A transport vehicle was already waiting outside the academy. It emitted a faint blue glow from underneath and hovered fifty centimeters off the ground.
The enormous sheet-metal compartment was filled with the smell of rust. Everyone found their seats.
BOOM!
Gasps rippled through the vehicle. With a feeling of weightlessness, it took off and merged into the three-dimensional traffic lane above.
"Three things..." Hu Xiang paced back and forth inside the compartment, drawing everyone's attention. His slightly hoarse voice carried an absolute, murderous gravity.
"First, you will obey every order without question. Outside the city isn't the academy, and it certainly isn't your home. I have the right to kill anyone who disobeys a direct order on the spot."
"Second, unity is survival. You are never to act alone!"
"Third, the unexpected can happen at any moment. Do not try to be a hero!"
Su Chen noticed that as soon as Hu Xiang finished, a good number of the students had turned deathly pale.
These were the same warnings written in the instruction manual they'd been given, highlighted in red.
He emphasized again, "The world outside the city is nothing like the one within. Even a flower could hold a fatal danger. You must report any abnormality. If your actions lead to someone else's death, your family will be held responsible for compensation."
His words were laced with death and dire warnings. A few students were already trembling uncontrollably. Hu Xiang shook his head inwardly. 'These kids have been coddled for far too long.'
His gaze swept discreetly over the one called Su Chen, only to find the young man's expression was blank, not even a ripple of emotion in his eyes.
'As expected of a refugee. These words don't scare him.'
Hu Xiang held no prejudice against refugees; in fact, he believed their unique experiences were an advantage.
'A pity he offended someone he shouldn't have,' he thought, shaking his head.
Hu Xiang wasn't a man of many words. After his warning, he fell silent.
The atmosphere grew quiet, and for a time, no one spoke.
Zhou Zhong and his friends had already formed a small clique. It included Shen Ying'er—the girl with the "exceptionally talented" chest—and a few others who didn't seem to be ordinary people, either. At the very least, Hu Xiang's words hadn't scared them.
Due to the seating arrangement, it was hard to tell if Bai Fengxi was part of their group or just "orbiting" it.
"...In a little while, Zhang Yunqing is hosting a Southwind Academy alumni association event. I heard it might have something to do with Ying Feng..." Zhou Zhong suddenly brought up.
Although they were some distance away, Su Chen's senses were extremely sharp, and he heard them clearly.
The people gathered around him looked on eagerly. Shen Ying'er leaned in especially close, frequently hinting that she hoped he would make some introductions for her, but Zhou Zhong just changed the subject.
Before long, the transport vehicle came to a stop. The moment Su Chen disembarked, the first thing he saw was the massive city wall before him.
It was over ten meters tall, built from a type of black crystal that faintly shimmered with a white light, and it stretched left and right as far as the eye could see.
'So this is Morning Star Stone,' Su Chen observed.
Hu Xiang was speaking with an officer at the main gate. Naturally, they wouldn't open the main gate for them, so they were led to a smaller side gate.
Though called a small gate, it was still three or four meters high.
"Get ready!" Hu Xiang yelled. With a CLICK, the small gate began to open, and a sudden chill crept in.
Everyone tensed, unable to resist peeking through the crack at the world outside. Su Chen was no different.
It was daytime, the "Day-Mist" phase, so everything was still cloaked in a hazy, gray color.
Desolation, decay, and ruin.
Those were the words that came to Su Chen's mind. The visibility wasn't too low, however; he could see quite far.
"Move out!" Hu Xiang shouted, stepping out first. The others followed close behind, filing out in a line.
BOOM!
A huge tremor came from behind them, and everyone's heart skipped a beat. The gate had closed.
"Mommy..." someone whimpered, their voice trembling. In the boundless mist, their fear seemed to be infinitely amplified.
"Look back every ten to fifteen steps. If anyone's missing or you notice anything unusual, report it," Hu Xiang issued his first command.
Bai Fengxi suddenly fell back to Su Chen's side. She turned her head and whispered, "Zhou Zhong shouldn't be on this mission. His presence is a bad omen. Be careful."
