Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Yan Yan led the large group, following the information provided by Lin Fu, to encircle the Sacred Mountain Academy by taking a shortcut.

Their team remained intact and did not engage in a battle with the Mencarlton Academy. The opposing side didn't even discover that they landed at the same drop point.

As a result, the Mencarlton Academy preserved its full strength, moving in the direction of the Royal Military Academy, presumably to encircle them as well.

The Royal Military Academy's strength ranked lowest among the five military academies. Whichever academy they encountered from the other four, they would undoubtedly be chosen as the target.

Someone in the group couldn't help but inquire quietly to Yan Yan, "Captain, are we really giving up on the Royal Military Academy, such a significant opportunity? They are the weakest in terms of strength. Without them, the points won't be as easy to acquire."

Yan Yan responded, "Victory doesn't solely depend on accumulating points."

Obtaining points but getting eliminated is equally futile.

"There's new information coming in."

Opening his light-brain, Lin Fu's message popped up: "Illumis Military Academy's baiting was successful. Hurry over!"

Yan Yan smiled and urged, "Let's move quickly!"

*

Lin Fu and Tang Qian left traces along the way and, upon reaching the resting place of the Sacred Mountain Academy, reunited with Zhong Si.

The three of them exchanged information and proceeded to assess the remaining students from the Sacred Mountain Academy.

Illumis Military Academy had also suffered casualties, with only nineteen out of the initial twenty-five students remaining. However, the Sacred Mountain Academy had endured heavy losses.

Of the original twenty-five, only ten students remained, losing more than half of their numbers.

Lin Fu couldn't help but marvel at Milton Su's defiance and noted that she indeed possessed the qualities to justify her audacity.

Even S-ranked Sentinels of the same level could be overpowered by her.

Half of the Sacred Mountain Academy's students were casualties, and a third of them had become points in the hands of Milton Su alone.

They sat despondently on the ground.

Team leader Donald Marvin, rubbing his arm, whispered, "Let's regroup here for five minutes. Those who scored, report in."

Four team members reported in, each having only scored a single point. Only Donald had managed to secure two points for the team.

Someone grumbled angrily, "Milton Su plays rough! It's just the preliminaries, and more than half of us have already been eliminated. What's the point in continuing?"

Donald tried to soothe his teammates' spirits: "We're just unlucky. I bet the other military academies aren't faring much better. Besides, this year, Milton Su is probably the strongest contender. Artemis Military Academy has three freshmen, one of them a guide, and their situation isn't much better than ours. At the very least, we have the Royal Military Academy to cushion our fall."

Gradually, the teammates' spirits began to lift.

"We encountered the Solar Lion right off the bat; our luck can't be that bad again. Maybe we'll run into the Royal Military Academy and harvest a bunch of points."

Lin Fu and his two companions exchanged glances, suspecting that Saint Mountain Academy was bound for disappointment.

There's no such thing as the unluckiest, only unluckier.

At that moment, Yan Yan sent a message: "We're here."

Lin Fu immediately stood up, glanced across, and then averted his gaze.

The other two stood up with him. Zhong Si released his spirit body and charged ahead, catching them off guard. In the blink of an eye, he had reaped the heads of two A-level sentries.

The members of Saint Mountain Academy were shocked and stood up, those who had been facing away turned around to confront the attack.

Soon, they realized that the attackers were just three people. They felt a mix of irritation at being underestimated and a sigh of relief.

Just three people, and all freshmen from Artemis, not a significant threat.

Their relief was cut short, a lump in their throat.

It seemed to happen in an instant. As they focused on the three freshmen, their companions' necks were suddenly snapped. Amidst the incessant beeping sounds, red lights flickered, casting fragmented shadows.

The already depleted ranks of Saint Mountain Academy suffered a massive loss in the blink of an eye.

Yan Yan lunged into a fight with Donald.

Both team leaders and both S-class sentries, they reacted with incredible speed.

Yan Yan's spirit body was a ferocious, snarling gray wolf, cautiously probing against Donald's cobra.

