This squad, led by Wang Ziming, included a mecha pilot and three solo fighters. The other four, excluding Li Wei, were all students from their department's first class. While not top-tier, their strength was enough to make them proud.
When Wang Ziming initially proposed adding a solo fighter from the logistics department, the other solo fighters in the squad might have objected. However, upon hearing that this individual had merely missed out on a spot and possessed a Double-S ranking, no one voiced any complaints.
Despite this, these individuals still held a somewhat low opinion of Li Wei, as the rest of them were classmates and familiar with each other's capabilities. Only Li Wei was an unknown quantity, and his strength was equally unknown.
It was only after Li Wei effortlessly beheaded an S-class fierce tiger starbeast that they began to see him in a new light.
At this moment, the积分 (jīfēn - points) ranking had shifted slightly. Since the others in their squad had not yet encountered any starbeasts, they were all positioned in the top few ranks.
Meanwhile, Chen Xuan was questioning his team's commander: "How is it? Are there any starbeasts nearby? Someone has already killed an S-class starbeast; we can't afford to fall behind!"
Chen Xuan's words also made his team's commander anxious, but he was powerless to do anything.
"Heading towards the finish line from here, we won't encounter any starbeasts in the short term. It will take at least another hour of travel before we do. Stay calm and conserve your strength."
Clearly, the commander's words did not alleviate Chen Xuan's unease. He watched the rankings on his optical computer continuously change, yet he felt restless that his own side had not yet encountered any starbeasts.
The viewers who had previously thought highly of Chen Xuan now worried for him, as luck was also very important in the assessment. Some also felt that Chen Xuan was not as capable as rumored, for example:
Xiao Li: Chen Xuan looks quite flustered. It's only just begun, there's no need to be like this.
Cute Duoduo: Exactly, he has no bearing of a noble family's scion at all. Look at Xie Zhanzhe; although he doesn't have much strength, he's very good at pretending.
Eliminate Cuteness: He's not just good at pretending; leading a group of Double-S with A-class strength is only because of his status that he's a cut above the rest. Otherwise, he would have been annihilated by the starbeasts long ago!
My Name is Slimmer: Are the two above a CP? Haha, but they are not to be underestimated. Usually, those who lack strength but act tough will be taught a lesson! I hope we can witness that this year as well.
The live broadcast videos consistently focused on these popular figures. However, what was Meng Huai doing when she wasn't drawing attention?
Oh, it turned out that while scanning the assessment grounds with her mental power, she had seen something incredibly shocking and exciting.
"Is that... Xuan Ming Stone?"
Meng Huai's soul power detected what appeared to be a very ordinary-looking stone, lying right in the middle of the path, ignored by everyone.
These people were unaware of the great utility this stone would have if incorporated into weapon refinement. However, in this era, no one knew its function.
Therefore, Meng Huai first headed in a direction completely opposite to the finish line. However, if anyone saw this, they wouldn't find it strange; they would simply assume she didn't know the direction of the finish line, as only the commander's senses could find the way.
Thus, experienced students would usually form teams first. In these teams, the solo fighters' strength was naturally important, but a commander and a mecha pilot were also indispensable.
Finding the way required a commander, and in battle, damage to the mecha required the mecha pilot's assistance.
Therefore, even if the commander and mecha pilot's combat abilities were not outstanding, good commanders and mecha pilots were highly sought after.
Because Meng Huai had gone in another direction first, the value of the Xuan Ming Stone, in her opinion, was greater than the scholarship. She had to secure it first to feel at ease. Along the way, she only encountered a herd of antelope starbeasts that blocked her path in a large group.
Meng Huai drew her great saber and killed one with each swing.
"What a shame, I can't roast them to eat."
Meng Huai looked at the scattered antelopes on the ground and shook her head regretfully. "In this damn era, starbeasts are full of toxins, making even a meal a difficult endeavor."
Meng Huai thought: If only I had Skyfire, even the most poisonous things would have their toxins dissipated after being roasted by Skyfire. What a pity about her Skyfire; it hadn't followed her here.
Finally, half a day passed. The highest scorers on the leaderboard had accumulated over ten thousand points, while Meng Huai still only had fifty-five points.
These fifty-five points were contributed by the antelope herd she had just encountered. While her score attracted no attention, Wang Ziming's squad, at the top of the rankings, was researching the 'unremarkable' Meng Huai.
"Why hasn't Meng Huai's score changed? Although her strength isn't particularly outstanding, why is her ranking still so low?"
Wang Ziming had a sharp sense that something was amiss. Li Wei, beside him, recalled the scene where he was defeated by Meng Huai in mere moments while operating an A-class mecha.
Li Wei rubbed his nose and said, "She probably hasn't encountered any starbeasts yet, right?"
Wang Ziming nodded, but he thought: Half a day has passed, it's not so unlucky that she wouldn't encounter anything, is it? If that's the case, shouldn't Meng Huai have used the luck charm she gave me a few days ago herself!
Meng Huai held the Xuan Ming Stone in her hand, and a chilling aura transmitted from the stone into her body. Fortunately, her physical condition had improved significantly by now. If it were the Meng Huai from the garbage planet, she would have been directly afflicted by malevolent spirits invading her heart and collapsed.
Just as Meng Huai was about to leave, she felt a fluctuation in the ground and took a couple of steps to the side, leaping up to dodge the sudden attack.
A monkey-like starbeast rushed out from behind a building, heading straight for Meng Huai.
Meng Huai, however, was unhurried, thinking: This is starting to get interesting.
The large brute in front of her looked very sturdy. Although it resembled a monkey, its intellect was not developed. It could only charge forward recklessly, but its movements were incredibly fast.
Having only experimented in simulation machines, Meng Huai had only encountered A-class starbeasts. She didn't know the strength of other-ranked starbeasts. The one before her was clearly a Double-S ranked monkey.
Meng Huai drew her great saber and swung it. The monkey dodged several times, clearly indicating that this Double-S ranked starbeast was far more formidable than an A-class one.
Meng Huai was quite surprised by this. She noticed afterimages where the monkey flashed, which was enough to tell how fast its movements were. At this moment, Meng Huai felt the same sensation as in the simulation machines: her movements were too slow.
Back then, it was because the mecha's movements couldn't keep up with her perception. But now? Meng Huai channeled the spiritual energy around her body, pouring it all into the great saber, and concentrated on sensing the monkey's movements.
"Right, now."
She struck directly at the monkey. The three-meter-tall monkey, believing it had dodged Meng Huai's attack again, was smugly pleased.
But soon, it sensed that something was wrong...