3: Scizor Evolution

The next day, Xie Ning headed to school with his Bladed Mantis.

"I wonder how that fight yesterday turned out?" Xie Ning chatted with the Bladed Mantis from time to time as he walked. "Although I saw it on the surveillance and made the call, those three were Silver Rank after all."

"Ultimately, my own strength is still too weak. I didn't expect even her Demon Tamers Beast to be Bronze Level 6..."

Yesterday, Xie Ning didn't find the answers he wanted in the surveillance room. Instead, he saw Lu Bingyun being attacked. Through the school, he contacted Lu Bingyun's father. As for whether they made it in time, Xie Ning didn't know.

Through this incident, he also discovered that as long as the image was clear, he could see the attributes of demon beasts even if they weren't right in front of him.

Thinking as he went, Xie Ning soon arrived at the school gate.

Most people had already arrived, standing in a loose but orderly fashion. Xie Ning looked around and found his class's position.

Xie Ning felt that the moment he appeared, the originally lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and many people shifted their attention to him.

"Monitor, what's going on?" Xie Ning walked over to the Class Monitor, puzzled.

The Class Monitor was named Liu Yuan, a tall and thin boy wearing black-rimmed glasses. He said with a bitter smile, "You don't know? Your grand feat of confessing yesterday annoyed Lu Bingyun's pursuers. I reckon they're all thinking about how to teach you a lesson."

"Why don't you walk with us today? With so many people around, they shouldn't dare to do anything."

The kind offer made Xie Ning feel a bit of warmth, but he still declined the monitor. After all, his goal was different from everyone else's.

"Alright then, just be careful yourself." The monitor didn't push it. Then, fearing Xie Ning didn't know the rules, he explained the detailed rules of this activity to him again.

The Hope Forest training, as usual, gave students without a Demon Tamers Beast a chance to contract one for free. Those who already had one weren't forced to come, but this year, many students with beasts participated because the Campus Belle, Lu Bingyun, was also coming to this year's trial.

No one knew why she was participating, but that didn't stop her admirers' enthusiasm.

However, news soon spread—Lu Bingyun wasn't coming.

When this news came out, many people were deeply disappointed, especially the admirers who came specifically for her. Their expressions right now were no better than if they had eaten flies, and one by one, they turned their angry gazes toward Xie Ning, with Li Zhi harboring the deepest resentment.

Feeling everyone's gaze, Xie Ning felt quite helpless. He rubbed his nose and didn't offer any defense.

It was impossible to explain to others, "Your Campus Belle was attacked yesterday, and I don't know if she's dead or alive, but it wasn't my doing."

If he said that, he might be listed as the prime suspect, no matter how low his strength was.

Soon, the leading teachers arrived, bringing along a Hunter Group to protect the students' safety. The news that Lu Bingyun would not participate was also confirmed by the teachers, and then those wealthy second-generation kids who had already signed up withdrew from the activity.

Accompanied by a "rumbling" sound, the large New-model explosion-proof bus left the school gate and soon exited Flower City.

This step on the accelerator was like the difference between heaven and hell; one moment it was peaceful, and the next, everything was in ruins.

Just outside the city gates, there were cars crushed by giant beasts, collapsed houses, and the corpses of humans and demon beasts. Moss-covered ruins were everywhere, and every sight reminded everyone: "Humanity is not safe."

These students, who might not leave the city gates once in a long time, lost their competitive spirit. Looking at the traces of battle outside the window, they all fell into deep thought. A few with weaker psychological fortitude began to vomit upon seeing disemboweled corpses.

This was the final lesson for all high schoolers.

Times had changed. In this new era, every adult student must witness cruelty and witness greatness; they cannot live ignorantly in an ivory tower.

Xie Ning looked at the debris outside the window, his eyes turning slightly red.

His parents, like so many people here, had died in battle years ago, and not even a single bone could be recovered.

Gold-rank Demon Tamer strength, gone just like that. War is just that cruel.

Finally, a student couldn't take it anymore and clamored to return to the city. Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind, including the teacher in charge of the activity. Every year on the bus to Hope Forest, some people grow while others break down. Any bit of guidance might not necessarily be right.

Silence was the most common expression on the bus at this moment.

Finally, after an hour's drive, they arrived outside a camp, which was the entrance to Hope Forest.

The leading teacher stepped off the bus quickly. After showing his credentials and communicating for a moment, the camp's iron fence gates were pulled open from both sides, revealing a passage.

The bus drove into the camp, heading straight for the true entrance deep within.

Upon truly arriving at Hope Forest, everyone got off the bus. Looking at the endless forest before them, some marveled, some took photos, and some were still immersed in their previous emotions.

The trees in Hope Forest were massive, and it was divided into the Inner and Outer Forest. The Outer Forest was the range of action for everyone this time. The demon beasts in this area were generally docile, and there were many demon beast cubs released there, making it the best place for newcomers to contract a beast. At the same time, the students were protected by the Hunter Group and were basically safe in the Outer Forest.

The Inner Forest was the middle section of Hope Forest, where the strength of demon beasts varied. There were even rumors of Gold Rank demon beasts in the forest, but no one had truly seen one. Even the Hunter Group wouldn't casually enter the Inner Forest. This time, their protection was limited to the Outer Forest; once someone entered the Inner Forest, it was essentially a lawless zone.

