Chapter 100 Unique Challenge: Survive [1]

"Wow, Amael, that's such a unique name," Aurora said with a curious expression.

"Yeah, it definitely stands out compared to 'Avia,' which is the second name of our First Princess," I replied, grinning.

Aurora stumbled over her words, and I couldn't help but laugh inwardly. But we couldn't let our guard down, especially when we heard a woman screaming for help.

"P-Please help!" the woman cried out, clutching her child.

Without hesitation, Aurora sprang into action, her sword clashing against the attacker's. She easily emerged victorious and turned to the mother and child, making sure they were okay.

"You're so strong," I said, impressed as I walked over to her.

"I had a good teacher," Aurora lied through her teeth.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. She's such a terrible liar.

But before we could dwell on it any longer, the man who attacked the mother and child stood up, seething with anger. And then he called for backup.

"Let's kill that b*tch and that bastard! Help me, guys!" he shouted, and ten more men quickly joined his side.

Strange…They may be strong, but they're not strong enough to take down Elona or Simon.

Ten guys joined the first one quickly and faced us.

"Tch. The woman is so normal; Whatever she will do for this night." One of the men laughed wickedly.

"The boy though is really handsome, I will take him."

I shivered when a muscular woman licked her lips and eyed me hungrily.

"Afraid, Amael?" Aurora teased, sensing my fear.

"Of course I am! I don't want to lose my virginity, and I assume you don't either, Miss Avia?" I retorted, but then I noticed her freeze. Her ears turned slightly red, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Aurora's emotions were spilling out now that she was in disguise.

But I couldn't let myself get distracted.

"Don't look away in a fight!" A man jumped toward me and kindly warned me so I kindly replied to him.

"Thanks." Taking a quick step behind, I raised my knee.

"GAH!" The man lost his breath for a second and I wasn't finished. With my elbow I hit his back strongly. With a 'boom' he crashed on the ground and lost consciousness.

I didn't even need to use my abilities against these guys.

"Idiot! Take him out together!"

The idiot who was beaten by Aurora shouted and this time six people rushed toward me. I raised my sword and braced myself.

"Need a hand?"

"I'd be honored, Lady Avia," I said, grateful for her help.

"Be honored then," Aurora grinned, and with a swing of her sword, a wave of mana left it and drew a circle in the air. It was a basic technique that anyone with mana could use, but Aurora's wave was beautiful and sharp.

"Arhhhh!"

"S-Stop it!"

"I-I know!"

Within seconds, three of the men were knocked out cold, and the remaining three were barely blocking her attacks.

Seizing the opportunity, I swung my sword diagonally towards the sturdiest guy.

Let's see if I have become rusty.

"Co-Coward!"

"That's my second name," I smirked, coating my sword with mana.

"Ugh!"

The pressure on him raised from a notch and his knees started to give up even though he was taller than me.

"Damn brat!" Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his sword with other hand, resisting my push. "Are you blind or not?!" He asked.

"I am not." I replied and spun on my heels and roundhouse-kicked him right on his temple. His eyes immediately lost life and he flew away toward his kneeling mates.

""Arghh!""

They were flattened by their mate's big body.

"You useless guys!" The man cursed as he stomped the ground.

"Leave it, we are enough for the little couple."

We ain't a couple!

"Take the woman, I will take the guy, he is mine," the creepy woman laughed again as she scanned me.

[<...at least you will not be a virgin anymore.>]

Shut up! I'm getting goosebumps here!

The two figures before me moved with remarkable speed and strength, clearly outclassing the goons who had attacked us earlier. Could they be the leaders of this assault?

The woman spoke, her tone commanding. "Come with me!"

I scoffed. "Dream on." I leapt back, creating a small crater in the ground where the woman had landed.

"Are you running away? Interesting." The woman's words made no sense to me, but I didn't have time to dwell on them. I kicked off the ground, charging forward with my sword raised.

As we clashed, a burst of energy rippled outwards from our weapons, shaking me to the core. Even my opponent seemed affected.

"How...? How does your small body contain that much strength...?" The woman's words were filled with grudging respect.

She's really a muscle-brain.

I watched her raise her club, and I couldn't help but think she looked like a troll. Maybe Tyler should flirt with her instead of Lea. They'd make quite the pair.

