CHAPTER 245: THE VAULT OF YGGDRASIL

When the cadets had nearly finished dinner, a sharp announcement rang from the speakers in the dining hall.

"All cadets of the Primary Term, those who ranked in the top ten during the Initiation Ceremony, are requested to report to Chief Sergeant Major Soren Volkan Ironclaw. You will find him on the parade ground."

A ripple of murmurs spread across the hall as the message ended. Cadets leaned toward each other in hushed speculation. Most were convinced it was a good sign... likely a reward for those who had distinguished themselves.

Maíra, always the curious one, asked, "Eleanor, what do you think? Will we get rewards, like they’re saying?"

Eleanor’s expression remained calm, her face an unreadable mask. She replied simply, "Doesn’t matter. We will see when the time comes."

Yet, in her mind, she weighed the matter differently. Rewards seemed likely... more importantly, tied to ranking. Her suspicion sharpened as she recalled Raijin’s sudden challenge for her position. Not a random act of arrogance, nor mere recklessness. It was a calculated move. He had chosen the Tower over direct combat, and now the reason revealed itself... he had known something.

This confirmation settled in her thoughts like a stone. Raijin had played a calculated game.

Dinner soon ended. The ten rankers made their way to the parade ground, while the other cadets scattered... some toward the library, some to their departments, others back to their dormitories for rest.

Chief Sergeant Major Soren Volkan Ironclaw was already waiting on the parade ground, his presence commanding. As the ten approached, his voice thundered across the space.

"Form a line before me."

The cadets obeyed at once, standing in a straight row before him.

Chief Sergeant spoke with clipped authority. "Now, I was ordered to gather all ten cadets who ranked in the Initiation Ceremony. Acknowledge your cadet number. When I call it, you will respond with ’Yes, sir.’ Understood?"

They all nodded in unison. "Understood."

"Cadet 10156618."

"Yes, sir!" Ignatius’s voice rang out, strong and immediate.

"Cadet 10156597."

"Yes, sir," Elara replied.

One by one, the roll call continued until all ten stood confirmed before him.

Without many words, Chief Sergeant turned and led them to the administrative building. For Eleanor, it was only her second time inside; the first had been her arrival at the Academy through the teleportation gate.

To their collective surprise, he brought them once again into the teleportation room... the very place where they had all first entered this academy. Recognition flickered across their faces, mingled with unease.

But greater astonishment awaited them. Within the room stood the Principal himself, Professor Aurelius Halveth Draconis, robed in radiant gold, alongside Professor Sylpha in her indigo robes. The contrast of their presence... one like a blazing sun, the other like a twilight sky commanded the cadets’ full attention.

The Principal’s deep, resonant voice carried a weight that silenced every stray thought. "Congratulations on your ranking in the Initiation Ceremony. You may wonder why you were summoned here so suddenly. Do not be alarmed. What awaits you is no punishment, but privilege."

His gaze swept across them like a benediction. "As you know, we stand in the direct domain of Lord Yggdrasil, who watches over this Academy and its cadets. Each year, the Lord bestows gifts upon those who prove themselves through merit. And every year, these gifts have proven to be perfectly chosen, vital to the growth of those who received them. For the Lord sees deeper than we can, and knows what each of you requires."

He paused, his voice lowering, as though unveiling a secret. "This year, however, is different. Instead of receiving a gift directly, you will be permitted to choose one yourselves from the Lord’s vault. Perhaps it is because many of you share similar elements, or perhaps fate demands this trial. Whatever the reason, it is an unprecedented opportunity. Within that vault rest legendary to divine-grade treasures... yes, items stored by the Lord Himself."

The cadets shifted, eyes widening, breaths quickening.

"But," Aurelius continued, his tone sharpening, "such gifts are not given lightly. To claim them, you must first prove yourselves worthy in a trial. The greater the power of the item you seek, the harsher the trial you will face. Fail, and you will return here empty-handed. You will not die... the trials are safeguarded, but your chance will be lost. If you wish for safety, you may select according to your current power, and the trial will reflect it. But that choice is yours alone. The Lord has given you free will in this."

