Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Seven minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Headmaster Constantine clapped his hands, the crisp sound ringing like a bell, drawing everyone's attention. "Look here," he said, his voice steady and commanding, full of authority. Then, he pulled away the large black cloth covering the person-sized object standing before the bronze statue of Emperor Saion.

The black cloth fell slowly, revealing a massive glass mirror. The mirror's frame was made of brass, its edges adorned with brass roses, exquisite and ornate, like a high-quality dressing mirror only a noblewoman might own. Yet, eerily, when the mirror faced the new students, it showed no reflection of them. The mirror seemed like a portal to an unknown world, filled with mystery and danger.

In the blink of an eye, all the new students vanished, as if swallowed by the mirror. Constantine immediately covered the mirror again with the black cloth, as if sealing away a terrifying monster.

At this moment, the teachers, who had all stepped back just before Headmaster Constantine lifted the cloth to avoid even a hint of their reflection, collectively sighed in relief. Expressions of relief appeared on their faces, as if they had just narrowly escaped a disaster.

This was Sealed Artifact No. 012. It took the form of a noblewoman's dressing mirror and was named Christine's Mirror. It can draw any living thing that looks into it—including people, animals, and plants—into an illusory world. The cycle lasts five days, after which a new illusory world takes its place. The drawn-in living beings are only released at dusk on the fifth day.

It sounds like a containment artifact, nothing too frightening. But the problem is, the illusory worlds created by Christine's Mirror can sometimes defy imagination, and even the user of the artifact cannot control them. It allows those trapped to fully experience what it means to have their worldview shattered and suffer social death.

The veteran teachers, safe from its effects, couldn't help but murmur among themselves.

"What kind of world do you think it is this time? The last time it was used was three years ago. That batch of new students ended up in a terrifying world where women went to war and held office, while men wore skirts, did housework, and raised children," one old teacher said, frowning as he recalled the past.

"That's nothing. Six years ago was even more exciting—an undersea world. All the students became merfolk with fish tails, chased by sharks and playing hide-and-seek with sea monsters," another old teacher said with a laugh, as if telling an amusing story.

"Twelve years ago was even more interesting—an Undead Scourge from novels. Skeletons wielding swords and knives were everywhere. The students from that batch couldn't stand eating any meal with bones for a month afterward," yet another old teacher added, a teasing smile on his face.

Headmaster Constantine couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling somewhat exasperated by the veteran teachers' chatter. After making sure the black cloth was securely covering the mirror and wouldn't be accidentally pulled off by anyone, he took out a palm-sized small mirror and activated his ability. A large light screen appeared in the grand hall, clear as a movie screen, displaying the world inside the mirror. "So curious? Take a look then," he said, his tone carrying a hint of teasing and resignation.

Meanwhile, in a tiered classroom, over a dozen students gathered together. A girl holding a crystal ball saw images appear on it and immediately spoke up: "The Freshman Competition has started. The Headmaster's projection is up." Her voice was full of excitement and anticipation.

The girl handed the crystal ball to the boy beside her. The boy snapped his fingers, and a small basin of water beside him rose into the air, forming a water screen. The water screen, crystal clear like a waterfall, projected the images from the crystal ball onto itself.

The leader of this group of over a dozen students nodded in satisfaction and then gave orders: "Anderson, you go sell tickets, promote this Freshman Competition. Luna, you pay attention and record some of the exciting clips. And you, Cobpot, use your connections to start a betting pool. Set the odds according to our preliminary plan for now; we'll adjust them after the first day passes." His voice was decisive and powerful, full of leadership.

Meanwhile, the new students, unaware that they had become tools for their seniors to make money and might even leave behind embarrassing black marks for others' amusement, stared dumbfounded at their surroundings.

The unfamiliar architectural style—the ancient, elegant buildings with carved beams and painted rafters, full of artistic flair. The appearance of these people with black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin—completely different from anyone they had seen in the Western Continent, giving off a mysterious yet familiar feeling. The clothing of wide sleeves and robes—as if figures had stepped out of ancient paintings, elegant and carefree.

This was definitely not anywhere in the Western Continent!

Could it be... the legendary Eastern Continent?!

After quickly taking in the surrounding scene, Nancy immediately made a decisive move. She led the group at high speed into a quiet, deserted alley nearby. Her movements were agile and decisive, like an experienced commander. Then, she spoke with great certainty: "This is the Eastern Continent. No, to be precise, a world resembling ancient times in the Great Xia Kingdom of the Eastern Continent. I have always excelled at reconnaissance. Even in that extremely brief glance, I was able to gather a considerable amount of information."

Although the Age of Exploration had arrived, maritime trade was flourishing, and connections between continents were growing closer. However, for the vast majority of ordinary people, the Eastern Continent remained a mysterious enigma, full of unknowns and wonder. Official books introducing the Eastern Continent were extremely scarce, as if their circulation was deliberately restricted. When people mentioned the distant Eastern empire, the Great Xia Empire, the first things that came to mind were often exquisite silk, delicate and warm porcelain, and fragrant tea—luxury goods. These items were highly sought after in the Western Continent, symbols of nobility and taste for the aristocracy. However, only those with real connections and channels to understand the inside story clearly knew just how powerful and wealthy the Great Xia Kingdom was. Unlike the complex situation in the Western Continent with multiple great powers standing in rivalry, the entire Eastern Continent had only one vast, unified nation—Great Xia. This country possessed a long history, brilliant culture, and formidable strength, shining like a bright pearl in the East with its unique radiance.

Black hair and black eyes were the primary characteristics of the dominant ethnic group in the Great Xia Empire. Their deep eyes seemed to contain endless wisdom and mysterious power, their black hair as smooth and lustrous as a waterfall. Nancy had once seen similar attire in an Eastern oil painting owned by a collector. That painting was vibrant in color, with delicate brushstrokes vividly depicting scenes of life and clothing styles from ancient Great Xia. Furthermore, she had heard that in Great Xia, fifty years ago, both men and women wore their hair long. Men tied their long hair atop their heads, wearing crowns or hairpins, exuding an air of scholarly elegance. Women's long hair was silky smooth, worn in buns or draped over their shoulders, radiating a gentle and graceful temperament. Based on these clues, Nancy quickly explained the reasoning behind her guess.

"But how could we possibly travel from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent in the blink of an eye? That's across a vast, boundless ocean," Ista still couldn't quite believe what was before his eyes. His gaze was full of doubt and astonishment, as if unable to accept this sudden change. In his understanding, crossing an ocean required a long, arduous journey. How could such a crossing be accomplished instantly?

"This is the Freshman Competition," Louis analyzed calmly. Before being admitted to the Imperial Knight Academy, he had spent considerable time and effort researching information on past Freshman Competitions. He knew well that the Freshman Competition was one of the academy's most important events, each iteration full of challenges and surprises. "It seems that every third competition has some special feature. Perhaps this time, being brought to the Eastern Continent is one of the special arrangements for this competition."