Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 71: Gate Closure (6)

A while back...

Clang!

Kaiser’s blade was blocked by the two pincers, creating a clear sound. His wide emotionless eyes locked onto the creature’s beady eyes. Both exerted strength on each other, untill Kaiser raised his foot. He became disadvantaged, and the Abyssal Crawler momentarily overpowered him.

The force pushed him off his feet, intending to send him flying backwards. However, Kaiser twisted unnaturally, using the force to do a front flip and slamming his heels onto the creature’s head.

The creature’s mandibles smashed into the ground in a very humiliating way.

Kaiser didn’t revel in that little victory though. The pincers came up, snapping open to clamp down on his torso. Effortlessly, he slipped away like a weightless leaf.

Pa!

The pincers snapped empty air in futility. Kaiser landed on the ground easily, locking eyes with his opponent. His main goal was to destroy the grotesque flower behind the Abyssal Crawler. However, that creature was just as determined to protect it from any harm or danger.

"Mirage..."

He whispered, then blurred. He didn’t appear immediately, confusing the creature. There was no sign of him anywhere for a few seconds until he was seen atop the creature like he had always been there.

Raising his fist, he casually punched downward.

Bang!

The impact was thunderous, directly shaking the chamber and sending the Abyssal Crawler to its knees. By now, the other creatures had been torn apart by the shadow hands he had summoned.

Without needing them anymore, he dismissed the hands.

The creature buckled, then rose to its feet again.

Still sitting on its back, Kaiser spoke coldly—his eyes completely emotionless.

"Stay. Down."

Another punch sent it crashing into the ground—not because it was weak, but because he had targeted a weak point on its body. With that spot being hit, several of its nerves stiffened, and it lost the ability to move for a few seconds.

Without hesitation, Kaiser brought out his dagger, then sliced through the small gap between the chitin at the back of its head. Blood spurted from the light would, and the creature shook slightly.

His hand pierced into the gap, wriggling into its head as if searching for something.

The creature struggled intensely, slowly overcoming the stiffened nerves. Kaiser hastened his movements, then found the brain without much effort.

Although larger than he could grasp, a single pull was enough to disorient the weak organ.

Still, that wasn’t enough to kill the creature. His nodes stirred to life, and he created a blade of darkness which pierced into the soft brain of the creature. All struggles seized, and the creature finally died.

[You have slain an Awakened Fiend, Abyssal Crawler]

[You have received a Relic]

Even though the dangerous creature was dead, Kaiser didn’t relax at all. He tore off the head from the body of the Crawler, then threw it at the giant flower.

It smashed against the grotesque mass of bulky flesh, then rebounded harmlessly.

’This Crawler was a fiend—though on the weaker side of its rank. Still, the chitin has no denting effect on this flower?’

He was puzzled, though he knew what had to be done. The flower had to be opened, and what was inside had to be killed. If it fully hatched, then no one might be able to survive in the dungeon.

’The Instructors would definitely come running, but I doubt they’d be fast enough. I personally despise relying on other people’s help too.’

Without any other choice at hand, he climbed onto the closed petals and sat.

’My current equipments wouldn’t be able to damage it. I haven’t taken any weapon from the Clan Vault—a really bad choice. And I doubt I’d be able to break through with any other means.’

Curious, he decided to check out his newly acquired relic.

[Virtuous Sorrow]

[Rank: Tier V Awakened Relic]

[Function 1: Disintegrates any material imbued with curses]

[Function 2: Negative emotions from the user and surroundings fuel its sharpness]

[Function 3: Turns runic sorcery ineffective]

[Function 4: Uses a little percentage of user’s life force to insta-kill a target]

[Function 5: A blade that never dulls]

[Memory: A slave abandoned by his master lived alone in the tunnel beneath the city. Barely surviving with a crude sword he had stolen, he lived a sorrowful life till death]

Kaiser was not too interested in the memory of the relic. Instead, his attention was focused on its five functions.

’These are really efficient, but I doubt function two would be useful to me.’

It wasn’t like he couldn’t feel negative emotions, but it was very rare for an occurrence to happen and incite those feelings.

’Hm?’

He sensed more shadows enter into chamber, and immediately recognized their owners. They were his fellow classmates from Class-E.

Raising his head, he locked eyes with Liam. The boy seemed to freeze in shock, then slowly regained his senses.

Unexpectedly, it was someone else who spoke up first.

"Kaiser? So you came here..."

Hazel looked mildly surprised, but not too much. She surveyed the surroundings again, her teeth clenching.

"Is this the power... you’ve been hiding?"

Hazel was incensed. She hated when a person was useful, but willingly decided to be lazy and useless. Why couldn’t everyone just do their jobs?!

If everyone worked with their maximum potential, then she wouldn’t have to carry the burden of pushing the class to Class-A. Now, she barely had time for herself and to hone her skills. So seeing someone as unresponsive as Kaiser, she was willing to use public sentiment to pressure him, regardless of whether he had interest or not.

Looking up at the blue-haired boy, she waited for an answer. Shrouded in darkness, Kaiser’s expression couldn’t be discerned. Even then, Hazel still felt his frown.

"Hide my power?" He tilted his head, "Sigh, I have no interest in your delusions, Hazel."

Totally disregarding her query, he rose up and summoned a dark purple blade into his hand. The blade glistened ominously, a sense of gloom accompanying its appearance.

This was the Virtuous Sorrow, and its presence alone had an oppressive might.

The other students remained silent, all eyes glued to it. Under their watchful gazes, he thrust the blade into the flower beneath him.