Chapter 360
SUKI! (2)
As that fight progressed, another eye-catching scene could be seen as Reuel was surrounded by seven different mid spawnlings. They closed in from every angle, swinging whatever methods of attack they possessed—mandibles snapping, claws tearing through the air, and strange liquids launched in uneven bursts.
Against any normal ascender, facing so many attacks from all directions would result in an instant, gruesome death.
But not Reuel.
A burst of laughter escaped his lips as his eyes flashed blue. He raised his spear casually, then curled his finger in a taunting motion, his words dripping with mockery.
"Such ugly creations could ever lay even a molecule on me!"
As if he had eyes on the back of his head, a piercing liquid that looked capable of melting through metal shot past his head, missing by the slightest margin as he tilted it just enough.
"Whoa! That was pretty close! You almost got me!"
The grin never left his face.
With a smooth, graceful spin, a pole made of bone tore through the space where his lungs had been just a moment before.
"Hahaha, not bad, that was close… Do it again!"
He suddenly leaned back, just in time for a claw to slice through the air where his head had been.
"Oh—oh—oh!" he exclaimed, waving his arms exaggeratedly as if about to lose his balance. "Just kidding!"
Instead of falling, he shifted seamlessly into a backward roll, the motion carrying him under a flying blade that struck down where he had just stood.
"Pfft!"
Reuel pressed a hand to his lips, barely containing his laughter as his shoulders trembled.
The creatures didn't stop.
They attacked relentlessly, each one pressing forward with its own erratic, violent pattern, layering strike upon strike in an attempt to overwhelm him. Yet Reuel simply slipped through it all, his body moving with unnatural precision, narrowly avoiding each lethal attack even within the tight, crowded space.
From afar, it looked less like a fight—
and more like a predator playing with its food.
Suddenly, he launched into an exquisite backflip, landing lightly on the head of one of the creatures.
"Whew! That last one was actually closer than usual!… No, seriously it was! Believe me! I'm not the type to joke!"
He grinned as the creature beneath him lashed upward, its attack missing him entirely and instead striking through its own head, its body reacting violently as it let out a distorted scream.
"This feeling…"
His eyes deepened into a glowing cerulean.
"It's the feeling I love the most…"
His voice dropped, each word carrying a strange tone.
"I truly am… Ens Invictum."
Something in those words seemed to resonate, as if they carried more than just sound.
In the next moment, he spun upward into the air—
and like a falling star, he began to descend.
The creature had absolutely no chance.
As it lashed out in its final, erratic movement, the opening it created was met instantly—Reuel's spear drove forward with precise timing, piercing cleanly through the very gap it had just exposed from it's self inflicted damage. It was almost as if the entire exchange had been set up from the beginning.
The spear sank deep into its misshapen head.
A distorted, strained scream escaped it, its form shuddering violently before collapsing in on itself. There was no resistance left, no struggle—just a sudden, hollow end as it was killed almost casually, its body beginning to fade away soon after.
Reuel landed lightly in the space it had occupied moments before, his porcelain face turning toward the remaining creatures with something close to pity.
"Such a shame… that you met me… the Ens Invictum. You will never be able to touch me… not even in your already predetermined death."
He raised his spear.
A faint, cold glint ran along its surface as the weapon seemed to carry his intent outward.
"How pitiful… my spear… shall set you free."
Away from this stirring scene—
The tyrannical empress was...well, as expected, she was completely and utterly massacring creatures.
"Fatuous," she said simply.
Just like that, all the remaining creatures were eliminated.
A short break followed before they began again.
Things continued in much the same way. Round after round, engagement after engagement. Aside from a few major injuries, no one died. Another person even joined the group, folding into what had become a strangely functional working environment.
It wasn't until after the fourth round that IAM called everyone together during their rest.
With so many battles fought side by side, the earlier tension and doubt had faded, replaced by a shared focus—something built from repetition, from surviving each clash together.
There was trust now.
They waited for him to speak.
And when he did—
"After the next battle, we will be challenging a devilborn."
The reaction was immediate.
An uproar spread through the group, though beneath it was something else—anticipation. A few days ago, this would have brought fear. Now, after everything they had done, that fear had dulled.
IAM nodded, satisfied.
"As I'm sure you've noticed… the number of spawnlings is dropping."
!!!
"This means we're getting closer to clearing them out completely. So after the next one, we will challenge one of the devilborns to maintain this pace."
Many nodded in agreement.
IAM then glanced to the side.
"As for which one… let's do Reuel's flag."
Reuel reached up, ruffling his own hair as if deep in thought. There was a slight delay before he responded, his usual buoyant energy dimmed just enough to be noticeable.
"Reuel?" Yohan prompted.
"Huh? Oh—yeah, sure…"
His answer drew a few uncertain looks.
IAM didn't linger on it. "Let's focus on this next round first. We'll finalise our plan for the devilborn after."
The group began preparing once more.
IAM glanced at Reuel and asked, "Are you doing good?"
"Huh? Yeah… I'm just tired… Well, I wouldn't be if it wasn't for you and that tyrant making me work my freshly shaven ass off!"
"Too much information," IAM said as he walked away.
Reuel kissed his teeth as he sat down, his eyes closing as he took the brief moment to rest.
Yohan smiled faintly as he patted his friend on the back.
Minutes later, they were all ready and primed once more. The now-familiar sight of creatures racing forward from all directions was taken in with far more ease by the students, their bodies naturally settling into position as they braced themselves.
But—
"Wait…"
"What's that?"
"Where?"
"There!"
"Where?"
"You idiot! Right there!"
Their attention was drawn forward.
A creature approached—its form resembling that of a horse, but wrong. It had no head, its body moving in a steady, unnatural rhythm as it charged forward. Sitting atop it was a girl, riding it with complete ease as she closed the distance quickly.
A bright smile stretched across her face.
"Finally!"
Her voice carried clearly as she waved.
"Finally! I found you, Suki!" Zara shouted at the top of her voice.