Zhang Wen listened to the murmurs around him while observing the crowd nearby. As Carite had mentioned, the various academies participating in the survival competition all seemed to regard Almeythas Academy as their main target. A quick glance around confirmed that almost every gaze directed at him was filled with ill intent.
Before long, Zhang Wen spotted Taler and Jina within the crowd. Alongside several other instructors from Moore Academy, they were chatting and laughing with teachers from two other academies. In the midst of their conversation, their eyes occasionally swept casually over the small corner where the representatives from Almeythas Academy were seated.
Soon, Taler seemed to notice Zhang Wen watching them. He smirked coldly, pulling Jina tightly against him, and gave Zhang Wen a thumbs-down gesture. As Taler moved, Jina also noticed Zhang Wen in the distance—and beside him, sitting nearby, was Linoah.
“It’s getting a bit stuffy here. I’ll take a short walk around. I’ll be back soon,” Zhang Wen said with a smile, standing up to greet Linoah.
“What’s wrong?” On the other side, the group of instructors engaged in conversation noticed Taler’s distraction. They curiously turned their heads in Zhang Wen’s direction, but just as they did, another group walking past blocked their view of the corner where Almeythas Academy’s representatives were seated.
“Nothing much. Just ran into an old friend,” Taler chuckled, removing his hand from Jina’s waist.
“Alright then. Did you hear what we were discussing earlier? What about your friends? Everything under control?”
“Rest assured. There won’t be any slip-ups. After the draw, they’ll disguise themselves as adventurers and follow Almeythas Academy’s three teams into the forest. With the communicators they have, we’ll always know where those fools from Almeythas are.”
“Hehe! That’s the spirit! Last year, we knocked Almeythas out of the competition and made quite a splash. This year, we’re not letting them have an easy time either,” said a man dressed in the uniform of Moore Academy, just like Taler.
“Of course,” Taler replied coolly.
“Sigh! I still feel a bit uneasy. On the way here, I heard that this year’s survival competition might be different from previous years. With all the terrorist disturbances lately, even the duel between Almeythas and Themis couldn’t take place. So they’ve made a new deal—whichever academy wins this survival competition gets a visit from Princess Sophia herself. What if targeting Almeythas too openly angers Governor Temiso?”
“Hmph! Even if Governor Temiso gets angry, he’ll just blame Almeythas for being weak and incompetent. Do you really think he’d stoop to meddling with small fry like us? Besides, on our way here, I placed a bet of three hundred thousand Imperial Marks with Johnny that Almeythas would be the first team eliminated. That’s three hundred thousand marks! My entire future depends on it! Whether it’s Governor Temiso or even the Emperor himself, I can’t afford to care about their anger!” The Moore Academy instructor spat out bitterly.
“Haha! I bet two hundred thousand myself. I’d say at least half the people here have placed bets with Johnny that Almeythas will be the first to fall,” laughed another instructor wearing a green uniform.
“Hehe. Looks like Almeythas is doomed this time. But, I do have a small favor to ask,” Jina suddenly spoke up with a smile.
“Oh? Jina, you need help with something? Haha! That’s not a problem at all!” The instructor in green eagerly slapped his chest.
“It’s like this. When we split into three groups to deal with those fools from Almeythas, if any of you run into a guy with black hair, please give him a hard time for me.” Jina smiled sweetly, but the venom in her voice was unmistakable—even a fool could sense it.
“Did that guy offend you?” Another instructor in green asked curiously.
“Exactly!” This time, Taler nodded for Jina, his expression darkening.
“Hmph! If he dares to offend Miss Jina and Master Taler, he must be ready to pay the price!” The green-clad instructor who had first promised Jina grinned wickedly. “Don’t worry. If I get my hands on him, I’ll make sure he learns what happens when you cross the wrong people.”
“Erm, Karl, don’t go too far. After all, he’s a martial arts instructor from Almeythas. If things get too messy, it might backfire on us.”
“Hehe! No worries! I won’t kill him. Just break a few arms and legs—accidents happen during competitions, you know?” The green-clad instructor gave Jina a creepy wink with his bulging eyes.
As Taler and his group plotted cruel ways to torment Zhang Wen and teach him an unforgettable lesson, on the other side of the venue, the draw for the survival competition was beginning.
Presiding over the draw was Captain Reimue, the Hawk Guard commander who had traveled from the capital planet. With thirteen representatives from various academies watching, Reimue, wearing his ever-present fake smile, had his female aide, Isaya, bring out a box. Then, one by one, the thirteen representatives drew slips of paper indicating their starting time and location.