Catching Yan Yan's fist, Donald cursed, "You Artemis folks resort to sneak attacks, shameless!"

Yan Yan pinned his arm down and forced him to the ground, his shin pressing against his neck: "This is called tactics, a compulsory course for every military academy student!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a crisp "snap." Donald's neck broke, turning into data points, and he was eliminated from the game.

The red numbers above Yan Yan's head jumped, changing to "+3".

The three freshmen also scored, with Zhong Si earning two points, and Tang Qian and Lin Fu each gaining one.

Lin Fu's struggle was particularly challenging, nearly two against one without the aid of a spirit body.

Fortunately, killing just one would end the battle.

As he grasped his opponent's neck, Tang Qian's points came through, and his spirit body rushed to assist Lin Fu, biting and clinging to the opponent's spirit body.

"Ding," +1.

Saint Mountain Academy was completely wiped out.

*

Outside the arena.

——All members of Saint Mountain Academy are eliminated, Saint Mountain Academy is disqualified.

——Repeat, all members of Saint Mountain Academy are eliminated, Saint Mountain Academy is disqualified——

The mechanical broadcast echoed over the stands and filled the live stream room, momentarily silencing all other sounds. Whether or not they were watching Saint Mountain Academy's live feed, everyone received the broadcast.

“？？？？”

"Eliminated in the preliminaries!? What happened? Did anyone watch Saint Mountain Academy's live feed? Can someone explain?"

"Holy cow! Artemis rocks!! My bet wasn't in vain!!"

"No way, this year's last place isn't the Royal Military Academy? Has my great Royal finally risen?"

"Artemis is so sneaky, that was a hellish move, and they actually pulled it off. Saint Mountain Academy is trash!"

"I just watched it for nothing, how did it end so abruptly?"

The members of Saint Mountain Academy emerged from the simulation pods with grim expressions.

Those who had been eliminated by Hui Lion Academy looked at them in surprise: "You got wiped out by Hui Lion, a total wipeout??"

"Didn't you escape? How many from Hui Lion were eliminated?"

Donald Marvin emerged from the pod, standing up with a grimace; the residual mental pain from his spirit body being torn apart seemed to linger in his mind.

The simulation pods in the arena don't cause actual harm, but they replicate eighty percent of the pain sensation.

The agony of a broken neck left faces pale.

Touching his neck, he said coldly, "It wasn't Hui Lion Academy. We were ambushed by Artemis."

The room fell silent.

Everyone clenched their fists; had they not been aware of the consequences of acting impulsively, some might have already stormed into Artemis's simulation chamber to drag them out for a beating.

Donald recalled Yan Yan's words before his elimination, his pale face covered in a cold chill: "He was right; I was outplayed."

If everyone is playing dirty, then he wouldn't be blamed for doing the same.

The same broadcast was received within the arena.

The Royal Military Academy and Menk Carlton Academy, amidst their skirmish, paused and looked up at the simulated sky, as real as it seemed.

A total wipeout?

Who did it?

Milton Su, advancing forward, suddenly stopped in his tracks, pausing for a few seconds, his expression changing. He waved his hand and shouted, "Everyone, retreat!"

His teammates, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"

Milton Su scoffed, "These traces were deliberately left. Saint Mountain Academy was completely eliminated by Artemis. They're trying to lure us in now, hoping to take us down in one fell swoop."

"But we don't need to fear them. With Saint Mountain Academy completely eliminated, Artemis must have suffered significant losses as well."

Milton Su's eyes were stern: "Am I the leader, or are you?"

The one who had objected fell silent.

Hui Lion Academy's team made a full retreat, heading in another direction.

Now, whoever encountered Artemis was doomed.

Unless the other two military academies hadn't encountered each other and were still at full strength.

Given how much time had passed since the start of the match, this was clearly impossible.

Artemis's previously uplifted spirits collapsed upon hearing the broadcast.

"Why is there a broadcast?"

"Was this ever mentioned in previous matches?"

Yan Yan, resigned: "Hui Lion Academy heard the broadcast; they won't come now."

This was an unexpected twist even for Lin Fu.

