Is First High School Out of Talent?

The Combat Assessment wasn't held at school or in the city proper, but in the Exotic Beast Hunting Ground on the outskirts.

The exotic beasts in the Hunting Ground had mostly been captured and raised by humans during their struggle against the beasts. They were different from the exotic beasts found in the true Wilderness.

So the Hunting Ground was still within the city base, and its dangers were manageable, making it suitable for high school students to gain practical experience.

The Hunting Ground wasn't usually open to the public. It was mainly used to study exotic beasts' habits or provide students with opportunities for practical training.

That afternoon, more than forty thousand seniors from all 108 high schools in Guanyun City gathered at the Hunting Ground on the outskirts.

This Mock Exam covered all the high schools in the city, and the Hunting Ground would be opened in its entirety.

Most students had never seen a real exotic beast. Now they could finally see with their own eyes the creatures they'd only encountered in textbooks or pictures and videos. They were both excited and nervous.

"Students, before entering the Hunting Ground, you'll each receive an Energy Talisman. Then you'll be separated from your classmates and sent in at different locations."

"If you encounter a life-threatening situation, the talisman will automatically activate to save you. Someone will come to rescue you very soon, but your score will be final at that point."

"The Hunting Ground is divided into clear zones. The farther you go from the outskirts toward the core, the stronger the exotic beasts will be."

"From first-stage beasts to those just entering the second stage, their numbers will dwindle as their strength increases."

"Your goal is to hunt as many exotic beasts as possible. The stronger the beast, the more points it's worth."

"You don't need to kill the beasts. You only need to take the Tracking Monitor hanging around their necks."

"Of course, you won't lose points for killing a beast, but you won't be able to take it with you."

"Remember, safety comes first. Don't act rashly."

"You can compete with other students for prey, but you mustn't deliberately attack other examinees. Any student who attacks first will lose points."

"You can form a team with others, but the points will be distributed according to each person's contribution."

Outside the Hunting Ground, Head Teacher Wang Tong patiently went over the assessment rules again and again, even though the students already knew them by heart.

After students from different schools and classes were mixed up, loaded into military trucks, and dropped off at various points around the Hunting Ground, Lu Chong was still thinking over the rules.

"Are these exam rules fair and reasonable?"

As Lu Chong considered it, he noticed there seemed to be loopholes. But this was a practical assessment. Anything that could happen in a real battle could also happen during the exam.

So absolute fairness was impossible, but the rules were realistic.

"First-stage exotic beasts are equivalent to Martial Disciples, and they're divided into nine stages as well."

"Each first-stage, first-stage beast is worth one point."

"Second-stage beasts are worth two points, third-stage beasts four, and so on, doubling each time."

"In other words, hunting a ninth-stage beast is worth 256 points, the same as hunting more than two hundred first-stage beasts."

"The farther you go, the more difficult it gets, but it's much more efficient, and there'll be fewer competitors. That is, if you're strong enough."

As Lu Chong analyzed the situation, he waited to enter the exam grounds.

At two in the afternoon, the Energy Light Wall covering a hundred-mile radius disappeared right on time, allowing students to enter the Hunting Ground from any direction.

An alarm sounded, and a broadcast came through every student's earpiece. "Attention, all students. You have ten minutes to enter the Hunting Ground for the assessment. The Light Wall will reactivate in ten minutes, and no one will be allowed in after that."

Lu Chong looked around. There was no one else nearby.

He didn't hesitate any longer and strode into the ruined area ahead.

Ten minutes later, the Energy Light Wall came down again, enclosing all the examinees inside the Hunting Ground.

Before him lay a desolate, ruined town. Collapsed old buildings were everywhere, and moss, vines, and other plants grew across the weathered ruins.

Having studied history extensively, Lu Chong knew that the Hunting Ground at the Guanyun City base was actually the site of a desperate urban battle between humans and exotic beasts fifteen years earlier.

After a brutal fight, humanity had driven back the beast tide, but half the city's buildings had been destroyed.

Rather than demolish the area, they'd decided to rebuild around it and preserve the ruins as a reminder of the war for future generations. That was how the ruins of the Hunting Ground on the outskirts of Guanyun City had come to be.

Whoosh!

As Lu Chong quietly made his way through the streets and alleys, a shadow suddenly shot out of a window to his left. With a sharp cry, it lunged toward his neck.

A Shadow Cat!

Lu Chong glanced at it. The jet-black feline beast was known for its speed, agility, and sharp claws.

However, it was only a first-stage, first-stage beast. Its speed was nothing impressive in Lu Chong's eyes.

Just as the green-eyed Shadow Cat unsheathed its claws, coming within five inches of Lu Chong's neck, he suddenly moved.

He leaned slightly to the side, shooting out his left hand like lightning as his right hand came down like a fan.

In the next instant—

A nameplate appeared in Lu Chong's left hand, while his right hand, curled like an eagle's claw, gripped the Shadow Cat by the neck and lifted it into the air.

"So this is a Shadow Cat?"

Lu Chong didn't hurry onward. Instead, he carefully examined the so-called exotic beast.

"Shame I can't take it back. I could've sold it for a bit of money." Lu Chong felt a little regretful.

He didn't kill the Shadow Cat just because he couldn't take it with him. Instead, he held it and studied it at his leisure.

Since he'd finally come across an exotic beast, he thought he should examine it properly. That way, he'd know how to handle others of its kind later.

The Shadow Cat was half a meter long, with smooth, glossy black fur. Its claws were curved like hooks and extremely sharp.

Its teeth were just as sharp when it bared them and snarled at Lu Chong.

Its eyes were a deep green, with vertical pupils. It certainly looked vicious.

Meanwhile, Lu Chong was still turning the Shadow Cat this way and that as he examined it, like a curious child.

Elsewhere, in the Monitoring Hall not far from the Hunting Ground, Wang Tong blushed and shrank behind the crowd, unable to bear watching.

A huge screen at the front of the hall was divided into many sections, each showing a live feed of some of the students.

The feeds of students with especially strong academic records were enlarged for everyone below to watch.

Of course, if a student with poor academic results performed exceptionally well, the staff would switch to that student's feed.

The people seated below were either influential figures in Guanyun City or teachers directly responsible for overseeing the students.

Besides the head teachers of the senior classes, all the high schools' principals were there too.

On top of that, there were senior officials from the Department of Education, as well as the military and police forces stationed in Guanyun City.

The live feeds were confidential and couldn't be released, at least not before the College Entrance Exam. Everyone had signed a confidentiality agreement.

Principal Wei of First High School, Wei Jianguo, sat near the middle of the front row, smiling as he watched the students on the big screen.

"Old Wei, which student have you got your eye on?" asked an elderly man in a long gown sitting beside him. He didn't look much younger than Wei Jianguo.

Wei Jianguo glanced at Lu Chong on the screen and smiled as he pointed. "Take a look at this student of mine. His future is limitless."

The principal of Third High School glanced at Lu Chong, who was petting a cat, and looked mildly astonished. He chuckled. "Is First High School out of students or something?"