An Invitation from the Scenery

The outline of the Stone Forest grew smaller and smaller in their field of vision, eventually fading into a blurry black dot.

Yin Chen was still mulling over Chen Guan's phrase, "the end of the world."

The words were like a stone tossed into a deep pool, stirring up unprecedented ripples in the lake of his mind that had been placid for over a decade.

Chen Guan sat in the furthest corner, the Tier 5 Lightning Cheetah Alpha lying quietly at his feet.

Because Chen Guan could keep it under control, Black Crow just let him be, even if it was against the rules. Geniuses, after all, always enjoyed a few privileges.

Rules? Rules were meant to be broken.

The demonic aura radiating from its body had been restrained to the absolute limit. Its massive frame was curled up into a ball, eyelids drooping, completely ignoring everyone else in the carriage. Only when Chen Guan's hand occasionally stroked the top of its head would a satisfied purr rumble from its throat.

"Chen Guan," Hong Yuan leaned over, chewing on the end of a pencil. "I did the math. We captured seventy-three Tier 4 beasts alive this time, and one Tier 5. Based on 120 percent of the market price offered by the Great Wall, after deducting taxes and splitting it evenly, we each get eighty million."

Her voice echoed through the carriage, prompting even the driver to take a few extra glances at her through the rearview mirror.

Yin Chen opened his eyes, his tone flat. "You can take my share too. I have no need for this kind of currency."

"Young Master Yin, don't you dare go back on your word!" Hong Yuan's eyes lit up.

"This bit of funds isn't even enough for a single top-tier enchantment on my staff." Yin Chen adjusted his cuffs with a look of disdain. The young master truly didn't lack money.

Hong Yuan immediately turned her gaze to Chen Guan.

"My share belongs to me." Chen Guan's single sentence shattered her fantasy of taking it all.

Having money was always better than having none. Since coming to this world, Chen Guan hadn't really focused on making money, mostly because he didn't have anywhere to spend it. Otherwise, it would have been hard to take a single step.

Hong Yuan deflated a little but was still well satisfied. That much money was enough for her to give herself a serious upgrade.

The vehicle came to a halt two hours later.

On the desolate Gobi Desert, a few half-collapsed concrete buildings stood amidst the wind and sand.

Rusty barbed wire stretched out a crooked boundary, the writing on the warning signs long worn away by the blowing sand. This place was thirty kilometers away from the Great Wall's main defensive line, a lawless buffer zone.

Black Crow pushed open the door and jumped out, crushing a piece of dried beast bone underfoot.

"We're here."

Chen Guan stood up. The cheetah immediately rose, jumping out of the vehicle first and standing to the side to wait for Chen Guan to step down. Yin Chen and Hong Yuan followed closely behind.

"Jing!" Black Crow shouted toward the empty ruins.

The sound of snapping steel echoed from above.

From the jib of a rusted, scrapped tower crane, a figure jumped down.

The man wore a bright red Hawaiian floral shirt, beach shorts, and flip-flops on his feet.

When he landed, his knees didn't even bend. From a height of several stories, he drifted to the ground like a feather. The concrete floor let out a muffled thud from the impact, yet barely any dust was kicked up.

It was none other than Instructor Jing. After shedding his instructor's uniform, he looked more like a street punk.

Black Crow stood in place, looking at the man in the floral shirt and flip-flops, then back at the three students behind him. His Adam's apple bobbed twice.

Having worked his way up through the Great Wall's system for so many years, he had heard of his colleagues' various bizarre quirks.

People from the Special Operations Department always did things their own way, and this Instructor Jing was famously casual. Still, seeing this outfit with his own eyes was a bit much to stomach.

Couldn't you at least wear some normal clothes? What a disgrace!

Though disgusted inwardly, Black Crow swallowed his complaints.

Can't afford to mess with him.

"Jing," Black Crow stepped forward and offered a greeting.

"Yo, good work." Instructor Jing waved a hand, his gaze passing over Black Crow to land on Chen Guan behind him, as well as the Tier 5 Lightning Cheetah Alpha with its restrained aura at Chen Guan's feet.

His eyes lit up, and he whistled.

"Nice little kitty. Looks pretty lively."

The Lightning Cheetah sensed the pressure from a higher life form. It let out a threatening low growl from its throat, all the fur on its body standing on end.

Chen Guan raised his hand and patted it lightly on the top of the head.

The cheetah's growl immediately caught in its throat, and its massive body relaxed again. However, the wariness in its eyes toward Jing had turned into pure terror.

It buried its head even lower, wishing it could dig a hole in the ground and hide inside.

Instructor Jing's smile widened a fraction. What a little cutie. Too bad it had already been tamed by Chen Guan; he couldn't just go robbing his subordinate's things, could he?

"Black Crow, thanks. I'll take over from here. You can go back and write your report now." Instructor Jing waved his hand as if swatting a fly.

Black Crow's expressionless cheek twitched.

He didn't say anything, just turned and walked away.

He didn't want to stay here a second longer. Being around Jing always made him feel like his meager salary was blood money paying for his life.

The armored vehicle's engine roared to life, and it soon disappeared into the distance of the Gobi Desert.

Only Jing, Chen Guan, the other two students, and the panther remained at the scene.

The wind and sand blew past, kicking up dead leaves from the ground. The atmosphere was a bit strange.

Instructor Jing sized up the three people and the beast before him, his gaze like an old lady picking out cabbages at a wet market.

"Tsk, tsk." He walked a circle around Hong Yuan, his eyes lingering on her giant axe for a moment. "Little girl, you've got quite the strength, but there are more muscles in your brain than on your body."

Hong Yuan's eyebrows shot up, veins bulging on the hand gripping her axe handle.

If it weren't for the fact that this guy was an instructor, she would have already swung her axe at him.

He then walked over to Yin Chen, scanning him up and down.

"Not bad. Good presentation, clean clothes. You look exactly like the type who would cry for a long time if punched once."

Yin Chen maintained his elegant posture, but the corner of his eye began to twitch.

He swore this was absolutely the most outrageous evaluation he had heard in his entire life.

This guy is a psycho!

As for Chen Guan, Instructor Jing didn't even look at him.

What was there left to evaluate about this one?

"Alright, don't just stand there. Guests have arrived, so I have to entertain you." Instructor Jing clapped the dust off his hands and turned to walk deeper into the ruins. "Follow me."

His flip-flops made a slap-slap sound as he stepped on the gravel, completely out of place in this desolate, dead environment.

Chen Guan didn't say a word and followed.

The cheetah alpha followed closely behind, matching his every step.

Hong Yuan and Yin Chen exchanged a glance and could only bite the bullet and follow.

These ruins were much larger than they appeared from the outside.

Among the broken walls and debris, the wreckage of many massive metal structures could be seen. Rusted shell casings and the bones of unknown demonic beasts were scattered across the ground.

"Instructor, what are we doing here? Is this a new assessment?" Hong Yuan finally couldn't help but ask.

"An assessment? I have no interest in something so boring," Instructor Jing said lazily without looking back. "Just consider it a party for you all, to celebrate you turning Battlefield Three completely upside down."

A party? In this godforsaken place?