As the most famous academy in the region, Almeythas naturally drew first. Soon, Linoah pulled out three slips for Almeythas Academy.
“How’d we do? How’d we do?” The Almeythas instructors rushed forward before Linoah could even return to the group.
“You can see for yourselves,” Linoah handed them the neatly folded slips.
“Let’s see!” The instructors quickly unfolded the three slips.
3, 18, 32. The three numbers on the slips drawn by Linoah were clear. Having participated in multiple survival competitions before, the Almeythas instructors knew these numbers represented their starting town codes.
After the last slip was opened, the Almeythas representatives exchanged glances and fell into an uneasy silence.
To achieve a good result in the survival competition, it wasn’t enough just to survive—you also had to collect as many opponent badges as possible. Therefore, any team confident in its strength would head straight for the central region of the competition area, hoping to strike first against weaker teams before other strong teams arrived. This central area was known as the “Central Battlefield” due to its extreme danger.
Compared to last year, Linoah’s draw for Almeythas this year wasn’t bad at all. Both 3 and 32 were excellent starting points far from the Central Battlefield. However, there was a problem.
Among the three slips Linoah had drawn, besides the two good ones, there was also 18—a terrible draw. Among the thirty-nine numbers, 18 was one of the five most central positions! The Almeythas instructors who had participated in previous competitions knew that starting from such a position, they might not even have time to escape the Central Battlefield before being ambushed.
In previous years, Almeythas had always been the target of everyone’s attacks. If their team got trapped in the Central Battlefield, the only outcome would be total annihilation.
Clearly, none of the Almeythas representatives wanted to take the cursed number 18.
“Fine, we’ll take that one,” just as the other two teams’ four instructors were quietly calculating how to avoid getting stuck with the 18 slip, Zhang Wen suddenly appeared from nowhere and took the slip marked 18.
“Ah? Zhang… Zhang Teacher?” The instructors looked up in surprise and relief as Zhang Wen voluntarily took the cursed position.
“Zhang Wen?” Linoah also raised her eyebrows in surprise, her tone unconsciously tinged with annoyance. Zhang Wen had taken the 18 position without even discussing it with her.
Linoah’s purpose in participating in this survival competition should have been crystal clear to Zhang Wen! She didn’t care who won the competition, but she absolutely could not tolerate her team being eliminated early—that would ruin all her plans and prevent her from finding the test subject.
But Zhang Wen’s decision was already made. No matter how unwilling Linoah was, she couldn’t force Zhang Wen to return the slip he had already taken. She could only coldly throw the remaining two slips into the hands of the other instructors and quickly catch up with Zhang Wen, who had already turned to leave after taking the slip.
“Zhang Wen! What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Linoah blocked Zhang Wen’s path, arms crossed, her beautiful face radiating icy coldness that seemed to lower the surrounding temperature.
“Nothing much. I just didn’t feel like arguing over a slip of paper,” Zhang Wen shrugged with a smile.
“Hmph! Didn’t feel like arguing? Zhang Wen, don’t forget why we came to Sandral Forest! Do you even realize what position 18 means? Even Themis Academy, as strong as they were last year, couldn’t survive five days starting from position 19!”
“Oh? Haha! So that’s what you’re worried about.” Seeing Linoah’s stormy expression, Zhang Wen actually laughed. “Do you really think our situation would be better if we had taken the other two positions?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hehe. What I mean is, we’ve already been targeted.” Zhang Wen said casually.
“Targeted?”
“Exactly. When I went for a walk earlier, I happened to overhear something I wasn’t supposed to hear.”
“Spit it out! What happened? Don’t be so cryptic.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, really. Just that some academy representatives have colluded with outsiders to target us.”
“Outsiders? They really have guts.” Linoah’s icy glare deepened. As a secret agent who had worked for Mithril for many years, the tricks Taler and his group were using were child’s play to her. With just a hint from Zhang Wen, she could already guess what tactics they might employ.
“You know how there are always big betting rings around the survival competition every year,” Zhang Wen asked, seemingly changing the subject.
“Yes. Casares is always a melting pot of all kinds, with thousands making a living from gambling. Two of the three largest casino families in the Empire have branches in Casares. Why are you asking about this?”
“Hehe. Nothing much. I just heard those people saying that more than half the people here have bet that Almeythas will be eliminated first. I was just curious.”
