The tunnel didn't seem to be manmade. After falling roughly a hundred meters, their momentum suddenly slowed as a massive net caught their bodies.
Thanks to his Purple Demon Eyes, Gu You could see that once their descent stabilized, there were several round openings surrounding the net—irregular in shape, with diameters ranging from over two meters to as wide as ten. It looked as if some creature had burrowed them out.
The female major crawled toward one of the tunnels and beckoned Gu You to follow. Holding his soul-guided rifle, Gu You quickly caught up.
Once he stood beside her, the major said, "From this point on, danger could appear at any moment. Your job is to protect me and continue advancing inward. The depth you reach will determine your assessment score. Understood?"
Gu You nodded and took the lead.
"Stay behind me. Don't get yourself killed. I'll clear the way," he said confidently.
"So reckless." The major shook her head at his impulsiveness.
The tunnel she chose was about three meters wide, still pitch-black inside. With no soul power available, Gu You relied on his spiritual sense and Purple Demon Eyes to barely make out up to thirty meters ahead—impressive in such low light.
He grumbled to himself, 'If I had an infrared scanner, this would be way easier.' But he could only depend on his perception for now.
Suddenly, a gust of air rushed toward him from ahead. Gu You instinctively raised his rifle and fired a burst.
Bang, bang!
The muzzle flashes revealed the attacker—some kind of bat-like creature, not particularly large, but with considerable impact force. Probably a few hundred pounds. Not much to Gu You, but to anyone else, it could've been fatal.
Despite being shot several times, the creature let out a screech and lunged again, claws extended.
Gu You responded with a swift rifle butt strike.
Thunk!
The creature was slammed through the air and exploded mid-flight. His raw physical power was overwhelming—even a ten-thousand-year soul beast might suffer severe injuries from such a hit.
Behind him, the major raised a brow but said nothing. She paused briefly, then continued forward.
Gu You crouched by the bat's remains, narrowing his eyes. When it burst apart, he thought he saw a flash of energy.
Unlike the Spirit Ascension Platform, this energy didn't enhance him—it offered no boost to his soul rings or cultivation.
He moved on.
More gusts came, this time several at once. Unfazed, Gu You flicked his rifle barrel.
Pop pop pop! Three more bat creatures exploded midair.
He kept walking. The creatures came one after another—sometimes solo, sometimes in swarms of six or seven, nearly blocking the entire tunnel with their wingspans.
But none of them could withstand Gu You's brutal rifle strikes. They shattered one after another.
After advancing around a hundred meters, the light gradually improved, and the number of bats decreased. Though still dim, it was better than complete darkness—and Gu You's eyes didn't need much light to begin with.
The passage turned left. Just a few steps into the new area, Gu You came to a halt, eyes wide with astonishment.
It was a massive cavern—big enough to rival a sports stadium. The far wall was riddled with holes of varying sizes, and the ceiling rose nearly a hundred meters. Inside the cavern, at least a hundred of those same four-clawed bat creatures were flying.
More were emerging from the holes, bringing with them faint glowing light. Though not bright, it was enough for Gu You's Purple Demon Eyes to see clearly.
'So the test is just to kill bats?' Gu You's gaze flickered.
Just then, the major appeared beside him—and smiled.
It was the first time Gu You had seen her smile, but no matter how he looked at it, that smile felt sinister.
Then she whispered, "Protect me, okay?" And without warning, she darted into the cavern.
Gu You's lips twitched. 'Is this what they mean by "creating difficulty for fun"?'
Despite his inner grumbling, he moved fast. In a flash, he lunged forward and grabbed the back of the major's uniform, using her momentum to toss her back up to safety.
"You—" Her face turned red.
"You said protect you. Using a little technique isn't out of line, is it?" Gu You said, landing steadily and raising his rifle.
This rifle didn't rely on soul power but used modified soul power bullets that could be stored and fired even by non-soul masters—each shot packing the punch of at least a Soul Ancestor.
The magazine seemed endless in this simulation.
The bats, alerted to intruders, shrieked. One by one, they dove from above, swarming toward Gu You from all directions.
But what greeted them was a storm of bullets.
The major's expression shifted in surprise. She had seen plenty of recruits during assessments—some were sharpshooters, others wielded high-tech soul tools skillfully—but none fought like Gu You.
Pure strength and firepower, seamlessly combined.
She hadn't decided to assess Gu You personally on a whim. After she'd guided him to the lieutenant, she accessed hidden surveillance footage from the snowy mountains…
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Memebers on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.