The storm had passed, but the Dark Forest was far from safe.
Jiang Chen sat by a small fire in a hidden cave, miles away from the destroyed bunker. His torso was wrapped in bandages Lin Qingxue had scavenged from the medical kits.
"Status report," Jiang Chen said, chewing on a nutrient bar.
"We are officially fugitives," Lin Qingxue said, looking at her disabled comms device. "I hacked the local network. The Council has declared us 'Terrorists' responsible for the train crash. There's a kill order on all of us."
"Terrorists?" Fatty Wei cried, roasting a lizard on a stick. "I'm just a foodie! I haven't even terrorized a buffet yet!"
"They need a cover story," Jiang Chen said. "They can't let us return with the Black Box."
He looked at the box sitting on a rock. It was a small, unassuming cube, but it held the death warrant of the Jiang Clan Patriarch.
"So, what's the plan?" Gu Linger asked, playing with her daggers. "We can't go back to the city. The gates will be guarded."
"We don't go back to the city," Jiang Chen said. "We go to Star-Sea University."
"Star-Sea?" Lin Qingxue frowned. "It's an independent territory, but it's still connected to the Federation. Why would they protect us?"
"Because Star-Sea hates the Council," Jiang Chen explained. "My research in the library found that the University was founded by a rival faction. They have political immunity. If we can get onto their campus during the Open Enrollment Week, the Council can't touch us without starting a civil war."
"Open Enrollment starts in three days," Lin Qingxue noted. "The University is located on The Floating Isle. The only way there is through the Sector 9 Teleportation Hub."
"Which is currently crawling with Council soldiers," Jiang Chen finished.
He stood up, wincing slightly. His Void Body was healing him fast, but the backlash from the Demon Armor still lingered as a dull ache in his bones.
"We need to cross 50 miles of hostile forest, sneak past a military blockade, and hijack a teleportation gate," Jiang Chen summarized.
Fatty Wei raised his hand. "Can I vote for 'surrender and beg for mercy'?"
"Denied," Jiang Chen grabbed his heavy sword. "Pack up. We move at dawn."
The Hunt Begins.
For the next two days, Team Zero played a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The forest was swarming with Seeker Drones and Bounty Hunters. The 1 Million Credit bounty on Jiang Chen's head had attracted every mercenary in the sector.
Snap.
Jiang Chen froze mid-step. He signaled his team to stop.
Through the trees, he saw a group of five mercenaries. They wore mismatched armor and carried heavy weapons.
[Enemy: Mercenary Squad (Wolf Fang)]
[Leader: 'Scarface' (Qi Gathering 3rd Stage)]
"I heard the kid is injured," Scarface spat, checking his tracker. "Easy money."
Jiang Chen looked at Lin Qingxue. He made a series of hand signals. Flank left. Freeze trap.
She nodded and vanished into the brush.
Jiang Chen stepped out into the open.
"Looking for me?"
The mercenaries jumped. Scarface grinned. "Well, well. The golden goose walks right to us."
"I'm not a goose," Jiang Chen unlatched his case. "I'm the butcher."
He charged.
"Fire!"
Bullets flew. Jiang Chen used his Phantom Sword Steps to weave between the trees.
When he was ten meters away, Lin Qingxue struck.
Ice Art: Frost Bind.
Ice vines erupted from the ground, rooting three mercenaries in place.
"What the—?!"
WHAM.
Jiang Chen swung his heavy sword. The flat side hit the first mercenary, sending him flying into a tree.
Gu Linger dropped from the canopy. "Death from above!"
Her daggers pinned the second mercenary to the ground by his clothes.
Scarface roared, drawing a massive machete. "Die, brat!"
He swung at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen didn't block. He stepped inside the guard.
He grabbed Scarface's wrist with his right hand. The faint black outline of the Demon Armor pulsed under his skin.
CRACK.
He crushed the wrist. Scarface screamed.
Jiang Chen headbutted him. Thud. Scarface went down.
"Loot them," Jiang Chen ordered, breathing heavily. "Ammo, food, batteries. Leave them alive."
"Alive?" Fatty Wei asked, looting Scarface's pockets. "Why?"
