Chapter 336: News

Four figures emerged from the main building, their presence immediately commanding attention despite no visible displays of power.

Luna’s Empath skill flared as she registered their emotional auras.

These four were different. Their emotions were... guarded and controlled. Like looking at a fortress wall instead of an open field.

The middle-aged man with greying hair spoke first, his voice carrying the authority of someone used to command.

"You’re back... About time."

But as Gregor’s eyes found Luna, something felt... off.

He looked at this black-haired girl and found himself thinking she was trustworthy.

Without knowing anything about her and without any logical reason.

’What...’

Beside him, Vash frowned slightly, his blunt nature showing confusion for just a moment before his expression cleared.

Castor’s analytical eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, his sharp mind catching something wrong with his own reaction.

Yara’s gentle face remained composed, but her hand twitched slightly, the only sign of internal discomfort.

The four of them exchanged the briefest of glances.

Silent communication between veterans who’d survived together.

Damian’s posture shifted slightly, becoming more formal.

"Gregor. Vash. Yara. Castor."

He nodded to each in turn, genuine respect showing through.

"It’s good to see you all."

The bulky, bald man, Vash, grinned widely.

"You fought like a man in that portal. Tearing apart those creatures with your bare hands. Brilliant. Exactly how fighting should be."

The young woman, Yara, slapped the back of his head, her gentle features showing exasperation.

"Don’t encourage him. And watch your mouth around the children."

She turned to Damian, her expression becoming concerned.

"It’s good that you’re safe. But you almost lost your mind in there. How are you now? Mentally?"

Damian smiled.

"I’m good. Better than I was, actually."

The thin man, Castor, stepped forward, his calculating eyes studying Damian with analytical precision.

"We read the reports about what happened inside. The Federation released survivor testimony. Everything you did, everything you fought..." He paused. "It seems we underestimated you when we first met."

His voice carried no resentment, just honest reassessment.

"And now you are B- rank at sixteen... Most of us took years to reach that level. You’re progressing faster than should be possible."

Gregor’s expression became more serious.

"Mental damage isn’t something to ignore. You should spend time resting, focus on building your mental defense skills before pushing forward again."

Damian nodded slowly.

"I was planning to start working on that. Maybe develop some skills specifically for mental protection."

Vash crossed his arms, his blunt nature showing through.

"Should’ve just killed all the Nobles while you were in there... Would’ve solved a lot of problems."

Smack

Yara hit him again, harder this time, her eyes darting toward the children playing nearby.

"Not. Around. The. Kids."

Vash rubbed his head, looking appropriately chastised.

Gregor’s voice became quieter, carrying weight.

"You shouldn’t listen to this idiot... There were Imperial heirs involved. Killing them would have brought down consequences even we couldn’t protect you from."

His expression became distant and cold.

"If you want to go against them. Just have patience and wait for the right moment... Like we’ve been doing all these years."

The four of them shared a look, brief but heavy with shared history.

Luna’s Empath skill showed her the truth underneath their words.

Hatred.

Deep and burning, all-consuming hatred directed at Nobles and at the entire power structure of the Federation.

These four weren’t just fugitives running from consequences. They were survivors of something terrible, carrying grudges that had festered for decades.

’What happened to them?’

****

More people approached, these ones less guarded, their emotions radiating openly.

An older man with weathered features and sharp eyes led the group. His Aura marked him as A+ rank, and his entire bearing screamed "veteran."

"Boss... Good to see you back in one piece."

"Mike." Damian nodded respectfully. "How have things been?"

"Stable... Alessio’s already given you the overview, I’m sure. But there’s something you should know about."

His expression became more serious.

Behind him, three others stepped forward, a scarred man who moved like a fighter, a woman with calculating eyes who looked like she could shoot the wings off a fly, and another man whose entire posture screamed discipline.

"This is Pavel, Katya, and Marco," Damian introduced them to Luna. "They have been with us from the start."

