Chapter 215 - 214: Dragging Someone Down

The ground trembled slightly. Stones were shaken loose by some unseen force, and the packed earth beneath them crumbled away.

The group stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Jian Yu pressed her lips together, hugging Yin Jiu as she quickly dodged aside.

Zhang Qin snapped back to his senses. "Run!"

Those who could use Instant Teleportation did so, while those who couldn’t were dragged along by the others.

The group quickly fled over half a mile away, patting their chests with pounding hearts.

Zhang Qin couldn’t help but ask Teacher Hu, "Teacher, what was that commotion underground just now?"

Teacher Hu didn’t know, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a front. "Not many things live underground. Mutated flora don’t have the ability to attack on their own."

He had spoken, yet it felt as if he’d said nothing at all.

Teacher Hu glanced awkwardly at Sheng Yue. "Since this is a training exercise, a teacher shouldn’t interfere too much."

Jian Yu mused, "I think that spot was marked on the map."

Lu Yi had thought she’d misremembered.

She checked her map. "No, there’s nothing here."

Jiang Fei had a good memory, but she didn’t dare to be careless. She stated with certainty, "I also remember there being no mark."

Zhang Qin was taken aback. "So, what mark was there?"

Sheng Yue glanced at Jian Yu in surprise.

’He knew what she was talking about, but that mark must have been made a long time ago.’

Sheng Yue hadn’t expected that after his impromptu invitation, she would prepare so thoroughly, even investigating the map data from the last two training exercises until she knew it inside and out.

’If I recall correctly...’

Sheng Yue’s tone grew slightly cold. "Two years ago, your upperclassmen marked that spot."

Teacher Hu remembered. "An injured Level 3S Mutant Worm disappeared right there."

If the Mutant Worm hadn’t left in the past two years, that place might have become a nesting ground for its larvae.

"Mhm," Jian Yu nodded, her fingers sinking into Yin Jiu’s soft fur. "It’s a Helmet Insect."

Zhang Qin’s eyes lit up. "An injured Helmet Insect? Aren’t we in need of Defense Attribute Beast Crystals?"

Teacher Hu just smiled and said nothing.

Zhang Ziyue corrected him, "It was injured two years ago, not two days ago."

Wang Hu hissed softly. "Exactly. We’d have to survive to get it. And from the sound of that commotion, it doesn’t seem like there’s only one Helmet Insect."

’Besides, it’s a Level 3S. Who could possibly defeat it?’

’Unless Yu could entice Chairman Sheng into fighting for us.’

Wang Hu surreptitiously glanced at Jian Yu.

Obedient, cute, and adorably soft.

’What a sinful thought.’

Jiang Fei released her Soul Beast.

A silver earthworm burrowed into the ground, only to crawl back out a moment later, trembling.

It shook its head. "I don’t dare go."

Everyone: "..."

A chill ran down Jian Yu’s spine.

Her intuition told her the danger wasn’t over yet.

Sheng Yue’s tone was grave. "Prepare for battle."

Wang Hu was baffled. "Huh?"

"Help!!!" A few piercing shrieks startled the birds in the Beast Forest into flight.

In the quiet Beast Forest, the ground began to tremble violently.

Jian Yu couldn’t see anyone, only hear their voices, but she could feel something tearing through the ground.

This time, Zhang Qin didn’t shout for them to run.

He even thought of heading toward the sound. "It couldn’t be students from our school, could it?"

Wang Hu grabbed him. "It might not be people from our academy. Don’t forget, students from Emperor Wolf Star Academy are here too."

Yan Xu looked at the relatively calm Teacher Hu and chimed in, "If they were from our academy, it’s impossible that we wouldn’t have received a distress signal by now."

The moment he finished speaking, he realized Sheng Yue was gone.

At the same time, a distress signal exploded in the sky like a locator beacon.

Their wristbands flashed, frantically indicating a direction, as the roar of collapsing earth filled their ears.

Teacher Hu’s brow was tightly furrowed.

Lu Qi dimly saw a white afterimage. "I think Chairman Sheng just went over there."

