Eternal Freedom's Ascension

Chapter 254: Killing Intent

Kaiser tore his gaze away from her, then sighed.

Hazel blinked, feeling unease creep into her heart. ’What is he...?’

That was when she noticed something was off.

Their surroundings was too silent. It was as if there was no wind being blown. Even the tall yellow grasses were still—as if too scared to move.

On the ground, Mordica slowly sat up. "What’s wrong with hi—"

!!!!!

She stiffened, and so did Hazel. The world blurred faintly, and all they could see was red, including the faint screams of countless kids and adults.

Hazel’s eyes widened in horror as what she saw cleared. She took two steps back, staring at Kaiser warily.

He stood still, completely unmoving. Yet, he gave the feeling of dread. Like he wasn’t even human.

’A dragon—no, no. Something even more...’

She couldn’t fathom something like that. On the ground, Mordica’s face turned pale.

’I-Is this it? Is this why my mother is so afraid of... Solace?’

Far behind them, the Class-A students stiffened for a moment.

Adela immediately looked towards the distance, but her gaze couldn’t pass through the walls.

Gaga clenched his fists and tried to raise his hands in a defensive style, but he failed to. His body refused to move.

Tamara curled on the ground, too scared to move at all, and simply trying to hide her presence.

At the Class-E territory, everyone stiffened, including the students who had just joined the battle against Apollo’s group.

As Ariel pressed the Class-A flagpole into the ground beside their own flagpole, his pupils shrunk.

’Don’t tell me?!’

He knew there was no way a Nirad creature that powerful could have appeared under the instructors’ watch. Therefore, it could only mean...

Outside the wall, Kiera’s hair stood on end. She glanced back, recognizing that dreadful aura. It reminded her of the little fraction she had felt during the rooftop incident.

’What is... happening with him...’

Her red eyes gleamed with worry.

Standing a few meters away from Sebastian, Apollo was also rooted to the spot. However, his eyes shone with so much malevolence that he forcefully raised a hand and spoke.

"I... want to kill that beast."

Sebastian smiled back and whispered to himself. "Oh? So that guy is this scary? Looks like this is getting more... beautiful."

The other territories also felt it, regardless of whatever situation they were in.

For a moment, the Special Evaluation paused. The instructors also sensed it and were alarmed.

"That... seems like an old beast."

Rutherford said in a low voice, his expression hardening as he stood up.

"An Ascended Demon at least."

Rina said solemnly, her scythe already in her hand.

"Wait a minute. That can’t be possible. This place was marked safe by the chairman. We haven’t had any report like this before."

Natalie said worriedly, her chest rising as she tried her best to remain composed.

"As I said, it could be a slumbering beast. Probably something that man missed. We have to protect the students." Rutherford answered her, then turned to Myke. "Can you trace it?"

The skinny instructor smiled and nodded. "Sure, I ca—eh? Oops. The presence is gone."

The instructors collectively relaxed. If the presence was gone, that meant there was no longer any danger.

However, they still remained cautious.

"Send out the security staffs to ensure none of the students are missing or dead."

After giving the order, Rutherford locked eyes with Rina. There was a tacit understanding between them.

Others might have been confused, but that thing wasn’t a presence or oppressive might.

Instead, it was pure, unadulterated, killing intent—released in its purest form.

Although they knew this, the question was: who owned that killing intent?

Back at the yellow grassland, Hazel and Mordica exhaled when they felt the suffocating pressure vanish like a lie.

Then, right before their eyes, Kaiser swayed and fell to the ground.

Hazel immediately rushed to his side, turning him over and removing his mask.

His face was completely pale like a dead person, and even his lips were dark.

’By the gods...’

Mordica also walked up to them, her own face slightly better.

She drew a small magic circle onto his chest and activated it. "Inspect."

Her lips curled into a frown. "He’s experiencing a burnout. But I don’t even know what he needs."

"Essence?" Hazel suggested, being genuinely confused herself.

The purple-haired girl shook her head, rejecting that theory.

"What he released wasn’t essence, but accumulated killing intent. If I am right, it has something to do with his scuffle with Class-A."

Hazel’s eyes widened, but she didn’t even know what to say.

"I’ll try something."

Mordica said, drawing a larger magic circle and placing it on his chest.

"Touch."

She blinked, and the world around her changed.

’Eh? I was only aiming to touch him, but where is this?’

HUUUMMMMM-!

The black space she was in trembled, and she looked back to see a pair of gigantic purple eyes, similar to her own, staring at her from above.

She took involuntary steps back. "What... are you?"

There was no answer for a moment, then she felt the black space around her crumbling.

The purple eyes closed, and just before she was brought back to reality, she heard an incomplete whisper that sounded like her own voice. Just... older, and more powerful.

"...you?"

"Mordica?"

Hazel’s voice made her blink again, and she realized she was back in reality again.

"You blanked out."

She nodded, then removed her hand from his torso.

"He should be fine. Let’s..."

It was only then that the two girls paid attention to their surroundings. The yellow grasses a hundred-meter radius around them had completely withered.

They had turned pitch black, and even a little wind was enough to make them disintegrate like ashes.

Only the parts where Hazel and Mordica had stayed frozen still had the yellow grasses untouched.

"This...?" Hazel looked around in bewilderment.

Mordica shook her head and stood up.

"Can you carry him? I’m a bit weak right now."

The black-haired girl nodded and immediately grabbed Kaiser, carrying him in a princess carry.

Mordica deadpanned. "Wha... why are you carrying him like that?"

Hazel shrugged indifferently. "It is more efficient. My arms are strong."

No more words were said, and the two girls hurried back to Class-E’s territory.