Free Web NovelChapter 8: Ethan’s Choice
Boom!
The dark red flame blazed up around Laira’s fingertip, making the air inside the main hall tremble violently. The third-tier protective barriers covering the stage immediately gave off a continuous cracking sound.
A wave of blazing red heat spread out, compressing the air into distorted ripples visible to the naked eye. Even though most of the power was still held back by the protective dome, the students sitting near the stage still shot to their feet without thinking, their faces pale, their bodies rigid as if locked in place by the gaze of some terrifying creature.
Lionel Hart no longer maintained the composure he’d had when he first appeared. A faint golden light began to envelop the body of the White Lion Guild Master. Vanessa Crowe placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her violet eyes narrowing.
Old man Rowan of the Black Tower Guild stepped back half a pace, the blue crystal atop his metal staff lighting up and giving off a thin layer of cold mist. All three were Awakened who had stood at the peak of power in Safe Zone No. 7, but in this moment, not one of them dared to look down on the tiny ember in Laira’s hand.
The problem wasn’t the Gold tier 1 level displayed on the device.
It was the aura.
It was ancient, heavy, and carried a sense of almost absolute oppression. As if Laira hadn’t truly just leveled up from Black Iron to Gold, but had only temporarily opened a very small gap in the seal binding her body. If the faint, hazy black chains coiling around her wrists and ankles vanished entirely, no one knew what level her true power would reach.
On the top floor, the man in the military uniform immediately stepped up to the formation-glass, his expression extremely serious. "Headmaster Cole, the energy is still rising. The third-tier barrier can’t hold for long."
The gray-haired woman standing beside the control panel quickly worked the controls as well. Streams of blue data kept sliding down before her eyes. "The temperature at the center of the stage has already exceeded the standard measurement limit. The energy fluctuation still hasn’t stabilized. If the flame is actually released, we’ll have to evacuate all the students."
Headmaster Cole pressed his black wooden cane against the floor.
Clack!
The dry sound wasn’t very loud, but the silver patterns inlaid on the walls and floor immediately lit up all at once. A fourth barrier quickly formed outside the stage, covering the curtain of light that had begun to crack. However, he didn’t directly attack Laira. The headmaster understood clearly that such an action would only make the situation spiral out of control faster.
Cole’s gaze shifted to Ethan.
"Ethan Ashford." His voice rang out through the amplifying array, carrying clearly to every corner of the main hall. "Tell your Partner to stop. If she keeps releasing power, the other students will be affected."
Ethan stood behind Laira.
From beginning to end, he didn’t find the flame around her as terrifying as everyone else did. The violent wave of heat was cracking the barrier, but when it reached his body it immediately softened, leaving only a warmth like standing beside a hearth in winter. Clearly Laira was unconsciously controlling her power so as not to affect him.
Ethan looked at her tall back. Her long red hair, reaching nearly to her knees, stirred in the current of hot air. The colossal dragon wings spread open behind her. The black chains trembled continuously, giving off a cold sound of clashing metal.
He knew Laira was truly angry.
Not because the three guild masters wanted to fight over her like a precious item.
But because they had openly insulted him.
"Laira." Ethan spoke up.
Just a very soft call.
But the Crimson Dragon radiating terrifying coercion immediately turned her head. The instant her amber-red eyes looked toward Ethan, the coldness on her face softened noticeably. The flame at her fingertip still remained, but the energy fluctuation no longer kept rising.
Ethan calmly said: "That’s enough."
Laira frowned slightly. Her gaze swept over Lionel, Vanessa, and Rowan once more, clearly still not satisfied. But after a few seconds, she still nodded faintly. "Fine. I’ll listen to you."
The dark red flame slowly dissipated.
The terrifying coercion covering the entire main hall quickly drew back as well. The black chains around Laira’s wrists and ankles tightened all at once, pulling her aura down lower. The Gold halo that had just appeared vanished as if it had never existed.
Only then could the students sitting near the stage breathe a sigh of relief. One reached up to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice still trembling. "Just one word from Ethan, and she actually stopped."
