Talent-type Player

At that moment, the hearts of the simulated composite Honkai Beasts finally died. When they saw those lashes raining down on them, they felt as though the sky were falling...

After effortlessly smashing the simulated enemies, the vast Assessment Area returned to silence. Himeko scribbled away in a small notebook, while Theresa stood to one side, staring thoughtfully at Xina.

A few minutes later, strange smiles appeared on Himeko and Theresa's faces, as if they had reached some kind of agreement.

Xina: I have no idea what they're smiling about, but something feels off.

As it turned out, Xina's instincts were completely trustworthy. Once Himeko and Theresa reached an agreement, Himeko leaped into the Assessment Area as well.

After equipping a relatively ordinary suit of armor, Himeko held an enormous greatsword before her and smiled. "Theresa and I discussed it. Since we're already here, we might as well do your Grading Assessment too. I'll be the main attacker, and you'll support me. Do your best, Xina~"

"Huh? Okay!"

Although Xina was still somewhat confused about what this so-called Grading Assessment was, if she only had to assist, then she probably would not need to put in too much effort. With that thought, Xina nodded lightly.

Seeing Xina nod, Himeko raised her right hand and gave Theresa a thumbs-up.

Receiving the signal, Theresa tapped the virtual screen in front of her. Pink mosaic-like matter gathered once more, and the Honkai energy barrier protecting the venue enveloped the entire platform again.

Beep~ Beep~ Beep~ The familiar three alarm tones sounded, and the assembled Honkai Beasts appeared one after another in the open space before the two of them.

This time, six Honkai Beasts and six Death Stalkers wielding bows appeared at once. And among those six Honkai Beasts, only two were the same Assault-Class Honkai Beasts from before!

There were two new kinds of Honkai Beasts. The two large creatures standing at the front had a pair of unusually thick forelimbs and two short little legs, with a red crystal-like object between their forked, bull-like horns.

The two at the sides were Singapore's "old acquaintances," Knight-class Honkai Beasts. They held lances and shifted their steps like cavalry.

"Xina, pay attention. They've now been set to free attack mode. They won't foolishly stand there and wait for you to attack them like before. You only need to—"

Before Himeko could finish, Xina had already lashed out with her whip, viciously striking at the Death Stalkers. With the help of sunglasses, the Death Stalkers, already dressed in black, looked several shades darker.

To Xina, that color practically had five words written across their faces: Hey! Come whip me!

As two sets of cross-shaped slashes swept through the gaps between the Honkai Beasts, accurately sending the Death Stalkers flying and turning them into ice sculptures that shattered apart midair, Himeko fell into thought as she watched Xina wield her whip with such instinctive skill.

Could it be... that people from North America were born proficient with whips?

She was clearly a delicate little girl who got out of breath just from running, yet the moment she swung a whip, the way it whistled through the air made her seem like an entirely different person from that sickly beauty.

Very soon, Xina's call for help interrupted Himeko's thoughts. "Teacher, what do we do next?!"

"It's fine. Just follow behind me!" Himeko dragged her greatsword forward in a charge. As she sprinted, she did not forget to explain, "There are three kinds of Honkai Beasts on the field right now. Assault-Class Honkai Beasts are fast, but their attack and defense aren't particularly strong. You only need to—"

As she spoke, Himeko performed a sliding dodge to evade the crossed charge of the two Assault-Class Honkai Beasts. After avoiding their attack, she leaped into the air and swung her greatsword in a graceful crescent behind her.

Boom!

The two Honkai Beasts, caught in a brief moment of stiffness, were sliced in half by a single strike. They lay motionless on the ground, their bodies gradually breaking down into garbled code. They were clearly dead beyond doubt.

At the same time, a Knight-class Honkai Beast entered a charging state. With tremendous momentum, it rushed toward Himeko, raised its lance, and thrust at her with all its strength.

"Oh, that was fast!" Himeko had been prepared. Dragging her greatsword, she rolled to the side, dodging the attack while widening the distance between herself and the Honkai Beast.

There were now four Honkai Beasts remaining on the field. War-Chariot Class Honkai Beasts moved very slowly and needed to charge up before attacking. They were cumbersome creatures with high attack power but extremely low attack speed.

As for Knight-class Honkai Beasts, they had high attack power and great speed, though there was nothing particularly special about them. But why was only one Honkai Beast causing trouble for her?

With that thought, Himeko looked toward her rear flank in surprise, and in that instant, she understood the difference between Talent-type Players and hard-working players.

Unlike her own technical style of attacking with both hands, constantly darting around, and pushing her control to the limit to handle Honkai Beasts, Xina merely stood in place and whipped the three Honkai Beasts until they did not dare show themselves.

Not to mention that the two already sluggish War-Chariot Class Honkai Beasts moved so stiffly that they looked like children playing house.

Even the incredibly fast Knight-class Honkai Beast was affected by the low temperatures, dragging an ice layer thicker than its own body as it crawled across the ground like a turtle.

Xina only needed to stroll a few steps to the side to easily evade the Honkai Beast's snail-slow attacks.

It was clear that Xina had always understood one principle: since I can't run fast, I'll make you run just as slowly as me. Then I can defeat you in the field I'm familiar with.

"Tch, that really is a talent worth envying..." Watching Xina effortlessly suppress three Honkai Beasts by herself during her very first simulated combat session, Himeko could not help comparing the girl's performance to her own back then.

It would have been better if she had not compared them. Once she did, Himeko only felt miserable.

The feeling of being an old wave dying on the beach lingered inexplicably in her heart, refusing to fade for a long time.

Looks like I really am getting old. From now on, this world belongs to the young...

With that thought, Himeko could not help sighing.

Hearing the heavy footsteps beside her, Himeko slowly turned around. Looking at the Knight-class Honkai Beast slowly approaching her, she casually rested the greatsword on her shoulder and said, "But I'm a teacher, after all. I absolutely can't show this discouraged look in front of my student!"

Perhaps it had entered its optimal attack range, or perhaps it had heard Himeko's words. The mount beneath the Knight-class Honkai Beast raised its forelimbs high before stomping down heavily. A flash of light lit up across its towering body.

Immediately afterward, the Honkai Beast charged toward Himeko.

One large and one small, the two figures crossed paths, and the victor was decided in an instant.

The Honkai Beast struck in a vital spot by Himeko's greatsword froze for a moment. Then its two front hooves rose upward, and as though it had lost its balance, it toppled backward onto the ground.

Boom!

Another slash fell. After being decapitated, the enormous Knight-class Honkai Beast turned into countless fading points of light.