Is This an Assessment?

"Hello? Uncle Zheng?"

On the bus, Lin Mo answered Zheng Heping's call.

"Xiao Mo, I... thank you."

On the phone, Zheng Heping hemmed and hawed for a long time, but in the end, he only managed to say thank you.

"Uncle Zheng, what are you doing? Why be so polite with me? Who are we to each other? If we kept thanking each other back and forth, all the times I've kowtowed to you over the years would probably have made me stupid by now."

"You kid!"

Hearing Lin Mo's slick, unserious tone, Zheng Heping couldn't help but laugh.

"By the way, Xiao Mo, did you Awaken?"

"Ah? Haha, yeah, I Awakened by accident."

When Zheng Heping suddenly asked about this, Lin Mo quickly laughed it off.

"You kid, you Awakened and didn't even tell me. I only found out today after I got off work."

"Haha, it was really sudden for me too, you know. I thought I'd just go get certified, and this is how it turned out."

"Your Awakening is too sudden. It doesn't make sense." Zheng Heping still felt like he was dreaming, unreal.

"Yeah, could it be because of the potion you gave me?" Lin Mo thought for a moment and started spinning the story again.

"Huh? Could it?"

"Why not? I've never drunk a Supreme Vitality Potion before. Maybe that's what triggered my Awakening. Not long after I drank it, I felt something off inside my body."

Lin Mo said it with all seriousness, as if it were really true.

"Oh? This is the first time I've heard of such a case."

"Uncle Zheng, I've gotta go. We're almost at the Elite Camp. I'll contact you later once I'm settled in."

Seeing that Zheng Heping seemed ready to get to the bottom of it, Lin Mo quickly changed the subject and ended the call.

"Alright, take good care of yourself at the Elite Camp. Call me if anything comes up."

"Okay."

Hanging up, Lin Mo let out a long sigh.

"Hehe, Bro Mo, your lying skills aren't that great."

Just then, Lin Dabao's chubby, round face squeezed in close, winking and grinning.

Awakening from drinking a Vitality Potion? Who was he trying to fool?

"You little brat, don't get so close. I'm not interested in men."

Lin Mo shoved Lin Dabao's fat face away and chose to ignore him.

Lin Dabao didn't press further either.

Awakened—everyone Awakened in their own way, each with their own secrets.

After a while, Lin Dabao leaned in again.

"I'm telling you, do you have some kind of weird hobby? Why do you keep getting so close?"

Seeing this, Lin Mo pushed the fat bastard away again.

"No, listen to me." Saying this, Lin Dabao glanced around at the others, then sneakily leaned in again.

This time, although Lin Mo frowned, he didn't push him away.

"I'm telling you, wait for my signal later. And make sure you stick close to me."

"?"

Hearing the fat bastard's inexplicable words, Lin Mo looked at him with a face full of question marks.

What signal? What did he mean by sticking close?

Was this fatty sick in the head?

But that thought had barely formed when a harsh screech of brakes rang out.

In an instant, the students who had been resting with their eyes closed were thrown in all directions, tumbling over each other.

"Go! Stick close to me!"

Just as Lin Mo was confused, Lin Dabao's voice came through.

The next second, Lin Dabao punched straight through the bus window, shattering even the outer protective bars.

Then, his bulky body moved with surprising agility, slipping out in a flash.

"Shwoosh!"

Without time to think, Lin Mo followed suit with confusion, darting out after him.

The moment he jumped out, Lin Mo was shocked to find that in these 25 buses, many people were doing the same as Lin Dabao—smashing through windows and running toward the nearby dense forest.

"Boom!"

As he pondered, the two leading buses erupted with a deafening explosion.

The entire vehicles were blown in half, flames spreading instantly.

"Ah! Help!"

"Run!"

Immediately after, dense crowds of black-clad figures appeared on both sides of the canyon ahead, charging with weapons drawn.

"Enemy attack!"

The Military Department personnel traveling with the convoy shouted and rushed forward to meet them.

Battle erupted in an instant.

"What's going on?"

Even now, Lin Mo was still dazed.

"Lin Mo, get out of here now!"

Lin Dabao shouted at Lin Mo from a distance.

Hearing this, Lin Mo immediately gave chase.

"What is this? Heretics?"

His first thought was the Heretics.

He'd heard that every year, the Heretics assassinated or ambushed geniuses and important figures across the land.

Could they have become the Heretics' target?

After all, these twenty-five buses carried the geniuses of Southern Province.

"Yes and no. Let's run and talk." Lin Dabao said, grabbing Lin Mo and pulling him along.

To be fair, despite Lin Dabao's hefty build, his speed was far from slow.

"What do you mean, yes and no?"

"It's all an act."

"An act?"

"Right. Remember Commander Lu's last words?"

"What words?"

"'From this moment on, the Martial Alliance Elite Camp assessment has begun.'"

"Huh? You mean this is part of the assessment? So those people who look like Heretics are all disguised? All for the test?"

"Exactly."

"Then if it's an act, for the assessment, shouldn't we unite all the trainees to fight back?"

"Fight back? This assessment isn't about fighting. Didn't you see those people are at least Fifth Rank? Sixth Rank is common. Look at the three on the mountaintop."

Lin Dabao pointed as he ran toward the three figures on the peak of the canyon cliff behind them to the left.

"Those are... Seventh-grade?"

"Right. With strength like that, what are you going to fight with? Looking for a beating?"

"This... then what exactly are they testing?"

"Testing wilderness travel into camp on foot!" Lin Dabao rolled his eyes and said again.

"Huh?"

"Ahead is the Star Beast Forest! Look at the map we were given before departure. Our destination is north of the Star Beast Forest."

Lin Mo quickly pulled out the map, running and reading.

Comparing it, it was exactly as he said.

But the distance from their current location was nearly two hundred kilometers.

And now, forced into this place, they could only reach it by passing through the Star Beast Forest.

Two hundred kilometers—even running full speed on flat ground would take several hours.

Let alone here in the Star Beast Forest.

Inside, Third and Fourth-grade Mutant Beasts were everywhere, with Fifth and even Sixth-grade ones appearing from time to time.

Deep within, there were even Seventh-grade King Grade Mutant Beasts.

Extremely dangerous!

For a group of Third-grade Martial Artists to traverse two hundred kilometers through this place was nearly impossible.

But they were all Awakened, with combat power far exceeding ordinary Third-grade Martial Artists.

The assessment set for them was naturally extraordinary.

"Damn, this is risking our lives!"

Having figured everything out, Lin Mo couldn't help but spit out a curse.

At the same time, though, he looked at Lin Dabao with confusion.

This kid seemed to have known the exam information in advance.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not interested in men either." At that moment, Lin Dabao looked at Lin Mo and grinned.

"Screw you!"