Internet Mage Professor-Chapter 48: What about your class?

"Sir," a timid voice piped up from the edge of the platform.

The Chief of the Black Vale Mana Knights turned his head slowly toward the speaker—a wiry civilian man, middle-aged, with worry carving every line into his face.

The man hesitated under the Chief’s steely gaze but forced the words out anyway.

"Can we... can we get out of the affected territories?" the man asked. "Out of Silver Blade, Iron Dew, Scarlet Rift... Is there a safe way out?"

A hush settled again.

The Chief took in a deep breath, the weight of the question visibly heavy on his shoulders. "Sad thing is... we can’t."

Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire, disbelief and fear twisting into a chaotic chorus.

"We tried," the Chief continued, his voice gravelly but calm, commanding attention once again. "We tried every possible method. On foot, through rivers, flying formations, teleportation arrays, even summoned gates crafted by High Mages. All failed."

He began to pace slowly, as if recounting each bitter attempt in vivid memory.

"Our first group attempted to exit through the East Trail, beyond Iron Dew’s border. We sent a squad of ten, all experienced. They vanished. No traces. Not even a cry for help. We assumed they had died. A week later, one of them returned—naked, trembling, his mind shattered. He had forgotten who he was. All he could say was, ’It watches... from behind the sky.’"

Gasps echoed again.

The Chief didn’t pause. "Next, we tried the coastal edge by Scarlet Rift, summoned an aquatic vessel reinforced with layered barriers. The sea boiled black. A creature, one we couldn’t see with our eyes or detect through mana, attacked the ship. Only two survivors made it back—and one of them didn’t last the night."

A woman in the crowd muttered, "Maybe they’re lying..."

Another whispered, "It’s just fear tactics, they want to keep us here!"

The Chief turned to them, eyes hard.

"If you believe that, then I offer this—come with us," he said, voice colder than before. "Every day, our scouts test new paths. You’re welcome to join tomorrow’s route. But I will not lie: we lose people. Sometimes we don’t even find their remains. Once you leave the warded zones, I cannot guarantee your safety. And if you make it out alive, returning isn’t a choice. Most never find their way back. You disappear—or worse, you come back changed."

A cold wind seemed to sweep over the gathered crowd as the silence deepened.

Nolan turned his head, searching the gathering for a familiar face. "Lirazel..." he muttered under his breath.

But she wasn’t there.

He scanned again, a little more desperately this time, hoping her figure might appear at the fringe. Still nothing. She hadn’t returned since vanishing into that unknown portal. His chest tightened with helplessness.

As he stood frozen in thought, Granfire took a step forward, arms crossed.

"So... are you going to ask my students to go outside into danger?" he asked, his tone serious for once.

The Chief looked at him, unfazed. "No. Not outside. Your students are too young. Weak, by comparison. The creatures roaming beyond are just the minions. There are stronger ones—far worse."

The crowd exhaled in horror.

"But the ones who pass this test, those few, will participate in controlled studies," the Chief added. "We need to understand these things. Their weaknesses, their origin, how they spread. And for that, we need people who don’t succumb to fear."

The Chief glanced toward the student who had passed. "The boy will help us find answers. Maybe salvation."

Granfire, who had been listening intently, suddenly twitched.

The Chief smirked slightly. "Don’t worry. We’re not stingy with rewards. Your school’s efforts will be compensated."

Granfire’s face lit up like a festival lamp.

"Mana Crystals?" he asked, eyes gleaming.

"Plentiful."

"HAAAAA!!" Granfire jumped into the air, both fists raised like a child who had just won a lifetime supply of sweets. "Mana Crystals! We’re rich! We’re going to be RICH! Everyone, did you hear that? Mana Crystals! Big, fat, blue glowing MANA CRYSTALS!"

He bounced on his heels, circling Nolan, who stood still as stone.

"Are you seeing this, Nolan?" he laughed, placing a mocking hand on Nolan’s shoulder. "All thanks to my students! My class! Hehehe, my class only! I should have bet more, huh?"

Nolan felt something fracture inside. His pride. His sense of control. His jaw clenched. This bastard, he cursed under his breath.

This bastard was lucky. That was it. Sheer dumb luck.

Still, Nolan swallowed his pride, just barely. He leaned in close to Granfire and whispered something into his ear.

Granfire, in too good a mood to deny him anything, tilted his head. "Sir Chief," he called, beaming, "Did you test the other territories too? Iron Dew and Scarlet Rift?"

The Chief nodded. "Yes. Results were... mixed."

The crowd fell quiet again.

"In Iron Dew City, out of two hundred candidates, thirty passed. All middle- and senior-year students. No junior-year students succeeded. Scarlet Rift had slightly better results—forty-two passed. Again, all older students. Not a single junior among them."

"What!?"

"No juniors at all!?"

"But Silver Blade had a junior pass!?"

"How rare is that!?"

The whispers rose like a tide.

"Does that mean our region has better potential?"

"Or are the kids just trained differently?"

Granfire’s chest puffed out as he drank in the astonished glances being thrown his way.

"I’m not surprised," he said, grinning. "But Sir Chief—may I ask that you test the rest of my students too? Even if they weren’t selected, I’m sure many of them can handle it. And I promise to work with you closely to understand the creatures."

The Chief gave him a thoughtful look, then shook his head. "There’s no need. I can tell by the way they carry themselves, by the lack of lingering fear around their aura... your students are already worthy. They’ll participate."

Granfire’s jaw dropped.

The Chief smiled faintly. "And for your service, you will receive a bountiful reward. Enough Mana Crystals to sponsor research, upgrades, training... more than enough."

The crowd’s eyes turned green with envy.

"Mana Crystals?! For one class!?"

"This is unfair!"

"I want to transfer to Silver Blade!"

One civilian leaned toward the Chief, face pale. "So that means... the outside is dangerous?"

The Chief turned to him. "Not yet. It’s spreading, yes—but slowly. Most areas are still safe. But we suspect they are gathering somewhere. If we can locate that source, we might contain it. That’s why the help of those who resisted is vital. With them, we may find where the creatures breed, where they’re strongest... and end it."

A heavy silence hung after that. It wasn’t fear this time—it was resolve. A quiet recognition that the world had changed, and none of them would ever see it the same way again.

The Chief stepped back and spoke once more, loud and final. "All of you—dismissed."

The crowd began to scatter slowly, conversations breaking out among students and teachers, speculation swirling in every corner of the grand arena.

But before the Chief could step away, a voice called out from the edge of the platform.

"What about you, Nolan?" the voice asked, almost mocking.

"Where’s your class?"