My Professions Have Chapter 23: A Scare Tactic?

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: A Scare Tactic?

A transport vehicle was already waiting outside the academy. It emitted a faint blue glow from underneath and hovered fifty centiters off the ground.

The enormous sheet-tal compartnt was filled with the sll of rust. Everyone found their seats.

BOOM!

Gasps rippled through the vehicle. With a feeling of weightlessness, it took off and rged into the three-dinsional traffic lane above.

"Three things..." Hu Xiang paced back and forth inside the compartnt, drawing everyone’s attention. His slightly hoarse voice carried an absolute, murderous gravity.

"First, you will obey every order without question. Outside the city isn’t the academy, and it certainly isn’t your ho. I have the right to kill anyone who disobeys a direct order on the spot."

"Second, unity is survival. You are never to act alone!"

"Third, the unexpected can happen at any mont. Do not try to be a hero!"

Su Chen noticed that as soon as Hu Xiang finished, a good number of the students had turned deathly pale.

These were the sa warnings written in the instruction manual they’d been given, highlighted in red.

He emphasized again, "The world outside the city is nothing like the one within. Even a flower could hold a fatal danger. You must report any abnormality. If your actions lead to soone else’s death, your family will be held responsible for compensation."

His words were laced with death and dire warnings. A few students were already trembling uncontrollably. Hu Xiang shook his head inwardly. ’These kids have been coddled for far too long.’

His gaze swept discreetly over the one called Su Chen, only to find the young man’s expression was blank, not even a ripple of emotion in his eyes.

’As expected of a refugee. These words don’t scare him.’

Hu Xiang held no prejudice against refugees; in fact, he believed their unique experiences were an advantage.

’A pity he offended soone he shouldn’t have,’ he thought, shaking his head.

Hu Xiang wasn’t a man of many words. After his warning, he fell silent.

The atmosphere grew quiet, and for a ti, no one spoke.

Zhou Zhong and his friends had already ford a small clique. It included Shen Ying’er—the girl with the "exceptionally talented" chest—and a few others who didn’t seem to be ordinary people, either. At the very least, Hu Xiang’s words hadn’t scared them.

Due to the seating arrangent, it was hard to tell if Bai Fengxi was part of their group or just "orbiting" it.

"...In a little while, Zhang Yunqing is hosting a Southwind Academy alumni association event. I heard it might have sothing to do with Ying Feng..." Zhou Zhong suddenly brought up.

Although they were so distance away, Su Chen’s senses were extrely sharp, and he heard them clearly.

The people gathered around him looked on eagerly. Shen Ying’er leaned in especially close, frequently hinting that she hoped he would make so introductions for her, but Zhou Zhong just changed the subject.

Before long, the transport vehicle ca to a stop. The mont Su Chen disembarked, the first thing he saw was the massive city wall before him.

It was over ten ters tall, built from a type of black crystal that faintly shimred with a white light, and it stretched left and right as far as the eye could see.

’So this is Morning Star Stone,’ Su Chen observed.

Hu Xiang was speaking with an officer at the main gate. Naturally, they wouldn’t open the main gate for them, so they were led to a smaller side gate.

Though called a small gate, it was still three or four ters high.

"Get ready!" Hu Xiang yelled. With a CLICK, the small gate began to open, and a sudden chill crept in.

Everyone tensed, unable to resist peeking through the crack at the world outside. Su Chen was no different.

It was dayti, the "Day-Mist" phase, so everything was still cloaked in a hazy, gray color.

Desolation, decay, and ruin.

Those were the words that ca to Su Chen’s mind. The visibility wasn’t too low, however; he could see quite far.

"Move out!" Hu Xiang shouted, stepping out first. The others followed close behind, filing out in a line.

BOOM!

A huge tremor ca from behind them, and everyone’s heart skipped a beat. The gate had closed.

"Mommy..." soone whimpered, their voice trembling. In the boundless mist, their fear seed to be infinitely amplified.

"Look back every ten to fifteen steps. If anyone’s missing or you notice anything unusual, report it," Hu Xiang issued his first command.

Bai Fengxi suddenly fell back to Su Chen’s side. She turned her head and whispered, "Zhou Zhong shouldn’t be on this mission. His presence is a bad on. Be careful."

