Luo Miu did not continue his pursuit.
He simply stood quietly where he was, feeling the aura of the group of dark mages gradually fade into the distance.
‘Should I just rush in and hack them all to pieces?’
With the power of the Dragon Ninja, it was not impossible. But… while fighting was satisfying, one had to consider the harvest. It was like shearing sheep; you had to follow the steps and clear your mind to do it quickly and efficiently.
Although the Rank 5 magical beast was incredibly oppressive, at its core, it was still a “controlled variable” placed in the testing ground by the academy. Its existence was meant to test the freshmen’s strength, credit reserves, and teamwork. The academy wanted data and results, not a pile of corpses requiring compensation and funeral expenses.
Yet, in the game’s plot, people truly died during this assessment. Now, it seemed the culprit had been found.
‘So there is another faction working in the shadows…’ Luo Miu grumbled silently to himself. ‘A gacha game focused on pretty girls bonding, why make the background setting so complex and brain-burning?’
the conspiracy hidden behind this was like an invisible web, clearly exceeding the scope of a mere “Freshman Assessment.” Of course, rushing forward to slice the opposition into mincemeat would be a very Dragon Ninja thing to do. But if he wanted to maximize his benefits… a ninja must first know how to endure!
‘Since it’s a ritual, they’ll definitely have to deal with that magical beast…’
‘So you like working for me that much? How can I refuse?’
Having reached this conclusion, Luo Miu’s figure once again turned into a blurred shadow, quietly returning toward the camp. He hoisted the “prisoner of war” who had long since fainted onto his shoulder and headed back.
The campfire was still burning quietly. The watch had already changed.
Ibuki Mio was sitting outside the tent, her beautiful eyes looking exceptionally moving under the reflection of the firelight, even though she was merely messing with some firewood.
“Master, weren’t you going to sleep…”
She looked up, turning toward the direction of the familiar, yet incredibly faint footsteps that were almost inaudible.
“Wait, who are you?!”
Ibuki Mio immediately stood up, her hand moving into a blade-drawing stance. Even though the aura felt familiar, all she could see at this moment was a shadow shifting unpredictably under the moonlight. Whether it was his height or his muscle mass, it was impossible for this to be Luo Miu!
“Has my change really been that big?”
Luo Miu revealed his figure, feeling an indescribable sense of pride in his heart.
Ah, these muscles! They were the result of both talent and hard work!
“Master?” Ibuki Mio spoke slowly, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
She walked quickly to the front of Luo Miu, her gaze sliding from his face down to his tall, straight physique. Finally, her eyes lingered on his arms, which possessed smooth lines and were filled with explosive power.
‘Wow.’
Even though the young girl had seen many warriors, she couldn’t help but feel a flash of amazement in her heart. When did he become like this?!
“There is the scent of blood on you…” Approaching Luo Miu, Ibuki Mio detected a familiar scent. “Did you rush off to handle some problem?”
“A few people were approaching, so I went to take a look.”
Luo Miu casually threw the prisoner onto the ground. “I caught a live one. You make her talk. By the way, you actually sensed my arrival?”
“Your aura is very similar to the ‘Ninjas’ from the Eastern Country, Master, but I once received training specifically targeted toward them.”
It wasn’t a boast. As a candidate for the successor of a merchant guild, Ibuki Mio remembered everything from back then very clearly. “Their auras are cold and treacherous, like venomous snakes hiding in the shadows. But you are different, Master.”
She took another half-step closer, almost able to feel the scorching and powerful vitality radiating from Luo Miu’s body.
“The feeling you give me… is too powerful. It’s like… a giant dragon, powerful and confident.”
The martial arts girl’s cheeks turned slightly red under the firelight.
‘Ibuki Mio! This is your partner!’
She really wanted to pull her gaze away. But… just how illegal was Luo Miu’s physique?! His simple casual clothes could no longer accommodate his arms; the sleeves had been cut into a short-sleeved style. Under the thin fabric, his muscles were well-defined, every part of him exuding a perfectly honed sense of power!
To someone like her, who was obsessed with the way of the warrior, this body was an artwork she wouldn’t even dare to dream of. If she could just touch it… No, even just looking at it twice would probably extend her lifespan!
“Are you tired?” Seeing that Ibuki Mio’s eyes were somewhat dazed, Luo Miu tossed the prisoner aside. “Then I’ll start my shift early.”
“No, I didn’t mean that!”
Just then, another figure appeared silently by the campfire. Annie was already fully dressed, her black hair swaying gently in the night wind, her eyes calm and emotionless as always.
“Changing guard.”
She still had that somewhat unhappy look. However, Luo Miu could still feel that compared to when they first met, she had changed quite a bit. At the very least, she had begun to integrate into the team in her own awkward way.
“Is this… the White Knight squad?” As an intelligence expert, Annie had read about the composition of every squad. She easily recognized the Shield Warrior. “The shield is nearly hacked through, and there are traces of magic on her?”
Annie frowned. “A night raid? In the academy assessment, who would use such underhanded tactics?”
“No, this is a prisoner I caught…” Luo Miu was speechless for a moment. “And these aren’t underhanded tactics. This is the hand of education, helping others grow, progress, and recognize their own shortcomings.”
“Not surprising then. That makes sense,” Ibuki Mio nodded.
‘Wait, can you stop agreeing with her? What happened to our unbreakable partnership?!’
“Alright, let’s stop the small talk. Before Cafnier wakes up, let me brief you both.” As he spoke of serious business, Luo Miu’s expression became solemn again. “First, the plan we made today needs some small adjustments.”
Luo Miu extended a finger and pointed to the two Rank 4 magical beast nests they had “fattened up” on the map.
“Tomorrow, after clearing the nearby magical beasts, we will clear these two camps. 100 Rank 1 artifacts should be basically enough. Academy titles are the foundation for snowballing in the future, so we should pay more attention to collecting them.”
Ibuki Mio and Annie nodded simultaneously. This was already part of the original plan.
“And then — ” Luo Miu’s finger slid across the map, finally landing on the red zone marked as extremely dangerous — the deepest part of the advanced area. “When the time is right, we will also take the artifacts from that Rank 5 magical beast.”
The air fell silent instantly.
“A Rank 5 magical beast?” Ibuki Mio looked at Luo Miu, her tone full of analysis and worry. “Master, that is Rank 5! It has already entered the category of mid-tier magical beasts! We are all still at the low-tier rank. If we face it head-on, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to break through its defense. we would only be passive punching bags! The effect of Dragon Flame is good, but the consumption is too high. I’m afraid…”
She didn’t need to elaborate. Luo Miu knew she was referring to the other squads and the final assessment extraction.
“I know, it’s a difficult task.” Luo Miu looked at the shocked Ibuki Mio and the thoughtful Annie, slowly tossing out the bait. “Actually, when I went for a walk just now, I saw some interesting things.”
He paused, enjoying the pleasure of keeping them in suspense.
“Some non-academy personnel seem very interested in that Rank 5 magical beast. It looks like they are planning to do something shady with its beast core.”
“A beast core? Then they plan to kill the magical beast?” Ibuki Mio found it hard to imagine that a group of non-academy people were in the Southern Valley looking for something related to the exam content. How strong were they?
“It could also be to subjugate it,” Annie added. “That would save more effort, but it would also require facing the beast head-on to sap its physical strength.”
“Precisely.” Luo Miu nodded. “Since they want to fight it, I think… why don’t we help them land the finishing blow?”