The Mighty Mage
Chapter 319: Safety Zone

Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Safety Zone

Professor Meng’s face softened, a flicker of approval crossing his features.

He adjusted his glasses and addressed Gu Jin’s question with a calm demeanor.

"You are perceptive, Miss Gu Jin," he began, his tone steady amidst the storm of emotions.

"Indeed, there are precautions in place. This island, as you surmised, is a designated safety zone. It was created after much trial and error to serve as a buffer between the inhabitants and the Supreme Class Beasts."

The students quieted, their angry murmurs fading into a tense silence. They hung onto Meng’s every word, desperate for a glimmer of hope.

"This zone," he continued, gesturing to the ground beneath their feet, "is fortified by ancient magic.

The beasts cannot enter here easily—if at all. In addition, the teleportation portal you all arrived through has safeguards.

It was an error that brought you here, but fortunately, it brought you to the safest place within the Forgotten Elemental World."

Gu Jin’s gaze remained sharp, unyielding.

"But errors happen, don’t they, Professor? What’s to say the same error won’t happen again, perhaps allowing something far worse to cross into this zone?"

Professor Meng sighed, the lines on his face deepening.

"You’re not wrong. Errors are always a possibility. But that is precisely why this place exists—to buy time.

Should the barrier fail or a breach occur, the safety zone is designed to alert the outside world, summoning reinforcements from the Magic Council."

"Reinforcements?" a student scoffed, their voice tinged with bitterness.

"You mean the same Magic Council that dumped us here by mistake? Do you really think they’ll come in time to save us?"

Meng’s expression darkened.

"The council’s actions are not for me to defend," he admitted.

"But I assure you, they do not wish for anyone—especially young mages like yourselves—to perish needlessly. They will be notified by now and soon will be sending some kind of reinforcement.

The protections in place are extensive, but they are not absolute. Your survival depends on your ability to remain vigilant and united."

"United?" another student echoed sarcastically.

"We can’t even agree on how to calm down! Let alone fight something as terrifying as a Supreme Class Beast."

"That’s because you’re too focused on the fear," Gu Jin interjected her tone firm but measured.

"Fear paralyzes you. If we let it control us, then yes, we might as well die. But if we take control of the situation, understand the terrain, the barriers, and ourselves, then we stand a chance."

Her words cut through the tension like a blade. Some students nodded hesitantly, while others averted their gazes, still too overwhelmed to agree.

Yan Mei, who had been watching Gu Jin intently, finally spoke.

"She’s right. The first step to survival is acceptance—accepting where we are, what we’re up against, and the fact that no one is coming to save us immediately. We are the ones who must hold this line, at least until help arrives."

"How do we hold a line against something that even Heaven Rank Mages couldn’t defeat?" a girl whispered, her voice trembling.

Gu Jin chuckled,

"The first step is not to leave the safety zone. As long as we stay in the safety zone and don’t leave, no supreme class beast would come here, am I right Professor Meng?"

Professor Meng nodded gravely, his expression a mixture of approval and caution.

"You are correct, Miss Gu Jin," he said.

"As long as you remain within the safety zone, the ancient barriers should keep you protected from the Supreme Class Beasts. However..."

He hesitated, his voice dropping to a more serious tone.

"These barriers are not perfect. They have withstood centuries of neglect and tampering. Should someone damage the protective seals, intentionally or otherwise, the balance could be disrupted. That is why it is vital to avoid any unnecessary interference with the environment here."

A ripple of unease passed through the group. One student raised a hand tentatively.

"What if one of those beasts is already nearby? What if the barrier doesn’t hold?"

Professor Meng’s gaze swept across all the students, steady and commanding.

"If such a thing were to happen, the barrier would emit a signal—a warning. This signal will give us time to prepare or, if necessary, retreat to a central fortified location within this island.

But I must stress that it is highly unlikely for such a breach to occur unless the seals are deliberately tampered with or we draw attention to ourselves."

