Under Huang Yan's command, the four-person squad cleared the deck with ease, then began to systematically eliminate the mutant beasts and star beasts ambushing them indoors.
Zhang Lyra couldn't stand it anymore and turned on the ventilation and filtration system inside her mecha.
"The school's simulation software always wastes effort on useless details... Is it really necessary to make the stinky fish smell so realistic?"
Over there, Wang Tianwei was wielding her broadsword, striking with deadly accuracy on every swing.
"Smells like fresh seafood. It makes me want to eat fish..."
Jian Jingyu said,
"My mom bought a batch of saltwater fish recently. Should I bring you some another day?"
"Sure!"
Huang Yan chimed in with a timely reminder,
"The next level has pack-hunting star beasts. There's a massive amount, a few hundred of them. Switch to thermal weapons first."
Zhang Lyra slashed with her long blade, slicing open a star beast's body and spilling its guts all over the floor...
"Copy that."
The students outside checked the time... Only ten minutes had passed, and they had already cleared two levels!
"Why does Wang Tianwei keep stabbing the star beasts in the brain with her knife?"
"It's an old habit of hers, or maybe it's trauma from the Doomsday Town."
Answered a fellow student from Class S.
"Jian Jingyu is so ruthless! It's scary..."
"I wish I could be as scary as him..."
Chao Hao jotted down the students' performances on his notepad, not forgetting to discuss it with his colleague next to him.
"Zhang Lyra's starter mecha is dragging down her performance a bit. If it were modified, her level would definitely be higher than this!"
Fu Manli already knew this and replied with a smile,
"I asked about it. I heard Wang Tianwei is helping her design it, so I'm looking forward to it too."
Eugene wandered over at some point,
"Don't worry, I've seen her A-rank mecha design blueprints, and it's already above average. It's just that the kid loves to tinker and is always striving for perfection. I'm guessing Lyra will have a mecha that perfectly suits her by next semester!"
Hearing this, Fu Manli nodded in gratification.
The several students taking the exam had already taken the emergency stairs to the next level.
"Stay alert."
Huang Yan's voice was steady.
Before they even pushed the door open, they could see star beasts writhing against the glass.
"Goldfish, open the door. The rest of you, prepare to fire."
Jian Jingyu grabbed the door handle.
"Ready? 3, 2, 1!"
The moment the door was pushed open, the horde of clawing and snapping star beasts all froze for a split second!
The four of them took advantage of this brief window to open fire wildly. In the blink of an eye, a slimy path was cleared at the entrance...
"Holy crap! Was that a spiritual power attack just now!? Huang Yan is that fierce!!!"
"Did you think the top student of the Command Department was a joke?"
"Can A-rank spiritual power control so many star beasts at once!? Wasn't he chased around like a loser during freshman training!?"
"...I don't understand the world of geniuses."
"Sir Huang, we've got this. Save your spiritual power."
Wang Tianwei spoke calmly, her rifle scoring headshots with every pull of the trigger, giving the star beasts absolutely no chance to get close.
Jian Jingyu and Zhang Lyra were the first to step into the open area, only to be entangled by a fast-moving mutant octopus, their entire mechas wrapped up inside it!
The immense pressure and the suckers on the tentacles made it impossible for the two to break free.
"Sister Zebra!!!"
Wang Tianwei first blew the head off a mutant merfolk that had been following them for ages, then turned to assess the situation, hefted her chainsaw, and charged in.
"Vroom—buzz!—"
"..."
Outside the simulation cabins, there was dead silence.
Feng Yi blended into the crowd and looked around.
"Why is no one talking?"
It's this exact weapon! It even made a major from the Ninth Military District shudder in fear!
The person next to him shrugged.
"If a chainsaw appeared in anyone else's hands, it would indeed be absurd... but if it's Wang Tianwei, it somehow seems reasonable."
"Don't talk about our class's Tianwei like that. I don't like hearing it."
Zheng Yunyun turned and glared at Wu Xinshui, who had just spoken.
"Umm... then let me rephrase. Wang Tianwei might not be the best fighter in this team, nor the smartest. But she will never disappoint you, and I mean that in every sense of the word..."
Feng Yi looked toward the teachers. Yama Chao had an unconcealed look of satisfaction on his face.
With a teacher like that, it indeed made sense...
On the screen, the mutant octopus was reduced to just a head in an instant. Jian Jingyu tore the limp octopus legs off his body and threw them to the ground, where the tentacles continued to twitch uncontrollably...
Wherever the four of them passed, they left nothing but a floor covered in the corpses of mutant beasts and star beasts.
The 18-story luxury cruise ship was completely cleared within an hour... They even slaughtered four level-eight mutant sea monsters!
"The coordination among the members of this squad is way too perfect, isn't it?"
Eugene couldn't help but say,
"It doesn't feel like a newly formed team at all. They could go enter a competition right now!"
Fu Manli thought for a moment,
"Maybe it's because they practice together every day after class?"
"Group practice? Starting preparations for next semester this early!?"
Feng Yi almost couldn't hold it in. Seeing that his major rivals had finished their big exam, he turned and left the area.
He couldn't say anything! If he did, he wouldn't be able to explain himself!
"This team's strength is definitely the top of the first year! Three A-ranks and one S-rank. With Wang Tianwei's spiritual power increased, the team has no weak links now!"
Chao Hao listened to the other teacher's words and put away his optical brain screen.
"Their teamwork is indeed not bad. Let's see if any other teams can surpass them later."
After clearing out all the monsters, there were still two minutes left before they had to log off.
Wang Tianwei picked up a mutant sea urchin from the ground. It was about the size of a basketball, and the spikes on the outside were still expanding and contracting. It looked very fresh.
"What are you doing?"
Zhang Lyra stared at the thing in her hands as if facing a formidable enemy.
Wang Tianwei shushed her, hiding behind Jian Jingyu as she maneuvered her long blade to cut open the sea urchin.
The roe inside gleamed with a golden color, looking absolutely no different from normal sea urchins sold outside!
Having fought for an hour, Wang Tianwei licked her lips and switched the team channel to private chat.
"It's virtual anyway, so I won't get poisoned... Should I have a taste?"
She really hadn't eaten sea urchin in such a long time! The thought of that fresh, sweet flavor made her mouth water.
"..."
Zhang Lyra didn't know what to say.
Huang Yan's spiritual power hadn't withdrawn from the group yet. Hearing this, he turned around, pushed Jian Jingyu aside, and sighed when he saw her actually holding up a mutant sea urchin.
"We're still in an exam..."
Wang Tianwei was just about to exit her mecha.
"...Haven't we finished fighting?"
Huang Yan said no more, manipulating his mecha to extend a hand in front of her.
Reluctantly, Wang Tianwei placed half the mutant sea urchin into his hand. Huang Yan immediately threw it far away.
"...Do you just want to taste absolutely everything?"
The countdown hit zero, and the four of them emerged from their simulation cabins one after another.
Wang Tianwei showed no signs of a guilty conscience, waving at her classmates outside the door as if she were some kind of hero!
Chao Hao expressionlessly pulled out the scoreboard and deducted two points from Wang Tianwei.
Reason for deduction: Gluttonous regardless of the situation; wanting to taste things even when they are virtual. Easily poisoned in actual combat.