"Because dead men don't spread fear," Jiang Chen said. "I want them to tell the others: The prey bites back."
Day 3. The Edge of Sector 9.
They reached the perimeter of the Teleportation Hub.
It was a fortress. High walls, searchlights, and dozens of Mech-Suits patrolling the perimeter.
"This is impossible," Lin Qingxue whispered, looking through binoculars. "There's a battalion down there."
"We can't fight them," Jiang Chen agreed. "We need a distraction."
He looked at the System Map.
[Nearby Anomaly Detected.]
[Type: Beast Nest (Level 8 - Thunder Lizards)]
A crazy idea formed in his mind.
"Fatty," Jiang Chen turned to Wei. "Do you still have that Pheromone Lure you made from the Wolf King's glands?"
"Yeah... why?"
"And Linger, can you fly fast?"
"I'm the fastest!"
"Good," Jiang Chen pointed at the distant nest. "Linger, take the lure. Fly over that nest. Drop it right in the center. Then fly toward the fortress as fast as you can."
"You want to cause a Beast Tide?" Lin Qingxue gasped. "That's insane!"
"It's a distraction," Jiang Chen grinned. "While the Mechs are fighting the lizards, we slip through the maintenance gate."
"It's risky."
"I like risky."
One Hour Later.
The sun was setting. The fortress was quiet.
Suddenly, a screech echoed from the forest.
ROAR!
A stampede of Thunder Lizards—massive, bipedal reptiles crackling with electricity—burst from the treeline. They were chasing a tiny, flying figure.
"Help! Big ugly lizards!" Gu Linger screamed (actress-level performance), flying straight for the fortress walls.
"Alert! Beast Attack! Sector 4!" The fortress sirens wailed.
Searchlights swiveled. Mechs deployed. "Open fire!"
Chaos erupted. Explosions, lightning, and gunfire filled the air.
"Now!" Jiang Chen signaled.
Team Zero sprinted from their hiding spot. They reached the side maintenance gate.
"Fatty, blow it!"
Fatty Wei slapped a breaching charge on the lock. BOOM.
They rushed inside. They were in the cargo bay. The Teleportation Gate was just ahead—a massive ring of spinning energy.
"Halt!"
A single guard, a Qi Gathering 6th Stage Elite, blocked their path. He held a spear.
"You aren't going anywhere," the Elite sneered.
Jiang Chen didn't stop running.
"Qingxue! Boost me!"
Lin Qingxue didn't hesitate. She created an ice ramp.
Jiang Chen ran up the ramp. He leaped into the air.
Heavy Sword Art: Falling Mountain.
He came down on the guard like a meteor.
The guard raised his spear to block.
CLANG.
The spear bent. The guard's knees buckled.
"Move!" Jiang Chen roared, channeling his Demon Strength.
He smashed the guard aside.
The team sprinted onto the teleportation platform.
"Coordinate: Star-Sea University!" Jiang Chen punched in the code he got from Elder Mo.
The ring spun faster. Blue light engulfed them.
"Stop them!" More guards rushed into the room, firing rifles.
Bullets pinged off the energy shield of the gate.
Jiang Chen looked back. He saw the angry faces of the Council soldiers. He saw the chaos of the beast tide outside.
He raised his middle finger.
"See you in hell."
ZAP.
They vanished.
Star-Sea University.
They materialized on a floating platform, high above the clouds.
The air was clean. The sky was blue.
In front of them stood a massive gate made of white marble, inscribed with the words: "Knowledge through Conflict."
They had made it.
Jiang Chen collapsed on the cool stone floor. He laughed.
"We're alive."
Lin Qingxue sat next to him, wiping soot from her face. "We're alive. And we're rich."
She pointed to the scoreboard near the gate.
[Welcome, Freshmen.]
[Current Points Leaderboard:]
[1. Team Zero - Points: ERROR (Too High)]
Jiang Chen closed his eyes.
The first step of his revenge was complete. Now, he had a sanctuary. And a lot of leveling up to do.
[System Update: Continent #2 Unlocked.]
[Welcome to the Beast King Realm.]
"No rest for the wicked," Jiang Chen muttered. "Let's go to school."