Su Chen looked up at Bai Fengxi’s delicate profile. His mind was highly active, and he felt a strange, inexplicable sensation.

It wasn’t attraction, but a kind of... a kind of...

’It’s the feeling of a Professional,’ Su Chen realized, his eyes widening in surprise. ’This woman, she’s already beco one?’

Amidst the students’ panic and confusion, the group proceeded deeper into the wilds, and Southwind City gradually vanished into the mist behind them.

The mist itself seed ordinary. It had long since been studied and determined to be completely harmless.

However, it could block all sorts of communication devices and even suppress ntal Perception. Su Chen could feel it; his perception, which normally covered a radius of about ten ters, was now reduced to only three or four.

Su Chen reached out, his palm passing through the thin mist. Hu Xiang periodically pulled up a virtual screen, using a special device to lock in their direction.

"Careful..."

Suddenly, a shout ca from the front. The ground trembled slightly. Thanks to his Sky Splitter Warrior traits, Su Chen keenly sensed the flow of the mist abruptly accelerate, and a shadow faintly appeared in the haze before them.

ROAR—

An ear-splitting beastly roar echoed. The students’ faces filled with terror as a dark figure lunged out of the mist, bringing with it a foul wind and a terrifying black mane.

It was a giant wolf. Su Chen saw it clearly. The students practically broke and ran; the attack was so sudden, and none of them had ever experienced such a ferocious scene.

Su Chen’s eyes narrowed. In his peripheral vision, he saw Bai Fengxi’s expression turn grim. With a flick of her arm, a tal disk on her forearm expanded, rapidly forming a small shield.

Su Chen could hear her slightly ragged breathing as her expression grew more intense. His own expression flickered, and he stepped back to take cover behind Bai Fengxi.

Bai Fengxi, beside him, was montarily stunned.

BOOM!

Just then, a streak of fire shot through the air like a falling star and accurately pierced the black wolf’s body. A wave of fla erupted into the air. The giant wolf’s body convulsed, pinned to the ground in the middle of its charge.

"Get back here, all of you!" Hu Xiang shouted, leaping onto the giant wolf’s body and surveying the scene.

’Another scare tactic...’ Su Chen wasn’t surprised at all. ’With this guy around, it’s not our turn to be the heroes.’

The City Patrol Guards had ford a defensive line at the first sign of trouble. The students were a ss—so were even trembling on the ground—but not a single one had managed to get out of the guards’ sight.

Hu Xiang observed them covertly. Only a few had managed to remain sowhat calm. The only one who truly caught his eye was that girl. There was a faint, crazed look in her eyes, as if she’d been preparing to fight to the death.

’A Professional?’ He raised an eyebrow. Reaching down, he gripped the crimson spear embedded in the giant wolf’s head. With a flick of his wrist, the tal spear retracted segnt by segnt until it was the thickness of his arm. He slung it onto his back.

The students around them gradually cald down, though they could all feel their legs trembling. None of them dared to look directly at the giant wolf’s corpse on the ground.

Zhou Zhong’s heart was pounding. It took a great deal of effort for him to get his limbs to move again.

’Why would they use a Mutant Species for a scare tactic this ti? Didn’t they usually let a few people wander off on purpose?’

"Headcount," Hu Xiang commanded. Bai Fengxi retracted her shield.

Only then did he notice Su Chen peeking out from behind Bai Fengxi.

The corner of the cold-blooded veteran’s eye couldn’t help but twitch. He had clearly seen Su Chen duck behind Bai Fengxi.

’Impressive. No wonder soone wants him dead.’

"Looks like you all are in for a treat tonight," Hu Xiang said, calling so n over to start butchering the giant beast.

"Boss, what was that all about? Using a Mutant Species to scare these kids without giving us a heads-up," one of his subordinates grumbled in a low voice. "You scared the hell out of ."

"Just wanted to see how much you guys are still worth. Is that a problem?" Hu Xiang shot him a sidelong glance. The subordinate chuckled sheepishly and walked away. Hu Xiang, however, looked toward the distance with a hint of worry before glancing back down at the virtual screen in his hand.

’No one notified , either.’