At the break of dawn, Lumiya woke Lin Xing by wrapping her tail around his wrist and giving it a gentle shake.
The little one’s eyes were round and bright, her golden pupils gleaming with eagerness.
Her paws clung to the Hunting Backpack placed by the bedside, so excited that even her favorite Beef Jerky couldn’t tempt her.
“What’s the rush? Let’s have breakfast first.”
Lin Xing smiled helplessly and took out warm milk and bread from the backpack.
Lumiya grabbed the bread, devouring it in a few quick bites.
Her tail swished so quickly behind her it left afterimages, urging him to hurry up and set out.
As soon as the two reached the entrance of the Dormitory Building, they spotted Little White waiting with Snowball in her arms.
Today, she wore a pink-and-white gradient cropped sports hoodie, with a tiny Strawberry Pattern embroidered on the hem. Two fluffy Rabbit Pendants dangled from her chest, swaying gently with her movements.
A Waist Pouch full of Enchanted Potions hung at her waist, and the Snowball in her arms looked especially lively, its ice-blue fur speckled with a few flower petals still damp with morning dew.
Her black high-waisted athletic shorts revealed her slender, fair legs, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail with a pink-and-white Enchanted Hair Tie, making her look youthful and energetic.
“You’re finally here!” Little White waved the Foldable Map in her hand.
“I checked ahead of time—today, the Bristle Pigs are most active on the East Lawn. Let’s go farm there first!”
The trio arrived at the entrance of the Hunting Ground, where the Instructor was handing out Temporary Pass Badges.
The badges were made of clear crystal, embedded with intricate Magic Patterns. Just crush one, and it would send out a Rescue Signal.
“Be careful once you’re inside. Don’t try to fight anything above a First-Tier Magical Beast. If you’re in danger, ask for help right away.” The Instructor handed them their badges and gave a few last reminders.
They walked into a small patch of Forest and passed through a shimmering Barrier standing in the center.
The scenery before their eyes instantly changed.
What greeted them was a vast Meadow, with rolling Low Hills and a sparkling Stream in the distance.
This was the wonder of the Little World Fragment.
“Let’s head this way!”
Little White matched the Map and pointed to a Dandelion Lawn on the east side.
Lumiya crouched on Lin Xing’s shoulder, her nose twitching slightly.
The Dead Spirit Aura was even stronger than yesterday, clearly wafting from a hidden corner deep within the Little World, carrying a rotten, bloody stench.
Her golden pupils swept casually in a certain direction, and the corners of her mouth lifted in a subtle smile.
They had only walked a short distance when a sudden “rustle, rustle” came from the grass ahead.
Lin Xing immediately halted and signaled for Little White to crouch down.
He crept forward close to the ground, a flash of excitement passing through his eyes.
“Get ready to fight!”
No sooner had Lin Xing spoken than three burly Bristle Pigs charged out from the grass.
Their bodies were covered in hard black bristles, two tusks gleaming with a cold light.
Their hooves pounded the ground with a heavy “thump, thump,” charging straight at them.
Lumiya struck first, conjuring a golden Fireball in her mouth.
“Bang!”
The Fireball exploded, scorching the bristles on the Bristle Pig’s back black.
It howled in pain, but its charge didn’t slow at all.
Little White had already ordered Snowball to release Ice Mist, and the white fog had silently spread out.
As soon as the Bristle Pigs entered the mist, their speed dropped noticeably.
Lin Xing seized the chance, drew his Enchanted Bow and Arrow, and fired.
The Enchanted Arrow, imbued with Flame Enchantment, struck one Bristle Pig right in the eye.
That Bristle Pig collapsed to the ground with a wail, twitched a few times, then lay still.
Seeing this, the remaining two Bristle Pigs grew even more frenzied and charged at Lumiya.
Lumiya nimbly dodged the attacks.
With a flick of her tail, a blazing Fire Whip lashed one Bristle Pig’s leg, leaving a scorched mark.
“Snowball, Ice Spike!” Little White shouted.
Snowball immediately gathered magic power, and sharp Ice Spikes suddenly erupted from the ground, blocking the Bristle Pigs’ path.
Lin Xing quickly let loose two more arrows, each striking a Bristle Pig’s joint.
The Bristle Pigs lost their balance and tumbled to the ground.