Yan Yan: "There's never been a case of a total elimination in the preliminaries before; the rule must have always existed, just never needed, and was forgotten."

"Now that we're exposed, we have to play it openly."

"Before we arrived, Menk Carlton Academy headed towards the Royal Military Academy."

Thus, the remaining three military academies were all decimated, only they remained fully intact.

Therefore, a direct confrontation was inevitable.

With overwhelming strength, victory could be secured without any stratagems.

Menk Carlton Academy, hearing the broadcast, didn't let up against the Royal Military Academy.

Saint Mountain Academy's total elimination was undoubtedly the doing of Hui Lion Academy and Artemis Military Academy.

To avoid bumping into those two academies, they needed to hasten the end of this battle.

Members of the Royal Military Academy cursed while fighting: "Damn it! You'd rather let Hui Lion and Artemis gain the advantage!?"

Menk Carlton retorted sarcastically: "In any case, it's not your turn!"

Seeing no possibility of a ceasefire, the leader of the Royal Military Academy made a decisive call, instructing some members to hold off the enemy while allowing those with a chance of victory and ranking to withdraw.

The people of Mont Carlton fought fiercely, trying their best to engage the enemy and earn more points.

The Emperor tilted his head, praising, "The leader of this year's Royal Military Academy is quite commendable. Decisive and strategic, and even willing to sacrifice themselves to advance their teammates."

The principal of the Royal Military Academy sat with the principals of four other military academies, yet held the lowest status among them. Restrained and respectful, he accepted the Emperor's words, receiving a comforting smile in return.

He said, "But all things considered, the most surprising to me is still the Artemis Military Academy. Karl, what were you thinking allowing this guide to enroll?"

Lin Siheng, seated in a secondary position, immediately diverted his attention from the projection, listening to the movements at the chairman's seat.

The anniversary tournament, broadcasted live on the Star Network, featured not only the gameplay but also the reactions of the audience.

Leadership is of paramount importance.

Discussions about Lin Fu on the Star Network had long been heated, and many were eager to hear Karl's response.

"Is this Lin Fu the same guide who was famous across the galaxy before?"

"Isn't this the youngest son of the Lin family? It was said that he lacks psychic power, so it's baffling why Karl would consider him. Can a guide without psychic power even go to battle?"

"Without psychic power, he’s nothing but a disabled waste."

"He is indeed more outstanding among the guides, but compared to sentinels, he doesn't even match a C-grade sentinel. C-grade sentinels not deemed excellent can't go to battle, yet this useless guide can, which is truly unfair!"

"Because he's the young master of a noble family, born at a finish line far beyond your reach. Even with a disability, he’s beyond comparison to you. Be realistic."

"Without even a psychic entity, he needs comrades to behead for him. If not for the help of that freshman, he would have already been torn apart by a sentinel’s psychic entity!"

Karl Layne's gaze shifted downwards, slowly sweeping across Lin Siheng's profile, his eyes seeming to scrape his flesh with the sharpness of a knife, his voice cold and mocking, "A child left unattended, I merely picked up what was neglected. Your Majesty, perhaps this question is more appropriately directed at the Lin family."

Lin Siheng never expected Karl, this lunatic, to stir trouble in such a setting!

Following Karl’s words, countless gazes instantly focused on Lin Siheng.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

Lin Siheng, maintaining a smile, displayed no flaws in his demeanor, "The child is ignorant and has caused trouble for Principal Karl."

Karl did not pick up his cue, instead glaring at him with scrutinizing eyes.

The contempt for him was blatant, unmasked by any pretense.

Lin Siheng, a man who deeply valued face, was publicly humiliated by Karl, who disdained him so nakedly, without any subtlety.

He felt embarrassed for a moment, rage simmering in his heart, and thought to himself – he, as the head of the prestigious Lin family, surely a first-rate

power,

could not possibly be seen as weaker than the Laynes, could he? Would not such constant forbearance be misconstrued as fear of Karl?

Just as he was about to retort, venting his anger with some well-crafted sarcasm, Cheng Jiu suddenly spoke up.

