Wang Teng and Lin Chuhan prepared themselves at the waiting area.
It was easy to tell that Lin Chuhan and Yang Jian were a little absent-minded. They kept fiddling with the weapons in their hands, but there was no pattern to it.
When the time came, the two of them had started to get nervous like the rest of the students.
Well, they couldn’t be blamed either. The angry roar of the mutated beast and the gruesome scene afterward had caused a massive stimulation to the hearts of the examinees.
Especially when the mutated beast wanted to charge out from the metal fence. The evil intention in its eyes was obvious. It treated the examinees as its food.
There was actually a day when humans were reduced to food?!
These examinees were like little flowers and young grasses in the ivory towers.
They had never experienced any beating from society nor the brutality of the law of the jungle.
Although they had long heard of the ruthlessness and scariness of the mutated beast through various channels, they had never felt it so directly.
One could only understand how terrifying it was if they experienced it personally.
“Are you alright?” Wang Teng couldn’t help but ask when he looked at Lin Chuhan’s expression.
Honestly, it would be a little tough for her to fight with the mutated beast based on her ability.
“It’s alright!” Lin Chuhan gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain calm.
“I thought that I could face this actual combat assessment without fear, but now, I feel a little frightened,” Yang Jian said with a bitter smile.
“It’s alright to be scared. Look, who isn’t?” Wang Teng pointed to the other people around them.
“Even Zhou Wu and He Manrong are nervous. I feel much better now.” Yang Jian heaved a long sigh of relief when he saw the expression on the faces of the advanced stage martial disciples.
“Sigh…
“But, why do you seem not worried at all?”
“I can wipe out these mutated beasts with one punch. What is there to worry about?” Wang Teng said calmly.
“Are you kidding? Those mutated beasts have such thick skins. Although your strength is at 1000kg, you might not be able to kill one of them in a single punch.” Yang Jian obviously didn’t believe him.
“Do you think that your punch is a cannon?” Lin Chuhan expressed her disdain too.
“Why does no one believe me when I’m speaking the truth?” Wang Teng felt speechless.
…
Just like that, the trio chatted casually. After a series of quips and jokes, Lin Chuhan and Yang Jian didn’t seem as nervous as before.
“Everyone—”
The youngsters’ gazes shifted to the high platform when they heard the loud voice. The officer who guided the distribution of the battle uniforms was speaking to the examinees.
“The actual combat assessment is about to start. I will be announcing the exam rules now!
“First, the actual combat assessment will start at 10 am and end at 6 am tomorrow. That means that you will be staying in this primary forest for one day and one night.”
When they heard this, the examinees’ expressions changed.
A day and a night!
The primary forest was filled with danger. Yet, they were telling them that they had to stay inside for so long. How were they supposed to stay alive?
The officer disregarded the uproar from the examinees below and continued speaking.
“During this period, you will have to find your own food, water, and your lodging for the night.
“At the same time, if you want to pass the exam, you need to kill at least five mutated beasts. This is the minimum number. The more mutated beasts you kill and the higher the level of beasts, the higher the number of points you will receive. That way, in the future, you will have better choices.
“We will be watching over the whole forest using satellite cameras for the entire exam duration. All of you have a communication device on your battle uniform.
“It is able to track your location to ensure that everyone is under surveillance.
“The level of the mutated beast you kill, as well as the number of mutated beasts you kill, will all be recorded. It will be changed into points and updated in your data.
“However, you must kill the beasts personally. Other people can’t help you. If not, it will be considered cheating. You will be disqualified from the exam.
“Also, remember that students are not allowed to cut one another’s throats during the actual combat assessment. However, there is still competition between all of you… Not only do you have to guard against mutated beasts, but you also need to be vigilant of other examinees.
“There’s an emergency button on the communication device.
“We have arranged many experienced martial disciples in the forest. There are even three martial warriors.
“When you press the emergency button, the staff nearest to you will immediately rush to your location based on your GPS.
“The martial arts exam is important, but your life is even more important. Remember not to act rashly and overexert yourself. That is all I have to say.”
The examinees’ didn’t look good when they heard the rules. There was a huge commotion.
This actual combat assessment was so difficult.
It was even more challenging than everyone thought. It was also much more dangerous than they imagined. Many people wanted to throw the towel right away.
“If you want to give up, you can step forward now,” the officer seemed to have seen through their thoughts and said calmly.
The examinees exchanged glances with one another. In the end, a lady really took the initiative and stood up first.
“I… I want to leave.”
When she said this sentence, she was already sobbing.
It was easy to guess how painful it was for her to make this decision.
A martial arts examinee must have worked very hard for the martial arts exam, especially the students from ordinary families. Their families had probably scrimped and saved to provide them with the resources to practice martial arts.
But now, she was giving up!
Some of the students were shocked, while others felt complicated and understood her feelings. They felt as if they were relieved from a huge burden.
Since someone had taken the lead, they felt justified and contented.
After some disappointment, pain, and struggle, some students made the same decision and gave up.
There was too little hope.
At first, they wanted to fight for an ounce of hope. But, if they needed to risk their lives for it, their timid hearts didn’t allow them to do it.
After a while, the examinees that chose to give up stood sparsely in a corner. There were more than a few hundred people.
“Does anyone else want to give up?”
The officer asked. When he noticed that no other examinees came forward, he continued.
“In that case, the rest of the examinees will be split at random into ten teams. You will enter the forest from different entrances.”
Some staff came forward to organize them. The examinees that were familiar with one another were split up into ten teams. Under the lead of the staff, they headed towards different entrances.
Wang Teng stood in the middle of a team. There were unfamiliar faces all around him.
Lin Chuhan and Yang Jian were in the other teams, so he couldn’t see them anymore. He hoped that they were able to pass the assessment safely.
Not long after, Wang Teng’s team reached an entrance.
After waiting for some time, the person leading their team looked at his watch and said, “It’s almost time. You can enter now. Good luck to all of you.”
He signaled to the guard to open the metal gates. Then, they allowed the examinees to enter.
All the students remembered what the officer had said before this.
There was competition between the examinees, and they needed to be aware of fellow students… Humans are unpredictable—No one dared to underestimate this sentence.
Hence, the second they entered the forest, they parted ways with one another and headed in different directions.
Wang Teng chose to enter the depths of the rainforest in a certain direction. He was already wearing his boxing gloves and holding his battle sword in his hand.
He did say that this exam was simple for him, but he wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t let down his guard.
There were tall and lush green trees all around him, and the ground was covered with dried fallen leaves. The stench of decaying leaves, along with the refreshing fragrance of grass and leaves, wafted into his nose.
Roar—
The roars of beasts rose one after another in the distance.
The actual combat assessment—
Start!