Chapter 10

"Today's class will focus on testing your ability to fight as a team."

Huang Binhan swept his gaze over the class. "You should already have been notified about the placement assessment. Today's assignment is to work in your three-person assessment teams and successfully hunt down a tier-one demonic beast in the simulated battlefield before class ends. Once you're ready, you can ask me to send you in at any time."

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo immediately ran over to Xu Jintang, taking a spot on either side of her, eager to enter a simulation pod.

The other students also found their teammates one after another, forming teams of three.

The most eye-catching team was Xu Bohan and Yao Wenna's. Both wore cold expressions, looking as haughty as ever.

Their third teammate, Gao Boshan, wore a very good-natured smile instead.

While waiting to enter a simulation pod, Xu Jintang turned to Song Tianqi. "What does your ability do?"

For a team battle, they certainly needed to understand their teammates first.

Song Tianqi lowered his voice. "Let's talk once we're inside."

Xu Jintang nodded.

A few minutes later, the three of them were assigned a simulation pod, a model that could accommodate multiple users at once.

The three put on their optical computer headsets, closed their eyes, and lay down.

Xu Jintang rested her hands at her sides, drew a deep breath, and relaxed her whole body.

A few seconds later, a powerful wave of dizziness struck. Her body felt weightless, with nothing to brace against, as though she were floating among the clouds.

Fortunately, a light soon appeared before her.

Xu Jintang slowly opened her eyes to find that her surroundings had become a dense black forest.

From time to time, the roars of ferocious beasts sounded in the distance.

It feels so real.

Xu Jintang looked around in awe.

This simulated battlefield was actually no different from the real Blizzard Forest.

"Class monitor, come over! Let's learn about each other's abilities first." Song Duoduo, already awake, began calling them over.

Since the three had used the same simulation pod, they had also been placed in the same area upon entering the simulated battlefield.

Song Tianqi dusted off his backside and stood up. "My ability is the Vermilion Bird Token. The military academy teachers said it's an ability with a divine beast bloodline. Once I reach a high tier, there's a very good chance I'll be able to summon a real divine beast."

"A divine beast?" Xu Jintang immediately grew interested. "What exactly does your ability do?"

Song Duoduo also looked over curiously.

Song Tianqi cleared his throat and raised his hand with great ceremony, summoning the manifestation of his ability.

A palm-sized bronze token slowly floated before him.

"My Vermilion Bird Token has nine stages. Every time I advance a tier, my ability gains another skill effect. I'm a tier-one ability user right now, so the Vermilion Bird Token only has its first-stage effect. It's an area-of-effect attack skill called Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens. Each use produces nine balls of Scarlet Flame to attack groups of enemies. The Scarlet Flame also has an innate burning effect, making it more damaging than ordinary flames."

Song Duoduo's eyes widened. "What a powerful attack! No wonder Leikdasi Military Academy gave you special admission."

Song Tianqi coughed lightly and waved a hand with a little modesty. "Plenty of people in Leikedasi are stronger than me. I'm really nothing special."

Then it was Song Duoduo's turn to introduce her ability. "My ability is a plant-type datura flower. Its current skill effect induces hallucinations in a single target, disrupting one enemy for three seconds. An enemy hit by my ability will lose mental focus for three seconds and be unable to fight."

"That's a good effect." Song Tianqi quickly thought of something. "Paired with my Scarlet Flame, wouldn't that guarantee a direct hit?"

Song Duoduo nodded. "Right. If we coordinate well, we can absolutely achieve an instant kill in battle."

At that moment, Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo both turned their gazes toward her.

Song Tianqi asked with a smile, "Class monitor, what does your ability do?"

Xu Jintang smiled faintly. "My ability is Domain Slow. It has both detection and slowing effects. Within my domain, all enemies are slowed, and their movements and positions appear in my mind in full, without any obstacles blocking my view."

A trace of surprise entered Song Tianqi's expression. "That detection effect is practically unbeatable in the wild. A lot of demonic beasts are dangerous because they're so well hidden, but your ability eliminates all those hidden threats."

Song Duoduo immediately nodded. "Right. With the slowing effect on top of that, it's even more unbeatable. If a demonic beast tries to ambush us, you can intercept it at any moment."

The two looked at Xu Jintang with greater admiration.

Xu Jintang cleared her throat. "All right, stop flattering me. Let's hurry up and find a demonic beast."

Only then did the three prepare to set off.

"Let's go!" Song Tianqi slapped his belly, held his head high, puffed out his chest, and strode forward.

The three naturally formed a triangle.

Xu Jintang took the lead to clear the way, activating her domain ability to scan their surroundings.

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo followed behind on either side, ready to attack at any moment.

