NOVEL WEB Chapter 38: Teamwork for a Face-Slap
"What's the big deal? If it weren't for the limited space in the storage bag, even an armored car, fighter jet, or tank would be just a word away," Zhao Mengxi giggled.
"Must be nice. I heard General Zhao only has one precious daughter. When you go back, ask him if he needs an adopted son. I think I'd be perfect for the role," Kent said, his tone tinged with envy.
Zhao Mengxi rolled her eyes. This guy's logic is so weird. How could he not be moved by such a big beauty in front of him? Marrying me would mean getting whatever he wants, right?
But she didn't feel like pointing that out and couldn't help but continue boasting. "Actually, I don't care much about those things. What made me the happiest is that my father gave me a very special gift a few days ago. After I saw it, I was so happy for several days and still feel happy now."
"Oh? What's the gift?" Kent asked, curious.
Zhao Mengxi smiled slyly, "You'll find out when the time comes. For now, let's just watch the battle. After all, this is the first big fight we'll witness since entering the trial."
In the distance, a fierce battle was about to begin.
The massive wild bear charged with tremendous momentum, and its gigantic size made it seem unstoppable. However, nine of the ten instructors rushed to face it, with the last one gathering the students and contacting the nearby Microglow City to request help from the combat masters stationed there.
The nine instructors used their beasts to charge in, while they readied their guns or bows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The beasts under their control were all high-level. The lowest-ranked beast was the instructor of Class 9, who had a greyish-white goat with enormous horns like electric poles. Its attack method was to build up speed from a distance, charging forward and using its rock-solid horns to deliver a powerful blow.
The giant bear had six limbs. Seeing that its opponents were small, it abandoned its upright posture and stood on all six limbs. It swatted away the fire-breathing bird of the Class 2 instructor with one swipe. The pain of being burned was too much, so when the goat charged, it threw a punch, only to regret it as it was injured by the goat's horns.
At this point, Instructor He sent his short-tailed crocodile charging forward, leaping high and aiming for the bear's face.
The bear growled in anger, raising its giant paws, attempting to crush the crocodile.
But in the blink of an eye, the crocodile shot its spikes from its back, like a barrage of sharp needles, with many aimed at the bear's eyes.
The bear immediately raised its hands to shield its face, blocking the spikes, but its paws were covered in blood. The crocodile then crashed into the paw and immediately opened its massive jaws, sinking them into the bear's flesh.
The bear roared in pain, extending another arm to grab the crocodile's tail and yanked it away. The five-meter-long beast was thrown across dozens of meters, hitting the ground hard.
The other instructors saw this and adjusted their tactics. They sent all their beasts in to wear the giant bear down, eventually forcing it into a state of rage. At that point, the beasts stopped paying attention to anything else and focused solely on the firebird flying in the air, since it was the most troublesome opponent.
The firebird barely avoided being grabbed by the bear's paw, flying up to a height of two hundred meters in fear. Though the bear was clumsy, its forty-meter height allowed it to easily leap into the air to snatch the bird.
The battle raged on for about five minutes. The giant bear, though initially dominating, was now badly injured and had to retreat with a final roar.
But then, the sound of a helicopter came from above, followed by the hum of off-road vehicles.
Kent looked up and saw a small combat aircraft flying over the night sky, with three battle-hardened masters on board. They looked at the bear in the distance, licking their lips, clearly eager for action.
Meanwhile, the off-road vehicles roared across the open plain, their headlights blazing as they chased the retreating bear.
Soon, the area was left in chaos, with the ten instructors looking a bit disheveled. Especially the instructor from Class 2, whose firebird had taken serious damage and would need time to recover.
Kent frowned in disappointment, thinking he'd miss out on watching the bear's death.
The group began to head back, the mood lightening as the two of them seemed to grow closer. Leng Zimu, seeing this, scowled, wishing he could turn Kent into scrap with a mortar.
The battle had caused quite a stir, and the surrounding beasts were likely watching, making the area unsafe. As everyone had lost their sleepiness, the group decided to pack up and head straight for their trial destination, Nylon County.
Instructor He led the first group and left ahead of the others.
On the way, Leng Zimu couldn't help but ask, "Instructor, how did that giant beast suddenly appear? This is the outskirts, after all."
Instructor He pondered for a moment, "That's indeed strange. A beast that big shouldn't be this close to a city without being noticed. It's hard to understand."
Kent replied, "Instructor, I know why. That giant bear is called the Wild Bear, and you may not have noticed, but its side was injured. It probably fled here after being driven away by an even stronger beast. It probably smelled us humans and, being a simple-minded creature, decided to attack."
"Haha, is that your theory? You're just guessing," Leng Zimu scoffed.
Instructor He considered this and then nodded. "That actually sounds quite plausible. Did you notice that the bear kept one of its arms pressed to its side? It's likely injured and, in a panic, attacked us out of hunger."
Kent nodded, "If the instructors hadn't stopped it, we might've been wiped out. The bear's weakness is its eyes, and its main method of attack is devouring its prey. If you get within twenty paces, it can suck you in with its mouth, and you won't be able to escape."
Leng Zimu, annoyed by Kent taking the spotlight, sneered, "How do you know all that? It's not in the Beast Guide."
At this point, Zhao Mengxi couldn't help but argue, "Leng Zimu, you really don't know anything. Aside from the Beast Guide, there are many other books about monsters. After all, the world is full of various alternate spaces, and new species of mutated beasts appear every year. Plus, these are just mutated beasts. If we were talking about native beasts from those alternate spaces, you wouldn't recognize a single one!"
"You talk big, acting like you know everything. Well, then tell me, where is this wild bear mentioned in any book?" Leng Zimu persisted.
Zhao Mengxi replied, "It's mentioned in 'Lix's Chronicles 9,' published two years ago. Surely you've heard of Lix, right? He's a near-legendary figure in the mercenary world, and every year he publishes a new volume documenting the beasts he encounters during his missions."
Leng Zimu fell silent, turning red. He had indeed heard of Lix, but he had never read his books. Feeling embarrassed, he lowered his head.
Kent glanced over, shaking his head and muttering, "Seems like Zhao Mengxi just slapped his face with a bit of knowledge. This is getting interesting."