Chapter 45: Where is the Strongest Moonlight Rabbit?
Youlan Academy, Team Training Room.
Inside a closed, futuristic room resembling an internet cafe, ten giant VR-like devices were lined up on either side. Upon entering the training room, the Starlight Academy members were stunned, their eyes widening in surprise as they looked around at the equipment.
The bespectacled girl in charge of intelligence gathering walked up to a device and cautiously touched it.
“This is…a second-generation connection device developed over 50 years ago?”
“The legendary…super antique with a command delay of almost 0.27 seconds!!!”
“Do you really train with these at Youlan Academy!?”
Facing the incredulous question from the Starlight Academy members, Ye Zhuzhi, Chi Yan, and the other Youlan Academy core team members coughed awkwardly, their faces flushing slightly. They knew that the virtual connection devices had already been updated to the seventh generation, reducing the command delay between virtual battles and reality to within 0.01 seconds.
But with Youlan Academy’s limited resources, they couldn’t afford even a single one…
Incidentally, as team members, they at least had access to second-generation connection devices. As for the other students at Youlan Academy, they each had a basic electronic chip with a delay of up to 0.4 seconds.
This meant that when a Beast Tamer issued a command, their pet beast would only react 0.4 seconds later. It was like wanting to drink water and instead of just picking up the bottle, thinking, “Hey, hand, grab that bottle of water for me!!”
Command delay was fatal…
“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit…defeated me using this device…?” The green-haired, twintailed girl frowned slightly.
Although she felt a bit embarrassed, it didn’t matter. She would soon be using the same outdated device to crush Strongest Moonlight Rabbit!
At this moment, as everyone waited with their own thoughts, the strongest student of Youlan Academy finally appeared.
“Clatter—”
The door to the training room opened again, and a black-haired woman, covered in bandages and lying on a wheeled stretcher, was pushed in by medical personnel. Seeing this, Zi Wutong, who was drinking water, spat it out in surprise. The other Starlight Academy members had similar reactions.
What the hell was this entrance!?
“Everyone from Starlight Academy, I apologize for appearing in such a sorry state. Although my pet beasts are still in revival cooldown, it shouldn’t affect the virtual battle…” Qi Dong said hoarsely, her voice weak.
Unlike losing in a virtual battle, the backlash from a pet beast’s defeat in reality was severe. And she had lost two at once…
“Alright, since everyone from the first team is here, let’s begin—” Unlike her usual arrogance and confidence, Qi Dong’s voice was flat, her dull eyes devoid of fighting spirit, as if she didn’t care about winning or losing.
“Everyone!?” The Starlight Academy members looked at each other, puzzled.
Everyone? That wasn’t right. Strongest Moonlight Rabbit wasn’t there yet!
“Wait, I remember now. I heard that Youlan Academy’s first and second teams don’t get along. Strongest Moonlight Rabbit should be on the second team…”
“I just saw a post on the Youlan Academy forum. The first and second teams recently clashed over a Rare Species. The first team captain must have been defeated by a second team member, hence her current state.”
“This also suggests that the second team, with Strongest Moonlight Rabbit, is stronger!!!” The girl with glasses suddenly realized something, whispering to her teammates.
Yes, that made sense. The second team must be the true main team…
“I see.” Zi Wutong nodded thoughtfully.
It didn’t matter which team the opponent was on. They would face both the first and second teams, as requested by the Dean of Youlan Academy. After these two matches, after dealing with Strongest Moonlight Rabbit, they would immediately depart for Xiyu Academy.
“Alright, let’s log in!!”
In the dark, empty training room, the ten giant virtual devices lit up. No spectators were allowed during the match, one of the conditions set by Starlight Academy. Before the official league started, they had to ensure their lineup remained secret.
So, even the eager second team members had to wait for the first team’s match to finish before entering for their turn.
After a short wait, as the virtual data uploaded, everyone’s consciousness entered the battle map.
[Game Mode: 5v5 Mixed Battle, Single Pet Deployment]
[Random Map: Hell Chains]
[Starlight Academy Team]
[Silver Dragon’s Dog — Hanging Void (High-Tier · Viral Species)]
[Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty — Misty Rain (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]
[Starlight Academy #3 — Dragonfly Radar (High-Tier · Mechanical Species)]
[Starlight Academy’s Freeloader — Poison Hook (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]
[Licks Zi Wutong’s Feet — Mirror Blade (High-Tier · Weapon Species)]
[VS]
[Youlan Academy Team]
[Youlan Academy’s Strongest — Shadow Helm Giant Python (High-Tier · Biological Species)]
[Loves Wearing Green Hats — Plague Swamp (High-Tier · Viral Species)]
[Youlan Academy, Not Even Dogs Would Stay — Fire Armament · Purple Calamity (High-Tier · Biological Species)]
[Youlan Academy Rank 8 — Wood Spirit (Mid-Tier · Elemental Species)]
[King of Beasts — Water Elemental Commander (Mid-Tier · Elemental Species)]
Entering the virtual battle map, everyone’s expressions turned strange as they saw the displayed IDs. They once again understood why personal IDs were forbidden in the official league, requiring the use of virtual team IDs.
Otherwise, with IDs like White Maple Academy’s Xiao Kui openly advertising…certain services…the entire league broadcast would be shut down…
The randomly selected map was a wide chain bridge, with a raging inferno below. Falling off the bridge resulted in defeat.