The one beside him swallowed dryly, his gaze still unable to leave Laira. "She can crack a third-tier barrier with just one little ember, yet she obeys him so meekly? A Mythic Partner who kissed Ethan of her own accord the moment she appeared, declared she wanted to support him, and now is even willing to kill for him. What on earth did Ethan do?"
No one could answer.
Ryan, sitting in the stands, clenched both hands tightly. His expression was so ugly it was almost contorted. When Laira had openly kissed Ethan, he had already felt extremely uncomfortable. But now, seeing a Crimson Dragon who could make three major guild masters wary obey Ethan so meekly, the jealousy in his heart grew even more intense.
He didn’t understand.
Someone pushed to the sidelines by the family.
Someone two years slower than him.
Someone who’d had to work at the logistics warehouse to pay his own tuition.
On what grounds could he receive a Partner like this?
Headmaster Cole paid no attention to the murmurs. After confirming that Laira had withdrawn her power, his gaze shifted to the three people standing below the stage. "Lionel Hart. Vanessa Crowe. Rowan Black. Ethan Ashford opened the Partner Box through Aurora Academy’s lawful ceremony. According to the rules of the Awakened Council, a Partner that has been opened belongs to the one who chose the Blind Box. No one has the right to force a transfer."
Lionel was silent for a few seconds, then chuckled softly, trying to restore his original composure. "Headmaster Cole misunderstands. I never said I would force Ethan. I’m merely offering a reasonable proposal. A Mythic Partner requires an enormous amount of resources. A student who hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate has no ability to nurture her."
Vanessa Crowe also spoke up gently: "A precious treasure falling into the hands of someone who lacks the ability isn’t necessarily a blessing. Sometimes it’s simply a disaster. If Ethan truly proves himself, then naturally we’ll have nothing more to say."
Rowan pressed his metal staff against the ground, his voice hoarse: "The Heaven’s Gate trial will prove everything."
Cole looked at the three of them coldly. "If you interfere with the ceremony any further, I will immediately request that security forces escort you all out."
Lionel didn’t keep arguing. He turned around and slowly walked toward the VIP seating area in the stands. Vanessa and Rowan followed behind as well, choosing the positions from which they could most clearly see the stage and the central screen.
A few students immediately murmured in low voices. "They’re not leaving."
"Of course not. All three major guilds want to observe the Crimson Dragon’s true power. Maybe they even want to watch Ethan fail. After all, the Mythic Partner is very strong, but Ethan still hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate."
Lionel sat down, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze at Ethan was no longer so direct, but the contempt still hadn’t vanished. "I want to see how far a student who hasn’t become an Awakened can go on luck alone."
Vanessa curved the corner of her mouth slightly. "Probably not too long."
Rowan looked at the stage coldly. "A Partner can’t shelter a weakling forever."
Ethan heard it.
But didn’t respond.
The ceremony’s host tried to steady his emotions, then re-checked the central crystal. Only after confirming the system was still functioning normally did he reach out to activate the altar. The silver patterns on the ground lit up one after another. A screen of light appeared before Ethan.
[Normal.]
[Hard.]
[Trial.]
[Nightmare.]
[Hell.]
[Abyss.]
The host drew a deep breath and explained solemnly: "The higher the difficulty, the better the reward. The quality of the Heaven’s Gate has a chance to be stronger. The energy Absorption Art received after completing the trial can also reach a higher tier. However, the mortality rate will rise accordingly. Most students choose Normal or Hard. Those with outstanding combat ability can consider Trial."
He looked at Ethan, his gaze relatively sincere. "You’ve just obtained a very special Partner, but the two of you have never fought together. I advise you to choose Trial. Enough to test your potential, and still within a controllable range."
Ethan didn’t answer right away.
He knew that advice was perfectly reasonable.
The Heaven’s Gate trial only happened once. The quality of the Heaven’s Gate would directly affect the speed of energy absorption, the limit of growth, and the path of cultivation that followed. If he chose too low, he could pass easily but might also miss the only chance to create a starting point far surpassing that of an ordinary person.
In a front row, Ryan looked at the difficulty list floating before Ethan. His gaze shifted slightly, then the corner of his mouth slowly curled up.
