Chapter 142: Chapter142-Suppression

The purple-clad girl's eyes widened in shock.

The chubby man who had been about to lay his hands on her was now, inexplicably, frozen into an ice sculpture.

A chilling aura wafted around.

His face was pale with terror, his bean-sized eyes filled with fright.

He was still in his initial posture, his pudgy fingers only a dozen centimeters away from her, utterly immobile.

Looking around, the girl noticed it wasn't just him; the others were in the same predicament.

At the bridge entrance, ice sculptures stood erect, capturing seven or eight gold-tier assessment participants in expressions of fear.

In just a few breaths, everyone present, except for the purple-clad girl, was encased in ice.

The girl looked bewildered, clueless about what had transpired.

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

"Are you alright?"

As she heard this voice, she found the stone trapping her loosening significantly.

She quickly extricated herself, paying no mind to the bits of dirt and debris on her, and turned to look behind her with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

There stood a tall, handsome young man holding a silver staff, looking at her with a calm demeanor.

The girl, realizing what had happened, hurriedly expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, thank you for saving me."

After saying this, the purple-clad girl took an extra moment to observe the young man.

As her gaze met his, deep as the ocean, she suddenly felt her cheeks warm.

Twisting slightly, she asked softly, "My name is Hannah... may I know yours?"

John responded with a friendly smile, "You're welcome, I'm John."

Outside, Seraphina's gaze suddenly turned icy cold.

The milk tea in her hand frosted over at a visibly rapid pace, and her entire being seemed like a block of ice, significantly lowering the temperature around her.

Nearby spectators tightened their clothing and glanced up at the sky, puzzled, "Why does it suddenly feel colder?"

Theodore's eyebrows twitched, wisely choosing to remain silent, pretending not to notice anything.

Seraphina, however, stared at John, her eyes filled with a cold intensity.

At the bridgehead, John suddenly felt a bone-chilling coldness rise behind him, accompanied by an ominous premonition.

He furrowed his brows and scanned his surroundings with mind power, yet discovered nothing.

This left him somewhat perplexed, wondering, "Could I be sick? But that shouldn't be, awakeners are supposed to be highly resistant to illness."

Unable to figure it out, John decided not to dwell on it, having more pressing matters to attend to.

Under Hannah's puzzled gaze, John approached the chubby man, a smile playing in his eyes.

The man's face was stricken with terror, his pupils trembling, lips quivering as if he wished to say something.

However, John had no intention of listening.

Under the chubby man's terrified gaze, John's staff lit up with purple lightning.

The chubby man's points had entered the top hundred, and he was almost guaranteed to pass the dungeon assessment, only to encounter John, the anomaly, at the crucial moment, leading to his elimination.

And to add insult to injury, he only found out afterward that with just 5 million, he could have avoided elimination.

This realization was truly agonizing.

Now, the chubby man truly felt like crying.

Of course, what he didn't realize was that even if he had offered 5 million, John wouldn't have spared someone of his despicable character.

Even if John had let him go, his behavior in the Enchanted Forest would likely prevent him from qualifying for admission based on the comprehensive assessment.

In the spectator stands, the audience watched this scene unfold with a mix of amusement and disbelief.

Initially, they thought John was a good Samaritan.

Now, whether John was a good person remained up for debate, but one thing was clear: he had a strong affinity for money.

One person chuckled, "This guy really has some nerve.

Knowing that everyone's watching, he still dares to pull off something like this."

Another commented wistfully, "Others extort points, but this guy goes straight for federal coins, and not just a small amount but 5 million per person. This kid's really playing hardball."

Someone else laughed heartily, "Hahaha, his guts are no less than that chubby guy earlier. Boldly trading assessment qualifications in broad daylight, does he think people can't see?"

A bystander smirked, "Benedict, the tutor, entered the test dungeon with them. This guy really doesn't take the Star Cluster Academy assessment seriously. I have to say, this year's assessment is indeed interesting."

Even though Silver Tear and Dark Fox were well aware of John's personality, they couldn't help but facepalm, at a loss for words.

That guy... still as fond of money as ever.

As for Seraphina, a subtle smile appeared on her beautiful face, her earlier chilliness dissipating without a trace...

Above the skies of the Enchanted Forest, Benedict, who had been ready to intervene, also found himself in a bemused state, saying, "Turns out, this kid didn't act to save someone, but to extort others."

Benedict had entered the test dungeon to prevent undesirable incidents, similar to what the chubby guy had attempted.

Had John not acted, he would have stepped in.

However, John's actions were admittedly pushing the boundaries.

After some thought, Benedict reached out to the higher-ups of Star Cluster Academy in the external world.

He inquired, "Should we stop this kid?"

Indeed, there was no need for Benedict to make contact, as the higher echelons were already discussing John, having witnessed his series of audacious moves.

The actions of John had left the academy's senior members exchanging glances and wearing varied expressions.

Initially, they too believed John's intervention was to save the girl, only to realize his motivations were entirely monetary.

Throughout the many years of hosting the Stellar Test, numerous odd incidents have occurred, including unsuccessful attempts at points theft turning on the aggressor.

However, John's direct extortion of federal coins using assessment qualifications was unprecedented, marking a new chapter in the test's history.

Vice Chancellor Geoffrey waved dismissively, "Let him be. Those who can pass the assessment will do so naturally, and those who cannot will eventually be filtered out even if they manage to pass this stage."

After all, the Stellar Test involves more than just combat assessments, including comprehensive evaluations such as personality tests.

While Star Cluster Academy's comprehensive assessment isn't as stringent as that of the War God Academy, they do not take it lightly.

Individuals failing to meet the character requirements are outright eliminated, regardless of their performance.

After all, no one wishes to inadvertently nurture a terrorist or cultist.