《Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!》 Chapter 1: 001 Main Quest - Survive "Isn''t it just because I stayed up all night working on a project? What is this godforsaken ce?" Bai E stood erect within the neatly organized formation, surrounded by a silent crowd dressed in identical ck uniforms. They appeared like statues or wax figures, devoid of the vitality life should possess. [You silently observe your surroundings, realizing this is an entirely new, unknown world...] Text akin to a voiceover mechanically appeared in his mind, each word read out loud with an electronic, synthesized voice. Bai E''s sluggish hearing picked up the distant rumble of "roaring" thunder, as magnificent blue and purple lightning rolled within the storm clouds on the horizon. The ancient howling carried by the wilderness breeze, the air tinged with a grinding sensation, whipped against his fresh face, carrying with it the strange scent of insect secretions... Insects? What insects? As his brain started to function, deeply buried memories were stirred and activated, and inherent knowledge surged forth, burying the memories of working overnight on that project¡ª Behind humans indulging in desires shimmered crimson eyes; oily steel sparkled with a dark sheen; the mucus-filled nests where the queen insect greedily consumed nutrients... Acid rainshed against the metal exteriors of vehicle convoys; a slender elf with pointed ears sliced through the falling rain with a single cut; green-skinned orcs brandished clubs and charged forward with waaaaaaagh at close quarters. High-dimensional demons, intelligence machine crises, endless insect swarms... Elves, orcs, mutants... This world was teeming with countless enemies. But why did it all sound so familiar? Bai E''s gaze unconsciously swept over everything before him. Grey steel fences enclosed the vast square he was in, with the exit of a tunnel extending from underground not far behind him¡ªtheir "birthce," the underground breeding room. On the metal que, a row of engraved letters shone one by one in the darkness. "Am I... an artificial human 95B27?" [You''re beginning to ept the identity ofing to this world, and a brand-new world is opening up to you...] In front of the silent artificial human formation, a young officer with a silver sh shining on his shoulder looked indifferently at the legion before him, his voice echoing through the amplification device around his mouth across the entire parade square. "Wee to this cruel world, new recruits!" "You are born for war, and death is your only destiny." "Sacrifice!" "The foundation of the Empire is built upon sacrifice, a proverb passed down from ancient times." "The blood of martyrs is the kindling of the Empire. When loyal warriors learn to love the whip, only in death does duty end." "My dearest warriors, please remember..." "Your life is the currency of the Empire; it never belongs to you. How to make the most of it is your inherent responsibility!" "Loyalty!" "Loyal to the Lord of the City! Loyal to the Empire! Loyal to mankind!" "Your enemies are those notorious insects; you are the nightmare of those high-dimensional demon Believers; you are the eternal nemesis of those forbidden mechanical life forms!" "With your blood, with your lives, guard the future of humanity forever; this is your sole mission!" "Familiarize yourselves with your own abilities as soon as possible and get ready!" "In three days... you will face your first battle of glory!" "Now, under the leadership of your squad officers, you will register your special skills to determine the specific duties you''ll need to undertake in future battles!" Special vocabry pulled Bai E back from his confusion. "Special skills?" Is it also something familiar? Bai E''s footsteps unconsciously followed those of the person ahead, walking lifelessly in a certain direction. Countless strange memories tangled with his original memories to death, turning his brain into mush, operating with difficulty and obstruction. This never-resting spirit tried hard to analyze his current situation¡ª "I am Bai E... I am staying upte ying a raid..." "I am an artificial human, my life is the currency of the Empire, I must dedicate everything to the Empire!" "No... I am just identally stranded here, I am Bai E, I am Bai E!" "I am a warrior of the Empire, and I will be joining my first battle in three days." "I may not be able to go back, and I also need to face the war in three days." "Survive! I need to live longer to contribute more to the Empire!" "Survive! First and foremost, I need to survive to figure out what this ce really is!" [Activate Main Mission¡ªSurvive!] [Survive: Your instinct to live directs your path, the military operation in three days is the first challenge you will face, bravely ovee it! Mission requirements: Sessfully survive the military operation in three days 0/1. Mission rewards: 1000 points of universal experience, potential points *3, item reward unknown.] "Survive! No matter who I am, what I need first is... to survive!" ... "What specialty?" The voice interrupted Bai E''s thoughts. Blinking, Bai E suddenly realized that he had unintentionally arrived at a huge dark green tent. A soldier with a rugged face sat behind a shiny alloy table at the tent entrance, looking indifferently at him. "What... specialty?" Still somewhat muddled, Bai E murmured after him. Strange... Why are there some weird inscriptions in front of me? Right above that officer''s head? [??? (Human) (Ally)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Certain (Fresh Meat*1800, Combat Experience 1000 points); Likely (Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding level 3, Mastery: Military Weapon Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding level 3); Possible (Specialty: Fortitude Will)] What''s that? It looked far away, two meters distant, yet seemed almost within reach. Bai E reached out to touch it but found that his hand passed through the air and the inscriptions. Not just him, other people had them too¡ª [??? (Human) (Ally)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Certain (Fresh Meat*2000, Combat Experience 800 points); Possible (Specialty: Dynamic Vision)] [??? (Human) (Ally)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Certain (Fresh Meat*1800, Combat Experience 750 points); Possible (Specialty: Danger Perception)] Even items had them¡ª [Turret (Neutral)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to destroy may drop: Certain (Ammunition*1000, Heavy Weapons Mastery Experience 500 points); Possible (Mastery: Heavy Weapons Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding level 3)] [Fence (Neutral)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to destroy may drop: Certain (Steel*500, Construction Technique Experience 500 points); Possible (Technology: Basic Construction Technique)] What... are all these? "Thump, thump, thump!" The metal pen cap impatiently tapped on the alloy table surface, the pitch-ck uniform crisp and cold, "95B27! Answer my question!" [Please note, different answers will lead to different paths for your development in the military, please treat this cautiously.] Chapter 2: 002 New Recruit Talent "What is... a specialty?" Bai E asked stiffly. Consequently, the registration officer''s gaze grew even more impatient. The minds of these newly created artificial humans were chaos, makingmunication quite troublesome. Yet it was rare to see one so chaotic that they still hadn''t found the answer in their imnted memories. "Your body will tell you," a slender figure, standing to the side with arms crossed, suddenly spoke. [??? (???)(Ally) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill can drop: Certain (Fresh Meat*1200, Combat Experience 10000 points); High Probability (Trait: Veteran of a Hundred Battles, Proficiency: +1 Combat Specialization Layer, not exceedingyer 8, Proficiency: +1 Light Weapon Specialization Layer, not exceedingyer 10); Possible (Skill: Beauty Under the Moon, Skill: Elf Breathing Skill, Specialty: Self-Restraint, Spiritual Energy (Sharp): 50)] ... Such an exaggerated drop. The unique overhead script instantly made Bai E subconsciously pay more attention to It. The figure, covered in pitch-ck cloth that revealed not a hint of their face, said with a clear voice, "You may feel an inexhaustible strength you want to vent, or your body may feel incredibly light. Or perhaps you can focus intensely to see the slight movements of minute things in the air. That''s the natural talent of your body. Depending on your hidden specialty, it will determine your role on the battlefield. Inbat, you will excavate and leverage this trait to contribute your strength to the city to the greatest extent." The tone paused, and after a moment''s hesitation, the figure added, "And you needn''t be afraid. It''s not umon to have a mistaken feeling ¡ª just speak up boldly." "Feeling?" Bai E murmured softly, trying to feel his own body. Noticing this intent, consciousness triggered an unknown program, and a pale blue semi-transparent screen cascaded down in front of his eyes¡ª [Name]: 95B27 [Race]: Human [Temte]: Gically Modified Prototype [Health]: 75/75 (Base 60 + (Endurance - 10) * 15) [Endurance]: 11 (Current) / 15 (Exercise Limit) [Insight]: 10/15 [Reflex]: 10/15 [Mystique]: 8/¡Þ [Gene Optimization Degree] (Current Tendency: Orc): 0.1/100 [Skills]: Lucky Strike (Not upgradable) [Lucky Strike: Tenfold critical hit, maxed drop rate, one hit 999! Current Charge: 100/100 (Usable)] [Traits]: Memory Dulling (Slightly reduces the risk of contamination by high-dimensional demons), Battlefield Instinct (Adapts to the battlefield environment faster to utilize full capacity) [Specialty]: Quick Recovery (Locked) [Proficiency]: None [Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered [Knowledge]: None [Technology]: None [Mutation Risk]: Extremely Low [Assets]: None ... Is this... a game-like interface? Others rely on feelings, but I can see the interface? Interface? Game? Where exactly is this ce? Bai E felt a swelling sensation in his head, his temples throbbing as if something was about to burst forth. He looked at his hands, saw ovepping afterimages, and everything before him was a blur. More discoveries allowed countless memories from the past to slowly awaken, beginning to erode the newly formed worldview of the present. Two entirely different lives collided, fragments of memory weaving in and out of his mind like a spinningntern¡ª Naked human bodies stood bewildered by rows of cultivation chambers, pale green unknown fluids sliding down the curves of the body... The showerhead in thefortable apartment sprayed down hot streams, washing away with its foam... The dying cries of beasts turned into the excited roars of the dungeon master when rare loot was dropped. The dark shadow of a steel machine gun twisted into a smoke-stained silvery keyboard in the flickering afterimages. Memories imnted in artificial humans were thin and fragmented, the knowledges of modern society eventually tore through the ignorance of the newborn soul,pletely merging both sets of memories and lives. "I am... Bai E!" [You have absorbed all of this body''s experiences and knowledge, a new life has oveid your journey, continue exploring, bewildered new soldier, for an unknown path awaits you in the distance...] "Dong dong dong~" Seeing Bai E''s gaze clear, the impatient registration officer knocked on the desk, running out of patience. "So, your answer?" Bai E''s gaze passed through the screen, focusing on the registration officer waiting for an answer behind it. The pale blue screen, as if sensing this, dissolved from his sight like paper soaked in water. Register a talent specialty? Artificial humans had memories imnted that directed them towards two drastically different development paths¡ª"closebat," or "shooter." "I feel like..." He stretched out his hand as if to grab the sprites dancing within the light column not far in front of him, "I can almost catch those dust particles in the air." Having sorted his thoughts a bit, Bai E decided to tell a lie. In order to make artificial humans adapt to the battlefield environment more quickly, the memories stuffed into their heads were those brutal scenes from the battlefield¡ª Warriors d in iron armor, brandishing steel swords, charging bravely, their flesh and blood forming an eternal wall against the enemy''s ws and des for the cities of mankind. Clearly, closebat artificial humans were just cannon fodder meant to be sacrificed, and only a few chosen ones might survive the cruel war and unearth their potential. But Bai E wasn''t willing to gamble on such slim odds. Byparison, remote shooters were more likely to survive. Although he didn''t know why he hade to this ce, making sure to stay as far away from danger as possible was always the right move. He was no longer a yer; he no longer had the privilege of restarting at any time. "So you''re inclined towards shooting expertise?" The registrar showed a clear look of surprise upon hearing Bai E''s answer. He took a special look at the badge on Bai E''s chest¡ª95B27. "Line 95 uses orc genes, how could a shooting talent emerge?" But these newborn artificial humans, with their hardly functioning brains, shouldn''t have the concept of lying yet, could this just be one in ten thousand exceptions? Such cases, after all, were not without precedent. Murmuring softly, the registrar nodded and pointed in a direction to his side, "Go over there and wait in line." "Okay." Bai E''s gaze lingered on the figure wrapped in ck cloth for onest look. The other''s response seemed to be out of mere interest, and after hearing about his specialty, hepletely stopped paying attention to Bai E, turning towards the distant horizon instead... "Are you also specialized in shooting?" The artificial human at the front of the line turned back and asked Bai E excitedly. Bai E sized up the queue ahead and nodded, "Yeah..." There weren''t many in line, and at the end was an indoor space covered in steel. From inside came the asional sound of air bursting... that was gunfire. Shooting specialties required testing? This guess made Bai E instantly tense up inside. On the other side, where the registrar was, it seemed that the artificial human soldiers with closebat specialization were all queuing up, and the vast army formation was silent. "I heard the better you do in the testter, the more bullets you get allocated when you go to the battlefield." The artificial human in front of him chatted as if they were old friends. Bai E replied with a rise in pitch, "Oh?" "Don''t you know? Our bodies have a lot of potential waiting to be developed. The more training we receive, the faster we can reach our limits. The more bullets we''re allocated, the more chances we have to train, the faster we can develop our potential and contribute more to this city!" The other person spoke excitedly, full of anticipation. Indeed, training was one of the most effective ways to improve one''s abilities! That was the significance of the stats shown on the attribute panel with physical fitness at 11/15, and insight and reflexes at 10/15. The current abilities were 11 and 10 points, while 15 was the maximum that this body could reach through exercise at the current stage. And to break through beyond that... if his memory was correct, it seemed to require a breakthrough in gene optimization. Memories imnted in artificial humans suddenly revealed segments of rted knowledge, and of course, this might have been part of his own memories surfacing at the same time, blurring the distinction. Bai E squinted his eyes slightly, that strange feeling reemerging in his heart. Such a familiar setup... "It''s our turn!" "Right." Bai E followed the queue, stepping forward gradually and into the indoor space. A... shooting range. The previous group of testers were leaving in a line from another side, and this batch of testers took their ces in front of each target in turn. There were soldiers likely in charge of monitoring the test standing by each target, talking casually with each other while waiting for the new batch of artificial humans to take their ces. "The scores of those just now weren''t qualified, were they..." "Could be the expression oftent genes, flush them out and put them with the closebat troops." "It''s more straightforward cannon fodder..." The soldiers'' conversation did not purposefully avoid the ears of the new artificial humans because here... cannon fodder was a term of praise. Bai E clenched his fists lightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene. [Target (Neutral)¡ªDestroy with "Lucky Shot" to drop: Guaranteed (Brass Bullets*5000, Light Firearms Mastery Experience 500 Points); Possible (Knowledge: Firearm Maintenance and Care)] ... "Pick up the rifles in front of you and get ready to shoot!" [Triggered side quest¡ªRookie Talent.] [Rookie Talent: In order to conceal your lie, you must demonstrate the corresponding talent to gain the trust of your allies. Quest requirement: Show at least level 1 mastery of the corresponding specialization before the end of the test time 0/1. Questpletion reward: Corresponding specialization level +1, up to a maximum of 3 levels, general experience +100. (Countdown: 59 minutes 59 seconds)] Chapter 3: 003 Lucky Strike Grasping the rifle tightly in his hands, Bai E maintained a calm expression. The information about the object in hand also disyed before his eyes¡ª [Training Rifle¡ªQuality: White (Light Firearms/Long-range Weapons)] [Basic Parameters: Rate of fire 0.75 rounds/S; Magazine capacity: 10 rounds (rubber bullets); Range 200 meters; Basic attack power (type: impact): 2~3; Output energy level 3; Durability 8/10] [Usage Requirement: Physical strength 6 (usable), the character currently has no Light Firearms Specialization, shooting uracy -10%.] [Traits: Worn by age, shooting uracy -5%; when using rubber bullets, difficult to prate armor when hitting non-vital parts.] This fragile weapon had clearly been touched by countless hands before, so much so that the barrel shimmered with a smoky patina of oil. But for this very reason, when Bai E''s right hand gripped the handle, it felt an exceptional fit with the structure of his palm. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Bai E raised the rifle, leveling it with his eyes. Through the scope with one eye, he locked onto the target 50 meters ahead. Feeling a bit sweaty in the hand, Bai E slightly moved the muscles in his hand. Making sure his left hand was supporting the rifle and his right hand wouldn''t slip. After aiming for about 3 seconds, Bai E suddenly pulled the trigger. "Swoosh!" The rubber bullet shot out. It missed¡­ Watching the bullet veer off about a meter from the target, the soldier in charge of the test didn''t say much. He just continued to watch Bai E indifferently, waiting for his next performance. He knew that the training rifle itself had poor precision. The first shot missing was to be expected. Bai E steadied his mind. He was sure he had aimed at the red dot right in the center of the target, yet the rubber bullet deviated to the upper right. So... Bai E made a slight adjustment to the barrel, aiming at the outer red circle on the lower left side of the target. "Bang!" [Sessfully hit the target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1] [Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 1/100. At 100 points, you can master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".] [Your attack hit sessfully, but failed to prate the target''s armor.] [Wooden Target (Neutral): Defensive power 4; Durability 10/10.] The hit was along the upper edge of the target''s centerline. The poor uracy manifested not as a constant direction deviation but as an unstable scatter area. But fortunately, he still managed to hit the target. Gaining 100 points in Light Firearms Mastery within an hour might... be possible. Gripping the rifle, he aimed again. "Bang!" A slight tremble in the wrist, the bullet drifted... Bai E instantly realized the problem. The moment he pulled the trigger his wrist moved. Realizing the issue, Bai E tried his best to keep his hands still while shooting, but will and action are not always in harmony. The uracy was still problematic. "Bang!" "Bang!" ... After emptying a whole magazine of 10 rubber bullets, the hit rate was a pitiful 30%. [Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 3/100. At 100 points, you can master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".] The supervising soldier beside him showed no emotion, just handed over a magazine filled with rubber bullets expressionlessly. Recing the magazine, Bai E exhaled softly. It is well known that newly created artificial humans need time to adapt to their physical abilities. But withoutparison, there is no harm. The person in the nextne had already hit at least seven or eight times, perhaps because he shot more, but it was still a show of talent. This is the importance of concealed talent; even if those specializations are not yet unlocked, their existence signifies the different strengths of each body. Bai E, pretending to conceal his abilities, was inherently at a disadvantage from the start. ... "Bang!" "Bang!" The sound of training rifles firing nk rounds echoed sporadically throughout the range as a figure in a ck cloak silently arrived at the second-floor corridor overlooking the range. This position allowed aprehensive view of the entire field, taking in the status of each target at a nce. "How''s it going?" The presiding examiner, who had already been standing there, didn''t make a sound, just silently shook their head. The talent of this batch was uneven, but even the best among them wasn''t outstanding. After silently watching for a while longer, the examiner finally sighed. "Looks like we''ll even have to weed out more in the next round." Lacking talent, one was not permitted to use the already scarce resources. And those artificial humans with a shooting talent, albeit an unremarkable performance, would absolutely underperform in closebat aspared with those born with a meleebat talent. In other words... they were more likely to be sacrificed. Only the most exceptional artificial humans could ever hope to walk off the eternal battlefield alive. The Gic Soldier Project was intended to produce an invincible super-soldier, but apparently, it only ever yielded cannon fodder. He held no prejudices against the life or status of artificial humans; it was just that resources should be kept in the hands of those who were useful, which was the greatest contribution to the city. This was an iron rule coursing through the veins of everyone in ck Stone City. As they spoke, his gaze fixed on a particr target. Even among those artificial humans likely to be dismissed, the performance of that one could be described as¡ª Eye-catching... Following the examiner''s gaze, Yue Ying''s eyes narrowed slightly. Was it that particrly dull-looking artificial human from before? After watching intently for a while, Yue Ying shook their head slightly, disappointed. His hit rate... was pitifully low, not to mention his score in terms of hitting the inner rings. ... Countdown: 8 minutes 27 seconds. Bai E suddenly put down the training rifle, which still had 4 rubber bullets in it. "May I try using your gun?" He asked the monitoring soldier beside him, who had a machine gun with a de hanging from his body... a real gun. The monitoring soldier blinked in surprise, instinctively looking up at the second floor. He had never heard such a request before. "What does he want to do?" The examiner squinted, hesitated slightly, and then nodded to the soldier looking up for instruction, "Give it to him." After taking therge gun off his body, Bai E heard the voice of the soldier for the first time during the test. "It''s a bit heavy." "Mmm." Watching Bai E cradling the machine gun, even Yue Ying on the second floor felt a tinge of curiosity. "What does he want to do?" The examiner shrugged, "Maybe the training rifle doesn''t suit him?" He enjoyed seeing variables in artificial humans; variables meant surprises. Yue Ying''s eyes, hidden in the shadows, narrowed slightly. "Shooting the target with a real gun? It''ll break..." Bai E had already dismissed all external influences. Who knows how long of practice had distilled his thoughts to a single focus at this moment¡ªdestroy that target. The shooting experience gained from the training rifle was too slow; it had been stagnant at 31 points, and after 8 consecutive hits, there was no further increase in the Light Firearms Specialization experience. The increase in shooting proficiency experience essentially reflected one''s improvement in shooting ability, whether through enhanced understanding or performance; it was all about improvement. No increase in experience meant his shooting skills hadn''t improved at all. Just hitting the target was not enough to gain experience; one needed to hit better circles, even the center. Currently, he clearly didn''t have that ability. 31 points, roughly the maximum Light Firearms Specialization experience he could gain through shooting at a 50-meter target with the training rifle in a short amount of time. He was still far from reaching level 1 Light Firearms Specialization, and with his own level, slow progress was likely out of reach. Not to mention, there were only a few minutes left. Thus... using the "Lucky Shot" to destroy the target and gain 500 points of Light Firearms Specialization experience to unlock the specialty was the only way out. The charging mechanism of Lucky Shot was unclear, and there might only be this one opportunity in the short term. While he might have had more choices, this was undoubtedly the best answer at the moment. This skill was the sole reliance of an outsider like him to survive in this cruel world. Chapter 4: 004 The drop rate is really high... The soldier''s rifle felt heavy in his hands. Attributes floated directly above the barrel¡ª [Warde Machine Gun¡ªQuality: White (Light Firearm/Heavy Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: Burst mode rate of fire 1.5 rounds/S, fully automatic mode rate of fire 8 rounds/S; Magazine: 100 rounds (machine gun ammo); Range 500 meters; Basic Attack Power (Type: Piercing): 20~25; Output Level 15; Durability 18/20] [de Attack Power (Type: shing): 18~20; Output Level 10; Amplified Attributes: Strength+5%; Durability 18/20] [Usage Requirements: Burst mode physical requirement 11 (usable), character currentlycks Light Firearms Specialization, firing uracy -8%; fully automatic mode physical requirement 14 (unusable), character currentlycks Light Firearms Specialization, firing uracy -30%.] [Traits: Wear average,cking maintenance, firing uracy -2%, durability declining¡­] Apletely different feel. After adjusting the shooting mode to burst mode through the trigger, Bai E relied on his wrist and shoulder to fix the machine gun at eye level. A real gun also had its advantages¡ªthough heavier, its shooting uracy was superior. His palm moved lightly over the cold grip, Bai E fully focused. He pulled the trigger. "Bang!" The strong recoil made Bai E''s palm tingle slightly; the bullet fiercely left the chamber, hitting nothing but air¡­ "Bang!" "Bang!" Then two more shots that seemed a bit random were fired; one hit, the other flew off course. [Inflicted minor pration damage to the target, durability -1.] [Wooden Target (Neutral): Defensive Power 3; Durability 9/10.] The expressionless soldier beside him twitched an eyebrow. (Three bullets gone.) That was his own property, he felt a hint of regret... Bai E didn''t try any more. Enough! Extensive practice made him feel his hand was hot; the next shot! The next shot would definitely hit! Once again, Bai E, peering through the scope with a resolute gaze and a flicker of light in his pupils, fixed on the heart of the target. ["Lucky Shot" activated.] "Huff~" He exhaled a breath of foul air. Bai E suddenly pulled the trigger. The primer ignited the ammunition, unleashing a burst of red me. The brass bullet spun rapidly, friction from the barrel''s rifling tearing through the scorching air, creating a fiery tornado in its path. "Bang!" "Pfft!" The target hit by the bullet exploded on cue, a mysterious power sting it apart from the center into fragments. -250 [Sessfully destroyed target with new firearm, Light Firearms Mastery Experience +2] [Current Light Firearms Mastery Experience 33/100, upon reaching 100 points "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization" will be mastered.] [Inflicted substantial explosive damage on the target, durability -9, sessfully destroyed the target!] [Loot acquired: Brass Bullets*5000, Light Firearms Mastery Experience 500 points, Knowledge: Firearms Maintenance and Care.] Jackpot! The supervising soldier, contemting the shattered remnants of the target, was lost in thought. While live ammunition could indeed damage the targets, to burst them like this... wasn''t it a bit exaggerated? His gaze shifted from the broken target back to the odd artificial person, who had closed his eyes as if savoring something. The deluge of brass bullets nearly buried him whole; Bai E, lost in his system storage space, could only see that pile of golden bullet rain falling from the sky. The drop rate was really high... Besides that, prompts on the panel shed by one after another at the same time. [Current Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience 533/100, "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization" acquired, with 1 potential point synchronized.] [Light Firearms Specialization (Level 1): Shooting uracy +3%, critical hit +0.5%.] [Current Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience 433/300, "Level 2 Light Firearms Specialization" acquired, with 1 potential point synchronized.] [Light Firearms Specialization (Level 2): Shooting uracy +6%, critical hit +1%.] [Current Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience 133/500, "Level 3 Light Firearms Specialization" avable at 500 points.] Light Firearms Specialization, Level 2! After acquiring the specialization, the -8% penalty to shooting without specialization vanished, and the firearm''s inherent -3% uracy penalty turned positive for the first time due to a personal +6% uracy enhancement. The hand gripping the machine gun never felt the gun grip fit the palm''s lines so well, and the cold steel of the gun barrel took on a touch of familiar warmth. The experience from the specialization gave Bai E an unprecedented sense of unity with the firearm in his hands. The improvement in shooting uracy was reflected in body control rted to shooting, wind direction, humidity, firearm quality, and so on. When all deviations were corrected by experience... The target moved to another target on the leftne, Bai E raised the machine gun, and took aim... "Pfft~" "Pfft~" "Pfft~" The gunshots yed a steady rhythm; three bullets were discharged in session, creating three equidistant holes on the target, aligned vertically and forming a straight line. The middle one hit the bullseye. [Inflicted moderate pration damage to the target, durability -2.](Stacked) [Sessfully hit the center of the target, Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience +1] [Current Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience 134/500...] The humanoid, whose target was perforated with three holes by bullets from the nextne, looked bewildered. What happened? "That''s enough." The chief examiner appeared beside Bai E at some point, his broad palm pressing down on the gun barrel, gently pushing it down. "You''re quite good." Yue Ying, standing on the second floor, extended her sleek and slender right hand from beneath the ck cloak to rest on the railing. A hint of surprise flickered in the cool eyes hidden within the shadows. "Such rapid progress..." Any single shot among the three would not alone prove much, but together they signified that the results of these three shots were controlled. He could control where the shotsnded! Although it was unknown why this humanoid performed poorly with training rifles but his level soared when using real guns, it didn''t matter. Human warriors only need to fight. "That will do..." The chief examiner patted Bai E''s shoulder, his expression pleased. [Side mission¡ªNew Recruit''s Talent,plete!] [Mission reward: Light Firearms Specialization level +1, General Experience +100, awards dispatched.] ["Level 3 Light Firearms Specialization" acquired, with 1 potential point synchronized.] [Light Firearms Specialization (Level 3): Shooting uracy +9%, critical hit +1.5%.] [Current Light Firearms Specialization mastery experience 134/1000, "Level 4 Light Firearms Specialization" avable at 1000 points. (Note: Extra attributes unlockable at Specialization Level 4.)] Hearing the panel''s prompts, Bai E restrained himself and slowly let out a breath. The first step had finally been taken securely. It was just a pity that there wasn''t more opportunity for experimentation. If "Lucky Shot" could produce those items, could normal destruction also yield loot, even at a discount? Calling over his deputy, the chief examiner, whose face looked aged but resolute, instructed pointing at Bai E, "Assign him to an appropriate special squad." "Special squad?" Almost as soon as the chief examiner''s words fell, a questioning voice came from the direction of the range entrance. Chapter 5: Questioning from Teammate 005 A strapping military officer with three silver stars on his shoulder strode over, the steel of his boots making a constant "ck ck" sound on the ground. The imposing figure of the middle-aged officer, thick with muscles and a dense beard, walked straight towards them, bearing down like a mountain, full of oppressive presence. His tone was anything but courteous. "Old man, do you have any idea what you''re talking about?" As he approached, the officer nced at Bai E by the side before locking his gaze firmly on the elderly chief examiner. With his eyes lowered, the chief examiner seemed indifferent to the other''s intimidation, merely saying softly, "Hamilton, this isn''t your armored battalion, it''s not your ce to intervene in my decisions." The middle-aged officer chuckled coldly, "New artificial humans joining the special forces squad right off the bat, old man... aren''t you being a bit too eager?" [You acutely realize you might have unwittingly stepped into some faction struggle, you decide...] Upon hearing the prompt on the panel, Bai E chose... to remain silent. With too little information, any action might prove wrong. "The most outstanding soldiers should undertake the most rigorous duties, that''s the original intent of the artificial human soldier program." Turning his head away from him, the chief examiner simply said to his deputy, "Go, find him a suitable squad." "Yes, sir!" Hamilton huffed coldly, folded his arms, and said nothing more. He was there to meet a partner from the Elf Race, it just so happened that he stumbled upon this scene and couldn''t resist mocking it a bit. The fight between the factions that either rejected or supported artificial humans was escting by the day, and it was only a matter of time before a winner emerged. These heretics who supported artificial humans would all be sent to the battlefield sooner orter! ... The deputy''s efficiency was high, and it didn''t take long before he had someone in mind, "Come with me, I''ll take you to meet your future teammates." Bai E nodded stiffly, "Mhm." Following the deputy through the camp, Bai E saw his future teammates in a spacious tent made of steel frames and fabric. A man seated at a corner on an ammo box, his tightly worn uniform emphasizing his bulging muscles, was polishing a firearm with an oily ck cloth. A petite woman shrouded in a dark uniform, only her calm and indifferent eyes visible outside the ck mask. And there was a man not wearing the special fabricbat suit but a in white tank top, looking like a middle-aged uncle out for a stroll. The only one standing by the entrance of the tent was a figure in gray-ck, dressed in abat suit made of unknown sturdy fabric, protecting his body; his exposed face showed several deep scratches. They had all been notified in advance and were waiting there. "This is ''Tiger,'' the captain of thisbat squad, an artificial human like you, and now he''ll be your captain," the deputy announced. "This is 95B27, his test scores were very good. Commander Laurent specifically instructed that we find him a special forces squad," he added shortly, patting Tiger''s shoulder. "Get to know each other, from now on, you''re teammates." After saying this, he lifted the tent p and left, leaving Bai E to endure the scrutinizing looks of four people. Tiger, ever cheerful, didn''t let the atmosphere turn awkward. He extended his hand, sweeping it past his teammates to introduce Bai E. "This is Song Ying, responsible for our team''s fire support; this is 98A24, who handles breaching and charging, he''s named himself ''Da Shan'' (Big Mountain); and that one is 98B25, in charge of maneuvering and support, you can call her ''You''." Tiger made the introductions one by one, then looked at Bai E with some anticipation. "Besides ''Ying,'' the others here are like you, all artificial humans. Numbers are too cumbersome; we usuallye up with a simple name for ourselves. What would you like to call yourself?" [A new life, a new name, you get this chance only once, you tell them you want to be called...] The prompt from the panel rang out unexpectedly at that moment, and Bai E''s gaze flickered slightly before he replied softly. "Bai E, you can call me Bai E." [Wee, honorable soldier ''Bai E,'' you''ve formally joined the world of Gxy Online. Moving forward, please enjoy the freedom to explore as you wish!] Gxy Online? The game I had reserved? I finally found why everything in this world felt so eerily familiar! Bai E''s gaze sharpened as the calm returned, seizing that thread which ran through everything. Bai E''s new teammates didn''t leave him much space to think quietly. "Your test scores were pretty good?" In the corner polishing his gun, Song Ying suddenly looked up, his gaze indifferent as he quietly asked, "Only those with a sharpshooting specialty need to be tested, right?" Bai E replied with equal calm, "It should be okay." Even truly gifted artificial soldiers would hardly manage to secure a Level 3 specialization in light firearms on their first test. With a genuine specialization at his disposal, he spoke with a bit more confidence. Song Ying, holding his gun, stood up, "Let''s see what you''ve got." The tent fell silent, with You and Da Shan silently watching, and Tiger holding his chest, apparently happy to see it unfold. Seeing Bai E looking around, Song Ying spoke sternly, "Don''t mind it; anyone joining the squad has to be epted. We need to ensure that in future hazardous operations, we can trust you with our backs." [In the face of the top-down order, anyone would instinctively resist. Faced with your teammates'' doubts, you decide...] "..." Bai E nodded slightly, "How do you want to do this?" "Simple. A shooting test." The shooting range had it all, from fixed targets at 50 meters to 100 meters, 200 meters, and even moving targets that changed frequency. It wasn''t the same as realbat but it was a way to glimpse the basics. "Alright." "Follow me." ... Peace had reimed the interior of the tent. Watching the two leave the tent, the remaining three teammates exchanged nces, their eager anticipation hard to suppress. "Shall we go check it out?" "They''ve been gone a while, no telling how they''re doing." Tiger casually tapped his fighting knife with the smoking pipe in his hand. "If you''re that curious, then let''s go have a look," he decided. Da Shan and You exchanged a nce, their eyes brimming with interest. "Let''s go." Chapter 6: 006 Firearms Maintenance "It''s your turn." Song Ying handed over the machine gun to Bai E indifferently, his tone not betraying the slightest fluctuation. Knowing that Bai E was a newly created artificial human, he didn''t deliberately make things difficult for him and merely used a fixed target to verify his strength. He demonstrated for Bai E first, hitting a 200-meter fixed target: eight bullets hit the bullseye, two hit the nine ring¡ªthat was his capability. Two hundred meters was the limit of the shooting range, not his own. Exceeding the range limit didn''t mean that he couldn''t attack, just that neither uracy nor attack power could be guaranteed anymore. Bai E calmly took the machine gun, his gaze shifting away from Song Ying''s head. [Song Ying (Human) (Teammate) ¡ª Using "Lucky Shot" to kill can drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*2400, Battle Experience 1500 points); High Probability (Mastery: Light Firearms Specialization Level +1, not exceeding level 4); Possible (Skill: Firepower Suppression, Expertise: Far-sighted Eyes)] The Light Firearms Specialization level +1 in the loot, which couldn''t exceed level 4, made him wonder if that was his actual level. Of course, he didn''t n to kill his teammate, and even if he wanted to, he was powerless to do so. The "Lucky Shot" charge on the panel had turned into 0/100 (Unusable) after he blew up the target. After all this time, he hadn''t seen even 1 point of charge recover; he wondered what the conditions for charging were... His thoughts returned to the machine gun in his hands, its item attributes virtually identical to the machine gun he had obtained before, with only a slight difference in the traits¡ª [Trait: Severely Worn, Primitive Maintenance, Shooting uracy -10%, Attack Power Reduced -5%, Durability Rapidly Declining...] [...Durability 10/20.] Clearly, the frequency ofbat for Song Ying and that of the examiner soldier were iparable. More frequentbat led to worse weapon conditions. A thought flickered, and the "Knowledge: Firearms Maintenance" that had dropped when he blew up the target came to mind. [You possess "Knowledge: Firearms Maintenance." Would you like to pay 100 general experience points to improve understanding?] [Yes!] The 100 general experience points given by the side quest for being a new recruit could be used right here. Since he learned that this world was that of Gxy Online, everything he read on the official website about it surged to the forefront of his mind. In this world, there were three types of experience¡ªgeneral experience, battle experience, and special experience. Special experience was the collective term for experiences like Light Firearms Specialization experience, Close Combat Mastery experience, Heavy Firearms Mastery experience, and so on, which could only be used to upgrade a single specialization level and was normally acquired through "training." Battle experience, as the name suggests, could be obtained by killing enemies in bat," simr to "experience" in traditional games, and could be used to upgrade all kinds of specialization abilities, even including otherbat-rted skills. It was essentially a universal type of special experience, its only disadvantagepared to special experience being that it could not be created out of nothing. Special experience could progress from nothing to mastering level 1 of a specialization, whereas battle experience could not. It could only continue upgrading the level of an existing specialization of at least level 1. As for the final type, general experience, it was the highest grade of experience that could enhance anybat or nonbat rted abilities. It was usually achieved through "quests," but just like battle experience, it also could not create something out of nothing when it came to upgradingbat-rted abilities. However, when it came to enhancing "knowledge," "technology," and simr nonbat rted abilities, it could be used from level 0 onsite, provided the requisite knowledge was possessed. Right now seemed to be the opportunity to make use of "Knowledge: Firearms Maintenance." [You have learned "Firearms Maintenance Level 1," and have also received 1 tech point.] [Firearms Maintenance (Level 1): Maintenance of light firearms, restore 3 points of durability to the target, with a cooldown time of 24 hours.] Removing the bullets from the chamber and securing the safety, Bai E began to inspect the barrel and chamber closely... "What are you doing?" Song Ying was puzzled¡ªit was the first time Bai E had seen an expression of surprise on his face. It was like... his wife had been stripped bare for all to see. Bai E found it amusing. "Your gun¡­ it''s very badly worn." Bai E said softly, squinting at the dark interior of the barrel as he tapped it with his fair fingernail. "..." Song Ying tensed visibly, "What''s wrong?" "When you use it to shoot, haven''t you felt anything odd?" Bai E paused, his tone slightly halting as he knocked against the steel barrel, "If you don''t maintain it properly... it will break." "I..." "You had noise when you were shooting just now." "You..." "I''m fixing it for you." Bai E stepped forward and replied first. "..." Song Ying was instantly dumbfounded, his face showing aplex mix of emotions. Doubt, anticipation, confusion, surprise... It was as if a palette of colors had been overturned. "Where''s the screwdriver?" "I... I''ll go get it for you." "Gun oil." "Right here." "Cleaning cloth." "Here." ... Bai E disassembled the gun by himself, meticulously maintaining it piece by piece. In the real world, you can''t aplish everything just by reading a list; after gaining the necessary knowledge, Bai E only understood how to do it. The actual operation still needed hands-on action. [You have performed maintenance on the target, restoring 3 points of durability.] [You havepleted a maintenance, "Firearm Maintenance Experience" +3.] [Current Firearm Maintenance Experience 3/300, at 300 points you can master "Level 2 Firearm Maintenance".] [...Durability 13/20.] [Trait: It has just received a thorough nourishment, despite being long-neglected, it still has some inuracy, shooting precision -8%. It is yearning for its next... (Cooldown time: 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)] "Hoo~" Bai E blew on the gleaming gun body he had just wiped down and picked it up, ready to aim. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three bullets in burst fire mode came out one after another, easily hitting... the dead center of the target. [You have inflicted minor pration damage on the target, durability -1.] [Sessfully hit the target center, "Light Firearms Specialization" experience +3] (Stacked) [Current "Light Firearms Specialization" experience 137/1000...] (Not bad luck...) Bai E set down the machine gun and saw the silhouettes of the other three teammates approaching. "How is it?" Shan approached first, asking Song Ying. Song Ying took back his own machine gun from Bai E, caressing it as if touching a lover... He could feel his precious weapon revitalized. "It''s great!" Having slung his precious weapon back on his body, Song Ying grasped Bai E''s hands enthusiastically, "Please, you must join our squad." ["Lucky Strike" charge +1.] The teammates all stared at the side of Song Ying''s face, full of disbelief¡ª He''s defected just like that? "..." Bai E was momentarily taken aback, then revealed a gentle smile, "Thank you." ... Did I fully integrate into the world of "Gxy Online" just like that? Bai E''s gaze passed through the ss, looking at the sky outside the shooting range. Whether my entrance into the world of "Gxy Online" is an isted case or a widespread phenomenon remains uncertain. If this is a game, then why do I have no memory of the process of entering the game, nor can I leave at will? Yet if it''s the real world, the guiding voice, quest system, and panel skills... these things seem too magical to be true. I wonder... have any other yers with reservationse in? Outside the window, a thunder dragon passed through the gloomy clouds, illuminating a small portion of thend... Chapter 7: 007 Player "The servers are up, the servers are up!" Kuang Xin hugged his newly acquired helmet, seemingly unable to let it go. The long-awaited "Gxy Online" finallyunched on schedule, much to the delight of this hardcore gaming enthusiast. A future sci-fi world that''s not only game-exclusive but also entirely realistic¡ªlet''s see just how real you are? Hey down in the gaming pod, donned the helmet, and entered the game¡ª "Should I create my character first?" "Hmm... pretty standard." "Let me create a wife first!" [Detected gender as male, usage of female characters prohibited.] "?" Discriminate, eh? Why can''t men use female characters? Shivering with indignation. Kuang Xin blinked his eyes. In fact, he didn''t see the familiar character customization panel, but some rather strange options¡ª [Physical Build Preference: ?] [Facial Appearance Preference: ?] [Ability Preference: ?] [Race Preference: ?] Physique from frail to robust was a slidable scale. After a moment''s hesitation, Kuang Xin opted for a bnced choice, as the people of Yan Kingdom always preferred a middle ground. The appearance from handsome to ugly was also a two-dimensional choice. Without a doubt, max out on handsomeness. Ability preference... seemed to be a four-dimensional choice. Physical strength, insight, reflexes, mystique. It was like a quadrteral that could be freely stretched outwards from any corner, but there was a limit. And once any point was stretched to the limit, the other three could no longer change. After randomly fiddling for a bit, Kuang Xin, familiar with online gaming routines, understood its meaning¡ªthese must be the character''s personal attributes in the game. Now he was setting up the base attributes. All four attributes had a minimum threshold, and there were some undistributed points that you could freely add to any attribute, but the total number of undistributed points was limited. Considering the scant information released on the official website, early game priority was clearly physical strength > insight = reflexes > mystique. So... just slightly increase insight and reflexes, and put the rest into physical strength! Then, racial preference? Beast-ear girls, elf girls? Heh heh heh... There were also Bug Race, demons? What kind of bizarre options are these? Compared to those, humans and mutants seemed to be the most normal choices avable. If that''s the case... I want a beast-ear girl! [Race Preference: Beastkin.] I just love that wild energy! Character creationplete! [Random character generation in progress...] Enter the game! Darkness enveloped Kuang Xin''s vision, as the helmet''s probes released gentle electrical currents. As a deeper darkness encroached upon Kuang Xin''s consciousness, a somewhat heavy physical sensation awakened within his mind. He felt the wind... peculiar smells... vibrations of the earth... surges of thunder. Two narrow slits emitting a dim grey light suddenly appeared before his eyes and fluttered twice. Kuang Xin struggled to open his slightly heavy eyelids. This was a human settlement. Beneath his feety ck soil, and wooden fences not far away enclosed simple huts. The figures, like shadows, stooped and walked slowly against the grey backdrop. Some people cast curious nces at Kuang Xin, who was slowly rising from the ground. Kuang Xin also examined his own body. Simple ck ragged clothing covered his body, his feet were d in shoes made of wood nks, and his hands and feet were full of ck mud. He touched his ears... no beast ears. Was he still human? Then he grabbed a handful of his crotch... such a soft touch. The sour and cool feeling on his skin continuously pricked at his nerves. "So realistic?" Kuang Xin couldn''t help but exim in amazement. [As you curiously observe your surroundings, you realize this is a whole new unknown world...] The sudden voice from the system startled Kuang Xin, who had been immersed in the reality of the game, and then he deeply realized that this was the gaming world. "Where''s the panel?" With his intentional call out, a light blue semi-transparent screen unfolded before him like spilt mercury¡ª [Name]: Unknown [Race]: Human [Temte]: yer [Health Points]: 60/60 (Base 50 + (Physical Strength ¨C 10) * 10) [Physical Strength]: 11 (Current) / 15 (Trainable Limit) [Insight]: 9 / 15 [Reflexes]: 9 / 15 [Mystique]: 6 / ¡Þ [Gic Optimization Degree] (Current Preference: Beastkin): 0/100 [Skills]: None [Traits]: Peerless Beauty (Charisma +10, more likely to attract others'' attention.) [Expertise]: Brawny Physique (Unlocked) [Mastery]: None [Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered [Technology]: None [Mutation Risk]: Extremely Low [Assets]: 100 ckwater Coins (Starter Funds) ... Having a trait is pretty good. ording to the official website, traits are innate attributes, and each yer''s birth characteres with randomness¡ªanything could happen... or nothing at all, which is highly probable. I deserve it, maxing out on looks has its perks. Charisma +10, won''t I be a hotmodity in the eyes of those NPCs? It seems because of my charisma, someone quickly approached me. "Wanderer? Where do you hail from?" "Wanderer? Is that the background identity of this body?" Kuang Xin contemted quietly. [You have tentatively epted the identity of this world, and a brand-new world is opening up to you...] Kuang Xin nodded at the prompt, affirming his thoughts,pletely unaware that the gaunt-faced man in front of him, missing a front tooth, was looking at his face with a somewhat mesmerized smile. "Over there¡­" Kuang Xin casually pointed in a direction as an answer to the question, and then he eagerly asked, "Do you have any work for me to help with around here?" Usually, the first person you meet should be the guide for newbie quests, right? Newbie quests! Newbie quests! "Work to help with?" The man shook his head sadly, "Apart from food, wemon folks don''t need much. Winter''s almost here, and the few wild vegetables we nted are nowhere near enough for my family of three. Sigh... I don''t know how many more will starve to death after this winter." [Side Quest Triggered ¡ª Food for the Winter.] [Food for the Winter: Mr. Hans and his family are troubled by theing winter. Collect enough food for them! Quest Requirement: Submit "Fresh" Meat Chunks *0/50. Quest Reward: 100 General Experience Points, Item Reward Unknown.] A quest! What''s there to hesitate about! As for what Mr. Hans said? Emmm¡­ what did he say again? "I ept!" Kuang Xin was extremely excited, everything felt familiar, "Where to? How many do I need to kill?" Seeing the exceptionally handsome wanderer ept his request so eagerly, Hans felt puzzled and with a cautious heart pointed to a ce that was rtively less dangerous. "Over there lies the ck Forest, it''s home to some beasts with mild mutations, you may be able to rely on your skills to hunt a few..." Skills? I refuse! The wisdom of humanity is to use tools; aren''t we supposed to save the starter funds for something else? Moreover, the official website also had some newbie tips, suggesting that in the early stages before you can withstand a nuclear bomb with your bare body, firearms are definitely more useful than fists. Kuang Xin wore a passionate smile that was out of ce in this dreary environment. "Mr. Hans, do you or anyone nearby have any merchants? I want to purchase some stuff to arm myself." Hans squinted his eyes, a greedy look fleeting across his face. "I have some right here¡­" ... [Poor-Quality Flintlock¡ªQuality: Grey (Light Firearm)] [Basic Parameters: Fire Rate 1 round/S; Mag Capacity: 7 rounds (pistol ammunition); Range 50 meters; Base Attack Power (Type: Piercing): 8~10; Power Output Level 10; Durability 7/10] [Usage Requirements: Physicality 8 (Can Use), Character currently has no Light Firearms Specialization, Shooting uracy -10%.] [Trait: Crude and Shoddy, Shooting uracy -10%; poorly made, with a chance of exploding during use.] ... [Poor-Quality Bullets¡ªQuality: Grey]*5 [Basic Parameters: Pistol ammunition, Attack Power Modifier -2] [Usage Requirements: Compatible with pistol types.] [Trait: Manually produced in a primitive way, inconsistent specifications, with projectiles highly likely to deviate, Shooting uracy -10%.] ... Newbie equipment... as expected, it''s trash. 100 bucks for this junk, seems like the in-game prices might be pretty high? But the transaction was simple, money for goods, no trade panel, the real-world method ismendable. But none of that matters, my legendary gaming life starts here! "Are you prepared to set out now?" Watching the spirited Kuang Xin, Hans felt a twinge of a long-dormant conscience. "I don''t even know your name yet?" Maybe I can build a tomb for him if he dies? Kuang Xin was slightly startled. [A new life, a new name, you have one chance, what do you tell them your name is...] The system''s prompt gave Kuang Xin a full sense of immersion. No wonder they didn''t let me pick a name when entering the game, it was waiting for this moment? "My name is Kuang Xin." Kuang Xin smiled brightly, "You can call me Kuang Xin. This name is destined to spread to every corner of this world!" [Hello, respected wanderer ''Kuang Xin'', you have officially joined the world of Gxy Online. Now, please explore freely as you wish!] Hans nodded. "Alright, Kuang Xin." (Alright, fool.) Chapter 8: 008 Takeoff! Hans arrived at the ck Forest he mentioned, and during his exploration, Kuang Xin spotted a little creature covered in ck fur, roughly the size of a domestic Golden Retriever. Not knowing what species it was, but guessing the NPCs probably wouldn''t care much as long as it was meat. So he quietly drew closer while raising his handgun, loaded with all 5 bullets, ready to fire at any moment. I''m aiming! Aiming! Aiming! Huh? Where''s my scope? Oh~ right, I don''t have one... No crosshairs, no assisted aiming system, it''s all manual aiming. Quite the naughty setting. But I like it. It was Kuang Xin''s first time interacting with thebat system, and he was excited. Coming to this realistic game world, any exploration was interesting. Creak~ Creak~ The sound of dry leaves and broken branches crackled underfoot. When he got to within about 10 meters, the little creature seemed to notice something and began to move its body warily. Not wanting to disturb it and turn his stationary target into a moving one, Kuang Xin stopped in his tracks and held his breath. The ck Forest was silent, and he felt as though he could sense the breathing and pulsing of nature itself. The ground under his feet was soft and muddy, and the moisture in the air could be felt on his exposed skin. Everything was so real and wonderful. Taking a deep breath of the slightly moist air, Kuang Xin held the pistol with both hands, aiming at the target in a pose he had seen on TV as best as he could. "Bang!" "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Four consecutive shots rang out, the thrill of shooting unmatched. Low-quality bullets fired through the crude gun barrel with a twist, in the dim light, two stters of blood could be faintly seen. -8 -9 [Sessful hit on target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1] [Currently at Light Firearms Mastery experience 1/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".] [Dealt 8 damage to the target!] [...+1] [Currently at Light Firearms Mastery experience 2/100...] [Dealt 9 damage to the target!] Thebat information flowed across the panel like water. But Kuang Xin had no time to pay attention to it, his target information became clearer after sessfully hitting it. [Badger (Wild): Health 33/50; Defensive Power 8; Movement 63%.] The wild animal''s first instinct upon being frightened and injured was to flee, its mobility clearlypromised after unexpected damage to its legs. Kuang Xin didn''t care, the wild forest was calling him, and the branches whipping across his face left bloody marks. A little pain couldn''t stop his pursuit, Experiencing such a realistic hunt for the first time, he felt like ancient instincts were awakening in his veins. He chased, it fled, it couldn''t fly away. With thest bullet remaining, Kuang Xin didn''t want to use it. A single bullet only inflicted eight or nine points of damage, and the opponent still had 33 points of health remaining, which meant he needed to get close for the kill. The small creature took advantage of its petite size to flee through theplex forest, but it couldn''t ultimately escape the hunter''s pursuit. Stepping on one of its meaty legs, Kuang Xin used hands and feet, smashing wildly. He mindlessly threw stones, sticks, and whatever else he could find. Until the kill notification appeared on the panel. [Using melee attack hit the target, Close Combat Mastery experience +2, Brute Physique (Unlocked) unlocking progress 4%.] [Currently at Close Combat Mastery experience 7/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Close Combat Specialization".] [Dealt 3 damage to the target, health depleted to 0.] [Target''s breathing ceased, basic vital signs lost.] "Huff~ Huff~" Kuang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground. In the real world, that amount of physical activity would certainly have left him gasping, but although his body didn''t feel fatigued now, his spirit felt like it had reached its limit. However, he didn''t sit for two seconds before the damp coolness from the ground soaked through the thin fabric of his pants, and the chill that crept up his spine made him jump up again instantly. "Not tired." Kuang Xin shook his arms, as if they didn''t belong to him, and spoke with surprise. Squatting down again, he rummaged through the carcass of the beast, and Kuang Xin got the precise information. [Badger''s Corpse: 15.23 kilograms, collectable items include Fresh Meat Chunks*6~10, Fur*0~1 (determined by the level of "Knowledge: Dissection"). Trait: The body is decaying, please process it quickly.] [You havepletely killed the target and gained 5 experience points inbat.] "The most I can get is 10 chunks? So I need to kill at least five or six more?" Not much! But I need to deal with this one quickly; otherwise, the corpse will be eaten by bacteria and insects, and that''s the real trouble. Dissection? No clue! But I''ve seen people butcher rabbits in reality; the difference shouldn''t be too significant. First step... skinning! Finding the wound pierced by the bullet, Kuang Xin dug his hand in. The greasy fat and blood instantly covered his fingers, slippery and unusual. [You are attempting to perform a dissection; dissecting...] The linking between the fur and muscle was exceptionally tough; Kuang Xin exerted all his strength but still couldn''t tear even a small opening. [Dissection failed.] "I refuse to believe this!" Reaching out to the side, he felt a sharp stone amidst the dead branches and decaying leaves and decided to use brute force to create a miracle. First expand the wound, then tear it openpletely. Smash smash smash smash! Tug! Pull! Yank! Rip! "Huff~ Huff~" Kuang Xin panted, his breath turning into a mist that slowly dispersed into the air. Predators attracted by the smell of bodily fluids silently moved in the darkness, skillfully avoiding noisy dead branches¡­ "Dissection is even more exhausting than killing!" He barely picked out a few muddy blood-soaked chunks of meat from the bloody mess. [You havepleted one dissection and received Fresh Meat Chunks*4, Dissection Experience +4.] [Current Dissection Experience 4/100, at 100 points, you will master "Level 1 Dissection."] Job well done! "I truly am a genius!" Kuang Xin wiped the sweat off his face with hands smeared in mud and blood fat, feeling a sense of relief as he weighed the chunks of meat in his embrace. Feeling a strong sense of aplishment. [Fresh Meat Chunk: Can be eaten after simple processing, each piece can restore 5 points of "Action Energy Reserve." Trait: Currently not preserved, continuing to decay rapidly; the fresh scent of blood may attract unknown desires, please handle with caution (Current risk: Extremely low).] Still decaying? Damn it! First, I''ll submit these chunks! I knew this damned task wouldn''t be easy. As for the risk? It''s said to be extremely low, so I''ll just ignore it! [Carrying weight 4 kilograms, Maximum Movement Speed Reduced 2%.] Smiling with a face full of satisfaction, Kuang Xin handed the bloodied and sloppy chunks of meat to Hans, despite his filthy appearance. The mud all over his body, along with those careless bloodstains, made the dried ck blood on his smiling face look even more chilling. Hans stepped back half a step, his eyes filled with wary surprise as he stared at the "madman" before him. Even for a "wanderer," this guy seemed a bit too careless. But... he was reliable. Looking at the muddled flesh in his hand, Hans pursed his lips, feeling a slight prick of conscience. Hesitating, he pulled out a small knife from behind and handed it to Kuang Xin. "It seems you used a very primitive method to get this raw meat. Take this knife; it might make things easier for you in the future." With the aid of a tool, this fool could work more efficiently for him. His conscience settled instantly as he thought about how considerate he was being for others. [Because of your outstanding performance, you have received an early item reward for the task "Winter Provisions."] [Rusty Small Knife ¡ª Quality: Grey (Light Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: de Attack Power (Type: shing): 3~5; Output Level 5; Durability 9/10] [Usage Requirement: None.] [Trait: Lacking polish, Attack Power -1;cking oil, de rusting, if it hits a wound, it might carry some additional special effects...] I got equipment! Holding the small knife in his hand, Kuang Xin''s face lit up with ecstasy. The decision to return and hand over the task items first was absolutely the right one. Woohoo! Take off! Chapter 9: 009 Big handicap! Get on it! Armed with new equipment, Kuang Xin turned around and headed straight back into the pitch-ck forest. It must be nighttime in the game world, with a cold moon hanging in the heavy clouds above. She tried her best, but could only see through the faint misty light. This meant visibility for Kuang Xin was very low. Of course, it wasn''t the best time for hunting, but it didn''t matter! Difficulties apply to everyone, only effort is visible to oneself. I''m going to work hard in secret tonight, and take down those stinking fools. Once again delving into the woods, Kuang Xin treaded lightly. In the silent forest, the only sound was the gentle "creak" beneath her feet. Kuang Xin summoned all her focus, her eyes widening as she carefully observed everything in the forest. The silhouettes of branches cast shadows on the grey curtain above, as a light breeze whistled by, and the devil''s minions readied themselves in the darkness. No moving shadow could escape his watchful eye. He, Kuang Xin, the top-level hunter in Gxy Online! Tonight, was going to be an exhrating hunt! "Squeak squeak~" The ignorant little beast searched for food in its nighttime domain, sniffing the ground inch by inch with its soft, pale nose, trying to find nt roots buried deep beneath the soil. It waspletely unaware that the top-level hunter was already stealthily approaching from behind. 20 meters! 15 meters! 10 meters! 8 meters! With previous experience, Kuang Xin moved even more professionally and lightly this time. Holding the pistol... she hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided not to fire herst bullet, instead tucking the gun into her waistband. The first shot was satisfying, firing 4 out of the 5 bullets. But who knew acquiring resources in this game would be so difficult? The first quest was so challenging, and the chance to buy bullets with ck Water Coins seemed far off, not to mention Hans never brought it up. With only one bullet left, Kuang Xin decided to save it, resolving not to shoot again until facing real danger. 7 meters! 6 meters! 5 meters! Seemingly sensing the approaching hunter behind it, the little beast turned its head vigntly, catching a glimpse of Kuang Xin''s shadow in the corner of its eye before bursting out with wild energy and darting away. "Don''t run!" Kuang Xin gritted her teeth and yelled, lunging forward fiercely. She brushed aside the branches in her way, ignoring the cobwebs and debris that swept across her face. However, the forest was ultimately not the humans'' home court, and the uninjured little creature moved like a fish in water, weaving freely. With a physical strength of 11, Kuang Xin could only follow ngingly behind, watching helplessly as the beast got farther and farther away. In his urgency, Kuang Xin wasn''t paying attention to his footing and got tripped by an old vine from arge tree, tumbling over in a mess. "Fuck! It''s so hard to chase!" Lying on the ground, Kuang Xin gasped for breath and gave up, pulling out the makeshift gun from his waist and looking at it withplex eyes. "Only one left." Without bullets to shoot first, it''s really hard to catch those wild little creatures in a ce like this. Bullets... bullets... Where can I get more bullets... Uh~ It feels a bit cold. Lying on the ground, Kuang Xin huddled up as the chill from the ground seeped up his spine and spread through his body. So, he sat up with a kick like a carp flipping over, mumbling in his mind¡ª This game is indeed realistically made; even the sense of pores tightening and hair standing on end has been replicated. Hmm~ It feels like someone is watching me. As if possessed, he turned his head, and saw dim, unstable red shes flickering in and out of visibility beneath the grey curtain... "..." In the dim light, the red shes slowly moved out of the shadows and into Kuang Xin''s line of sight. Needle-like fur reflected a dark, glossy gleam, and the crimson eyes were filled with a bloodthirsty intent to kill. A pack of wolves? High-level monsters! But they can''t be defeated. One bullet certainly can''t kill all the monsters in front of me. Run! In a panic, Kuang Xin scrambled to his feet and ran. The death penalty in Gxy Online is quite severe; yers can be critically injured, can be left with a sliver of health, but cannot actually die. Death here means starting over, with no save points, nor any chance for revival. You could only switch characters and start from the beginning. And switching characters has a cooldown, once every three days. This meant that even if you have the chance to start over, within those three days, you can only die once, die one more time... I''m going to die without Gxy Online to y! Even though he had just started ying, the rich rewards and realistic interaction system in the game had already fascinated Kuang Xin immensely. Of course, it was said that once one advanced to a higher level, there might be ways to escape death, but that was clearly not something to consider at the moment. Seeing their prey expose its back, the brutal hunters stopped probing and charged ferociously. "Bang!" "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound of gunfire also suddenly erupted from somewhere further away to the side. The trembling of the earth seemed even more violent than on their own side. Kuang Xin, hell-bent on escaping, had no time to pay attention to anything else and even hoped the others could draw away a few of the monsters for him. "Ho~ Ho~" The low growl from the throats of the hunters as they ran was like a soul-snatching death knell. The prey was close at hand, emitting the fragrance of food; the taste of fresh flesh and blood drove them into an insane frenzy. Kuang Xin bit his teeth and sprinted desperately, asionally feeling as if those creatures with barbed tongues had already licked his buttocks. "Why the hell are they all chasing ME!" Luckily, the previous pursuit hadn''t gone too deep into the woods, and the trees ahead were getting sparser. Hope was in sight, and Kuang Xin mustered all the strength he could. [You have surpassed your physical limits through strenuous exercise. Physical Stamina +0.1.] Kuang Xin leapt out of the forest, gasping for air, feeling like he had never pushed himself to such a limit since the 1000-meter test in middle school. Standing in ce with his hands on his knees, Kuang Xin was determined to give in to his exhaustion. No more running! Dammit, he wouldn''t run anymore today no matter who came for him! It was just a remake! Who was he afraid of! In the shadow of the bushes, those crimson eyes seemed to fear the world beyond the forest. Those ces had terrifying erect-walking creatures; for a mere two pieces of meat... it seemed not to be worth the risk. Staring intently at the seeming decoy that was Kuang Xin, the wolves receded quietly like the tide, without a sound. "Ha~ Ha~" He had survived! What a relief! "Hahahaha!" Someone suddenlyughed aloud on the emptynd. Kuang Xin looked up and saw several figures just as wretched as himself standing on the clearing outside the forest. "..." The feeling of escaping death didn''t seem so beautiful all of a sudden. "Jerks!" "Guys, are you also here for a quest?" Encountering jerks in a foreignnd wasn''t good news that made one happy. But since all of them were new to this unfamiliar game, maybe they could exchange some information they had on hand. "Yes... they told me to go in and pick some mushrooms, but I can''t see anything in the dead of night!" "Hey! My task is even more absurd. They asked me to dig for some roots, but I dug and dug and found nothing." "What rewards did you guys get?" The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. "Ahaha~" "Nothing much, just a little bit of experience." While they were talking, another figure approached from the direction of the gathering. The neer approached with a puzzled look, asking respectfully, "Excuse me, sir, is this the ck Forest?" "Yeah, are you here for a quest?" one of the panting yers responded casually. "Yes... are you also yers?" The neer seemed delighted, as it was difficult to distinguish real people from NPCs in a game where no names floated above heads. "Of course." The neer looked around, "Then I wonder what you guys are doing here..." One of the yers catching his breath with his hands on his knees waved his hand dismissively and said casually. "Oh~ we''re just resting here... We just finished fighting a BOSS, we''ve got no bullets and no strength left. There''s a BOSS inside, badly injured." Badly injured? The neer''s eyes lit up, "I see... I''ll go have a look then." "Hey hey! That''s the BOSS we left in bad shape!" The neer didn''t reply, as if he hadn''t heard, and plunged into the forest without looking back. "..." The other yers who had been chased out by the wolf pack snickered covertly, tacitly remaining silent, waiting to see the joke y out. But just a momentter... "Aaaaahhhh! Help me!" "Hahahahaha!" Chapter 10: What does "spending a thousand pieces of gold on a horses bones" mean? The few yers who had calmed down gathered together to discuss the real challenge thaty before them. "Those monsters are blocking our quests, what are we going to do?" "We unite!" "Attack from both sides!" The yers looked at each other, falling silent. Stuffing both sides into their mouths would be more apt. "Did anyone just now catch a glimpse of those monsters'' attributes?" A female yer perked up, raising her hand, "I hit one with a shot, saw a bit." "What about it, what about it?" The female yer looked at her own panel''sbat history and recited from it. [Green Wolf (Wild):Health Points 56/60; Defensive Power 10; Agility 97%; Trait: Tough Fur...] [Tough Fur: Prior to receiving injury that exceeds its defensive power by a factor of two, it can significantly reduce the damage from piercing and shing attacks.] "I don''t know more than that." Another male yer showed off his left arm, which had a chunk torn out, "As for their offensive attributes... I got scratched by one, so I do know some additional info." [Green Wolf (Wild):Attack Strength (Type: shing) 5~7; Trait: Bacterial ws...] [Bacterial ws: A beast''s habit of carrying lethal bacteria and viruses on their ws to other creatures, the wounds inflicted by these ws "cannot heal naturally."] "You''d be dead after a few scratches from them..." "You''d need to hit them with a dozen or so shots from this crappy pistol to kill one..." The yers sighed in frustration. At the end of the day, all fear alwayses from inadequate firepower. "It''s just that the pistols we have are too weak. If I had a machine gun, I''d turn into Rambo right away!" "Where would you get a machine gun during the newbie phase? It''s more realistic to get more bullets and steal a little at a time." "So, about the bullets?" "How about we distribute our bullets, work on quests together, and focus fire on those wolf cubs when we encounter them!" "Good idea, how many bullets do you have?" "21..." "You?" "8..." "What about you guys?" "15." "1." "44." "???" All eyes turned towards the female yer, their gazes filled with disbelief, "How do you have so many?" The female yer innocently countered, "What''s the issue? Weren''t the bullets 2 ckwater coins each? Didn''t we start with 50?" "Weren''t they 3 ckwater coins each?" "Weren''t they 4 ckwater coins each?" "Weren''t they 5 ckwater coins each?" Kuang Xin was stunned on the spot, "Weren''t they 10 ckwater coins each?" "..." Feeling like the biggest grievance under everyone''s scrutinizing eyes, Kuang Xin felt as though he were a beacon of resentment. The game didn''t have uniform pricing? Recalling Hans''s face, Kuang Xin had never found the missing-toothed smile so vile. You old wallmp! Wait till I get back and scatter your ashes! Someone else spotted a loophole and pointed to the girl''s gun, asking, "What about your gun?" The girl naturally replied, "It came free with the bullets..." "..." His heart ached; Kuang Xin felt as though a knife was ruthlessly gouging his heart. "Shall we redistribute the bullets, then?" The yer left with 8 bullets suggested eagerly with a hopeful expression. The female yer narrowed her eyes warily, clutching her bag and slowly stepping back, "I have something else to do..." The yer with 21 bullets simply stood up and made a dash for it, "I''ve got things to do, too. See youter." "My mom''s calling me to drink milk, logging off for now." "Sure." The negotiation fell apart. In this game, where training could acquire various abilities, bullets were a resource that could be directly converted into one''sbat prowess. Who would share their own abilities with others? Frustrated, Kuang Xin could only return to the settlement with his pistol that had only one bullet left, intending to make Hans repent with that single bullet. After thinking about the quest he still had with him, and considering he was new and unclear about the NPCs'' strength and the game world''s rules, he suppressed this dangerous thought. Calm once again, Kuang Xin decided to outwit Hans, engage in a battle of wits and bravery. "I need bullets, or I can''t catch those cunning little things." Hans spread his hands, "Those are very precious materials... there must be a give and take, if you bring me enough meat, maybe I can find a way to get you some more bullets." Kuang Xin stared into his eyes. "But I need bullets now toplete... to bring you more meat." "No, no, no!" Hans waved his finger with an odd intonation, "If you don''t bring me meat, I cannot give you bullets." "If you don''t give me bullets, I can''t bring you meat!" "..." Hans remained silent, looking at Kuang Xin as if he were looking at an idiot. Damn it! Kuang Xin was furious, drawing his pistol with thest bullet. "Old man, don''t push it too far! You know how expensive you sold those bullets to me!" Hearing Kuang Xin finally bring up the fact he had been cheated, Hans, who had been nervously guilty, finally felt relieved. "Ah haha, cash on delivery, a transaction you agreed to, what''s this about being fair or unfair?" "..." Damn it! This NPC makes a good point. Composing himself, Kuang Xin raised his makeshift gun, "I won''t fuss over the past, justpensate me with some bullets, and I''ll pretend this never happened." Hans looked at Kuang Xin with a smile, and after a while, spit out two words, "Dream on." "..." Why can he be so shameless?! Kuang Xin was going crazy inside, but he had no good solution for these NPCs. I''ll find a chance to get back at youter, but not now. "Then you shouldpensate me with something." "Compensation?" Hans still had a smile, "You need bullets?" "Yes!" "Here!" Hans nodded towards a certain direction, "Or you could try your luck over there." Once bitten, twice shy, Kuang Xin kept his wits about him and asked cautiously. "What ce is that?" "The military base... they often deal with some discarded materials, maybe you can find some of the things you want there... even better ones." [Map Information Obtained (Unidentified): Military Base.] [Intelligence Information Obtained (Unidentified): It''s possible to acquire certain discarded materials near the military base, some of which may be useful to you...] Kuang Xin was slightly pleased inside. It looked like this was his opportunity! Based on his many years of gaming experience, games tended to be about fairness. They had bought bullets for two ckwater coins; he had bought information for a hundred ckwater coins. Perfectly reasonable. This was a case of ''spending a fortune to buy a horse''s bones.'' Wisdom! Keeping his face expressionless, Kuang Xin nodded coldly. "I''ve noted that!" Watching Kuang Xin''s retreating figure, Hansmented in his heart¡ª The naive out-of-towner who had gifted him meat was gone... sigh~ If only the Lord of the City could see this, he''d hope to see him shot! Steel door! Turning around and lowering the hand cannon he had carried on his back, Hans looked at his hands and muttered to himself, "Strange, why do I feel like my strength increased a little just now?" Chapter 11: 011 Side Quest - Patrol After proving his "natural talent" in shooting to his teammates, the time quietly approached evening. "This will be your bunk from now on..." Bai E nced over. It was right next to You''s, how could this military camp still have mixed-gender living quarters? It was truly embarrassing. While pondering, a ck jacket was tossed over to him. "Here, put this on." "What is this?" he asked subconsciously, even as the item''s properties floated up before his eyes. [Protective Combat Vest I-Type ¡ª Quality: White] [Basic Parameters: defensive power 8; Durability 30/30] [Wearing Requirements: None.] [Features: Made from special fabric, it offers excellent resistance to piercing and shing type injuries,pletely absorbing damage from piercing and shing attacks up to 8 points in energy; it also can absorb weak kic energy, reducing some blunt type damage. Downside is... there''s a peculiar smell.] Thebat vest was simr to a waistcoat, protecting only the chest area, with the head and limbs outside its protective scope. The size was adjustable, and Bai E could easily wear it on his own. "A basicbat vest, it offers some protection. Once you''re dressed, Song Ying and You will take you on patrol. This is the first defense line of the human city, and every night, many malicious eyes gaze upon this ce, so we must be vignt." [Triggered side mission ¡ª Patrol.] [Patrol: Complete your first patrol, and your abilities will receive some enhancement. Mission Requirements: Patrol 0/1. Mission Reward: Insight +0.1.] Song Ying chimed in with an exnation on the side, "Patrolling is also a form of training for our observational capabilities, which is a necessary and prioritized skill for us as shooters in the team. You''ve juste out of the cultivation tank, and many potentials are yet to be developed." Training. Training in various senses. This was the absolute main theme of Gxy World OL. Bai E nodded expressionlessly, "Okay, I understand." The three made their way through tent after tent. [Tent (Neutral) ¡ª Destroy with "Lucky Strike" to drop: Guaranteed (Fabric*2000, Iron*500)] Can also burst... The night at the military camp was a bit lively, as the newly born artificial humans gradually woke up after being tempered by time and formed their own individual characters and thoughts. The elderly were warmly introducing them to more of the world''sndscapes. Grey steel fences encircled new squares between lighthouses, with beams of light from the lighthouses sweeping across every corner of the square, and the dust floating in the air danced like sprites in the paths illuminated by light. This was the military camp... Being a stranger in a strangend, even if there was some basic information about the Gxy World artificially imnted in his mind and background descriptions from the official website, it still seemed difficult to survive independently in this world. And what does a deserter afraid of battle imply? It means gic modification was unsessful, meaning one is defective. The consequence of being caught goes without saying. Compared to being a deserter, finding a way to survive the initial battle in three days seemed more realistic. Even if it sounded very dangerous. Bai E thought about evading, but clearly, the harm from avoiding was greater than facing the war. "Speaking of which, I don''t even know who the opponent will be after three days?" Looking at Bai E''s inquisitive eyes, You, walking alongside, coldly answered, "Every once in a while, our city defense force needs to regrly sweep the bug nests surrounding the city. Those greedy bugs are always coveting our biomass that can be converted into nutrient material. Stopping their advance is our greatest mission." The girl was petite, her voice not loud, but sufficiently clear, every word distinct. "I heard themander say our squad is a special squad, so..." "There is no difference¡­ it just means we have to take care of the overall situation, and plug up any troublesome gaps immediately." ``` So you''re saying... it''s more dangerous? More elite warriors, facing harsher challenges. It seems that''s just the way of this world. But... I don''t want to die. After this period of respite, Bai E hadpletely recalled all his knowledge about "Gxy Online" ¡ª The official website''s introduction to "Gxy Online" was all based on the grand era''s background blueprint. It represented the extreme emotions of sentient beings in the form of high-dimensional demons. Wherever they passed, even the stars would be devoured by the devourers ¡ª the Swarm. The cold mechanical races floated in space, ready to awaken at any time and st high-energy rays across a face. The brainless green-skinned orc warriors longed for wildbat, while the discontented elves lived a life of ascetic self-discipline... yers could freely express their passions in this turbulent era, leaving traces of their existence. Pursuing the pinnacle of personal power, enhancing their bodies through gics, Spiritual Energy, or even mechanical modifications, their physical forms traversing the universe. Or forming their own teams, legions... or even carving out a domain to rule over a or a Ster District, bing a true cosmic warlord. Alternatively, simply exploring the ruins of ancient civilizations among the stars alone or with a few close friends and family, being a simple and happy treasure hunter earning some pocket money. The official had once painted a beautiful game experience for the yers, but did not inform them how to survive if unfortunate enough to be reincarnated as an artificial being about to be sent as cannon fodder to the battlefield. The turbulent era could not sustain the fragile mes of life of ordinary people. Choose to be eternally enved by high-dimensional demons or be injected with digestive bacteria by the Swarm and turned into a nutrient solution for the queen to absorb? Perhaps finding a cool spot to bury oneself is a morefortable way to die? This world... is too dangerous. No ability was sufficient to bolster Bai E''s confidence in surviving. Not to mention the limited personal ability improvements that could be obtained under the current limited training conditions. Too slow... "Is there movement over there?" The moment he went out on patrol, Song Ying''s eyes spotted something unusual. Following his gaze, Bai E, who had returned from his reverie, also noticed the writhing shadow hidden in the darkness. "Click~" Song Ying held up the machine gun in his arms and loaded it, "Be careful." "Mhm." "You guys follow behind me." As the team''s closebat specialist, You moved to the front of the two. The three spread out at a distance and slowly approached the target, with Bai E quietly gripping the rifle he had just been issued. Due to not having enough physical attributes, Bai E was not yet qualified to use the kind of machine gun Song Ying held. Rifles, pistols. These were the equipment Bai E now possessed and could use. [Type 77 Assault Rifle ¡ª Quality: White (Light Firearms)] [Basic Parameters: Semi-auto mode firing rate 1.2 rounds/S, full-auto mode firing rate 3 rounds/S; Magazine capacity: 30 rounds (rifle); Range 500 meters; Basic attack power (type: piercing): 15~23; Output level 13; Durability 20/20] [Usage Requirements: Semi-auto mode physical 10 (usable), full-auto mode physical 12 (not usable).] [Trait: In full-auto mode, the trajectory is very likely to skew, shooting uracy -15%.] The standard equipment exhibited a reliable quality, and the rifle in hand gave Bai E a certain confidence. ``` Chapter 12: 012 First Interaction Malicious gaze? Before leaving the camp, Captain Hu hadn''t been very detailed, because there were indeed a lot of enemies. Could it be something from some force? It wasn''t until Song Ying had closed enough distance for a reaction that he turned on his shlight and aimed it toward the target. "Who''s there?" He was experienced and knew that not everyone appearing near the military camp was a vicious enemy, but he hadn''t exined right away to train Bai E''s mindset. In reality, there were always some humans with ill intentions who would sneak near the military camp to steal. As artificial humans, they were not allowed to kill regr humans at will. If the situation was serious, they could only arrest and hand over the culprit to the city''s judiciary for trial before getting official permission to kill. If it wasn''t serious, then they had to judge for themselves, and they could administer a light punishment. ... Kuang Xin, caught in the shlight beam, felt as though he was looking at the sun, his vision filled with a dazzling light, and could only vaguely discern the silhouettes of three humans through the halo. So he immediately raised his hands and stood up. "Your Honor! I''m a good citizen! I am a good citizen!" He keenly knew that he was still a newbie in this game and stood no chance against these soldiers from the barracks. He fondly remembered how in another game, his max-level character was wiped out by a guardsman at the vige gate with a couple of swipes, causing him to hold a healthy respect for soldiers as official game characters ever since. "What are you doing here?" You asked coldly. "I..." Kuang Xin found himself at a loss for words. The gamecked dialogue boxes or selectable dialogue sentences, and the excessive freedom in choice left him bewildered when confronted with such a situation. