All residents in the vicinity of the crimson barrier surrounding the Stevenson Academy of Magic had already been evacuated, and most of the easily dismantled buildings around the translucent barrier had been dismantled.0

Scholars recruited from various guilds were working alongside the technical Nightblade Teams Five and Six to study the sudden crimson barrier that had enveloped the entire academy.0

A technician pressed a metal spike with intricate magitech engravings against the surface of the barrier. With a small hammer embedded with a magic crystal, he lightly tapped the back of the spike.0

As the hammer struck the spike, the magic crystal flashed, channeling mana through the hammer and into the spike. The engravings on the spike lit up, driven by an invisible force that pushed it into the crimson barrier.0

The tip of the spike collided with the barrier, producing a series of crisp crackling sounds. It slowly pressed into the barrier, struggling to penetrate it but not entirely unable to do so.0

After about ten seconds, the spike had penetrated roughly three centimeters into the barrier. The light from the engraving flickered a few times before dimming, as the invisible force driving the spike forward dissipated.0

The breach in the crimson barrier quickly sealed itself shut as the spike...0