Chapter 272 – Rescue Operation

Baijiang City Second High School.

Whether in the large playground, teaching building, dormitory building, or cafeteria, numerous people stood with slightly parted lips, looking around in either astonishment or bewilderment.

“Did you hear something? A ‘ding’ sound!”

“I heard it too. It seemed to say I awakened the common two-star profession ‘Butcher’.”

“You awakened too? I awakened the common two-star ‘Gnoll Archer’ profession—a prestigious ranged class! It doesn’t seem too bad, huh?”

“Damn! I actually awakened as a ‘Goblin’? One of the legendary three trash professions! I curse this world!”

“Wait, everyone awakened? Could it be we’ve encountered some supernatural event!”

In the dormitory building serving as a shelter, many people pushed their doors open and stepped into the corridors.

Some were startled, some suspicious, and a few even pleasantly surprised as they inquired with those around them.

Many didn’t understand what was happening, but the vast majority who awakened common two-star or higher professions could feel their bodies becoming stronger—no more backaches or leg pains, and walking felt incredibly energetic.

This was a good thing.

“Why didn’t I awaken?”

“Mom, I didn’t awaken either, waaah~”

Not everyone had awakened.

Some elderly people or relatively young children did not awaken. Among the “eligible age group,” a few individuals looked around blankly—they hadn’t heard any notification sounds, nor had any changes occurred to them.

At this moment, most people were still confused, unaware of what had transpired.

The players within Second High School, along with some official staff, grew grim-faced upon seeing the majority awaken, especially when combined with the gray mist that had suddenly surged in and then vanished.

Large playground.

Located on the school’s outskirts, people could see through the railings that the areas outside the school were still shrouded in thick white mist.

Visibility was poor.

The white mist seemed interwoven with faint streaks of crimson, giving off an ominous feeling.

“Look at the outline of that tree—it’s so tall! Were there trees that high outside our school?”

Someone muttered.

By now, those in the know had recovered from their panic, though they remained somewhat at a loss. Some opened their mouths but didn’t know where to begin.

They had never encountered such a situation or scene before!

Teacher Zhang, who had been lecturing earlier, was an official player. He vaguely recalled the association previously discussing such events—how to respond and ensure self-preservation when an entire area sank into the Eternal World due to dimensional displacement.

“Hurry, organize everyone to return to the teaching building! We need to set up defensive measures using the teaching building, dormitory building, and gymnasium as strongholds to resist potential dangers!”

“If we’ve landed in the inland regions of Taixuan, there’s no need to worry. We just need to stabilize everyone’s emotions and prevent anyone from venturing out unauthorized.”

“But if… if we’ve landed in the Alliance’s outer wilderness areas, the school will inevitably face attacks from hordes of monsters. We must prepare for the worst to hold out until reinforcements arrive!”With a central figure to rely on, the staff in the evacuation area gradually calmed down. They quickly organized the crowd on the large playground and led them to the nearby teaching buildings and gymnasium.

Suddenly,

Whoosh—

The white mist drifting outside the school surged like a tide, flooding into the campus area before gradually receding. Yet, in that very moment, a nauseating, foul-smelling wind swept over them. One after another, green-skinned figures emerged from the receding mist.

“It’s g-g-g-goblins!”

Though most people present were seeing these green-skinned creatures for the first time, they recognized them instantly from numerous educational videos they had watched.

These were one of the most common monsters in the Eternal World—goblins!

Goblins held the “honorable” title of the “Three Useless Legends.” Many young people had previously boasted about punching and kicking goblins, but when they actually came face to face with them, they found their hands trembling.

Were goblins weak? Indeed, they weren’t strong, and they were short in stature.

But their grotesque appearance—gaping mouths dripping with saliva—was terrifying. The sharpened wooden staffs they carried were equally chilling.

If stabbed by one of those staffs, they would die—absolutely, without a doubt!

Most of them had never even killed a chicken before. In a fight, they might only be on par with an old hen. How could they face goblins, creatures infinitely stronger than hens?

Moreover, it wasn’t just the so-called “useless” small goblins.

There were also goblin spear throwers, Great Goblins, goblin warriors, and many other monsters that no one could even identify.

When they smelled the foul wind, saw the burly green-skinned brutes, and met the fierce gaze of those large goblins, their legs turned to jelly.

