Chapter 76: Caution

Chapter 76: Caution

As soon as Chen Shouyi stepped into the spatial gateway, an invisible wind within a radius of one or two meters automatically swirled toward him. He keenly noticed that his wind control ability had improved significantly. In the past, he could only manipulate faint breezes.

And now… he could still only manipulate faint breezes.

Of course, there was still progress.

Before, he could blow away an ant. Now, he could probably blow away a fly.

By that comparison, his progress was nothing short of miraculous.

……

"Are you okay?" Zhou Xue suddenly asked from behind.

Chen Shouyi snapped out of his thoughts and realized he had been standing still for a while. He quickly released his control over the air and descended the steps.

He sighed inwardly. Despite manipulating the wind for so long, the person just a few steps behind him hadn’t noticed a thing.

……

This spatial gateway wasn’t flush with the ground but hovered half a meter above it. For convenience, a set of man-made steps had been built here for entry and exit.

He walked down the steps and surveyed his surroundings.

He wasn’t entirely sure if this was an island. Aside from the beach visible about 200-300 meters to the left, the rest of the area was covered in rolling hills and lush trees. If it really was an island, it must be astonishingly big.

"Everyone, come get your weapons. If you can’t find anything suitable, go back to the warehouse and get your own," the proctor announced loudly.

Watching the many examinees ahead moving cautiously, Chen Shouyi followed the crowd at a slow pace.

He didn’t want to show off—it was pointless.

Moreover, his identity might still be somewhat problematic. Rather than drawing attention and increasing risks by standing out, it was better to blend in and pass the assessment smoothly.

The weapons were piled together, left behind by the previous batch of examinees.

Bows, sabers, swords, spears—there was a wide variety.

Unlike the other examinees who picked and chose, Chen Shouyi casually grabbed a sword, a bow, and a quiver.

After equipping himself, he stood to the side.

A young proctor nearby glanced at Chen Shouyi, looking slightly surprised, and remarked, "You’ve got pretty good physical conditioning!"

"Thank you, proctor. I’ve always been quite strong," Chen Shouyi replied quickly.

No matter how much he tried to conceal it, some details were impossible to hide. For instance, his movements were unnaturally smooth, showing no stiffness from walking under threefold gravity. His demeanor, too, lacked the tension most examinees displayed, as if facing a life-or-death situation.

Nearby, Zhou Xue, who was adjusting the sword at her waist, overheard the proctor’s praise and couldn’t help but glance curiously at Chen Shouyi.

Suddenly, she felt that he seemed different. His skin had become fairer, almost glowing, and his eyes were brighter and deeper, carrying a mysterious aura.

He was still the same person, with the same features.

If before he had been merely somewhat handsome, now it was as if a filter had been applied, making him strikingly vivid and radiant.

A faint blush rose to Zhou Xue’s cheeks as she averted her gaze and muttered under her breath.

Men are all trouble!

……

In truth, even Chen Shouyi hadn’t noticed. Upon entering the Otherworld, his awakened Natural Healing talent not only granted him an almost monstrous regenerative ability but also subtly altered his appearance, making him more charismatic.

"Those who want to come with me, gather here," the young proctor who had spoken earlier said. He was also fully armed. Immediately, Chen Shouyi, Zhou Xue, and a group of others who had already geared up walked over.

"You, you, you, and you—go to the other proctors. The rest will follow me." The proctor counted the group, dismissed a few extra individuals, then led the team toward the beach.

"Be careful while walking. Many before you were unlucky enough to trip and had to withdraw from the assessment. That would be a real shame," the proctor kindly reminded.

He appeared to be in his late twenties, with a friendly face. Perhaps because he seemed approachable, several women who considered themselves attractive began trying their luck:

"Big brother, please look out for me later."

That was the more reserved approach.

"After the test, I’ll treat you to coffee tonight."

That was the bolder one.

Chen Shouyi soon noticed the proctor give a faint chuckle before turning back with a stern expression. "I’ll mark both of you with a Warning this time. If you harass a proctor again, your assessment will be an automatic zero. When I decide to 'look out' for someone, it’s usually because they’ve already failed. So remember—never ask for special treatment!"

The two women flushed with embarrassment, their faces alternating between pale and red. The other examinees who had been considering cozying up to the proctor quickly abandoned the idea.

The proctor continued, "A reminder—the beach is full of birds, and they’re highly aggressive. Don’t get too close, or you’ll provoke a swarm attack. If too many come at once, even I might not be able to protect you in time. And if I have to step in, your assessment is over. Also, if this happens, immediately crouch and cover your head—otherwise, you might lose an eye."

Chen Shouyi, who had been somewhat indifferent, now listened carefully. A swarm attack from these birds could indeed be dangerous.

Before long, he could already see a large flock of gray birds leisurely pacing the shallows, occasionally dipping their beaks into the water and stirring up small splashes as if searching for food.

These birds were slightly larger than pigeons, with thick, short beaks that curved slightly at the tip—clearly designed for tearing. Given the Strength of Otherworld creatures, an ordinary Martial Artist Apprentice would likely suffer torn flesh if bitten.

As the group drew closer, some examinees began breathing faster, their steps growing hesitant.

A distance of just over 200 meters took them nearly five minutes to cover. The flock on the beach was now alarmingly close—the nearest bird only about 50 to 60 meters away.

