Chapter 117: Escaping Amid the Explosion

"Give me a reason not to kill her."

"If we kill her, who will there be to fight the eighth Nova Clash!"

"Once the mission is completed, this instance will close. It will not be accessible in the future and will cease to exist. Even if this world is destroyed, it won't affect us. The reason is invalid," Zhao Nan replied, shaking his head.

"But... but... in any case, we cannot kill Kazuha!" Xiong You urged anxiously.

"Don't tell me you've... fallen for her?" Zhao Nan’s brow furrowed.

He didn't care whether Xiong You was sentimental, but in his view, developing feelings for characters in a fantasy instance was the most irrational behavior possible—especially in a task with a set completion deadline.

Xiong You shook his head. "It's not that... how should I put it? You could think of it as a form of admiration."

He sighed. "You might find it ridiculous, Nan-ge, but for me, this is a conviction held within my heart."

"It is indeed ridiculous."

Zhao Nan shook his head, ignoring Xiong You’s obstruction, pushed him aside, and walked forward.

"Wait!"

Xiong You rushed forward, gripping Zhao Nan’s arm tightly. "Give me some time! I will definitely come up with a win-win solution! Please! One night, just one night!"

"You... fine, one night," Zhao Nan sighed. "If you can't come up with a solution by tomorrow morning, don't blame me."

The mission completion rested in Xiong You’s hands. If he didn't complete it himself, once the time limit expired, they would never be able to leave this instance.

Whether the instance would dissolve into nothingness or continue to run on its own once closed was impossible to know. If it were the latter, they might at least survive. But if it were the former...

Zhao Nan was unwilling to take that risk. If Xiong You’s lack of cooperation led to such a risk, it would be a loss that outweighed any gain. Although he appreciated Xiong You, he didn't trust him enough to leave his fate entirely in his hands.

"I hope this doesn't lead to any unwanted emotional complications..."

Zhao Nan looked at Xiong You, who was sitting on the floor scratching his head, sighed, and gently closed the door.

...

The night air was cool as water. Zhao Nan sat alone on the rooftop of the Limiter dormitory area. He closed his eyes, and a freezing barrier began to manifest around his body.

Ever since acquiring his Stigmata, Zhao Nan had been exploring the abilities of the Freezing Barrier on his own. There were many techniques available within the academy to study, and with his ten Stigmata, his foundation was profound; even through self-study, he had made significant progress.

The Freezing Barrier expanded from his body in all directions. However, the expansion was agonizingly slow, pausing for a moment every millimeter. Zhao Nan’s expression grew increasingly focused.

Time passed. The expansion of the barrier stopped for a long while. After several minutes, it extended a fraction further, only to snap back. After repeating this several times, Zhao Nan exhaled and retracted the barrier completely.

"Fifty meters."

Zhao Nan lay on the ground; testing the Freezing Barrier was physically exhausting.

"Once I cross that threshold, irritable emotions start to surface... and beyond sixty meters, it becomes difficult to control. And this is when I'm consciously researching it. In actual combat, my limit will likely be fifty meters! I just don't know if training can increase the effective range. Then there's the issue of power. The stronger the power, the easier it is for things to spiral out of control in the short term. As expected, I really need a Pandora to pair with..."

The reason this Limiter struggled to remain calm was that he no longer had anyone to share his five senses with. After all, by sharing the five senses, the same restlessness could be divided between two people.

"The quality of the Stigmata is also inconsistent..."

This was another problem Zhao Nan had discovered over the last two days. The Stigmata activated in different Pandoras varied in quality. Zhao Nan suspected this was one of the reasons he had nearly lost his sanity.

"I need high-quality, mature Stigmata."

"It's best if Fenina's Stigmata aren't 'baptized' to ensure their quality..." Zhao Nan pondered.

"The Stigmata currently in my body are usable for now, but they must be replaced later. The best Stigmata holder... is the one inside Aoi Kazuha, which will eventually become the Heroic Stigmata."

"Thinking about it that way, I really can't kill Aoi Kazuha..."

Zhao Nan stood up and stretched vigorously. After a night of training, morning had arrived unnoticed.

He returned to his room to find Xiong You still sitting in the same spot, looking haggard but not dejected.

"Did you come up with a plan?" Zhao Nan asked, curious.

"How much longer will the sleeping potion you have on hand last?" Xiong You asked suddenly.

"At most, a month."