He pointed to the right, and in the blink of an eye, a pale green figure flashed past as well.

It was Jian Yu.

Lu Yi’s eyes widened. "Are we going or not?"

Zhang Qin frowned. "Let’s take them on!"

He was the first to give chase.

Wang Hu wasn’t one to take initiative; when Zhang Qin started the fight, he followed instantly.

Lu Qi staggered from the tremors. "If I go, I’ll probably just get in the way."

He pressed his lips together, his head bowed.

Teacher Hu glanced at him but said nothing.

Zhang Ziyue glanced down at the Defense Card around her neck, then pulled Zhang Ziwen along. "Let’s go take a look too."

As his teammates left one after another, Lu Qi could only follow in silence.

As they drew closer, they saw the people who had been calling for help.

They were unfamiliar, yet familiar.

Yan Xu stopped at a distance, holding Yan Yi back. "Those are students from Emperor Wolf Star Academy."

The two brothers clearly didn’t want to get involved.

Zhang Qin looked everywhere for Jian Yu. "Where’s Yu?"

Jian Yu stepped out from beside Sheng Yue. "I’m here."

She recognized them and didn’t really want to help.

Yan Xu recognized them too.

He scoffed. "When they were following Yan Yu around, they were always so arrogant, bullying others with his power. I never thought I’d see them in such a pathetic state."

Teacher Hu was indignant. "So it really was them who took Team 6’s things! And they still had the nerve to fire a signal gun? They’re basically admitting their guilt!"

Zhang Qin’s mind started turning. "Let’s wait until both sides are badly wounded, then we can go in and pick up the leftover Beast Crystals."

The screams grew closer.

Jian Yu pursed her lips. "It sounds like they’re getting closer to us."

Without hesitation, Sheng Yue pulled Jian Yu and started to leave.

The others quickly followed, retreating.

Lu Yi’s face scrunched up. "Something’s not right. Why do I feel like their voices are still just as close?"

Dense swarms of insect-like shadows surged from the depths of the earth.

People in Emperor Wolf Star Academy uniforms burst into view.

"Help! Chief Sheng, save us!"

There were a dozen or so of them, clothes in tatters, desperately protecting a single girl as they retreated.

Lu Qi’s gaze trembled. ’There were barely any of those things he could beat.’

Those weren’t ordinary Helmet Insects; every single one of them was an absurdly high Level.

His voice was faint and his steps faltered. "There are too many of them, and their Levels are so high... We should just run."

A swarm would have been bad enough, but each Helmet Insect was as big as a heavy tank. Who could possibly deal with that!

Lu Qi turned his head and found he was the only one left standing there.

His eyes instantly reddened. "Hey, wait for me!"

Zhang Qin looked back and gave him a pull. "Your physical fitness is too poor. You need to find a Contracted Beast soon, or you won’t even be able to keep up with our Instant Teleportation."

Lu Qi nodded, touched. "I came here this time hoping to try my luck and form a Contract. I told you I’d drag everyone down. I should have just waited for you guys where we were."

Finding it too troublesome, Zhang Qin simply hefted him over his shoulder and ran.

The Wolf Clan was truly fast, sticking to them and refusing to let go.

Lu Yi felt like cursing. "Can’t they run in a different direction?"

’Instant Teleportation consumes energy too. At this rate, we’d be better off just fighting.’

Yan Xu’s breathing was erratic. "Stop running."

The Wolf Clan has speed-enhancing concoctions. It’s no problem for them to keep up with us.

The people from Emperor Wolf Star had clearly targeted their team.

Yan Xu said guiltily, "You probably got dragged into this because of us."

Jian Yu blinked. "It might also be because of me."

Yan Xu thought for a moment, then said matter-of-factly, "That’s possible. We only stole Yan Yu’s spot for advancement. You drew more of his hatred. You crippled him."

Yan Yi nodded. "Mhm."

Zhang Qin put Lu Qi down, his heart racing. "He’s right, we can’t keep running. If we go on, who knows what other dangers we might run into."

Jian Yu looked thoughtfully at the wristband on her arm.

She said softly, "Were Team 6’s wristbands stolen too?"