7: excitation

At dusk, a City Defense Force squad responsible for searching for The Fallen finally discovered the inconspicuous abandoned warehouse in the city's suburbs.

When they opened the rusty, heavy iron door, a strong, nauseating stench assaulted them, causing even these experienced soldiers to turn pale.

Shattered corpses, a ground pitted and corroded, sunken metal walls... every trace silently accused the gruesome and bizarre massacre that had taken place here.

"Search the entire warehouse! Be careful! See if there are any other survivors or... enemies!"

The City Defense Force captain's voice was low and resolute, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Yes!"

The soldiers, suppressing their discomfort, responded quickly and cautiously stepped into this purgatory permeated with the aura of death.

They kicked aside mountains of debris, carefully checking every possible hiding spot in the warehouse, not even sparing the dense, person-hiding wild grass outside the warehouse.

More than an hour later, the soldiers reassembled in the center of the warehouse.

"Captain, no threat found in Zone A!"

"Captain, none in Zone B either!"

"Same for Zone C!"

After repeatedly confirming that the entire abandoned warehouse area had no survivors or lurking threats, the City Defense Force squad quickly evacuated the eerie ruins, under the solemn gaze of their officer.

However, shortly after they left, in a corner of the warehouse's depths, completely swallowed by shadow, the thick darkness seemed to come alive, subtly wriggling before completely merging into the night and vanishing without a trace... That night, Weiyang City was in an uproar.

Piercing alarms blared across the city, while explosions and roars erupted suddenly in multiple districts, then gradually subsided.

Figures of the City Defense Force were everywhere in the streets and alleys of Weiyang City; many of The Fallen lurking in the city were rooted out, then met with the City Defense Force's relentless encirclement and suppression.

Zhang Yong stood at the entrance of the air-raid shelter, watching the flashing lights and rising smoke across the city, listening to the distant roar of battle and faint cries, his brows tightly furrowed, his face so grim it could drip water.

His Gold-level aura unconsciously leaked out slightly, making the surrounding air seem to solidify, causing the several teachers standing nearby to feel their breathing catch and instinctively take half a step back.

"Pass down the order: all Students are to stay in the air-raid shelter tonight for safety. Tomorrow morning, teachers will escort them home in batches."

After speaking, Zhang Yong reined in his aura, and the several teachers beside him let out a sigh of relief, immediately taking the order and running into the air-raid shelter.

In the early hours of the morning, Lin Feng suddenly sat up from the ground, a cold, faint light flashing in the depths of his dark pupils.

Just now, a powerful, cold mental fluctuation, bearing a familiar mental link imprint yet containing a completely different aura of majesty and tyranny, had entered his consciousness!

"It's done!"

Lin Feng's heart pounded wildly in his chest, and he was instantly overwhelmed by immense ecstasy and shock.

He held his breath, concentrating all his consciousness on that unique mental link, as if parting layers of mist. His "vision" instantly cleared, and he saw the owner of that familiar mental connection—the Alien Queen, that terrifying, fully transformed entity, perfectly integrated into the shadows of one building after another like the most flawless shadow assassin, silently and rapidly sneaking towards the air-raid shelter.

Perhaps excited by connecting with Lin Feng, the Alien Queen let out a low hiss the moment Lin Feng "saw" her.

"You hide in the small grove outside the air-raid shelter first; don't let anyone discover you!"

"Swoosh!"

Following Lin Feng's command, the Alien Queen's massive body completely vanished into the dense darkness the moment she entered the small grove, quietly awaiting her master's summons.

The next morning, the Students gathered early at the entrance of the air-raid shelter, their faces showing fatigue, unease, and a longing for home, waiting for Zhang Yong to arrange for teachers to escort them home.

However, as Zhang Yong looked at these shaken Students, the fear and unease still lingering in their eyes, an uncontrollable rage and determination surged within him.

"Silence, everyone!"

A low command, like muffled thunder, suddenly boomed out!

"Boom!"

Zhang Yong no longer deliberately restrained himself; the terrifying aura of a Gold-level powerhouse erupted without reservation!

An invisible pressure, like a tangible tsunami, instantly swept across the entire entrance of the air-raid shelter!

