Just like Yuan Zi’s Little Rose, Ning Li’s [Necromancer] also comes with its own innate talent.
Little Rose can emit the fragrance of roses, making people feel refreshed, clearing the mind and brightening the eyes.
But the [Necromancer]’s talent is—
Slaughter.
How miraculous, that a Guide’s spirit entity would possess an offensive talent that should only belong to Sentinels.
The moment she saw Scarface’s spirit entity, Ning Li knew she could win.
It’s like solving a math problem.
Some problems, you can see through at a glance, confident you can solve them easily.
Some problems, you know will take more time; you know the steps, just need to sort them out, and you’ll still reach the answer in the end.
And some, you have no clue about, and no matter how much time you’re given, you still won’t get the right answer.
Whether you can solve a math problem or not, the moment you see the question, you already have a sense.
Similarly, whether she could win this fight, Ning Li had already judged in her heart the moment they met face to face.
In a battle between two sides, experience is certainly important, but talent is equally crucial.
Among spirit entities, there’s a clear and distinct food chain.
The higher up the spirit entity is, the stronger its talent.
Scarface is just an ordinary Sentinel with the most basic talent.
Otherwise, he should be an officer by now, not a mere pawn.
If he had outstanding talent, he wouldn’t be here, doing such shady business.
In other words, he’s just an insignificant cannon fodder.
Fortunately, Ning Li’s talent is stronger than his.
The gulf between their talents is so wide it easily makes up for the gap in experience.
Ning Li had carefully chosen this residential building.
It was quiet here, with no one around = her secret wouldn’t be discovered.
It was cramped and narrow = Scarface wouldn’t be able to escape easily.
Scarface thought she’d stumbled in here out of panic, not knowing this was a place she’d specifically chosen for killing and looting.
Scarface thought she was a weak, defenseless Guide, but he didn’t know that the [Necromancer] had nothing to do with weakness or softness.
The nearly two-meter-tall [Necromancer] stood in the corridor, its towering figure blocking out the light, darkness and fear pressing in on Scarface together.
Under the [Necromancer]’s hood, two ghostly flames glowed with a green light, as if a grim reaper, cold and merciless, was raising its “scythe” toward Scarface.
The Panther howled in agony and dissipated, the cries of pain in the corridor lingering for a long time.
Even at the moment of death, Scarface didn’t understand why he’d capsized in such shallow waters.
The person he was supposed to deal with should have been an ordinary, ordinary new Guide……………….
He should have been able to complete this task easily, find the missing Amber Eye, and earn the Commander’s praise and recognition……………….
This young Guide should have been begging him for mercy in tears, looking at him helplessly and pleading for leniency, not raising a scythe against him……
It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
It shouldn’t have been like this.
He had so many questions in his heart.
But, he would never get the answers now.
After dealing with Scarface, Ning Li leaned against the wall, exhausted.
Taking down Scarface had drained almost all her mental strength; for a rookie, doing this kind of thing was still a bit overwhelming.
She closed her eyes, as usual, to check her own spirit landscape.
But this time, what she saw made a heavy look appear in her eyes.
The once bright Bright Moon now had a thin layer of blood-red, the moonlight spilling onto the winding Star River, making the water shimmer with crimson.
What was this?
Her previously clear and lively spirit landscape was now tinged with a faint red, as if a filter had been added, changing the entire tone, the very essence of the scene.
If the former Bright Moon and Star River were vast, dazzling, and dreamy, now they carried a trace of darkness and eeriness.
It was like a finished painting splashed with ink, the original cool clarity utterly ruined.
These changes happened after she killed Scarface with her own hands.
Why had her spirit landscape changed like this?
Was this change good or bad?
Before she found the answer, Ning Li would probably act more cautiously.
After dealing with her most pressing problem, Ning Li rolled once through the Abnormal Species.
Her once clean school uniform was now tattered and dirty, looking much more disheveled, with scrapes on her arms and legs.
She held her left arm with her right hand, weaving her way through the Abnormal Species.
Yuan Zi had vanished somewhere, and along the way, she hadn’t run into any familiar faces.
When Ning Li found a random spot to rest, Xiao Hei came trotting over with a bead covered in black lines.
【Bead.】
【Scarface’s.】
【Ugly.】
Ning Li reached out to take it.
The bead that belonged to Scarface was about the size of a marble, covered in black lines, with faint black mist swirling around its surface.
This was Resentment.
What had Scarface been thinking before he died?
Regret, remorse, and deep, deep resentment?
Ning Li casually pocketed the bead.
It wasn’t something from within the Domain, so she could take it out—might as well treat it as a trophy.
After putting it away, Ning Li patted Xiao Hei on the flower crown, praising, “Good job.”
