Through Storm and Stone

Chapter 18: Through Storm and Stone

Six months had passed since their arrival at Astralis Academy. In that time, the S-Rank students had grown immensely—both in power and understanding. The vast array of abilities they'd awakened since entering Anniekes were no longer raw or chaotic. Now, they had learned how to wield them with precision, efficiency, and unity. Whether it was Robert's star-linked spatial reading, Ivan's near-invisible bladework, or Steven's battlefield buff recipes, every strength had found its place.

Winter break loomed just ahead, but one last hurdle remained: the Academy's midterm exams.

These weren't just written tests. Every student would be evaluated in three pillars—history, magic theory, and combat. And for the elite S-Ranks, their combat exam was more than just a sparring match.

It was dungeon time.

The first two exams, History and Magic Theory, came quickly. Dr. Robert Starfield found them simple enough. His memory recall, enhanced by his Celestial Threads and Mind Constellation, made recalling vast volumes of data second nature. Still, the instructors pushed harder than expected. In History, they drilled into the founding of Anniekes, the Wars of Breach, and the divine pact.

> "Who founded the Pact of Withdrawal that governs divine non-interference with mortals?"

> "Eirena Vael'Thorne," Robert wrote without hesitation. "Once High Oracle of Cresciaa, she negotiated the Treaty of Celestial Distance after the Sundering Wars."

Magic Theory was more challenging. Not because of the content—but because the instructor deliberately layered spells and illusions within the test. One student's entire page turned invisible until they used elemental fire to warm the ink. Another found their answers reshuffled by a minor temporal spell. But by now, S-Class was ready.

It was the final test that set hearts racing: practical combat, in real danger.

Instructor Marisa greeted the S-Class with her usual bluntness.

> "Alright, you overachieving headaches. Time for your last exam. You're not just fighting each other or a summoned beast. This time, we're sending you into a dungeon—two, in fact. Both linked to the academy and monitored, but not exactly safe. Good luck."

The students were split into two squads:

Group One (Ancient Ruins Dungeon):

Dr. Robert Starfield

Tessaline Vire

Barun of Zar'aleth

Ivan Venn

Kaelin Voss

Ryll Mosswood

Group Two (Floating Archipelago Dungeon):

Leihara El'Venn

Steven Cross

Meloy Conners

Sana Cruz

Arlo Reyes

Mirae Thornbell

Zayn Loress

> "The top two S-Ranked students have opted out," Marisa said, arms crossed. "Probably off meditating or taming comets or whatever."

Group One arrived first. A teleportation sigil flared with golden light and deposited them in the middle of the Ancient Ruins of Ilyr-Kaen, a sprawling complex of moss-covered stone halls. Strange glyphs lit the walls, and odd, skittering sounds echoed beneath the floor.

As they walked, Robert and Ivan moved near the rear of the group. Robert's celestial vision flickered softly as he adjusted his focus.

> "You're going to talk to him, right?" Robert said casually.

> "Him who?" Ivan asked, deadpan.

> "You know who," Robert smirked. "Tall. Brooding. Red eyes. Looks like he could drink blood out of a wine glass and critique opera."

> Ivan rolled his eyes. "Zar'aleth isn't like that."

> "You've been crushing on him for months. You're stealthier with daggers than your feelings, I swear."

Ivan sighed but didn't deny it.

> "Fine. I'll ask him to grab drinks after the exam."

> "Good." Robert clapped his back. "And maybe now I can stop being your emotional wingman."

Meanwhile, in the Floating Archipelago Dungeon, Group Two was soaring high above the clouds on floating stone bridges. Ancient air elementals and storm spirits fluttered in the distance, making passage perilous.

Steven walked next to Meloy, occasionally glancing at her.

> "So," he began. "I've been thinking. After we crush this dungeon and prove we're the most awesome team ever, maybe… we go out sometime?"

Meloy blinked. "Go out like… on patrol?"

> "No. Like, y'know… a date?" Steven's grin was lopsided, sheepish.

Meloy's face turned pink. "O-oh. Um… yes. Sure. I'd like that."

> "Don't tell Robert. He'll never let me live it down."

Back in the ruins, the team approached a door of obsidian and bone. It radiated a thick magical aura.

> "Boss room," Kaelin said quietly.

Before entering, Robert paused. A thought tickled the edge of his mind.

> "System," he whispered. "This dungeon isn't on Earth. Are there dungeons back home?"

SYSTEM RESPONSE: There are no dungeons on Earth. However, there are uncountable dungeons linked to Earth across multiversal strands. This dungeon is E-Rank, considered minor.

