CHAPTER 135: CHAPTER 135: INCOMPLETE TRUTHS

Training in the nightmare world was intense. William, with Anubis, refined his magic control, constantly helped by Angel. His mind fully focused on activating and memorizing each spell’s mental channels: every word, every gesture, every inner vibration. It was meticulous work, like carving each formula into his soul.

Angel guided him calmly, pointing out subtle errors, correcting his tone, and watching his energy flow.

After several hours, William returned to the magic world just before the next class began. He quickly bathed, put on his wizard’s robe, and went out into the academy’s main hallway.

The corridors, though bustling, parted as he walked. Some students watched him from afar, whispering. William again felt the stares. Several mages followed him from a distance... but none dared to approach. By then, his reputation was no longer a rumor: it was a silent threat.

Arriving at his last class of the day—Ethics and Rules of Magic Use—he noticed that, as always, the classroom was almost empty; only Lia sat reviewing some scrolls where she had noted things from her classes.

"Hello," he said with a smile, greeting her with a kiss.

"Yesterday... I finally managed to produce a fireball," she announced with controlled excitement.

William’s face lit up.

"Seriously? That’s great! Little by little, everything is falling into place. Just don’t despair."

"I try... but it still frustrates me."

"Don’t worry," he told her firmly. "I’m going to help you improve faster."

At that moment, the professor entered.

She was a tall woman with ash-colored hair pulled into a tight bun and a plain black dress.

"You don’t need to know my name," she said plainly. "Just make sure you never appear on my blacklist."

The few present immediately fell silent.

The class began. It was more brutal than academic.

"The magic world has rules. There isn’t one single body that controls it, but the consensus among the major organizations is clear: those who use magic irresponsibly... will be eliminated. Killed. Made to disappear."

She surveyed the room.

"Massacres, magical torture, human experimentation, forbidden summoning... does all that exist? Yes. Is it allowed? No. Unless," she said with a sarcastic smile, "you don’t get caught with evidence."

A dry laugh escaped her lips. Some students swallowed hard.

"That’s how the real world works. The law of the strongest... but be careful not to draw the wrong attention."

When the class ended, the teacher seemed to relax for the first time.

"Start training. The first practical exam is coming up. Many of you have no chance. I’m also an instructor in the etiquette class for knights, by the way. Your classmates are having a... bad time. A very bad time."

William frowned.

"Bad?"

"There’s not much I can do. Knight etiquette is brutal. They show no mercy to those ’from the lost continent’."

William immediately stood up, without saying a single word. His face was a contained storm.

"William, where are you going?" Lia asked, worried.

"Where I should have gone from the beginning."

He left the classroom with firm steps, crossing the academy without looking back. The area between mages and knights was divided by the central combat arena, neutral ground where disputes were settled with force.

He tried to pass.

"Stop!" a guard yelled at him. "This area is only for knights."

"So what?" William replied with an icy tone.

One of the guards put a hand on his chest. In a blink, William punched him in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Dodging a second block attempt, he spun and delivered a reverse kick to the other, instantly knocking him unconscious.

The shouts and impact drew the attention of others. Armored guards began to approach with weapons drawn.

"Stay back, mage! Don’t take another step!"

"What if I don’t?" William said, his eyes glowing, releasing such dense pressure that several recoiled without thinking.

In the midst of that tension, two familiar figures emerged among the knights: Argus, tall, brawny, with scars on his jaw; and Kael Drovian, with snake-like eyes and a mocking smile.

"I see you came looking for more trouble, brat," Kael said, stroking his sword’s hilt. "You’d better come with me. You’ll get your punishment as you deserve."

William looked him directly in the eyes.

"Punishment? If you’ve got what it takes, come get me."

An electric roar accompanied his words. Lightning began to dance in his hands, and his eyes glowed with a scarlet light.

The air changed.

Everyone felt it. Even the bravest took a step back; death felt close.

Kael, however, smiled.

"Oh, you’re finally taking this seriously," he slowly drew his sword, the metal gleaming, ready to finish his target.

But just as the first energy clash was about to erupt, two figures in dark mage robes quickly approached from the edge of the area. Their steps were hurried, but silent. One of them barely raised a hand, making a discreet signal.

Kael noticed them instantly. His smile vanished. He took a step back, frowning, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he sheathed his sword forcefully, as if it pained him to obey.

"You got lucky this time, trash," Kael growled, his voice resonating with contained rage. "But don’t worry... I’ll make sure to pass the message to your friends."

William didn’t respond. There was no need. His eyes remained fixed on Kael’s, burning with a silent fury. The ground beneath his feet barely trembled, resonating with the compressed energy still flowing through his body as he whispered "Son of a bitch" through gritted teeth.

The guards, seeing the tension dissipate, slowly lowered their weapons, though fear was still visible on their faces. It wasn’t every day a lone mage managed to intimidate their own and subdue one of the most feared knights.

Angel spoke in William’s mind while he remained silent:

"You weren’t going to win that fight, were you?"

"Maybe not..." he replied softly. "But I would have made sure he didn’t walk away either."

"Those two who intervened... they aren’t just messengers; they are the ones who have been following us these past few days."

"I know."

William sighed, finally lowering his arms and deactivating his energy.

"Thank you for your timely intervention," he said calmly. "I suppose there’s no free salvation... So, if you’ll allow me, who sent you? I’d like to know who I should thank... or watch."

The taller of the two observed him from inside his robe, where his eyes glowed with a dull green light. The other didn’t even look at him directly, focused on something unseen.

"We knew you’d discover us," the taller one replied in a neutral voice. "But you don’t need to know more. Just... continue with your life, William. That will be your best decision."

William didn’t respond. His face hardened, and though calmness remained in his voice, his thoughts were ignited. He took a step back, nodded coldly, and turned on his heels, walking away without looking back.

The two mages disappeared without a trace. Not a trace of energy, not a distortion in the air. As if they had never been there.

Elsewhere, far from the academy...

A semicircular room, plunged in shadows, housed an enormous black table of volcanic stone. Twelve hooded figures were seated, each with distinct emblems on their robes: noble houses, magic guilds, authorities from distant continents. Before them, standing, were the two mages who had intervened in the training arena.

"How did they discover you?" repeated one of the hooded figures, with a cold, raspy voice. His fingers slowly tapped on the marble.

The tall mage bowed his head.

"We don’t know for certain. But we believe he’s suspected for days. His spirit sense is too sharp... and his consciousness doesn’t seem as limited as others’."

"And why didn’t you stop him before he faced Kael?"

"Because that would have set off more alarms. If they wanted us to provoke him into acting like a savage, it was the best option," said the second mage with a dry voice. "Unfortunately, the boy didn’t take the bait, didn’t call his master at all, didn’t even touch his necklace, so we believe he didn’t even consider that option. We had to stop the knight, or William would have died..."

A heavy silence fell. One of the members, with a deeper voice, asked:

"Do you believe he already knows what we’re looking for?"

"No," replied the tall mage. "He has some pieces of the puzzle, but not the complete picture yet. However... he’s progressing much faster than anticipated. He’s unlocked connections that shouldn’t be possible at this time."

"What connections?" asked a figure with a feminine voice, dressed in shades of blue and silver.

"We have confirmed that he approached the Hallwick, specifically their heiress, Nereida."

Everyone fell silent.

Finally, the central figure spoke with a solemn voice:

"I don’t believe that old man will get involved in this, or will he? I’ll pay him a visit soon to discover his intentions; he’d better be prepared if he wants to fuck with me."