Chapter 187: Chapter187-The Dusk Sect Emerges Again!
Geoffrey was desperately anxious but powerless, as he indeed could not break the array by himself.
Even with Percival at his side, it was not feasible.
"But... but you are a semigod-tier character."
Geoffrey was hesitant, wondering if not even the Principal alone could manage it, then surely adding them might not make a difference either.
"That's why I need to make this public."
Principal Sophia spoke with an icy tone, surveying her surroundings.
She was very clear in her mind that there must be a traitor among the academy's upper echelon!
This situation could not have been so easily orchestrated without her noticing any discrepancies unless there was an insider.
Dark God Ritual...
Now it had even reached Star Cluster Academy!
Well, just perfect, truly perfect! Principal Sophia considered herself not one to lose her temper easily.
But this situation had truly angered her; it was as if Star Cluster Academy was being used as a pawn!
Geoffrey himself was becoming frightened, fully aware of the potential repercussions if this information were to leak.
But now the arrow was on the bowstring; they had no choice but to proceed! Indeed, just as he had thought, the reality was grim.
When he revealed that the entire realm had been tampered with and that the students inside might be used as sacrifices, everyone was shocked!
Some nobles immediately slammed their hands on the tables and stood up, glaring intensely at them!
"What is going on here? What is Star Cluster Academy actually doing? You say this is the work of the Dusk Sect, but you had no clue about it beforehand?"
"When has the realm of the Principal of Star Cluster Academy ever been so easily controlled by others? Are you really telling us this has nothing to do with you?"
"Give me an explanation, or I swear I will level Star Cluster Academy!"
"So what if you have a semigod-tier powerhouse? Unless I get an explanation, I will use all my power against Star Cluster Academy!"
Everyone was speaking fervently, as if only by expressing themselves this way could they vent all the rage in their hearts!
This time, it was the pride of their families who were participating in the Star Cluster Academy's evaluation!
But now, unexpectedly, such incidents had arisen, and their children might even die inside!
For a moment, those contestants who had been previously eliminated felt a sudden surge of relief.
Thankfully, they were already out, otherwise...
It could have been them dying inside!
Although Geoffrey was the Vice Principal, he couldn't help but wipe his sweat as he faced the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! The reason we are disclosing this information now is to seek everyone's help. The array has been activated. Without the combined effort of everyone here, there is simply no way to break the array!"
"Right now, our children are inside, and our most urgent task is to rescue them!"
The faces of the nobility were ashen, completely blindsided by the situation Star Cluster Academy had put them in.
Their rightful heirs had suddenly been plunged into crisis, with a very real possibility of dying inside!
Should that happen, their families could face severe repercussions for decades to come!
Whatever the case, they were determined to rescue the children!
Some, despite their discomfort, began to collaborate with Star Cluster Academy.
Although they were extremely furious, they also understood that there was no turning back from this situation.
First and foremost, they had to save the children—nothing else mattered, nor did they have the time to worry about anything else.
Everyone started to follow Principal Sophia's directives, and they were all startled upon seeing the massive array on the ground.
Honestly, they hadn't noticed it initially and had no idea what it was for.
They felt oddly dizzy just looking at the lines of the array, as if something was constantly jumping and stirring in their minds, diminishing their cognitive abilities.
"These arrays have disorienting effects. Be careful, do not act rashly. Follow the Principal's instructions and target the focal points of the array."
Geoffrey was also extremely nervous.
This was the first time he was handling such a situation.
If they weren't careful, a misstep could cause the array to collapse, potentially killing all the children inside!
As Principal Sophia began to attack the array, she also noticed that her connection with the realm seemed to strengthen slightly.
She immediately announced this news within the secret realm.
[The realm is under external control! My connection with the realm is weakening, and death inside the realm is now actual death, even if resurrected, attributes will be reduced by 50%!]
[I urge everyone to ensure your own safety. We are actively working to rescue you from outside and will ensure your safe return!]
[Follow John's commands for all actions within the realm! You must work together to survive in coordination with our efforts outside!]
After a day of defending the city, everyone was resting when they suddenly heard this announcement, leaving them stunned.
"Did you just hear that? That sounded like the Principal."
"I heard it! What does it mean that the realm is now controlled by someone else, and that death inside the realm is actual death?"
"What does this mean? Are they trying to kill us? Let me out now!"
"If dying here means really dying, then who would dare to go up on the walls to fight the enemy! My God, I need to get out, let me out now!"
Everyone began to shout in panic, their minds in complete disarray.
Some began to feel fear.
Today, many had contemplated rushing forward to score points by engaging the monsters in a fight to the death.
They now felt extremely relieved that they hadn't acted impulsively; otherwise, they might have been corpses by now!
And the Principal had already stated that even if resurrected, their attributes would drop by 50% for 12 hours!
What does a 50% drop mean? It essentially meant that their couldn't do anything in that 12 hours!
Everyone involuntarily gasped in shock!
Some began to shout in anger, others wanted to leave but dared not commit suicide.
They feared that dying in this place meant true death!
However, some noticed that the Principal had added a line in her message about all actions within the fortress being under John's command!
What did this mean?
Was John different from them, just another student participating in the evaluation?
Why did John have the Principal's trust?
Could it be that John knew something they did not?
The people in the first fortress were in an uproar!
They rushed out of their rooms to the square, demanding that John provide an answer!
Archibald was also stunned; his mind went blank when he received the news.
Although John had previously mentioned being cautious about this, Archibald had never truly believed it could be real!
Dying here really meant no resurrection unless by using the Resurrection Spell, and even then, attributes would be reduced by 50% for 12 hours!
"Is what the Principal said true? If we die here, do we really die?"
Leopold was the first to approach Archibald, urgently asking about the recent announcements.
Darius also came running over, still slightly out of breath, with sweat on his forehead.
Lavinia ran up as well, not speaking, but her expression was notably serious.
Edmund, holding his staff, didn't speak either, but a closer look revealed his hands were slightly trembling.
Though typically composed, they were still just teenagers, and naturally, they were very frightened when faced with such a dire situation, especially one involving life and death!
"I don't know right now either. Let's go find John and ask him exactly what's going on."
Archibald was aware of the situation but admitted there were some details he was unclear about.
They turned around and saw John standing not far away.
The five of them were eager to ask questions, but John gestured for them to pause.
"It's okay, let's head to the platform. I'll explain everything to you there!"