Chapter 171: Farming Evolution Points

While others saw this as a chance to reach the safe zones, Kaelen saw this as the opportunity to farm evolution points while the beasts were distracted.

He didn’t rush immediately. He was fully aware the sandworm was attracted to large groups like what was happening with the feeding beasts, so he patiently waited for the next sandworm to lunge forward in that area to take it out as well.

After waiting around for a moment, he realized the tremors around the area had completely disappeared, but the sandworms still lunged forward in other areas, picking out candidates.

This would make one think the sandworms didn’t eat beasts, but that contradicted their predatory nature, as it wasn’t every day they came across races such as the candidates. So it could only be that the other sandworms were intentionally avoiding the area because one of their own had died there, and whatever killed it was probably still around.

That was smart for a feral beast, but a loss for him. It was hard to hunt the sandworms as one couldn’t tell where they’d appear next unless they were directly above it, so Kaelen didn’t hesitate any further and lunged at the beasts almost done feeding on the behemoth sandworm.

Lysandra was about to jump in with him when he stopped her. "Lysandra, go secure us a safe zone. I’ll be right behind you."

While he was waiting on the sandworms to take the bait, he became aware that many candidates had secured themselves a safe zone after figuring out its population mechanics, which seemed to be six per square.

When that number didn’t change for a period of time, the candidates disappeared along with the square, leaving the first floor.

If he and Lysandra stayed behind farming evolution points, they’d be two of the last candidates to leave the floor, and from the looks of it, the last set of candidates wouldn’t be making it back because their number wouldn’t be up to six, and that meant certain deaths.

Lysandra hesitated for a moment before she nodded and ran off towards a safe zone.

Kaelen didn’t want to waste time with the beasts, and didn’t want to be greedy either, trying to hoard everything, so he lunged at the first beast and swung his blades, severing its head.

He moved onto the next without wasting a second as he repeatedly tore through the beasts in the feeding zone.

He wasn’t the only one thinking in that direction, and there were a few candidates who also took advantage of the distraction to farm evolution points as well. But they soon disappeared one after the other to secure a safe zone, leaving Kaelen behind, who didn’t halt for a second till he heard Lysandra call out his name.

He snapped his head in her direction, to see her inside a safe zone not far off from him. It was red, meaning they were incomplete, but not for long, though. Because looking around, he could see a few candidates already had their eyes on it and were moving towards the safe zone.

He didn’t hesitate or waste any more time before he raced towards the safe zone.

Halfway there, a candidate arrived and immediately lunged inside. He was about to halt in his steps when he saw the zone was still red, and doing a quick headcount, he realized there were five inside.

One last person to make up the number and they’d be transported to safety.

He exchanged glances with a candidate nearby, and without a word, they both lunged forward. The candidate was incredibly fast and closed the distance much faster than Kaelen could run without the assistance of any skills.

He quickly realized the man was probably using a skill to be fast on his heels, and before his eyes, the candidate crossed the distance between them in a moment and arrived just a few feet before the safe zone to look behind his shoulder and flash Kaelen a victorious smirk, when the earth beneath his feet suddenly sank and a sandworm burst out of the ground, snapping its spiralling teeth around him and quickly diving back down into the ground.

Kaelen was stunned for a moment before he returned his focus to making it to the safe zone. There was no longer any competition, and he was the only one on the track for that safe zone, which made him relax as he arrived before it.

But before he could step foot inside, the safe zone turned green as a woman suddenly appeared before him on the inside with an apologetic smile.

"I’m so sorry, dear. You put all your heart and mind into making it here, but as you can see, most of the safe zones are already used up and I don’t have such fighting capability as you. I wouldn’t survive for a second longer if you all left me behind. I’m just a girl~," she said with a mocking smile.

Kaelen was stunned for a moment. Seeing her reaction, it was obvious she’d been watching him and deliberately planned this.

The nearest safe zone was much further than the distance Kaelen crossed to make it there, and he was the furthest compared to all the other candidates still outside a safe zone.

A hand suddenly clutched the woman’s shoulder, and she tilted her head to a cold glare from Lysandra standing behind her.

"You’re late, and I reserved this spot for him. I’m sure you can make it into another safe zone with that teleportation ability of yours, so I’m only going to say this once... Get out."

The woman didn’t flinch but simply disappeared from the spot and appeared at another corner of the safe zone.

"What is this? Are you trying to bully me into giving up my own spot for your boyfriend? I don’t think I want to do that," she said with a mischievous grin.

Lysandra’s face flushed slightly, and she drew her sword, pointing it towards the woman’s chest. But before she could speak, the woman spoke up first.

"Oh, if you’re willing to sacrifice an innocent life just to save that of your boyfriend, that says a lot about you and how terrible you’d make as a teammate if you ever ended up together. Right, guys?" She tilted her head to the sides while twirling her hair. "If we let her bully me like this, that’s the exact same way she’d bully all of you just because she’s stronger, and will be willing to sacrifice the lives of everyone here in the future for her own selfish interests. But with me here, I’ll make sure we all work together as a team and never leave anyone behind under any circumstances." As she said that, the stares of everyone around her changed for good, and they all glared at Lysandra.

Lysandra, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care, which further made the words of the woman seem accurate in the eyes of the other candidates.

Watching the drama unfold in such a way, Kaelen didn’t step in.

"Lysandra, it’s okay. I’ll quickly make it to another safe zone before there’s none left."

"W-What? No. You won’t make it. I’ll come with you," she hurriedly said and tried to step out, when he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back inside. At the same time, the cubic square solidified and began disappearing from the spot as Lysandra stared at him with wide eyes.

"See you on the 9th floor," he said as he waved at her till the safe zone disappeared, then he exhaled softly and stared at the ground.

She was right. He wouldn’t make it even if he began running earlier, which was why he didn’t bother running now. The last set of safe zones were already disappearing, and no more were appearing.

But instead of feeling fear, Kaelen’s lips slowly curled up into a smirk as he turned to look at the candidates left stranded in the wilderness.

Except, from his observations earlier when Lysandra was arguing with the woman, he realized these people weren’t even trying to make it into any safe zones.

Coincidentally—or not, they were all outstanding candidates he recognized from the introduction and the earlier battle.

At that moment, a notification suddenly flashed across his vision, making his smile wider.

’Well, well, well... what do we have here?’