Lei Huailun and Li Heng both fell silent. They made eye contact for a moment, then nodded in tacit understanding.
That’s Sister Sha for you, fierce and unpredictable!
This was the thought that flashed through Li Heng’s mind. He felt Bai Shasha was unbelievably ruthless.
"So where is Bai Shasha now? Did she go exploring the periphery again?" Li Heng asked, not seeing her at their class’s rest spot.
Lei Huailun pointed to the huge tent in the center of the encampment. "Carrying two wolf heads, she walked right past me without a word and went straight into the tent where the three teachers are. It wasn’t just Bai Shasha, either. I saw some students from other classes who looked like they’d also killed a wild wolf and gotten something out of it. They’re probably getting their loot appraised by the teachers!"
Halfway through, Lei Huailun paused. His eyes fell on the Wild Wolf Hide tied at Li Heng’s waist and the Wolf Fang Bracelet on his right wrist. He continued, "You got some drops too. What do you say? Want to... go in and have the teachers appraise that bracelet and hide of yours?"
The teachers stationed at the encampment, aside from guaranteeing the students’ safety, also provided various forms of assistance. This included, but was not limited to, the appraisal of Soul Energy Equipment, Soul Energy Items, and pets.
At the same time, the teachers would also conduct a general assessment of the students who came to the tent. Based on this assessment, they would assign a final score, which would serve as their grade for this secret realm placement exam.
Of course, if a student never once entered the tent, their final grade would be absolutely abysmal.
Li Heng had his system, so he was already well aware of the properties of the Wild Wolf Hide and the superior-grade Wolf Fang Bracelet. He naturally had no need for a teacher’s appraisal.
Still, Li Heng wanted to go to the central tent. For one, he could show his face to the teachers and boost his evaluation score. For another, he wanted to find a partner to venture into the forest with.
They had to stay in Wild Wolf Valley for seven days, and with a life-saving measure like the Teleportation Talisman, Li Heng really didn’t want to waste the entire week wandering the periphery. Collecting Soul Energy points that way was just too slow.
Playing it safe was one thing, but as his strength grew, it was becoming necessary to find a new place to play it safe. After all, the wild wolf resources on the periphery were limited.
Once all the lone wild wolves on the periphery were killed off, entering the forest would be inevitable if he wanted more Soul Energy points. Better to act sooner rather than fall behind.
"Class President, want to go together?" Li Heng asked, getting to his feet and inviting Lei Huailun.
Lei Huailun waved his hand and replied with a smile, "I’m going to play it safe for a bit and try to rally the other students. I am the class president, after all. I still hope all our classmates can participate in the secret realm college entrance exam."
"Alright, then! I’ll go find the teachers myself!" Li Heng didn’t press the issue. He simply turned and headed for the central tent.
Everyone had their own ideas and principles. Li Heng couldn’t control what the class president thought. He had only extended the invitation because he figured an acquaintance would be slightly more reliable.
As far as Li Heng was concerned, there were only two rules for long-term survival in the secret realm.
1. Play it safe!
2. Never stop playing it safe!
Choosing a trustworthy teammate was just another way of playing it safe.
As Li Heng made his way to the large tent, students from other classes shot him looks of all kinds—envy, jealousy, admiration, resentment, and more.
These stares weren’t a problem for Li Heng, though; they didn’t even bother him. In fact, he was half-hoping one or two of the bolder, prettier girls with nice figures might rush up and ask for his contact info.
Too bad things like cell phones couldn’t be brought into the secret realm.
The encampment was actually quite noisy. After all, with several hundred people gathered in one place, the fact that there was any order at all was impressive enough.
But as he stepped inside the tent, Li Heng found it was much quieter than the bustling encampment. In terms of sheer numbers, there were far fewer people inside; including the three teachers, he could see only about ten people in total.
"Oh?! Another student has come in? Young man, what’s your name?"
The tent was so large that with only ten or so people inside, it felt rather empty. Li Heng’s entrance immediately caught the attention of one of the teachers.
At the same time, everyone else reflexively glanced over. After getting a good look at him, some averted their eyes while others continued to stare.
"Hello, teachers! My name is Li Heng, from Class 5," Li Heng introduced himself.
"Oh! Same class as Bai Shasha! Looks like Class 5 is doing well this year! You’ve killed a few wild... hmm? A Wolf Fang Bracelet? And it’s not just a common piece of Soul Energy Equipment! You have a Soul Energy Item, too?"
Soul Energy Equipment!
Everyone in the tent was familiar with the term. Whatever their previous thoughts, all eyes were now reassessing Li Heng.
More importantly, they had just heard the teacher say that it wasn’t just a *common* piece of Soul Energy Equipment!
Whether by genuine strength or sheer luck, getting a piece of Soul Energy Equipment on the very first day in the secret realm was no small feat.
A person like that was definitely no weakling.
"This is a good batch! So far, eleven students have come to report to the tent. Two of them have already found Soul Energy Equipment, and three have found Soul Energy Items! Not bad at all!"
A teacher positioned slightly to the left, seeming to notice the subtle shift in the atmosphere, spoke up to summarize the situation, praising everyone in the process.
As soon as the teacher finished his praise, the atmosphere in the tent did indeed lighten, and some of the stares fixed on Li Heng finally moved away.
"I know we’ve said this before, but since a new student has arrived, I’ll repeat it. Any student who reports in on the first day and can prove they’ve killed a wild wolf will receive a base evaluation score of thirty points. Finding Soul Energy Items or Equipment will add another twenty points. This is for the first day only!" one of the teachers explained to Li Heng.
Li Heng nodded to show he understood but remained silent. He sensed the teacher wasn’t finished, and it would be rude to interrupt.
"There’s no upper limit on points. For the duration of the secret realm exam, points are your currency here. You can use them to purchase things from us, including but not limited to weapons for the exam. Of course, if you want us to appraise your items and equipment, that will also cost you points!"
"Thank you, teacher! I understand!" Li Heng said, nodding and giving a slight bow to show his gratitude.
The teacher, Wang Guodong, was pleased by Li Heng’s gratitude and his respectful bow.
’He has strength, or at least luck, and he knows how to respect his elders. This Li Heng is a promising one!’
In a good mood, Wang Guodong said to Li Heng, "Considering that none of you likely have any storage-type Soul Energy Equipment at this stage, you can deposit any Soul Energy Equipment or Soul Energy Items you find with us. There’s no point fee for storage."
"In that case, teacher... can we sell Soul Energy Items to you? I want to buy some more throwing knives for the exam!"
Just as Teacher Wang Guodong finished explaining that they could store items, a male student with a shaggy haircut suddenly spoke up with a question.