"Sir Lycanthrope!?"

'What is he, some werewolf?' Everlearn thought, staring up at the new figure in the room.

It was a man, currently standing on the levitating platform, which held quite stably.

He stood tall, almost three meters, with a commanding presence that drew every eye in the room.

His coiled black hair trailed down his broad shoulders, and a neatly kept beard framed his strong jawline.

But what stood out most were his eyes, an intense yellow with a faint golden glow flickering in their depths.

Clad in a formal suit and trousers that only emphasized his powerful, towering frame, he exuded both authority and pressure.

His golden eyes surveyed the room before he spoke.

"Sit."

It was directed at Everlearn, the only one still standing.

He stepped forward and took the last vacant seat.

"For those of you still confused, Everlearn Snowfall, the First-Year Newcomer, will be going along with you on your expeditions."

Sir Lycanthrope's words boomed throughout the hall, ringing clearly in the ears of the second years whose brows creased.

Having a newcomer join them on a special expedition such as this?

None of them here were ordinary 2nd years.

They were the best of the best, highest on their challenge rankings.

Yet they had chosen a newcomer to come!?

How ridiculous was that?

"Also, this is not some last-minute add-on, but a fully deliberated decision by the Exploration board that was also passed over to the principal, which she agreed upon."

"He's just as important as any of you are in this mission."

He made it clearer.

"You all can get to know each other better after the briefing, but now, we focus on the mission."

In the next moment, his palms spread wide, and a holographic projection emerged from his hands.

It displayed the image of an island surrounded by water.

"This is Germunda Island. One of the unexplored zones of Nvidia."

"As you all may already be aware, the invasion of the Nakros brought in the energy of Arcane, whose descent upon Nvidia, magically widened the planet to ten times its previous size."

"Right now, the five cities in Nvidia, containing all human populations, cover only 25% of the entirety of Nvidia, and only 35% of Nvidia has ever been stepped upon by humans."

"The remaining 65% are all unexplored zones, which the human race has not officially claimed."

"This Germunda Island is one of them."

He explained, and now, it made more sense to Everlearn.

"Exploration from NCEG (Nvidia's Core Exploration Group) has been ongoing on this island for about six weeks now," he continued.

"The information that can be shared with you is that Germunda Island is a ruin of an alien race capable of using Arcane, just like the Nakros."

"This island seems to have been a fragment of that world, and just a week ago, the NCEG came across an abnormal portal, which they believe holds the key to truly unlocking the secrets of Germunda Island."

"An abnormal portal?" one of the 2nd-year students, the tallest among them, who towered all of them even while seated, asked.

He was a white haired, handsome young man with a focused expression.

Sir Lycanthrope's palm closed and then opened again, the holograph shifting.

It showed the image of a large blue gate adorned with glowing blue lines.

"This is the portal."

"According to research, the material it's built with is one of the hardest known, and any attack made on it simply disappears, devoured by the arcane runes drawn upon the door."

"But we have noticed that when one of the Core members touched it, it opened, hence revealing that the runic door is a Law-type."

'Runic door? Law-type?'

These phrases were confusing to Everlearn, but apparently not to the 2nd years, as another asked, a female with eye-catching shiny purple hair and eyes, asked

"What are its runic laws?"

"Firstly, it only reacts to those below the age of 25. Anyone who touches the door above that age cannot open it."

"And while the explorers tried using those below 25 to open it and having the much older ones enter afterward, that didn't work."

"All of them were immediately sent flying out of the vortex, and it closed instantly, refusing to re-open until three days later."

"This makes it clear that only those under 25 are allowed in, and the oldest recorded among all of you here is 24."

"So, you're the perfect candidates."

"Its second rule concerns power waves. No Corer beyond W-grade is allowed in. Anyone stronger will be immediately rejected."

"A requirement that each of you here also fulfills."

"These are the two laws."

He explained, and while Everlearn had no understanding of Runic laws, he still got the gist of things.

"You might be thinking, the NCEG should be able to find those who fulfill these requirements, and yes, you're right."

"But not just anybody can be allowed in." Sir Lycanthrope said.

"And why is that?" The tall, white-haired young man asked.

"That is because the key pieces discovered about Germunda Island itself have made its value rank reach Level 900!"

He said, and gasps of shock escaped through the room from the 2nd-year students.

"Level 900!?"

"Yes. That's Germunda's current value level." Sir Lycanthrope confirmed.

"This portal is the last key to unlocking all of its secrets, and if that is done, its value could very well shoot up to 1500, possibly even more."

"For such a high-value exploration, only the best of the best Corers below 25 years old and at most W-grade can be chosen."

"The mission has been specifically issued to us at X-Guard, and X-Guard has chosen each of you."

"So, do not think this is just an ordinary exploration."

"While it may be an overstatement to say the fate of Nvidia depends on this, it can definitely be said that whatever secret lies behind this portal…"

"It will be powerful enough to send waves rippling through Nvidia and possibly usher in a new era of Arcane understanding for us Nvidians." He explained, making each of them understand the gravity of the situation.

"Your missions are simple:

"Step into this portal and be the eyes of the explorers outside."

"That is your only mission!"

He explained, and in that moment, the panel flashed before Everlearn.

║Epic Quest Generated: Explore The Germunda Portal!║

║Rewards: ???║

"And if you perform this mission to the best of your ability and come out alive," Sir Lycanthrope said, bringing back their attention,

"The least of the rewards you will receive from the Academy are: "

…

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