53: A beast tide is coming? It's clearly a pet meet-and-greet!

The third day, high noon.

The Great Survival Competition was about to enter its final settlement phase.

At this moment, Gu Fan's points had already soared to twenty thousand—an astronomical figure that left the second place far behind and was enough to make the entire school's faculty and students doubt the System.

However, just when everyone thought the situation was settled...

"Rumble—"

The entire Survival Island suddenly trembled violently.

That vibration did not come from tectonic movement, but rather the footsteps of some behemoth approaching.

The clouds in the sky were dispersed by a violent surge of Evil Qi, and the originally bright sunlight dimmed instantly.

[Island-wide Announcement: Final Phase Initiated!]

[Final BOSS Spawned: S-Rank Mutant Creature—Vajra Demon Ape!]

[Warning: This creature possesses extreme aggression and will conduct an indiscriminate purge of the central area. Surviving candidates, please work together to resist, or hold out until the end of the match!]

As the alarm faded, trees deep in the jungle were pushed down in swathes like weeds.

A despair-inducing, massive black shadow appeared in everyone's field of vision.

It was a giant ape standing over ten meters tall!

Its entire body was covered in pitch-black scales, its muscles were knotted, and its eyes were blood-red, filled with tyranny. With every breath, it exhaled scorching white steam that scorched the surrounding vegetation.

Behind it followed hundreds of frenzied Vicious Beasts driven by the BOSS's Aura—Wind Wolves, Iron-Skinned Pigs, Saber-Toothed Tigers... This was a beast tide in the truest sense!

"It's over... it's the Vajra Demon Ape! That's a monster capable of rivaling a Grandmaster-level expert!"

"This isn't something freshmen can deal with at all! Has the academy gone mad?!"

The dozens of surviving candidates were completely despairing. Facing a monster of this level, even if they joined forces, they wouldn't last a minute.

"Run!"

No one knew who shouted it, but everyone turned and fled.

But the Vajra Demon Ape clearly had no intention of letting these 'little bugs' go. It roared at the sky, a deafening sound, and then took massive strides toward the central lake where life signatures were most concentrated.

Its target was clear—that Gu Fan who had been using a megaphone there to disturb the peace!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Every step of the Demon Ape caused the earth to crack.

In the blink of an eye, it had already charged to the front of the camp.

Its massive frame cast a huge shadow, completely enveloping Gu Fan.

"President! Run! We can't beat this thing!"

Xiao Fan was terrified and tried to pull Gu Fan away to run. Even the usually calm Lin Xue was now clutching her dagger tightly, though she knew this dagger wasn't even enough to give the Demon Ape a manicure.

Only Wangcai, though his four legs were trembling, still bravely blocked the way in front of Gu Fan, letting out low, whimpering growls.

Gu Fan, however, remained where he was, even calmly taking a sip of his unfinished happy water.

He looked up, watching that massive fist carrying a terrifying Aura as it smashed down fiercely toward the top of his head.

Before the wind of the punch even arrived, the intense pressure had already caused the surrounding ground to split into numerous cracks.

This one punch was enough to smash a tank into a metal pancake.

[Ding! Fatal killing intent detected from 'Vajra Demon Ape' (S-Rank).]

[Malice Level: S-Rank (Originating from the absolute slaughter command set by the System program).]

[Backlash triggered! Multiplier: 100x!]

[Randomizing Backlash effect...]

[Congratulations to the host! Triggered hidden rare effect: Bloodline Suppression · Ancestor Edition!]

[Description: In the presence of your Aura, all atavistic creatures will feel absolute terror from the source of their genes. You are not human; you are their long-lost... great-grandfather.]

Just as that fist, larger than a truck, was only ten centimeters away from the tip of Gu Fan's nose...

The scene froze.

It was as if a pause button had been pressed.

The Vajra Demon Ape's blood-red eyes suddenly contracted violently.

It felt an Aura.

It was an Aura that made its Soul tremble. It felt as if it were looking not at a human youth, but at a beast race Dominator from the primordial wilderness.

That suppression originating from its Bloodline made it not dare to smash that punch down even one more inch.

Smash it down?

That would be betraying one's masters and destroying one's ancestors! That would be a heinous rebellion!

"Roar...?" (Great... Great-grandfather?)

A confused and trembling low cry escaped the Demon Ape's throat.

Its originally ferocious expression actually became soft in this instant, and even those blood-red eyes revealed a light known as 'clear stupidity.'

The next second.

Under the terrified gaze of everyone present.

The Vajra Demon Ape slowly withdrew its fist.

Then, its massive knees bent.

"Boom!"

A loud crash.

This ten-meter-tall giant beast actually knelt down heavily right in front of Gu Fan!

The ground was smashed into two large pits.

And that wasn't all.

The Demon Ape carefully extended two massive fingers, like holding an embroidery needle, and plucked a bunch of not-yet-fully-ripe wild bananas from the tree behind Gu Fan.

Then, with a fawning expression, it peeled the banana skin and held the banana—which was only toothpick-sized to it—to Gu Fan's mouth.

"Roar-wu~" (Old Ancestor, eat fruit.)

The entire field was silent.

Xiao Fan's jaw hit the top of his foot. The dagger in Lin Xue's hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Real world, Dean's office.

The prized purple clay teapot in Dean's hand fell and shattered with a 'crack.'

"What... what the hell kind of operation is this?!"

"That's a killing machine! That's the BOSS! How did it become a waiter?!"

Gu Fan looked at the banana being held to his mouth and wasn't polite, taking a bite.

"A bit astringent, not fully ripe yet."

Gu Fan commented, then patted the Demon Ape's thick finger. "But seeing as you're so filial, I won't stew you. This technique is a bit rusty; practice more in the future."

The Demon Ape felt as if it had received a great pardon and nodded frantically, even extending its two giant hands to carefully massage Gu Fan's shoulders.

The hundreds of Vicious Beasts behind it, which had originally been aggressive, saw their boss acting like this and didn't dare to act up at all.

"Thud! Thud!"

A wave of kneeling sounds.

Hundreds of Vicious Beasts lay on the ground in unison, exposing their bellies; some wagged their tails, some mimicked cat meows—the scene was once very chaotic yet heartwarming.

The original 'Doomsday Beast Tide' instantly turned into a large-scale 'Pet Meet-and-Greet.'

Gu Fan sat on the Demon Ape's broad shoulder. He looked down at the candidates below who were completely dumbfounded and picked up the megaphone.

"Everyone, stop dazing out."

"Since everyone is gathered here, all this fighting and killing is so boring. Look, even classmate Vajra is so peace-loving."

"There's still half an hour until the match ends. I announce that the first 'Survival Island Voice' selection competition starts now!"

"For the top three, I can consider having my pet legion escort you into the final circle. As for those without talent..."

Gu Fan patted the Demon Ape's head.

The Demon Ape immediately cooperated by baring its teeth, revealing two rows of fangs larger than door panels, and let out a threatening low growl.

"Roar!" (Those who don't listen get their little junk flicked!)

Everyone trembled. Looking at the valley full of Vicious Beasts and then at Gu Fan sitting on the Demon Ape's shoulder looking harmless, they felt a sense of powerlessness.

Is this the first place?

This is simply a dimensional reduction strike!

"I... I can sing 'Learn to Meow'!" A burly man raised his hand with tears in his eyes.

"I can smash a large stone on my chest!"

"I can play the flute with my nostrils!"

The style of Survival Island had completely collapsed.