CHAPTER 112: CHAPTER 112: THE CRAZY YOUTH_1

Oceania, Death Forest, heading east.

Though no enemy appeared, Wang Zhan felt an oppressive sensation deep within his heart, which disturbed his peace of mind.

Due to his warning, Yao Yao also became anxious. Like a desperate mandarin duck, she gathered all her energy, carrying Wang Zhan as they fled far away.

To avoid attracting attention, they took detours along small paths, not daring to confront anything or anyone inside the Death Forest.

"Wang Zhan, what’s happening? Why is..." Yao Yao was about to ask.

Looking at him, she saw his brows were knitted tightly, growing even tighter, as if a malevolent spirit pursued him. Her heart softened for a moment, but she immediately refocused on desperately fleeing.

Wang Zhan glanced at the rapidly whizzing scenery, all of it eerie and treacherous.

"I don’t know, but I feel it’s very dangerous. So, run. Keep running. Unless I tell you to stop, don’t stop under any circumstances."

His face looked exhausted and horrified.

Even when facing upper-class Soldier-level beasts or General-level beasts, Wang Zhan, who had always been unbridled and flamboyant, had never felt like this. This was especially true after he obtained the System.

Death!

True death!

There would be no Mother Zhang Cui, no sister Wang Qi, no Chu State No.33 Middle School, and no Chu State Military Martial Academy.

He didn’t know what it signified, nor where this premonition came from. All he knew was that he didn’t want to die. And if he didn’t want to die, he had to ensure others couldn’t kill him.

Yao Yao’s steps paused for an instant, then her speed surged again—a third faster than before—as she raced like the wind through the Death Forest.

In a gentle voice, she reassured him, "It’s okay, I’m here. I absolutely won’t let anyone hurt you."

I’m still too weak!

Wang Zhan held onto Yao Yao tightly, letting her carry him forward.

This time, it felt as if he were back on the rooftop of his house, on that night when he challenged his sister, Wang Qi.

Half a year had passed; he should have been stronger, but now, he had become Yao Yao’s burden.

Sis, I’ve embarrassed you. Please go easy on me next time you beat me...

Even though he could eliminate the Royal Martial Arts Academy, win first place in the competition, and kill an upper-class Soldier-level beast, in front of the truly strong, he was as fragile as an ant that could be crushed with a pinch.

If it weren’t for this sudden premonition that had tensed him up again, he might have truly perished this time.

Thinking about this, he started laughing again, just like the boy he used to be.

"Fine. But if we are to die, we should take a few down with us. So, you must let me die before you. Then, kill some trash as a parting gift for me!"

Yao Yao’s heart melted at his words, and she gritted her teeth.

Was this the promise? The promise she had been waiting for since she first met Wang Zhan?

A sweet smile appeared on Yao Yao’s face as she agreed, "Okay, I promise you."

If we must die this time, then let me die before you. I’m not as smart as you; I can’t remember many things. I can only remember you. You must live. You will live to avenge me...

Wang Zhan couldn’t hear Yao Yao’s inner voice, but he had once again found his true self.

He had started with nothing. If death was truly fated, it was better to face it with a smile.

He chuckled, the panic completely vanishing from his face, and said with abandon, "Keep running! Young man..."

...

At the place where Wang Zhan was supposed to rendezvous with the Yanjing Martial Arts Academy team.

WHOOSH!

Several figures rapidly converged on the spot, their gazes sweeping meticulously over the surroundings.

A man in black stepped forward. His nostrils flared as he carefully examined the lingering scents and traces. He immediately pointed in the direction Wang Zhan and Yao Yao had fled.

"There!"

The next moment, a dozen or so figures dashed off in that direction, hot on Wang Zhan’s trail.

A predatory grin stretched Yuan Shisan’s lips. "Yuan Shijiu, you managed to survive last time. Let’s see who can save you this time. And Wang Zhan! A weakling like you dares to disrupt the grand plans of our original organization time and again. It seems you’re truly tired of living."

This time, he had come with a towering murderous aura and the immense fury of having been reprimanded by his superior.

He not only had to retrieve the map from Wang Zhan but also wanted to permanently eliminate Yuan Shijiu and that annoying brat, Wang Zhan!

...

Just after Yuan Shisan and his men departed, a tall man in military uniform reappeared at the same location.

He stood with his eyes closed, his powerful mental energy surging forth, seeping into every inch of the ground before him like a hopeful tide.

After a mere three breaths, his eyes snapped open, shining as brightly as a beacon in the darkness, or like stars against the moonlit sky.

Without any delay, he pushed off the ground and leaped forward, speeding in the direction the members of the original organization had taken.

If anyone had been present, they would have seen that the man’s face was covered in pits of varying depths. It looked as if he had been disfigured, perhaps burned; he was hideous.

