We Fought Side by Side, Didn't We?

Wang Quan had said he would count to three, and he had indeed said "three." As for whether there had been a "one" or a "two," that had nothing to do with him.

This was his second lesson for the recruits: on the battlefield, they had to adapt.

The Thunder Tiger roared and leaped off the Martial Arts Platform. Even with its power suppressed, thrashing a bunch of rookie recruits who couldn't use their Forbidden Ruins was child's play.

With a bang, a recruit who was still waiting for the countdown was swatted away, flying dozens of meters backward like a kite with its string cut.

A moment later, Wang Quan appeared beside the badly injured recruit, pressed a hand to his shoulder, and said with a grin, "Young people need to learn to adapt, or they'll die!"

"On the battlefield, nothing goes as expected. There are always variables!"

His amused voice rang through the recruits' heads and spread across the entire training ground.

Whether the others remembered the lesson was anyone's guess, but this unlucky fellow certainly wouldn't forget it.

"Aaaaah!"

"Run!"

"Run!"

The recruits finally reacted, scattering wildly across the training ground. Unsurprisingly, more than a dozen were sent flying out with serious injuries.

Meanwhile, the first recruit to be knocked away sprang to his feet, brimming with energy. He stared at Wang Quan in disbelief, his eyes filled with admiration.

"You're amazing! Nothing hurts anymore!"

"Oh?" Wang Quan smiled, looking utterly harmless.

The recruit chuckled. "Hehe!"

"Since you're better, get back to training!" Wang Quan picked up the bewildered recruit and flung him back into the training ground.

Then he treated the other severely injured recruits and tossed every last one of them back in.

"Is our instructor even human?" Watching her fellow recruits fly back and forth across the training ground, Molly felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help complaining. She was also glad she'd followed Baili Pangpang and Lin Qiye to the track.

"That's brutal!"

"He threw a Mystery into the crowd on the very first day of training!" Cao Yuan sucked in a cold breath.

"By the way, how did you two know the instructor would only count one number?" Molly asked curiously.

Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang exchanged a glance. Painful memories surfaced, and both shuddered.

If you'd been chased by a pack of wolves, you'd know too.

Gradually, the recruits running around like headless chickens finally discovered the key to staying alive.

The Thunder Tiger wouldn't attack anyone standing on the track.

"Run! Get onto the track!"

At one person's shout, everyone sprinted desperately toward the track.

Overwhelmed by terror, the recruits forgot everything else. Someone suddenly fell amid the chaotic crowd, triggering a chain reaction that brought seven or eight others down. Shen Qingzhu's followers were among them, while he himself was already close to the safety of the track.

"Boohoo!"

"I'm so scared! Why are Mysteries so terrifying?"

"Mom, I want to go home!"

The fallen recruits watched the Thunder Tiger draw closer, some so frightened that tears and snot streamed down their faces.

Deng Wei, at the very back of the group, bore the brunt of it, becoming the Thunder Tiger's first target.

"Get the fuck away from them!"

Shen Qingzhu charged at the Thunder Tiger, cursing as he pushed against the fleeing crowd.

"Roar!"

The Thunder Tiger immediately noticed Shen Qingzhu and lost interest in those who had given up resisting.

Its massive body sprang high into the air, its sharp claws slicing through the air as though cutting through space itself.

Shen Qingzhu instinctively tried to activate his Forbidden Ruins, only then remembering that it had been suppressed.

Damn it! Fuck!

He cursed inwardly, his gaze hardening as he threw a punch.

An ordinary human facing a River Realm Thunder Tiger was like an egg striking a rock. Shen Qingzhu was bound to lose, and there was probably no avoiding a painful beating.

Shen Qingzhu wasn't afraid of pain. A few broken bones and a little blood were nothing compared to his brothers.

At that critical moment, someone lunged in from the side and rolled away with Shen Qingzhu, dodging the Thunder Tiger's attack.

"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts like hell!"

Lin Qiye hurried to his feet, sucking in a breath from the pain. The tiger's claws had grazed his left shoulder, tearing his flesh open.

"Dumb tiger! Stupid tiger! I'm right here! Come eat me!"

Not far away, Baili Pangpang slapped his backside, taunting the Thunder Tiger with an obnoxious grin.

"Mysteries don't understand human speech! Are you an idiot?" Molly cursed as she hurled a stone at the Thunder Tiger, hitting it square in the face.

Sure enough, the Thunder Tiger flew into a rage and charged at them with a roar.

"Run, Fatty!"

"Right, right, right!"

On the other side, Cao Yuan helped the terrified recruits up one by one and escorted them toward the track.

Shen Qingzhu took in everything unfolding around him. Sitting on the ground, he suddenly looked up at Lin Qiye, whose arm was stained with blood, and asked in confusion:

"Why are you doing this? We barely know each other!"

Lin Qiye held out his right hand. Standing before Shen Qingzhu with the light behind him and a faint smile on his lips, he answered brightly:

"We fought side by side, didn't we?!"

"The first lesson Wang Quan taught Fatty and me was never to abandon our teammates!"

Lin Qiye's gaze was sincere, and he meant every word. Shen Qingzhu had been willing to give up reaching safety for his brothers, which showed that he valued loyalty and friendship. He was someone worth getting to know.

At least, that was how Lin Qiye saw it.

"I never asked you to stick your noses into my business!" Shen Qingzhu turned his head, trying his best to hide his expression from Lin Qiye, but still reached out and took his hand.

"Motherfucker!"

"Will you two stop chatting? Molly and I are about to die over here!"

Baili Pangpang yelped and hollered as Lin Qiye pulled Shen Qingzhu to his feet.

Only the four of them remained in the middle of the training ground now. Fortunately, they were fairly close to the track.

Just as Baili Pangpang and Molly approached the track, the Thunder Tiger suddenly accelerated, catching up to them in the blink of an eye. Its claws gleamed coldly as they slammed down.

Baili Pangpang turned sideways to take the blow, but both he and Molly were knocked away. He shielded her in his arms as they slid more than a dozen meters across the ground. Agony spread from his back through his entire body, stabbing into his brain.

"Fatty!" Lin Qiye shouted anxiously. Baili Pangpang might be a little dim, but there was no denying that he was one of Lin Qiye's few friends.

At that moment, Baili Pangpang had no attention to spare for Lin Qiye. All his focus was on the beauty in his arms.

"Molly, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Molly replied coldly, hurriedly pulling out of Baili Pangpang's embrace. After staring blankly for a while, she helped him up, her voice softening slightly. "Are you... okay?"

"Of cour-hiss!" Baili Pangpang had barely started trying to act tough before the wound on his back put him in his place.

Molly glanced over, her beautiful eyes widening.

The back of Baili Pangpang's uniform was almost shredded, exposing torn folds of his pale, tender flesh. The injury was serious.

Knowing that Baili Pangpang had been hurt protecting her, Molly couldn't help feeling guilty.

"Does it... hurt?"

"I'll take you to the infirmary!"

No longer caring about training, Molly took Baili Pangpang's hand and started to leave.

The instant their hands touched, wounds and excruciating pain suddenly seemed irrelevant.

"Hehe!" Baili Pangpang beamed, feeling utterly blessed. Thank you, Thunder Tiger. Thank you, Brother Quan. Thank you, training...

He wanted to thank even the air around him.