Free Web NovelChapter 249: Chapter 200: Night Raid
The night was black as ink.
At the guard post by the academy’s East Gate, two young men stared out at the pitch-black night, bored out of their minds.
Two Silver Thorn Damselflies flew slowly between the walls, their paired, compound eyes shimmering with silver light as they periodically scanned the swamp below for any potential Soul Beasts.
A tall Tree Spirit and a comparatively small Silver Lotus Wood stood like dutiful sentinels, silent on either side of the guard post.
"Hey, Wu Fan. You all have been here for a while since you crossed over. Ever tried venturing outside? I mean... this place is a real backwater. Why not find somewhere better to live?" The one who spoke was a young, blond, blue-eyed foreigner with a faint German accent.
The hundred or so foreigners who had entered the academy had gradually joined various posts, contributing to its development.
The young man from Xia Country beside him struggled to understand the thick accent. He only managed a smile after the other man repeated himself.
"Of course we’ve explored. The world outside is far more dangerous than this place. There are terrifying tribes of Insect-men out there. The decision to stay here was one Dean Wu and the others made after careful consideration... It’s much, much more dangerous out there."
He glanced at the foreigner’s Silver Lotus Wood, then continued with a smile.
"Buck, once your Silver Lotus Wood breaks through to its third mutation, you can choose to work in another department. You won’t have to stay up all night guarding this gate."
"Third mutation? But hasn’t your Soul Beast already evolved? So why are you still here on gate duty?" Buck shrugged, his face a picture of confusion.
"I’m here by choice. Beast Masters whose Soul Beasts have evolved have two options: either join the academy’s exploration teams and fight on the front lines, where your life is always in danger..."
"...or take a security job at the academy. It might be a little boring, and the resources you get aren’t as good as the combat teams, but it’s safe. You don’t have to worry about dying."
"Oh, I see..." Buck said, the realization dawning on him. But then he asked, still confused, "But I’ve seen people whose Soul Beasts are way weaker than yours, and they get to stay in comfy rooms all day and enjoy the best resources. Why is that?"
"Did you even go to school?" Wu Fan shot him a strange look.
"Finished middle school and that was it for me," Buck said with a grin.
’Looking at him, all brawn and a rugged face, he really doesn’t seem like the studious type.’
Wu Fan thought to himself, but his face broke into a smile.
"Knowledge, of course. They possess advanced, specialized knowledge of human technology. You know Mr. Leon, right? He doesn’t have to do any manual labor. He just sits in a warm office all day designing blueprints for the power plant for all of us."
"A high-level technical specialist like him can be more useful than a few, or even a dozen, combat-proficient Soul Beasts."
"Of course, if you train your Soul Beast to be powerful and prove your loyalty to the academy, you’ll be able to enjoy the same treatment as Mr. Leon and the others. So keep up the good work."
"Yeah, I get it! I’ll do my best!"
Hearing Wu Fan’s encouragement, Buck couldn’t help but pump his fist.
Unlike most of the others who had crossed over with him and were pessimistic about the future, Buck was filled with eager anticipation for this new world.
’No annoying teachers, no nagging parents... this is a truly free world!’
Buck looked up at the distant sky, already starting to fantasize about becoming like a character from an anime or a movie—slaughtering his enemies, being the hero, and winning the hearts of beautiful women.
"Hey Wu Fan, what’s that?"
Just as Buck was lost in his boundless imagination, a flicker of fire appeared on the eastern horizon, faintly visible as it suddenly pierced the thin mist and caught his eye.
"What?"
Wu Fan, startled, looked in the direction Buck was pointing.
At first, it was just a thin line of fire, hidden in the mist.
In just a few seconds, that flicker of fire had flashed right before them.
"Is that..."
By the time Wu Fan made out the shape of the fiery light, his pupils contracted violently. He scrambled for the Communication Device beside him, flicked on the switch, and roared into it, "This is the East Gate guard post! Ene—"
He never finished the word.
A scorching fireball, more than two meters in diameter, came roaring down and smashed viciously into the guard post below.
A terrifying wave of heat washed over their faces.
Their Soul Beasts only had time to throw themselves in front of the two men. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
In the next instant, a powerful explosion echoed across the open swamp.
High Priest Fei Lie sat imposingly astride a four-winged, fiery red beetle.
He gazed coldly down at the churning flames below, then made a beckoning gesture.
A few streaks of light flashed. Two Red Centipede Servants flew closer, carrying their captives. One was Wu Fan, nearly 70% of his body charred, his face a mask of scorched flesh, gasping in pain and horror. The other was Buck, who had been burned to a cinder.
With just a single strike, their Soul Beasts had been incinerated.
"What race are you?" Fei Lie frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked them up and down. These beings were clearly of the Human Race, showing no signs of being Insect-men.
"Cough... cough, cough..." A deep sorrow mingled with the horror on Wu Fan’s face. The instant death of the Soul Beast companion that had been with him day and night had left his mind completely blank.
Seeing the hideous Insect Master before him, his eyes filled with despair.