Xiao Hei wobbled its head, deciding that, after being praised, it would definitely collect more things in the future.
On the battlefield blazing with fire, a piercing eagle cry suddenly rang out, the long call slicing through the sky and completely igniting the battle.
With her sharp eyesight, Ning Li saw a Golden Eagle appear abruptly in the air.
Its wings were full, talons sharp as blades, slashing through the black smoke as it soared straight for the Human-faced Deformed Species at the center of the battlefield.
This was—
A Sentinel’s spirit entity?
That’s right, there had been more than three people who came from the front lines to Border Guide Academy looking for the bead.
The three Scarface she’d encountered were only in charge of the girls’ dorm.
Besides the girls’ dorm, there were the boys’ dorm, teachers’ apartments, and the campus itself.
The campus was also being searched.
There were at least a dozen Sentinels looking for the bead.
It seemed they couldn’t hold back anymore.
Sure enough, the next second, a Fat Tiger appeared in her field of vision.
The Golden Eagle took the lead, and Fat Tiger followed close behind.
This spirit entity looked fat and round, its belly almost dragging on the ground, but it was surprisingly agile.
In a few swift moves, it closed in on the Human-faced Deformed Species, its thick paw pad swiping out with a fierce strike.
This action thoroughly enraged all the Abnormal Species on the field.
Although this was just a replay of past events, these fake Abnormal Species were still quite dangerous.
The Human-faced Deformed Species, covered in countless human faces, spun rapidly in the air like a ball.
Each face spat out something that looked like a seed.
Ning Li heard an unfamiliar shout from the field, “Everyone, get back!”
The [Necromancer] excelled at sensing death, eeriness, and ill omens.
And those seeds were wrapped in a thick, sinister aura.
After the Golden Eagle and Fat Tiger, a third spirit entity—a Python—appeared on the field.
The Python was about ten meters long, as thick as a basketball, and with a flick of its tail, it sent an Abnormal Species flying a meter away.
Xiao Hei wobbled its head.
【This big Python isn’t very good.】
All the Sentinels searching for the bead were just ordinary Sentinels; their spirit entities weren’t particularly strong offensively.
But numbers mattered.
The outcome of this battle was still uncertain.
In no time, the Golden Eagle, Fat Tiger, and Python were entangled with the Abnormal Species.
It seemed the Domain’s weak point was this Human-faced Deformed Species.
The other nearly hundred Abnormal Species were all fake; only this one was real.
Taking advantage of the Abnormal Species focusing on the spirit entities, Ning Li began looking for Yuan Zi.
Fortunately, Yuan Zi hadn’t run far.
After searching for a quarter of an hour, the two finally managed to meet up.
Seeing Ning Li looking so battered, her clothes covered in mud and dead leaves, Yuan Zi grabbed her arm anxiously and asked, “Are you okay?”
Ning Li shook her head, “I’m fine.”
Yuan Zi’s lips were as pale as paper.
“What about that guy?”
Ning Li had already prepared her explanation.
“I lured him into the Abnormal Species.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zi gasped, “You’re way too bold!” If anything had gone wrong, neither she nor Scarface would have fared well.
Everyone else ran at the sight of the Abnormal Species, but she’d actually approached them on purpose!
That was far too dangerous!
Ning Li said, “He kept chasing me. I had no other choice but to set the wolves on the tiger.”
The wolves were the Abnormal Species, the tiger was Scarface.
Yuan Zi lowered her voice, and even though there was no one else around, she still seemed afraid someone would overhear, and whispered, “Is he dead?”
“He should be.”
Yuan Zi let out a breath of relief.
“Good. He’s dead.”
Then she grew serious, “Li, I don’t know what you picked up, but that thing is trouble. Right now it’s Scarface and his two partners, but who knows who else might come looking for it in the future. Have you thought about how you’re going to handle it?”
Before Ning Li could answer, Yuan Zi continued, “Don’t worry, I’ll take this secret to my grave. I won’t tell anyone. But you’d better handle this quickly, or the consequences will be endless.”
In the Domain, they could use the Abnormal Species to deal with people like Scarface.
But once they left the Domain?
Who knew if they could even keep the thing, or if it would bring them more trouble.
Yuan Zi actually wanted Ning Li to throw it away, but it was Ning Li’s thing, and she had no right to interfere.
Ning Li nodded, “I know.”
After learning Scarface’s fate, Yuan Zi finally managed a small smile.
“Now the two of us are in the same boat.”
As one of the insiders, Yuan Zi knew she was also on Scarface’s hit list.
If Ning Li hadn’t lured Scarface into the Abnormal Species, she’d be in danger too.
