Tianyu rested his hand on Silver Wolf's head, feeling the familiar warmth beneath its shining fur. The wolf's muscles tensed with excitement as it transformed into a streak of silver light—charging straight toward the sky where the red-spotted goshawks circled like crimson shadows.
The goshawks responded instantly.
Kiii—!
With sharp screeches, the enormous birds folded their wings and dove. Their speed was terrifying—like red bolts tearing through the sky. Even Sun Xianfeng and the seasoned members of the cleaning team struggled to keep up. Every time one swooped past, the wind pressure alone nearly knocked them off their feet.
Lei Feiyu, already fused with the Explosive Black Bear, was the only one capable of holding several at bay. In his flaming armored form, he fought five goshawks simultaneously, each swing of his blazing fist knocking a bird out of the air.
But that still left half of them.
"Sun Xianfeng! Look out!"
A goshawk folded its wings inward, its entire body becoming a deadly spear of feathers and beak. It turned into a streak of red light and shot toward Sun Xianfeng's unprotected side.
"Xiao Hui—STOP IT!"
Tianyu's shout cut through the chaos.
Silver Wolf answered with a thunderous howl.
In the next instant, the wolf blurred—vanishing from Tianyu's side and reappearing midair like living lightning. Its silver aura streaked upward in a clean arc, slamming into the descending goshawk before it could reach Sun Xianfeng.
BOOM—!!
Silver light and red feathers burst outward. The goshawk reeled, wings trembling violently, and tumbled into the treetops.
Even the cleaning team paused.
In terms of speed, if Silver Wolf claimed second place, no magical beast dared call itself first.
And so the battle continued late into the night.
Tianyu and the cleaning team fought side-by-side until the final moment, the air filled with flashes of silver, red feathers, and roaring flames. After the last goshawk fell, the exhausted team collapsed around the dying campfire, breaths ragged but faces full of relief.
*
The next morning, Tianyu woke early—his body sore but his mind sharp. Today was the day when the Special Training started.
He hurried back to school, and for the first time in a long while, the classroom atmosphere felt… different. When he entered, his classmates actually greeted him with smiles. Even Fan Wei, normally hostile and petty, nodded politely, not daring to show his previous arrogance.
Tianyu simply returned the nod.
He knew exactly why everyone's attitude had shifted.
Strength changes everything.
Not long after, teachers and students were gathered on the field in tidy formations. The air buzzed with excitement as the principal stepped onto the podium.
Then—
A roar thundered across the sky.
A large helicopter soared overhead, blades chopping through the air. Students squinted up as a dozen figures leaped out of the aircraft mid-flight, descending with frightening speed.
"Those people… they jumped from the SKY?!"
"What kind of monsters are they?!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
One by one, the figures landed like meteors—slamming into the field and leaving cracks in the concrete.
They wore camouflage uniforms fitted tightly to their muscular bodies, each man radiating a fierce aura. Tattoos of magical beasts coiled around their arms, glowing faintly with suppressed power.
The principal raised his microphone.
"Students, please welcome the instructors from the Black Dragon Mercenary Group!"
A wave of whispers exploded among the students.
Black Dragon.
One of the strongest mercenary organizations in the country.
A group whose name alone represented power and elite status.
A tall man with an X-shaped scar across his cheek walked to the front. Even standing still, he felt like a beast ready to attack.
He scanned the crowd.
"Students, listen well," he said, voice booming. "I am Lin Zexian—armored envoy of the Black Dragon and chief instructor of this special training."
Cold pressure rolled off him in waves.
"The location of your training will be Green Mountain Base's F-grade Mystic Realm — Dark Forest."
At these words, cheers erupted immediately.
Mystic realms were holy grounds filled with magical beasts, resources, treasures—places normal people never had a chance to enter.
But Tianyu frowned.
F-grade?
Something felt off.
Mystic realms were rated from F to S.
F-grade meant low-level beasts.
D-grade, however, meant the possibility of silver-ranked magical beasts.
Lin Zexian had said F-grade, but the tension in his voice and the mercenaries' expressions told a different story.
And then Tianyu noticed Lin Zexian's tattoo.
It glowed gold.
The gold level was even above silver.
Something wasn't right.
But before he could think further, Lin Zexian continued, "In addition to preparing for your college entrance exam, this special training will serve as your assessment. If any of you perform exceptionally…"
His eyes swept across the students.
"You may earn the right to join the Black Dragon Mercenary Group."
The students lost their minds.
"JOIN Black Dragon?!"
"That's insane!!"
"No way—I'm dreaming!"
Even the teachers looked stunned.
