Vincent Fox froze.
He hadn't expected the Education Bureau's official to personally hand him the most valuable reward.
There was no need to guess.
The box definitely contained the Super Soldier Serum!
At that moment.
Vincent became the center of everyone's attention.
Every pair of eyes on him was filled with envy.
The Super Soldier Serum was incredibly rare. There were only a handful in the entire world. Before the tournament, no one had imagined that the country would offer something this valuable as the championship prize.
Even Lucia Blair had desperately wanted the championship, largely because of the Super Soldier Serum.
Of course.
Credit where credit is due this girl had good character. She kept her word and never went back on the agreement after losing the team fight.
The official added, "Young man, keep working hard. Strive to become stronger as soon as possible. The country, and even all of humanity, need people like you to grow and stand tall."
With those parting words, the official left the stage to a wave of applause.
The award ceremony was now over.
"Let's congratulate these three schools one more time!" the host announced. "Also, all schools that placed in the top ten, please report to the local military later. Your students have earned the right to explore the Forbidden Zone..."
Before he could finish.
Suddenly.
A staff member rushed onto the stage and whispered urgently into the host's ear.
As the host listened, his expression changed drastically. Panic flickered in his eyes.
But this was a seasoned host, one capable of handling major national events. After a brief moment of shock, he quickly regained his composure.
He exchanged a few quiet words with the staff member, then picked up the microphone again and solemnly addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've just received an urgent report from the front lines. A group of beasts has broken through the defense line and is heading straight for us!!"
The moment his words landed.
The entire venue fell deathly silent.
The next second.
It was as if a stone had been dropped into a lake, sending waves crashing in all directions. The crowd instantly erupted into chaos.
Every spectator's face was filled with terror.
Some of the more timid ones had already started screaming in panic.
The venue was on the verge of descending into complete disorder.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the host quickly shouted, "Please, everyone, don't panic! The beasts are still more than ten kilometers away. There is enough time for a safe evacuation. I ask all spectators to leave the venue in an orderly manner. Do not push. Do not cut the line. Buses are already waiting outside to transport you to safety!"
Even though the host kept emphasizing "don't push, don't cut the line."
Most people inside the venue.
Still charged wildly toward the exits.
Right now, survival was all they could think about.
Watching this scene, Vincent's eyes gleamed slightly.
Just hearing that beasts were approaching even though they were still far away had nearly driven the crowd into a frenzy.
It was clear just how terrified ordinary people in this world were of beasts.
Ever since Vincent crossed over to this world, he hadn't encountered a single beast attack.
For a while, it had almost given him the illusion that this was a peaceful world.
But the scene before him shattered that illusion.
This world was still living under the massive threat of beast invasions.
More importantly…
Beasts had actually managed to breach the defense line and infiltrate the human heartland?
What on earth had happened at the front lines?
Was this the beginning of a new beast tide?
"Vincent, Autumn, you need to leave with us right now!" Terry Yan's urgent voice snapped Vincent out of his thoughts.
Vincent turned to see Terry's face filled with seriousness and barely concealed anxiety.
'Terry's strength isn't weak. I've seen him display some impressive techniques during tactical lessons… If even he's this worried, these beasts must be seriously dangerous,' Vincent thought as he followed the others toward the evacuation route.
Just then.
The host seemed to have received new instructions and quickly shouted, "All teachers from every academy, please wait! The military has just sent out a request for immediate assistance. They are asking for your help in defending against the approaching beasts!!"
Anyone qualified to teach at a martial academy was no weakling.
Weaklings weren't fit to teach these students.
But the fact that the military was calling for teacher support even before the beasts had arrived showed just how dire the situation was.
It made sense.
Right behind the Forbidden Zone canyon was a thriving city with a permanent population of over seven million.
If the beasts broke through the military's defenses and entered the city, it would be a catastrophic disaster.
The military's decision to call for reinforcements from the teachers was absolutely the right move.
However!!
For the teachers.
This was terrible news.
To put it bluntly.
Most teachers except for a rare few with special circumstances had taken these positions because they wanted to avoid risking their lives fighting beasts.
If they wanted to fight on the front lines, they would have just joined the military directly where the pay was even better.
Now.
The military was asking to mobilize these teachers.
It wasn't hard to imagine what was going through their minds.
The problem was, they were in front of a huge audience.
Even though the host phrased it politely, saying the military was "asking for help," not forcibly conscripting them.
But with so many people watching, especially their own students.
As teachers, how could they refuse? What about their dignity? Their professional ethics?
If they backed out now.
In the future.
How could they possibly face their students again?
People smart enough to be teachers quickly realized their predicament.
There was no way out.
The first to step forward was a vice-principal from Regal Academy.
"I've been sitting idle for far too long. It's about time I moved these old bones."
The old vice-principal's tone was calm, but his voice was firm. "Teachers of Regal Academy, follow me to slay these beasts!"
Hearing that.
One of the female teachers sighed and turned to Lucia Blair and the others. "Lucia, I'll leave our students in your care. Lead them and evacuate with the others…"
Before she could finish, Lucia quickly shouted, "Teacher, I'm strong enough to help! I want to go with you to fight the beasts!!"
Her voice was firm and unwavering.
The female teacher gently patted Lucia's head and smiled. "Good child, your task right now is to study hard and grow stronger. One day, your time will come. But today, it is our duty as teachers to stand and fight."
"Go, now!!"
Her tone grew stern as she finished.
Lucia's eyes immediately turned red, but she didn't dare argue. She obediently followed her classmates and left.
Similar scenes were playing out at every academy.
At Martial Saint Academy.
The dean of students sighed and said, "Everyone, follow me! We absolutely cannot lose face in front of the students."
He had noticed that some of the teachers were already showing signs of hesitation.
Martial Saint Academy had just claimed the national championship.
If word got out that their teachers had fled in fear of the beasts, it would utterly disgrace the academy.
That championship would mean nothing.
The dean would never allow that to happen.
Terry Yan immediately turned to Vincent and Autumn Summer. "You two go with the main group and evacuate!"
Then.
Terry's gaze fell squarely on Vincent, and he spoke with rare seriousness. "Look after your classmates for me."
Everyone else turned their attention to Vincent as well.
Faced with Terry's trust and expectation, what else could Vincent say?
He could only nod and accept the responsibility.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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