Eternal Freedom's Ascension

Chapter 166: Nectar Bees

Apollo, Iruca, Hazel, and Austin frowned, hearing the buzzing in the air. They immediately grew wary, looking around cautiously.

They had all come here for different reasons.

Iruca came because her classmates were curious, and she herself was intrigued. With her soft personality, she found it hard to refuse their requests.

For Apollo, it was an entirely different reason. He knew this was a trap set by Adela, and he readily walked into it—with his own plans prepared.

Austin came because he was also interested in the so-called Nectar. Unfortunately, he realized too late that it was a trap.

From all around, large bees the size of an adult human’s head flew over, numbering hundreds or almost a thousand.

Seeing the entire swarm, the students were horrified. Some even stepped back, preparing to run away.

"Don’t run! If you turn around, your rear would be exposed!"

Iruca shouted in panic, immediately summoning a bow. The majority who heard her complied, summoning their weapons and attacking the flying creatures.

Hazel watched with a frown as a portion of the swarm descended upon Class-E.

Holding her battle-axe, she took a deep breath and channeled essence into her nodes. Her weapon ignited with a fierce flame, and she made a wild swing in the air.

A jet of flames was produced from the swing, incinerating several of the bees.

[You have slain an Awakened Beast, Nectar Bee]

[You have slain an Awakened...]

[You have slain an...]

[You have slain...]

[You have...]

The notifications poured in, confirming the deaths of those creatures. Hazel immediately came to a realization.

’They’re weak to fire.’

She informed her classmates about this, allowing those with fire affinity to step forward and attack while the others did their best to defend.

A single Nectar Bee wasn’t that dangerous. It had weak defense, and a strong stinger used for poisoning its target with toxins. It was easy to kill if one studied its flight pattern well enough.

However, at the moment, they became the deadliest enemies the first-year students had faced. The Nectar Bees came in hundreds, making it seem like the sky darkened.

As Class-E dealt with the creatures using fire mainly, Class-C was more focused on destructive power.

Apollo’s affinity shone in this situation. Lightning bolts flew from his scythe, slicing through the creatures around him. He was fast, skilled, and dangerous.

Every move he made was calculated, measured, and efficient. The other Class-C students were also fighting viciously. Those without ranged abilities fought bravely, ignoring the stings and bites of the creatures attacking them.

More than the pain of the stings, they were scared of Apollo’s reaction if they fled. He was just that much of a madman.

Within their ranks, Maya fought as hard as she could while avoiding being struck.

Her weapon was a scythe similar to Apollo’s own. However, hers had a shorter blade. Her ability wasn’t related to combat, so she could only rely on her physical strength and skill.

[You have slain an Awakened...]

Her scythe pushed through one of the creatures, slicing it in half. However, that stalled her enough for another one to fly very close.

’Oh no!’

Her eyes widened, and she tried her best to dodge. However, it was already too late.

"What are you staring at?!"

Thyla appeared beside her, smacking the creature away with a fast kick. Maya breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she had just avoided death. The screams of those being bitten could still be heard all around.

"Thank you."

She whispered, immediately regaining her bearings and resumed the fight.

Some distance away, atop a tall tree, Kaiser lowered his gaze. He had wanted to help, but realized he didn’t need to when he saw Thyla intervene.

He didn’t feel gratitude towards the green-haired girl, only a calm realization that colorless people might sometimes be useful.

He squatted on a wide branch, observing the chaos unfold with interest. The students were panicking, and their lines were disorganized. There was no cohesion or structure. Everyone was just fighting for their life—desperately.

’Ah...’

Kaiser’s eyes glistened. This was the kind of spectacle he loved to witness, because it was in situations like this that colors bloomed.

’Only in extreme environments and circumstances would a person’s true nature be released.’

He could already see a few students from different classes using their friends and teammates as meat shields.

However, his attention was mainly focused on a few students—Maya, Ysabella, Hazel, Liam, Kiera, Iruca, Apollo, and Adela herself.

The lilac-haired girl was having a hard time. Although her ability was convenient, it was mentally taxing.

The life equations of the Nectar Bees were simple to decipher and solve, but their numbers were staggering. It was hard for her to focus on ten creatures at once while dividing her focus to solve their respective equations.

After some time, she had to call for a few classmates to defend her, lessening the burden on her. Even then, her own presence alone alleviated the burden on her classmates.

’I didn’t expect it to be this chaotic... but it is very interesting!’

She almost gave a wild grin as her blood flowed fast, filling her with energy.

Even though there were some slight repercussions, her initial objective was still being achieved.

Kaiser read her expression, understanding her intentions and her current state. She was very satisfied with the progression of the chaos.

’A genius claiming to crave fun, when all her actions are guided by logical reasoning and benefits—what a contradiction.’

He lost interest in her, instead observing the next student.

Apollo was thriving, but his heart was heavy. He was very much aware of the consequences of his actions, and realized they were already outweighing the benefits he desired.

’If my class suffers heavily from this battle, we wouldn’t be able to completely execute the next phase of my plan.’

He had intentionally stepped into Adela’s trap, because his plan required all the other classes being present there. However, the sudden interruption had surprised him, and the situation was worsening.

Grabbing a Nectar Bee that struck through the gap in his armor, he crushed it with his bare hand.

[You have slain an Awakened Beast, Nectar Bee]

’When are the instructors going to intervene?!’

His eyes darted around in desperation, seeking help from the instructors.

Reading his thoughts and his final resolve, Kaiser lost interest in him.

’Next...’