Lounging back in his chair, with an indolent slouch, he remarked, “Why stir trouble over a good game? It spoils the harmony. I find that young beauty quite remarkable; willing to go to battle is no small feat.”

Karl, previously icy, softened noticeably at these words: “Major General Cheng is right. Let’s focus on the game.”

The Emperor chimed in cheerfully, “Indeed, let’s watch the game first.”

Lin Siheng was still standing.

The conversation ended as if he had been slapped in the face.

What did they mean by 'willing to go to battle'? Wasn’t it a jibe at his younger brother who was once a deserter?

But with the Emperor echoing Cheng Jiu’s sentiments, he could only clench his teeth and sit down, his face flushed with embarrassment.

The minor disturbance outside was gently glossed over, while the competition inside escalated to a fever pitch.

The Royal Military Academy managed to retain over a dozen students, while Mont Carlton Academy suffered the loss of seven or eight. The silver lining for Mont Carlton was a student currently holding the highest score – a substantial five points.

Though partly gifted by teammates, this score, if maintained till the end without early elimination, would undoubtedly make him the winner.

With a bit of luck, he might even advance directly to the finals.

The first-place finisher in the preliminary round is exempt from the secondary competition.

After conferring with the team, the leader of Mont Carlton Academy decided to prioritize his protection.

The duration of the preliminary round is twelve hours.

Out of one hundred and twenty-five participants, seventy must be eliminated.

Meeting one of two conditions would mark the end of the preliminary round.

Currently, just three hours have passed, and less than twenty eliminations are needed to fulfill the second condition.

After over a dozen students from the Royal Military Academy fled, they stumbled upon students from the Hui Lion Academy, all wearing a pale countenance.

To their surprise, Milton Su did not attack them but allowed them to leave.

Before letting them go, he inquired about Mont Carlton’s whereabouts.

His teammates, seeing Milton let them go, expressed their dissent.

Milton Su replied indifferently, “Even if we don’t act, their fate would be to feed Artemis.”

His teammates were even more puzzled.

Why pass up easy targets and instead hand points over to Artemis?

His eyes brimmed with unbridled ambition, “What are these few eliminations worth? If we take down Artemis, any number of eliminations can be recouped.”

Not long after, the Royal Military Academy indeed encountered Artemis and were neatly wiped out.

This time, there was no announcement of a team’s total elimination.

Lin Fu murmured softly, “They’ve gone into hiding.”

Those with points are hiding, waiting for the preliminary round to end, hoping to slide into the next round. Those without points are sacrificing themselves, creating diversions.

Yan Yan affirmed, “They’ve encountered the Hui Lion Academy.”

Making it this far, the fact that Milton Su didn’t attack them suggests only one thing —

“She’s going to meet with Mont Carlton and form an alliance.”

Allowing the Royal Military Academy to pass was merely a ploy to weaken their combat strength.

They harvested a few eliminations from the Royal Military Academy, who, understanding the significance of their sacrifice, clung to them tenaciously, costing them two members.

And the forces of Hui Lion, combined with Mont Carlton, numbered over thirty.

Now it's Artemis's turn to be overwhelmed.

Based on their direction, Artemis appears to be heading towards Mont Carlton Academy.

The Hui Lion Academy and Mont Carlton Academy are also converging on the Artemis Military School.

The live broadcast audience is thrilled.

"I can already smell the gunpowder!!"

"I'm so curious to see who's stronger, Artemis or the Hui Lion Academy!"

"Feels like the Hui Lion Academy is already at a disadvantage by allying with Mont Carlton against Artemis."

"My Artemis, the eternal god! Don't forget, the preliminaries are elimination-based. As soon as enough people are out, the game automatically ends! Artemis will never lose!!"

This thought is a case of great minds thinking alike.

Half an hour later, the two groups met, and the team leaders exchanged glances, understanding each other's intentions, and without further ado, the battle commenced.

Yan Yan and another senior S-grade student took on the leaders of the two military academies.

Milton Su, without hesitation, engaged Yan Yan with fierce and precise strikes aimed at vital points.

