Dark Moon Era

Lionel entered the iron cage with delight and arrogantly locked the gate.

Then, he chided Tang Ling loudly, accusing him of cheating and declaring that the evidence would be inside the bear’s stomach.

He looked very comical just like a harlequin.

Tang Ling stood there quietly as he slightly resented the man, and distanced himself away from the matter. He opened his fist and his finger unconsciously swept over his chest. ‘It’ had appeared.

What followed was a rage that blanketed the land and shrouded the sky. The hunger was much fiercer than any other time as it consumed him.

For the first time, Tang Ling felt no fear. He did not unconsciously suppress ‘it’ and did not wait quietly anymore. Instead, he fueled his rage. In his other tightly clenched fist, his thumb had almost poked through his palm.

However, he had no idea whether his other form would have a gleam of hope of winning against Lionel or not.

Even so, Tang Ling had no hesitation in his heart. Instead, an unusual excitement and the urge to try his luck rumbled within his body while the emotions were reflected through his eyes honestly.

Oppression was everywhere. If you could not escape, you had to struggle until your last breath.

“What… What is he doing?” Yu said so softly that only he could hear himself.

Lionel was still criticizing Tang Ling as being despicable by using prohibited methods in the exam and tricking his way to victory over the giant Leceister silverback bear.

Tang Ling seemed to have acknowledged what Lionel said since he kept quiet throughout the whole process.

Only Yu noticed Tang Ling’s gaze that was burning in flames of excitement.

Yu was very familiar with that kind of emotion. He felt like he was looking into a mirror and seeing his own desire to battle. Fear was absent while life and death were cast away, leaving him only with the thrill of the challenge.

No! The man he was looking at might even be frenzied and more fearless than himself!

Looking at Tang Ling’s eyes, Yu, who got to understand him better, had a strong interest in the young man for the first time. He was somehow unwilling to see Tang Ling being oppressed by Lionel and not be able to hold his head up again.

“Should I call for the family?” Yu was considering the possibility based on how things were unfolding.

Similarly, Orston was also thinking about another matter silently. He did not show any sympathy for Tang Ling, just curiosity. He was interested to know whether or not a young man like Tang Ling could become his rival in the First Reserved Camp after all of this.

Orston agreed that a genius needed a rival of a similar level.

“As a matter of fact, it’s very simple to prove my words.” Lionel had counted all Tang Ling’s misconducts, so a strong sense of righteousness on his expression drove him to the peak of his act in that exact moment.

“Now, let’s dissect this giant Leceister silverback bear, so everyone can see the answer for their own eyes,” said Lionel. His perfectly timed anger clearly stated how much he despised Tang Ling.

As he spoke, a sharp dagger appeared in his hand. He kicked the dead bear and revealed its belly.

The dagger swept over the belly and hot steamy blood gushed out.

Tang Ling’s eyes were stained red. His whole world was being deafened with his loud heartbeats, flushing everything out.

Dong, dong, dong.

‘It’ was coming.

******

A sharp alloy dagger danced between Lionel’s fingers as he cut the dead bear open smoothly. Only a small amount of blood tainted his hand.

He sure was a pro dagger user!

The alloy dagger was decent and must have been a quality item from the old civilization. In this era, owning such a quality weapon was not something easily achievable.

Because even if the blacksmith’s forging skill was up to standard, he might still not be capable of producing one.

The crowd waited for the evidence and was in awe of Lionel’s skills. No one could forget that he was also a real Purple Moon Warrior.

Lionel’s hands were flying across the huge dead bear that was like a toy in his hand. He dissected it perfectly.

He took the liver out and then cut it open.

A piece of undigested vicious beast meat lay exposed in the empty liver of the dead bear.

Excitement gleamed in Lionel’s eyes as he grabbed the vicious beast meat and said loudly, “See this? This is evidence!”

It really was evidence, a shred of rock-solid evidence.

Many members of the crowd were puzzled, but there were some with better knowledge that recognized the piece of meat. They also knew what would happen if the piece of meat was eaten raw without being cured in any kind of recipe.

Fei Long sighed.

Strictly speaking, Tang Ling’s method was not considered cheating since he definitely relied on his own wit and strength to survive up to ten minutes. After all, his opponent was the giant Leceister silverback bear.

However, with the evidence in the spotlight, pinning Tang Ling down would be unusually convenient as well. For example, Lionel could say he found out that Tang Ling brought the piece of vicious meat early on and brought it into the cage with a pre-planned scheme.

All those comments directed against Tang Ling would then have a solid reason.

“You, what else do you have to say?” Lionel subtly slid the piece of Level 3 vicious beast meat into his pocket at his chest.

Even he would shiver in excitement just because of this little morsel of resources.

Due to some personal reasons, he would have to pin Tang Ling down, but he also knew he ought to get his hands on the vicious beast meat when he realized and then confirmed that Tang Ling had brought it out.

Paying such close attention to Tang Ling proved to be extremely fruitful. He originally thought it was a piece of Level 2 vicious beast meat, but it was actually level 3!

Lionel wanted to laugh for a long time. Nonetheless, he waited patiently until now and did not stop Tang Ling because of this very outcome. It was all done so that he could be the first one to discover the vicious beast meat and according to the rules of Safety Sector No. 17, no one could snatch his spoils from him.

The clamor from the crowd grew louder as many people started to criticize Tang Ling. Their anger was quickly being fueled.

How could he jeopardize the fairness of the exam?

However, not all were blinded by the scene. At least, no one argued about the fact that Tang Ling relied on his own strength to survive for ten minutes. However, those who had a better understanding decided to shut their mouths in front of the evidence.

“Well, then…” Lionel looked at Tang Ling and cackled viciously.

Tang Ling lifted his head, his eyes covered by subtle blood veins as a cruel smile curled up. “Well, then…”

Well, then would Tang Ling forcefully resist?

Everyone was shocked. What was with Tang Ling’s smile and answer?

He did not explain or panic. What did his arrogant and blunt reaction mean other than forcefully resisting?

“You really are an arrogant bastard,” Orston gave Tang Ling a backhanded compliment since it was also the last thing he could do for him.

Before the evidence appeared, he could not seek help from his family.

Based on how the sector did things, this conflict would be eventually settled but in a muddled way. Even an idiot knew who the sector would choose when it came to Tang Ling and the Agnes family.

Likewise, Yu and Fei Long had their hands tied as well all because of the evidence.

The momentary hesitation meant that they could no longer cover Tang Ling.

Although regretful, it was not much of a concern. A dead Tang Ling would not hold any meaning, and that was the harsh reality of this era.

“If only I had done something earlier, it would’ve turned out a lot better.”

Inevitably, the three of them had the same thought rise in their mind at the same time.