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to exin truthfully, "I heard that I could get some bullets you don''t need around here..." Bullets you don''t need? How could such precious resources be unwanted? Who was this ignorant person? Song Ying and You frowned momentarily. Bai E, who had been following behind Song Ying and You, had remained silent, just quietly sizing up the individual with his gaze. [You are using your ability to observe individuals'' characteristics...] The conversation around him faded away like a distant chant, and the surrounding world quietly blurred, leaving only the human, waving his arms and babbling nonsense... [Face smeared with chaotic bloodstains] [Behavior is erratic and abnormal] [No genuine fear] [Through careful observation, you realize a certain possibility...] "There''s nothing you want here." Suddenly stepping forward, Bai E took the initiative to speak, drawing the attention of the three present. Pressing down the shlight in Song Ying''s hand that was aimed at the individual''s eyes, Bai E stepped closer, allowing the man to clearly see his face. "This is a military camp, not a ce for you. Leave now." [Your action has been noticed by the camp''s soldiers, and you are about to be expelled.] On hearing the panel''s prompt, Kuang Xin''s face fell instantly, looking rather pitiable, "Really nothing?" That was information I bought with 100 ck water coins... Bai E lifted his rifle muzzle, his expression calm and detached, "Or perhaps you''d like to visit the security team?" On the way to camp, Song Ying had rified some basic knowledge with Bai E. [Unlocked information: Security Team.] Security Team? Prison? Solitary confinement? Kuang Xin''s hair stood on end, "No, no... I''m leaving! I''m leaving right now..." "I''ll escort him out." After exining to the two behind him, Bai E followed behind the strange human to escort him away. For situations not too serious, handling it themselves and ensuring an expelled individual was a sufficient distance away were experiences Song Ying had shared with Bai E. "Hmm." Song Ying nodded, showing no intention to follow. Watching the receding figures, You''s eyes were somewhat cold. "It seems he has some ideas of his own?" "Who isn''t?" Song Ying sighed softly, "Curious? Or kind? Who knows? Whatever..." As time passed, every artificial person would gradually awaken to their unique individuality and personality. Loyalty to the city, loyalty to the empire, loyalty to humanity were basic principles,, yet humans were unable to enforce further prohibitions upon them. Even amongst artificial persons, there were different likes, dislikes, and concepts. ... Kuang Xin nced at the shadow cast from behind with the corner of his eye, unwilling to ept that the intelligence he had bought for 100 ckwater coins had been for naught. Eager to say something, but the reverence he had for the grunt prevented him from knowing how to start. Unexpectedly, the seemingly cold soldier behind him took the initiative to speak. "Are you a yer?" Of course, Bai E would not ask directly like this. He was unsure whether the person in front of him was a yer, and he was also unsure what it would mean to reveal his and the yer''s identities. Treated as an Easter egg? Or attracting attention? But it''s always better to be cautious. He was neither a true NPC nor a true yer, an alien to both sides. "What do you need bullets for?" Kuang Xin didn''t know if he was having a delusion. The other''s words were calm,cking the sharpness of the earlier interrogation. Could it even be perceived as a tad friendly? "I need toplete someone else''s request to go hunting, but hunting requires bullets, and I have none..." Kuang Xin was talking to an NPC, so he started voicing his grievance, trying to see if he could elicit a bit of NPC sympathy. ording to thew of conservation of luck, if there were bad NPCs, there must be good ones as well. Most importantly... he firmly believed that the lesson he had bought for 100 ckwater coins must have some significance. Otherwise, wouldn''t that loss be in vain? Bai E was also pondering in secret. In fact, he was troubled too¡ª He had too many bullets. Using the training rifles at the shooting range to acquire proficiency in shooting had a limit, and he had advanced his specialization level so fast that even if he hit the bullseye with the training rifles using rubber bullets, he wouldn''t gain any more experience. The training field cannot produce War Gods; otherwise, this world would have been full of demigods by now. Apart from actualbat training, there was no other aspiration. However... With informants all around the military camp, how could he exin summoning an endless supply of bullets out of thin air? Not to mention, it was hard for him to find an opportunity for realbat. While othersmented the scarcity of bullets preventing them from effectively enhancing their abilities, he had to worry about how to utilize his abundant resources without drawing attention. 5000 refined brass bullets, this was hisrgest asset at the moment. Having resources but unable to convert them into actualbat capability was quite disheartening. yers... It was quitemon for yers to take quests from NPCs to improve themselves, but he wondered if, as an NPC, he could somehow benefit from the yers... "I do have some bullets..." Bai E said thoughtfully. His casual words triggered a hidden mechanism, and he heard a prompt from the game system. [Interaction system activated.] [Do you choose to issue a quest to the target yer "???"?] [Avable quests for issuance: Basic Combat, Basic Resources, Basic Construction, Basic Mixed.] [Basic Combat Quest (3/3 avable for issuance): Permission (single questmon experience limit 50~100, daily questmon experience limit 50~300, or half the quota of special experience from your personal abilities); Ouy (ording to your current moral reputation, you must providemodities worth at least 20 ckwater coins); Return (all "basic attribute improvements" and half of the "special experience gains" the target yer earns during the mission).] [Basic Resources Quest (3/3 avable for issuance): Permission (single quest technology point limit 0~1, daily quest technology point limit 0~3, or half the quota of special experience from your personal abilities); Ouy (based on your current moral reputation, you must providemodities worth at least 50 ckwater coins); Return ("specified resources," all "basic attribute improvements" and half of the "special experience gains" the target yer earns during the mission).] [Basic Construction Quest (0/0 avable for issuance): Permission {faction-specific currency (requires target''s recognition, currently no permission to issue)}; Ouy (providemodities or services equivalent to the value of the faction-specific currency); Return ("specified construction goal," all "basic attribute improvements" the target yer earns during the mission).] [Basic Mixed Quest: Abination of Combat, Resources, and Construction Quests with permissions, ouys, and returns stacking ording to their category. (Depending on the adaptability between thebined quest types, the permissions, expenditures, and returns may vary.)] He can issue quests? Chapter 13: 013 Release task Bai E''s gaze meticulously swept over the exnation written on the panel that abruptly popped up before him. It seemed... like a win-win situation. No matter the task, it appeared that yers would absorb some of the personal ability they enhanced during itspletion. As long as a task was issued and yerspleted it, it would be mutually beneficial. The only thing one needed to give was... resources? The rewards for the task? This was reasonable. Bai E blinked gently,ing back to reality. He continued in a soft tone, as if he had only paused to consider his wording. "But first, I need you toplete some minor errands for me, such as... chopping some timber under the watch of those wolf packs in the ck Forest that can be used to construct buildings." Having reviewed the military camp map, Bai E was crystal clear about the nearby terrains and the primary threats within them. As for the tasks, setting asideposite ones, there were three types. He didn''t have authority to issue construction tasks yet, meaning Bai E could only release two types of tasks at present. Combat and resource gathering. Of course, Bai E wanted all of them. ording to the task feedback mechanism, the more challenging the task for the yers, the more it would guide them to surpass their limits, allowing him to gain from the task rewards their experience in growing their abilities. The underlying mechanism of this world was trial with rewards. Therefore, he had to keep them as busy as possible. Make the yers grind! The harder they grind, the stronger he gets! [Generating task description automatically...] [Side task - Repair Supplies Needed (Combat, Resource Compound Task): The mes of battle have destroyed certain facilities within the camp, and the Logistics Department is currently short-staffed. With the war looming, some soldiers are privately hoping you can bring enough lumber to repair the facilities. But be careful ¨C those wild wolves patrol their territory relentlessly!] Task requirements: Submit lumber *0/10~20 (adjustable), Eliminate wild wolves 0/3~5 (adjustable). Task Rewards: Experience Points 1~100 (adjustable), Technology Points *0~1 (adjustable), Item Rewards (undetermined).] (Rewards are scaled to the character''s current moral reputation) (Note: The task requires a physical submission, cannot be "automaticallypleted," and must be "verified uponpletion"; after confirming task issuance, "permissions" and "expenses" will be deducted and locked.) [Would you like to issue this task now?] As for the task description itself, Bai E just nced over it, believing yers wouldn''t bother to look closely either. He didn''t pay much attention to the adjustable options, only showing some concern at the final note. "Verification uponpletion" required? Did it mean he had to meet the yer personally after theypleted the task in order for them to receive their reward? Is that how it''s gonna be? Currently stationed in the military camp, and with opportunities to take a walk like tonight being uncertain in the future, thinking about the other partying to him with a pile of lumber and loudly demanding to submit their task... The whole scene just called for a reset. Bai E stroked his chin, slightly worried. "Bro?" Kuang Xin looked at the burly soldier who seemed to have fallen into deep thought, feeling somewhat hesitant. Will you issue the task or not, just give me a clear answer... It''s hard for me to do things for you if you only want help and don''t issue tasks. "..." Bai E concluded that it was the fault of the resource-gathering task. Thebat task only required kills, no physical submission, and allowed for automaticpletion. So tasks had to be issued separately after all... "With your current ability, it''s challenging toplete these two tasks at the same time... How about this, those wild wolves have already caused some interference with the lives of nearby humans. Go and eliminate some to intimidate them." Bai E changed his approach. [Generating task description automatically...] [Side task - Driving Out the Wolf Pack (Combat Task): The packs of wild wolves in the ck Forest have greatly impacted the lives of nearby humans, causing widespread fear. Soldiers are busy preparing for war and can''t spare their efforts, so they hope you can eliminate the threat. Task requirements: Eliminate wild wolves 0/3~5 (adjustable). Task Rewards: Experience Points 50~100 (adjustable), Item Rewards (undetermined).] (Note: "Automaticpletion" is permitted; after confirming task issuance, "permissions" and "expenses" will be deducted and locked.) [Would you like to issue this task now?] Confirm! [Task requirements and rewards undetermined.] Auuuu~ Eliminate wild wolves 3~5? 5! Reward with experience points? 100 points! Item rewards? Not less than 20 ckwater coins? Bai E nced at the bulging items around Kuang Xin''s waist... Then it''ll be "20 Refined Brass Bullets (Handgun)"! This stuff must cost at least 1 dor each, right? [The current value of the item is extremely high, approximately equivalent to 100 ckwater coins. Are you sure you want to make the payment?] Hmm... how about a discount? Bai E did indeed want to give yers more bullets so they could train their abilities, but he couldn''t set expectations too high right from the start. The minimum requirement is 20 ckwater coins, giving bullets worth 50 ckwater coins should be quite generous, right? 10 finely crafted brass bullets! [Confirm release!] ¡­ [A side quest¡ªDrive Away the Wolves¡ªhas been triggered.] Upon seeing the shiny reward of "10 finely crafted brass bullets (pistol rounds)," Kuang Xin''s tears streamed down his face in an instant. Finally, an NPC is giving me bullets! Wuu wuu wuu~ ¡­ Bai E didn''t know if other NPCs could issue quests to yers, and of course¡­ even if they could, they would likely unconsciously follow a set of uniform conditions. In other words, everyone was actually inpetition. If you published the same quest, whoever could provide yers with more rewards would be able to get their help. There wasn''t much description about the quest system of "Gxy Online" on the official website; it seemed the choice might be more in the hands of the yers. So the rewards that could be given should be as much as possible. And the difficulty... for the sake of improving one''s strength, it had to be as hard as possible. Strive on, my yers! The harder you work, the luckier you''ll get! "Additionally, I might need your help with the matter of wood..." Bai E continued to add. There was a daily limit on what could be given away, so not to send out the quest seemed wasteful. Although Bai E hadn''t figured out the ce and time for inspection, it didn''t hinder him from issuing the quest first. Chopping wood was also manualbor, and manualbor meant "physical" training. [Automatic quest description generation in progress¡­] [Side quest¡ªNecessary Repairs (Resource-based Commission): After driving away the threat of the wolves, don''t forget the original intent, bring back more wood for the soldiers in the barracks!] Quest requirements: Submit wood*0/10~20 (adjustable). Quest reward: Technology point*1, item reward (undetermined).] (Note: There is a real-world submission step involved; the currentmission cannot be "automaticallypleted," it requires "inspectionpletion"; once themission is confirmed for release, "permissions" and "expenditure" will be deducted and locked.) Wood requirement, 20! Item reward... Proportionally increasing, 25 bullets! [Would you like to release the currentmission?] Confirm! [Publishing failed, "inspection location" not confirmed.] Annnoying! Inspection location... Bai E pondered in silence, and the next moment, he noticed the terrain nearby appeared before his eyes like a semi-transparent three-dimensional map. Around him,bels such as [Clearing (developable)], [Barracks (allied territory)], [Settlement (no sovereignty)], [City (allied territory)], and more marked clearly differentiated areas outlined by green lines. As Bai E''s awareness explored, this three-dimensional map which seemed centered around his current location could even zoom out to disyrger areas, although¡­ regions farther away appeared covered in a thickeryer of white fog on the map due to ack of relevant information input. It evenes with a system map to look at? Bai E casually selected a clearing as far away from human settlements and barracks as possible. [Confirm release!] ¡­ [A side quest¡ªNecessary Repairs¡ªhas been triggered.] "Damn it!" There''s another quest? And the bullet reward is evenrger! It seems Hans didn''t lie for once, these soldiers are indeed loaded! Overjoyed, Kuang Xin found direction in his efforts for the uing time with these quests upon him. "Also... I need arge quantity of supplies." Bai E wasn''t about to let this rare encounter with a yer slip by. Who knew when he''d run across a wild yer again? I''ll give you all the authority ratio I have on me! [The current target yer has epted onebat-typemission and one resource-typemission from you, no moremission eptance authority avable.] "..." Ch''ih. So he immediately changed his pitch, "If you have anypanions, you can call them over to help." "No problem!" Kuang Xin agreed instantly, then promptly forgot about it. This was intelligence I bought for 100 ckwater coins, can I share it easily? In your dreams! I''ll keep this goldmine to myself and mine it until the end of time! Chapter 14: 014 There is a thief! ``` Watching the other party leave, Bai E''s eyes were filled withplexity. He really wanted to ask how they logged into the game and how they logged out. When the game started, whether there were any more specific official announcements, and so on... However... he didn''t dare. He wasn''t sure what kind of consequences his actions would bring. Perhaps time would bring the answers... "Back already?" Hans eyed the three returning individuals, greeting them cheerfully, "Run into any trouble?" Ying set down his machine gun, responding while doing so: "Encountered a wandering local resident, chased them away." "Hmm..." Hans nodded and then turned to look at Bai E. "Get some rest early if you havepleted the mission, you''re the new recruit in this batch, and the training tasks before you deploy are very important." "Alright." [Side mission¡ª¡ªPatrol,pleted!] [Mission reward: Insight +0.1, distributed.] It feels... like nothing has changed. Bai E sat on the edge of his bed, frowning. The 0.1 increase in the basic attribute of insight seemed not noticeable, as if it didn''t exist... Not nearly as immediate in effect as specializations and knowledge. Bai E brought up his panel¡ª [Name]: Bai E [Race]: Human [Temte]: Gic Modification Prototype [Health]: 75/75 (Base 60 + (Physique -10) * 15) [Physique]: 11 (current) / 15 (trainable limit) [Insight]: 10.1 / 15 [Reflex]: 10 / 15 [Mystique]: 8 / ¡Þ [Gic Optimization Degree](Current tendency: Orc): 0.1 / 100 [Skill]: Lucky Strike (Non-upgradable) [Lucky Strike: Ten times critical hit, max out critical hit rate, one hit 999! Current charge: 1/100 (Not usable)] [Trait]: Emotion Blunting (Slightly reduces the risk of high-dimensional demon contamination), Battlefield Instinct (Adapts to the battlefield environment faster to unleash full potential) [Expertise]: Rapid Recovery (Locked) [Mastery] (Stealth points *3): Light Firearm Control Specialization (134/1000) (Level 3) [Spiritual Energy]: Not mastered [Knowledge](Technology points *1): Firearms Maintenance and Repair (3/300) (Level 1) [Technology]: None [Mutation Risk]: Extremely low [Assets]: Refined Brass Bullets¡ªRifle 1000, Machine Gun 2000, Pistol 1965 ... His growth was not bad, but most of it came from the drops from the Lucky Strike. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn''t be easy to achieve the kind of growth he had today, so all in all... What''s the deal with this Lucky Strike skill? Was itpensation for dragging an unsuspecting "yer" like himself into the "game world"? In a world filled with "Spiritual Energy," a force where "believing is existing," is this skill a good thing? Does it have any rtion to Spiritual Energy? Could it, as described in the official worldview, cause the demons to notice my Spiritual Body that is reflected in the higher dimensions? Moreover, the official website''s introduction is extremely vague, giving no description of what a normal person''s life in this world would be like. What about myself? Will my life forever be warfare? And... what''s the deal with this task feedback system? If I have several tasks going on simultaneously, how would it determine which task my current efforts belong to? Who should receive thepensation for the attribute increase? Bai E had a stomach full of questions that currently seemed impossible to answer. Of course, rather than pursuing those questions without answers for now, it might be better to contemte how to best make use of the "Lucky Strike," this special skill. Consider... how to recharge quickly in order to achieve the fastest growth. Today, he earned one charge point because he helped Ying maintain his machine gun. So, could he use this maintenance ability to help others and, in turn, acquire charge points? Hmm... Worth a try. "What''s the matter, can''t sleep?" You''s soft voice suddenly came from behind his forehead, sounding almost within arm''s reach. ``` Bai E stilly on the pillow and responded in a low voice, "Mhm..." "Cherish the times when you can''t fall asleep." "..." After a long wait, Bai E didn''t get another sentence from the girl. Turning his head upwards, he found that You, who hadin head-to-head with him, had already peacefully entered dreand... Her shoulder-length short hair scattered softly, her nostrils quivering faintly, emanating a pure white halo. [You (Human) (Ally) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop¡­] Forget it... ... The NPCs are all asleep. Kuang Xin, like a mouse, used his shining eyes to survey the NPC settlement in the dead of night. Having been in the game for a while now, the game''s rich interaction system and freedom of exploration and interaction were instilling in him the idea that¡ª This is a new era online game unlike any other before! Discard experience, set aside prejudices, and view problems with an eye for growth. Hasn''t gotten a reward for the quest yet? Can''t take the initiative to borrow what''s needed? To chop down trees, the right tools are needed, right? And does that mean relying on that rusty little knife in one''s hand? Kuang Xin tried to lighten his steps as much as possible, not wanting to wake any NPCs and feel embarrassed about disturbing their slumber, especially at night. Especially Hans! Circling around Hans''s wooden cabin, Kuang Xin spotted a rusty axe in the corner of the cabin. It seemed to be used for splitting firewood. It also seemed quite suitable for felling trees. So he decided to borrow it for a while. [Axe for Chopping Firewood ¡ª Quality: Gray (Heavy Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: Axe de Attack Power (Type: Blunt) 10~18; Output Level 9; Buff Attributes: Strength +3%; Durability 8/20] [Usage Requirements: Physical Strength 10 (can be used).] [Trait: Handle With Care, the wooden connection has long been rotten and might break at any moment.] The axe was heavy, but its substantial weight could provide sufficient attack power. It would definitely be a good choice for chopping trees. Off we go. Just as Kuang Xin, carrying the axe, hadn''t gotten far from the settlement, he heard a prompt from the panel¡ª [Your act of theft has been discovered. Hide the loot, or you will face unknown hostility.] [You havepleted a theft, Theft Experience +4.] [Current Theft Experience 4/100, at 100 points you can master the skill "Level 1 Theft."] "..." Upon hearing the prompt, Kuang Xin''s heart skipped a beat. He quickened his pace, fearing that he would be caught by any NPCs that might chase after him. As for the future? Wouldn''t everything be fine as long as he didn''t bring the axe back to the settlement? He would chop trees in the forest¡ªthose cowardly NPCs were obviously afraid of the wolves and dared not go in. Instead, he had to be wary of other yers, who, like him, were all part of Old Six. With a jumble of thoughts, Kuang Xin stepped cautiously back into the jungle. Careful! Even more careful. Kuang Xin''s vignt gaze swept around, preempting any potential dangers. In the darkness, any rustling of grass or gust of wind couldn''t escape his watchful eye. It was all eerily quiet, except for the faint rustling sound when his feet disturbed the underbrush. A perfect immersive experience. Fully immersed in a first-person stealth operation, Kuang Xin was so engrossed that he momentarily forgot he was inside a game. [Your ability has been honed through observation of the environment, Insight +0.1.] ... [Feedback from amission, Theft Experience +2.] [Current Theft Experience 2/100, at 100 points you can master the knowledge "Level 1 Theft."] [Feedback from amission, your Insight +0.1.] Bai E, still lying in bed and not yet asleep, was slightly taken aback. Was this feedback in real-time? Could one have someone level up for him even while sleeping? Perfect! It couldn''t get any better! But, what''s with this theft? Chapter 15: 015 Not a Yan Kingdom person if not diligent In the vast ck Forest, silence prevailed as if there was only one living creature. Kuang Xin caressed the branch in front of him, thick enough to require two people to wrap their arms around it, and as his knife punctured the bark, the corresponding information popped up before his eyes. [Spruce (nt): Can be gathered for wood.] Atst, a tree that could be gathered for wood had appeared¡­ Kuang Xin turned his head to look back; the clearing outside the forest was far beyond the murky mists. The saplings near the edge were either too thin or too soft, entirely unsuitable for gathering "wood," only yielding "kindling" once he chopped at them. Thus, he had to venture deeper into the jungle, probing each tree with his rusty knife. This was the first one. To get rich, you must first chop trees. Regarding the task issued by Sergeant, as a seasoned online gamer, Kuang Xin had his own opinion. Follow the task description, kill the pack of wolves to intimidate them, and then chop trees in the open? No, no, no! That''s not cool at all. ssic designers teaching yers how to y the game. High-end yers must learn the skill of skipping ss. Kill the wolf pack first? With what? Strangle them to death? Stealing resources under the watchful eyes of guard monsters is the essence of being a game master. Clearly, the sequence of this linked task should be to steal the trees first, use the rewarded bullets to kill the wolf pack, and then use the wolf meat to fulfill Hans''s task without having to fuss over finding some other small wild beast. That would be like Qin Shi Huang eating Sichuan peppercorns¡ªnumbingly victorious! Next, he would transform into a bald man, bing enemies with the forest! "tui!" "tui!" Spitting twice into the air with each hand, Kuang Xin gripped the axe tightly and swung it fiercely at the base of the tree. "Heave-ho!" "Duang!" The axe de, driven by Kuang Xin''s brute strength, plunged deeply into the trunk, the brown bark shattering, splintering into chips as the axe got slightly stuck. The dull sound wasn''t very loud, it likely wouldn''t attract the attention of the beasts in the distance. "Good." Kuang Xin let go and vigorously rubbed his hands together. The chilly, damp mist of the night made his hands feel stiff with cold. Warming his hands a bit, Kuang Xin once again grabbed the handle and yanked the de out, swinging it in a wide arc before chopping down fiercely once more. "80!" "80!" "80!" ... After every few chops, Kuang Xin would halt and scan his surroundings with vignt eyes, only continuing his resource-stealing endeavor once he was sure his noise hadn''t drawn the predators lurking in the dark. [You are using your Perception ability to observe environmental threats¡­] Nothing, continue! "80!" "80!" Having never done such a thing in reality, Kuang Xin was falling in love with the invigorating sweat he poured out. Every chop, the rebound transmitted through the axe handle to his hands felt so real; he could sense the intive groans of the trunk under his onught. The asional appearance of experience gain prompts only added meaning to his actions¡ª [Using a heavy weapon to hit a target, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +12, Undiscovered Talent (Unlocked) progress 6%.](Stacked) [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 12/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] Chopping trees not only granted experience but also helped unlocktent talents. And after all that, he could still turn in the task and get paid by others; where else could you find such a deal? I''m head over heels in love with this game! "Duang!" With the final hefty chop, the already tottering trunk lost itsst connection to the roots. After emitting a series of harsh raspy sounds, the not-too-old spruce copsedpletely under the thief''s axe. The fall of the not-so-tall tree brushed past the branches of others, so when it finally hit the ground, it didn''t make too much noise. Kuang Xin leaned on his knees with both hands, panting, as the hot breath he exhaled from his lungs condensed into a cloud of white mist in the air. Tired. But it felt incredibly exhrating. The experience of the game was unbelievably good; Kuang Xin could feel a tenderness from every cell after pushing his body to its limits, yet it wasn''t the same kind of soreness experienced after excessive physicalbor in real life. Or rather, the same soreness in this world was iparably alluring, making one long for the next time toe. There was a sense of additional pleasure bestowed upon it. What a magical experience¡­ The spruce thaty beside him told the tale of his "great achievements." [Using a heavy weapon to hit a target, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +14, Unruly Physique (unlocked) unlock progress 7%] (stacked) [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience 26/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization."] [Your abilities have been trained during a long time of lumbering, physical endurance +0.1.] Compared to the feeling of +0.1 Insight, the feeling of +0.1 Physical Endurance was quite significant. Kuang Xin could clearly feel that his body, which had been almost as depleted as a dried-up riverbed, suddenly seemed to spring forth with a bit more strength from nowhere. That "sense of joy" from pushing his own limits surged again, urging him to spend the newly emerged stamina. Under this primal impulse, Kuang Xin stood up, picked up the axe beside him, and headed toward the front of the spruce. There were some messy branches there that undoubtedly would make transportation easier once cut. Ah¡­ transportation was another hassle. Kuang Xin pulled up the map on the panel, looked at the specified delivery location for the task in rtion to his current position, and couldn''t help but sigh. Too far... another physical task. But no matter! Effort always pays off! He absolutely loved the feedback mechanism in this game! Charge! "Heave-ho!" "Heave-ho!" With several swings of his axe, those disorderly branches were cleanly separated from the trunk. The advancement in weapon mastery allowed him to freely control thending point of his axe de, hitting the key spots he aimed for with precision. The improvement was subtle, but looking back, it was obvious. Compared to the tree stump that looked as if it had been gnawed by a dog, the cuts made on the branches were much cleaner. Simultaneously, his control over his body had also improved. [Your abilities have been trained during a long time of lumbering, reflexes +0.1.] [Axe overly fatigued, handle connection damaged, durability -1.] Hmm? ncing at the axe, Kuang Xin didn''t make much of it¡ªwhen the durability ran out, the task would likely bepleted. Rubbing his palms, Kuang Xin embraced one end of the spruce and exerted his strength with a mighty heave! "Hei~" It didn''t budge¡­ Would he have to split it into sections? That seemed fine; at the moment, the information disyed for the spruce in his arms was "Log" rather than "Timber." [Log: Can be collected for Timber*4~6 (depending on the "Lumbering Skill" level). Trait: Hard texture.] Then he''ll just have to cut it up. Picking up his axe, Kuang Xin began his struggle anew¡­ [You havepleted a round of lumbering, obtained Timber*4, Lumbering Skill experience +9.] [Current Lumbering Skill experience 9/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Lumbering Skill."] [Using a heavy weapon to hit a target, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +7, Unruly Physique (unlocked) unlock progress 8%] (stacked) [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience 33/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization."] He split it into four sections, roughly equal in size. Dusting off his hands, Kuang Xin looked satisfied at the fruits of hisbor from the night. Due to the limits of his stamina, he had also taken a break in between. He had the timber, but there was still that distant transportation distance¡­ Looking at the increasingly deep night and the thick fog spreading through the forest, Kuang Xin took a few deep breaths. It was still early, time to continue! Gamers are all about grinding! Not grinding is not to be from Yan Kingdom! Chapter 16: 016 Recruit Training Dawn light pierced through the dense clouds on the horizon, scattering the world with sunbeams like golden arrows that darted through the patchwork of the jungle, draping the earth with a golden quilt. [The night has passed.] Mr. Kuang, who had toiled through the night, looked at the ten neatly arranged logs on the clearing in front of him and grinned with hisrge teeth in silly happiness. A fruitful harvest. In every sense of the word. ... "Dinglinglinglingling..." The urgent ringing of the bell echoed over the entire camp, serving as a signal for morning training and waking every sleeping artificial human soldier. But Bai E was not awakened by the bell. [Feedback from the mission, your physical fitness +0.3, insight +0.1, reflex +0.1.] [Feedback from the mission, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +32.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 32/100, at 100 points you will master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] [Feedback from the mission, lumbering experience +12.] [Current lumbering experience 12/100, at 100 points you will master "Level 1 Lumbering".] These prompts from the panel started to pop up in his mind in quick session just as he was regaining some semnce of awareness. Bai E''s regained consciousness processed it all. During the night that had just passed, that yer... had been quite diligent. "Let''s go." As Bai E was still examining the prompts on the panel, he suddenly heard You''s cool voice close to his ear. He dispersed his gaze, and when he could see everything inside the tent clearly, Bai E realized that seemingly everyone was ready to go. Song Ying sat at the edge of his own bed, sincerely saying to Bai E, "Today is your first training session, but considering you are part of our special forces squad, we might have higher expectations for you." Da Shan stood with his arms crossed beside the iron frame of his bed,ughing as he added, "The instructor has uniform requirements for the training of all new artificial humans, but those are his requirements, not ours." "We will push you to your limits to ensure that on the battlefield, you can be a back we can trust." Hu pped his hands, "Alright, let''s go. Don''t bete for the first assembly. The first lesson the recruits need to learn... is discipline." All artificial humans had the will to dedicate themselves written into their genes, yet with the current human capabilities, it was not possible to arbitrarily write much more into the genes. Apart from the broad value of "dedicating oneself to humanity," the gic expression of all artificial humans was free. After encountering different characters and events, they naturally developed distinct personalities and preferences. They were born warriors, but how to fight, how to coordinate, still required systematic training. Before they went into realbat, this was what they needed to learn most urgently. Bai E felt no difort as memories of military training, long forgotten, began to assail him. ... On the assembly square, artificial human soldiers stood, some curious, some bewildered. They had received the assembly prompt, but did not know the purpose of the assembly, or what they were supposed to do. Although they instinctively formed up, their ranks were loose and their postures casual. Bai E stood motionless amid the crowd, like a block of wood. From memory, he found the approximate spot where he had first woken up among the artificial human formation the night before, and then he remained silent and immobile, waiting for further instructions from the officers. Unless he found out more basic information about this world, he did not intend to show more personality traits. Being a little stiff... was quite alright too. ... "This batch of synthetic human soldiers seems a bit livelier." The young military officer with a silver stripe on his shoulder stood on the high reviewing stand, able to sweep all the formations of synthetic soldiers into view below. Forty small formations, totaling two thousand soldiers... or rather, two thousand new cannon fodder, were thus presented before his eyes. "We have an endless supply of warriors," the young officer said proudly. His target was the slender figure beside him, all shrouded in ck cloth. Yue Ying''s gaze swept across the crowd, pausing for a half-second on one proudly standing face before moving on. The number of humans... indeed, was vast. But it seemed there were few heroes in this city. "Cooperating with us is the wisest decision you''ve made," the young officer remarked, cautiously ncing at his Elf Race coborator beside him. Weslin had lost interest in humans after being fortunate enough to see the true appearance of the other just once. Therefore, it was imperative to retain this short-term coborator, to thoroughly open up a bridge of cooperation andmunication between humans and elves. To demonstrate strength was undoubtedly the most powerful proof in this world. The operation two dayster, to annihte the insect nest in a single stroke, would no doubt make the other take a fresh look at them. This battle would be glorified for a thousand autumns! Feeling the intense desire emanating from the person by his side, Yue Ying felt somewhat ill at ease and shifted his position. Wondering about his level of Spiritual Energy... such people were too liable to attract the attention of demons. Compared to that, the stiff synthetic humans seemed easier to get along with... ... "Attention!" With a shout, a nonmissioned officer in front of Bai E''s formation captured the attention of all the synthetic soldiers who were in a rxed state. "I am your drill instructor for this New Recruit Training Group, you can call me Wood! Remember this name, as in the next three days, I''ll get you quickly ustomed to your bodies and push your abilities to their limits!" The dark-skinned NCO with a shining silver star on his shoulder bellowed. The initial training period for the nascent synthetic humans was when everyone''s basic attributes surged rapidly. To boost everyone''s attributes by ten percent in three days would be quite an aplishment. Although high-intensity training could still improve basic attributester, the speed would not be impressive. Humans were willing to wait, but the bugs were not. More room for development was left for the realbat to discover. And the first step in raising personal attributes was to push the limits. All improvements in basic attributes urred after surpassing limits, of that there was no doubt. Among the most foundational was physical fitness. No matter what role you yed in a battle, physical fitness was of utmost importance. Wood paced slowly back and forth in front of the crowd, raising three fingers. "Today''s training¡ªI demand that each of you improve... by at least three times! Those who do not meet the requirement are not allowed to sleep!" [Trigger side quest¡ªPhysical Fitness Training.] [Physical Fitness Training: The instructor''s demand is a responsibility for your life. For your survival chances in future battles, you need to perfectlyplete his directions. Quest requirement: At least improve physical fitness by 0.0/0.3 before the end of the training time. Quest reward: Physical Fitness +0.1. (Countdown: 15 hours 51 minutes 13 seconds)] ... "Our synthetic human soldier project is quite perfect; each of them has been developed equitably ording to their ''birth'' attributes, and we''ve formted a sufficiently scientific training n for them. The types of training that can exhaust their strength and excavate potential have all been included, leaving no room for surprises!" The young officer looked forward, speaking lightly in front of Yue Ying. Perhaps humans were still barely surviving in their battles with other races, but being able to continuously produce identical and fearless super-soldiers was the confidence that the synthetic soldier project gave him! Chapter 17: 017 Surpassing Limits Physical training, obstacle course navigation. Following a 500-meter warm-up run, Bai E''s group began the first official item of today''s training. Queued behind his teammates, Bai E recalled the introduction to the four basic attributes from the official website¡ª Physical attributes are a general term for aposite of attributes including strength, endurance, muscle power, self-healing ability, and even the ability to extract energy from food. Perhaps in theter stages, when attributes are higher, the same number of physical points but different strengths may make a world of difference. However, in the early stages, the physical point count is the absolute expression of those finer abilities. Insight rtes to a character''s observational abilities or, more specifically, the ability to collect and receive information, describing the strength of the five senses. Reflex represents the body''s coordination ability, the speed of nervous reflex transmission, and so on. ording to the official exnation, this is quite important intter-stagebat¡ªwhether a person''s reactions can be faster than a bullet depends on this attribute. As for thest, the mysterious... it''s indeed mysterious, known only to be rted to Spiritual Energy, with the specific effects left unsaid by the official site, leaving yers to find the answer in the game themselves. And the main target of the current training is¡ªphysical attributes. Jumping, running, climbing, crawling... all these methods undoubtedly share the same goal¡ª To drain every ounce of their physical energy. "When you feel your strength has been exhausted, advance one more meter! And then another meter!" This is the absolute secret to attribute enhancement. Wood wandered by the side of the obstacle course, observing the arduous progress of the artificial humans under hismand. Upon reaching their limit, every step forward was apanied by torrents of sweat and trembling bodies. The path of thorns cut into many a warrior''s arms and thighs, and the diluted blood turned a pale pink as it mixed with sweat and was absorbed by the dark earth. Among them, some of the more clumsily controlled artificial humans quickly exhausted their energy and stopped, unable to move an inch further. This group of 50 individuals were all artificial humans with an initial physical attribute of 11 points. In theory, their performance should be the same, but reality proved otherwise; even with the same attributes, there would be differences in performance. However, it didn''t matter, as they would naturally learn how to conserve energy during training. And moreover... Wood''s mouth twisted into a wicked smile as he walked to a point on the course and marked a boundary. "You are a team, and should learn to help each other. Now, if someone isgging behind, it''s up to the others to make up the distance. However far from the finish line they are, somebody will have to go that extra distance. If you don''tplete it, none of you will get to eat. And besides... the whole camp will know your fame! They''ll know what sort of... weaklings the 358th squad is!" Artificial humans might not fear death, but that doesn''t mean they don''t tire orck the mindset and emotions typical of humans. The normal punishments for human training apply to artificial humans as well. Upon hearing Wood''s words, some artificial humans instantly found the essence ingrained in their DNA. "F*ck!" "Crap!" "Geneva!" Bai E remained silent, continuing to climb forward at a steady pace. This was a stretch of rope in the air, shaking and swaying withrge holes that made it easy to step through. His nearbyrade, overwhelmed with emotion, stepped through and ended up in pain. Bai E had no objections to the instructor''s directions. The finish line drawn by the other party was actually within sight, but Bai E did not feel his body had reached its limit. With a physical attribute of 11.3 and reflexes at 10.1, he was already starting off at a different point from the other artificial humans. Without touching his limits, there would be no benefit to his attribute growth. Every bit of growth was crucial for survival on the battlefield in two days. Not to mention there was also a mission: buy three, get one free. Even without the encouragement from his teammates or the demands of the instructor, he would push himself as much as possible. ¡­ Watching the figure on the rope who strived to maintain bnce yet couldn''t stop swaying, a group of four from a special team discussed softly from a distance. "Who''s going to be the bad guyter?" "I''ll go." You''s tone was cold, "Ordinary progress can''t keep up with the demands of battle." They too hade from the new recruit phase and knew that there would be a period of rest after the initial training. But rest? Why rest? Only the useless, those of no benefit to humanity, would rest. Since Bai E had been assigned to their special squad and was about to assume more severe responsibilities inbat, he should be stronger than anyone else. If Bai E couldn''t meet their standards, perhaps he would be temporarily unable to participate in the special operations as their teammate. Even if he reached the finish line, Bai E could forget about resting! ... He crossed the finish line! Bai E kept his head as low as possible, sweat droplets fell like rain from the tips of his soaked hair. Advance one meter! Then another meter! His body was far from its limit, he couldn''t stop now. Seeing Bai E still moving forward, You narrowed his eyes, his footsteps, which had just showed signs of movement, stopped instantly, "He didn''t stop?" ... "The targets set by our instructor are precisely calcted, only the most excellent of the new artificial humans can reach the endpoint. Among those, only the exceptionally outstanding individuals who break their limits directly in training might progress further." On the high tform, the young military officer continued to demonstrate humanity''s technical excellence in front of Yue Ying. "Is that so?" Yue Ying''s gaze slightly narrowed, easily locking onto the three figures that had surpassed their limits. "Damn those losers, now I have to make up for them!" "Why did I have to end up with such losers as teammates!" By Bai E''s side, two well-built brutes slowly marched forward, cursing their teammates through gritted teeth. Eight meters... Ten meters... One fell. Twelve meters... Fifteen meters... "I can''t go on..." After reaching their limit, every step felt like moving mountains, both legs as heavy as if they were filled with lead. The muscles in their arms ached, and the rope they tried to grip tightly in their hands became loose and ck. They probably wouldn''t be able to get past this slope... The brute looked up at the wooden nk slope in front of him, which was at an angle of roughly 70 degrees, let out a forceful exhale from his chest, and his body immediately flopped onto the ground, every fingertip spelling out "total copse." Shadows overtook his eyes, he turned his head and saw that the average-sized guy beside him was, as before, calmly tightening the rope in his hand, his ck leatherbat boots softly stepping onto the nk, slowly yet steadily climbing upward... "Where did he get that fierce gene from?" "That''s not right... wasn''t this kid registered as a sharpshooter yesterday?" "Proficiency is one thing, attributes are another..." Lacking enough resources for the training ground, the other artificial humans who had finished training earlier and were now resting on the side watched this continuing figure and uttered gasps of amazement. Despite the short time they had been training, they had already dubbed that slope "The Terminal Chasm," and not a single new recruit had managed to cross it. And now, was it about to be conquered? Chapter 18: 018 Endless Bai E alternated hands to move forward. He was also nearing his limit, his grip strength alone insufficient to secure the rope; he could only wrap the hemp rope twice around his palms and forearms with each step he took. The coarse hemp rope rolled over his arms, abrasive enough to cause a burning pain on his skin with each forceful tug. However,pared to the aching all over his body, this pain seemed insignificant. It was like the not-so-deep pale pink cut on his arm, which, soaked by his sweat, probably had already been marinated. This was a wound Bai E had intentionally inflicted on himself earlier when climbing through the thorny path, for the purpose of testing his true gic trait¡ªrapid recovery. It was better to test its effectiveness during training rather than hoping for a miracle on the battlefield. [Your body is rapidly repairing the injury, don''t worry! Warrior!] [Injury repair progress 70%, Rapid Recovery (unlocked) progress 1%.] One can only say... it''s somewhat useful, but not greatly so. The cut wasn''t deep, but to still have a gash after so much repair, a slight stretch of the muscle caused a burning pain. In battle, one could receive a minor injury, and before it healed, they might not even be left in one piece. Bai E instantly lost any expectations for the unlocked ability. In the end, it was the basic attributes that were effective, a mere difference of 0.3 allowed him to still not reach his limits so far. In "Gxy Online," the calction of basic attributes was extremely simple; every point of strength was a 10% enhancement over the previous point. 12 points of strength were 110% of 11 points, which in turn were 110% of 10 points. If someone with a physical strength of 10 points could lift a 100-pound object and move freely, then a person with 12 points could lift and move freely with a 121-pound object. Being stronger by 1 point is significant; being stronger by 0.3 points also matters. To be strong is just that¡ªstrong, no frills attached. ... "Which line''s android is this?" The young military officer looked sideways at his adjutant nearby and asked. The adjutant, upon hearing the question, nodded and responded, "Just a moment." "Line 95." Yue Ying said softly from aside. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze cutting across space like that of an eagle. The metallic lettering on the chest badge of that android, glittering asionally amidst his movements, indicated his origin¡ª95B27. She also had a clear view of the android''s face. Was he the soldier inclined towards the archer specialty that had registeredst night? The young military officer nced at Yue Ying with a hint of surprise before murmuring softly to himself. "The one with orc genes? That might... not be so... strange." Why did he have to excel at an unusual time, right after his own boastful im? "Bring his file over and check if he executed any missionst night?" The adjutant''s military boots clicked crisply, "Yes!" ... "He executed a ''patrol'' missionst night?" The young military officer leafed through the record, as if talking to himself but clearly enough for others to hear, "Then it''s no wonder. Perhaps he had already improved duringst night''s mission, and then made progress again in the recent training... This soldier''s potential may be quite notable." "Look, he is about to stop." Weslin was somewhat relieved; everything was still going as nned, "Get someone to catch him, don''t let our most excellent soldier get injured." "Yes!" ... "Reached the limit?" Bai E desperately wrapped his arms around the hemp rope, feeling his strength supporting his body was entirely drained, his legs being pulled down as if weighted with sandbags. He was about to lose the posture necessary to continue climbing upwards, even though the end of the slope was within sight. But... One more step! Another step! The breakthrough of fundamental attributes arises from pushing beyond the limits, a perpetual truth in Gxy World. To progress, one must reach rock bottom. Feeling his body about to give way, Bai E mustered the courage to release his right hand below his left and attempted to grasp the rope section above. He had finally hit bottom, and even if he fell at this point, it would still be considered achieving the effect of training beyond his limits. He thought to himself somewhat relieved. Suddenly, an abrupt notification from the panel appeared¡ª [Feedback from themission, your physical strength +0.1.] yer??? "Fuck!" Even someone as steady as Bai E couldn''t help but swear inwardly when he heard the unexpected message from the panel. The next moment, strength surged like a fountain in every corner of his body, and his limbs, sore to the extreme, felt as if they were brushed by a cool breath of air, regaining some vitality. "..." Li Zaigan, a demon or a god? Having hustled all night without rest, now you''re working harder than us soldiers in the early morning? Is this how other yers y the game these days? No wonder I could never beat these try-hards when I yed. Of course, Bai E didn''t mind the yer who took on the task striving for greatness; it was just that the timing wasn''t quite right. It was not easy for him to have entirely drained every ounce of his strength, as bottoming out was not a wonderful process. The human body is like a sponge full of water. At the beginning, a light squeeze is enough to release water, but when only a little water is left, it''s hard to say how much effort is needed to wring out thest reserves. Thisst moment of self-extraction is extremely painful, requiring the gathering of strength from every inch of skin, every strand of muscle. Bai E had managed to reach the end with great difficulty, and then someone immediately poured a little water back into his sponge... Damn... But what could he do? Havinge this far, to not continue extracting from himself would be to waste all his previous efforts, wouldn''t it? Taking a deep breath, Bai E gripped the rope tightly again and braced hisbat boots against the slope. Charge! ... "How is this possible?" At the base of the mountain, he involuntarily dropped his crossed arms, staring in stunned disbelief. Even You, who had beenposed throughout, couldn''t help but feel genuine admiration for the will and talent of their new teammate, her delicate lips parting slightly in surprise. Ying looked on with a vacant gaze, softly sighing, "Bai...is pretty fierce." The new teammate had given them an unexpected surprise. Bai E had just shown signs of faltering, but now he had regained the momentum to move forward, a feat that couldn''t be exined without another breakthrough in physical ability. To progress this madly during the first training session was beyond what most artificial human warriors, including himself, could achieve. There had been such exceptions before, but those miracle-making predecessors had since been transferred to other institutions to serve the city. Perhaps Bai E was the one in countless warriors. ... "Veslin, howmon are such exceptions among your soldiers?" The young military officer, faced with Yueying''s gentle inquiry, had no choice but to smile wryly and shake his head, saying, "Naturally, they''re notmon." "What''s their future development like?" "It varies, some progress fiercely and then be average, and many have also perished young. Only those fortunate enough to grow are transferred to other departments to continue contributing to the city in different ways." As he spoke, the young officer paused, his eyes brightening as he found another point to showcase human superiority, "Of course, relying solely on their initial gic gifts, it''s difficult for them to go much further. But our city can stably producerge quantities of ''Gene Optimization Solution'', and even these artificial humans, if they perform well, have the chance to receive ''Gene Optimization Solution'' and directly elevate their life levels and potential. If these recruits perform well in the great battle two days from now, they might just get that share. Miss Yueying, if you have a need in this regard, perhaps I can try to apply for a dosage of medication that suits you." "No need..." Yueying shook her head, pausing for a moment before adding a sentence. "Thank you..." What she was more curious about now was just how far this human artificial human, who had left a bit of an impression on her, could go? Chapter 19: 019 Self-Breakthrough "Huff~ Huff~" Bai E controlled his breathing. The air filled his lungs, and with the transportation of cells, enough oxygen was delivered to every tissue of the body, providing sufficient energy. This was the regtion of the "reflex" attribute. With a 0.1 enhancement, Bai E could instinctively deepen this control. As his hands released the ropes, and his feet struggled to step onto the tform, a burst of noisy excitement suddenly erupted from the observing squad not far away. He really made it up there! The soldiers of Unit 358, sitting and resting on the ground, were looking up at their glory. A chasm that had never been crossed by new recruits was now conquered by theirrade. From this moment, those with a shallow understanding of the world began to slightly grasp the meaning behind words like "group" and "honor." ["Lucky Hit" charge +3.] Hmm? Bai E, taken aback by the unexpected notification, almost faltered and fell backward due to surprise and his already exhausted body. Stabilizing himself, Bai E''s gaze swept across the faces looking up at him. The new artificial human soldiers all watched him with eager eyes, among which Bai E thought he saw emotions like "admiration" and "worship." Recalling the situation when he was maintaining Ying''s machine gun, Bai E narrowed his eyes, forming some spection¡ª The charge mechanism of this skill might being from other people''s... some positive emotions? Acknowledgment, worship, respect, faith... It''s worth trying more. But could it wait for a different time? He was really tired now... Every finger of Bai E wanted to ck off, regrettably, there was still some unfinished energy inside him. Withoutpletely draining his physical strength, he wouldn''t gain the benefits of the exercise, and breakthroughs would be hard toe by, not to mention any "buy three, get one free" afterpleting the task. Looking at the rings swinging gently in the breeze before him, he shook his sore arms. Next, it was time to test the strength of his arms and core. Up we go... Since I''m here, what else can I do? The high breeze was cool, and Bai E took a deep breath. The coolness dispersed throughout his body, and every rested cell was fully immersed in the nourishment of oxygen, with some particrly solid presences feeling the will of their master and expelling their umted strength of many days... [Your body feels your intense desire and rapidly converts a bit of energy from the "Action Power Reserve" for you. Please cherish it; it''s at its limit.] [Physical recovery 1%, Quick Recovery (unlocked) progress 2%.] It''s like the arrival of a spring breeze overnight. "..." ??? Are you joining the excitement too? The talent "Quick Recovery" could restore not just injuries but also stamina? That''s a pleasant surprise. But at this moment, it''s rather shocking. "Geneva!" Bai E gritted his teeth, even the cool air seeping through his clenched teeth couldn''t be stopped. Why is it so difficult when I just want to honestly push my limits? Climb! Will climbing not suffice? Bai E leaned forward, gripping the unevenly spaced, cold steel rings in front of him with both hands. ... "Moving forward from here wouldn''t be appropriate, right?" The young military officer''s tone became somewhat uncertain now. Perhaps most of the artificial human soldiers were unclear on more details, but as the highest-ranking officer in this military camp, he knew precisely the extreme records. Since the establishment of this military camp, there have been new recruits who managed to cross the slope on their first training, although not many. But those who had surpassed the challenge of the rings, thus far, there were none. He skeptically flipped through the file in his hands, confirming that this artificial human soldier''s physical data was indeed 11 points when he emerged from the incubation pod. "It shouldn''t be..." Could it be because of his specialty? He flipped to the specialty section... "[Dynamic Vision Self-Perception is excellent, capable of capturing objects moving at high speed, inclined towards ''shooting ss'' talent specialties.]" ??? Shooting ss talent specialty? Is that memory urate? "How could he have a shooting specialty?" Yue Ying, who had witnessed Bai E''s shooting performance, heard Weslin mutter to himself and said indifferently. "He indeed possesses a shooting talent, and his shooting abilities are quite outstanding." Talent abilities remain unseen until they are fully unlocked; however, personal abilities, in a sense, are one facet of talent specialties. Those with rted talent specialties tend to be much more efficient when performing rted actions, and one canpletely infer the underlying talents from the outward performance. But at the moment... does he also possess decent talent in physical aspects? Could it be the rare case of a dual talent specialty? Weslin put away the file and gazed thoughtfully at the figure struggling on the rings. Even if it were a dual specialty, the current performance of this artificial human, Number 95, definitely exceeded understanding. Iprehensible. But that''s alright... there are plenty of iprehensible things. The scientists in the city still haven''t fully figured out the underlying logic of the artificial human incubation chambers, let alone cracking the mystery of the genes. As for research? What research! If those scientists could research and discover something, they wouldn''t still be relying on these artificial humans to conquer the world. He''s just a minor gene mutation among a vast poption; no one knows how long he''ll live. Having one more formidable soldier not only means more enemies killed, but there''s also no harm; in the end, it''s just an artificial human... Letting go of the desire to question its rationality, Weslin crossed his arms, focusing intently on the spectacle. At this point, he was also curious about what this mutant artificial human could ultimately achieve. Let me see your limit! ... Bai E hung midway on the ring course, with the inconsistently spaced and staggered rings presenting a great challenge to him; each advancement required the full cooperation of every muscle in his body. This stage was more physically demanding than any previous one,pletely draining his strength. At this moment, the only thing keeping Bai E from letting go of the rings was sheer willpower. One step beyond the limit! From beginning to end, Bai E''s goal was only that. Moving forward was no longer possible; maintaining his current position without falling was already a challenge to his limits, with each additional second being a testament to that challenge. One second... Two seconds... The soreness in his arms reached its limit, even bing numb. Bai E gradually lost control over his palms. His fingers reluctantly slipped one by one from the smooth iron rings until they finally let gopletely. "I wonder if he can rely on self-breakthrough..." Not every surpassing of one''s own limits leads to an enhancement of attributes; otherwise, the standards set by the instructors would have to be moved forward again. Bai E, his body falling through mid-air with dry lips tightly pressed together, thought somewhat hazily. "Catch our hero!" He heard someone shouting not far away. "[You have surpassed your own limits during intense activity, physical strength +0.1, reflex +0.1.]" "[You havepleted a self-breakthrough, ''Side Quest ¡ª Physical Training'' progress 0.1/0.3.]" Hmm? The consciousness of Bai E, quietly returning, suddenly heard the somewhat distant fuzzy notifications from the panel. Strength and control over his body almost simultaneously revived, and Bai E, still in mid-air, involuntarily spun around. His body performed a 180-degree turn in the air, and the moment hended, he supported the ground with his feet and one hand in a conical shape... Instructor Wood, who hade prepared to catch the hero, blinked his distinct ck and white eyes. He ended up embracing solitude. Chapter 20: 020 Delicious Paste Song Ying, who originally looked somewhat agitated, concerned his teammate might have injured themselves, btedly opened his mouth wide in realization. "That looks cool?" ["Lucky Hit" energy charge +5.] ¡­ Bai E stood up, dusting off his hands, and gently smiled at Wood, who appeared somewhat dazed, "I''m fine." "Oh oh~" Wood felt that, for the first time in his life, he was truly awestruck, and just nodded nkly, "Alright, go rest for a bit. We''ll join everyone for breakfast soon." Facing the new recruit who shattered his preconceptions, Wood''s tone became unconsciously gentler. "Okay." Bai E maintained as muchposure as possible, even though he was utterly exhausted. But within his pale smile, he couldn''t hide his weakness. He might still have a bit of newborn strength in him, but both his body and spirit were incredibly tired. He also had no thoughts of squandering that newborn strength on another test of his limits. ording to the official website, self-breakthroughs are incredibly hard, and it''s difficult to achieve them consecutively in a short period. Having managed to break through on his own during the first training of the morning was satisfying enough for him, not to mention that it was a double boost through a single breakthrough. Both his physical fitness and reflexes improved. Looking back, the consistent external supplementation was crucial; it made his process of pushing limits much more prolonged and thorough. The yers can be said to have yed a significant role in this. It''s just that it was quite painful for him¡­ Well done, next time, hmm¡­ should we continue? That''s the question. "Brother, have some water." As Bai E, lost in thought, walked back to his own squad formation, a deep voice immediately rang out in front of him. The robust man who had stayed with him until the end now looked at him with admiration, handing over a bottle of clear liquid with nobels. "My name is Rock, this is the name I''ve given myself. Brother, you must remember me!" Bai E took the bottle of fluid offered by the other man and smiled gently, "Thank you." [Advertisement space for rent: Electrolyte Water (Level 3 Composite) (300ml): Quickly replenishes nutrients lost with sweat after intense physical activity, recovering 5% stamina within 5 minutes of consumption.] After checking the item''s properties, Bai E twisted open the cap and drank it all in one go. In his moaning mouth, the cells reveled as if parchednd meeting sweet rain, eagerly absorbing the moisture from outside. "Everyone continues to rest for 5 minutes, then proceed to the canteen for a meal!" Wood, still keeping a stern face, shouted to everyone present. His gaze unintentionally softened into a faint smile when it swept over Bai E. ¡­ "We should also go train." You whispered a soft reminder. Since Bai E clearly didn''t need their supervision, it was time for them to do their own thing. Veterans needed training too, their gains from it might not be immediate, but over time, they would still be useful. As part of the special forces squad, they had more freedom, but at the same time, they were more disciplined. But today they didn''t feel like being disciplined¡­ You''s eyshes fluttered gently, her face calm, "I want to watch a bit longer¡­" Shan Meng vigorously shook his head, "Our training can be done anytime, but Bai''s initial training only happens once." Song Ying nodded, "Indeed." Wood sighed softly, watching Bai E walk towards the canteen with the team, and shook his head, "Alright, we won''t train today." "By the way, what training do they have when theye back?" "Weapon training, right? I think that''s it." Continuous physical training won''t yield particrly good results, and the new recruits still had many skills to master. Scheduling their time wisely was the best way to enhance theirbat capabilities. ¡­ The canteen. Bai E scooped up a colorful paste-like viscous liquid in front of him with his spoon. [Delicious Gloop (Level 3 Food) (500g): Made from a mixture of starch, meat, fruits, and vegetables, this gloop is high in calories and easily absorbed, eating it restores "Energy Reserve" by 15 points and satiety by 80%.] Is this what food looks like in this world? Do they really not consider taste or vor at all? Luckily I''m not picky¡­ Bai E braced himself to eat a clump of thirteen-spiced vor mudpie and abruptly stuffed a big scoop of it into his mouth. He almost swallowed without chewing, and it was only after a two-second dy that the taste buds btedly caught the returning odor through the brain''s perception. Unexpectedly... not bad? The unknown spices were wrapped in the thick soup, covering every inch of the food, with the fresh fragrance of fruits and vegetables, and the rich taste of minced meat blending perfectly. The starch gathered what was originally a loose thick soup together, adding sticity and toughness... "Burp~" A satiated Bai E gently let out a satisfied burp, with an 80% fullness that was just right. Being too full can cause drowsiness and is not conducive to continuing training thereafter. The recovery of 15 "Energy Reserve" points could not bepared, so it wasn''t clear if it was good or bad. Energy Reserve is the energy stored inside everyone in Gxy World, where stamina can be restored by sitting and resting after being exhausted,ing from its conversion. In fact, if you rece it with a more familiar term, it might be easier to understand¡ªfat. It''s just that the fat in the real world is not as flexible and convenient as this world''s "Energy Reserve." The full value of a person''s Energy Reserve is usually around 100 points. It''s rarely consumed during normal actions, and it''s only during intense exercise or prolonged hunger that it gets used to convert into physical energy. 15 points of Energy Reserve would be enough for me to use up my stamina... one and a half times. After all, it''s military rations, so it must have some merit. Having eaten his fill, Bai E turned his attention to the silver machine that had made the mush. [Delicious Mush-Making Machine (Neutral)¡ªIf destroyed using "Lucky Strike," the following will drop: Certain (Delicious Mush*250kg, Cooking Experience by 500 points); Possible (Recipe: Delicious Mush)] Hmm... If there''s a chance, I''ll blow it up. No matter where you are, food is always the most important. What if... one day I defect? Without food, wouldn''t I starve to death? ... "Without food, I''m going to die..." Kuang Xin never imagined that, after wittily ying mind games with NPCs and bravely battling against wild wolves, not dying to natural disasters or cmities, he would sumb to hunger at the crack of dawn afterboring. A night of frenzy topped off with morning toil drained all his Energy Reserve. The inconspicuous, slender yellow bar under his character''s health bar on the panel was now bottoming out. And Kuang Xin, who had simultaneously depleted physical strength and Energy Reserve, found himself unexpectedly waiting to die where he stood. In fact, even if he had the strength to move, he wouldn''t know where to find food. Meat? The fresh chunks of meat obtained yesterday seemed to have a trait for restoring Energy Reserve, but he had turned them all in... not saving a single piece. "I''ve been careless..." So, I actually have to prepare food in advance in this game to prevent starving during missions? I''ll definitely keep this in mind next lifetime! Bullets cost 2 ck water coins each. Hans is a cheap bastard. Kuang Xin began to summarize the experiences that mighte in handy in his next life. Starting over didn''t seem like such a big deal. It was just a shame to lose the current quest on his person... and all that experience he''d worked so hard for. I wonder if I could find that big-headed soldier again? Did I meet that big-headed soldier because I got Hans''s information first as a prerequisite, or was it just luck? Could other big-headed soldiers also give out quests? As a seasoned online gamer, Kuang Xin knew that some games operated this way; without fulfilling the prerequisite conditions, going directly to the target was likely to trigger nothing. Damn it! Do I really have to be cheated by Hans once in order to get key information? Starvation was a slow process, and Kuang Xin leaned against the tree stump he had felled, lost in thought. He even considered stabbing himself to death but hesitated for so long that he couldn''t bring himself to do it. The game had no pain feeling adjustment, and while pain wasn''t "painful," the sensation ofmitting suicide probably wasn''t pleasant. He was scared... "Sss~" "Sss~" "Sss~" The rustling sounds of something sweeping through the bushes came from nearby, and Kuang Xin immediately perked up his ears. Human? Or wolf? If it''s a person, maybe I could ask for help; if it''s a wolf, maybe it''s a fight to the death, drinking wolf blood! I still have one bullet, maybe I could turn the tables. "Eh? What happened to you?" A crisp female voice asked curiously, as the girl with 50 bullets stood not far away, hands sped behind her back, smiling while looking over at Kuang Xin who was sprawled on the ground in a disheveled state. Chapter 21: 021 Plague Rat Upon seeing that it was a female yer who approached, Kuang Xin instantly changed his cker attitude, adopting as suave a side-lying pose as possible, his expression carefree. "Tired, just resting a bit." The girl sized up Kuang Xin''s face, now slender enough that his cheekbones cast shadows, and his panda-like dark circles, her face sporting a mischievous smile. "Is that so... Guess you don''t need any help then?" Kuang Xin flicked his hair, trying to show off his +10 charm, "Of course not." "Alright then..." As she spoke, the girl slowly backed away, giving Kuang Xin a cheerful wave before she was obscured by the bushes, "Goodbye, Mr. Grudge." She''s really leaving? Watching the yellow-green bushes that trembled for a moment before falling still, Kuang Xin felt like pping himself twice. Why the hell was he trying to act cool? "Oh, right!" The bushes shook, and out popped a fresh, youthful face. Barely visible beneath the foliage, the girl grinned at Kuang Xin, "I''ve got something here I''d hate to waste, so I''ll give it to you." As she spoke, she tossed over a package wrapped in tattered cloth. The item had heft, bouncing twice on the ground beforending half a meter in front of Kuang Xin. Struggling to reach out and grab it, he unwrapped it to find a piece of irregrly shaped, earthy-yellow blocky material, covered in wax paper. "Powdered Lump Group (Level 1 Food) (300 grams): A simple food made from some nt starch, a bit toothsome, best consumed dissolved in water. As for the taste... don''t be demanding. Eating it can restore 4 points to your ''Action Power Reserve'' and 45% to 90% satiety." "This..." Kuang Xin was startled and looked up. The girl, with an earthy-yellow canvas bag slung across her shoulder and dressed in hip-hop-style wastnd attire, was smiling like an angel as she waved goodbye, "See youter, dummy!" Kuang Xin wanted to chase after her, but he didn''t have the energy, frantically biting into the powdered lump group. He couldn''t bite through it... It was as hard as a rock. Recalling the hint in the item description¡ªwater? Where could he get water? He barely had any saliva left. Kuang Xin could only moisten the edges of the powdered lump group with his damp mouth, incubating it for a while until a small corner softened slightly under the effect of the vapors. He broke off a piece with his teeth and continued to let it soak in his saliva. Silently struggling with the rock-like food, Kuang Xin''s eyes grew somewhat damp... It was damn disgusting. Disgusting in more ways than one. Regaining some strength, Kuang Xin sprang to his feet, grabbed his axe, and headed straight in the direction where the girl had disappeared. "You are using the cave ability to track the target''s trail..." Following the faint traces on the ground, Kuang Xin wasn''t sure he was going in the right direction until he saw the figure bending over, searching for something on the ground, and he finally rxed. "Thanks for the food." "Don''t mention it." The girl didn''t turn her head, seemingly having heard Kuang Xin''s approach long ago, and was still earnestly searching among a cluster of nts. "What are you looking for?" Kuang Xin leaned in closer, the nts growing in the dark, moist soil before him appearing grey-green and dull. Untended wild nts stretched out haphazardly. "Some herbs..." The girl seemed to beparing against a panel of illustrations while trying to sift through the nts to find the ones she needed. As she searched, the girl chattered on, "I''ve taken on a task, there''s a girl who''s sick, need to find some herbs to make a decoction. By the way, the thing you just ate is the mother''s way of thanking me." "Is it hard to find? What''s the reward like?" Kuang Xin also pretended to look, "What does it look like? I''ll help you." "No need for your help... You can''t see the guide anyway." The girl shook her head indifferently, "As for the reward, it''s worth 25 points in pharmaceutics experience." "That''s pretty low..." Kuang Xin''s face lit up immediately, "I have some tasks you can take on that offer far better rewards than yours." The way a seasoned yer repays a kindness... is to share gaming resources. "Hmm?" The girl was quite interested, "What is it? Chopping trees?" Having just seen several freshly chopped stumps beside the big grump, it was hard not to guess. "Yeah... The reward is great, you get a tech point and 25 bullets!" The girl was taken aback, "Tech points? What are those?" "Something for upgrading technology, I guess..." Kuang Xin was also unsure, "Sounds like a tough resource to get, saving it can''t hurt." "Indeed..." The girl nodded thoughtfully, considering; she hadn''t heard of such a reward in any of the tasks she had taken, "Is it very hard toplete?" "It''s alright..." Kuang Xin thought back on his overnight endeavor, "Just a bit tiring." "Where can I take on this task?" ```"It was given by a soldier at the military camp." "Military camp?" The girl was slightly startled, "I heard that people who wander around there for no reason all died." Could that be true? Kuang Xin took a moment to recall; those soldiers did start off a bit aggressive, but they never intended to kill... Although he was puzzled inside, his face showed confidence, "I have a special ess, which I wouldn''t tell just anyone." "I see..." The girl turned her head to quietly stare at Kuang Xin. Her face was not the height of beauty, but her eyes seemed to capture souls. "So... I''m not just anyone, right?" Kuang Xin dared not meet her gaze and turned his face away with a twang, "Well... you did save my life..." "Did I?" Seeing Kuang Xin''s shy demeanor, the girl''s mouth curled up into a mischievous smile, her fingertips absentmindedly twirling a dry grass stem. "Ah~" "What''s wrong?" "A thorn..." The girl covered her fingertip, curling up and blowing on it gently. "Are you okay?" "I''m fine... it doesn''t hurt." The voices of the young man and woman echoed through the empty valley, while their silhouettes reflected light that was captured within the limited circr horizon, creating a strange halo effect at the edges. The grass and stems swayed slightly in their field of vision... Blood! Genes! "Hiss!" A grey shadow suddenly burst out from the tall grass! Caught up in emotions and his vision in disarray, Kuang Xin instinctively lifted his axe and charged forward. [Using the heavy weapon to attack hit the target, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +7, Barbaric Physique (unlocked) unlock progress 11%.] [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience 72/100, can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization" at 100 points.] [Hit the target''s vital spot, causing 10 points of critical damage!] [gue Rat (Mutant): Health 13/23; Defensive Power 5; Action Power 52%; Attack Power (type: piercing) 3~5; Traits: Tiny Size, Utter Madness...] [Tiny Size: When facing heavy weapon, ranged weapon, light firearm attack, dodge +15%, damage received from "blunt damage" is halved.] [Utter Madness: Parasitized by the alien fungus, it haspletely lost its sanity, extremely bloodthirsty, and never retreats! Attack power +50%.] "Ah!" The girl, btedly realizing the danger, let out a cry and instinctively reached for her gun. Kuang Xin stopped her, stepping on the ck little thing on the ground that seemed to have lost some of its vision. With a swing of his hand, the axe came down, and with one blow the deed was done! [Using the heavy weapon to attack hit the target, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +1, Barbaric Physique (unlocked) unlock progress 11%.] [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience 73/100...] [Hit the target''s vital spot, causing 13 points of fatal damage!] [The target has ceased breathing and lost all basic vital signs.] "What is this?" "A rat... a mutant one." Kuang Xin said nonchntly, holding the axe. Inside, he roared triumphantly¡ªwasn''t Xin amazing? "You reacted so quickly just now..." The girl''s tone was full of admiration and sincerity. Kuang Xin waved it off, "Just luck." Indeed, it was luck; the axe de hit the target amid his panic. It wasn''t so much his skill as it was the rat running straight into it. Nevertheless, it felt like his aim was true, and he received a substantial boost in weapon mastery experience. Awesome! As he waved, the scratches on the back of Kuang Xin''s hand were also disyed clearly in front of the girl. "Ah~ you''re hurt." "It''s nothing..." "Huff~~~ Does it hurt? Let me bandage it for you..." Feeling the girl blowing gently on the back of his hand, Kuang Xin''s spirit soared, "No... it doesn''t hurt." ... [You have performed a bandaging, elerating the healing of the wound, bandaging experience +4.] [Current bandaging experience 12/100, can master "Level 1 Bandaging Technique" at 100 points.] "It''s a bit shoddy, but it''ll do for now~" ``` Chapter 22: 022 Teaching Bureau? [Feedback from themission: Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +4.