Chapter 196 - 166: I’m So Stupid, Really...
’Damn it, what’s wrong with being a kid?’
’It’s easier to be a freeloader when you’re a kid!’
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An hour later, the bus drove into the Huai City Exotic Beast Activity Area.
Su Zhi looked out the window curiously.
The bus didn’t stop in the parking lot. Instead, after passing through a checkpoint, it drove directly onto a road that led into the dense forest.
They left the park’s already sparse buildings behind them. Soon, aside from the road stretching endlessly onward, not a single trace of civilization could be seen.
"Feels pretty novel, doesn’t it?"
Peng Kai raised an eyebrow from his seat beside Su Zhi. "Unlike the field training organized by regular universities, Alliance Member training camps let you drive directly into the Exotic Beast Activity Area—it saves us the time of traveling back and forth.
"By the way, all expenses from the training camp are fully reimbursable!"
"So a different status really comes with different treatment..." Su Zhi nodded, then asked with curiosity, "But, building a road straight through a dense forest... won’t we run into wild Exotic Beasts or something?"
"Wild Exotic Beasts run away when they hear a commotion. They’re not going to be dumb enough to stand there and get hit."
"That makes sense... But what about powerful Exotic Beasts? Won’t they pop out and block the road?"
"Well, about that..."
RUSTLE!
A patch of grass up ahead suddenly began to stir.
As if to grant Su Zhi’s unspoken wish, a massive, six-limbed blue insect burst from the distant grass, pouncing straight for the windshield!
[Pet Beast: Deep Blue Armor (Wild)
Attribute: Fighting Element
Race: Middle Elite
Real-time Energy Value: 3067]
Seeing the data on his phone, Su Zhi broke out in a cold sweat.
Encountering a wild Exotic Beast as strong as a One-star meant they were now deep in the Exotic Beast Activity Area. This place could be considered untamed wilderness.
Although this Deep Blue Armor was definitely no match for any of the Alliance Members on the bus, flipping the vehicle was probably still a piece of cake for it—
BANG!
Then, before Su Zhi’s stunned eyes, the bus suddenly grew a mechanical arm and sent the Deep Blue Armor flying with an uppercut.
The phone’s scanner triggered automatically—
[Pet Beast: Mechanical Boss (Divine Mechanism Heavy Machinery)
Attribute: Mechanical Element
Race: Middle Commander
Real-time Energy Value: 12194]
Peng Kai explained, "Hall Master Yan’s Main Pet. He lent it to us for the trip."
WHIRR.
A small mechanical arm extended from beside Su Zhi’s leg and made a heart gesture at him.
"...Hello." Su Zhi gave it a thumbs-up.
’No wonder ordinary Exotic Beasts don’t dare to rob us. Try it and you die.’
Not long after, the bus stopped in a relatively open clearing. Surrounded by dense forest with only sparse sunlight filtering through the canopy, the area felt like a natural room with a high ceiling.
The Alliance Members each put on an Energy Shield Cloak, and Su Zhi was given one, too.
He had only ever seen the proctors wear these things before. Wearing one for the first time, it felt surprisingly comfortable and didn’t restrict his movement at all.
’Hmm... actually, it might not be that the cloak itself is so comfortable... It’s just that wearing something only the proctors got to wear feels awesome.’
’I guess I really am a natural-born rebel.’
After the Energy Shield Cloaks were distributed, everyone broke into groups of two or three and fanned out.
Su Zhi and Peng Kai were in a group. Seeing Peng Kai walking with a swagger, Su Zhi asked, surprised, "Aren’t the Energy Shield Cloaks for hiding? Why are we being so... uh, blatant?"
"It’s not for hiding... It’s to make training easier."
Peng Kai casually explained, "If we didn’t wear these, the powerful energy fluctuations from our Main Pets would scare away any wild Exotic Beasts. How could we get any training done then?"
Su Zhi said, "...So we wear these to make the Exotic Beasts think we’re noobs, then lure them in for the kill?"
Peng Kai replied, "That’s right."
"Woof."
Yu Bao caught on immediately.
’I know this one! It’s about playing weak to catch the strong.’
Seeing Peng Kai and Yu Bao give each other a thumbs-up in affirmation, Su Zhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Perhaps Su Zhi was having a stroke of incredible luck, because they hadn’t gone far before they discovered something good:
About ten meters ahead, an Earth Fire Crystal was quietly wedged in the branches of a tall birch tree, sparkling with a red glow in the morning sun.
"Woof!" "Saa!"
The eyes of the two little Fire Attribute fellows lit up in unison.
"..." Then they looked at each other.
’Hey, buddy, how about you let me have it? We’re close enough to have shared the same bag of spicy strips!’
"In that case, how about we compete for it?"
Peng Kai looked at Su Zhi with a smile. "The resource is hanging right there. Whoever is fastest gets—"
"Yu Bao, Desert Concealment! Sand Manipulation Technique!"
