a quiet, unyielding authority that caused every nearby medic to instantly freeze.

"His core isn’t failing; it’s changing. He needs absolute isolation and specialized, high-tier divine care. I want him transferred directly to my personal estate under private transport. Anna will take personal charge of his recovery."

The mention of Anna made the director’s eyes widen in immediate realization. As one of the highest-ranked divine healers in New Liberty- and recognized internationally for her unmatched restoration magic- her direct involvement carried absolute authority.

"If... if Lady Anna is taking personal responsibility for his clinical care, we can authorize an immediate medical release," the director conceded, clearing his throat nervously as he logged the authorization on his screen.

"However, the National Security Bureau and the High Council of the Tournament Committee have placed a strict lockdown on all key participants. They require your formal, signed statement regarding the Astoria breach before we can clear your transport for departure."

Silas nodded once, his expression unbothered. "Get your recording stuff ready. Make it fast."

The official debriefing took place inside a heavily armored, spell-shielded command module parked at the edge of the clearing. High-ranking military liaisons and intelligence officers sat across from Silas, their hands visibly trembling as they adjusted their recording devices.

Silas kept his account concise, flawless, and perfectly aligned with the altered memory currently floating in the minds of every human on Earth.

He detailed the horrific collapse of Swef Ashi’s dark domain, describing how the ancient cannibal leader had tried to butcher the Valecrest squad, and how he had pushed his Heartweaver threads and S-Rank core past their natural limits in a desperate, life-or-death gamble.

He painted a picture of a brutal, blood-soaked victory where he had shattered the realm and slain the monster with sheer force of willpower, saving his team in a hard-fought battle.

The officials listened in rapt, awe-struck silence, hanging on his every word without a single trace of suspicion. They had seen almost everything on the screens, but hearing it from the horse’s own mouth was better. To them, Silas Ashard was not a terrifying mystery- he was a national hero, a prodigy who had pushed himself to the absolute brink to avert a tragedy.

"Thank you, Mr. Ashard," the lead liaison stammered, bowing his head respectfully as he stamped the clearance documents. "Your bravery today saved the future of the nation."

With his statement officially logged and top-tier security clearance granted, a specialized, spell-encased medical transport was dispatched.

Silas, with Chloe lacing her fingers firmly through his, stepped out of the command module and walked toward the vehicle.

Right behind them, Alicia hovered near the edge of the boarding ramp, her hands folded tightly against her stomach. Her gaze darted between her boots and Silas’s back, her face flushed red beneath her medical bandages.

She had spent the entire tournament viewing Silas as a crazy guy- an, impossible wall she could never hope to reach. But after watching him tear through the Astoria to save their lives, and seeing how effortlessly he commanded high-ranking officials, a confusing mix of bashful embarrassment, deep respect, and overwhelming gratitude held her tongue.

Silas paused at the ramp, turning his head back toward her with an easy, warm smile. "Alicia? You don’t have to walk three paces behind us like a nervous ghost. Are you coming with us or not?"

Alicia flinched, her cheeks burning even hotter as she stammered, avoiding his direct pink eyes.

"I... I just wanted to make sure Alpha makes it to the estate safely! That’s all! He was... he was standing near me when the domain collapsed, so I feel responsible!" She caught herself, swallowing hard before lowering her voice to a soft, genuine murmur. "And... I wanted to thank you properly. For being back there. You saved my life, Silas."

"I told you, save the grand speeches for when everyone’s back to one hundred percent," Silas replied with a light chuckle, stepping aside to let her pass. "Come on. There’s plenty of room at the estate for you to recover too. Besides, I’m sure that guy would love to see your face more than mine. He can be very scary sometimes."

The high-speed spatial transport cut through the sky above New Liberty, bypassing the massive crowds and media helicopters swarming the lower sectors.

Within twenty minutes, the vehicle touched down smoothly on the landing pad of Silas’s sprawling private estate. The grounds were utterly serene, protected by ancient, high-grade warding arrays that hummed quietly, keeping out the noise of the outside world.

Anna was already waiting at the main entrance of the manor. Her golden divine aura flared softly in greeting as the transport doors hissed open, her gentle eyes immediately scanning Silas for any hidden injuries before locking onto the cot holding Alpha.

"The guest wing in the east tower is fully prepared," Anna said, her voice smooth and comforting as she gestured to the waiting staff. "The warding circles are active, and no ambient mana from the city can breach the interior."

A team of specialized medical orderlies carefully lifted Alpha’s cot, carrying him through the grand, marble-lined hallways up to the primary suite of the east wing. They gently placed him down onto a large, velvet-draped bed in the center of the spacious chamber.

"That will be all. You may leave us," Anna instructed the orderlies, who bowed quickly and exited, closing the heavy oak doors behind them.

The second the latch clicked shut and the physical hands withdrew from Alpha’s body, the air inside the chamber abruptly shifted.

WIRR!

There was no explosive shockwave or violent burst of physical force. Instead, reality itself seemed to tear at the seams.

The high stone ceiling, the mahogany walls, the polished marble floor- the entire physical room dissolved into thin air. In its place, an ethereal, twilight-tinted void expanded endlessly in every direction, filled with drifting particles of silver dust and thousands of glowing, translucent pink feathers floating weightlessly in the space.

A soft, mesmerizing chime echoed through the endless dark, sounding like distant silver bells ringing from a celestial cathedral.

"Silas?!" Alicia gasped, stumbling backward as the floor beneath her boots transformed into a mirror-like lake reflecting two pale, glowing moons. She clutched her arms, her eyes wide with sudden, overwhelming panic. "W-Where are we?! What happened to the manor?!"

"Stay calm, Alicia," Chloe said coolly, stepping smoothly in front of her as her own S-Rank frost mana surged around her hands in a protective mantle. "It’s an illusion. Don’t let your mind accept the distortion."

"Not just a simple illusion," Silas murmured softly, his pink eyes glowing with deep fascination as he looked toward the bed floating in the absolute center of the silver-lit lake.

Hovering several inches above the mattress was Alpha.

His body was suspended mid-air, wrapped inside a shimmering, translucent cocoon woven from microscopic threads of silver and rose-gold light. The celestial silver halo above his head burned with a mesmerizing radiance, and the two small, feathery wings near his temples fluttered rapidly, sending visible waves of sweet, hypnotic enchantment rippling across the void.

The entire room had been swallowed whole by a localized domain of absolute deception- the first true, breathtaking manifestation of a Veiled Wing of Eros awakening to his divine ancestry.