Astral Pet Store Novel - Chapter 280
Chapter 280: Her Turn
As the first group of participants finished the test, the working staff and paramedics hurried onto the stage to clean things up.
Some in a more serious condition were carried off on stretchers for a more thorough treatment.
Those who were carrying the stretchers were a type of pet frequently used in Grade A Class Three hospitals, the Adorkable Grass.
Adorkable Grass was a kind of pet of the plant family with a third-rank bloodline. They were not particularly skillful in battle but came with healing skills, such as anesthesia, the ability to stop bleeding, and initial medical treatment. Because of their mild nature, this type of pet had been removed from the list of battle pets and was regarded at the moment as a living companion.
The living companion pets could be everywhere across the streets and alleyways. They had no battle power but had ornamental value, or could perform other functions. Some pets could pave the road, some could heal wounds, and some could work as GPS to guide the visually impaired people.
The good-natured Adorkable Grasses ran back and forth and carried away all the wounded participants off the stage. Those who had grabbed the passes went to the working staff in the venue. The working staff logged the names of who had qualified for the second round into the system.
Those names and their profile photos in the system were on display on the screens by the stage.
Su Ping took a look. Of the first one thousand participants, merely thirty-some people made it to the next round. The elimination rate was roughly leaving just one batch from thirty.
“Those dead Phantom Bees were dragged down like this?” Su Lingyue cast a look at the Phantom Bees that some participants had killed. Somehow, she was bothered.
Fei Yanbo tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry. They will make up for the lost Phantom Bees soon enough. Those pets multiply quickly. All the branch venues have more than enough prepared.”
Su Lingyue gave him one look and then turned back to see the Phantom Bees’ corpses that were being disposed of like garbage. She said nothing else.
For a while, Su Ping kept gazing at the dead Phantom Bees as people loaded them into some trucks to dispose of them. When he looked away, his eyebrows were knitted together.
…
Soon, the names of the second group of participants were on display on the screens.
“My turn now.”
“Same here.”
Luo Fengtian and another young man sitting next to Fei Yanbo stood up. Luo Fengtian kept a straight face, exuding confidence. Compared to the last time Su Ping had met him, Luo Fengtian was less haughty, but the look in his eyes was sharper.
It never crossed his mind that he wouldn’t be able to pass the first round. He did not worry. Given his strength, passing was a sure thing; the one-on-one battles were the main challenge.
Fei Yanbo said to his students, “Be careful. If you can, grab as many passes as you can to eliminate some incapable opponents. That will save you some time for the following rounds.”
“Sure.”
Luo Fengtian nodded.
The other young man nodded with a smile as well, showing no worries.
Su Ping watched as the two of them entered the stage. After all participants arrived, the shield opened up to let everyone in.
Those with their names on the screen but did not step onto the stage had forfeited their right, which was not surprising. Without going into the shield, they could not get the pass and thereby could no longer be part of the competition.
In the sky, the Phantom Bees were flying over. As Fei Yanbo had mentioned, the lost Phantom Bees were substituted by others.
Same as before, the strikes began. Soon, hundreds of participants had fallen.
Su Ping closed his eyes to have a rest after a short while. He wasn’t interested in that boring game.
On the contrary, Su Lingyue kept her eyes wide open and watched what was going on attentively. She was paying particular attention to Luo Fengtian and that young man with him. She knew their abilities and was “familiar” with them since the two had tried out the challenge previously.
Fifteen minutes later, the test ended.
Over a hundred people remained standing on the stage, including Luo Fengtian and the young man.
The young man was panting. Beside him was a grey bear at the sixth-rank. The ferocious bear smashed many Phantom Bees to death.
Luo Fengtian’s white outfit was clean, without a drop of blood. With the sword, he slew several Phantom Bees. Crouching by his feet was a small lion, a pet with a fifth-rank bloodline. At the moment, the lion had yet to reach the peak of the fifth-rank.
Even so, with the help of the lion, Luo Fengtian was able to accomplish the task with ease, passing the test which was essentially a warm-up exercise for him.
Afterward, the working staff logged their information in the system and projected it to the screen. Both returned to the staging area.
The young man with the bear said gayly, “Sir, I got six passes.” Fei Yanbo smiled as a reply and looked at Luo Fengtian.
Luo Fengtian kept emotionless as he sat down and answered, “Thirteen.”
“No kidding? That’s more than twice what I got,” the young man shouted, “Luo, you rock, especially after you came back from the Mysterious Realm.”
Luo Fengtian shot a glance at him, as if unhappy that the young man had used the words “you rock” to address him.
Fei Yanbo laughed heartily. Still, when he glanced over Su Ping who closed his eyes and rested his mind, the laugh vanished. No matter how good his students were, they could never compete with this guy.
Coming up was the third round.
This time, another of Fei Yanbo’s students went onto the stage, and naturally, he passed with ease.
Of all the students that came with Fei Yanbo, even the weakest was at the fifth rank, and they were all in the third year of their school. Their pets were mostly of the sixth rank or even the seventh rank. Therefore, to pass the initial match was a piece of cake.
…
The fifth-round came to an end. The girl with the ponytail went back and sat down by Fei Yanbo while she said a number casually, “Twenty-two.”
Fei Yanbo was surprised to hear the number. “Good,” he said, smiling.
The other students didn’t seem to find her achievement strange. They offered her some compliments with a smile.
Luo Fengtian didn’t say much to the girl. He looked at the man sitting to Fei Yanbo’s right; the man had his eyes closed. Luo Fengtian batted his eyes and soon looked away. He leaned against his chair and also closed his eyes.
The girl gazed at Luo Fengtian. It was interesting to see that Luo Fengtian didn’t seem to be pleased with her score.
Soon, the names were drawn for the sixth group.
Not long afterward, one of the hosts mentioned Su Lingyue’s name. Her name and her number showed up on the screen. The number assigned to the participants was to ensure that no mistakes would occur, even if some people of the same surname and given name were there.
Su Ping didn’t sleep well the night before. Hence, he had been resting to attain mental tranquility. He opened his eyes upon hearing Su Lingyue’s name.