The five hundred cadets who advanced to the Advanced Ranking Battle were directly led into a vast area deep within the academy. This place was named the "Grey Zone," a massive and complex arena of life and death, simulating various terrains such as abandoned cities, desolate mountains, and underground fortresses. Under a gray sky, the scent of rusted metal mingled with the smell of fresh blood, and an oppressive silence permeated the air. Here, there was no longer guidance from instructors, only cold rules: survive, defeat opponents, and raise your rank.
Cadets were required to pair up and enter randomly assigned combat zones. Rin stood among the crowd, his gaze sweeping, trying to find Ye Xue. He didn't know why, in such a killing field, he instinctively wanted to find her—perhaps it was their uncanny synergy, or perhaps the lurking mystery. However, he ultimately failed to locate her. When the light of teleportation flared, he was randomly assigned to an unfamiliar teammate and immediately sent into a different combat zone.
Rin was teleported to an abandoned urban alley battleground. Here, broken walls and ruins, along with narrow, crisscrossing alleys, made for an excellent ambush and counter-ambush location. He fought alongside his randomly assigned teammate—a youth who seemed a little nervous—but soon, he felt the true killing intent.
"Target spotted! Up ahead!" His teammate whispered, pointing to a corner.
Rin ignored his teammate's instruction. His sixth sense, or rather, the "Blade of Demise's" danger prediction instinct, was screaming. He sharply dodged sideways, pulling his teammate behind him.
"Thwack!"
Almost simultaneously, several poisoned darts shot from ahead, whistling past where they had just stood, embedding themselves into the wall behind them with soft thuds. If not for Rin's reaction, they would have been hit.
"Ambush!" Rin hissed coldly.
"How is that possible? I clearly only saw one person!" His teammate's eyes widened, his face filled with shock.
Rin had no time to explain. His eyes sharpened. Relying on the instincts of "Shunpo" and "Shadow Strike," he quickly determined the number and positions of the enemies. He knew this was not just an elimination match; it was a survival game with asymmetric information.
Just then, a faint sound came from behind him. Rin spun around sharply, his pupils constricting.
The assailant was his teammate! The youth had a sneer on his face, his dagger thrusting directly at Rin's back. The blade reflected a faint glimmer, and its tip shimmered with an ominous blue glow—potent poison!
"You…" Rin's voice was low, laced with disbelieving coldness. He had expected betrayal, but not now, and not from his teammate.
"Sorry! To advance, I have to sacrifice you!" The youth sneered, his eyes filled with madness and greed. Clearly, he had received some "mission" or was promised significant benefits to eliminate Rin, this "threat."
In a flash, Rin executed "Shunpo," his figure blurring as he evaded the fatal blow. His body twisted mid-air, and his short dagger retaliated like a viper, cutting across the youth's arm and knocking his dagger away. The youth cried out in pain, stumbling back a few steps, his eyes filled with shock and fear. He hadn't expected Rin to be so fast.
However, this was just the beginning. The youth's scream, like a signal, drew more enemies.
"Over here!"
"Target is Rin! Kill him!"
From both ends of the narrow alley, over a dozen figures rapidly approached, tightly surrounding Rin in the center. These were cadets from other combat zones, but they clearly shared a common goal: to eliminate Rin. Their actions were methodical, clearly organized and premeditated.
Rin's eyes turned completely cold. He had been played. This was not just an elimination match; it was an undercurrent within the academy, and certain factions moving to eliminate him. He glanced at the ominously glowing dagger in his hand, a cold smirk gracing his lips. If that's how it was, then he would respond with slaughter.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Grey Zone.
Ye Xue was teleported to an open desolate ruins area. The visibility here was wide, but there was no cover, meaning she couldn't use shadows for stealth. However, her cold, aloof demeanor and absolute confidence in her own abilities meant she showed no panic.
As soon as she adapted to her surroundings, five figures surrounded her from different directions. These five cadets had clearly formed a temporary team, but they were all skilled and coordinated. They encircled Ye Xue, sneering, clearly treating her as an easy target.
"Little sister, this isn't where you belong!" One burly cadet sneered, his battle-axe pointed directly at Ye Xue.
Ye Xue said nothing, merely sweeping her icy gaze over the five. Her eyes were like tangible ice, causing the five cadets a slight discomfort.
The next second, Ye Xue moved. Her figure was like snow drifting in the wind, light and elusive. She didn't use any flashy moves, relying solely on extreme speed, precise judgment, and ruthless technique.
Throwing needles shot out like a storm, precisely locking down the movements of two cadets. She closed in, her dagger and short sword transforming into two silver streaks of light in her hands. Each swing carried a deadly chill.
"Hiss—"
One cadet's throat was slit; he fell, clutching his neck, before even making a sound.
Immediately after, Ye Xue ducked, avoiding an incoming battle-axe. Her body executed a graceful mid-air spin, and her left leg kicked out like lightning, hitting the battle-axe cadet squarely on the knee. The sound of bone cracking was clearly audible. The cadet let out a painful wail, instantly losing balance.
Ye Xue didn't hesitate, delivering a finishing blow and ending his life.
The remaining three cadets were terrified. They hadn't expected this seemingly aloof girl to be so efficient and ruthless in her killing. They tried to converge, but Ye Xue's movements were too erratic; she moved among them like a ghost, each appearance signifying the end of a life.
In less than thirty seconds, all five cadets lay at Ye Xue's feet. Their deaths varied, but without exception, they were clean, fatal blows. Not a drop of blood stained Ye Xue; her breathing hadn't even quickened.
She sheathed her dagger, her eyes still cold, her face expressionless. She stood silently in place, under the gray sky. The blade of the dagger in her hand reflected the cold moonlight, like a solitary cold moon, and she, the Cold Moon Assassin who harvested lives.
In the academy's observation room, far away.
Several instructors clearly watched Ye Xue's entire killing process through the surveillance footage. Their eyes were filled with shock.
"Is this… the power of 'Cold Moon'?" one instructor murmured.
"Her killing efficiency is simply a perfect art! Every movement, every strike, is incredibly precise," another instructor praised.
The scar-faced instructor's face, for once, showed a rare expression of solemnity. He picked up his communicator, his voice low and firm: "Record it. Ye Xue. Her codename is 'The Cold Moon Assassin.' She and Rin are both 'uncertain factors' we need to pay close attention to."
He looked at another screen, where Rin was surrounded by over a dozen cadets, his situation precarious. A complex glint flashed in his eyes.
"I hope you, too, survive like her, Rin."