433: Chapter 419 (Anti-theft Chapter) (Main text will be updated in a few hours)

The rioters targeted luxury hotels, and the Magic School candidates who had initially escaped the disaster inevitably encountered them.

Thanks to the multiple displays of great power by extraordinaries from various countries, the rioters, who were almost entirely driven by instinct, finally regained a bit of reason under the deterrent of fear and did not dare to commit violence against the candidates.

The candidates' parents did not let down their guard because of this.

The rioters gathered at the door or those who had already intruded into the living room did not disperse; they lingered in place, their greedy eyes scanning the property in the house and the exceptionally beautiful female family members.

Mr. Gao was powerful—no one dared to question that. People facing danger also believed that these rampant criminals would inevitably face severe punishment afterward.

But by then, it would be too late.

At this moment, the fathers certainly wouldn't cling to their property. They protected their children and wives, telling the rioters that as long as they didn't harm them or their families, they could take anything else as they pleased.

A group of criminals blinded by wealth naturally wouldn't think of being polite before acting; they immediately rushed to various parts of the room to loot.

However, just as they started moving, someone's voice abruptly sounded in their ears—the content was a single word: 'Light'.

Their consciousness instinctively analyzed it, trying to find the deep meaning hidden in the noun, but there was no result, though everyone had their guesses.

The voice was incredibly clear, as if whispering in their ears, yet no source could be found nearby. From the stunned expressions of their companions, it was clear everyone had heard it; this was not something current technology could achieve.

If extraordinaries had never appeared in the world, they might have thought it was a secret weapon unannounced by the military. But everyone knew that Mr. Gao was descending upon New Moon City today.

In an instant, horror occupied their minds and attacked their hearts with a brutal and overbearing posture.

Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads like it cost nothing. Trembling defeated their brains and took over every control nerve and every muscle.

Though no one announced it, they understood: Mr. Gao had arrived.

Run!

The tempting wealth lost all its charm at this moment. Only one thought remained in the rioters' hearts—escape.

However, when they tried to put it into action, they found they couldn't move.

Their limbs seemed to have escaped their control; no matter how they urged them, there was no response, and they remained in their current postures while looking around.

Huddled in the corner, the terrified parents noticed the abnormality at this moment.

"What's wrong with them, Daddy?" The daughter held in his arms looked up, asking in confusion while staring at her father's chin.

"It seems... they can't move?" The rioters had eerily come to a standstill, and the father guessed hesitantly.

The danger seemed to have vanished. The wife, hiding behind her husband, poked her head out from the side. After observing the rioters for a while and thinking it over, she said excitedly, "Could it be that Mr. Gao saved us?"

Mr. Gao?

Right!

In this bizarre and magical scene before them, who else in all of America could do this besides Mr. Gao?

"The assessment!"

Waking up from the joy of escaping danger, the father remembered the reason Mr. Gao had come here. Not bothering to find a rope to tie up the rioters, he hurriedly pulled his wife and daughter and ran downstairs.

Meanwhile, the chaos on the streets had also calmed down.

The people crowding the streets and alleys of New Moon City stopped running around and all looked up blankly at the high sky.

A person was suspended there.

His figure was not as massive as a giant; he appeared to be the size of an ordinary human. It was dusk, and night was sweeping in from the horizon. The light was dim, and his face was shrouded in gloomy shadows, making it impossible to see his features or even his gender.

It felt as if days had passed, yet also as if only a few seconds had gone by. He raised his right arm, holding a 'wooden stick' in his hand.

Then, people heard a cold tone echoing around them—'Light'.

As the words fell, the night sky behind him lit up with the brilliant radiance of a star's birth. It wasn't a golden light; it was as pure and cold as moonlight.

The man floated against the light, gloomy shadows veiling his face as he held the 'wooden stick' a bit higher: "Those who walk with calamity have only one path—death."

The man probably spoke; the distance was too far for people to be certain. They only saw pillar-like pale light shooting toward various parts of the city. The rioters, bound in place and unable to move, screamed as they turned to ashes within the light pillars.

Eerily, the buildings suffered no damage whatsoever.

Witnessing it all, the people had lost the ability to speak. Their pupils were filled with the matchless light, and their minds were completely conquered. They felt moved, their eyes welling with tears because they could witness a miracle in this lifetime.

"Light," someone subconsciously raised their hands high, mimicking the man's tone and chanting.

The miracle did not stop there.

The light pillars began to move. People who had witnessed their terrifying power did not flee in panic when they found themselves in the path; instead, they showed fanatical expressions, anticipating the arrival of the baptism.

The light did indeed sweep over them. Unfortunately, no sublimation occurred in their bodies.

People lowered their hands in disappointment. After their frustration passed, they became puzzled: why was it patrolling the city?

After a while, someone discovered the reason.

The grass trampled by the crowds restored itself to its original state, the emerald weeds slowly straightening their stems, sturdier than before. The smashed trash cans that had rolled into street corners flew back to their original spots, their dented parts popping back out, returning to their former shape.

More and more similar scenes appeared. The scars scattered throughout the city were being repaired, as if someone had sprinkled the water of life onto withered trees, demonstrating rebirth for the world.