With another yell, I swung my sword once more. We slid back several meters, but I was the one who lost ground, my smaller stature struggling against her size and strength.

"Strong as well...I will take you before my sister finds you!"

Wait, she had a sister?!

And there was no way she was taking me anywhere.

"Come here, little girl," the woman taunted. "I promise, you will become beautiful after I make you a woman."

I don't think she needs a bum like you to be beautiful as she is in the top three beauty of the academy. I thought that as I looked at the fight between Aurora and the man. How to say it…Aurora was clearly playing with him. Was she trying to get information from that chatty bastard? It was a nice plan as he was indeed speaking a lot—just like that woman…

"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked her.

"Oh~you are finally curious about me? Come close, I will tell you e–very–thing."

"..."

All things considered, I think there must be another way.

[<A kiss might get you informations though?>]

'Hell no!'

I was facing off against this tough woman who seemed to have more strength than I anticipated. I couldn't let her taint the last memory I had of kissing Ephera, so I put my all into fighting her.

"Take that!" Suddenly, she started glowing in yellow and raised her club high above her head. Before I could react, a powerful shockwave shot out toward me at tremendous speed. I was startled - I thought she was weak!

Squeezing my sword with both hands, I coated my sword with a thick layer of mana and swung in my turn.

The tip of my blade elongated with condensed mana and collided with the upcoming attack.

A staggering explosion rang and I was sent flying away at tremendous speed.

Are you kidding me?!

I tried to pierce the sword in the ground to stop my body but I had a hard time.

Ah, fuck it!

I will only break two, three bones.

[<You are too calm about it.>]

[It is not his first time and will not be his last time after all.]

Jarvis?

Can you show some emotions toward the one renting you?

[<It shouldn't work like that. It's like you are slowly losing your ability to sense pain.>]

'And? Rather it should be good news? I mean I don't want to feel that pain again.'

[<No. It's not Amael. Do you want to become an emotionless puppet?>]

'If I can lower my sense of pain then why not?'

[<...>]

Ah.

I made Cleenah angry.

"Sand Storm!"

Suddenly a tempest of sand blew behind us. It sucked a lot of the robed guys before hurtling them away.

"Sand Fists!"

Dozen of fists punched the others ruthlessly, knocking them unconscious instantly.

He was sure not holding back.

Well, they clearly put innocent citizens in danger.

Below, I could see the knights of the capital already taking away the unconscious ones.

Aurora had perfect timing, just as the man and burly woman were distracted by their kidnapped partners. "Surrender, it's better for you," she said. "You can't beat us."

Elona, with her disheveled grey hair, added, "You should listen to her."

But the man shook his head. "No...I can't. Right, Fiza?" he looked to the burly woman for agreement.

Fiza grinned. "Yeah, I have to prove them wrong."

I was confused about their motive and asked, "Why are you even fighting?"

The man scoffed. "Huh? Isn't it obvious, blind brat? We're private mercenaries, so obviously we fight for money."

What a surprise.

Elona asked what we were all thinking, "You're not the ones who intruded on the Falkrona Mansion, are you?"

"No way. We still care for our lives," Fiza laughed. "We were just asked to kidnap Elona Falkrona or Simon Falkrona."

"Who?" I asked, with narrowed eyes.

Ante-Eden.

I really wished it was Ante-Eden.

Why?

Cuz I didn't need any more enemies.

"Who? No idea, it's that guy with a scar on his forehead," Fiza said.

Scar on his forehead? The guy I strangled had a scar on his forehead, right? My heart started racing, and I couldn't slow it down.

"Look ou--" Elona's warning was cut off as two swords pierced the man and Fiza. They both groaned before falling to the ground, their blood pooling around them.

It's that guy…

My heart pounded as I recognized the scarred man standing before us. I couldn't believe he was still alive after I thought I had knocked him out earlier. His face was partially hidden by a scarf, but a long scar stretched from his right brow to his forehead, and his right eye was closed due to scarring. His remaining red eye glinted with a ruthless, cold gaze that made me shudder.

Not good.

This guy has killed—and a lot.

-Ding!

[!] [Unique Challenge!]

[Survive.]

[Reward: 3000 Affection Points and AP Conversion.]