During the time Wang Tianwei rested in her tent, the broadcast would sound from time to time:
"Class B, Pilo is out."
"Class A, Ding Feijie and Lucia Connie are out. Hunting points cleared to zero."
"Class S, Fu Ze is out. Twenty points deducted, hunting points cleared to zero."
The team members watched as the teachers from the rescue team carried Fu Ze away.
"It can't be helped... Fu Ze is a demi-human, and his true form is a deer! It's already quite impressive that he lasted this long."
"Sigh... We lost another person."
Most of the eliminated students at this point were demi-humans who were severely intolerant of high temperatures. But in truth, pure-blooded humans weren't doing much better—some had only managed to walk two kilometers the entire morning...
The climate varied greatly across the major planets of the Federation. For instance, Shuomo Planet had relatively high temperatures year-round.
There were also rainy or extremely cold planets. Naturally, students from those places struggled even more when they entered the desert.
The smart ones knew to pitch their tents during the hottest part of the day to conserve their stamina.
There were also the stubborn ones who tried to overcome it with sheer willpower, only to underestimate the desert climate and quickly end up dehydrated...
There were even those who pitched their tents right under the glaring sun.
Although it blocked the sunlight, the inside soon became as hot as a steamer. Even the tent frame turned scorching hot, forcing them to painstakingly tear it down and find a new spot.
The observers and the homeroom teachers of each class paid close attention to the students' conditions.
From the moment they stepped into the desert, this was no longer just a test for the students, but also a test of the teachers' sharp eyes.
Dehydration or fainting in the desert often happened without warning. Students might not even have time to press their emergency alarms, which meant the teachers needed to spot them in time.
If they were unlucky enough to encounter mutant beasts or star beasts... their lives could genuinely be in danger.
"Class A's Zhang Lyra is not looking right."
The observer zoomed in on the screen so Fu Manli could see more clearly.
In the footage, a female student with a pair of bear ears had draped her training uniform over her head for sun protection, but her cheeks still flushed an unnatural red. She unconsciously stuck her tongue out from time to time to dissipate heat, and it looked like she was already losing consciousness.
"Lyra, are you okay?"
Her team captain, Xia Ou, asked with concern.
Zhang Lyra really couldn't hold on anymore. She plopped down onto the scorching sand.
"...Captain, phew... you guys go on ahead..."
Xia Ou stood in front of her to block the sun.
"Don't talk nonsense. How could we leave you behind?"
Along the way, the team had relied almost entirely on Lyra's nose for early warnings. Combined with her formidable combat power, they had managed to defeat so many mutant beasts and star beasts, earning over twenty extra credits! What kind of people would they be if they just dumped her here now!?
But Zhang Lyra shook her head.
"Listen to me... I can't do this during the day; I'll just slow you down... But at night, my cold resistance and night vision are better than yours. You guys definitely won't be able to handle the night temperatures... Sticking together won't do any of us any good... It's better to split up. If I really can't take it, I'll quit... There are drones too, I'll be fine."
Hearing this, Fu Manli nodded repeatedly.
"She's got some brains at least."
Her words were so well-reasoned that Xia Ou couldn't find a way to refute them.
Eventually, after discussing it with the other teammates, they concluded that splitting up now was indeed the best option.
However, they didn't just abandon her there. First, they found a spot and helped Zhang Lyra set up a tent to shelter her from the sun.
Then they distributed the food and water evenly among all the team members.
"If you run out of water or encounter any danger you can't handle yourself, press the alarm. Don't try to tough it out, you hear me?"
Zhang Lyra nodded for the hundredth time. Lying in the tent, she spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"Captain... I did pass the entrance exam to Qilin Military Academy on my own, you know. Don't treat me like a child..."
But your appearance really makes people worry, you know?
The gazes of Xia Ou and the other teammates all fell on her fuzzy, fluffy bear ears...
Too cute~!! She was practically baby-level!
It wasn't until after three in the afternoon, when the sunlight was no longer so blinding, that Xia Ou finally led the team members away.
Zhang Lyra remained hiding in her tent, not daring to take a single step outside, her brows knitted in distress.
The broadcast had already announced many eliminations. This kind of environment was sheer torture for a demi-human like her!
The Bear Clan was truly terrible at handling the heat!
Hugging her gun, she lay back down. Better to conserve her strength first; she needed to recover her energy as quickly as possible.
After all, while traveling at night was cooler, it came with a lot of uncertainties. The mutated flora and fauna of the desert only came out to be active at night. For now, she could only take things one step at a time...
The demi-human finally closed her eyes to rest. Her complexion had already recovered quite a bit, and her breathing was no longer as rapid as before.
Fu Manli withdrew her gaze from the screen.
"She's fine. Next."
At three in the afternoon, Wang Tianwei finally emerged from her tent.
She had originally planned to set off at two, but the temperature back then had been no different from high noon!
She had forced herself to wait another hour before feeling the scorching heatwave subside just a little.
To arrive on time, she had better walk for a longer period during the night...
After putting her backpack back on and setting out, Wang Tianwei traveled a short distance before realizing that it wasn't just her—most people couldn't withstand the midday heat and had chosen to rest where they were.
There were also many solitary tents scattered across the desert, belonging to those who had broken away from their teams to travel alone.
This was good news for her!
Everyone was wearing the same uniform, and almost everyone had draped their short sleeves over their heads for sun protection, making her much less conspicuous!
She observed as she walked. Surprisingly, the majority of these solitary tents belonged to demi-humans.
Ah! They must be intolerant to the heat and planning to travel at night...
Thinking of this, Wang Tianwei felt a bit envious.
Demi-humans were naturally born with high combat prowess and great physical strength. She had just seen one student carrying at least six water bags!
Six water bags... if she had to carry those on her back, she wouldn't be able to take a single step...
At night, certain specific races, like feline demi-humans such as cats and lynxes, practically had a god's-eye view!
Even the night vision of werewolves far exceeded that of ordinary people, not to mention they were naturally more resistant to the cold!
Compared to someone mediocre like her, their advantages were glaringly obvious.
Of course, there were also plenty of dangers at night...
Wang Tianwei hoisted her backpack higher and tightened the safety buckles a bit more... She had only been in the desert for half a day, but she felt like she had already lost a whole size. She wondered if she had just been roasted dry by the sun...
She hadn't run into a single Class S student all day, and students from other classes were also rushing on their way. Hardly anyone spared her a second glance.
Sure enough, laying low among the masses suited her best!
Wang Tianwei picked up her pace, occasionally walking in strange, erratic patterns in an attempt to disguise herself as a demi-human to protect her safety.
As the temperature dropped in the evening, the mutant beasts began to stir.
Her laser gun aimed at a scorpion that was raising its tail high at her.
"Buzz!"
Before the scorpion could lunge forward, it was scorched to a crisp. Wang Tianwei stepped forward to inspect it... If she remembered correctly, this thing was edible, wasn't it?
