"Ryan, just what kind of monster beast is this? Its defense is insane! Our attacks barely scratch it, and soon enough, it'll drain all our spiritual power dry. If that happens, we'll be trapped here—no way out!" one of the students shouted as he fought desperately.
"Shut up! That thing's running out of steam—it won't last much longer! We'll cut it down soon enough. Don't forget, it swallowed our strategist, and all our hard-earned loot from these past few days is on him. We can't let our sweat and blood go to waste!" Ryan Ouyang roared, his fury barely contained.
"The monster's mouth isn't even that big. How the hell did it swallow our strategist whole? It's unreal."
"There's no end to crazy stuff in this world! Enough with the pointless talk—everyone, hit it with your strongest moves! Avenge our fallen brothers!"
Ryan's words fired everyone up. The remaining students unleashed everything they had, pushing their martial skills to the limit and snapping off a slew of the monster's spines.
Seeing it work, the crowd went wild—one after another, they charged the monster beast like they had no fear of death.
Many ants can kill an elephant. The monster's defenses were terrifying, but these students were no pushovers. Their combined assault had it howling in pain, shrill cries echoing nonstop.
"Push harder, everyone! This monster's about to go down—whoever lands the killing blow gets three Magic Crystals and a Starstone!" Ryan Ouyang shouted, rallying their spirits.
"For the Magic Crystals—I'll risk it all!" A youth covered in wounds raised his broadsword and swung with everything he had. But before the blade could land, the monster's massive tail slammed him aside. Blood sprayed through the air as he crashed to the ground, never to rise again.
Watching from afar, Evan Chu finally understood why these people were so desperate to kill the monster. Turns out, they'd set up ranks like strategist and boss. Unfortunately, the strategist got swallowed, and he had all their collected crystal shards and Magic Crystals. No wonder they were fighting to the death.
Seeing another brother fall to the monster, Ryan Ouyang's eyes practically spat fire. His longsword burst with a three-foot blade of light as he roared, "Bastard! Die!"
This strike was fueled by Ryan's hatred—he poured every ounce of his stellar force into it. The sword glow, overflowing with deadly sword qi, hammered into the monster beast, punching several bloody holes through its massive body.
This time, the monster was truly wounded. Its steps faltered, and its eyes blazed with limitless rage as it locked onto the one who had hurt it so badly.
Ryan Ouyang stood there panting, facing the monster beast. He'd burned through too much stellar force, and with all his injuries, his face was ghostly pale—he could collapse at any moment.
Maybe Ryan's attack had truly enraged the monster. It threw its head back and let out a thunderous roar, then charged the nearest student, ready to kill by brute force alone.
Faced with the berserk monster, everyone scattered—none dared attack. Ryan watched their cowardice, disappointment and regret twisting in his heart. He couldn't help but wish he had at least one comrade who could stand with him against the beast.
If they stayed, they'd probably all die here. But all their hard-won Magic Crystals were inside the monster's belly—leaving now would mean losing everything. The choice tore at Ryan's heart.
"Evan, Ryan Ouyang's strength isn't bad. You could help him out. If he becomes your little brother, your power will grow again. This is a rare chance." Luna's voice rang out just then.
"Luna, is this the 'unexpected surprise' you were talking about? I thought you meant some kind of heavenly treasure." Evan Chu grumbled inwardly.
He continued, "Did you forget? Back at the academy, I was ready to kill him. If Marcus Gongsun hadn't stopped us on the Life-and-Death Platform, he'd be long dead. Now you want me to make him my little brother? No way! Even if I agreed, he wouldn't."
Evan Chu really couldn't understand why Luna had this idea—he still wanted to kill Ryan! Anyone who dared covet his woman was asking for death, plain and simple.
"Why can't you be more flexible? If you want to achieve great things, you need help from others. Ryan Ouyang's not bad—I've sensed an incredibly powerful bloodline in him, still dormant. If it awakens, his strength will skyrocket!" Luna replied, ignoring Evan's complaints.
"A powerful bloodline? What kind? Why does everyone around me seem to have some amazing bloodline? Roxanne Lin has the Vermilion Bird Mark—maybe even the Vermilion Bird Bloodline. I have the Divine Dragon bloodline. So what about this guy? If it's really strong, maybe I'll consider it." Evan mused after a moment's thought.
"If I'm right, he's got the White Tiger Bloodline. The aura's faint, but I can sense it. Big shots don't sweat the small stuff—if you repay enmity with virtue, maybe he'll become absolutely loyal to you someday. But first, you've got to make him submit completely." Luna advised, her tone strategic and persuasive.
Evan Chu stopped hesitating and unleashed Wave-Skimming Steps at full power. The instant the monster charged Ryan Ouyang, Evan flashed in and yanked him aside. Ryan was so drained, he couldn't even move his feet—only his willpower kept him standing.
Suddenly, Ryan felt himself swept several meters through the air. As he snapped back to reality, he saw that the person who'd pulled him away from the monster was a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth—someone oddly familiar.
"You... you are...?" Ryan Ouyang asked, staring at Evan Chu.
"I'm an Ordinary Class student. Ryan Ouyang, I know you—Ordinary Class's top fighter. Your squad's in deep trouble right now. If you agree to one condition, I'll get you out of it." Evan said coldly, cutting straight to the point.
Magic Crystals? I don't want them. No other reward, either. Will you do it or not?" Evan thought this was the perfect time to strike a deal.
"What do you want me to promise?" Ryan kept his guard up, still hostile, but his body was spent. Judging by Evan's speed, he was clearly a serious powerhouse.
"Swear loyalty—become my little brother!" Evan demanded, his tone absolute.
"No way! You're not worthy of it!" Ryan shot back, pride and dignity burning in his eyes—he was Ordinary Class's number one for a reason.
"That's not your call—right now, you have no other choice!" Evan replied coldly. As he spoke, another student was sent flying by the monster's tail, his fate all but sealed.
"Is there really no other choice?" Ryan asked, pain flashing in his eyes as yet another brother fell. His voice softened.
"No." Evan's reply was icy, his attention never leaving the monster beast.