Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

"Very well, Lady Farah. I'll take this burden upon myself. But you should stop persecuting the Dark Arts Practitioners from now on... I don't like the meaningless war that your church is directing towards the Darkness Path." Kyle suddenly said.

"You want me to stop the war against them?" Lady Farah repeated, not expecting such a request. She thought Kyle didn't care about the Darkness Path at all.

After all, she knew the method of the Vermont Academy. They wouldn't mind killing a lot of innocent people just to obtain students. Furthermore, they would also take the shadows of their students to ensure that they would be loyal to the Darkness Path.

She knew that Kyle was aware of this really well, especially after he was targeted by Evanescent Vessels.

"Yes… Even if some organizations or people were using the Dark Arts to commit evil acts, it doesn't mean that all the Dark Arts Practitioners are evil or that the Path itself is evil. If I'm going to select an evil path, that would probably be the Psychic Arts, which target the minds of other people."

Kyle replied after noticing Lady Farah's expression.

This made the latter pause for a moment to consider his words.

Then, with a solemn nod, Lady Farah agreed.

"You're right about that. But you still didn't know the whole story about this war against the Dark Arts Practitioner. However, that's not important right now. I need your cooperation, so I will agree, Shadow Immortal."

Lady Farah then placed her hands on her chest and continued.

"You have my vow, Kyle Marshall. We will only defend ourselves if the Dark Arts Practitioners attacked us first. For now, the Holy City shall remain a sanctuary… Even if you send Dark Arts Practitioners here, they will not be harmed."

As the pact was sealed, Kyle stood up, his form beginning to fade into the shadows.

"Then I shall begin. The Demon Lord will find that even in the darkest corners of this Realm, he is not beyond reach."

And with that, Kyle Marshall, the Shadow Immortal, vanished from the coffee shop, leaving Lady Farah to her solitary vigil.

She sat there, seemingly at a loss. However, her mind was already weaving the threads of fate that would guide her followers through the coming storm.

***

In the bustling town that lay just beyond the Holy City's protective embrace, a figure materialized, his presence as unassuming as the gentle breeze that swept through the streets.

This was Kyle, the Shadow Immortal, now donning the visage of a middle-aged man. His hair, peppered with gray, was cut to a modest length, and his attire—a simple tunic and trousers—blended seamlessly with the townsfolk's garb. His eyes, once piercing, now held a softness that invited no scrutiny, a stark contrast to the calculating gaze that lay beneath.

Kyle's arrival in this town was no mere coincidence. He was actually planning to visit the place where Sage Merlin was currently at.

Well, Sage Merlin was being chased by a few Demon Generals right now, and he was planning to rescue the poor old man. Then, supposedly, he would chase the Demon Lord.

However, he had been drawn here by an aura that tugged at the edges of his consciousness—an aura that belonged to Lesley Hoffman and something else.

Because of that reason, he decided to inform the Arcane Bureau instead to save the Sage… They should be able to send a couple of Half-Immortals to aid him.

Anyway, Lesley was the very woman who had nearly been the architect of his demise with the Darkness Possession Potion.

It was only by the grace of his Divine Extraction System, a power that the Demon Lord now sought, that he had survived the ordeal.

"Mhmm… I thought they were protecting the territory of the Dark Faction. What is she doing here?" Vale muttered to himself as he looked at her new appearance. It seemed to be related to the Forbidden Arts that she was practicing or perhaps, the Vessel that housed her body.

After befriending some members of the Vessel's sixth squad, Vale knew that the possessions that were just temporary could sometimes provide long-lasting reactions to the bodies of the Vessels.

Changing the colors of the hair, eyes, and skin, or even changing the tone of voice, was possible. There are also cases in which the Vessel was possessed by a very strong spirit; they would change their physique, either for better or for worse.

'Interesting…' Kyle mused.

Lesley was a vision of fiery allure, her red hair a cascade of autumn leaves, her eyes like twin rubies that glinted with an inner light.

