342: Chapter 334 Oh, kind older sister, we meet again.

On the way to the wolf bone's location, the Young Woman kept tracking the Directors' movements via the internet.

The Directors' convoy didn't hide their tracks, swaggering along the highway toward their destination; people on both sides of the road could see them and were uploading videos.

After watching the latest video, the Young Woman muttered in confusion, "Aren't they afraid of dying?"

From her perspective, even if they hadn't faced the calamity within Russia's borders, they shouldn't be completely ignorant of its terror.

Based on the data released by China, the lethality of light weapons is nearly zero; heavy weapons can break through its defense but can't lock onto the calamity.

How did a group of old men dare to court disaster with such a creature, bringing only dozens of private bodyguards?

Moreover, those people were all magnates; money was just a string of numbers to them. Why would they give up their wealthy, comfortable lives to go looking for death?

Farid looked up slightly, seeing the Young Woman's bewildered expression in the rearview mirror. "It's precisely because they're afraid of death that they're going."

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head.

"How old are they?"

"Uh..." The Young Woman looked at her Mobile Phone. Photos of the Directors getting off the plane were pinned to the website's homepage; the high-definition shots clearly showed their gray hair. "They must be eighty or ninety years old."

"How much longer can they live?"

The Young Woman had a sudden realization.

Even if they didn't die at the hands of the calamity, they only had a few years left; they might as well take a gamble.

If they happened to win, their lifespan would not only be extended, but they would also regain a youthful body.

Trading a life flickering like a candle in the wind for the possibility of returning to youth—no matter how you calculated it, it was a highly profitable deal.

The Young Woman glanced at the car's center console. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Stealing their wolf bone."

"We won't be able to take it, right? There are too many of them."

Too many people?

A mocking curve lifted the corner of Farid's mouth. Having many people was good; they could distract the calamity for a while longer.

Knowing those people wouldn't be an obstacle, Farid still didn't dare to lower his guard.

According to his speculation, the Secret Team dispatched by the President had likely already arrived near the wolf bone.

This team was the true competitor.

Farid didn't intend to commit treason.

He was just worried that if they missed this chance, there probably wouldn't be a share of the wolf bones left for the Young Woman later.

However, crossing the team sent by the President... there would likely be no good consequences afterward.

Farid's gaze turned solemn.

He was hesitating, wondering if his meeting with the Young Woman was a pure coincidence or Tevan's guidance.

If it was the latter, meaning the Young Woman was a "special recruit" designated by Tevan just like him, then Farid would help her obtain a wolf bone even at the risk of offending the President.

After all... Presidents resign, but the transcendent exists forever.

Farid pondered for a long time, recalling every word Tevan had said to him, but he still couldn't untangle the threads.

He didn't seem to have mentioned "taking care" of her?

But if it wasn't Tevan's doing, meeting her twice in just a few months... was too coincidental.

Especially the last time, in a desolate area, the two of them had actually bumped into each other. It was hard not to suspect that Tevan was driving everything.

Both guesses were probable, but the key was a lack of conclusive evidence. Farid rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "After that time, have you seen Mr. Tevan again?"

"How could I? You've been guarding the entrance to Seventeen every day and haven't seen Mr. Tevan, so how would I?"

That made sense.

Finding no clues from the Young Woman, Farid had no other choice and muttered to himself, "We'll see when we get there."

The two of them sped along for a day and a night, finally catching up with the Directors' convoy.

The place where they spotted the rear of the convoy was by a mountainside.

Over a dozen armored vehicles slowly drove into the woods, knocking down trees in their path as they headed deeper.

Farid watched from afar until the armored vehicles crested the hill and only the faint roar of engines remained before looking away.

"Idiots."

"What?" His voice was very low, and the Young Woman didn't hear him clearly.

"Nothing."

Farid looked around for a moment and drove the car toward a dense thicket of bushes, inwardly fuming at how those people could be so moronic.

Ambushing a calamity in armored vehicles?

Were they worried the calamity wouldn't hear the engines, or were they just bored with their comfortable lives and looking for trouble?

Did they actually think the hull of an armored vehicle could withstand a calamity's claws and plan to launch a direct assault?

If that were the case, Farid could only sigh at how such brain-dead people could become magnates.

Of course, Farid wasn't cursing them out of concern for their safety.

Even if every one of them died, he wouldn't feel a thing.

What bothered him was: could they not offer themselves up so quickly?

If they died too fast, the calamity would return in minutes, and he wouldn't have time to escape after getting the wolf bone!