He inclined his head toward Sylpha. "Now, Professor Sylpha will explain the process."

Professor Sylpha inclined her head to the Principal. "Thank you, Principal Draconis. Cadets, I trust you are pleased with this rare opportunity to behold the vault of Lord Yggdrasil. As the Principal has said, you may choose whatever you desire within it."

She gestured to the gate, her indigo sleeves flowing like ink across water. "This teleportation gate is already bound to the vault by the Lord Himself. Once you step through, you will arrive directly within. There, you will see thousands of glowing orbs, drifting in the air in hues of every colour imaginable. You will not see the treasures themselves... only these orbs. Do not be misled. The colour of an orb does not reveal the power of the item. It is merely the manifestation of its aura."

Her eyes glimmered, reflecting hidden depths. "At first, this may seem confusing. But once you stand within that space, you will feel it. The pulse of the artefact, the echo of its will. You may choose any orb you desire, but know this... the item must also choose you. Only then will it be yours. To prove yourself worthy, you must pass the trial bound to that orb. These trials are unpredictable. What seems impossible to one may be trivial to another. Thus, I urge you to follow instinct. Select the orb that calls to you, that resonates with your spirit. That is the path of least resistance... and the truest bond."

She folded her hands, her tone softening. "I will be here, waiting for your return. Do not rush. Time is yours within the trial. Conquer it."

A pause, deliberate and heavy. Then her voice rang with finality. "You will enter according to rank. Once inside, you will have five minutes to choose. To select, you need only place your hand upon an orb. The trial will begin, and that orb will no longer be available to others. The gate will reset after each choice, and no cadet will ever meet another inside. Now... Rank One. Enter."

Ignatius Aurelius Emberfall stepped forward. He cast a quick glance at his companions, then squared his shoulders and strode through the gate. In an instant, his form dissolved into light. The gate flared crimson, pulsing with sealed power. Minutes passed. Then, as suddenly, it dimmed and returned to pure white.

"Rank Two," Sylpha intoned.

Elara Noelle Luminelle walked with measured grace, each step radiating quiet confidence. The gate swallowed her, and once more, white brilliance returned.

"Rank Three. Enter."

Eleanor’s gaze swept her companions. She gave the faintest smile... calm, unreadable... then stepped forward. The light consumed her, and the world shifted.

As soon as she entered the gate, the solid world dissolved into a breathless silence. The transition was not a step but a cessation; the floor vanished from beneath her feet, and she was cradled by absolute nothingness. She was floating, untethered, in a sea of perfect, velvety black. It was a darkness so complete it felt less like an absence of light and more like a primordial substance, ancient and profound.

And suspended within this infinite night were the treasures.

They were a symphony of light... countless orbs, each like a captured star, drifting in a silent, eternal dance. Their sizes varied from mere pearls of radiance to great, pulsing spheres larger than her head, each encased in its own shimmering aura. The colours were a language she could not describe in words... deep sapphire blues that hummed with oceanic depth, emerald greens that shimmered with the vitality of a primeval forest, and furious crimson spheres that seemed to contain the heart of a dying sun. Some burned with a pure, incandescent white, while others swirled with nebulas of violet and gold, their light bleeding softly into the encompassing dark.

She turned... or rather, the thought of turning reoriented her in the void. There was no up or down, no right or left. In every direction, the tapestry of light stretched into eternity, a galaxy of possibilities where the nearest orbs were within arm’s reach and the farthest faded into a glittering, indistinguishable haze. It was a cathedral of silence and potential, where the only architecture was light and shadow.

The atmosphere thrummed with a silent music, the collective energy of the artefacts a palpable pressure against her skin. Each orb was not just a light but a presence, a unique signature of power waiting to be understood. She reached out a hand... not to touch, but to feel the energy radiating from a nearby orb the colour of a twilight sky. It responded not with heat, but with a gentle, magnetic pull, a whisper against her soul. She suddenly felt a coldness spreading through her body and withdrew from the orb at once.

Fortunately, she could move her body with thought alone here. A mere intention sent her gliding effortlessly towards a cluster of amber orbs, their warm light promising strength and stability.