Chapter 55: The Advantage Is Ours! Down With Lin Mo!

Mist Wasteland, southwest corner.

Boom—!

A spiraling fireball swept across, piercing straight through the skull of a crocodile beast lurking in the grass.

Its massive body twitched twice, then went still.

【Current Points: 5450】

Lin Mo glanced with distaste at the pustule-covered crocodile, then withdrew his still-smoking finger.

Wandering along this stretch, he'd cleared plenty of monsters — and along the way, casually dealt with three examinees who'd bolted the moment they spotted him.

After all, since they'd come all this way, there was no reason to let them leave.

【Level: Lv. 19 (65%)】

Gazing at the experience bar about to hit 20, Lin Mo's mood lifted slightly.

Just then.

Buzz—

The phone in his pocket buzzed.

Lin Mo pulled out his phone; a message from Xia Qingyue popped up on the screen.

【Xia Qingyue: Lin Shao, Zhao Yu sent his coordinates — (325, 668).】

【Xia Qingyue: But Lin Shao, something feels off. Logically, Zhao Yu should've sent his coordinates the moment he landed, but he dragged it out this long. I suspect it's a trap.】

A trap?

Lin Mo frowned slightly and typed back a reply.

【Lin Mo: Got it. Go or don't, up to you — I'm definitely going.】

After sending the message, Lin Mo tucked the phone back into his pocket.

【【Earth Shield Art】, somewhat worried: Master, that woman already said it's a trap. Maybe we shouldn't go?】

【【Fireball Art】, instantly riled up: Why not go? This Seat can hardly wait to twist that Zhao Yu's head off and kick it around like a ball!】

Lin Mo pulled a strip of jerky from his pocket and started chewing.

Go, or not go?

From a rational standpoint, there was really no need to go.

His old man had just called to say the Long Xu Ban admissions officer was very pleased with him — getting in was basically a done deal.

His purpose in taking this Grand Exam this time was simply to make his parents happy, to give them face.

One could say this objective was already accomplished.

As for the second-stage results, having them or not barely mattered.

Put simply, his performance was already more than enough to secure a direct entry into Long Xu Ban.

But then again…

Lin Mo chewed his jerky, his gaze gradually growing somewhat deep.

What he feared most was trouble — an endless stream of it.

That Zhao Yu was like an indefatigable fly.

After witnessing his crushing first-stage Trial Tower results, any normal person would've long since tucked tail and behaved.

Yet this guy actually dared to rally a force to ambush him?

What did that say?

It said he still wasn't scared enough.

It said he still harbored a侥幸 — thinking that with numbers and terrain on his side, he could turn the tables.

If this kind of person wasn't beaten into pain, beaten into submission, beaten so thoroughly that every time he saw Lin Mo for the rest of his life he'd have nightmares…

Lin Mo swallowed the jerky in his mouth, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He'd surely cook up some new scheme to disgust him later.

Rather than being harassed by him off and on in the future, better to seize the moment now… and cut the problem off at the root.

Thinking this, Lin Mo brushed the crumbs from his hands.

"Let's go, my little ones."

"Time to teach that Young Master Zhao a lesson."

【【Fireball Art】, cackling wildly: Hehehe! That's more like it! This is the kind of human This Seat approves of! When it's time to strike, you strike!】

……

……

Black Water Swamp.

This was a region shrouded year-round in black mist.

The air was thick with heavy moisture, and black mud reeking of rot stretched beneath their feet.

At this moment, a dense crowd — fifty or sixty strong — had gathered around the swamp.

Though none of them were particularly high-level, most barely past level 10.

Their class composition was extremely well-rounded, and their quality was on the higher side.

After all, anyone who made it to the second stage was an elite examinee ranked within the top two hundred of the first stage.

A team configured like this could clear a same-level field BOSS out in the wild with room to spare.

At the center of the crowd, Zhao Yu held his phone, a video playing on the screen.

It was a video his father Zhao Lei had sent him before entering the second stage — surveillance footage of Lin Mo speedrunning the Shadow Wing Demon Lord in 24 seconds.

Zhao Yu had already rewatched this video many times over.

That flowing combo, that terrifying burst of power, and that final gaze that looked down on everything...

Even through the screen, Zhao Yu felt it was unbelievable.

How could Lin Mo, a person with no elemental affinity at all, be this strong?

"Holy crap, Young Master Zhao, are we really the same species as Lin Mo? The Shadow Wing Demon Lord, who's号称 the mage killer, just got smoothly one-shotted like that?"

A lackey standing beside Zhao Yu couldn't help but speak up.

The lackey wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Young Master Zhao, can we… really beat him?"

The moment those words came out, the surrounding lackeys all fell silent, and morale instantly plunged to rock bottom.

"What is there to be afraid of?"

Zhao Yu put away his phone, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said in a deep voice:

"Lin Mo is indeed very strong — I won't deny that."

"But don't forget, this is Black Water Mire, which naturally counters fire- and earth-type professions."

"And look around you — these are all elite powerhouses among this year's examinees!"

"Favorable timing, terrain, and unity are all on our side. The advantage is ours. Got it?"

"If we still can't take down Lin Mo like this, then there's no point taking any college entrance exam — let's all just go home and farm."

Zhao Yu's calm analysis instantly dispelled most of the fear in the crowd's eyes.

Right!

Terrain counter plus numerical advantage — this is a guaranteed win!

"Young Master Zhao is right! The advantage is ours!"

"Take down Lin Mo!"

"Take down Lin Mo!"

"Take down…"

Seeing that the army's morale had steadied, Zhao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Then, his gaze fell on three professionals who looked exactly alike — a set of triplets.

"Your fathers were all old subordinates of my father. You've all received the most brutal real-combat training since childhood. Whether it's coordination or close-quarters grappling technique, you far surpass your peers."

Zhao Yu looked at the three and gave the order in a deep voice.

"And conveniently, you're all A-rank melee classes — tough-skinned and thick-fleshed."

"When Lin Mo shows up later, your task is just one thing: stick to him like glue and buy time for our back line to deal damage. Understood?"

"Relax, Young Master Zhao. With the three of us brothers working together, we don't fear anyone in melee."

The leader of the triplets said, patting his chest in assurance.

Zhao Yu nodded.

As long as the front line can hold him down and the back line focuses fire, even a god would have to kneel!

Just then.

"Someone's coming!"

An archer called out in a low voice.

Zhao Yu looked up.

Xia Qingyue's figure appeared not far away.

When she saw the scene before her clearly, she stopped in her tracks.

Dozens of pairs of eyes snapped to her in unison.

She had clearly rushed to the coordinates the moment she received the message, and she wasn't even that far away — yet she was the last to arrive.

In an instant, Xia Qingyue was certain: this was a setup, a trap!

Without the slightest hesitation, she quickly typed out a short message and sent it to Lin Mo, then turned and ran.

"You've come all this way, and you still want to run?"

Zhao Yu gave a cold laugh.

The triplet brothers instantly surged forward, chasing after Xia Qingyue.