No matter how much he cursed, he couldn't change the facts. Farid sighed, hid the car in the bushes, and led the Young Woman after the convoy.

Instead of following the tire tracks they left behind, he circled around from the side.

On the way here, Farid's earlier deliberations had reached a conclusion.

He would try his best not to run into the Secret Team; that way, the President wouldn't know he was the one who stole the wolf bone.

If he were discovered... he would show the wolf fang.

He believed that with Tevan backing him, they wouldn't dare compete with him.

As for the President's subsequent interrogation, Farid felt it wouldn't be a big issue.

His status as a student of Seventeen was already secured; at worst, he would resign, which would allow him to focus on studying the Arts.

Thus, the two used the lush trees to hide their figures, following the convoy until they were not far away.

"Eh?" The Young Woman poked her head out from behind a tree, looking strangely at the dozen or so armored vehicles parked haphazardly in the forest. "Where are they?"

At least they weren't completely stupid.

Farid felt somewhat relieved. He didn't answer her question but whispered an instruction, "Follow me closely and don't speak."

"Understood."

Taking out his Mobile Phone, he checked where the calamity guarding this wolf bone frequented. Farid beckoned to the Young Woman, then crossed the forest via a slope on the right, leaving the Directors' team behind.

Close to the wolf bone now, Farid found a patch of thick grass and crawled in with the Young Woman. "Rest here for a bit."

Hearing him speak, the Young Woman, who had been holding it in for a long time, quickly asked, "What do we do next? Grab the wolf bone and run?"

Farid looked her over in confusion. After running for an hour, her cheeks were only slightly flushed, and her breathing wasn't even labored. "Aren't you tired?"

"Only by training a healthy body can one fully enjoy vodka." The Young Woman's expression was solemn, as if telling him not to underestimate her endurance.

"I agree with that." Having said that, Farid explained the plan to her. "If I'm not mistaken, once we get the wolf bone, the calamity will definitely abandon those people immediately and turn back to hunt us."

"Then..."

"Listen to me."

"Okay."

"Once we have the wolf bone, I'll give it to you, and then we'll split up."

"Uh, what if it comes after me?"

"I'll try my best to block it for you." Farid gripped the wolf fang at his chest. "If it manages to get past me, then there's nothing I can do."

If you wanted benefits—especially immense ones—how could you not take risks?

The Young Woman understood as well and said no more.

The two fell silent, waiting for the Directors' team to clash with the calamity.

The wait wasn't long; about ten minutes later, gunfire and shouting came from the distance.

The two immediately rushed out of the grass and ran toward the left.

Great, it's still working!

Farid felt the wolf fang emitting a chill and joyfully quickened his pace.

The President's team didn't know the exact location of the wolf bone and could only search random areas that seemed likely, so it would take them some time to find it.

But with the guidance of the wolf fang, he could head straight for the target and would definitely be able to snatch it first.

The two moved quickly through the forest and soon arrived near the wolf bone.

"This way." Farid carefully sensed which part of his body felt the chill, then ran in that direction.

"A cave?"

On the slope directly ahead was a dark cave entrance; neither of his arms felt the chill, which meant they didn't need to turn.

Clearly, the wolf bone was inside.

"Go hide over there and wait for me." Pointing to a nearby tree, Farid took out his Mobile Phone, turned on the flashlight function, and entered the cave alone.

The Young Woman ran behind the tree to hide, scanning the surroundings nervously, seemingly afraid that a calamity would suddenly burst out from the dim woods.

Fortunately, her fear didn't materialize; she didn't see a single calamity until Farid emerged holding the wolf bone.

"Take this!" Thrusting the wolf bone into her hands, Farid asked urgently, "Do you know the way back?"

"Yes!"

"Good, run!"

The Young Woman was very obedient and turned to sprint back the way they came. Having fulfilled his promise, Farid took a deep breath, stood there for a moment, and then ran in the direction the Young Woman had gone.

Meanwhile, the Secret Team dispatched by the President sensed something was wrong.

Ten minutes ago, as the Directors arrived near the wolf bone, the calamity discovered them.

However, the calamity didn't efficiently begin a slaughter; seemingly because staying in the middle of nowhere was too boring, it actually started to toy with the Directors.

The monster clearly didn't fear bullets, yet it relied on its agile movements to dodge the bullets fired by the bodyguards.

It was as if it were playing a game of dodgeball.

However, just now, the scales all over the monster's body suddenly flared, its fur stood on end, and its anger was visible to the naked eye.

