Chapter 380: Chapter 379- Upgrade
Adrian moved slowly around the classroom, his sharp eyes scanning every row. The air was thick with tension — the scratching of quills, the sound of shifting chairs, the soft sighs of nervous students. He made sure no one even thought about cheating.
Hidden within the room were several small artifacts he had placed earlier. The moment someone tried to channel mana, the devices would alert him instantly.
The students were strictly forbidden from bringing anything besides their quills and answer sheets. Anyone who thought they could outsmart the system would soon learn otherwise.
*BZZZZZ!*
"Ah!" A startled cry broke the silence.
"Stand up. Seat three," Adrian said calmly, not even raising his voice.
Two other professors quickly approached the student and began checking his belongings. Within moments, they found a pen-shaped artifact — a cleverly disguised tool that could store sheets.
Adrian’s expression didn’t change as the student was escorted out. The boy would most likely face suspension from all remaining exams.
The rest of the students didn’t even glance up. Their heads stayed down, focused entirely on their papers. That silent discipline brought a faint smile to Adrian’s lips. He appreciated their seriousness. Time was running out, after all.
As he walked past the rows, his eyes fell on Aries.
She was writing rapidly, brows slightly furrowed — not out of struggle, but focus. Her movements were steady and sure, her face calm.
Adrian’s lips curved faintly. ’Sometimes, being underconfident pushes people to take risks they don’t need to.’
He wasn’t boasting when he thought of it — Adrian had always been an academic genius. He never needed to cheat. The only time he’d been caught was when he’d tried to help his girlfriend by showing her his paper. They’d both been suspended for it.
He chuckled inwardly at the memory. ’Time really does change people.’
Now, he was the one enforcing the rules — making sure no one else repeated those same foolish mistakes, something like what Aries tried.
His gaze then went towards Elana and as he thought, she was calmly writing her paper without a single crease of stress on her head.
"You can rest a bit, sir. I’ll keep an eye on this section," Rylie said softly, walking up to him.
Adrian glanced at the clock — still thirty minutes left. He nodded. "Alright."
Taking a seat on the small podium at the front, he leaned back, allowing himself a moment to relax.
There was no personal pressure for him anymore, but the preparations leading up to this exam had drained him. Endless meetings, schedules, safety measures — it was exhausting.
’If only I had a Time Chamber right now,’ he thought with a faint smile.
He did have access to it as a storage, but he can’t go there as of now.
Ever since he’d unlocked his past memories, the system had gone into hibernation — upgrading, and getting better.
’How long, system?’ he asked silently as he took out a small flask and drank some water.
[Time remaining: 7 hours 48 minutes.]
Adrian exhaled, half in relief, half in impatience.
’Almost eight more hours.’
Eight more hours before he could continue his studies. Before he could test what the upgraded system had in store.
Despite the fatigue tugging at his body, a flicker of excitement stirred within him.
For the first time since awakening the system, it was evolving — and he couldn’t wait to see what new possibilities awaited him.
....
"Uwaaah!" Annabelle stretched her arms as she woke from a long slumber.
When she had no work, her days usually revolved around eating and napping several times.
Her darling was busy with exams, so he couldn’t play with her.
Lowering her arms, she looked down at the faint bulge on her stomach and asked, "Do you think I’m getting fat?"
"That’s still within range to burn off in a week," replied the only other person in the room.
Jean was kneeling by the bed, patiently waiting for her queen to awaken.
Annabelle hummed and walked over to the mirror. Her cheeks looked a little fuller, her skin soft and glowing.
Sleeping really was the best beauty treatment she knew—but she couldn’t afford to let fat settle in.
She had to look perfect. Always.
"Tell me, Jean. What’s happening in the world?" she asked lazily, still inspecting her reflection.
"Reporting," Jean began in a calm tone. "The Twilight Vault is facing severe consequences for siding with the Cult. Patriarch Vermillion has anonymously submitted all the evidence he’s been hiding for years. The Central Dominion has summoned the Tower Members for inquiry."
Annabelle’s brows rose. "Oh, so they’re screwed now."
Jean nodded. "The Central Dominion rarely interferes unless the situation is grave. With the evidence published in the newspapers, it’s likely that the Tower’s officials will receive serious punishment."
Annabelle grinned. "And what’s Uncle Reid planning to do with the husk they’ll leave behind?"
Jean answered respectfully, "Nothing’s confirmed yet, My Lady. But there’s a high chance Patriarch Vermillion might take over the Tower—or establish a new one from scratch."
"Heh~ Vermillion Tower. I bet it’ll outshine all the others," Annabelle said with a smirk.
Jean kept silent.
Annabelle moved to her chair and sat gracefully before asking, "What about the Midnight Tower and the others involved in this mess?"
"As Mister Adrian stated, we presented Nel before the media, where he exposed their involvement," Jean replied. "Naturally, they denied all accusations and shifted the blame onto the one who captured the Cult’s leader and destroyed their base."
Jean continued, "They claim a greater, darker power is manipulating events to create conflict between the Towers and the public."
Annabelle chuckled softly. "They’d be in real trouble if I announced that I was the one who caught him."
Jean instantly responded, "That would be counterproductive, My Queen."
Annabelle frowned. "How so?"
"The Midnight Ascent has already hinted that someone with independent magic attacked the Cult’s base," Jean explained. "If you reveal yourself, they’ll link you to Sir Adrian—and use that as an excuse to brand him a false non-believer."
Annabelle wryly smiled, "You really believe they would go that far to frame him?"
The other one nodded, "After this one, everyone has started to see the alliance in play. Sir Adrian, My Queen and Vermillion Heiress being their biggest rival and they would not let any chance go to defame you three."
Annabelle crossed her arms, "Yeah...you are right, I shouldn’t be hasty and discuss things with Darling first."
After a brief pause, Annabelle asked, "Someone from the Umbral was there when I ambushed, right?"
Jean nodded, "Kaylie was there."
"Did you receive the report of how the whole massacre went?"
Jean took a moment this time to answer, "Yes...she did."
Annabelle looked down at the woman before asking, "What did she say? Anything about the usage of independent magic?"
Jean gave a brief nod, "Yes, my lady...you had killed most of the Acolytes using independent magic."
A sudden silence befell the room.
Jean’s breathing turned slightly ragged but she didn’t move an inch from the place.
Annabelle’s cold blue eyes were staring at the woman for a quite long minute.
But then, the girl just shrugged and said, "Forget about it. If you guys ever feel like rebelling I will just deal with it. You can go now."
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Annabelle...doesn’t trust anyone. Annabelle just trusts her Darling.