Ch. 37 - Sudden Conflict

A low roar rumbled from the sky, like a curtain being torn apart.

Jagged cracks spread out from a single point, leaking intense heat and light that warped the air, blurring the sky.

More seniors from the academy zoomed toward the tear on their brooms.

It felt like the sky was collapsing—fierce flames licked through the rift, forcing it wider.

The edges of the crack shimmered like broken glass, with fragments falling only to vanish midair.

Everyone seemed ready for a fight, moving with clear intent. The ground shook harder, tremors rattling my bones.

I closed the shop’s glass door and crouched in a corner, hoping the building wouldn’t cave in on me. My hand gripped the badge on my chest—my only weapon, though I’d never used it.

Senior Tang had warned me that its magic was strong. If things got bad, it was my last resort.

I peeked through the glass, heart racing. The academy was in chaos—where were the teachers?

Why weren’t they handling this? Instead, the seniors formed a defensive line in the sky, moving like they’d trained for it.

I was alone in the shop, and the lack of safety felt overwhelming. Where was Senior Tang?

As I muttered to myself, another loud boom shook the sky.

That time, it felt like the heavens were falling apart.

I crept to the door, ready to run if things got worse.

The manager, Senior Tang, Shiqi—I couldn’t deal with this! I wanted to save the shop, keep my job…

It was only my second day, and I hadn’t even been paid yet.

My mind raced with scattered thoughts. Then I looked up. A huge, scar-like gash stretched across the sky, like someone had sliced it with a blade.

Energy surged, visible to the naked eye, twisting the edges of the rift. It was a sight I’d never forget.

The spillover of that energy created a blazing heatwave, its blinding glow like a second sun in the sky.

The shop’s temperature spiked, the air growing thick.

Sweat soaked my uniform—part fear, part heat. It was my first time facing anything like that.

As the saying went, "when gods clashed, mortals suffered." The semester hadn’t even started—how was the academy in such a mess?

I hadn’t heard of any external threats in that world—no beast invasions, no abyssal demons, just a peaceful society.

So why this massive disaster?

My brain was on the verge of overloading, drowned in fear of the unknown.

Then I remembered something Bai Yu had mentioned: the Dome. This had to be it—the academy’s Dome, broken.

Could the Dome break?

In stories, wasn’t that supposed to be the ultimate barrier? How could this happen?

I gripped my phone, frozen with indecision.

Should I call someone?

Senior Tang had told me to call if I ran into trouble, but was this really something I should bother her about?

In the end, I dialed her number. She might not be able to fix it, but as a Witch School graduate, she’d at least know what was happening, right?

“Hey… Senior Tang, can you hear me?” I said, clutching the phone.

“Loud and clear, Yuehan. How’s it going over there?” Her voice came through, mixed with the sharp whistle of wind.

“I’m fine, but what’s happening? This won’t reach us, right?” I asked, my words spilling out.

“It’s those winged freaks from San Angel School teaming up with Sorcerer School to gang up on the Witch School. Talk about guts,” she said, her tone biting.

“What?” I froze. An academy war?

How did this come out of nowhere? Shouldn’t there have been, like, a school-wide alert, rallying every student to fight? How did we get ambushed with zero warning?

Questions piled up in my head.

“Don’t worry, Yuehan. Stay in the shop, and you should be fine. Keep yourself safe—safety first,” Senior Tang said firmly.

“Okay, got it,” I mumbled.

She hung up abruptly, clearly in a hurry. No time to explain. I stared at the seniors zipping across the sky on their brooms.

Was one of them Senior Tang?

Barely a few seconds after the call ended, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Bai Yu.

She must have been worried, probably trying to call earlier and only getting through then.

I picked up without hesitation. “Sister Bai.”

“Yuehan, you okay?” Her voice was laced with panic.

“I’m fine, totally good,” I said, trying to sound calm.

“Thank goodness. Stay safe. The fighting’s too close to where you live—prioritize your safety, okay?”

“Got it. I’m not trying to die anytime soon,” I said, then paused. “Wait, Sister Bai, do you know what’s going on?”

“Yeah, judging by the energy and the battle, it’s probably San Angel School students.”

“Students?”

I glanced at the chaos in the sky. Students did that?

“Another academy’s attacking us, and the teachers aren’t doing anything?” I asked, my voice sounding urgent.

“Of course not. They can’t. It’s students fighting students. If teachers step in, it’s like admitting Witch School students are weak. Get it?”

“Sort of…” I said, my eyes glued to the sky. Fear mixed with awe. That power—it was incredible.

Was that what strength looked like?

“Yuehan, are you at the dorm? I’ll come to you. Stay put,” Bai Yu said.

“What? Come here? Hold on, I’m not at the dorm.”

“Not at the dorm? Where are you? You’re not near the battlefield, are you?” Her voice spiked with worry.

“No way, I’m not that reckless. I’m at my part-time job, in the Newbie District. It’s a bakery…”

“The Red Velvet?” she asked.

“Uh… Red Velvet?” I blinked. The shop didn’t have an official name out front, but red velvet cakes were their specialty. “Yeah, probably. It’s not far from my dorm…”

“Alright, stay there. I’m coming to you.”

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