Full-Time Magister: The Strongest Summoned Beast is Actually Myself

Chapter 86, 86, Transportation by Oxen and Horses

"I heard from Dean Xiao that this training assessment is actually related to the allocation of some resources, so the people from the capital are actually in competition with us. From now on, let's ride our oxen and horses and make sure we complete the mission before them."

To achieve his goal, Chen Hao simply spoke without hesitation.

"Huh? Is that so? How come I've never heard of it before?" Song Xia frowned.

"I am Dean Xiao's student in the field of array formations, so naturally I have access to circles that you don't." Chen Hao's expression was calm, but his tone revealed unquestionable confidence.

"Wow, when did this happen?" Mu Nujiao and Zhao Manyan both looked surprised.

Only these super-rich second-generation individuals truly understand the prestige of the Xiao family's connections. Other professors and deans, to varying degrees, recruit disciples, primarily from scions of prominent families, to build strong networks.

Dean Xiao is the only exception; despite years of experience, he has taught fewer than a hundred students.

"That's not important, just listen to me." Chen Hao remained calm and completely convinced everyone.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! That damned Mo Fan actually went to the capital; he's a traitor!" Luo Song couldn't help but complain.

The others didn't say much, but there was some lingering resentment.

Chen Hao paid no attention and turned to enter the nearby dense forest. Before long, he dragged out several thick pine logs. With a series of cracking sounds, he used brute force to pierce and splice the logs together, binding them with thick ropes to form a large elephant saddle—a simple platform that could seat ten people.

"Okay, come up."

The bull-horse beast is five meters tall, with a shoulder height of four meters and a broad, flat back.

Chen Hao secured the elephant bridge tightly to his back, then was the first to flip onto it, taking over the entire row of seats in the very center with a relaxed posture.

Three girls, Mu Nujiao, Song Xia, and Bai Tingting, sat in the front row. Their seats offered an excellent view, but every time the beasts ran, their bodies were constantly jostled, forcing them to lean against Chen Hao behind them.

Zhao Manyan, Zheng Bingxiao, Luo Song, Shen Mingxiao and others sat in the back row in turn. Although it was a bit crowded, there was enough room to move around.

The oxen and horses exhaled two streams of hot air from their nostrils, their hooves thundering as they slowly moved forward.

With the help of warrior-level oxen and horses, the group's travel efficiency increased dramatically. What used to be a ten-day journey was covered in less than a day, and they arrived at the outskirts of Jinlin City.

They avoided many dangerous areas during the trip, and Chen Hao and the general-level aura of the bull-horse beast saved them a lot of trouble.

……

At this moment, the group stood atop a high ridge, overlooking the world below—a vast basin plain unfolded before their eyes.

The rolling hills to the west stretch as far as the eye can see, like waves.

In the north, a river meanders through the city like a silver ribbon, flowing slowly along the edge of the long-abandoned city.

The city was in ruins, overgrown with weeds, as if it had been forgotten by time. A river meandered around it, eventually flowing eastward toward the mountains where the group was.

"It hasn't been long, and Jinlin City has become like this..." Zheng Bingxiao sighed as she gazed at the city's outline.

“Where demons have dwelled, it has always been like this,” Song Xia continued, her expression cold. “In fact, demons understand ecology better than humans—every fallen city will be taken back by nature in a short time. There was once a group of antisocial people who claimed that demons were nature’s cleaners, coming to clean up the filth of humans.”

"He's just a madman, no need to pay him any mind. Let's start by exploring the outer perimeter," Chen Hao said calmly.

The outskirts of Jinlin City are a vast plain surrounded by a forest, which is one of the key points that must be surveyed in this mission.

To determine whether a city is worth rebuilding, the first step is to assess whether the surrounding areas have been completely overrun by demons.

Of course, the mission is only to investigate and record information, and does not require complete eradication.

To recapture such a large city would require at least several elite legions; it's unrealistic to rely on students like them.

...The initial exploration of the outer forest went exceptionally smoothly.

Surprisingly, only a few scattered foraging demons roamed the forest; there was no sign of any large groups.

So, the group quickly completed the drawing of the outer forest, colored it green on the map, and marked it as a safe zone.

"Let's go straight into the city and find a place to stay first," Chen Hao said.

The group stepped into the long-abandoned city.

The road leading to the city was already paralyzed, and the lanes were filled with rusty, abandoned cars.

After passing through the outer ring road, the group entered the city.

The streets were cracked, with weeds growing stubbornly from the cracks. The houses were covered in dust, and ivy and unknown vines climbed up the walls to several stories high.

Between the dark and damp buildings, huge tree canopies block out the sun, making the whole street resemble both a dense forest and ruins.

The city is being swallowed up by nature bit by bit.

As the group walked through, they could hear the low growls of demons in the distance from time to time, and their expressions became tense.

This residential area was the first survey point after entering the city.

After a quick search of the area within a few hundred meters, Chen Hao and his team chose a church to stay in.

"Light-based ones, do the same as me, use your light to thoroughly search the entire building inside and out to make sure there are no demons lurking around," Chen Hao said, a blazing white light seal appearing in his hand.

The purifying light illuminated the entire church, and began to check every corner of each room. Others followed suit, and soon all the hidden dangers were eliminated; some venomous snakes and insects were completely killed by the scorching light.

These are essential lessons for hunters. Abandoned human structures in the wild often become sanctuaries favored by demons; those who rashly move in may die without even realizing it.

……

As night fell, a faint light emanated from the abandoned church. After eating the dry rations they had brought with them, everyone found relatively safe rooms to rest.

Chen Hao sat cross-legged on the stone steps next to the church bell tower, silently absorbing summoning magic energy, striving to raise his life level to the advanced stage of warrior level as soon as possible.

Just then, a familiar sound of footsteps approached. Chen Hao turned his head and saw Mu Nujiao standing beside him with her arms crossed.

"Why aren't you resting? What are you doing out here?" Chen Hao's lips curled into a slight smile, his tone teasing. "Could it be that you're worried I'll be lonely keeping watch all night?"

Mu Nujiao rolled her eyes, but her gaze involuntarily lingered on his strong profile: "Are you in such a hurry to complete the mission because something important is happening?"

"Huh!" Chen Hao exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be so perceptive, but he realized he had indeed acted a bit too hastily.

"If you stay with me, I'll tell you." Chen Hao deliberately moved closer, his tone ambiguous. "It's so dark, I'm actually a little scared to be alone."

Mu Nujiao glanced at him sideways, her ears turning slightly red, but she refused to back down: "If you were really afraid, you wouldn't have offended Mu Ningxue and driven away the people from the capital."

“That’s different.” Chen Hao smiled, leaning against a stone pillar with a nonchalant air. “I feel especially safe when I have a strong and beautiful woman by my side.”

"Glib talker," Mu Nujiao muttered lightly, then turned and left.

She could tell that Chen Hao only wanted to tease her and wouldn't tell her the truth. In the dark, a lone man and woman keeping watch, even a fool could tell she'd be taken advantage of. The events of the exchange student competition were still fresh in her mind; she was now extremely wary of Chen Hao.

This scene was witnessed by another person.

(End of this chapter)