After a long time, when the city's wounds were completely healed, the light pillars rapidly contracted. Like stage lights, they swept frantically through the city.

"The bad guys are all dead, and everything is fixed. What is it still doing?" someone asked, not understanding.

"Stupid, have you forgotten Mr. Gao's purpose for coming to New Moon City?" the person next to them said.

The assessment!

People remembered, and so they became restless again, discussing fervently while waiting for the birth of the lucky ones.

The light pillars no longer paid attention to the crowds and went about their business, passing over building after building until dawn. All hundreds of light pillars came to a stop, illuminating certain spots.

After about a few minutes, the light pillars contracted from the bottom up. Sharp-eyed people saw that some individuals were enveloped within, being carried toward the sky.

"They're all children."

"The Magic School only recruits students no older than eighteen. Of course the candidates are all children."

"Then they are the lucky ones?"

"Of course."

The light pillars cut off halfway through their contraction, then changed angles and swept toward the Magic School. Once aligned, they extended again, landing inside the school before disappearing.

"The admitted students have been sent into the school?"

"Uh, I still wanted to see exactly which lucky ones they were."

"You still can. Come on, let's go to the school!"

Even if they couldn't get any benefits, watching the excitement wasn't a loss. The crowds poured out of the city and ran toward the school.

The parents whose children had been taken by the light pillars also realized at this point that their children had successfully enrolled, and they quickly set off for the school as well.

Firstly, it was to visit their children, and secondly, their desire to visit the interior of the Magic School had not yet been satisfied.

...

At the Magic School, Neo, having received Mr. Gao's notice and prepared the welcoming ceremony in advance, led the entire faculty and staff in a lineup on the plaza to wait.

When the students came down with bewildered faces, he immediately stepped forward.

"Children, congratulations. You have become the first batch of students of this Magic School."

The younger children were still in a daze, and they also felt the panic of suddenly arriving in a strange environment, looking left and right for their parents. The older ones, after their initial ecstasy, calmed down and also looked around.

They weren't looking for their parents.

After a while, not seeing what they expected, a student couldn't help but ask Neo, "Sir, where are our teachers?"

Neo smiled slightly. "Can't wait to see magic?"

The students scratched their heads, a bit embarrassed that their little thoughts had been seen through. Seeing the staff behind Neo, they immediately cast the embarrassment aside: "Sir, are they the magic teachers?"

"Them?" Neo looked back and laughed involuntarily. "No, no, no. They are just staff members who handle trivial matters. As for your magic teachers, we have to wait for Mr. Gao to arrive."

"Mr. Gao is coming?!" All at once, including the children who were scared, all the students looked over excitedly.

"Mr. Gao is the principal. Well, although he won't be at the school every day, he will appear occasionally. And today is the opening day, so he will definitely be here."

The students became happy, those who knew each other hugged and cheered, and strangers high-fived to express their excitement.

Neo smiled and looked back at the teaching building, waiting for Mr. Gao along with the students.

Mr. Gao was busy with who-knows-what and hadn't shown up yet. Considering the children had just experienced danger and certainly hadn't eaten, Neo instructed his assistant to prepare dinner.

One could also call it a late-night snack, since it was already nine o'clock in the evening.

After eating dinner, the students waited a while longer, but even by midnight, Mr. Gao hadn't arrived. Their enthusiasm faded, and sleepiness set in. They were children after all; even when facing the extraordinary, it was still hard to maintain a long-term state of focus.

Seeing this, Neo arranged for people to lead them to the dormitories to rest.

The beds and bedding were all set up; they could sleep as soon as they entered the rooms. As for how the students would be assigned rooms, there was no rush; today they could pick any room to stay in temporarily. Once Mr. Gao and the teachers were in place and student IDs were determined, they would discuss it further.

Once all the students were in bed, Neo also planned to go rest. The eighty-year-old man had stayed up half the night, and his body was somewhat exhausted.

Considering Mr. Gao could arrive at any time, he wouldn't go home and would just make do at the school for the night. But just as he lifted his foot, his assistant rushed over to stop him.

"What is it?" Neo turned around irritably.

"The citizens are here. Should we drive them away?" The assistant wiped the sweat off his face from running.

"How many?"

"A lot. Because visibility is low at night, the exact number cannot be determined for now."

Neo was driven to distraction. He couldn't understand what kind of garbage was in the heads of American citizens, running to the outskirts in the middle of the night—don't they have to work tomorrow?

"Send the army to set up a barrier line. No need to drive them away; they'll leave on their own when it gets light."

"Understood."

The assistant took the order and left. Neo turned around grumbling, and suddenly saw Mr. Gao standing in front of him with his back turned.

He froze for a moment, then snapped out of it and hurriedly jogged over with his cane: "Mr. Gao, I'll immediately gather the stu—"

Mr. Gao shook his head: "Tomorrow. They are all children and need to ensure they get enough sleep."

"You're right." Nodding, Neo asked again, "Mr. Gao, according to the normal opening process, although there are no classes tomorrow, the teachers of each class should come out to meet the students and pick class representatives."

"I've already arranged for the teachers; they will arrive on time tomorrow." Saying this, he turned around. "Go rest. Tomorrow will be very busy."

"Yes."