Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 86: Combat Training Exam (3)

A whirring sound was produced as the automaton raised its oversized hammer.

Logan’s gaze hardened, and he immediately crossed his arms. The hammer descended upon him a split second later.

Bang!

The impact was deafening, making a few students step back in fright. Could he even handle that?!

"Get lost!"

Logan roared at the top of his voice, pushing the hammer aside. The armor covering his arms was dented, but it wasn’t destroyed.

As soon as he pushed aside the weapon, he lunged forward like a wild beast, his right hand outstretched like a claw.

The hand grabbed onto the machine’s neck, while his other hand prepared a heavy punch for the torso.

Bang!

His punch zoomed towards the breastplate, but was blocked by an arm instead. He immediately distanced himself from it, evading a lethal crushing hug.

The automaton raised its hammer again, then swung at Logan.

The boy’s red eyes narrowed, ’It’s too fast. I can’t dodge—I can only tank it!’

He crossed his arms again, tanking the hit. This time, his boots slid across the ground, creating sparks from friction.

He hissed, looking at the steam rising from his vambraces. They already showed signs of tearing, meaning he couldn’t tank any longer.

’Fuck! I’ll just punch through!’

While he was examining himself, the automaton struck again. Seeing the large weapon approach him, Logan felt time slow slightly.

He activated his ability—Enhanced Physique—feeling his skin and muscles grow tougher. Without hesitating, he let essence flow into his nodes, boosting his affinity for lunar energy.

A soft silver radiance enveloped his arm, and he shot out a straight punch.

A hammer, and an armored punch. As the class watched with bated breaths, the two met mid-air.

BANG!

Unexpectedly, the sight of Logan being sent flying didn’t occur. Instead, he merely took four steps back. Upon impact, the vambraces had shattered, revealing his reddened skin.

"Hell yeah!"

Seeing that he had survived, Logan’s eyes lit up with battle spirit. Recklessly, he charged at the automaton. He used his lunar essence unreservedly, fueling his arms with supernatural strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He swatted aside the hammer, then elbowed its wrist. The force made the automaton drop the hammer, then change into hand-to-hand combat mode.

Instantly, Logan regretted it. Two consecutive punches landed on his jaw, causing his jaw bone to fracture.

He gritted his teeth and retaliated fiercely. Like a wild beast cornered, he rushed several punches into the automaton’s abdomen. The hits were heavy and resounding, the echoes bouncing off the white walls of the hall.

Armor caved beneath his punches, but the automaton barely reacted. Instead, it took his attack patiently, then gave him a heavy hit on his head.

Crack-!

A small cracking sound was heard, likely produced by his skull. Logan felt his brain shake, and his vision grew blurry.

’Damn it! I was reckless...’

Hot blood flowed from beneath his hair into his eyes, dyeing his blurry vision red. He could barely make out the figure of the automaton which approached him like a ghost.

He attempted to throw wild punches, but missed every single one. The automaton coldly grabbed his fist, then punched him hard in the stomach.

His armor crumpled beneath the force, and he was sent flying off the stage.

["Examination Complete. Result: Defeat. Margin - 2.1%"]

Rina immediately called the medical staff who took him to the healers for immediate treatment.

"He was reckless..."

Hazel sighed in disappointment. If Logan had fought smartly, perhaps he might have lasted longer. The performance of her classmates was truly disappointing.

She wished there was a way to automatically change that, but it was just that—a wish.

"Next up, Sebastian Hemsworth."

The narcissist with long gold hair walked onto the stage like he owned it, his body covered in pure gold armor.

A greatsword materialized into his hand, and he confidently waited for his assigned automaton.

The black machine climbed up and stood opposite him, still dormant. In its hand, it held a silver bow, though there was no visible quiver in sight.

Sebastian raised a brow. "An archer, eh? Interesting."

He wasn’t affected by the passive intimidating aura that the automaton was exuding. A soft wind blew his hair, and he took a stance.

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

Before the automaton could move, he was already before it. His greatsword slashed down, intending to cleave it into two.

Surprisingly, it dodged with unmatched agility, keeping a safe distance from him.

Sebastian laughed, turning around to look at the automaton. It had raised its bow, a silver arrow made of pure essence materializing into its hand.

Phew-!

The arrow was released instantly, shooting straight at Sebastian with stunning speed. The boy turned the flat of his blade, blocking the shot.

Sparks ignited from the impact as the arrow tried to force its way through but to no avail. Sebastian’s grin widened, and he casually swatted the stubborn arrow to the side. It dug into the wall of the hall, creating a large crack.

"You want to keep your distance? No problem, then."

The automaton fired several arrows rapidly, but Sebastian easily deflected them all. In less than a minute, the wall was riddled with several cracks.

’Hm?’ He smirked, then tilted his head. Something shot past his head, drilling into the wall behind him.

"Resorting to sneaky attacks, hm? That’s cowardly and ugly."

He lost interest in the pointless assault, then summoned another relic. A sleek red gun materialized into his hand, its design promising deadly precision.

He raised it and casually fired three consecutive shots.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Two of the essence-reinforced bullets drilled into the automaton’s shoulders, while the last one struck its neck. Of course, that barely affected or impaired its movements, but that attack was categorized as fatal.

The automaton stopped, then went dormant.

["Examination Complete. Result: Victory. Margin - 8%"]

The mechanical voice announced, though there was barely any reaction. Most students were too shocked to speak, and those who weren’t didn’t bother to say a word.

Only Instructor Rina nodded. "Impressive. Keep it up, Sebastian."

The boy flicked his long hair, then walked down the stage like a king.

Instead of returning to his former position, he walked up to Kaiser, who was looking at the cracked walls in boredom.

"Solace-boy, I want you to show me something more beautiful."

Looking into those lightless blue eyes, Sebastian smiled brightly.

Slowly, Kaiser turned to him. His face carried no expression as he spoke.