“You can eat giant meat?” Shen Ye asked.
“This is to rebuild my body—and to survive,” the large skeleton said solemnly.
“Alright then.”
Shen Ye sighed, drew his Nightfall dagger, and stepped forward to cut the giant’s flesh.
—Something about the large skeleton felt different.
“You think this place is dangerous?”
Shen Ye asked while slicing the meat.
“Of course. You’re already being targeted by that Skinner and his master. Do you think I wouldn’t understand the situation?” the skeleton replied.
“But I can’t find that many undead again to restore your strength,” Shen Ye said.
“My strength isn’t lost—I’m just missing a body.”
“Is there a difference?” Shen Ye shrugged.
“A huge difference,” the skeleton replied.
“Fine. If you can fight, you’re more than welcome to.”
“I was too caught up in my identity before. But now, I’ve realized—without my life, what does identity even matter?” the skeleton sighed.
“So, what do you plan to do?” Shen Ye asked.
“Don’t call me unless it’s necessary. I have some preparations to make—I hope I won’t need them.”
Mysterious as ever…
Shen Ye muttered under his breath, stored the giant meat in his ring, and returned to Xiao Mengyu’s side.
Knowing that his affinity leaned toward necromancy, Xiao Mengyu didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she whispered,
“Be careful. The disturbances in the mist seem to be growing more frequent.”
“Let’s hide back in the cave,” Shen Ye suggested.
Just as the two were about to slip into the mountain crevice again, the mist suddenly surged, swallowing the entire mountain.
The mountain was gone!
Strange noises came from the crevice.
Something was waiting there.
Waiting for them.
That’s unsettling…
Shen Ye turned to the wood and asked, “Big brother, can you really take the exam for me?”
“I can!” A word appeared on the wood.
“And what if you get destroyed?” Shen Ye pressed.
“I’ll regrow elsewhere, but your score will be terrible,” the wood displayed in small writing.
Shen Ye shook his head.
Forget it—better to take the exam himself.
“Look at the card,” Xiao Mengyu urged.
Shen Ye pulled out the card, and a line of small text appeared:
“The Wailing Tide is raging.”
“All candidates who have not yet reached the island are eliminated—163 in total.”
“Combat assessment begins now.”
“Description: Even with the aid of divine statues, you must still prove your strength. Fight through the Wailing Tide until you find a truly safe refuge.”
The next instant—
The mist surged, swallowing them whole.
“Stay alert! I can feel monsters all around us!”
Xiao Mengyu shouted.
Shen Ye stood back-to-back with her, about to speak when a massive force suddenly struck him.
His vision went black. He couldn’t see anything. Gritting his teeth, he poured all his attribute points into strength and thrust both palms forward.
Boom!
With the augmentation of his Heavenly Eyes, his Thunder Palm strike unleashed three times its normal power, exploding with a thunderous roar.
Shen Ye was blasted away by the impact.
Not good!
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wood had been struck by something else and had rolled off to who knows where.
Spinning midair, Shen Ye turned into a flowing shadow and landed lightly on a pine tree.
“Xiao Mengyu?”
He called out loudly.
Thud.
A soft sound.
The wood rolled out of the mist and climbed up a branch, stopping beside him.
—At least it was determined to stick with him.
Shen Ye patted the wood in gratitude and turned back toward the mist.
From within, the sharp cries of swords echoed—sometimes from the east, sometimes from the west, sometimes soaring into the sky.
Xiao Mengyu was fighting something!
“Hey! Over here!”
Shen Ye shouted.
But the sword cries didn’t move toward him. Instead, they drifted farther away.
Something was wrong.
Why wasn’t she coming to find him?
Two people fighting together would be better than one fighting alone.
Clutching the wood, Shen Ye leaped forward, chasing the sword sounds.
Rushing through the mist, he suddenly found a pine tree blocking his path.
Huh?
He landed lightly on the treetop and looked down.
The spot he had just stepped on still had a footprint in the dirt.
—It was the same tree he had left earlier!
Which meant—
The mist was disorienting him, making him lose his sense of direction.
That was a problem.
How could he reunite with Xiao Mengyu?
His pocket trembled slightly.
Quickly, he pulled out the card.
A line of text appeared:
“Your party has been disbanded.”
“Xiao Mengyu has sent you a party request.”
In an instant, Shen Ye understood.
Xiao Mengyu had acquired the “Team Leader” ability from her starter deck.
If they successfully formed a party, she could teleport team members directly to her!
But right now, without a party, her strength was sealed by seventy percent.
—She had thrown herself into danger first, just to find him!
Shen Ye didn’t hesitate. “Accept!”
Swish!
He vanished from his spot and reappeared beside Xiao Mengyu, roaring, “Block!”
He threw the wood forward.
Crack—Thud!
Almost instantly, the wood was bitten by a dark shadow and sent flying.
“Good thing you came. With my power sealed just now, I couldn’t have blocked that attack.”
Xiao Mengyu remained calm.
Shen Ye looked up and saw—
A massive python with a single horn on its head.
At this moment, the giant python, having failed its strike, withdrew and coiled itself on the ground, raising its head high while flicking its tongue and staring at the two of them.
“Have you noticed? Their attacks are all meant to push us back. They’re trying to separate us at all costs,” Shen Ye said.
The piece of wood rolled back from a distance and stopped at his feet.
“Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case,” Xiao Mengyu said.
With the team successfully formed, her strength surged to twice its original power, exuding an intense and chilling sword aura.
“The mist will make us lose our way, so they want to pick us off one by one,” Shen Ye added.
“I did bring a rescue rope. We could tie ourselves together, but that would hinder our movement,” Xiao Mengyu said.
“…I do have a technique,” Shen Ye said.
“What is it?” Xiao Mengyu asked.
Shen Ye walked behind Xiao Mengyu. His body trembled slightly—and then he vanished.
“Where did you go?” Xiao Mengyu asked in surprise.
A voice sounded from her shadow on the ground:
“I’m in your shadow.”
“…This is within the realm of mystical arts. You’ve mastered a shadow-related technique?” Xiao Mengyu asked, astonished.
Shen Ye replied, “Yes. This way, it can’t see me, and—”
The piece of wood rolled over with a thud, stopping beside Xiao Mengyu.
With this setup, the greatsword assisted in attacks, the piece of wood provided defense, and Shen Ye remained hidden in the shadows to respond as needed.
Even if Xiao Mengyu were struck and sent flying—
Her shadow wouldn’t disappear due to the mist, nor would it be isolated from her and trapped alone.
This countered the mist’s isolating effect!
Xiao Mengyu’s spirits lifted. She ignored the one-horned black python and dashed into the forest.
“Our task is to find a shelter, not to fight monsters,” she explained while sprinting forward.
Perched on the greatsword, the piece of wood remained still, while her shadow spoke from behind:
“I know, but it’s following us.”
“Then let’s kill it.”
Xiao Mengyu suddenly turned around and slashed at the one-horned black python with full force.
The python opened its mouth, baring its fangs to block the attack, but a hand extended from the shadow and smacked it.
It failed to block.
Swish—
The sword aura pierced through its body, and then the greatsword followed up with another slash.
The one-horned black python was cleaved in two, its body writhing violently on the ground before falling still.
Inside the mist, various noises gradually faded into the distance.
After consecutively slaying a giant centipede, a giant, and the one-horned black python, it seemed they had intimidated the surrounding monsters.
The creatures all retreated from them.
Xiao Mengyu took a few deep breaths and asked, “Where do you think the shelter might be?”
“We rode our bikes through several mountains but didn’t see anything that could be considered a shelter,” Shen Ye said.
“Then we won’t climb any mountains.”
Xiao Mengyu nodded and continued forward through the mist.
After about ten minutes, she suddenly stopped.
“What is it?” Shen Ye asked.
“Listen—”
Xiao Mengyu tilted her head, listening carefully. “I hear dogs barking,” she said softly.
“I don’t hear anything,” Shen Ye said, puzzled.
“Listen again!” Xiao Mengyu insisted.
“Ah, now I hear it! There really are dogs. Could the dogs be monsters too?” Shen Ye asked.
“I’m not sure… but they seem to be coming toward us.”
Xiao Mengyu drew her longsword and assumed a defensive stance.
Ahead, panting and whimpering sounds approached.
“Who’s there!” Xiao Mengyu called out.
The mist churned.
A figure and a dog leaped out from the fog, tumbling across the ground before scrambling to their feet.
“Huh?”
Shen Ye whispered, “I know that guy. His name is Zhang Xiaoyi. He came to Yunshan Port with me.”
“And the dog?” Xiao Mengyu asked.
“I don’t know the dog, but… it doesn’t seem like an ordinary dog,” Shen Ye said.
Thinking for a moment, Shen Ye emerged from the shadows and hurriedly helped Zhang Xiaoyi up.
“Ayi, what happened to you?”
“Shen Ye! Great! I finally found you—we’re finally out of danger,” Zhang Xiaoyi panted.
“Something was chasing you?” Shen Ye asked.
Xiao Mengyu stepped forward, sword in hand, positioning herself between them and the dog.
“It wasn’t a monster—it was a powerful heir from a noble family. He’s trying to kill me and Guo Yunye,” Zhang Xiaoyi said.
Shen Ye chuckled. “You can’t attack others here.”
Zhang Xiaoyi yanked the dog closer.
“Look!”
Shen Ye took a closer look and saw that the dog was covered in wounds.
“A noble family member did this?”
“Yes.”
“But this is just a dog… Is it your pet? Maybe the rules allow pets to be attacked.”
“This isn’t my pet!”
“Huh?”
“This is Guo Yunye! He transformed into a wolf! He’s not a dog!”
“Huh?!”
Not only was Shen Ye stunned, but even Xiao Mengyu turned to give the dog—no, the wolf—a closer look.
“Brother Yunye, I didn’t expect you could transform into a wolf,” Shen Ye said, clasping his hands together. “Change back first so we can discuss things.”
But the wolf merely glanced at him indifferently, then turned its head away proudly, remaining in place.
—It was completely ignoring him!
Shen Ye looked at Zhang Xiaoyi.
“Don’t call him a wolf,” Zhang Xiaoyi whispered. “He thinks he’s a dog.”
“Huh?” Shen Ye whispered back.
“When he transforms, his mind gets a little… off. Not only does he forget that he’s human, but he also refuses to admit that he’s a wolf. He only recognizes himself as a dog,” Zhang Xiaoyi said quietly.
Shen Ye froze.
A person who turns into a wolf… but insists he’s a dog.
That was quite the spectacle.
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