The air seemed to solidify, and the light appeared to distort for a moment.

The faces of the nearby Students instantly turned ashen, as if an invisible boulder was pressing on their chests, making even breathing incredibly difficult.

Their legs went weak, almost collapsing to the ground.

Students a bit further away also felt a strong sense of suffocation and palpitations, involuntarily retreating, their eyes filled with horror.

The teachers' expressions also changed drastically; their strength was not weak, but facing the unrestrained aura of a Gold-level powerhouse, they too were oppressed, their blood churning, their faces pale.

They looked at Zhang Yong, their gazes filled with awe and bewilderment.

"What's wrong with the Principal?"

No one answered them!

Zhang Yong's gaze, like lightning, swept over the hushed Students, his voice heavy and powerful, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Look at yourselves! Look at this city!"

He suddenly raised his hand, and a crystal-clear recording crystal floated above his palm.

As he injected his internal energy into the crystal, the recording crystal suddenly lit up, projecting heartbreaking images.

Burning and collapsing residential buildings!

Entire streets split down the middle by terrifying cracks!

Dust-covered, lifeless faces lying in the ruins!

...The last image was the bodies of Li Yan and several other teachers and Students who had sacrificed themselves last night to protect everyone entering the air-raid shelter!

"This is the gift those of The Fallen gave us last night, taking advantage of the beast tide!"

"Do you want to accept this gift?"

"Your teachers! Your Students! And perhaps even your relatives! Your friends! They might be in one of these scenes!"

"Last night, these people might have been protecting you, or protecting this city, or perhaps just walking as usual. They might have been smiling, eating, training a moment ago, but now, they lie there! Perhaps their bodies have even been desecrated by The Fallen!"

"And you! New professionals who have completed the awakening ceremony! Yet, you lost your fighting spirit after being ambushed by a few small Silver-level of The Fallen yesterday, becoming so fearful that you only want to go home to your parents for comfort! For shelter!"

"Are you professionals? Did you awaken as professionals just to show off? To indulge yourselves?"

"Rest?! Seeing such a scene, do you still think you can rest?"

The images from the recording crystal moved again, those lifeless faces deeply imprinted in everyone's minds. Many Students' eyes reddened, they bit their lips tightly, clenched their fists, and fear was being replaced by a stronger sense of anger and humiliation.

"Fear is useless! Escaping is even more useless! We can only protect our relatives and friends from harm by bravely facing the monstrous beasts! By killing all of The Fallen!"

Zhang Yong's voice suddenly rose.

"Does anyone here want to go home and rest now? I can arrange for a teacher to send them back immediately!!!"

"No! We don't want to rest, we don't want to go home! We want to become stronger! We want to kill all of The Fallen, kill all the monstrous beasts!"

The Students said in unison, looking at Zhang Yong with determined eyes, even though Zhang Yong still exuded the aura of a Gold-level powerhouse.

"Good!!!"

Zhang Yong looked at the Students outside the air-raid shelter with satisfaction.

"The original escort plan is canceled!"

"From now on, all third-year high school Students, immediately enter the 'Novice Trial Dungeon'! Immediately! Right now!"

"This Novice Trial Dungeon will remain open for three days! Any team or individual can enter the Novice Trial Dungeon within these three days! No limit on entries! However, the clear time for each entry will be recorded! For rewards after the Novice Trial ends."

"To commend your bravery! I will personally award the captains of the top ten teams who complete the Novice Dungeon mission with a Silver-level equipment each! And each team member will receive a Bronze-level equipment!"

"For teams ranked eleventh to thirtieth, each captain will receive a Bronze-level equipment, and each team member will receive a Black Iron Level equipment!"

"And after the Novice Dungeon trial, the top one hundred Students who complete the Novice Dungeon mission—"

Zhang Yong's gaze swept over the faces with burning eyes, and he spoke forcefully.

"Five days from now, I will personally lead a team to conduct outdoor combat training with them!"

"Students, do not fear death! Those who left us earlier will welcome you as heroes!"

"In this Novice Trial Dungeon, what I hope to see is the limit of each of you, and the courage and potential you unleash in desperation!"