Chapter 52

“Oh?”

Lin Mo paused slightly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

【『Fireball Spell』 erupted in fury: How dare you! Utterly outrageous! Who gave them the nerve?】

Even the ever-cowardly『Earth Shield Spell』was filled with righteous indignation.

【『Earth Shield Spell』: Damn it! They’re gang-upping on the Master? Treating him like a boss to farm? Brother, take them down!】

【『Fireball Spell』’s flames surged violently: Absolutely! A bunch of dirt-poor rabble, daring to stir trouble on the Emperor’s head?】

Lin Mo gestured slowly toward the chair across from him: “Don’t stand. Sit down. Tell me what happened.”

Xia Qingyue glanced at the wreckage on the table, hesitated, then pulled out a chair and sat, her expression still grim.

“Young Master Lin, just now someone from the Zhao family contacted me.”

“Because I followed your advice and took their money, they now treat me as one of their own.”

“In the second phase, the Misty Wasteland’s rules state that besides killing wild monsters for points, defeating other examinees allows you to directly seize all their points.”

“As time passes, the outer storm ring will continuously shrink, forcing all examinees toward the central zone.”

“Teleportation is random, but communication devices remain active.”

“Zhao Yu’s plan is that after teleportation lands, he’ll broadcast his coordinates to everyone.”

“Everyone is to gather around him first.”

“Once they form a group, they’ll begin… a systematic sweep and surround-and-kill operation targeting you, Young Master Lin.”

After hearing this,

Lin Mo nodded thoughtfully, picking up a napkin to wipe the grease from his lips.

Tsk tsk tsk…

Dozens of them banding together.

They really think I’m a boss to be farmed, huh.

【『Fireball Spell』 scoffed: Hah! More numbers mean anything? These trash, I’ll burn them all, no matter how many come!】

【『Earth Shield Spell』 grumbled: Exactly! We’ve got『Magma Battle Armor』and『Earth Flow Wall』—what are we afraid of?】

Lin Mo calmed the agitated skills, then looked at Xia Qingyue:

“So, is that their entire plan?”

“Yes.”

Xia Qingyue nodded.

Watching his calm demeanor, she couldn’t help but admire the young master’s composure.

“Young Master Lin, you’re undoubtedly strong, but there are dozens of them… what are you planning to do? Will you avoid their sharp edges?”

“Heh. Avoid their sharp edges?”

Lin Mo leaned back, his eyes filled with mockery: “Since they want to play, I’ll play with them.”

He turned to Xia Qingyue, a sly grin forming on his lips:

“Big Campus Beauty, as soon as Zhao Yu sends his coordinates after teleportation, forward them to me immediately.”

Xia Qingyue froze, then understood Lin Mo’s intent.

“You mean… take the initiative?”

“Mm.”

Lin Mo gave a slight nod.

Even if dozens charged at once, he wasn’t truly worried.

After all, most of them probably couldn’t break through the『Magma Battle Armor』’s defense—even if it only lasted five minutes.

But he had plenty of skills; five minutes was more than enough to annihilate them.

But…

Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?

As the saying goes: Capture the leader first.

If he could eliminate Zhao Yu right at the start, the rest of the rabble would scatter naturally.

Why wait for them to gather before dealing with them, when one strike could end it?

Xia Qingyue looked at Lin Mo, paused, then asked hesitantly:

“Young Master Lin, do you really trust me? What if… I lead you into a trap?”

Hearing this, Lin Mo shrugged, utterly unconcerned:

“Trap? So what? It’s just a bit more trouble.”

Then, with a half-smile, he fixed his gaze on Xia Qingyue:

“But you, Big Campus Beauty—”

“Why risk coming to warn me? Aren’t you afraid Zhao Yu will retaliate later?”

“After all, the Zhao family still has influence in Haisheng City.”

“I…”

At this, Xia Qingyue clenched her hands tightly on her knees.

After a moment of inner struggle, she made her decision, lifting her head to meet Lin Mo’s gaze directly.

“Young Master Lin, I have an A-rank talent. To ordinary people, I might seem like a genius, but across the entire Dragon Nation, A-ranks are as common as dirt.”

