Chapter 10

There was no longer a chance for the Vine Snake to struggle.

The second volley of crimson flames arrived, followed immediately by the third, the fourth...

A full nine volleys of crimson flames struck the Vine Snake with pinpoint accuracy.

"Boom—"

The Vine Snake, its entire body scorched, collapsed into the grass without a breath, not even having had the chance to put up a fight.

"That was awesome! We took down a Vine Snake in under two minutes!" Song Tianqi stepped forward to check, and after confirming that the creature was dead beyond any doubt, he shouted with excitement.

Song Duoduo’s face was also filled with shock. "We actually killed a Tier 1 magical beast."

Xu Jintang examined the lifeless Vine Snake on the ground, lost in thought.

The reason they had managed to dispatch the beast so smoothly was largely due to the sheer destructive power of Song Tianqi’s crimson flames. After being hit by nine volleys, the Vine Snake was bound to be stripped of half its vitality, even if it didn't die outright. All in all, the three of them had worked together quite perfectly.

"Everyone worked well together. Let’s follow this same routine in future battles," Xu Jintang concluded.

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo exchanged a joyful glance.

"With this kind of coordination, our team has a real shot at winning the championship," Song Duoduo said, her tone brimming with excitement.

"Let’s move a bit further ahead and see what other beasts are around." With that, Xu Jintang turned around, ready to lead the team forward.

Suddenly, a golden light descended from the sky, enveloping all three of them. A familiar wave of dizziness washed over Xu Jintang’s mind. Immediately after, she felt a sense of weightlessness as her consciousness was pulled directly out of the simulated battlefield.

A few seconds later, Xu Jintang opened her eyes, looking at the silver metal simulation pod surrounding her. Had she returned to the combat room?

"Why are we back?" Song Duoduo, who had just woken up as well, sat up and asked, puzzled.

Beside her, Song Tianqi scratched his head. "What’s going on?"

They weren't the only ones confused. Huang Binhan, standing at the control console, was also stunned. It had been less than five minutes since the three of them had entered the simulation. Even if they had encountered a beast the moment they landed, a fight should have lasted at least twenty or thirty minutes. How could they have finished so quickly?

Huang Binhan, usually stern, wore a look of surprise. "Before you entered the simulation, I specifically set the mission parameters: any team that successfully hunts a Tier 1 beast will be automatically transported out of the simulation. So, you killed a beast in less than five minutes?"

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

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi nodded hurriedly as well.

Huang Binhan’s pupils dilated with shock. Hunting a Tier 1 beast in under five minutes was a feat that had completely shattered the academy’s record. His gaze soon fell on Song Tianqi. Everyone knew that Song Tianqi had been specially recruited by the Rekdas Military Academy; his ability certainly couldn't be simple. He assumed Song Tianqi must have played a significant role in ending the battle so quickly. Thinking of it this way, it made sense.

Huang Binhan nodded. "Excellent. Since you have completed the task early, you may finish class and rest."

The surprise was too sudden. Song Duoduo immediately clenched her fists in excitement, a flash of pride crossing her face. Xu Jintang was also satisfied. "Perfect, we can go to the cafeteria early to get food."

Song Tianqi, however, clearly hadn't had enough. Having finally awakened such an incredible ability, he naturally wanted to keep fighting. "Sigh, this ended way too soon."

Song Duoduo glanced at him. "There will be plenty of chances to fight later; don't worry about it."

As the three of them climbed out of their pods, another team woke up.

"Damn it! Scared the hell out of me; I actually thought I was dead," a male student sat up from the adjacent pod, patting his chest with lingering fear.

Xu Jintang turned to look. Hearing his words, he must have been killed by a beast, which ended his simulation.

Huang Binhan looked over as well. "Rest for a moment, then head back into the simulation to continue the mission."

The boy sighed softly. "Alright."

Not long after, the boy’s two teammates were also ejected, appearing to have all "died" in their battle against the beasts.

"The squad leader and Song Tianqi died too?" The three of them finally noticed Xu Jintang’s group. To leave the simulation early, one either had to "die" or complete the set mission.

Xu Jintang smiled slightly. "We didn't come out because we died."

Song Tianqi and Song Duoduo nodded quickly, adding with great pride, "That's right, we didn't come out because we died."

Huang Binhan coughed lightly to explain, "Song Tianqi’s team has already completed the beast-hunting mission and is excused from class early. You three need to keep trying."

The other three: "?!"

It hadn't even been five minutes yet, right?

Under the incredulous and shocked gazes of their classmates, Xu Jintang smoothed her clothes with a flourish, then waved goodbye. "Good luck, we’re heading out."

Song Duoduo and Song Tianqi followed suit, waving as they said, "Good luck, we’re off."

Huang Binhan turned his attention to the three students. "Once you’ve rested, get back into the pods and continue the mission."

