Scare Tactics?

Transport vehicles were already waiting outside the academy, glowing with a faint blue light beneath them as they hovered fifty centimeters above the ground.

The enormous metal carriage reeked of rust as everyone took their seats.

Boom!

Cries of alarm rang out. Accompanied by a sensation of weightlessness, they had already taken off and merged into the elevated multilayer roadway.

"Three things..." Hu Xiang paced back and forth inside the carriage, drawing everyone's attention. His slightly hoarse voice carried an absolute killing intent.

"First, obey orders without question. Outside the city is not the academy, much less your home. I have the right to kill anyone who disobeys."

"Second, only unity ensures survival. Never act alone!"

"Third, accidents can happen at any time. Never play the hero!"

Su Chen noticed that as soon as those words were spoken, quite a few people had turned pale with fright.

These were also written in the precautions given to them, specially highlighted in red.

He emphasized again, "Outside the city is nothing like inside. Even a flower may contain deadly danger. Any abnormality must be reported. If your actions cause someone else's death, your family will be responsible for compensation."

Every sentence contained the word death and heavy implications. Several people were already trembling. Hu Xiang secretly shook his head. These kids had truly been protected too well.

His gaze swept imperceptibly over Su Chen, only to find the other boy expressionless, without the slightest ripple in his eyes.

As expected of a drifter. Those words could not scare him.

Hu Xiang held no prejudice against drifters. He even believed that such unusual experiences could be beneficial.

What a pity. He offended someone he shouldn't have.

Hu Xiang was not much of a talker. After issuing the warning, he fell silent.

The atmosphere was quiet, and no one spoke for a while.

Zhou Zong and the others had already formed a small circle. It included Shen Ying'er, that exceptionally gifted girl, along with several others who seemed far from ordinary. At the very least, Hu Xiang's words had not frightened them.

Because of the seating arrangement, Bai Fengxi was not quite part of their group, or perhaps she was simply lingering on the outskirts.

"...In a while, Zhang Yunqing will be holding a Southwind Academy alumni gathering. I heard it might have something to do with Ying Feng..." Zhou Zong suddenly brought up something.

Though he was some distance away, Su Chen's senses were exceptionally sharp, and he heard it clearly.

The people gathered around Zhou Zong looked eager. Shen Ying'er had moved especially close, repeatedly hinting that she hoped he would make introductions. Yet Zhou Zong merely changed the subject.

Before long, the transport vehicle came to a stop. The moment Su Chen stepped down, the first thing he saw was the enormous city wall before him.

It was over ten meters tall, built from a kind of black crystal that faintly glowed white. It stretched so far to either side that its end was nearly impossible to see.

So this was Morningstar Stone. Su Chen studied it.

Hu Xiang was speaking with the officer at the city gate. Naturally, they would not open the main gate for them, so they went to a smaller gate at the side.

Though it was called a small gate, it was still three or four meters tall.

"Get ready!" Hu Xiang shouted. With a clack, the small gate slowly opened, and a chill suddenly slipped inside.

Everyone tensed, unable to stop themselves from peering through the opening at the world outside. Su Chen did the same.

It was daytime now, the "Sun Mist" phase. Everything was still shrouded in a gray, hazy color.

Desolate, lifeless, decayed.

Those were the first words that came to Su Chen's mind. Visibility was not too poor, however, and they could see quite far.

"Move!" Hu Xiang shouted, taking the lead as he strode out. The others followed close behind, filing through the gate.

Boom!

A tremendous crash came from behind them, making everyone's hearts leap. The city gate had closed.

"Mom..." someone muttered in a trembling voice. Within the endless mist, the fear in their hearts seemed to be magnified without limit.

"Turn around every ten to fifteen steps. Report it if anyone is missing or if you notice anything unusual," Hu Xiang issued his first order.

Bai Fengxi suddenly fell back to Su Chen's side and said quietly, "Zhou Zong should not be on this expedition. Whoever sent him probably means trouble. Be careful."