Yan Yan, usually mild-mannered, was equally relentless in his combat style compared to Milton Su.

In such a situation, Lin Fu could only stir the waters and fish in troubled streams.

Witnessing the ferocious combat power of the psychic fighters, he increasingly recognized the benefits of psychic energy recovery.

At the very least, he wouldn't be affected by the fluctuations of psychic confrontations.

His mood slightly irritable, he narrowly avoided an attack by a psychic entity.

The Gray Wolf lunged forward, roaring and forcing the opponent back. Tang Qian, noticing Lin Fu's distress, abandoned the points within his grasp to inquire about Lin Fu's condition.

Lin Fu: "It's nothing, the number of eliminations is almost there, let's finish this quickly."

As his words fell, the familiar voice of the announcer rang out overhead: "Seventy participants have been eliminated. Fifty-five remain and successfully advance. The competition is over."

"Prepare for disengagement from the simulation pod," came the announcement.

"Attention: The competition has concluded. Prepare for exit from the simulation pod," the voice repeated.

Milton Su's eyes blazed with fervor as he ceased his actions, fixing Yan Yan with an intense stare. "We'll continue outside. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Yan Yan reverted to his affable demeanor, nodding with a slight smile. "I'll try my best."

The virtual environment shattered, and those advancing automatically logged out from their simulation pods.

The first was from Mencalton Academy, who secured another personal score just before the preliminaries ended, reaching a total of six points.

Sixteen from Artemis advanced; the Hue Lion Academy and Mencalton Academy were already short on members, and both suffered further losses.

In the end, Artemis Military Academy still emerged as the overwhelming victor.

Lin Fu exited the simulation pod, his face ashen.

Frowning, he rubbed his temples. His head felt heavy and slightly throbbing.

The group left the building, led to the plaza where a huge screen overhead continued to display scrolling comments from the official website's forum.

Standing at the edge of the plaza, Lin Fu looked up to see a comment: "Lin Fu advanced? That's preposterous!!"

Following his gaze, Tang Qian saw the comment too and quickly reassured him, "Don't take the netizens' words to heart."

Lin Fu pressed harder on his temples. "I won't."

He found it rather absurd himself, especially when the next comment read: "Seeing his pale face when he came out, I felt an unexpected flutter."

...It was somewhat schizophrenic.

The members of Shengshan Academy glared daggers at those from Artemis Military Academy upon seeing them.

Donald smiled at Yan Yan, saying, "I must thank you for teaching me a lesson this time."

However, the smile seemed tinged with a hint of malice.

Yan Yan smiled in return, "No thanks needed."

The relationship between Shengshan Academy and Artemis Military Academy was never good to begin with, and the students from both sides were hardly courteous to each other. Those from Artemis Military Academy did not hide their joy at winning.

The members of Shengshan Academy grew increasingly irate.

The preliminaries concluded, with the next round scheduled for the following day.

Students from the various military academies returned to their accommodations to rest.

The return to Artemis Military Academy was lively, with many clamoring for a celebration.

Noticing Lin Fu's pallor, Yan Yan suggested, "Let's save the celebrations for after the finals. Then we can ask the teacher for a day off and really enjoy ourselves. There’s still competition ahead. Rest up and don’t celebrate prematurely."

*

Even after some sleep, Lin Fu didn't feel much better.

He consulted the system, which after a check, indicated there were no issues.

He could only suppress his irritation for the time being.

The subsequent round saw a significant reduction in competitors. It was a straightforward draw, one-on-one. Losers were eliminated, winners advanced to the finals.

It all seemed to favor Artemis Military Academy.

The advantages won in the preliminaries would be magnified in the subsequent rounds and finals.

However, when the draw results were announced, the faces of the Artemis Military Academy members soured.

Surprisingly, more than half were pitted against their own teammates.

Ironically, Lin Fu and the other two freshmen each faced opponents from other academies.

From a distance, in the spectator stands, Donald flashed a wide grin at Artemis Military Academy. He extended his thumb, then with a twist, turned it downwards.