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 36/100, upon reaching 100 points you can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] Bai E had hardly returned to the training ground and stood in front of the instructor when he heard the prompt from the panel. The yer is working hard again? What a workaholic? There was a reason after all why I couldn''t outperform them in other games back in the day! "At attention!" A sudden shout brought Bai E''s focus back. Wood was holding a specially designed broadsword in his hand, with a thick back and an extremely thin edge that shed a dazzling silver brilliance at the front, while the rest of the de was ck and shiny, as if it were not sharpened. "Mere physical fitness will not allow you to defeat the enemy on the battlefield! Skillful use of weapons can stop the enemy at the gates of the city. To deal with different foes, we have different equipment. In two days, your enemy will be those bugs, and this Bug-ying de is the weapon you must familiarize yourself with! Of course..." Wood''s voice paused slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the group of 50 soldiers in front of him, lingering on a few figures, "I know some of you have talents in shooting... but what if you run out of bullets? What if your gun is destroyed or taken? The battlefield is ever-changing, and too many contingencies can ur. Being able to pick up the mostmon weapon and use it against the enemy is an ability you must learn." With that, Wood stepped aside to let the soldiers see the row of broadswords on the iron rack behind him unobstructed. "Now, line up and pick up your weapon!" Bai E received his own weapon. [Bug-ying de - Quality: White (Heavy Weapon)] [Basic parameters: de Attack Power (Type: shing): 8~15; Edge Attack Power (Type: Blunt): 12~20; Output Level 12; Amplifying Attributes: de Armor Pration +10%, Edge Heavy Strike +5%; Durability 25/25] [Usage Requirement: Physique 12 (usable, flexibility -5%).] [Trait: de constructed with a special material designed specifically to break through the Bug Race''s armor shell, avoid using the de for frontal confrontations as much as possible.] The broadsword was incredibly heavy, as heavy as its appearance suggested. Therefore, it demanded an even higher basic physique. In Gxy World, the usage requirements listed for various weapons are not mandatory conditions; not meeting the required attributes does not mean the weapon ispletely unusable, but there will be some level of attribute penalty. With his current physique of 11.5, Bai E could still wield this broadsword that requires a physique of 12, but certainly not as efficiently as someone with a normal physique of 12 or higher. "Pretty heavy, isn''t it?" Wood asked with a cold smile, "This will be the absolutepanion for most of you when you step onto the battlefield next. Use it, get familiar with it, let it be a part of your flesh and blood! It''s the most reliable ally on the battlefield and a sharp tool for killing enemies! Remember, don''t die easily, your lives are the currency of the city lord, and have no right to be wasted!" Wood''s darkplexion was matched by a cold white shine reflecting from between his teeth, his words constantly reminding Bai E¡ª This world is by no means a happy amusement park. As a yer, one may love the chaos of these troubled times, but as a native inhabitant of this world... Bai E gripped the hilt of his broadsword tightly; it fit the muscles in his palm as if it were made for him. The basic 36 points of Heavy Weapon Mastery experience gave him a rudimentary familiarity with these weapons. "Now, everyone follow me, swing your sword a thousand times!" [Side Quest Triggered - Familiarize Yourself with the Weapon.] [Familiarize Yourself with the Weapon: The instructor has a wealth of experience, and his instructions are bound to be useful. Completing his instructions will earn you enough basic proficiency. Quest Requirement: Mimic the instructor''s movements with at least 80% uracy and swing the sword 0/1000 times. Quest Reward: Corresponding weapon mastery experience +50. (Countdown: 59 minutes 59 seconds)] After finishing, Wood turned his back to all the soldiers. He grasped the handle with both hands, raised the broadsword high above his head, and brought it down in a mighty diagonal sh. The heavy whistling of the de cutting the air was filled with murderous intent. [You are observing a professional sword swing demonstration. If you have any insights...] [Teaching: Feeling the professional mastery of the opponent, you decide to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) to learn the corresponding ability. (Exchange ratio: Every 2 points ofbat experience/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of the specific experience.)] This teaching exchange? Even without mastering at least a level 1 mastery ability, you can still use teaching as a way to applybat or general experience to learn the desired ability. So that''s the purpose of the "teaching" method? Bai E nced at the panel prompt that did not obstruct his view, clear on its function. As for the Heavy Weapon Specialization ability, Bai E naturally wanted it. As Wood said, the battlefield is ever-changing, and who knows when a situation would arise that would require him to take up a melee weapon forbat. The more skills one has, the better. But the pity was... He didn''t have even 1 point ofbat or general experience at the moment. Can''t exchange... Might as well just follow and learn honestly... [Youpleted a swing of the de,pletion 83%, "Subquest¡ªWeapon Familiarity" progress 1/1000.] [Youpleted a swing of the de,pletion 81%, "Subquest¡ªWeapon Familiarity" progress 2/1000.] While some artificial humans were still confusedly holding their des, Bai E was already trying as much as possible to imitate Wood''s demonstrated posture, fully and repeatedly practicing swings in front of him. Wood spoke of a thousand times, but it was impossible to monitor in real-time how many times each person had shed; he was actually basing it on time. This was already indicated on the mission. Swinging a thousand times within an hour might not be an easy task. Time needed to be utilized efficiently. [...Progress 3/1000.] [...Progress 4/1000.] As Bai E took the lead in blowing the charge, the rest of the soldiers also began to move. The movements, of course, were not uniform, with the chaotic glint of des shining everywhere. "Strange..." Yue Ying, from the high tform, could nearly sweep her gaze across the entire field simultaneously, and as a master of the de herself, she focused on one figure among the countless on the vast training ground, mixed within the military ranks, a look of puzzlement on the face hidden beneath the ck hood. "Such high proficiency." All the artificial humans were imitating the instructor''s movements, of course, due to different talents, thepletion rate of the imitation varied. The higher thepletion rate, the faster the uptake speed naturally, and the more likely it is to achieve sufficient training effects. And that artificial human, who had already stood out during the previous physical training, was now disying sword-swinging skills that caught the eye of her, the master of the de, within a troop of 2000 people in no time. From the very first swing, this artificial human soldier''s moves achieved the goal of "having a training effect." And it was no coincidence... Once... Twice... Ten times... A hundred times... He was earnest enough, and persistent. So stable it was almost like a... robot? Chapter 23: Mysterious master [You havepleted a swing of your sword,pletion rate 95%, "Side Quest ¡ª Familiarize with Weapon" progress 513/1000.] [You have repeatedly aplished highpletion learning, Heavy Weapon Mastery Experience +1.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery Experience 41/100,when reaching 100 points, "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization" can be mastered.] "Feels... a bit sore." Bai E murmured to himself. Swinging a sword in the same motion for a long time, and considering that thebat de was so heavy, had already put too much strain on his arms. Not to mention that the soreness from the physical training that had pushed his body to its limits had not yetpletely disappeared; his tired body was now struggling against his willpower. Willpower, too, is a resource that can be depleted. Hundreds of sword swings tested not only his body and skills but also mentally ground him down in a way hard to put into words. Of course, he could rest when tired; the instructor had never stopped anyone. After all, sword swings with seriously altered motions had no training effect, and at that moment, many humanoid soldiers also set down theirbat des to ease their muscles. But Bai E could see the panel... A tangible quest right in front of his eyes, already halfpleted. What''s most important is that the countdown had also nearly reached its midpoint... If the mission was still iplete when time was up, that would be more unbearable than death. Others might rest, but not him! Bai E lifted hisbat de high, feeling a bit weary at heart. But... did he really need to take it that seriously? Maybe try swinging the sword in a morefortable position? With this thought, Bai E brought down his sword in a swing. [You havepleted a swing of your sword,pletion rate 66%, "Side Quest ¡ª Familiarize with Weapon" progress not increased.] [Yourpletion rate has significantly decreased with this swing, falling below average standards, identified as cking off! Progress -10, "Side Quest ¡ª Familiarize with Weapon" progress 503/1000.] [Masterfulnesses from diligence, yfulness leads to waste, hope you won''t neglect your skills!] "..." Damn it! Bai E instantly snapped to attention. His previous performances were too outstanding, so much so that a casual swing even resulted in a penalty. Better to rest than to swing haphazardly? Bai E nted his sword into the ground and took several deep breaths. "Fine!" A bit of mental adjustment allowed Bai E to regain his spirit. After easing the muscles in his arms, Bai E once again lifted the great sword high with both hands. In front of him seemed to stand that ursed panel quest. With one swing, the pale blue panel shattered, and a killing aura flew wildly. [You havepleted a swing of your sword,pletion rate 98%, "Side Quest ¡ª Familiarize with Weapon" progress 504/1000.] [Perfect execution! Keep it up!] I''ll chop you down! ... "Pfft~" Yueying couldn''t help but let out a soft sound. 513 times. Even though her gaze swept across the entire field, trying to witness the characteristics of every humanoid soldier in person, she never forgot to observe the one who had been noticeable from the first swing. 513 swings! She remembered the number. Every swing was above standard, precise and consistent like a mechanical being. It was hard to imagine that this was something a newly created humanoid could achieve. The overly stable performance within expected parameters let her observation enter a state of indifference. Until theing of the 514th swing... A misfire, yet unexpectedly delightful. After all, it made him seem more human. "What''s the matter?" The young officer beside her took the chance to cast a concerned look. "Nothing..." In an instant, Yueying''s expression returned to its usual calm, her tone cold and indifferent as if it were none of her concern. Emotions, after all, are something the elves strive to suppress as much as possible... ``` "Oh~" Weslin responded with a hint of disappointment. I actually liked you quite a bit, didn''t expect you to be so cold and indifferent... I like you even more now. "Simple training might be somewhat dull..." "No!" Yueying interrupted for the first time, "It''s very interesting." Weslin''s eyes shone slightly, feeling she might have discovered Miss Yueying''s interests. It is said that from the moment elvese of age, they choose a skill to pursue as their ultimate path in life. Each elf makes a different choice, with wielding swords and handling weapons being quitemon, but if they approve, painting or ying with mud can also be an elf''s ultimate pursuit. In the eyes of humans, this is a racial quirk, but no doubt it was a breakthrough at this moment. "Miss Yueying really likes swordsmanship?" The hooded figure nodded slightly, "I have studied it a bit." Weslin''s heart leaped. The way elves speak and their mannerisms are somewhat simr to those of the East Asians living in a city 2,000 kilometers away, who typically speak with modesty. But they are straightforward in character; if they aren''t interested, they usually say so directly. Does this mean that Miss Yueying''s elven path is truly swordsmanship? Swordsmanship? I myself don''t know swordsmanship. Perhaps those artificial human soldiers currently training withbat swords could bring her some joy? To teach is also a hobby for many. "Then may I ask if Miss Yueying is interested in giving some pointers to my soldiers?" "Not..." Yueying''s first instinct was to refuse but then hesitated, "It''s not out of the question..." She bore a racial mission, needing to see if humans were worth long-term cooperation. Examining the results of the human core technology, the artificial human soldier project, seemed reasonable. To assess the learning capability of these artificial soldiers that had just stepped out of their incubators. After basic training, whether they could acquire enoughbat experience. "Then it''s settled!" Saying this, Weslin waved to his aide-de-camp not far away, "Pass the word, have each instructor select the most proficient soldier from their unit; Miss Yueying will personally guide themter." "Yes!" ... [Youpleted a sword swing with 96% proficiency, "Side Quest - Familiarize with Weapon" progress 837/1000.] [You havepleted several high-proficiency training sessions consecutively, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +1.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 45/100, you can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization" at 100 points.] So tired... So sore... Swinging a sword is not only a two-handed task; it requires the coordination of the entire body. Although it doesn''t exhaust the body like the earlier physical training, it nearly destroys the arms. Long durations and fast-paced sword swinging had almost numbed Bai E''s arms. Swinging the sword had be instinctive. Fortunately, there was good news: the increase in proficiency experience and the extended mechanical sword swinging turned the standard movements into Bai E''s muscle memory. Even without deliberate control, each sword swing was almost always above standard. This also resulted in a higher efficiency in gaining mastery experience directly from training. Of course, the most important was the 50 points of mastery experience granted afterpleting the mission. Only ten and a half minutes left. Can''t ck off now. ... Wood nced at his watch; the soldiers in front of him were showing signs of fatigue from the prolonged mechanical training, the atmosphere was down. But it was still early; time couldn''t be wasted. They needed a boost! "Lads! I''ve got good news for you!" Wood''s announcement captured the attention of all the artificial humans. "After the training ends, a mysterious expert will offer some guidance to the best among you, and if your performance satisfies the superior officers, there will be a mysterious reward waiting for you!" [Whether it''s the mysterious reward or the challenge of facing an unknown mysterious expert, both are very attractive to you, you decide...] ``` Chapter 24: 024 Side Quest - Confrontation Train seriously! I''m almost finished with my task! No pie in the sky can measure up to the importance of a task you''re about toplete on your own. Bai E focused wholeheartedly and kept swinging his sword without distraction. 838¡­ 839¡­ The earnest Bai E, even among these naturally born artificial human soldiers, stood out quite noticeably. Whilepanions couldn''t keep their eyes on him at all times, as an instructor, Wood could observe everyone constantly. He couldn''t be certain if Bai E''s training effects were sufficiently excellent, but at least his attitude was the most serious among them. Although he motivated the other artificial human soldiers by saying that everyone had a chance, in his heart, he had already decided on the candidate. ¡­ [You havepleted a swing,pletion rate 98%, "Subsidiary Task ¨C Familiarization with Weapon" progress 1000/1000.] [You have repeatedlypleted highpletion rate learning, Heavy Weapon Proficiency Experience +1.] [Current Heavy Weapon Proficiency Experience 51/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] [Subsidiary Task ¨C Familiarization with Weapon, Complete!] [Task Reward: Heavy Weapon Proficiency Experience +50, awarded.] "Phew~ Finally finished." [Current Heavy Weapon Proficiency Experience 101/100, "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization" acquired, and 1 Potential Point earned simultaneously.] [Heavy Weapon Specialization (Level 1): Attack Power (Blunt) +2%, Heavy Strike +1%.] [Current Heavy Weapon Proficiency Experience 1/300, reach 300 points to master "Level 2 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] The moment the task waspleted, Bai E felt a surge of heavy weapon use experience flood into his body, takingmand of his limbs. That instinctive familiarity made him feel curiously in sync with the battle saber in his hands, and he even felt the urge to spar with the warrior in front of him. [??? (Human) (Ally) ¡ª Use "Lucky Strike" for a kill to drop: Certain (Fresh Meat*2000, Combat Experience 800 points); Possible (Specialty: Muscr Development)] Forget it. ¡­ 1011 times. Yue Ying''s sufficiently intelligent mind could easily remember this number. It''s rare for artificial human soldiers to take their instructor''s initialmand so seriously. A thousand swings within an hour. This was an extremely challenging criterion to meet, one that even the instructors themselves didn''t really expect to be achieved. And it had to be effective swings. Yue Ying, with aprehensive view, could easily notice ¡ª That artificial human was the only one among the 2000 soldiers present who followed the instructor''s order to the letter. Time remaining... 1 minute and 26 seconds. He stopped swinging. Counting on his own? He was indeed strictly following orders. But why exceed by 11 swings? It must be... a miscount. Yue Ying''s lips curled slightly. This particrly rigid artificial human soldier was unexpectedly clumsy in some aspects. "Time''s almost up." Veslin mentioned kindly from the side. They followed an absolutely reasonable schedule for the artificial human soldiers'' training program, not allowing anything to disrupt this rhythm. ¡­ Wood kept an eye on the time, and as soon as the predetermined moment arrived, he immediately called a halt. His fellow instructors were already having their groups sign up and vote democratically, but he was different... he decided internally. "I''ve seen everyone''s performance just now, and Soldier 95B27 has arguably outshone everybody. If there are no objections, let him represent our group against the mysterious War God." In the group of 50 soldiers, most of the artificial human soldiers remained silent, seemingly content whether out of genuine approval or grudging eptance. The remaining few who were eager to show off hesitated after seeing Bai E''s stern face, which remained expressionless even after grueling training, and then chose to keep their mouths shut. Defaulted the qualifications for Bai E to represent the 358th Battalion inbat. From a troop of 2000 people, 40 gically engineered soldiers who had been selected in their own way, formed a neat square formation, with Weslin stretching out his hand towards the thin figure cloaked in ck beside him. "This is Yueying from the Elf Race, who is also an extraordinary master of swordsmanship. It''s rare to have such an opportunity to make progress in a one-on-one duel with a master. What kind of advancements you make depends entirely on your own fate. I don''t have high expectations for you..." Weslin raised three fingers, "30 seconds of time, if you canst for 30 seconds, I will prepare a surprise package for you! Did you hear me clearly?" "Understood!" [Triggered a side quest¡ªDuel.] [Duel: You''ve benefited greatly from your duel with the swordmaster from the Elf Race, provided you canst a sufficiently long time. Quest requirements: Persist for 0/30 seconds in your duel with Yueying of the Elf Race. Questpletion reward: Ability Extraction Card*1.] "30 seconds?" Bai E vaguely sensed a flicker of disdain from beneath the ck cloak of the Elf Race representative. "You, step forward!" Weslin, allowing some rest time for all the gically engineered soldiers with the assembly and his speech, coldly ordered the leading soldier in the front row. The soldier called upon was a tall Caucasian male, with a broadsword in his hand that seemed almost toy-like. Upon hearing the order, the soldier jogged up to the tform. Weslin smiled and patted the shoulder of his most elite soldier, "Perform well." "Yes, sir!" The Caucasian male''s face flushed with excitement; the silver bar sparkling on Weslin''s shoulder denoted his status. Recognition from such a person stirred his genes into action. "I will definitely defeat her!" The soldier vowed silently. Yueying gently held the standard-issue broadsword; even when directly faced, only her right hand holding the sword extended from the ck cloak, exposed to the air. Crystal clear and fair, with slender knuckles. Weslin, who had stepped aside, pinched his chin, quietly nning to enjoy the spectacle of a beauty''s battle. It was unknown whether Yueying was truly an Elf who pursued swordsmanship as her ultimate goal, and to what extent a true swordmaster could achieve... "Swoosh!" With a sh of the de, the standard-issue broadsword was flung high into the air, making severalrge arcs and emitting a ''whoosh'' as it sliced through the wind. Itnded on the hard ground nearby with a crisp ng. "ng~" Coming back to his senses, Weslin stared nkly at the broadsword lying close to him, then at the tall Caucasian soldier who had been disarmed and nowy defeated on the ground. "Is... is it over?" What happened to the 30 seconds? Just like that? "Useless trash, get down!" Regaining hisposure, Weslin shouted angrily, "Next, up!" "Yes, sir!" ... "ng~" "ng~" "ng~" "ng~" Rain of standard-issue broadswords fell upon the stage. Yueying seemed to have a penchant for disarming her opponents; every gically engineered soldier''s weapon ended its journey with a high plummet to the ground. And the soldiers themselves... Not a single one had managed to withstand the second strike. Disarmament and subjugation happened at the same time. No matter what stance the de-wielding gically engineered soldiers took as they charged forward, Yueying always found the perfect angle to strike down the enemy. "Such ferocious swordsmanship... I feel like I wouldn''tst more than a few moves myself," spoke the burly melee brawler of the team, unable to keep from expressing his amazement. Members of the special forces squad who had been continuously watching Bai''s training began to voice their astonishment. "This elfdy doesn''t know the meaning of holding back..." "Trying to spar with such a master on your first training is indeed a bit out of their depth... Veslin didn''tmunicate beforehand to tone it down a bit." "It''s almost Bai''s turn..." Chapter 25: 025 Heavy Strike 1% Weslin could clearly feel the rising murmurs of dissent among the dwindling number of teams. Survive 30 seconds? Under Yueying''s formidable strength, this number seemed like a joke uttered in passing. It was filled with the organizers'' mockery. Before the next artificial human warrior stepped up, Weslin took the initiative to announce, "5 seconds! It seems our esteemeddy of the Elf Race believes that only giving her all can bring better progress. All you need to do is survive for 5 seconds against the Elven miss! Sessful warriors may make any request of me! Any at all!" [Side Quest¡ªDuel, information has changed.] [Duel: Having observed that your opponent''s strength is terrifyingly unimaginable, you now only need to survive for a shorter amount of time in order to learn some of her abilities. Quest Requirements: Survive for 0/5 seconds in the duel with the Elf Race''s Yueying. Quest Reward: Target Character Ability Extraction Card*1.] "5 seconds!" The female warrior with wheat-colored skin stepped forward, her expression transforming from perplexed to excited. If it''s just 5 seconds... "Swish~" "ng~" The elongated faces ofrades lining up in front of Bai E shimmered with two spots of excitement. "I''ve been watching her for a long time, and I have spotted her weakness." "Swish~" "ng~" ... 30 seconds and 5 seconds, there was no fundamental difference. Just the duration of one move. Yueying, under her hood, let a contemptuous and calm light sh in her eyes. These artificial human warriors were indeed mass-produced by humans, great in quality but devoid of creative talent. In the simple drills, not a single artificial human warrior could master even Level 1 weapon proficiency, not even those who rigorously trained in the most standard manner ording to the instructors. In fact, Yueying had been holding back considerably. If any of these artificial warriors had shown the slightest hint of a move infused with the essence of weapon mastery during their attacks, she would have allowed them that one to two percent chance of performance. Unfortunately, there were none... And these were the finest individuals selected by human instructors from a pool of 2,000. It was somewhat disappointing. Yueying''s veil drooped as she heard another calm and steady voice in front of her. "Please enlighten me." ... "It''s Bai''s turn! It''s Bai''s turn!" Dashan was visibly excited. Song Ying gazed into the distance, trying to discern any trace of a master''s aura from Bai E, "Don''t tell me he''ll be taken down in one move as well?" "You, do you think Bai can survive two moves?" The smaller girl responded to the question with an unrted shake of her head, "He trained very seriously." But against such a master... it''s not enough. ... Yueying lifted her head slightly to get a clear view of her opponent. A man of average height with unremarkable features stood not far from her, brandishing a battle saber in greeting. The guy who had swung 1,011 times? This was the artificial human warrior who trained the most with standard posture. Previously, Yueying held the greatest expectations for him, and now... Yueying gently lifted her saber, signaling that she was ready to defend. Bai E held the de with his left hand, gripping the hilt with his right,unching a charge. The de was too heavy; holding it this way would make it easier to wield. The first sh... In Yueying''s eyes, she could see the trajectory of the falling de, simple and direct, without any fancy flourishes. But... was he holding back strength? With one hand, Yueying lifted her battle saber to meet the strike. No matter how the opponent attacked, she would always vanquish them in one move, but that didn''t mean she always struck just once. Executing all moves within a short time frame with a tactical objective constituted one move, also known as an attack routine. This was abat concept that had long been propagated within the Elf Race. Facing Bai E''s attack, she tentatively seized on the weakest point in his force output, attempting to defeat him. Many artificial humans had tried to change their moves, but mere change was pointless. She was faster. Unless... they could seize the opportunity she intentionally left open. "ng!" The collision of des rang out clearly. As Bai E pressed down on the de with his left hand, pulling away, a harsh grating noise emanated from the friction between the two sword edges. [Your attack caused a heavy strike, but failed to prate the opponent''s defense.] [In practicalbat, you have delivered a heavy strike, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +2.] [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience 3/300, upon reaching 300 points, "Level 2 Heavy Weapon Specialization" can be mastered.] Bai E, stepping back, looked on with a stunned expression. Hended a critical strike! The additional attack power from Level 1 Heavy Weapon Mastery wasn''t very useful in such a skillful duel, with the only possible advantage for Bai E being the 1% chance ofnding critical hits. A critical strike is a brief confrontation where the attacker strongly overpowers the defender. Whether it''s offense against offense or offense against defense, a critical strike can be triggered,monly when heavy weapons hit a vital spot or when striking powerfully against a joint. The critical strike rate granted by mastery isn''t just an unreasonable random trigger, but an instinct to find or even induce the opponent''s weaknesses during the fight. The instinct granted by Level 1 mastery isn''t very impressive, and Bai E didn''t count on exploiting that tiny chance during the short battle. The observation from below made him realize that the Miss Yue Ying from the Elf Race was unbeatable. Survive for 5 seconds? Completing this task was difficult, and his current move was purely about doing his best and leaving the rest to fate. But as it turned out, was he in luck this moment? ... "He didn''t fall, he didn''t fall!" Dashan was somewhat excited, as if the one who had endured a move without defeat was himself. The remaining challengers in the synthetic human team were visibly moved. "He held on!" "It''s that guy again!" ["Lucky Strike" charge +3.] Regardless, the appearance of the firstpanion to withstand a move gave the rest who hadn''t yet challenged a sliver of renewed confidence. Perhaps, were those before just too weak? Standing here, to some extent, they were all elites. No one doubted themselves. "Again." This was the first time everyone heard Yue Ying''s voice in this duel. Cool and crisp. Like a foggy figure under the obscure moonlight, hard to discern¡­ Bai E silently pulled away and charged back in. 5 seconds, and showing any sign of fear wouldn''t count. As he drew his sword and left, the countdown on the mission panel ordingly paused. Nothing but battle! [Your attack was a critical strike, but it failed to break through the opponent''s defense.] ... [Your attack was a critical strike, but it failed to break through the opponent''s defense.] ... [Your attack was a critical strike, but it failed to break through the opponent''s defense.] ... [You havended multiple critical strikes consecutively in actualbat, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +15.] (umted) [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 18/300, upon reaching 300 points you will master "Level 2 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] In a brief series of exchanges, each one was a critical hit! 1% chance. Even as Bai E initially thought it was luck, he now perceived a problem. This Elfdy seemed to be intentionally guiding him, turning the original 1% chance into some kind of inevitability. Of course, the prerequisite was that he, as the opponent, could precisely seize every opportunity she provided. If he failed to grasp the fleeting chance, Miss Yueying''s de would show no mercy. This was the real essence that a warrior with a certain level of base strength could learn from this duel. Task durationpleted: 4.69/5 seconds. Just one more move! Bai E took a deep breath, the excitement of nearlypleting the task filled his chest, causing a tremble of excitement throughout his body. Noticing this, Yue Ying slightly narrowed her eyes. "Thest lesson... always stay calm in battle!" Control is needed not only over thoughts, but also... hormones. The body too can betray the truth. As des crossed, Bai E felt a sudden crushing blow to his biceps brachii. His right hand turned numb, and the battle sword slipped from his grasp. He experienced what those synthetic human warriors who had been defeated felt. "You had a chance to dodge, but your muscles were too stiff," said Yue Ying as she sheathed her sword. This was the second thing she said in this duel. The executive officer urgently stopped the stopwatch. 5.31 seconds! [Side mission¡ªDuel,pleted!] Chapter 26: 026 Camp Exit Permit ``` [Task Reward: Target Character Ability Extraction Card*1 has been issued.] [Target Character Ability Extraction Prize Pool Locked: Expertise*Self-Restraint, Expertise*dework, Expertise*Self-Control, Skill*Wildfire sh, Skill*Lightning Leap, Mastery*Heavy Weapon Specialization level +1, not exceeding level 6. Would you like to begin the extraction?] Draw...I''ll drawter. Drawing lots should naturally be taken seriously, and the matters at hand are not yet finished. Weslin excitedly approached Bai E, demonstrating extreme enthusiasm when facing the first artificial human soldier who had fulfilled the promise he made. "Well done! My warrior." Bai E''s gaze slid off the other''s shoulder. A sh. This person was the highest authority in the military base and counted as one of the few top power figures in the entire city. It seemed that it was he who had spoken up for all the newly created artificial humans yesterday, but Bai E had been in a daze then and couldn''t remember the distant details. But right now, he should disy the... "respect" that befits the other person''s status. Bai E''s face bloomed with thick apologies, blushing as if he had received an honor he didn''t deserve. "It''s all because of the instructor''s good teaching." "Very good, you must always remember who trained you!" Hearing Bai E''s response, Weslin''s smile became even more splendid. He patted Bai E''s shoulder forcefully, "Speak up! You can make any request of me, anything!" Bai E hadn''t felt confident aboutpleting the task, but he hadn''t missed a single prediction of what would happen after. Leaving the task reward aside, he had long thought about what he would ask Weslin for. "I would like to see the world beyond the camp..." Bai E brought up his wish with a slightly paused tone. Leaving the camp! That was Bai E''s most urgent need. He needed to understand what the outside world was like... more importantly, there were yers outside. He needed more opportunities to interact with yers, whether to understand their origins or to engage in interactions and post tasks. The feedback rewards from tasks given by yers were too generous, and he had experienced the thrill of rocket-like advancement. Upon hearing Bai E''s request, Weslin obviously hesitated for a moment. "Just that?" He had braced himself for a significant expenditure, yet the artificial human soldier''s request was just this. The camp was under lock and key management, and without a Leave Camp Certificate, leaving the camp at will was not permitted. But in reality, it was just for convenience of management. These artificial human soldiers would never hold any important positions; they were just ordinary grunts. Even if they left the camp, they wouldn''t be able to do anything to harm it. Curiosity about the outside world? That was all too normal. The first one to meet the challenge requirements just asks for this? "No problem!" Weslin agreed instantly, hispliance was quite abrupt. He then gestured for his aide, "Award him a medal, permitting him to leave the camp at any time." Bai E''s chest thumped with excitement, everything was going unbelievably smoothly. "Thank you, Sir!" The sincere thanks made Weslin''s mood soar, and he used Bai E as an example to brainwash the other artificial human soldiers opportunistically. "This is your role model, as long as you do well, I can grant you anything you desire!" Bai E stood to one side, ying along with the act, seemingly gazing at Weslin''s profile with great eagerness, yet in his peripheral vision, he caught sight of a pair of cool, detached eyes. When he looked directly, the ck robe trembled slightly, and a sh of skeptical light appeared then disappeared. That elfdy? She was a very strong master; did she have the ability to perceive the thoughts of others? This thought instantly cooled the agitation in Bai E''s heart. His face remained beaming with a smile, but his mind had already calmed down. "Alright, return to your unit." "Yes, Sir!" Bai E had obtained the thing he had long dreamed of¡ª ``` [Bronze Medal #1: As proof of your honor, you may freely enter and exit the "barracks" while you possess this medal.] Got it! "Well done!" Wood was the first toe forward to congratte Bai E. Having his own trained soldier be the first among many challenging teams to seize theurel undoubtedly brought glory to his face. Not to mention that the achievements of the artificial soldiers he trained would be counted in the assessment of their instructors; the more impressive his artificial soldiers were, the more substantial the reward he would receive after training wasplete. The interests of everyone were aligned. Bai E''s performances, both past and present, had already proven his significant worth, and any rtionship usually starts with a need. "You can visit my home when you have time off from the camp." He was a natural person with his own family. Bai E nodded with a smile. "Definitely!" After a pause, Bai E took the initiative to ask, "What are we training next?" Wood looked towards the high tform, waiting to see other artificial warrior soldiers being knocked down by a mysterious master with one move. There is a higher value in being the sole victor. Hearing Bai E''s question by his side, he answered offhandedly. "Still physical training, which is the main focus for these days, continuing until lunchtime. After that, you can rest for an hour and a half, then in the afternoon, you''ll undergo specialized training." "Specialized training?" "That involves strengthening the battlefield abilities rted to your talents..." Wood paused, then turned back to look at Bai E, "I remember your talent is in sharpshooting, right?" "Right." "So, it''s about enhancing your shooting capabilities, not just your sharpshooting specialization but also the fundamental improvement to your perception attribute is key. It won''t be me training you then¡­ Do well, as the training is not just for others, but for yourselves as well. Only by surviving can you experience the broader world!" "Yes¡­" Bai E responded with a hint of emotion. After a brief exchange, the two ended their conversation; Wood continued to look in the direction of the high tform. A small number of challengers remained, and he was curious to see if any others could achieve the same feat as Bai E. Standing in the ranks, Bai E remained silent, his thoughts deep. The lottery card! Here I freakin''e! When ites to testing one''s character, it''s hard not to have an overwhelming sense of excitement. There were six abilities unlocked in the prize pool¡ª three specializations, two skills, and one mastery. Through the link, Bai E could view the respective functions of the six abilities. [Self-Restraint]is a method for suppressing emotions and thoughts, specially designed to cope with the Elf Race''s inherently sensitive senses and thought processes. In this world where spiritual bodies are projected into higher dimensional spaces coveted by demons, overly active thoughts are absolutely lethal. Fortunately, human physiology isn''t as sensitive as that of the Elf Race, not to mention that the temte for Bai E''s artificial body includes a trait for dulling thoughts. This specialization, critical for the Elf Race, isn''t of much use to him. A loss if drawn. [Sword Technique]strengthens the experience of wielding ded weapons, which in some ways is simr to a mastery, albeit non-upgradeable; of course, its base effect is also stronger. [Self-Mastery]governs control over the exertion of physical abilities, bringing inherently wild instincts under the bind of willpower. It''s like breathing; the moment you be conscious of it, automatic turns to manual, and you can control it to be rapid and sharp, or slow and gentle. It allows for the perfect execution of one''s physical abilities, which Bai E feels might be the most optimal option in the draw. The remaining two skills, one for offense, the other for mobility. Mastery needs no further exnation. In Bai E''s view, out of the six abilities, aside from [Self-Restraint], the rest are all eptable. Furthermore, ording to the official website,binations of rted specializations, masteries, traits, etc., enable the possibility of triggering some hidden effects. For the thrill of the unknown, Bai E is always hopeful. Chapter 27: 027 Specialty – Self-restraint "Start the draw!" [Beginning the draw...] The consciousness submerged upon the panel, the pointer slid swiftly over the hexa-sectioned circr pattern, and eventually slowed to a halt,nding on the yellow area¡ª Specialty¡ªSelf-Restraint. ??? Bai E''s face darkened. I''ve already entered the game world in my true form, and still I''m stuck ying this unlucky adventurer''s game? Out of the six, five were eptable, and I had to get the only bad one? "Can I redraw, please?" The panel was silent and still, as if mocking without mercy. [Self-Restraint: To suppress overly sensitive senses, you have learned a method to lessen the sensitivity of your body. From now on, your "will" can maintain "absolute calmness" whenever necessary, no longer affected by the body''s primal urges; at the same time, the mental constraints also provide a certain degree of protection for your spiritual body in high-dimensional spaces. (Note: Mastering "Self-Restraint" is a prerequisite for every Elf Race member practicing the "Breathing Skill".)] Fine then... I''ve already drawn, what else can I say? Let''s try out the effect... [Activating "Self-Restraint".] Uh... I don''t feel anything. There seems to be some change, yet also none at all. Damn it! "waaaaaahg!" "Holy shit, holy shit!" "It''s got to be you, bro!" [Lucky Hit energy +5.] What just happened? Bai E, with a look of bewilderment, came back to his senses to see his teammates congratting him. What does that mean? Mocking him for being unlucky again? Or finding solidarity in their shared bad luck, so much so that even the "Lucky Hit" got charged up? "What''s up?" Bai E asked, expressionless. The number one fan, Stone, who had previously handed Bai E the water, eximed joyously, "Bro! They all failed! No one could withstand a move from the mysterious master!" Bai E was stunned for a moment, then suddenly it dawned on him. His own failure was certainly regrettable, but the sess of his teammates was ever more vexing. Seeing the others fail undoubtedly highlighted the value of his own unique sess. So should he be... excited? Surrounded by his teammates, Bai E felt something exciting being secreted inside his body, but at that moment, he could even feel these substances coursing through him. It was like fervent agitators, trying to use the body''s energy to pay for their decisions. He could let go and embrace this excitement, or he could... refuse. The whole process was but a fleeting thought, and the sounds of congrattions from others at that moment sounded elongated and strange in Bai E''s ears. "..." Is this the effect of "Self-Restraint"? With every instinctive emotional fluctuation, he possessed the autonomy to choose. And this decision-making process waspletely seamless, without any abrupt or unnatural hesitation. In the midst of the revelry, Bai E stood as if he were alone in a frigid, snowyndscape, entirely lucid. "...ept." Bai E softly made his decision. He was not an elf with acutely sensitive feelings who sought pleasure unrestrictedly. Themotion here had evidently attracted attention from elsewhere. "I thought he was just starting, but it turns out he''s already at the peak." ... "Didn''t that elfdy pull her punches only with him? Otherwise it makes no sense." ... "Only Baisted 5 seconds..." ... Yue Ying''s eyes pierced through space, also focusing on the only man who hadsted more than 5 seconds against her. Being able to master weapon proficiency with just one training session... It seems that human cybertech can asionally create some surprises. Was this officer holding back his skills? Watching Weslin''s face, dark as a thundercloud ready to burst, Yue Ying sensed an air of profound mystery. Humans... are indeed full of deceivers. "Let''s start the next phase." Weslin waved his hand and left with some displeasure. He never imagined that the warriors under hismand would be so weak, incapable of even holding their ground against the enemy for five seconds. Nor did he expect this Elf Racedy to be so unforgiving, defeating each one with a single move, not granting a chance for a second strike. The only sessful one... on looking back, appeared more like charity. Feeling the full resentment of the departing enemy, Yue Ying narrowed her eyes, bing more convinced of her spection. Frustrated due to the exposure of the secret weapon? It seemed that warriors with talents simr to 95B27 abounded in their Artificial Human project? Being alone in human territory, facing these cunning beings from the rumors, she had to be as cautious as possible, always preparing for the worst! ... "Alright!" Wood bellowed, and despite feeling inwardly pleased, he still put on a stern face and coldlymanded, "95B27''s achievement is indeed remarkable, but his effort is also clear to all. I hope that within this team, no one drags another''s feet. For the physical training toe, I will not allow any single person to not cross the finish line!" ording to experience, nearly all the warriors would experience a physical breakthrough during the second physical training; consequently, even those who were wasteful in their physical exertion should be able to barely reach the finish line. "Begin training!" Bai E, without uttering a word, turned his head and followed the team as they set off. The final requirement for today''s physical training was to achieve at least a 0.3 breakthrough; he had only achieved 0.1. A higher starting point brought nothing but stricter demands, and he needed to work harder than others to earn the same improvement. The responsibility was great, and the journey long; he could not ck off even the slightest bit. And... it seemed the yer had been quiet for quite some time now. Were they resting? Resting was good; otherwise, every training session brought its own shock, and his heart couldn''t take it. Now Bai E''s attitude towards the yer was somewhat strange¡ª Afraid they wouldn''te, yet also afraid of their chaotic interference. He wished the yer''s ying schedule were like a regr person''s, handling missions at night, causing fewer disturbances during his daytime training... With mechanical movements, Bai followed the team starting to climb, lost in wild thoughts. He wondered how far the yer had progressed with their mission? He now had a Leave Camp Certificate and could leave the camp whenever, but obviously, it wouldn''t be good to leave several times in one day. It would be best to dispatch today''s mission quota while validating thepletion of the tasks. Inquiring Wood about the day''s training ns was Bai E looking for an opportunity to leave the camp. As for the yer, Bai E didn''t know if they had taken his advice to heart, to bring along more mischievous friends. Surely no yer was an orphan, ying the game all alone, right? No way, no way... ... "Goodbye, I need to go back to my mission." Kuang Xin felt he could no longer afford to waste time with a woman. Running back and forth with this woman on the charred streets had already squandered too much of his life. With this time, he could have chopped down several more trees, hehe! Gong Yan nced back, her peach blossom eyes rippling. "What, are you already tired of being with me?" "It''s not that..." Kuang Xin was at a loss for words, and it took him a while to clumsily object, "It''s mainly because these tasks are too tedious." Foraging in the fields, fishing in the sewers... This game wasn''t about reading progress bars; every activity required a hands-on experience. The rewards were meager, and the process was tedious. This kind of meticulous work wasn''t suited for him; he was more fitted for the straightforward tasks of chopping trees and fighting. "What about your food then?" Gong Yan twirled a key on her fingertip, leaning forwards as she spoke, her breath falling on Kuang Xin''s face, "Are you expecting me to feed you?" Kuang Xin remembered his original intention. He had followed this woman toplete missions for food. But... "But I didn''t expect these tasks to be so troublesome..." Kuang Xin said hesitantly, then his eyes lit up, "How about I buy from you?" "Buy? Do you have money?" "I''ll have bullets when Iplete the mission! I can sell them for money, or directly give them to you..." Gong Yan raised an eyebrow yfully, "You haven''tpleted it yet... trying to get credit?" "Or I can give you cash!" "You want my real-world contact info? You''re quite the schemer..." Flushed and embarrassed by Gong Yan''s words, Kuang Xin didn''t know how to respond and simply blurted out, "Then what do you propose?" "I don''t want your money." Gong Yan took several items wrapped in greaseproof paper from her bag and stretched out her hand towards Kuang Xin, "Here~" Seeing the girl''s blushing smile, Kuang Xin felt bewildered, "Wha... what does this mean?" The girl shook her head, hair swaying gently, her gaze never departing Kuang Xin''s eyes, "It''s just a little food. If you want it, I''ll give it to you~" "This..." "Go on, go on... I know you''ve been thinking about your trees. You go ahead, and once I''ve finished my current tasks, I''lle find you~" Chapter 28: Task 028 has been submitted "Mom... I think I''m in love." "Woman, don''t even think about corrupting my Dao heart!" "If we have a kid in the future, let''s go with her surname..." Kuang Xin had an unconscious smile on his lips as if he was falling in love while chopping down trees. The sound of rushing wind suddenly came from beside his ear, and without thinking, Kuang Xin reflexively swung his axe back in response. [Using a heavy weapon to attack and hit the target, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +1, Bullying Physique (Locked) unlock progress 13%.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 77/100, mastery of "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization" avable at 100 points.] [Hit the target, causing 3 points of damage!] [gue Rat (Mutated): Health 18/21; Defensive Power 5; Mobility 92%; Attack Power (Type: Piercing) 3~5; Traits: Tiny Size, Utter Madness...] Slow on the uptake, Kuang Xin learned from the panel what had just sneak-attacked him. However, when he turned around, he could no longer see even a shadow. Didn''t attract wolves, but instead attracted a rat? I''m just here chopping a tree, who did I provoke? Bet, once I finish chopping these trees, I''ll roast your entire n, arrgh! As for now... no time to chase. Killing a rat only yields two or threebat experience points, and they''re not easy to kill. Obviously, it''s a loss without a quest. Don''te anywhere near me! Carrying his increasingly worn-down axe, Kuang Xin pressed on with his struggle. All the other yers were striving in unknown corners; he absolutely couldn''t fall behind. "Heave-ho!" "Heave-ho!" [Your abilities have been honed after a long time of woodcutting, physical stamina +0.1.] ... [Your abilities have been honed after a long time of woodcutting, physical stamina +0.1.] With the deep use of physical strength, the "joy" that emerged from the deepest part of his body and soul whenever he neared his physical limit had Kuang Xin utterly hooked. The game''s sensory experience was almost no different from the real world. Exerting too much energy caused muscle soreness, yet oddly, this soreness didn''t make him want to ck off like in the real world. Instead, it made him feel "happy" and desirous of chasing after that feeling. Especially after exceeding limits and the sudden boost in attributes that followed felt like a wave of vigorous ecstasy. In this world,bor itself seemed to be a pleasure. If such a world really existed, then surely it must be heaven? Engrossed in random thoughts and dripping with sweat, Kuang Xin piled up the section of log he cradled in his arms with difficulty. Behind him, the repetitive actions had carved a shallow rut in the ground. Dusting off his hands, Kuang Xin ced his hands on his hips and looked at his creation before him with a touch of smug satisfaction. Twenty logs, mission aplished! [Would you like to submit the task?] Do I even have to say it? [Submit!] [Task has been submitted, awaiting verification...] Waiting... Waiting... Kuang Xin waited expectantly for a strong man to descend from the sky. Waiting... Waiting... Where the heck are you? Shouldn''t you have dropped down from the sky the moment I submitted the task? "Eh? So you''re here?" An excited voice came from the direction of the forest, and following the trail on the ground, two figures approached from afar. Hearing the familiar voice, Kuang Xin''s heart skipped a beat, and only then did he notice that behind Gong Yan followed another... man? "Still haven''t finished chopping... Do you need help?" Kuang Xin shook his head and casually waved his hand, "No need, it''s already done." While talking, Kuang Xin made eye contact with the man who hade with Gong Yan, smiled and nodded as a greeting. The other party''s face was calm, and when Kuang Xin greeted them, they responded with a slight purse of the lips. Gong Yan''s eyes swept over both of their faces and introduced them cheerfully. "Meet my friend, Dai." "This is Kuang Xin." Kuang Xin looked puzzled at the other person, "Dai?" Dai kept a cold expression, maintaining the persona of a cool and aloof handsome guy, "I''m a powerleveler." "There''s powerleveling in this game?" "...Previously." Gxy Online ounts were tied to individuals upon log-in, and the enhancement of abilities also required personal training. Both logging in from different locations and ying on behalf of others were difficult, effectively killing off the powerleveling industry. But there was no choice, the game squeezed out all other games on the market as soon as it appeared; what else could be done if not taking the opportunity to y the game? Putting aside the identity as a powerleveler, Dai Lian, himself, was also an avid game enthusiast. He had the skills and the strategy, and with strategy came skill. "I told him about the task you received, he''s quite interested." Gong Yan exined with a smiley face at the side. "Does Powerleveler Bro have any insights?" "No insights, your task has a pretty good reward, I think it''s a high priority." "Priority?" Dai Lian, with his arms crossed, remembered what Gong Yan, that kind-hearted fool, said about taking care of an even bigger fool in the game, and he started to detail his thoughts carefully. "I''ve taken many tasks and analyzed the difficultypared to the rewards. I''ve found that the game''s quest system is too rich, leaving us to make our own choices ¨C not all tasks are necessary to undertake. Some tasks'' rewards don''t match their difficulty; it''s best to just delete them. But some tasks are highly valuable, like the one you''re currently undertaking¡­" Kuang Xin was somewhat surprised by the other''s professionalism and muttered, "There''s always a time when a task ispleted... it''s not wrong to keep epting them." Dai Lian exined calmly, "It''s uncertain, but there is a limit to the number of tasks you can ept at the same time; taking on too many low-priority tasks can prevent you from epting new ones, and if by chance youe across a fleeting opportunity, it''s easy to miss out." "How do you delete tasks?" Kuang Xin pulled up his panel to try and experiment with Hans''s task, but he found that there was no option to delete a task. "You need to find the NPC who assigned the task and formally refuse it in person. It''s quite troublesome. So in the future, you should apply your own judgment when epting tasks." "I see¡­" Kuang Xin nodded, feeling as though he had learned something new. He then reacted, "But I went through a lot of effort to take on this task; of course, it''s a good one." Dai Lian looked at Kuang Xin''s disheveled state and nodded sincerely, "I can tell." Gong Yan, who had been quiet until now, asked softly, "So right now you are..." Dai quickly replied, "Waiting for the NPC toe and check." ? Kuang Xin looked at Dai Lian in surprise, realizing that Powerleveler Bro really knew his stuff. Dai Lian frowned, touching the wood in front of him, "The realism of this game is overdone, actually not so great for our gaming experience..." Kuang Xin, who had been bored of waiting, instinctively countered, "I think it''s okay... it''s quite interesting, and it''s a good chance to take a break." Gong Yan also nodded in agreement, "asional waiting can be nice, too." "..." Dai Lian''s gaze swept over the two of them, and a hint of resignation shed in his eyes. Wasting time. But... foolishness is kind of cute, too. He''ll just wait with them then... ¡­ [Reward from themission: Your physical strength +0.2.] [Reward from themission: Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +5.] [Current Heavy Weapon Specialization experience is 23/300. When it reaches 300 points, you can master "Level 2 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] [Reward from themission: Logging experience +15.] [Current Logging experience is 27/100. When it reaches 100 points, you can master "Level 1 Logging".] ¡­ [Themission you posted ¡ª "Materials Needed for Repairs" has been submitted, please proceed to the inspection as soon as possible.] Chapter 29: 029 goes out to camp "How many breakthroughs has he actually made?" "It feels like he should havepleted today''s training objectives already, right?" "Where is the limit of 95B27?" When all his synthetic peers were worn out and had fallen, there was still one figure moving towards the distant horizon as if tireless. Incline... rings... The obstacles that stopped Bai E in the morning''s fitness training failed to halt his progress this time. The effort from the yer,bined with his natural talents, gave him more stamina than he had in the morning. Task feedback notifications popped up on the panel from time to time, but the frequency was much lowerpared to the night and early morning. It seemed the weapon mastery experience yers could gain from repetitive simple actions was getting lower and lower, just as it had with his previous shooting training. However, he never neglected physical training. Not only were the initial physical attributes of synthetic soldiers easily improved through exercise, but it seemed that the yers were also the same. Just from the task of chopping wood alone, Bai E had gained 0.6 in physical growth through the task''s feedback. One night plus one morning, it felt... even more efficient than the training of synthetic soldiers like them. Is it the privilege of the yers? Damned privileged dogs! Bai E struggled to expend his energy while thoughts ran wild in his mind. With "self-restraint" now in ce, the fatigue brought on by physical training only affected his body; his spirit was free to choose whether or not to be influenced by "fatigue." This undoubtedly greatly reduced the pain he experienced while pushing his limits. When his body reached its limit again, the news of a breakthrough naturally followed. [You have surpassed your own limits during strenuous exercise, physical fitness +0.1, reflex +0.1.] Not every new soldier had a breakthrough every time they pushed their limits. But amid the continuous addition of new strength midway through, Bai E''s exploration of limits was longer and more thorough, resulting in superior training effects on his body, making self-breakthroughs only natural. [You have achieved a self-breakthrough, "Side Task - Physical Training" progress 0.2/0.3.] ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +3.] The fanboys sent up their respectful gaze. "Huff~" "It''s time to eat, it''s time to eat!" Seeing that Bai E had finally touched down, Wood pped his hands, calling the warriors who had rested for quite a while to head to the mess hall for a meal. What''s familiar bes easy. He was no longer surprised by such achievements from Bai E. He even wondered if there had been a mistake in recording his talents and specialties. With the current technological means of humanity, the detectable states of a warrior''s body are only the basic three-dimensional attributes¡ªphysical fitness, insight, reflex. Everything else had to be felt by the warriors themselves, and mistakes weremon. But none of that mattered. As fearless warriors, killing the enemy for the survival of humanity was theirrgest and only mission. Where the ability to kill came from... no one cared. Oh... maybe the people at the Science Academy cared, but no one cared whether they did or didn''t. After all, they were just synthetic beings. ... The military mess hall. The sounds of swallowing mash echoed one after another, as the intense physical training had drained every bit of energy from the warriors. Although the body''s backup action mechanism would convert some energy for movement during rest, their bodies had never craved nutritional intake as they did at this moment. Feeling the fullness of a hearty meal, Bai E also couldn''t help but feel joy. It was at this moment that the taskpletion pending inspection notification stealthily lit up on his panel. Bai E casually let his gaze drift away from the pale blue panel that had suddenly lit up in front of him due to the yer''s submission of the quest and gently stood up. "Not eating anymore? Dinner is a long way off..." The muscr warrior who had chosen the name Stone for himself asked, looking puzzled at Bai E''s figure. Bai E wiped his mouth expressionlessly, "Excessive eating will affect one''s ability to move..." With that, he turned and stepped out. There was one hour of rest at noon, during which most warriors could take the opportunity to rest their weary bodies and minds. He had originally nned to enjoy a good nap after lunch, but it looked like there was no time for that now. He had been a yer too and understood the eagerness of yers to receive their rewards afterpleting a task. Disappointing yers was clearly not something a qualified NPC should do. ... "You''re saying you spent 100 ck Water Coins for this piece of information?" "Of course! Could I not see the bullets were way above the market price? The game is fair; if it screws me over on one side, it''ll definitelypensate on another." Full of confidence, Kuang Xin believed his more than ten years of gaming experience wouldn''t lead him astray. Dai Lian nodded, offering no contradiction. "Maybe that''s the case." Considering that yers are not ones to easily ept losses, many games often hidepensating opportunities behind seemingly unfair choices. Although the information he had gathered so far in "Gxy Online" suggested that the behaviors of the characters in the game seemed closer to those of real people, perhaps the game''s underlying mechanics had taken this into consideration as well. It was hard to imagine how the game creators managed this, but until more information was collected, past gaming experience was always worth referencing. "Hey~ someone''sing over, is it him?" The usually quiet Gong Yan suddenly pointed at a ck dot appearing in the distance and asked. Kuang Xin squinted, striving to see into the distance, but found everything blurred and unclear. The power-leveling brother nodded, "Wearing military uniform, it should be him." "You can see that far?" "I mainly invested in insight..." "Oh~" Bai E had already slowed his pace from afar, trying his best to steady his breathing. In order not to attract attention, he had chosen a verification location as far away as possible from human settlements and army barracks, even avoiding any ce where humans might appear. So, naturally, he was nearing nature... and quite a distance from the barracks. To minimize the yers'' waiting time, he had run all the way from the camp. It was only as he approached that he slowed down. He didn''t know what image he projected in the eyes of the yers. Having never even seen a mirror until now, he didn''t even know what his current appearance looked like. But he knew that if he wanted to interact with these yers, who had 99 pounds of rebelliousness in a 100-pound body, he needed to establish an authoritative image from the start that would prevent anyone from daring to act rashly. Otherwise, it would be quite troublesome to have groups of five yers constantlying up and causing trouble. With steady and powerful steps, Bai E arrived in front of the three waiting yers. His gaze swept over the twenty pieces of wood stacked only twoyers high and then locked onto Kuang Xin among the three, his face showing a look of satisfaction. "Very well done. Not everyone is qualified to work for us; you''ve proven your ability." Chapter 30: What does running a ring task mean? [Side Quest ¡ª Repair Necessities, Completed!] [Reward: Technology Points*1, Fine Brass Bullets (Handgun Ammo)*25, issued.] Compared to the rewards delivered to the system backpack, the words of this NPC seemed even more pleasing. Not everyone was qualified to work for them, and himself... was undoubtedly one of the best. Kuang Xin''s face showed a restrained smile, and the immersion of the game made him subconsciously bow slightly, nodding in acknowledgment. "It''s an honor to work for you, my lord." Bai E nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the wood materials, then said, "You did well, but this alone is far from enough, would you be willing to gather more resources for me?" [Continuation ofmission temte, publish?] [No.] Bai E, seeing the unabashed scrutiny of himself by two yers standing beside Kuang Xin, changed his mind on the spot. [Item reward increased to: Fine Brass Bullets (Handgun Ammo)*27.] A... loop quest. The more times a quest waspleted, the richer the rewards would be. Any yer would be familiar with this sort of system. Moreover, this kind of umtion also created an illusion of sunk costs for the yers. If something were to happen to him, all their previous efforts on his behalf would vanish into thin air, all efforts wasted. A rational yer wouldn''t want to see that happen. [Publish!] ... [Side Quest ¡ª Repair Necessities triggered.] Kuang Xin nced over... Subconsciously feeling something was amiss. He looked over again... Hmm? 27 bullets? The reward, it increased? "Holy shit!" Bai E no longer paid him any attention, instead turning to thoroughly inspect the quality of the wood materials. He had to give yers time tomunicate, not beg them to do the work. ... ncing at the NPC''s back, Dai Lian whispered to Kuang Xin. "Are the rewards issued?" Kuang Xin looked at the 25 bullets in the system backpack, then at the 27 bullets indicated as the task reward, and just nodded back, "Issued!" "Let me have a look." Facing Dai Lian''s outstretched hand, Kuang Xin didn''t think twice before taking out one of the reward bullets and handing it over. [Fine Brass Bullet - Quality: Green] [Basic Parameters: Handgun ammo, Attack Power Modifier +3] [Usage Requirement: Compatible with handguns.] [Trait: High precision mass production, exquisite craftsmanship, strict quality inspection, shooting uracy +6%.] "Exactly!" Dai Lian''s eyes lit up at the bullet''s attributes. "What''s up?" Gong Yan timely asked from the side. "Take a look." Dai Lian passed the bullet directly to Gong Yan''s hand, "This isn''t the same stuff we''re using. I figured this wasn''t for nothing." "Huh?" The still-delighted Kuang Xin expressed his confusion with a puzzled sound. What the heck was the power leveler thinking? "Money! Can ordinary, inferior bullets and these exquisite, perfect bullets be the same price? We can totally sell the quest bullets and buy the cheap, normal ones instead, at least doubling our profit! That''s the real value of this quest reward." "Is that necessary..." Kuang Xin, who had already seen the bullet properties, felt disdainful. Selling and buying, how troublesome, plus good bullets inflict more damage, one shot one young wolf down. Gaga fierce! "You understand..." Dai Lian nced at Kuang Xin and, considering the other was a bit of a simpleton, his tone instantly softened, "It''s not about the harm. What we need most right now is all sorts of experience, and more bullets will undoubtedly give us the chance to gain more proficiency experience. Early in the game, leveling up is far more important than pursuing extreme damage." "..." It seemed to make sense. It turned out the power-leveler really had some tricks up his sleeve, Kuang Xin admitted to himself with admiration. Gong Yan looked at him with a sort of reverence, "You''re really amazing." Dai Lian''s expression remainedposed, unaffected by praise or scorn, "Go find him and ept the task quickly, this reward is substantial." "Okay!" Kuang Xin volunteered eagerly, "I''ll introduce you guys." "Sir..." Kuang Xin approached Bai E, hesitating before speaking out. Bai E turned slowly, his expression calm, "You don''t need to call me sir, we''re all working for humanity, we are like-mindedrades." I''m here for the orc sisters... Kuang Xin kept in mind the original purpose of ying the game, but at this moment, he held back his retort, "Sir, you mentioned earlier that your ns required more hands, I''ve brought twopanions today... What do you think?" Bai E''s gaze swept over the two of them, his tone low, "Since they arepanions you''ve introduced, they must be reliable." ... [Side quest triggered¡ªExpel the Wolf Pack.] [Side quest triggered¡ªMaintenance Required.] Five tasks for three people. Unfortunately, Kuang Xin wasn''t diligent enough, his task to kill the wolves was still iplete, so he missed out on onebat mission. With the quota reached, a weight lifted off Bai E''s heart. These tasks were like daily quests, with limited resources avable each day he felt uneasy if they weren''tpleted. It was ironic how he used to be preupied withpleting tasks in games every day, and now, being yed by the game, he still had to worry about issuing tasks every day... It was rathermentable. Having dispensed the tasks, Bai E looked at the three before him and, pointing to the woodpile by his side with a stern expression, spoke, "Perhaps you may bring me these precious resources amidst the circling wolves, but don''t forget that driving away the wolf pack is also a serious responsibility. Any potential threat to humankind must be nipped in the bud." Bai E''s steady tone made Kuang Xin subconsciouslyply, his military uniform undoubtedly reinforcing this impression. "Yes, Sir!" Bai E gave a gentle smile, "You''re not my soldier, no need for saluting... Besides, your form is incorrect." While speaking, Bai E''s tone paused for emphasis, keeping a firm control over his inflection, "Also, in the future, the time for me to inspect the resources will always be at this time, you only have one chance per day, so pay attention to the time." It was during mealtime, maximizing time management to the extreme. As for nighttime... Night was too dangerous. He didn''t have the immortality of a yer right now, and at night, when nature was closest, he kept a respectful distance from such wilderness. After concluding, Bai E turned and left, decisively and without dy. His figure was rigid, meticulous in every detail. Watching the soldier''s retreating figure, Dai Lian stroked his chin, his eyes reflecting some confusion. "I feel... there''s something off about this NPC." From their first meeting, Dai Lian''s professional instincts had been sounding rms. In that brief interaction, he had intuitively detected something amiss. But... what exactly could it be? Staring at the ground in front of him, Dai Lian fell into deep thought. Hearing Dai Lian''s mutterings, Kuang Xin was a bit puzzled. "What''s strange about it, isn''t it just an NPC?" An NPC that gives out tasks is a good NPC. Plus, this soldier was efficient and decisive in his actions. Most importantly, the tasks were rewarding, earning his favor. "I also don''t see any issue, there seems to be a heroic aura about him..." Gong Yan Shi tapped her chin, her gaze slightly unfocused as she recalled carefully. Everything he said was for humanity, his tone sinct and powerful, yet without losing a humorous charm. In her eyes, an unexpected sense of loneliness, the gravitas of bearing secrets, and a hint of mystery wrapped around the disciplined face of the soldier, endowing him with the charisma of heroes stepping straight out of legends. "It''s the location!" Dai Lian narrowed his eyes, his right foot lightly tapping the ground, "There''s something wrong with this ce, why would he choose to check on the task requirements here?" Chapter 31: 031 Show ones true colors "Location?" Kuang Xin looked around in confusion, the vigorous forest growing wildly not far away, human buildings towering in the distance, the t ck earth beneath their feet stretching to the horizon, emanating a natural wildness with no sign of having been cultivated. "What could possibly be wrong with this ce?" "It''s too far." Dai Lian''s tone was firm; he had carefully read the task''s description, and if it was supplies needed by the barracks, this should not be the chosen delivery location. It was too far from the barracks. Could it be that they were considerate of theirbor capacity? If so, they might as well be closer to the forest... It could only be... a private job? In the limited time avable to y in this game, his way of thinking had already adapted to that of Gxy World, due to the immersive experience of the game and the realism exhibited by those NPCs. The actions of all NPCs here are never aimless; behind every move, there is an inevitable and absolute reason. By grasping these details, one might uncover opportunities that other yers have not realized. The most important thing is... trying doesn''t cost a thing. Kuang Xin''s brain raced, "So it''s not something the barracks want?" This big brother, you wouldn''t want others in the barracks to know about your private jobs, right? I could keep your secret for a lifetime! Such thoughts popped into Kuang Xin''s mind in a sh, "I wonder if it''s possible to threaten an NPC..." Dai nodded, "Of course you can, I''ve tried it." "..." Kuang Xin looked at Dai Lian''s calm face, taking a step back in reverence. Bro! You truly are a bro! "So we..." "Profit." Dai Lian looked at the timber on the ground, "Generally speaking, those who engage in shady dealings tend to offer us more advantages. Moreover, we know nothing about his identity, and it''s not easy to provide evidence; even if we wanted to report him, we likely wouldn''t know how." As for what shady dealings themselves mean in this world... What do we yers have to fear? "The only point is, we can''t be kept in the dark..." Gong Yan highlighted Dai Lian''s thoughts. "Exactly! Next time we meet, we can look for an opportunity to proactively probe." Details are important. If enough details are observed and the argument is logical, those NPCs will also take corresponding actions. The NPC that Dai Lian had threatened had done just that. "That''s settled then." "Oh, right..." Kuang Xin recalled something, "How much was your task reward?" "10 and 25 bullets, why do you ask?" Kuang Xin blinked, "I just took ''Maintenance Required,'' 27 bullets..." In an instant, Dai Lian''s eyes lit up fiercely, "Chain quests!" As the number ofpleted tasks increased, so did the rewards. He was all too familiar with this pattern! "The rewards actually increase?" The original reward of 25 bullets already seemed like a prime task to him, but now... "I wonder how long we can do it for..." "Is it calcted by time or by the number of cycles?" The three of them exchanged nces quietly, suddenly thrilled. Gong Yan turned her head slightly, her voice raspy and deep, "Then what are we waiting for, let''s get started?" Dai Lian looked at Kuang Xin''s right hand, "Where''d you get the axe from?" "...Stole it." "..." After a slight hesitation, Dai Lian decided, "Then let''s go exchange for bullets first, and we''ll start with the ''Expel the Wolf Pack'' task." "But I''m already on the second cycle of tree chopping," Kuang Xin voiced his confusion. "Both!" Dai Lian was resolute, "Don''t forget what he just said, we only have one chance to meet each day. The implication is most likely that each task can only be published once a day, and as these are both daily tasks, we definitely need to do both of them. Before hees to check, let''splete the other task that doesn''t require verification, so we can free up the slot to take on new tasks." Dai''s line of thinking was clear, and Kuang Xin suddenly felt that his previously instinctive and chaotic thoughts had be lucid. "Alright then, I''ll go exchange the bullets for some inferior quality ones," "Hold on!" "Hold on!" Watching Gong Yan and Dai Lian speak in unison, Kuang Xin was a bit stunned. "What''s up?" Gong Yan shed a smile. "You''ve been chopping trees for so long, you must be tired. Take this chance to rest. If you trust us, you can leave the bullets with Dai, and he can go exchange them while we wait here for him," "Oh~" She''s so considerate~ I''m gonna cry! And there''s even a chance to be alone... Kuang Xin promptly took out his bullets, each set of ten wrapped in a special greaseproof paper, a total of two and a half sets, and handed them over to Dai Lian, "Here you go!" "Off you go, and be quick about it~" Gong Yan and Dai Lian exchanged knowing nces. If Kuang Xin were to exchange the bullets himself, he might very well end up with a one-to-one resentment. "Don''t worry." The voice of Dai Lian was gentle, reassuring that, when it came down to it, he could rely on himself. Watching Dai Lian''s retreating figure, Kuang Xin asked casually, as if he didn''t care, "How do you know each other?" Gong Yan suddenly leaned in close, tilting her head up to lock eyes with Kuang Xin, her peach blossom eyes fluttering, a direct gaze into the soul. "Why? Are you jealous?" Kuang Xin''s heart skipped a beat and he instinctively avoided her gaze, "No... not at all..." "Silly~" "Huh?" Kuang Xin''s eyes were clouded with confusion, his gaze swung back seeking an exnation, but he found she had already turned away with her hands behind her back. What does she mean? What on earth does she mean? ... "I''m back." Dai Lian returned quickly. Carrying a small box filled with bullets, Dai Lian handed them all back to Kuang Xin, "75 bullets, count them." Three to one! Although he hadn''t been in Gxy World for very long, his connections were clearly nothing Kuang Xin couldpare with. 25 exquisite brass bullets had been exchanged for 75 inferior bullets. The actual disparity in worth between the two, it seemed, was considered even greater than their cost of production in the eyes of those local toughs. Carrying the box and feeling its hefty weight, Kuang Xin grinned foolishly, "No need, no need... Hey, aren''t you going to take some?" Gong Yan waved her hand dismissively, "No need, you use them for now. If we run short, we''ll ask you for more." With that, she beckoned towards the forest and dered with vigor, "Let''s go!" "Are we going straight to kill the wolves? Is the damage from our three guns enough?" "The firearms'' DPS might not be enough, but don''t we have traps?" Dai Lian was unfazed. To him, in the game, there was only what he wanted to do and what he didn''t, nothing he couldn''t do. "Huh?" Dai Lian pulled out an entrenching tool from the canvas bag he''d been carrying on his back all this time, "No worries, just follow my lead." Leading a levelling party... a familiar feeling. Dai Lian took a deep breath, his professional ethics driving him to be thoroughly proficient. "I''ll dig the trapster, you go find the wolves'' trail. Once we''re ready, you''ll lure the wolves into the traps. After they''re trapped, we''ll suppress them with firepower. Now that we''re not short on bullets, we can empty them first and then switch to melee for the kill," Pausing briefly, Dai Lian added, "Of course, some unexpected situations might arise during the execution of the n, so at that time, follow mymands. Now, let''s get moving." ... [Sessfully crafted a small batch of minor items, skill *Crafting Experience +2.] [Current Crafting Experience 2/100, at 100 points you will master "Level 1 Crafting."] [Sharp Wooden Spikes: Arranging them together might have some special effects...] ... [Sessfully set up a trap, knowledge *Trapping Experience +2.] [Current Trapping Experience 34/100, at 100 points you will master "Level 1 Trapping."] [Simple Trap: Movement of "medium-small sized" creatures falling into the trap will be greatly restricted, receiving 2 points of "Piercing" damage per second.] ... [You are using your Hole Insight ability to observe and track your target''s trail...] The three of them each focused on their tasks. Chapter 32: 032 100m Moving Target [Feedback from themission: Handcrafting experience +18.] [Current handcrafting experience 18/100, mastering "Level 1 Handcrafting" upon reaching 100 points.] [Feedback from themission: Trapping experience +5.] [Current trapping experience 5/100, mastering "Level 1 Trapping" upon reaching 100 points.] [Feedback from themission: Insight +0.1.] What sort of imagination are the yers using? Traps? nning to trap a pack of wolves? Bai E felt some relief; it seemed his previous admonitions had been heard. The method doesn''t matter as much as the execution. "Focus!" As piercing as an eagle''s gaze, the moment Bai E became lost in thought, the stern-faced instructor rebuked him. "I know you stood out in this morning''s training, but do not forget the duties you are responsible for on the battlefield. As a sniper, you need to provide appropriate fire support to allrades in need! Not only for your squad, but for everyone within your range. Hence, constant, concentrated attention is essential." Bai E''s face became serious and he saluted sharply in response, "Yes, sir!" The instructor, with three silver stars on his shoulder, nced indifferently at Bai E''s figure and said nothing more. He had volunteered to be the instructor for this group of artificial human soldiers... or more specifically, Bai E''s instructor. He was well aware of what had happened in the morning. In his opinion, the only possibility for achieving such results in the physical tests was clear¡ª These dimwits had once again muddled their innate talents. He had the records of Bai E''s initial performance with firearms right out of the cultivation chamber in his hands. 11 points in physique, 10 points in insight, 10 points in reflex, these were obviously the stats of cannon fodder talent. A true sniper should have unique advantages in either senses or reflexes, and his initial shooting scores were not particrly impressive either. The old team leader was too hasty... cing him directly into the special forces with such results could easily provoke criticism from political rivals. He had to correct this mistake. Either show enough strength or... start from the bottom in a junior squad. After ncing at Bai E''s straight posture onest time, the instructor paced lightly in front of the group of 20 artificial human soldiers. "Today, your training is about rapid-response shooting." Simply put, moving targets. The instructor casually picked up a rifle nearby and pressed a switch. About a hundred meters away, three objects of different speeds were suddenlyunched from different directions. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunfire merged into a continuous echo, with the rapid and brisk sounds of full-auto mode, the three hit objects shattered into pieces in mid-air. After the simple demonstration, the instructor turned back and his gaze swept across each of the 20 artificial human soldiers who were watching him. "See that? That is your training for today, hitting the moving targets before they touch the ground. Completing all three hits counts as one set, and each of you mustplete at least 10 sets... Remember, you only have 2 hours. Compared to ordinary soldiers, you consume more of the city''s resources, so you also have to bear a more severe responsibility." His tone lightened slightly, the instructor''s gaze finally rested on Bai E. As an instructor, he had just a bit of privilege to give special attention. "As for you, as punishment for your distraction just now, and upon the special force''s request..." The instructor stretched out his right hand, "50 sets!" [Side quest triggered - Shooting] [Shooting: You are actively challenging your limits. A 100-meter moving target is rtively difficult. Quest requirements: Complete effective shooting 0/50 sets. Quest reward: Universal experience +50. Countdown: 1 hour 59 minutes 59 seconds.] Bai E''s face was expressionless as he loudly replied, "Understood, sir!" "Very good." Overestimating one''s abilities. Butmendable for its bravery. This was the first time Carlos felt a hint of satisfaction with this special case artificial human soldier. "Now, begin the training!" Bai E picked up the rifle and went to his shooting position. This was also a shooting range, justrger and more versatile. Once the switch was pressed, after a 3-second dy provided to prepare, three moving targets would beunched. During the instructor''s shooting, Bai E had already observed the characteristics of the moving targets. Their speeds varied, their sizes uneven; in short, there was no clear pattern to rely upon. The only trick is to finish all the shots within 3 seconds. The time it took for the slowest moving target to beunched and hit the ground was about 3 seconds. ``` Complete three effective shots within 3 seconds, yet the burst mode of the recruits'' rifles assigned to us has a firing rate of only 1.2 rounds per second, leaving very little room for error. As for the automatic mode... with a higher firing ratees greater recoil and harder-to-control trajectories, clearly not something that the new artificial humans can handle. Clearly, all the training objectives set by the instructors have been honed through abination of past experience and precise calctions. Compared to the new recruits'' test, changing from fifty meters to a hundred, from stationary to moving targets, the difficulty has increased by leaps and bounds. Bai E took a deep breath and activated "self-restraint". The excitement and tremble in his body faced with the challenge calmed down, and the confusion towards the unknown was suppressed. All for the sake of achieving the goal. He pressed the switch. 