C23 A Crisis Had Arrived

"Wait a minute, I'm just the admissions director. How is this my problem? That's for the principal and his teaching staff to worry about."

Fong Ju grumbled to himself, his mood suddenly brightening.

The ride was tedious. After the initial thrill wore off and the sky grew darker, everyone began to succumb to sleepiness.

The moon disappeared into the night, with only a few stars scattering their faint glow across the earth.

The wilderness was eerily quiet, save for the "shush" of tires against the ground.

The car's insulation and soundproofing were top-notch, keeping the interior noise and engine's roar at bay.

Moreover, the military regularly cleared this road, so theoretically, the chance of encountering a fiend beast was virtually nil.

But theory is just that—theory.

In this perilous wilderness, many things defy logic.

Zhou Mu, feigning sleep, suddenly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings at a glance.

The driver sat ramrod straight, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Fong Ju's expression was grave, his brow furrowed.

Jinzi stood motionless beneath the windshield.

Even Gator, typically languid, poked its head out from the backpack.

Clearly, trouble was afoot, and it was no small matter.

"There are over five thousand fiend beasts, and their numbers are still climbing," Fong Ju announced after a glance at Zhou Mu.

"Are they targeting us?"

"Most likely!"

Zhou Mu's brow creased at Fong Ju's words.

Unless they were off course or the fiend beasts were migrating, it was highly unlikely to come across such a massive gathering on this route.

And given the late hour, it seemed certain that the beasts were after them.

"Turn on the headlights and launch the flares. Everyone, prepare for battle!"

With no time to hesitate, Fong Ju sounded the alarm, and everyone snapped to alertness.

Zhou Mu wasn't overly concerned about the five thousand fiend beasts.

Once Gator unleashed its dragon's might, both ordinary and elite beasts would be forced to the ground.

Even a leader's combat strength would be severely diminished.

Yet, Zhou Mu hesitated to act. He suspected someone was manipulating the fiend beasts.

If we don't root out the main instigator, it's an endless cycle of killing—five thousand down, another five thousand rise. It's an infuriatingly never-ending task.

"Keep your dragon species spirit animal out of the fray to avoid spooking the enemy," Fong Ju advised, finding that he and Zhou Mu were on the same wavelength.

He had pored over the combat exam video more than a dozen times, discerning that Gator likely possessed a skill akin to a domain of influence. Moreover, having ascended to the Lord tier, Gator's intervention would render these fiend beasts negligible.

The enemy's tactic to manipulate the fiend beasts into an encirclement rather than engaging in direct combat betrayed their lack of confidence in a sure victory. Thus, holding Gator in reserve could prove to be a game-changer at a pivotal moment.

Better yet if his hunch was incorrect—no puppet master, just a mere convergence of fiend beasts. Fong Ju and the driver could dispatch the higher-level threats, leaving the rest for the students to hone their skills.

"What's the matter?"

"What's going on?"

...

Chaos erupted in the vehicle following the alarm. Most students were visibly shaken, but a select few remained composed, assessing the situation outside.

Fong Ju took note of everyone's reactions, mentally bookmarking those who maintained their cool. They might not match Zhou Mu's prowess just yet, but with proper guidance, they could very well become the core strength of the team.

The growling of the fiend beasts intensified as they drew nearer, their ominous howls finally reaching the ears of those inside.

These students, though inexperienced, were the cream of the crop at Bayshore School—each a genius endowed with intellect, bravery, and tenacity. In less than thirty seconds, they were battle-ready.

A handful of elite spirit animals and a swarm of their ordinary counterparts had the car completely encircled.

"When the time comes, take out all the elite ones. Leave none standing," Zhou Mu instructed in a hushed tone, receiving an affirming nod in response.

The head fiend beasts would be Fong Ju and the driver's responsibility, while the students would tackle the ordinary ones. The elite beasts posed too great a threat and needed to be dealt with swiftly.

With the fiend beasts closing in, the tension mounted. The students were brimming with a combative zeal, eager to leap into the fray.

"Battle on!"

With a thunderous cry from Fong Ju, the clash commenced instantly.

Hundreds of spirit animals and a swarm of fiend beasts engaged in close combat, while Goldie vanished in the blink of an eye.

His presence was like the break of dawn piercing the night, or thunder fracturing the heavy clouds.

Goldie unfurled his wings, leaving a trail of fiend beasts dead in his wake.

Fierce, cutting.

Graceful, dashing.

He danced on the knife's edge, a shadowy assassin in the dark.

In mere moments, enemies fell.

"Roar!"

A deep bellow echoed from the horde as a Steel Armored Rhinoceros zeroed in on Goldie, charging with wild abandon.

The rhino, heavy and unwieldy, could only charge straight ahead, nearly incapable of altering its course.

Yet its defense was formidable, its attack power fearsome; few leader fiend beasts could withstand its might.

"Pfft, brute!"

Goldie scoffed at the oncoming Steel Armored Rhinoceros, casually pecking a hole in the skull of a monkey at his feet.

Even if it were a higher grade, Goldie could easily outmaneuver such a dimwit.

With a flourish of his talons and a flicker of movement, Goldie was like a specter—each appearance heralded the death of at least two fiend beasts.

"You beast, it's my turn to face you!"

The commotion caused by the Steel Armored Rhinoceros didn't go unnoticed, drawing the attention of the driver.

A bellowing shout summoned a fiery red gorilla, which pummeled towards the rhino with thunderous fists.

Fong Ju was far from idle, engaging two leader fiend beasts with a trio of animals, the battle reaching a tense impasse.

"Zhou Mu, something seems off," Hai Ming remarked, back-to-back with Zhou, shield in his left hand and spear in his right.

His contracted spirit animal was weak, its first-rank abilities skewed towards support, prompting the development of his current combat strategy.

The spirit animal provided assistance while he fought.

Though human strength paled in comparison to spirit animals, if they could just stall their foes, they could await their allies to dispatch the enemies before lending aid.

Certainly, one could opt to grind their enemies down to defeat.

During the practical combat exam, it was this very tactic that secured him a B-plus rating.

He played it safe, concentrating solely on defense, never striking back unless he was absolutely sure of success.

He battled ten first-rank, one-star fiend beasts for ten minutes.

He grappled with ten first-rank, two-star fiend beasts for thirty minutes.

He engaged ten first-rank, three-star fiend beasts for a grueling two hours.

The audience in the stands was nodding off, and Zhou Ming was so frustrated he nearly resorted to swearing.

"Something's not right, is it?"

Zhou Mu sent a leopard flying with a kick, then swiftly beheaded a nearby duck.

He mused about the taste of a fourth-rank duck if it were roasted.

"Do you think it's possible that it's not just bad luck that we're running into these fiend beasts, but that they're actually targeting us?"

"Mm-hmm, you've hit the nail on the head!"

Zhou Mu agreed, decapitating another duck with a swift stroke.