Swish!
Lin Zhen once again pulled the trigger at Yun Ruoxi.
Yun Ruoxi could choose not to attack him, but he couldn’t do the same.
He was certain that at this very moment, Behemoth was hiding somewhere in the shadows, coldly watching all of them, searching for any trainee who dared break the rules, ready to make an example out of them.
That was always his favorite thing to do—every time training in the Battle Camp entered a new phase, as soon as the trainees relaxed just a little, he’d pick someone out to establish his authority.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three laser beams shot out in succession, easily piercing through the first two layers of psychic shields, but in the end were deflected by the third.
Lin Zhen had already expected this, his expression unchanged as he kept pulling the trigger, firing one laser shot after another.
Every shot landed precisely in the same spot.
Finally—
Crack!
A sharp sound rang in Yun Ruoxi’s ear, and the last layer of psychic shield around her was punctured by a laser beam, leaving a small hole.
She was busy dealing with the other trainees and instinctively turned her head.
A laser beam grazed her cheek, leaving a charred mark on her pale skin.
Yun Ruoxi frowned slightly, her psychic power surging to repair her shield as she raised her right hand toward Lin Zhen.
Click, click, click!
The gun in the young man’s hand trembled violently, almost slipping from his grip.
He gripped the pistol tightly, pouring all his power into resisting Yun Ruoxi’s psychic force.
The two forces tore at each other over the laser gun.
***
In the end, the gun couldn’t withstand the strain and exploded into countless metal fragments, swept up by Yun Ruoxi’s psychic power, spinning rapidly around her to form a fierce metal storm.
All the Starners who rushed at her were cut and forced back.
Lin Zhen let out a bitter laugh, lowering his hands. He’d used up all his gear making this laser gun.
Now, he couldn’t even fight if he wanted to.
Thud, thud, thud!
Sudden, urgent footsteps sounded as a black shadow suddenly darted past Lin Zhen.
“Ahhh!”
498, who’d been knocked flying earlier, roared as he charged at Yun Ruoxi again.
Every muscle in his body was rippling in a strange rhythm, giving him endless strength.
Taking advantage of the moment when Yun Ruoxi was fighting the other trainees, he swung his fist in a direct punch.
This time, his punch was fiercer than before, as if he had finally made up his mind.
But Yun Ruoxi seemed to have eyes in the back of her head.
Her right hand swept across, palm pressing down!
Psychic power instantly turned into invisible shackles, wrapping around his limbs and slamming him hard into the ground.
Almost at the same time—
498’s roommate, 441, who possessed a similar “Rubberization” ability, grabbed the doorframe with both hands and suddenly catapulted himself above Yun Ruoxi like a slingshot.
He took a deep breath, and his right hand, trailing behind him, rapidly swelled into a giant palm several meters wide.
Boom!
441 roared, using all his strength to swing his right hand forward, snapping it down like a whip.
The force behind this strike was monstrous—so great that even the air cracked with a terrifying sonic boom.
Even Yun Ruoxi dared not underestimate it.
She raised both hands, the metal storm around her freezing in an instant as all her psychic power converged into multiple layers of shields before her.
Bang!
The giant hand, its tip accelerated to supersonic speed, slammed down.
The first few layers of psychic shield shattered like brittle chips under the strike.
The remaining layers only held out for a moment before being broken through as well.
Watching the giant palm coming down, Yun Ruoxi raised both hands above her head, a steady stream of power surging from her bloodline.
【92%】
【95%】
Bang!
The giant palm crashed heavily onto the Maze Floor, sending up a shower of metal scraps and debris.
Smoke and dust billowed—there was no sign of the blue-haired girl. Only at the edge of the enormous palm, fresh blood slowly seeped out.
Could it be… it’s over?
Everyone was shaken. It was hard to believe that the girl who seemed almost untouchable could be defeated just like that.
The blood flowing down seemed to declare a harsh reality.
「That’s it??」
「No Injury with Smoke Principle」
「Did she get slapped into a Paper Person? Not bad.」
“Xiao Xi—!”
Seeing the blood seeping from under the giant palm, Lin Zhen’s breath caught.
498, who had just broken free of his restraints, instantly had red-rimmed eyes, glaring at his own roommate in disbelief, as if he couldn’t accept that he’d actually struck such a deadly blow.
Yet 441’s reaction stunned everyone.
It wasn’t shock, or panic, or regret, or even the joy of victory.
His face was as blank as death.
His entire expression seemed frozen in place, only his lips, eyelids, and the wings of his nose trembling ever so slightly, as if invisible nails had nailed his expression into place.
It wasn’t just 498—everyone noticed something was off about him.
Under everyone’s bewildered gaze—
Crack, crack!
441 twisted his neck like a robot, the sound grating on the teeth.
His whole body began to curl and contort unnaturally, as if an invisible giant hand were kneading him like clay, crushing him inch by inch into a lump.
Boom!
The next moment, the giant palm was suddenly flung aside!
The girl shrouded in a visible Blue Flame shot skyward from the dent in the alloy floor.
Her right hand clenched in a forceful grip, aiming directly at 441.
Her long blue hair stood on end, floating like seaweed, the bulging veins at her temples snaking all the way down beneath her eyes.
「She’s still going! She’s still going!」
「Lao Xi is truly number one in the Battle Camp—this strength is ridiculous!」
「How many trainees has Lao Xi beaten on her way here? Counting Fungus, start counting!」
“She’s already achieved psychic manifestation?”
***
In the monitoring room.
Dr. Index’s gaze sharpened. He tapped the air, listing Yun Ruoxi’s test data on the side of the virtual projection.
【Bloodline Awakening Degree: 95%】
【Star Energy Index: 179】
【Physical Attributes: Strength C, Agility C, Constitution B+, Mental Power S】
“The upper limit of a Level 1 Starner’s Star Energy Index is 200. For a newly awakened Starner, even with the boost from awakening, the index rarely exceeds 50…But she hit 179 right after awakening. It’s incredible.”
Dr. Index was full of admiration, his face alight with excitement.
“And her mental power—judging by the average for Level 1 Starners, she’s already at S-rank. Her current strength is no weaker than that of an ordinary S-rank fresh awakener.”
He turned to Behemoth.
“Instructor Behemoth, there’s no need to wait any longer. This group is no match for 219. Let’s just send in the strongest—0001. I think we’re about to witness the birth of the first perfect awakener in all the camps.”
“Very well. It’s time for 0001 to feel some pressure.” Instructor Behemoth grinned. “Given his history with 219, we might just get a pleasant surprise.”
As he spoke, the controls were set.
All the alloy doors along the main corridor that hadn’t been opened lit up green and slid open with a roar.
Zi Jiu and Number 0069, Number 0029 and 0012, 0008 and 0002, 0001 and 0003.
The very top elites of the Battle Camp stepped out from the doors, one after another, gazing up at the blue-haired girl floating arrogantly in the sky.
C’MON XIAO XI AURAFARM SOME MORE!!!