Extra's Path: The Eternal Frost Monarch-Chapter 40: Malrick Valtheron

While the area where the shops were situated was under attack, just outside that place, the instructors were gathered together.

There were many teachers standing there, all looking tense and serious.

Among them was Morgana Celestine. The woman with sky-blue hair tied in a neat bun, wearing a professional outfit. Her amethyst-colored eyes were fixed on the barrier in front of her.

Beside her stood another brown-haired beauty, Lucia Sterling. She had long smooth brown hair and sharp eyes, her expression calm but worried.

Other teachers were present as well. Just beside them stood a dirt-blonde-haired man. He was around six feet tall with a good build, wearing a black suit. His eyes were sharp green in color, and his face looked strict and composed. His name was Victor Hale, another strong and respected instructor in the academy.

In front of them was a light blue-colored dome formed over the entire area where the students were trapped inside fighting monsters.

The barrier looked like a giant transparent sphere, but no one could see what was happening inside. The surface of the barrier shimmered like sky-blue-colored water, blocking vision and sound from outside.

They had already tried attacking this barrier using different types of strong magic and even academy machines designed to break magical shields. Fire spells, lightning strikes, earth spikes, and even mana cannons were used.

Even S-rank heroes were present. Yet their strongest attacks had no use on this.

Yet the barrier didn’t even crack. It didn’t shake. It didn’t react at all.

Now their last hope was the Principal, who was going to arrive soon.

Morgana crossed her arms and spoke quietly to Lucia and the other instructors.

"This is not a normal barrier," Morgana said. "This is a high-level isolation barrier. Someone planned this."

Lucia frowned. "You mean... this was an attack targeting the academy?"

Victor Hale spoke in a deep voice, "Most likely. And whoever created this barrier is very powerful."

Another instructor said nervously, "The students inside..."

Morgana didn’t reply immediately. She kept looking at the barrier, her eyes serious.

After a few moments, space in front of them suddenly twisted.

A circular portal opened in the air.

From the portal, a man stepped out slowly.

He had white hair and a neatly trimmed beard of the same color. He was wearing a formal dark outfit, and his presence alone made the surrounding instructors straighten their backs.

His eyes were cold black in color, and a long cut scar ran down from his left eye to his cheek. He was more than six feet tall and had an imposing aura around him.

He was the Principal of Novaris Academy.

Principal Adrian Aegeus.

As soon as he stepped out of the portal, all the instructors slightly bowed their heads.

"Principal."

He just gave a slight nod to everyone and didn’t say anything.

A woman with burgundy hair tied in a loose ponytail came beside the Principal.

She was a woman in her late forties. The Vice President of the academy, Ellen Astarval.

"Sir Adrian... we tried everything. But the barrier is not opening. We don’t know exactly what’s happening inside. We tried to contact students through mobile, but again it’s not connecting."

Adrian silently watched the barrier and walked towards it. He put his palm on the surface.

Closing his eyes, he tried to understand what it was. How to break it. Or dispel it.

Then he frowned. After a while, his eyes snapped open.

"This is... we cannot open it," he said with a grave voice.

"What do you mean? We cannot open it... is there not a single way to do it?" Ellen asked worriedly.

"There is a way... the students need to kill the person who activated this barrier. Or either someone even stronger than me will be able to break it." Adrian spoke with heavy voice.

Everyone gasped at his words. Someone stronger than him.

Principal Adrian Aegeus was known as one of the strongest people in the world currently. Only a handful of people were at his level. But someone stronger than him... they couldn’t even think of many names.

Silence fell over the area.

Ellen sighed tiredly and rubbed her forehead.

"Then we can only hope the students can kill the person inside... But who in the world is capable of constructing such a barrier?"

At her question, Adrian’s eyes turned heavy and serious.

"There is one..." he said slowly. "And... he might not be present here himself. His subordinates must have come here and planted this with proper planning."

All the instructors listened carefully without interrupting.

"The man who is inside the barrier is likely acting as an anchor for this barrier," Adrian continued. "If he dies, the barrier will break."

Lucia frowned. "So as long as that person is alive, the barrier will remain?"

"Yes," Adrian replied. "This is not just a barrier. This is a linked domain barrier. It is connected to the life and mana of the person who activated it from inside."

Victor Hale clenched his fists. "So the students are basically trapped in a death arena... or something like that?"

Adrian didn’t deny it. He kept looking at the blue dome in front of him.

Then he spoke again in a low voice. "This barrier was created by that person... and I know just how capable this thing is."

Morgana slowly turned toward him.

"Do you know that person? You are speaking as if you know the one who created this thing."

Adrian remained silent for a few seconds. Then he said quietly, "I know. Who is behind this all."

Everyone’s attention turned fully toward him now.

His eyes became colder.

"If I am right... then the one behind this incident is... Malrick Valtheron."

Many instructors showed confused expressions, not knowing who this person was, what his background might be, or why he was doing that.

Even Morgana was not aware of any person with this name who might be as strong as Adrian.

Ellen spoke slowly, "I thought he disappeared years ago..."

Adrian nodded slightly.

"So did I."