59: Chapter 59 Emergency Alert

This bet... was too high.

The losing party would either have to surrender their freedom and future possibilities, or provide immense political asylum.

But Qin Ce hardly hesitated.

He couldn't afford to hesitate.

If he wavered, he would offend Jiang Ruowei to the death.

Besides, what if he took first place?

Wouldn't that be an extra layer of benefits?

“Fine.” He nodded. “I agree.”

Jiang Ruowei's eyes lit up as she reached out her hand: “Is it a deal?”

Qin Ce grasped her hand. It was cold, but her grip was steady.

“It's a deal.”

The moment their palms met, the squad badge system vibrated again—the number of teams accepting the three-star mission officially changed from '1' to '2'.

Starlight Squad, Thunder Squad.

At this moment, the bet between first and second was officially established.

The onlookers were completely stunned. Looking at the two young figures in the center, they felt as if they were witnessing a historic scene—

One betting freedom and future, the other betting status and asylum.

One wanting to break through class barriers, the other wanting to break free from shackles.

How was this a common competition?

This was clearly... a duel with their entire lives as the stakes!

Future historians would call this day's bet the 'Pact of Linglong.'

It was a gamble that seemed light but was actually as heavy as a thousand tons, changing the landscape of Fengling City for decades to come.

In truth, no one knew what the calculations of both sides were when the bet was made.

Just like now.

At this moment, everyone present also didn't know how much weight this bet would carry in the future.

They simply held their breath instinctively, watching the center of the field.

...

Then—

Wooo— Wooo— Wooo—!!!

A shrill, piercing alarm suddenly exploded across the entire base without warning!

It wasn't the short beep of a drill, but the highest-level, continuous, and highly penetrating long blast!

“What's that sound?!”

“Enemy attack?!”

“No... this is... a city-wide alarm!!”

...

Chaos instantly broke out on the training grounds.

Jiang Ruowei and Qin Ce let go at the same time, looking up at the sky.

The alarm continued, each blast more urgent and sharper than the last.

Immediately after, a hoarse, heavy voice came over the base broadcast with an indisputable emergency announcement:

“Attention all personnel! A large-scale beast tide gathering has been detected west of Fengling City, in the direction of Sheshan City! Danger level... four stars! Repeat, danger level four stars!”

“All combat personnel, enter combat readiness immediately!”

“This is not a drill!”

“This is NOT a drill!!”

...

The alarm was like a rusty saw, repeatedly cutting through everyone's nerves. The training grounds instantly erupted into a frenzy.

“What's going on?!”

“A beast tide?! You've got to be kidding me!”

“It's not a drill! Listen to the broadcast!”

“Quick! Gather at the plaza!”

The students woke from their initial daze and instinctively sprinted toward the assembly plaza in the center of the base. Some summoned Pet Beasts to ride, some just bolted on foot, and others collided in the panic, making the scene momentarily chaotic.

Qin Ce and Jiang Ruowei glanced at each other and rushed toward the plaza almost simultaneously.

The members of Starlight Squad followed closely behind. Gale, Mountain, Shadow... the captains of various squads also reacted, shouting orders for their members to keep up.

Two minutes later, the plaza was packed with a dense crowd of people.

All senior classes, nearly a thousand people, were now looking up at the figure on the high platform ahead—Grade Director Tu Feng.

Tu Feng was a burly man in his fifties with a hideous scar slashing diagonally from his brow to his jaw, said to have been caused by the claws of a Bronze Rank beast during a beast tide in his youth. He rarely showed himself, but standing there now, he was like an iron tower, radiating an aura of someone who had been through blood and fire.

“SILENCE!!”

A thunderous roar instantly suppressed all the noise.

Tu Feng's gaze swept across the field like a hawk, and everyone he looked at instinctively straightened their backs.

“Just ten minutes ago,” Tu Feng's voice spread across the plaza through the loudspeakers, low and hoarse, each word like an iron nail being driven into the ground.

“An emergency military report came from the direction of Sheshan City—a large-scale beast tide is gathering, heading straight for our Fengling City territory.”

He paused for a second, letting the weight of these words sink into everyone's hearts.

“Preliminary assessment: the beast tide scale... exceeds one hundred thousand. Danger level, four stars.”

“Boom—”

The plaza instantly erupted into an uproar.

“Four stars?!”

“One hundred thousand?! You're joking!”

“What about Sheshan City? Isn't Sheshan City in the path of the beast tide?!”

Panic spread like a plague.

Even the dullest student knew what a 'four-star beast tide' meant.

The history of humanity's struggle against ferocious beasts was a history of city destruction written in blood and fire.

A one-star beast tide could easily wipe out a village.

A two-star beast tide would turn a small town into ruins.

A three-star beast tide would cause a district or county to fall, with corpses littering the fields.

And four stars... that was a catastrophe capable of destroying an entire city!

“Quiet!” Tu Feng shouted again, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority. “The Beast Kings have been confirmed to be at the Bright Moon Level, and there is more than one!”

Bright Moon Level!

These words were like ice water poured over their heads, instantly freezing all the clamor.

The City Lord of Fengling City, Jiang Tianzong, was a peak Bright Moon Level Beast Tamer, the stabilizing force that kept this city standing.

And now, beings of the same level had appeared in the beast tide... and more than one?

What did that mean?

It meant this beast tide had the potential to break through Fengling City's defensive lines head-on!

“I know what you're thinking.” Tu Feng's voice dropped lower, yet it became even more powerful.

“You're afraid of death! You want to run!”

“But I'm telling you—if Fengling City falls, the three million people inside, including your parents, siblings, and friends, not a single one will survive!”

He took a step forward, and the high platform beneath him seemed to vibrate:

“Ferocious beasts won't reason with you, they won't accept surrender. The day the city falls is the day of a massacre! In the past hundred years, of the seventeen cities overrun by beast tides, not a single one left behind survivors—even the corpses were devoured!”

The plaza fell into a deathly silence.

There was only heavy breathing and the irrepressible sound of teeth chattering.

Tu Feng's gaze slowly swept across those pale faces, his voice suddenly softening slightly, but carrying a heavier weight:

“Therefore, there is no retreat.”

“Fengling City must be held.”

“The military has issued the highest mobilization order—all combat personnel are incorporated into the battle sequence. That includes you, the students of the Battle Academy.”

He paused, looking at the young faces below the stage:

“I know many of you haven't truly been on a battlefield. I know you'll be afraid, your hands will shake, and you might even want to run away.”

“But I also know—you are students of the Fengling Battle Academy! You are the future backbone of this city! Your parents didn't send you here to raise a bunch of cowards who shrink back when danger strikes!”

“Now, the test has come.”

“Whether to be a coward or a hero—the choice is yours!”

...