Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1214 1214: The Timepiece
Previously on Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy...
The Spirit Queen was utterly baffled by the events that had unfolded.
Her spirits were on the verge of embedding themselves further into Armin's soul right in the midst of the inheritance process, but the golden pocketwatch suddenly shone with a fierce light that scorched them away...
Though she suffered no injury herself, she sensed that the spirits lurking in Armin's shadow had grown feebler.
Unable to restrain herself, she balled her hands into fists while attempting to scrutinize the object.
'That little ornament... I inspected it earlier. It seemed completely mundane. How is it defying me now?'
However, the reality was something entirely unknown to her.
The pocketwatch was far from ordinary. It had once been in Vale's possession, and although he had already siphoned much of its usable power via his Divine Extraction System, it remained a profound mystical artifact.
He had harnessed its drawn-out energy to bolster his own journey, acquiring knowledge and assets that propelled him toward Immortality.
Even Vale, with his vast expertise, had uncovered that certain depths of power inside the watch lay beyond his ability to extract.
Those hidden depths were sealed by bloodline ties.
The pocketwatch's genuine power would only stir to life for the heirs of its first owner, a bloodline that undoubtedly traced back to the Paragons.
Vale had grasped this truth ages ago, and upon learning of Armin's ancestry, he pieced it together: Armin was among those heirs.
This revelation explained why Vale had taken him on as a disciple. It wasn't just from compassion or luck, but to keep watch over the pocketwatch's sleeping might and prevent it from reaching unworthy grasp.
Vale had gained much from the relic, yet he recognized its ultimate purpose wasn't for him to seize. Silently, he handed it over to Armin, confident that its real essence would eventually emerge.
The Spirit Queen remained oblivious to all of this.
In her eyes, the watch was nothing more than a basic keepsake, a mere nostalgic bauble. She had misjudged it entirely.
Nevertheless, she wouldn't yield so easily.
From her throne of shadowy crystal, she channeled her intent back into the spirits once more.
"Give it another shot," she ordered with resolve, even as her form began to falter.
"Delve further. Seek out flaws in his core and seize any fragment of his soul you can!"
The spirits complied, weaving through Armin's shadow while he remained in a deep stupor.
They twisted around his soul, hunting for vulnerabilities. Yet whenever they neared, the pocketwatch throbbed with golden illumination, slicing their connections and searing their forms.
The Queen muttered a curse beneath her breath. "Once more!"
They launched a second effort. On this try, they avoided forming any obvious tendrils, masking their advance within the Tower's inheritance currents. Still, the watch blazed even fiercer, its glow piercing all illusions.
"Again!" she snarled, her presence quaking with fury.
A third push came next, with every one of the ten spirits uniting their forces.
They enveloped Armin's soul in a shroud of darkness, clenching their hold.
For an instant, victory appeared within reach. But suddenly, the pocketwatch's light swelled like a pulsing rhythm, demolishing their shroud and flinging them into retreat.
"This..."
The Queen slumped onto her bed, hacking up a cough... Her energy began to waver perilously. "Unbelievable... How dare a simple relic defy me? Defy all of us?"
Her mouth twisted into a sour grin. "Vale... you cunning Immortal. You were aware. You bestowed that watch upon him deliberately. You've concealed its real power from my sight."
She realized that wretched Arcanist could never claim the pocketwatch on his own. The sole way he possessed such a thing stemmed from Vale's generosity.
She pressed on, attempt after attempt, each one more frantic than before.
But the outcome stayed unchanged; the pocketwatch's golden shine guarded Armin utterly, repelling her every meddling.
At last, she fell back, drained as her frame shook from the exertion. "Curse you, Armin. Curse you, Vale. I won't abandon this... but right now, victory eludes me."
Her gaze sharpened, a subtle grin forming on her lips amid the irritation.
"Fine then. If direct control slips from my grasp at this moment, I'll bide my time. The Tower has welcomed you, binding your path to mine. Since coercion won't work... I suppose a gentler approach is in order."
The Spirit Queen let out a sigh upon reaching this conclusion...
Her new scheme involved dominating the Mystic Arts Tower by forging ties with Armin!
She shut her eyes, concentrating her splintered energy. "Spirits... heed me. Cease all efforts to claim him. Rather, fortify your link and steer him, earn his faith."
It was a straightforward strategy, though it demanded patience...
Regardless, once he rose as the master of the Mystic Arts Tower, it would serve their interests well. That Tower suited their essence perfectly, after all...
With that, the ten spirits flickered softly in acknowledgment.
They grasped their new directive...
Should Armin embrace them wholly, they could embed into its heart, gradually extending their sway until the Tower itself yielded to the Queen's desires.
The Queen grinned slyly...
Via Armin, she was certain Vale would remain none the wiser.
He'd assume his pupil was merely advancing, unaware that she had already begun to shape the young man.
***
Meanwhile, in a distant realm, Vale stayed ignorant of the Queen's plots. He immersed himself in contemplation within his Immortal Tower...
Yet one of his Avatars, positioned at the Academy, caught wind of pressing updates.
He had just heard that the Mystic Arts Tower had abruptly sealed itself and expelled every Arcanist save for his own student, Armin!
This could signify only one outcome: a fresh master had been selected, and it was undoubtedly Armin!
Vale felt a surge of thrill...
"Lisa has seized the Dark Arts Tower just recently. And now... Armin has gained the Mystic Arts Tower's approval?"
Vale had anticipated Armin would challenge the Tower someday, but not this quickly, and especially not triumphantly. The Mystic Arts Tower wasn't even aligned with his primary Arcane Path! It wouldn't shock anyone if it spurned even veteran experts.
"Fascinating..." the Avatar whispered. "I can't help but wonder if the Temporal Timepiece played a role in this."