“That makes sense. Otherwise, it’s hard to explain how Almeythas, with its strength, has been at the bottom of the rankings for years.” Linoah nodded, then fixed Zhang Wen with a sharp gaze. “But if that’s true, why didn’t you report it to Reimue just now?”
“Hehe! I just happened to overhear a conversation. I don’t have any solid evidence. Accusing others of collusion without proof would only give them leverage against us.”
“…Fine, I’ll admit you have a point.” Linoah’s cold expression lingered for a while before suddenly softening into a seductive smile that made one’s heart race. “But then, why take position 18? If you know we’re being targeted, why head straight into the heart of the Central Battlefield? Mr. Zhang, aren’t you just walking into a trap?” Linoah stared at Zhang Wen with wide, beautiful eyes.
“Haha! Central Battlefield? That’s true. But, did you check the map for this survival competition?”
“Of course I did.”
“So, haven’t you noticed that this town numbered 18 isn’t only the closest to the so-called central battlefield, but also has another unique characteristic?” Zhang Wen curled his lips into a smile that carried a deep, enigmatic meaning.
“Another characteristic?” Linoah murmured, puzzled at first, but soon a strange discomfort welled up from deep within her heart. For the first time in her life, she felt she couldn’t read someone at all. Every time she thought she had Zhang Wen figured out, he would always do something unexpected, leaving her feeling powerless.
Forget it! Anyway, this guy will end up dead at the hands of the Jishe after this mission is completed, so there’s no need to worry too much. Last time, he had already fallen to them. Facing those monsters, even if he had extraordinary abilities, there would be no way he could escape. Linoah stared at Zhang Wen’s back for a long while before lightly shaking her head and resuming her steps to follow him.
The draw for the Survival Competition ended quickly. Within just a few short minutes, all the participating teams had already received their assigned numbers and headed toward their respective starting points. However, Zhang Wen and Linoah, along with their “Team Three of Almaceus Academy,” had already set off toward the town numbered 18 called “Fala” before the draw had even concluded.
At the very moment Zhang Wen and his group departed, a man dressed as an adventurer silently followed them out of Weiyin Town.
Once Linoah’s anxious group entered Fala Town, the man in adventurer’s garb quickly melted into the crowd of adventurers and disappeared. Then, a temporary referee awaiting them approached, leading them to the starting point located at the northern edge of the town. After repeating the rules of the Survival Competition to Linoah and her team, the temporary referee handed them six badges.
These badges were the key element of the competition.
If no underhanded methods were used during the competition, the only way for participants spread across nearly forty towns, separated by at least dozens of kilometers, to find each other would be by sensing the mental fluctuations emitted by these badges. These badges were also the very targets they were competing to obtain.
According to the competition’s rules, each team earned three points for acquiring a badge and lost ten points for losing one. If a team lost all six of their own badges, they would be automatically eliminated from the competition. The badges they had previously collected would then become the spoils of the team that had eliminated them.
“Alright! The designated time has arrived. This year’s Survival Competition officially begins now. You may depart at any moment. Good luck to you all.” Promptly at three o’clock in the afternoon, the temporary referee, who had kept Linoah and her team in Fala Town until now, finally said the words they had been longing to hear.
“Let’s go!” Linoah glanced at Zhang Wen and, without hesitation, led the four students away from Fala Town.
After entering the Sandra Forest, Linoah first guided Zhang Wen and the others westward for about ten kilometers. When the surrounding forest had become dense enough to completely conceal their trail, she suddenly halted.
“Teacher Linoah?” The students, confused by her sudden stop, immediately became flustered.
Almaceus Academy’s Psychic Arts Department was among the top in the Empire. Naturally, during the Survival Competition, the psychic students from Almaceus Academy could easily sense the movements of other teams. At this moment, both Karite and Vicky, the bespectacled psychic student in their team, could clearly sense that at least five other teams were rushing toward their location at full speed.
Out of the four students present, Vicky, Karite, and Liana had all participated in last year’s Survival Competition. They still vividly remembered how several of Almaceus Academy’s representative teams had been cornered in the central battlefield, forced into consecutive bitter battles, and eventually annihilated under multiple attacks. This year, they had once again started from the central battlefield, and now Linoah had chosen to stop at this moment—it was no wonder they were panicking.
“Alright, there’s no need to be nervous. Out of the three numbers we drew this time, two of them were originally good draws located far from the central battlefield. The location we are at now was deliberately chosen by Teacher Zhang. Now, Teacher Zhang, I think it’s time you told us exactly what your plan is.” Linoah smiled and waved her hand at the panicking students, effortlessly shifting the spotlight to Zhang Wen.