Luna noted how each of them bowed slightly when introduced, their emotional auras showing genuine respect mixed with that same underlying fear she’d sensed from the others.

They respected Damian. But they were also terrified of him.

Damian turned his attention back to Mike.

"You said there’s something I should know?"

Mike’s weathered face became grim.

"Ever since the entrance exam results were announced, we’ve had hundreds of strong presences entering the city."

"What are they doing?"

"Nothing... That’s what’s strange. They’re not causing trouble, not making moves and not even trying to hide their presence. Just... looking around and observing. Like they’re gathering information."

Mike pulled out a tablet, began scrolling through surveillance reports.

"Many of them have visited the mayor. Based on our sources inside the mayor’s office, they were asking questions about our organization’s strength, our leadership structure and our capabilities."

He paused, his eyes shifting to Luna.

"But most of them were asking specifically about Luna Valcor. Whether she’d arrived yet, where she’d be staying and how close her relationship to you was."

The courtyard fell silent.

Every eye turned toward Luna, whose silver eyes had widened with surprise.

’They’re asking about me? Why? I haven’t even started at the Academy yet.’

Damian’s expression hadn’t changed, but Luna felt his protective instincts flare through their emotional connection.

"How many above A rank?"

Gregor answered, his voice carrying professional assessment.

"None at S rank that we’ve detected. We’ve been monitoring carefully. The strongest presence we’ve registered was peak A+ rank, and even that individual only stayed for a few hours before leaving."

His calculating eyes studied Luna carefully.

"They’re gathering intelligence, not preparing for any direct action."

Castor stepped forward, his analytical mind clearly processing patterns.

"You and Luna were always going to attract attention. Same family, both with exceptional talent, both commoners rising to prominence."

His voice became more pointed.

"But this level of interest in Luna specifically suggests something more. They’re trying to understand her value, her potential threat and her possible uses. It’s the first time a commoner ranked first after all."

Damian’s jaw tightened slightly, his only visible reaction.

"Continue monitoring them. I want to know every–"

Buzz Buzz Buzz

Multiple communication devices activated simultaneously.

Luna pulled out her communicator, her hands moving automatically despite the confusion.

Messages from school friends and from people she barely knew.

All asking the same question:

Why didn’t you tell us about your background?

’What?’

She opened the news feed, her silver eyes scanning the headline that dominated every major outlet.

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BREAKING: Military Police Vice-Director Acknowledges Granddaughter

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The article loaded, and Luna felt the ground shift beneath her as she read.

Military Police Vice-Director Felix Onyx has formally acknowledged Luna Valcor, first-ranked student in this year’s Stormhold Academy entrance examinations, as his granddaughter and placed her under official military protection.

Luna Valcor is the daughter of Alaric Valcor and Lyandra Valcor. Records indicate Lyandra Valcor is Felix Onyx’s daughter, though their relationship has been estranged for many years. This marks the first time Vice-Director Onyx has publicly acknowledged family connections.

Military sources confirm that both Alaric and Lyandra Valcor are active-duty awakeners who recently returned to northern frontline positions. Their specific ranks and operational designations remain classified, though anonymous sources suggest both hold positions of significant authority within military command structure.

Damian Valcor, Luna’s older brother and the most prominent student at Stormhold Academy, was adopted by the Valcor family after Alaric Valcor saved Bloodmoon City from a beast tide sixteen years ago. Records indicate Damian’s biological parents died during that incident.

The announcement raises questions about why Vice-Director Onyx has not formally acknowledged Damian Valcor despite his exceptional achievements. Sources close to the military suggest this may be due to controversial survival methods documented in recent portal incident reports.

However, public sentiment remains overwhelmingly supportive of Damian Valcor, with many viewing him and his organization as symbols of commoner advancement in a Federation long dominated by Noble and Imperial families.

Analysts predict this revelation will significantly impact this year’s Academy enrollment, with commoner applications expected to reach unprecedented levels.

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