After clearing his throat, the headmaster continued to speak into the microphone, "Alright, let's get to the main topic. I'll still be the host of this year's freshmen competition."
"The tournament this time is divided into two stages. The first stage is hunting."
"As the name suggests, the academy will send you to a place that has been prepared in advance. The monsters inside will be your hunting targets this time. They have a mark on them that we have set up in advance, and they will be the spoils of war for this assessment."
"The spoils of war are divided into four types, representing one point, two points, three points, and ten points that only the core area has."
"Later, everyone can go and get a temporary storage ring. The items you've obtained will be stored in the ring, and there will be a magic tool inside that can calculate the number of items you've obtained. It will automatically send us information."
"After the competition ends, the academy will determine your ranking based on your points."
"As for how you obtained the spoils of war, the academy won't care. As long as you don't violate the rule of killing a classmate, then everything is acceptable."
"Don't underestimate this stage. It's different from the last secret realm trial. The previous monsters there were docile and carefully selected by us. But this time, you'll be facing the real vicious monsters."
"Before you go, each of you must sign a death or disability disclaimer agreement with the academy, proving that the academy will not be responsible for any injuries or deaths caused during the competition."
"Of course, if anyone wants to quit now, I'll welcome you."
Two minutes later, the headmaster realized that no one wanted to say anything, so he raised the microphone again and said, "You're all great. None of you are afraid and want to retreat. I'm very satisfied with this. None of you are cowards!"
"But I'll give you a word of advice. Sometimes it's not good to be too brave. Alright, go sign the agreement and get in the car!"
Immediately, a staff member began to lead the students to the signing office, and then they quickly and orderly signed the contract.
"It's a rather old-fashioned but effective psychological cue. The braver these rookies were when they signed the agreement, the more scared they would be when they realize it." Zhou Mingrui said with a smile as he walked beside Yan Wuyue.
"As long as it works." Yan Wuyue turned to glance at Zhou Mingrui and replied, "But I think you should take care of yourself first."
"You're still angry about what happened just now? There's no need." Zhou Mingrui could only comfort her.
"Who's angry over that matter? I only want to trouble you to cooperate with me. This year's freshman tournament is extremely important, and we can't be careless." Yan Wuyue glanced at Zhou Mingrui with a side-eye.
Zhou Mingrui quickly patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, these guys are just a bunch of clay chickens and pottery dogs in my eyes. I can easily knead them for you to see."
"Don't be too arrogant. You should know that there's always someone better. I don't know if some people who shouldn't have entered this competition will enter." Yan Wuyue reminded him.
"Haha, that will be great. I still don't know how strong I am, so I'll give it a try." Zhou Mingrui said indifferently.
The two of them bickered as they signed the disclaimer.
Then, all the students signed the contract and quickly boarded the express car to their destination under the guidance of the staff.
When the students got off the bus, they all exclaimed in surprise.
A wall that was ten meters tall and at least half a meter thick stood in front of everyone. There were two guards with summoned beasts every one meter.
The three-meter-tall gate was guarded by a stone beast as large as a mountain. When it saw people coming, it opened its eyes and then closed them again.
"It's so tall. I feel like I can't breathe."
"This is an elemental earth guardian spirit. I've read about it in a book. The worst one has a C rank growth talent."
"This guardian spirit is at least level 60 and above, and from the looks of it, its attribute growth is definitely not low. It should be one of the academy's leaders who came here to personally oversee it."
When the headmaster got down from the helicopter, all the students immediately shut their mouths.
He raised his hands and clapped. The side doors of two large trucks that were parked nearby immediately opened, and balls flew out from them.
"This is the venue's surveillance camera. Don't worry. As long as it's related to privacy, it will automatically turn off the live broadcast function, so you don't have to worry."
"After all, even though the academy has signed an agreement with you, we will still try our best to ensure your safety. If you are in danger, you can ask for help at the first moment."
"Of course, if you want to forfeit, you just have to shout loudly at the surveillance ball. It will only take a minute for the staff to come and take you away. Of course, your results and spoils of war will be reset to zero and given to the one closest to you."
"Alright, all of you go in through this door. The countdown will begin when the last person enters. I won't say anything more. Good luck."
After he finished speaking, the huge stone beast behind the headmaster suddenly stood up. Its thick pillar-like arms directly opened the two doors, revealing the assessment venue behind it.
A few of the students in the front row did not hesitate and immediately sped up towards the door.
The students who entered first would usually be able to occupy an advantageous position first and increase their chances of winning the battle. At the very least, they could avoid being ambushed by other students.
Moreover, who knew how many monsters there were inside? If there weren't many, whoever made the first move would have the upper hand.
The rest of the students who reacted a little slower also reacted and hurriedly followed.
After most of the students had entered the stone gate, Yan Wuyue and Zhou Mingrui began to move forward.
"From the moment you got out of the car and saw this stone gate, you didn't look well. Did something happen?" Zhou Mingrui asked, puzzled.
Yan Wuyue glanced at the surveillance ball above her. Zhou Mingrui understood the look in her eyes. After thinking for a few seconds, he suddenly had an idea.
The white ball in the space of consciousness trembled slightly, and a surge of spiritual power suddenly began to spread out from Zhou Mingrui's body. Soon, it came into contact with Yan Wuyue.
"Don't be surprised. I'm conversing with you using my consciousness. You only need to respond to me in your mind."
Suddenly, Zhou Mingrui's voice rang in Yan Wuyue's mind.
"When did you learn how to use your spiritual power?" Yan Wuyue's expression was slightly surprised, but she didn't seem to be shocked.
"Just recently. Alright, can you tell me what's going on now?" Zhou Mingrui continued asking.
"This wasn't the location of the freshmen tournament before my rebirth." Yan Wuyue's expression was still not very good.
"Then you don't have to look upset because of this. There must be some other reason, right?" Zhou Mingrui continued asking.
"That's right. I only confirmed after coming in. This place will be the start of the future great calamity." Yan Wuyue said.