She moved with a confidence that spoke of her strength, her beauty belying the danger she represented.

At her side was her vice-captain, a man named Gareth Blackwood… Kyle had known this person since he was in the Archive Room of the Battle Arena Committee.

To be exact, Kyle recalled that Gareth was one of the first graduate students of the Academy. He had seen Gareth as a Necromancer.

However, seeing him now didn't seem like he really pursued being a Necromancer after graduating.

This was quite confusing…

'Maybe because the Vessels doesn't need Necromancers?' Kyle narrowed his eyes as he thought of a possible reason.

Someone from the Order had probably recruited Gareth and was convinced to take a different path.

Anyway, Gareth was tall and broad-shouldered, his hair a raven black, and his eyes a piercing blue that surveyed the surroundings with a soldier's vigilance.

His armor, though designed for battle, was adorned with the insignia of his rank, Vice Captain of the 14th Squad.

Nonetheless, the true reason that he was being careful right now was simple.

As Kyle observed from the shadows, he noted the subtle signs of divine protection that enveloped Lesley and Gareth—a shimmering veil that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It was clear they were under the aegis of another celestial entity, one that Kyle could not yet identify.

'Another Immortal, huh… It doesn't seem like the Fortune Goddess though…' Kyle thought…

To be honest, his hate for this woman had long faded after he had become an Immortal and had become busy getting stronger to prepare for the Invasion. After all, he was already on a level that she could never reach… There was simply no fun for him killing an ant. In his perspective, she wasn't even at the level of a half-immortal, so it would be difficult to feel a sense of satisfaction defeating her.

Although she was strong, she still needed to summon a strong being from another realm to at least get a very small chance of hurting him.

'Well, it would still be satisfying if I make her mine…' Kyle thought as he decided that it was time to get revenge on this woman just for the sake of his old self and those others whom she killed during the recruitment…

Those others were the first corpses that he had also extracted, so he was still quite thankful to them, although he had no idea who they were.

Even if Lesley was simply ordered by the Academy's officials, she didn't even show any signs of compassion by explaining to him what happened!

"Alright…"

Kyle followed them discreetly, weaving through the crowd with the ease of a specter.

Lesley and Gareth seemed to be on a mission, their steps purposeful as they navigated the town's winding streets. They paused occasionally to confer with each other, their conversation hushed and urgent.

The town was actually unharmed by the Invasion as they were probably a very small target, and the Demons couldn't be bothered.

Anyway, it still displayed a busy life; its market square was still filled with people, and the workers were coming and going.

Merchants hawked their wares with boisterous calls, children darted between stalls in games of chase, and the scent of fresh bread and spices filled the air.

Yet, amidst this ordinary scene, the extraordinary lingered just beneath the surface.

Kyle suddenly felt something off with these two.

As he trailed the pair, his instincts were triggered. As a Shadow Immortal with incredible senses, he noticed an anomaly in their behavior.

'They're not here for leisure,' Kyle thought, his suspicion growing with each step they took. It was then that he noticed the subtle signs—a glance here, a gesture there—Lesley and Gareth were signaling someone, or something, hidden from plain sight.

It was a fragment of conversation, carried on the wind, that first drew his attention—a mention of "the Wrathful One's decree" that caused his ears to prick up…

'Wrathful One?' He repeated in his mind.

Because Lesley and Gareth had traces of Divinity around them, he was being too careful. However, it seemed that he had to take the risk.

He edged closer, using his abilities to remain undetected, as the cloaked figures spoke in hushed, reverent tones. "The Sin of Wrath has commanded…" one of them murmured, "that we expand our influence during this invasion, to prepare for the arrival of the other Sins."

Another voice, laced with fervor, responded, "The Seven Sins shall rise, and Wrath will lead the vanguard. Our enemies will cower before our might."

The words were like pieces of a puzzle falling into place for Kyle.