Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 45: Nirad Raid (1)

Nirad Raid. This was a common occasion for the upperclassmen as they were already used to it. Every last week of the month, the students would be transported to the Nirad Realm, where they would have to hunt Nirad Creatures for their soul crystals. Additionally, the school devised a reward system for the top five performing students in each grade.

Today, Tuesday 26th of January, all the students were gathered in the Great Hall, separated according to their grades. Three large formation runes stood before the students, pulsing with an otherworldly glow.

Hushed whispers rose and fell as the students interacted with each other, deliberating on whether to go solo, or form a team.

Among the first-years, Kaiser stood alone, his expression unreadable. He didn’t bother trying to make a group with anyone, since he had confidence in his own abilities.

"You’re going solo too, huh?"

Hazel stepped into the space beside him, her eyes sharp.

Kaiser glanced at her, then shrugged. "Indeed. And I presume you’re not having teammates either."

The black-haired girl didn’t deny it. "I don’t need companions who’d slow me down. I’m aiming for the top spot and don’t need some weaklings to drag me back."

Kaiser wasn’t surprised by her bluntness, as he knew she saw almost everyone as incompetent. He didn’t bother asking if he was a weakling too, as he didn’t care.

"Does any of you want to form a team?"

Ariel approached the duo, his expression as bland as usual. He didn’t have friends among the others and only occasionally spoke with Kaiser and Hazel.

Kaiser shook his head to the boy’s question, while Hazel stared back at him.

’Should I team up with him? He’s definitely strong and wouldn’t drag me back. However...’ She stole a glance at Kaiser. ’Teaming up with him would be like swallowing my words. This guy definitely wouldn’t let me off... tch.’

Kaiser seemed to have sensed her thoughts and gave a slight smirk. In the end, Hazel shook her head.

"I’m going alone."

Ariel was surprised, as he had expected her to agree. Wouldn’t she want to scale his power? He was sharp-eyed and noticed the hesitation on her face.

’However, the hesitation on her face disappeared after glancing at him.’

Involuntarily, his eyes drifted to Kaiser. The blue-haired guy turned to him and tilted his head, prompting Ariel to look away.

"Alright, students! I can see that you’re all prepared! You must have gotten some new gear right? No problem! It’s time to test your skills and weapons!"

An overly expressive instructor with blonde hair and pink eyes smiled at the students, her expression full of enthusiasm. She waved her hands in the air, gesturing at the three runes on the ground.

"The third-years and second-years are already familiar with these so I’ll only explain to you first years. These runes are your gateways to the Nirad Realm."

"The academy knows how dangerous the Nirad Realm is, so the area you’re going has been controlled. There is no threat that you can’t overcome there... I think. Hehehe."

She giggled cutely, her sizable bust undulating like waves.

"While you can be rest assured that you wouldn’t die, the instructors would only save you when you’re facing fatal danger. Don’t be complacent."

"Alright! That sums it up. The expedition would last for two days, and the student with the highest kill count gets a total of 100,000 credits."

Her last sentence fueled the students with excitement as everyone eagerly stepped into the runic circles, the turning into white flashes of light and disappearing. In a matter of minutes, the hall was empty, devoid of all the students and many instructors. Only a few non-academic staff remained to watch over the runic circles.

...

In one of the controlled regions of the Nirad Realm...

The terrain was a forest with towering trees and strange looking plants. The sky was a shade of green, while an orange colored sun peeked from behind the clouds. A huge flash erupted in the lush forest, depositing over a hundred students at once. When the white light receded, the faces of the first-year students were revealed. Many were awed by the scenery as it was their first time in the Nirad Realm.

Soon enough, they began breaking into smaller groups while some ventured out alone. The forest was large, capable of accommodating the students even if they spread out.

In Class-E, the biggest team belonged to Liam. Ten students had joined him, their abilities well-balanced. Liam, Kiera, and Alisa were close combatants and were responsible for frontal assault. Astron, Kim, and Lucas were responsible for ranged attacks, while Anya was their tank. The other three were girls with buffing or healing abilities, placed at the rear of the group.

Together, they advanced into the forest, and soon encountered their first adversary. It was a pack of lightning wolves. These wolves were two times larger than regular wolves, armed with sharp deadly claws.

"Anya! Protect them."

Liam said as he summoned his armor and sword. A silver armor materialized on his body, followed by a a silver longsword. He gripped the sword in his hand, then charged at the pack with a valiant cry.

The others hesitated slightly, but then immediately attacked. The lightning wolves weren’t hesitant as they pounced at the group of humans.

Liam’s brown eyes flashed and he activated his ability. The lunging wolves suddenly slowed, their movements growing heavier. On the other hand, Liam’s teammates felt a surge of strength and confidence, clashing with the wolves eagerly.

Seeing that it worked, Liam was delighted. This was his first time testing his ability, and it was quite impressive.

Balance Manipulation.

It allowed him to strengthen weaker allies and debuff stronger foes until both sides were matched. Of course, the ability drained his spirit essence at a fast rate, but it was worth it.

Slice!

His sword cut across the hide of a wolf, creating a deep wound that spurted blood. He winced as the red fluids splashed on him. However, he ignored it and blocked the fangs of another wolf.

Kiera advanced on the left, punching the bodies of the wolves with her silver gauntlets.

The wolves hit by her folded, their bodies crashing into trees. The others were surprised by her strength. This was only natural. Without their limiter, these students unleashed the best of their prowess.