Su Chen looked up at Bai Fengxi's delicate profile. His mind was highly active, and he felt a strange, inexplicable sensation.
It wasn't attraction, but a kind of... a kind of...
'It's the feeling of a Professional,' Su Chen realized, his eyes widening in surprise. 'This woman, she's already become one?'
Amidst the students' panic and confusion, the group proceeded deeper into the wilds, and Southwind City gradually vanished into the mist behind them.
The mist itself seemed ordinary. It had long since been studied and determined to be completely harmless.
However, it could block all sorts of communication devices and even suppress Mental Perception. Su Chen could feel it; his perception, which normally covered a radius of about ten meters, was now reduced to only three or four.
Su Chen reached out, his palm passing through the thin mist. Hu Xiang periodically pulled up a virtual screen, using a special device to lock in their direction.
"Careful..."
Suddenly, a shout came from the front. The ground trembled slightly. Thanks to his Sky Splitter Warrior traits, Su Chen keenly sensed the flow of the mist abruptly accelerate, and a shadow faintly appeared in the haze before them.
ROAR—
An ear-splitting beastly roar echoed. The students' faces filled with terror as a dark figure lunged out of the mist, bringing with it a foul wind and a terrifying black mane.
It was a giant wolf. Su Chen saw it clearly. The students practically broke and ran; the attack was so sudden, and none of them had ever experienced such a ferocious scene.
Su Chen's eyes narrowed. In his peripheral vision, he saw Bai Fengxi's expression turn grim. With a flick of her arm, a metal disk on her forearm expanded, rapidly forming a small shield.
Su Chen could hear her slightly ragged breathing as her expression grew more intense. His own expression flickered, and he stepped back to take cover behind Bai Fengxi.
Bai Fengxi, beside him, was momentarily stunned.
BOOM!
Just then, a streak of fire shot through the air like a falling star and accurately pierced the black wolf's body. A wave of flame erupted into the air. The giant wolf's body convulsed, pinned to the ground in the middle of its charge.
"Get back here, all of you!" Hu Xiang shouted, leaping onto the giant wolf's body and surveying the scene.
'Another scare tactic...' Su Chen wasn't surprised at all. 'With this guy around, it's not our turn to be the heroes.'
The City Patrol Guards had formed a defensive line at the first sign of trouble. The students were a mess—some were even trembling on the ground—but not a single one had managed to get out of the guards' sight.
Hu Xiang observed them covertly. Only a few had managed to remain somewhat calm. The only one who truly caught his eye was that girl. There was a faint, crazed look in her eyes, as if she'd been preparing to fight to the death.
'A Professional?' He raised an eyebrow. Reaching down, he gripped the crimson spear embedded in the giant wolf's head. With a flick of his wrist, the metal spear retracted segment by segment until it was the thickness of his arm. He slung it onto his back.
The students around them gradually calmed down, though they could all feel their legs trembling. None of them dared to look directly at the giant wolf's corpse on the ground.
Zhou Zhong's heart was pounding. It took a great deal of effort for him to get his limbs to move again.
'Why would they use a Mutant Species for a scare tactic this time? Didn't they usually let a few people wander off on purpose?'
"Headcount," Hu Xiang commanded. Bai Fengxi retracted her shield.
Only then did he notice Su Chen peeking out from behind Bai Fengxi.
The corner of the cold-blooded veteran's eye couldn't help but twitch. He had clearly seen Su Chen duck behind Bai Fengxi.
'Impressive. No wonder someone wants him dead.'
"Looks like you all are in for a treat tonight," Hu Xiang said, calling some men over to start butchering the giant beast.
"Boss, what was that all about? Using a Mutant Species to scare these kids without giving us a heads-up," one of his subordinates grumbled in a low voice. "You scared the hell out of me."
"Just wanted to see how much you guys are still worth. Is that a problem?" Hu Xiang shot him a sidelong glance. The subordinate chuckled sheepishly and walked away. Hu Xiang, however, looked toward the distance with a hint of worry before glancing back down at the virtual screen in his hand.
'No one notified me, either.'