3... 2... 1... Three targets shot out in different directions, each tracing a different trajectory through the air. Bai E, concentrating intently, naturally visualized their uing paths of movement in his eyes. Three clear parabs intersected in his view. Bai E raised his rifle and fired. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" [Sessfully hit moving target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +2.](Stacked) [Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 139/1000...] Off by one? Bai E, having put down his rifle, had a slightly focused look in his eyes. This unexpected feeling... quite simple? All the various abilities on the panel are numbers, and their effects seem to be some kind of instinct, Bai E had no idea to what extent his current abilities could take him. It just felt like the moving targets at 100 meters... weren''t that difficult. ... "Click!" The flint sparked, and kerosene blossomed with an acrid scent. Carlos lit a cigar, waiting for a good show. The awkwardness of the new recruits always brought joy, as if seeing oneself in younger days. So far, very few new recruits had managed toplete the shooting objectives on time during their first training. How difficult it was toplete three effective shots within 3 seconds? As soon as the moving targets wereunched, one had to react quickly to their source and decide the shooting order ¨C that was the function of the "Reflex" attribute, determining how much time could be saved for the actual shooting. The "Insight" attribute then determined the observation of dynamic vision, along with the prediction of the trajectories and spatial imagination capabilities, mostly a manifestation of mathematical thinking, which was the most important part of the process. Only after thesees the actual execution of shooting, which is the control over the firearm itself, such as proficiency in shooting skills. Abination of these three abilities,plementing each other, is what it takes to achieve the final goal of three effective shots within 3 seconds. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The intermittent gunshots rose chaotically, as theunched targets flew all over the sky. asionally, Target disturbed by a bullet''s trajectory looked like a miracle. No new recruits had managed toplete even a single set of effective shots at the beginning of their initial training, let alone 50... "Hiss~" Hot hot hot! Carlos was startled as the cigarette end burned his mouth; he paid no heed to the cigar, only his gaze shockingly fixed on the field. All hits? No, one was missed. But it grazed the edge. An early anticipation by just a hair''s breadth led to a near miss. Was it skill or luck? Looking at that exception pondering something, Carlos''s look was uncertain. It should... be luck, right? ``` Chapter 33: Difficulty Increase Try again. Bai E pressed the switch, slowed his breathing to prevent significant shaking of his body. The moment the three moving targets wereunched from different locations than before, Bai E''s mind naturally outlined three parabs, each with a different function. The humidity of the air, the flight time of the bullet, the point of impact... These pieces of information were instantlyputed like instinct by the Light Firearms Specialization. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The three gunshots were rhythmically consistent. The slowest moving target was hit by an overwhelming force just at the edge ofnding, instantly blowing apart. [Sessful hits on several fast-moving targets, Light Firearms Mastery experience +5. (Cumtive)] [Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 144/1000...] [You havepleted a perfect shot, "Sub-mission¡ªShooting" progress 1/50.] "One set..." Bai E thought to himself. 50 sets? Does that require 2 hours? Including the time to reload, it wouldn''t even take 10 minutes, right... No wonder the reward for this mission doesn''t seem very impressive? Turns out it''s just too easy... But the experience Bai earned was definitely worth taking. Continue! Bai E steadied the rifle and opened fire again. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Every 3 seconds, three continuous shots were heard. Not a single miss. Watching Bai Eplete hit after hit in each set, Carlos rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again... How... how is that possible? Look again... After multiple observations, he noticed a pattern. Every shot at thest target was at its limit, almost skimming the ground beforending. Reflexes barely keeping up, at the level of an ordinary person... His judgment of the moving targets'' trajectory was quite urate, his level of insight appeared to be somewhat high, at least not what those closebat cannon fodder would have. Isn''t he supposed to have a physical condition of 11 and insight of 10 points? Last but not least... his shooting uracy was astonishing, hitting whatever he aimed at. His Light Firearms Specialization ability was exceptionally good. Carlos was not a machine, the minute differences that the attributes decimals represented were hard to discern with the naked eye and could only be judged by experience. This recruit... the three core skills affecting shooting weren''t bad. Decent reflexes, decent insight, plus excellent specialization skills,bined, made the seemingly tough training objectives seem like child''s y to him. Still, it seemed a bit odd... he shouldn''t be having such an easy time by logic. Narrowing his eyes, Carlos stepped forward. The old team leader was indeed extraordinary, with exceptional vision. Regardless of how this new synthetic human managed to do it, at this moment, he acknowledged this soldier who had been specially allowed to join the special forces squad... Therefore, the demands would only be higher. The military camp is not a school, training objectives that are easily met mean there is no training effect. If you want to improve your capabilities, you must challenge the limits that are beyond your reach! "Stop for a moment." "Four sets..." Just as Bai E was about to press the moving targetunch switch, he heard a voice from behind. This time, it seemed to carry a bit of warmth. "This presents no challenge to you." Bai E gently set down the rifle he was holding, puzzled by the instructor who had just seemed somewhat hostile, so he simply responded vaguely, "Hmm." "The ultimate goal of your training is to enhance your personal abilities, which is crucial to whether you can kill the enemy and survive on the battlefield," With a different mindset, the way of expressing changes naturally, Carlos patiently exined the reason, "A target without training effectiveness is meaningless, let me change your shootingne." Bai E paused for a moment, as if toprehend the meaning in his words, and after a short while, he nodded and said, "Okay." [Side Mission¡ªShooting, information has changed.] [Shooting: You actively challenge your limits, and the 200-meter moving target is more difficult. Mission requirements: Complete 0/10 sets of effective shots. Missionpletion rewards: Light Firearms Specialization level +1, up to level 3, Universal Experience +300. Countdown: 1 hour 56 minutes 38 seconds.] "The distance has been increased a bit, and there are more variables. Although you might think it''s a bit unfair, I still hope you canplete 10 sets just like them." "Yes!" Watching Bai E''s expressionless profile, Carlos patted his shoulder and ultimately fell silent. Only after Carlos''s footsteps were gone did Bai E breathe a sigh of relief. The appearance of the mission prompt was undoubtedly good news for him; training is training, and an extra gain is always more security for his life. However, for the sake of his own safety, he needed some camouge... at least in this military camp. Standing out in action had be inevitable; this is a world where one must undergo extreme training to improve personal abilities. If one wants to advance, they must challenge their limits. And to prepare for the uing battlefield, he would not give up any opportunity to enhance his skills. Surpassing the performance of other artificial persons would certainly draw more attention. A personage who is silent, in in character, but somewhat yearning for the outside world in his heart might relieve some trouble for himself. He wanted to appear as harmless as possible; it might significantly reduce the chance of being dissected. And wherever you are, there are factional conflicts; the previous recruit shooting test had already revealed a glimpse of this. An outstandingly reliable soldier might just keep the military''s people from the ws of scientific researchers for him. Being conscious in this game was starting in hell. Without training, you die on the battlefield; with training, you get dissected. Bai E still hoped to have some control in his hands, no matter where he was, since only strength is the capital to stir things up. Once he had umted enough power, even if things escted beyond control, he might have the chance to violently break the situation. Suppressing these thoughts, Bai E refocused his attention on the present. Every training session, every mission, was a small umtion. Rivers flow into the sea... 200 meters¡ªthe increase in distance meant a linear increase in difficulty. Not to mention anything else, just the flight time of the bullets would be a little bit longer. His previous shooting, while stable, was always at the limit. Now? This limit might well be the boundary ofpleting effective shots. The pressure is on, wow! After pressing theunch switch, Bai E raised the gun and fired. Although the difficulty had increased, the ability to shoot had already be instinctual. The premise being to leave the hit rate aside... [Sessfully hit the target, Light Firearms Mastery Experience +1.] [Current Light Firearms Mastery Experience 156/1000...] "Just hit one?" Bai E thought to himself as he rested the gun''s barrel. Indeed, with the distance changed, everything had to change. The deviation of the bullet''s trajectory, the anticipation required for prediction, the difficulty of capturing the target''s path, and making judgments... Try again. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" [Sessfully hit the target, Light Firearms Mastery Experience +2.] (Stacked) [Current Light Firearms Mastery Experience 158/1000...] ... [Sessfully hit the target, Light Firearms Mastery Experience +2.] (Stacked) [Current Light Firearms Mastery Experience 166/1000...] ... Indeed, being fully focused made it possible and quite easy to hit two targets, but the third... entirely out of time. Need... to be a bit faster. Gather information faster, judge faster, act faster! Faster! Faster! Faster! Chapter 34: 034 Fierce Battle! "What happened?" "Are they targeting our Bai?" From a distance, no one knew the difference between the shooting requirements of Group 50 and Group 10, but the change from a 100-meter target to a 200-meter target was obvious to everyone. The observant Dashan and You, along with two others, were somewhat anxious, not knowing what had unfolded. Song Ying squinted his eyes, and even with aposed tone, was somewhat uncertain, "Maybe the instructor thinks his ability is decent?" As the team''s covering fire, his level of insight was undoubtedly the highest in the group. Even from a distance, he could roughly make out from the chaotic moving targets that Bai''s hit rate was not on the same level as his peers. Higher demands to challenge the limits seemed reasonable. But... moving targets at 200 meters. Even for himself at present, perhaps he couldn''t hit every single one, could he? Was this training difficulty a bit too high? A target that is too high to reach, just like one that can be easily achieved, is meaningless. ... "Still forced it..." The figure in the ck robe quietly watched the human warrior who had been performing brilliantly, a hint of resignation flickering in his calm eyes. A difference of a few tenths of a second seemed to be an insurmountable chasm. At 150 meters, perhaps one could still try hard, but at 200 meters, the moving targets were, at this stage, an impossible goal for that artificial human no matter what. This warrior might excel among his peers, but fortunately, he had not yet broken free from his own worldview. That was a relief... [Feedback from themission: Stealth experience +8.] [Feedback from themission: Trap experience +8.] [Feedback from themission: Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] [Feedback from¡­] ??? "Bang!" Bai E''s wrist flicked, and the bullet trajectory headed straight for Syria. ... "Lure them over! Quick, lure them over!" Kuang Xin, seeing the girl not far away stick her head out and beckon, was hopping mad. "Damn, I forgot where the traps are!" After discovering the wolf pack''s tracks, he did his best to sneak back to where Dai had set the traps without drawing the attention of those vicious wolves. Under Dai Lian''s meticulous nning, Kuang Xin had memorized the route to lure the enemy while avoiding every single trap. But now, in his urgency... Quan Jibai had forgotten! Especially since in this game, life was extremely precious, Kuang Xin had no desire to remake lightly. But the wolves following close behind would not give Kuang Xin a moment''s respite, their agile ck bodies moving faster than the wind, their ws aimed straight for his back. The ground-shakingmotion instinctively filled Gong Yan with fear, and despite knowing it was just a game, the realistic immersion caused her to tremble uncontrobly, her face turning pale as death, "How many did you even bring?" Dai Lian was, after all, Dai, with solid professional standards. Though he, too, felt fear, he was more rational, knowing that he was simply within a game, his entire being focused solely on the thought of clearing the level, "21...ing this way!" Perhaps the wolf pack would follow Kuang Xin and take the same detour, but it didn''t matter; he would intervene. As long as they came this way, he could do his utmost to attract the attention of the wolves and lead them into the abyss of death. It might be dangerous, but racing against death was undoubtedly a thrill only humans could experience in games. It''s just a game, be bold. The stench almost grazed his neck, Kuang Xin''s limbs filled with blood; he ran for his life. The remnants of his sanity made him avoid the traps as much as possible, taking a wide turn, as several wolves, enticed by the smell of flesh,nded in pursuit, kicking up chunks of earth and sending twigs and dried leaves flying. The rest of the wolf pack halted, their keen sense of smell detecting the human evaporates lingering in the air. Not just one! Green pupils swiftly locked on, and two shadows, flickering behind the bushes, entered their blood-red vision. "Thud!" The predatory wolf that lunged heedlessly struck a trap, howling in agony as it struggled amidst a field of spikes. [Your trap has captured prey, trap experience +16.](Cumtive) [Based on the trap damage, you have gained the following information¡ª¡ª] [Green Wolf (Wild):Health 58/60; Defensive Power 10; Mobility 83%; Trait: Tough Fur¡­] The impatient wolf pack suddenly fell by more than half, with the remainder pacing warily in front of the trap, their eyes hungrily focused on the two human figures not far away. Instinct craved flesh and blood, while intelligence restrained impulse. The roving gaze shifted easily to the one, chased by his pack, frantically fleeing. "Save, save, save, save, save, save... Save me!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The sound of a homemade gun firing was not so crisp, making Kuang Xin''s heart pound in fright. "Watch it! Don''t shoot me!" Gong Yan held her gun with both hands, tilting her head to squint through the sights on the barrel, doing her best to keep the pursuing wild wolves from getting too close. "Don''t worry, my bullets won''t hit you!" The harried Kuang Xin had no time to respond as he dodged the nearest wild wolf''s lunge with a roll and countered with a shot. [Hit the target''s vital spot, causing 18 points of piercing damage!] [Quick counterattack at close range hit the target, Light Firearms Specialization experience +3] [Current Light Firearms Specialization experience 5/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".] Where did the bullet go? The intestines? ncing at the wild wolf staggering back in pain, Kuang Xin felt a wave of satisfaction. "That''ll teach you to chase me, you son of a...!" "Hey, hey, hey! Save, save, save, save!" "This way!" Dai Lian came forward proactively, beckoning to Kuang Xin, and at the same time drew a knife from his waist, chopping it down on the hemp rope tied to the tree trunk beside him. "Ssshh..." The sound of the pulley system whirring urgently filled the air as the woven suddenly tightened. Realizing the change underfoot, Kuang Xin lunged forward but still got his toe caught by the edge of the. The instant the hanging was hoisted into the air, it sent Kuang Xin tumbling in disarray. "Ow, damn!" Kuang Xin clutched his chin, struggling to get up, "That was close!" Dai Lian fired indiscriminately into the three wolves caught in the, emptying his magazine, "This is part of the n..." "Four more!" The sound of gunfire continued unabated as Gong Yan alerted from behind. Most of the wild wolves were temporarily trapped by the traps set in session, but a few particrly vignt ones continued to follow Kuang Xin''s tracks and caught up. Sensing a shadow looming behind him, Kuang Xin fired three shots behind him without looking and took a small sidestep forward. The shadow passed by, skillfully dodged with nimble footwork. [You swiftly gather battlefield information inbat and react flexibly, +0.1 Insight, +0.1 Reflex.] Once ustomed to dancing on the edge of a knife, one continues to befortable dancing there... Shedding the initial fear of being chased, Kuang Xin subconsciously made some dangerous and extreme movements while attempting a counterattack. Fortunately, the results weren''t too bad. Seeing the fleeting shock in Dai Lian''s eyes, Kuang Xin realized what he had unintentionally done. "Don''t space out, the fight isn''t over yet." "No one''s spacing out." As Dai Lian spoke, Kuang Xin noticed that his hands were quickly reloading. "Click-ck!" The mechanism locked back into ce, and Dai Lian re-entered the fight. "Grab your axe, cover us so we can finish this fight quickly!" Noticing that Kuang Xin had the strength and mindset for closebat, Dai Lian made a decisive choice and reformted tactics. "Alright!" Chapter 35: 035 The Mission Behind the Plague Rat [Using heavy weapon to attack and hit the target, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +18, Brute Force Physique (unlocked) unlock progress 14%.] (umted) [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 95/100...] [Attack hits the target, inflicting 8 points of critical damage!] "RUA!" Kuang Xin stood with his axe, unwavering like a War God. "Quick, finish it off; the wolf in the pit has jumped out." "Oh oh~" When the depth of the trap caused the wolves to despair, the group intelligence of the beasts made those who felt more severely injured willingly act as stepping-stones. The beasts returning for revenge were even more brutal, but what met them were three dark gun muzzles. Setting aside the damage, the kic impact of the bullets also served as a form of control. 21 wolves! All annihted. Seven each, divided fairly. [You havepletely killed the target, earning 20 points ofbat experience.] x7 [Sub-quest ¡ª Drive Out Wolf Pack,pleted!] [Quest Reward: 100 points of Universal Experience, Exquisite Brass Bullets (Pistol Ammo) *10, issued.] The rewards were credited directly, bringing smiles all around. Dai Lian took a deep breath in relief as he looked at the bullets lying quietly in the system''s task reward backpack. This quest was good, the rewards generous, and there was no need to go to an NPC to submit it¡ªan effort well spent. "Eh? What are you doing?" Kuang Xin hummed a tune while brandishing a small knife, merrily replying as he cut, "Dissecting¡­" Dai Lian''s eyes lit up, "You took on another task?" "Just the previous one that required chunks of meat, just convenientlypleted it¡­" "Does it have to be chunks of meat?" "What else then?" "Looksborious... Have you tried just turning the prey over to the NPC?" Kuang Xin was stunned, "Can you do that?" Then he waved his bloody hand, "Whatever¡­ Yanzi, turn away, don''t look." "It''s fine, I''ll help you." Gong Yan rolled up her sleeves, ready to join the fray. "Do you know how?" Pushing a stray lock of hair from her brow, Gong Yan smiled softly, "I don''t, but I can learn... is it like this?" The bright and blood-sttered smile on the girl''s face made Kuang Xin''s heart skip a beat, but then heposed himself and passed on his dissection expertise. "Start at the neck, slice it open with one cut!" "Oh okay~" [You are attempting to perform a dissection, dissecting in progress¡­] Dai Lian waited patiently for a while, only to find that the two of them had been busy for ages and yet had notpleted dissecting even one. At this rate, when would they finish dissecting? Moreover, the air seemed to carry a hint of romance, with the pale pink mist of blood almost resembling the light of flirtation. "I say if it''s no good, just drop it, directly handing over the game to the NPC is probably also feasible. This wastes too much time, we still have to go chop trees." Kuang Xin, holding the knife, looked up nkly at Dai Lian, "But dissecting also gives experience¡­" "¡­" That made sense. This cursed hoarding instinct! Whether it''s useful or not, if it''s a resource, hoard it. "And that''s why I hate ying with ordinary yers¡­" Dai Lian sighed inwardly and felt no strength to argue. He could only pick up Kuang Xin''s axe and walked to the side to find a slightly slimmerrge tree to vent his frustration. [Using heavy weapon to attack and hit the target, Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +1.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 1/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization".] "Eh?" Another swing with the axe! +1 Another swing with the axe! +1 Another swing with the axe¡­ Damn it, why can''t I stop? What''s so alluring about this chopping of trees? Why is my mind now fixated only on perfecting the angle of the axe, if this goes on, won''t I get sucked into Kuang Xin''swork? I can''t just fall into decadence like this! One more axe chop! +1 One more axe chop¡­ [Your ability has been honed through a long time of woodcutting, physical strength +0.1.] [The axe has been overused, the handle connection is damaged, durability -1. Current durability is 0, "Firewood Chopping Axe" can no longer be used.] Dai Lian''s eyebrows twitched. "..." Clutching the robust staff in his hand and looking at the dog-bitten appearance of the break, Dai Lian stiffly turned his head, only to find Kuang Xin and Gong Yan still peeling the skin and deboning like a couple of idiots, letting out a sigh of relief. Carefully cing the staff on the ground, he strained like an old ox to pull the axe de out of the trunk. Laid it on the ground, arranging it together. Everything seemed like the original shape¡­ "Cough~" With his hands behind his back, Dai Lian coughed lightly and approached the blood-stained duo, "Aren''t you guys done yet? Need a hand?" Gong Yan looked up, her delicate face lifted like a housewife busy with chicken and duck, smiling gently at him, "It''s okay, you rest. You also got tired just now." A breeze blew by, scattering the girl''s hair and stirring the lonely heartbeat. It also dispersed the pink mist of blood¡­ And toppled the teetering tree¡­ "Creeeak~bang!" "What the fuck!" The trio btedly turned towards where the tree was falling, only then did they see a ck and grey figure clumsily leaping out from the swaying underbrush. "..." "???" Eight eyes met¡­ The neer smiled awkwardly, "What a coincidence, Yanzi¡­" Dai Lian narrowed his eyes and directly drew his gun, "Stop right there, don''t move, who are you?" The person raised his hands, showing no intent to resist, just shamelessly smiling, "A friend¡­ Yanzi''s friend." "Your friend?" A trace of helplessness crossed Gong Yan''s face, "Mmh¡­" Then she turned to the neer, "Weren''t you messing around in the city? What are you doing here?" "Investigating a case, just happened to be chasing it here¡­" "A case?" "An old rat case, have you seen some crazy-acting rats?" Gong Yan nced at Kuang Xin, who nodded and took up the conversation, "The gue Rats? Seen them, what about it?" "Exactly! The gue Rats!" The neer''s face lit up with joy, "The big shots in the city don''t want to delve into the burrows, and they need lots of samples for research, so they gave me a chance. The reward is hefty, and if sessful, I might even get a residence permit for the Inner City¡­" Inner City? Residence permit? Kuang Xin muttered quietly before he realized the game actually had its rich world lore. "So what? How did you end up here?" The neer scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I followed those rats all the way through the sewers, and just came out of a deserted sewage outlet not far from here. Then I heard the noise over here and came to have a look¡­" As he spoke, he nced at the ground. The wolf carcasses everywhere gave off a strong scent of blood and the allure of flesh. The attraction to those gue rats was unimaginable. Maybe I could use this to fish for them? "Um¡­ do you guys still want these corpses?" "What''re you nning to do with them?" "I need to capture samples, but it''s really hard to find the traces of those rats actively. I''m thinking of trying to use these bodies to lure the gue rats out¡­" Dai Lian''s ears twitched, catching some out-of-ce sounds. "Rustle rustle rustle rustle¡­" The frenzied crimson was striking even in the daylight, scattered all around. "Perhaps, they''ve already been lured over¡­" The newly met stranger quickly joined forces. "Rodent Master, it''s your time to shine." "Rodent Master?" The person plunged through the thorns, leaving only a distant figure to the trio. "The wind''s tightening! Bugger off!" "Fuck!" Chapter 36: 036 Must be cheating! The four of them ran away until they werepletely exhausted. The gue rats did not catch up, the dead wolves scattered everywhere were enough to fill their bellies for the moment. Dai Lian gasped for breath and asked, "You''re going to catch rats in your condition?" Pu Jie retorted softly, "You guys drew too many..." "Heh." Gong Yan caught her breath for a while and was the first to stand up, ready to leave, "Let''s go, we still have tasks to do..." "Hey, hey! Where are you going?" "Chopping trees." "Not hunting anymore?" Pu Jie became somewhat anxious, "I can share the source of my tasks with you, and you can do them too. We can all do them together..." In his view, a team that could take down so many wolf corpses had great potential. Without them, where would he find so much fresh meat? Without fresh meat, how could he catch more gue rats? This task was one with a shared goal limit; wasting time here meant letting other yers snatch up the biggest rewards. "But we''re busy, you see." "Brother, really busy, we can''t even finish our own tasks." It wasn''t that they looked down on his offer, but they genuinely did not have the time. Even in ying games, one had to learn to make choices. Perhaps the reward for his task was indeed generous in some ways, but when it came to words like "inner city" or "residence permit," it indicated that the reward was not of the same type as the resources they needed the most. For Dai Lian, this was as time-wasting as what Kuang Xin had done earlier, obsessing over dissecting for experience! "Don''t leave... Can''t we talk this over? If really necessary, I can buy it from you guys. When will you hunt again?" Buy? A side profit was always better than watching Kuang Xin dissect them one by one. Dai Lian was somewhat tempted. But then, this guy seemed to be a friend of Gong Yan''s... Seeing his hesitation, Gong Yan quickly agreed, "If you want, we can talk about it at this time tomorrow. We''re not hunting today. We''re off to do a task, goodbye~" As she spoke, she pulled the two away. Once they were at a distance, she whispered to Kuang Xin and Dai Lian as if plotting a secret, "Don''t pity his money, earn more." "Oh~" Dai Lian nodded in understanding. "Forget about him, what about our tree-chopping task? We even lost the ax earlier..." The ax? Dai Lian raised his eyebrows, feeling somewhat lucky. Lost is good... Lost is very good... "No problem, we''ll just buy a new one when we get back. We now have quite a bit of money. Not just for an ax, we also need to buy a couple of bearings..." Dai Lian calcted the materials they needed. "Bearings?" "Yeah... Let''s make a simple cart. How long are you going to carry things like that, one by one?" "..." Kuang Xin was silent, feeling like they were not all ying the same game. Can the game even be yed like this? ... [Themission you posted¡ª"Dispel the Wolf Pack", has beenpleted.] The notification for the task''spletion appeared three times in session, and only then did the constant task feedback quiet down a bit. [From themission, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +4.] [From themission, Physical Stamina +0.1.] Oh, more? Too many... Bai E held his rifle, his eyes zed over. He tallied up his gains, from the beginning until the end when the notifications finally became silent, he had improved quite a bit in every aspect¡ª Physical Stamina +0.1, Insight +0.3, Reflexes +0.2 His diverse experiences had also expanded¡ª Stealth experience +8, Trapping experience +8, Light Firearms Specialization experience +88, Heavy Weapon Specialization experience +13, Bandaging experience +10, Dissection experience +8 The efficiency of a three-person team in providing task feedback was, indeed, iparable to that of a lone yer. In such a short time, they provided growth that would have been hard to achieve by himself alone. Of course, the ample supply of bullets he provided might also be the core reason why these yers had the confidence and ability to clear out the monsters this time. The multitude of feedback directly affected his physical abilities¡ª [Name]: Bai E [Race]: Human [Temte]: Prototype Gically Modified [Life Points]: 75/75 (Base 60 + (Stamina - 10) * 15) [Stamina]: 11.8/15 [Insight]: 10.7/15 [Reflex]: 10.4/15 [Mystique]: 8/¡Þ [Gic Optimization Degree] (Current tendency: Orc): 0.1/100 [Skills]: Lucky Strike (Not upgradeable) Stealth (8/100) Handcrafting (18/100) [Traits]: Thought Dulling (Slightly reduces the risk of contamination by higher-dimensional demons), Battlefield Instinct (Adapts more quickly to the battlefield environment to exert full strength) [Expertise]: Rapid Recovery (locked), Self-restraint [Mastery] (Potential Points * 4): Light Firearms Specialization (254/1000) (Level 3) Heavy Weapon Specialization (36/300) (Level 1) [Spiritual Energy]: Not Mastered [Knowledge] (Technology Points * 1): Firearms Maintenance (3/300) (Level 1) Lumbering (27/100) Thievery (2/100) Trapping (13/100) Bandaging (10/100) Dissection (8/100) [Technology]: None [Mutation Risk]: Extremely Low ... "Why has he stopped moving?" "Is it too difficult for him?" Carlos began to reflect on whether his actions made this newly-trained superb fighter doubt his abilities. The test target of a 200-meter moving target was the extreme level that new recruits could encounter, with the recruits'' rifle firing rate of 1.2 rounds per second at this distance, leaving the soldiers virtually no margin for error. If one could achieve this, they could no longer be called a recruit. "Don''t tell me he''s been so discouraged that he can''t recover?" A bit guilty... Maybe, should go andfort him? Pacing on the spot, he hesitated for a long time. The moment he made up his mind, Carlos saw 95B27 move again. He pressed the switch, raising his rifle. His actions were the same as before but, for some reason, they now carried an unusual aura. Bai E squinted his eyes. The previously blurry trajectories of the moving targets now seemed crystal clear in his vision. A slight increase might not have such a powerful effect, and feeling overconfident with the skyrocketing attributes might also y a part. Was it arrogance or strength? He was about to find out. The calctions in his mind seemed slow but were actually urgent, all thoughts urring in the blink of an eye. While the idea of testing his strength still hovered in his mind, Bai E''s fingers instinctively pulled the trigger. "Bang!" The barrel shifted lightly, stable yet swift. "Bang!" The recoil from continuous shooting was firmly controlled, not stirring the slightest ripple. "Bang!" "Pfft pfft pfft..." Upon the sound, the moving targets shattered, exploding into pieces in the air. [Sessful hits on several distant, fast-moving targets, Light Firearms Specialization Experience +8.] (Stacked) [Current Light Firearms Specialization Experience 262/1000...] [You''ve made a perfect shot, "Sub-quest ¨C Shooting" progress 1/10.] "Huh?" Carlos'' footsteps abruptly halted, and he stood there dumbfounded. "How could he hit those!" Must be cheating! Chapter 37: 037 level 4 specialization! [Side Quest ¨C Shooting,pleted.] [Reward: Light Firearms Specialization level +1 (up to level 3), General Experience +300, awarded.] [Detection: character''s current specialization level too high, reward: (Light Firearms Specialization level +1, up to level 3) has been converted to (General Experience 500 points).] As expected. Bai E raised an eyebrow, not feeling too surprised. Those rewards that added +1 directly to specialization levels always came with the caveat of not exceeding a certain level; obviously, they weren''t just for show. It made sense that low-level quests couldn''t enhance higher-level abilities. To go from level 3 to level 4 required 1000 points of experience, so getting half directly was generous; one couldn''t ask for too much. And now... with 800 points of general experience, as long as he invested it in Light Firearms Specialization, he could immediately break through to the level 4 specialization. A level 4 specialization came with additional attribute improvements, which should be a qualitative change. Go wide or go deep? The answer was clear. [You have learned "Level 4 Light Firearms Specialization" and obtained 1 potential point.] [Light Firearms Specialization (Level 4): Shooting uracy +12%, critical hit +2%, arc shot (special) +5%.] [Current Light Firearms Mastery Experience 0/2000, at 2000 points you can master "Level 5 Light Firearms Specialization".] [Detection: character currently has Light Firearms Specialization (Level 4), skill tree unlocked for further training: Fire Suppression, Precision Shooting, Gun Fighting Skill.] [Current unlock requirements: General/Combat Experience *1000 (cost doubles with each skill of the same level unlocked), 2 potential points (fixed).] "Level 4 really unleashes the power..." Turns out the potential points he had been umting could be used in this way, but the 1000 points of general orbat experience was temporarily a bottleneck to further progress. Special experience could still be obtained through training, but general experience was harder toe by. He could have obtained some more special experience through training at the firing range before adding points, but now that he had used the general experience, he was further from unlocking the skill tree. But if he didn''t unlock it, who knew whether the skill tree would still be essible after the level 4 specialization? "That was hasty..." "You''ve graduated." The voice behind him made Bai E, who was lost in thought, startle, "Ah?" "You won''t need toe back for the shooting training anymore." Carlos looked at the calm and determined warrior before him with satisfaction in his eyes, "The moving variable frequency targets at 200 meters are the most challenging part of the basic training. Since you''ve already reached this level, regr shooting practice is of no use to you." Out of the total of 10 shooting targets, the first 7 obviously involved some luck, but Carlos had watched Baiplete thest 3 sets in session. This performance was already the upper limit of shooting ability that a soldier could achieve through normal training in the barracks. Further progress could not be made without realbat experience. Of course, since the hit rate hadn''t reached 100%, perhaps Bai still had some room to improve and refine his skills in training. But there was another issue ¨C it''s hard for a tree to stand alone in the forest. Exceptional performance could easily attract unusual attention. A step beyond is talent; two steps beyond¡­ is anomaly. If those factions that have always been hostile to artificially-created humans discovered such a seed... a new soldier without any background could easily encounter misfortune. Now, Carlos needed to think about how to conceal the infinite potential of artificial human Bai E. "Don''t need toe back?" Bai''s face showed the right amount of confusion. "Yes, no need toe back. You can use your free time to learn more life-saving skills that are practical on the battlefield. I will tell the others that I''ve given you specialized individual training." Carlos''s face bore a gentle smile. Facing these artificial humans, whose thought processes were still naive, there was no need for him to go into such detail. Some earnest intention would naturally be revealed in time. An artificial human''s identity was not only the starting point but also a stance that persisted throughout. Speaking of which, Carlos took out a bar-shaped object wrapped in silver tinfoil from his breast pocket and handed it to Bai E. "In addition, as a reward for being the first to graduate, this is your prize. Starting tonight, you can go to window number 11 and collect an extra... snack with every dinner." The moment he took the bar into his hands, a pale blue panel appeared in front of Bai E. [Bar No. 3 (Level 6 Food): ...Unknown... Consuming can restore 30 points of "Energy Reserves" and 3% Satiety Level.] A... snack? The puzzlement on Bai E''s face grew more genuine. Witnessing the confused warrior before him, Carlos smiled yfully, "Physical training is up next¡ªgive it a try after you eat. Alright... you''re free to do as you please now, no more training for today." Having said that, he turned crisply on his heel, seemingly diligent in supervising the training of the other artificial human warriors, as if he had no inclination to show any special favor towards Bai E. "But this must be a special case, the so-called regr graduation surely wouldn''te with such treatment. What... happened in between?" Holding the bar in his hand and gazing at the instructor''s departing back, Bai E stood still, like a marite that had lost its master''s control. [In this world, there is no love without reason, nor hatred without cause. From the instructor''s attitude, you sense some potentially hidden secrets, you decide to...] Bai E turned and left. Sensing the footsteps receding behind him, Carlos''s eyes were filled with satisfaction. If one could not harbor hope for those whoe after, the world would be shrouded in darkness. Strive to grow... child. Flipping open the hand-held tablet, Carlos logged Bai E''s training scores¡ª100 meters variable frequency moving targets in 10 sets, time taken... 1 hour 53 minutes 37 seconds. Newborn artificial human warriors wereing in a constant stream, and with many instructors for each batch of warriors, no one had the time to watch over the training of all warriors. A super soldier surpassing all recruits, for now... keep him hidden. ... There were a few minutes left until the gathering time for the physical training, and Bai E had already returned to the 358th troop''s assembly area beforehand. Three days into the life of a recruit, training was consistent from the start to the end. The others hadn''t returned yet, so Bai E yed with the bar in his hand. The Satiety Level was low, but the Energy Reserves were even higher than a whole serving of military rations; this clearly had some significance. Through several training sessions, Bai E hade to understand the unique settings of "Satiety Level" and "Energy Reserves" in the world of Gxy World. Simr to his original world, Satiety Level supported the energy needed for normal activities, which could be understood as how much energy is obtained from food, normally diminishing over time. Simply put, one must eat when hungry. As for Energy Reserves, it referred to a deeperyer of energy stored in the body, which was rapidly consumed during rest after vigorous exercise to be converted into physical strength. It was a backup source of energy, somewhat akin to the function of fat, and quite easy toprehend. Give it a try after eating? It seemed the instructor wasn''t nning on harming anyone, and the system-identified panel showed no harmful elements in this snack. Peeling back the foil, Bai E eyed the gum-like bar, raised an eyebrow, and swallowed it in one bite. ...It was tasteless. There was no reaction in his body. Except that the Energy Reserves seemed to have exploded... 120 points? "Gather!" As more people joined, Wood''s robust voice interrupted Bai E''s thoughts of further exploring his bodily condition. "Begin training!" Chapter 38: 038 Make Great Achievements It seems effortless, doesn''t it? Bai E, who had started physical training again, clearly perceived apletely different sensation than before. Proceeding to the same endpoint nned by Wood, his body seemed to feel no fatigue at all, as fresh as in the beginning. Was it because of the 0.1 physical enhancement obtained from the mission feedback just now? But when increasing physical abilities by 0.1 before, the sensation hadn''t been so distinct. Remembering Instructor Carlos''s smile, Bai E realized the possible reason¡ªthe No. 3 ration bar. Or rather, the bursting reserve of kic energy. It wasn''t that his body wasn''t consuming energy, but rather the excessively overflowing kic reserve continuously replenishing his strength, propelling him forward. Did the maxed-out kic energy reserve have this effect? But how am I supposed to challenge my limits like this? It seems that the instructor had no intention of harming anyone with such precious resources, right? Maybe there were other unknown effects yet to be verified. The truth quickly emerged... [Your body is well-nourished, and the surplus kic energy reserve has strengthened your physical condition during prolonged exercise, physical ability +0.1.] [You''vepleted a self-breakthrough, "Side Mission¡ªPhysical Training" progress 0.3/0.3.] [Side Mission¡ªPhysical Training,pleted.] [Mission Reward: Physical ability +0.1, distributed.] The notification was quite abrupt, and Bai E only felt a slight sensation in his body, far from the limit of exhaustion. However, the consecutive enhancements had already realistically manifested in the feeling of his body. The rapid surge in physical ability caused a more robust power to course through his muscles. 12 points! Taskpleted. Bai E snapped out of his full immersion in training and found the area around him quiet. Turning around, he saw the surprised and admiring gazes of his teammates flickering everywhere. [Lucky Strike energy +5.] Are they all down already? But it seems like I could go much further? This breakthrough wasn''t as painful and difficult as the previous two. Is this why Instructor Carlos rewarded me with the "No. 3 ration bar", to make my physical breakthrough a bit morefortable? Enjoyingfort? Such a rare word in this world. Perhaps there were other effects? Such as breaking the curse that it''s hard for the human body to break through limits consecutively? [A sense of unease envelops you, you decide to continue training... or to conceal your edge?] After a moment''s hesitation, Bai E chose to let go. I''ve been training all day, can''t I enjoy a bit of rxation? Most importantly... if I advance any further, it would be too conspicuous. I surely can''t be taken away for dissection, can I? ... "I''ve made a great achievement!" Carlos retracted his gaze with satisfaction. He hadn''t been present for the morning training of 95B27 but had heard the performance was not bad. Now, with his "little snack" having helped, it had been like adding wings to a tiger, surpassing the other soldiers by a great deal¡ªperhaps even breaking the record for the first day of new recruit training? Performing as well as possible within reasonable bounds is an essential part of the growth of artificial human soldiers, which rtes to the assessment of their potential. ... Holding a tablet in hand, Wood hesitated for a long time but eventually marked the training target aspleted behind the number 95B27. He was rarely this hesitant, as usually, every breakthrough of new recruit soldiers marked a significant upgrade, extremely evident. But did 95B27 seem to still have energy to spare just now? Yet his actual scores... even with some restorative talents, it would be difficult to reach based on the distance surpassed other soldiers. Maybe that always expressionless face was too deceptive... perhaps he was actually exhausted. It must be so! As for the instrument check? Those instruments were precious and expensive, and starting them up once was very costly; it was not feasible to test the physical data of the new soldiers every day. Afterpleting the assessment, looking at the screen on the tablet with a spot of green amongst the sea of red, Wood nodded contentedly. Very good, except for 95B27, everyone else failed. "Alright! Eat! Those who haven''tpleted today''s training tasks, extra training tonight!" ... Dining hall. "Window number 11..." Muttering to himself, Bai E spotted an inconspicuous window in the corner. As he approached, the camera scanned his face, and a silver foil-wrapped snack bar shot out from the unmanned, elongated, pitch-ck window. It was no different from the reward given by Carlos. This instructor was a good guy, easy to get along with. Bai E reached out eagerly for the snack, only to find a hairy hand got to it first. "?" Bai E looked at the other person with an unfriendly gaze. Where did this little nobodye from? The bulky man with dense body hair also stared at Bai E, hisrge, bell-like eyes filled with an aggressive intent. "Was it you whosted five seconds against the mysterious expert today?" Bai E''s eyes shifted to the snack bar in the other man''s hand, fearing he would mishandle it with his hairy hands and feet, "So what if it was?" "I think she went easy on you." If everyone else couldn''t hold out, the only one who did certainly looked out of ce. Moreover, this 95B27 didn''t seem any more agile or powerful than himself; he fell at one blow, so how could he havested 5 seconds? 98A29 was convinced there had to be some unspeakable trick! Bai E chuckled in response, "What reason would she have to go easy on me?" "..." The big man was at a loss for words. It was just a gut feeling, and feelings don''t need reasons. "Perhaps..." He gazed intently at Bai E''s face, "Maybe it''s because you''re good-looking?" Objectively speaking, his gics acknowledged Bai E''s charm. "..." Saying that, it''s not easy for me to beat you up. "Alright, alright, let''s just say she went easy..." Bai E couldn''t be bothered to argue with this simpleton, "Give me back my snack." "It is what it is, and it''s not if it''s not." The big man looked serious, "Whether or not isn''t for you to decide." "So what now?" "Fight me!" Bai E waved his hand dismissively, "I''m busy!" "If you''re too busy, then I''m not giving your snack back!" "..." Bai E ground his teeth, feeling this idiot was probably asking for a beating. "What if I win?" "If you win, I''ll acknowledge you''re tough!" "..." ptrap! What''s this about men''s ultimate recognition? Bai E snatched back the snack, "Finish your meal and meet me on the training field." "I''ll be waiting for you!" The big man watched the receding figure holding his tray, adding extra stakes distrustfully, "If you don''te, you''re a coward." Bai E didn''t look back as he waved his hand, "You need to work on your insults." Finding a vacant spot, Bai E pinched the snack bar in his hand, hesitating for a long time before finally putting it into his jacket pocket and buttoning it up carefully. After all, anything that could elerate his training was certainly a good thing. Moreover, even if it was an emergency supplement for physical strength, this thing was a great strategic resource. Being able to get one a day... the instructors really had a lot of authority. No matter where you are, it''s always about climbing up thedder. "I wonder if there''s such a thing as military exploits..." If at first he just wanted to survive, then as his understanding of the world deepened, some basic desires started to grow quietly within him. The grand visions asionally advertised by the officials would sh across Bai E''s mind¡ª The pinnacle of individual strength, warlords who stride across Star Domains, Rangers roaming freely... If he really couldn''t return to his original world, could those grand promises depicted on the official website be his future? [Feedback from themission: Handcrafting experience +36.] ? ... Dai Lian patted the new concept scooter beside him with heartfelt satisfaction, thinking this game that allowed yers to express themselves was just too good. "The scooter''s ready too! Let''s go!" Chapter 39: 039 Fight! "What''s making things so lively?" It was not Yue Ying''s first day at the military camp, but it was the first time she heard such a raucous night. Of course, it was usually noisy as well, since nighttime in the camp was less solemn and stiff than the day. Old soldiers often pulled the new recruits over to the bonfire to tell their exaggerated heroic tales loudly. The asional addition of natural-born soldiers only made all the artificial soldiers more interested in the true aspects of the world. It was a rare amusement for these soldiers, a pleasant moment of rxation after a day full of training. But it was somewhat restrained. Today was different. The atmosphere today was more restless, and Yue Ying could even feel the aggressive hormonal air permeating the atmosphere. What happened? Yue Ying''s gaze turned toward the source of the restlessness; the fiery bonfire lit up half the sky, abuzz with lively figures. After a few ups and downs, she ascended the watchtower and the figures'' interlocking gaps allowed the scene through space to fall into her flickering fiery eyes. "Is that him?" The artificially created soldier, who performed exceptionally well during training, was now engaged in an intense melee with another fighter she hardly remembered. Sparks flew as des shed. "Bang!" [Your attack has caused a critical hit.] [You''vended a critical hit in livebat, heavy weapon mastery experience +0. (Current opponent too weak, unable to gain improvement.)] ["Lucky Strike" charge +3.] A forceful and heavy sh made the unknown fighter stagger backward. "Nice!" The watching new recruits cheered happily. The neers had much to learn, but being drawn to excitement was an unchanging nature. Bai E held his sword, standing in the center of the arena, surveying the surroundings with an expression as still as an ancient well. "I''m in a hurry! Anyone else want a go?" He didn''t know how things had gotten this far. The agreed-upon one-on-one had somehow turned into this ongoing series of individual challenges. A single day''s training wasn''t sufficient for these new soldiers to all gain weapon mastery, not to mention Bai E''s 12-point physical fitness level was unrivaled, overpowering in both skill and brute strength. Luckily, there were still "Lucky Strike" charge credits to be earned, or else this beating would have been utterly dull. "I''ll take you on!" Another fighter, a woman with an agile figure sporting a wolf''s tail braid, shouldered her sword and stepped forward. It seemed like she had just finished her training and rushed over, her light brown abdomen bare beneath a ck sports bra, beads of sweat trickling down it. Her sharply defined abs exuded a wild ferocity. Bai E''s gaze swept over the iron tag on her chest¡ª92C13. The woman''s eyes held a simr wildness as they fixed on Bai E''s face, filled with the intention to attack. "You''ve got a talent for shooting?" "What about it?" The female soldier pointed her sword at Bai E, her smile recklessly confident, "I believe she didn''t go easy on you when you faced that mysterious expert, but while you were training your shooting skills, we were still practicing our swordsmanship. Now, having a shooter like you challenge all of our brothers hurts our pride. The instructor has given a direct order for me to defeat you, or else the whole squad goes hungry tomorrow." "Oh~" The instructor sure knew how to stir things up... "So, you''ll fall to my sword... Of course, it won''t be fair. After I defeat you, I''ll request the instructor provide extra training just for us two, hoping you can keep up with my pace and earn your way back." Bai E indifferently lifted his sword, "I hope your sword is as tough as your mouth." The female soldierughed outright, "Tough or not, we''ll see after the test! Watch out!" Then came a sh straight for his head. "Ha!" The precondition for boasting, of course, is having enough confidence. This woman appeared to be the ace of the new recruits in closebat, or else her instructor wouldn''t have sent her out to regain their honor. As soon as the sword was drawn, that fierce and unparalleled fighting spirit spread. Maybe she hadn''t mastered weapon proficiency during her bout with that mysterious expert, but while Bai E trained in shooting that afternoon, the exceedingly talented woman also achieved level 1 in heavy weapon mastery. With every move, she instinctively tried to force Bai E into revealing an opening with sheer brute force. "ng!" Bai E neither dodged nor avoided, meeting the attack head-on. "Self-restraint" was always controlling the impulses brought by the hormones, but Bai E did not want to stop the body''s natural, bold spirit in such a scene. Beforeing to this world, he had been just a possibly ordinary college student, without an opportunity to exhibit personal bravery and will in a well-regted society. But if he needed to survive in this world, he had to embrace it wholeheartedly and without hesitation. Circumstances create heroes. It was just a spar, be bold. As the swords met, the jarring sh echoed throughout the arena, causing nearby soldiers to cover their ears in pain. The first strike, evenly matched. No matter how gifted, a new soldier could only break through his own limits three or four times on the first day of training. At most, a physical ability score of 11.4 against Bai E''s 12 certainly put one at a disadvantage, but it was only because the opponent moved first, seizing the advantageous position for exerting force, that a tie was barely achieved. After the strike, the female warrior did not hesitate. Everyone had witnessed Bai E''s physical training achievements during the day; not having the upper hand in strength was expected. However,bat is not just a contest of hardware capabilities. Drawing the sword and turning around, she struck twice more with both hands! Bai E''s face was expressionless, steadying his slightly trembling hands, he gathered his strength to meet the challenge head-on once again. The opponent''s intent was quite clear, to force him to expose his weaknesses through brute force. Whether it was physical strength or willpower. The heavy blows in weapon mastery were meant to tear such opening. He would get hurt, and so would his opponent! "ng!" Another strike, the fierce sound of metal-on-metal sh made some of the mentally weaker soldiers instinctively take a step back. Two consecutive confrontations were an opportunity, Bai E''s reflexes peaked, and his will, following his nerves, directed every muscle in his body, executing an even faster third strike giving the female warrior no chance to breathe. As the great sword fell toward her, the female warrior, muscles sore, forcefully blocked with her sword and slid away, retreating. [Your attack caused a heavy hit.] [You have dealt a heavy hit in actualbat, heavy weapon mastery experience +1.] The force was mostly unloaded, but her arms were still numb. "Huff!" The sound of cutting wind came again, filled with a hopeless howl. At the brink of defeat, the female warrior spun around, her eyes aze with wild fighting spirit, seemingly ready to trade injury for injury. "ng!" The scenario of mutual destruction did not ur. "Alright, alright, stop chopping before you break the swords." "Instructor?" The square-faced man who had abruptly stepped in eased his slightly sore muscles, making peace. "That''s enough, let''s call it a draw..." "A draw my ass! I lost!" The female warrior sheathed her sword and walked away, pushing through the crowd, her valiant voice echoing in the distance, "But remember my name -- Rose! I''lle back for a rematch!" [You''ve experienced a refreshing battle,bat experience +5.] ["Lucky Strike" charge +1.] Not bad. Bai E massaged his arm, soothing his injury. "Hiss~" It did hurt a bit. His face calm, "Next!" ... Watching that spirited warrior in the arena, Yue Ying''s eyes were full of admiration. Good talent, and willing to make an effort. In this rare moment of rest, he wanted to spar with other warriors to improve his skills. But... "Pity..." A fine seedling indeed, but not in a good environment. Apart from that female warrior, the others were far from being his match, and it wasn''t a life-or-death situation. What progress can one make by beating the weak? Learning is like rowing upstream, not advancing means falling behind. ... [Feedback from amission, your physical ability +0.3, reflex +0.1.] (Stacked) [Feedback from amission, heavy weapon mastery experience +52.] (Stacked) [Feedback from amission, lumberjacking experience +38.] (Stacked) ... "Hm?" What''s happening? Yue Ying''s eyes widened in surprise. Just when he was feeling disinterested, the way Bai E swung his sword now ovepped with the posture from his memories but with some noticeable differences. It seems, there was some improvement after all? Not sure, let''s watch some more. Chapter 40: 040 Heretical Arbitration House With doubts in her heart, Yue Ying noticed something distinctly different as she looked again. It was a minuscule improvement, but the expert insight of a swordsmanship grandmaster was beyond question. Could she actually gain experience from bullying the weak? She didn''t understand, yet she was greatly shocked. ¡­ [Your attack caused a critical hit.] [You have delivered a critical hit in actualbat, heavy weapon proficiency experience +0. (The current opponent is too weak to provide any improvement.)] ["Lucky Strike" energy +10.] [Your abilities have been honed through prolonged sparring, reflexes +0.1.] Huh? An unexpected gain. "Next!" There was no response. The most elite and fierce of the new recruits had beenid out, all of them looking up to their king. Bai E''s gaze swept around him, and no one dared to meet it head-on. That''s it? If that''s it, so be it. A total of 22 points of "Lucky Strike" energy had been scraped together from the battle royal, and he was definitely not at a loss. The origin of this skill was unknown, but it was undoubtedly his capital for establishing himself. As for interactions with yers... He didn''t know how many there were at present, but there were definitely others besides himself capable of issuing quests. If he could improve through interactions with yers, so could others; this was not his sole advantage. The future was still bleak;rades still needed to work hard. "Hey, where are you going?" Seeing Bai E trying to head toward the drill field, an onlooker grabbed his arm. It was Dashan. All four of his teammates were there. They had witnessed the entirety of the wheel war, feeling honored by their teammate who descended like a deity among the new recruits, unmatched in his prowess. For the first time, they felt their leader was wise. Seeing his teammates, Bai E also showed a smile, "When did you guys get here?" Hu coughed softly and said cheerfully, "We''ve been here all along." Could they admit they had been following him all day? Once more, Dashan asked, "Where are you nning to go now?" The daytime was for training, but the night was a precious opportunity to deepen bonds and understanding among teammates. On the battlefield, teamwork was always more important than individual ability. "Training," Bai E answered as if it were the most natural thing. The instructor wasn''t around, and the nights were lonely when spending them alone. Sneaking in training, the passion was thrilling. "..." "???" Seeing the astounded looks of his teammates, Bai E felt as if ants were crawling on him, "Why are you looking at me like that?" "You''re still going to train?" "Does your instructor even let you go?" Given Bai E''s performance, not even a new recruit warrior who had self-improved three or four times could catch up; wasn''t it clear that he had already met his targets? Still going? "But in two days..." You picked up on Bai E''s thoughts, "Even if the battle starts tomorrow, training now won''t help..." "Hmm?" "You probably haven''t been told yet... but managing to break through three to four times within 24 hours is already the limit for the human body. If you can still break through if you train now, then you can only be a believer of the war devil." "..." Are there daily limits to self-improvement? Is the human body that fragile? But... "Demon Believer?" In Bai E''s understanding, weren''t believers supposed to worship deities? Higher-dimensional demons, the endless Bug Race, the crisis of intelligent machinery... These cosmic nuisances were just broad information released by the official site, and Bai E knew nothing specific about them. Realizing this was an opportunity to learn more, Bai E actively prompted the topic. "Demons, too, are deities," You exined as they walked along with Bai E. "Believers who worship demons and receive a response gain powers beyond imagination. Those who worship the Warbringer are fierce in flesh but prone to killing; those who worship the Eternal are not afraid of illness but will spread gues uncontrobly; those who worship Desire obtain endless pleasure but fall deeper into degeneracy; as for the believers of Conspiracy... it''s imperceptible. The demons of higher dimensions are endless, and beneath the four Great Evil Gods, there are countless Greater Demons, each granting different powers to their believers. However, one thing remains unchanged: Demon Believers must be eradicated quickly, or their bodies will be a bridge through which demons can enter our world. That''s precisely what the Heretical Arbitration House in the city takes care of." [Acquired character information: Demon Believer.] If one could gain abilities surpassing ordinary people, it''s not surprising that some would choose to believe. After all, human bodies are simply too weak. Even breaking through has its limits. Hmm... it seems yers can surpass this limit? Just from one lumberjacking task, that yer named Kuang Xin seemed to have gained a 0.6 increase in physical fitness. Damn privileged dogs! "Did you just say... the Heretical Arbitration House?" You sat down in front of the fire, staring into the dancing mes as they exined absentmindedly, "It is aw enforcement agency within the city, designed specifically to deal with Demon Believers, harmful mutants, and other heresies that might emerge from amongst regr humans. Their methods tend to be rather radical, so if you evere across them in the future, remember to keep your distance. Of course, if you have aspirations in this area, you could also try to get in touch." [Unlocked Knowledge: Heretical Arbitration House.] Bai E heard some hope for the future. It seemed that the future of a created being wasn''t limited just to being an expendable soldier. "So, do I also have a chance to join the Heretical Arbitration House?" You nced at Bai E, "Are you really interested?" "Just curious..." "Curious..." You murmured softly. Curious? Curiosity is normal. Newly created beings are curious about everything, but Bai''s curiosity seemed even more intense? Dismissing these thoughts, You continued, "Not only the Heretical Arbitration House, the Mechanical Court, the Security Forces, the Judgment Hall, all are possible destinations for us. Of course, staying in the military is another development path. Your admission into any of them will depend on your training in the camp and your performance on the battlefield." "What about everyone else?" "Us?" You shrugged, "Who knows?" You might end up dead on the next battlefield; the future is too uncertain. Song Ying, expressionless, added on the side, "But you are very impressive, I think you will have room for choice in your future. If you develop in the military, remember one thing¡ªstay away from the armored regiment. No need to understand, just remember." "Oh... okay." Armored regiment... a familiar term. The general who challenged the chief examiner during the new recruits'' shooting test seemed to be from the armored regiment. So, is it because of the identity of a created being? Bai E felt a slight heaviness in his heart. External threats and internal troubles, trouble really doese in spades. Seeing Bai E seemingly a bit downcast, as a thoughtful team leader, Tiger patted his shoulder, "Don''t think too much about it. Train well and fight hard. That''s our primary duty." Da Shan also asked cheerily on the side, "Yeah, how was today''s training? We saw youe out of the shooting range a few minutes early this afternoon." Speaking of business, Song Ying''s face became more solemn, "That is your greatest responsibility on the battlefield; take it seriously." "Oh~" Bai E nodded in agreement, "The instructor said I graduated and that I don''t need to go anymore..." "???" "???" "He also gave me this, as a reward for being the first to graduate." "Ration Bar No.3!?" "???" "!!!" Little brother, what''s going on? Chapter 41: 041 Warriors Gas Station "Is it very precious?" Seeing the expression on his teammate''s face, Bai E realized that this item might indeed be extraordinary. He knew beforehand that it was precious, but he didn''t know just how "very" it was. Now that he had taken it out for his teammates to see, he hoped they could enlighten him on the correct way to use it. "Of course, it''s precious. Only two-star generals and above are allocated such resources, and these people generally don''t serve as instructors. What''s the background of your instructor?" "Carlos? Yeah, I think that''s his name." "The Ace Sniper?!" "Oh~" No wonder his drop rate was quite high, making people''s hearts race. Bai E twirled the No. 3 cartridge in his hand and said, "So this thing..." "This is a great invention from the Scientific Research Institute. Not only can it make your training breakthroughs morefortable, but it can also break the shackles that prevent consecutive breakthroughs in a short period. Of course... the premise is that you don''t have too many deficits to begin with." Bai E nodded. It was about what he had guessed. But having a panel, he knew more clearly that the underlying factor was an excess reserve of action points. "Moreover, in urgent situations that require continuousbat, this item is a lifesaver." "Hmm." This benefit went without saying. Bai E suddenly paused, realizing this was a perfect excuse. The first day of physical training had passed, and even if his performance had been slightly better than the other synthetic soldiers, it was still at the limit. It was within the normal range that others could understand. But what about tomorrow? And the day after? Right now, his regr performance might be simr to that of the other recruits on drugs. Meanwhile, yers were always on missions, and he himself was also training hard. Pile that up, and hister performances would probably be incredulously better than the others. Without pushing to the limit, there was no improvement, but pushing to the limit seemed too oundish. Now with this No. 3 cartridge, he could just me it for his prowess. He could train as usual without taking the cartridge. Apromise on hister performance might be eptable, right? The opportunity lost for additional breakthroughs each day and a morefortable process of breakthroughs, in exchange for a reasonable exnation, wasn''t a bad deal. Besides, this strategic material wouldn''t spoil if not consumed and would surely be useful someday. Bai E was contemting this internally, but then he asked aloud, "Instructor Carlos said that when I''m not at shooting training, I could learn some other survival skills. I wonder if the camp has... " Veteran nodded, "That makes sense... Since your shooting skills have been recognized by the Sniper Ace, further training would be a waste of time. It''s better to master some more practical abilities. When ites to learning... " Narrowing his eyes and pondering for a moment, Veteran continued, "Emergency medical skills on the battlefield and postbat clearing abilities are both good choices. Simple bandaging can keep non-seriously injured soldiers in the fight, and being skilled in dissection can acquire a vast amount of resources for the city. All of these can increase your merits to some degree. It''s up to you how you want to choose." "Oh~" Bandaging or dissection? Maybe I''ll check them out tomorrow. "Actually, your skill in maintaining firearms is also one of them." Song Ying suddenly interjected coolly. Seeing the usually stoic man with a pleading look, Bai E instantly understood his intention. "Brother Ying, pass me your gun for a moment." Song Ying''s face lit up with joy as if he had found a beautiful bride, "Sure thing!" "Technicians..." "Right here! All ready." Bai E nced at Song Ying, who was smiling somewhat tteringly. It seemed that it wasn''t just the gun that was yearning for some attention... The rest of the teammates looked on in confusion at the scene, "What''s this...?" [You havepleted a maintenance service on the target, restoring 4 points of durability.] [You havepleted a maintenance service, "Firearm Maintenance" experience +4.] [Current Firearm Maintenance experience 7/300, upon reaching 300 points, "Level 2 Firearm Maintenance" will be mastered.] [...Durability 17/20.] [Trait: Having received maintenance again, it has revived, with its trajectory no longer deviating. Modo Modo... (Cooldown: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds)] Having grabbed the machine gun, Song Ying couldn''t wait and immediately jumped up, "I''m going to test the gun." The remaining three pairs of eyes were all fixed on Bai E; shooting wasn''t their main job, but almost everyone was equipped with a handgun. Da Shan''s eyes were seductive as silk, "Brother Bai, I want it too..." "I''ll give you two punches!" Beingrades who had been through life and death on the battlefield, they had quite a few acquaintances in the military camp, and themotion by the campfire easily attracted the curiosity of acquaintances. A couple of casual chats and Bai E''s skill spread from one to ten and ten to a hundred. All of them were ignorant artificial people who had been born not long ago and had to go to the battlefield soon. Most of them probably wouldn''t live longer than the weapons in their hands, so where was the time to learn such meticulous craft? Yet, firearms, being such delicate equipment, really needed maintenance, and many seasoned soldiers had long been dissatisfied with the uracy of their weapons. Bai E didn''t refuse anyers, epting openly and generously. This was a great opportunity to grind proficiency and charge energy, and it was exactly his intention. Not to mention the rare moments of rest that always brought a moment of peace to one''s soul. [You''vepleted a maintenance, "Firearms Maintenance and Care" experience +4.] ["Lucky Strike" charge +1] ... [You''vepleted a maintenance, "Firearms Maintenance and Care" experience +3.] ["Lucky Strike" charge +1] ... [You''vepleted a maintenance, "Firearms Maintenance and Care" experience +2.] ... "..." Why isn''t this one adding a charge? Bai E red at the retreating figure with an unfriendly gaze. Though it wasn''t clear yet whether the charging mechanism was based on positive emotions such as gratitude or admiration, if everyone else was getting a charge and you weren''t, it was definitely your problem. Ungrateful wretch, noted! [You''vepleted a maintenance, "Firearms Maintenance and Care" experience +3.] "..." Another ungrateful wretch! ... The lively night gradually quieted down, and those new recruits who had been hard trained during the day for not qualifying returned to their tents, their bodies worn out to the extreme and fell asleep as soon as they dropped their heads. Even with something as counter to nature as a reserve of energy for action, the soreness in the muscles after long periods of intensive training was always inevitable. Bai E also slept soundly. In the evening, he had harvested 58 points in Firearms Maintenance and Care experience. Perhaps there was no need to use this just for gaining charge, but what if high levelster came with effects like enchantments? Unknown... Keep a hand in anticipation. And more importantly, the addition of 18 points of "Lucky Strike" charge, which made Bai E smile even in his dreams. ... [Reward from themission fulfilled: your physical strength +0.4, reflex +0.1.] (Stacked) [Reward from themission fulfilled: Heavy Weapons Mastery experience +30.] [Reward from themission fulfilled: Logging experience +44.] [Reward from themission fulfilled: Bandaging experience +6.] [Themission you posted ¡ª "Repairs Needed" has been submitted. Please proceed to inspection as soon as possible.]X3 ... "Finally finished..." Watching the sky brighten, Dai Lian let out a long sigh of relief. The efficiency of three people was naturally higher than that of one person, it''s just that Gong Yan, being a girl, was somewhat of a drag during the tedious task that tested physical strength. He and Kuang Xin had both helped out a little, and only then did they manage toplete the task smoothly together. Now, it was time for that mysterious soldier toe for inspection. During the inspection... they could also verify their own suspicions. Chapter 42: 042 Its all out in the open now [You have acquired "Level 1 Logging" and simultaneously obtained 1 Technology Point.] [Logging (Level 1): Slightly increases the ability to cut and obtain more lumber from logs, along with a +5% efficiency in logging.] After a night''s sleep, Bai E had acquired a whole,plete set of knowledge skills, something he never anticipated. After carefully reviewing all the abilities he had acquired, Bai E felt like something was missing. The same task, when assigned to three people, did not yield three times the benefits of assigning it to one person. A lot was missing. Of course, it might be that the three people worked more efficiently together, or perhaps the experienced Kuang Xin had found a more effortless method for his two friends. yers, after all, can alwayse up with boundless ideas when ites to skipping sses. And the threshold for gaining attributes through training is ever-increasing; the higher the attribute, the harder it is to improve. It ismon knowledge that the same tasks provide progressively less in terms of attribute gains. Regardless, the contribution of three people was more than that of one, and that was good. All six tasks had beenpleted, and Bai E was looking forward to the tasks he would assign today. The morning and forenoon rushed by, as he was immersed in training, and time flew swiftly. During the two physical training sessions before and after breakfast, Bai E had only made progress once. The higher the attribute, the harder it is to break through; not every limit reached results in an improvement. What had started as getting familiar with thebat knife on the first day had turned into teambat training today. Physical training is fundamental and essential. The other elements are not. What kind of special forces elite can you train in three days? Being familiar with the basic properties and usage of weapons is sufficient; the battlefield teaches everything. Those who can''t learn, die. Only soldiers forged through relentless training can survive in this cruel world. Compared to unparalleled individual strength, learning to cooperate with a team and assist each other is something even more essential to master. For the next two mornings'' second halves, it''s all about groupbat. The purpose is to get everyone ustomed to groupbat, understanding cooperation, and avoiding identally harming teammates at crucial moments. Bai E saw a familiar face across the field; Rose''s spirited face stood out among the crowd of new recruits. Her natural boldness and status as an ace made her the definite core of her team. At this moment, this core sent Bai E a dazzling smile and whispered something to the new recruits beside her. Then, Bai E saw the eyes of those unfamiliar new recruits turn green with envy... [Side quest triggered¡ªTeam Combat.] [Team Combat: As a warrior, the first thing you need to learn is not heroism. Coordinating with your teammates and surviving on the battlefield as much as possible is what allows you to kill more enemies! Completing the training perfectly will bring extraordinary growth! Quest requirements: Sessfully perform "Coordinated Attack" 0/500 times, "Cover Retreat" 0/500 times, "Assist Teammate" 0/500 times, "Knock Down Enemy" 0/500 times before the training ends. Quest reward: Trait¡ªWell-trained. (Countdown: 26 hours 58 minutes and 53 seconds)] Taking me as prey? Bai E gave the other side a slight smile. Sorry! You''re the prey! He reveled in the sensation of being targeted, just as he once did in other games. Strategy! Overpowering the weak doesn''t bring pleasure; it''s being outnumbered that stimtes the senses. Like to bully the few with the many? Watch me stand unyielding! With a smirk, Bai E flipped off the group of new recruits. A universally understood gesture of friendship; hopefully, they got the message. Seeing the tense atmosphere between the tworge groups, Wood and the instructor opposite him exchanged a knowing smile. "Begin!" ... Thank goodness no one got pped in the face. Bai E felt relieved as he hurried to the task verification site; if his face had been swollen and bruised, he probably wouldn''t have been able to show his face among the yers anymore. Reaching the clearing, the mountain of wood was even more impressive, and one could see a slope formed from the wood even from a distance. One nce, and the disorderly stacked number was etched in his mind¡ª a total of 80 logs. These yers hadn''t beenzy in the slightest. "My lord!" Kuang Xin was the first to greet him, his eyes alight with fervor. Bai E nodded slightly, epting the form of address, "You''ve done well." [Side quest¡ªRepair Supplies Needed,plete!] [Quest Reward: 1 Technology Point, Fine Brass Bullets (Pistol Rounds)*27, distributed.] "Thank you for the praise, my lord!" With the reward in hand, Kuang Xin''s face was flushed with excitement, anticipation, and hesitation as the question they had agreed upon internally crept into his mind. "My lord..." Dai Lian stepped forward, positioning himself halfway in front of Kuang Xin, also blocking the words he was about to say. He didn''t dare let Kuang Xin speak, as speaking also required tact; saying the wrong thing could potentially leave them no room to back down. "My lord!" "Hmm?" Bai E''s gaze shifted calmly to Dai Lian. [You notice that the emotions of the three individuals before you are unusual¡­] Dai Lian looked directly into Bai E''s eyes, his tone sincere, "We want to take on more responsibility!" "Oh?" Bai E slightly lifted his chin, his eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?" Is there any chance? Or is there none? The officer''s tone was somewhat enigmatic, but he didn''t outright dismiss the suggestion. The NPCs in this game were quite intelligent, reacting differently depending on the yer''s choice of words. Dai Lian didn''t know what exactly the situation was, so he had to muster up his courage and choose his words carefully, following logical deduction. "We¡­ perhaps are not simply working for the military camp?" [The person across from you has be suspicious of the mission you issued, and you decide¡­] Better to let things flow than to try to block them. Bai E''s eyebrows rose slightly, showing a trace of interest, "Continue." This encouraging manner slightly relieved Dai Lian¡ªthe other party was not angered. "My lord! If it''s for the military camp, this ce seems a bit too far off." "Hmm..." Dai Lian cautiously observed the other''s expression but couldn''t discern any particr inclination; he continued hesitantly, "So, we boldly specte that there might be¡­ another organization behind you, my lord?" Silence. A deadly silence. Bai E did not speak, his gaze making Dai Lian unable to maintain eye contact. The realism of this game was done too well; the pressure exerted by some high-ranking individuals felt disturbingly real. This silence made one''s heart panic, and Dai Lian could not help but exin proactively, "Of course, we are only loyal to you, my lord. The camp¡­ we are not familiar with it." "Heh..." Bai E chuckled lightly, thawing the frost like spring warmth. "No need to be nervous, I am just considering whether to inform you of the truth." Was he considering whether to reveal the truth, or whether to silence them? The thought flickered through Dai Lian''s mind. The atmosphere didn''t seem like a minor situation; perhaps he''d stumbled upon some high-end content within this game? This spection sent a thrill through him. Bai E no longer looked at them, his gaze drifting to the distant horizon where the city''s dark silhouette stood silently towering, "You can smell the blood in the air, can''t you?" Dai Lian quickly agreed, "Of course." From the beginning of entering the game, the strange scent in the air¡ªblending the smell of blood, sea, sand, and oil¡ªhad left a deep impression on him. The game''s realism was astonishing from the very start. However, after spending a considerable time in the game, he was somewhat ustomed to it. Bai E''s gaze lowered, though still looking towards the earth, it seemed to stretch to the horizon. His voice was deep, carrying a profound weight. "Thisnd has drunk deeply of our blood." "..." Kuang Xin and the others remained silent, quietly waiting. "The foundations of our city are built on sacrifice, a veritable maxim, where the blood of martyrs is the spark of the empire. When loyal ves learn to love thesh, only in death does duty end." Everything was silent, as if even the wind was listening. Bai E spoke swiftly. "For thousands of years we have endured in silence, at times briefly flourishing under the sunlight, but more oftennguishing in the shadows. Over countless centuries, we''ve fought and died, spilling the blood of our enemies and our own across innumerable battlefields. Humanity keeps sacrificing itself, the sacrifice allowing the bloodline to continue, generation after generation after generation. Not for any grand ideal, because sacrifice itself is greater than any ideal. But perhaps, there is a hope buried deep in the heart of every person: maybe there wille a day, maybe in ten thousand years, when a generation will no longer need to sacrifice, a generation that will exist in peace eternally¡­" Chapter 43: 043 Unlock Faction Information: Li Ming Bai E''s voice was steady yet influential, with the eyes of the emotional Gong Yan already misting over. The images that surfaced in his mind were of generation after generation of warriors bravely rushing to battlefields. The people of this world... seemed to be living quite miserably. "Yet even so, our city, the one we depend on for survival, is still filled with darkness, with desires breeding in the shadows and conspiracies flourishing in the light," Bai E did not know what the real situation was, and could only use some ambiguous words to subdue these yers who had discovered anomalies. As for the future... who knew if they would recognize each other? Plus, in such a big city, there had to be a few bad guys, right? He was definitely not wrong about that. "Mypanions and I have identified those unstable elements, and without excising these boils, we can never unite everyone''s strength to strive for that ultimate goal." After speaking, Bai E looked at the three in front of him, eyes imbued with an inexplicable force, "If you insist on knowing the truth, you might lose the right to withdraw. This will be a long and thorny path, and without the resolve to face death unflinchingly, you''ll surely perish in the ascending mes." Dai Lian felt his long-absent fervor rising. Why did he love gaming? Even those virtual stories, as if they truly took ce in another real universe, what kind of splendid life would it be to experience them firsthand? The words of this officer sparked boundless imagination in people''s minds. To fight against the shadows of the entire city for the future of all humanity, what kind of heroic path was that? Even if they failed, they would be remembered by the world. "Sir, we are not afraid of hardship; we only fear mediocrity!" "This is not a path strewn with flowers and grandeur." "Even a death filled with glory is what we seek in our hearts!" "Good." Bai E''s eyes showed a hint of appreciation; indeed, these were the familiar yers. "Since you are determined, I will not rejectpanions who share our cause. Remember this name¡ªLi Ming! Then bury it deep in your heart, and before the arrival of dawn, we will fight ceaselessly through the night." [Unlocked Faction Information: Li Ming (Prestige Level: 1).] [Unlocked Identity: Leader.] [Identity¡ªLeader of Li Ming: Can issue faction missions to all "Li Ming" members, currently able to issue 1 mission. The number of missions that can be issued will increase with the faction''s prestige level.] [Basic construction-typemission unlocked, currently can issue 1/1 construction-typemissions.] [Please set the Faction Token: ¡­] [Please set the Token''s ability/material exchange ratio: ¡­] "..." Bai E was somewhat astonished. Random thering counted too? Building a faction was this simple? Kuang Xin and the other two were excited, unhesitatingly confirming upon the prompt''s appearance. [The other party invites you to join the faction: Li Ming (Prestige Level: 1), do you ept?] [Yes!] ... [Kuang Xin, Gong Yan, Dai Lian have joined your faction.] Hey, hey, don''t be so hasty! I haven''t even set the tokens yet! Bai E had never felt his mind work this fast. How had he ended up entangling himself with his own bluffs? Just wait, let me make things up... [Temporary member; cannot view Faction Shop.] "..." Dai Lian and the others were silent, looking pitifully at Bai E. Bai E breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he was one step ahead. With a straight face, Bai E spoke indifferently, "Our cause does not permit the slightest error. Although I am willing to trust your character, a basic test is essential." Tapping the pile of lumber next to him, Bai E remembered the small hill he had seen from afar earlier. It was too conspicuous. "Our original intention was to build a small base here, and your gathering of these materials serves that purpose. As our organization is short on manpower, and since you have just joined, this new base will be entrusted to you to construct." [Commission description is auto-generating...] [Side Mission¡ªConstruct Warehouse (Construction-type Commission): The beginning of constructing a base requires a warehouse that can amodate supplies without being disturbed or discovered. Mission Requirements: Build an underground warehouse, capacity (0/1~¡Þm3). Mission Reward: Li Ming position, Li Ming contribution points (distributed as progress is made).] (Note: There is a physical submission step; the currentmission cannot be "autopleted" and requires "eptancepletion"; upon confirming the release of themission, "authority" will be deducted and locked.) [Do you wish to issue the currentmission?] The initial capacity of the underground warehouse... If it''s too big, they''ll just ck off; if it''s too small, it won''t drag out enough time. Let them start with this¡ª20*20*3m3! Cheer up, darlings. Publish! ... "1200 cubic meters?" "Seems not too small." Everyone knows how big one meter is, but twenty meters starts to get hazy, and 20*20*3 is even more confusing. The three yers who had never done simr work also had no concrete concept of it. It seemed not small, but once they got to work, it would be done. "Work hard, and once this small base ispleted, you''ll be the backbone." Kuang Xin muttered softly, "But... I have no idea how to dig holes..." Bai E''s gaze was calm, trying to convey strength, "Believe in yourself, your creativity is infinite." "That''s true..." Kuang Xin felt empowered. If you don''t know how, try; if you can''t try, learn; there''s everything on the inte, just look it up and it''s settled. This is a world where yers can freely remodel, and having a floor that can be dug permanently is a blessing from heaven! "Additionally..." Bai E said, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. ... The scarlet view bestowed a red glow on everything in sight, the serrated edges of grass des cutting through the visuals, every living thing exuding an enticing scent of flesh and blood. The gic blueprint outlined everything, with infinite mysteries hidden within the double helix. Desire! Everything! Flesh and blood! "Hiss!" "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" [Sessfully hit multiple small targets, Light Firearm Mastery experience +5.] (Stacked) [Hit the vital part of the target, causing 25 points of fatal damage to the target!] [Target''s breathing ceased, has lost basic life signs.] [gue Rat (Mutated): Health 0/25...] ... [You have ended the battle, gaining 12 points ofbat experience.] The sudden gunfire startled Kuang Xin and the other two, their eyes wide with confusion. What happened? Were they silenced? The officer''s face was expressionless as he holstered his gun, giving the impression that the shooting had nothing to do with him. Their slow-reacting brains recalled the sound of the gunfire¡ªfour shots. On the ground beside the officer¡ªfour gue rat corpses. One bullet each, and he only spared them a nce. Is this the strength of NPCs in the game? "Gulp!" Kuang Xin swallowed dryly. With such strength, if he had truly angered him just now, he might have been silenced in minutes... He had firsthand experience with the difficulty of these gue rats. Small, fast. Forget using guns; even in closebat, it was quite hard to hit them. Their only weakness was low attack power, but even ants could kill an elephant if there were enough of them. ... "My lord..." Dai Lian looked at Bai E''s back, his voice trembling slightly. The abject humiliation of being chased by a swarm of rats yesterday was still fresh in his memory, and now... were theying again? Bai E looked behind, rustling shadows surging over the ck and yellow earth. A few dozen? A hundred? Quite a spectacle. Narrowing her eyes, Bai E suddenly remembered yesterday''s instructor''s tactical exercise. Could she... give it a try? Chapter 44: 044 Teaching Bureau - Shooting "Have you encountered these things before?" "Mm-hmm," Dai Lian nodded. His thighs were a bit wobbly, and he wanted to run. In this game, life was precious, and you couldn''t tough it out if you couldn''t beat the challenge. But there was still some distance, and it wasn''t impossible to wait and see what the NPC would do next. Maybe he could clear the area by himself? This was the first advanced NPC he had encountered, and from the move he had just made, he was terrifyingly powerful. "Can''t beat them?" "Too many of them, and they are hard to hit." "Take out your weapons." Bai Emanded in an indifferent tone, having already drawn his own pistol once again. Perhaps it wasn''t as powerful as a rifle, but it was military-grade, reliable quality. [Desert Fox - Quality: White (Light Firearm)] [Basic parameters: Fire rate 1 shot/s; Magazine: 10 rounds (pistol ammunition); Range 50 meters; Basic attack power (type: piercing): 11~13; Output level 11; Durability 15/15] [Usage requirement: Physical strength 9 (can be used).] [Trait: Only women would use this thing!] "Find the moving patterns, predict the trajectories, they''re just rats, not that hard to hit." The sound of gunfire apanied Bai E''s words. Bang! Bang! Bang! [Sessfully hit multiple small targets consecutively, Light Firearms Specialization experience +4.] (Stacked) [Hit target''s vital spot, dealing 23 points of critical damage!] Level 4 Light Firearms Specialization had made the Desert Fox in Bai E''s hands seem like an extension of his body. The bullet friction through the barrel grooves was like blood surging through veins. The brain doesn''t need to precisely control every single red blood cell; the body naturally knows where to send blood when it''s needed. And if he could hit a 200-meter variable frequency moving target, how could he miss a 20-meter rat? [Do you decide to impartbat skills to the target?] [Confirmed!] ¡­ [You are observing a professional shooting demonstration and gaining some insights...] [Instruction: Sensing the opponent''s professional specialization, you''re determined to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) to learn corresponding abilities. (Exchange ratio: Every 2 points ofbat/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of specialized experience.)] What is this? Kuang Xin and the others exchanged nces, their eyes filled with shock. An instructional session? Indeed, there were still many secrets in this game, waiting to be unearthed by everyone. "Are you going to learn?" Gong Yan was somewhat hesitant. At a 2-to-1 ratio, it seemed like a loss, especially since after acquiring at least level 1 of specialization, points could be added on a 1-to-1 basis. "Learn it!" Dai Lian was determined. In the early stages of the game, losing some experience to get ahead was definitely worth it. The experience required to level up was bound to increase, and even if the experience needed for level 1 specialization was doubled, it couldn''tpare to the experience gained from casually killing a couple of monsterster on. What''s more, quickly unlocking a level 1 specialization would save time and resources, which were undoubtedly the most valuable. Just by looking at the uracy penalty on pistols, even a level 1 specialization could greatly improve their shooting uracy, which would benefit both the efficiency of gaining experience and saving ammunition. If they had at least level 1 specialization yesterday when facing the wolves, they wouldn''t have wasted so many bullets. How could one pass up such a rare opportunity? Were their brains sted by artillery? "Steady your wrist, and if you''re not strong enough, hold the gun with both hands. The required strength to fire a gun is just the minimum; resisting the recoil as much as possible is what you should be most concerned about." ¡­ "Keep moving, crossfire, don''t panic, you have teammates." [You are trying teambat under the guidance of a master, remember this feeling, and you may acquire the trait - Well-Trained.] ¡­ "Don''t deliberately chase after the same target, chasing limits your observation and wastes your time. Prioritize the targets you can hit most easily." Amidst the chaotic gunfire, Bai E''s voice was always steady. He stood like a steadfast pir amidst the tide of rats, calm andposed, and with each strike, a gue rat was inevitably robbed of its vitality. It was a far cry from the disheveled flight of yesterday. Of course, the reason for yesterday''s disarray was that the blood of the dead wolves had attracted too many gue rats; the scale of today''s encounter was clearly not on the same level. But it was just the right challenge for some practice. The Teaching Bureau wasn''t an immediate sess, as there was room for choice in every move. "You have spent 10 points of battle experience, converting it into 5 points of ''Light Firearms Mastery'' experience." During the fight with the wolves yesterday, everyone''s shooting skills had improved. Dai Lian''s chosen innate talent was a perfect match, showing the most growth, having already reached 83/100. He now spent just 40 points of battle experience to sessfully acquire level 1 Light Firearms Specialization. But... "Target skill is exceptional. Continuing to learn might yield unexpected gains." After much hesitation and looking at his substantial surplus of battle/general experience, Dai Lian decided to take a gamble. Initially, 110 points of battle experience and 150 points of general experience would have been enough to nearly reach level 2 specialization, but losing half of the experience for a lower-level specialization in exchange for a chance to discover a miracle... Aren''t you still a yer if you don''t gamble? The excitement of the unknown is always more thrilling than a safe and sure oue. All in! "You have spent 10 battle experience points, converting it into 5 points of ''Light Firearms Mastery'' experience. (A very small chance of awakening a special attribute.)" Bai E''s shooting movements were imprinted in his view, turning into subtle insights that melded into his shooting specialization with the help of the system''s mighty power. Bang! "You have spent 10 points of general experience, converting it into 5 points of ''Light Firearms Mastery'' experience. (A very small chance of awakening a special attribute.)" Bang! Killing two birds with one stone. The bullet followed a curve, piercing through two gue rats and still carrying momentum. "You have spent 10 points of general experience, converting it into 5 points of ''Light Firearms Mastery'' experience. (A small chance of awakening a special attribute.)" Bang! "You have spent 10 points of general experience, converting it into 5 points of ''Light Firearms Mastery'' experience." "Your prolonged learning has allowed you to draw enough experience from the master''s performance. Your specialization ability¡ªLight Firearms Specialization¡ªhas gained a brand new ''special'' attribute boost!" "Light Firearms Specialization (Level 1): Shooting uracy +3%, critical hit +0.5%, Arc Shot (special) +2%." Hmm? Dai Lian, his mind somewhat muddled, suddenly snapped to attention. Did it really happen? The sound of gunfire was still in his ears. