Chapter 15: Surpassing Isabella by Double?

"It looks like Wendy has reached her destination."

Barely a few seconds had elapsed since the notifications began, and Alex found himself leveling up.

The swift advancement surprised even him. He had anticipated a partial return from his disciple's progress, but the reality of a one-to-one return exceeded his expectations.

Alex had thought he might not reach level 10 until the next round of admissions. Now, it seemed Wendy's next foray into the secret realm would align with his opportunity to take on a second student.

In the chamber, Wendy Queen stood agape at the spectacle before her.

The chamber was filled with blood-red eyes, from which sharp cries emanated. These weren't the sounds of a predator's bloodlust but the wails of agony.

"Dusk Bats?!" Wendy was utterly taken aback. The presence of Dusk Bats in the Chaotic Stone Canyon was unrecorded in any textbook she had studied!

Dusk Bats, although only level 8 creatures, were formidable in their sheer numbers, with a single nest housing hundreds.

Hence, despite their individual weakness, they posed a significant challenge. It's said, "even ants can consume an elephant," and the situation seemed to mirror this proverb.

Now, however, the swarms of Dusk Bats, drawn to Wendy, plummeted to the ground one by one, thwarted by the radiant halo surrounding her. Dusk Bats, creatures aligned with darkness, dread the Divine Light element above all.

Wendy, enveloped in Divine Light, inflicted severe pain upon them with mere exposure, much less direct collision.

Within a quarter of an hour, not a single Dusk Bat remained alive in the chamber. Surveying the floor now blanketed with bat corpses, Wendy was bewildered.

The trophies from Dusk Bats were notably low in value, with a pair of wings fetching merely a point.

Faced with a floor full of Dusk Bats awaiting collection and constrained by time, Wendy clenched her teeth and made a daring decision.

As time continued its inexorable march, the students' excitement from their exploits within the secret realm gradually waned, giving way to a cloud of worry.

Concerns arose because one student had yet to return from the realm. "What if something's happened to Wendy?" one student fretted.

"Ah? Don't joke like that. The Chaotic Stone Secret Realm is a beginner's secret realm. It's impossible for someone to die in there," another dismissed.

"But it's Wendy we're talking about... She seemed to only survive the last couple of years by tagging along with others," someone pointed out.

"Now that you've mentioned it, I'm starting to worry about her too."

Even those who weren't close to Wendy felt a sense of concern. After all, they were all part of the same institution, accustomed to seeing each other regularly. Even those who might have looked down on her did not wish for a fellow student's demise within the realm.

This sense of apprehension wasn't limited to students; teachers also showed signs of distress, engaging in low-voiced discussions among themselves.

"This could spell the end for Alex Watson."

"Right, a student meeting their end in such a basic secret realm? That's unprecedented in the annals of Santania School's history."

"Even if the dean decides to overlook it due to Wendy's potential, I doubt Alex can be spared. His class will surely be dissolved if his only student has perished."

"He might have been better off not accepting Wendy as a student, to begin with."

As teachers continued their whisper exchanges, Oscar barely concealed his glee, finding it difficult to maintain a facade of concern during his moment of schadenfreude.

Observing Alex still calmly seated in the shade, Oscar mused about when Alex's composure would finally crack.

With only five minutes left, Dean Ken Moore's expression was dark with concern. He approached Alex, his voice laden with barely suppressed anger, "Alex Watson, your student's life hangs in the balance, and you seem utterly unconcerned? Is this the attitude befitting a teacher?"

Though Ken spoke of uncertainty, internally, he had already presumed the worst about Wendy's fate. The veins on his forehead bulged with tension.

Never in his over two decades as dean had he faced such a dire situation, and he felt a measure of responsibility for what he considered to be Wendy's demise. If only he had stripped Alex of his teaching position sooner, this tragedy might have been averted.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright," Alex responded with unwavering calmness, standing up and making his way towards the secret realm's entrance.

Ken, momentarily taken aback by the response, softened his tone yet remained stern, cautioning, "Alex, don't do it! The realm is about to close, and it won't open for another three months. Without food, survival inside is impossible. If you go in now, there's no returning."

Clearly, Ken believed Alex was intent on venturing into the secret realm to save Wendy.

Yet, with a serene smile, Alex simply stated, "It's about time for her to arrive, isn't it?"

Ken, confused by his remark, failed to grasp its meaning immediately.

However, as Alex stopped just three meters from the entrance, a figure slowly emerged from the realm. It was Wendy!

Suddenly, all the students' faces lit up with surprised smiles, while the teachers showed expressions of astonishment.

Ken, watching Wendy emerge, was slightly taken aback. Recalling Alex' earlier statement, "It's about time for her to arrive," Ken felt a complex swirl of emotions.

Was Alex, merely an intern teacher, really so attuned to his student? To even predict approximately when his student would return? Considering this level of understanding towards a student, how many teachers in Santania School could claim the same? Was Alex genuinely a prodigy in teaching?

Among the crowd, Oscar's face turned sour, starkly contrasting with everyone else's reactions. In his mind, Wendy Queen was supposed to have met her demise in the secret realm. Yet, against all odds, she had survived.

The thought of Alex Watson facing no consequences for this incident irked Oscar deeply. However, he quickly masked his frustration with a smile. So what if she had survived? They were destined to lose anyway. In Oscar's view, their fate was sealed and unchangeable.

With this mindset, Oscar adjusted his expression and approached with a smile that seemed to embody concern for Wendy, "It's great to see you back, Wendy Queen. Everyone was worried about you. How did it go this time? You must have improved under Mr. Watson's guidance, right?" His words portrayed him as a caring educator.

Confronted with Oscar's question and the collective gaze of the faculty and students, Wendy instinctively glanced at Alex.

Upon seeing him nod encouragingly, Wendy took a deep breath and, with a trembling voice, revealed, "This time... I scored 930 points..."

The announcement left the entire gathering in a stunned silence. 930 points! That was more than double Isabella's score! How could that be possible?!

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
we11doneyuris

Hey everyone! Thank you for reading my first story! Due to personal stuffs, I can write only 3 chapters this week. I'll release them on Monday, Thursday and Sunday. Again, thank you for supporting me! I'll be back soon.

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