As soon as the students reached their designated gates, the instructors wasted no time in blindfolding them. The instructors ordered their beasts to stay close as they herded the examinees into carriages. Each carriage would take them to a predetermined drop-off point.
Zhang Ying's journey lasted over an hour before his carriage came to an abrupt halt. The door swung open, and he was unceremoniously shoved out, his blindfold and restraints still in place.
"What a drag… Jellybean, help me."
The cheerful slime sprang into action, eagerly bouncing toward him. Its gelatinous body rubbed against the restraints, dissolving them in moments. Freed, Zhang Ying flexed his wrists, rubbing them to restore circulation before pulling off the blindfold to take a look around.
He was in a forest, a dead forest. None of the trees had a single leaf on them and had turned black from being dead for too long. While such an eerie setting might have unnerved others, Zhang Ying realized the academy's intent.
After all, surviving in this desolation for forty-eight hours wouldn't be an easy task. With no plants and creatures to hunt, the examinees had to depend on the resources scattered around by the academy.
While others might think of it as kindness, Zhang Ying knew it was a calculated move designed to pit the examinees against one another.
They won't just need the resources for themselves, they'd also help their beasts. Their beasts, many of them high-ranked and unique, demanded specific diets. If not taken care of, the beasts could rebel or, worse, die.
Bringing all those expensive, high-ranked beasts would bite them in the ass. Tsk, I feel bad for them.
Zhang Ying glanced at Jellybean, who was happily eating a pebble. Unlike most beasts, the slime could consume almost anything—even rocks—and thrive.
Zhang Ying suddenly felt guilty and scratched his cheek.
If not for Director Shin's advice, he might have chosen Kita instead. A demon fox in a dead forest would have driven him mad. Besides, Kita had quite an appetite.
"Guess I owe the director one."
With one problem already solved, Zhang Ying surveyed the dead forest. He needed to find some resources first. Thankfully, Jellybean was an excellent choice for such operations.
"Jellybean, can you find water for me?"
Jellybean's wobbly eyes looked at Zhang Ying before its body curled into an exaggerated "!" shape. In the next instant, it morphed into a dog, sniffing around as if searching for water.
Where on earth did Jellybean pick up all this flair for drama?
[Take a good look in the mirror for that answer.]
"You just had to say something, didn't you?"
***
"This is a trap, isn't it?"
Jellybean looked at Zhang Ying and nodded.
Zhang Ying's search for water had brought him to an open clearing. At its center, someone had placed food and water atop the stump of a broken tree.
The academy had mentioned scattering resources across the map, but those were supposed to be hidden. It was to test the examinee's terrain awareness. These supplies, however, were put blatantly on display.
Someone was trying to lure examinees out, likely intending to steal their IDs. But Zhang Ying couldn't understand the reasoning behind it. Even if someone took every single ID, the exam would still run for its full 48-hour duration. The plan wouldn't force an early conclusion of the exam.
If the culprits believed they could end the exam prematurely and spare their pet beasts from starvation by hoarding IDs, they were mistaken.
Besides, gathering everyone's IDs would only paint a target on their backs. Why would anyone sane want that?
From Zhang Ying's perspective, anyone acting so boldly had to be at a disadvantage. Unless, of course, they were part of a group.
It was more likely these individuals had realized their disadvantageous position and banded together, preferring to pool their strength to eliminate the competition rather than fight amongst themselves.
By working as a group, they could systematically hunt the other examinees, force their eliminations, and reach the required limit of 25 with little effort. Along the way, they'd also be able to claim whatever resources and equipment others had gathered.
A win-win situation for them.
However, knowing their plan didn't make things any easier, but quite the opposite.
Now Zhang Ying not only had to protect his back, but everything. An unknown number of hostile and their pets could be watching him at that very moment.
Should I try picking up a fight with them?
Zhang Ying remembered the mission Alana had given him. Two of the five targets he was assigned to eliminate were in the same zone as him.
If he walked into the trap, he might lose his ID temporarily, but it would also reveal whether those two were members of the hunting party. It was a risky gamble, but one YuWon was willing to take.
Alright… let's do this.