[Ding! Mission Triggered: Complete the first combat training with monsters!]
[Reward: 100 energy points, unlock the Mysterious Shop!]
The moment Smith stepped out of Huaihai College, the familiar voice of the system echoed in his mind.
The mission had arrived.
A hundred energy points weren't an overwhelming reward, but certainly not insignificant either. It was enough to exchange for two or three C-level Wood Release techniques—more than enough to boost his strength early on.
"Well, looks like it's time to take this practical combat training more seriously," Smith muttered to himself, a new fire in his eyes.
Originally, he had assumed this would just be another basic trial. But with rewards on the table, his attitude changed instantly. As long as there were benefits, he would do everything in his power to excel.
"Brother Smith, you seem unusually excited," Wei Lin remarked from beside him, noticing the subtle yet sharp shift in Smith's demeanor. The calm air around him seemed to harden into purpose.
Facing monsters was a terrifying thought for most. But Smith—he didn't just seem unafraid, he looked eager.
"Don't worry. This is something we'll all have to face sooner or later. Besides, with so many teachers present, what's there to be afraid of?" Smith replied casually, patting Wei Lin's shoulder.
The large group from Huaihai College proceeded to march out of the city in an orderly formation. However, not everyone was heading in the same direction.
Huaihai City had four main gates, and at the city center, the students were split into four major groups, each dispatched toward a different gate.
Roughly two hundred students and over a dozen teachers were assigned to each gate.
"Auxiliary class students, start splitting up. Each team will be merged with a combat class," instructed Sun Shuyu, her voice clear and commanding as she began arranging the eight auxiliary teams.
"Team One, report to Elemental Class One."
"Team Two, Elemental Class Two."
"Team Three, Special Class One."
"Team Four, Elemental Team Seven."
...
"Team Eight, Special Class Three."
Smith's team—the eighth—was placed into Special Class Three, along with four other auxiliary students.
"Yeah!" A cheer erupted from some of the boys in Special Class Three. The excitement wasn't for Smith—but for Yan Yue.
Yan Yue, known for her beauty and strength, was also part of the eighth auxiliary team and would now be joining them in combat.
Seeing this, Sun Shuyu gave them all a sharp look. "What are you making so much noise for? Quiet!"
The excitement quickly died down.
Though the auxiliary class students had been distributed to different classes, Sun Shuyu still retained her role as a squad leader. She would be accompanying the team headed toward the West City Gate, where Special Class Three was stationed.
Smith and his team walked with the rest of Special Class Three toward the west.
---
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the West Gate.
As soon as they stepped outside the gate, a strong, nauseating stench assaulted them.
The students, many of whom had never left the safety of the city, instinctively covered their noses. Some turned pale, others gagged.
The putrid scent of blood, decay, and rot filled the air.
Smith wrinkled his nose and scanned the surroundings.
Just beyond the city wall lay a horrifying scene—piles of monster corpses in various states of decay, their flesh mangled and bones gnawed.
The smell was coming from them.
"These are the monsters that tried to breach the city walls," Sun Shuyu announced, her tone solemn.
"Look closely. I hope you all understand now just how dangerous the world outside truly is."
No one spoke.
The corpses were stacked like mountains—tens of thousands of them. That meant there were at least as many monsters lurking around Huaihai City at any given time.
The weight of that reality was crushing.
---
The group stopped less than a hundred meters outside the wall. The ground was grassy, but just ahead stood a dense, ominous jungle. Faint roars echoed from within the trees.
For many students, this was the first time hearing the cry of a real monster. Legs trembled. Faces turned pale. Cold sweat dotted foreheads.
Sun Shuyu and a dozen teachers moved ahead, busying themselves with equipment.
Suddenly, a translucent barrier rose up around the group, enclosing all 200+ students.
"Each class, find your designated area and prepare. Homeroom teachers will lead and instruct during combat," one of the teachers announced.
Four separate zones had been marked within the barrier, one for each class.
Smith's group—Special Class Three—was assigned to the far-right zone. Including the four from the auxiliary class, there were forty-four students in total.
"Soon, a monster will be captured from the forest," said the Special Class Three teacher. "Three of you will face it at a time. Use your abilities to attack and defeat it. We'll guide you as it happens."
"Do you all understand?"
"Yes!"
Only about half the class responded loudly.
Several girls trembled, clearly rattled by the idea of facing a real monster.
---
"Well, well. Isn't this our famous double S-ranked esper, Smith? What's he doing in Special Class Three?"
A mocking voice interrupted the tense atmosphere.
It was Xu Kun.
The same C-rank beast-type esper who had previously tried to provoke and humiliate Smith—and was swiftly put in his place for it.
Smith turned and met his gaze with indifference.
"Is there a problem?" he asked flatly.
"Of course not," Xu Kun replied with a smirk. "I'm just wondering what it would look like if our mighty S-rank esper wets his pants in fear the moment a monster roars."
Smith's expression remained calm. "Thanks for your concern. But maybe you should worry about yourself. With your stats, even a low-tier monster might find you a light snack."
Xu Kun scoffed. "Tch. Big talk. Let's see if you can back it up."
At that moment, an ear-splitting roar came from the jungle.
All heads turned.
Several teachers emerged, each restraining a captured monster. Every class had one monster assigned to them.
These creatures were terrifying in appearance, thrashing and screeching, but were no match for the experienced teachers holding them. Most of the teachers were level three or four espers.
For Special Class Three, their opponent was a first-level, two-headed fire ant.
It was as large as an adult lion. Its entire body burned red like molten rock. Two heads, each filled with sharp mandibles and rows of glistening teeth, hissed menacingly.
"A two-headed fire ant," the teacher announced. "Fire element. First-level monster."
The monster was released into a separate, sealed barrier—it could neither escape nor harm students outside of combat.
"Alright. Who's brave enough to go first?" the teacher asked.
No one stepped forward.
Even with the barrier in place, the monster's presence was overwhelming. The heat it gave off warped the air. Its snarls sent shivers down many spines.
The teacher's face darkened. "No volunteers?"
He was just about to start calling names when a calm voice rang out.
"I'll go."
Yan Yue stepped forward.
She stood tall and confident, eyes locked on the monster without flinching.
The teacher nodded with approval. "Excellent. Yan Yue will go first. We need two more."
"I'm in!" Xu Kun shouted quickly, stepping forward with a grin.
He saw a golden opportunity—not to fight the monster, but to be seen alongside Yan Yue.
"One more," the teacher said, scanning the group.
Then Xu Kun turned to Smith, smirking.
"Smith, do you dare join us?"
The entire class looked toward him, the silence heavy with anticipation.