Liu Feng slumped on a park bench in the academy, gazing up at the dense canopy of leaves, listening to the rustling sound as the wind blew through them.
Dappled sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling onto Liu Feng's face.
It didn't feel blinding at all.
His thoughts were drifting towards Fu Yafang, distant and unknown.
His communication bracelet received a message from an unfamiliar number: [Liu Feng, if I haven't contacted you in three years, do not think of me again in this life.]
It was clearly from Fu Yafang; she knew the journey ahead was perilous.
"Hey, how could I possibly forget."
Just then, a graceful figure approaching in the distance caught Liu Feng's attention.
"Ye Ying!" Liu Feng waved her over.
Ye Ying walked briskly and sat beside Liu Feng.
Liu Feng smiled and asked, "You skipping class too?"
"History class, not interested. You?" Ye Ying said with a cool, indifferent tone.
Ye Ying's tone was like the frost of deep winter, unbearable for Liu Feng. Only Gu Ya's warmth could thaw her.
Liu Feng said regretfully, "One grows gaunt and haggard for the sake of a beloved." As he spoke, he showed Ye Ying the message on his communication bracelet.
Ye Ying said something Liu Feng rarely heard from her, which surprised him, "You will definitely meet again."
Liu Feng smiled with relief, "Thank you..."
He looked at Ye Ying. Ye Ying gazed ahead placidly, her expression unreadable.
Liu Feng couldn't help but ask, "What are your true feelings for Gu Ya?"
Ye Ying's face flushed at the question. She lowered her head, taking a long moment to compose herself before softly saying, "Perhaps, I'm not ready yet."
Liu Feng nodded and said, "Gu Ya is the most dependable person I've ever met."
"He always fights for his convictions, never gives up, and keeps his promises."
"I don't have that kind of courage."
A faint smile touched Ye Ying's lips. "Being with him feels very safe."
Liu Feng turned to look at Ye Ying. He instantly understood what she meant. He thought happily, "Gu Ya, brother, I'll keep Ye Ying steady for you. You go ahead and fight!"
At this moment, Gu Ya was piloting his mecha through the jungle.
"Onboard radar range is two kilometers. With tree cover, the range can be reduced to 300 meters."
"300 meters is visible even to the naked eye, so the radar is basically useless. But I must also be wary of the ultra-mini reconnaissance mechs they might deploy."
Gu Ya scanned his surroundings vigilantly, using the massive tree trunks for cover.
"I cannot activate high-power engines; the sonic radar can detect their sound waves, with a range of up to 5 kilometers."
"The nearest two team points are 11.4 kilometers and 9.3 kilometers away. Roughly calculating based on speed, the enemy can reach my entry point within 20 minutes."
"If they track my footprints, the enemy will likely find me within 10 minutes."
Gu Ya reviewed the scoring rules again.
Destroying one mecha awards 50 points to each member of the attacking team.
This meant that to gain 100 points solely through mecha combat, he would have to take down two teams.
Gu Ya, as a solo player in his class, already had a score of 100 points himself.
Eliminating large creatures and destroying large traps each awarded 10 points.
Regardless of what scoring tactics other groups employed, Gu Ya's immediate task was to evade the first wave of attacks.
The two teams on his left and right would undoubtedly find and eliminate him first to complete their training.
Gu Ya glanced at the towering tree trunks, using his auxiliary thrusters to slowly ascend into the air, ensuring no footprints were left on the ground, and quickly flew towards the rear flank.
He intended to evade the enemy's search and counter-attack for points.
The second entry point belonged to Xuan Lang's squad, located to Gu Ya's left.
Upon entering the jungle, Xuan Lang immediately began strategizing.
"It's 1:21 PM. Jiang Tingyue is responsible for the rear, and Wei Yongji is responsible for the front."
"Gu Ya isn't stupid. He must have anticipated us looking for him, and he's likely already hidden deep in the jungle."
"We will track him."
"Do not act rashly. Wait for other teams to engage Gu Ya, then we reap the benefits."
"Understood!"
"Received!"
The sixth group's entry point was to Gu Ya's right.
The team members included the two students Gu Ya had schooled yesterday, Wang Can and Huang Bo, along with a girl, Wei Ping.
This time, Wang Can and Huang Bo were seeking revenge, but they weren't foolish.
"Xuan Lang is cunning. He'll definitely want us to fight Gu Ya first, then reap the rewards," Wang Can said.
"What should we do?" Huang Bo asked.
"Avoid a direct confrontation with Xuan Lang's squad. Track Gu Ya, keep constant tabs on his movements, and prioritize finding large prey and traps for points."
"When Gu Ya engages other teams, we attack?" Wei Ping asked.
"Yes, we scavenge."
Meanwhile, Gu Ya piloted his mecha to a halt on a hidden, thick branch in mid-air. He shut down the engine and emerged from the mecha.
Gu Ya donned his exoskeleton armor and flew to the treetops, using the sound-searching function within the armor to carefully listen for any movement in the jungle.
The lush, verdant jungle was a natural, excellent hiding place.
Looking out, it was a scene of vibrant growth.
But Gu Ya knew that human eyes were most sensitive to green because humanity's ancestors had to constantly watch for beasts and enemies hidden behind leaves during hunts.
Green was life, but also danger.
In the jungle, only the rustling of leaves and the chirping of insects and small animals could be heard; no other sounds.
All danger was hidden beneath this seemingly tranquil scene.
Outside the training grounds, Shi Heping sat leisurely sipping tea. A holographic screen in front of him displayed the real-time positions of various squads.
Xie Fangbin piloted his mecha to the camp and sat beside Shi Heping. "It's started. Any new developments?"
Shi Heping shook his head and said, "It's like every year. On the first day, everyone is quite cautious and won't rashly attack other groups."
At this moment, a red dot lit up on the holographic screen. Shi Heping smiled and said, "Oh! Squad 5 has taken down a large wild beast."
"Fan Mengtian's team is very strong," Xie Fangbin smiled. Then, he immediately asked, "Which group is Gu Ya in?"
"Him?" Shi Heping scoffed. "No one wanted him, so he's in a group by himself."
Xie Fangbin looked as if a firecracker had exploded on his forehead. He sighed, "He's crazy!"
"Ha! I knew you'd react like this." Shi Heping chuckled. After a moment, he added, "Don't you think Gu Ya resembles someone?"
Xie Fangbin turned to look at Shi Heping and asked, "Resemble whom?"
Shi Heping stared at Gu Ya's name on the holographic screen and said softly, "Wang Shangmeng."
Shi Heping's words amused Xie Fangbin. His sharply defined face creased into wrinkles. "Absolutely impossible."
"That's a War God!"
Gu Ya remained on the branch until the sun went down, seeing no unusual activity.
The jungle began to darken, everything seeming to be covered in a blue-black veil.
"It's too quiet. Something's wrong." Gu Ya didn't let his guard down. He adjusted his breathing and quietly observed his surroundings.
Suddenly, an untimely sound exploded in Gu Ya's mind.
Gu Ya jumped in surprise.
[Ding!]
[Main quest initiated: Eliminate nearby giant creatures.]
[Rewards...]
Before the system's voice even faded,
A terrifying aura emanated from below the tree where Gu Ya was situated.
Gu Ya stared down, his eyes wide.
He saw that within the darkness, two large, round, orange-red eyes were also staring at him.
What? When did it get under me? Why didn't I notice!
Suddenly, the eyes narrowed into two thin slits and rapidly enlarged.
Gu Ya realized,
It was climbing up...