Touching down, Axina finally spotted her three teammates under the collapsed trunk.

“Even collecting corpses wouldn’t be this slow,” she complained.

“Collecting corpses would be slower,” Gladys replied deadpan.

Axina’s face darkened. She glared at Luo Wei. “You were all just watching?”

“Hardly,” Luo Wei said with a pleasant smile. “We were afraid of interrupting your big finish.”

“Should I thank you?”

Luo Wei dipped her head politely. “No need.”

“Hmph.” Axina snapped her gaze to the Burrow Goat Demon. “I can hold it at most ten breaths. If you’re going to act—move.”

At that, Gladys sprang out, jabbing a flurry of thrusts into its chest and belly.

Hol scrambled up onto its body, yanked out a goatskin pouch of potion paste, and crazily squeezed the black sludge toward that pitch-dark maw.

Ten breaths would never be enough to locate the Burrow Goat Demon’s heart. Force-feed some potion—buy more time.

As he worked, he muttered to the magic bees overhead, “We don’t bully the weak. Its eyes are injured. I’ll heal them first, then we have a fair duel.”

Fair duel, my ass. Always some dirty trick!

In front of the Magic Mirror, several professors monitoring the Siria squad swore inwardly.

All the other squads were asleep; their supervising professors could shut their eyes too.

Only the Siria squad had to stir up trouble in the middle of the night—dragging them into an all-nighter.

One professor’s internal rant got too heated; he blurted it out. The colleague beside him tugged his sleeve.

“Keep it down. The Divine College team isn’t asleep either.”

Cursing Siria’s midnight antics would sweep St. Teno in too.

The scolded professor stiffened and looked toward St. Teno’s Magic Mirror.

Sure enough, the St. Teno team had just finished a minor skirmish and, hearing the noise over the ridge, was heading that way.

But that direction…

“Isn’t that where the Siria squad is? They’re going to clash again?”

“With the racket Siria makes? Of course. Their combat power’s below St. Teno’s anyway. This time, I’d say—tsk tsk…”

On the slope, Gladys had stabbed the Burrow Goat Demon dozens of times without hitting a vital, frustration building.

Axina and Luo Wei weren’t idle; both sought its heart, blasting over a dozen regions to no effect.

Hol, using the pot handle, rammed potion paste down its throat—half his body inside its mouth. It was a terrifying sight.

If the Burrow Goat Demon suddenly moved, he’d be swallowed on the spot.

Fortunately, in Shadow Phase it had no teeth and could only engulf prey whole; even if he fell into its stomach, they might carve him out in time.

“I—I’m here!”

Jack arrived panting. As he lifted his head, a pale gleam crowned the ridge.

He froze, rubbed his eyes—no sunrise. A cluster of glowing figures.

“Bad news—the Divine College team is here!”

He shouted, voice urgent. “Captain! They’re coming to steal our magic beast again! What do we do?”

The others turned. Sure enough, several points of light sped down from the mountaintop.

Axina hurled a fireball into the Burrow Goat Demon, teeth clenched. “Them again!”

She hadn’t minded when they stole the Sawtooth Vulture—she’d hardly contributed—but she’d burned over half her magic subduing this Burrow Goat Demon. If St. Teno took it, how could she stomach that?

She snarled at Luo Wei. “Think of something! Aren’t you the one with all the ideas?”

“I don’t have as many as you,” Luo Wei replied coolly.

As if she wasn’t anxious. Every single lost point chipped away at her final grand prize.

Axina fumed. “This whole competition is unfair. All the big magic beasts are obviously set up for St. Teno.”

The Burrow Goat Demon’s talent was Shadow Phase—light magic pierced its shadow form easily to find the heart.

The Sawtooth Vulture’s talent was sonic attack; only light healing magic could block the damage, get close, and kill it.

Every time Siria fought hard, they conveniently solved St. Teno’s early entanglement, letting them skip straight to the finishing blow.

The more Axina thought, the angrier she got. She might not care about their ranking—but she refused to let others freeload like this.

“Can you or can’t you think of something? They’re almost here!”

If St. Teno arrived, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to crash into them—her identity wouldn’t withstand their light magic scrutiny.

“Stop shouting!” Luo Wei snapped, mind racing. A heartbeat later she clenched her magic wand. “Get the Lead Garments and Sunglasses out.”

“What do you mean?” Axina’s lips parted in shock.

“Do as I say!” Luo Wei barked, impatient.

“I want to see what trick you pull.” Axina shot her a hateful look, then quickly donned the Lead Garment and that inexplicable pair of Sunglasses.

In a blink the others had suited up too, tense and expectant.

“Everyone but Jack—hide,” Luo Wei ordered evenly. “Jack, smear mud on your face. Stand under the Burrow Goat Demon. If the St. Teno team locates its heart, you attack immediately.”

“Attack the Burrow Goat Demon?”

“No. Attack the St. Teno team.”

“Okay!” Jack’s body trembled, but he obeyed—grabbing mud, blackening his face, then crouching at the beast’s feet.

“Gladys, give me your sword.”

Luo Wei took the longsword, slipped to the demon’s far side, and sprang up a tall tree.

In seconds all five were concealed.

The St. Teno team descended the slope, puzzled by the splintered brush and the rigid Burrow Goat Demon.

“Where’d everyone go?”

They had clearly heard voices from below while on the ridge.

“Ugh—what’s that smell? You smell that?”

“Sniff—sniff—ugh—bleh—”

“What reeks so bad—ugh—I can’t—ugh—”

The St. Teno squad recoiled, retreating several dozen steps in exaggerated disgust.

Prince Feiru pinched his brow. “It’s coming from the Burrow Goat Demon’s mouth. It must’ve eaten a beast with stink glands.”

“What beast—Bloodthirst Weasels?”

“Bloodthirst Weasels aren’t this foul!”

“How do you know—smelled one?”

“I guessed. Who would smell those things?”

“Enough. Quiet!” Prince Feiru snapped, covering his nose. “We finish fast and leave this cursed spot. Sylvester—your view?”

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