However, the gleaming golden insignia on his shoulder lent him an aura of boundless dominance. It held not a trace of furtiveness; instead, it radiated an awe-inspiring righteousness.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Whether they were ordinary teams in the Oceania Wilderness Area or elite academy teams deep within the Death Forest exploring unknown areas, all received a message from the Martial Arts Competition officials.

’All participating students, return to the wilderness encampment immediately and await orders to assemble. Time limit: one day. Violators will be directly disqualified from the competition!’

「Chu State Military Martial Academy Team.」

Sun Kelan stared at the message on her personal terminal in disbelief, her heart in turmoil.

Chen Mengshu, already a Level 1 Warrior, shyly pulled her head back from Sun Kelan’s shoulder and tugged on her sleeve, asking, "Sister Lan, what’s going on?"

Song Dongming frowned, deep in thought. "I’m afraid something major has happened inside the Death Forest, something that could directly threaten our safety."

Sun Kelan nodded, her expression complex. "That’s probably it. But what about Wang Zhan?"

Indeed. Since Wang Zhan had entered the Death Forest alone for his trial, several days had passed without any sign of him, save for his rapidly increasing points, which proved he was still alive.

Song Dongming took a deep breath. "We should follow the official directive. Even if we want to find him, it must be after this matter is resolved, and we must explain it to the officials. Otherwise, all of Wang Zhan’s efforts will be wasted."

「Yanjing Martial Arts Academy.」

Yuan Mengru, who had just left her previous location, quickly looked back in that direction after receiving the message.

Xi Yingying, perplexed by the message, unintentionally noticed Yuan Mengru’s gaze. "Big Sister, what are you looking at? Even if you want to get even, Wang Zhan is nowhere to be found!"

Yuan Mengru shook her head. "No, I just have a feeling this matter might be related to Wang Zhan."

Her team members immediately refuted the idea. "Impossible, Big Sister. Even if Wang Zhan is much stronger than you, he’s at most a low-level Warrior, definitely not exceeding Level Five. How could he possibly have such influence?"

Indeed! Yuan Mengru looked back at her personal terminal, as if thinking, How could Wang Zhan possibly have such influence? He’s just an ordinary student. Only prominent figures like Martial Arts Academy deans could potentially achieve that.

In any case, with Wang Zhan as the spark, the entirety of Oceania had begun to stir.

...

In a thorn-ridden part of the Death Forest.

Although Wang Zhan and Yao Yao were desperately fleeing for their lives, he too had naturally received the message.

After contemplating for a minute or two, Wang Zhan promptly stopped Yao Yao. "Something’s off. We need to change direction."

Sweat dripped from Yao Yao’s forehead as she asked doubtfully, "What’s wrong?"

Wang Zhan shook his head. A map of Oceania slowly materialized in his mind. His intuition was strong: this matter was definitely related to him. It was highly probable that some important figure had noticed the sudden changes in the Death Forest and issued this order. But the Death Forest had always been on the fringe of a battlefield; what kind of change could have occurred?

"They should be close to finding us. Now, change direction! Head due north!"

"Okay!" With boundless trust in Wang Zhan, Yao Yao swiftly changed direction and forged ahead.

「Five minutes later.」

"To the southeast!"

「Another five minutes passed.」

"To the northeast!"

Like a clock that never stopped, Wang Zhan, whose Wisdom was a pitiful 25 points, kept his mind racing. His face grew increasingly pale, yet he persisted.

WHOOSH!

「Half an hour later.」

Yuan Shisan and his group, following Wang Zhan’s trail, arrived at a battlefield where the fighting had just concluded.

The corpses of several upper-class Soldier-level beasts lay limply on the ground.

"Crafty brat." Yuan Shisan frowned slightly. "Can you still sense the direction he went?"

The man in black with the keen nose tried several times, his expression turning grim. "No, the scents are too muddled. He realized the danger."

BANG!

A massive tree, so thick it would take more than ten people to encircle, was snapped clean in half at its trunk.

Yuan Shisan said grimly, "Crafty brat! Split up. We absolutely cannot let him escape."

"Yes!"

Almost as soon as they departed, the tall man in military uniform appeared at the same spot.

After a careful survey, a grin touched his rugged features. "Good lad. Your instincts for danger are remarkably sharp. Apart from the Military Department, where else in this Federation could possibly accommodate someone like you?"

Then, he swiftly dashed off in Wang Zhan’s direction.

After such a long pursuit, he was finally one step ahead of the original organization!

...

"Due North!" Wang Zhan’s face was even paler, but he steadfastly continued to lead the way.

Feeling Wang Zhan’s sweat drenching her back like a torrential downpour, Yao Yao gritted her teeth and pressed on.

When their pace finally slackened a little, she managed to spare a moment’s attention to hand Wang Zhan a bottle of Mixed Essence Pills. "Eat these, or you won’t hold out!"

Wang Zhan accepted them without a word and downed them as if they were peanuts.

However, not long after, a tall figure in military uniform suddenly appeared before them, causing Yao Yao to skid to an abrupt halt.