Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 72: Gate Closure (7)

Hum~!

The flower hummed softly, its body shaking gently. The first function of the relic activated, and the part touched by the sword disintegrated immediately. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

It shook violently, releasing a deafening hum that made the ears ring. Some students collapsed to the ground, clutching their ears, while others endured and slowly backed away.

’As I suspected, it is a cursed womb. But who could have planted one here?’

Cursed wombs weren’t something mere Awakened creatures could create. It was something created to nurture a very strong Nirad creature. Now that it was here, used by mere Awakened creatures—he was puzzled.

About that, it seemed he had to postpone thinking. The creature being nurtured in the womb was stirring, having been interrupted in its growth.

With a grim expression, he distanced himself from the half-destroyed flower.

"Oh! You have really unleashed something quite disgusting, Solace-boy!"

Sebastian laughed, though his expression was grim. Just like Kaiser, he had sensed how dangerous whatever was going to appear was.

Liam gulped nervously, but his determination burned brighter.

"Guys, we need to concentrate. We’ll have to kill whatever is in that thing."

He had barely spoken when the flower burst open. Revolting masses of shredded flesh and blood splattered across the ground, and something rolled out from within.

At first it looked like a very large ball, puzzling everyone. When they all saw it clearly, eyes widened like saucers.

The creature unfurled itself, stretching into a long, serpentine chimera. Its body was slim like that of a serpent, but it was segmented and had several legs protruding from its underbelly. The head was like that of an Abyssal Crawler, with two pincers at the foremost part of its body.

"Fuck! It’s that damned centipede!"

Eric yelped, panic obvious in his expression. The creatures they had killed earlier instilled a lingering sense of fear in him. Now confronted with something similar, he was deeply afraid.

Standing at the front of his mates, Liam trembled. ’This pressure. It’s surely a Fiend—not something they could handle.’

Normally, a Rank 1 Awakened—a first-year—was only supposed to kill an Awakened Beast. Rank 2 Awakened—second-year students—were capable of slaying Awakened Monsters. Rank 3 Awakened—third-year students—were the only ones capable of slaying an Awakened Fiend.

Of course, this was only on a standard power scaling. There were anomalies like Sebastian who could kill Awakened Monsters. Even then, the difference in ranks was undeniable. For a bunch of newly admitted first-years to face an Awakened Fiend, it was naturally the spell of their doom.

’A Fiend on the verge of becoming a Horror.’

Kaiser eyed the creature cautiously, his expression unreadable. If he hadn’t interrupted the growth, the creature would have successfully become an Awakened Horror—something that would be impossible to resist.

At the moment, while it was still at the peak of the Fiend Rank, it could still be managed. If everyone worked together seriously, they might be able to preserve about twenty percent of the class population.

"We have to call the Instructors! This is already beyond what we can handle." Kiera called out to Liam.

The brown-haired boy exchanged glances with Hazel, then nodded. From his pocket, he produced a small stone and crushed it in his palm.

"Listen up, everyone! I’ve already sent the distress signal to our Instructor. We only need to buy time until they arrive."

His words stirred some hope in them, and a sense of determination rose within them.

"Stage 2—Hunter-Kill formation!"

Having discussed this formation with them before, the students immediately assembled into their respective positions. Sebastian, Hazel, Liam, Kiera, Logan, Astron, Ariel, and a few others with relatively strong abilities were placed at the center of the formation. Students with decent dodging and speed skills took up the role of the bait, attracting the Fiend’s attention.

The creature slowly turned its head to look at them, then hummed softly. Like a machine whirring to life, it stretched its body, then released its presence.

"Brace!"

A thick, almost physical pressure hit every student, sending them skidding backwards. Apart from the difference in power output between ranks, another factor was Oppressive Might.

It was usually a manifestation of a being’s level of power. As the ranks increased, so does the oppressive might.

Faced with the oppressive might of a Fiend-ranked creature, the Rank 1 students were almost forced to their knees.

"Don’t be dazed! Seize momentum and draw it in."

Hazel’s shout brought them back to reality. Those tasked to be the bait immediately went around it, shooting flashy but harmless attacks.

Irked, the creature immediately pursued them, though it didn’t use its full speed. Else, they’d have been crushed before they could even escape.

As soon as it drew close, Hazel and the others attacked!

Boom! Bang! Clang! Boom!

All sorts of attacks rained onto its carapace body—physical, ability, and even dangerous weapons. Unfortunately, their combined attacks barely had any effect on it.

The creature shrugged off their attacks, then struck with its pincers.

Logan grabbed onto the two sharp parts of the pincers, keeping them away from his face.

Veins popped on his face and arms, a testament of the strain he was enduring. Before long, he couldn’t hold out any longer and was flung into the wall.

While a few rushed to help him, Liam dealt with the second pincer. It was fast, but he was still able to follow its movements.

Even then, injuries quickly bloomed on his body. Wherever the pincer grazed, his armor was shredded and his flesh was torn.

By the time the creature retracted its pincers, he was already riddled with injuries.

Panting heavily, he took a moment to rest while keeping his ability activated. It took a toll on him mentally, but he had to keep it active.

"I’ll hold it!"

Hazel shouted to reassure him, joining Sebastian to hold off its attacks.

The golden-haired boy summoned an oversized diamond shield and smashed it against the side of the Fiend.

Boom!

Unlike they all expected, the creature wasn’t moved by even an inch. It cast a disdainful glance at him, then effortlessly flung him away.

While he retreated, Hazel popped up from behind him with her body covered in a golden glow.

’I’ll focus all the buff on her!’

Liam’s eyes shone, and he withdrew his buff from the other students. Instead, he stacked everything on Hazel. The girl radiated a blinding light as she descended on the creature, then struck!

Clang—BANG!