Chapter: 170

Chapter: 170

In the forest of the mid-term evaluation venue.

Zooming through the forest at high speed was none other than Kraush Balheim.

His blue hair fluttered as he dashed along.

“Chik, chiik, chik!”

Suddenly, the half-dead rat in his pocket began to squeal like it was auditioning for a horror movie.

If we had to translate its cries, it would probably be along the lines of “I’m dying over here!”

What a noisy little corpse, considering it’s already kicked the bucket.

Ping!

At that moment, the rat flopped out of his pocket, flying through the air.

Kraush caught the rat mid-flight and tossed it back into his pocket.

“Seriously, couldn’t you have just quit chasing me?”

He scolded the corpse-rat while simultaneously changing direction, pulling Rain Thunder Prime from his belt.

Why? Because his gut feeling kicked in.

“Kieeeek!”

Out of nowhere, a screeching Erosion Beast appeared before him.

With a round body and hundreds of flailing arms, a head with almost no hair popped out unexpectedly.

This abomination was ugly enough to make anyone recoil, and it lunged at Kraush, snapping trees in half like they were toothpicks.

The bracelet on Kraush’s wrist glowed crimson.

An average level 5 Erosion Beast—just about the limit for most students.

But the moment he faced this creature, Kraush’s Rain Thunder transformed into a golden hue.

As black flames surged from him like a fiery eruption.

He took a brief breath.

Boom!

With the force of his kick sending him off, his sword shot forward in a straight line, ripping apart all the beast’s arms.

The black flames exploding from his sword were too strong for a level 5 Erosion Beast to withstand.

Smash!

In the aftermath of the torn-up arms, Kraush’s sword drove straight into the beast’s grotesque face.

“Kiiik, eeeek...”

Before the Erosion Beast could even think about retaliating, its blood vaporized in the heat of the flames.

But Kraush wasn’t planning to stop there.

Slashee!

He swung his sword upward, cleaving the Erosion Beast in half from head to toe.

The absurd heat in the blade was beyond what its frail body could endure.

It all happened in the span of 2 seconds.

Having barely spent 2 seconds on a level 5 Erosion Beast, Kraush didn’t stop to admire his handiwork but continued charging ahead, with the numbers on his bracelet counting up.

If it were any other student, they would have spent all their exam time battling that beast.

But for Kraush, level 5 Erosion Beasts had become mere child’s play.

If he was struggling at full health, it would be a waste of all his training till now.

Ding!

Just then, an alert chime rang, and the color of the bracelet changed on his wrist.

Orange.

He had crossed into the Orange Line.

“Almost there!”

Kraush’s goal was the Red Line.

So even as he entered the orange zone, there was no hint of tension on his face.

Boom!

At that moment, the ground shook ominously.

The reverberation traveled right under Kraush’s feet, and he immediately kicked off the ground, soaring into the air.

Shatter!

At the same time, the ground beneath him crumbled, and tree roots started thrusting upward.

The rising roots began obliterating the ground, causing chaos in their wake.

Meanwhile, among the tangled mass of roots.

A black, spiky creature with glowing red eyes revealed itself.

A level 6 Erosion Beast, known as a Bottler—a plant-type monster with roots spreading 1km wide, devouring everything in its path.

Seeing this, Kraush couldn’t help but chuckle.

Though magically conjured, this was a bit excessive, don’t you think?

“Yeah, they’re not gonna just let me stroll to the Red Line, are they?”

From his Rain Thunder, dark energy began spilling forth.

There was no way he could just walk past the Bottler.

So he made up his mind to deal with it first.

Just as Kraush was about to strike down the Bottler, though, his sixth sense tingled.

Yes, according to her words, he had never actually fought on the front lines.

His role had merely involved using the sacred power from the Holy Maiden to distract the curse.

But that’s why he spoke up now.

“I’ll carry all of it. You can’t carry the burden of my trials or break because of it.”

The Sky Generation.

Appropriately named, it needed to ascend high above the world’s whims.

Yet, Arthur and the others had failed to accomplish that.

Even the spear meant to bring divinity had crumbled before annihilation.

Kraush had no intention of revisiting that day.

He would never again find himself staring up at the sky, waiting for death like a lost soul.

Thus, in line with her own words, he now stood at the forefront of the battlefield.

Seeking to never crumble.

Determined not to lose.

So Kraush stared at Mary.

Wondering if her spear could once again extend toward the heavens.

Unfortunately, Kraush had lost hope for her.

Her spear had broken once before.

“Well, then.”

Black flames surging from Kraush warped the air around him.

The scorching heat made even Mary squint.

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

A taunting grin spread across Kraush’s face as he stared at her.

But in that split second, Mary lunged forward.

Her foot lunged, and in that brief opportunity.

Her form scattered like dust.

In the instant, time stood still, and the world fell silent.

In a realm where sound had no meaning, Mary’s spear broke the sound barrier as it zipped toward Kraush.

Wooosh!

But instead of the sound of flesh tearing, all that echoed was the metallic clash of steel.

Mary’s eyes sparkled with surprise, realizing the truth only a moment too late.

She hadn’t anticipated that her single strike would be successfully countered.

With every motion her spear made, the air surrounding them rippled with sound explosions.

Thud!

The moment their weapons clashed, a shockwave erupted, shattering the ground beneath them.

Chunks of earth flew skyward, and the fabric of space twisted, creating violent winds in their wake.

The combination of the Heavenly Body and the Divine Spear was a sight to behold.

It left spectators dazed.

Nevertheless, against the onslaught of her spear strikes, Mary’s eyes widened in astonishment.

That precise point where her spear stretched toward encountered the lethal edge of Rain Thunder.

Kraush’s sword practically enveloped her spear in a steel embrace.

As the realization dawned on Mary, her eyes grew wide as saucers.

She had known Kraush used a blunt sword.

A blunt sword, despite being one, would dominate the space, piercing through every attack.

But here, confronted with Kraush’s ability, she was steadily losing ground.

At first, she aimed to strike him down, but the more they engaged, the more she felt the shift in power.

Clang, clang, clang!

With every thrust of her spear, Kraush’s Rain Thunder echoed back at her.

As the exchanges continued, the intensity in Mary’s gaze grew more ferocious.

“How on earth...”

Exhaling heavily, she thrust her spear forward, only to have it block by Kraush’s blade once again.

In that moment, as her eyes fell on something in front of her.

Crack!

In an instant, her vision boiled over, causing a haze of disbelief to sweep through.

“Kraush Balheim, what are you?”

It was a question laced with confusion, and in that daring moment, the final blow struck.

They clashed brilliantly, as the weight of their confrontation shocked everyone around.

The might of Kraush reigned supreme, emerging victoriously in battle, and never before had Mary felt so helpless.

Kraush’s overbearing warmth encased her.

“Know this well,” he whispered, as flames engulfed them.

“What you’re witnessing is the true Kraush Balheim.”

And with those words, he boiled the heavens and molded destiny.

She would never forget that name.