Chapter 199: The Netherworld
“Tutor Chen Ran, you know the situation of our team. I wonder if you would be willing to be our leading tutor and fight for the chance of victory with us?”
Cheryl had a calm and confident smile on her face, looking seriously into Chen Ran’s eyes, with a hint of cunning in her gaze.
As soon as these words were spoken, not only was Chen Ran stunned, but even the tutors nearby found it incredible. A knight-type male tutor who had volunteered came over from not far away. He didn’t understand Cheryl’s approach at all.
“Student Cheryl, this is a very serious competition. I believe you also know the configuration of your team. Compared to the other teams, you lack offensive combat power. I don’t deny that Teacher Chen Ran’s storytelling skills are indeed first-class, but when it comes to combat power, that’s a different matter. Although he is a priest, he is not a discipline priest who is good at fighting. An ordinary holy priest can hardly bring substantial changes to the team. Moreover, his tier…”
Hearing this, Chen Ran was a little unhappy.
Damn it, it’s fine if you think my profession is useless and can’t provide high DPS, but you don’t have to talk like that. You’re belittling me too much.
Fortunately, Chen Ran was not such a petty person. Besides, he had already planned a vacation and didn’t really want to take over this team.
Although the beauty Cheryl had an expectant look in her eyes, Chen Ran still planned to refuse. Just as he was about to speak…
But at this time, Ella seemed to sense Chen Ran’s thoughts. She pinched his waist in time, forcibly stopping his refusal, and said to him with a smile, “Agree. It’s rare for someone to think so highly of you. Cheryl is my good friend and has helped us a lot. And there’s also that troublesome little girl Dongfang in the team. You have rich experience in dealing with the world. I believe you can definitely help them. Besides, I don’t want my lover to be looked down upon.”
A beautiful arc appeared on Ella’s lips, her posture indescribably charming.
“This is too hasty. I’m not mentally prepared…” Chen Ran was depressed. “Besides, what about our scheduled vacation…”
“We’ll make it up later. Consider it my debt to you this time,” Ella generously pushed Chen Ran out and waved to him. “I am a little woman. Compared to love and affection, I hope to see an excellent man known to everyone, to satisfy my little expectation.” She adjusted Chen Ran’s collar face to face and said mysteriously, “Don’t worry. I will definitely compensate you well when you come back next time.”
“I’m really convinced by you,” Chen Ran slapped his cheek, finally calm. He turned around and finally agreed to Cheryl’s request. “Since that’s the case, I accept your invitation. I hope my performance won’t disappoint you.”
After getting the answer, Cheryl’s smile became even brighter. She bowed and said, “Thank you very much.”
But this choice surprised all the tutors. No one had expected that the originally weak Team 4 would change to a priest profession when replacing the tutor at the last minute. Although this was the only priest in the participating teams, his true strength was questionable.
But Cheryl seemed to have decided on Chen Ran.
Director Mina couldn’t help but smile, patting Chen Ran on the shoulder. “Young man, work hard. A group of beautiful female students are waiting for you to perform.”
“The pressure is huge,” Chen Ran joked, and began to follow Cheryl to her Team 4.
Just then, the speech on the stage was almost over, and the list of team members was being introduced.
Chen Ran arrived at Team 4 and stood in the position of the selected teacher. He roughly glanced at the few girls in this group. From the basic configuration of their equipment, they were the fire mage Cheryl, a crossbow archer, a two-handed swordswoman, a dual-sword assassin, and Dongfang, the little summoner. Several girls with good looks, plus him, a support priest.
From this point of view, the required professions were quite complete. But considering that they were all girls, although firepower was not a problem, they lacked a frontal heavy tank. For this, he could only hope that Dongfang could summon some durable creature.
The director who spoke started introducing the members of Team 1. As soon as the names that were thunderous in the academy were announced, there was a burst of cheers from the stage below, expressing their respective popularity.
It could be said that Team 1, full of talents, was the most favored team. The presidents of the two major departments of the academy were mixed in, as well as the super rookie king Seiya who had defeated two presidents with real strength. The cheers never stopped.
But one member of Team 1 was a girl, a sixth-tier water mage. Her combat power was average, but she was chosen by Seiya. Many people guessed whether that girl had obtained one of the precious spots by some means…
The cheers for Team 2 were not low either. Not only did it have the president of the magic department, but also Colin, a rising star in the magic world who was said to have defeated Seiya. Although it was heard that Colin had won that match by some dishonorable means, it could not erase his strength as a seventh-tier lightning mage. Speaking of Team 2, with two high-level mages, their ability to focus fire was definitely the strongest.