The three exchanged awkward glances and silently lay back down in their pods.

Fifteen minutes later, the lights on another simulation pod in the combat room flickered. Shortly after, the three members of Xu Bohan and Yao Wenna’s team woke up.

Huang Binhan scanned the system prompts on the console and, seeing that they had successfully completed the mission, allowed a look of satisfaction to appear on his face. "Not bad, finishing the battle in under ten minutes; you may finish class early and rest."

Xu Bohan hopped out of the pod, wearing a seemingly humble smile. "Actually, our coordination wasn't quite in sync this time, otherwise the battle time could have been cut in half."

Their team had encountered their first Tier 1 beast in the eighth minute of entering the simulation. It then took them less than ten minutes to successfully complete the hunt, allowing them to leave early.

Yao Wenna hopped out after him, her face displaying an air of arrogance. To hunt a Tier 1 beast this quickly—this record was unlikely to be surpassed by any other team.

"Teacher, we’re leaving first," Xu Bohan said, greeting Huang Binhan as he prepared to lead his team away.

Huang Binhan acknowledged them. Just as the three were about to leave, the lights on the adjacent pod flashed.

"Our luck was just too bad; we stumbled right into a beast’s nest. Over a dozen beasts swarmed us, and the whole team got wiped out." Another team had accidentally "died" out of the simulation.

After waking up, the three noticed Xu Bohan and Yao Wenna and began to call out. "Xu Bohan, you guys died too?"

Yao Wenna turned her head and glanced at them coldly. "We finished the battle early and came out."

Xu Bohan smiled faintly and nodded in agreement. Their teammate scratched his head in an honest manner. "Good luck."

With that, the three turned and headed toward the exit.

"Seriously? Xu Bohan’s team is that strong? They finished and came out in less than twenty minutes."

Huang Binhan reminded them with a blank expression: "Your mission isn't finished yet; you need to return to the simulation and continue."

The three quieted down and hurriedly lay back down.

Inside the Dawn Academy cafeteria, Xu Jintang carried her meal through the empty hall and sat down at the best table. There was still half an hour until the end of the second class. At this moment, the cafeteria was completely empty, effectively reserved for the three of them.

"This is so great, the first time in my life I’ve gotten out of class early to eat," Song Tianqi said, his excitement impossible to hide as he rubbed his hands and paced around the empty space.

Song Duoduo set her tray down and sat opposite Xu Jintang, her posture relatively composed. "Alright, sit down and eat."

Song Tianqi cleared his throat and sat in another empty seat. "I’ll message Sister Shiyi and ask her to come eat with us."

Xu Jintang immediately paused with her chopsticks, looking up curiously. "Jiang Shiyi?"

"Yeah." At the mention of that name, Song Tianqi, who had just been acting wild, immediately turned docile, becoming as well-behaved as if he were a different person.

A few seconds later, the call Song Tianqi placed was answered.

"What is it?" Jiang Shiyi’s cold, indifferent voice came through the comms.

Song Tianqi tried his best to squeeze out a smile. "Sister Shiyi, we finished class early. Do you want to come to the cafeteria to eat with us?"

Although Jiang Shiyi had come to the academy as an auditing student, considering her already formidable strength, the academy's curriculum was of little use to her, so the administration didn't really force her to attend classes. Jiang Shiyi didn't want to waste her time, so she hadn't gone to the afternoon practical class.

"Fine, I'll be there in five minutes," Jiang Shiyi replied before hanging up.

Not long after, Jiang Shiyi and Xu Bohan’s team met at the entrance of the cafeteria. The four of them stopped at the same time.

Yao Wenna reined in her usual arrogant demeanor, cautiously observing Jiang Shiyi. Everyone knew that Jiang Shiyi came from the First Military Academy, and they all felt a degree of trepidation.

Xu Bohan wore a smile as he took the initiative to greet her. "Hello, we’re in the same class. My name is Xu Bohan. The two next to me are my teammates, Yao Wenna and Gao Boshan."

Jiang Shiyi maintained her cold, indifferent demeanor, responding with a simple, "Hmm."

Seeing this, Xu Bohan continued the conversation: "Why didn't you go to the practical class this afternoon? Teacher Huang took us into the simulation for practice; it felt quite interesting."

Jiang Shiyi turned and walked into the cafeteria, replying concisely: "I don't want to waste time."

To her, all the teaching currently offered at Dawn Academy was useless; she was better off training on her own.

This remark left Xu Bohan not knowing how to respond. Yao Wenna noticed that Jiang Shiyi didn't seem interested in talking to anyone, so she tugged at Xu Bohan’s sleeve, signaling him to stop asking. Xu Bohan swallowed his words, his expression a bit awkward. At Dawn Academy, it was impossible for anyone he greeted to be this cold, refusing even to engage in conversation.

This military student from Rekdas really was arrogant.