Su Chen looked up at Bai Fengxi's delicate profile. His mind was unusually active, and an inexplicable feeling rose within him.

It was not attraction, but a kind of...

The feeling of a professional.

Su Chen's eyes widened in surprise. This woman had already taken up a profession so quickly?

Amid everyone's panic and unease, the group gradually headed deeper in. Southwind City behind them slowly vanished into the mist.

The mist looked unremarkable. After extensive research, it had long been confirmed to be completely harmless.

However, it could block all communication devices and even suppress spiritual perception. Su Chen could feel it. Originally, he could sense the general situation within nearly ten meters, but now his range had been reduced to only three or four.

Su Chen extended his palm through the thin mist. Hu Xiang occasionally opened a virtual screen and used special equipment to fix their direction.

"Careful..."

A sudden shout came from ahead. The ground trembled faintly. Due to the characteristics of a Riftbreaker Warrior, Su Chen keenly sensed the mist's flow suddenly quicken. A shadow also vaguely emerged from the fog before them.

Roar—

A deafening beastly roar rang out. Terror filled everyone's faces as the black shadow suddenly pounced from the mist, carrying a ferocious wind and a mane of black fur that struck fear into their hearts.

It was a giant wolf. Su Chen saw it clearly. The students nearly scattered in panic. The attack had come too suddenly; how could they have experienced such a brutal scene before?

Su Chen narrowed his eyes. From the corner of his vision, he saw Bai Fengxi beside him turn solemn. With a flick of her hand, a metal disk unfolded around her arm and rapidly formed a small shield.

Su Chen could hear her slightly hurried breathing, and her expression grew increasingly grave. His face shifted slightly as he retreated behind Bai Fengxi.

Bai Fengxi froze in confusion.

Boom!

Just then, a streak of fire shot through the air like a falling meteor, accurately piercing the black giant wolf's body. Flames surged into the sky as the wolf convulsed, pinned dead in the middle of its charge.

"Get back here, all of you!" Hu Xiang leaped onto the giant wolf's body and swept his gaze around.

Another scare tactic... Su Chen was not surprised in the least. With Hu Xiang here, it was not their turn to show off.

The city patrol had already formed a defensive formation at the first sign of trouble. The students were a miserable sight; some were even lying on the ground, shivering, but not one had escaped the patrol's sight.

Hu Xiang observed them secretly. Only a few had barely maintained their composure. The only one worth noting was that girl, whose eyes faintly held a trace of madness, as if she had been prepared to fight for her life.

A professional? His brow rose. He reached out and pulled out the crimson spear embedded in the giant wolf's head. With a shake of his hand, the metal spear contracted inch by inch until it was as thick as an arm, then he flung it onto his back.

The people around them gradually calmed down, though all of them felt their legs trembling and did not dare look directly at the giant wolf's corpse on the ground.

Zhou Zong could only feel his heart pounding. It took great effort before he could force himself to move.

Why were they using a mutant to scare them this time? Weren't they supposed to deliberately let a few people slip away before?

"Count heads," Hu Xiang ordered. Bai Fengxi also put away her shield.

Only then did he notice Su Chen, who was hiding behind Bai Fengxi and peeking around.

The corner of this cold-blooded tough man's eye could not help twitching slightly. He had clearly seen Su Chen hide behind Bai Fengxi just now.

Impressive. No wonder someone wanted him dead.

"You're in for a treat tonight," Hu Xiang called out as he had people begin butchering the beast.

"Boss, what's going on? Using a mutant to scare these little brats, and you didn't even tell us." One of his subordinates vented his dissatisfaction in a low voice. "You scared the hell out of us."

"Can't I see how much edge you lot still have?" Hu Xiang shot him a sidelong glance. His subordinate left with an embarrassed grin, while Hu Xiang looked worriedly into the distance before lowering his head to the virtual screen in his hand.

No one had informed him either.