In a high-level martial arts game, a wife is given to you at the start.

Chapter 042 Hunt! Team Up!

Qiang Shilisen's cold eyes swept over the 10,000 examinees present, and everyone whose gaze fell upon him felt a heavy pressure.

"The second stage of the exam is both simple and brutal."

He extended a finger thicker than a normal person's arm and pointed to the back of the platform, where another huge alloy gate was slowly opening.

Behind the door, the monotonous passageway was replaced by a simulated, vast, abandoned urban landscape.

The crumbling walls and dilapidated buildings, the jungle of reinforced concrete, exuded an aura of death and danger under the dim lights.

"In this examination hall known as the 'City of Ruins No. 3,' a thousand of our 'prey'—mechanical guards—are scattered."

The sound of the strong stone echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

"Your objective is to hunt down these mechanical guards and obtain 'Point Badges' from their bodies. The closer to the center, the more advanced the mechanical guards, and the more Point Badges they contain!"

"Each badge represents 10 points. The exam lasts 48 hours. The final score will be determined by the sum of your scores in the first stage and the points earned in the second stage."

"A thousand prey, ten thousand examinees..." one examinee muttered to himself, his face instantly turning ugly.

Ten people vying for one target!

This means that at least 90% of people may not get a single badge!

Qiang Shi seemed quite pleased with the shock on everyone's faces. He grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, his smile appearing particularly ferocious.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you the most important rule."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Snatching is strictly prohibited inside the examination hall. If you have the skill, a badge taken from someone else is equally valid. Of course, if you are seriously injured, you must call for help immediately; otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

boom!

These words were like a bombshell, exploding in the hearts of all the test takers!

Robbery is prohibited! You will face the consequences!

This is no longer an exam; it's clearly a bloody game that encourages mutual slaughter!

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is laid bare in the open!

"Now, you have five minutes to form teams freely. The exam will officially begin in five minutes!"

As soon as Qiang Shi finished speaking, the entire platform erupted in chaos.

"Hey bro, wanna team up? We're both from Tiannan No. 2 High School!"

"Let's do it together! We'll split the badges we get!"

"Do you have anyone skilled in reconnaissance? You can be the scout!"

Those candidates who came from the same school or had formed a "revolutionary friendship" in the first round quickly gathered together, in groups of three or five, or even dozens of people, watching the others around them warily.

Lei Qianjun, Su Qingying, and other top geniuses naturally formed their own faction and disdained associating with ordinary candidates.

Lin Qiye, along with the other five equally solitary "lone wolves," became the most conspicuous and awkward figures in the entire room.

They were frequently met with scrutinizing, pitying, or even maliciously greedy glances.

Under such rules, lone wolves are often the easiest prey to bully.

Lin Qiye ignored the stares around him; his mind was racing.

Team up?

Who should he team up with? He didn't know anyone here. Joining a strange team rashly was like asking a tiger for its skin; if they encountered danger or discovered the badge, he, as an outsider, would definitely be the first to be sacrificed or betrayed.

unless……

He glanced at the few people in the distance who were also isolated, their eyes also gleaming with wariness.

Just as Lin Qiye was weighing the pros and cons, a clear, cold voice rang out beside him.

"A person cannot live long."

Lin Qiye turned his head and saw that the lone female examinee, who was also isolated, had somehow walked up to him.

She was tall and slender with a beautiful face, short, neat hair, and sharp, eagle-like eyes, giving off a cold and unapproachable aura.

"How about forming a temporary team?" she asked bluntly, without any hesitation. "The six of us are the ones who were left over. Rather than being picked off one by one by those big teams, we might as well stick together and at least increase our chances of survival."

Lin Qiye looked at her, then glanced at the four male examinees who were also watching her from a distance.

He could tell that these people had all ranked quite high in the first stage. The fact that they were able to break into the top 10,000 as lone wolves in the brutal sprint proved their strength and mentality, and that they were by no means mediocre.

"How do we cooperate? How do we allocate resources?" Lin Qiye asked succinctly. This was the most crucial question.

"It's very simple." The short-haired girl held up three fingers. "First, no attacking each other. Those who stab each other in the back will be attacked by the group. Second, whoever catches the prey keeps it; others cannot steal it. Third, if you encounter danger, you can ask for help, but whether or not to help depends on your personal willingness and the situation at the time; it's not mandatory."

These rules, though cold and realistic, also minimize the possibility of internal strife.

There are no false promises, no mandatory obligations; everything is based on "voluntariness" and "self-interest."

This, on the contrary, made Lin Qiye feel a sense of reliability.

"I agree." Lin Qiye nodded.

"I agree too!" a burly man, as tall as an iron tower, said in a deep voice. He was one of the other four.

"Count me in," a thin young man with shifty eyes, who looked like a scout, chimed in.

The remaining two were twins. They looked at each other and nodded in unison: "We brothers will join too."

"Very good." The short-haired girl nodded in satisfaction, her gaze sweeping over everyone. "My name is Han Yue. Since this is a temporary team, please state your names so we can address each other easily."

"Iron Fierce," said the burly man with the iron tower.

"Zhao Shu," the thin young man said.

"Chen Feng." "Chen Yun," the twin brothers said.

"Just call me Xiao Lin." Since it was a temporary team, Lin Qiye didn't plan to reveal his full name.

Six people, a makeshift team of "lone wolves," were hastily formed in the last few minutes.

"I'll be there in five minutes!"

The examiner Qiang Shi's voice rang out again.

"The exam begins!"

"Boom!"

The alloy gate at the back opened completely, revealing the vast and desolate abandoned city.

"Rush!"

"Seize the advantageous terrain!"

Almost the instant the gates opened, the large, pre-organized teams surged in like tigers released from their cages.