Everyone present heard the announcement clearly, their eyes instinctively darting to the overhead leaderboard.
With a fresh system update, the top spot had officially changed hands.
“Hanna Raelene, Cypress Institute, 63 total sea monster kills, 630 points!”
As for Reed Newt…
Obsessed with raw infrastructure construction, he hadn’t taken the initiative to launch a single offensive over the past few days.
His points remained stubbornly frozen at 590, sliding him down into second place.
Meanwhile, the contestant in third place was breathing down his neck with 54 kills, closing the gap fast.
Yet, astonishingly, Reed showed zero sense of urgency.
He remained entirely unbothered, continuing to direct construction work on his island at a remarkably leisurely pace.
In the Cypress Institute Observation Room.
“Principal, the scoreboard just updated!
Hanna Raelene has reclaimed the number one spot on the entire regional leaderboard!”
Several instructors pointed at the holographic display, their voices buzzing with excitement.
Just moments ago, Hanna had slain five sea monsters in a single devastating sweep, successfully pushing past Valley View Academy to reclaim her throne.
Winslow Eric stared at the standings, offering a slow nod of approval.
“To break through to the second level in such a short window of time…
Raelene’s inherent affinity for the Path of Evolution is far more extraordinary than I anticipated.”
She was, after all, the undisputed crown jewel of Cypress Institute’s younger generation.
She possessed raw genius, backed by the vast resources of several ninth-level Island Holders.
Her return to the peak surprised no one.
What truly intrigued him was Reed Newt from Valley View Academy, currently occupying second place.
“His score…
hasn’t budged in days.” Eric’s brows knit together in deep thought.
There was only one logical explanation: just like Hanna Raelene, Reed was likely in seclusion, pushing for a second-level breakthrough.
If he succeeded, he would undoubtedly become a formidable threat to Cypress Institute.
Hanna Raelene isn’t staying put; she just left her island on her own initiative to hunt out on the open water!” an instructor suddenly blurted out, pointing in awe.
Eric snapped back to attention, shifting his gaze to Hanna’s projection.
She stood gracefully atop a single slab of driftwood, floating casually across the dark waves of the Endless Sea.
Naturally, the deep ocean was far too dangerous for a solo run, so she confined her hunt to the offshore perimeter.
Before long, two massive sea monsters caught her scent.
They broke the surface, surging toward her with terrifying ferocity.
“Roar.” Their guttural roars barely echoed before both beasts suddenly stiffened.
After a single split-second encounter, they collapsed lifelessly into the ocean, sinking beneath the waves without making another sound.
“Telekinesis…” Eric murmured, his pupils contracting slightly.
Once an individual awakened as an Evolutionary, their path diverged dramatically.
Some commanded searing elemental flames, others forged unyielding physical bodies, and some harnessed the blistering speed of wind.
Hanna Raelene had mastered the power of pure thought.
To strike down foes with invisible, intangible mental force made her fighting style terrifyingly unpredictable.
Hunting sea monsters this way allowed her to clear targets virtually untouched.
I must be overthinking things, Eric reasoned, regaining his calm.
Even if that Reed Newt manages to force a breakthrough to the second level, he is simply no match for Hanna.
She had ninth-level juggernauts funding her every move, complemented by the absolute elite training of Cypress Institute.
What could a solitary student from Valley View Academy possibly bring to the table against that?
Day Six.
Dawn broke over the horizon, painting the sky in pale shades of gold.
Reed Newt stepped out of his wooden cabin and headed straight toward the bustling construction site, followed by a vast horde of monkeys that blanketed the hills and plains.
With practiced hand gestures and sharp calls, he directed the primates to resume laying heavy stone walls.
Watching the sprawling project come to life under the rising sun filled Reed with a deep, satisfying sense of accomplishment.
Once this fortress city was built, his personal safety would be completely secured.
At their current pace, the remaining two outer walls would be finished before dusk.
Add two reinforced main gates, and the outer city layout would be officially complete.
“Still…
feeding five hundred workers is taking its toll.
The leftover sea monster meat is running dangerously low,” Reed muttered as he surveyed his labor force scattered across the grounds.
If he ran out of food, these monkeys would inevitably go on strike or scatter back into the jungle, putting his entire project on hold.
“Looks like it’s time to harvest another batch of sea monsters.”
Decision made, Reed gathered a small crew of monkeys and began setting up elaborate bait traps across strategic chokepoints.
Over the past few days, more than a dozen sea monsters had crawled ashore, roaming the island’s perimeter.
It was the perfect opportunity to lure them into a single killing zone, annihilate them all at once, and stock up on fresh meat.
In Valley View Academy Observation Room.
Meanwhile, a crowd of instructors gathered in front of Reed’s live projection, engaged in heated, hushed debates.
The eccentric student who had been completely consumed by brick-laying and manual labor was finally making a move against the monsters roaming his territory.
“Is he out of his mind?
How many carts of gunpowder did he just stack in that ravine?”
“From the looks of it, he intends to aggro every single sea monster on the island at once for a total wipe!”
“About time he cleared them out, honestly.
If he lets their numbers multiply any further, the island will be completely overrun.”
“Check the main board!
Hanna Raelene’s score is skyrocketing; she’s already hit 740 points!”
The instructors bickered back and forth as the live data shifted.
Reed’s name had officially slipped to third place, and fourth place was trailing him by a mere 20 points, a razor-thin gap worth just two monster kills.
It was glaringly clear: while every other Island Holder spent the last few days frantically hunting monsters to level up their strength, Reed had spent his time grinding gunpowder, breaking rocks, and obsessing over urban real estate.