Chapter 53: The New Event

Just a few minutes ago, right when Kaelian appeared in the clearing, a sudden chime echoed in Alden’s mind!

[Ding!]

[New Event Started: Bishop Emergence!]

[Quest 1: Reduce the Casualties in Wynthalor!]

[Quest 2: Contribute against the sudden attack!]

[Quest 3: Help the Bishop escape the city!]

[Difficulty Lv: A-rank]

[Reward: Unknown! (Depends on contribution and quest completion)]

As Alden stared at the glowing interface, reading through the new quests, he did not know what choice he should make! He had heard dark rumors about the temples from the students in the academy. They were a dangerous organization that stood against the world and actively sought to control it!

Helping a villain like that escape after causing casualties was a definite no-go! But he did not know why such a bizarre quest suddenly appeared on his screen. He did not even know where the Bishop was hiding. As he noticed Alicia engaging with the Kaelian, he wasn’t too worried about her getting hurt at first. He knew she was strong enough to defend herself. But just as his unconscious thoughts suggested, a massive problem surely did arise! As the Bishop took full control of Kaelian’s body, the sheer killing intent emitting from him made a terrifying chill run down Alden’s spine!

[Ding! Due to your new Event participation, the host has been granted a special passive ability: ’Absolute Concealment’!]

[Description: Your strength and power are absolutely concealed. Not even the most powerful people can peer through your power. Your true power will remain hidden from everyone else unless the host wants to expose it to them.]

The Bishop’s gaze turned around, furiously searching for the specific person he was hunting. He frowned in frustration. Seeing the enemy’s complex reaction, Alden felt something was definitely wrong!

The Bishop couldn’t have just come here without a solid reason! Not unless he deliberately wanted to seek mindless chaos. But if he only sought chaos, why would he come to a student testing ground instead of attacking the bustling city? Was he seeking out talented students who might become future threats to his temple? Alden wasn’t sure if that petty reason was correct, completely unaware that the dangerous Bishop was actually here specifically for him!

As the Bishop’s glowing eyes locked onto Alicia and targeted her, trying to take her away by force, Alden’s chest tightened for some unknown reason. Seeing her get hurt made his blood boil! He stepped up without even thinking! Sparkling starlight unconsciously coiled around his hands. Without wasting a single second, he moved in a blur, appeared directly beside the Bishop, and launched a heavy attack!

*BOOOOM!*

As the Bishop was launched backward, Alden stood firmly in front of Alicia like an unbreakable shield! His heart beat wildly as he caught a quick glance of her bloody figure, but he concealed his rising anger behind a calm face. He ordered her to leave, which she, of course, stubbornly refused!

Alden walked toward her and leaned forward, giving her a solid reason so she would finally escape.

"Please listen to me. In exchange for this, I will fulfill any wish you have! I just want to deal with him myself. You need to go and tell the instructors because the Bishop’s real body might be hiding somewhere around here, if I am not wrong!"

She turned around. A tiny hint of a sparkle shone in her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared when she looked away.

"Are you sure? What if you cannot handle it and die?"

Alden stepped back, maintaining his distance as he turned to face the Bishop.

"Trust me."

...

Current moment:

Before the Bishop could even attempt to attack him, Alden immediately channeled his mana into his legs! He vanished from his spot in a flash and appeared right behind the enemy, launching a fierce kick!

But his swift kick was stopped easily by a single hand! Alden didn’t stop with just one strike. He spun his entire body around and launched his other leg in a brutal kick that landed squarely on Kaelian’s face, throwing the Bishop off guard! Without wasting any time, Alden moved with a blur of speed and punched forward. But the Bishop blocked that attack easily too.

"Sigh... Controlling a different body is quite difficult. I am not used to this vessel at all..." the Bishop muttered in annoyance.

Red energy coiled around the Bishop’s free hand. Without hesitation, he punched Alden in the chest, launching him back several meters!

Alden skidded across the muddy ground like a broken ragdoll. All of his physical attacks returned ineffective against this monster! He felt entirely helpless facing him, realizing that simple physical strikes could not even scratch the Bishop’s defenses.

Without hesitating anymore, Alden stopped holding back. Suddenly, a blinding, bright light started to emit from his body! He looked like a brilliant star shining right in the middle of the dark, rainy day! The dazzling rays illuminated the entire destroyed forest.

The Bishop looked at the bright rays with a deep frown.

"What is that thing... Why is it giving me such a weird feeling?"

Before the enemy could think any further, Alden vanished from his place again. He appeared directly in front of the Bishop!

The Bishop stood calmly facing him, ready to block whatever attack the kid shot toward him. Compared to a true Bishop—a monster that even A-rank Awakeners hesitated to fight—he believed he could easily deflect any attack from a boy with a lower rank, even while stuck in a weaker vessel!

As the Bishop stood arrogantly waiting for the incoming attack, the manifested starlight coiled around Alden’s hand, taking the sharp shape of a brilliant sword! The glowing blade illuminated the gloomy surroundings.

Without wasting another second, Alden swung the blade, launching a massive horizontal slash right at him!

As the glowing projectile made of pure sword energy shot toward the Bishop, a sudden chill ran down the bishop’s spine! The energy was unbearable; it was something that actually made him feel genuine fear! He desperately tried to dodge the attack, but it was too late!

A deep, glowing scar made of starlight slashed violently across his chest! The Bishop stumbled backward in shock. The wound was not just hurting the body; it actively attacked his very consciousness, making his grip on the boy’s mind slip away!

"How is this possible?! It is impossible for it to—"

Before the Bishop could even complete his sentence, his consciousness faded away. Kaelian’s body fell backward onto the wet ground. The last chaotic vestiges of that dark being evaporated into the rain, and Kaelian returned to a normal, unconscious state.

Alden stood there panting. His eyes started to blur as the powerful attack not only defeated the Bishop but also backfired heavily on him since his mastery over the stellar technique was still far too low! His vision went dark, and he fell backward onto the cold ground, completely unconscious.

*Thud!*

As both Kaelian and Alden lay there unconscious in the pouring rain, a lingering tension remained. No one knew where the real Bishop might be hiding, or what that villain would do after finding out that a new threat had just been born—a threat that might one day stand against the temples!