Chapter 647: The Icy Void

Third Person’s POV

For the first time in quite a while, a trace of excitement quietly stirred within Ethan’s heart.

His fighting instincts, which had remained dormant for so long, slowly awakened.

Ever since arriving in this world, every opponent he had encountered had fallen into one of two extremes.

Either they had been far weaker than himself, or they had been overwhelmingly stronger.

Very rarely had he encountered someone capable of standing near his own level.

As a result, Ethan himself had never truly understood where his strength stood compared to the greatest young talents of this magical world who were in the same realm as him.

But now, looking at the calm and composed Edhan Icedust, and then toward the wild and imposing Leoric, he felt that answer was finally drawing near.

A faint smile unconsciously appeared within his heart.

Perhaps, the Glaciem Ice Abyss would finally provide him with opponents worthy of drawing out his full strength.

Across the square, Edhan slowly turned his head.

His serene blue eyes met Leoric’s crimson gaze.

They didn’t speak or offer greetings to each other, yet the atmosphere between them subtly changed.

The students immediately sensed it.

"They looked at each other!"

"Do you think they’re going to fight?"

"Please..."

"Just one exchange!"

Excited cries erupted throughout the crowd.

Many students even began pushing forward, fearing they might miss an unexpected battle between the academy’s two greatest geniuses.

Unfortunately for them, both young men merely looked away as though nothing had happened.

Ethan likewise shifted his attention toward the young woman accompanying Leoric.

Seraphina Emberheart.

Although she appeared graceful and composed, the rich fire-element mana quietly radiating from her body immediately drew Ethan’s attention.

The fluctuations were astonishingly pure.

Even before witnessing her cast a single spell, Ethan could already conclude that she was an exceptionally accomplished fire mage.

Just how strong, that was something only battle itself could answer, and he was excited to test it.

As time gradually passed, more and more students, professors, mercenaries, and noble escorts gathered within the enormous academy square.

The once spacious plaza slowly became crowded with thousands of people.

Throughout the gathering, Ethan quietly observed one interesting figure after another.

Some possessed extraordinary elemental fluctuations.

Others carried unusual weapons or mysterious bloodline auras, yet despite carefully scanning the crowd multiple times...

He never found the two people he subconsciously wished to see most.

His mother, Eleanor, and his fiancée, Aurelia.

A trace of disappointment quietly surfaced within his heart, as he had secretly harbored a hope that perhaps fate would allow them to cross paths today.

Suddenly, a faint prickling sensation spread across his instincts, and Ethan’s eyes immediately shifted toward the center of the square.

Without anyone noticing exactly when he had arrived, an old man stood there calmly.

It was none other than Headmaster Dominic IceHeart.

Looking at the old fox’s warm and benevolent smile, Ethan couldn’t help cringing inwardly.

"...Here we go again."

Although his face remained perfectly calm, he already knew that behind that kindly smile lay a terrifying, sinister old monster.

Nevertheless, Ethan quietly listened as the Headmaster prepared to address the gathered crowd.

The moment the revered Headmaster appeared within the academy square, the previously noisy crowd instinctively fell silent.

No one had noticed exactly when he had arrived.

One moment, the vast stone platform at the center of the square had been empty.

The next, an old man was already standing there with both hands resting lightly upon an aged wooden staff.

Unlike the awe-inspiring image everyone had imagined, Dominic appeared remarkably ordinary.

He wore simple crimson robes without any luxurious embroidery or royal insignias.

A worn wooden staff, whose surface had long since become smooth from countless years of use, rested comfortably in his right hand.

A single monocle adorned his left eye, giving him the appearance of nothing more than a scholarly old man rather than the strongest mage of the Northern Glacial Region.

Yet, not a single person dared underestimate him.

His very existence carried an invisible pressure that caused the bustling square to become eerily quiet.

A gentle smile rested upon his wrinkled face as his narrowed eyes slowly swept across the thousands gathered before him.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

His calm voice wasn’t loud.

Yet every single person present heard it as though he were speaking directly beside them.

"Students... Professors... Adventurers..."

"It is finally time."

"The fabled Glaciem Ice Abyss has once again opened its gates after centuries."

"As the Headmaster of the New Moon Magic Academy, I sincerely wish every one of you success in your respective endeavors."

The old man slowly raised both arms.

The instant his sleeves fluttered, the entire academy trembled.

Rumble...

The vibration spread like an earthquake beneath everyone’s feet.

Massive stone halls shook, and towering statues carved from ancient ice quivered violently.

Even the enormous academy walls groaned beneath an invisible force.

The sudden display startled countless students.

Many instinctively stumbled backward as chills raced down their spines.

Then, the impossible happened.

The countless layers of frost covering every rooftop, pillar, courtyard, and monument throughout the academy suddenly cracked apart.

Millions upon millions of frozen shards detached simultaneously and rose into the air.

The sky instantly turned white.

The enormous mass of ice ascended into the heavens like an endless blizzard flowing upward.

Everyone stared with wide eyes.

It was too beautiful, but also extremely terrifying at the same time.

Within only a few breaths, an enormous cloud composed entirely of floating hailstones and crystalline ice fragments hovered above the academy.

Only then did Dominic’s expression finally become serious.

His aged hand slowly lifted the wooden staff before pointing it toward the heavens.

The cloud responded instantly.

The countless ice shards began rotating.

At first, it was slow and almost graceful, but it started to become faster and faster by the second.

The gentle rotation rapidly evolved into an enormous vortex stretching across the skies.

Roaring winds exploded outward.

The tremendous suction generated by the frozen whirlpool swept across the academy grounds, causing countless robes and cloaks to flutter wildly.

Several weaker students cried out in alarm as their feet began sliding across the frozen stone.

Some were nearly lifted from the ground altogether.

Seeing this, Dominic calmly raised his free hand.

An immense magical formation instantly blossomed beneath the academy square.

A colossal circular barrier erupted skyward.

Countless icy runes shimmered across its translucent surface while dazzling frost crystals continuously formed and dissolved throughout it.

The violent winds slammed repeatedly against the barrier but failed to penetrate even the slightest bit.

Within moments, everyone stood safely inside its protection.