“So, what do you say, want to join our team?” Pan Lin invited sincerely, patting his chest like a big brother, as if to say, “Join us, and I’ll have your back.”
Mo Li was a bit surprised by his friendliness.
He’d thought that, given the current situation, he was already public enemy number one among these nobles.
He didn’t expect anyone would actually invite him to team up.
“But once we enter the secret realm, aren’t we all going to be scattered?” Mo Li tilted his head and asked.
“If we’re all going to be split up, isn’t it a bit early to talk about forming teams?”
“Haha, true, true.
Well, if fate has it, we’ll talk again if we run into each other in the secret realm.” Pan Lin scratched his head, thinking it over and realizing Mo Li had a point.
“After all, having one more teammate means a better chance of winning… Oh, right, Young Master Mo Li, let me remind you, I think I heard from the seniors last year that inside the secret realm, students can attack each other.”
“…Oh?” Mo Li raised an eyebrow.
That was actually a pretty important piece of information.
Hearing that, he could be sure Pan Lin really wanted to befriend him.
If the guy had bad intentions, he would’ve kept that to himself and waited for a chance to strike.
“Thanks for the heads up.” Mo Li nodded.
“No problem, haha.
Oh, right, these are my teammates.
You can get to know them first, so if you see them in the secret realm, you’ll have someone to watch your back.”
“Mm.” Seeing Pan Lin’s easygoing manner, Mo Li nodded lightly.
Maybe this guy was worth befriending.
“All right, quiet down.” A voice rang out—not too loud, not too deep, but full of authority—and instantly silenced all the students present.
The crowd of admirers hoping to team up with Emilia immediately fell silent.
“The secret realm is about to open.
Before that, all prospective students, please listen carefully as I explain the assessment rules.
This is important—it could determine whether you pass smoothly, or even your very lives.” An old man in a white robe, leaning on a cane, walked into the middle of the group.
He wasn’t tall, but at this moment, he stood out more than anyone.
“Let me introduce myself first.
I’m Crow, a full instructor at Lanyin Academy, and I’m in charge of the new student assessment for the Papal State region this year.
In other words, your scores are largely up to me…” “You’re all elites of the Papal State, the best of your generation.
I know, deep down, you all have a bit of that ‘I’m the best, Lanyin Academy is nothing without me’ pride.
Don’t bother denying it—I was the same when I was young, until I actually entered Lanyin Academy… But that’s enough about that.
You’ll experience it yourselves soon enough.
The stronger a person becomes, the more they realize how small they really are.”
“All right, enough chit-chat.
I’m sure you don’t want to hear an old man ramble about his past… Take good care of your gold card.
That’s your ‘counter’ for recording your points.”
“The rules are simple.
Defeat monsters in the secret realm to earn points.
Once your points break a hundred, you’re considered qualified.
At that point, just make it to the finish line and you’ll pass the assessment.”
“But there are a few details you need to pay attention to.
There’s only one safe zone in the secret realm.
If you’re in danger there, your card will teleport you out in time, but if that happens, you fail the assessment…” “The monster density in the safe zone is low, and the monsters are weak.
Naturally, you get fewer points.
In the danger zones, monsters are much more numerous and stronger, so you get more points.
If you take down monsters as a team, the points are split…” “Now, here’s the most important part.” Crow paused.
“Inside the secret realm, you can attack each other.”
“And if you defeat someone and take their gold card, you get the points on their card.”
The whole place erupted.
Even though most of these nobles had learned the rules before the competition, hearing the part about looting stated so bluntly made them all start to feel a bit wary of their own teammates.
If they didn’t have enough points, would their own teammates turn on them? That thought crept into their minds.
Nobles generally didn’t want to make enemies of each other, and most parents had warned their kids not to kill other nobles’ children, but even so, losing your card meant failing the assessment, and that was a big risk.
“Also, if you’re in a danger zone and run into trouble, you’d better find a way to escape fast, because in the danger zones, your card can’t teleport you out.
In other words…” As Crow said this, all the noble kids felt a chill run down their spines.
“If you’re not strong enough, you could really die in there.”
“?!” The young nobles all fell silent, no longer as cocky as before.
At first, they thought this was just a formality, but the reason Lanyin Academy had stood for so long was because it never settled for mediocrity.
Mo Li listened quietly below, his expression calm and unchanged from start to finish.
For someone who’d faced life and death, this was child’s play, but for these pampered noble kids, it was a different story.
Most of them were heirs, raised in the palms of their parents and elders, used to being the center of attention.
After all the trouble to be born into a noble family, who wouldn’t value their life?
“So, think carefully before the competition, young masters.
There’s no victory without risk and sacrifice.
Lanyin Academy isn’t some building you can just buy your way into.
If you’re not careful, you could really die.”
“If you don’t have the guts, now’s the time to quit.
It’s not too late.” With that, Crow fell silent, waiting for the crowd to respond.
“Tch! What kind of crappy academy is this, making the assessment dangerous? I’m out! Let someone else do it!” Soon, a young noble stepped out, cursing as he left the group.
“If anyone else is scared, don’t hesitate—step out now.
Once you’re in the secret realm, there’s no turning back.” Crow said casually.
With someone taking the lead and Crow’s encouragement, a few more people stepped out of the group.
“Anyone else? Hurry up.”
“No one? All right, it’s about time.” Crow signaled to a younger instructor, who nodded in understanding, took out a magic scroll covered in intricate runes, untied the rope binding it, and as the scroll unfurled, the magic patterns flashed with a dazzling white light.
