The low roar of an engine echoed beneath the old dormitory building as the silver sports car, looking entirely out of place in its dilapidated surroundings, roared to life.
Its streamlined body shimmered with a cold luster in the morning light, resembling a steel predator poised to strike.
Ange sat in the driver’s seat, her long silver hair draped casually behind her.
Her purple eyes were focused intently on the road ahead, hands gripped firmly on the steering wheel.
Sakika and Ingrid sat side by side in the back seat. Sakika was as quiet as ever, seeming to blend into the environment.
Ingrid, however, appeared slightly nervous, straightening her collar as if preparing for an important ceremony.
The passenger seat was naturally occupied by Huayin.
She sat with her legs elegantly crossed, her fiery red hair fluttering like a burning banner, her face alight with a spark of eager excitement.
With the muffled thud of the final door closing, Ange slowly drove the sports car away from the dormitory area and merged into the sparse morning traffic.
Their destination: City Center Hospital, where a demon was rumored to be lurking.
“Listen up,” Ange’s voice broke the silence inside the car, her tone uncharacteristically serious.
“In principle, I believe the Academy’s higher-ups wouldn’t assign a mission that far exceeds the capabilities of a group of novices. However…” She shifted her tone, her gaze scanning the three students through the rearview mirror.
“The Academy’s intelligence department isn’t omniscient. They make mistakes occasionally. The consequence of an intelligence error is that the three of you might end up facing a vicious opponent whose strength is on an entirely different level.”
Hearing this, Huayin let out a disdainful huff and tilted her chin up slightly.
“If that’s the case, it’s the unlucky demon who should be regretting that it was targeted by me, Huayin Phoenix.”
Ingrid, meanwhile, caught the key point in Ange’s words. Her deep blue eyes filled with doubt.
“An opponent on an entirely different level? Teacher, do you mean…?”
Sitting beside her, Sakika provided the answer in her characteristic, emotionless monotone, as if solving a math problem.
“Don’t overthink it, Ingrid. Ange Teacher’s meaning is simple. If we encounter an unexpectedly powerful enemy, we are to immediately execute a tactical relocation without looking back. In other words, run away as fast as possible.”
“Yes, exactly,” Ange confirmed Sakika’s explanation.
“You must learn to evaluate the battlefield yourselves. If the enemy’s strength clearly exceeds the limits of what you can handle, do not hesitate. Retreat immediately and report the situation to me as soon as possible. This isn’t cowardice; it is the survival wisdom of a Demon Hunter.”
Huayin arched an eyebrow, her red eyes turning toward Ange with clear skepticism.
“Aren’t you coming with us? Are you just going to wait outside?”
“Of course I’m coming,” Ange replied, her eyes still fixed on the road.
“Barring any accidents, I will move with you, observing and guiding from the shadows. However, don’t count on me to intervene directly. This mission is your assessment. My responsibility is to teach you and only intervene when it is truly necessary… when it’s a matter of life and death.”
“Heh,” Huayin let out a knowing chuckle.
“So you’re a hands-off boss then? Well, that makes things easy for you. Don’t worry, we can handle the mission ourselves.”
Seeing Huayin’s overflowing confidence, as if victory was already in her grasp, Ange couldn’t help but roll her eyes in exasperation.
Promptly, she raised a more realistic and thornier issue.
“Huayin, you seem very confident. So why don’t you look at the most practical problem right now?” Ange slowed the car down.
“Class E has thirty-two people, and they’re led by an experienced mentor. All of them will be participating in this mission. They’ll be spreading a massive net throughout the hospital. We only have four people. How can we compete with them in terms of efficiency?”
“That isn’t a problem.” Huayin’s answer was dismissive, almost as if it were a matter of course.
“Oh?” Ange blinked her purple eyes, her interest piqued by Huayin’s words as she waited for her to continue.
The next moment, as if announcing a major piece of news, Huayin elegantly clapped her hands and turned her gaze toward the back seat.
“Tell her, Sakika. I paid you your compensation, after all. Share the intelligence you gathered with everyone.”
Having been called upon, Sakika lifted her dark eyes and stated calmly.
“Fine. Using the power of my bloodline, I listened in on some information regarding Class E within the Academy. Most of them only recently awakened lower-tier bloodlines. They were ordinary people who stumbled into this world halfway, much like my previous situation. They lack systematic training and actual combat experience. Their organization and sense of purpose won’t be very strong.”
“Exactly!” Huayin took over the conversation.
“Although they have the advantage in numbers, which seems unfair, we possess even more unfair conditions!”
Ingrid tilted her head curiously.
“What do you mean, Huayin?”
Huayin’s red lips curled into a smile as she announced each word clearly.
“I’m rich.”
‘Great…’ Ange sighed inwardly. A familiar premonition that the Eldest Miss was about to cause trouble surged in her heart.
Sure enough, Huayin’s next words made her face cramp.
“I pulled a few strings through my family’s connections,” she said, smugly wagging a finger.
“I’ve forged brand-new identities for the four of us! Specifically, three secretaries from the Phoenix Foundation who are here to inspect a charitable medical project, and one…”
She deliberately let her gaze linger on Ange’s suddenly frozen profile, pronouncing each word slowly.
“One distinguished professor from a renowned medical school—Lady Angelina!”
“What?!” Ange slammed on the brakes, causing the sports car to jerk.
She turned her head in disbelief and glared at Huayin, her voice rising several octaves.
“You did what?! A professor?! Do I look like an academic to you?!”
Huayin seemed extremely satisfied with her reaction, her smile becoming even more radiant.
“What do you think? The people from Class E can only lurk outside the hospital like field mice, occasionally trying to sneak one or two people in for reconnaissance. But us!”
She spread her arms, her delicate face full of confidence.
“We get to stay there as VIPs! We’ll conduct our investigation while living inside the hospital! I’d like to see where that demon can hide then!”
From the back seat, Sakika played along in a perfectly flat, robotic tone.
“Wow, how amazing. Round of applause.” She even gave two symbolic claps.
Ingrid, however, seemed more concerned. She whispered, “Huayin, is… is this safe? If the fake identities are discovered…”
“Oh, please, what are you afraid of, Ingrid?” Huayin waved it off dismissively.
“It’s only for a few days. It’ll be fine. We’ll find and eliminate that demon soon anyway, and then we’ll make a graceful exit. Whatever mess is left behind isn’t our concern. That’s for the Academy’s logistics and intelligence departments to worry about.”
“It’s a huge problem!” Ange leaned against her hand, feeling her temples begin to throb.
“How did I become a professor?! I don’t even know which way the front door of a medical school faces! And ‘Lady Angelina’? That name sounds way too formal!”
Looking at Huayin’s smug expression of a plan coming together, Ange suddenly felt a strong urge to turn the car around and go home.
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