“This map is somewhat advantageous for me…” Qi Dong, temporarily freed from her physical limitations in the virtual world, said calmly.
The chain bridge was a straight line with no room for evasion. As long as the Shadow Helm Giant Python charged forward, it could crush the opponents.
Meanwhile, the purple flame bat behind Chi Yan began to activate its combat skill. Countless small bats, the Mid-Tier Biological Species Fire-Extinguishing Remnants, materialized around them, charging towards the other side of the bridge.
To be fair, her Fire Armament, despite being a mutated evolution, was equipped with a useless bat-summoning combat skill. This was partly why mutated evolutions struggled against opponents of the same tier…
“Boom!!!”
Without any communication or coordination, the Shadow Helm Giant Python followed the swarm of bats onto the chain bridge, its massive body blocking everyone’s view, making it almost impossible for them to do anything or even provide support attacks.
After all, the rift between the teammates hadn’t healed yet. They didn’t even think about winning against Starlight Academy, only wanting to experience the difference in strength between them and a top academy.
“Boom, boom, boom—”
Looking at the giant black python approaching like a black wave, almost all the Starlight Academy members stood motionless, showing no intention of resisting. Only a deep purple shadow slowly emerged behind their captain, Zi Wutong.
The pet beast, formed from purple starlight energy, hung upside down in mid-air, only its upper body visible, its lower body hidden in a flat, black void.
High-Tier — Viral Species — Hanging Void!!
A few seconds later, facing the charging Shadow Helm Giant Python, the Hanging Void extended its arms and gently pushed forward. The black void beneath it shot forward like a flying saucer at an invisible speed, passing the Shadow Helm Giant Python and the countless bats, arriving before the Youlan Academy team.
“Whoosh——!!!”
In the next second, the Hanging Void’s body vanished from its original position, teleporting to the other side of the bridge, emerging from the black void.
The Youlan Academy team members didn’t even react to the suddenly appearing purple figure.
“Slap!”
In the next second, Qi Dong, the captain with a faint smile, was slapped in the head by the Hanging Void, her skull shattering. She didn’t even react until the moment of her death.
As blood and brain matter splattered, the Hanging Void quickly moved to Ye Zhuzhi, the green-haired girl.
“Plague Swamp!!!” Ye Zhuzhi’s face paled as she finally reacted, a green swamp of bubbling gas erupting before her.
“Whoosh—”
[Combat Skill: Super Penetration (Dark Purple)]
At the same time, the Hanging Void’s body became translucent. It seemed to have activated some combat skill, ignoring the poisonous gas and passing through the Plague Swamp like a ghost, slapping Ye Zhuzhi across her delicate face.
“Crack—”
“…”
“…”
Less than 20 seconds had passed since the battle began.
Qi Dong and Ye Zhuzhi, the only two with decent combat abilities, were already defeated, their pet beasts disappearing from the battlefield. The Shadow Helm Giant Python, which had almost reached the other side of the bridge, gradually turned to dust…
Chi Yan and the other two team members stared at the blood-covered purple figure in despair.
It was…hopeless…
[Battle concluded]
[Time elapsed: 31 seconds]
[Starlight Academy wins]
After the battle, the Youlan Academy first team members looked at Zi Wutong on the opposite side with shock and horror. Hanging Void…this was a new pet beast she hadn’t shown last year…
This thing’s bizarre ability seemed specifically designed to assassinate Beast Tamers!!!
In just 31 seconds, all five Beast Tamers had been killed, while their pet beasts couldn’t even touch the opponent!!
It seemed Starlight Academy had great ambitions this year…
Meanwhile, the Starlight Academy members casually stood up from their battle devices. Although it was difficult to adapt to such outdated equipment, their captain alone was enough to win.
The difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great…
However, what puzzled Zi Wutong was that she didn’t see any despair or unwillingness in the eyes of Chi Yan and Ye Zhuzhi, the two core members, only a hint of surprise. Normally, after such an easy defeat, they should be feeling regret and shame, right?
But their strange calmness…it was as if…they were used to losing!?
And Captain Qi Dong’s mental state was even more exaggerated…
She wore an expression of utter despair and hopelessness, as if she had given up on life and the upcoming league. After all, in Qi Dong’s mind, being killed by an assassin-type pet beast was just a minor setback.
No matter how strong they were, could they compare to Lian Xing’s Moonlight Rabbit?
Having experienced true humiliation and despair, this level of embarrassment was insignificant…
“Alright, it’s the second team’s turn now, right?”
“Captain, don’t interfere. I want to have some fun!!!” Meanwhile, oblivious to the strange state of the opposing team members, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty excitedly slapped the table.
The door to the training room opened, and the medical personnel entered, preparing to carry the paralyzed Qi Dong onto a stretcher. The Starlight Academy members saw the second team members waiting outside: Hei Lan, Tao Wan, Yin Huomei, and two lower-ranked Supernovas.
After a moment of silence, the green-haired, twintailed girl, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, are you the second team’s core members?”
“Why don’t I see Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? Isn’t she participating in the practice match today?”
“…”
“…”
“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? What’s that?” Tao Wan asked, feigning confusion.
In reality, she already had an answer in mind, but she just wanted to confirm.
“The one named Lian Xing. Isn’t she from your Youlan Academy?” the bespectacled girl from Starlight Academy asked, adjusting her glasses.
“…”
“…”
However, the moment the words “Lian Xing” were spoken, the five Starlight Academy members could clearly sense…
The atmosphere in the room changed drastically…
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