Chapter 37: The First Person to Complete the Assessment

After watching the short-haired youth depart, Lin Huang didn’t linger long at the mountaintop. The ascent had been arduous, but descending was far easier. Bai’s Blood Energy wings, while incapable of true flight, sufficed for gliding. Now, with his Blood Energy at the second level, each wing stretched over five meters; fully extended in attack form, they could reach twenty meters. Neither of them weighed much—together, just a little over a hundred kilograms.

Lin Huang spent some time tearing the tent into strips and binding himself securely to Bai’s front. Then, with Bai transformed, they walked to the edge of the cliff and leapt off. Bai’s enormous blood-red wings unfurled, and Lin Huang instantly felt their fall turn to a gentle drift. Looking down, he saw only endless clouds beneath them, thick as blankets of snow covering the earth, with no visible edge to this snowy expanse.

They broke through the clouds at last, and Lin Huang caught sight of the ground below. Mountains, rivers, and valleys seemed like a miniature world; even the nearby stronghold looked no larger than a palm.

“Ah! This is incredible!”

Though the sight of the two of them bound together was somewhat comical, Lin Huang could not contain his excitement, hollering down at the earth below. Back on Earth, he had always wanted to try skydiving or gliding, but never had the chance. It was only here, in another world, that he finally experienced such a thrill.

As they descended, his adrenaline surged and he felt a rush of exhilaration unlike anything before.

“Now I finally understand why humans yearn to fly—because this feeling is simply amazing!”

Their flight didn’t last long—less than ten minutes passed before they reached the skies above Stronghold 7D121.

Bai twisted his wings together above them, forming a massive canopy, and their descent slowed until they landed gently on the ground. Seeing the blood-red wings on Bai’s back, many passersby recoiled in alarm, recognizing the mark of a Bloodthirster.

“You head back for now. I’m going to report in at the Hunter Association,” Lin Huang said, not wanting to cause unnecessary panic. He recalled Bai, and the cloth strips unbound themselves and dropped away. Lin Huang gathered them and tossed them into a nearby bin before opening his Imperial Heart Ring. As expected, its blocked functions had returned. He opened the map, found the hotel where Yi Yeyu was staying, and set off in that direction.

A little over ten minutes later, Lin Huang arrived at the hotel and walked straight to the front desk. The receptionist was a tall, elegant woman who greeted him with a professional smile. “Good afternoon, sir. How may I assist you?”

“I’m looking for Miss Yi Yeyu. Could you let her know I’m here?”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.” The receptionist quickly dialed Yi Yeyu’s Imperial Heart Ring. After a brief conversation, she hung up and turned to Lin Huang. “She said you may go to Room 308.”

“Thank you,” Lin Huang replied, though his expression turned a bit odd at the room number.

He made his way to the third floor. The door to 308 was already open. Lin Huang stepped inside and closed it behind him, taking in the scene with a helpless sigh. “Can’t you at least change rooms?”

“It’s too much trouble. Besides, I’ll only be here a few more days,” Yi Yeyu said, paying no attention to the hole in the ceiling as she sized Lin Huang up. “Not bad. You’re the first to finish the assessment, though you still took seven days.”

“I’m the first?” Lin Huang asked, surprised. “Didn’t someone else already pass before me? Maybe he just hasn’t come to report in?”

“No, you’re the first,” Yi Yeyu confirmed with a shake of her head.

“That can’t be. Someone definitely descended the mountain ahead of me. He was wearing a red trench coat, had short hair, and a pretty proud personality. He’s a summoner like me, with a Bronze-rank Crimson-blooded Eagle as his beast.” Lin Huang described the person he’d met at the peak.

“Oh, I know who you mean,” Yi Yeyu nodded, finally explaining. “That’s Bai Yan. He was a special recruit and didn’t need to participate in the assessment, but he insisted on going through the regular screening. After registering with the Hunter Association, he’ll become a Bronze Hunter immediately.”

“So Bai Yan has already arrived at this stronghold? I ran into him at the mountaintop; he flew down on his summoned beast,” Lin Huang said.

“Then I don’t know. He hasn’t come here to report. You’re the first,” Yi Yeyu replied with a smile.

“By the way, Chief Examiner, do you know what happened to the chubby guy who was with me that day?” Lin Huang asked, a bit anxious, fearing the answer might not be what he hoped.

“That little fatty? He dropped out,” Yi Yeyu replied, recounting the story. “I got a rescue alert that day, and when I teleported over by the coordinates, I saw him sitting on the sand crying. When I asked what happened, he said you’d been eaten by a Death Worm while saving him, and begged me to kill the Death Worm to avenge you. I thought you’d really died, so I killed the worm and brought him back to the stronghold. He left the same day on a Wind Roc.”

Hearing the whole story, Lin Huang finally relaxed. “Glad he’s alright. I thought he hadn’t made it.”

“There’s contact information in his registration file. You can add him for future communication,” Yi Yeyu said, pulling up the chubby boy’s details.

“So his name is Yin Hangyi. I’ve gotten so used to calling him ‘Fatty’ I forgot his real name.” Lin Huang opened the detailed info and added the contact to his Imperial Heart Ring.

“There’s still over a week left in the assessment. If you have other business, you can leave for now and register at the Hunter Association branch in Stronghold 7C87 anytime this year; after that, you’d have to retake the assessment. Or, if you prefer, stay here until the assessment ends, and I’ll take you all back together to complete registration. During your stay, the Hunter Association will cover your hotel and meals,” Yi Yeyu offered.

“I think I’ll stay.” Lin Huang considered his options and decided to remain at the stronghold. This way, he could hunt monsters in the wild daily, collecting fragments and accumulating Life Light. He’d already told Lin Xin the assessment would take about half a month, so everything at home was arranged.