Chapter 43: On Stage Part 1

The family members were undoubtedly proud.

Whether it was the honor of entering the inner city or their child earning the qualification to enter the reexamination, it was the happiest and proudest moment of their lives.

Their lively and passionate gazes made Tang Ling feel sorrowful.

If his grandmother and San San were here today, how would they look?

Cheers sounded in the air all of a sudden as a giant display screen slowly rose from the wall of the inner city. Through the giant screen plus the seven other viewing points in the outer city, almost all of Safety Sector No. 17 could watch the important exam live.

A live telecast? The shadows of the old civilization were everywhere and had not worn down.

This particular point provided a strange sense of safety which he could not explain in words.

However, the eagerness and respect for a “powerhouse-to-be”, who had not even been announced, was enough to prove how shaken the era had become.

The cheers from the people continued. Albeit it being such a grand celebration, Tang Ling could not get himself into the mood. He quietly headed to the inner city, and his figure reeked of desolation.

******

The draft of summer arrived unannounced. The gale whipped up mud and leaves, sweeping across everyone’s clothes madly.

“Is it going to rain again?” Tang Ling was a little absent-minded as he looked at the dull morning sky. However, not a single dark cloud was in sight.

After that night, he was scared of the patter of rain, yet he seemed to pick up the smell of the settlement in the wind.

“As an instructor, I dislike those who aren’t paying attention.” Slow steady footsteps entered Tang Ling’s ears followed by a shadow over his head.

Tang Ling regained his senses and looked up to see a tall man in a blue uniform. Although he was far from Su Yao’s pressuring presence and physique, compared to the gaunt Tang Ling, he was huge enough.

His lips curled into a cruel smile as he bent down to Tang Ling’s ears and whispered, “I mean, anytime.”

The moment his voice subsided, Tang Ling felt intense pain in his abdomen as if he was being hammered. He could not help but bend over.

The iron thorn bird eggs that Rona gave him in the morning started to rumble in his stomach. Together with a sourish foul smell, it rushed up to Tang Ling’s throat.

A buzz of discussions echoed in the area.

Even though the venue of the reexamination, the inner city of Glory Square, was crowded, it did not stop the crowd from observing the scene because the biggest screen of the live telecast in the whole sector was in front of Glory Hall of Glory Square.

“Silence.” A cold voice ordered. While it was not loud or shouted out, it echoed throughout the entire Glory Square.

People stopped their discussions because the one who announced that was Larf, the captain of the First Unit of the Purple Moon Squad that was responsible for maintaining order at the reexamination venue today.

After a quick glance over at the man with the red cap who silenced the crowd, Tang Ling used all his might to quietly swallow the rumbling substance down his throat.

In this era, wasting was shameful. That was what Su Yao taught him.

Therefore, food eaten should not be regurgitated out. Moreover, it was a token of Rona’s kindness.

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As for the man in the red cape, although he was not the Purple Moon Warrior who commanded the culling that night, judging from the discussion from the crowd, Tang Ling knew that only the captains of the Purple Moon Warrior were worthy of the cape.

Strenuously, Tang Ling straightened his body and quietly wiped away the line of blood at the corner of his mouth, pretending as if nothing happened.

As though the man was very satisfied with Tang Ling’s performance, the instructor swung the fist that he punched Tang Ling with. Smiling sinisterly, he turned around and left.

The whole Glory Square returned to normal.

The reexamination officially started at 9 a.m. There were a total of 45 reserved warriors who registered for the reexamination, but only 43 of them arrived.

Which arrogant bastard is so ballsy to not show up yet? it’s almost time for the exam.

The question baffled many of the cadets who were standing ramrod straight in the square.

Right at that moment, a set of heavy footsteps resounded and the trembles that followed it shook the whole square slightly.

The crowd went silent in fear and they automatically opened up a path.

At the end of the path, a gigantic figure of a beast appeared. It was a blue-striped mega rhinoceros!

Deep gasps sounded in succession among the group of reserved warriors instantly. Instinctively, Tang Ling clenched his muscles. Even before he spent his time reading in the library, he had heard of the infamous blue-striped mega rhinoceros.

Once upon a time, a small scale beast horde went on a rampage in Safety Sector No. 17. Although the Purple Moon Warriors stopped the rampage in the Safety Zone, the strongest of them all, which was the blue-striped mega rhinoceros, ended hundreds of lives in the settlement.

It was a king beast, the only one that Tang Ling had ever seen with his own eyes.

Compared to the inexperienced reserved warriors, the Purple Moon Warriors were a lot calmer. There was not even any expression on their faces when they saw the blue-striped mega rhinoceros appear in Glory Square.

As the hulking beast approached the center of Glory Square with its heavy steps, Tang Ling seemed to have sensed its suffocating presence.

“Judging from the footsteps, the blue-striped mega rhinoceros can produce 5,500 kgs of force with a single ram.” Instinctively, his Precise Instinct started to calculate the battle power of the king beast, and the result scared Tang Ling.

Just as Tang Ling was calculating and feeling terror reign in his heart, a casual and rough voice entered the ears of the crowd from high atop the king beast’s back.

“I’m sorry that I’m late, but I suppose no one would blame me, would they?”

Following the source of the voice, the crowd saw a young man sitting on top of the blue-striped mega rhinoceros’ back. He was the one who had spoken.

Even though they tried their best to hold back, some of the reserved warriors and cadets cried out in awe.

Who the hell would ride a king beast to the examination?

As chatter burst out from the group, the instructor who beat Tang Ling earlier turned a blind eye to everything at the grand entrance. He stood in front of the group with a menacing look.

While the group fell into clamor, a short fellow beside Tang Ling suddenly whispered to him, “That punch just now might have affected you in the upcoming exam.”

Tang Ling nodded back in a friendly manner and his expression returned to normal.

He had no idea about the content of the reexamination, but it did not mean that the others shared the same ignorance. Despite so, things had already happened, so he did not want to overthink and complain. As an example, the punch was directed at him. What was the reason for it then?

At the same time, a windy breeze blew, and the young man on top of the blue-striped mega rhinoceros jumped down.

Unlike the others who wore the black uniform neatly, the young man had simply buttoned up just three of the buttons and exposed his solid chest. On his chest was a tattoo of a black sun that looked extremely arrogant just like his temperament.

He frivolously strolled into the group, pushing away the person in the front and taking his place.

Among the group of young men preparing for the exam, his height stood out. The moment he reached the front, he immediately stood out like a crane in a flock of fowls.

“I’m taking the first spot. Any objections?” He turned around and provoked everyone else behind him. Then, a red apple appeared in his hand.

Kachak!  He chomped off a huge chunk of the apple.