Chapter 12: Battle the Beast Horde! Top 10!

Periphery of Core Zone·Bone Refinery

Lin Ye did not immediately enter the core zone, instead prowling along its edges to hunt down vicious beasts.

Through his battle with the earlier Armblade Tiger, he had gauged the strength of a High-Rank Tier-1 Beast. Deciding to hone his skills, he resolved to slaughter more beasts in the periphery before advancing. This served dual purposes: sharpening his combat prowess and accumulating Special Points to bolster his strength, ensuring greater confidence when confronting Tier-2 Beasts in the core zone.

The young warrior arrived at a derelict chemical plant. Leaping onto a fractured wall, his tactical goggles filtered the faint violet glow of radiation dust. Scanning the collapsed factory below, his pupils contracted sharply — seven beasts of varied forms had fanned out in tactical formations. In the distance, a Steelbristle Boar King stood with blood-tinged tusks gleaming.

"Three Ironhide Rhinos assaulting head-on, two Shadowblade Panthers flanking, and Venomspike Arachnids spewing acid from elevated positions..." Lin Ye licked his lips. "They actually coordinate multi-species assaults."

"Interesting!" The seven beasts were clearly executing an encirclement under the Boar King's command. "Never thought a boar could command beasts of other species. This one's no joke."

The Boar King suddenly roared. The Ironhide Rhino herd charged like armored tanks, smashing into load-bearing pillars. The wall beneath Lin Ye crumbled. As he fell, he whipped out a Thunder Chain to snag a crane's steel arm. A glob of acidic venom from the Venomspike Arachnid grazed his combat boots, corroding a three-meter crater into the ground.

Lin Ye landed hard. Instantly, two Shadowblade Panthers lunged from both flanks. The beasts' flawless teamwork trapped him in a deathly crossfire.

With no time to strategize, Lin Ye roared: "Thunder Surge·Mountain Breaker!" Dodging the panthers' pincer strike by a hair's breadth, he evaded the rhinos' charge and teleported to a distant vantage point.

"Damn, this Boar King's got tricks!" Lin Ye sprinted between crumbling walls, avoiding venom bombardments. "Training beasts from different species to synergize like this... If not for my speed, I'd be dead meat." His mind raced. "Need to disrupt their coordination. Priority: eliminate the ranged attackers first."

Lin Ye executed his plan. Through calculated footwork, he lured the Ironhide Rhinos and Shadowblade Panthers away from the Venomspike Arachnids. Suddenly doubling back, he shattered the water tower where the arachnids hid. Crackling purple lightning erupted from his palms, merging with the cascading water to form a blazing net of electricity. The two Venomspike Arachnids exploded into charred husks within the crackling grid.

"Finally took out those annoying 'snipers'." Lin Ye exhaled. "Now for the counterattack."

The Steelbristle Boar King roared, slamming its hooves. Three Ironhide Rhinos charged head-on, shaking the ground. Two Shadowblade Panthers flanked as emerald blurs.

"Same old trick — feint from the front, ambush from behind. Beasts never learn to adapt." Lin Ye deliberately retreated toward a ruined reactor vessel. As the rhinos and panthers lunged, he unleashed the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison at full power. Purple lightning surged through rusted pipes into pooled water, transforming the area into an electrified lake.

Zzzzt—!

Arcs of lightning leaped between the beasts. The rhinos' thick armor became fatal conductors, dropping them first. The panthers convulsed and collapsed under the violet onslaught.

Lin Ye turned toward the distant Boar King. "Your turn."

The boar's eyes burned crimson. Its tusks suddenly erupted with a blood-red energy wave. Lin Ye twisted aside as the blast sheared through a 30-meter fuel tank behind him. Leaking oil ignited from stray lightning, creating a towering inferno.

"That firepower... and it's ranged. Thank the stars it didn't attack earlier with the others." Whether the Boar King had disdained group tactics or been preoccupied with command, Lin Ye had narrowly survived.

Accelerating toward the beast, Lin Ye sidestepped another crimson wave and delivered a punch straight at its snout.

"Thunder Surge·Sun Piercer!"

The Boar King blocked with a clawed swipe, tusks glowing red as another energy blast point-blank. Lin Ye channeled purple lightning into his arms, barely deflecting the attack.

Sent flying by the impact, he landed skidding across rubble. Smoke curled from his singed sleeves. "No injuries, but this overgrown pig's tough."

"Thick hide negates normal attacks. Where's its weak point?" Lin Ye's gaze locked on the glowing tusks. "They flare crimson with every strike. Maybe..."

Lin Ye moved with instinctive precision. Surging toward the Steelbristle Boar King, he unleashed a whip-like leg strike crackling with purple lightning. As the boar raised its claws to block, its tusks flared crimson once more. Seizing the moment, Lin Ye pivoted mid-air using the recoil, his right fist arcing from an unnatural angle. A concentrated bolt of purple lightning struck the glowing tusks. The Boar King realized the trap too late — the lightning triggered a chain reaction, detonating its body into a mist of blood.

Tier-1 Steelbristle Boar King slain. Points +250. Special Points +150.

Kneeling on scorched earth, Lin Ye gasped. His torn combat suit revealed skin etched with lightning patterns. "That boar was no pushover. Let's check my Special Points."

Summoning the Celestial Vault System interface:

『Name: Lin Ye』

『Rank: Awakened』

『Special Ability: Nine Heavens Thunder Prison (S-Class)』

『Physique: 238 Qi Blood (+)』

『Energy: 182 Hertz (+)』

『Special Points: 568』

『Martial Arts: Fist Technique (Intermediate+)』

『Combat Skill: Thunder Fist(Intermediate+)』

"Since I'm not yet a Specialized, investing Special Points into base stats remains optimal." He allocated 280 points each to Physique and Energy:

『Physique: 284 Qi Blood』

『Energy: 238 Hertz』

Muscle fibers restructured under crackling lightning, bones chiming like tempered steel. Testing his fist, a shockwave pulverized a collapsed wall fifty meters away. "My energy's surged again."

Physique enhanced raw strength, endurance, vitality, and amplified combat skills. Energy boosted perception, agility, stamina, and skill frequency — both foundational to power growth.

"Predictable. Raising Qi Blood now costs more Special Points — same old system grind." Lin Ye activated his tactical wrist device. A holographic leaderboard flared:

1st: Lu Tianyu (First High), 3840 points

2nd: Wang Shuo (First High), 3202 points

3rd: Xu Mingfei (First High), 3117 points

...

8th: Lin Ye (Third High), 2645 points

Ruins Observation Zone

The holographic screen froze on Lin Ye annihilating the Boar King. Live chat erupted:

Since when do beasts use combined arms tactics?!

Soloing a horde — is he even human?!

A Boar King that strong… one-punched?!

Idol Bro! Take that 1 spot!

Principal Zhang Tianming of Third High gaped at the rankings. Lin Ye's name blazed among First High elites — the sole Third High candidate in the top 10. He turned to Vice Principal Xu Haiping: "Tell me… could this boy actually win first?"