Wood Style And Sharingan

As Smith's realm broke through, a surge of spiritual energy swept through his body, more abundant and vibrant than ever before. He could feel every inch of his being brimming with power. Slowly exhaling, he opened his eyes—only to see Yan Yue staring directly at him from across the carriage.

"…What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"…So you've just been watching me?"

Caught red-handed, Yan Yue's delicate face flushed pink. She looked slightly embarrassed, her lips pursed in a small pout. "Can't I take a look if I want to?" she muttered.

Smith blinked. What kind of answer is that?

He wasn't going to entertain the idea that she had a crush on him. Sure, he wasn't bad-looking, but this wasn't some cheesy urban romance story where the heroine falls for the MC because of one cool pose. Real life—especially one filled with beasts and war—was rarely that simple.

Changing the topic, Smith pointed to the spirit stone she was holding. "Aren't you going to absorb the spirit stone the principal gave you?"

Yan Yue looked down at the glowing mid-grade stone in her palm, then gave a sheepish smile. "I just wanted to see what would happen after you absorbed yours first, and then decide."

Smith raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Seeing he had safely completed his breakthrough, Yan Yue held up her own spirit stone. A soft golden glow, laced with sacred energy, began to pulse from her palm. In the next instant, the stone dissolved into shimmering light and was absorbed directly into her body.

The process took no more than thirty seconds.

Smith couldn't help but stare. "That fast?"

As the last bit of golden light disappeared into her, he felt her spiritual aura intensify, growing stronger until it stabilized at the Advanced First Level—the same as him.

So she'd broken through too.

He was impressed, but what really caught his attention was the insane absorption speed.

"…The Saint System really is powerful," Smith muttered, remembering how Yan Yue's abilities had manifested during the last mission. When their group was surrounded by monsters, it had been her sacred glow that cut through the chaos and bought them time. Even if it had only lasted a few seconds, the sheer intensity of that moment had burned itself into his memory.

"Speaking of which…" he asked, tilting his head slightly, "why don't you use your Saint System more often? I feel like you're always relying on the Water System instead."

Yan Yue blinked, as if caught off guard by the question. She frowned lightly, thinking for a moment before replying.

"The Saint System is powerful, yes… but it consumes a lot of spiritual energy. Especially in a place like Huaihai City."

"That doesn't really explain it. Why would being in Huaihai City make a difference?"

"You probably don't know how the Saint System came to be, do you?" she asked instead of answering.

"Hmm… I think I remember something about it being tied to the Holy Law?"

Yan Yue nodded. "That's right. The Saint System is the manifestation of the Holy Law—the foundational law of the Holy Empire. At its peak, the Holy Law extended across the entire empire, which meant that anyone who awakened the Saint System could tap into its full strength almost anywhere."

She paused before continuing, her tone turning a bit more solemn.

"But now… things are different. The Holy Empire began to decline about three hundred years ago. The Holy Law's influence started weakening. And once the Holy Royal City sealed itself off from the rest of the world two hundred years ago, everything changed."

Smith leaned forward slightly, intrigued.

"I've heard some things," he admitted. "About how the Holy Empire used to be the dominant force. Didn't they almost wipe out the monster races back in the day?"

"They did," Yan Yue confirmed. "There was a time when the monsters were on the verge of extinction. But something happened within the royal family—some kind of incident. Since then, the Holy Royal City has been completely closed off. No one gets in or out, and all communication with it was lost. Without its guidance, the Holy Empire fractured. The Holy Law weakened, and so did systems like mine."

Smith nodded slowly. It painted a grim picture.

"So the Saint System still exists, but without the full strength of the Holy Law backing it up, your recovery rate is way lower?"

"Exactly. That's why I usually rely on the Water System. It's more stable here."

Smith fell silent.

It wasn't his place to worry about empires or sealed cities. Right now, his focus was on completing the current mission and getting his rewards. The fate of the Holy Empire and the mystery of the sealed city were problems for someone with more political power.

Just as he was about to lean back, a low rumbling roar echoed through the forest.

"RROOAARR!"

Smith jolted upright.

The wooden cart had been moving steadily for over an hour. But now, as it passed through a densely wooded area, beastly cries rose from both sides of the trail.

Smith rushed to the window and flung it open. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

From between the trees, a horde of monsters emerged—level one and two beasts, numbering in the hundreds. Easily two or three hundred.

Yan Yue rose beside him, eyes serious. "Are we going to fight?"

Smith reached behind his seat, gripping the hilt of the standard-issue short blade he carried, and quickly stepped toward the front of the cart. His expression was grave.

"Teacher, are we surrounded?" he asked Yun Ming, who was at the helm.

Yun Ming, calm as ever, didn't even look back.

"It's not unusual. This region is deep in monster territory. Situations like this are expected. Sit tight—I'm going to speed up."

As if on cue, the monsters charged toward the cart, teeth bared and claws raised.

In one smooth motion, Yun Ming pulled the first-level demon core from the power groove and replaced it with a second-level one.

Boom!

The cart jolted with explosive force as the engine roared. The wooden vehicle's speed doubled—from 60 km/h to 120 km/h—in an instant!

The acceleration pressed Smith hard against the back wall.

The scenery outside blurred. Trees, monsters, shadows—all flew by in streaks of green and brown.

The pursuing monsters dove after them, but the wooden cart had already blasted ahead, leaving nothing but dust and wind in its wake.

Yan Yue peeked out the window and exhaled in relief.

Smith blinked, still pressed against the wall. "…Teacher, have your driving skills always been this good?"

Yun Ming turned the wheel with one hand, glancing back with a grin. "Let me tell you a secret. Every member of the Executive Department is trained in high-speed pursuit driving. Once you start doing missions in other cities, you'll realize just how important it is to know how to drive."

"Driving is a combat skill now?" Smith muttered, still recovering from the G-force whiplash.

Yun Ming laughed, then removed the second-level demon core and re-inserted a first-level one. The cart's speed dropped back down to 60 km/h.

"We only use higher-level cores when absolutely necessary," he explained. "Second-level ones are too expensive. The school isn't going to reimburse us every time we decide to have a little joyride."

"…Understood."

Smith took a mental note.

The driving system on these wooden carts wasn't complex—no clutch, no brakes, not even an accelerator. Just a steering wheel and core slots. As long as you could steer and swap demon cores quickly, even a dog could probably drive it.

Still, watching Yun Ming's calm and seamless handling, he had to admit—it looked cool.

The cart continued toward Xiahai City.

They encountered a few more monster clusters along the way. Each time, Yun Ming would repeat the process: swap in a higher-level core, speed through the danger, and slow down once they were clear.

No issues. No injuries.

By the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, the familiar skyline of Xiahai City finally came into view.

Towering city walls, reinforced gates, and watchtowers lined the border. A steady line of soldiers and psychics patrolled the perimeter. Smoke rose from cooking fires inside the walls. The city looked lively—but tense.

Smith felt a flicker of anticipation spark within him.

The mission had officially begun.

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