Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 84: Combat Training Exam (1)

"You all arrived surprisingly early." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Instructor Rina raised a brow, gazing at the thirty students before her.

At the moment, they were in one of the special training halls in the Training Facility, available only for examination of the students.

Every Class-E student was present, with no one a minute late.

’What happened after I left that class?’

She found the atmosphere strange. Her rowdy students were unusually silent. Occasionally, she’d catch some of them glancing at Kaiser, who stood alone in center. Their gazes contained several emotions, but she was able to recognize anger, hatred, and a little bit of fear.

’It has to be related to him again...’

Setting that aside, she decided to address the examination they had come here for.

Clasping her hands behind her back, she spoke seriously.

"Let’s begin as soon as possible." She clicked a control button. "You are to fight specially designed automatons for this examination. I hope you can do well and pass."

The walls hissed and receded at thirty different spots, allowing thirty human-like automatons to walk out. Their bodies were made of sleek black metal with unknown properties.

However, a single glance could very well confirm that they’d be durable and strong.

Rina walked to the middle of the large hall. "You will fight them one by one. Then your results will be calculated by the artificial intelligence."

She examined the automatons for a while, then nodded.

"Mordica Nerth. You’re going first."

The purple-haired girl raised her head, her eyes as sharp as a blade.

A pulse of neon-blue light rippled across the floor as the environment digitized into a steel arena. Mordica stood at the center, twin long daggers shimmering like moonlight in her hands. Her black combat armor clung tight to her form, eyes narrowed and glowing faintly under the dim lights.

Across from her, the automaton activated. Its tall armored was armed with a steel sword and a Knight’s shield. Sword drawn, shield humming with energy, it raised its arm.

["Combat Mode: Level 6. Engaging."] The hall’s AI stated.

"Tch."

Mordica blurred forward in a flash, her figure low to the ground. Her movement was smooth and refined, a sign of constant training. The automaton raised its shield, but Mordica had vanished from sight.

SLASH—!

A streak of silver suddenly appeared, and her right dagger struck the back of its knee. The automaton spun faster than expected, its shield already arced through the air.

’!!!’

Mordica ducked, the wind brushing past her wide eyes.

’It’s fast. Really fast.’ She thought grimly, leaping high and flipping mid-air. Her daggers whirled in her hands as she came down sharply.

CLANG!

The shield caught her mid-descent, completely stopping her attack. The automaton paused, then launched a shield bash that sent her flying backward. She hit the ground hard, skidding along the metal floor. Feeling the ache in her arms, she wheezed slightly, "Damn... okay."

She took a deep breath, ’Activate ability—Target.’

Her eyes shone with a mechanical light, and zeroed onto a part of its body. She took a stance, then vanished immediately.

The automaton barely reacted to her presence, almost raising its sword too late.

Screeee-!

Sparks lit up from their clash alongside the screeches of metal. The automaton staggered backwards, one of its arms already limp.

Mordica panted, landing in a crouch. "Got you."

Although it seemed like the automaton had blocked her attack, that was just an illusion. Her real attack had struck true, disabling one of its arms.

Just as she was preparing to attack again, she saw the automaton crouch. Its remaining arm raised the sword horizontally, as if preparing for a bull charge.

’What?!’

The automaton surged forward, sword glinting with fierce light. Mordica barely raised her daggers to block. A moment ago, it was meters away from her. The next moment, it was right before her.

Suddenly, the automaton’s blank face looked fearsome.

BANG-!

One dagger flew from her hand, skidding off the stage. She fell to her knees, breath ragged and hands trembling.

Ting~!

The automaton’s blade halted just an inch from her neck.

["Examination Complete. Result: Defeat. Margin - 0.67%."]

After the announcement, the automaton retreated. It returned to its former position beside its mates, then shut down.

"Hm, not bad."

Rina spoke with a nod, slightly impressed. It was almost impossible for a first-year to attain victory against these automatons, so Mordica’s result of almost defeating it was impressive.

The fight was short, with only a few moves exchanged, but it felt like minutes had passed.

"Next up, Aina Maguire."

Hearing her name, Aina’s heart thumped in her chest. She took a breath to calm down, then walked forward under the supportive gazes of Liam, Kiera and several other girls.

’I have to perform well. I definitely can’t fail! These robots are strong, but I’ll do it.’

She thought solemnly, her fists clenched. She was a quiet person, and didn’t like talking much in class. This wasn’t because she was shy, but because she was afraid of attention and public sentiment.

What would everyone think if she performed poorly? Would they immediately label her as a weak ass bitch?

She didn’t know, but she still stepped forward. Aina stood in the center, her sword lowered, and her breathing calm and slow. Her brown hair was tied back, sharp black eyes focused. She rolled her shoulders once, preparing for the examination to begin.

A hiss of steam echoed from across the arena, and another automaton activated. Its black-plated armor gleamed, spear crackling with arcs of lightning. It stepped forward with near-human grace, standing opposite her.

["Combat Mode: Level 6. Engaging."]

’Tch... lightning? This is gonna be heavy.’

Aina thought, adjusting her grip on the sword. Her heart pounded, and her face held a nervous smile.

Snap-!

The automaton moved first, like a blur of blue lightning. Its spear stabbed forward like a rod of inevitability.

Aina dodged by inches, the static brushing her cheek. "Fast...!"

She immediately counterattacked with a clean horizontal slash. The blade struck its armor perfectly, creating a clear sound.

CLANG!

Sparks erupted from the point of impact, but the automaton rotated, grabbing her arm and tossing her like a rag doll.

She rolled across the ground like a discarded doll, wincing in pain.

"Ugh." Aina got to her feet, blood trailing from her lip. "I need to start using my ability."

She narrowed her eyes, drew a deep breath, then she screamed.

’Activate Ability—Echo Scream.’