"That's good," Xiong You said, standing up. "I found out that in two weeks, the academy is organizing an exchange program for first-year students to the East Genetics Academy. We can use that opportunity to create chaos and escape. Miss Fenina and Xiao Nan are enrolling next week, so it’ll work out perfectly."

Zhao Nan frowned. "The fundamental problem remains unsolved."

"No, this is just the first step," Xiong You replied. "After successfully escaping the academy, we can find someone. She isn't the technical director of the Pandora Project, but her achievements are no less significant. Perhaps she has a way to solve the Stigmata runaway issue... The key is wondering if she can solve it within a year... and how we are supposed to approach her..."

"Let’s do that," Zhao Nan said with a sudden smile.

"Though I love to hear your approval," Xiong You sighed, "this plan still has many loopholes I haven't ironed out."

"No," Zhao Nan shook his head. "There is no need to focus too much on the problems of this world. Remember, your goal is to complete the instance mission, and mine is just to find enough benefits here. We don't even need to wait for an opportunity to leave; if we want to leave, we leave. Xiao You, you are very familiar with the plot here, right? Since we have already acquired enough capital, we can actually start changing this place in our own way!"

"You mean..."

"Let's speed up the pace a little."

...

In the last two days at Genetics Academy, the academy's security patrols had intensified significantly. Rumor had it that following the runaway of four Pandoras, two more had gone missing. Outside media had begun reporting these events, but the authorities offered no explanation, leaving everyone in a state of panic.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, Fenina and Xiao Nan finally completed all their paperwork and entered the academy.

Once they entered, all surveillance personnel were immediately withdrawn, with monitoring duties turned over to the academy.

"Now, let me introduce two new students. They are..."

"So pretty! Are they foreigners?"

"The other girl is so cute!"

"Quiet, quiet! Get ready for class!"

...

"Hey, hey, did you hear? One of the new Pandoras took down a senior student on the very first day!"

"Is it the one in Class F? I saw her, she’s gorgeous!"

"Yeah... I wish I could be her Limiter."

"Forget it! Many upperclassmen are already planning to make a move! It’s not going to be your turn!"

...

"It seems they are all talking about you."

Fenina, wrinkling her nose, leaned against Zhao Nan. They were in a secluded corner of the academy, quietly embracing.

"It's annoying."

"Who told you to cause such a scene on your first day?" Zhao Nan chuckled.

"I couldn't help it. Are boys and girls separated in this school? I intended to come find you after class, but an upperclassman blocked my path... I hated the way she spoke, and for some reason, I couldn't help but lash out."

"And so, on your first day, you beat up a senior, got dragged before the Academy Director, and were confined for three days. You only just got out."

Fenina lowered her head, embarrassed. "I don't know why, but I've been feeling quite irritable lately."

"It's fortunate that you have a high number of Stigmata implants; the academy values you, so the three-day confinement was just a slap on the wrist."

Zhao Nan patted Fenina’s back, letting her rest quietly against him.

Fenina had twenty Stigmata implanted. With so many, it was no surprise they were affecting her. Her outburst on the first day was likely similar to Zhao Nan’s own experience.

"Are you tired?"

"A little."

"Then we’re getting ready to leave," Zhao Nan smiled. "The surveillance here is too tight. Now that I have the Stigmata I need, there's no reason to stay."

"I see... I actually wanted to try this 'academy life'."

"There will be other opportunities later." Zhao Nan smiled, pulled out his phone, and spoke after a moment. "Xiao You? Are you and Xiao Nan ready?"

"Everything is prepared."

"Good. And the person?"

"I stopped the medication. She should wake up soon."

"Alright... do it!"

Zhao Nan gave a low chuckle. Under Fenina’s confused gaze, he extended his left hand, fingers splayed, and closed them one by one. The moment the fifth finger closed into a fist, a massive roar echoed through the academy.

One explosion followed another!

Across the entire academy, dozens of locations erupted in terrifying blasts! A harsh, screeching sound cut through the air—the academy's broadcast system, suffering from severe interference.

"Nan, this isn't your handiwork, is it?"

"I’m not the one who set the charges," Zhao Nan laughed. "Alright, it’s time for us to leave."

At that moment, throughout the chaotic academy, security forces were scrambling to respond to the disaster sites, and no one noticed the four figures who forcefully bypassed the academy's automated defense system and vanished into the distance.