Some girls collapsed to their knees on the spot, wanting to get up and run but finding no strength to do so.

Some boys crouched on the lawn, clutching their heads and muttering incoherently.

By then, some people had already been led into the teaching buildings and gymnasium by the staff, but many ordinary individuals remained on the playground.

The goblins, who had climbed over the fence into the school, were only one or two hundred meters away.

While the people froze, the goblins did not. On the contrary, just as Teacher Zhang had explained earlier: when facing goblins, if you show fear, they become ferocious.

Countless goblins charged forward with wild cries.

“In the name of flame… Flame Impact!”

Teacher Zhang, holding a hardcover book, chanted incantations under his breath. At a certain moment, sparks gathered before him, transforming into a fan-shaped wave of fire that swept forward.

He also summoned several main combat units.

The few players on the large playground also took action, immediately killing ten or twenty goblins.

However, there were too few players, and they were too weak.

Second High School was located deep within Baijiang City, with only a handful of players usually assigned to patrol and security duties, clearing out the occasional stray monsters.

If the school area hadn’t been converted into an evacuation point to shelter many civilians, this small area wouldn’t have had over a dozen players stationed here.

Originally, there was no need for extensive defensive forces here.

The truly powerful players and large forces were stationed on the city’s outskirts, fending off wave after wave of monsters.

At this moment, Teacher Zhang and the few other players couldn’t hold back the hundreds of monsters flooding into the school area.Under the roars of the Great Goblin and Goblin Warriors, even ordinary goblins would not easily retreat.

“Let’s do this!”

An old man roared, sidestepping a goblin’s spear thrust before slamming his size 44 shoe sole into the creature, sending it flying several meters away.

He paused briefly, then quickly moved forward to seize the spear from the goblin’s hands. His eyes fixed on the green-skinned figure, he gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on the wooden spear, and stabbed down fiercely.

Thud—

Warm blood splattered out. The old man’s eyes grew determined as he charged toward another goblin.

“Don’t panic! We’ve Awakened to professions—we’re strong!”

A young man, witnessing the old man’s heroic act, shouted loudly.

More people began to find their courage.

However, fervor could only last so long. Newly Awakened professionals were merely Rank LV1, lacking sufficient strength and speed. While they could handle goblins of Ranks three or four, anything higher was beyond their capability.

Worse still, most Awakened individuals lacked proper weapons, and their mindsets had yet to fully adapt.

They weren’t ruthless enough.

They weren’t decisive enough.

After all, they were just ordinary people.

As warriors fell one after another to the monsters, fear grew denser, spreading like an invisible black mist in all directions.

“Run, run, run!”

“Ah! Don’t kill me!”

“Help! Help!”

Amid the crowd, high school student Lu Fan clenched his fists.

He desperately wanted to charge forward, but his legs felt rooted to the ground. He hated it.

He hated that he hadn’t Awakened, and he hated his own cowardice even more.

Several goblins roared and lunged at him.

Boom—

His best friend Gu Xiaoqiang, wielding a hard wooden plank he’d torn from somewhere, swung it with fierce momentum, repelling and killing the goblins.

Gu Xiaoqiang had Awakened to the rare one-star Imperial Guard profession.

However,

Thud, thud, thud—

A burly Great Goblin, with arms thicker than their waists, came charging over and sent his friend flying with a single blow.

Lu Fan suddenly let out a thunderous roar.

He lunged at the Great Goblin, the fury and hot blood in his chest shattering the chains of fear. As he raced forward, a faint sound seemed to echo in his ears, and something inside him broke free. Faint glimmers of light enveloped his body, weaving together into a majestic suit of armor. In his hand appeared a great silver Sword, shimmering with a sharp, silvery radiance.

The next moment, several beams of silver light exploded forth.

The Great Goblin was torn into pieces.

…

At the same time, piercing alarm sirens blared across Baijiang City as powerful players, riding flying units, soared across the sky.

When they saw the school’s remains—now just a massive crater—their expressions shifted grimly.

“Report to the state department and issue a rescue mission.”

…

“That’s right, just like that.”

In less than six minutes after the incident occurred, Mu Yuan received the news.

The message came from Sophia.

She routinely stationed employees at the Player Association. As the spokesperson for ‘Lord Mu Yuan,’ she also received task commissions from the association.