Before the Secret Team could react to what was happening, the monster had already changed direction and charged back toward the way it had come.

Did someone set its house on fire? Why the rush?

The team members were very confused but soon thought of the reason.

The only thing that could infuriate the monster was likely... the wolf bone.

Damn, someone intercepted it!

The captain's face changed drastically as he roared into his headset, "Chase it!"

Although he was furious that someone dared to oppose the military, he didn't lose his reason.

The monster was definitely chasing the thief; as long as they followed the monster, they would naturally catch the thief.

Thus, a pursuit unfolded within the mountain.

...

The Young Woman ran through the forest, her hand tightly clutching the wolf bone, her mouth wide open as she panted heavily.

At this moment, she felt a bit guilty.

Earlier, when Farid said she should hold the wolf bone and they should split up, she thought he didn't want to bear the risk of being hunted by the monster.

The Young Woman didn't resent him; he had already done more than enough by risking offending the President to steal the wolf bone for her.

Who knew Farid had been trailing behind her all along, and when the calamity caught up, he went up to block it with the wolf fang.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was vast, and the outcome of the battle was never in doubt.

After running about a hundred meters, the Young Woman looked back to see Farid being swatted away by the monster's claw and crashing into the grass, his fate unknown.

"I shouldn't have come!" Regret filled her heart as she blamed herself for involving Farid.

But she had no more time for regret; the monster had already caught up.

The crisp sound of paws snapping dry branches behind her was rapidly approaching.

Although she didn't look back, the Young Woman knew she would be pounced upon within two seconds at most.

Suddenly, the footsteps behind her vanished.

The Young Woman didn't rejoice because this wasn't the monster stopping, but rather... it had leaped.

"Roar—"

The low growl nearly pierced her eardrums, her consciousness fell into a daze, and her vision blurred.

I'm going to die.

Unable to see where she was going, she was tripped by a tree root.

Yet, after lying on the ground for a good while, the cruel biting she imagined would descend the next second never came.

Her mind slowly cleared, and she heard silent footsteps approaching her.

Someone saved me?

Who?

She looked up instinctively and saw a smiling face looking down at her.

"Yo, Kind Big Sister, we meet again."

"Te... Mr. Tevan?!" The Young Woman's eyes were full of pleasant surprise, and the joy of being saved made her eyes well up.

Remembering Farid, whose fate was unknown behind her, she quickly scrambled up, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and her face as she said, "Mr. Tevan, Farid, he..."

"He's fine. The calamity was in a hurry to catch you and didn't use much force; he was just swatted unconscious."

"Then..." Despite what he said, the Young Woman still said frantically, "We need to get him to a hospital quickly."

"Yes, he needs to go to a hospital, but not with us—with you."

"Aren't you coming with us?" The Young Woman looked bewildered.

Tevan looked around stealthily. "Shh—

Don't tell anyone, okay? I snuck out this time.

Mm... I originally thought that with the wolf fang, you guys should have been able to get the wolf bone easily, but who knew... well, there's no point in saying all that now."

Sighing, Tevan said seriously, "Listen, because of the unexpected turn of events, the content of the assessment has also changed."

"Is it good or bad?" the Young Woman asked with concern.

"It's hard to say..." Tevan scratched his head in some distress. "My teacher—oh, that giant you saw the other day—he will step in and heavily injure the five calamities,

Then, a new requirement has been added to your passing criteria: you must defeat one calamity.

By the way, it can't be just any one; it must be the one that was guarding the wolf bone in your hand."

The Young Woman thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Is a heavily injured calamity... difficult to deal with?"

"As for whether it's difficult..." Tevan said hesitantly, "Teacher's strikes are very precise. He'll ensure the calamity is weakened to just the right level where you'll have to risk your life to defeat it."

"Additionally, you cannot seek help from others; you must go alone."

"Ah?"

The Young Woman was shocked. Me, duel that kind of monster? You might as well just tell me to go die; that would be easier.

"Mr. Tevan, the calamity..."

She wanted to ask more, but Tevan waved his hand to interrupt. "I can't say anything more. I have to go, or I'm finished if Teacher finds out."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished instantly.

At the same time, the burly man in his giant form towered once again on the outskirts of Mosco.

He opened his mouth and said, "The selection criteria have changed and are now divided into two stages.

Stage one: Find the wolf bone. Once it's over, others may not seize it.

Stage two: Defeat the corresponding calamity guarding the wolf bone you obtained. Only solo action is permitted."