But now that things had come to a head, there wasn’t much more he could consider. He had to hurry to Guānxīng Mountain, after all, it would still take quite a while to get there. Ben Carter quickly tidied up, grabbed the things he had prepared in advance, and rushed out the door.

It was already the middle of the night. In a place like this, it was hard to find a car at this hour—even if there were one, he wouldn’t dare take it. Besides, who would dare drive him to such a place at this time? Even if he said he was going to watch the sunrise, it wasn’t the right time; people would probably think he had some ulterior motive!

So he could only rely on himself. He took a deep breath and slightly activated the energy stored within his body. He immediately felt a warm current of energy surge through every part of him, his hands and feet filled with strength. He didn’t need a mirror to know that, by activating his inner energy like this, his body would definitely show beast-like features. Generally speaking, the more power he used, the more obvious the beastly traits would become.

However, according to his own observations and understanding, as one’s level advanced, one could gradually strengthen control over their beastly energy. It was said that once evolution reached the fourth tier or above, as long as you didn’t go all out, you generally wouldn’t reveal any beastly features. But Ben Carter had never seen a master of the fourth tier in action, so he didn’t know if this was true.

With a powerful push of his legs, Ben Carter leapt up like a wild beast, instantly soaring onto the rooftop. He barely needed to exert himself. After orienting himself, he headed straight for Guānxīng Mountain. Luckily, it was the dead of night; otherwise, he would have scared people to death. After all, more than 150 years after the end of the apocalypse war, espers hadn’t appeared before ordinary people for a long time, and those with such special abilities all chose to hide their identities. Who doesn’t yearn for a free life!

Fortunately, the new academy was built in the suburbs, not far from Guānxīng Mountain. At his speed, it only took a short while to reach the foot of the mountain. Along the way, he encountered a few scattered people, but most of those still wandering the city at this hour were drunkards, and no one noticed him. Even if someone did catch a glimpse, they’d just think they were seeing things.

Avoiding the main path up the mountain, Ben Carter deliberately chose the rough and uneven terrain. Such minor difficulties meant nothing to him. Although he startled a few small animals along the way, under the suppression of his intense beastly aura, there wasn’t much commotion. After all, this was a tourist spot—any creature a bit more formidable had either been eliminated or locked in a cage for visitors to see, saving him a lot of trouble.

After about an hour, Ben Carter finally reached the summit of Guānxīng Mountain. Although he had only used a small portion of his power during that hour, focusing most of his strength on suppressing his own energy fluctuations, he now felt a torrent of heat surging within his body, as if he were burning with fire, his body swollen and abnormal. The energy fluctuations inside him were intense, almost bursting out and nearly beyond his control. It seemed he was on the edge of danger.

Although it was late at night, the starlight above was dim, and a faint mist shrouded the mountaintop, under the faint light, the scene atop the mountain was not as bright as day in Ben Carter’s eyes, but he could basically distinguish directions and objects clearly. With a quick survey, he determined the approximate location of the cave, tightened the small bundle on his body, and leapt down. If anyone saw him at this moment, they wouldn’t be too surprised—eight or nine times out of ten, they’d just think he was committing suicide for love.

Since the academy was founded, countless men and women had fallen in love here, and who knows how many had changed their affections. Many heartbroken people chose to jump off the cliff, some even as couples, ending it all together. Over the years, the base of the cliff was said to be littered with countless bones. The original name, Guānxīng Cliff, gradually became known as Lovers’ Leap.

Because of this, the elders of the academy specially erected a stone inscription at the edge of the cliff, urging lovesick men and women not to throw away their lives in a moment of impulse. Whether it worked or not was unknown, but it certainly cemented the reputation of Lovers’ Leap, turning it into a major attraction on Guānxīng Mountain. Many devoted couples came here to swear oaths as a testament to their love.

With previous experience, Ben Carter was much calmer this time jumping down. Though his body was plummeting rapidly, he was quick-eyed and deftly grabbed onto an ancient vine hanging from the cliff’s edge. Although he slid down a bit, he held on tightly. With his transformed strength, this was a piece of cake. After a rough estimate, he kicked off and slid down a bit further. Ben Carter finally found the cave from before. The ancient vines he had hung at the entrance as camouflage had grown and intertwined even more, almost completely covering the entrance. If it weren’t so obvious, it would have been hard to find.

The entrance was tightly blocked, which made Ben Carter more pleased than worried—it meant greater safety. He tore open a small gap and squeezed inside. Ben Carter turned on the emergency lamp he had prepared. In a place where not a single ray of light could penetrate, even with his eyesight, it was hard to see what was inside the cave.