「Search and Rescue the Lost School (Urgent)」

「According to calculations by the Star Gazing Association, the lost school has a high probability of being located in the areas of Xingrong Town, Stone Ridge Town, Luochuan Town, or Flowing River City. Lords and players in these regions are requested to assist in the search.」

And Stone Ridge Town was precisely where he was located!

Mu Yuan took a deep breath and didn’t hesitate.

“We must rescue them!”However, the area of Shiling Town alone is vast, let alone four regions. The Star Gazing Association’s deductions could only conclude that the probability of the Lost School being located within these four towns was relatively high, but not certain.

“Do your best and leave the rest to fate.”

“To improve search efficiency, we must split into multiple squads.”

Since his Tianyuan Territory possessed the strength, it was his responsibility to fulfill it.

He pondered for a moment and quickly made arrangements.

The team led by Deadbone, Bone Two, Bone Three, and other skeletons would search the Shiling Town region, focusing primarily on the wilderness areas beyond the Alliance’s outer perimeter.

The reason was simple: if the Lost School was located in the wilderness between various territories, its situation wouldn’t be too dangerous, and it would soon be found by other players, requiring no concern from him.

But if the school was located in the deep wilderness beyond their outermost territories, then…

The school’s situation would be rather dire.

This was the area he needed to search.

“Dolai, you and Sophia head to the Flowing River City region. Your flying speed is relatively fast, and Sophia is skilled in reconnaissance and search. That area is entrusted to you.”

“General Dolai obeys!”

Dolai grabbed Sophia, who had just returned to the territory, and the two shot into the sky, vanishing into the horizon’s end in the blink of an eye.

Sophia had been specifically recalled by Mu Yuan.

There were few experts in Tianyuan Territory skilled in search and reconnaissance, with only Sophia and Isloria among them.

He turned to Isloria, “You lead a team and maintain communication at all times. By the way, can you determine the location of the Lost School through the Starry Sky Eye and astromancy methods?”

Isloria shook her head.

Mu Yuan wasn’t surprised by this, as the Star Gazing Association, which gathered countless talented individuals from across Taixuan, could only deduce a general area, let alone Isloria alone. He had merely asked casually, holding onto a sliver of hope.

But Isloria added, “If we reduce the distance between us and the school to a certain range, we might have a chance to detect some clues through the Starry Sky Eye. If I recall correctly, areas that have just fallen into this world due to spatial dislocation still have some spatial differences, right? We can search for the target by observing spatial folds and the flow of white mist.”

Isloria was indeed professional in this regard, though Lord Mu could achieve similar effects by leveraging the Starry Sky Eye talent.

Thus, Isloria led several Tianyuan Generals to the Luochuan Town region.

As for Mu Yuan himself… along with his Incarnation, which possessed equal combat power, abilities, and shared consciousness, he took several other experts to the Xingrong Town region.

The roaring Red Dragon spread its wings, tearing through the sky with a howl.

Simultaneously,

The emergency task issued by the Baijiang City Player Association quickly spread throughout White Cloud Province and was successively logged in the player associations of frontline key towns like Xingrong Town and Shiling Town.

The task was marked as ‘Urgent’ and pinned directly to the top.

Although some players and lords were unwilling to risk venturing deep into the wilderness, merely going through the motions, and some lords were unable to conduct searches due to heavy losses during the previous Crimson Mist disaster month…

There were still many more players who, without much hesitation, directly ventured deep into the wilderness.

This was Taixuan’s operational capability.

Xingrong Town region, a certain territory.Tan Moumou also received the message. Without hesitation, he led an elite corps deep into the Wilderness.

“This young master isn’t doing this for Contribution Points.”

“With thousands of lives hanging in the balance, how could I remain indifferent?”

Thus, he headed toward the northernmost part of the territory—the most dangerous area, and theoretically the one with the lowest probability.

Tan Moumou didn’t wish for Bai Jiang’s school to have crashed in this region.

Just as he had said, he wasn’t conducting the search and rescue for Contribution Points.

But,

Three and a half hours later,

“Damn it! Did our White River school really crash into the outer Wilderness zone?”

There, white mist surged like tides, faintly revealing countless shadowy figures of monsters.

Damn it!!

(End of Chapter)