Chapter 79: Chapter 79: What Holds Them Back Is Their Sense of Duty and Boundaries
Liam furrowed his brow, unable to make sense of his growing unease. The Voice of All Things granted him an uncanny ability to sense all sorts of information, but it also seemed to enhance his sixth sense. When you receive enough information, your brain might not process it efficiently, but your subconscious can help you figure things out. This is where intuition often comes from.
For instance, when Liam decided to take on that three-hour task, he knew it was dangerous, but his gut feeling told him he'd at least survive. Now, however, his intuition was signaling trouble. There wasn't a clear, powerful enemy, yet this sense of oppression and impending crisis was hard to ignore.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Sophia broke the silence beside him:
"This time, it seems you haven't asked for money. Are you doing this for free?"
It took Liam a few seconds to catch her meaning. He looked at Sophia's slightly amused face and shrugged.
"But there are credits, aren't there?"
Sophia nodded, letting the subject drop. She started to hover into the air, saying:
"Alright, I'll go check on things. Contact me if anything comes up."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"You still haven't added me to your contacts. How do I reach you?"
Sophia's heart skipped a beat, her mind racing for a quick response:
"I meant through the core department channels. I can use those to communicate."
"Oh..."
Watching Sophia fly away swiftly, Liam turned and began walking toward the outskirts of the academy.
At this moment, the vast Eastern Academy was surrounded by a horde of frenzied civilians on all sides. All around, blank-eyed, zombie-like citizens clashed with the academy's teachers and students. The academy members sustained more injuries in these conflicts.
Mindless civilians could attack relentlessly, but the academy had to prioritize the civilians' safety. Both teachers and students alike were in a tough spot.
Even the most experienced superhumans had never encountered such a situation before. In the past, they faced god-like apparitions capable of tearing down cities with a mere wave of energy, overwhelming beings that filled the sky with terror, and they had never once flinched or shown fear. Those who dared to draw swords against gods would never fear death.
But now, they found themselves in constant retreat. What held them back wasn't sharp blades or destructive energy but their sense of duty and boundaries. This was a battle fought on uneven terms.
Boom!
A loud noise erupted as several seasoned members of the Special Action Division were forced to retreat. Among them, their leader was a formidable fourth-realm superhuman.
"Wait a minute, can a god's bewitchment really give such a terrifying power boost?"
Clutching their wounds, the group exchanged uneasy glances. They had tried to subdue their opponents without causing harm, but it was impossible. In the process, they had been injured themselves.
Suddenly, a figure shot down from the sky, landing with a dull thud between the civilians and the superhumans. Liam raised his hand, ice swirling around him, and in a blink, he was in front of one of the civilians. A long knife materialized in his hand. He covered the person's mouth, showing no hesitation—he slit their throat in one swift motion. Without turning, he flipped his wrist and thrust the blade backward, piercing the chest of another.
Before they even had a chance to react, two individuals lay dead.
If Liam had learned anything from his previous battles, it was that fights weren't about back-and-forth exchanges or flashy moves. They were about ruthless efficiency and killing in one strike. Liam seemed to have a knack for this. With each fight, his lethal moves became more polished. In a typical brawl, he might not even know where to start, but in a life-or-death situation, he was deadly effective.
As Liam calmly dealt with the remaining civilians, the shocked cries of the other superhumans finally broke through:
"Stop!"
But by the time the words left their mouths, the two bodies had already hit the ground, leaving them dumbfounded.
They had thought a fifth-realm powerhouse had come to assist them, providing some relief. Instead, a killing machine had arrived, and that was hardly a solution.
"What are you doing?! These are regular civilians, bewitched and still savable!" one of the superhumans shouted in shock.
A wave of frost erupted around Liam, freezing the remaining civilians in place. He spoke calmly:
"Those people may be, but these two aren't. They're god-servants hiding among the crowd. If you keep holding back, they'll catch you off guard."
"What?!" The fourth-realm leader gasped. "How can you tell?"
"Don't be naive. No one said god-servants have to wear strange clothes."
Another superhuman approached one of the ice sculptures and asked Liam, "Isn't this freezing dangerous for them? Normal people can't handle this."
"I've controlled the temperature. There might be some frostbite, but it shouldn't be fatal," Liam replied.
"Compared to these minor issues, your own life is more important. While it's good to protect civilians, you need to be aware that god-servants could be hiding among them, ready to strike at any moment. So be careful. When it's necessary... I'd say prioritize your own safety first."
Leaving those words, Liam took to the air again, heading toward another conflict zone.
Since Liam had joined the fray, god-servants had found the situation increasingly difficult. Previously, they could blend in with the ordinary civilians, freely attacking the Eastern Academy's superhumans. Seeing those who were usually stronger than them being attacked because they couldn't strike back at civilians filled the god-servants with glee. But now, a lethal force often descended from the sky, killing without hesitation.
The Voice of All Things allowed Liam to identify the god-servants with pinpoint accuracy, and he turned the battle into a bloodbath. His intervention had changed the atmosphere of the fight, making it colder and more ruthless.
Following Liam's warnings, the department heads also began adjusting their combat strategies, issuing orders to their members:
"If it doesn't risk lives, strike when necessary!"
"Your safety is the top priority!"
As a result, the god-servants started driving the bewitched civilians to gather together. They were growing bolder, abandoning their previous subtlety and actively launching attacks.
Meanwhile, Cain, the headmaster of the Eastern Academy, still had not made an appearance. He remained secluded in his personal space, spending hours with Lira. It was, indeed, quite irresponsible.
Weekly Power Status
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