> "...Linked to Earth?" Robert's brow furrowed. "How can I hear this? This isn't my system."

SYSTEM RESPONSE: Celestial Thread access permits temporary cross-system insight. This link is momentary.

Robert stored that knowledge away as the door creaked open. Inside, a massive construct loomed: a Living Castle, stone and metal given sentience, laced with glowing runes. Lightning sparked between its jagged limbs. Earth and storm—dual blessings. A D+ Rank hybrid.

Group Two entered their own boss chamber shortly after. A titanic Sky Serpent coiled among the clouds inside a floating crater. It screeched and summoned a storm, its body crackling with raw thunder.

The battles began simultaneously.

In the ruins, Robert anchored the group with Astral Threads, predicting the Castle's movement before it happened. Barun's twin necrosteel blades sliced through arcane limbs. Tessaline froze sections in chrono-stasis. Ivan struck from the shadows. Kaelin roared, unleashing storm Qi as he took the brunt of the beast's attacks.

Ryll danced between blows, striking weak points.

> "NOW!" Robert shouted. "Strike the heart rune!"

The Living Castle exploded into shards.

High above, the Sky Serpent hissed, but Steven launched himself with a flame burst, cleaver glowing. Arlo's golem fired magnetized bolts while Leihara shielded the team. Meloy's plant roots snared the creature's wings, grounding it. Sana surged forward with empowered fists.

> "Stormcaller or not," Mirae shouted, "you're going down!"

A coordinated final blow from Steven and Zayn tore the beast apart.

Both teams were teleported back moments later, bruised but victorious.

In the teleport chamber, Steven jogged over to Robert.

> "Hey. So I scored you a date with Meloy. Tomorrow night. She said yes."

Robert blinked. "You—wait, seriously?"

> "Yep. You're welcome."

> "I should fail the combat test just to avoid owing you one."

> "Too late. You already owe me. Big time."

Six months ago, he was a lost kid from Ashwood Orphanage. Now? He was fighting monsters, reading constellations, and decoding the secrets of a world far older than Earth.

Back in his dorm, Robert lay in bed, eyes on the ceiling.

The threads of fate—so strange, so vast. He'd started as an orphan. A reader. A nobody.

Now?

He was a Starseer of another world. A third-ranked S-Class student. A survivor of monsters and a tactician among warriors. He had friends. Purpose.

And a date.

Still, something tugged at his thoughts: the dungeons linked to Earth. The strange system overlaps. The missing top two students.

He whispered to the empty air, voice soft.

> "What else is out there?"

The stars didn't answer.

But he knew they would.Mission update: Thread of Destiny accelerated. New parameters unlocked. Observe for incoming change.

From beyond the veil of the mortal realm, six divine presences watched.

Virell, God of Imagination, leaned forward across the astral plane. "The boy predicted the castle's weak point three steps ahead. And the girl—the time weaver—froze a titan's strike with mere seconds of focus. Fascinating."

Elryn, Goddess of Willpower, scoffed. "Fascinating? They endured. That boy stood in the center and dared to orchestrate chaos. That girl bled focus until her brain screamed. Worthy sparks in them both."

Nael, God of Luck, flipped a spectral coin into the void. "Both groups cleared D+ hybrid dungeons with no casualties. Odds were... barely even. But that last leap by Zayn? Hah! I didn't even rig it."

Ysera, Goddess of Wisdom, closed her spectral tome slowly. "And yet it was not brute force that saved them. It was synergy. Pattern reading. Adaptation. They are learning."

Khorus, God of Beasts and Instinct, growled low. "Steven wrestled the sky-drake in flight. A human. With no wings. He heard the call of battle and answered with his blood. I approve."

Then—

Laughter.

Wild, echoing laughter rang out from the deepest chasm of the divine realms.

Amnesh, the Sealed One, the God of Chaos and Outsiders, cackled within his obsidian prison.

> "Hahahaha! And so the little threads pull at fate! One dances with vines and hearts. Another breaks ancient walls with borrowed echoes. And he—he questions the system itself, bleeding its secrets through cracks of curiosity!"

The other gods turned sharply.

Ysera narrowed her gaze. "You were not invited to speak, Amnesh."

Amnesh grinned through his chained mask. "Was I not? Then perhaps the system spoke for me. I felt it. He heard it. That boy… Robert. He touched the edge. My edge."

A pulse of distorted light rippled outward. The gods shuddered. Something had shifted.

Virell muttered, "No summoner has ever reached that depth this soon."

Nael's coin floated mid-air, frozen. "The game's pieces are moving. We're no longer the only ones rolling dice."

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End of Chapter 18