“What? Deliberately chosen? By Teacher Zhang?” Upon hearing Linoah’s words, the students looked at Zhang Wen with stunned expressions. If not for Almaceus Academy’s tradition of respecting teachers, they probably would have erupted in protest already.
“That’s right, I deliberately chose this starting point,” Zhang Wen admitted straightforwardly. “Because I believe this location we’re at is actually much better compared to the other two towns. Hehe. Let me ask you all, do you want to win first place in this Survival Competition?”
“First place?” Zhang Wen’s words left the students exchanging bewildered glances. Even Amelie, who usually had unwavering confidence in Zhang Wen, couldn’t help but show a hint of shock in her eyes.
Everyone was well aware of Almaceus Academy’s performance in the Survival Competition! Even the most optimistic student thought that merely surviving until the competition’s end would already be an unprecedented achievement! As for winning first place, they hadn’t even dared to dream about it!
“That’s right, first place!” Zhang Wen smiled faintly, pulling out the map for this Survival Competition from his backpack and pointing to the location of Fala Town.
“Can you see it now? In fact, the Fala Town we drew is the starting point closest to the Yellow Exploration Zone among all the starting points in this Survival Competition. If we head north, we won’t have to travel more than forty kilometers to enter the Yellow Exploration Zone…”
“What? Enter the Yellow Exploration Zone? That can’t be right…” Before Zhang Wen could finish speaking, Karite had already furrowed her brows in doubt. “We can’t pass through the exploration zone checkpoint without a permit.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Vicky and Liana nodded in agreement simultaneously.
A law enacted more than a decade ago by Governor Temiso and the Adventurers’ Association clearly stated that no one without government-approved permits was allowed to enter the Yellow Exploration Zone. Obviously, the small team led by Zhang Wen and Linoah did not possess such a permit.
However, in response to Karite’s skepticism, Zhang Wen simply smiled slightly. “Who said anything about going through the checkpoint?”
“Not through the checkpoint? You mean… to sneak in?!” Amelie was first taken aback by Zhang Wen’s question. It wasn’t until she followed the direction of his finger and noticed the Dream River running just north of Fala Town that she couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.
“Teacher Zhang, sneaking in is against the Adventurer’s Law. Also, there are monsters in the Yellow Exploration Zone…” Vicky looked at Zhang Wen timidly, biting her lip anxiously.
“Hehe, our purpose for entering the Sandra Forest is to participate in the Survival Competition, not to explore the forest. The Adventurer’s Law doesn’t apply to us. As for those monsters, Teacher Linoah and I will definitely ensure your safety.”
“That’s right! Teacher Zhang’s decision is indeed quite unconventional. But precisely because of that, our opponents probably won’t expect it either! If you’re always hesitating and overthinking things, you’ll never accomplish anything.” After a moment of contemplation, Karite decisively took Zhang Wen’s side.
Frankly speaking, the bitter defeat from last year had left this proud young beauty with a lingering sense of frustration. This year, with an opportunity to regain the honor lost last year, she naturally didn’t want to miss it.
“I also believe Teacher Zhang’s proposal is the only viable option at this point. So, let’s go with that.” Finally, Linoah smiled faintly and nodded, bringing the brief discussion to a close.
Thus, the six-member team followed Zhang Wen’s suggestion and took a wide detour around Fala Town, heading northward. The group traveled north through the dense Sandra Forest for about two hours. As dusk was about to fall, Linoah suddenly approached Zhang Wen again.
“Zhang Wen, your proposal to enter the Yellow Exploration Zone is indeed brilliant. But do you think they’ll stop chasing us once we enter?”
“Hehe, you’re asking a question you already know the answer to. Of course, they won’t stop,” Zhang Wen chuckled, shaking his head. He could tell that Linoah already had the answer in her mind when she asked that final question.
“Oh? Then what’s your plan? Those pursuers behind us are getting closer. Zhang Wen, we absolutely cannot be eliminated here.”
“Haha! So little confidence in me?” Seeing Linoah’s slightly anxious expression, Zhang Wen burst into hearty laughter. “If I couldn’t even handle such a minor problem, how could I even talk about winning first place? Those people chasing behind us see us as prey, but I also want to give the girls a bit more confidence before we enter the Yellow Exploration Zone. However, pulling this off will require some help from the guy tailing us.”
After finishing his words, Zhang Wen glanced slightly toward the side and rear, revealing a mysterious smile.
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