Eternal Freedom's Ascension

Chapter 201: End of the Luck Special Evaluation

The duel between Ariel and Mike remained confusing.

Ariel was always avoiding the skinny boy’s chain, while Mike seemed intent on not having any injuries.

At the spectator seats, Ava’s brows furrowed in confusion.

"What is wrong with Mike? He seems to be very wary of Ariel’s daggers."

Beside her, Austin watched with a keen gaze.

"Mike is sweating heavily. Obviously, the wound was the only thing reflected back to Ariel. It seems the daggers have a special effect. Or..."

Ava continued, her tone skeptic. "Or it’s a draining ability similar to Liam’s own."

Austin nodded, then sighed. "Regardless, we already lost in this special evaluation."

Ava’s expression darkened, but she didn’t brood over the matter. Instead, she chose to remain optimistic.

"At least we aren’t falling to Class-E."

Austin nodded, shifting his gaze to look at Hazel in the distance.

’But the gap between us has reduced. Any slight mistake and we’ll fall.’

Finally, Mike collapsed to his knees, panting heavily.

His arms were shaking, and he looked at Ariel in confusion.

"What did you do?"

The long-haired boy paused, sheathing the daggers by his side.

He stared at Mike’s exhausted face for a while, then explained.

"You might be able to reflect physical damages, but the function enchantments of the dagger cannot be reflected."

Mike lowered his head, finally realizing why he had lost.

’I lost... to a relic.’

It was a bitter feeling.

Ariel turned around, dismissing his armor and walking back to his seat.

’It is really a surprise. I couldn’t achieve my initial goal of a draw.’

This further reinforced his belief that the White Rose ideology was wrong.

In a world where Awakened possessed diverse abilities, there was nothing like absolute control.

The last duel was between Joanna—Iruca’s friend—and an unremarkable student from Class-C.

The fight was boring, as the Class-C boy surrendered after having his ass whooped by Joanna.

"Wow! This duel concludes the Luck Special Evaluation, and the results are clear for everyone to see! Congratulations, everyone!"

Instructor Natalie retained her cheerful attitude, though she wasn’t really happy.

Her class—Class-A—had performed poorly.

The scoreboard lit up, and the final scores were displayed.

Class-A - 70 pts — 3rd Place

Class-B - 96 pts — 1st Place

Class-C - 74 pts — 2nd Place

Class-D - 38 pts — 5th Place

Class-E - 46 pts — 4th Place

The atmosphere in the Arena became mixed. Class-B and Class-C students celebrated their wins, while the other classes reacted mildly.

Iruca smiled bitterly, a look of resignation on her face. Although they remained as Class-A for a few months, that was going to change now. It was bound to change.

After all, they weren’t strong enough to keep the position to themselves.

Putting on a warm smile, she turned around to address her classmates.

"Alright guys, you all did a good job down there and I’m proud of everyone. Regardless of whether you lost or you won, you did a great thing by representing your class and showcasing our strength."

The gloomy mood gradually cleared as she spoke.

"What I know is that we have two more years and a full semester to fight and become Class-A once again. We can’t do that by moping around. Only by sticking together and being united, can we rise to the top."

Joanna nudged Ashley, who had lowered his head in defeat, then shouted.

"United we stand!"

Instantly, the chant was picked up, and their mighty roars filled the Arena.

Other classes turned to them in surprise, not expecting them to be this optimistic.

Watching them as they laughed and headed out of the Arena, Hazel frowned.

"That class is so strange. It feels like they’re being brainwashed."

Beside her, Kaiser chuckled faintly.

"You think so? That is simply the beauty of hope."

He pressed his hands against the armrest and stood up, preparing to leave.

"Kai!"

Hearing that cheerful voice, almost everyone in the Class-E seat turned to the girl.

Maya had been eager to finally meet up with Kaiser that she forgot he was still with his classmates.

Feeling the weight of their gazes, she fell silent with an awkward expression.

Kaiser stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled. A faint, genuine one.

"Maya."

The girl’s green eyes snapped up to look at him, and her smile returned.

"Um... do you mind accompanying me?"

Kaiser nodded subtly, then walked out with her.

There was a moment of silence, then Jose groaned in complaint.

"Ah, fuck that guy. Is he dating someone from another class now?"

Eric’s eyebrow rose. "Dating? I know they are friends, but that’s a bit... can they actually be dating?"

"Well, she called him ’Kai’. I guess that’s a point to consider."

Charles chipped in, pushing his glasses like a nerd.

Before their discussion could continue, Hazel stood up and interrupted them.

"What are you all gossiping for? You should head to your rooms to rest."

Her sharp glare landed on Jose, making him flinch.

She still hadn’t forgotten how he had surrendered to Thyla. And she wasn’t cool with it.

The trio dispersed, with Jose and Eric heading out with Logan.

Just as Hazel was preparing to leave too, she was approached by Liam and Ysabella.

"Hey, Hazel. Can I have a moment with you?"

Hazel looked back, her gaze falling on the boy.

"Oh, Liam."

In that brief instance, she observed him. He looked very fine now, and had reverted to his usual warmness.

Ysabella stepped forward, her smile almost a smirk.

"Yeah. You’re not busy, right? We want to talk about the future of the class."

Hazel’s eyes narrowed, feeling that something was off.

"Is it the details I wrote down that you want? I’ll send it to you."

Hearing this, Liam was about to nod, but Ysabella interrupted him.

"Is it... uncomfortable for you? We need to take our class seriously, you know. We can’t continue failing like we did in this Special Evaluation."

Liam’s expression stiffened, and he looked at the blonde girl in surprise.

"Wait. It’s actually not that bad. I mean, we didn’t end up in the last place, right?"

Ysabella’s expression turned sad. "You’re right. But isn’t it still a loss? We’ve already lost some points, and our monthly credits will definitely be reduced. Most of our classmates might not say it, but they’re really dissatisfied with the results."

Hazel remained silent, biting her lip untill Ysabella was done speaking.

She sucked in a cold air, and the background noise faded. She turned to face the two of them, her gaze sharp and piercing.

"Then whose fault do you think it is?"