Lin Xin used to maintain a good sleeping pattern over the past one year.
She would usually sleep before 11 p.m and wake up before 6.30 a.m as Lin Huang would prepare breakfast at about 7 a.m.
She was still practicing her good habits after entering the Martial Hunter College. As usual, she would still wake up at about 6.30 a.m and go to the library after having her breakfast. She would read some books until about 8.30 a.m and attend her classes after that. If she had no classes in the morning, she would stay in the library until lunch. After having lunch, she would take a nap and go to class. She would complete her homework at night. If she was free, she would go for some actual combat training with her classmates or play the Gun Master.
In fact, aside from Lin Xin, most of the students from the Martial Hunter College had healthy habits and their time was well managed.
As they entered the Mist Forest, since the mist was formed at night, most of them slept at about 9 p.m.
Five of them took turns to watch over the night. Since Lin Xin and Ai Li were girls, both of them were assigned to keep watch over the tent during the first and the last round to avoid having to get up in the middle of the night. Lin Xin would watch over the tent from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. whereas Ai Li would do so from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
To increase their hunting efficiency, they had decided to depart at 7.30 a.m. The reason behind this was because the mist in the forest would completely clear away at about 7 a.m.
Lin Xin woke up before 6.30 a.m. Despite being on duty on the first night until 11 p.m, she would still make sure that she had seven hours of sleep and that was sufficient for her.
She took a look at the time. It was 6.08 a.m. Lin Xin wanted to continue sleeping, but she found out that she could no longer fall asleep.
Lying in the sleeping bag, she opened the Heart Network. She then realized that she had no access to it. She felt that it was strange. "Didn't they say that there's no problem with the signal here in the forest? It was still working fine yesterday."
She attempted to visit a few websites but failed. Lin Xin did not think any further and closed the webpage. She sat up, rubbing her face and suddenly recalled what Lin Huang had told her before.
"As a hunter, you have to pay attention to every detail. If you neglect any of them, it can lead to serious consequences. Network failure will rarely happen on the network of the Emperor's Heart Ring, but it's not absolutely impossible. However, when network and communication failure happens at the same time, you have to consider if somebody has done something to it…"
Lin Xin immediately checked the communication webpage and realized that there was a cross on the communication signal. She attempted to call Lin Huang and soon, she heard, "Sorry, the service is not supported in your region." Since the first attempt failed, she tried to call Ai Li and the same notification was heard.
"The network and communication have been blocked," Lin Xin sighed in a low voice. She immediately opened the tent and rushed out in her pink pajamas.
Ai Li was sitting on a stool, staring at the projection from the Emperor's Heart Ring.
"Ai Li, can you connect to the network?" Lin Xin asked curiously.
"I couldn't connect to it since I woke up." Ai Li shook her head.
"What are you looking at?"
Ai Li helplessly turned the webpage to Lin Xin.
"Monster Guide – Leech Pods," Lin Xin read out loud and covered her mouth as she laughed, "You didn't forget to study during the battle drill. You're indeed Ai Li!"
"I didn't want to do so, but the network isn't available here, and I have nothing else to do. I downloaded the textbook earlier… It's impossible for me to sit here staring blankly." Ai Li was unsatisfied.
"Ai Li, take a look at your Emperor's Heart Ring. Check and see if you have communication signals!" Lin Xin thought and asked Ai Li.
Ai Li felt that Lin Xin's request was strange, but she still opened the webpage of the Emperor's Heart Ring. "There's no signal!"
"Try to call any of the teachers or even one of us," Lin Xin urged.
Ai Li nodded and tried to call Lin Xin first. She then received a similar notification as Lin Xin had received earlier. "Sorry, the service is not supported in your region." She then attempted to call Teacher Qin Tianxing but could not connect either.
"What's happening? Why's the communication signal interrupted as well?" Ai Li frowned.
"I suspect that something is wrong with the assessment," Lin Xin said in a low voice. "The communication and network signals are blocked. It seems someone intentionally did so."
"How could it be? Who dares to offend the Martial Hunter College?" Ai Li found it unbelievable.
"Trust me. I've been to the wilderness several times with my brother. He has told me few of the things that I have to pay attention to in the wild zone. It is dangerous now as the communication and network signals are blocked. He told me before that when the underworld is going to perform a regional attack, they'll usually block the network and communication of their targeted region. The dimension will be closed to stop any dimensional travel. I think that's what we're encountering now," Lin Xin explained with a serious expression.
"Last year December, the heretics made a big issue when they attacked the Hunter examination hall. Have you ever heard of it? The people had the guts to attack the Hunter examination hall, so why not the Martial Hunter College?" Lin Xin looked at Ai Li with an earnest expression.
Ai Li struggled for a short while, but in the end, she nodded. "We can't confirm what exactly has happened yet. Let's wake the guys up and discuss this."
Soon after, they woke the three boys up, and Lin Xin changed her clothes in the tent.
Five of them sat together and Lin Xin told the boys what she had just told Ai Li.
A few of the boys frowned as they checked their network connection.
"I realized that the network connection had been disconnected at around 4 a.m. I thought that it'd just last for a while." It had been Chu Peng's turn to keep watch over the tent from 3 a.m to 5 a.m. "Two hours have passed. Something's definitely gone wrong."
"My brother told me the same thing as what Ling Xue said. If the communication and network signals are blocked in the wild zone, we have to be careful. If we are lucky, perhaps the signals will only stop working temporarily. If we are unlucky, most probably, the underworld is going to attack us. I think that we have to be prepared for the worst," Nangong Qing said thoughtfully as he gazed at the rest of the members.
Listening to what Nangong Qing said, their faces turned grave.
"We'll have to pack our stuff and leave this place as soon as possible. According to Chu Peng, the signals have been blocked for two hours. If the underworld is attacking us, it means that the attack has lasted for two hours. They'll be able to find us any time now," Yao Hao immediately suggested.
"But we have no idea how many people there are and where they are. Where should we go?" Ai Li asked.
"We don't have to worry about that. Let's look for a guardian. If the guardian knows what's happening, they'll think of ways to help us leave this place." All the students actually knew about the presence of the guardians. As long as they requested help from the guardians, marks would be deducted from the team. Therefore, if only one of them encountered danger, 100 marks would be deducted. If all five of them faced danger, 500 marks would be deducted. Based on that fact, all the students neglected the presence of the guardians. As reminded by Yao Hao, Lin Xin and the rest then thought of asking for help from the guardians.
"I heard that you guys are looking for a guardian." A woman's voice was suddenly heard, and a slender figure walked gracefully out of the trees…