Before they had gone far, Xu Jintang stopped and looked toward a patch of grass three meters away. "A tier-one Grass Vine Snake, in the grass on the left."

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo immediately looked left.

There was no movement in the grass, and they could not see what was hiding inside with the naked eye.

Trusting Xu Jintang, the two quickly adopted defensive stances.

Unaware that its whereabouts had already been exposed, the Grass Vine Snake hid behind the grass, its slender body swaying in an S-shaped curve. The scales along its body were varying shades of green, glinting coldly.

Just then, a datura flower quietly bloomed near the grass, its rich fragrance spreading around the Grass Vine Snake.

The scent had appeared too suddenly. Cautious by nature, the Grass Vine Snake hesitated for only half a second before realizing something was wrong and immediately turning to flee.

It rapidly twisted its body, darting toward the grass behind it.

But the next second, its movements abruptly stalled, and then its crawling speed plummeted.

-Domain Slow.

Xu Jintang stood at the back of the team, her body glowing faintly as she activated her ability.

Seeing that the Grass Vine Snake had been affected, she swiftly leaped up, summoned a dagger into her hand, and brought its gleaming blade down hard at the snake's vital point.

The Grass Vine Snake flicked its tongue furiously and lashed its tail, narrowly dodging Xu Jintang's strike.

At that moment, Song Tianqi seized the opportunity and swiftly activated his ability. "Crimson Flames of the Nine Heavens!"

The Vermilion Bird Token before him erupted with a brilliant crimson light. Accompanied by intense heat, nine balls of Scarlet Flame took shape one after another.

The nine dazzling balls of Scarlet Flame circled Song Tianqi, tracing a ring around him.

One ball of Scarlet Flame fell from above, its fierce burning heat instantly jolting the Grass Vine Snake awake.

At that very moment, Song Duoduo's datura hallucination effect took hold.

An intense wave of dizziness surged up through the snake's head.

It struggled twice before its body swayed and slumped, completely unable to fight.

Chapter 10

They gave the Grass Vine Snake no further chance to struggle.

The second ball of Scarlet Flame arrived, followed by the third, the fourth...

All nine balls of Scarlet Flame struck the Grass Vine Snake with perfect accuracy.

Bang-

Charred all over, the Grass Vine Snake collapsed lifelessly in the grass, without even having had time to fight back.

"That was awesome! We took down a Grass Vine Snake in under two minutes!" Song Tianqi stepped forward to check, then shouted excitedly once he confirmed it was utterly dead.

Song Duoduo's face was also filled with astonishment. "We really killed a tier-one demonic beast."

Xu Jintang studied the thoroughly dead Grass Vine Snake on the ground and sank into thought.

Their success in taking it down so smoothly was mainly due to the genuinely powerful destructive force of Song Tianqi's Scarlet Flame.

After nine balls of Scarlet Flame, even if the Grass Vine Snake had survived, it would have been gravely injured.

Overall, the three of them had coordinated quite flawlessly this time.

"We worked well together. Let's follow this same sequence in future battles," Xu Jintang concluded.

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo exchanged delighted looks.

"With teamwork like this, our team has a shot at the championship," Song Duoduo said excitedly.

"Let's go a little farther and see what other demonic beasts there are." With that, Xu Jintang turned, ready to lead the team onward.

Just then, a beam of golden light suddenly descended from above, enveloping all three of them.

A familiar wave of dizziness swept through Xu Jintang's mind.

Then she became weightless, her consciousness pulled straight out of the simulated battlefield.

A few seconds later, Xu Jintang opened her eyes and looked at the silver metal simulation pod around her.

I'm back in the combat room?

"Why are we back?" Song Duoduo, who had also just awakened, sat up and asked in confusion.

On the other side, Song Tianqi scratched his head. "What's going on?"

The three of them were not the only ones bewildered.

Huang Binhan, standing at the control console, was also stunned.

Less than five minutes had passed since the three entered the simulated battlefield.

Even if they had encountered a demonic beast immediately upon arrival, fighting it should have taken at least twenty or thirty minutes.

How could they possibly have come out so quickly?

Surprise appeared on Huang Binhan's usually stern face. "Before you entered the simulated battlefield, I specifically set a mission condition. Each team would be transported straight out once they successfully hunted down a tier-one demonic beast. So you killed a demonic beast in less than five minutes?"

Xu Jintang cleared her throat, climbed out of the simulation pod, and nodded. "Yes, we just killed a Grass Vine Snake."

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi hurriedly nodded as well.

Shock rose in Huang Binhan's eyes.

Hunting down a tier-one demonic beast in less than five minutes had already shattered the academy record.

His gaze soon settled on Song Tianqi.

Everyone knew Song Tianqi had already received special admission to Leikdasi Military Academy. His ability certainly could not be that simple.