Only Tianyu remained quiet, eyes fixed on Lin Zexian's tattoo.
Something strange was going on.
*
After Lin Zexian finished, the mercenaries separated, walking toward their assigned classes.
When it was Grade 3 Class 2's turn, every student stiffened at the sight of their instructor.
A woman walked toward them with confident, rhythmic steps—hips swaying slightly, long red hair falling in thick waves past her shoulders. Her camouflage uniform hugged her curves, making her skin look even paler.
On her arms were elegant, magical beast tattoos that pulsed faintly with life.
She smiled lightly. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Shang Jiao, and I'll be your instructor for the next few days."
Her voice was soft but carried a natural authority.
"I only have one rule. Stay within my sight. No exceptions. Understood?"
Her tone was strict, but the students didn't hear a word.
They were far too busy staring at her face, her hair, her curves—their brains completely melted.
Even the usually stern Zheng Chulan rushed up to her, hands rubbing nervously.
"Ah—Instructor Shang, I'm their form teacher… please take care of the children…"
Shang Jiao nodded politely. "Alright, Mr. Zheng. Let's depart."
Tianyu, however, wasn't drooling like the others.
Something in Shang Jiao's aura, or the way her tattoo shimmered…
It didn't match an ordinary instructor.
And Tianyu felt a chill run down his back.
This special training…
It was not going to be simple.
*
The Dark Forest lay nearly a hundred kilometers from Green Mountain Base, but the moment the students stepped off the transport trucks, every one of them felt the chill crawling under their skin.
The forest was quiet — too quiet — wrapped in a damp, gloomy mist that clung to the ground. Wind slithered between the trees like something alive, cold enough to bite, cold enough to feel like unseen jaws waiting for prey to step inside.
"Everyone, summon your magical beasts. We enter together."
Shang Jiao swept her red hair aside, her voice calm but carrying a strange, firm power.
Around her, the students of Class 2 obeyed immediately. One after another, magical beast tattoos lit up, releasing creatures of various shapes and sizes. Roars echoed through the forest.
Then Tianyu raised his arm.
The wolf totem on his skin glowed bright silver.
Awooooo!
A silver explosion cracked through the air.
Silver Wolf blasted into existence behind him, three meters tall, fur shining like moonlit frost. Its sudden arrival silenced every other magical beast instantly. Even the wind seemed to stop.
Xiao Hui sniffed the air, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings. Then—
A pale hand suddenly reached up and gripped its forelimb.
Silver Wolf froze.
Standing before it was Shang Jiao, her eyes widening as she examined the massive creature with a mix of surprise and fascination.
"This is your magical beast? What's your name?"
"Ren Tianyu, Instructor."
She clicked her tongue softly. "Incredible… No wonder. With a beast like this, you're hard to ignore."
Before Tianyu could react, Shang Jiao's fingers brushed his arm — right across the faint illusory energy swirling there.
Her eyes sharpened.
"Oh? You've already started cultivating illusory power." She grabbed Tianyu's wrist and lifted it to inspect the aura more closely. "Your purity is excellent. With this foundation, you should already be preparing for armor transformation."
The entire class went silent.
Some even stopped breathing.
Armor transformation?!
Teacher Zheng ran up in disbelief, bombarding Shang Jiao with questions, but she only nodded confidently.
And suddenly, everyone who once mocked Tianyu had nothing to say.
*
Into the Dark Forest;
They entered the forest in formation, Shang Jiao walking silently at the rear. She didn't interfere — unless danger appeared, she would only observe.
At first, the path seemed peaceful.
Too peaceful.
No beasts. No sounds. No movement.
Students relaxed, whispering jokes, even complaining lightly.
But Tianyu felt uneasy.
His two weeks in the wilderness with the cleaning team had sharpened his instincts… and those instincts were now screaming.
Then he spotted a faint flicker.
A string of flame lazily curled around the trunk of a black tree ahead.
Danger.
"Be careful!"
His shout cut through the murmurs. Silver Wolf bristled and stepped forward, hackles raised.
Several students rolled their eyes.
"Tianyu, what's your problem? Don't jump at shadows—"
"He's just showing off because the instructor praised him—"
But Shang Jiao smiled faintly behind them.
He felt it even before the others… good.
Then the forest changed.
A blast of flame shot upward.
The charred tree snapped like a twig.
Two faint red lights glowed from the darkness beneath it.
Hissssssssssss—
A massive shape slid out — a python over five meters long, its rocky, blackened body surrounded by molten cracks. Every time it moved, fire rippled off its scales.
Someone screamed.
"A—A Lava Python?! Bronze level?!"