"Big brother." His voice rang out across the main hall. "Headmaster Cole isn’t wrong. Trial is indeed a relatively safe choice. But I still feel it’s a bit of a shame. After all, your Partner was rated by the system all the way up to Mythic rank. In the entire world today, only six Blind Boxes have ever opened a reward at this tier. Now you’ve become the seventh. Don’t tell me you’re going to end up choosing the same as ordinary students?"
A few students immediately caught his meaning.
"A Mythic Partner and he only picks Trial? That really would be a bit of a waste."
"If he really trusts that Crimson Dragon, he should at least choose Hell." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"No. Abyss would be more fitting."
"If you want to become the seventh person to own a Mythic Blind Box, naturally you have to show a bit of backbone."
The murmurs quickly spread. Ryan looked at Ethan, his smile growing clearer. "I’m not trying to force you. I just feel it’s a bit of a shame. After a two-year detour, you’ve finally gotten a chance to make everyone look at you with different eyes. If you only choose Trial, maybe you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Or is it... that you don’t really trust the Partner you just opened either?"
Selene, sitting beside him, immediately caught her son’s meaning. She looked at Ethan, her voice still soft as if she cared. "Ethan, Ryan just speaks a little bluntly. But he has a point. Your Partner is very special. If you only choose an ordinary difficulty, it really would be a bit of a wasted opportunity. After all, you’ve waited for this day for two whole years. Surely you don’t want to be told for the rest of your life that you only know how to rely on luck either."
Claire, sitting in the combat class area, changed expression slightly. She looked at Ryan, then looked at Selene, clearly having realized the two of them were deliberately goading Ethan. But before she could speak up, Headmaster Cole pressed his cane against the floor.
Clack!
"Enough." The low, deep voice caused the murmurs to die down. Cole coldly glanced across the stands. "The Heaven’s Gate trial is not a stage for proving one’s courage. The higher the difficulty, the greater the probability of death. A strong Partner does not mean its owner can carelessly choose a trial beyond their ability to control."
He shifted his gaze to Ethan. "You don’t need to care what others say. Trial is the most reasonable choice. Enough to test your potential, without making you gamble your life over a few words of provocation."
The atmosphere grew quiet again.
Ryan didn’t say anything more.
But his eyes were still full of anticipation.
As long as Ethan got provoked.
As long as he chose Hell.
Or, best of all, Abyss.
Even if Laira really did reach Mythic rank, it wasn’t certain she could bring someone who hadn’t opened a Heaven’s Gate back alive.
Ethan didn’t look at Ryan.
Nor did he look at Selene.
He understood their intent too clearly.
But he also didn’t intend to choose a path that was too conservative.
Ethan’s gaze shifted to Laira.
The Crimson Dragon, over two meters tall, still stood close beside him. Her long red hair stirred gently. The faint, hazy black chains coiled around her wrists and ankles. Her aura had withdrawn for the most part, but just by standing there, she still made others feel a pressure that was hard to describe.
Laira noticed Ethan’s gaze.
She turned to look at him.
She said nothing.
Only curved the corner of her mouth slightly.
A free smile.
No tension.
No fear.
Not the slightest hesitation either.
Ethan was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and touched the screen.
[Difficulty selected: Nightmare.]
The main hall immediately erupted into a stir.
"Nightmare?"
"He really chose Nightmare?"
"Not Trial, but not Hell either."
"Looks like he still kept his reason."
"It’s not that simple. Nightmare is still extremely dangerous for someone who’s never fought alongside their Partner."
Ryan paused slightly. He had wanted Ethan to choose Hell or Abyss. Nightmare wasn’t the best outcome. But after a few seconds, he still let out a cold laugh. "Just as expected. You still can’t stand being looked down on by others. Nightmare? I hope you can make it back alive."
Lionel also chuckled softly. "At least he still has a bit of greed. But the greed of a weakling usually only makes death come faster."
Vanessa looked at Laira. "If Ethan fails, maybe that Crimson Dragon will understand who the more suitable choice really is."
Rowan concluded coldly: "Not knowing his own limits."
Headmaster Cole looked at Ethan for a few seconds. "You’ve decided?"
Ethan nodded.
"I confirm."
Cole didn’t advise him further.
"Then let’s begin."
