041: Asking for It

"Students, the first assessment is now entering its final countdown. There are currently 34 people remaining. This assessment will conclude when only 30 participants are left, and all students who haven't made it onto the leaderboard will be deemed to have failed this first assessment."

A slightly stern voice echoed over the wilderness, which was steadily shrinking due to the encroaching toxic gas. It was Zhou Dongbo, the vice principal of Xicheng No. 1 High School.

In an instant, all thirty-four remaining people in the wilderness erupted in an uproar.

Dozens of eyes simultaneously turned towards the leaderboard in the sky.

Leaderboard Rank 1: Wu Chun: 8 points.

Leaderboard Rank 2: Wang Ba: 7 points.

Leaderboard Rank 3: Tang Jian: 7 points.

Leaderboard Rank 4: Liu Fei: 6 points.

Leaderboard Rank 23: Liu Kun: 3 points.

Leaderboard Rank 29: Hu Lingli: 2 points.

Leaderboard Rank 30: Yang Mao: 2 points.

"Brother Gu, what do we do now? I feel like my current position is very dangerous."

Hu Lingli and Gu Du moved together towards the center of the wilderness, her pretty face etched with worry.

"What else can we do? Find weaker opponents to eliminate, or try not to get eliminated ourselves and just hold on.

Our area of activity is shrinking rapidly. The last four weak and strong individuals will be squeezed together. We don't have many opportunities left."

Gu Du analyzed calmly, his gaze briefly flicking to the leaderboard. He was quite curious and puzzled about Tang Jian, who had consistently held a top-three spot.

Who exactly is this Tang Jian? I've never heard of him, yet he already has seven points.

He had previously thought the other person was just lucky, but now, his own points were only 4, while the other's had reached a significant 7. This couldn't be luck; it had to be skill.

Hu Lingli felt a bit anxious and frustrated. There were still thirty-four people left.

At this moment, Gu Du was clearly unwilling to risk further combat for her, only wanting to hold on until the assessment ended.

After all, if he were unfortunately counter-killed while taking a risk now, he would be directly eliminated.

However, if he continued to hold on, with Gu Du's 4 points, he would certainly be able to last until the end of the assessment.

But her, Hu Lingli, with only 2 points, was in a very precarious situation.

Just as Hu Lingli was feeling anxious, her expression suddenly tightened. She saw a figure appear in a cluster of ravines to the south.

"Someone!" Hu Lingli whispered, grabbing Gu Du's hand.

Gu Du was also startled and quickly turned his head to look, his detector already pointed in that direction.

However, the moment they saw the person's face, both of their expressions relaxed.

"It's him!" Hu Lingli's face lit up with joy as she looked at Gu Du. "He's from Class 12. I sort of remember him. Among their class, only Liu Kun is somewhat capable. His strength is clearly very poor. Help me take him out."

Gu Du raised an eyebrow slightly, noticing that Tang Jian had also seen them, but his expression was remarkably calm, which made Gu Du somewhat cautious and hesitant.

Seeing this, Hu Lingli inwardly grumbled and whispered, "How about I lure him over first?"

Gu Du's eyes flashed. "Be careful."

"Mmm." Hu Lingli brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then waved at Tang Jian, who was observing them from not far away. "Hey, friend from Class 12, come over here. Have you seen Yang Mao?"

Tang Jian heard Hu Lingli's call and then glanced at Gu Du, who was cautiously watching him from beside her. He narrowed his eyes.

What did this Hu Lingli mean?

It was the final stretch of the assessment. Was she asking him to gather with them now? They weren't even very familiar with each other, were they?

He ignored her and instead began walking towards the other side of the ravines, not wanting to get too close to the two of them.

He had achieved his objective for this assessment and didn't want to continue eliminating others.

A third-place ranking was also acceptable. Now, it was just about ensuring his own safety. It was a pity he hadn't encountered Wu Chun and Wang Ba; otherwise, he would have liked to test their strengths.

Seeing that Tang Jian completely ignored them and cautiously moved away, Hu Lingli immediately became anxious.

"Hey, friend, come over! The three of us together would be much safer. You're very dangerous on your own!" Hu Lingli waved.

Gu Du, standing nearby, chuckled. "Looks like this guy is very clever and cautious. No wonder he's still alive despite his lack of strength. But unfortunately, there's not much time left, and he probably hasn't made it onto the leaderboard yet."

Gu Du shook his head as he spoke, glancing at Hu Lingli. "Forget it, this timid guy must also be very weak. I'll help you take him out, but after this assessment…"

Hu Lingli's pretty face was enchanting. "I have a date with Liu Fei this weekend. I'll spend Saturday with you."

This bitch! Gu Du snorted inwardly, but still gave a slight nod. The next moment, he abruptly raised his detector and launched an attack at Tang Jian from a distance.

Magic Combat Card — Wind Blade!

Swoosh swoosh—

Two nearly transparent Wind Blades suddenly materialized in front of Gu Du. In a flash, they cut through the air like a pair of dragonfly wings, rapidly closing in on Tang Jian.

Pfft!

Two deep marks were instantly torn into the ground of the ravine.

The moment Gu Du raised his arm and aimed at him, Tang Jian quickly realized something was wrong and dodged.

Seeing the deep trench so close to his feet, Tang Jian's expression immediately turned cold.

These two guys really don't know what's good for them.

"Hm? You've got some skill, managing to dodge the Wind Blade ahead of time."

Gu Du's eyes widened in surprise. He suddenly took a step, his figure darting forward like a muscular leopard, while the energy meters in his hands lit up one after another.

"Since you won't drink the toast, I'll force you to taste my piss!"

Tang Jian snorted coldly, directly consuming Card Energy to activate the Water Wave Shield Card.

With a hum, ripples spread around him as a circle of water waves quickly formed, creating a protective barrier around his body.

At the same time, Tang Jian swiftly began to move and dodge.

Wind Blades whizzed past him by mere millimeters, and even when one grazed his body, it was blocked by the Water Wave Shield.

The Wind Blades were incredibly fast, making them difficult for Tang Jian to avoid with his speed. However, any that couldn't be dodged were directly blocked by the Water Wave Shield, preventing him from being harmed.

He actually has this kind of shield card, and he's also got Star Baby with him. Does that mean his other card is a support card?

It's not out of the question that he has hidden Cards. So, if he does have a hidden Card, what could it be?

Gu Du fired four consecutive Wind Blades; three were dodged by Tang Jian, and one struck Tang Jian but was blocked by the shield. He wisely stopped firing Wind Blades to conserve energy and instead began to rapidly close the distance with Tang Jian.

He still had a melee card in his hand—[Hulk's Hat]—which, when activated, could double his physical strength.

From his observations, Tang Jian had an energy meter in each hand, meaning he likely possessed at least two non-Energy Cards.

One had already been revealed as a shield card, and the other as the pet card, Star Baby.

If Tang Jian didn't have any more hidden Cards, then once Gu Du got close, he would be flattened directly.

While the combination of Star Baby and the shield card was very "turtle-like," it consumed a lot of energy. It would definitely be worn down by his pure "physical flow" Hulk's Hat card!

Thanks to Gentle Brother and "kandinsky" for the tips! True love!