Chapter Forty-Nine: Encircling the Malevolent Spirit

I shook my head, pushing those complicated thoughts aside. As I stood up to stretch my limbs, I realized it was already midnight.

The Ghost King was as punctual as ever, sending a message in the group chat: “Congratulations to those who found a place to stay. The remaining twelve who haven’t will be hunted by the dire wolf. The punishment begins!”

This time, no one in the group replied. The chat was cold and silent, not a single word was uttered.

I gazed out the window, still curious about what the dire wolf looked like, when a deafening howl pierced the night. It was a sound no human could make—there was no doubt it was the dire wolf.

Neither Chen Chen nor Li Zijian had seen this creature before, so they crowded by the window with me. Yet, the wolf was nowhere in sight, and that chilling howl never sounded again.

Leaning against the window, Li Zijian lit a cigarette and asked, “Yao, between you and that dire wolf, who do you think is stronger?”

Chen Chen and I burst out laughing. I replied, “I guess we’d have to fight to find out.”

Just as we were passing the time with idle chatter, a scream erupted outside—there was no mistaking it, that was a human voice.

I rushed to the window, peering outside. A wolf, larger than a car, was chasing a male student. I was utterly shocked. The beast’s fur was pitch black, bristling like coarse needles, with two massive fangs protruding from its jaws.

Was this really… a wolf?

It was obvious the dire wolf was toying with the boy, deliberately holding back, baring its teeth as it stayed close behind him. But not everyone has spiritual energy—this boy was just an ordinary person. Soon enough, he collapsed from exhaustion.

The wolf, losing interest, opened its jaws and swallowed him whole, the gruesome sound of bones crunching carrying up to us. When it opened its mouth, I saw blood still staining its teeth, along with scraps of what looked like fabric.

I wanted to rush out and fight it, but reason held me back. If I did, I’d be torn to pieces…

After finishing its meal, the dire wolf darted away with staggering speed.

“Damn…” Chen Chen stood beside me, his eyes empty.

Li Zijian, having witnessed everything, clutched a plastic bucket and vomited.

As for me, I swallowed the bile rising in my throat…

I shook my head hard, sitting on the floor to rest my eyes, though the nauseating scene continued to replay in my mind.

It wasn’t until the Ghost King sent another message that I snapped out of it.

“Punishment is over. Today’s game ends here.”

I let out a long sigh and glanced at Chen Chen. He was crouched on the ground, lost in his thoughts, his eyes filled with terror.

I patted his shoulder, then stepped outside for some air.

But even the night breeze seemed tinged with the scent of blood.

I wandered aimlessly around the field, occasionally stumbling upon fresh pools of blood, still warm…

“Well, well, if it isn’t our young master Lin, out for a stroll?” came a mocking voice.

I turned to see Jiang Yuan, that insufferable fool, looking at me with disdain.

I raised an eyebrow and said, “If you don’t want to die, stay out of my way.”

Only then did I notice that Jiang Yuan had reached the first tier of Spiritual Leaf as well. Later, I learned that those at the same level could see the symbol on each other’s foreheads—there was a small leaf on his, just like mine.

“We’re on the same level now. Not sure which one of us would win,” he taunted.

His lackeys quickly chimed in, “Yeah, there’s no way you could beat our boss.”

“He’s just a country bumpkin, ha ha ha…”

Jiang Yuan listened to their flattery with a self-satisfied grin.

I ignored them and walked away.

“Next time I see you, you’re dead! Ha ha ha…”

I blocked out his empty threats, not even bothering to look back.

As I walked, I organized my thoughts. At this point, Jiang Yuan’s faction was probably the strongest in the school. Judging by his swagger, he must have over ten people, though they must be split up—after all, each team was limited to five. The only other group close in strength was led by Hua Ling, just a little smaller than Jiang Yuan’s. The rest were scattered individuals, none of whom posed much threat to me—though, perhaps there were some I hadn’t noticed yet.

After a few laps around the field, I returned to my lodging.

It was afternoon—the time when people are most prone to drowsiness. Sure enough, Chen Chen was fast asleep on the bed, and Li Zijian was dozing off at the desk.

But I felt wide awake, more energetic than ever.

So I found a spot in the room and began cultivating.

This time, I entered a meditative state unusually quickly. Strangely, I actually fell asleep while cultivating—something that had never happened before. Sensing this oddity, I broke off the practice and woke up.

To my surprise, it was already dark outside.

How long had I slept…?

Checking my phone, I saw it was past seven in the evening.

I stared in disbelief at the time, then glanced at Chen Chen and Li Zijian. Both were still sound asleep, their snores filling the room.

I noticed new messages in the group chat and opened it.

The Ghost King had posted a task at six—something we’d all missed while asleep.

I quickly read over the task. Apparently, many students had complained about the lack of food, so the Ghost King added a new mission:

“This task is optional. Kill an evil spirit before midnight to earn food. The game begins.”

My stomach growled—I really was getting hungry.

I stood up, thinking to rouse the others, but changed my mind and decided to let them rest. I’d go alone.

Night had fallen completely, yet the sports field was crowded with students, each armed with some kind of weapon, scanning the darkness.

Since these evil spirits were under the Ghost King’s command, they certainly weren’t ordinary—they possessed spiritual energy.

Sure enough, near the basketball courts, a group had already launched an assault on one of the evil spirits.

I looked closely. This spirit, too, had the strength of the first tier of Spiritual Leaf, but none of its attackers possessed any spiritual energy.

It was futile—like eggs smashing against a rock.

I watched from a distance. The evil spirit exuded a terrifying aura, using its razor-sharp fingernails as weapons, easily punching holes through its attackers.

Many others stood by, observing, perhaps hoping to gauge the spirit’s abilities.

As I stared, the spirit killed someone, its method cruel and unrelenting, each blow aimed at the head—a single mistake meant a shattered skull.

And then, amid the chaos, I spotted a familiar figure in the group—Chu Yao.

I hadn’t interacted with her much, the last time being during the Hunter game.

Surrounded by more than a dozen attackers, the evil spirit showed no sign of panic. In fact, it seemed to grow more excited, cutting down several victims in quick succession.