She didn’t know exactly what the thing was, but she knew it was important.
All she could do was keep the secret.
“He didn’t tell his partners about this, did he?”
Ning Li thought carefully, then confirmed, “No.”
Scarface was too confident, thinking he had her in the palm of his hand, and never even took out his communication device.
If Ning Li guessed right, Scarface probably wanted to take all the credit for himself, which was why he acted alone.
If he wanted all the credit, there’s no way he’d tell anyone else.
In other words, they were safe for now.
As they talked, the situation on the field changed again.
A dense crowd of Abnormal Species surrounded them, throwing the Golden Eagle, Fat Tiger, and Python off their rhythm.
Ning Li frowned slightly.
Clearly, this Domain was created by two Abnormal Species working together.
The Human-faced Deformed Species should be one of them.
The other one was still hiding somewhere.
Their opponent was strong, but the Sentinels had only sent out three spirit entities so far.
Were they still searching for a weakness, or waiting for something?
Very soon, Ning Li realized what they were waiting for.
They were waiting for reinforcements.
These three spirit entities were only meant to stall the Abnormal Species and keep them from harming the Guides.
Suddenly, ripples spread through the air.
This was the effect of Space Fluctuation.
The next moment, a Wavebreaker Megalodon the size of ten buses twisted its body, forcefully tearing through space, as if emerging from the deep sea.
It brought with it the salty scent of seawater and the pressure of the deep, drenching the entire battlefield in damp mist.
As seawater splashed onto the Abnormal Species, it exploded like bombs, and those once terrifying Abnormal Species vanished one after another.
The flames, black smoke, and firelight disappeared in an instant.
Yuan Zi was surprised, but not entirely so.
“Wavebreaker Megalodon.”
Ning Li didn’t want to seem completely ignorant about the Sentinel world, so even when she heard an unfamiliar term, she kept quiet.
Luckily, Yuan Zi was eager to share and started explaining without being asked.
“That’s the spirit entity of the current Commander’s Vice Commander.”
Then, in a flat tone, she added, “Looks like the Commander is nearby.”
Everyone knew that the Vice Commander and Commander were always inseparable.
In times of crisis, the Vice Commander was the Commander’s last line of defense.
Since the Vice Commander had taken action, the Commander must be nearby.
“Besides the Vice Commander, the Commander also has Personal Guards.”
“The Captain of the Guard is very strong.”
“But this Domain isn’t high-level, so there’s no need for the Captain of the Guard to act personally.”
After the Wavebreaker Megalodon appeared, the whole vast Domain was filled with the smell of seawater, a hint of salt, and an indescribable natural freshness.
This giant shark was massive, its body blue and white, fierce, dangerous, and cold.
The Human-faced Deformed Species, which had left ordinary Sentinels helpless, was instantly defeated.
The other Abnormal Species hiding in the shadows were probably also targeted by the seawater and blown up.
The Domain was slowly dissipating.
The previously dark environment faded, and the original world gradually reappeared, as if the tide had receded, revealing the sand beneath.
The owner of the Wavebreaker Megalodon hadn’t even shown up, yet the crisis before them was resolved with ease.
Is this the power of a high-level Sentinel?
When Ning Li opened her eyes again, she and Yuan Zi were already back in the cramped storage room.
Yuan Zi stood up, dusted herself off, and said, “We’re safe.”
Although she’d only known Yuan Zi for three months, Ning Li keenly sensed her mood wasn’t high.
Why?
Before Ning Li could ask, Yuan Zi spoke up, eager to share.
“The Former Commander’s Vice Commander’s spirit entity was a Deepsea Whale. It was a very round, very cute, blue-and-white whale. I just……………After seeing the Wavebreaker Megalodon, I couldn’t help but think of that very friendly whale.”
That was a whale that didn’t care they were just poor border folks, as friendly as the Commander.
Ning Li understood.
This was a scene that brought back sad memories.
She asked, “Is that whale doing well?”
Yuan Zi shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
She sighed, “I only heard news about that Vice Commander five years ago. I heard he went back to his hometown to farm.”
As for now?
No idea, no information.
Those who had truly followed the Former Commander from the heart—how could they willingly serve a new master?
All that awaited them was to lay down arms and return to the fields.
As they talked, the Headmaster of the Guide Academy made an announcement over the broadcast, telling all Guides to return to their classrooms.
When they got to the classroom, most students’ clothes were torn and dirty, so Ning Li didn’t stand out at all.
The homeroom teacher first took attendance, and after confirming there were no casualties, finally showed a faint smile.
She said, “This time, the Academy was attacked by Abnormal Species. The Commander happened to be nearby, so he will meet with everyone via video chat soon.”