Encounter Battle

The old city stretched for hundreds of kilometers, but Ye Lan didn’t need to wander aimlessly in search of his gear.

The weapon drop locations were marked on the emblem’s map.

The emblem’s 3D projection map offered far more clarity than a flat 2D map.

In this jungle of ruined buildings, it allowed students to plan their routes with much greater precision.

“Looks like my luck isn’t bad.”

According to the map, Ye Lan’s gear was inside a crumbling high-rise, about one kilometer from the crash site.

“…”

Su Lixiao’s silence said it all—her luck was terrible.

Her equipment was stored nine kilometers away, in a basement.

Nine kilometers didn’t sound too far in a straight line.

But the ruins of the city blocked every path, and the intact building above that basement suggested the area was occupied.

That was a big problem.

The academy had placed the drops this way on purpose.

Soul Slayer Military Academy operated several automated factories on Beacon Star.

The planet’s vast underground transport network, combined with near-lightspeed drones, meant that student gear could be delivered anywhere—high in the air, deep in the sea, on the ground, or underground—within ten minutes.

The academy deliberately made the drops inconvenient.

It was called a “freshman privilege.”

The official reasoning was: only by struggling empty-handed could students truly understand how precious weapons were.

“Damn it! Why is mine so far away?”

Su Lixiao vented her frustration by kicking a nearby boulder.

From the outside, it looked ridiculous.

A small girl kicking a rock taller than herself—surely she’d be the one to get hurt.

But in truth, the boulder was the one in danger.

“Crack—crash—”

With one kick, the stone shattered.

Now, every rock they passed got a kick from her.

Only the sturdiest ones survived.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll go with you.”

Ye Lan gave a bitter smile, trying to calm her.

After all, he didn’t want his head used as a football.

Complaints aside, they still needed the equipment.

Following the rule of proximity, they would collect Ye Lan’s first.

A kilometer wasn’t far.

Chatting as they walked, they quickly closed in.

“Thump—thump—thump—”

Heavy footsteps approached.

Just as the ruined tower with Ye Lan’s gear came into view, he pulled Su Lixiao into the ruins of a nearby shop.

“Sounds like five people,” whispered Su Lixiao.

“Two in front, two in back… one’s footsteps have disappeared. Must’ve broken formation.”

Her hearing was extraordinary.

Even without headsets, she could deduce formation from footsteps.

Ye Lan could only tell there were multiple people.

“One missing… maybe the sniper’s set up.”

He realized they might have already been discovered.

All those shattered rocks Su Lixiao had left behind had made quite a noise.

“Clang! Clang!”

Metal boots struck concrete.

From the sound, Ye Lan judged the four were within ten meters.

His gear was in the opposite building.

If he stood up a little straighter, he could see the military-green crate through the broken glass.

But a shattered street lay between.

Crossing meant breaking through the upperclassmen.

Without weapons, he and Su Lixiao would be target dummies.

A deadlock.

Worse, if the upperclassmen spotted the crate, they could camp it.

That would be disastrous.

He needed to act.

“I’ll distract them. You grab the gear.”

Su Lixiao didn’t give him time to hesitate.

She gripped her tactical dagger and rose to her feet.

“Be careful,” Ye Lan said.

“You should be the one careful—not to get hit by a stray shot.”

She smiled confidently.

Running her fingers through wind-tossed hair, she showed no trace of pre-battle nerves.

Ye Lan could only give a wry smile.

In truth, he didn’t need to worry about her.

She might lack gear, but she had her powers.

Anyone who could casually shatter boulders wasn’t easy prey.

Su Lixiao pressed against the wall, holding her breath, measuring the distance to the nearest target.

Their equipment gap was massive.

Even with her powers, she needed surprise to win.

Overhead, the gray clouds began to part.

Sunlight broke through the cracks, casting light on the ruins.

Human pupils couldn’t adjust instantly to such changes.

That moment of blindness was what Su Lixiao wanted.

She burst from the shadows, lunging at the nearest upperclassman.

He looked like the squad leader.

Holding an SMG and shield, he led the way, ever vigilant.

But the sudden glare made him squint.

By the time he realized, the dagger’s edge was already flashing in the sun.

“Clang!”

Sparks burst as blade met shield.

His reaction was fast.

Sensing danger, he had raised the shield just in time.

Su Lixiao hadn’t expected her confident strike to be blocked.

Looking closely, she realized all four wore exoskeletons.

The powered suits enhanced strength and speed, cutting into her advantage.

A single dagger couldn’t pierce such defenses.

She chose to retreat, trying to open distance.

“Fire!”

The leader gave no chance to breathe.

At his command, the two in the rear raised their laser machine guns.

“Rat-tat-tat—”

Red beams spat out at extreme speed.

Where they struck, glowing molten spots appeared.

Thin materials were pierced or cut clean through.

Su Lixiao was forced to move even faster.