Gu Jin’s brow furrowed as she processed this information.

"You’re saying we’re safe as long as we don’t do anything reckless," she summarized.

"But if the portal was tampered with to bring us here, could there already be damage to the seals?"

Everyone fell silent, the weight of her question sinking in. Professor Meng took a deep breath before answering.

"I cannot say for certain," he admitted.

"But the Magic Council would not have reactivated the portal without ensuring the integrity of the barriers. If there is any weakness, it will become evident in time.

That is why our priority must be to assess the safety of the zone and remain vigilant for any changes."

Gu Jin turned to the others, her expression firm.

"Then it’s settled. Our first task is to map this island thoroughly. We need to know the exact boundaries of the safety zone, the locations of the seals, and any potential weak points. If there’s any sign of damage, we report it immediately."

Yan Mei stepped forward, her voice calm but resolute.

"I’ll assist with identifying the seals. I’ve studied ancient magical structures before, and I may be able to recognize signs of wear or tampering."

Professor Meng nodded.

"Good. I’ll provide you with what knowledge I have of the seals’ placement. The rest of you," he said, addressing the room, "will organize into groups. Some will gather supplies—food, water, and materials for shelter. Others will patrol the area and ensure no dangerous beast is lurking around."

Everyone nodded.

One by one students formed groups.

Five teams were formed. The first group was responsible for ensuring the safety of the seal, the second group was responsible for hunting, the third group was responsible for patrolling 24/7, the fourth group was responsible for cooking, and the fifth group was responsible for building structures.

No one knew for how long they would be struck in the forgotten elemental world, so it was better to prepare for worse.

........

Magic Council.

In the control room of the Magic Council, the atmosphere was tense and bustling.

A series of glowing runes and screens projected intricate magical data, and a few high-ranking mages were bent over them, analyzing the information with furrowed brows.

One of the mages, a middle-aged man with streaks of silver in his hair and a stern expression, barked an order.

"Run another diagnostic on the portal. I need to know exactly how those students were sent there by mistake!"

A younger mage, his hands glowing faintly as he worked a rune-studded interface, hesitated before responding.

"Sir, we’ve run the diagnostic twice already. It confirms an external interference—something disrupted the stabilization field."

"External interference?" The silver-haired mage narrowed his eyes. "Do you mean someone tampered with the portal?"

"Precisely, Leader Li." The younger mage nodded, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"We suspect it was a deliberate act. The energy signature doesn’t match the usual anomalies we encounter during portal activation."

Leader Li’s face darkened as he straightened. "Have you identified the source of the interference?"

"Not yet, sir," the young mage admitted.

"But whoever—or whatever—did this was highly skilled. The interference was subtle enough to bypass our initial safeguards without triggering alarms."

Another mage, a woman with sharp eyes and an aura of authority, joined the conversation.

"If this was deliberate, then it wasn’t just about sending those students to the Forgotten Elemental World. It could be an attack on the Council itself."

Leader Li nodded grimly.

"Possibly. But we don’t have enough evidence yet. For now, our priority is to secure the safety of those students and stabilize the portal."

The woman leaned over the console, her hands moving deftly over the glowing symbols.

"The barriers in the Forgotten Elemental World are intact for now, but they’re old. If the students tamper with the seals—or if the interference affects the barriers—"

"Then the Supreme Class Beasts could breach the zone," Li finished for her, his voice heavy. "We can’t let that happen."

Leader Li turned to the young mage and asked,

"How much more time will be required to open the portal again?"

"According to our estimation 10 days." The young mage replied with a pale face.

"What? 10 days? How will they survive in that place for 1 month?" Leader Li shouted.

The time on the Forgotten Elemental world worked three times faster. 10 days in the magic world would be equivalent to 1 month in the Forgotten Elemental World.

"Uh... I am sorry Leader Li." The young mage apologized. "But I think as long as they can find the teleportation array they can..."

"Who are you kidding with? The teleportation array is locked in that cursed place!" Leader Li shouted.