Run Run Run Little Child

Nathaniel grabbed my arm and started pulling me as we ran. At first, a strange silence formed. This was because, among the nameless students, the others were holding him back. After a while, an odd silence hung between us. Even our instructor, who was outside the field, scratched his neck in curiosity. After some time, I broke the silence and said in a half-muted voice:

"Hey, why are you carrying me... uh... hmm... uh..."

Nathaniel quickly responded. I could feel the vitality in his voice.

"No one gave us a chance, Esteban. Even though we don't talk much in class, I think we understand each other. Because both of us desire the same thing: to be seen as superior. We've lived so low for so long that being humiliated became normal, but I know that deep in your heart, you're disgusted by this vile situation. Since no one supported us, we made it our goal not to support each other, and we didn't offer any help."

"Don't waste your breath; you're probably still in shock. Just stay quiet and rest. When the time comes, I'll slowly stop supporting you, and then you can decide what to do."

Was Nathaniel right? I wasn't sure, but yes, most of what he said left me in a deep silence. Because of that, I simply remained silent and enjoyed the breeze on my face and the lingering pain from Augustus' punch.

Immediately afterward, my gaze shifted to Alice. She was shouting at Augustus, looking worried, but I didn't understand the reason. What I saw next shocked me. Alice and Augustus were locked in an intense battle, but Augustus had a huge gash in his head. Blood was flowing, but Augustus wouldn't give up. I couldn't tell whether this was the effect of the Hand Runes or something else, because behind Augustus, there seemed to be an eye. Whenever I tried to examine it, it would always stare at me, which made me uncomfortable.

Augustus staggered, and realizing he was about to fall, he made a final attempt to lunge at Alice. Was his goal to slow her down or to bring them both down with one last attack? I wasn't sure. But just as he was about to lunge forward, Alice delivered an incredibly powerful kick to Augustus. If you paid attention to her hand, you could see that her Hand Rune emitted a pinkish aura, similar to mist.

Augustus was sent flying backward with the force of the kick. He was falling from the edge of the valley, and his simulation was over.

Seeing this, Minerva S. was at a loss for what to do. First, she would inform the higher-ups that the girl had entered the Hand Aura phase and had cleared one of her Soul Channels. However, before that, she had to explain how Augustus had used such disproportionate power. She had no information on that. Augustus, though not as powerful as Alice, came from a legacy family.

These families had been granted some treasures from the ancient cultivation era. These were typically not public knowledge. So far, the public had only witnessed one family using their treasure during the Great Plaza incident. Without a doubt, the current fear stemmed from this.

The Plaza Incident had occurred 29 years ago in the great country of Arcana. This country specialized more in Aesir than science. They possessed a strange High-Level Treasure, and it was possible to practice some cultivation within their territory. However, once you left the region, the Aesir within your body would be sucked into a whirlpool and disappear. Even if you were just visiting as a tourist, this treasure could ruin all your development. People, already struggling with the shortage of Aesir, could barely attain Rune abilities and cultivate. For this reason, people had given the region a second name: "Light Cage." It was a very ordinary name, but at least it wasn't known for a good reputation.

Regarding the Plaza Incident, the country of Arcana had found a strange painting after many years of excavation. This painting was said to transport people to a memory. It was a more limited version of the M-Diveace mechanism. Due to some internal conflicts, the painting was stolen by the Colony State, the country of the Immortal Ancestor Thou, also known as the Wings Beneath the Heavens (Tian Yu Ba Huang). It's said that the Immortal Ancestor's power had not changed since the Aesir decline, so he hadn't lost much. There were speculations about his treasure, but people dared not speak out.

However, the Arcana Country had developed a powerful restraint using the treasure. Twelve days after the theft, the White Feather Manor, the residence of the Ancestor, was to be used for a foundation event. Although the Ancestor did not attend such events, he allowed people to use his manor. The manor was vast, around 200,000 square meters, and despite sounding extravagant, it was an ancient structure, and many areas were not in use. At the beginning of the event, just as the cameras were focused on the manor, people witnessed...

The power of a treasure. I wasn't born at that time, so I had only heard about it from Aunt Karen. While billions watched, suddenly, the area around the Ancestor's residence went dark like a giant box. The darkness came with sonic booms. People froze in place. Was it the effect of the treasure, or was it something else? I'm not sure. At that moment, a winged figure appeared in the dark. It looked like a figure glowing in the dark, curled in a fetal position. The Ancestor suddenly soared into the sky. Wherever he went, the winged figure's eyes followed him. Just as the Ancestor was about to strike, it felt like the world had frozen. Only the Ancestor and the figure remained. According to the witnesses, that day their ears were filled with countless whispers they couldn't understand, and their minds were overwhelmed by a great buzzing sound.

There's no definitive information about the scene. Some say people died, but I'm not sure. The cameraman from the news channel disappeared, and the other members of the foundation also vanished. People, overwhelmed by this terrifying power, didn't even dare open their mouths.

At that moment, the camera fell to the ground, and people watching on television felt intense headaches. No one even bothered to record the event on their phones. Aunt Karen said she remembered collapsing to the ground, and afterward, when she tried to explain the event, her head started hurting again, so she had to rest.

And the strange part is, the Ancestor's manor has been locked ever since. It's forbidden for most people to enter, and there are rumors of raids being conducted at certain intervals. However, the Ancestor's assistant denied this when making statements on television. He showed photos that proved the damage was minimal.

That's the story, but I think this treasure is something different. After all, it wouldn't be possible for someone like Augustus, from a low-tier clan—according to Esteban—to possess such a powerful treasure.

Returning to the race, Alice had clearly left Minerva hesitating. It was evident that the instructor, holding his hologram tablet, was lost in thought. Just then, Nathaniel called to me.

"Hey, we're almost at the finish line. At least you graduated. No need to thank me. If we meet again later in life, you'll owe me that much."

And with that, Nathaniel slowly stopped supporting me...