Xie Ning's destination for this trip was the Inner Forest.

After a brief lecture from the teacher, the group dispersed, heading into the forest in small groups. Xie Ning also ran quickly into the forest after greeting the Class Monitor, soon bypassing everyone and disappearing from sight.

About an hour later, Xie Ning, who was walking at the very front, suddenly stopped. The Bladed Mantis guarding him assumed a combat stance.

After a series of rustling sounds, a Black Iron Rank 8 Venom Toad lunged out from the grass ahead, blocking Xie Ning's path and letting out croaking sounds.

"Blocking my way? Too bad you're still 2 levels short." Xie Ning pursed his lips and pointed at the toad. "Go! Little Mantis, kill it."

The Bladed Mantis, having risen 5 levels, now had fully developed wings that could support flight. Its twin blade-arms were even sharper, and its strength was much greater than before.

It flew into the air, its arms swinging. Two blade-beams slashed through the air, leaving two wounds on the Venom Toad's back from which deep red blood flowed.

The Venom Toad let out an angry cry and spat venom, but it was dodged by the Bladed Mantis. Then, with a dive, a cross-shaped blade-beam struck the previous wound. Instantly, the Venom Toad's condition went from lightly injured to heavily injured.

After a few more rounds of engagement, the Bladed Mantis easily defeated the same-rank Venom Toad with its agile movements.

[Ding! Bladed Mantis successfully killed a Venom Toad. Level gap: 0. Gained 1 evolution value.]

It was that pleasant system notification again.

But at that moment, there was another series of rustling sounds.

Xie Ning focused his attention, and immediately heard a string of "ding-dong" sounds. In that instant, the system detected no fewer than 20 Venom Toads.

"Damn! Did I blow up a toad's nest?"

Without time to think, Xie Ning took off running with the Bladed Mantis. The next second, venom fell from all directions onto the spot where he had been standing, making a 'sizzling' sound.

Xie Ning sprinted all the way. He didn't know when he had shaken off the Venom Toads, only stopping when he was so out of breath he could barely stand.

After resting for a while, he exchanged a glance with the Bladed Mantis and let out a hearty laugh. After walking a bit further and reaching the Inner Forest, he finally found his mission objective.

A lone Great Stick Insect, Black Iron Rank 10, Elite quality.

The other items needed for the Bladed Mantis's evolution could be bought at the Alliance Store, but five fresh Black Iron Rank 10 insect corpses were something the Alliance Store really didn't have. The word 'fresh' alone made it difficult, not to mention that buying the other items had cost him 40,000 alliance coins. He only had 10,000 left now; if he bought everything at the store, he'd be eating dirt in the future.

Xie Ning first set a trap on the ground, then used an insect-attracting paste containing hypnotic pollen to lure the Great Stick Insect over. Once the Great Stick Insect finished eating and was drowsy, he let the Bladed Mantis finish it off. The effect was remarkable!

Using this method, Xie Ning easily gathered 5 suitable insect corpses in over an hour... At this time, Xie Ning came to an open flat area in the Inner Forest. He first set over a dozen traps around the perimeter and sprinkled Demon-Repelling Powder before starting the Bladed Mantis's evolution.

Following the Bloodline Condensation Array in his mind, Xie Ning carefully carved it into the ground with a dagger. Half an hour later, the array was finished. He placed the five insect corpses at designated positions in the array, along with 5 Sonic Fruits.

"Little Mantis, come here," Xie Ning stood in the center of the array and beckoned the Bladed Mantis over. "Be careful not to step on the lines!"

The Bladed Mantis simply flew and slowly drifted down to his position.

"Come, eat all of these."

Xie Ning took out the remaining 5 thumbnail-sized Sonic Fruits and had the Bladed Mantis eat them. Next, he took out three insect-type demon cores and placed them in three grooves near the center of the array. He then crushed a metal-type demon core, mixed it into a thick paste, and smeared it all over the Bladed Mantis's body.

At this moment, the Bladed Mantis was filled with strange energy. Its whole body trembled with pain, yet it insisted on following Xie Ning's words: Don't move! Don't move!

That was the energy within the Sonic Fruits running rampant. A single Sonic Fruit was usually more than a Black Iron Rank beast could absorb, let alone 5 this time.

Looking at the Bladed Mantis's painful state, Xie Ning also felt reluctant, but evolution was necessary—for himself, for it, and to survive better.

After a while longer, seeing a slight protrusion starting to form on the Bladed Mantis's forehead, he raised his palm and swiped it across the dagger. Blood dripped from his finger, some falling on the Bladed Mantis's forehead and some falling into the array.

In an instant, the array came to life!

The blood activated the insect demon cores, which in turn activated the five insect corpses. The Sonic Fruits above the corpses also quickly withered as their energy was absorbed.

The entire array began to operate, and the energy merged into one, forming an indescribable color. It then flowed through the five spiritual energy channels, through the Bladed Mantis's four thin legs, and into its body.

A strong white light erupted from the Bladed Mantis. Its body could be seen becoming transparent, and its eyes became hollow. It was molting.

"Little Mantis!"

"Evolve!!!"

At this moment, the white light reached its peak. Xie Ning's vision was completely white, and he could no longer see the figure of the Bladed Mantis.