From the moment they stepped onto the starship, the assessment officially began. Soldiers were already operating miniature cameras to observe the students' performances.
These micro-cameras were only the size of pinholes and floated in the air, invisible unless one looked closely. They were the latest equipment used by the Earth Star military for reconnaissance.
Using such devices allowed for better observation of the students without being detected. Besides protecting the students' safety, it also prevented them from deliberately performing under surveillance.
This ensured that the final assessment results were the most authentic.
During the two hours of the starship's journey, each team quietly discussed their tactics for the upcoming challenge, while many used the last two hours to catch up on rest.
The flight deck of the team including Luo Qi and his companions also fell silent as they seized the opportunity to catch some sleep.
Suddenly, the starship vibrated violently, waking them up. The screen in front of them displayed that the starship had entered the atmosphere of the small planet.
Noisy sounds gradually came from the starship. The students were both excited and nervous about the impending assessment, chattering like little birds.
The starship hovered in mid-air, and pilots guided several flight decks, leading teams to their designated assessment locations.
The view in front of them darkened as the transparent light screen at the front of the cabin went dark. This flight deck also took off from the starship.
About half an hour later, the light screen lit up again, displaying a dense forest scene. The flight deck was about to land.
The flight deck landed on a pre-cleared open space in the dense forest, which was also the only relatively flat and spacious area nearby.
Such locations were designated at each team's drop-off point. Team members could use these as bases or find new ones.
Luo Qi and the others slung their backpacks over their shoulders and disembarked from the flight deck. The backpacks contained three days' worth of rations, weapons, and some common medicines to ensure students would have access to medication if injured.
Finally, the flight deck's mechanical arm placed a basic mecha on the open ground before taking off and leaving.
The climate of this small planet was very suitable for the growth of tall trees, and the entire surface of the planet was covered by dense forests composed of these trees.
The jungle was the best environment for concealment, but also the most dangerous and complex. Surviving by finding food in such an environment, while also preserving oneself and defeating enemies, was the most difficult task.
As soon as they landed, the "RuaRua Face Best to Pat" team, with trained efficiency, opened their backpacks, quickly took out their weapons, and deployed detectors to scout the surrounding environment.
In addition to the tracking camera surveillance, each team's name was displayed on a light screen covering the entire planet, used to track the movements of each team in real-time.
Ceci sat in his chair, his gaze fixed on a team located in the lower right quadrant, his brow furrowed deeply.
Ye Yun chuckled lightly, "Your Majesty, the children's team name is quite good."
Ceci glanced at him, contemplating that he would definitely spank his little bug cub when they returned. What did "face best to pat" mean? Was a face something that could be casually touched by others?
Ye Yun crossed his arms and chuckled again, his gaze shifting to another light screen.
The group had already rested and were preparing to set up camp in the location designated by the school.
Although camping in a school-assigned spot carried a certain risk, making it easier for others to find their location earlier.
However, compared to the effort of finding a new place, it was better to save energy for other preparations.
The trees formed a dense canopy, and Luo Qi lifted the tent flap and stepped out. He could hear the chirping of birds and the calls of unknown creatures in the distance, likely insects or small animals.
Thinking of small animals, Luo Qi remembered something. He opened a small compartment in his backpack and took out a breathable small box.
Ye Mu raised an eyebrow at Luo Qi's action, "Why did you bring it?"
The box contained Pang Zhuzhu, whom Luo Qi had been raising in his dormitory.
Luo Qi smiled slyly, "The assessment rules didn't say we couldn't bring pets."
Ye Mu recalled, the assessment rules only prohibited students from bringing private lethal weapons, but there was indeed no rule against bringing pets.
He pinched Luo Qi's cheek, "You're exploiting a loophole."
Luo Qi snorted, "In a forest like this, Pang Zhuzhu is much more adapted than us. Let it scout the surroundings first."
The principal, who was watching the surveillance, clicked his tongue, "Careless. Next time, this should be added to the rules. The little Highness of the Insect Race is indeed clever. Your Majesty is fortunate."
Ceci: "..." For a moment, he couldn't tell if it was genuine praise or sarcasm.
Luo Qi placed Pang Zhuzhu on the ground and rubbed its large head. The plump spider, with its eight long legs, crawled up the nearest tree.
After releasing the spider, Luo Qi and the others could relax a bit and began to split up to search for edible food in the dense forest.
They divided into four groups of two. Mo Xuan and Lei Wa stayed at the campsite, while the remaining three groups went their separate ways to search.
Luo Qi and Ye Mu walked hand in hand, choosing a direction and heading deeper into the dense forest.
If one disregarded the assessment itself, this forest was quite beautiful. The trees were tall but did not completely block the falling sunlight. Light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting beautiful, varied light spots on the ground.
Flowers and grass grew on the ground, flourishing along the light, as if the light bands were decorated with a floral border.
Occasionally, small animals would leap about, peeking at Luo Qi and Ye Mu from behind the trees.
As they walked, the two did not encounter any large creatures, unsure if they simply didn't exist here or if they were all hiding.
Some wild beasts had developed a certain level of intelligence, capable of judging an enemy's strength and hiding in advance.
Luo Qi looked around. If the wild beasts here really knew how to avoid them, at least their campsite was temporarily safe. However, with such intelligence, they would be difficult to deal with if encountered.
What worried him more was that although the place seemed full of life, there wasn't much edible food.
The surrounding trees were tall. Even if there were edible fruits on the treetops, it would take some effort for them to climb up.
However, there were small bushes on the ground with small, pale red fruits. Luo Qi picked some, intending to show them to everyone to see if they were edible.
The ground was covered with tangled tree roots, and only small plants grew in the gaps between the roots, completely covering them layer by layer.
Luo Qi and Ye Mu walked very carefully. The tree roots were covered in moss, and a slight misstep could lead to a fall.