Chapter 57: The First Night and the Ranger’s Gauntlets

Finding a hiding spot in the Misty Fog Forest wasn’t difficult.

There were plenty of towering ancient trees, some wide enough to wrap several arms around.

Whether climbing up to the canopy or hollowing out a space inside the trunk, either way was a good method to evade nocturnal predators.

Tight.

Seeing the sky grow darker and more overcast, Yun Ruoxi chose a nearby giant tree and climbed up using both hands and feet.

Not long after she reached the canopy, the entire forest suddenly plunged into an inky blackness. The faint light that had filtered through the leaves vanished completely.

A thick veil of darkness enveloped the surroundings, so dense that she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

Yun Ruoxi had to hold the tree trunk tightly to confirm her position in the pitch-black.

Her pupils instinctively dilated to their limits as her body tried to adapt to the overwhelming darkness.

Yet she could only make out vague shadowy outlines.

“Awwooo!”

A sharp, mournful howl suddenly echoed from the distance, causing rustling noises to ripple through the forest.

Yun Ruoxi turned her head in shock, glancing around.

Though she had anticipated this, realizing how many creatures were hidden in the silent thicket around her still sent a chill through her heart.

From beneath the tree came an extremely faint sound.

If Yun Ruoxi hadn’t developed her [Synesthesia Field] to 50%, greatly enhancing her senses, she probably wouldn’t have heard it.

Looking down, a creature stepped out from the direction she had come. Its head was adorned with dozens of tendrils, resembling a wolf yet also a leopard.

It moved slowly forward, its head tendrils brushing the ground as if tracking the traces she had left behind earlier.

Suddenly, it jerked its head up, its oily green eyes shining like spotlights, locking onto the girl hidden in the canopy.

Yun Ruoxi froze under that gaze, her breath catching in her throat.

She instinctively pressed the tip of her tongue against the roof of her mouth to avoid making any noise.

This creature was definitely the top predator of the Misty Fog Forest. Even if she could defeat it, the cost would surely be high.

And it was nighttime.

Any movement could attract even greater danger.

So she had to scare it off, letting it know she wasn’t prey to be hunted at will.

Yun Ruoxi abruptly activated her [Beast Combat Instinct], her eyes narrowing slightly, revealing sharp tiger-like fangs between her lips. A dangerous aura immediately radiated around her.

Through a gap in the canopy, her gaze locked onto the predator below like a blade.

The two silently faced off in the stillness; time seemed to freeze.

Finally, another eerie howl sounded from the distant forest. The tendrils atop the predator’s head slowly swiveled toward the sound and twitched slightly, as if receiving some signal.

Then, it looked back at Yun Ruoxi, silently moved its limbs backward, and slowly retreated from her sight, disappearing into the darkness.

Yun Ruoxi remained tense, every muscle tight.

After a moment, the creature stealthily slipped out again from a nearby thicket, flattening its body and trying to slowly approach the giant tree from a different direction.

But after only two steps, Yun Ruoxi’s sharp gaze caught it immediately.

It growled angrily twice toward the canopy above, then suddenly plunged into the bushes at such speed that only a blur remained.

This time, it should have really left.

Yun Ruoxi finally relaxed, letting out a soft breath.

The darkness of the Misty Fog Forest was even more terrifying than she had imagined. Anyone daring to disrespect it would be severely punished.

If she hadn’t found a hiding place in time, tonight might have ended with a bloody battle against this strange creature.

“This isn’t safe enough yet. I need to go higher.”

Yun Ruoxi planned to rest for a while.

This annual assessment would last a whole month; she couldn’t spend every night locked in a staring contest with wild beasts.

Both her body and spirit wouldn’t hold up.

Since she had to get used to resting at night eventually, she might as well start tonight.

Hugging the tree trunk with both hands, she climbed another fifty meters.

Only when the view below was completely blocked by the canopy did she stop and find a sturdy branch to lie down on.

At this moment, she was one hundred and fifty meters above the ground, looking up at a pitch-black, moonless sky.

Around her stretched an endless sea of trees, with towering giants rising like lighthouses, standing out from the forest.

These giant trees were the safest shelters. Yun Ruoxi knew without thinking that other students must be hiding up there as well.

She just wondered if, when they gazed into the distance, they noticed each other’s presence.

The night grew deeper as the cold wind howled high above.

Wearing only the thin student uniform, Yun Ruoxi pressed her lips together and curled up, hugging her knees.

She silently stared into the distance for a long while.

Then she shifted her gaze toward the anime — the scene on screen hadn’t changed for quite some time.

She dragged the progress bar back to the moment after she found the hiding spot, the part she hadn’t had time to watch until now.

Lin Zhen cautiously walked through the forest. His senses weren’t as sharp as Yun Ruoxi’s, so he couldn’t detect hidden dangers in time and instead carried a wooden stick, striking bushes as he moved.

Better to scare away snakes than be bitten by unknown poisons.

The anime sped through Lin Zhen’s pathfinding process, only showing the exciting highlights.

“Just like the original plot, Lin Zhen found the Weapon Supply Chest on the first day…”

Yun Ruoxi watched enviously as a large iron barrel appeared before Lin Zhen.

This Weapon Supply Chest had been lying on Lin Zhen’s path and was knocked out from the bushes with a single strike of his stick.

Such a coincidence made it hard not to suspect it was intentional.

But on second thought, who could predict every student’s route? It was safe to say this guy’s luck was simply very good.

Lin Zhen checked repeatedly to confirm there were no traps on the iron container.

Only then did he cautiously use his stick to pry off the lid and pour out the contents.

Inside were quite a few items, but they were all mixed together haphazardly.

There was a pair of alloy articulated mechanical gauntlets, and a pile of mechanical components made of gears and ratchets.

The mechanical gauntlets were enormous, about the size of Lin Zhen’s head. Their cold metallic texture felt heavy yet fitting.

There was a hole on the back of the hand, missing many parts.

“Ranger Type-V2 Power Gauntlet… This outdated military equipment can only be found on the Imperial Frontier. And yet the battalion still has stock?”

Lin Zhen struggled to put on the gauntlet, staring thoughtfully at the hole on the back of the hand, then glanced at the pile of mechanical parts beside him.

“It’s missing the core transmission mechanism and power elements… Does this mean I have to piece it together myself?”

“But these parts don’t even make a complete transmission system, let alone power elements…”

“Looks like I have to find more of these chests, find more parts to repair this gauntlet?”

Even if it was outdated military gear, it was still a weapon that could multiply Lin Zhen’s combat power several times. He definitely wouldn’t give up on it.

「Damn! Hextech Gauntlet!」

「I’m not Vi, I’m Lin Zhen (laugh)」

「If Lin Zhen is Vi, then Xiao Cake must be Xiao Cake, right?」

“No, how could this relate to me?”

Yun Ruoxi watched the comments, both amused and exasperated.

It seemed her impression as the female lead left on the audience was too deep, to the point that she was now completely tied to Lin Zhen.

But from a certain angle, that was actually a good thing.