Chapter 196: Freshmen Tribute Fee, Utter Bullying
Wu Tian quickly retreated from the dorm, but before leaving, his eyes flashed like a camera, capturing countless high resolution images in his mind…
Because of his unexpected intrusion, the two girls significantly sped up their dressing process.
Within minutes, the door opened, and both stepped out.
To Wu Tian's eyes, they looked no different from usual.
But in their hearts, things still felt incomplete they hadn't reached the ideal effect they were hoping for.
"Let's go. I'll explain on the way."
Without waiting for a response, Wu Tian strode forward confidently.
Xun'er and Hu Jia quickly followed behind.
Leaving the dorm, they entered a lush, tree lined avenue a wide and open path leading through the freshmen's residential area.
This was Sunfire Alliance's territory, their base of operations.
Of course, the surrounding dorms were much more basic in comparison, proving that not everyone enjoyed the same privileges.
Wu Hao and that other guy probably had decent living conditions, but the other freshmen? Definitely not.
As for Wu Tian's situation
Sure, he had a better dorm, but he was also suffering twice as much.
He couldn't even turn over in bed without risking trouble.
How much longer must I endure this hardship?
By now, the avenue was completely empty every freshman had likely gathered at the exit, just as planned.
Wu Tian, however, remained unbothered, keeping a leisurely pace as he walked.
Not a hint of urgency.
This puzzled the two girls behind him.
Our people are being bullied… Why isn't he in a hurry?
The freshmen's residential area was massive.
It took Wu Tian about ten minutes to finally reach the exit.
There, he saw a huge crowd.
Angry shouts and curses filled the air.
With a simple wave of his hand, Wu Tian led the two girls into the mass of people.
As soon as the frustrated freshmen saw Wu Tian, their faces lit up with joy.
Just as they were about to cheer, Wu Tian raised a hand, signaling them to stay silent.
Immediately, everyone shut their mouths, not daring to speak.
Wu Tian's eyes swept through the crowd, locking onto the scene at the exit.
There, seven or eight senior students stood blocking the pathway.
Each one wore a badge with a tower emblem, marking them as Inner Academy seniors.
Behind them, a large number of other seniors stood watching the "backup squad."
Their plan was clear:
The first group would collect tribute, and when they were done, the next wave would step up.
This was a golden opportunity to exploit the freshmen, and they weren't going to miss out.
Facing these senior students, Wu Hao and the freshmen stood their ground, their faces dark with rage.
One of the seniors, a man in his mid twenties, grinned and spoke casually,
"Enough talking, kid. You call yourselves Sunfire Alliance? Not afraid of getting burned?"
"The freshmen tribute fee has been a long standing tradition in the Inner Academy. We're already being generous by keeping the price low. So just hand it over quietly, alright?"
"As the saying goes, money solves problems. Surely, you understand that?"
His tone was light, but his threat was clear.
Then, he smiled even wider and added,
"Two days' worth of Fire Energy per person that's nothing for you guys, right? We'll even guarantee your safety in the Inner Academy. Pretty fair deal, don't you think?"
Wu Hao snorted coldly, his voice full of rage.
"Enough bullshit! You think we're stupid? If you want our Fire Energy, then beat me first!"
Wu Hao gripped his greatsword, his eyes burning with fury.
The senior laughed darkly.
"Heh… good, very good…"
Another senior, with a sinister expression, added,
"Listen, kids… this isn't the Outer Academy anymore."
"In the Inner Academy, only the arena has strict rules. But outside of that? Dueling is allowed anywhere."
"As long as we don't kill you, there's no issue."
"And hey… in a 'friendly spar', broken bones are just an accident, right?"
His words were filled with malice, sending a chill through the freshmen.
Wu Hao boiled with fury.
"YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR! BLOODTHIRSTY BLADE!"
With a roar, Wu Hao swung his blood red greatsword, slashing directly at the seniors.
Though they were older, their strength wasn't overwhelming.
At most, they were low tier Dou Grandmasters (Da Dou Shi) only around two or three stars.
When they first joined the Inner Academy, they were just Dou Fighters (Dou Shi), no different from the current freshmen.
They were not prepared for Wu Hao's ferocity.
Their expressions twisted as his mighty sword came crashing down.
Something was wrong.
They had received bad intelligence.
They had only been warned about ONE strong freshman.
But now… there were TWO?
Despite their momentary shock, they were still experienced fighters.
All eight seniors rushed in at once.
Their target?
Wu Hao and the mysterious fourth ranked freshman.
Wu Hao fought like a berserker, but his mysterious teammate fought like a shadow.
Wu Hao was a warrior a brute force fighter.
The other was an assassin silent, deadly, and nearly undetectable.
If the seniors fought them one on one, they would be slaughtered instantly.
But together, all eight of them fought as one.
It was shameless, but effective.
Despite Wu Hao's overwhelming strength, he struggled under their combined assault.
The other freshmen?
They barely put up a fight.
The seniors cut through them like a bulldozer, knocking down anyone who got too close.
Sweat dripped down Wu Hao's forehead.
His eyes turned bloodshot, and his breathing grew ragged.
He was on the verge of defeat.
Yet, Wu Tian remained still, watching from the sidelines.
He made no move to help.
Because this was necessary.
He could step in but only after they had exhausted every last bit of their strength.
Hu Jia understood.
She glanced at Wu Tian and Xun'er.
Then, with a slight smirk, she jumped into the battle.
She wasn't as strong as Wu Tian.
And Xun'er?
Xun'er was an enigma even Hu Jia didn't know how powerful she really was.
But this fight was the perfect training opportunity.
Inner Academy was brutal.
If they wanted to survive, they had to get stronger.
Besides…
The moment she stepped in, the other freshmen's morale soared.
After all
She shared a dorm with Wu Tian.
If she was here, then he was definitely watching.
And that meant…
The battle was about to change.
...
(End of Chapter)
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