“My family has no connections, no resources.”

“If I don’t fight for it, my best post-graduation option is joining a major guild as a grunt, or enlisting in the army as a lowly soldier, risking my life for meager resources.”

“I refuse to accept that.”

Her voice hardened with unwavering resolve:

“You, Young Master Lin, have strength, background, and true magnanimity…”

“Enough. I get it.”

Lin Mo waved his hand, cutting off her long speech.

He understood perfectly well.

This Xia Qingyue simply wanted to cling to a powerful leg, find a patron.

But taking on underlings? Lin Mo had zero interest now—it was too much work.

Lin Mo picked up the juice beside him and took a sip, speaking coolly:

“No need to pledge loyalty to me—I don’t buy that crap.”

“Since you helped me, I won’t let you work for nothing.”

“After the exam ends, I’ll mention you to my father.”

“But…”

Lin Mo shifted tone casually:

“I’ll just mention you. How my father handles it, what kind of position he gives you—that’s his call. I won’t interfere. No promises.”

Even just a mention was, to Xia Qingyue, a ladder to heaven.

Who was Lin Tianhao?

The War God of Haisheng City!

To join his direct forces? That was instant ascension!

Why bother with a bicycle?

Xia Qingyue’s face lit up; she immediately stood and bowed deeply:

“Understood, Young Master! As long as I can assist you, that’s all I ask! Thank you, Young Master, for your patronage!”

“I won’t let you down!”

Lin Mo nodded, pointing at the two remaining chickens on the table: “Mm. Did you eat? If not, help yourself. These chickens are delicious.”

Xia Qingyue glanced at the tempting roasted chicken, swallowing hard.

“Thank you for your kindness, Young Master, but I’ll pass.”

“I need to leave now—before anyone sees me with you and alerts Zhao Yu, ruining your plan.”

“Alright, go then. Stay safe.”

Lin Mo didn’t press, waving her off.

Xia Qingyue turned and hurried out of the private room.

The door closed again.

At that moment, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated, the screen flashing “Father Emperor.”

“Hello, Dad?”

“Son!!”

Lin Tianhao’s booming voice rang out, making Lin Mo instinctively pull the phone away.

“Hahahaha! Brilliant! You made me so proud!”

“Thirty floors! 24 seconds! You know what? Zhao Lei’s face just turned green like a goblin! Hahahaha! That was priceless! So satisfying!”

Listening to his father’s manic laughter, Lin Mo couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“Basic move. No need to hype.”

“You brat, still so full of yourself!”

Lin Tianhao scolded with a laugh, then his tone grew slightly more serious:

"By the way, I need to tell you something important."

"The Dragon Order Class admissions officer was extremely satisfied with your performance—almost stunned by it!"

"As long as you don’t slack off in the second phase, getting into the Dragon Order Class is practically guaranteed! This is a tremendous honor for the family!"

"Of course it is—have you forgotten who you’re talking to?"

Lin Mo said with a smile.

"You little brat..."

Lin Tianhao chuckled and scolded.

Lin Mo held his phone, mentally weighing his options.

Should he tell his father about Zhao Yu’s plan to ambush him?

After half a second of thought, Lin Mo dismissed the idea.

What good would telling his father do?

It would only cause them unnecessary worry, with no real benefit.

Besides...

Honestly, Zhao Yu and his little gang weren’t even worth his attention.

This kind of minor trouble, he could handle with ease—why disturb his parents?

At that moment, Su Wan’s voice came through:

"Old Lin, move aside—let me talk to our son!"

"Hello? Mo’er?"

Su Wan’s voice instantly softened like flowing water:

"Were you exhausted just now? If the second phase is too tiring, let’s find a quiet place to hide—your first phase score is already excellent enough..."

"Mom, I’m eating right now—at a restaurant by the square. The food’s amazing."

"That’s good, that’s good—eat plenty, don’t shortchange yourself..."

After chatting a little longer with his mother, Lin Mo ended the call.

By then, the food on the table had been mostly devoured.

Lin Mo let out a burp, stood up, and strolled slowly back to the square—the second phase was about to begin.