Team 3 also had two seventh-tier students, one of whom was a female assassin ranked in the top ten of the academy, second only to Cheryl among the girls.
When Team 4 Cheryl was mentioned, a round of enthusiastic cheers rang out in the hall. The super high popularity of the beauty was imaginable. But when the guiding teacher Chen Ran was introduced, the hall suddenly fell silent.
“The original leading tutor of Team 4, Enya, had to withdraw from the competition midway due to a sudden pregnancy check. She will be replaced by the church’s high priest tutor, Chen Ran…”
Compared to many tutors who had stayed for many years but were still unknown, although Chen Ran had not been here for long, few people in the academy did not know his popularity. The title of the King of Stories was famous in the academy. His various stories were recorded by many interested people and circulated widely. But Chen Ran’s impression on people was only on this. Suddenly becoming the leading tutor of Team 4, it always felt a little unreliable…
Could it be that he went to the Netherworld to tell stories to a few girls?
However, one of the contestants almost jumped up.
“Damn it, shameless!”
Colin looked at Chen Ran from afar, his face solemn.
Others might not know Chen Ran’s ability, but how could Colin not know? This guy who had received Chen Ran’s favors several times naturally knew Chen Ran’s skills. Although that guy had never shown his practical combat skills in front of him, Chen Ran had always given Colin the feeling of being omnipotent. So when he heard that Chen Ran had succeeded as the tutor of Team 4, he instinctively felt that something was wrong.
Chen Ran suddenly felt a chill down his back. He turned his head and saw Colin giving him the middle finger not far away.
He sniffed. He always felt that he should try not to meet Colin’s Team 2 later, otherwise he would definitely suffer…
After all the teams were introduced, it was about time.
The hosting director didn’t say much. He made a gesture to the many magic tutors at the altar not far away, indicating to start preparing.
A group of magic tutors and students in the four directions of the altar began to infuse magic power into the small magic towers where they were.
The four small magic towers gradually became active, and dazzling magic energy flashed at the top. Under the few mini magic towers, streaks of magic circuits were infused into the altar. Complex but magically regular patterns swirled on the ground of the altar, condensing into the eye of the formation…
A ghostly green portal suddenly appeared out of thin air, dazzling everyone’s vision for a moment, and then maintained its normal form.
Several participating teams climbed the stairs of the altar one after another, outside the teleportation array.
The warrior director, who was in his fifties, simply expressed his expectations for everyone. He successively gave a positioning bracelet to several leading tutors so that the Sky Eye of magic power in the Netherworld could see their situation well.
This thing was the only opportunity for the students outside to observe the performance of the Netherworld contestants. At that time, there would be a huge magic image that could well broadcast the bits and pieces of the participating team members during the trial.
The members of Team 1 entered the Netherworld teleportation array first. After the five students and the tutor entered the teleportation array, the light of the teleportation array dimmed for a while, and then shone again. This time, it was a practice of changing the teleportation point. The six teams would be teleported to six different locations in the Netherworld respectively, so as to act separately.
Until all six participating teams disappeared into the teleportation array, the Netherworld Challenge officially began.
The sky was gray, blurring people’s eyes.
Chen Ran looked at the vast white illusion around him and finally understood the definition of the so-called Netherworld.
The mountains, stones, and trees here were all shrouded in a vast whiteness, all with a clear and secluded white, like an illusionary world.
Chen Ran walked to a strange white tree and examined it.
Whether it was the trunk or the leaves, this tree was all white. And this white was not that pure white, but a nearly transparent white, looking incredibly enchanting.
Except for a group of living people, everything here was this transparent white. The sky was white, the trees were white, and the flowers and plants were also white. Walking in this world, it was impossible to tell where the direction was.
The group of girls beside him had the same expression as Chen Ran. It was also their first time seeing such a magical world.
“Big brother, I didn’t expect you to come with me at the last moment,” after arriving here, Dongfang hugged Chen Ran’s small waist very enthusiastically, with a look of coquettishness.
“Mmm, little girl. I was going to accompany your big sister properly, but suddenly this happened, so I can only accompany you. By the way, let’s see what outstanding performance you have specifically,” Chen Ran had a mentality of taking things as they came. He patted the little girl’s head, and then said to the girls, “Everyone is here for the first time. Be as careful as possible. I will do my best to ensure everyone’s safety and complete the task smoothly. Here, I must declare that I need to have everyone’s command.”
“Teacher, this is against the rules,” the swordswoman in the team who used a two-handed sword immediately raised her hand to object.
