Chapter 45: Bloody Cage

Am I being picked on?

The thought once again came afloat in Tang Ling’s head. The punch from the instructor, which was not even his best strike, perfectly struck his abdomen which shook his organs and made him bleed.

This level of injury in this era was nothing. Even the commoners in the settlement would be fine after half a day of rest.

Tang Ling, who had been through all sorts of killing and hunting, would not be concerned either, but it coincidentally happened before the exam. He glanced over at the instructor’s unfamiliar face while pushing the thought deep down in his heart.

The endless inhuman roars coupled with the depressing atmosphere made the teenagers taking the exam look a little sour.

In the end, someone who stood out after some hesitation.

No one wanted to risk their lives for an exam. Even if they could not get into First Reserved Camp, the other training camp might still be a way out for them.

With the first one taking the lead, the others followed as a matter of course. Less than two minutes later, there were seven teenagers who wished to drop out of the reexamination.

“Are there any more?” The instructor seemed to have expected this early on. With a sneer, he asked again, but no one stepped out anymore.

“Look at this. Garbage can never be good. However, staying away for self-protection isn’t the stupidest decision either. At least, knowing your limits is a good thing.” The merciless words were like a knife, but when said to those who stepped down because of fear, even harsher words would not sound wrong.

The instructor’s foul interest would never simply let go of the teenagers who decided to step down, but at the end of his lecture, his eyes seemed to unintentionally brush over Tang Ling.

Nonetheless, Tang Ling turned a blind eye to him.

Knowing one’s limit? Every single day he lived in the settlement was without food and being on the verge of death. There was no such thing as stepping down for self-protection.

“Scram! You people have no right to be here.” Probably already bored, the instructor simply sent away those who decided to step down.

He then swung his hand. The warrior guarding next to the cages put the first sealed cage into the bigger iron cage and released the first wild beast, an iron-toothed wolf with a silver tail.

As a brutal and cold killer, albeit not being known for its strength, its agility and cunning wit would drive even the most formidable hunter away.

Even when it was not hungry, it would kill weaker animals within its sight as a sport. The iron-toothed wolves were the primary targets that Purple Moon Warriors expelled during their patrols.

Therefore, the wolves were rarely seen in the thick forest of the Secondary Safety Zone. Whenever one had to face such a wild beast, other than fighting it to death, there was no other way.

Alas, they were now encountering one in the giant iron cage with nowhere to run!

The teenagers who stayed behind for the examination started to breathe fiercely and uncontrollably. While hey knew they would be facing a wild beast, they did not expect it to be such a dangerous one.

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The instructor glanced indifferently at the silver-tailed iron-toothed wolf. He clicked his tongue loudly and said in extreme disbelief, “Yo, let me see who’s lucky enough to start with this weak one.”

Weak? Several of them gulped in fear. Was he kidding?

Unfortunately, the instructor did not plan to change his words. He walked to the front of the group and said, “The rule of this exam is simple. Anyone who can survive up to ten minutes in the cage will pass. Of course, if anyone of you can kill that wolf inside, you’ll also pass but I won’t set my hopes too high. Lastly, Safety Sector No. 17 is being very merciful. If you can’t hold on, you’ll be forfeited halfway but… opening the cage needs time, so I hereby wish you all good luck.”

“Anymore questions about the rule?”

“Instructor.” Orston stood out this time. Maybe because of his unusual background, he was not afraid of the cruel instructor.

“Speak.”

“What’re the orders for the exam? Is it based on our line? Does everyone else have to face the iron-toothed wolf?” Orston’s look clearly stated that the wolf was a little boring for him.

With a chuckle, the instructor said, “Don’t expect me to remember your names. Each of you will be assigned to a number, which is the sequence of the line in which you’re standing. When the time comes, I’ll randomly draw a number and the one I call will enter the cage.

“As for the iron-toothed wolf, I’ve said before that it’s a weak wild beast. Others might be a little fiercer, but they are all within the wild beast category. As for what you’ll encounter, it’s entirely up to luck. Luck is also part of your strength, am I right? This is a fair and square exam.”

After that, the instructor looked at Orston pointedly, maintaining the lowest level of patience with him. “Any more questions?”

“That will be all.” It seemed like the randomness of the rules piqued his interest.

At the same time, the lazy Yu, who stood in front, looked a little energized as well. Unfortunately, other than the two of them, the others were clenching their sweaty fists.

Is that even a rule? Why is the rule so cruel this time?

Tang Ling lowered his head, but his breathing remained steady. He never understood the past exams, but he also sensed that there was something unusual going on.

The instructor did not care about what the teenagers were thinking about, and he announced the start of the exam right away. At the same time, the assistant beside the instructor had prepared a stack of numbers written on paper made out of tensile grass.

The instructor took the papers, shuffled them twice and simply uttered a number, “No.12.”

The group of reserved warriors went silent for a moment before No. 12 walked out slowly. The young man tried to keep himself calm, but his pale face and trembling lips gave him away.

It took him almost two minutes to reach the iron cage.

The instructor, however, did not rush him. He brought a stool over and lit up a cigarette while watching No. 12 with a wry gaze.

“The butt isn’t filtered. It’s not as good as Uncle Su Yao’s cigarette.” Tang Ling was paying attention to the strangest details until the warrior, who stood guard in front of the iron cage, loudly asked No. 12 in impatience, “Are you ready?” Only then was Tang Ling pulled back to his senses.

“I-I am. Open the gate.” No. 12 used up all his courage to nod and tell the guard to open the gate.

As if the instructor deemed the atmosphere was not as merry as he would like it to be, he took a deep puff from his cigarette and said as he spat out the smoke, “I forgot to say that in order to let all of you sit for the exam better, all these wild beasts have been starved for five days. I bet they are eager to meet you.”

After hearing what the instructor said, having hardly mustered enough courage, No. 12 unconsciously stepped back from the cage. Unfortunately, the guard in front of the cage pushed him in without a second thought.

The gate was swiftly shut. When the clunk of the cage sounded, No. 12’s despair almost made him close his eyes, but he dared not do so because less than 20 meters in front of him, the iron-toothed wolf was looking at him ruthlessly.