"Alright, stop here! Five at a time will go forward. You have exactly one minute for the assessment—exceed it, and you fail. Who’s brave enough to go first?"

Chen Shouyi stepped forward without hesitation. Soon, three others mustered their courage and joined him.

Zhou Xue glanced at Chen Shouyi, hesitated for a moment, then decided to wait and observe how others handled it first.

"One more to go. Since no one's volunteering, I'll pick—you." The proctor, accustomed to such situations, pointed directly at one of the women he had warned earlier.

The beautiful woman’s expression darkened, but under the gaze of the seemingly strict proctor, she dared not act out.

Soon, the five of them cautiously moved forward.

A few nearby Gray Birds stirred slightly. Chen Shouyi, walking faster than the others, eyed the closest bird as the distance narrowed. He drew an Arrow, nocked it on his Bow, and pulled the string taut.

The Bow was too light.

He frowned.

Having grown used to a 500-pound heavy Bow, this 300-pound one felt awkward and difficult to control.

He mentally calculated the effect of the gravity on the Arrow’s trajectory.

To be safe, he advanced another dozen meters.

Just then, the bird was startled by Chen Shouyi’s movement, flapping its wings and lunging fiercely toward him.

At the same moment, Chen Shouyi released the Bowstring.

The bird had barely risen two meters when it plummeted, an Arrow embedded in its body.

"Passed. You can return."

Hearing the proctor’s voice, Chen Shouyi turned back.

But after only a few steps, Zhou Xue’s shout rang out: "Watch out!"

Almost instantly, his Perception detected something blurry closing in. Without hesitation, he abandoned any pretense of hiding his strength, swiftly unsheathing his Longsword and spinning around with a Slash. A flash like lightning split the air, and a Gray Bird was cleaved in two, crashing to the ground.

Damn it. Too careless. I actually attracted another one.

The proctor slowly relaxed his Bow, which had been drawn into a crescent, and gave Chen Shouyi a meaningful look.

By all rights, he should have fired an Arrow the moment he saw the Gray Bird attack. But he had suspected the young man was holding back and wanted to see how he’d react. Sure enough, his hunch was correct.

Upon returning to the group:

"That was incredible! That slash was so fast I couldn’t even see it!"

"Do you have eyes on the back of your head? How did you even hit that?"

"Young people these days are getting scarier by the day."

"Just luck. Heh, I didn’t expect to land that hit either."

...

Before long, the others returned as well. All four who had volunteered passed the assessment—after all, those willing to step forward in the first round were confident in their abilities.

Only the beautiful woman failed.

After missing her shot, she panicked when the enraged Gray Bird charged at her, crouching far too early with her arms shielding her head. In the end, the proctor had to shoot the bird down.

The proctor took out a notebook, recorded the names and IDs of those who passed, and dismissed them. Many immediately headed for the exit—lingering under triple gravity was torture even for Martial Artist Apprentices.

Chen Shouyi stayed behind, waiting for Zhou Xue to finish her assessment before leaving together.

Compared to the first round, the second was brutal. One examinee tripped and broke his arm while dodging a Gray Bird, while two others swung their swords wildly, ending up bloodied by the birds’ talons.

Only two passed in that round.

By the third round, Zhou Xue finally mustered the courage to step forward.

She carefully took out an arrow and moved forward cautiously. After advancing about 20 to 30 meters, she stopped, took a long time to aim, and finally released the shot.

However, she was still too nervous.

Not only did she miss, but the arrow also flew too far. It sailed past the Gray Bird and landed directly into the flock, immediately attracting two of them.

There was no time to shoot again. Zhou Xue hastily discarded her War Bow and drew her Longsword, clearly unwilling to give up.

Chen Shouyi's expression darkened slightly as he watched.

Her stiff movements made it obvious she couldn’t handle two Gray Birds at once.

If she gave up, it would just mean failure. But if she stubbornly persisted, a few scratches to the face could easily disfigure her. For a beauty-conscious young girl, that would be no different from ruining her life.

After a brief hesitation, Chen Shouyi swiftly nocked an arrow and shot at one of the Gray Birds.

The distance was a bit too far, and the arrow was too slow and unsteady. It grazed the bird but didn’t hit.

Fortunately, the startled creature immediately shifted its aggression, darting straight toward Chen Shouyi instead.

Without a moment’s pause, he drew another arrow, nocked it, and fired again—all within less than 0.3 seconds.

With a twang, the Gray Bird let out a shrill cry and plummeted straight down.

With one bird diverted, Zhou Xue’s tension eased. Focusing on the remaining Gray Bird, she seized the perfect moment, lunged forward, and thrust her sword—piercing it cleanly through the chest in the next instant.

Nearby, the Proctor kept his War Bow drawn, scanning the surroundings as he remarked, "Your little girlfriend?"

Seeing Zhou Xue successfully kill one of the Gray Birds, Chen Shouyi sighed in relief. "Uh, no. We just came together."

"You know, what you did counts as helping someone cheat. That’s grounds for disqualification," the Proctor said.

"Come on, man. No need to be so strict, right?"

Now that he’d already shown his skill, Chen Shouyi felt a bit more at ease.

"Everyone has to kill however many they attract!"

"In the Otherworld, caution is an absolute necessity. Those who aren’t careful die fast. But fine—since your little girlfriend managed to kill one, I’ll let it slide this time."