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bai E unceremoniously took down thest three gue rats. These were all experience points. To legitimately steal a yer''s experience and still have them be grateful¡ªwhat a rotten NPC I am~ And... "The ''teaching'' is over. Through the feedback from the ''teaching,'' you have altogether acquired 340 battle experience points and 120 general experience points." A total of 460 points? The amount seemed... not to add up. Based on the rewards from the task feedback yesterday, the total Light Firearms Mastery experience gained by these three yers was at least 176 pointsbined. That means, together, they would only need to pay out (300-176)*2... which is 248 points of general/battle experience at most, to acquire level 1 specialization for everyone. This calction was simple. Now... Clearly, someone learned too much. It''s good if someone learns too much. How else would I profit if the yers aren''t fools? Bai E felt a surge of pleasure internally but remained expressionless on the outside, his gaze casually sweeping over the dark objects in their hands, speaking in an even tone. "Where did you get the guns in your hands from?" "Bought... bought them." Kuang Xin replied cheerily, the first to respond. "The quality seems pretty poor..." A level 4 shooting skill allowed Bai E to notice much more. Leaving technical reasons aside, the uracy of the guns they held was also very low. So... Can teaching knowledge open a Teaching Bureau too? Chapter 45: 045 Each has its own gains "Let me see it." "Okay!" Kuang Xin was the first to hand his over, quite eager. Once the homemade gun was in hand, its attributes unfolded. On one hand, the gun''s performance was inferior to the military-issued Sand Fox, which was a hardware issue that couldn''t be resolved. However, on its own... [...Durability 4/10] [Trait: Roughly Made, shooting uracy -10%; the manufacturing process is too poor, there is a certain chance of barrel explosion during use;ck of proper maintenance over time has led to rust at critical parts, durability is rapidly decreasing, significantly increasing the chance of barrel explosion!] The debuff was nearly maxed out, weren''t they afraid it would explode in their own hands? Seeing Bai E frown, Kuang Xin cautiously asked, "Sir?" Without a word, Bai E took out a screwdriver from his embrace and got to work. He had already carried with him the few tools necessary for maintaining light firearms. After disassembling the parts, Bai E exposed the rust inside to the sunlight, "If you are warriors, you should learn to protect the weapons in your hands. They are your tools for killing enemies and the partners you should value the most." "..." Kuang Xin didn''t make a sound. They were just beginner weapons. If they blew up, just buy another. Bai E''s words continued to echo in their ears, "I know you might not care about such a readily avable weapon, but I don''t want it to betray you at a critical moment. If you cannot treat it well, you will eventually be hurt by it. As new members of the organization, I don''t want to see you get injured." [Do you decide to teach the target survival skills?] [Confirm!] ... The three yers who received the system prompt were startled at the same time. Firearm maintenance and care? This auxiliary ability costs 200 general experience points to learn? Are you learning it? I''m not. Kuang Xin and Dai Lian exchanged nces, reaching a consensus. Amidst the silence, Gong Yan squatted down, moved closer, and observed Bai E''s motions carefully. "Sir, can you teach me?" Compared to the previous Bai E, the one now bending down to maintain the firearm seemed warmer, and Gong Yan, with her careful thoughts, captured this tender moment. For her, rampaging through the game wasn''t important, but certain interesting details were simply too appealing. Moreover, she was willing to learn these support abilities. Bai E nced at her, "Okay, where''s your gun?" "Here..." "Take it out and follow along." [You have spent 10 general experience points in learning, which has been converted into 5 points of "Firearm Maintenance and Care" experience.] ... [You have learned "Level 1 Firearm Maintenance and Care" and simultaneously received 1* technological point.] [Firearm Maintenance and Care (Level 1): Maintains light firearms, restoring the target''s durability by 3 points, target cooldown time 24 hours.] The three homemade guns were revitalized after maintenance. [...Durability 7/10] [Trait: The original hand-assembled homemade gun has been carefully treated by a professional, significantly reducing the chance of barrel explosion; limited by inherent conditions, shooting uracy -5%. (Cooldown time: 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds)] Kuang Xin''s eyes widened, "The effect is so powerful..." When he first got it, there was a -10% penalty in shooting uracy, but after one maintenance, it was reduced to only a -5% penalty. If it''s maintained once more, wouldn''t the penalty disappear? Maintain one more time, wouldn''t it be +5%? And if maintained yet again... If the homemade gun was like this, surely other weapons obtained in the future would benefit as well. He never thought that such an auxiliary ability could be so potent, it could be described as defying fate. In that moment, Kuang Xin felt a bit of regret. He had plenty of experience left, enough to learn the skill. But... an opportunity missed is missed for good. The officer probably had no interest in teaching it again. Gong Yan was all smiles, her eyes curved into crescents, willingly dering, "If I know it, it''s as if you know it too." "Alright." Bai E got up, and for the first time in front of the three of them, he showed a smile, "Goodbye." The two educational sessions had wasted too much of his time; would he have to run back so fast he''d practically fly? Fortunately, the first half of the afternoon was the original shooting training, so as a newly graduated rookie, he didn''t need to assemble immediately. Watching Bai E''s retreating figure walking away briskly, Dai Lian tightened his grip on the pistol in his hand, feeling for the first time a real advantage in this game. A brand new organization! A mysterious chain of missions. A powerful yet gentle superior! And... a specialization with special attributes that no one could have at the early stages of the game! "How did everyone do?" Dai Lian asked. Understanding thebinedbat power of the team was the most important thing for a team''s strategist to do. "I spent 100 points ofbat experience to get Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization, 200 points of general experience for firearm maintenance, and didn''t use the rest of the experience to level up to Level 2," Gong Yan answered crisply. Dai Lian let out a light sigh, "Same here, but I used 150 points ofbat experience and 120 points of general experience just to get Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization. Now I only have 30 points of general experience left..." "???" Kuang Xin and Gong Yan looked at Dai Lian like they were seeing him for the first time. Since when had Dai Lian tapped into Kuang Xin''swork? Dai Lian smiled mysteriously, after knowing each other for so long, he always wanted to show off in front of his acquaintances. "My specialization might be a bit different from yours." Kuang Xin was full of curiosity, "What is it?" Dai Lian ced a finger to his lips, "It''s a secret." Then he turned to ask Kuang Xin, "What about you?" "Me?" Kuang Xin shrugged, "I used 90 points ofbat experience~ But..." "But what?" "I got a trait too..." Kuang Xin grinned, his smile beaming brightly. He''d held back until now, finally ready to reveal it. [Trait¡ªWell Trained: More adept at teambat, with no fewer than "five"bat units working together, Insight Performance +1, Reflex Performance +1; more likely to survive inplexbat environments (with over 10 participating units within 500m3), Block +5%, Dodge +3%.] "Damn!" Dai Lian lost hisposure for the first time. Gong Yan also opened her slightly parched mouth wide, "...Shit!" The attribute boosts that were triggered were terrifyingly strong, even stronger than all the progress they had made in the game from the start until now. This this this... Dai Lian remembered the prompt that had shed briefly in the educational session, "Could it be..." Kuang Xin shrugged smugly, "Yeah, I just learned it naturally." "..." Naturally... Damn it! Dai Lian pursed his lips. He''d been outdone. But the fact was, Kuang Xin had learned it, and he hadn''t¡ªthat was skill. "Eh? You guys are all here?" An incongruent voice suddenly rang out, and Pu Jie''s face, which looked sleazy no matter how you saw it, came running over from a distance. "It''s noon, shall we go wolf-hunting?" Dai Lian nodded fiercely, "Let''s do it!" Having just acquired specialization skills, and his weapons feeling reborn, with his uracy indeed improved significantly, if they didn''t go on a killing spree now, when would they? "Exactly!" Pu Jie was exceptionally excited, "We''re all friends of Yanzi, I won''t let you down! I''ve already found out, at the top of this mission is the Heretical Arbitration House in the city! As long as we get the best results, I can get you guys connected to that line, it''ll be totally worth it!" Chapter 46: 046 Show off a little Bai E returned to the camp with a heart full of joy. "This trip out, it was worth it!" More than just worth it, it was a huge gain! The experience from those little mice wasn''t much, only 3 points each, but you can''t beat the sheer number of them. The only regret is that this world seems to have some kind of experience punishment mechanism -- killing too many of these weak creatures in session reduces the experience significantly, from 3 points at first to 2 and then 1 point. Nevertheless, overall, he still gained more than a hundred points inbat experience. Wasn''t that much faster than training in the military camp? Actualbat had always been the quickest way to improve. However, that was just a small part of it. The experience gained from teaching yers twice was the real meat of the matter. His under 100 points ofbat/general experience had, after this one excursion, soared to an impressive 879 points. He was just 121 points away from unlocking the skill tree that opened up after reaching level 4 specialization; hope was right before his eyes! Upon returning to the campsite, all was silent. Bai E felt like a student who waste to ss, each step he took into the military camp filled with trepidation. Everyone was training. It wasn''t just the new recruits; even the veterans needed to undergo various degrees of training in different areas. For them, breaking through limits might be harder, but without training, there was no chance for improvement at all. The only difference was, perhaps, that those veterans with certain military achievements had a bit more freedom in scheduling their time. Like the four members of the special squad... "You''re finally back!" Upon seeing Bai E return, Dashan popped out from behind a tent, his tone energetic, "Didn''t you say yesterday you wanted to learn how to dress wounds? We''ve already arranged it for you. Nurse Chief An Lun is teaching her subordinate medics right now, and you can still make it if you hurry." "Huff... Huff..." Bai E was still breathing heavily, unable to speak, just letting others make arrangements. He had casually mentioned it justst night; he didn''t expect his teammates to take it so seriously. "Let''s go! I''ll take you there!" Gripping Bai E''s hand, Dashan took off running. "Slow... slow down." ... "You are special." In front of a pristine white tent, an elegantly poiseddy with traces of time upon her face gently spoke to the line of "nurses," "The soldiers'' hands are for killing enemies; yours are for saving lives. Not many have the ability to soothe pain, and I am d you can feel that kind of suffering. Remember one thing¡ªif the weak and the sick are not cared for, humanity has no future. Soldiers spill their blood, but there should be no needless sacrifices." Gics are uncontroble. In a batch of 2,000 new recruits, there will always be some unexpected births, those naturally capable of sensing injury, bleeding, abscess, and other factors, are naturally destined to be medics. Besides, there are also some civillians who volunteered to enlist. Joining the army could bring some subsidies to the family, but the front line was far too dangerous. Being a military medic was somewhat safer. Moreover, with free training to master a skill, they could make a living even if they left the armyter¡ªit was a good choice. Apart from some standard basic training, what these military medics needed to train for was notbat ability, but battlefield medical rescue capability. That was when Dashan and Bai E arrived at the back of the crowd. "Go on, hurry up!" Dashan clearly revered the elegantdy, and when he maintained a certain distance, he gave Bai E a push. Dashan was stronger than Bai E, and with that shove, Bai E had no power to resist, stumbling to the very right of the line. The new "nurses" could not help but nce sideways, and Nurse Chief An Lun also cast a pair of calm yet solemn eyes toward him. "You has already spoken to me... but you arete," she said. Thedy, elegant yet austere, showed no interest in hearing Bai E''s excuses¡ªbeingte was beingte, no excuses. Fearing Bai E might not catch up with the progress, she had already waited six minutes. The golden window for saving many injured soldiers did not evenst six minutes. So... She reached out to the dummy beside her, "Yesterday, we had already gone through the basic bandaging practice, which you missed. I cannot waste time teaching it again. If you have no basic knowledge at all... you can leave now." Bai E pursed his lips and, without saying a word, stepped forward. If you''rete for a beating, you stand firm. He waste; there was no getting around that. Even if he was being targeted, it was deserved. An Lun handed Bai E a roll of somewhat ckened gauze, saying nothing, her calm yet stern gaze was pressure in itself. The rookie nurses were familiar with this kind of pressure; a few naturally gentle girls looked worriedly at Bai E''s retreating figure. "Nurse Chief An Lun seems angry..." "None of these neers, the artificial humans, should know anything..." "It took us a long time yesterday to even grasp a little trick..." Yesterday''s training was called basic, and it was indeed very basic. Nothing in the world is simple: how to bandage securely, whether too tight might restrict blood flow, whether too loose might render it ineffective, when to bind blood vessels, when only to clean the wound to prevent infection, how to bandage so as not to affect the ability to move... and so on. It took everyone two hours just to get a basic handle on it; without any basics, there were no patients willing to let them practice freely. "Is he going to be sent away?" Being driven away... always seemed like such a shameful thing. Mashati''s brown amber-like eyes gazed at Bai E''s back, full of worry. Bai E tore open the gauze. "16 points in bandaging experience should help me cope, right?" He indeed had not genuinely practiced, but the experience fed back from the missions subconsciously told him what to do. Experience was just that, experience, not the ability to convert bonus attributes into absolute operations bestowed by the system, but still something familiar. Just like the dozen or so points of shooting proficiency he had earned through his own efforts at the beginning of the rookie shooting test. Though he was a novice, it did not mean he waspletely clueless. Just not sure if it would catch the eye of this nurse chief. It was good to learn; after all, arriving in a strange new world, the more skills, the better. If not allowed to learn... it seemed like there wasn''t much of a loss. With the right attitude, Bai E simply got to work. [You are attempting a simted bandaging...] Whish, whish, whish! Bai E''s hands fluttered like butterflies threading flowers, his main show was confidence. Inexperienced yet confident... "Wow! He''s so skilled!" "He''s doing better than I did yesterday..." The girls whispered among themselves. [You havepleted a simted bandage; validation sessful, bandaging experience +1.] Great sess! Now to tie a butterfly knot... ["Lucky Strike" charge +3.] A glint of astonishment shed in An Lun''s eyes as she stared intently at Bai E''s profile, "Have you practiced on your own?" Chapter 47: 047 Born Doctor "Sort of..." Bai E responded ambiguously. Rubbing his hands, he felt that making money from a girl''s adoration was easy. Show a little skill, and three o''clock was at hand. An Lun nodded her head, without expressing any opinion, "Return to the ranks." Her attitude was still proper, and she had been working hard in private, so it seemed there must have been some important matter that had dyed her. She didn''t believe in people''s words, only in what she saw with her own eyes. "Alright, let''s continue the lesson. Those who have mastered the skills will have the opportunity to practiceter..." Nurse An Lun''s voice was gentle and clear, pointing out tips on the dummy by her side as she spoke. "As everyone knows, the functions of bandaging usually include protecting the wound, reducing infection, pressing to stop bleeding, fixing bones, and reducing secondary damage. The timing, location, and method of bandaging determine the effects you want to achieve..." [You are learning "Knowledge ¡ª Bandaging," progress 1%...] "For example, when dealing with wounds on the forearm, upper arm, or lower leg, one can adopt the spiral bandaging method..." [You are learning "Knowledge ¡ª Bandaging," progress 12%...] ... [You have mastered "Knowledge ¡ª Bandaging," and now you can improve your knowledge level through the method of investing "General Experience."] The distinction of knowledge from specializations lies precisely here: once you have grasped the relevant knowledge, even if it''s at level 0, you can directly upgrade it through experience points. But before obtaining the skill specialization at level 4, is it worth it to spend precious experience on something like this? Bai E remained silent, entirely unmoved. "Alright, I''ve exined the main points to you, now follow me." An Lun started walking, heading towards the back. Passing through several tents, arge iron house appeared in front of them. Faint groans emanated from within, with the smell of blood mixed with the pungent odor of antiseptics prating the nostrils. Pushing the door open, figures in white coats stained with blood shuffled back and forth, extremely busy. It wasn''t just the battlefield; even in daily training, there were many soldiers injured by idents or exertion. An Lun''s voice rose softly, "Many patients are due for a change of dressings. If you feel confident about your skills, go ahead and try." [A subplot mission ¡ª Changing Dressings has been triggered.] [Changing Dressings: The moans of many wounded stir yourpassion, and you too might lie among them one day. Mission requirement: Complete the dressing change for at least 0/5 patients. Missionpletion reward: 100 General Experience points, advanced knowledge in bandaging ¡ª First Aid. (Countdown: 39 minutes 17 seconds)] ... There''s advanced knowledge too? Bai E was not impulsive; the rewards were good, but he could observe first. "I... I want to try." A girl with xen hair following behind Nurse An Lun shyly raised her hand. The girl had a few fetching freckles on her face, not ugly, actually quite cute. At the moment, her eyes timidly fixed on Nurse An Lun''s face, somewhat uneasy. An Lun nced at her faded grey-ck canvas shoes, a light smile touching her lips, "Mashati, go ahead." "Yes..." The girl bowed respectfully, encouraged to some extent by the nurse''s smile. Lying on the iron bed was a well-built brute of a man. Seeing the approach of the cute girl, although his lips were dry and pale, he still tried to muster a smile, "Go ahead and change it, it''s alright, I''m not afraid of pain." It was something the nurse had informed everyone about in advance: bringing a group of new nurses to practice. He had volunteered himself; for these neers, he felt they deserved encouragement. "Yes... I''ll try to be as gentle as I can." Mashati may have seemed timid, but she was the first to step up bravely, with all her fellow nurses watching her performance from behind. Gently untying the knot, the pasty medicine powder mixed with dark red blood, an unpleasantly putrid smell hit her the moment it was exposed. Mashati''s expression didn''t change as she carefully cleaned the wound. Bit by bit, with utmost meticulousness. Bai E stood to the side, where he could see the seriousness in the girl''s eyes as well as the blood still seeping from the wound beneath. The wound had not healed, and this warrior''s injuries were quite serious¡­ As time ticked by the second, the bustle in the distance had nothing to do with this hospital bed, within the small area there was a terrifying silence, everyone was observing Mashati''s movements, she was unanimously recognized as the best learner among them. "Ah!" Blood, continuously spurting from the wound. The shock of red brought an unsettling emotion, Mashati''s hands trembled, her mind going nk for a moment. "Stop the bleeding." Nurse An Lun''s voice sounded tly from behind. She had not the slightest intention of helping, while simultaneously using Mashati as a negative example, "Reducing the patient''s pain is indeed important, but speed is also crucial within a tolerable range. We need to soothe the pain, but first we must save lives¡­" Mashati quickly pressed on the artery above the wound ording to what she had learned from memory, her other hand trying desperately to clean the blood, while also reaching for the medicinal powder, intending to apply and dress the wound. However, the incessant flow of red from the wound made her frantic, andrge tears fell "plop, plop" from her eyes. "It''s okay! I''m fine¡­" The burly man on the bed was stubborn and tough, every muscle taut, sucking in cool breath through clenched teeth while still managing to squeeze out a few words to console the flustered girl. His attempt at constion only made Mashati feel guiltier, her teary eyes blurring her vision even more. An Lun seemed determined to leave her to fend for herself, her voice calm to the point of seeming cold, "Who will take over for her?" "I''ll do it." Mashati heard a gentle voice near her ear, like an angel in despair. Through her tear-blurred eyes, she seemed to see thete arrival, the synthetic warrior. [Would you like to confirm the payment of 83 general experience points to upgrade "Knowledge¡ªBandaging"?] Confirm! [You have learned "Bandaging Level 1," and simultaneously gained 1 technological point.] [Bandaging (Level 1): Quickly stops minor bleeding, significantly reduces the chance of infection, enhances the target''s natural immunity, target health regeneration +1/H.] Knowledge covered his body, and his actions were like instinct. Taking over Mashati''s task, Bai E moved extremely quickly, cleaning the blood, applying medicine, and rewrapping the wound with bandages in almost a single fluid motion. The burly man was still gritting his teeth, trying to resist the pain, but in the blink of an eye, clean white bandages already securely appeared before his eyes. [You havepleted a bandaging, elerating the healing of the wound, bandaging experience +0.] ["Knowledge¡ªBandaging" level has reached its limit; to continue improving, you must obtain further advanced knowledge.] [You havepleted a treatment, "Side Quest¡ªChanging Dressings" progress 1/5.] ["Lucky Strike" charge +4.] "..." "..." Even the usuallyposed Nurse An Lun couldn''t help but open her mouth in astonishment at this moment. "Which new recruit unit are you from?" Bai E''s progress was there for all to see; his performance upon arrival was the level he started at, and even if he pretended to be inexperienced, he couldn''t have feigned it so convincingly. And right after she had finished exining all the insights and techniques needed for bandaging, this new recruit had digested and mastered thempletely. It''s important to know that the bandaging she taught was not just about wrapping and tying knots; it involved a lot of professional knowledge about the human body''s joints and blood vessels and was considered a basic introduction to medical science. It takes a long time for knowledge to go from learning to mastery; most people need time to practice and strengthen it. Mashati was already the fastest-improving new nurse, yet she was still unfamiliar with bandaging, slightly flustered at the slightest emergency, clueless about how to react. And him? Merely learning was nothing special; speed was the key. Thoughtful and skilled, with a natural sensitivity to medical-rted knowledge. Such learning ability, such practical capabilities... this was a born physician! Such a person shouldn''t... and couldn''t be wasted as a mere expendable warrior on the battlefield! Chapter 48: 048 Asking someone to come over "Battalion 358..." He replied casually as he looked towards the busy other beds, "I''ll go help." Throwing out 83 points of universal experience, wouldn''t it be a loss if he didn''t earn back the 100 points of universal experience reward from the mission? Bai E kept his mission in mind. "Okay..." Nurse An Lun nodded nkly. Having gotten past the initial surprise, there was no need to rush now. Soldiers, after all, always have to follow the arrangements of their superiors. As long as hemunicated with those at the top, the valueparison between a top-tier medical system talent and an ordinary cannon-fodder soldier was understood by those who understood it. Under the gaze of a group of enthralled female fans behind him, Bai E casuallypleted the mission that was triggered this time. [Side Mission ¡ª Rece Bandages, Completed.] [Mission Reward: 100 Universal Experience Points, Advanced Bandaging Knowledge ¡ª First Aid has been distributed.] With more than ten minutes left on the countdown, he had plenty of time to spare. "p p p~" "Very good!" An Lun was the first to lead the apuse, and a smile spread across his usually solemn face. Battalion 358, 95B27. There''s no escaping it... Bai E was also smiling; never had a mission been as simple as this one, freeload an advanced knowledge and 100 points of universal experience. Made a killing... [Received feedback from themission, Bandaging Experience +3.] ["Knowledge ¨C Bandaging" level has reached its limit and cannot be improved further; to continue improving, subsequent advanced knowledge is required.] Huh? Bai E''s expression stiffened slightly. A slight loss... ... [You havepleted a bandaging, elerating the healing of the target wound, Bandaging Experience +3.] [Current Bandaging Experience 50/100, at 100 points you can master "Level 1 Bandaging".] ["Knowledge ¨C Bandaging" progress has reached its limit and cannot be improved further; to continue improving, full subsequent knowledge is required.] "Huh?" The smile at the corner of Gong Yan''s lips suddenly paused. Looking at her, Kuang Xin asked with concern, "What''s wrong?" Gong Yan shook her head, "I''ve hit the ceiling of proficiency in bandaging; I need specialized knowledge to further improve it." Kuang Xin scratched his head, somewhat puzzled, "My woodcutting didn''t say it needed knowledge though..." He had already acquired Level 1 Woodcutting Knowledge. "It''s a matter of the level of specialization." Pu Jie had been watching his goddess the entire time; hearing their conversation, he was the first to jump in and show off his knowledge. "Knowledge varies in specialization too; that''s a hidden condition. Some knowledge is low in specialization, and anyone who is willing to practice it can eventually master it given enough time, like coarse tasks such as woodcutting. Then there''s the high-specialization knowledge where it''s difficult to level up without the in-game specialized knowledge passing the tests, such as bandaging and pharmaceutics." "Oh~" Gong Yan nodded, looking somewhat puzzled and uncertain. "Stop chatting, it''s time to get to work..." Dai Lian felt a bit helpless from a distance. Are these two stupid? Even doing rough work, they still manage to injure themselves? Giving this game away for free to these people is a big loss. "Here we go!" Kuang Xin shook his arms, feeling the bandaged wound had no impact on his movement. Indeed, yers didn''t feel pain from injuries, but untreated wounds would cause continuous bleeding or even bacterial and viral infections that could elerate death, so proper bandaging was necessary. "Hurry up and get the traps set. Kuang Xin, you can start looking for the target soon." With the experience from before, everyone worked more efficiently this time, especially with one more helper. "Roger that!" Kuang Xin was full of enthusiasm. With the free-for-all battle approaching, he wondered how powerful the effects of his newly acquired trait would be in actualbat, and he was somewhat excited... Before long, hidden among the trees, Dai Lian''s ears twitched, picking up the gradually approaching sound of a stampede of beasts. Who knows how many that guy Kuang Xin has brought this time! With a clench of his silver teeth, he let out a low growl, "Prepare for battle!" "Oh yeah~" This was Pu Jie''s first time experiencing abat scene like this, and his heart was pounding. The dense foliage obscured their vision, but judging by the noise, there were quite a few beasts. Is this how they hunt? Geez! Getting closer¡­ even closer¡­ The low growls emitting from the beasts'' throats seemed like a harbinger of death, their ck fur glistening under the nting sun with a metallic sheen. "Gulp!" Pu Jie swallowed reflexively. The shock of seeing these ferocious beasts charging toward him was iparable to any experience he had ever had. For a moment, his mind went nk¡­ "Grip your gun tight, prepare to fight!" Dai Lian''s voice reminded him from not far away. "Oh yeah!" Damn if the realism of this game wasn''t done too well! Pu Jie gripped his handgun tightly, his palms sweaty. "Axe, here!" Kuang Xin, who had been through this once before, was even wilder, his new trait making him particrly emboldened. He lured the wild wolves halfway, then grabbed the new axe he had prepared by the side of the road. An axe in one hand, a gun in the other, he was like a god descending amongst mortals! "Kill!" ¡­ [Feedback from themission, Handicraft experience +20. (umted)] [Feedback from themission, Traps experience +18.] [Feedback from themission, your Physical Fitness +0.1, Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] [Feedback from themission, Heavy Weapons Mastery experience +25.] [Feedback from themission, Light Firearms Mastery experience +74.] [Feedback from themission, Dissection experience +22.] After leaving the infirmary and undergoing physical training, Bai E felt a sudden surge of strength within him, his expression stiffened, and he contemted cking off. His body, which had just started to feel somewhat fatigued, was now revitalized with new vigor. The yers were working hard, which was good. But... he was moving further and further along the path of training. Looking back, he saw manyrades struggling far behind him. The significant improvement in physical fitness wasn''t just about having more stamina in reserve, now even without trying to speed up, his pace was much faster than other recruits. Not to mention, his true talent was "Fast Recovery," which was proving to be exceptionally effective. It was that darned choice again - without pushing to the limit, he wouldn''t gain the slightest improvement, but by pushing to the limit... others couldn''t keep up. The others, too, were striving, but the gap only widened. Possible odd nces in the barracks loomed like a ticking time bomb. No one mentioned it yet, but it was always on Bai E''s mind. "Um... Bai E." Wood approached him; after hanging around for two days, he had learned the name Bai E had chosen for himself. "Finally, you ask." Bai E sighed inwardly, deciding to be upfront and pulled out an excuse he had prepared in advance, "Rule No. 3." "Rule No. 3?" Wood was taken aback, "What''s Rule No. 3?" "?" Wood waved his hand, "I''m not asking about your stamina; everyone knows about the Sniper God awarding you Rule No. 3. It''s about Nurse An Lun..." "Nurse An Lun?" "Yeah... did you ever go to her for training? She''s now asking for people, and I wanted to see what you think?" Chapter 49: 049 Is it 95B27 again? "My opinion?" Bai E had never considered this aspect; just moments ago, that head nurse had already made a decision about his future without a word. To be a military nurse? It seemed like a good choice, as the safety of a military nurse would undoubtedly be much higher than that of a front-line soldier. If this were right after he had arrived in this world, Bai E would have agreed without a second thought. But now... After learning more about this world, Bai E''s desire to cling to life had somewhat faded without him noticing. After all, survival was not guaranteed. The Bug Race swarmed everywhere, the mechanical army was always ready to deploy, high-dimensional demons infiltrated everything... Without these soldiers risking their lives, the cities would have long been reduced to ruins. Even so, they were still precarious, like eggs under a toppled nest. No matter where one tried to hide, danger could strike at any moment. As for the words he had told the yers before, which were heartfelt and which were lies, even he couldn''t tell anymore. How could one hide from this turbulent era without establishing a world that was safe for generations toe? Of course, with his current strength, aspiring to create an eternally peaceful world was nothing but a fool''s dream, but... Power, is always the eternal truth. Even if he wasn''t striving for such a noble goal, he needed to gain enough strength to ensure his own safety. To be a military nurse? How much experience could one gain from a single battle? Bai E shook his head and said straightforwardly, "Not interested." "I guessed you wouldn''t be." Wood grinned, "You''re a born soldier." With that, he gestured and said, "You continue training; I''ll deal with her." ... The military district''s conference room. A young officer with a silver stripe on his shoulder tapped the table, concluding this battle nning session, "The operational n is decided. The day after tomorrow, we willpletely eradicate the Bug Race''s hive in ck Rock District!" His gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on a dark silhouette at the edge, full of youthful vigor. This was his firstrge-scale operation since taking over the district, and achieving the strategic goal would greatly increase his chances of seeding as the city lord. Even with a father who was a city lord, he had to start from the bottom and work his way up step by step, without giving his detractors any excuse to criticize him. "Gentlemen, does anyone have anything to add about this battle n?" Over thirty officers were present in the room, with allmanders of two stars and above in attendance, most of whom remained silent at this point, observing quietly. The war against the Bug Race was brutal and straightforward, as those bugs hardly had any tactical sophistication to speak of. Thus, battle ns were naturally simple and brutal, and the real test of skill came in handling unexpected changes on the battlefield. The arrangements here were based on broad strategic directions, leaving nothing much to discuss, hence the silence from the crowd. "Commander Veslin..." A somewhatnguid, mocking voice arose from the side of the long table as the burly general tapped his fingers lightly on the surface, "Our armored battalion can surely execute your operational n, but I can''t say the same for some people." Veslin frowned slightly, "Speak inly, there''s no need for sarcasm." Hamilton''s mouth curled into a sly smile, "Some of the new android soldiers have been directly assigned to special squads for operations. I can''t say for sure if they''ll let us down." "New recruits directly in special squads? Is that even a thing?" Veslin''s gaze swept across the room, skimming over the faces of several two-star generals, "Who arranged that?" The elderly Laurent leaned backfortably in his chair and calmly replied, "I arranged it." A flicker of anger crossed Veslin''s face. Even though he had started from the absolute bottom, there were still people who were unwilling to follow his leadership, making such decisions without so much as notifying him. However, out of respect for the senior officer, he refrained from rebuking and instead inquired, "Perhaps you had some deeper considerations?" The burly Hamilton sneered indifferently, "Consider? What''s there to consider? It''s nothing but the hope that those artificial humans might one day remember his kindness..." Another genial, chubby general chuckled as he tried to smooth things over, "Perhaps that recruit has exceptional talent?" Hamilton snorted derisively, making no effort to conceal his contempt, "Talent..." What kind of talent could qualify a newly created artificial human to join a special squadposed of veterans? No matter how you looked at it, this was a personal mistake by Laurent. The room fell silent. Everyone knew it was impossible; the chubby general seemed to be smoothing things over but was actually twisting the knife. All were waiting for a statement from Laurent''s faction. Facing Hamilton''s unexpected challenge, the aged Laurent remained silent, and his deep, sea-like eyes betrayed no emotion. It was Sniper God Carlos, sitting to his right, who seemed inclined to speak up and argue... "Oh, that''s right..." Noticing Carlos''s eagerness, someone with a jovial smile asked, "I heard our Sniper God shared some of his ''No. 3 ration bars'' with a new recruit these past few days. Is that true?" "The new recruit you''re talking about, isn''t the same one, is it?" "Indeed, the same one. The code number is... 95B27?" "Shall we have him perform a bit, to see how exceptional a recruit is, one who has garnered such attention from both our veteran marshal and Sniper God?" Veslin, standing alone at the end of the long table, furrowed his brow. 95B27? That sounded somewhat familiar. In a corner, a ck robe rustled, and the quiet hood was gently lifted, revealing a hint of intrigued expression. "Knock, knock, knock!" In the midst of the hubbub, a knocking sound suddenly rose, and everyone fell silent, turning their gaze toward the door. This was an important strategic meeting. Even if the content seemed pointless to the attendees, the officer guarding the door would never interrupt at such a time unless it was a matter of great urgency. "Come in." Carlos''s adjutant opened the door and stood at the entrance to report with a salute, "Reporting, sir. Mr. Andrew urgently needs to see you!" A deep voice followed immediately behind the adjutant and pushed through the door, "No need, I''vee myself. Entu, I''ll just ask you one question, are you releasing him or not?" "???" With the dean approaching aggressively, Carlos''s eyes widened slightly, his face full of bewilderment. What had happened? Release who? Who had offended the boss? A forehead full of question marks. But even in ignorance, facing this medical elder, he had no choice but to appease him, considering the dean and his physician colleagues had saved enough people to wrap twice and a half around the city, esteemed and respected. "Dean, please, don''t be angry. But who are we talking about? Which little rascal has gone after your people?" "Of course, it''s that 95B27!" Nurse Chief An Lun, who had appeared beside Andrew, spoke vehemently, her chest heaving slightly. This matter was infuriating. Normally, recruits were assigned to specificbat units afterpleting their training¡ªtheir assigned unit during training was the training troop itself. But when inquiring with instructors from the 358th Troop, she was told the target had already been assigned to the special squad. Upon finding the special squad and questioning You, a familiar face, she was told it was a superior''s arrangement and they were simply following orders to take him in. Chasing down the source led to Laurent''s adjutant, only to be told it was Laurent''s arrangement, but he was in a meeting... a wait that turned out to be half an hour. It was just about transferring a new recruit, which she thought was too trivial a matter not to be granted, for no one would dare deny their medical department''s face. But... it was a runaround! Was someone actually daring to mess with their medical department? An Lun, convinced of this, directly informed the dean, who was a straightforward person, leading to the current scene. "Again, 95B27?" "So, the rookie favored by his own has also crossed Mr. Andrew? The old marshal is in trouble now~" Chapter 50: 050 Contest Hearing it was about 95B27, Sniper God Carlos seemed somewhat tense and was the first to ask, "May I know what you need him for, Director?" As for the others, if he offended them, so be it, Carlos didn''t care. However, this was the Director; in these times, who can guarantee they won''t get injured? Even though the Director had never shown a vengeful demeanor in this regard, no one wanted to test that unknown limit. The elderly man with white hair and a strong voice resonated in the conference room like arge bell. "What for? Of course, I want him to follow me and learn! I don''t know why you have sent such a naturally gifted medical talent to the battlefield?" Everyone says those closebat recruits are cannon fodder, but without any alternatives, who would willingly fill the city walls with their lives? While he couldn''t interfere with the grand strategic situation, his very job was to do his best to save every life. He had been diligently serving for more than fifty years, without a hint of negligence. The old man''s words left more than half of the generals present with their brains in shutdown mode. Naturally gifted in medicine? Such a precedent had never been set in the military camp, and even if he truly had such talent, how could a soldier find the time to demonstrate medical system talent amidst busy training schedules? Isn''t that a bit ridiculous? Mistaken identity? Or... did Head Nurse An Lun have ulterior motives? She was the one who got emotional just now... an old maid... Some generals nced over at the head nurse standing behind the old man, entertaining indecent thoughts unrted to them. Among the three-star generals, a silent, dark-faced man listened for a while before he recalled the origin of the number 95B27. "Isn''t this the recruit Rose mentioned?" He was neutral, or more precisely, a pragmatist. If there were capable artificial soldiers, he would admire and reuse them; if all were mediocrities... dead is dead. As the boss of the cannon fodder camp and ustomed to sacrifice, his attitude towards artificial soldiers wasn''t soplex. However, among this batch of artificial soldier recruits was a Rose... And Rose had once made a request to him... In the midst of a room filled with secretive whispering and a peculiar atmosphere, Dewa stood up, his gaze fixed on the old man, unflinching, "I''m not sure if the Director is mistaken, but even if it''s true, there is an order of precedence to consider. The application to transfer 95B27 to our assault camp was submitted this morning. If you really need him, you''ll have to ask if I agree." When ites to talent, everyone is eager. Each recruit with exceptional closebat talent is exceedingly precious. Closebat cannon fodder is just that, but an elite in closebat is on a whole different level and can''t bepared. Whether the front lines will hold or copse, the assault camp has the final say. Artificial soldier fighters indeed fearlessly brave death, but they are also human, subject to morale fluctuations. The morale boost that a strong and charismatic elite fighter can bring is unimaginable, often more impactful than the individualbat strength, as can be seen from Rose''s training squad. Because of Rose''s presence, the training effectiveness of her squad was much higher than that of other squads. ording to her, this new recruit numbered 95B27 was even more formidable than her, and her instructor had confirmed her ims to be true. He usually kept silent about the fact that all camps chose their elites from the assault camp, precisely to secure some bargaining power when vying for key personnel. It couldn''t possibly be said that their assault camp was treated like a stepchild, could it? When the honest man spoke up, the room instantly quieted down. The dean didn''t care about these issues, he only sincerely asked, "So do you agree?" "I do not agree!" "Entu, what do you say?" Weslin looked at the two sides arguing, feeling a bit troubled. The dean was the core of the city''s medical system, but the Assault Camp had always been at a disadvantage; it couldn''t always be bullied. As victory and defeat seemed to demand a conclusive judgement between the two sides, Carlos could no longer sit still. "I think, perhaps everyone has misunderstood something?" In an instant, the dean and Dewa''s gazes turned towards him, as scorching as the midday sun. "His registered talent is in shooting, which is clear-cut. I don''t know why you are all arguing here." Nurse-in-Charge An Lun started to panic, "But his talent isn''t on the battlefield! You shouldn''t waste his abilities!" Carlos gave a coldugh, thinking, How could you possibly know his talents when I don''t? "95B27 has shown exceptional results in various shooting trainings, a born shooter. I am counting on him to take over my position! If he had no talent, would I not be able to find someone who does?" Dewa snorted contemptuously, "There are so many recruits who pass shooting training each year; you''re telling me there isn''t a single one you approve of? To speak of talent, Miss Yueying should be the most aware¡ªout of 2000 new recruits, only 95B27sted more than 5 seconds under her hand. I think it''s very likely his talent was registered incorrectly..." For a moment, all eyes were once again directed to the silent figure in a ck cloak in the corner. This partner from the Elf Race hadn''t made a sound, but no one would ignore her presence. After all, the image was still vivid in everyone''s mind from the day of their first encounter, when this Elfdy alone with a de had fought her way through the tangle of brainless orcs. There likely wasn''t a single human in the entire city who could take her on in a head-to-head fight. "..." Yueying never expected the topic to pivot to her. After a long pause, she finally nodded somewhat stiffly, "Indeed." "But his medical talent is even better!" An Lun''s eyes bulged, disying her loss ofposure for the first time. "Haha." Dewa sneered. Miss Yueying had already proven it, what was there left to argue? "You don''t know anything about his shooting talent!" Carlos was also frustrated to the point of despair, unable to share what only he knew; it was agony. No, that''s not right¡ªthe old captain must know. He was the one who picked the man out; he certainly must know better than Carlos himself. Carlos suddenly turned his desperate gaze to Laurent. Won''t you please say something? Laurent, who had been sitting quietly, stirred with a soft, "Ah," as if just awakened from a deep dream, and realizing that everyone''s gaze was subtly fixed on him, began to speak softly. "I think everyone might have forgotten something¡ªthe full name of the special forces unit is the Emergency Situational Response Special Combat Team..." In other words... he can learn it all. Where he is doesn''t affect what 95B27 can do. "As for which area he prefers to develop in... personal preference is also a kind of unique talent." Apromise, of sorts. No one was satisfied with this oue, but no one was dissatisfied either; it was better than beingpletely poached by someone else. "Alright, alright." Seeing that everyone''s expression had eased somewhat, Weslin finally intervened, "That settles it then, he''s just a recruit, no need for everyone to get so heated. Compared to this, the clearing operation the day after tomorrow is far more important. I hope everyone prepares well, and let''s take it down in one go!" Chapter 51: 051 Arc Strike! Bai E didn''t know about the small debate that had just urred, which determined his own fate. After all, Wood had returned with a rxed smile. He just felt a bit strange. What were the yers doing? Ever since the task of driving off the wolf pack had beenpleted, it had been a long time since he received any feedback from the tasks. You''re not even doing tasks, where are you? Could it be that you''ve gone offline? It''s already night! If you don''t do tasks now, it''ll be dawn soon! By the campfire, Bai E was maintaining the firearms for the soldiers, his eyes staring nkly into space. "You''re here?" A gentle female voice sounded in his ear,pletely different from You''s timbre, making Bai E look up at the speaker. "¡­" He had some impression of her, but not much. With a hint of confusion on his face, Bai E asked, "You are¡­?" "Mashati, thank you for helping me during the day." "Oh~" Bai E remembered now, the little girl who had cried from the fright of her bleeding wound. "What''s up?" "Nothing, it''s just¡­" Mashati did not answer directly, but instead reached behind herself to smooth out her skirt before squatting down. "I think you''re very skilled¡­ was this afternoon your first time practicing?" "Sort of¡­" "Have you ever considered bing a healer? I saw this afternoon that you seemed quite distressed by the injured soldiers¡­" Amber eyes focused on Bai E''s profile, Mashati blinked, waiting for Bai E''s reply. Everyone was amazed at Bai E''s skill, but on the sidelines, she saw Bai E''spassion. Witnessing those terrifying wounds in the afternoon, the light in Bai E''s eyes was not fear¡­ but deep pity. How could such a person not be a healer? Regarding An Lun''s head nurse''s orders to probe him, she was full of confusion; such a person was destined to save all and soothe pain, so what was there to test? "If you could join us¡­" "I won''t." Bai E''s voice sounded coldly, cutting off the girl''s fantasy. He didn''t even have any unnecessary movements while he was maintaining the firearms. "Ah?" Mashati didn''t hear clearly. "I will not join you." Bai E repeated. Studying medicine won''t save the world, let alone have time to save others when he could barely take care of himself. The war was drawing closer, and the atmosphere in the military camp visibly tensed up; everyone was preparing, and within Bai E''s heart, it was as if heavy drums were beating¡­ increasingly dense. Nervous? Of course he was nervous. Having grown up, he had never even experienced a street fight; the only time he got close to excitement was one afternoon when he was seven, he had cried for two whole hours after being robbed of 50 cents, which had scared him terribly. And now he was about to step into a life-or-death battlefield to fight against foreign races? Who would have thought fate could be so cruel? "¡­" Bai E''s cold rejection shattered Mashati''s beautiful illusion, "Don''t you want to save everyone?" "I don''t have time¡­" "Oh¡­" Mashati fell silent. Bai E busied himself with his own tasks, not caring in the slightest. These past few days, he had met more people than he could count; the disappointment of one or two of them didn''t matter. [You havepleted a maintenance session, "Firearm Maintenance and Care" experience +2.] ["Lucky Strike" charge +1] "Thanks, buddy!" The soldier waiting on the side took his rifle back, greeting with a cheery smile. "Come by more often." After finishing the task at hand, Bai E turned to look at Mashati. The little girl''s willfulness and temper were weed¡­ "¡­" "Why are you looking at me like that?" The girl''s face was full of smiles, puzzled by Bai E''s gaze. "Aren''t you disappointed?" "Why are you disappointed?" the girl asked curiously, sizing up the warriorsing and going around her. "You''re also someone who likes to help others, aren''t you? Since you chose not to join us, you must have something you think is more important, right?" "..." If you''re going topliment me like that, then I''ve got nothing to argue about. Bai E had a grim expression on his face and remained silent. "Brother, help me check my spear." "No problem." Bai E took the neer warrior''s ck spear and sat down, while the girl prattled on about her experiences by herself. "However, for me, studying medicine is the most important thing. My brother has always been in poor health, and I''ve been taking care of him since we were children, but recently..." ... "Tap~ Tap~" The sewers were pitch-dark, the stagnant surface of the wastewater reflecting a dim, distant glow. The steel soles of shoes struck the pipes, echoing far into the distance. In a corner, a figure huddled in a tangle of scorched yellow fabric gently lifted its head, a faint light crossing the small, bright eyes, "They''re here again..." ... "My lord, we''ll scout ahead for you!" Pu Jie''s voice sounded pleasing as he tugged Kuang Xin and the other two to lead the way. Dai Lian nced cautiously at the two figures behind him¡ªone robust and the other slender¡ªand whispered, "Are these the ones from Arbitration ce you mentioned?" "Should be. They are said to be the main force against evil powers in the city, where only the strongest and most talented can join. Hanging out with them is definitely a good move!" "But it looks to me... they don''t seem very reliable," Kuang Xin voiced his opinion. Looking at the naive-looking strong man and thedylike partner behind... Not to mention anything else, they were far inferior in terms of aurapared to their boss. If the city relies on people of such caliber for protection, its future indeed looks bleak. However, the daily tasks issued by their own boss no longer required them to busy themselves for an entire day, so it was excellent to have free time for a side job. "Shush!" Pu Jie desperately gestured with his eyes; this was no longer the game where NPCs acted like fools. One had to be careful with words in front of them because these past couple of days, many yers had to remake their characters after offending NPCs with their words. "I know, I know..." Kuang Xin waved his hand dismissively. Anyway, it wasn''t his own boss, so he truly wasn''t afraid. In the quiet passage, only footsteps could be heard. The ten meters between them could not prevent the transmission of sound, listening to the rustling sounds from those scouting ahead, Franca curled her lips slightly, "Aren''t they afraid of us?" The strong man was silent for a moment before he analyzed rationally, "No demon presence detected, the possibility of soul contamination is excluded..." "..." "Are you suggesting they have another purpose?" A sh of crimson blood light swept through his eyes, a fleeting murderous intent. "Stop stop stop!" Franca quickly called out, "That''s not what I meant... I just found them interesting..." ncing at the strong man''s puzzled face, Franca rxedpletely, "Forget it... I think they''re unrted to this matter, so why should we bring them along?" The strong man kept a stern face and spat out two words, "Reward." Franca cocked her head, "Why should we reward them?" "To dispel fear and provide benefits. Those evildoers oftene from themon folk, deeply rooted and intricately intertwined, protecting each other, making it hard for us to detect them," the strong man articted deliberately, like reciting a textbook, "Plus, those who destroy evil are often equated with evil themselves, we need to give them a friendly image to facilitate our operations. Friendship and interests can pierce through the lies of the heart. Heh~" Seeing the scout looking back, the strong man revealed a simple smile. "I think you''re better off not smiling..." The strong man ignored the girl''s teasing altogether, emphasizing the focus of this operation, "Based on the sample bodies collected by the scouts, the target is not very formidable, so I will give you room to y. If possible, you should try to take down the target alone!" As he spat out thest two words, a killing intent filled the strong man''s mouth and teeth. "Hiss!" "Bang!" A gunshot echoed far through the quiet pipes. Franca could feel the hot air that whisked past the tips of her golden hair. The bullet grazed past her cheek and hit the gue rat that had leapt out of the air behind her. An arc gun? The strong man''s eyes narrowed slightly. This time''s scouts seemed to be on to something. He had intended to test Franca, but her vignce was too poor. He had been ready to intervene, but the scouts in front had preempted him. Such precise shooting with an arc gun... what''s the story behind this time''s scouts? Chapter 52: 052 Spiritual Energy level 1 [Arc Strike triggered! Sessfully hit the target behind the obstacle, light firearms mastery experience +5.] [Hit the target''s vital spot, inflicting 22 points of critical damage!] [Target''s breathing ceased, basic life signs lost.] "Phew~ Not bad luck." Dai Lian felt somewhat relieved, he almost hit a person... The arc gun was a sporadic stroke of genius, when there was a strong demand for the arc gun in one''s heart, and there was a kind of recognition simr to an "epiphany", the next time one fired the gun using a specific swinging method, there would be a high probability of producing an arc shot. But there was also a possibility of failure... Not knowing what fate awaited someone who blew off the head of a person from the fearsome Heretical Arbitration House, he thought... it was quite thrilling. "Take care of yourselves, we don''t need you to interfere." A brusque voice like cold stone came from behind. "Aow~ Got it." The reminder from the other party was not only a notice after the fact, but also a warning in the present moment. As the yer with the best tunneling ability among them, Dai Lian already felt the subtle vibration transmitted through the walls of the pipe beneath his feet. Dense but not heavy... and continuous. The rustling noise was like locusts passing through. Gradually, Kuang Xin and Gong Yan, whose tunneling abilities weren''t as keen, also became aware of themotioning from ahead... and it wasn''t just from ahead, but from behind as well! This was the enemy''s den; they were everywhere! Above, below, in front, behind. Franca and the burly man had already stopped in their tracks, and Franca, drawing her steel sword from her waist, had a look in her eyes that yearned for battle. Opportunities to fight without restraint were rare, and she was excited. In the dim light, crimson eyes like flickering rubies lit up the ck nket dotted with Rubies advancing rapidly from a distance. The silent onught, free of any screaming, exuded an exceptionally unsettling pressure. Pu Jie''s legs trembled a little, "There are... too many of them." Kuang Xin held his battle axe, shielding the three behind him, "Be careful on your own." Dai Lian and Gong Yan drew their pistols, sensing for the first time that the guns in their hands weren''t so reliable. With so many rats, how were they supposed to fight? The enemies wouldn''t give them time to think; those crazed gue rats surged forward en masse, their tiny pointed fangs filled with bloodthirsty desire. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The messy gunfire started the battle''s drumbeat, the explosion of sound echoing in the pipes, exceedingly harsh. Kuang Xin used the axe as a shield, batting away the gue rats that leapt at him. In the chaos of battle, the trait "Well-Trained" was fully triggered, with multiple attribute enhancements making his performance outstanding. "Careful!" Arge rat lunging at his face was knocked away by the axe. Shaken, Pu Jie regained hisposure, "Thank you..." "React faster." Kuang Xin didn''t linger, confident that his vastly enhanced attributes in battle would allow him to aplish more, and protecting his teammates felt like the most important thing to him. "Got it..." The four kept their backs to the pipe wall, retreating as they fought, attempting to converge with the two from the Heretical Arbitration House some ten meters away. Their mission was merely to preserve their lives during the task and to earn varying amounts of ck water coins based on their contributions. Indeed, the reward for Kuang Xin and the three others was only ck water coins, as for Pu Jie¡­ who knew? At the start of the battle, the burly man stepped aside, arms folded, watching. Though Franca was young, she waspetent, but what really surprised were those few informants... His gaze shifted from the wireman wielding an axe, a sh of amazement twinkled in the burly man''s eyes. "Battle instincts honed through specialized training." In the chaos of battle, they were even more pronounced, always managing to shieldrades from potentially fatal attacks at critical moments, allowing team members to exert their fullbat strength. Thebined prowess of these four wiremen wasn''t particrly strong, but their ability to hold their ground and retreat towards his side amidst the frenzied rat tide owed greatly to him alone. And... the arc gun that briefly revealed itself just moments ago. Thebat strength of these individuals wasn''t overwhelming, but the traits they had disyed promised a considerable potential for the future. That they appeared together was certainly no coincidence. Behind them, who could it be? However, it seemed to have little to do with him, as the enemies of the Heretical Arbitration House were only those who had abandoned humanity''s stance... the heretics! "Heh!" A sharp yell by his ear drew his attention, as Franca''s steel sword created a dazzling arc of light. The movement of her sword was nimble, dead rats fell like rain around her. However, no matter how fine the swathe of her sword, it couldn''t simultaneously defend against the rat swarm that surged like a tide. Every so often, small figures would breach this sword barrier, leaving Franca''s tightly-fitted leather skirt in shambles from the attacks of sharp teeth and ws. Patches of sheer fabric hinted at the pale flesh beneath. A mistyyer of Spiritual Energy had, unbeknownst to anyone, cloaked Franca''s brown pupils, an overpowering presence exploded in an instant, causing the encircling rat horde to falter under the shockwave. Seizing this chance, Kuang Xin and the other three hurried to escape, reaching the proximity of the two Arbitration ce members and temporarilying together. In this critical moment, they still had to cling to the strong. "What is that?" Gong Yan looked towards Franca, feeling something odd. In her eyes, Franca seemed surrounded by a strange Spiritual Energy, radiating outwards like an icy orb, casting a chilly glow. A sensation like pinpricks incessantly assailed her skin, demanding attention towards Franca''s unusual state. "What? What?" Dai Lian, amidst the chaos, took a moment to ask. "She..." "She?" Kuang Xin had been focusing almost entirely on his teammates, but at their reminder, he nced at the Arbitration ce heiress, "Damn! That''s fierce!" With ayer of misty Spiritual Energy over her eyes, Franca''s movements visibly quickened by a great deal, her swordy fiercer and more agile. "Spiritual Energy, first stage: Spirit Heart Crossing." The burly man watched Franca''s actions, nodding with some satisfaction to himself. First-stage Spiritual Energy could significantly enhance physical attributes such as strength, speed, and reflexes, even optimizing currentbat techniques in a subconscious manner, the enhancements being quiteprehensive. Franca''s basics were extremely solid, her use of Spirit Heart Crossing nearing perfection, yet it was uncertain how long her Spiritual Energy wouldst. One minute? Two minutes? Or five minutes? And... the burly man''s gaze drifted to the side. Being able to subconsciously sense the radiation when Spiritual Energy burns in a higher-dimensional ne, the lone girl among the wiremen showed promising Spiritual Energy talent, the question was whether demons would discover her first or if she''d learn to hide herself... The fleeting thought that had crossed his mind earlier resurfaced¡ª Were all these distinctive individuals together by design? Who was nurturing them from behind the scenes? ... The campfire crackled, and Mashati reflected upon the mes in her eyes as she spoke to herself. She just wanted someone to confide in; whether or not the listener actually heard her was of little matter to her. "...Lately his health seems to have improved a bit, which is why I dared to leave him temporarily toe to the barracks. This is the only ce I can learn a bit of knowledge for free. Once my year of service is up, I can go back and take care of him." The girl smiled, filled with a longing for the future. "Then, no one will bully him again..." Chapter 53: Hit on "Combat with cold weapons is reserved for the big shots..." "I feel... he''s not as good as our boss," Kuang Xin remembered who had given him the chance to rise. The feeling of sweeping through enemies in the chaotic battle due to the trait "well-trained" was just too exhrating! Could these people from the Heretical Arbitration House give him such ability? No! The reward was only 100 ckwater Coins, not even close to what their boss could give! "But is this mission over just like that?" Gong Yan was somewhat puzzled, it didn''t seem like the mission was a sess, was it? The main goal was to kill the rat horde, right? But in the onught of the rat tide, everyone had just scrambled out of the sewer manhole under the burly man''s sacrificial cover. As for the mastermind behind it all... emmmm, was there one? "Alright, thank you for your help. This matter ends here for now, and what follows does not concern you. You may leave." The burly man came over and dismissed the four of them. He had never expected to get straight to the heart of the problem. It was rare to encounter a mission that was a bit tricky yet not overly dangerous; the idea from above was to let that youngdy gain more experience through practice. It''s normal not to seed on the first try. How to proceed was something the youngdy should contemte. After watching the four odd Chevie leave, the burly man approached Franca, who looked a bit ragged, "How about it? Got any ideas now?" Her exquisite skirt was torn and tattered, yet Franca''s tone remained spirited, "Of course!" The youngdy already had a n up her sleeve! ... "Let''s go, let''s go! Time to head back and do the mission." "How much lumber did we prepare yesterday? How much more do we need to add today?" "About ten more pieces, I guess?" Withplete tools and increasing experience, chopping down trees had be easier and easier for them. Finishing tasks ahead of time meant they could prepare the materials needed for the next day''s mission in advance. While the ability gains from the tasks were dwindling, the speed ofpleting them had increased a lot! The time saved could be spent doing other tasks all over the ce, creating more ie! As long as the boss kept assigning missions, they could keep collecting their loot! ... [Feedback from themission: Heavy Weapon Mastery experience +18.] [Feedback from themission: Lumbering experience +8.] [Themission you issued¡ª"Materials Needed for Repair" has been submitted. Please proceed to the inspection as soon as possible.] Bai E, who had just finished chatting with Mashati, received a message and paused in his gun maintenance. The task ispleted? After half a day without any prompts, did the missions justplete themselves this easily after several alerts? The feedback is getting less and less... Bai E narrowed his eyes, feeling that this could not continue. He wasn''t here to do charity work; the only reason he gave yers tasks was so they could grind for him. Now that they found the tasks as simple as drinking water, what benefit did he have? Those useless pieces of lumber and the abandoned wolf corpses? They were of no use to him... "This can''t go on like this!" He needed to find them some work with a bit more difficulty. However, his current understanding of this world was not very deep, especially regarding the dangers and specialties of the vicinity. Maybe tomorrow... should he leave camp to look for opportunities? It was only in ces where ordinary people congregated that he could find more information. Having made up his mind and about to take therge gun handed over by the warrior beside him, Bai E suddenly paused. ``` No! The only opportunity to leave the camp tomorrow is at noon, but that''s when those yers are waiting at the task submission spot as agreed. If I don''t show up and miss the timing, I have no idea when I''ll be able to meet them again. Breaking the appointment would be a waste of time, and issuing a task would waste the quota for the day. Leave now! The night is when most people are idle. Maybe I could gather more information. Bai E stood up and left. "Hey brother?" The rifle-carrying warrior was a bit taken aback as he watched Bai E''s receding figure. Without looking back, Bai E waved his hand, "Not tonight, I still have things to do." "Ah?" ... On the open ground where tasks were handed in, Dai Lian and his twopanions looked at the pile of wood before them and worried. The task involving the wolf pack and the wood waspleted, but... "How should we handle this construction task?" "Isn''t it just digging a storage underground? It shouldn''t be that hard, right?" "Not hard? Just digging a pit almost killed us with exhaustion. Digging a pit big enough for a warehouse while ensuring it stays hidden and doesn''t copse, do you know how hard that is?" With a roll of his eyes, Dai Lian, who was proficient in traps and had some civil engineering experience, continued. "Why don''t we just give it a try? The rewards are settled based on progress anyway. Even if we can''t do it now, it should be fine to do itter, right? There''s no time limit on the task anyway," Gong Yan suggested, tilting her head. Dai Lian looked up at the dark night sky and nodded, "It''s early still, so giving it a try wouldn''t hurt." This construction task was also the first task for the faction force, with rewards including faction identity and contribution points. Faction identity would unlock the Faction Shop, while contribution points were the currency used within the organization¡ªboth crucial resources. The task definitely needed to bepleted. "However, just giving it a try might not necessarily seed. We need a backup n," Dai Lian said, frowning. "Here''s what we''ll do: we''ll split into two groups. One group tries to dig here, while the other goes to the settlement to find an opportunity. See if we can find NPCs or other yers with simr skills to help, or take the chance to learn relevant skills ourselves," he suggested. Pu Jie had informed him in the afternoon that in this game, one must learn the professional knowledge before using it; not everything can be done just by using theirmon sense. They all knew that digging a hole underground required preparations against dampness, insects, and copses. But as for how to do it, especially the details, no one knew. And in this world with the most realistic physics engine, one slight mistake could cause a catastrophic copse in minutes. Any irresponsible work was, in essence, deceiving themselves. Kuang Xin nodded in agreement with Dai Lian''s decision, trusting in Comrade Dai''s professional integrity, "Okay." "Then I''ll go," Gong Yan volunteered. Dai Lian nodded, as his n was to send Gong Yan; it was the best choice, "Okay, then you go, but be careful. If anything happens,e back. We''ll be right here." "No problem!" ... Gong Yan cautiously passed through the settlement. The age-old hardwood emitted a musty, damp smell of decay and fungus, and the moss in the corners added to the shabby appearance of the long, gray streets. Ramshackle wooden nks and sheets of metal haphazardly patched up the dpidated houses on both sides of the road, while numb gazes peered out from the cracks that let in drafts, sizing up the asional passersby. This was not a safe area. The danger didn''te from other yers but from the NPCs themselves. Outskirts of town... it couldn''t even be considered the outskirts, just a human settlement outside the city, exuding a deathly stillness yet striving to survive each day. The only ce that seemed to have any vitality was the tavern here, which opened only after dusk had fallen. There was the ce for many deals and entertainment, where those in the know could easily gather useful information... However, tonight there seemed to be an out-of-ce figure. As soon as Gong Yan stepped into the tavern, she saw, amid the dim flickering lights, a figure neatly dressed, with a quiet and imposing aura, sitting at the bar with his back to the door¡­ "So you''re here!" Bai E felt a tap on his shoulder and immediately heard an unexpected voice. ``` Chapter 54: 054 Fire Rat Bai E had sensed someone approaching, but he hadn''t expected that person to being straight for him. He had been at the tavern for a while now, dressed in the practical clothes of the military camp due to ack of spare attire. Not particrlyvish or expensive, but they certainly bore an air of Order, shing noticeably with the atmosphere here. The moment he walked in, he could distinctly feel the ambience of the ce quiet down, and it took several conscious seconds before the vitality resumed. No one paid him any direct attention, yet it seemed he was being watched from every corner. Bai E, aware that he had attracted notice, refrained from making any overt gestures that might be misunderstood and quietly made his way to the bar to order a ss of water, sitting alone. Being undisturbed was quite fine with him, after all, he was just there to listen to people boast¡ª "Hey, do you guys know? Yesterday a bunch of idiots came from the south, and Old Yi Deng and his group made a good sum of money off them!" "Those garbage collectors are always up to no good, they''ll offend someone important sooner orter!" ¡­ "Did you hear all that ''ng ng ng'' down below this afternoon?" "Who would go down to the sewers that have been abandoned for so many years except for those mischievous kids?" ¡­ "I heard there''s going to be another war in a few days, the military is drafting all over the ce." "Anyway, don''t we have those artificial humans? Why bother drafting us as soldiers?" ¡­ "Has there been some movement in the ck Forest recently? The other day when I went to collect firewood, I smelled a strong scent of blood¡­ It scared me so much I ran straight back." ¡­ "The day before yesterday, Ge Langtai found a broken mining machine in the territory of those metalheads and made a lot of money selling it!" ¡­ In the time he had sat there, he had captured quite a bit of information from the buzzing voices¡ª [Obtained Power Information (Unidentified): Garbage Collectors.] [Obtained Knowledge Information (Unidentified): Post-natal care for sows.] [Obtained Current Affairs Information (Unidentified): War.] [Obtained Current Affairs Information (Unidentified): War Spoils.] [Obtained Rumors Information (Unidentified): Wandering Orcs.] [Obtained Resource Information (Unidentified): Iron Ore Vein.] ¡­ As for whether the information was useful or urate, that was unknown. The truly secretive content wouldn''t be tossed around by these drunkards; for them, it''s probably allmon knowledge. And it was precisely thismon knowledge that Bai Ecked. And at this moment¡­ someoneing over to chat broke into Bai E''s solitary leisure time. A woman? He didn''t turn around, but simply stirred the liquid in the iron cup in front of him, "Do we know each other?" Gong Yan leaned forward with a chuckle, trying to catch a glimpse of Bai E''s face. The dim, flickering lights cast shadows, and underneath the light, the visible chin hinted at a steadfast and resolute contour. The specific features were unclear, but they seemed quite pleasing; at least the face was crafted to fit human aesthetics. Must be a yer¡­ Gong Yan''s lips quirked slightly, her eyes squinting into slits resembling crescents, "Sorry, my mistake, I thought you were someone else." Unabashedly, she seated herself on a high stool next to him, "Aren''t you going to buy me a drink?" "I have no money¡­" Bai E''s expression remained unchanged as he refused; even the money for the ss of in water in his hand was borrowed from Song Ying¡­ after all, artificial humans like him didn''t receive military pay. "I have money¡­" Gong Yan tilted her head, still focusing intently on Bai E''s profile as if trying to melt this block of wood with her gaze, "Let me buy you a drink." "No need¡­ Aren''t you waiting for someone?" "Waiting for someone, huh¡­" Gong Yan''s tone wavered, she tilted her head up to think for a moment, then let her hair fall loosely as she leaned close to Bai E''s ear and said in a low voice, "But I think you might be more interesting than him~" "¡­" Stay tuned for more on m-vl-em,pyr Using such a tactic? Bai E realized that this woman might be targeting him and couldn''t help feeling resigned as he turned his head, looking at her for the first time¡­ "¡­" Gong Yan''s concentration shattered instantly, and she stared with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape in surprise, "Sir... Sir?" Thanks to his self-restraint, Bai E maintained hisposure without a hint of surprise, simply cing his index finger in front of his lips with a calm demeanor, "Shush~" Gong Yan quickly lowered her voice, "What are... what are you doing here?" "...Investigating." After about two seconds, Bai E finally came up with a usible excuse. "Investigating?" Gong Yan''s eyes lit up, "Investigating what?" It sounded mysterious and fun. Bai E shook his head, his tone somber, "Your skills are still too immature, don''t ask." "Aww~" Her eyes rolling, Gong Yan wasn''t content to stay silent, "By the way, sir, about the task you assigned us, it seems like we''re having some difficulty?" "In what respect?" "None of us have experience with underground construction, so I was wondering if you could find an experienced expert to guide us a bit, otherwise this underground warehouse..." Her thoughts scattered, never rigidly hoping to rely solely on her own strength to aplish everything. If there''s a problem, bring it up; keeping it to yourself will only harm you. The ideas proposed by Dai Lian, they were but child''s y for her. "Expert?" Bai E considered briefly, weighing the pros and cons of deployment. After a moment, he shook his head, "Can''t spare anyone right now, everyone''s got their own tasks to attend to." A single lie necessitates a hundred more to cover it up; he couldn''t very well admit that the organization he used to intimidate them was something he had whimsically concocted on the fly, now could he? "I see..." Gong Yan''s eyes darted around, lively. However, the profound bass voice, carrying an indescribable sense of duty, broke through first. "We always start from nothing, beginning from the trivial. Not every difficultyes with past experiences to learn from; we''re on a path no one has ever walked, and you should learn to do things you''ve never done before." "..." Gong Yan was momentarily taken aback. Her mood, previously light and cheerful, shifted slightly. Life in this world wasn''t easy, as she could see. And what greatness then would such NPCs, burdened with heavy missions, hold in their own world? Teasing them now seemed a bit disrespectful... "Yes... I understand." The atmosphere turned silent for a moment, and the tavern''s noise once again pressed in. Suddenly, someone shouted outside the door, drawing the attention of many idle drinkers to go see¡ª "Fire! Fire!" Bai E''s body moved, following the departure from the bar. He loved a good spectacle. In the dimly lit street, tiny mes zed like stars, streaking through the air, with a burly man of a stature hard for ordinary people to match, leading the way in a clumsy escape. "What are they doing?" "And what''s chasing them¡­ what is that?" The more chaotic the spectacle, the better; some thrill-seekers even climbed to the roofs on either side of the street, idly making up theories. Bai E squinted his eyes, and it took him a moment to make it out, "It''s rats..." Rats on fire, chasing after the few figures with a mad ferocity. Quite a lively scene... "Ah!" Screams emanated from various parts of the street. The cmity spread, the crazed rats attacking anyone they saw, and the spectators quickly bing part of the spectacle themselves. "It''s them..." whispered Gong Yan, standing beside Bai E, ament he heard. "You know them?" "Know them..." Bai E looked at the residents being attacked by the me-covered rats, struggling and howling in agony throughout the street, and couldn''t help but shake his head. "We''ll talk about itter... first, save people." Chapter 55: 055 This TM is Arbitration Place The mice, engulfed in mes, were incredibly frenzied, making the phrase "as timid as a mouse" seem inapplicable to them. However, fire is the enemy of all carbon-based life forms, and those that were scorched by the mes were merely venting their final madness. After bringing the mes to the onlooking humans, they gradually lost their vitality in the fierce mes. What was left... was a scene of utter chaos. Those unfortunate enough to be aze rolled on the ground, while others brought dark nkets and beat them randomly; some people used dirty water to extinguish the fires. An utterly messy scene ensued. The victims of burns moaned weakly, and Bai E, apanied by Gong Yan, stepped into the midst of it. "You know some basic first aid, right?" "Mhm~" Gong Yan hesitated, recalling her capped proficiency, then added, "But I''m not very familiar with it..." Not very familiar? Does that mean her proficiency isn''t enough? That''s excellent, Bai E''s eyes lit up, never anticipating such an unexpected gain. "Then watch closely..." Bai E squatted down, catching the eyes of a sufferer filled with pain, and transferred power to him. "Don''t be afraid, I''vee to treat your wounds." Afterforting the victim, Bai E taught softly, "When dealing with burns..." [Would you like to decide to impart Survival Skills to the target?] [Confirm!] ... Gong Yan gazed at Bai E''s serious profile, her eyes sparkling. Mysterious, powerful, all-around, yet gentle. Even though it was a game, such a character still couldn''t help but draw admiration... "What are you daydreaming about?" "Ao ao~" [You have spent 10 points of universal experience in learning, converted to 5 points of "Bandaging" experience.] Immersed in her study, Gong Yan found the game''s knowledge incredibly real. Learning it was neither dry nor dull but rather interesting. After all, it wasn''t a game of loading bars; every action had to be performed manually. It was a matter of being manipted like a puppet under the system''s arrangement or being more proactive... undoubtedly thetter was more fun. [You have spent 10 points of universal experience in learning, converted to 5 points of "Bandaging" experience.] [You have acquired "Level 1 Bandaging", and have also earned 1 technology point.] "..." Did she make it? Gong Yan, focused on her studies, suddenly snapped back to reality. The 100 points of universal experience she spent were exchanged for 50 points of "Bandaging" experience, which required prior knowledge. This was herst reserve,pletely drained by Bai E, but the oue was quite satisfying. "That''s about right, you can try to treat the victims yourself now. Apply what you''ve learned to make real progress," Bai E said. "Yes!" Gong Yan replied firmly, feeling more confident in treating wounds after fully grasping Level 1 Bandaging, and had a clearer idea of what to do. This opportunity to truly grasp skills and to have a stage to disy them might be what yers truly desired... In the dark corner of the long street, as chaos reigned, a burly man clutching arge methrower in his arms watched expressionlessly before him the littledy whose face had turned a patchy gray and white from the smoke of the fire. "It seems your n has failed." It was an enchantment! The youngdy''s wild ideas had provided the already frenzied gue mice with the magic attack of mes! All the hired residents who operated the methrowers were severely burned. This time it was uncertain how much expense it would take to settle the matter... "I''ll pay for it myself!" Franca, looking even more disheveled, was still full of vigor, "I''m sure I can capture the main culprit!" The joy that came after oveing a challenge was determined by the difficulty of the challenge. Franca, who had faced setbacks repeatedly, found her interest inpleting the mission growing. To avoid the repercussions of this failed operation, Franca pointed towards two figures wandering in the distance on the long street. "It seems someone is helping to give treatment?" "Yes." Looking at the hired thugs lying around in agony, Franca, who had been using her Spiritual Energy to suppress the pain, felt that keeping it up wasn''t a solution; she rolled her eyes and grabbed a thug to rise. "What are you doing?" "Freeloading..." ... [You havepleted an emergency aid, the patient''s condition has stabilized and is beginning to slowly recover, emergency aid experience +3.] ["Lucky Hit" charge +1] Bai E and Gong Yan worked together, dividing thebor; Bai E handled the more seriously injured while Gong Yan dealt with the minor injuries. After acquiring the advanced knowledge of bandaging¡ªemergency aid, Bai E''s treatments finally started to pay off. When faced with knowledge that has a threshold, acquiring the knowledge is only the first step, whether to use general experience to directly add points or to practice through self-effort is a choice for individuals to make. Bai E, not wanting to waste hard-earned experience, would never take shortcuts and add points if he could gain it hands-on. Now that there was a rare opportunity to practice, he was definitely going to seize it and practice more. Whether emergency aid turned out to be useful or not, stocking up on it definitely couldn''t hurt. Essentially, he was also a yer¡ªwho could resist the urge to hoard? When he asionally had a free moment, Bai E also asked about the question that had been on his mind. "You said just now that you recognize the two people who were leading?" "Yeah... we were doing a task this afternoon... when they were the clients." The truth is out! So they were lured away by others! No wonder you all disappeared this afternoon! Half a day passed without any task feedback. As expected, it was the tasks... the fewer and less difficult tasks I arranged, the more time you had to be tempted away by others. Bai E deeply reflected on this and resolved never to make the same mistake again. "What task did you do?" "Investigating the cause behind the gue rats, seems like it was caused by demonic cultists... Oh right, I heard they are from some Heretical Arbitration House in the city, they seemed kind of fierce... Are they very powerful?" Gong Yan, speaking, looked at Bai E''s profile, wanting to see his reaction. This was a chance to dig deeper into the game''s content, not to be missed. "Arbitration ce?" We just talked about itst night, ording to Song Ying and the others, after leaving the army camp, it seemed to be a more advanced ce to go. They''re probably powerful. Bai E kept his expression neutral and vaguely replied, "Not bad." The real situation he was not clear about either, the more he said, the more mistakes he could make. "Oh~" "The things they asked you to help with... are they troublesome?" "Hmm... not easy to do. There''s an entrance to the underground sewers, we ran out from there this afternoon. There were too many gue rats, we couldn''t find the mutant behind it all." Difficult? Difficulty is good! Difficult means there''s a chance to train. Bai E''s eyes gleamed slightly as he found a new task opportunity. What the Arbitration ce can do, I can do. What the Arbitration ce can''t do, I can do too. Stealing performance? Sorry about that! "Ouch~" "Ouch~" The sound of what seemed like a pitiful wail arose not too far away, drawing Bai E''s gaze. "Hmm? Are there new casualties over there? Why didn''t we notice them before?" As this casual thought crossed his mind, Bai E called out to Gong Yan, "There are a few more over there, I''ll go have a look." "Okay." Franca, with her torn and scorched clothing, was half-lying on the ground, her elegant high ponytail hairstyle in disarray, her big, round eyes with sharp ck and white contrasts met Bai E''s gaze. Smack~ Smack~ "..." "Is this TM person from the Arbitration ce?" Chapter 56: 056 Emergency First Aid Based on the seemingly profound discretion disyed by Song Ying and his group, Bai E initially thought that those from the Arbitration ce must be the kind of cold-blooded creatures who kill without blinking, annihting indiscriminately all who are rted to devils, such as believers or mutants, cruel and ruthless, showing no mercy and incapable of adapting... However, could this pitiful-looking girl before him be one of them... If it wasn''t for Gong Yan''s testimony, he wouldn''t dare to believe that these two were people from the legendary Heretical Arbitration House. "Where are you hurt?" "Here..." Franca, with tears shimmering in her eyes, raised her arm, revealing a patch of skin on her right arm that was slightly reddened by fire, "It shouldn''t be serious, right? Maybe you should check on them first?" Bai E nced at it, "Indeed, it''s not serious. It''ll heal on its own soon enough..." However, this seemingly naive little girl did seem to have some conscience; the injuries sustained by the ordinary people she had hired were indeed more severe. Kneeling down, Bai E began to examine the injuries. He wasn''t sure if it was an illusion, but the moment he took over, the victim''s cries of pain seemed to fade a bit, as if he was hurting them himself. Without thinking, he nced at the pair from the Arbitration ce next to him, and noticed the girl looking up at the sky with her head held high while the burly man squatted on the ground with his head buried in his knees, silent... Strange. But the injuries were indeed severe, and they were rightly the most pitiful for facing the first wave from the fire mice. "Bear with it a bit, the injury isn''t particrly severe, don''t worry." Bai E''s voice was steady as he began to work. [You are attempting emergency treatment...] ... [You havepleted emergency treatment, the victim''s condition has stabilized, emergency treatment experience +5.] Effortlessly bandaging the wound to prevent a secondary infection, Bai E sternly cautioned, "Don''t get it wet when you return, it''s best to have someone take care of you for a few days to minimize movement, and have someone re-treat the injured area in two days." The victim, feeling as if he had walked back from the brink of death, nodded gratefully, "Thank you! Thank you!" ["Lucky Strike" charge +1] There were three badly injured mercenaries, and Bai E treated each of them withplete focus. He knew the knowledge of "First Aid," but wasn''t fully familiar with it on an experience level, not allowing for any distractions. The burly man, whose attention was eventually drawn by Bai E''s actions, felt curious, "His techniques look like they''re military. Strange..." "Huh? Why did you raise your head?" Franca casually threw out ament and then turned her attention to the situation at hand, "What''s strange about it? Are military techniques difficult to learn?" "It''s not that they''re hard to learn, it''s that he''s too young... The military wouldn''t let him retire at this age, and by now the barracks should already have a curfew, unless he''s a mid-to-high-ranking officer..." "Oh~" Franca didn''t care at all, just quietly watched the man who might be an officerforting the ordinary civilians she had hired. "He''s quite patient..." His voice was also quite gentle, and she could feel the warmth and strength that was reassuring enough from theforting words he spoke. Perhaps this was the demeanor of military folks... Her long eyshes blinked... blinked... "What about you two..." Coming back to his senses, Bai E had finished treating the three more severely injured victims and turned to look at the pair from the Arbitration ce. The burly man stood at a distance in silence, as statuesque and tranquil as a carving. The girl was sitting on the stone steps, her legs together tilted to one side, the longsword with its scabbardin across her legs. Despite the white and yellow leather armor being tattered, there was an indescribable noble air about her as she sat quietly. There certainly was some temperament to her... Hearing Bai E''s question, Franca broke the picturesque scene with a smile and pushed forward her arm, "It doesn''t cost money, right? If it''s free, can you take a look at me too? It''s stinging..." "Okay~" Bai E picked up the ointment, haphazardly applied it as the injury indeed was not severe, and with a better physique, it would heal by itself shortly... Stay tuned to M|VL|EM|PY|R As she watched the determined man tending to her, Franca''s eyes danced with curiosity, "Hey~ where are you from?" "A secret." "Do you always keep such a stern face? Can''t you smile?" "Born with facial paralysis..." "Who taught you these skills? Are you from the military? Can Ie to see you sometime?" "No, I''m busy." "You..." "Are all you Arbitration ce people so talkative? Just handle it..." "And you?" The burly man took a step back, "Me? I don''t need..." "Oh." Bai E turned to look down the long street. Themotion from before had gradually quieted down, with most of the injured receiving temporary treatment, and Gong Yan, who had minor injuries, was busying about with each one. It seemed there was nothing left for him to do, and besides, he had aplished the goal of his evening''s sortie. It was time to head back. "Goodbye." Bai E left decisively. "Eh? You''re leaving just like that?" As Franca watched Bai E''s departing figure, she felt a tinge of regret, "He was quite fun." "You should be more concerned with your mission now." "I know, I know! The rat hiding in the sewer, I''ll drag him out!" Saying so, Franca strode towards the outside, "First, a meal!" "..." This youngdy''s temperament really did differ from those of her n. The burly man nced at Franca''s retreating figure, then turned his attention to the steady figure growing distant in the dim light. "Not heading towards the military camp... Could I have guessed wrong?" Shaking his head, the burly man turned and followed Franca. A fleeting acquaintance, what did it matter? ... Bai E, who deliberately took a longer route, ran wildly all the way. The other party had already deduced his association with the military from his actions, and unsure whether such contact was good or bad, Bai E opted for caution. By the time he returned to the special squad''s tent, it was already past 11 p.m. The darkness was peaceful, and the mountain''s deep sleep was exceptionally serene. Bai E, who had stealthily washed up and justid down on the bed, was startled by a soft whisper beside his ear, "Out of camp?" It was You. "Mm..." "Was it fun outside?" "I went to a nearby settlement to look around... I was very curious." "Did you find anything?" "Just looking around..." Bai E paused, wanting to delve deeper into what the people of the Arbitration ce were really like, "You mentioned the Heretical Arbitration Housest night... Could you tell me more about it?" You hesitated for a moment, and amidst the "shasha" sounds, it seemed as if You nced up at Bai E''s head, "Do you have thoughts about the Arbitration ce? But it might suit your character pretty well..." "My character?" You continued on his own, "They are very dangerous..." Bai E''s eyebrows furrowed, "How dangerous?" "For their mission objectives, they often stop at nothing." You lowered his voice, "Any targets that might be associated with demons or mutants are often entirely eliminated by them, without the slightest concern for human emotions and connections..." "They are ruthless..." "They are merciless..." "They are inflexible..." "They are a group of demon hunters... who are themselves demons." "Stop, stop, stop, stop..." Bai E looked puzzled, "Have you seen them?" "Oh..." You retreated back into the nket, "Heard about it." "..." Chapter 57: 057 Abnormal [Feedback from themission: Your physical ability +0.3.] The only feedback for the entire night was this; Bai E sat up from his bed with a sigh, only to realize that the atmosphere in the tent was somewhat strange. You was slipping on his tactical vest, and the others were also busy organizing their weapons and gear, rustling about in a manner that seemed quite serious. "Today... you guys are training too?" Though training is the duty of every soldier in the camp, for the past few days the squad of four had been either tailing or spectating, and Bai E, who had seen them from a distance around the training field multiple times, found it hard to associate them with normal training. Moreover... even for training, there seemed no need to put on all that official gear, right? E unbuckled his belt and replied while continuing, "We''ve received an urgent notice, we need to carry out a mission." "Oh." Bai E subconsciously wanted to ask if he didn''t need to go but then thought since he was still a new recruit, and his three-day recruit training period hadn''t ended, their not calling for him was the answer. After a long silence, Bai E could only muster a "safe journey". "Hopefully." Song Ying came over and patted Bai E''s arm, "Train hard." Everybat mission was a walk on the edge of life and death, and no one knew whether they would return alive or not. That sentence was as good as a farewell. "Goodbye..." As he walked to the assembly point, Bai E noticed that the whole camp was stirring, countless figures emerging from all over like ants flowing into a torrent, kicking up dust along their way and rendering the entire parade ground a hazy gray. It wasn''t just the special squad; it seemed like the entire camp was mobilized... except for them, the recruits. "Such a hugemotion..." Stone, who was following behind, said in an astonished tone beside Bai E. Bai E looked vacantly, feeling somewhat uneasy, "What kind of big event is happening?" "Don''t know..." "..." The whole camp became much quieter. Normally, during training, there would be noise from the training of other old soldiers, and the mechanical transmission sound from the adjacent armored camp would asionally cause a slight tremor in the ground. But now, it was eerily quiet. As the new recruits bit their lips and went through physical training, the entire camp was as silent as a ghost town. It wasn''t until the second half of the morning''s mockbat training that there was a bit more liveliness. Rose was still spirited as ever, "Hey! Are you ready?" Bai E motioned with his hand, "Come on!" To teach everyone to cooperate inbat, or rather, to unconsciously master the trait - well-trained, the team drills were divided into two stages. The slow improvement of basic attributes for most recruits was clearly not as significant as the enhancement gained after this trait was triggered. The locals don''t have panels and mission systems like Bai E, but the abilities they can acquire through training are probably the same. It''s just that Bai E, with the presence of the panel, knew more clearly the direction of his efforts; he had acquired the trait... yesterday. "I hope you canst a bit longer this time." Rose swung her wooden sword, which, though edgeless, was quite substantial. Even if Bai E might have been the first to master "well-trained", his side still ended up losing to Rose''s team in therge group confrontation. This warrior woman, who bloomed like wild mes, had an incredible ability to inspire, and under her leadership, her battle team was as ferocious as a pack of starving wolves. Before individual strength became extraordinary, a tiger would always struggle against a pack of wolves. "Attack!" Amid the sh of wooden swords, there was a brief struggle of strength, but Bai E''s mind still lingered on the day''s anomalies in the camp. "Do you know what they''ve gone to do?" Rose red viciously at the close Bai E and replied through gritted teeth, "Don''t know, who cares!" Their team had won, but Bai E had not lost, which particrly bothered her. Seeing Bai E''s mind was elsewhere, Rose was a bit irritated and chopped down hard with her sword, "Those who aren''t focused will be punished severely!" Crossing swords with both hands, Bai E still wondered, "I asked the instructor, but he doesn''t know either. Aren''t you worried?" "Worried?" Rose broke into an indifferent smile, "Why worry? I am only regretful, regretful that I couldn''t take part in it! Cut the crap, take this!" Enduring a strike with difficulty, a somewhat shaken Bai E still gritted his teeth as he gasped for air, "Barbarian!" On the contrary, Rose, rubbing her arm, her eyes brimming with excitement, said, "You''re getting stronger and stronger!" "You''re getting more reckless!" Bai E gathered his thoughts and focused on the present. His teammates were being fiercely attacked by Rose''s teammates, and if he didn''t defend against Rose''s attacks while also aiding his teammates, the battle group would only copse faster. However, this disadvantage was precisely what Bai E delighted in; a battle with the wind at one''s back couldn''t touch the limits. Bai E also wanted to see what kind of achievements he could muster in disadvantaged group battles and when besieged. Training existed at every moment, and anything that couldn''tpletely knock him down would only make him stronger. "Ha!" Bai E parried Rose''s wooden sword and struck a sweeping blow, charging into the enemy ranks. A fierce shout echoed, like the roar of a tiger in the forest. "Come!" Fight with all your might! [In the chaotic battle, you endured against multiple enemies, Heavy Weapon Mastery Experience +46.](umted) [You aided your teammates in a timely manner, assisting the offense, Heavy Weapon Mastery Experience +23.] [Your body is rapidly repairing the damaged muscles, don''t worry! Warrior!] [Injury repair progress 50%, Rapid Recovery (Locked) unlock progress 7%.] [Your body feels your urgent desire and has rapidly converted a little bit of energy from "Action Power Reserve," cherish it, for it''s already at its limit.] [Physical recovery 2%, Rapid Recovery (Locked) unlock progress 8%.] Find your adventure at m-vl-em,py-r [In the heat of battle, you maintain control over your body, Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] In the midst of the melee, Bai E naturally filtered out the continuous prompts, and with ast burst of strength, he clenched his teeth and faced the four iing wooden swords head-on. Just as he pushed back the four attacking recruits, a heavily forced blow from the back of a sword suddenly smacked onto Bai E''s right leg. The next moment, the remaining Rose Team recruits swarmed forward, and Bai E barely had time to shield his head with his arms. "Not the face." ... The surveince screen yed out each intergroup battle, and the spacious interior of the base vehicle hosted two-star generals and above sitting on both sides, all focusing on one erged group battle. "Pretty ruthless..." "Is that the 95B27? Indeed, quite formidable, holding out on his own for so long." In a casual tone,ments filled the vehicle''s interior; the atmosphere was rxed. There was no significantbat mission, simply a basic camp-wide training exercise. Training seasoned soldiers was not the primary goal; clearing the camp for the new recruits to express themselves freely was the true purpose of mobilizing the entire camp. Using a bit of a bloody baptism in exchange for the survivors'' improved adaptability to the battlefield, wasn''t this an incredible win? A little surprise of worms for the recruits! "Are there protective measures? If Carlos''s sessor dies, it won''t be easy to find another," someone sardonically remarked. Dewa, as stoic as a stone, buzzed, "Anyone can die, but Rose cannot!" "95B27 can''t die either!" Weslin knocked on the tactical table in front of him, speaking in a grave tone, "No one is invincible, war is war, and if they cannot survive on their own, nobody can protect them forever." "Exactly," Hamiltonughed boldly, "Anyone can die!" A two-star general frowned, somewhat distressed about the hard-earnedbat strength, "But there was no notice, isn''t a trial decided on the spot too abrupt?" "What in this world isn''t abrupt? Isn''t it just the right time to make use of the things that the research institute has finished with?" "But they''re just recruits..." "Recruits need the experience even more." The debate arose once again, filling the space with noisy discussion. Someone, amidst the turbulence, locked their gaze on the nearing end of the battle disyed on the monitor screen, their expression growing suddenly intent. "Huh?" Chapter 58: 058 New Task Bai E felt a little sighful after being pinned down and beaten¡ªnobat experience was gained. Intense battles could sometimes yield a bit ofbat experience, like a few points he got from the one-on-one duel with Rose during thest endurance battle at night. After teaching Gong Yan bandaging skills and reaping 100 points of general experience, his reserve ofbat/general experience had reached a total of 996 points, just 4 points shy of 1000, which would allow him to decide whether to activate one of the skill trees after the 4th-level specialization. However, not enough is not enough. Just short of 4 points, it was so tantalizing¡­ "Ah!" A hysterical voice, like that of a wounded beast, suddenly came from the chaotic crowd, and a streak of blood shed through the exhausted warriors. By the time Bai E turned around in shock, the quicker-reacting warriors had already reached out to help, but their limbs were weak from being pushed to their limits, and their well-intentioned efforts were powerless against the sudden burst of madness from one of the fighters. The warrior who was seen as the target was sitting on the ground, frantically retreating on all fours, his thigh bleeding profusely; getting injured during training wasmon. However, the dark red blood seemed to have stimted the nerves of the maddened warrior, whose eyes gleamed with visible greed as he stared at the blood. Ignoring his aching limbs, Bai E got up and wanted to intervene, but an agile figure beat him to it and leaped forward. "Smack!" A precise and harsh chop, the crazed warrior stiffened and then slumped into Rose''s arms. "Take him to the infirmary," Rose nonchntly handed the limp warrior over to two fighters that still had strength and shook her hand as if it were no big deal. "What''s wrong with him?" Bai E followed the gaze of the warrior Rose had knocked out, his chest badge revealing his origin¡ª69A44. ording to what he had learned these past few days, this seemed to be a production line for artificial humans using Bug Race genes. Rose rolled her eyes, "How would I know¡­" The sudden incident didn''t seem to trouble the others much; perhaps the fighter had snapped due to being hit hard during training? It was hard to say. However, there was silence within themand center vehicle watching the scene. After a long while, someone sighed, "Artificial humans¡­" ¡­ "Eat and then train some more?" In the cafeteria, Rose took the initiative to invite. Defeating Bai Epletely was her one and only desire before that happened. "No time." Bai E picked up his clean te and left. yers were waiting to be fed, and he had no time to indulge Rose''s antics here. Under the midday sun, Bai E strode with steady steps to the appointed ce on time. "My lord!" Three people came forward to greet him, and the look in Gong Yan''s eyes when she saw Bai E was somewhatplex. After Bai E''s departure, many of the injured and their families came to express their thanks, leaving her alone to receive it. This game was too realistic¡­ The NPCs'' gratitude seemed all the more sincere. It was somewhat touching¡­ Perhaps the lord and the organization behind him were protecting a group of people who were mostly humble, sometimes cunning, and asionally genuine. "You''ve done well." Bai E patted the stacked lumber; the yers were already familiar with the tasks involving the wolf pack and lumber, nothing much to discuss. He looked around and asked in confusion, "Where''s the burrow?" The 0.3 point of physical ability he casually gainedst night must havee from their digging, but Bai E could not see the entrance to the burrow at the moment. "It''s here." Dai Lian took the initiative to lead the way, lifting a disguised turf to reveal the dark entrance beneath it. The entrance was roughly one square meter in size, with adder hanging down into it. Leaning over to look, it seemed they had only dug two or three meters down, and as for expanding it or evenpleting an entire storage, that seemed a long way off. Well... it looked like it would keep them upied for a while. Bai E nodded silently and turned to the three people, "I''m here today to share some news with you. Tomorrow, I will join the army on an expedition. Our target is the Bug Race''s nest on the ckrock ins." Some things could be said, others could not. Bai E did not know how long the attack on the Bug Race''s nest would take, but the fact that he would be gone for at least a day was set in stone, and he needed to give these yers a reasonable exnation. "Our goal is to expand the living space for humanity. Many people are working towards thismon direction. There may be some shadows in the city, but not all are enemies. When I''m not here, you must be careful and... keep your passion alive." Bai E did not know what trulyy in the depths of these currently very respectful yers'' hearts. Each yer was chaotic and dangerous, so he could only try to shackle them with the reins of Order while advancing his own development. "Last night I received some information and went to check out the district. The already scarce space we depend on for survival is being invaded by evil forces. Put the ck Forest issue aside for now, the threat that is near at hand needs to be eradicated even more." [Mission description auto-generating...] [Side Mission ¡ª¡ª The Mastermind Behind the Curtain (Combat-type Mission): An abnormal rat swarm is roaming the city''s underground, what conspiracy is brewing behind them? Mission Requirements: Investigate the truth 0/1, eradicate the gue of rats 0/1. Mission Reward: Universal experience 50~100 points (adjustable), item reward (undetermined).] (Note: "Autoplete" allowed; once mission is confirmed, "authority" and "expenditure" will be deducted and locked.) [Would you like to release the current mission?] [Settings ¡ª¡ª Mission Reward: Universal experience 100 points, item reward...] Bai E hesitated slightly. People from the Arbitration ce should not be greenhorns, and the missions that seemed challenging to them were never simple. Bai E did not expect these three yers, who had not yet grown, to be able to directly kill the boss-like mastermind, but assisting was still feasible. On Considering that even assisting would be challenging, he might have to offer more than just authority as a reward. 100... The circuit rewards must not be lost; they need to know that the circuit is tied to people, not the mission! [...Fine brass bullets, 100+30 rounds.] If he was to give, it had to be a shock that exceeded their expectations ¡ª that was what a surprise truly was. [Confirm release!] However, that was not enough. The experiences gained from repeated activities would definitely diminish, and logging could be stopped as well. Moreover, since they were nning to construct underground buildings, they could not do without more advanced building materials ¡ª cement. [Mission description auto-generating...] [Side Mission ¡ª¡ª Building Requirements (Resource-type Mission): Just wood is not enough to support the construction of aplete, massive underground warehouse, cement is also an indispensable material. Mission Requirements: Submit cement *0/10~20 (adjustable). Mission Reward: Science points *1, item reward (undetermined).] (Note: Involves physical submission, current mission cannot be "autopleted," must be "verified uponpletion"; once mission is confirmed, "authority" and "expenditure" will be deducted and locked.) As with the previous issue, with the mission difficulty increased, the reward granted by authority was not enough. In order to make the missions he releasedpetitive, Bai E had to increase the item reward. Luckily, there wasn''t much on him, just plenty of bullets... [Settings ¡ª¡ª Mission Requirements: Submit 20 cement; Mission Reward: 30+9 fine brass bullets.] ... The three who received the mission were momentarily wide-eyed. "This, this, this..." Bai E''s mouth curved into a slightly softer smile, "Although our mission is tough, I won''t let down anyrade who contributes to the organization." Watching Bai E turn to leave, perhaps it was a woman''s natural sensitivity, but Gong Yan always felt there was something especially solemn and tragic about this soldier''s back. Maybe this expedition was not going to be easy? She couldn''t help but step forward and ask. "Sir... How long will you be gone?" Chapter 59: 059 Insect Tide Incoming! "One day? Two days?" Bai E turned his head and smiled wryly, "No one can say for sure, I might not even return." Today, the military camp''s oddities kept a shadow clinging to Bai E''s heart; he didn''t know what had happened, so he was uneasy. Death... seemed as though it could descend at any moment. But then again, there didn''t seem to be much to fear... Was it because he had gradually be ustomed to the tone of this world, or was it because the genes of dedication in his artificial human body were controlling his thoughts? Who knows? "But you guys don''t have to worry..." Bai E said with a smile: "While I''m away, you can still work hard for our shared dream. Even if I don''te back, you can certainly find morepanions in the city. Since you''ve joined Li Ming, I only hope you remember one thing..." The wind brushed through Bai E''s hair; he seemed like a gentle elder recounting tender tales of the past. "If a person lives only for himself, he might be a famous warrior, philosopher, physicist, but he will never be a wless, great figure. Our history acknowledges those who strive for the entirety of humanity and be noble as great figures; experience praises those who bring happiness to the masses as the happiest people; faith teaches us that ideal figures revered by all have sacrificed themselves for humankind. If we choose the path that strives most for human life, then the burden cannot crush us, because it''s a sacrifice made for everyone. What we will feel then is not pitiful, limited, selfish pleasure. Our aim will belong to millions, our cause will exist silently but eternally, and in the face of our ashes, noble people will shed hot tears." "..." Watching the steady fading figure of Bai E, a mist seemed to shimmer in the eyes of the three people. Indeed, most yers seldom delve deeply into the loves and hates within the game world''s narrative; after all, even the deepest hatred seems fleetingpared to grabbing a couple of fries at the dock... However, after being forcibly injected into their world through regr task lines with game characters of strong personal colors, they could also love certain characters deeply. At this moment, they realized that the leader of the Li Ming organization... seemed to be one such character with some charm. "Stop gawking! Get to work!" Dai Lian tossed his shovel aside, sick of digging holes. Repetitive simple tasks also wore on their patience; it was challenges within a certain limit they yearned for. "First, let''s decide which task to do..." "For burning lime, first we need a furnace, right? We''ll also need limestone, y, iron g..." "Doesn''t sound too hard..." After all, you could mooch it all for free. "What about the investigation task?" "That Arbitration ce has got it all wrong; they stand too tall and won''t bow down. We can sneak around quietly. If we draw all the rats out in the open, no one can beat them." "You''re right." "Let''s do this, we''ll split into two groups..." "I''ll find the materials needed for making cement." Gong Yan volunteered eagerly. Yesterday''s help with rescuing and treating the injured wasn''t without its benefits; at the very least, it had opened up connections for her in the neighborhood, and when she needed something for free, people were quite willing to lend a hand or provide some information. Dai Lian and Kuang Xin exchanged a nce. Great, they were splitting up again. "Then the two of us will go explore the sewers." Let''s go! ... Upon returning to the military camp, it was still eerily quiet. At the time of assembly, Bai E and others from three different groups were taken to a slightly gloomy... screening room? "This is thest afternoon before going into battle, and there won''t be any training tasks scheduled this afternoon, allowing everyone to take a look at the opponent we''re about to face, to familiarize ourselves with the opponent''s characteristics and attack methods, so as to avoid messy and blindbat on the battlefield." The instructor''s coarsenguage elicited a round ofughter. As the door closed, heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight and the projector emitted a beam of light, projecting a film with the texture of an old movie onto the white screen. A well-modted male voice calmly followed the progress of the film with an introduction¡ª "The Bug Race is a sinister species with intelligence akin to that of lower life forms. Their will is simr to a hive mind, and most individual bugs only possess a bloodthirsty and murderous instinct,cking the ability to respondplexly to environmental changes. They are devoid ofmunication capabilities, existing solely to devour and kill. Each hive has but one Brain Bug, the queen that rules them all. Yet below it, there still exist various types of bugs responsible for different aspects." "The Mantis Bug." A bug resembling the build of a human appeared on the screen, moving swiftly through the chaotic battlefield, its scythe-like, serrated forearms acting as deadly tools for harvesting the lives of soldiers. Their bodies stand and run like humans, with a bent spine causing a slight forward center of gravity, and heads long and thin like mantises, covered with bony carapaces; they are about twice as tall as an average human and possess unimaginable agility. "From our observations, this type of bug is simr to a squad officer within the Bug Race. The lower-ranking bugs nearby follow the Mantis Bug''s direction of attack to coordinate their assaults. In certain special instances, they are even capable of assessing the battlefield situation to make decisions on transferring positions or even retreating." "They possess a thick chitinous exoskeleton, and attacks with power levels below 15 struggle to inflict damage upon their carapaces. The ws of the Mantis Bug are also grown from chitin and attached to the body by highly stic muscles, which can project the des at supersonic speed when rapidly extended." "Furthermore, they possess a type of ranged symbiotic weapon known as the ''Corrupting Gun''..." The image showed a Mantis Bug retracting its bone des, with a conical red swollen mass at the connection with the muscles, where numerous ck, mucus-covered flesh worms writhed and twisted. "When the Mantis Bugs stimte these symbiotic worms with bioelectricity, they are then catapulted by powerful muscle contractions. If hit sessfully by these worms, they will rapidly burrow under your skin and muscle, gnawing along your nerves all the way to your brain. This processsts for several minutes, and the excruciating pain is enough to break down even the most strong-willed soldier. If you do not wish to lose control due to pain and harm your teammates, the best solution is to give yourself a quick end." Besides... A dark red,rge figure appeared on the screen. It seemed quite distant, and the image could only present a blurry outline, with four muscr de arms particrly noticeable. Ability characteristics: Unknown! "This type of bug rarely appears, suspected to be a subspecies or mutant of the Mantis Bug, with unknown abilities at present..." [Acquired Pictorial Information: Mantis Bug.] "Worker Bug/Bee Bug." Two small bugs, approximately half the size of a normal human and varying slightly in size as if small dinosaurs, appeared together on the screen. "These two are the mostmon lower-ranking bugs and will be the most numerous enemies we''re going to face. They are almost devoid of intelligence. Without the control of the Queen or Mantis Bugs, these lower-ranking bugs will solely follow their innate violent desires to kill and feed, attacking the nearest target. When they are extremely hungry, we have even observed them killing each other." "Of course, the Bee Bugs are a bit more intelligent. They use a weapon for meleebat that we call the ''Spiked Short Spear.'' It is a bone organ lined with muscle, studded with sharp harpoon-like barbs that can easily tear through our flesh and blood vessels. Moreover, the surface of the barbs is covered with acid nds and poison sacs, so even a slight scratch can be life-threatening if not treated promptly." "Worker Bugs, on the other hand, are even more primitive. These bugsck the intelligence to even use symbiotic weapons, but theye in many subspecies, capable of advancing like heavily armored defenses, or rapidly prating and disorganizing our lines..." [Acquired Pictorial Information: Worker Bug/Bee Bug.] ... [Acquired Pictorial Information: Artillery Bug.] ... The film ended, and the lights came on. Read exclusive content at m v l em pyr As the door opened, the already darkening sky filled Bai E''s pupils, along with the blood-red sunset. Blood, like tiny snakes, wound its way from the doorway inside. Shattered flesh was scattered all over the entrance. Bai E''s pupils abruptly contracted as the hair on his body stood on end. "Bugs!" [Triggered a time-limited side quest¡ªThe Onught of Bugs.] [The Onught of Bugs: During the main troop''s exercise camping trip, the Bug Race attacked your military camp. Quest requirements: Eradicate the attacking Bug Race 0/100%. Questpletion rewards: Universal Experience *??? (Calcted based on the number of surviving recruits 2000/2000). (Countdown: 1 hour 59 minutes 59 seconds)] Chapter 60: 060 Rapid Response The bone-wed bee insect, like a nightmarish creature emerging from a bad dream, iled and wed at the entrance of the projection room, its insect-like mandibles muddied with fragments of flesh and bone. The muscr limbs below were stepping on a broken human arm, the edges littered with the mess of gnawed and torn flesh. This brutal scene shocked the minds of many soldiers who witnessed it, and those who were slower to react didn''t even understand what had happened. Bai E, who always kept "self-restraint" activated, did not let confusion and fear overwhelm his mind. "Enemy attack!" From the neighboring projection room also came the barely audible enraged roar, full of vigor. "Prepare for battle!" No one knew why such terrifying creatures as the Bug Race had appeared in their base. Where had theye from, how had they bypassed the surveince around the camp and broken in? Was the entire camp''s mobilization today because of them? Or was it a cunning trapid by the Bug Race, a feint to draw the tiger away from the mountain andunch a surprise attack on humanity''s core military base? Many thoughts shed through Bai E''s mind, but that wasn''t what he should be focusing on right now. "Get your weapons!" That was the immediate priority! Don''t think that the worker insects and bee insects seem to be the lowest existence in the Bug Race, as if they are low-levelbat forces that overwhelm their opponents with numbers. However, in the data they were actually equivalent to the Bug Race''s ordinary infantry, not much different from a human individual infantry. Both sides could easily injure or kill each other, and if the new recruits in an entire military camp couldn''t adopt the rightbat mindset, in a one-on-one duel, it was uncertain who would win. Not to mention that the new recruits were unarmed while watching the film. And... the Spiked Short Spear! The more Bai E thought about the information he had just acquired, the more alert he became as he observed the bee insect''s pair of bone ws tipped with pale bone spears. Acid nds, poison sacs... a touch could injure, and if the toxin wasn''t promptly removed, the blood would carry the toxin throughout the body, and even divine intervention would be futile. One could not engage directly until they got their armor. "Where''s the instructor?" "Gone!" the other soldiers said in some confusion. "The windows! Break out!" While speaking, Bai E led the way by stepping on the row of tables in front of the new recruits and leaped toward the window on the right. "Bang!" Mid-air and following through with an unstoppable elbow strike, the ss shattered upon impact. Bai E, tumbling out of the broken window with a graceful roll, outssed the other new recruits with his superior overall physical fitness, allowing him to perform certain actions unimaginably smoothly. Not to mention the numerous teammates around him. The moment his brain shifted intobat mode, the trait¡ªwell-trained¡ªbegan to y its part, and its actual performance exceeded its own attributes by a margin. To the right... nothing. To the left, three! Two worker insects, one bee insect. Bai E started observing the situation outside the projection room while still airborne, knowing that understanding the environment was always essential. He didn''t know how many insects hade, and which direction was more suitable to break through to get armor and weapons; these were the factors he needed to consider quickly while in motion. "Bang!" The broken ss scattered everywhere, and a figure mmed through the curtain that obstructed the opposite projection room. It was Rose. Afternding, Rose quickly got on her feet, scanning her surroundings, as Bai E''s voice already reached her, "Go to the back, those insects know where the main entrance is." The information introduced in the data wasn''t detailed enough, such as the insects'' vision, hearing, sense of smell, or how they lock onto targets. But looking at the movements of the three insects, it was clear they at least knew how to navigate obstacles to hunt the new recruits trapped inside the projection room like fish in a barrel. "Okay!" The two moved extremely fast, first ensuring their own safety and clear thought process, which was vital for potentially leading others in a desperate turnaround. It was only as they sprinted towards the back corner of the projection hall that other recruits began to break through the ss to escape. Experience more tales at m vl-em|p-yr Three bugs, already attracted by themotion caused by Bai E and Rose, seemed startled by the sudden appearance of prey, hesitated for a moment, then immediately attacked the nearest unfortunate ones. Fortunately, humans knew better than to sh directly with the bee bugs'' spiked short spears, which were covered in acid nds and poison sacs. But the bee bugs themselves seemed unaware of their deterrent power, not considering inflicting a cut on every recruit, with their low intelligence. The recruits who broke out through the windows were no cowards; imnted memories and the past two days of training meant they faced these bugs without much fear. Even those bare-chested didn''t hesitate to help their fellow recruits and gang up on the bugs. Despite their reduced numbers and strength... The other bugs burst around the corner to the big doors, then suddenly faltered. "Fuck!" Facing such chaos, Bai E and Rose, who had already made it to the other corner, just nced once and ran without looking back. Any hesitation at this point was meaningless, and camaraderie among soldiers wasn''t something to be disyed at such a time. Weapons and armor could greatly enhance an individual''sbat abilities. Even though Bai E''s attributes outmatched those of the other recruits, he dared not im to easily kill those inherently armored, weaponized bugs. The sooner he got his hands on weapons and armor, the more people he could save! In the midst of his mad dash, Bai E didn''t forget to pull out two foil-wrapped snacks from his chest pocket¡ªNumber 3 ration bars. All two pieces of his supply were handed over. "Eat these!" With an unknown number of enemies, maintaining one''s own condition was of the utmost importance. Rose, far from polite, tore open the package and stuffed the contents into her mouth. She didn''t have the breath to speak, focusing all her energy on keeping up with Bai E''s pace. Just how strong was this guy? ... Watching the chaotic scenes on various surveince screens, the atmosphere inside the basemand vehicle also became somewhat serious. Even though these artificially created new recruits were considered cannon fodder, they were still part of humanity''s forces. A too pathetic performance would be uneptable, not only for the oue on the battlefield but also for morale. And the alien allies were watching too... But as of now... "It seems not bad." "They''re reacting quite quickly." The greatest danger in this trial was how one reacted initially; how long it took to acquire weapons and gear would determine the oue of the test. So far, it was looking eptable. "Are those Rose and 95B27? Their qualities really are a step above the other recruits." "No wonder they''re all fighting over them. I want them on my team too." A few neutral officers nodded at each other, exchanging opinions. Dewa snorted, "Don''t even think about it!" Yue Ying, sitting in a corner, was as silent as ever, her gaze drifting into a vacant stare between two of the monitor screens. In thest image from a previous monitor, 95B27 made an upward gesturing motion with his hand, but it was too rapid, moving out of the frame in the blink of an eye. When he reappeared in the next monitor''s range, he had returned to the normal running motion. However... something was not right! That abnormal hand motion would slow him down; he must have executed some other action. Did this recruit have something he wanted to keep hidden from others? Her gaze swept over the circle of officers who seemed not to notice this detail, and Yue Ying blinked, ultimately choosing to remain silent... Chapter 61: 061 Battle ready! ``` Nearing the tent area where they lived, the two split up and went their separate ways. Guns and battle knives were left at the training grounds; Rose needed to take people to retrieve them. Although Bai E and Rose were quick to react and fast on their feet, many new soldiers who were sharp-witted had already followed them to get their weapons. Bai E was different; as a member of the special forces, his weapon and equipment had been issued directly to him, all kept inside his resting tent. ording to some rumors, many objects had their own spirits, colloquially known as "machine spirits." Cultivating a rtionship with one''s own gear was certainly the right choice. Furthermore, due to individual usage habits, other than new recruits, old soldiers with assignments would always carry their equipment with them, treating it as personal property. Bursting into a quiet living area, Bai E didn''t stop his pace, quickly scanning the shadows of each tent with his eyes. The Bug Race, though it was unclear where they came from, would certainly first be attracted by the scent of human flesh, their absolute instinct being a thirst to absorb all biomass. During training, the living area was usually deserted, so the likelihood of encountering bugs was low, but caution was still necessary. Suppressing the secretion of hormones in his body, Bai E''s heartbeat increased due to running, but his brain didn''t go nk from the fight-or-flight response, nor did his eyes narrow from stress. Keep the adventure going on m_vl-em|p-yr What he once thought was a poor lottery draw, now seemed quite useful. No! No! There were no bugs! When Bai E lifted the tent p and sat on his bed, he finally took a deep breath. He was lucky; he hadn''t encountered any bugs along the way. As he dressed in hisbat suit, Bai E brought up his panel; he needed to have a clearer overview of his current abilities¡ª [Name]: Bai E [Race]: Human [Temte]: Gene Modification Prototype [Health]: 105/105 [Identity]: Leader (Li Ming) [Physique]: 13.2/15 [Insight]: 10.9/15 [Reflex]: 11/15 [Mystery]: 8/¡Þ [Gic Optimization](Current trend: Beastkin): 0.1/100 [Skills]: Lucky Strike (Current charge: 83/100) Stealth (8/100) Craftsmanship(74/100) [Trait]: Emotional Dullness, Battle Instinct, Well-Trained [Expertise]: Rapid Recovery (Locked), Self-Restraint [Mastery](Potential Points *5): Light Firearms Specialization (119/2000) (Level 4) Heavy Weapon Specialization (231/300) (Level 1) [Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered [Knowledge](Tech Points *3): Firearms Maintenance (89/300) (Level 1) Lumbering (17/300) (Level 1) Thievery (2/100) Trapping(31/100) First Aid (Bandaging) (24/300) (Level 1) Dissection (30/100) [Technology]: None [General Experience]: 499 points [Combat Experience]: 497 points [Mutation Risk]: Extremely Low [Faction]: Li Ming (Reputation Level 1) ... The myriad abilities were diverse, but most were not yet fully developed; the most useful for the current situation were likely to be the shooting and heavy weapons specializations. One had already reached level 4, not only providing special attribute bonuses but also just 4 points away from activating a unique skill tree. ``` ``` One was also close to reaching Level 2 specialization, just 69 experience points short. Practicing to break through in battle was an excellent choice. Shooting was somewhat safer, but there was the fear that those insect creatures, agile as they were, might burrow into the crowds. Blind shooting could end up injuring teammates first. Bai E trusted his own marksmanship, but it was possible that teammates could walk into the line of fire. The possibility of closebat couldn''t be discarded. Survive? Of course, Bai E wanted to survive. But in this world, just trying to scrape by was clearly not enough. Without working hard at every possible opportunity to improve one''s strength, the end result would only be a total defeat. In fact, faced with insect creatures that had suddenly invaded his world at close range, Bai E''s state of mind to date was aplex mix of confusion and excitement. The confusion was naturally fear, unfamiliarity, unknown; excitement...being able to kill the Bug Race with his own hands and fully step into this mad, desperate world, how could he not be excited? Bai E could feel his body getting excited, he deliberately indulged a little, his muscles trembled slightly¡­ "Ziii~" The zipper closed, the pitch-ckbat suit wrapped around every inch of Bai E''s skin, the buckle on his back locked thebat knife in ce, a pistol was stuffed into the leather buckle on either side of his waist, and the alloy dagger was inserted into the slot on the side of hisbat boots, ready to strike at any moment. "Click!" The bullet was chambered, the assault rifle mode set to burst fire¡­ The curtains fluttered open, and steelbat boots stepped out. ¡­ "Quick! Retreat! Retreat! Fire blockade! Hold them back!" The new recruits retreated en masse from the auditorium to retrieve weapons and equipment, and the chasing insects that had caught the scent of flesh followed suit. They were born carnivores, indifferent to all cold steel except for biomatter. Thebat suits andbat knives were ced nearby, but it took time to don thebat suits. The soldiers who got their hands on guns first provided covering fire under themand of prestigious recruits from each training unit. Even if some soldiers were quicker and had already put on theirbat suits, they wouldn''t rush forward to engage in closebat with the Bug Race. Without the pressure of an active attack and the enemycking long-range attacks, there was no need to start baying the Bug Race from the get-go. Once entangled in closebat, humanity''s range advantage would vanish. Using firearms to significantly reduce the number of the attacking Bug Race wave was the optimal choice. Closebat would only be necessary when they closed in to a certain distance, out of sheer necessity. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The rifles in semi-automatic mode fired around, the not-so-dense sheet of bullets struggled to make a mark on the naturally armored exoskeleton of every Bug creature. Only asionally when a shot hit a vulnerable spot not covered by armor could a small spray of green bodily fluid be seen. More often, it was the defensive but slow-moving worker subspecies of the Bug Race that took the brunt of the fire. Indeed, the Bugs were numerous, but hitting specific parts to do effective damage was not easy. The sh between the rate of advancement of the Bugs and the killing efficiency of firearms determined whether the defensive line could be held. Clearly, the slow rate of fire could not stop the Bug Race''s advancing lines. If one looked down from the sky, they would see countless green dots converging from all directions, pressing toward the little ck dots in the center. The rustling of soldiers donning theirbat suits mingled with the asional anxious curses. Rose gripped herbat knife tightly, her gaze frequently swept between the increasingly pressing front lines and her fellow shooters. The semi-automatic mode was too slow! It couldn''t create effective suppression. As for the burst fire mode¡­ The basic requirement for new recruits equipped with the Type 77 assault rifles to use burst fire mode was a physical strength of 12 points. Recruits with firearm talents typically had attributes leaning towards insight or reflex, starting with a mere 10 points in physical strength¡ªthree days of training couldn''t possibly raise it by a full 2 points. Using burst fire mode without sufficient physical strength meant within a few seconds, the muscles in the arms would be unable to control the trajectory due to intense vibration and recoil¡ªineffectual suppressive fire with uncontrolled spraying was as good as none. As for those recruits who started with 11 points in physical strength and had rapidly improved during these three days¡­ firstly, they were few in number, and secondly, none of them had firearm talents nor had they undergone rted training in these three days, resulting in terrible uracy. Letting them fire a machine gun was just going through the motions¡­ Closebat¡­ it mighte very quickly. However, in the chaos, the progress of everyone donning theirbat suits was also slow. There weren''t enough melee fighters ready at the front line in time to form a solid enough defensive line at close quarters. If only they could drag it out a bit longer... Rose clenched her teeth tightly, her face anxious. ``` Chapter 62: 062 Unparalleled! "It''s too chaotic..." A sigh rose from within the base vehicle as they watched through the surveince screens how the soldiers were responding. If they maintained order, the rookies could have finished theirbat readiness work at least 20% faster. That 20% at a critical moment could mean the difference between life and death. "We just didn''t have enough time to conduct more discipline training." Some of the officers were self-criticizing. "Da-da-da-da-da!" Lively shooting sounds suddenly erupted from one of the monitors, and the hit bee-creature instantly turned into a sieve under the torrent of bullets. "Is there someone else out there?" "It''s 95B27!" "He can actually use burst fire mode!" "But he''s just one person, what good can he do?" ... [Firing barrage hit the target massively, causing 82 points of fatal damage to the target!] [Sessfully barraged the same target with fire, light firearms mastery experience +2.] [You havepletely killed the target, gaining 10 points ofbat experience.] The battle information shed past, and Bai E had no time to care for anything else. As he rushed from the living area, he saw countless bugs swarming towards the training ground where the rookies were gathering at first nce. The bugs, d in bone armor, clicked their segmented bodies continuously, such a surging and wild assault would awaken fear in anyone''s heart; the bloodthirsty desire full of wildness was enough to cause any human who witnessed this scene to feel dizzy. Even more worrying was the slightly chaotic frontline of rookies retreating step by step... Looking from afar, separated by a sea of bugs, Bai E knew he couldn''t let the tide of bugs quickly approach the frontline; they were not ready. A quick sweep around, and a few nearby bugs reflected his figure in their gem-like ck eyes; startled, they quickly changed direction and rushed towards Bai E. The distant flesh was too far away; it was more important to seize the food in front of them. "The lower Bug Race has low intelligence, and without themand of brain bugs or mantis bugs, they often act on their bloodthirsty instincts of hunger..." Bai E''s mind raced with the information he had just seen. He had a n! ... "What... what is he doing?" Exmations filled the base vehicle. 95B27 didn''t flee! He didn''t even keep his distance! He... He''s charging behind the bug tide! "Has he gone mad?" "No! He is keeping an appropriate distance! He is... using his own body as bait." ... Or rather, kiting. The surging bug tide failed to crush Bai E''s will, fortified by the "self-restraint" blessing. Never had he been so calm. Want meat? Come on! Bai E rapidly moved around the edge of the bug tide, the sound of gunfire and the scent of flesh easily attracting the bugs within arge range nearby. Far? Near? Difficult? Easy? In their low-level intelligence were just a few simpleparative choices. Without a doubt, Bai E, near at "arm''s length," was easier to stomach. "Da-da-da-da!" [Massive hits on the same target, causing 43 points of piercing damage! The target''s mobility is severely impaired.] [Massive hits on the same target, causing 28 points of piercing damage! The target''s mobility is moderately impaired.] [Sessfully barraged the same target with fire, light firearms mastery experience +11. (Cumtive)] While maintaining movement, the roar of Bai E''s rifle never ceased. Acting alone granted him greater agility, with even the slightest obstacles serving as his natural shields. Even in the midst of chaos, he remained utterly calm, his gaze almost simultaneously epassing all the attacking bugs in his field of vision. The trait of being well-trained enhanced both his reflexes and observational abilities substantially. Memories of practicing with a 200-meter moving target ovepped with the present; Bai E first identified the agile worker subtypes and wasps mixed in with the swarm, prioritizing them for elimination. The remaining slow, armored worker bugs were ignored. Originally the shields of the Bug Race''s battle lines, they now hindered the other bugs'' pursuit. The only pity was... in a hit-and-run kite battle, it was hard to direct arge volume of firepower at a single target for a quick kill. The first kill might be the onlybat experience he could gain in a short time. But it was enough! After all, he was only 4 points short. ... "What a clear train of thought!" "Decisive in judgment, precise in execution. Indeed, a real talent!" asionally passing in front of the camera, Bai E''s expression was calm, his eyes resolute, as if not at all concerned about his predicament. Even when gunfire fell silent and magazines were emptied during a reload, he didn''t falter due to the approaching bugs, disying utmost calm. The drone''s aerial view revealed that because of Bai E''s efforts, the bug forces behind the front lines split like a hurricane into countless branches. Wherever Bai E went, he drew the attention of arge number of bugs who followed, chasing him. The bug tide pressing on the rookie squadron had no backing and was temporarily held off by the sparse gunfire. Many in the rookie battalion also noticed the figure dancing within the swarm. Rose watched with fervent eyes, "It''s Bai E!" He always managed to create miracles! ["Lucky Strike" Charge +50!](Cumtive) ["Lucky Strike" Charge has reached 133/100, now avable for use!] "Deservedly so for Carlos'' adamant protection... This rookie is truly exceptional!" "Is it reasonable to consider awarding him a Gene Optimization Solution?" Bai E''s outstanding performance caught the attention of nearly everyone, the atmosphere was fervent. Only Yue Ying in the corner of the base vehicle remained quiet, her eyes filled with concern. Despite the seemingly glorious sess, 95B27''s actions were undoubtedly like dancing on the edge of a knife. Each time, he barely missed death''s grasp; if caught by any of the bugs, his advantage would vanish instantly. The bugs might be continuously distracted, but he couldn''t afford a single mistake. Moreover... as the attracted bugs increased, Bai E''s maneuvering space became more restricted. He had already put himself in a perilous position, not one he could easily walk away from now. Yue Ying slightly closed her eyes, the numerous bug shadows in her mind abruptly speeding up, interweaving around Bai E who always seemed to choose an almost impossible optimal path for kiting, but in the end... Yue Ying suddenly opened her eyes. Hamilton''s mocking voice almost synchronized, "Let''s see if he can survive first..." With pursuers ahead and tigers behind... Bai E''s steps faltered slightly as he realized he waspletely surrounded by the bugs. Even with their low intelligence, numbers were their unbeatable weapon! "He''s done for..." Carlos suddenly got up, bellowing, "Deploy the armed drones!" "Veslin just said... anyone can die. If we use the armed drones, this test will have no meaning," someone said slowly and deliberately. ... Far within the front lines, Rose also noticed Bai E''s predicament from a distance. "Damn!" With a swing of her battle saber, Rose''s sonorous voice exploded over the front lines, "Follow me! Rescue our hero!" ... Trapped, Bai E smiled wryly. It seemed the choice of his skill tree was no longer important, as his situation had made the choice for him¡ª Gun Fighting Skill! Chapter 63: 063 Gun Fighting Skill! The skill tree opened after reaching level 4 specialty offered three choices: Suppression Fire, Precision Shooting, and Gun Fighting Skill. The three skills actually had clear divisions ofbor¡ª Precision Shooting was about enhancing long-range sniping proficiency, shooting more urately with stronger pration. Suppression Fire tended toward mid-rangebat, using a relentless barrage to cover targets to either kill or provide cover for teammates. It seemed that Song Ying possessed this skill. Gun Fighting Skill was biased towards meleebat... Well, not exactly meleebat, but a skill that maintained the ability to move and shoot quickly even when entangled by an opponent. And a skill was a skill¡ªit contained certain supernatural elements. Take Suppression Fire, for instance. Could a machine gun rece Suppression Fire? No, it could not. A person with Suppression Fire, when using a machine gun, would only be more terrifying. Under the skill''s influence, barrel heating would be dyed, bullets would be more lethal, and the barrage could cover any creature within range. Bai E originally hesitated between Precision Shooting and Gun Fighting Skill as he felt that his personality wasn''t about brandishing arge machine gun and spraying bullets all around, which also drew too much attention, practically making him a live target on the battlefield. Hiding in the shadows, picking off enemies one by one with Precision Shooting from a distance, or maintaining the agility of Gun Fighting Skill provided the ability to extricate oneself when someone got too close. At the moment, it seemed there was no choice. [Payment: 2 Spirit Energy points, 493 universal experience points, 507bat experience points.] [Acquired Skill¡ªGun Fighting Skill.] [Gun Fighting Skill: Allows dual-wielding guns, using firearms to parry; Insight +2, Reflexes +2, Rate of Fire +50%, Block +30%, Dodge +30%, Movement Speed +10%. Consumption: 10 Spiritual Energy (100 Action Points reserve)/min.] When the Spiritual Energy reserve runs out, the body''s energy reserve is used instead. And when the body''s energy reserves are depleted, life force itself is burned. asionally, one hears about Spiritual Energy practitioners being drained dry by their own abilities. Any ability that consumes more Spiritual Energy than one can handle bes the cause of their own death. Fortunately, having eaten the No. 3 ration stick earlier, Bai E''s Action Points reserve was already at 110 points, enough tost for a minute. If he couldn''t get out of a sticky situation in one minute... he might as well be dead. A faint mist of grey light clung to Bai E''s hands. The mist seemed alive, stretching along his palms and onto the rifle he was holding... "Click~" Bai E unbuckled the safety, his right hand gripping the pistol. His gaze was calm and indifferent. The bugs seemed to rush at him in a swarm, but their distances and intervals varied, with different directions exerting unequal pressures on the attack. The skill provided him with more than just a statistical boost to his attributes; instinctively seeking opportunities to achievebat objectives was the true function of the skill. sting a bloody path with the gun in his hand was the only thing he had to do. "Ratatata!" "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Casings ejected, both hands firing at the same time, the assault rifle tearing openings, the pistol stopping nearby threats. Different rates of fire and handling could disrupt a shooter''s instincts; however, under the control of Gun Fighting Skill, both worked together seamlessly. ... The bugs leapt high, their lower limbs'' remarkable muscle granting them incredible leaping power. Number 95B27 was surrounded by countless green bugs, seemingly about to be engulfed in a spherical killing hell. The next moment... "Bang!" Metallicbat boots kicked away a fierce worker bug with pincers for teeth. Bai E''s left hand with the rifle parried the sting of a bee bug close by as he flipped backwards in the air, executing a 360-degree turn to breakout from the encirclement. "Thud!" The moment hisbat boots hit the ground, a nimble roll dissipated the force of inertia, his long and short guns firing again. Bai E''s steps did not cease, moving quickly and stably towards the outer perimeter of the encirclement. His face remained as impassive as ever, without a ripple. ... "..." The cigarette burned quietly, leaving the entire base vehicle in silence. Many people''s retinas still held the moment when 95B27 broke through the encirclement, a soldier stepping on a sea of insects, flipping and leaping up, his grace indescribable. For most veterans, this would be considered a sure-death situation, yet this fighter had fiercely carved out a bloody path! This rookie, was a bit too tough. The burnt-out cigarette ash lightly fell, as if turning a switch, activating the silence inside the vehicle. "Bang!" Carlos mmed the carriage, emotionally jumped up, and eximed, "Good!" Do you need saving? No need! The man chosen by the old captain is invincible! Keep killing for me! Hamilton''s eyebrows twitched, his face as ck as charcoal. This TM can kill his way out? What have those bugs been turned into by the research institution? Have they lost allbat ability? But... "It''s still early!" Where are we even at? The general still looked at the monitoring screen with worry, his tone grave. "The real threat hasn''t appeared yet." ... The breakout by Bai E undoubtedly revitalized the already desperate new recruits. Abandoning fire suppression to rush out and save the hero, they watched Bai E fall into the sea of insects, but the bugs in between were like a chasm; even if they broke their teeth, they couldn''t instantly ovee the barrier of space. Now, Bai E had indeed created an unimaginable miracle by breaking out of the encirclement. Moreover, Bai E''s dying tactics had given the new soldiers a precious breathing opportunity, with more closebat soldiers ready for hand-to-hand fighting. The bugs were still a distance from the defensive line, yet courage spread like a tide across the chests of every soldier. "Kill!" Bai E was taken into the battle formation brought by Rose, "You rest for a while, leave the rest to us." Having restrained the enemy and then breaking out, logically Bai E should have been nearing his physical limit. Even with a reserve of energy, he needed proper rest to quickly convert it into strength. However, Bai E''s condition was actually quite good, his full reserve of energy plus his talent growing nearer to activation kept him in good shape, and escaping to Rose''s rescue had taken just over thirty seconds, with plenty of energy reserve left. But even if he still had the capacity to continue the fierce fight, Bai E needed to "rest." His gaze asionally swept over the ubiquitous cameras in the camp, and Bai E had his own guesses about this sudden event... "I''m fine," Bai E waved his hand, "Don''t worry about me, I''ll cover for you." Once the closebat unfolded in full, firearms couldn''t be fired recklessly anymore. He instantly went from main attacker to supporting restraint. Bai E carefully avoided some chaotic situations, blended in behind other soldiers, and took the opportunity to take cold shots, enjoying a moment of ease. "Is there a nurse? Someone''s been injured! Someone''s been injured!" asionally, some unlucky soldiers who got hurt through theirbat suits were covered and sent to the rear by theirrades. Powered by m|v|l|e|mpyr "What''s wrong?" "He''s been wounded by a bee insect''s short gun!" Chapter 64: 064 Its hard for me to say The soldier''s sleeve was torn open, revealing a bloodied and mangled upper arm beneath. Evenbat suits couldn''t fully defend against all attacks from the lower ranks of the Bug Race, the reinforced material in the chest and shoes could withstand most of the ordinary bugs'' bites and w strikes. However, for ease of movement and due to resource limitations, it wasn''t possible to use highly durable and tough materials for the sleeves and trousers. Torn easily by the bugs, even more fatal¡­ were the acid nds and toxin sacs on the weapons of the wasp insects. The descriptions in the data sheets were very clear, even the lowest rank of the wasp insects'' symbiotic weapons could cause fatal damage to human soldiers, and quickly at that. Even a mere scratch would allow the toxin to seep into the bloodstream through bodily fluids and then spread throughout the body; if not treated promptly, it could easily im the life of a soldier. Of course, it was a stroke of misfortune amongst misfortune that he was not bitten to death on the spot but could still be rescued by hisrades. But when faced with the calls for help from the soldier cradling the injured, the group of rookie shooters exchanged nces, at a loss. A nurse among the recruits... that was rare indeed. "I''m from the medical corps... I''ll do it!" A soldier who had been hiding at the back of the crowd stuck his head out; he had also grabbed the emergency medical kit when everyone was arming themselves. "Our head nurse has taught us... she taught us... how to deal with this kind of external injury..." The male rookie nurse muttered to himself, his hands and feet a bit flustered as he opened the first aid kit, intending to provide aid. ... Even under Bai E''s influence, the soldiers''bat morale seemed high, but the will of ordinary people couldn''t change the facts. In close quartersbat with the bugs, danger was ever-present. "If we can''t resolve the battle quickly, even amon scratch could take the lives of many recruits." Facing the savage toxins of the bugs, human bodies were still too fragile. In confrontations with these lowly Bug Race infantry, the number of soldiers directly bitten to death was actually the minority; more often, it was those who didn''t receive timely treatment and sumbed to the poison that ounted for most casualties. The chaotic battlefield conditions for rescue were one thing, but often under the intense influence of adrenaline, soldiers wouldn''t even feel minor scratches. By the time it was noticed, it was already toote. "I wonder how many will die..." Some officers were full of concern. Using live bugs for recruitbat training was rare, the first time in nearly a year, after all, live bugs were not so easy to capture. And each time after livebat training, the results weren''t particrly pretty to look at. "Sssshhh¡ª" The side door of the base vehicle suddenly slid open, and an old man with white hair and beard appeared before the gathered officers, chuckling cheerfully. "Everyone''s here? I said let''s have intensive training, what''s the need to drag this old man along? Hm... what''s this?" "..." Upon seeing the numerous surveince screens, the old man''s expression changed abruptly, "Our camp is under attack?" Only then did he realize, "It''s another livebat training..." Weslin chuckled, "Losing a few recruits but in exchange for a surge in thebat effectiveness of the survivors, that should be a gain." Controlled livebat was a means to let soldiers quickly limate to the battlefield, certainly better than training them on the battlefield itself. Most importantly, tomorrow''s mission aimed at aplete decapitation strike, allowing no mistakes. The old dean said nothing, only casting his gaze over the numerous surveince screens, finally locking onto the most prominentrge screen showing the first soldier receiving treatment, the focus of everyone''s attention. "Dean, take a look at this nurse from your medical team..." "Foolishness!" With an explosive shout, the old dean red angrily, "How can you treat someone like that? This is harming them, not helping!" "..." Silence fell inside the vehicle. It''s bad, more are going to die. "Let me do it." Bai E watched from a distance for a while, he hadn''t nned to intervene initially. If these rookie nurses could handle it, he had no interest in saving people; just a moment ago, he''d enjoyed a lively one-man battle that turned the tables, all of which offered morebat experience than the asional sniping and finishing moves now. But the rookie nurse was not skilled enough and clearly couldn''t handle the situation; unable to bear seeing hisrades in distress, he had no choice but to rush over. "Oh, okay!" The rookie nurse breathed a sigh of relief. Having a master to guide him through practice was one thing, but being asked to do it on his own was like a headless fly not knowing where to start. "Treating this kind of wound with toxins can''t be done like you were doing..." [You are attempting to perform emergency first aid...] As Bai E worked, he exined his thought process. After plucking the wool from the yers, he wondered if he could pluck it from other NPCs as well. However, it was clear the system didn''t acknowledge his teaching, as there was no response at all. Stay ahead with m v l em pyr ... [You havepleted emergency first aid, the patient''s injuries have been stabilized, emergency first aid experience +6.] "Do you understand?" "Understood." ["Lucky Strike" charge +4.] Several admiring voices chimed in from behind, and as Bai E turned around, he saw several gazes of reverence fixed firmly on him. The rookie nurses were not skilled in their craft, and having a "senior" who seemed very reliable give on-site teaching had almost moved them to tears. "Medic! Medic! Help, please!" From a distance, the warriors'' roars could be heard intermittently. "Coming! Coming!" The rookie nurses who had received the "true transmission" dispersed and began to save lives in all directions. ... "Not bad." The hospital director inside the carriage nodded in satisfaction, then turned to An Lun, the head nurse following behind, "Who taught this soldier? He''s got solid fundamentals." An Lun''s face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he reminded softly, "He is 95B27..." "..." Upon looking back at the monitor, the director''s demeanor became more serious, and his gaze slowly shifted to Weslin''s face, "Entu, you''ve seen the facts... This rookie has a natural talent for healing and saving lives. Perhaps we should discuss the matter we talked about before once more?" "..." The atmosphere became even more silent. The honest man, Dewa, wore a strange look in his eyes as he watched the director. Everyone had seen 95B27''s performance. If we were topare it with his talent for healing... It''s hard to say... I''m not going to say it. "Director, you have arrivedte..." Finally, someone broke the silence. Video yback... The short video of just over thirty seconds gave the old man a small shock to his worldview, and both the director''s and the head nurse''s faces looked as colorful as an overturned paint box. "This..." Carlos was not willing to let his prized asset be taken away, "Now, do you still think he is more suited for a transfer to the medical department?" ... With logistics secured, the frontline warriors fought even more fiercely. If it doesn''t kill you, fight to the death. However, unbeknownst to them, a