"Still undecided?"

The clerk asked again.

Ruan Xing acted like nothing had happened, closed the fridge door, and picked up the large bag of selected ice cream.

“I’m done. Your store doesn’t have much stock though—try bringing in more new stuff next time.”

The customer didn’t even blink and still had the nerve to complain about the lack of fresh inventory.

The clerk was suspicious, unsure whether the other person had discovered the strange secret inside the fridge.

Ruan Xing: "Check out."

Clerk: “Ah, o-okay,”

The two walked to the counter. Ruan Xing looked around. The store didn’t seem to be doing very well—he was the only customer present.

The clerk’s movements were awkward and slow. While scanning the barcodes, he studied them for a while each time. A faint, fishy stench filled Ruan Xing’s nose again, but this time, the smell was stronger than the previous two.

Maybe it was because they were standing too close.

Ruan Xing subconsciously took two steps back, pretending to reach for change while his hand moved toward his lower back.

He wasn’t planning to start a fight, but he had to be prepared in case the other party suddenly attacked.

The clerk noticed the subtle movement from the corner of his eye and slowed his scanning. That stench, like a mix of rotting fish and a public toilet, hit his nose again.

Neither of them made a move for the time being.

"Teacher, I came to help you carry things!"

The curtain covering the back entrance was lifted, and a crisp girl’s voice rang out. She had very short hair and wasn’t very tall. At this moment, she stepped into the store and curiously looked at Ruan Xing with a face that was red from the heat.

It was the same girl from his first class, the one who had struck the mutated morning glory with lightning.

She was completely unaware and didn’t notice the tense atmosphere.

Why now of all times?!

Ruan Xing: "I can carry it myself. Go wait outside.”

The girl froze mid-step.

Ruan Xing yelled: "Go back!"

His tone was rather harsh. The girl immediately felt wronged and turned to leave.

“Oh, so you’re a teacher!” the clerk said, putting down the scanner while maintaining his smile. “As a role model, you really shouldn’t be so harsh with the kids, you know.”

“Little sister, do you want some ice cream?” The clerk’s name badge gleamed, the reflection shining into the little girl’s eyes. She couldn’t help but squint—just that one blink, and the delicate balance from earlier completely broke.

The stench at Ruan Xing’s nose instantly crossed the threshold. He frowned at the overwhelming odor and then saw the shop assistant’s face split open.

Ruan Xing immediately rushed to the little girl: "Run!"

Only then did the girl realize something was wrong and hurried to leave, but at some point, the transparent glass door had already been closed.

The clerk laughed: “Didn’t I say you shouldn’t be so mean? You scared the kid—what if she gets traumatized?”

Ruan Xing pulled out his gun, but the monster reacted even faster—a dark brown tentacle shot out of its mouth and whipped at the young’s vulnerable wrist.

Ruan Xing grunted in pain and lost his grip, causing the gun to clatter on the floor.

The clerk's skin cracked open like a peeled banana, but instead of fruit, a red, fleshy monster crawled out.

It was humanoid in shape, but it had no skin or eyes. Several thin, whip-like tendrils extended from its mouth, flailing wildly.

Fu Gui clamped an ice cream in his mouth and flew up to the top shelf: "You guys fight first. I’ll help after I finish eating. Make sure you aim for its heart!"

It held the wrapper down with its claw, tore it open with its beak, and then started to eat the popsicle.

That little jerk! That was the only ice cream in the freezer!

Ruan Xing gritted his teeth.

He raised his hand, and a black arrow shot straight at the monster.

The monster was fast and dodged sideways. It landed on all fours and leaped up onto the wall, gripping it tightly as its long tongue lashed out.

“You can't skip paying for your purchase, Mr. Customer.”

The monster was agile—its movement wasn’t hindered at all even on the wall.

It smiled at him: “Why don’t you pay with your own body? That skin of yours is worth a lot."

With the little girl around, Ruan Xing couldn’t use his poison mist. He could only form arrows in his hand to attack. One black arrow after another shot out, but they were all dodged, leaving corroded deep marks into the wall wherever they landed.

The shelves nearby had long since been knocked over in the monster’s movements—toppled layer after layer like crashing waves—greatly limiting Ruan Xing’s space to move.

Fu Gui, seeing the fight was at a stalemate, prepared to fly over and fetch the gun for Ruan Xing.

But the monster was too fast. Just as Fu Gui’s claw touched the gun, the monster’s tongue lashed out again. Fu Gui got so scared he flew right back up: "Never mind, I’ll just eat ice cream. Good luck, master!"

Ruan Xing stretched out the mycelium to grab the gun while shielding the girl behind him.

Surprisingly, the girl wasn’t trembling. Though scared, she was more curious and itching to try.

So this is what a real fight with a pollutant looks like?

The monster focused its attacks on the girl, hoping to exploit Ruan Xing’s hesitation and limited movement.

Most of the mycelium was used to protect the girl, so Ruan Xing could only rely on his own footwork to dodge. With a single moment of distraction, he was struck.

A barbed tendril slashed across Ruan Xing’s thigh, leaving a bright red mark.

The taste of blood drove the monster into a frenzy.

"So delicious! I’ve never tasted blood this good! I must have you!"

With a grim face, Ruan Xing scooped up the girl and dodged another attack.

The girl clung tightly to Ruan Xing’s waist, staring straight at the monster charging toward her. She reached out, puffed her cheeks, face turning red—and actually shot out a bolt of lightning that precisely hit the red, skinless creature.

The monster let out a howl as its speed slowed down.

At that moment, the mycelium grabbed the gun and tossed it to Ruan Xing.

