A/N: Hello there, Readers!🤩
It has been awhile. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate it !
This chapter is dedicated to all those who had been constantly supporting this book up to this stage. Thank you so much!!🤗
Anyway, keep the comments, votes, and reviews coming!! And the influx of chapters would increase. 😉
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Nalan's team was making their way around the lush green forest, vigilant. They were looking around to sniff out any predator lying in wait for them .
" Do you think a lot of students would survive?" One of the girls asked.
" No, that's impossible. This team is made of the best. Anyone who can survive is based on sheer luck." Cheng Qingxue replied.
" That's right. "
Just as the girl finished speaking, footsteps advanced towards their location. Immediately they all brandished their weapons, except Nalan who wasn't bothered.
They waited for the creature who was coming to them , with disguised bravery. They were obviously scared, their bodies saying it out loud with how their hands and legs were trembling.
' Fools! A predator would lie in wait, away from your vision, not come out and face you headon. And can't you hear the unceasing chatter?! They are obviously humans!!' Nalan thought, a frown appearing on her forehead.
Not long, the creature came into view. Like Nalan thought, they were humans. The students who were spying on Yunxi earlier when she was sleeping on the tree.
Nalan's team heaved a sigh of relief, like a heavy burden was finally lifted off their shoulders.
" What the hell?! Why are you making sounds like that ?! " One of the girls who was scared to death, rebuked them furiously. Her teammates nodded in agreement.
The group of three students awkwardly tried to pacify them , and apologize.
" We are sorry. "
" We were bored , so we decided to chat among ourselves. "
" We had no intention of making you uncomfortable.". The boy meant ' Scaring you ' instead of ' uncomfortable ' . He was very good at sugar coating words. Any sensible Human would have known the hidden meaning of his words.
Nalan couldn't take it anymore, and walked out of the group, and moved forward into the forest. The others, seeing her , followed after. The three group students decided to join them, and Nalan's team accepted them.
" So …did you meet anyone?" The girl who was scared shitless, decided to make small talk with the new team. Her teammates also opened their ears wide.
" Umm…we met quite a few of the teams, but we didn't come in contact. " The sugar coating boy, who happened to be the leader of their team, answered.
" Oh…"The girl nodded her head in understanding.
" Right! We saw Chu Yunxi from afar!!" The girl in the three man group said.
" What ?! She is still alive?!!!" That was the response most of the students from Nalan's team said.
Hearing such rhetorical questions, Nalan was fighting back the urge to bash each one of them.
' How dare they speak ill of my bestie?!'
" What state was she in ?" Cheng Qingxue asked. She was itching to know what her rival was up to.
' She was able to survive alone? That's impossible!!!' She thought.
" Healthy. She wasn't injured at all, and was even brave enough to sleep in the wild. " The girl enthusiastically replied.
" What….? " Series of voices asked.
" Yeah. She had a white cat with her. Maybe that's the beast protecting her. " The leader of the three man group added.
" White cat…? I knew she couldn't do it on her own. Humph! " Cheng Qingxue crossed her arms, raising her bust in the process, with a smug look on her face.
The boys' faces flushed red, except Zhu Qian who was fuming in jealousy. The girls were annoyed but masked it with a forced smile, except Nalan .
" No. That cat isn't the one protecting her. It's her parents' inventions, and her ability." Zhu Qian said. He was so jealous that he spoke the truth plainly without sugarcoating it. He wasn't concerned about how his girlfriend would feel.
The smug look on Cheng Qingxue disappeared, as she turned around to face him.
" What .do .you.mean?" She emphasized on each word with anger blazing in her eyes.
Zhu Qian replied straightforwardly, as if he couldn't see and hear the anger from her. Often those that criticize others, reveal what they themselves lack.
" Her father is an alchemist, her mother a powerful ice mage. And don't forget that their family before the apocalypse were mafias, deadly assassins. Do you think someone from that family, who doesn't have a talent, would be weak?"
' Wow! Brother, I applaud you. This is the first time in your life, you have said something reasonable.' Nalan had a smile on her pretty face.
Well…Zhu Qian wasn't lying. He was speaking from experience. His lackeys nodded in affirmation. They had also experienced it.
Cheng Qingxue stared at Zhu Qian , and he returned it with the exact intensity. Invisible sparks were flying out of their eyes. The other students gulped down their salivas, except Nalan who was enjoying the show in front of her.
" Ptff….. Hahahaha..!!!!" Nalan couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst out laughing.
The stiff atmosphere was broken by her melodious laughter.
" Way to go , guys!!! But this isn't a place where you can be butting heads and words at each other. We . Are. In. The . Underworld. Understand?" Nalan said to the both of them, who were fuming in anger.
She didn't wait to hear their replies and walked forward. The others followed after. Cheng Qingxue curled her fists and shot death stares at Nalan's back. If looks could kill, Nalan would have died a thousand times.
Along the way , other teams of students joined them , and they continued their journey.
Two hours later, howls of wolves resounded in the forest. The students stopped in their tracks, shivering from fear. They all couldn't move, as fear crawled on their backs. Despair evident in their eyes.
Nalan gritted her teeth, and tried to move away from the oppressive pressure the howls caused. Most of the other students have slumped down on the ground. Some were crying.
Nalan closed her eyes, and moved her Mana around her body, healing it in the process. The howls caused them to be weak and very frightened.
Cheng Qingxue, Zhu Qian , and some others couldn't take it anymore and dropped to their knees. Only Nalan remained standing.
She continued the process of moving the Mana around her body, and her efforts paid. She actually leveled up !
Meanwhile, fog had started spreading over to where they were, and the slumped students had seen the shadows of beasts and had taken protective measures.
Some students who weren't fast enough were swarmed by the hordes of Man - Eating rabbits . Their frightful cries snapped Nalan out of her intoxication of leveling up.
What came into sight was nothing. She couldn't see anything, but thanks to her leveling. She could make out with the figures in the fog, but not very clear. Their figures were hazy, but that was better than not seeing anything.
She started battling with the beasts near her , and lost her dagger in the process. With nothing in hand , she started using her fists. And came to know about the destructive power her fists held.
Zhu Qian , Cheng Qingxue, and the other teammates except Nalan were enclosed in a barrier. The beasts unexpectedly didn't go near them.
So many students died, and Nalan was no martyr or Heroine. She had her own plate full. She couldn't care about the others. They should blame themselves. This…was the Underworld. Not a Park.