Lumiya pounced and smashed Fireballs directly onto their heads, ending the battle.
“That was awesome!” Little White ran over, bursting with excitement.
Lin Xing dug the Magic Crystals from the Bristle Pigs’ bodies.
They were black, about the size of a thumb, with a faint, eerie glow on the surface.
“These three Magic Crystals are worth 150 points! Little White, we’ll split them half and half.” Lin Xing smiled and nodded, dividing the spoils.
This reward exam used the traditional Scoring System.
A 0-star beast was worth 10 points, 2-star for 20 points, and so on.
Bristle Pigs were 0-star, five-star beasts, so each Magic Crystal was worth 50 points.
As for First-Tier Magical Beasts, each Magic Crystal was worth 1,000 points.
If you got just one, you’d basically be guaranteed a spot in the top three.
Lin Xing turned to look at Lumiya, only to find her staring off in a certain direction.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Xing walked over and patted her head.
Lumiya gently shook her head, her little paw pretending to scratch her ear as she mumbled,
“Must’ve seen wrong.”
But when she lowered her head, a sly glint flashed through her golden pupils.
She had just spotted them—a swarm of Undead-type stinky rats, oozing with foul decay, sneaking through an inconspicuous Crack at the edge of the Little World, rustling as they wriggled in.
The great Lumiya, out of concern for the other students’ safety, secretly tugged at the Fate Thread of those stinky rats,
making them, all on their own, wander straight toward herself and Lin Xing.
Yes, it was for the safety of the other students and Lin Xing’s growth. Definitely not because Lumiya wanted to see Lin Xing panic in the face of danger.
“Whatever it is, let’s stay alert.”
Lin Xing put away his bow and arrow. “Let’s finish clearing out the Bristle Pigs nearby. If anything seems off, we’ll retreat immediately.”
Lumiya nodded but secretly twitched her paw again, as if urging something on.
In the following half hour, the trio took down two more waves of Bristle Pigs.
With the new Magic Crystals, they’d collected a total of nine, tallying up 450 points.
Little White gleefully stashed the Magic Crystals in her Waist Pouch, her cheeks flushed red.
“At this rate, we actually have a shot at the top ten~!”
Lin Xing was just about to respond when Snowball suddenly tensed up beside Little White, staring fixedly at the Low Hill to the northwest.
Its fur bristled all over.
A strong, putrid stench blew in on the wind, mixed with the “crack” of bones grinding together, as if something was moving quickly through the grass.
Little White’s smile vanished in an instant. She moved closer to Lin Xing, her voice taut.
“What’s that smell? It’s awful…”
Lin Xing immediately gripped the bow and arrow slung on his back, signaling everyone to retreat.
“Don’t make a sound, hide behind the tree!”
They had just concealed themselves when a swarm of dark figures emerged from the grass at the foot of the Low Hill.
Their bodies were bare bone, ghostly green flames flickered in their eye sockets, their claws scraping the ground with a harsh screech, and rotten flesh clung to the cracks in their skeletons.
With every step, they exuded a nauseating aura.
They were none other than the signature Undead-type Beastmaster—Skeleton Wolves.
“It’s an Undead-type Beastmaster!”
Little White clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Snowball bristled again, its ice-blue eyes full of wariness.
Lin Xing’s heart sank.
The Academy had clearly said there were only 0 and First-Tier Magical Beasts in the Hunting Ground.
How could such a forbidden creature show up?
He turned to Lumiya.
He saw the little one standing bravely in front of them, her petite body trembling slightly—as if she was thrilled by the coming battle!?
If Lumiya had improved in anything since making her contract, it would be her acting skills.
She wasn’t excited for the fight at all; she was secretly laughing, barely able to contain herself as she watched Lin Xing and the others on high alert.
As the Sovereign of the Sea of Clouds, Lumiya found it impossible to hold back her amusement.
The Skeleton Wolves seemed to sense the presence of the living and paused, their ghostly green eyes sweeping in unison toward the trio hiding behind the tree.
The leader suddenly raised its head and let out a howl,
then charged straight at the tree.
“No way to avoid it! Get ready to fight!”
Lin Xing shouted, firing the first arrow.
The flaming arrow, burning with searing heat, shot straight at the leader Skeleton Wolf’s ghostly green eyes.