No longer needing time to form arrows, the instantly usable gun undoubtedly became a powerful weapon. Ruan Xing fired several shots at the opponent, and under the paralysis caused by the lightning strike, the monster couldn’t dodge in time. It was hit in the heart and collapsed onto a row of shelves, trembling.

“Damn it! How am I supposed to compete in the tournament now?!” the monster growled in rage, whipping its mouthful of tendrils around.

Seeing that it still had the energy to complain, Ruan Xing fired a few more shots to finish it off.

The monster died with overflowing resentment.

At this point, the convenience store was a total mess. Red traces of blood were everywhere. After shedding its outer skin, the monster’s every move left behind bloody marks. The walls, shelves, and checkout counter were all splashed in red, making the whole store look like a slaughterhouse.

What was even harder to bear was the overwhelming stench coming from the blood.

Ruan Xing had nearly lost his sense of smell while his brow throbbed painfully. The girl in his arms started coughing, and small red rashes began appearing on her skin.

The pollution level here was rising fast—too much for a child to handle.

Ruan Xing kicked open the door and carried the uneasy child out of the store.

Outside, the sun was blazing, and there weren’t many people around, so Ruan Xing immediately saw Fu Zhi crossing the street toward them. Perhaps he had been gone for a long while, so this guy realized something was wrong.

When Fu Zhi saw the bloodstains all over Ruan Xing, his expression darkened.

The young man was in complete disarray. His black uniform was a mess, and his face and exposed skin were covered in blood, some his own, some from the monster. Furthermore, in his arms was a semi-conscious child.

Fu Zhi quickly came over, took the child from him, and tapped Ruan Xing’s shoulder. “Pollution?”

“Already taken care of,” Ruan Xing replied, collapsing onto the ground. Under the scorching sun, all the various fluids on his face quickly dried and hardened, making him look even worse.

People nearby started noticing the commotion and gathered around.

“Keep your distance!” Qiao Zhi arrived shortly after and immediately called out when he saw the situation.

He quickly called the medical center and fed the girl with a medication that made the rash fade as he placed her on the ground.

“You’re hurt,” Fu Zhi said, noticing the blood on Ruan Xing’s pants.

Ruan Xing wiped his face. “It’s nothing. I’ll get it checked out later.”

Fu Zhi frowned. “I’ll take you now.”

Before Ruan Xing could politely decline, Fu Zhi bent down and picked him up in a princess carry.

A wave of surprised gasps rippled through the onlookers.

With a stiff body, Ruan Xing instinctively wrapped his arms around the other’s shoulders to maintain balance. “I can walk on my own.”

Fu Zhi replied patiently, “It’ll be faster this way.”

His arms were steady, and Ruan Xing could feel the tight, powerful muscles in his back and legs.

Somehow, the air suddenly felt even hotter.

Fu Zhi called out to Qiao Zhi, “Carry the child back to the school.”

The surrounding crowd quickly dispersed.

The fact that a pollutant had actually shown up openly at the specialized school, and right in front of several teachers at that, sparked a storm. It stirred up waves not just within the school, but online as well.

Some criticized Fu Zhi, claiming he didn’t live up to his reputation. He’s supposed to be so powerful, but he did nothing when his own staff and students ran into a Pollutant right under his nose.

Others expressed concern about the school. If the best school could have something like that happen, what hope was left for humanity?

The online rumors grew rampant, and extreme comments were deleted in batches.

Ruan Xing lay on his bed, idly playing with a small piece of black metal.

Fu Zhi took it from him casually and examined it closely. “Same as the one before. You found this in the convenience store?”

Ruan Xing nodded. Maybe because he had become more vigilant, the mastermind changed tactics and started targeting the environment around him instead.

Someone had planted a signal jammer in the convenience store. No one would’ve thought that a place like that could be dangerous, so Fu Zhi hadn’t picked up on it right away. But he promised to get to the bottom of it.

Ruan Xing curved his lips slightly. “Thanks, Captain.”

Fu Zhi didn’t stay long before leaving to handle his work.

Fu Gui, licking a popsicle taller than itself, sighed, “That shady old bastard Qian Hua bailed the moment things went south. Now you and Fu Zhi are the ones getting blamed. Especially him. Have you seen what they’re saying online? I thought he had a ton of fans.”

But Fu Zhi wasn’t some celebrity—people just admired him for his abilities. If that image was shattered, it was only natural for public opinion to turn on him. The backlash was just the misplaced rage from people feeling powerless.

Ruan Xing let out a cold laugh.

He took a few days off to recover from his injuries. The school acted fast too. After cleaning up the scene, they immediately held a press conference to explain the incident, reassure the public, and commend Ruan Xing’s bravery—emphasizing that this was an isolated incident and calling for unity in the fight against external threats.

After that, Fu Zhi became increasingly busy. He rarely returned to the dorm and even started missing some classes.

One day, Ruan Xing suddenly realized he hadn’t seen Fu Zhi in three days. He wanted to message him to ask how he was doing but couldn’t think of a good excuse, so he gave up.

Yawning, Ruan Xing rapidly browsed through a webpage.

S-class information popped up one after another.

His account didn’t have high enough clearance, but Fu Zhi had noticed his frequent visits to the library and asked about it. He even offered his own account for Ruan Xing to use, which helped a lot.

Fu Gui teased him for being too proud, but Ruan Xing insisted it wasn’t about pride. Fu Zhi was the one who took the initiative to offer—it had nothing to do with him.

While combing through data, Ruan Xing finally found some clues.

After a certain A-class mission, a pendant showed up in Fu Zhi’s live mission footage.

This was most likely the location of the Mage Tower!

Ruan Xing abruptly stood up