Chapter 53: The Hunting Operation Officially Begins!
Chapter 53: The Hunting Operation Officially Begins!
The sudden appearance of No. 16 excited all members of Team No. 8.
Xu Yan was now certain—the situation was truly in their favor.
No matter how strong the students from No. 1 Middle School were, no matter how eloquent or skilled they were at making allies, none of it mattered against No. 16's invisibility ability.
In his invisible state, No. 16 had the opportunity to trap four opponents simultaneously.
The Holy Priest on the opposing team had developed a habit after being hunted by No. 8 Middle School for so long.
As soon as all of them were caught in his tree world, he would instinctively activate Divine Salvation, immediately teleporting all team members to a straight-line distance of 200 meters from the farthest edge of No. 8 Middle School.
This conditioned reflex, ingrained in the Holy Priest from No. 8 Middle School's repeated strategies, was the key to No. 1 Middle School's downfall.
And the one who would deliver the final blow didn't even have to be No. 8 Middle School.
It could be No. 16.
As long as No. 16 set up an ambush, No. 1 Middle School had a high probability of teleporting into the targeted area.
It didn't need to be pinpoint accurate.
Even if there was a deviation of a few hundred meters, No. 16 would still be able to strike a fatal blow before the Holy Priest's Divine Salvation skill cooled down.
Moreover, No. 16 didn't have to take down all of them—just eliminating either the Holy Priest or the Wind Chaser Ranger would be enough to accomplish the mission.
If the Holy Priest fell, they would lose their teleportation ability, leaving them as lambs to the slaughter.
If the Wind Chaser Ranger was eliminated, No. 1 Middle School would lose the only person who could counter its movement speed. Even if the Holy Priest could still teleport, they would soon be caught.
The victory was guaranteed.
---
With the general tactical direction decided,
Xu Yan began considering how to maximize No. 16's chances of successfully completing the mission.
The only viable solution Xu Yan could think of was an equipment exchange between the two teams.
While No. 16 Middle School members were already outfitted in Six-God gear, the rare equipment they had wasn't of the highest quality.
The difference in base stats between top-tier and non-top-tier equipment was significant, not to mention the special abilities of high-tier gear.
Ordinary Rare-level equipment and Top-tier Rare equipment were practically in two different leagues.
If both teams swapped gear, the actual combat power of No. 16 Middle School would experience a qualitative leap.
Meanwhile, No. 8 Middle School, acting as the decoy attackers, didn't require extreme equipment. As long as they could survive and pressure No. 1 Middle School, their role would be fulfilled.
---
Wang Ke's Epic Thunder God Necklace was most suitable for a Thunder Mage, but No. 16 Middle School only had a Fire Mage, Zhou Min, making it an imperfect fit.
Furthermore, Wang Ke's Epic Necklace emitted a distinctive red aura, making it highly conspicuous.
If a battle broke out and No. 1 Middle School noticed that Wang Ke's Thunder God Necklace was missing, it could raise suspicion.
Thus, the Thunder God Necklace had to stay to intimidate the enemy.
Similarly, Fatty's Wind Shoes, another easily recognizable high-tier item, couldn't be swapped.
All other top-tier rare equipment, however, could be transferred to No. 16 Middle School, elevating their combat capabilities to an unprecedented level.
Then, when the time came, No. 16 Middle School would land the final, decisive strike on No. 1 Middle School!
---
With the next phase of the plan settled,
Xu Yan turned to Zhou Min and said:
"Brother!"
"We've really missed you."
"Since you're here, we'll leave handling No. 1 Middle School to you."
Zhou Min was caught off guard. "Eh?!!!!"
Xu Yan elaborated:
"In a moment, No. 8 Middle School will launch a feint attack. No. 1 Middle School will instinctively react and collectively teleport 200 meters away in a straight line."
"You and your team will be waiting nearby, ready to ambush them. Focus all firepower on taking out their Holy Priest or Wind Chaser Ranger. Once they fall, the battle is over."
After Xu Yan finished speaking, Zhou Min panicked.
Xu Yan's plan was simple, direct, and highly effective.
There was indeed a high probability of ambushing the enemy.
Even without perfect precision, as long as the error margin was within 200 meters, they had a guaranteed chance to strike.
But there was a problem.
The most unpredictable factor in this plan was No. 16 Middle School itself.
At their current damage output, they couldn't guarantee a 100% chance of eliminating the Holy Priest or Wind Chaser Ranger.
If they failed and alerted the enemy, No. 1 Middle School's next teleportation would no longer be predictable—they would move to a completely random location.
At that point, catching them again would be near impossible.
Feeling the weight of this responsibility, Zhou Min's stress skyrocketed.
"No way, Xu Yan! You're dumping the ultimate mission on us right from the start?!"
"It's not that we don't want to execute it. The problem is that our damage output might be insufficient, and we could miss the opportunity!"
"If we fail—"
Before Zhou Min could finish his sentence, Xu Yan cut him off with a firm "You won't fail. I believe in you."
"The problem is, we don't believe in ourselves!"
Xu Yan smirked. "It's just an equipment issue, right? That's an easy fix."
"Wait—! Xu Yan! What are you doing?! Why are you taking off your clothes?! Hold on, let me clean my glasses."
Xu Yan: "..."
---
Soon after…
Following Xu Yan's orders, the teams completed the equipment exchange.
Xu Yan turned to Zhou Min. "Confident now?"
At that moment, Zhou Min and his team were fully outfitted in Six-God gear.
Feeling the immense boost in power, No. 16 Middle School brimmed with confidence.
Zhou Min patted his top-tier rare armor and grinned:
"Confidence secured!"
Xu Yan nodded in satisfaction and gave the final command:
"The hunting operation has officially begun!"
---
The moment No. 8 Middle School activated their invisibility, they vanished from sight, causing all prepared arrows to lose their targets.
At that moment, the opposition realized the danger.
Only then did they remember—they weren't just facing No. 8 Middle School.
No. 16 Middle School, the true assassins, had been lurking in the shadows all along.
The entire No. 8 team disappearing at once could only mean one thing—No. 16 Middle School had made their move.
With No. 8 Middle School already terrifyingly powerful in their Six-God gear, now that they had invisibility, the enemy's archers were left completely defenseless.
Panic spread instantly.
Wu Chengyuan, realizing the severity of the situation, shouted decisively:
"Everyone, rush into the crowd!"
"Use them as natural shields for defense!"
"Priest, stay alert and prepare to activate Divine Salvation at any moment!"
---
The battle had begun.
Would No. 16 Middle School deliver the fatal blow?
Or would No. 1 Middle School find a way to escape?
The hunt was on.