Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 75: Gate Closure—Finale

The evaluation ended as soon as the other two classes returned from their respective dungeons. With every gate closed, the barricaded region returned to normal. The military personnel also began packing up their materials, preparing to leave the site soon.

Since most students were already mentally exhausted, the academy immediately brought them back to the campus.

The whole journey took only a day, and they arrived at the Pegasus Will Island by evening.

After alighting from the buses, they were allowed to return to their dorm rooms to retire for the day. Although a few headed to the karaoke and Violet Star Mall to enjoy themselves, most went straight to bed.

Liam Hart was among those few who didn’t go to the dorms immediately.

Having taken a short nap during their return, he believed he already had enough rest. Putting on a jacket, he walked straight to the Training Facility.

The battle with the Abyssal Terror today had taught him something. No matter how skilled he was, there were always things he couldn’t handle. Of course this didn’t daunt his spirit.

Instead, it made him more determined to find a way to beat stronger opponents. Coming from a noble family, he had been trained as a Legacy Awakened to be proficient in weapon mastery. His skill was admirable—enough to qualify him as a Knight.

Unfortunately, in the Nirad Realm where horrors and eldritch abominations thrived, weapon mastery wasn’t enough. Abilities were needed, to be trained, honed, and used.

And now, Liam Hart had suddenly received a new light on his ability.

’I know that’s it... the main purpose of my ability!’

Stepping into the private training room, he gave the automaton a glance, then summoned his stats.

[Liam Hart]

[True Identity - The Scales of Dawn]

[Ability - Balance Manipulation]

[Description - You are the force that equalizes all things. Strong or weak, ally or enemy—under your gaze, the scales of battle can be leveled]

[Ability Rank - Divine]

[Affinity - [Nature] [Light] ]

[Realm - Awakened] 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

[Rank - 1]

[Soul Trait - [Weighing Scales] ]

[Description: You can perceive the ’weight’ of strength, fate, or imbalance in any being]

[Relics - [Lancelot Tears] [Dust Armor]...]

The fact that he had a True Identity was a secret, as it would only arouse envy from the other noble families.

’Scales of battle can be leveled...’

His eyes turned blank, and he saw a vague vision. He was a war commander, assigned with a thousand troops. Riding on a horse-like Nirad Creature, he led his army against an opposing force of ten thousand.

Despite the odds, the outcome of the battle was set. His warriors triumphed—all because of him.

’This... this is who I want to become.’

A bright light shone in his brown eyes. Smiling slightly, he summoned his armor and weapon.

The dark brown armor materialized onto his body, and the lance fell into his palm.

"Let’s begin! Activate Automaton to Level 3!"

["Are you sure? Threat level would be astronomical for your grade."]

"I am sure!"

Raising his lance, Liam cut at empty air, straightening his arm.

["Response received. You may proceed."]

The black automaton pushed itself off the platform, then stepped forward with its sword drawn.

Liam’s expression became serious, and he immediately took a fighting stance. He understood that a Level 3 automaton wasn’t something meant for a first-year, and he had to take it very serious.

Closing his eyes, he reached into the deepest part of his core, and willed his ability to activate.

Clang!

He barely blocked the blade, and was pushed back by only a few steps. Even though he was able to withstand the force, his muscles spasmed and almost locked.

He quickly took a deep breath, allowing the tensed muscles to relax. The next attack was swift. Sharp and decisive, the automaton struck with lethality.

Liam blocked every attack, trying his possible best to adapt and read into its fighting tactics. The struggle continued for over six minutes, before Liam finally felt the pressure alleviated.

His ability had drained enough of the automaton’s strength, and boosted his own to an equal level.

From thereon, the battle became a contest of skills. Blades clashed, sparks flew, and metal screeched.

The pole of his lance sent the automaton staggering. Using that brief lapse, he impaled the shoulder joint. Sparks ignited from the joint, and it was almost cut off.

["Result Achieved - Victory."]

The automaton went still, making him exhale and relax. Wiping the sweat from his head, he dismissed the lance and took a step back.

["Five more minutes until your registered duration expires. Do you want to extend your training duration?"]

Receiving such an announcement, he realized he had almost spent thirty minutes in the training room. Satisfied with today’s training, Liam decided to return to his dorms.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, his limiter was reactivated, preventing him from utilizing his ability. He gave the bracelet a short laugh, then looked back.

Surprisingly, someone else—a very familiar figure, had just left a different training room.

"Logan?"

The silver-haired boy was clad in simple clothing—a black singlet and training trousers. His toned biceps and abs were visible, each bulging like it was sculpted from years of training.

The boy raised his head, locking eyes with Liam. There was a moment of silence, until Logan laughed.

"Oh! Class Leader! You also came here to train!" His red eyes shone, "Those fights we had in the dungeon pumped me up. I couldn’t help but come flex myself some more."

Liam nodded with a calm smile, "I feel the same. Do you come here to train often, Logan?"

Scratching his head, Logan nodded. "Yeah. I do come here a lot. Well, that’s if I’m not playing games with Eric and Jose."

Liam laughed lightly. "That’s good. Continue being consistent. Though, you should probably invite your friends to come train once in a while."

Logan’s smile dimmed, "You’re right. Their performance was quite low today. Don’t worry, we’ll surely get stronger!"

Patting his shoulder, Liam sighed. "Thank you. I hope we can all achieve our dreams."

The moment Liam touched him, he activated his soul trait. A strange feeling struck him, and a screen appeared before his eyes.

[Logan Fang]

[Strength - 0.561]

The information was short and confusing, which made him question its authenticity. However, since it had been provided by the system, there was no need to think too much.

"Do you want to return to the dorm together? We can talk about our class’s performance on the way."

"Alright, no problem at all."

Under the soft moonlight, the two students of Class-E quietly left the Training Facility.