After leaving the team, the adventurer ladies regretted it deeply-Chapter 755 - 520, first in War Merit, attacked and killed the Witch

"Magical creatures killed will be recorded by the Cultivation Bracelet, which contains an automatic identification formation.

Collaborative kills of magical creatures will result in reduced war merit.

Solo combat is encouraged.

Additionally, for this assessment, infighting and mutual slaughter are prohibited by the rules.

If discovered, you will be immediately sent to the Empire’s iron prison.

But my true intent, you should understand.

As long as you’re not discovered, there’s no problem.

You are free to use any means to secure the number-one position in war merit.

Coldmoon Duke’s creed is simple—everything a strong individual does can be forgiven!

The Spring Examination begins!"

Angel’s voice echoed throughout the Ancient Forest.

The branches and leaves of towering trees swayed as dust scattered through the air.

Swish, swish, swish.

The students shot forward like arrows, rushing toward the depths of the forest.

Though magical creatures were abundant, those above Level 50 were not common.

By contrast, even individuals labeled as "Low-Level Light Rank" here could single-handedly challenge Epic-level creatures.

The collective weakness of the group was only apparent when compared to monsters like Volgan, Oren, and Lin Da.

Outside this environment, each of them could be considered a prodigy adventurer.

The Ancient Forest was undoubtedly perilous, but the "cake" it represented only had its core as genuinely tough to swallow.

The middle and outer layers might as well be sweet and delectable.

Lin Da and Lia exchanged a glance, then turned to their team members, as well as the numerous White Dove United participants.

"Move out!"

…

…

In the blink of an eye, six days passed.

At night, in a tent deep within the Ancient Forest, the glow of a Magic Guide Lamp was faint and dim.

A young man with black hair used several wooden crates as a makeshift table, spreading out a map to study the distribution of magical creatures.

Phoenix Tail Flower teammates were also present—Taige lay asleep on the ground, snoring loudly, while the other members meditated cross-legged, surrounded by floating, multi-colored Rule Fragments.

Anna sat across from the "table," and murmured, "Not looking good."

"Hmm, there’s just one day left before the assessment ends. It’s going to be really hard to make a comeback now."

Lin Da spoke with frustration.

From the azure leaderboard created by magic power in the sky, the current standings were clear: War merit third place went to Frostwolf Tribe’s Young Wolf King Volgan, with 157 points.

Second place belonged to [Eye of True Knowledge] Lin Da, with 203 points.

First place held by [Scar] Oren, with an impressive 240 points!

This meant that in just six days, 240 magical creatures above Level 50 had perished under Oren’s hand.

Lin Da’s hope to close a gap of 37 points in the final day seemed almost impossible.

On the first day of the assessment, the magical creatures were unprepared, making it the easiest time to rack up points. By now, however, the creatures had sensed the adventurers’ presence and fled whenever they could.

Although some cunning creatures had even rallied underlings for counterattacks, the adventurers from Ice Abyss were fundamentally different from those impoverished adventurers entering the Ancient Forest to collect magical materials.

In terms of equipment, combat prowess, and battle experience, Ice Abyss adventurers were worlds ahead.

The creature’s retaliation was utterly ineffective, essentially serving themselves up on a silver platter.

Now it was Day Six of the Spring Examination.

Lin Da had spent over ten hours roaming during the day, managing to kill only seven Light Ranked magical creatures.

Each creature was so terrified that it hid away.

"Oren’s strength is beyond what I initially estimated, or perhaps he stumbled upon a magical creature-rich treasure trove."

Fixing his gaze on the spread-out map, Lin Da pondered deeply.

Trying to catch up to Oren within a single day was nearly impossible.

Thinking about the reward for first place, Lin Da let out a sigh.

The gap between first and second place was overwhelming.

First place earned an Ancient Level full set of equipment.

Second place rewarded only a single item.

Just as he was racking his brain for a strategy, Kafni, who was standing guard outside, suddenly called out, "Someone’s approaching! Judging by the aura, it should be Oren!"

"What?!"

Lin Da’s eyelid twitched.

Anna’s eyes also gleamed with surprise.

If Oren secluded himself somewhere safe, his position as war merit leader would remain uncontested.

Why show up to meet them? Was he truly so confident that he could retreat safely?

Lin Da: "How many people are with him?"

Sitting outside the tent, Kafni used the Level 50 rare technique [Comprehensive Investigation] to sense the surroundings and responded, "Three."

"Three? Phoenix Tail Flower is being underestimated."

Whether Oren was reckless or had unrivaled skill was yet to be seen.

A moment later, Oren’s group of three arrived.

"Good evening."

Oren, bare-chested and wearing only a pair of black trousers, walked with hands in his pockets, flanked by Alexander and Mi San.

"What, not inviting us in to sit? I paid quite a price to gather intel on you all."

"Please." Lin Da replied impassively, pulling back the tent flap.

He was eager to see what kind of scheme Oren had in mind.

Oren appeared oblivious to the Phoenix Tail Flower members’ hostile gazes, calmly entering the tent and taking a seat.

Lin Da instructed Tasya to pour several cups of water, placing them before Oren’s group.

He then glanced at Mi San, who appeared uncomfortable, and at Alexander’s empty right sleeve.

The three-meter-tall giant was curled up awkwardly in the small tent, presenting a comical figure with unease etched across his face.

Mi San seemed introspective, likely still haunted by the pain of a previous battle.

He behaved well, refraining from provocation or showing any sign of distaste.

Lin Da grew increasingly curious—what was their purpose in seeking him out?

Oren folded his hands together atop his knees and bluntly stated, "From now on, I will cease hunting magical creatures."

"What does that mean?" Lin Da frowned.

"Exactly what it sounds like. If you work hard, you should be able to surpass my 240 war merit and claim the top spot."

"Why would you do this?"

"Haha, yes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch on Mystic Continent. I do indeed have a request for you." Oren said slowly, "Are you interested in eliminating one of the Demons’ Twelve Belongings?"

"Twelve Belongings?" Lin Da asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I’ve tracked one of the Twelve Belongings and know their movements. The enemy is exposed while we remain hidden—success is practically guaranteed.