Peng Kai: "?"
’I wasn’t even finished talking! This kid has no martial virtue. Just you wait!’
Meanwhile, the moment Yu Bao heard the command, it turned into a stream of sand and shot out seven or eight meters in the blink of an eye.
Diya panicked and hurriedly took off in pursuit, the flames on its body flickering erratically.
’Damn it! My spicy-strip bro is backstabbing me!’
’But—I’m not that easy to pass!’
Taking advantage of the ability of a Telekinesis Pet Beast to levitate, Diya flew in a straight line toward the Earth Fire Crystal. Yu Bao had no such luck; it ran to the base of the tree and was only slowly preparing to ascend.
Glancing at its good brother on the ground and seeing the Earth Fire Crystal right before its eyes, Diya couldn’t help but feel a little smug.
’Taking this prize is like taking candy from a baby. A mere country mutt thinks it can compete with me, a noble Nether Flame Spirit?’
RUSTLE!
A sound came from the nearby thicket, and the dense bushes, nearly twice a man’s height, were violently thrown aside.
Diya jumped in fright and spun around in a panic. The Deep Blue Armor, with its six pairs of insect-like legs, leaped into midair and shot towards it like a lightning bolt!
Its carapace still bore the cracks from the Divine Mechanism Heavy Machinery’s uppercut!
"Saa?!"
Diya quickly grabbed the Earth Fire Crystal and scrambled to dodge. The Deep Blue Armor’s Iron Fist grazed past its body. If that blow had landed, Peng Kai would be planning a funeral tomorrow.
In the instant it brushed past, the Deep Blue Armor’s four pairs of insect eyes flashed with resentment.
There was some real emotion behind that punch.
"Saa!"
Agile and swift, Diya clutched the Earth Fire Crystal and hit the ground running.
’Mechanical Boss was the one who hit you! Go settle your score with him!’
’What’s so great about bullying a poor, helpless little Nether Flame Spirit like me?!’
The Deep Blue Armor missed its strike and locked its gaze on Diya once more.
’Of course I’m coming after you! I can’t beat that Divine Mechanism Heavy Machinery!’
However, as it prepared to give chase, the Deep Blue Armor sensed a killing intent from below.
Looking down, it saw Yu Bao had been lying in ambush for a while. Three Furious Sand Blades flew toward the Deep Blue Armor at the same time!
The Deep Blue Armor instinctively dodged with its superb evasion skills. It was stunned and shaken, having never seen such a Skill before.
The three Furious Sand Blades had effectively sealed off all its escape routes. Despite twisting away with all its might, one of them still grazed the old wound on its back, causing it to hiss sharply.
Having narrowly escaped, the Deep Blue Armor’s gaze toward Yu Bao became even more vicious.
’You stinking mutt, you dare wound me!’
’I’ll kill you!’
SWOOSH!
Using the momentum from its dodge to drift near the birch tree’s trunk, the Deep Blue Armor pushed off with its six limbs, bringing down a palm technique that descended from the heavens.
The Deep Blue Armor’s Racial Skill: Fallen Meteor Form, a Low Level Elite Skill of the Fighting Element!
Yu Bao had no time to dodge and was struck on the spot, slammed directly into the dirt.
"?!" The Deep Blue Armor was shocked to see the Yu Bao it had clearly hit turn into a pile of sand.
When it turned around, Yu Bao was already standing behind it, a smile on its face. Beside it was a Furious Sand Blade that glowed with Golden Light and flickered with crimson flames.
Diya stood beside Yu Bao, its arms spread wide. Its Nether Flame Body slowly emerged from its chest, gathering a purplish-red light of annihilation.
Deep Blue Armor: "QAQ"
’I admit, I might have been a little too aggressive just now...’
SWISH! BOOM!
After the combined bombardment of Furious Sand Blade 2.0 and the Ghost Explosion Shockwave, the Deep Blue Armor fell onto its back, unable to get up again.
Peng Kai, Su Zhi, and Yu Bao high-fived.
Diya, holding the Earth Fire Crystal, had an utterly bewildered look on its face.
’Why do I get the feeling you guys knew this was an ambush by the Deep Blue Armor all along?’
"Of course we did."
Peng Kai, not understanding Diya’s confusion, scratched his head. "Since when do Earth Fire Crystals grow on trees?"
"...Saa?"
’So, the only one who didn’t know was me... I was the bait?’
Peng Kai, Su Zhi, and Yu Bao all folded their arms and nodded in unison.
Diya threw the Earth Fire Crystal in its arms onto the ground and went to sulk under a tree.
’I’m so stupid, I really am...’
BOOM—
Suddenly, a continuous series of loud bangs erupted not far away, and the ground itself seemed to tremble.
Su Zhi and Peng Kai exchanged a look, nodded, and rushed toward the source of the sound together.
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