Chapter 15: Bridge Blockade

“Young Master Owen, we really owe it all to you this time. We just lay back and won effortlessly.”

The enchanter of Team 023 wore a fawning expression, joking lightly as he followed behind a handsome young noble.

“My holy power hasn’t even been used much, yet you took down all the magical beasts already. These few Silver-grade monster cores are more than enough to place you at the top!” the priest in the team added in praise.

“Ahha~ How boring.”

The young noble yawned, looking utterly uninterested. He clearly didn’t take the assessment seriously at all.

His name was Owen Lester, the only son of a minister from the Saint Luo Empire. Born into wealth and blessed with extraordinary talent, he had received top-tier resources and nurturing from a young age—far outpacing his peers.

With his background, talent, and looks, he earned the title “Young Master Owen,” and plenty of girls lined up to chase him.

This time, Team 023 had formed entirely around him as the absolute core.

The priest was in charge of providing continuous healing and purification, ensuring that Owen always fought in his best condition.

The enchanter mainly used enchantment spells to grant Owen various buffs, like armor reinforcement, weapon enhancement, stamina boosts…

In short, the Team 023 assessment was simply Owen’s personal showcase.

“Um, Young Master Owen, about our assessment score…” the enchanter asked tentatively.

“Don’t worry. You’ll both get some Silver-grade monster cores.” Owen replied dismissively.

“Thank you, Young Master Owen! Thank you so much!” both the enchanter and priest responded with delight.

Though they fawned outwardly, they actually felt belittled and resentful inside.

“I’m tired. I don’t plan on hunting any more monsters.” Owen announced.

“You’re not going to keep hunting Silver-grade beasts?” the priest asked, confused.

“There aren’t many Silver-grade beasts to begin with. They were probably all hunted by other teams already. I don’t want to walk around anymore,” Owen rolled his eyes at the priest, “If I get a blister on my foot and it pops, are you gonna lick it clean for me?”

“Uh… hahaha…”

The priest was furious inside, but he held it in with a forced laugh.

Who genuinely wanted to be someone’s bootlicker?

But getting a Silver-grade core and far surpassing the pass line made everything seem worth it.

“Young Master Owen, do you remember when we met Team 075 earlier? They got ambushed, right? Their monster cores were stolen…” the enchanter said nervously. “Should we be careful too?”

“In the end, it’s just greedy fools giving others a chance to take advantage of them.” Owen sneered. “Let’s go. Head to the safe zone and end this assessment.”

…

“Young Master Owen, there seems to be a package up ahead?”

The enchanter pointed toward a tree trunk beside the road, where a bag was hanging.

There were signs of a fight nearby.

“I can sense something inside… it seems like monster cores. Probably Silver-grade. Maybe left by a team that used a teleport crystal to escape?”

“Wait, isn’t this kind of like what happened to Team 075?” the priest noticed something was off.

“What a laughable trick. You think we’re as stupid as they were? We won’t fall for this.” Owen said, seeing through the trap.

“But that’s still a Silver-grade core… shouldn’t we at least be cautious and give it a try?” the priest suggested, tempted.

A single extra Silver monster core could greatly boost their final score.

“Is your brain waterlogged? There’s a hook dangled right in front of you and you still want to bite it? If you want it so bad, go on. Try it by yourself!” Owen snapped.

“M-me? Alone?”

The priest hesitated.

What he really wanted was for the enchanter to buff Owen while he supported from afar, so Owen could safely snatch the loot. If something went wrong, they could still handle it.

But him, a priest, going by himself?

Forget it.

“Young Master Owen, I think you’re right!”

“Idiot. Making me waste my breath.”

Owen only wanted to end the assessment quickly. As long as he reached the safe area, he’d get the score he expected.

Whatever chaos happened later in the Evergreen Mountains had nothing to do with him. Why take unnecessary risks?

He led his team onward. No more traps appeared, and nothing happened at all.

It even felt dull.

Dealing with such low-level schemes was beneath him.

“Young Master Owen, we’re almost at the safe zone!”

The enchanter used magic detection to scan the surroundings and reported back.

“Cross the big bridge up ahead and go through the forest behind it—there’s one of Avalon Academy’s designated safe areas.”

“Up front, right?”

Owen stood before the bridge.

He looked around. There were no other paths. Only a massive, old bridge stretching between two cliffs.

According to the assessment handbook, this bridge was built by Avalon Academy long ago. Although it was rarely maintained, it was still usable.

“We’re almost done!!” the enchanter said excitedly.

“Yes. After this assessment, our ranking in Avalon Academy is bound to rise!” the priest was just as thrilled.

“Let’s go. After we cross and get through the woods, we can talk again.”

Owen was calm—he believed this outcome was only natural.

Halfway across the bridge, a figure appeared within the trees at the far end.

So, someone was blocking the bridge?

“Interesting. Someone actually dares to stop me alone?”

Owen felt strongly that this must be the troublemaker stirring things up in the Evergreen Mountains.

He raised his hand and ordered his companions to act.

“Buff me.”

“Yes!”

Just like during their fights against beasts, the enchanter and priest layered buffs on Owen, transforming him into a battle god.

“So what’s it gonna be? You want me to trample your face, or are you coming here for a beating?” Owen taunted the figure in the forest with full confidence.

“…”

The figure didn’t move.

Owen frowned. Had they been scared stupid?

He stepped forward, ready to strike first—

And that single step brought the world crashing down.

BOOM—!!!

With the sound of an explosion, a pre-set magic array detonated and blew apart a support pillar.

The aging bridge shook violently. The structure split and began to collapse forward.

The enchanter and priest froze in shock.

Owen’s face drained of color—his arrogance evaporated instantly.

Team 023 genuinely did not expect someone would go this far: destroy the only bridge leading to the safe zone!

No matter how much they buffed Owen now, it was pointless.

“It’s over!!”

There was no path ahead. Owen tried to turn back, but the bridge was too long, and the distance too great.

Worse yet, another powerful blast erupted from behind.

The shockwave hurled the entire bridge into the air—and flung all three of them downward.

As they plummeted, the priest and enchanter fully regretted ever clinging to this so-called “big-shot’s thigh.”

…

“Well then, thanks for the delivery! Appreciate the hard work~”

Down in the valley, Via took all the monster cores from Team 023. The number was just as she expected.

She held the cores up and noticed something strange.

“Huh, this is…?”