Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 81: Midterm Exam

Kaiser stared at the screen blankly, the name of the physique in capital letters.

He began remembering things related to this physique—the great talent, inhuman self-healing factor, absolute control over ice, and inevitable death at an early age.

The perks were great, but the one flaw was damning. In human history since the Awakening Era, only two people had come to possess this physique.

And inevitably, they both died in their twenties. Their deaths weren’t calm, but a violent one with them exploding into a huge glacier that spanned kilometers, freezing every living thing present to death.

’Is that... my end?’

He tilted his head, curious. Perhaps it was, and perhaps it wasn’t, he didn’t know.

’Such a hassle...’

He massaged his temples tiredly, closing his eyes. As he tried to think, a thought he had been expecting arrived in his heart.

’Why do I have to die like the others? Inevitable? Not in my own time.’

A faint sense of defiance rose in him, and he made up his mind. Unlike his other two predecessors, he wouldn’t die like that. Not because he didn’t want to die, but because he wasn’t satisfied with such an ending.

’It is too boring for my taste...’

Sporting a faint crazy smile, he cupped his own cheeks, gaze drilling into the name on the screen.

FROZENGENESIS ESSENCE PHYSIQUE.

......

Days passed, and so did the announcement for the Midterm Exam. Each class across all years buckled up, entering a state of constant study and steady training.

Class-E continued training with their study lessons, trying as much as possible to improve the academic performance of their lowest. Of course it wasn’t easy, especially on the three idiots Eric, Jose, and Logan.

Those three barely focused during the lessons, annoying Hazel and making Liam feel helpless. At some point, the girl considered giving up on them and allowing them to fail. But knowing the consequences would be deduction in Class Rank Points, she didn’t want to risk it.

In the end, she could only put in her best in helping them. Her efforts weren’t put to waste, as they at least learned the basics.

"Good morning. Settle in your seats."

Instructor Rina waltzed in, her expression sharp and focused.

Those who were gathered, trying to read more quickly scattered to their seats.

"Your first Midterm Exam starts now."

She said, then quickly distributed the question papers and answer sheets for the first subject.

"Start now."

Upon turning the paper over, several students gulped. The hardest subject; mathematics, had come first.

At the front row, Logan watched Eric and Jose get serious, his own forehead creasing.

Whenever he looked at the questions, he felt his sight blur and a pang of headache. Everything looked so complex that he couldn’t seem to understand.

’This... this isn’t the simple thing I was taught!’

His hands clenched into fists, almost breaking the pen and pencil in his hand. Suddenly, he remembered a particular line he had received from Hazel recently.

"Logan. Whenever you’re facing problems you can’t solve with punches, relax and look at it calmly. It’ll slowly unravel."

He took heed to the advice, taking a deep breath. He looked at the questions again, this time more calmly.

He began remembering formulas he had picked up during the lessons, realizing they could be used to solve some questions there. With an expression of absolute focus, he began scribbling down what he could remember and solve.

Forty-five minutes passed in this manner, and Rina collected all the papers from them.

"You have a ten minutes break before the next subject begins."

She informed them, then sat patiently at the teacher’s desk.

’So she even has the next papers ready.’

They all realized, tensed and anxious. It was very rare for Rina to use the teacher’s desk present in the classroom, and it created a form of pressure on everyone.

Even then, people still exchanged light talks. "Hey, Jose. How was it? I feel like I’ve gotten headache."

Eric said, his lips curled into a tired smile. Jose calmly straightened his collar, a smug smile on his face.

"My questions were quite simple, and of course I’m smart enough to solve them."

Eric was unimpressed, but decided to believe him until they saw their results. He turned to Logan, curious about the guy’s performance.

"I... well, I was able to solve some questions. I just hope I’m correct."

Logan gave a weak grin, looking nervous.

"Come on, it’ll be fine!"

Eric slapped his shoulder, looking relaxed and carefree. He took a glance at Rina, then whistled suspiciously.

His act caused Jose and Logan to chuckle, knowing what he was admiring. Well, no one would see such a woman and not admire her.

Ten minutes passed by uneventfully, and the next subject was shared—History.

Its period of forty-five minutes passed smoothly, with most students complaining about the difficulty during their break.

"Wait a minute. The first World Emperor is Wu Xiao? I wrote Who Ziao!"

Kiera complained, her dissatisfaction evident. Perhaps that wasn’t the only question she missed, but that mark was already gone.

Without caring for their mental health, the exams continued till noon, leaving the sole exception of Combat Training (practical).

"God! I feel like I’m going to explode!"

A student complained, looking stressed out. Everyone was stressed out, as they had basically completed all their written tests in a single day.

In middle school, there would always be exam timetable and at least a thirty minutes break between each subject. Here however, it was obvious that the academy was trying to pressure their brains greatly. There wasn’t even an exam timetable!

Kaiser, looking relaxed, thought to himself. ’They’re trying to pressure their brains into evolution. If they’re under this constant pressure during exams, their brains either crash or sharpens enough to withstand the pressure.’

It seemed the academy was really invested in creating elites using methods one wouldn’t think of. No wonder it was tagged as the best Awakened Academy in the whole world.

"You may all go home now. The Combat Training exam would hold tomorrow at the training facility, 9am prompt. Do not be late."

Rina said, packing all the examination papers and exited the class.

Immediately, many people prepared to leave the class, only to find the door blocked by some people from another class.

"Class-C’s Apollo..."

Hazel growled, marching towards the door to confront them.