My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Up or Down Part 2
The group was still trying to figure out what he meant when he suddenly jumped and disappeared from view

“Did he just leave us?” Meria’s voice was low, tinged with disbelief.

Kira, who had been the most casual about their team dynamics, just laughed it off.

“Looks like it. Can’t say I’m surprised though. We are all rivals here, and he had been helping us. At least he gave us a clue.”

Meria shot her a glance . “A clue? That was barely anything. He could have at least explained himself instead of just… vanishing.”

“Maybe he thought we wouldn’t get it. ” Kira shrugged. “Or maybe he didn’t care. Either way, it’s clear he doesn’t need us.”

Talira, sensing the tension still hanging in the air, spoke up. “Let’s forget about him for now. Kira is right, he has no obligation to help us.”

“Instead, we should figure out what he meant. Make our energy completely undetectable.” She glanced at the others, looking for an answer.

Rhea was the first to speak.

“My conclusion is that there’s a spell on those platforms, and that’s what’s causing the pressure. If we manage to completely hide our energy, we won’t trigger them.”

Meria nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. But how do we hide it completely? It’s not something we can just turn off.”

Kira frowned, her arms crossed. “No way. Our energy is always there. It’s part of us.”

Their bodies constantly circulated energy, or they would die. It wasn’t something a sorcerer could easily achieve, especially when they had far more energy than others.

But how had he pulled it off?

—

—

—

At the top, he found a narrow passage stretching upward.

The pressure was no longer present, and now, with the ability to use his energy freely again, he allowed himself a small breath of relief.

If he hadn’t figured out the trick, he would have been forced to use a powerful spell to break through, just like everyone else.

Everyone had focused too much on brute force and forgotten to study the floating slabs.

It was only when he carefully observed the small changes in the runes on each platforms that he solved the puzzle.

He noticed a sudden shift whenever someone passed through them.

A hypothesis formed in his mind. The runes weren’t continuously active—they were reactive.

They only activated in response to someone passing through their range, making it nearly impossible for anyone to predict or feel their effect before it was too late.

It was a brilliant trap, one designed to be subtle, but his natural affinity to energy allowed him to see what others did not.

To counter the reactive runes, he decided to isolate his energy in his core. He was fortunate that his core still functioned like a black hole—an insatiable force that consumed everything if he willed it.

Still, what he attempted was very dangerous.

Normally, such a tactic would mean his body would enter a death state. Without a continuous flow of energy throughout his system, his organs would shut down, and his body would begin to deteriorate quickly.

He used a technique that involved momentarily entering a self-imposed stasis.

This stasis wasn’t a true “death state” but rather a slowing of his bodily functions, essentially placing himself into a deep, controlled suspension.

It was a tricky part, but in the end, he effectively became undetectable through a combination of skill, luck, and having a physique that could survive without energy for an extended period of time.

‘Yeah, leaving them there is the best decision. It’s not like they can make it work if I explained it to them. I’d just be wasting my time babysitting them.’

He wasn’t being selfish; he was just being realistic.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, he reached the end of the massive tunnel.

His eyes narrowed as he spotted something unusual in the distance—a stark, distinct X mark carved into the stone ceiling . It stood out against the dark, shadowed surroundings.

When he touched it, the ground began to rumble, and the entrance opened, light peeking through from the other side.

He flew in, finding himself inside a lush garden. Green fields stretched out everywhere, with flowers blooming all around him.

Asher was surprised to see such a serene scene in Eryx. But what caught his attention even more was a white gazebo in the middle of the garden, and sitting there was a woman in a flowing white robe.

It wasn’t the baggy kind, but one that fit her body quite well. The robe was adorned with emerald patterns that resembled flowing water.

She was sipping from a cup of tea, and in front of her was a plate of cookies, neatly arranged. The peaceful scene felt oddly out of place .

‘Maybe she’s one of the facilitators?’ he thought to himself and got closer.

As he approached the gazebo, the woman looked up at him, her blue, neon-like eyes locking onto his.

They seemed to glow faintly, matching the silvery sheen of her hair, which appeared perpetually wet, almost as if it were shimmering with a liquid sheen.

“Amazing, I never thought an outsider would reach this place this fast,” she giggled, setting her tea cup down.

Then, she grabbed the white kettle with a flower pattern and poured him a cup. “Please, sit. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

Asher obliged, sensing no hostility from her .

“Before we start, congratulations,” she gave him a warm smile “You don’t have to undergo those tests anymore. Reaching this place has granted you the seeded position.”

“Seeded position?” he repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

The woman tapped her lips thoughtfully for a moment.

“To put it simply,” the woman fingers delicately traced the rim of her tea cup, “a seeded position is granted to sorcerers of exceptional strength and achievements. It is typically reserved for participants from Eryx who have received formal recommendations. ”

“However, to ensure fairness for outsiders like yourself, we devised this test for this year. Truth be told,” she added with a soft, melodic chuckle, “I wasn’t expecting anyone to pass it.”

“So tell me,” she leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady and curious, “how did you do it? Did you force your way in? Did you tamper with the runes?

“You don’t know?” he raised an eyebrow .

She leaned back gracefully, still maintaining her warm and sweet demeanor.

“No. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting anyone to pass. The last rune was even tempered, and I took extra effort to make sure it was impossible to break.”

“That’s cheating,” he responded.

Instead of getting angry, she just shook her head.

“We are sorcerers. Since when did we care about fairness? We can do what we want.”

Asher paused for a moment before replying. “I understand. So, using your logic, I don’t want to answer your question about how I passed. ”

The woman was taken aback for a brief moment before she composed herself. “Suit yourself.”

She then stood to her feet.

“I’ll guide you to your private quarter. You can wait there until the day of the tournament. Don’t worry, we won’t do anything to someone with as much potential as you.”