strange disturbance began to cover a certain area of the battlefield at an imperceptible level. The moment Rose, who was swinging her war scythe in battle, felt a change, she squinted her eyes to survey her surroundings. For some reason, the eyes of the lowly bugs seemed toe alive in an instant, and Rose could even sense a sh of more aggressive intelligence within them. The world spun around her. In the pitch-ck space, pairs of malicious eyes began to appear one after another. Countless bugs from every direction focused on her simultaneously, and the pressure, tangible as it was, surged over her like a tsunami in an instant. Overwhelming and chilling. "I''ve been targeted..." Chapter 65: 065 Bug Race Commander! The bugs'' attack rhythm began to change markedly. They were no longer like a pack of starving hyenas, fixated only on the prey they had chosen. Nor would they abandon a target that was already weak and within easy reach simply because the human soldiers provided each other with interlocking cover. "What''s going on?" "They seem to have gotten smarter all of a sudden!" "Ah!" "Help!" Four or five bugs quietly encircled a soldier amidst the chaotic battle, only revealing their intentions at thest moment before pouncing like the most vicious hunters. As the bone-chilling screams tore through the air, the soldier''s mutted body was torn beyond recognition by the clutches of the bugs. The anguished cries for help that arose everywhere jolted the remaining soldiers to full awareness. The bugs... had gotten smarter! ... "This is the real test." Bugs without amander are just a mob of chaos; if humans could manipte them so easily, they would not deserve to be humanity''s greatest threat on this. ... The bugmander had appeared! Was it a Brain Bug? Or a Mantis Bug? Continue your journey on m-v-l-e-m-p-y-r Only these two types of bugs in the recently yed footage possessedmand abilities. Bai E leaned towards thetter; the Brain Bug was the core of a bug nest and unlikely to appear here. But a Mantis Bug, an equivalent of a Bug Race toon officer, could onlymand a limited area. Their small nest''s influence couldn''t cover arge range; the enemy had to be nearby! Where? Bai E turned around in one swift motion, scanning the entire field with his gaze. The area surrounding the training ground was quite open, and the few small obstacles couldn''t conceal a Mantis Bug that stood twice as tall as a human. The only ce was... behind him, the armory storage, the ready room! "Run outside!" Upon realizing this, Bai E was startled, his body breaking out in a cold sweat, and in the next moment, he bellowed loudly. "In the back! Mantis Bug! In the back!" Bai E exined the situation as simply as possible; some of the nearby recruits were skeptical, as the front was a chaotic battlefield filled with hand-to-handbat soldiers and bugs; others ced theirplete trust in this War God who had performed miracles before and ran for their lives. Seemingly aware that its location had been discovered, the nightmarish creature emerged from the dark shadows of the tall ready room, with ground-shaking steps. Under the two scythe-like massive ws were the bodies of two recruits, cut in half at the waist, their blood flowing into rivers. The upper half of a yet conscious soldier weakly tried to call for help, reaching out to touch the world onest time¡­ "Crack!" The mandibles snapped shut, and the body hung limp. The sun was setting in the west, and even thest sliver of reluctance had been shaded. The scattered daylight spread from the horizon, casting an ominous blood-red hue over the vast training ground. [Mantis Bug (Bug Race) (Elite) ¡ª "Lucky Strike" kill drop: Guaranteed (Bug Tribe Essence Extract*500, 3000 battle experience points); High probability (Trait: Bloodthirst Instinct); Possible (Trait: Hive Mind)] The big boss had appeared! On the frontline, such Bug Race toon officers might be a dime a dozen and insignificant against human artillery and armor, but to these fleshy recruits, it was almost a reaper inducing despair. The explode muscles of its lower limbs allowed this embodiment of death to harvest lives among the crowd effortlessly, sending soldiers inbat suits flying with a sweep of its bone-de, crushing their ribs, spewing out blood in gushes. Not to mention, most of the recruits at the rear were shooter-types. A one-sided massacre! The horrifying creature from the Bug Race spread death and terror without restraint. As Rose was being besieged, she saw the copse at the back and, with her eyes wide with fury, let out a heart-wrenching scream that echoed across the training field, "Run for your lives!" ... "The alertness is too poor. At first, the Mantis Bug was in a weakened state, and you''ve dyed so long allowing it to feed on several people that now these recruits will have a hard time killing it." "Should we terminate the trial?" Using lives as fodder might work, but the costs would be too great if the losses became excessive. With the previous battles, these recruits should be more or less battle-ready and shouldn''t drag their feet on tomorrow''s battlefield. Everyone in themand vehicle watched the highest-ranking officer, Commander Weslin, as he tapped his fingers on the tabletop, pondering for a moment, "Let''s wait and see a bit longer." ... [Warning: Mission has encountered unexpectedplications and may end at any moment. Please kill the target "Mantis Bug" as soon as possible! Otherwise, the mission will fail! Countdown: Unknown!] "Run! Run outside!" Bai E clenched his teeth tightly, waving his hand tomand. Reason told him he should retreat; there were 2000 recruits here, and even if it was a matter of piling up lives, they should theoretically be able to bury it. At such a moment, the core condition of the mission was no longer important. However, the impulse in his body was leaping arrogantly. "This isn''t training!" "It''s not a drill!" Reason screamed wildly. This was realbat arranged by the military! Those high and mighty figures were sitting behind the monitors, watching their life-and-death struggle with cold eyes. Only those who have been through the ordeal of blood and fire are qualified to set foot on the battlefield and fight for the survival of humanity! Bai E knew everything! The abnormal actions of the military camp and the red dots that lit up in the cameras had almost made everything clear. As for the sacrifices inbat... This era never took sacrifice to heart. Just like the words spoken by the highestmander of the military district when he had just awakened¡ªthe foundation of the empire is built on sacrifice! If Bai E died, no one would care. The deaths of those recruits would be even less of a concern to anyone. But these soldiers, who had just been born, hadn''t even had the chance to properly see the colors of this world, even if it was the ck color of despair! "Help! Help!" The gically enhanced soldiers did not fear sacrifice, but this overly powerless death seemed to break the gic order within their bodies. Under the panic, the recruit who fell and rapidly retreated on all fours watched as the tilting shadow enveloped him, the flow of time before death seemingly so slow, in his eyes he could see the fearsome beast slowly raising its right w, its pale bone de inching down. "ng!" "Sss!" [You have used a weapon to parry your opponent''s attack once, heavy weapon mastery experience +5.] [Based on your attack block, you have gained the following information¡ª] [Mantis Bug (Bug Race): Health 260/260; Defensive Power: 15; Attack Power (Type: shing): 30~unknown; Skills: Bone de Projectile; Traits: Symbiotic Weapon, Chitin Armor; Mobility: 80% (Semi-weakened state)¡­] Metallicbat boots scratched the ground over several meters, the terrifying force numbing Bai E''s arms, lucky that the regr sh was still caught. Standard-issuebat sword, superior in quality. "Move quickly!" Bai E''s eyes were fixed on the fearsome beast in front of him as he whispered instructions to the recruit on the ground. It''s not training, it''s not a drill... can''t you be bolder? A battle group of 2000 recruits, were they really afraid of just one enemy? If today''s minor challenges can''t be ovee, what about the future? With his chest filled with boundless pride, Bai E let it surge and swirl within him. Surging emotions are not always a bad thing, humans... sometimes they can unleash 120% of their potential! "Cover me!" Blindly running away is but a prelude to copse; the impact of the internal shooters on the delicate bnce of the frontline melee soldiers'' rhythm. We must withstand it! Even if it''s hard to bear, we must persevere! "Yes!" The retreating recruits did not flee in terror due to the fear just now. The shadow of fear had been dispelled by Bai E, and what remained... Zhou lifted his rifle, "Bang!" "Bang bang bang bang!" A series of bullets came from all directions, the thick chitin shell easily blocked each bullet, but the kic energy that came with the bullets still made the seemingly invincible boss take a slight step back. The gically enhanced soldiers would not run in fear; they were just waiting for the right moment to strike. Bai E spread his stance, lowered his body, and braced his left arm with thebat sword, all his focus honed. Chapter 66: 066 Listen to my great plan to defeat the enemy "Help me get out of this mess!" Rose, who kept an eye on the situation behind them from time to time, felt a surge of joy when she saw Bai E block the Grim Reaper but then was immediately consumed by deep worry. By himself... he likely wouldn''t be able to stop this terrifying creature. I must go help him! Once the option to entangle the beast with one''s life was discarded, only elitebat strategy could possibly lead to victory. And who else among the 2,000 new recruits could coordinate with him and lend a hand? Your story continues with m-vl-em|p-yr While fighting with worker bugs and wasp bugs was certainly important, it was clear that it was no longer the core of this current battle. Whether or not they could kill the mantis bug would determine the oue of this defense battle! Rose''s orders were perfectly executed by the surrounding soldiers, not only could the bugs be controlled, but the human soldiers could equally respond. ... Bai E gasped for air, the cold airflow of twilight filled his lungs, taking away the heat generated by his intense movements. Three strikes, he had only blocked three strikes, and his hands felt as useless as limp noodles. Fortunately, although his "Fast Recovery" talent hadn''t been unlocked yet, it still had some effect, and the extreme training over thest three days had made Bai E all too familiar withbat under these extreme conditions. The biggest problem was that as the light grew dimmer, in the darkness, the humans'' vision was most likely not as sharp as the bugs'' senses! "I''m on my way!" A figure suddenly appeared in front of him. Rose was breathing heavily, speaking in a slightly fluctuating tone. "Help me take a strike," Bai E said, his spirit lightening slightly as the pressure of hovering on the edge of death eased somewhat. But his gaze was still firmly fixed on the mantis bug, which also seemed to be looking for an opportunity, its pair of dark, onyx-like eyes seemingly flickering with cunning intelligence. Rose concentrated, "Mhm!" "We must fight quickly and decisively." "I know, any ideas?" Rose, who had observed the battle here beforehand, was utterly clueless, even with the information obtained from the data she had no clue how to defeat the enemy. Just drag it out? But as twilight deepened, Bai E was right, they must fight quickly and decisively. "Yes," Bai E bit his lip lightly. ... "What are they talking about?" As twilight fell, the footage from the cameras became increasingly blurry. In this world, the night falls early, with the frequent ck clouds often blocking the light diffusing through the atmosphere, making the night even darker. Moreover, the noisy chaos of the battlefieldpletely covered the not-so-loud conversation between the two, leaving the curious officers only able to vaguely see the two of them apparently discussing something. Could it be that these two new recruits really n to work together to take down that mantis bug? "However, if it''s those two new recruits, there might actually be a chance." Their performance on the battlefield just now inevitably gave rise to hopes for their coordination. "But why isn''t the mantis bug moving either?" "It''s also looking for an opportunity. That new recruit called 95B27 is doing very well, not giving it any openings. Together with the firing support from the other recruits, it''s hard for the bug that just recovered from a weakened state to act. Moreover, as time goes by, its chances of winning get bigger... These bugs are not stupid," said a neutral party, simplymenting based on what they observed. The chitinous exoskeleton of the Bug Race indeed has strong defensive power, but like humanbat suits, at joints and other areas where flexibility is needed, overly thick and heavy armor would clearly impede movement. The mantis bug''s shell, which couldn''t withstand bullets all over, had weak spots vulnerable to gunfire. That was the basis on which the other new recruits could restrain it with their guns. "Maybe we should end this..." the Dean was somewhat averse to seeing too many casualties, "The night is the bugs'' turf." Weslin pondered for a moment, "Let''s wait and see." If these new recruits could ovee this wave of invading bugs on their own, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance theirbat effectiveness and confidence, which would be a good thing for tomorrow''s decisive battle. Among the officers, Dewa and Carlos were undoubtedly the most tense, both staring at the screen, fearing that their most valued new recruits would fall under the mantis bug''s de. "Damn!" Dewa''s nerves spasmed abruptly. Rose was caught off guard! It seemed that in the process of consulting with Bai E, Rose''s concentration hadpsed slightly and her attention had shifted a little, giving the mantis bug a sliver of opportunity tounch a surprise attack. In the somewhat blurry screen, the massive body of the mantis bug erupted instantly, and what was more terrifying was its bone de. The bone de was retracted beforehand, which looked like a prelude to a springunch! The springunched bone de of the mantis bug could exceed the speed of sound, with astonishing lethal power. "Rose!" "Bang!" In the nick of time, Rose seemed toe to her senses at thest moment, cing the de horizontally, ready to take the hit head-on. As the bone de sliced into thebat knife, shards flew, and with the speed magnifying its force, the attack power of the bone de was unimaginable. After shattering thebat knife, the sickle-shaped bone de lost much of its momentum but still struck Rose precisely in the chest. "Pff!" The wild force instantly flipped Rose''s body over, and the crack of her breaking ribs was so sudden it made no sound, as the blood spurting from her mouth while she was flying backward painted the sky red. "It''s over!" Although Rose had reacted in time, the blow had clearly inflicted serious injury, and the so-called coordination... In the screen, Bai E seemed to lose his reason due to his teammate''s severe injury. He actually dropped thebat knife and rushed forward with his gun in an embrace. "Has he gone mad? Is he seeking revenge for Rose?" "Without the knife, how is he going to withstand the mantis bug''s bone de?" In the corner, Yue Ying''s expression did not change at all. Her gaze had been fixed on the recruit referred to as 95B27 all along. The decision to drop thebat knife was not made after Rose got injured, but rather... at the very moment the mantis bugunched its attack! They were prepared; this was the trap he had set! But how is he nning to execute it? ... As Bai E advanced holding the gun, his eyes were cold. The bugs were smart, their wild and fierce appearance hid an unimaginably cunning mind. The bone de of the mantis bug was indeed sharp, but it couldn''t easily cut through the standard-issuebat suits of humans. The sh attacks it had used on other recruits earlier had proven this... And this did not match the performance it had shown when it first appeared. The severedbat suits of the recruits were cut cleanly, not torn or stretched apart. This meant the bug had deliberately created panic to establish a sense of terror. Walking into a human military camp alone with a group of lower-ss bugs, it also did not have absolute confidence that it could win this battle that was unexpected for both sides. It needed to establish dominance from the beginning! And it used its trump card to do so! If it could use the spring-loaded de bit indefinitely, he certainly couldn''t withstand three strikes from it. Clearly, the springunched bone de was not an ability that could be used continually. It wasn''t confident it could take him down with one strike, so it had been waiting for the right moment. Simrly, the existence of the springunched bone de was also a huge deterrent to him. To truly defeat this terrifying beast, with the equipment he currently had, only the Gun Fighting Skill had the potential. Gun Fighting Skill could only be executed when holding a gun, but while he could ward off the attack holding a rifle, he wasn''t confident he could dodge a strike that exceeded the speed of sound; while holding thebat knife could block, but it couldn''t inflict lethal damage on it. The situation had reached a stalemate. Until the arrival of Rose... through the perspective of other bugs, the mantis bug realized that Rose also had the potential to injure it, and the bnce that the two people had achieved together was broken. The opportunity had been bought with Rose''s severe injury¡ªthis was the only chance! [Gun Fighting Skill, activate!] Bai E''s form weaved and swerved, narrowly avoiding the sweeping bone de of the mantis bug. As he neared, he executed the Flying Swallow step, climbing the twisting body of the mantis bug by leveraging its momentum, unfurling his rifle as if a great roc spread its wings! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 67: 067 Explosion! Getting close, it became crystal clear where the exoskeleton didn''t protect, and Bai E pressed his gun barrel directly against the soft flesh beside the mantis bug''s spine where the thick chitin shell was absent and pulled the trigger hard. "Da-da-da-da!" The gun muzzle spat out mes lightly, and the sh of the Type 77 assault rifle was exceedingly conspicuous in the dark evening. Metal shell casings flew past asionally scraping across Bai E''s cheek, his calm yet angry eyes reflecting the mes. [Heavy damage inflicted on the target''s weak point, causing 109 points of piercing damage! (Cumtive)] [Sessfully unloaded firepower on the same target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +3.] Bugs aren''t like those metal clunkers, they still have biological organs such as brains and hearts. While these parts are certainly well protected, the body''s vulnerable spots are not limited to the core vitals like the brain and heart. The flesh exploding at the rear of the spine, the bullet storm that flooded in had turned the muscle tissue into a messy tangle. The hunt! Like a predator stalking its prey, the diminutive humanunched a death-seeking attack on the monster twice his size. This scene imprinted in everyone''s eyes, something they would struggle to forget for a very long time. ["Lucky Strike" charge +7.] The expansion data wasn''t detailed enough, for instance, whether the mantis bug''s projectile bone des had a minimum interval of use, and so on. The reason being that such elite members of the Bug Race were not considered an adversary for a regr human infantryman. What they truly had to contend with was the human''s heavy machine guns, grenadeunchers, and other steel weapons. It was hard to believe how a human body could fight against them. Themand vehicle was silent. The fearless warrior had just presented a perfect answer to this trial with his actions. But... Read the continuation at m-vl-em,pyr "Can it be killed?" The danger of the Bug Race lies not only in their bizarre methods of attack but also in their formidable vitality which serves as their trump card across the battlefield. "Hiss!" The mantis bug struggled frantically. From the moment it had gotten close to Bai E, it had been attempting to shake off this seemingly threatening opponent, but in just a few seconds it had suffered unimaginable horrible damage. Severe injury triggered its ferocious nature, and with a sudden burst of energy, Bai E finally stumbled and fell. As hended, a nimble roll quickly got him up to regain his bnce, preventing the bug from pursuing. The badly wounded bug had no intention of further entanglement with Bai E. Retreat! Run! At themand, countless worker bugs and bee bugs, in an instant, abandoned their opponents, rushing madly towards the direction the mantis bug was fleeing. And that direction... was exactly where Rosey on the ground. "Puh~" The bone de pierced through the thin spots in thebat suit, skewering Rose''s shattered and powerless body, and blood gushed from the corner of her mouth, frothing with blood. She was still alive. Humans do not abandon theirrades. Shielding Rose''s body in front of them, that became their bargaining chip to escape. The gunfire suddenly fell silent. The cunning bug even used Rose''s body as a shield in Bai E''s direction, his most threatening enemy! "What''s there to fear! Fire!" "Indecisive!" Themanders, who sought results, did not care about the life and death of one or two synthetics. Killing this mantis bug, which wouldn''t have likely been killed otherwise, would make for a perfect answer to the trial! "Fire..." Half of Rose''s chest shattered, blood foam relentlessly gushed out from the corner of her mouth. Hoisted in front of the mantis bug, she couldn''t speak due to weakness, but she managed to smile broadly and mouthed to Bai E, "Fire..." "Bang!" The gunshot awakened the slightly quiet battlefield and echoed in themand vehicle for a long time. Under the dim night sky, the re of the handgun was blindingly bright. The towering figure suddenly stiffened, then copsed powerlessly. "Dead!" "They really killed it!" "What luck! To avoid hitting therade and strike the bug." "Good!" Inside themand vehicle, the old dean suddenly pped the carriage, his expression excited. Carlos looked at him, perplexed, wondering why he seemed even more excited than himself? "It''s done," Weslin finally showed a smile on his face. He pped his hands to draw everyone''s attention, "This trial is perfectlypleted, and I will report the results to the Senate. Now... clear the field!" "Yes!" The army pulled back, armed drones descended from the sky, and speakers red everywhere in the camp, "The trial has ended. Please, all soldiers, protect yourselves as much as possible; the drones have taken over." The somber atmosphere ended, and the officers got up to give each other high fives in celebration. The performance of the new recruits was their performance, and now they could also beam with pride as they reported the trial''s oues. Yue Ying, sitting alone in a corner, remained as silent as an outsider. The dim light obstructed the prying of the cameras, and she could only catch glimpses through the faint light and shadows. With her eyes slightly closed, her mind reyed thest few seconds before and after the final shot, with the images of Bai E, a bug, and Rose constantly shifting. "From that direction... it shouldn''t have hit." The carapace and Rose had blocked all vital parts; unless the shot hit the wound opened by the rifle, it would be hard to kill with a handgun. After a while, she slowly opened her clear eyes. Unless it was... "A curve shot!" "Rose! Rose!" In the midst of victorious celebrations, only Dewa was so anxious it seemed he wished he could fly back to the camp. ... "Huuh~" Bai E''s body went limp, all his courage seemingly draining away with his strength. What have I done? Directly confronting a Bug Race elite¡ªcould that really be something I aplished? That was close! Got carried away... As his consciousness returned to reality, it received information that seemed btedly, and panel alerts overwhelmed him like a flood. ["Lucky Strike" activated.] [Triggered Curve Shot! Sessfully hit a target behind an obstacle, Light Firearms Expertise experience +8.] [Hit the target''s vital spot causing 151 points of critical damage!] [Target''s breathing has ceased, and basic vital signs are lost.] [Loot obtained: Bug Tribe Essence Extract*500, 3000 battle experience points, Trait: Bloodthirsty Instinct, Trait: Bug Hive Will.] [Detection: Current character does not match the Bug Race temte; "Trait: Bloodthirsty Instinct" and "Trait: Bug Hive Will" are ipatible and have gone dormant.] [Side mission¡ªBug Swarm Assault,pleted.] [Survivor count: 1713. Rewards have been calcted. Mission Reward: General Experience +856, issued.] "Only a little over two hundred dead..." Not bad, much better than he had expected. Bai E didn''t zone out for long, actually just for a moment. After briefly checking the prompt messages, he waved his hand,manding, "Quick, save people!" Not many dead, but countless injured. Without prompt medical care, the number of those who could die was unknown. Hearing Bai E''smand, most of the soldiers who had freed themselves from the bugs immediately sprang into action. After this battle, Bai E was the unparalleled War God amongst the new recruits! [Would you like to pay 270 general experience points to upgrade the "Knowledge¡ªFirst Aid" level?] Confirm! ["First Aid Level 2" acquired, Technology Points*1 obtained.] [First Aid (Level 2): Quickly treat all injuries except for instant death, prevent any further deterioration, activate the target''s own vitality, target heals +3/H. (This effect requires the target''s own action point reserve: 10 points/H)] Approaching Rose, although the female soldier looked so wretched like she might die at any moment, she still managed a tough-looking smile. "Am I about to die?" Her voice was as thin as a thread, and Bai E read her words through her lip movements. "What are you thinking?" Bai E stretched out his hand to take the first aid kit passed from behind by other recruits, "I won''t let you die." [You are about to attempt first aid...] Chapter 68: 068 Post-war [You havepleted one emergency aid, the target''s injury has eased, emergency aid experience +0.] [The "Knowledge¡ªEmergency Aid" series level has reached the maximum and cannot be improved.] "You..." Rose could clearly feel that her body was getting better, Bai E''s hands seemed to possess magic power, and now it felt as if a warm current was flowing through her body. Bai E sat beside her, gazing at thergemps shining through the night''s thin mist from outside the barracks, his eyes somewhat distracted, "Don''t talk, you haven''t recovered yet." "Ow~" The empty training ground was somewhat silent for a moment, almost all the new soldiers seemed to have let go of all their strength as if shedding it off after the threat of the Bug Race had passed, and asionally medical professionals woulde over to inquire and check on each recruit to decide whether to treat them on the spot or take them to the infirmary. The new soldiers had juste into being, and although they did not fear life or death, it was all happening too fast... Their lives were themon currency of all humanity, and should be used more rationally rather than being easily wasted at home. The relief of surviving disaster fermented in the heart of every soldier, with everyone licking their own wounds. And the entire process of this battle revolved around an absolute center, with nces asionally sneaking towards the same spot. That silently seated figure in the halo of the lighthouse had be the faith of many recruits in this batch. The center of attention, Bai E, remained motionless. Rose curiously stared at his profile. What was hidden in his gaze? Pity? Sorrow? Whatever it was, his eyes were like the stars that had fallen into the pond, twinkling and shimmering. She didn''t know what this warrior, unparalleled in courage, wisdom, and strength, was thinking at this moment? ... [Is the life of an artificial person really so insignificant?] There were also natural human new soldiers, Bai E had seen them in the past two days, but he hadn''t seen any in this trial. Was it targeted only at artificial people? Even if they were purely tools of war, wouldn''t it hurt to lose so many? It was just a test in the barracks, yet the military could bear such a degree of loss. If it weren''t for his significant contribution in this trial, who knows how many more would have died? If the losses reached a certain extent, would they... intervene? Bai E didn''t know, he had no answer. There was only one thought he knew¡ªwhen the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. Would he, one day in the future, also die as silently and obscurely as he did this night? Silently and obscurely? Bai E suddenly chuckled at his own thoughts. Was he afraid of being insignificant, or of dying? Strength! What distinguished him from the other new soldiers, waiting passively for rescue during this trial, was strength! Experience magic at m v le mpyr Despite the danger of this trial and the severe losses of the new soldier camp, the gains he had acquired... were probably much more than all the training resultsbined up to that point! [Name]: Bai E [Race]: Human [Temte]: Initial Gene Modification [Health]: 105/105 [Identity]: Leader (Li Ming) [Physique]: 13.2/15 [Insight]: 10.9/15 [Reflex]: 11/15 [Mystery]: 8/¡Þ [Gene Optimization Degree] (Current inclination: Orc): 0.1/100 [Skills]: Gun Fighting Skill, Lucky Hit (Current charge: 44/100) Stealth (8/100) ``` Handicraft (74/100) [Traits]: Thought Dullification, Battlefield Instinct, Well-Trained, Bloodlust Instinct (Dormant), Hive Mind Will (Dormant) [Specialties]: Rapid Recovery (Locked), Self-Restraint [Mastery] (Potential Points*3): Light Firearms Specialization (143/2000) (Level 4) Heavy Weapon Specialization (246/300) (Level 1) [Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered [Knowledge] (Tech Points*4): Firearm Maintenance (89/300) (Level 1) Logging (17/300) (Level 1) Theft (2/100) Traps (31/100) First Aid (Bandaging) (Level 2) (Max Level) Dissection (30/100) [Technology]: None [General Experience]: 592 [Combat Experience]: 3000 [Mutation Risk]: Extremely Low [Faction]: Li Ming (Reputation Level 1) ... Experience explosion! With a total of 3592 generalbat experience points, it''s enough for me to level up my current most prominent skill, Light Firearms Specialization, to level 5 with some to spare, and the remainder could even bring my level 1 Heavy Weapon Specialization up to level 4. Or should I directly raise Heavy Weapon Specialization to level 4 and see if it also unlocks a skill tree? Then use the leftover experience to activate abilities on the skill tree. Gun Fighting Skill had already given Bai E enough surprises; he spected that the skill tree from Heavy Weapon Specialization wouldn''t be disappointing either. Alternatively, I could continue pouring experience into the skill tree unlocked by Light Firearms Specialization and unlock the previously hesitated "Precise Shot." There are many choices, and it seems that any method of improvement would bring satisfying growth. But too many choices have thrown Bai E into a kind of anxiety, uncertain about which method of improvement was the best choice for maximizing his progress. Or should he stay put? A level 4 Light Firearms Specialization was already sufficient for most situations, and without unlocking new special attributes, raising it to level 5 wasn''t particrly meaningful. Although the 2000 experience points required to unlock "Precise Shot" might not seem too much, it was the additional requirement of 2 potential points that especially concerned Bai E. He had suffered too many losses due to simr "skill points" in other games. Compared to experience, these were probably the truly precious resource. To be stuckter on learning a more powerful skill would be a serious issue. As for Heavy Weapon Specialization? Given his current role as a marksman, even on the battlefield, the chance that he would need to rely on his own closebat to break through was slim; leveling it from 1 felt like a waste. Rather than such potentially insignificant upgrades, the fact that theserge amounts ofbat experience were hard-earned was more important, especially the 3000bat experience points from the rarely-used skill "Lucky Strike." He hadn''t forgotten it. The charge for "Lucky Strike" was hard toe by; his most recent battlefield prowess hadted him the highest one-time addition of just 50 points. That seemed to be the maximum charge he could gain from a single event or emotional experience in the short term. The charging mechanism of this mysterious skill suggested... it was an incentive to take action, to do things that would catch attention. Change... huh? This mechanism consequently meant that the next use of this skill was uncertain. In fact, even this time, Bai E wasn''t too keen on using it. Though the experience dropped by the mantis bug was plentiful, other rewards were mediocre, and two traits luckily burst forth that he couldn''t use temporarily because he didn''t fit the Bug Race temte. When it came to the functionality of drop items, it was even inferior to him blowing a roadside fence... Basic construction techniques, oh~ If it wasn''t for witnessing Rose in danger and needing to resolve the situation *quickly, he would''ve preferred to save his critical hit chance for a more suitable target. Of course, the timing of its use wasn''t much of an issue. "Lucky Strike" required a finishing blow to kill, and using it prematurely without securing the kill meant it would be wasted. "Ah~" Bai E sighed deeply. Annoying! ... "Now there''s a problem, how should he be rewarded?" Seated in the base vehicle on the way back, Weslin tapped her fingers on the table, highlighting the most pressing issue. ``` The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 69 : 069 Honor Tomorrow they would march to the battlefield, so there was no sense in dying tonight''s trial reward. Normally, for a single trial, praise those who performed well, scold those who did poorly, and the matter would be considered settled, with everyone shouldering the consequences together. The problem was that in this trial, the new soldier with the code number 95B27 performed exceptionally well¡ªignoring itpletely could invite criticism. But as for rewards... What to reward? Status? Position? For an artificial human destined to shed blood on the battlefield, these were useless to him. Money? Housing? It would seem distasteful to retract these upon his death... Weslin could not decide alone, so he decided to gather a wide range of opinions. Carlos was the first to suggest, "Gene Optimization Solution! His performance totally justifies applying for a dose of Gene Optimization Solution for him!" This suggestion was swiftly rejected, "A mere trial is not significant enough to merit the issue of Gene Optimization Solution." This stuff was a scarce resource across the entire city, with the Research Department producing very limited quantities each month. Was it even possible for an artificial neer to get a share? It was the only possible reward but seemed highly unlikely at the moment. The room momentarily fell into a deadlock. With Carlos leading the proponent faction, they didn''t have any ideas for other rewards either. An artificial human soldier... really didn''t need much. A better gun? More bullets? Better training conditions? Those hardly counted as rewards. "Then... announce his induction into the special forces squad," someone suggested. In the ensuing silence, the aged voice of Laurent, Carlos''s old team leader, began to resonate. "That would work!" "A good reward." Suddenly, a chorus of agreement nearly resounded simultaneously. Laurent''s proposal unusually gained the unanimous consent of almost all the officers from the three factions. Joining the special forces squad was an established fact, and to announce it publicly... was an honor. Offering the intangible honor to appease an artificial person was clearly the optimal choice, as it cost nothing. Carlos''s faction was not dissatisfied either; in doing so, they essentially legitimized the previous team leader''s irregr actions, making the question of 95B27''s affiliation more straightforward and quelling idle gossip. Perfect! ... Blinding floodlights illuminated those bewildered souls, as the battle-scarred new soldiers gazed up at the figure bathed in endless light. "Yes, this was an exercise without prior notice! Life offers no redos, and danger lurks daily. This was a test of everyone''s ability to react to crises, and I am pleased... You all did very well. And among you..." Weslin paused slightly, emphasizing his next words, "The soldier from Line 95, B27, has without a doubt shone the brightest! This is something everyone can attest to. Therefore, we have decided to break the precedent, promote him exceptionally. This neer who joined you will now be inducted into our special forces squad, which bears the hardest responsibilities! Let us invite this miracle-making soldier onto the stage with a round of apuse to ept this honor!" Bai E, below the stage, was slightly taken aback. ??? What''s going on? He had envisioned many possible oues, such as being dissected... dissected... and dissected. Stay tuned with m,v le,mpyr After all, his fiery performance earlier did not seem like that of a recruit with less than three days of training, and his recent sorrow was partly due to this concern. But he hadn''t expected... that merely restating the facts would be considered a reward? That worked for him¡ªjust as he wanted! Bai E jogged onto the stage, his expression calm, still sporting an impassive face. "Anything you wish to say?" Weslin looked at Bai E, a gentle smile in his eyes. He remembered this artificial human, who would have been shaved bald by Yue Ying if not for his intervention. Moreover, this soldier had apelling presence and was somewhat endearing. Adhering to the principle of keeping a reserved demeanor, Bai E replied somewhat stiffly, "I merely did what the instructors taught us to do, what I should do. I don''t know what else to say." Weslin felt somewhat guilty toward this pure and reliable soldier upon hearing Bai E''s words, "The instructors, no doubt, made a lot of effort, but you must have also undergone strenuous training privately. This is the honor you deserve!" Weslin turned to look at all the soldiers, patting Bai E''s shoulder while saying, "In light of Soldier 95B27''s performance during the new recruit training, we''ve decided to give him the highest S-tier potential rating. Next, as long as he can earn a small amount ofbat achievements during the war, he''ll have the chance to obtain a precious andpatible Gene Optimization Solution!" Gene Optimization Solution! In fact, over the past few days, this was the term the new recruits heard the most, and Bai E naturally knew its value. The human body has its limits in strength. For Bai E''s body at present, even if he were to push his abilities to their limit through feedback from yer tasks and diligent training, he would only reach a trifecta of physical attributes: 15 points in physical strength, insight, and reflexes. To break through the shackles of the human body, the help of Gene Optimization Solution is indispensable. It can push the three-dimensional attributes of the human body past the 15-point limit, opening up more possibilities for a warrior''s personalbat development. Also, ording to some rumors, each use of the stuff might even unlock new traits for humans, with numerous functions. Only with this can one have a future. This is a true core resource, coveted by everyone. The mention of certain terms easily stirred up everyone''s emotions, and even some of the artificial humans, who usuallycked personal desires, seemed to breathe a bit heavier. Weslin''s lips curled slightly, very pleased with everyone''s reaction, "Of course, you don''t have to be disheartened. Anyone who demonstrates outstandingbat achievements will have the chance to obtain the precious Gene Optimization Solution. He''s just one step ahead of you! And tomorrow, it will be everyone''s opportunity!" The crowd dispersed, full of enthusiasm. ¡­ "Tomorrow is the battle, get some sleep early." Inside the tent, Dashan yfully pped Bai E on the shoulder, "Tomorrow we''re counting on you, hero." Tiger stopped Dashan''s teasing, "Don''t tease Bai, he''s a serious guy." "So I''m not serious?" Tiger ignored him, just looking earnestly at Bai E, "I don''t know how the higher-ups made their decision, but... it''s very rare for artificial humans to get the Gene Optimization Solution. So, don''t push yourself too hard." Song Ying also nodded and added, "Do what you can." "Um~" Bai nodded, he had no intention of pushing himself to the limit. If his life were lost, no amount of Gene Optimization Solution could bring it back. Besides, he''d just checked, the 500 vials of Bug Tribe Essence Extract that dropped didn''t seem to be junk either. The so-called Gene Optimization Solution was made from this stuff... [Feedback from themission, Stealth Experience +15.] (Cumtive) [Feedback from themission, Ranged Weapons Mastery Experience +9.] "¡­Huh?" ¡­ "Shhh, keep it down." In the silent sewer, Dai Lian made a shushing noise. "They''re distracting them at the front, we''ll circle around from behind! We''re sure to catch the mastermind behind this!" Kuang Xin pointed behind Dai Lian, "Rat!" Dai Lian turned and shot. "Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~" [Sessful hit on a small moving target, Ranged Weapons Mastery Experience +2.] [Multiple hits on the same target, inflicting 25 points of fatal damage!] [You have ended the battle, gaining 2 points ofbat experience.] Under the barrage of arrows, the rats were killed. Bending down to retrieve the crossbow arrows he had shot, Dai Lian held his hand crossbow with some pride. This thing is much better than guns ¨C quieter, recyble, truly the perfect weapon for assassination and must-have for households! Chapter 70 : 070 Frontline Battle The army set out. The armored battalion''s tanks rolled out from the west side of the barracks, their tracks kicking up a haze of dust and sand. The armored vehicles carried heavy cannons, grinding out two deep tracks on the ground. The humanoid mechas moved slowly, each step shaking the earth. Mechas! The romance of men! Bai E had long heard that the armored battalion had gadgets beloved by many, but this was his first time seeing them with his own eyes. They were far away and hard to see clearly. But that didn''t stop him from supplementing with his imagination, based on various films and shows he''d seen before... It would be great if one day he could pilot one himself. As a member of a special squad, Bai E boarded a fully enclosed troop carrier. The nearest and most threatening Bug Race nest to the barracks was over fifty kilometers away. The journey was throughplex terrain different from paved roads, and even by vehicle, it would take at least three hours. The wheels asionally hit potholes, and everyone dressed in ckbat suits swayed in their seats, their somber mood before entering the battlefield contributing to a silence within the vehicle. Bai E pushed against the steel armor, peering through a narrow reinforced ss window at his side to view the passingndscape. After leaving the barracks, the ck and yellow earth spread endlessly into the distance, and asionally on top of mud pits floated numerous white bones. Giant pale skeletons harbored strangely shaped ck birds, their blood-red eyes staring at the passing convoy, waiting for potential prey that might fall behind. The withered and twisted branches resembled contorted human figures, standing unyieldingly atop the earth, their meandering and twisted forms full of a fierce malevolence towards this world. The closer they got to the target, the more bizarre the shapes of the natural animals and nts became, as if they were alien species from another, their ck spikes and serrations seemingly stained with dark red shredded flesh. Even the dark, blood-soaked hard ground seemed to be covered with ayer of greasy, sticky mucus. It was said that the Bug Race were invaders from outer space, and it was only human resistance that had stopped their expansion. These extraterrestrial beings not only brought themselves but permanently changed the ecology of the. Three hours on the road was neither long nor short. With a prolonged "hiss," the friction of the brake discs signaled the troop carrier to a gradual stop. As they were about to fully enter Bug Race territory, all corps needed to be ready for an encounter. "Thump thump thump!" The leading officer in the front passenger seat knocked on thepartment''s door panel and shouted through the small window to the back, "Everyone down!" "Put this on." You, sitting next to Bai E, handed over a ck mask, "The air in Bug territory contains microscopic organisms. Exposure for more than half an hour can lead to trouble. It''s a bit ufortable to breathe with this on, but don''t take it off." Bai E paused slightly, took it, and responded, "Okay..." The rear door of the troop carrier opened, and metalbat boots swiftly and agilely stepped down over the edge. Several troop carriers lined up in a row, and the elite soldiers disembarked in formation. "Assemble!" "Count off!" "One!" "Two!" "Three!" ... "Report! Squad A43 should have 6 people! All 6 present!" "Report! Squad A97 should have 5 people! All 5 present!" ... "Now to assignbat missions!" "Squads A51, A43, and B28 are responsible for following Vanguard Third Squadron!" "Yes, sir!" "Squads A22, A97, and B13 are responsible for following Vanguard Fourth Squadron!" Like his twopanions'' squad leaders, Mo replied in unison, "Yes, sir!" A weird, fishy cool breeze swept up and around them as huge tanks thundered past not far away, and the infantry jogged in formation, keeping close to the armored convoy for cover. The sandstorm blurred the view, and themanding officer of the integrated special squads pped his hands, "Follow your respectivebat units and enter first-levelbat readiness!" "Yes, sir!" ... Bai E participated in war for the first time, following closely behind You and the others. "Is this the star rookie of your team?" The three special forces squads performing the samebat mission walked side by side, and a soldier with a scar over his right eye looked at Bai E, his mouth curling up with an inexplicable smile. Following closely behind, You took the initiative to introduce, "He was promoted from among the rookies." The scar-faced soldier''s disdainful gaze flickered over the Type 77 assault rifle in Bai E''s hands, and he scoffed, "Still using this kind of trash... Hope you don''t hold us back. Our boss is just a little military merit away from getting a dose of optimization fluid!" Walking ahead, Big Mountain couldn''t help but retort, "Don''t underestimate the guy! Little Bai is much fiercer than you think." Another soldier from the scar-faced man''s team couldn''t help but snicker, "A rookie who''s only had three days of training..." "Enough!" The squad leader at the front seemed to be talking to Tiger about something and, hearing the noise behind him, shouted to scold, "Why so much talk? Save your energy for the bugs!" It was clear that this squad leader had considerable authority, as his rebuke immediately silenced the soldiers. After speaking, the leader nodded at Tiger, "Take care of yourself!" "Goodbye, Mo!" "Goodbye, Tiger!" The two teams dispersed. The Vanguard Fourth Squadron wasrge, especially in an offensive stance, spreading out to an exceedingly wide area. This naturally required the three special forces squads to spread out individually, deciding which parts they were responsible for and allowing them to adapt flexibly and quickly as needed. In the midst of the formation, Bai E felt surrounded by figures in every direction, yet also an overwhelming sense of emptiness. The buzzing roar of the engines mixed with the footsteps of the advancing infantry flooded his ears. As he turned to look around, it felt as if the world was spinning before his eyes, a wordless pressure weighing heavily on his heart. How insignificant does an individual''s strength appear in such a battle situation? This was after he had already partaken in a small-scale skirmish the day before, and as an artificial human with innate qualities¡ªinstinctive battlefield adaptability. Imagine an ordinary person who hadn''t experienced this being sent to a battlefield... such oppressive, tense atmosphere alone could be enough to cause a breakdown. "Don''t take it too hard, they don''t really have much ill will." Seeing Bai E a bit out of it, Big Mountain believed he was bothered by the earlierments and slowed his pace toe alongside Bai E, offeringfort, "After all, your training time has indeed been short." Short training time meant not being able to learn as much, a constraint of time, not a problem of personal ability. What was their special forces team''s duty on the battlefield? More elite infantry? Regr infantry would take on worker bugs and wasps, and they would take on praying mantis bugs one-on-one? No! Not every elite soldier could perform the feat of singlehandedly taking on praying mantis bugs, and humanity didn''t rely on that kind of individual heroism. What was war about? It was about equipment! Weapons! Competing in brute strength? Who could outfight these bugs? So the role of the special forces team was all-around infantry. Multi-function Infantry Vehicle? They could drive! Heavy machine guns? methrowers? They could operate them. Tanks? Not a problem! Aside from those most specialized mechas, which were the domain of the armored battalions, the special forces soldiers could handle anything else. Perhaps they were not as familiar with it as those who received specialized training, but when something went wrong on the battlefield, the special forces team''s members could step in and fight. That was key. They filled gaps and prevented small-scale battle scenarios from spiraling into chaos. That was the purpose of the special forces team''s existence. And since they were responsible for the same squadron, a teammate''s slip-up meant others had to put in extra effort topensate. It''s natural to feel resentment; the difference was that some expressed it while others did not. Bai E didn''t take any of thosements to heart. "I want to survive! I need to survive!" That was his sole thought. Tiger didn''t pay attention to the mutualfort among his men behind him. He trusted his team members'' ability to regte themselves. Stay updated on m v l e mpyr It wasn''t until countless sinister, jointed limbs began to wave along the horizon that he gave his order in a grave voice. "Prepare for the first wave of assault!" Chapter 71: 071 Hive Mind Compared to the horrifying scene of the Bug Race invasion before his eyes, the bugs that had infiltrated the barracks yesterday seemed as adorable as children''s toys. The sticky, mmy sound of countless bugs running filled the air, a dense and vast number that drove one to despair. Using an uncountable number of worker bugs and wasp bugs to first assault the human front lines was a tried and true ssic tactic of the Bug Race. For the Bug Hive, these lowest-order bugs were merely endlessly producible tools, not to mention that the battlefield was within its own territory. The Bug Race could recycle all biomaterials. Corpses, even those blown to pieces on the battlefield, could be reimed and used to quickly produce the next batch of tools inheriting the flesh of their predecessors. Their endless craving for biomaterials and terrifying efficiency in utilizing them were the primary reasons they could dominate this. In the face of the Bug Hive''s first wave of assault, the main battle tanks, advancing in formation, let out a fierce roar. Orange tail mes propelled high-explosive shells, raining destruction upon the bug swarm, with earth and bug limbs and fluids flung high into the air. The heavy machine gun atop the Multi-function Infantry Vehicle began to sing, and the spent casings soon formed a carpet on the ground near the vehicle. Even the foremost heavy-armored worker bugs couldn''t withstand the surging firepower and fell down in rows. And yet, their numbers still seemed infinite, with no end in sight. The bugs weren''t just brutes knowledgeable in melee; after the human artillery opened fire first,rge bugs much bigger in size were pushed forward by the tide of bugs into the visible range. Biological, earth-brown barrels, much like human cannon muzzles, were mounted on the backs of toad-like bugs, with faint blue light flickering within. "Target... location..." As Bai E was observing the distant battlefield through his scope, a deep and chaotic terrifying voice suddenly shed through his mind. The voice was not of any known humannguage system, yet Bai E felt as if he could roughly understand its meaning subconsciously. So, he subconsciously turned his head toward the direction mentioned in the voice... behind his own position. "Whoosh!" A pale blue crystal traced an arched trajectory through the air, rocketing over the low battlefield with a supersonic speed unseen by the naked eye. "Bang!" The pale blue crystal smashed heavily onto a Multi-function Infantry Vehicle rushing from the rear to the front line, resulting in an immediate ze that reached for the sky! The explosion''s roaring wind swept over the infantry squad marching near the vehicle, the gale entwined with faint blue electrical streams formed from residual static charges, exploding violently; soldiers too close were blown away, their bodies charred by the turbulent electrical streams. "Zzzzzz!" A flurry of static interference immediately filled the designated battlefield radio channel. "Boom!" A momentter, a light hot wind apanied by the continuous roars of explosions reached Bai E''s ears. The Cannon Bug Symbiotic Weapon¡ªBio-sma Cannon! Information learned from the data files instantly surged in his mind. And it was not the only one! Bai E''s eyes widened as the subtle voice rang again in his mind, and earth-yellow orbs with a hint of green, akin to mortar shells, were lobbed from behind the bug tide towards the human position. Their speed was rtively slower, but a volley covered the sky, driving one to despair. "Pop, pop, pop!" Another variety of Cannon Bug Symbiotic Weapon¡ªSpore Mines! "Clear the minefield! Clear the minefield!" The squadmander screamed frantically, but his voice could not keep up with the spreading speed of the exploding Spore Mines. The acidpleted the first wave of attack at the instant the Spore Mines exploded, with soldiers close by corroded by the acid, emitting a "sizzling" noise, and fell to the ground in agony. Green toxic smoke quickly spread out from the center of the Spore Mines''nding, forming an indispensible killing zone. Human artillery shells could cause extensive damage to the bugs, while the bugs'' long-range weapons could also be lethal to humans. Even though humans were more tactically skilled and had intentionally spaced out their attack units, the relentless assault of bug shells still resulted in heavy losses. At least in Bai E''s field of vision, it certainly was so. "Target... location..." Find adventures at m v lem|p-yr "Target... location..." The cold and calm voice echoed in his mind, one after another. Bai E felt dizzy and overwhelmed, as if the terrible voice echoing in his brain were the scythe of the Grim Reaper, iming a life wherever it pointed. Strength? Suddenly, Bai E doubted the significance of the training he had undergone these past few days. Personal strength seemed far too insignificant on this battlefield; his chances of survival seemed not much different than they had been three days ago. It had nothing to do with strength, only luck. "Don''t zone out, keep up!" You''s cool voice sounded not far away, snapping Bai E back to attention, his body slick with cold sweat. He, capable of self-restraint, should not have so easily fallen prey to negative emotions! What was interfering with his thinking? That... voice that arose inexplicably in his mind? Without a doubt, that was the so-called hive mind of the Bug Race operating in the shadows. Just as the untapped talent of rapid recovery could produce some minor effects, thetent trait¡ªhive mind¡ªalso brought him information others could not perceive. He shouldn''t sink into despair! He needed to use this unique advantage to do something! "Come and help! It''s easy." Subconsciously following You, Bai E heard Dashan''s call; he was already seated in an unmanned Multi-function Infantry Vehicle, whose original ownery beside it, lifeless after sumbing to a spore mine''s attack just moments before. In thest few seconds of life being corroded by acid and poison gas, the soldier endured excruciating pain to drive the infantry vehicle out of the toxic fog''s reach. The corrosive acid did not spare the body, still sizzling as it spread across the flesh. Bai E nced at it, then quickly turned his gaze away. Dashan, used to such sacrifices, simply patted the metal of the infantry vehicle''s roof andughed heartily at Bai E, "methrower, you know how to use it, right? It''s easy!" "mes can cleanse these poison clouds; waiting for them to dissipate naturally is too slow," You exined coolly from the side. "Be careful on your own, we''ll go help elsewhere." Bai E nodded, understanding they were teaching him more about battlefield experience, "Okay!" "Bang!" The intense mes shot out from the muzzle, blowing away the grim green smoke. me is the bane of all carbon-based lifeforms, and the essence of the poison cloud is also a living thing. [Using a special weapon to purify poison gas, Weaponry Expertise Experience +2.] [Current Weaponry Expertise Experience 2/100, attain "Level 1 Weaponry Specialization" at 100 points.] The light of the mes reflected in Bai E''s eyes as the battlefield zed before him. Every tactical arrangement of humanity had its reason; these were lessons learned through countless battles against the Bug Race. The Multi-function Infantry Vehicle equipped with heavy machine guns and methrowers was capable of handling nearby enemies and terrain limitations like poison gas; infantrymen operating close to tanks and armored vehicles were there to stop any small Bug Race creatures that managed to break through and enter blind spots in the firepower. Marksmen weren''t safe just providing long-range support from afar; they were no safer than melee soldiers. Advancing to operate the heavy machine gun from a Multi-function Infantry Vehicle might already be the safest and greatest achievement for most rookie marksmen. The lower-tier Bug Race creatures were not like the simple trial opponents of yesterday, with weapons like Hook Scythe Guns, Barbed Flesh Whips, and bone des... The various types of symbiotic weapons were exhibited to their fullest extent on the Bee Bugs. His understanding of the battlefield deepened gradually in his mind, bing ever more real. "Target... location..." The roughyout of the battlefield quickly formed in his mind. Bai E was startled and executed a front flip forward while roaring angrily, "Bail out! Run!" Chapter 72: 072 Side Quest - Air Raid Precautions "Bang!" Daya trusted his teammates unconditionally. Less than half a second after Bai E issued a warning, Daya immediately followed Bai E''s action and jumped out of the vehicle urgently, rolling several times uponnding to get as far away from the not-so-agile infantry vehicle as possible. The next moment, a spherical spore mine smashed onto the top of the infantry vehicle, acid exploded outward, and green toxic gas spread. The relieved Daya, who had just survived the disaster, looked at the infantry vehicle engulfed in toxic gas and eximed with some admiration, "How did you know it was aimed at us?" Bai E didn''t know how to exin and simply replied calmly, "Can''t you figure it out?" "..." Daya felt a tightness in his chest. Can''t figure it out, really embarrassed for you... The frontline battlefield was tense; the war with the Bug Race had no frills, starting with a fight to the death. Drones filmed the entire scene, so that the generals inside themand vehicles in the rear could stay updated on the battlefield in real time. From time to time, the screen would turn into a blizzard of static due to the drones being shot down by the Bug Race''s long-range weapons, but soon there would be a new drone feeding online. "Miss Yueying, rest assured, through hundreds of battles big and small, we havee to understand this bug nest quite thoroughly. Today, we will surely take it down in one fell swoop!" Through reasonable tactical arrangements, Weslin, overseeing the whole situation, could see that the overall casualties were still within an eptable range. The stern-faced Yueying didn''t make a sound. Right at the forefront... deep within the territory of the bug nest... an immense and terrifying will seemed to be watching them quietly. The dreadful radiation of Spiritual Energy... Humans, are they really prepared? Moreover, the losses on this front didn''t seem small; with each artillery strike from the Bug Race, there were casualties among the soldiers. This was just the beginning of the battle... The humans were able to endure such a level of loss to their own kind, something unimaginable for her Elf Race. In the chaotic frontline, the Bug Race''s artillery fire covered the invasion of the lower-ss bugs. Following the chaos caused by the first wave of worker bugs and bee bugs,rger mantis bugs emerged from the surging waves of bugs and joined the battle. Discover what''s next on m-vl-em,py-r They were the squad leaders of the bugs, with a limited range of control. Only by joining the front lines could they direct the lower-ss bugs tounch sufficiently threatening attacks. She felt her de humming softly... But what then? Even if she were to go into battle, she would only manage to kill a few artillery bugs deep in enemy territory, which would have almost no significant impact on the grand scheme of the battle. It was those seemingly inconspicuous ordinary soldiers who were the real force capable of resisting this biochemical storm! No... there seemed to be noticeable ones as well. Yueying''s brow twitched. It was difficult to focus on any specific area in the aerial footage of the battlefield; however, the little ck dots that managed to repeatedly escape the green toxic gas bombs stood out conspicuously, even in the overall view. The aerial footage was not clear, only faintly visible... "Bang!" A spore mine that had not evennded yet exploded mid-air; apart from the sparsely falling acid, the released toxic gas ineffectually floated in the air... "Watch out for falling mines!" Bai E, who had received prior notification from the "mole," suddenly looked about a hundred meters away, where members of another special forces squad identally neared their own area while scrambling to put out fires around them. And the target of this spore mine attack was precisely that special forces member who had previously spoken sarcastically... On the chaotic battlefield, Bai E''s warning was obviously hard to be heard in time by the other side, and all Bai E could do in the moment was to shouldered his rifle as ast-ditch effort. "Bang!" [Sessful interception of a fast-moving aerial target; Light Firearms Proficiency experience +3.] Watching the spore mine explode in mid-air, Daya was full of doubt about himself. "He said he calcted it..." One shouldn''t be so dazed on the battlefield, but the scene before him was too fantastical. "Could you calcte that, Song?" "..." Song Ying looked up at the spherical artillery shells that were being lobbed over from the rear of the Bug Race. "..." Having seen such arge volley of iing shells, he immediately calcted the approximate trajectory of each shell, ascertaining whether they posed a nearby threat, and urately predicted the impact points. He then quickly alerted others or intercepted them in midair... Although military training also included moving target shooting practice, nobody practiced like this, wow. This was a job for antiaircraft artillery with radar assistance. "You don''t have to do anything else; the air defense task in this area is all yours!" Tiger didn''t care about the difficulty involved. If Bai E had the ability, he would press the task upon him. [Triggered side quest¡ªDefend Against Air Raid.] [Defend Against Air Raid: The Bug Race''s artillery shells are dangerous and lethal. Preventing them fromnding near your teammates is your greatest responsibility at this moment. Quest requirements: Intercept at least 0/10 spore mines before the war ends. Questpletion reward: +200 Light Firearms Mastery Experience.] Better than nothing. "Yes!" Bai E epted the task immediately. Human antiaircraft gun¡ªModel 95B27 online! In the distance, a special forces soldier who btedly realized he had escaped a falling spore mine thanks to arade''s warning, found Bai E who had saved him from certain death. He waved from afar and shouted, "Awesome! Thanks!" Another teammate specifically drove an infantry vehicle over to ingratiate himself, "Bro, look out for us more, I''ll buy you a drink when we get back!" ["Lucky Strike" energy +3.] ... An overly conspicuous performance, even in the eyes of generals overseeing the entire battle, was too attention-grabbing. While everyone else was struggling for survival under the Bug Race''s artillery fire, the soldiers in this area seemed to be able to ignore the spore mines entirely. What blessing of not dying under artillery fire? "Do we have antiaircraft artillery emcements on the front line?" a two-star general asked, somewhat confused. "How could that thing move?" Antiaircraft gun emcements were huge and had to be connected to a radar scanning system; they could only be set up near the camp as a defensive force. They were fighting on enemy territory; it was impossible for them to bring such equipment. "Then this..." "It''s man-made..." Yue Ying whispered, unable to see the specific situation from the distant footage, but this was certain, "someone is intercepting the shells." "That skilled?" "Is Carlos there?" Carlos: "?" Weslin turned to his aide, "Check which special forces squads are responsible for thatbat zone; it must be the work of our elite special forces soldiers." "Trouble!" A general watching the frontline footage uttered a worried exmation. Three mantis-like bugs, clearly different from the lower-tier bugs, changed their direction of attack... What humans could observe on the battlefield, the bugs knew as well. They wouldn''t abandon the overall situation to target a specific point on the battlefield, yet reallocating troops to eliminate the biggest threat within a small range was effortless for them. Together with the original two mantis bugs attacking in that direction... five in total! They were heading towards that miraculousbat zone! Chapter 73: 073 Fierce Battle "Support..." [Sessfully intercepted a fast-moving aerial target; light firearms proficiency experience +2.] [You have intercepted a spore mine, "Side Mission¡ªAir Raid Defense" progress 8/10.] Bai E, who had just sted a spore mine out of the air before it couldnd, hadn''t had time to rejoice when he heard a fine noise, different from the previous grand and terrifying sound, echoing in his mind. Realizing what this meant, Bai E turned in shock to meet the malicious eyes of five mantis bugs rushing at him from all directions. Five of them! "Vanguard Fourth Squadron, attention! Vanguard Fourth Squadron, attention! An emergency has arisen, five mantis bugs are charging our formation. Reserve squadrons and special team members, be ready to reinforce at any moment!" Themand from the rearmand center red out of numerous speakers. Upon hearing the voice in their headsets, all members of the three special squads in charge of the Fourth Squadron looked towards the frontline. The five mantis bugs that hadunched consecutive attacks were now fast approaching the frontline, which was already in a critical situation under the cover of the dispersed low-level bug horde. "Squeak!" The barrels of several main battle tanks began to move urgently as they tried to lock onto the targets. "Dadadadadada!" The vehicle-mounted heavy machine guns, disregarding their heated barrels, roared with steel as they locked onto their targets. If these five mantis bugs were allowed to break through the lines, this battle zone would be lost in an instant, and the repercussions for the entire battlefront under the radiative fallout were unimaginable! However, these elite members of the Bug Race, thoughrge, also possessed a remarkable degree of agility. The tanks'' heavy cannons could certainly pose a significant threat to them, but locking on wasn''t easy. It was a time when the rich experience of the tank gunners and their coordination with each other could lead to a sessful hit through cross-targeting. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The armor-piercing and concussion grenades, trailing slightly different colored mes, roared out violently. A mantis bug that was hit by an armor-piercing round on its right side was flung into the air by the tremendous force; the concussion grenade that missed still managed to cause considerable damage among the horde. One! The mantis bug that was hit had a strong will to live and struggled to get up, but it no longer posed much of a threat. The invigorated gunner quickly swung the barrel around, aiming for the next ferocious beast! "Bang!" Triple crown. The mantis bug that was simultaneously hit by an armor-piercing round and a concussion grenade turned into dust on the spot, exploding in a shower of blood and gore. Two! "Boom!" The counterattack from the Bug Race was swift and fierce, not even allowing the soldiers a moment of exhration. The pale blue traces of light only left a fleeting remnant in the humans'' retinas before one of the tanks that had achieved two hits was instantly torn apart in a violent explosion, its residual electric currents shredding everything nearby, incinerating the infantry guarding the tank as well as the flying bugs trying to infiltrate it. The focused firepower on the mantis bugs consequently left the already precarious front line vulnerable to being rapidly breached by the Bug Race. Humans were the aggressors, but the bugs also fought with mad ferocity. The firepower meant to block the mantis bugs was also designed to resist the push of the bug swarm. Between the two sides was a delicate bnce; the frontline that relied on the tanks as its first line of defense was instantly overrun by the bugs. The triumphant bugs crawled over the bodies of their kin, climbing atop the tanks and armored vehicles. The armored units, swarming with bugs, now resembled corpses of insects covered in ants. The situation was dire. What was more terrifying was that the remaining three mantis bugs had, with the invading swarm, broken through the line of defense! "Push forward!" Mo, the captain of the special squad familiar with the tiger, slung a heavy belt of ammunition over his shoulder and patted the metal beneath him as he ordered the soldier driving the armored personnel carrier. "Yes, sir!" With an unflinching expression, the soldier floored the elerator, charging fearlessly towards the reaper wielding pale bone des. Tiger activated the diesel engine he had been carrying all along... "Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~" The high-speed rotating chainsaw, like a giant sword, shrieked with the high-frequency vibration; its serrated edge blurred into a straight line. "Retake the tank!" The Bug Race''s attacks mostly targeted humans, except for the artillery bugs at the rear, as the symbiotic weapons of the assaulting bugs weren''t enough to threaten the thicker armor of the tanks. Thus, the reason for the loss ofbat effectiveness of the armored vehicles oftenid in the death of the soldiers operating them. As long as they could recapture those tanks submerged by the bugs, there was still a chance to stabilize the situation! It might be difficult, but the strong ought to do the impossible. That was the very duty of their special squad in the battle formation! An unexpected turn of events caused the situation nearby to heat up in an instant. Confronted by the cold, bloodthirsty desire of the bugs against the heated counterattack of humanity, Bai E felt as if everything around him was rapidly moving forward. Reinforcements arrived from all directions towards the front line to cope with the increasingly turbulent bug tide, and the elite Mecha of the armored battalion, which had been on standby, also stepped forward with heavy strides. Testing? Attrition? Maybe it was happening, maybe not. With the Bug Race, there was no war of attrition, yet every battle could be considered as such; no final battle, yet every battle could be the final one. From the moment the mantis bugs entered the fray, the war had blown the trumpet for a decisive victory. Bai E, caught in the midst of it, felt a sudden shock of astonishment rise within him. He realized¡ªdespite the fierce firepower of humanity and the bravery of the soldiers, the level of the war... was perhaps too low? Even the society he came from before traveling to this world, if a final war erupted between two superpowers, the level would certainly not be just this. The level of wartime technology... didn''t match the stage where artificial human technology was pointed out. Could it be that the potential development of the human body was holding back the advancement of technology? It was a fleeting thought. Bai E shook his head to clear these notions, as the pinnacle of world technology was far removed from himself and what was urgent was how to endure the current situation. The target of the bugs... was me! "Swish!" A de moving faster than the speed of sound cut through the infantry vehicle, and the top half of the mounted heavy machine gun was unbelievably sliced into two. To ovee the barriers, this mantis bug had exerted all its strength. Bai E unbuttoned hisbat suit''s chest pocket and took out a strip of chewing gum, swallowing it in two or three bites. After themendation ceremonyst night, Carlos had slipped him a bunch, probably for him to deal with moments like this. Facing the eyes of the nearest mantis bug, filled with bloodlust, Bai E, now feeling his reserve strength brimming, cracked a smirk. I''ve killed one of your kind before! [Gun Fighting Skill, activate!] "Brother!" "Bai!" Soldiers from all around cried out in rm. Compared to facing the mantis bugs head-on, they felt it was more cost-effective to let Bai E act as a human anti-aircraft gun. "Tss~" Ignoring the cries of rm filling his ears, Bai E swiftly side-rolled, narrowly avoiding the long-range attackunched from the connecting point of the mantis bug''s de¡ª the Corrupting Gun. The mantis bug from yesterday did not have a chance to use it, but Bai E certainly hadn''t forgotten about this capability. He didn''t need to be faster than the ballistics of the worms'' spitfire, just quicker than the decision-making time of the mantis bugs, that was enough! Perhaps the battle from yesterday had awakened the ferocity within Bai E''s bloodline, or maybe thetent trait "Bloodlust Instinct" was affecting his decision-making process, or perhaps it was the sacrifice of hisrades that Bai E couldn''t bear to witness. He didn''t want to understand these things, nor was he willing to suppress everything with self-restraint. Right now, Bai E just felt... His body was somewhat agitated! Chapter 74: 074 Spiritual Energy Field The Gun Fighting Skill and the well-trained trait effects were simultaneously activated, allowing Bai E to precisely collect all the battle information around him. Metal war boots scraped across the ground as Bai E abruptly performed a Z-shaped dodge to evade the predictive Corrupting Gun shot from another mantis Bug. Arching his body to avoid the mantis Bug''s de that swept past his face, Bai E stepped twice onto the rugged exoskeleton of his opponent. The same technique, as long as it''s useful, will never be obsolete. With prior experience, Bai E carried out the maneuver even more deftly. [You rapidly collect information on the battlefield duringbat, reacting flexibly. Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] "Target¡­ location¡­" Bai E, who hooked one foot around the edge of the carapace, did not fire immediately; instead, he took less than half a second to aim as he turned around. Fire! "Bang! Bang!" [You have sessfully intercepted fast-moving targets in the air, Light Firearms Mastery experience +5.] [You intercepted a Spore Mine, "Side Quest¡ªAir Raid Precautions" progress 10/10.] [Side Quest¡ªAir Raid Precautions,pleted.] [Mission Reward: Light Firearms Mastery experience +200, awarded.] Two Spore Mines flying from different angles were intercepted midway. Bai E then swung the rifle muzzle around and unleashed all its firepower on the Bug beneath him. [Multiple precise hits on the same target''s weak points, dealing 82 points of piercing damage!](umted) [Sessfully poured fire on the same target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1.] The mantis Bug in pain struggled violently, but Bai E, with his prior experience, did not let it break free easily; his one hand and one foot hooked into the chitin carapace''s crevices made it difficult for him to be thrown off. The only thing to be cautious of was¡­ "Swoosh!" A dark worm brushed closely past his cheek, while the two other mantis Bugs at a distance could still lend support to theirrade with their Corrupting Guns in hand. "Boom!" It wasn''t good for a tank facing its own camp to fire, but its heavy steel body roared to the extreme. The tank that had been recaptured by Tiger charged back into the fray, ramming into a mantis Bug that had stopped to shoot. These Bugs were indeed flexible in their movements, but they proved to be quite clumsy when firing¡­ The three infantry vehicles on the other side fired simultaneously, beating back thest mantis Bug into a retreat. The mantis Bug, unable to rid itself of Bai E, was almost single-handedly killed by him. "Dada Dada Dada!" As he emptied an entire magazine of bullets, the mantis Bug''s huge body, bearing its king, slowly copsed. [Multiple precise hits on the same target''s weak points, dealing 168 points of fatal damage!](umted) [Sessfully poured fire on the same target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1.] [You have thoroughly killed the target, earning 50 points ofbat experience.] ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +21] Bai E, with some sticky body fluids sshed on his legs, jumped down lightly, his face still as motionless as dead water, without a ripple of emotion. The drone attempting to lower its flight altitude to observe the specifics of the battle zone remained hovering in the air. Big Mountain repositioned the jaw of another team''s special forces member beside him. "This this this... Is this the new guy in your squad?" Big Mountain boasted proudly, "Do you understand what star rookie means in terms of value?" Bai E nced at him from afar and casually reminded, "Behind you." ¡­ In a crisis, all soldiers performed exceptionally well, perfectly repelling the sudden onught. The next wave of mantis Bugs, mixed with the Bug swarm, attacked again, but they could no longer make a fatal breakthrough against the stable frontline with reserve force support. "Thud! Thud!" The shadow loomed over Bai E''s head as the slow-moving Mecha finally arrived at the frontlines. The Mecha, at least ten meters tall, lifted its tank-like feet high amidst the sounds of pistons and jet propulsion, and stomped down on the Bug swarm. "Squish~" Under the terrifying weight, the Bugs burst open like squeezed toothpaste in an instant. Aside from a few Bio-sma Cannons that could pose a sufficient threat to these war machines, the other Bugs on the battlefield were incapable of resisting these steel constructs even slightly. The mecha, easily slicing into the insect swarm, unfolded its chest armor, and dozens of small missiles burst forth like darting fish, blooming into flowers of me under its feet. "Dadadada!" The rotary cannon on its right arm fired at full force, madly reaping. The massive size brought enough defensive power, but it also meant the ability to carry countless heavy weapons. Each mecha was an absolute ruler on the local battlefield! "This is our ultimate weapon!" "A mere Bug Nest, nothing to speak of!" Weslin somewhat excitedly boasted to the Elf Race''s emissary about human military force, "Our Titan-ss armaments have never been used until now, precisely so that we could eradicate the Bug Nest in one fell swoop during today''s decisive battle!" Under the cloak, Yue Ying''splexion was somewhat pale, with fine beads of sweat seeping out from her fair skin. A terrifying Spiritual Pressure was brewing in the depths of the Bug Nest. How could humans know if the Bug Race had exerted its full strength when they themselves had never done so? Humans seemed to have stirred something terrifying. "I suggest..." Yue Ying lightly spoke, yet struggled to continue. As an outsider, would these humans believe her? "What did you say?" a nearbymander kindly asked. "It''s nothing." Yue Ying shook her head, her knuckles white as she gripped her long sword under the cloak. "What is that?" In the distant footage captured by the drone, a red circr form slowly rose from the edge of the Bug Nest structure. Higher and higher... and higher... A... creature simr to a mantis, only muchrger and notably possessing four scythe-like arms, appeared! A variant of the mantis insect? But there seemed to be slight differences in its features; the mantis insect had a more slender form, and its exoskeleton wasn''t as thick as this newly emerged creature''s. "Isn''t this the insect that was photographed from a distance by the drone that one time?" "It''s big, huh..." Low murmurs rose in themand vehicle. "Is it a variant of the mantis insect?" Yue Ying stared intently at the target appearing on the screen. The drone couldn''t convey the pressure of Spiritual Energy, but she instinctively felt that the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure was emanating from it. The sea of insects, parting as if to wee a king and creating a wide thoroughfare, was the clearest evidence. ... "Thump thump!" "Thump thump!" The sudden appearance of the gigantic insect instantly captured the attention of nearly everyone on the battlefield; all sentient beings couldn''t help but look towards it. For a moment, the battlefield was so quiet it seemed you could hear your own heartbeat. No! You could actually hear your own heartbeat. Getting faster and faster! "Thump-thump! Thump-thump!" Some soldiers, powerless, dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground, bewildered. The Titan-ss armed mecha stood silently in ce, as if they had lost all power in an instant. On a silent battlefield, that voice in the mind conveyed unimaginable brutality. It roared through like a tempest, sweeping over the souls of all sentient beings present. Rage! Rage that seemed to fill the chest and could burst at any moment! A breath held in the chest, unbearable unless released. Bai E''s veins bulged, struggling for a long time before finally breaking free from the constraints, and he bellowed fiercely, "Run!" [With the help of "Self-Restraint," you have sessfully passed a "Psychic Check."] [You have sessfully passed a mystical resistance check, mysticism +0.1.] Chapter 75: 075 Flee in utter defeat! All control is lost! The elite soldiers of the veteran army were almost entirely paralyzed. Watching the soldiers in the screen, who didn''t flinch or evade even as the bugs tore at them, the generals, far away, still had no idea what was happening. Aside from a faint sense of palpitations... they were also driven away by an anxious impatience. Weslin furiously picked up the walkie-talkie, "What are you doing? What are you doing?" "What are you doing? What are you doing?" The voicesing from every corner of the battlefield were particrly jarring, yet no one responded. Only when a ck dot first fled backwards did movements gradually start to ripple across the entire battlefield. "Run!" The voice of Bai E was like a wake-up call for those in a deep slumber. Some of the soldiers snapped out of it as if from a big dream, but still trembled with pale lips. Not daring to take another look at the newly appeared red monster, they turned around, dropped their weapons, and ran! Like sands flowing through a desert, streams of soldiers converged into a river, running backwards in terror, utterly disorganized. The red giant bug, not known for its speed, slowly moved forward,ing up to the closest human Titan-ss armed mecha that had plunged into the sea of bugs. Its arms, which looked no different from the bone des of a mantis bug, swung, and the towering mecha was instantly sliced into three parts. The cuts were impably neat, sliding down gradually at an angle. "Thud!" The noise of it hitting the ground was earth-shattering. "My mecha! My mecha!" Hamilton watched in utter disbelief as the core weapon in his hand was destroyed. Mecha armor was tougher than that of tanks, made from the highest-grade advanced alloy humanity could currently produce. How could this happen... how could this... "What''s going on? What exactly happened?" Weslin was both shocked and angry. What happened at the front line? An unanticipated situation unfolded before his eyes, yet no one could provide him with a reasonable exnation. "Can someone go check it out?" "No need..." Yue Ying, who had been biting her silver teeth and trembling slightly in the corner, suddenly spoke up, "They won''t being back." In an instant, everyone turned to look at the silent Elf Race swords-master. "Spiritual energy... the collective sea of the Bug Race''s spiritual energy far surpasses the will of any individual. That new bug that appeared is the master controlling it all!" "Bugs have spiritual energy?" "Isn''t their overlord the brain bug?" This did not match the humans'' long-standing observations of the Bug Race, leaving the generals present somewhat puzzled. Yue Ying shook her head, "This is the reality before us." Perhaps the Bug Race had two overlords: the brain bug governed internally, while the newly appeared bug exerted control externally? Perhaps it was also a variant of the brain bug, since the bugs'' evolutionary and transformation abilities were strong. When the bugs firstnded on the centuries ago, they werepletely different from now. But no matter what... "If they have such strength, why haven''t they..." Why haven''t theypletely devoured humanity? In human observations, bugs are gluttonous creatures that covet the biomass of all life forms. If they haven''t eaten you yet, it''s because they can''t beat you, not because they don''t want to eat. With such a powerful domain of spiritual energy that could instantly control all living beings, they should have swallowed cities whole long ago! This would have been under the rule of the bugs already. Yue Ying shook her head, remaining silent. How could she know the specifics? Her innate sensitivity to spiritual energy allowed her only to make these observations. And now the most pressing issue was, "How do we retreat?" The situation had be a rout, and their priority now was to minimize losses as much as possible. "Go and gather those deserters." Ice-cold fury burned in Weslin''s eyes as he donned his ck filter mask and leather gloves impassively, yanking open the car door. "Let''s see what our bravest warriors fear death for!" "Huff! Huff!" Even the rear of the battle lines was in chaos at this moment. The reserve forces had been urgently ordered to halt their advance, the center wavered between fear and ignorance, and some of the front-line soldiers were retreating in a frenzy. Groups of officers, braving the wind and sand that filled the air, had the corners of their dark green coats blown about by the raging winds of the ins. The first thing they saw was a soldier retreating from the center line. "What happened?" Weslin grabbed him, trying to meet his fearful gaze with his own, "You''re safe! Tell me, what happened at the front line?" The fleeing soldier struggled frantically, yet he was powerless against Weslin''s hands, strong as steel bands. After calming down a bit, he shook his head, bewildered, "I don''t know... I don''t know..." Weslin pushed away the soldier, who seemed to have lost his wits from fright, and stopped another one, "What happened!" "I don''t know..." "What happened?" "I... I..." It took stopping several more before one soldier was able to collect his thoughts a bit. "Commander... I, I became a deserter!" The soldier who hade to his senses was filled with regret for his choice, crying as he spoke, "I''ll go back! I will go back! I want to rejoin the battle! I will kill the enemy for humanity!" "You''re very brave! Soldier!" Weslin had no time to entertain the self-redemption of a single soldier and just squatted to look into his eyes, "Tell me, what happened on the front line?" "The front line... the front line¡­ everyone is retreating!" The soldier knelt on the ground, clutching his head with both hands, "I don''t know what happened, darkness covered my mind, fear¡­ I shouldn''t have feared! Commander! I want to go back! I want to kill the enemy!" More chaotic footsteps came from ahead, and Weslin, who could not ascertain much detail, stood up and gazed into the distance. The slight, cool breezeing off the ckrock ins blew away the obsessions in his heart, and Weslin sighed with resignation, "No need to kill the enemy anymore." The defeat was sealed. Fear? The spiritual energy powers could affect such a vast battlefield simultaneously... This was a significant discovery in the realm of spiritual energy. Human psychics had never managed such a feat before. Until a major breakthrough was made in protection against mental-level spiritual energy, this hive would remain an insurmountable mountain for humanity. The fault wasn''t with them, it was not a sin of war. Weslin felt a mixture of emotions and waved his hand, "Prepare for an orderly retreat!" ¡­ [???] All was ??? Even the drop rates marked by a lucky hit didn''t show any information about the bug. What this signified, Bai E was not quite sure, but one thing was certain... it was a creature beyond human opposition. Instinctively, Bai E started to flee, but after just a few steps, he slowed to a stop. What about my teammates? Myrades? Everyone? Hu, You, Dashan, Song Ying¡­ Looking back, Hu seemed to be struggling a bit, You was rigid and motionless, Song Ying... like a statue. They weren''t dead yet! They couldn''t die here! "I can''t just leave like this!" Having passed the mental fortitude check, Bai E was able to think clearly. Under the dominion of that mental force, not just humans, but even the bugs had nearly stopped their assault. They were still far from aplete copse, and for the moment, it wasn''t so dangerous. Perhaps... perhaps I can save some people? Chapter 76: 076 Whose subordinate is this? Bai E turned back and found Dashan. Wanting to retreat with everyone, relying solely on his own two hands and legs was definitely not enough¡ªinfantry vehicles capable of carrying more people were faster and more agile. But he couldn''t drive, and the brief three-day training wasn''t enough for him to master so much knowledge. Given time, he might have been able to figure it out on his own, but time was what hecked the most at the moment. He needed to wake Dashan up, as it was him who had been driving the infantry vehicle in coordination with himself just now. Read more tales on NovelFire-l-em,py-r "p! p!" Having no qualms about the thick-skinned Dashan, Bai E pped his face without reservation. "Wake up!" "p! p!" "Hmm?" Dashan shook his head vigorously and jolted awake, as if he had been trapped in an unimaginable nightmare, his face filled with lingering fear. "It''s okay! It''s okay!" Bai E held his face, making him look into his eyes, "Breathe deeply! Breathe deeply! We need you, be calm." "Hoo~ Hoo~" Dashan obediently followed the instructions and after a while, he began to calm down. He looked around in shock, only to realize the battlefield had taken on a bizarre appearance. "What... what happened?" "That bug terrified everyone," Bai E locked eyes with him, pointing toward the distant crimson giant bug, "We need to lead everyone in a retreat now, understand?" "I¡­ understand!" Despiteing to his senses, Dashan''s hands and feet were still trembling involuntarily, the oppression of Spiritual Energy constantly affecting his body, "What should I do?" "Drive, take everyone away." "Okay! Okay!" Though his thoughts were somewhat muddled, Dashan was now utterlypliant with Bai E, "I''ll drive, I''ll drive." "Hum~" The sound of the infantry vehicle''s engine starting was not particrly noticeable amidst the gradually spreading scene of soldiers fleeing, but Bai E instinctively nced at the overlord bug, still far away. For some reason, it seemed as if the overlord bug nced their way... But there was no additional action; perhaps it was just an illusion. After waking Dashan up, things started to get easier. One by one, they hoisted You, Tiger, and Song Ying onto the vehicle like sacks, and the not-so-spacious infantry vehicle began to feel crowded. "Take them away." Bai E patted the vehicle door, signaling Dashan to take them. The vehicle was too crowded for him, so he could only run alongside. The chaotic battlefield swept by behind him as Bai E passed numerous soldiers standing rigid, and saw some soldiers tripping over themselves in their panic-stricken flight; even without enemies close on their heels, they frantically crawled on all fours across the ground... The sound of the wind whistled past his ears, the sight of the fleeing soldiers felt deste. The range of the overlord bug''s mental radiation was extraordinarilyrge, nearly covering two-thirds of the human front line. It was not until they retreated to the middle line that he could see the soldiers'' mental states gradually returning to normal. How many people were there? Bai E didn''t know exactly how many soldiers were in the camp; in the heat of battle, it felt as though people were everywhere. But with everyone mobilized, there had to be at least tens of thousands. What was two-thirds of that? These soldiers were the city''s most loyal guards, as well as its strongest force. Under a fallen nest, how can there be whole eggs? But humanity''s enemies were not just bugs. The troublemaking beastmen... the Mechanic tribes that had been quiet but could not be overlooked. Wild beasts, mutants... although there were institutions like the city guard and Heretical Arbitration House in the city, the absolute military power was always in the hands of the military... The gic restriction within him roared. The education of modern society awakened. Bai E, who had never faced such a situation, had never anticipated what choices he would make if it came to pass. But when it unavoidably came before him, it seemed all questions had their answers. While running, Bai E gradually clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white with force. If there''s a spark of heat, it emits a glow... Suddenly, Bai E elerated, running towards an oblique direction. "Hey? Where are you going?" You, who had juste to on the infantry vehicle, weakly called out, trying to retain him. Bai E didn''t look back, "Rescue people." ... The transport vehicle''s driver was waiting in the vehicle when suddenly a figure burst beside him at the co-driver''s seat, "Teach me how to drive!" "..." The driver was utterly baffled, what did this mean? "Teach me." Bai E showed his badge, the shiny ck metal clearly disying Bai E''s identity, "No harm intended, I need to rescue people." Seeing it was one of their own, the driver was no longer so tense, but he still hesitated a bit, "Although it''s notplicated, it''s easy to get started with such arge vehicle but not easy to get familiar with. Where are you going? If I apply for it, maybe the superior can let me join you." Bai E pointed ahead, "You can''t go." He had thought about organizing a military rescue, but the soldiers already in the dominator''s territory were in that state; the soldiers from the rear probably would face the same fate if they entered. The only choice was to move freely without being affected. "..." The driver actually wanted to give it a try. The soldiers up front were in retreat, but who has legs that can outrun a vehicle? However, he had not yet received orders from the superior, so he didn''t dare act on his own. Idling was boring anyway; Bai E wanted to learn and he didn''t mind. "I can teach you, but it''s hard to drive such a big vehicle at will... this is the throttle, this is the brake, this is the gear, and here is a switch to open the emergency armor..." [You are now learning "Knowledge¡ªConventional Vehicle Operation," progress 100%.] [You have mastered "Knowledge¡ªConventional Vehicle Operation," and you can now raise the level of expertise by investing "Universal Experience."] "I got it." "You got it?" The driver looked at Bai E with some confusion, "You got it too soon. Even with driving, there are tricks and insights, and you can''t get them into a ditch; off-road ins here are not paved and it''s easy to flip the vehicle, and if you don''t drive well, you''ll be banned from driving." Bai E kicked the driver out of the driver''s seat and said with a stern face, "You talk too much..." [Would you like to confirm spending 100 Universal Experience points to raise the level of "Knowledge¡ªConventional Vehicle Operation"?] Confirm! [You have learned "Level 1 Conventional Vehicle Operation," and have simultaneously gained 1 Technology Point.] [Conventional Vehicle Operation (Level 1): You are now familiar with the driving methods of most conventional vehicles and can skillfully handle various non-extreme terrains while slightly improving the riding experience of passengers, with over-speed control increased by 5%.] ... "Tsk!" The tires kicked up dust as the vehicle roared away into the distance. The driver dumped on the ground ate a mouthful of dirt but didn''t forget to shout at the rearview mirror, "Don''t drive too fast since you''ve just learned!" "..." No, that''s wrong! "That''s my damn vehicle! The superior hasn''t given the order yet!" The driver from the next vehicle, hearing the noise, poked his head out, "How did your vehicle get driven off?" The unlucky driver had a gloomy face, "How should I know what''s going on..." Another driver poked his head out, "Stop chatting, the superior wants us to assemble urgently! Something big has happened!" ... Close to the centerline of the battlefield, Weslin watched a row ofbat vehicles advancing to the front along with a group of officers. Once the vehicles reached a certain limit, their routes became erratic, as if they had drunk fake alcohol, with some even colliding with each other. "Ah!" "Failed again..." "There''s absolutely no way to organize a rescue." Through the drone footage, the center line was somewhat better, seeming to be far enough away that most soldiers were able to react and instinctively retreat to the rear. But what about the front line? Facing fear directly, they sank into fear for a longer time, and even now, only a small amount of soldiers like flowing sand were able to escape. If all those soldiers were to fall at the front line... The loss was unimaginable. "It won''t work this way..." The officers sighed with dismay, and the atmosphere was low. "Where are your spiritual energy users?" Yue Ying suddenly asked from the side. "Spiritual energy users..." The officers looked at each other. "There are too few spiritual energy users..." Most people could sense spiritual energy but were far from having a spiritual energy talent, and those with a rare spiritual energy talent were naturally treasures among humans. Most of them were dispatched to various institutions and agencies in the cities, leaving few at the military camp. And the value of thousands of ordinary soldiers might not be as high as that of a single spiritual energy user, making it a risky proposition to use them... Ying frowned, simply offering her opinion, "Right now, only spiritual energy users might be able to go in and rescue." "Spiritual energy users..." Weslin muttered to himself, finding it difficult to decide. Theparison between the loss of thousands of ordinary soldiers and the loss of all the spiritual energy users in the army... "Tsk~" A slightmotion from somewhere not too far away suddenly drew the attention of the silent onlookers. The engine roar and the chaotic driving transport vehicle stirred up amotion. The direction of the vehicle''s front was straight, plunging into the domain sealed by the dominator up ahead. Weslin watched the transport vehicle get further and further away with unfocused eyes, uncertain, "Whose subordinate is this¡­" Chapter 77: 077 Seven in and seven out... After a moment''s hesitation, Weslin waved his hand and ordered the troops behind him, "Have the drone follow him." Disobedient soldiers are indeed infuriating, but this one is currently the only seedling... Once the car enters the dominator''s domain, he is the only one who can guarantee a normal driving trajectory. If ordinary soldiers can also do this, does it mean there is no need to deploy spiritual energy users? The chances are slim, but there is always hope. "Let all the soldiers who can drive try it!" The remotely controlled drone took off after the troop carrier, maintaining a low-altitude flight while lockingly fixing its perspective firmly on the vehicle. The live video feed, through a wireless connection, appeared on the rear screens¡ª The yellow sand kicked up by the wheels buried the tracks behind them; the heavy troop carrier elerated slowly but steadily. The faces of the fleeing soldiers they passed showed panic and fear. Some seemed crazed, others like walking dead. Among the slowly retreating streams of people, this truck driving against the flow appeared quite deste. It swept past the crowd without ever stopping. "He hasn''t stopped yet; where is he going?" "To the frontline?" "Isn''t that too dangerous?" Even though they had not stepped into the dominator''s controlled territory, the ratio of fleeing soldiers made it clear¡ª The frontline soldiers were clearly under the most severe mental suppression; unwittingly crashing into it, one might include themselves among the casualties. Yet, this troop carrier''s driver seemed oblivious, pressing on regardless. "Reporting, Commander! There''s been an unexpected situation!" Weslin, with his gaze fixed on the screen,manded without looking back, "Speak!" "A soldier says his vehicle was stolen!" Weslin suddenly turned, "Who stole it? Where is the person? Bring him over!" "Brought already..." The adjutant stepped aside, revealing the wronged driver behind him. Pointing to the screen before everyone, he said a bit aggrievedly, "He''s the one who stole it..." "He stole your vehicle?" Weslin suddenly started, instinctively turning to ask, "Which spiritual energy user intervened?" "None of the spiritual energy users have moved out." The officer in charge of the spiritual energy users replied calmly. "Then that is..." "It''s an android..." Noticing the misunderstanding, the wronged driver quickly exined in a low voice, "He showed me his badge..." "What''s the number?" "Didn''t... didn''t remember it." "???" "Seems like 9¡­95¡­95 something..." ... "Tsk!" The dark streaks of braking marks stretched out as the troop carrier began to slow down only as it neared the frontline. Under the suppression of the dominator''s bugs, even its own bugs slowed their assault, and the bug tide nearly ceased pushing forward. Only a few wasps, as if unable to suppress their overwhelming bloodlust, were still advancing slowly, intent on engulfing humanity. What Bai E had to do was... rescue those soldiers who shouldn''t perish here from their clutches! If one were to rescue, no distinctions should be made. When the choice falls into one''s hands, there are no certainties in death, even if those corpses could buy time... The figure that suddenly leapt out from the driver''s cabin was incredibly agile, holding a gun in one hand, opening fire in mid-air. "Da-da-da-da!" The lonely sound of the Type 77 assault rifle rang out from the screen, and the soldier did not shrink back, even alone. "Puff!" The already suppressed wasps moved sluggishly and were instantly killed as several shots hit, their bodily fluids sttering everywhere. [Multiple hits on the same target, inflicting 50 points of critical damage!](Stacked) [You havepletely killed the target, gaining 8 points ofbat experience.] Bai E, quick to react, grabbed the ankle of a soldier about to be devoured by the bugs and pulled him back, not letting the bug''s exploded fluids block his nose and mouth. One! ... Two! ... Three! Bai E opened the back door of the troop carrier, hoisting one stiff body after another, unable to act on their own, and tossing them into the vehicle. Most of the soldiers who could awaken like a mountain had already freed themselves and left early; a few who had a chance to regain consciousness under Bai E''s violent transportation would wake up, but those who remained... probablycked the ability to act on their own untilpletely out of the dominion. Drones quietly hovered in the air, witnessing the only orderly activity of living beings on the otherwise silent battlefield. The dominator seemed to be especially interested in human mechas, taking not-so-swift steps, intent on personally ughtering everybat mecha. That gave Bai E a window of time for action. Every second counted! "Can you make out the ID number?" "Can''t see... but the face looks kind of familiar." "And he''s using a Type 77 rifle, can''t be a newbie, right?" ... Bai E, hoisting bodies that seemed no different from mannequins, climbed up and down, sweat trailing down the tips of his hair like rivulets. Soldiers engulfed in fear were rigid, stiff as frozen fish. Each soldier weighed at least 220 pounds, and with equipment that couldn''t be quickly dismantled, they weighed nearly 330 pounds and up. The back of the troop carrier was at least one meter off the ground; moving such weights in a continuous up and down motion was on some level more grueling than the physical training conducted in the barracks. A difficult task, repeated once... twice... three times, was nothing. But when it''s repeated ten times... twenty times... thirty times... over a hundred times, it bes a qualitative change. Most officers who watched the scene for a long time couldn''t help but feel a twinge in their hearts. What kind of strength was supporting that persistence? The spiritual energy officer who had been silently observing finally spoke up, "I''ll go notify all spiritual energy users to attack." Other officers instinctively tried to retain him, "The tests on ordinary soldiers aren''t over yet..." Having taken two steps away, Wil Moth turned his head, "One more person, one more bit of strength." ... "Huff~" Filled up. Can''t fit any more. Indeed it was a bit cramped, bodies slightly ovepping and squeezing each other, butfort of the passengers was obviously not a priority at this time. Being squeezed out of shape would be preferable to ending up in the maw of the Bug Race. Every bit of biomass left in Bug Race territory was a gift of strength to them. [You surpassed your physical limits during strenuous activity, Physical Strength +0.1.] [Your body senses your urgent need and rapidly converts some energy from "Action Energy Reserve" into stamina; please use it carefully.] [Physical Strength restored by 3%, Quick Recovery (Unlocked) progress 10%.] Bai E pulled down his mask, taking a deep breath of the slightly cool air. While the mask filtered out harmful substances in the air, it also reduced air cirction efficiency, making it quite suffocating. It was precisely the moment he pulled down his mask that the face, seen multiple times over the past few days, expressionless as if frozen in time, appeared before the eyes of the officers. "95... B27." Someone watching the drone''s feed spoke solemnly of the fact. "It''s him again..." For the first time, a trace of... respect for the owner of this number grew in the hearts of some of the officers. This newly created artificial human had performed too many miracles before their eyes. ["Lucky Strike" charge +5.] Bai E paused, ncing at the drone that had been following closely behind him. These officers... seemed still manageable? It wouldn''t hurt to boost their favorability while he had the chance, as he probably couldn''t distance himself from them for the time being. "Huff!" Taking another breath, Bai E wasted no more time. The actions of the dominator bug were slow as if coordinating with his rescue mission... If he could speed up, he might be able to make a few more trips back and forth. One more trip meant over a hundred more lives saved! Chapter 78: 078 Abnormal Situation Bai E, who had driven off, finally had the chance to rx his body, as the abundant reserves of his action power were rapidly converted when he got a bit of rest, replenishing his physical strength. Amid the roar of the engine, Bai E nced at the situation behind him through the rearview mirror. On the tangled battlefront, soldiers perished in the mouths of the insects every moment, yet the rate of loss was not fast, leaving great hope for rescue from the rear. For him, who could shield himself from the dominion of Spiritual Energy, the current situation was actually not particrly dangerous. Havings deeply engaged in the entire process of this war, Bai E felt he might have a bit more insight than others. For some reason, he always thought the behavior of the insects was somewhat strange. If the dominator insect''s ability to control the field was truly effective against both friends and foes without discrimination, such an ability was no better than a chicken rib¡ªtoo insignificant to be of use. Relying solely on the action capability of that single entity, the efficiency of the killing and feeding was dreadful to witness... Perhaps this was why, in previous wars with humans, the insects had never shown this ability? As a result, humans knew nothing of its existence. It was a reasonable exnation, but it still felt odd. Observing through the rearview mirror, the performance of the various insects within the tide was starkly different¡ª Both the mantis insect, acting as a squadmander, and the worker insect with the lowest intelligence were silent and still, not daring to move an inch under the suppression of the dominator''s field. On the contrary, the wasp insects slowly pressed their attack, like¡­ a child sneaking sugar without the knowledge of the adults? Stay connected with m v l e mpyr Information from the data flickered through his mind¡ª The worker insects, low in intelligence and so clumsy they couldn''t even use symbiotic weapons, followed orders from higher-ranking insects without question, without a trace of independent will. As squadmanders, the mantis insects could even decide on tactical arrangements for a small section of the battlefield on their own. They were smart enough to... also execute orders from superiorspletely. And the wasp insects¡­ they had a certain level of cooperation and understanding, but their instinctive bloodthirst and desire to kill were so intense that they couldn''t help but cheat, even when instructed otherwise by their superiors. So... Could this situation be deliberately arranged by the dominator insect? Was it actively suppressing all of its subordinates... to give humans a chance to survive? Bai E had only been in this world for four days, and his understanding of the world was still being formed, with no fixed patterns of thought to restrict him, allowing for unrestrained imagination. The spection was bold, but indeed¡­ It was very bold. Bai E restrained these thoughts. His knowledge of this world was still superficial. Maybe this mental suppression ability simply couldn''t be controlled? Or perhaps, insects were not as imunicable as everyone said, only knowing how to eat? Maybe there were traitors among them? It could also be that there were human traitors colluding with the insects to set up the situation? Who knows? These matters were still too remote for him, a manufactured warrior. Minor characters should care about what small people can do, like... saving morerades. On the way back, Bai E saw a number of troop carriers moving in the opposite direction to him, albeit at different speeds. Some were as fast as lightning, others as slow as a turtle. But without exception... they all rolled down their windows and, from a distance, gave a thumbs-up in his direction. Had the military finally organized enough manpower for the rescue? Bai E felt some relief, knowing that there were others working towards the same goal as himself was always a delight. The military camp was the guardian spirit of the city, and from what he could see, this guardian spirit seemed reliable enough. ¡­ Watching the footage from the drone, Weslin said with a displeased face to the officer beside him, "Wil Moth, some of your people can''t even drive a vehicle properly¡­" Wil Moth kept a straight face, perfectly concealing his embarrassment, "As long as the road is wide enough, it''s fine." Weslin shook his head, not caring too much. The actions of the Overlord bugs captured by the drones were slow, leaving them plenty of time for the rescue. Moreover, the troop carrier''s carriage wasrge, and if they didn''t care about thefort of the passengers and just kept piling them on, one vehicle could hold at least a hundred people. A rescue teamprised of more than twenty soldiers selected for their certain level of mental resistance, plus thirteen Spiritual Energy users¡ªif it was calcted by the standards just achieved by 95B27, a single trip could rescue more than three thousand people. 95B27 was a new soldier born less than four days ago; if he could do it, there was no reason the old soldiers and Spiritual Energy users couldn''t. Based on this rescue efficiency, running two trips back and forth would almost bring back all the soldiers left on the front line. Under the premise that thebat n had already failed, retreating with as few losses as possible had be their only goal. This oue was also somewhat eptable. "Come on, let''s go wee our heroes." Weslin took off his gloves, seeing the returning vehicle''s cab in the distance, he took the lead to greet it. "Tss~" As dust flew and gravel was flung by the rapidly decelerating wheels, the troop carrier with a heavy load came to a tail-wagging stop, even before the gathered officers who couldn''t see clearly where 95B27 was could react. The other troop carrier that was ready to depart had already floored the elerator and rushed out, leaving them with only its backside. "..." "..." The hero was not weed. "Our hero is quite eager," Weslin said, touching his nose and feeling a bit embarrassed. Without time to wait for the hundred or so people in the transport to disembark, Bai E saw another troop carrier nearby and hopped in for another departure. Watching the troop carrier''s receding silhouette, Weslin rubbed his chin, murmuring softly, "This new recruit has performed really well, it might be worth considering awarding him a vial of Gene Optimization Solution..." Even in his high standards, there weren''t any other soldiers who could do better than this 95B27. Strong, brave, and also grateful, he was truly likable. Although artificial humans are all cannon fodder, high-quality cannon fodder that can take more hits isn''t bad either... Weslin''s mood was still somewhat rxed. This sortie didn''t achieve the desired results, but it had forced the bugs'' ace up their sleeve¡ªwide-range mental suppression effective against anyone. And his ability to maintain the integrity of his forces and minimize losses under such sudden adversity was also a reflection of his skill. He shouldn''t be suppressed by others using this as an opportunity. "Sir... there might be a bit of trouble," Weslin''s adjutant suddenly approached him. "What''s the matter?" Weslin''s eyes narrowed slightly. He had put the adjutant in charge of coordinating the rescue operation of those thirty-plus people. Had an ident urred on that end? The adjutant looked a bit embarrassed, "Except for the Spiritual Energy users, ordinary soldiers find it very difficult to get close to the real front line." They had tried almost every soldier who could drive and only then selected these twenty-plus soldiers, among whom, a good number had actually been deserters who had fled from the front line. Having been through the mental suppression once, they seemed to have developed a certain resistance and could muster the courage when facing fear again. But as they got closer to the Overlord, this courage became increasingly fragile. Continuing to advance, the fear of the soldiers was impacting their physical state, causing weak limbs and sluggish thoughts. The adjutant, having contacted those soldiers over the radio, quickly came over to report and ask for instructions. Should they risk possibly losing the ability to act on their own initiative and move forward to save as many soldiers as possible, or should they call it enough and rescue whomever they could within their limits? Weslin only thought for a moment before making a decision, "Don''t force it, save as many as you can." Weren''t there still those Spiritual Energy users? If 95B27 could do it, there was no reason they couldn''t. Chapter 79: 079 Genuinely Shocked "So tired..." "Can''t move anymore..." There were no enemies, but climbing up and down with a load over a hundred pounds was definitely no easy task. They were all soldiers who had gone through basic physical training, so this feeling was certainly not unfamiliar. However, the physical burden of basic training was far less than this; let alone filling a truck, after loading just a dozen or twenty, they would already be lying on the ground, gasping for breath. At the same time, the psychic suppression from the dominating domain had never ceased, natural resistance from the tense state of their bodies already consuming more of their strength, and the exhaustion only made their mental state weaker. Under the vicious cycle, their condition got progressively worse. "Let them stop and rest!" Weslin frowned and seemed a bit irritated. He had thought the rescue mission would go smoothly, but who would have expected issues at every turn. If ordinary soldiers felt this way, the Psychic Power Users of the Elf Race should be somewhat better, right? However, the fact was the Psychic Power Users were even more worrying. If the ordinary soldiers'' resistance to the dominating domain could be seen as adaptation, then the Psychic Power Users'' reliance to move freely within it was resistance. And resistance meant consumption, intense consumption. Spiritual Energy was not produced by the body, but the body''s weakness and fatigue would affect the strength of Spiritual Energy. Forcibly battling against the influence of the dominating domain and rushing to the frontline where psychic pressure was the most severe, these Psychic Power Users were already being cautious within the realm of the mind, and severe physicalbor could likely be the final straw that broke the camel''s back. If they copsed during the resistance, the bacsh could be even more severe than for ordinary people. "Bring them back." Indeed, Psychic Power Users were stronger, but they also couldn''t afford to take risks in such non-essential circumstances. Wil Moth remained silent for a moment before he heavily nodded, "Yes!" "Beep beep~" The radio was connected, and Wil Moth''s deep voice issued the order, "Everyone,e back." There was silence over the voice transmission, and after a moment, a voice came through breathing heavily, "I can still hold on..." "So can I." As they spoke, the eyes of these Psychic Power Users looked toward the figure in the distance at the frontline, the one who seemed never to tire, and they felt their resistance ease a bit more in their struggle. The power of Spiritual Energy is the power of will. Will can help ordinary people use courage to fight against fear, and it can also help them enhance the extraordinary power of Spiritual Energy. Wil Moth knew the pride of his subordinates who were Psychic Power Users, but for the sake of their safety, he still had to lower his voice, "This is an order." Enjoy new tales from m-v l''-NovelFire "..." "...Yes." "...Understood, sir." "Just one more haul..." The convoy began to withdraw, but the number brought back was far less than anticipated. On average, each Psychic Power User brought back around fifty, and the ordinary soldiers had not yet returned. They needed asional rests to bring back as many people as possible. For a moment, all eyes unconsciously turned toward the solitary figure still persisting at the frontline on the screen. After silently watching for a long time, the sun also quietly inclined toward the west in the sky. Seeing that miracle new recruit load up another truck, Weslin sighed softly, "Prepare to withdraw." "What about the remaining soldiers?" Even if the twenty-or-so ordinary soldiers all returned fully loaded, they would only amount to over two thousand people, plus the six hundred-or-so brought back by the Psychic Power Users, this wasn''t even three thousand. At least another two thousand warriors were left within the domain of the Overlord. Weslin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly opened them to look at the officer who had spoken, "They can''te back!" They couldn''te back! The journey here along with thebat, as well as the current wait for rescue, had already pushed the time to around three o''clock in the afternoon. Nightfalles early in this world, and if they didn''t use the remaining daylight to widen the distance from the hive, once the Overlord withdrew its Spiritual Energy that suppressed all the beasts, the swarm that would catch up would devour them whole! He too was saddened by those soldiers who were about to die, but as the suprememander, he had to consider the overall gains and losses. "Prepare to withdraw!" As the order was given, everyone began to act. Thest transport vehicle filled with personnel also arrived sessfully under the watchful eyes of the officers. "He''s back..." Bai E hopped out of the cockpit, looking around, "Where''s the truck?" "We''re preparing to withdraw..." Weslin greeted him with a forced smile. Although his mood was not good, he still mustered a smile to win over this new recruit he admired, "Have a rest, we''re about to return to camp." Bai E''s expression was calm, as if the monumental rescue effort of transporting over two hundred people hadn''te from him, "Let me haul one more load." Hearing this, the officers were all taken aback, and Weslin doubted his ears, "You want to go again?" "Hmm." "You¡­" Weslin stammered, at a loss for words. The ordinary soldiers had nearly reached a state of exhaustion being hauled back in a single vehicle; the spiritual energy users didn''t dare let them continue to risk themselves, yet this new recruit had already brought back two entire carts of warriors. No one would ask more of him. He had done well enough. He must have reached his limit, too. But at that moment... Bai E''s expression was calm as he recounted an evident fact, "Some people still haven''t returned." His tone was casual, yet it was permeated with an iparable sense of responsibility. Some officers couldn''t bear to ask, "Can you... still manage it?" Bai E looked at them earnestly, "I will not fall before mypanions do." "..." The sound of the wind howled. Silence was the utmost form of respect at this moment. This new recruit, time and again, shattered their preconceptionspletely. Weslin suddenly took off his hat and saluted Bai E with great formality. The officers behind him followed suit. "May the starlight shine upon you¡­" ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +5.] "Get him a troop transport vehicle." Watching the dust-covered transport vehicle depart once more, like a lonely traveler drifting away, the aide asked softly on the side, "Sir, shall we continue the retreat?" "Continue retreating." Weslin waved his gloved hand and walked away, "Leave a squad here to wait for him." Yue Ying stayed until thest, watching the transport vehicle''s shadow slowly disappear over the horizon with a sense of admiration. Her previous conjecture may not have been urate; humans don''t have infinite trump cards. Such an artificial human, there was only one. A peculiar impulse about this special artificial human warrior suddenly seized her... ¡­ One. Two. Three. The repetitive motion yed over and over in the footage from the drone. Like a videotape stuck on loop, endlessly repeating the same action. The ground was uneven, the carriages rattled and shook, and before that sole visual, no one had the interest to speak. The despair of war, the loss of soldiers, the astonishment regarding the new recruit... all mixed together into a tangle ofplicated emotions. "Another cart is full." "How did he do it?" someone suddenly asked. By rational thought, nearly no single soldier should have been capable of what Bai E had achieved at the time. Where did he get so much physical strength? Carlos spoke up morosely from a corner, "I gave him all my rations." "That still shouldn''t¡­" Ration #3 was not omnipotent; consuming more than one in a short period could lead to a decrease in the body''s efficiency in absorbing the energy within. In other words, aside from the first ration, the subsequent ones consumed would not allow a person to ignore the agony of pushing the body to its limit. Of course, a short rest could enable the body''s reserve energy to be rapidly converted into physical strength, but the process of repeatedly draining one''s strength was undoubtedly a form of excruciating torture. The human body could only touch its limit and go beyond three or four times in a day¡ªan arcane rule that, even now, it is unclear whether it is a limit or protection for the human body. How... did he endure being drained over and over to the point where every finger refused to move an inch more? "Love can transcend everything." Everyone looked towards Yue Ying in the corner. The Elf Race''s master had no intention to exin. It was an ancient proverb of the Elf Race; she merely voiced her thoughts spontaneously, without any particr meaning. "Get me another vehicle." A voice suddenly came through in the footage. Bai E knew that behind the drone were those observing officers. So he waved to it, making his request... Under the gradually dimming sky, those eyes burned brightly enough to glow. Chapter 80: 080 Scientific Research Institute [You have persevered through unimaginably prolonged intense physical activity at the peak of your endurance, Physical Energy +0.2, Reflex +0.1.] [Your body has sensed your burning desire and has rapidly converted a small amount of energy from "Action Energy Reserve," please use it wisely.] [Physical Energy has recovered by 5%, rapid recovery (unlocked) progress 18%.] The nting rays of the setting sun stretched the shadow of the truck, as if the dominator that had finally had its fill trudged towards the depths of the hive with heavy, slow steps. To humanity, that ce remained a mystery. "Creak, creak~" The restless noises of agitated limbs began brewing behind, the bloodthirsty desires suppressed by the dominator for so long had built up to a breaking point, and facing the tantalizing flesh so close yet so hard to consume, the bugs had gone mad. The night breeze of the ins swept through the rolled-down car window, as Bai E''s gaze moved from one statue-like body to another on his way back. Without any surprises, their lives would be permanently fixed at this moment. Shrouded by nightmares, did they still feel the pain in their bodies? Having been trapped in extreme fear for so long in their mental world, even if the dominator were to release its suppression, could they wake up and save themselves? This was Bai E''s first experience on a true battlefield. He had witnessed the bloodied scenes of frontline soldiers and could foresee that these fighters, who had lost their capacity to resist, would ultimately fall prey to the bugs. The term "human life" seemed to have be weightless in an instant, like a white feather on a scale, unable to tilt the heavy curtain of night. Night was about to fall, and the dominator would not give him unlimited time. Four trucks in total had been Bai E''s utmost effort. "Creak, creak, creak¡­" The invisible force field covering the vast ins suddenly rxed at a certain moment, and the unrestrained tide of bugs surged toward whaty ahead, where they yearned for the flesh to satiate their rabid hunger. "I''m sorry¡­" "I did my best." Bai E took his gaze off the rearview mirror and pressed down hard on the gas pedal. ¡­ Cleanup operation, failed! The military camp was serene in the deep of night. The day''s warfare had drained every ounce of strength from all soldiers, except the guards left to watch over the camp, who had all sunk into deep sleep. However, for some, the trouble had just begun. Two ring beams of light tore through the veil of night, and the guards with guns approached, only to see clearly who was below the halo of light as they drew near. The Scientific Research Institute... "Open the gate!" A wave to the soldiers in the tower above, and the guards duly opened the switch. The vehicle drove straight in. "Tap, tap, tap, tap~" Hasty footsteps echoed rapidly through the hallway, and the door to the meeting room was abruptly pushed open with force. "So soon¡­" Weslin looked towards the door. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e-NovelFire A woman in a whiteb coat, with brown hair tied into a bun and two curls falling by her ears revealing her slender, long neck, walked in cradling a tablet. "Helen?" He knew they would send someone from the city, but he didn''t expect the first to arrive would be from the Scientific Research Institute. Entering the meeting room without ceremony, the woman approached Weslin''s side and ced her tablet on the table. The eyes behind her gold-rimmed sses scanned all the officers present as she asked in a gentle, hoarse voice, "I hear you encountered a new type of bug?" "Yes... For the time being, we''re calling it ''Dominator''." Weslin remained calm amidst the change, having already prepared himself for visitors from various factions within the inner city. While speaking, the adjutant by his side promptly disyed the drone-captured screenshots on the screen opposite them. The creature, which looked simr to but was farrger than a mantis bug, was nearly two-thirds the height of abat mecha with four formidable arms, an absolute sovereign among the bugs. "We''ve caught distant glimpses of this kind of bug once or twice before, but this is the first time it has appeared on the frontline," Weslinmented softly, looking at Helen''s fair profile. "What are its specific abilities?" "Spiritual Energy Impact." "The ability of a second-stage Spiritual Energy user?" "But the range and intensity are inconceivable." As they conversed, the screen yed the moment the Dominator appeared, the silent footage of the battlefield. "ording to Yueying of the Elf Race," Weslin continued, "the Dominatorbines the will of all the bugs, and its spiritual energy power is unbelievably strong." Helen merely fixed her gaze on a part of the tide of bugs and murmured to herself, "Even the bugs themselves can be suppressed?" "I think this is why the Dominator had never appeared before, its ability is uncontroble, and if it wasn''t threatened to the core this time, it probably would''ve never shown up." It was a fairly reasonable exnation. Helen narrowed her eyes slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "What else?" "It doesn''t seem to have much interest in feeding." The video continued to y, showing the Dominator effortlessly cutting through a mecha made of octonary alloy, then standing still as it toyed with the remains of the mecha, studying it for a long time, "Also, its symbiotic weapons seem much more powerful than those of ordinary bugs." The symbiotic weapons of the bugs are akin to human firearms andbat des, all removable objects theoretically attachable to any bug. If every bug were equipped with the bone de used by the Dominator that could easily cut through octonary alloy, then all of humanity''s armor would be virtually as good as waste paper. Helen shook her head, showing little interest in this spection, "The likelihood is a Spiritual Energy field, with second-stage Spiritual Energy able to be projected externally, the Dominator naturally could do what human Spiritual Energy users can do." As for the desire to feed... Lower bugs are controlled by the instinct of hunger, this Dominator that can rule all bugs naturally possesses enough intelligence to suppress its instincts. Not surprising. The only noteworthy thing... was that this bug seemed to be studying the mecha structure? They are learning? This was an unsettling piece of news. Helen harbored a vague worry, "How did the soldiers perform?" The intensity of Spiritual Energy couldn''t be measured explicitly, one could only make basic analyses based on the performance of soldiers who have confronted it. "We''ve done image analysis..." The battlefield analysts in the military camp were not to be underestimated, after each battle they needed to learn from their experiences, having already thoroughly reviewed all the key points of this battle on their own. "Soldiers who could break free from the Dominator''s Spiritual Energy suppression almost all did so within five minutes, beyond five minutes it became very difficult to wake on their own. At the same time... the proportion of artificial human soldiers reached 89%." This proportion was abnormal, the ratio of artificial people to natural people in the camp was about 7:3. Yet among the soldiers who could wake up by themselves, nine out of ten were artificial humans. "So our hypothesis is that suppression of sensory and cognitive faculties yed a decisive role for artificial humans. We wonder if there''s a way to generalize this technology to all soldiers. In face of the Dominator, only soldiers unaffected by its Spiritual Energy field can be effective." If we don''t find a way to tackle this difficult problem, humanity would never be able to eradicate the bug nest that lies within an "arm''s reach"; it will be an evesting threat, one that will be passed on to descendants. Helen''s brows were tightly knitted. The incubation pod... was actually not a technology developed by the Scientific Research Institute. It was discovered, not created. It was an inheritance from the ruins; to this day they could only make limited use of it, without the capability to modify the settings or dismantle and utilize any specific function in it separately. "What else... What about those soldiers who drove into the suppression field?" "Through practice we found that soldiers who have experienced Spiritual Energy suppression once gain a certain degree of mental resilience when they enter the field again." "No..." Helen shook her head impatiently and pointed at a transport vehicle in the footage that was going in the opposite direction of all the other vehicles. "What about him? What''s his story?" Looking at that particr transport vehicle, Weslin revealed a helpless, wry smile. "He... He is a special case." ... "I think I have a general understanding now." Helen closed her eyes, briefly organizing all the information in her mind, then opened them again to look at the subordinates waiting by the doorway, "Set up the equipment, prepare for analysis." She then looked at Weslin, "Notify all soldiers who came out from the suppression field to assemble!" "They need to rest." "I need firsthand data that haven''t been ''restored'' through sleep." Confronted with Helen''s sharp, narrow eyes, Weslin grimaced, "Understood, I will cooperate with your work." "As for him..." Helen, viewing the artificial human soldier with the designation 95B27 on the screen, said, "Leave him untilst. His case cannot be used as a general reference." "Academician Helen..." Weslin hesitated to speak. "Is there something else?" "I''ve heard some rumors about you..." "Hmm?" "..." Despite being an exceedingly beautiful woman, it was rare for someone to not harbor even the slightest fantasy towards her; Weslin sighed internally and blurted out. "95B27 is an excellent soldier, we were nning to announce tomorrow his heroic deeds in saving many soldiers. So if possible... I hope your research does not harm him." Helen was taken aback, then nodded, "I understand... But please keep it confidential until I have finished my research." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 81: 081 Main Quest – Iron Curtain [Feedback from themission: your Insight +0.3, Reflex +0.2.] (Already stacked) [Feedback from themission: Stealth experience +20.] [Feedback from themission: Proficiency with ranged weapons experience +14.] ... [Main Quest¡ªSurvive,pleted.] [Quest Reward: Potential Points *3, General Experience +1000, distributed.] [Main Quest¡ªIron Curtain, activated.] [Iron Curtain: In the battle against the Bug Race, you''ve realized that this enemy is unbeatable, and with your current strength, you cannot survive better in this harsh world. For the future, you need to make a decision... Quest requirements: Complete 0/1 gic optimization to strengthen your personal abilities, establish 0/1 faction of at least level 2 prestige,plete 0/1 relic exploration to expand your knowledge. Quest Rewards: 3000 General Experience Points, Potential Points *3, Specialization Points *3 (cannot be increased beyond level 6), item rewards unknown.] Bai E, who awoke from his sleep, suddenly sat up, his sensitive nerves looking around abruptly. "No one?" "What time is it?" The sunlight streaming through the tent''s small window wasn''t too strong, but it was often cloudy in this world, and even at noon or in the afternoon, the sunlight might not be blinding. "When did they leave?" Bai E struggled to sit up. He had been worn out yesterday, falling asleep the moment he returned, and he probably wouldn''t have woken up even if someone had carried him away in his sleep. It was only now that he had the mind to check the various prompts from the panel. As he was getting dressed, the tent curtain was pulled back, and someone walked in. "Huh? You''re awake?" Bai E looked at the returning tiger, "What time is it?" He had kept training in mind the past few days and had been able to get up on time, but yesterday he had been truly exhausted, losing all concept of time. "Still early, a little after eight." Bai E was startled, "A little after eight, no training?" Big Mountain squeezed in after Tiger, "What''s there to train for? We just had a big battle yesterday, everyone''s resting for the day... Stop talking, I''m dead tired, let me sleep for a while... Ha~~~~~ Yawn!" "Then what are you guys..." Tiger went back to his bed, undressing as he exined, "Oh... People from the Scientific Research Institute came, they called everyone who was affected by the Sovereign''s Spiritual Energy field, and we researched all night." Song Ying added with a stern face, "We were researched." "What about me..." "They specifically said not to wake you, mentioning they would conduct separate research and analysis on youter." "...Hmm?" Bai E''s heart skipped a beat. What was inevitable was finally arriving. He had long known that his performance was bound to draw attention. A biopsy might not be certain, but research definitely was. But there was no way around it, unless he wished to halt his progress entirely. As long as he disyed his normal level, he would undoubtedly draw attention. If exposure was a given, it was better to excel thoroughly. He needed to make a profound and shocking impression on others! This was also one of the main reasons he had tried so hard to provide assistance yesterday. He was destined not to be able to leave the military camp anytime soon, so it was better to make a good impression on his superiors while he could, perhaps saving himself in the process. Now, was it time to face the trial? Bai E felt somewhat nervous. "Xiao Bai, you were really fierce yesterday." "We all heard about it, you managed to pull back more than four hundred people on your own, how did you do it?" You remained silent, just sitting on the bed looking at Bai E''s profile. Having such a teammate undoubtedly provided an indescribable sense of security. No matter how dire the situation, he would never abandon hisrades. That would bring courage... Bai E scratched the back of his head, "It''s all thanks to exit number 3''s boon." Tiger shook his head, "External factors are ultimately just that, external." He didn''t say much more. Some precious qualities were hard for the person themselves to notice and articte. It was enough to know that their teammate was excellent. During the break in conversation, a familiar voice sounded at the door. "95B27!" "Present!" Bai E immediately responded, rising to meet them outside the tent. Outside stood two people, an officer responsible for managing living arrangements, and a young man wearing gold-rimmed sses who was unfamiliar. The young man sized up Bai E as he walked out and finally fixed his gaze on Bai E''s eyes with a somewhat pressuring intent, "You''re 95B27?" "I am." The living arrangements officer also confirmed from the side, "He is 95B27." "Alright,e with me, the mentor wants to see you." "Mentor?" "Academician! An academician from the Scientific Research Institute!" out of fear that Bai E might unintentionally offend someone, the living arrangements officer quickly exined. "Oh~" The man leading the way retracted his sideways nce and seemed somewhat perplexed. Last night, the research work was presided over by the mentor only for the first half before leaving; the rest of the time seemed to be spent researching this individual''s data. A synthetic soldier who appeared so ordinary... was there really a need to take such keen interest? Or perhaps, had they found another suitable dissection teacher? ... In a quiet room, crystal-clear fingernails gently tapped on a snowy-white workbench; Helen turned thest page of the documents in her hands, with a trace of puzzlement still in her eyes. The research on ordinary soldiers held no great surprises; the mental resistance of the warriors who had resisted the dominator''s psychic suppression markedly improved, especially for those who broke free on their own¡ªtheir improvement was even greater. If there truly were no technical means in the end, subjecting them to artificial psychic pressure to train their mental resistance could still ustom them to a certain extent to the dominator''s psychic suppression field and enable them to maintain a degree ofbat effectiveness within it. Both contingencies would have to be prepared for; the proposal to create an artificial psychic suppression field had already been sent back for reporting. What puzzled her was the new recruit with the designation 95B27. She had stayed up to read through all the performance data rted to 95B27''s existence since birth, along with several battle recordings, and yet found nothing she could understand. "It shouldn''t be..." None of the items matched up. The various training programs in the military camp were all customized under the guidance of their Scientific Research Institute, almost all of which were pushed to the limits of a synthetic human''s body functions¡ªit made no sense that his training results exceeded those of other new recruits by such arge margin. No. 3 use might exin some of it, but it still felt off. Not to mention his performance in actualbat, which was incredibly defying¡ªfinding a Spiritual Energy user might not even yield someone as capable as him. The video where he was able to extricate himself from a sea of bugs during his first encounter in the military trials, even nearly taking down a mantis bug by himself, she had watched back and forth three times and still couldn''t understand how he did it. As for the immense pressure of facing a sea of bugs alone and forcefully bringing back four trucks of soldiers, the perseverance involved was beyond imagination. A new recruit with such performance... was this a unique mutation out of a million gic cases? Or perhaps... Could love truly ovee everything? In a world view that includes Spiritual Energy, simr miracles aren''t actually that rare; strong willpower is enough to distort reality. The existence of Spiritual Energy undoubtedly casts nebulous fog over many cases, but its physical reality also allows it to be included within the scope of scientific research. Let me see... this new recruit who created all these miracles, just what kind of Magic Power he possesses. The noise suddenlying from outside the closed door made Helen narrow her eyes... "Let me speak with him for a moment..." "This is the person Helen the mentor has asked for." "I know, just a moment, just two words." Helen shook her head gently, giving permission from inside. "Let him speak..." ... Carlos pulled Bai E to the corner of the corridor. "Instructor?" Carlos looked solemn, a hint of apprehension about him, "Don''t ask too much, just remember this, be good." "Be good?" "The Academician Helen you''re about to meet has dissected quite a few synthetic humans, and she takes great interest in it. Don''t anger her." Even though Weslin gave the heads-up, Carlos still feared these madmen from the Scientific Research Institute had no regard for personal feelings. If they dissected you, you would have nowhere to even cry. "..." There really are those who like slicing up, huh? Bai E''s expression didn''t change; he nodded, "I understand." Chapter 82: 082 Test "Alright, off you go, and don''t be too scared, just answer the questions normally and cooperate with her research," Carlos patted Bai E on the shoulder and added, "Remember, be good." "Yes, instructor!" Bai E, led by the man in sses, stepped through the door, his heart far from as calm as he appeared on the surface. Carlos''s attitude was serious. Anyone regarded with such importance by the Sniper God must be extraordinary, like a looming flood or a ferocious beast. Named Helen, definitely a woman. A fellow of the Scientific Research Institute, surely an old thing. Likes dissecting corpses, must hate the world with a twisted psychology. An old, ugly, and psychotic obasan... To maintainposure? Well, that''s really... quite an easy thing to do. The woman rose gracefully, her whiteb coat sketching her exquisite figure along the curves of her body, as her slender, charming eyes looked over, "Come here." The sses man who was leading Bai E had a smile on his face as he prepared to walk further in, saying at the same time, "Tutor, I''ve brought the person..." "You, get out." "Ow~" The door lock clicked shut, Bai E stood silently still. "..." Must behave. "Come on," Helen stood up and walked over to the bed-like device that seemed like it was from a previous life''s MRI, patting the side, "Come over for a full-body check first." "Yes," Bai E obedientlyplied. "Lie down, rx," Helen instructed from beside the bed and watched Bai E slowly enter the cabin, "Rx, a certain amount of electrical stimtion might make your body feel a bit odd, numbness or tingling is normal, don''t mind it. Also, don''t close your eyes, some images will appear in front of you shortly, concentrate on observing them, you can blink, just watch naturally, no need to deliberately do anything." The woman''s voice was low and maic, her exnation clear and gentle, nothing like the brutality Carlos spoke of. Perhaps tigers always like to tease their prey? Bai E used self-control to tightly monitor his body''s hormone secretion levels, striving to maintain a calm state of mind. "Got it?" Helen asked for confirmation at the end. "Understood." "Let''s start then." "Hum~" The sound of the motor running echoed inside the cabin, and Bai E began to feel a tingling sensation where restraints wrapped around his limbs and parts like his back. Needles pierced into his body, numbing and tingling, drawing a bit of blood. About thirty centimeters from his lying face, the inside of the cabin wall started to disy dazzlingly chaotic images. They had no clear logic, seeming just like a mix of random, colorful patterns jumbled together. Looking at them for too long could even make one''s head swell. Bai E discarded distractions and executed the instructions as told. The camera scanned his facial expressions and eye movements, beginning to analyze the data. The room was quiet for a while, save for the monotonous sound of the motor operating. Until a "beep," the motor''s sound gradually quieted, and the chaotic images stopped ying. "Lie still, don''t move," Helen said as she held a freshly printed report and casually examined it, leaning back in her chair. Physical ability 13.5, insight 11.3, reflex 11.4 In the single-item scores influenced by physical ability, the "Cell Self-Repair" category was slightly prominent, but not particrly noticeable. Compared to the data at 95B27''s birth¡ªphysical ability 11, insight 10, reflex 10, the total increase in attributes was by 5.2 points. A truly terrifying rate of improvement. Other recruits, after three days of training and surviving two major battles, would not see their total attribute improvement exceed 2 points. 95B27 exceeded that by more than double. Of course, even though this speed of enhancement was indeed terrifying, it was still within Helen''s expectations. After all, thebat achievements of 95B27 were there for all to see; it would be strange if it didn''t have such a degree of foundational attributes as a cornerstone. Even this attribute, whenpared to his performance, seemed somewhat low. Was it because... alien genes had awakened? As an expert in this field, she knew more about the human body''s hidden details and many low-probability possibilities than thoseypeople who only had a glimpse of the whole picture. Synthetic humans all contain some alien genes from other species; if an event led by an awakening of alien genes urs, it is possible that attribute progression could be faster than that of regr synthetic humans. And the 95 series used orc genes; it seemed somewhat reasonable that those battle-thirsty savages could achieve suchbat performance. But... awakening alien genes is not just full of benefits; it often brings along the inferior traits of those alien races as well. If it was the orc''s... The room was quiet, and Bai E felt somewhat uneasy, not knowing what kind of information would be disyed in the instrument''s report. Helen''s slender jade fingers brushed over a knob on the instrument, "Continue watching the screen." "Yes." The screen in front of Bai E yed again, flickering rapidly, as if the meaningless chaotic patterns were inducing dizziness and a slight irritation that began to well up in his heart. It seemed to deliberately evoke a violent need to resist from deep within... Meanwhile, a more powerful electric current was stimting specific parts of Bai E''s body. [Heart requests to elerate pumping...] [Pupils request to dte...] [Lungs request more oxygen...] Read thetest on m_v-l''e-NovelBin Self-restraint sends a rapid rm. Bai E''s thoughts raced. Is this normal? Or should it be suppressed? What would be the normal reaction for a regr person facing this test? Was his response within the range of a normal person''s? His mind was reeling with thoughts, yet with virtually no dy in time, Bai E made a decision¡ª He believed that his reactions should be those of a normal person. [Release.] The sound of the motor slowly ceased, and Helen gazed at the disy on the instrument, her eyes slightly stern. No emotional anomalies? Even more stable than the average person''s behavior? Not an alien gene awakening? Or perhaps... a perfect alien gene awakening? A situation where only the advantages of alien genes are brought forward without bearing any of their ill effects, a scenario that only exists in theory, is also known as a perfect alien gene awakening. While guessing in her mind, Helen also chatted about seemingly unrted topics. "What did your superior tell you outside the door earlier?" As she spoke, she also pressed a button on the control panel of the instrument. A machine capable of monitoring bodily states can naturally also perform some side jobs¡ª For instance, lie detection. Bai E felt a jolt in his heart upon noticing Helen''s subtle movement. [Heart requests to elerate pumping...] [Suppress.] He had never been so tense before, not even the first time he faced a mantis insect up close. The unknown was what he found most frightening. The direction of human technology in this world was a mystery, and he himself held too many secrets... [An unknown test awaits you. Faced with the questioning from human technology, do you, filled with a myriad of secrets, decide to weave a web of lies and dance with deception? Or do you opt for honesty andy everything bare?] Chapter 83: 083 Genomic Project Bai E''s expression remained unchanged, as if he were simply recalling, "He said... that I should cooperate fully with your research." "Is that all?" Helen knew her own reputation and found it hard to believe that was everything. "There''s also the fact that you''ve dissected many of my counterparts..." "Afraid?" "Afraid... very afraid." "Why?" "To be dissected is to die." Helen''s eyebrows lifted slightly, her gaze fixed intently on the instrument disy, "Are you afraid of death?" "I''m afraid of dying in a ce like this." "Why?" "Themander said that our lives do not belong to us, and that we have no right to waste them carelessly. They should be used for more meaningful and wider purposes, we are the city''s sharp sword, cutting down all threats." Emotions can misconstruemands; the same order can lead to different actions when carried out by different artificial humans. The same gic decree that all can be sacrificed for humanity is interpreted by some artificial humans as being fearless in the face of death, ready to die at any moment; for others, it means to protect oneself at all costs, because they... represent humanity. What do you think? Helen became interested, shifting her gaze from the instrument disy to Bai E''s face, "Being the subject of my research also has meaning, and it''s of significance to many people." "I don''t understand research, but I am cooperating. If what you''re saying is true, and a corpse would be more suitable, I will apply to themander," Bai E said as calmly as he could, voicing his willingness to die. It''s hard for those in the know to imagine the world of the ignorant. Bai E could only try to simte the state of a newly created artificial human with pure dedication. Helen''s eyes flickered. This rookie was hinting at her... His willingness to cooperate with the research meant¡ªliving people could also cooperate, so why would there need to be dead ones? Was this deliberate? Or a simple statement of fact? Her gaze swept over the disy once more as Helen''s right fingertip gently tapped on her palm. There wasn''t the slightest w detected, but this rookie''s performance in actualbat was indeed baffling. So, let''s start from the beginning and sort it out. "I have some questions for you." Lying t on his back, Bai E faced Helen, who sat behind his head, naturally at a disadvantage in his position; not seeing the other''s expressions or movements was undoubtedly unsettling, "Go ahead." "The day the Bug Race invaded the barracks, why did you leave everyone behind and act alone?" "My weapons and equipment were in the resting area. I needed to fetch them." "After returning, why did you choose to fight alone instead of sticking with the others?" "The Bug Race had surrounded them, I couldn''t get in." "Your teammates were drawing attention; you could have hidden first. To fight alone carried too great a risk of death." "I felt I had to do it, someone needed to create a diversion to buy them time." "You were confident? Otherwise, it would have been a senseless death, an action without meaning." Was this impulse or judgment? Helen studied Bai E''s every facial detail with great interest, for every slight expression had its purpose. [There''s a trap...] Bai E''s eyelids flickered slightly, having made a decision, "This is a battlefield, everyone''s lives are equal. It was risky, but I had to try; sess would mean saving many lives." A certain confidence followed by a gambler leaving it all to luck? This decision seemed faultless. No wonder he was the rookie all the officers in the military district wanted to protect; his capability trulymanded respect. So, the decision to fight the mantis Bug Race alone fell into ce. Such tactical improvizations were not her area of expertise; she had no desire to inquire further. But still... "Why did you have Rose block that strike for you?" "At that moment, only I posed a threat to that mantis bug, I needed to maintain my condition, and... she wouldn''t die." "..." Beneath the calmly narrated words was an overwhelming confidence, strength, andplete trust in his teammates. Helen slightly narrowed her eyes, "Onest question, on the frontline against the Bug Race, when the ''Dominant'' behemoth appeared, what did you feel?" ording to the principles of 95B27, the reason for continually saving people with the transport vehicle during the retreat was consistent, no need to ask further. But how he managed that was a matter of curiosity, what enabled him to move freely in the almost sovereign domain of the giant bug? "Darkness... It wanted me to kneel." "Hmm..." Helen was neither agreeable nor disagreeable. On this point, the answers from the soldiers were quite simr, purely the fear that was stirred within both body and soul. Darkness was the only element, the rest was up to the soldiers'' own imagination. The important thing was... "How did you break free from that situation? You should have realizedter that besides you, no other soldier was able to move freely within the domain of the Dominant behemoth." "Because I was responsible for air defense..." "Air defense?" Helen looked stunned. "The captain gave me a task, to help shield the battlefield from all the spores and thorns shot by the bugs from the air, it was something that had to be done... I couldn''t fall." "..." The room was silent, but a ripple disturbed the calm mindset. The strong sense of duty that emanated from 95B27''s seemingly nd words even allowed him to transcend all fear. The answer to how he intercepted all the spore thorns was obvious¡ª Registered as 95B27''s talent was the ability to see every detail in a high-speed state, which was unbeatably advantageous for shooting and interception. It can only be said that his talent was indeed a bit terrifying. Thus, all of the anomalies disyed by 95B27 seemed to have their exnations. The high likelihood of his physical abilities stemmed from his awakening of alien genes, and the negative emotions associated with the awakening of these alien genes were also likely suppressed by his unimaginable passion and sense of duty. Behind all his actions was a clear line of logic for support. This heart, this conduct, clear as a mirror. Looking at the humanoid soldier still lying calmly on the bed, expressionless, Helen''s eyshes trembled lightly. Could he... be the perfect temte she had been looking for? Astonishing talent, enthusiasm emanating from the soul, and even an extremely intelligent brain. The calm analysis behind everything he disyed in situational assessment and decision-making, and the rigidity shown in the conversation, stemmed from theck of information intake and obedience to orders. He was definitely not stupid. Perhaps as a humanoid soldier, his only w was his deliberately suppressed Spiritual Energy talent... However, she had it. Could the seed of the gic origin project choose him? Or rather, should it choose the seed thatbines him with her? Just as in that world recorded in epics, where humans selected the best variant seeds from numerous rice crossbreeding processes to preserve and breed across generations, ultimately obtaining the staple food best suited for humanity. Could they also select the best temte from countless cases of gene programmable mutations to replicate, bing the standard answer for all humanoid soldiers? She had nned this proposal for a long time but had alwayscked a suitable target. Could this one be the answer? She still needed to observe a bit more... "Get up." Helen pressed the switch, and the bed automatically moved out. As Bai E rose to his feet, he saw the gentle smile on the woman''s face for the first time. "I need to make one thing clear to you, I don''t like dissection." [From the attitude of the other party wanting to ease the rtionship, you realized that you had sessfully passed the test...] Chapter 84: 084 Drive away the tiger to swallow the wolf Watching Bai E get dressed, Helen''s eyes softened a bit, "Do you still remember yourpanion who went mad after your second team confrontation ended?" "Um..." Bai E paused, recalling, "What about him?" The memory of the ck iron badge flickered before his eyes¡ª69A44. "He is an artificial human from the 69 series, whose foreign genes mainlye from the Bug Race," Helen said, organizing the materials in her hand while speaking seemingly at random. The original intent of the artificial human warrior program was to create a group of super soldiers that surpassed ordinary humans. If they were only human genes, then after all, they couldn''t surpass human limits. In this aspect, without a doubt, the gic performance of bugs, beastmen, elves, and other such foreign races was more outstanding. "Um..." Bai E responded softly, indicating that he was listening. "His will is being assimted by the Bug Race genes, and the probability of mutation is very high, which means... he will definitely turn into a bug. In fact, all of you artificial human warriors have a potential for mutation, and many sudden external factors can trigger the dominant expression oftent genes." Helen lowered her eyelids, not knowing whether she was in remorse or reminiscence, "I just screened out those warriors with a high probability of mutation and ended their lives prematurely..." When the will is assimted by the wild nature of a foreign race and inflicts harm on one''s fellow kind, it is uncertain whether the kin feels more sorrow or the mutant itself feels more guilt. Bai E instantly realized what the other was referring to. It was the thing on the panel... ["Mutation Risk"]! Seeing Bai E''s somewhat dazed actions, Helen smiled, "Don''t be nervous, willpower can shatter even the hardest stones, whether you persist as a human is up to you to decide." Those words were very metaphysical, which seemed out of ceing from a scientific researcher like her. However, this was a world where Spiritual Energy existed; metaphysics... was also a part of science. "Alright, you can go back now. I might need you toe over at any time if there is a need during this period." Bai E posed respectfully, "Goodbye, superior." "Farewell... 95B27. By the way, many artificial humans give themselves a name. Have you named yourself?" "...Bai E, you can call me Bai E." "Bai E..." Helen murmured softly, then her face broke into a smile, "Then farewell, Bai E." Watching 95B27''s silhouette gradually blocked by the slowly closing door, Helen''s eyes briefly zed over, "Bai E... what does it mean?" After pondering for a moment, Helen shook her head and stopped dwelling on it. The experiences onees into contact with can bring countless variables; perhaps it was simply a randombination of two characters. There were many strange names among the artificial humans, difficult to analyze. Standing up, Helen called out to the hallway, "Aer, I have a meeting to attendter, and you will be responsible for analyzing the data collected from those artificial human warriors for the time being." "Yes, teacher... Oh, and teacher, Marshal Weslin has sent word that if you finish your research, he wants to be informed immediately. He needs the deeds of that artificial human to boost morale." "..." Helen fell silent for a moment, narrowed her eyes in thought, then decided to keep a low profile for now, "Tell him the research isn''t finished yet, ask him to wait." "What about the body data of this artificial human?" "Keep it sealed, no one is allowed to look at it." "Understood!" ... Helen, dressed in a whiteb coat, hurried through the door. Many inside the room nced in her direction, but without much attention. Marshal Weslin stood on the stage in front of staff members from various departments who had rushed in from the inner city, delivering aprehensive report on the failure against the Bug Race war. Helen found a nearby seat to sit down, leaning against the moderately firm sofa, crossing her legs, and listening. "...And the main reason for the failure of the operation is that our troops could not continue tounch effective attacks within the ''Dominators'' Spiritual Energy field. If we hadn''t mounted a significant enough attack on the Bug''s nest this time, the Dominator, a double-edged sword, still would not have appeared. But now that the Bug Race''s trump card has shown itself, I believe we can take some targeted measures to counter it. All along, we have regarded enemies rted to Spiritual Energy as scarce, entrusting such duties entirely to the Heretic Judgment Court, adopting a strategy of decapitation by elites. But now, the Spiritual Energy suppression field of the Bug Hive''s will has clearly rendered past policies impractical. If we cannot spread resistance to Spiritual Energy suppression to all warriors, we will never fully destroy the Bug Hive, which will be an eternal barrier to the future development of humanity. Therefore, I believe that some training methods and equipment unique to the Heretic Arbitration House should also be promoted in the barracks going forward. At the same time, I also hope His Excellency the King of Night can select some suitable heretic enforcement officers from under hismand toe to the barracks and provide appropriate guidance to our warriors." The man being referred to, wearing a long ck leather coat, leaned back in his chair, remaining silent without any intention of expressing his position. Among the elderly seated behind the long table on the stage, one old man with white beard and hair, wearing round-frame sses, looked over the rim at Marshal Weslin''s profile and asked in an aged voice, "Marshal Weslin, are you sure that the Psychic Pressure Resistance Training of the Heretical Arbitration House can achieve excellent results against the Dominator''s Spiritual Energy field?" "Helen can guarantee that." Weslin saw the arriving Helen and promptly kicked the ball her way. Helen smoothed out herb coat and rose gracefully, "We conducted an analysis immediatelyst night. The dominator''s spiritual energy field and the psychic pressure resistance training conducted by the Heretical Arbitration House are almost identical in nature, there''s no doubt about that." "Good!" The elder nodded, "Then... what about the funding?" "Don''t even think about it!" The plump finance officer suddenly stood up, "The equipment for psychic pressure resistance training is exorbitantly expensive. The cost of training your entire camp is too high, it''s impossible!" "We can trade this information with other cities, top-secret details regarding the Bug Race''s hand. Many cities are in desperate need of it." Cities threatened by the Bug hives weren''t limited to just ckwater City. The Empire existed in name only, and each city governed itself autonomously,pletely capable of grabbing what theycked from others'' pockets. As far as he knew, they were still the first city to have truly made it to the Bug hive''s home. Weslin clearly came prepared, speaking with full confidence. "That''s still not enough!" The finance officer waved a hand, "At most, we can only train a small number of elites. Don''t even think about extending it to all the soldiers!" "Only in this way can wepletely eradicate the Bugs! Break through the barriers, restore world sovereignty, and only then will humanity have a future!" "The city can''t hold out until that future arrives!" "¡­" After a brief dispute, calm was restored. This was an unsolvable deadlock. "But gentlemen... why not consider beyond-visual-rangebat?" A voice unexpectedly emerged from a corner of the room. When resources are scarce, resort to single soldiers infiltrating; when abundant, use artillery to cover. Always using soldiers'' lives to protect the city, where is the satisfactionpared to a face wash with artillery fire? If manpower can''t maintainbat readiness under the dominator''s field, why not consider bombing it to death from outside the field? "And what shall we use for beyond-visual-rangebat?" Someone immediately scoffed, "It''s not 400 years ago anymore!" The time of the Bug''s arrival on the was no longer verifiable; ancient humanity had managed to resist their initial ferocious onught and reduced them to their current state of decay using countless cutting-edge technologies. Back then, satellites filled the''s orbit, spaceships and warships patrolled outer space, and space-based weapons could initiate terrifying barrages on the ground at any moment. Unfortunately, a rebellion of the intelligent machines over 400 years ago had overturned all of humanity''s technological achievements. Now, unable to even achieve inter-citymunication, they still talked about beyond-visual-rangebat. The reason human tactical systems now seemed outdated was theck of awork connecting all electronic devices; the currently used localworks could only support information transmission within a 10-kilometer diameter sphere, which limited the development of many systems. After 400 years of decline, if it wasn''t for the endless supply of troops to operate these outdated weapons, humanity would have long ceased to exist. The man who had suggested the idea stood up abruptly, not willing to give up, "We can restart thework, establish signal stations." "Minister Likok..." someone called out to the man, and then nothing more was said. The man scanned the room, and for a moment, no one dared to meet his gaze. Silence reigned. It was a heavy suggestion, and no one dared to speak rashly. After an extended lull, an old man at the front tapped the table and spoke softly, "The Electronic Silence Pact hasn''t expired yet..." "It''s been 439 years! Are we to wait another 61 years!? After over four hundred years of silence, the electronic demons should have dissipated long ago; there''s no need to be so conservative! No one anticipated how severe the survival environment would be today; how many more lives must we sacrifice? The length of the Pact is far too conservative!" "Who can guarantee that?" "Those piles of metal wandering the wastnd are all waiting for their king to return." A smattering of voices rose here and there. Minister Likok, with a schrly air, stood resolute, "Times have changed, and the mechanical environment is not what it was back then; even if we have to invite a tiger to devour a wolf, it would still be a much better situation than what we''re facing now." It made some sense, but not much. No one else said anything, all eyes turned to a few elders seated behind the long table on the stage. "There''s no need to bring up this proposal again!" After a moment of whispering and exchanging views, the three elders spoke in unison to make the decision. Likok clenched his fists so tightly that his fingertips turned white... "Let''s proceed with Weslin''s proposal, then, and allow a portion of the soldiers in the camp to undergo psychic pressure resistance training, especially our mecha pilots. I also hope that the King of Night will arrange some reliable executives to help our soldiers familiarize themselves with resistance to the spiritual energy field. Additionally... due to the failure of this operation, with extensive losses of mechas and personnel, this month''s supply of Gene Optimization Solution for the camp will be halted. Meeting adjourned!" Chapter 85: 085 Clues to the Elf Breathing Skill "Minister Likok?" Seeing the man who had secretly followed him to his private office, Weslin was somewhat surprised, "You''re looking for me... Is there something you need?" Likok''s gaze fixed intently on Weslin, his eyes a bit fervent, "Let''s... cooperate." "Cooperate?" The biggest coboration between the military and the Information Department was that they provided the army with drone video feedback and short-rangemunication technology for the troops; otherwise, there was hardly any interaction. Weslin couldn''t think of anything they could work on together. Likok stepped closer, "You must have seen the attitudes at the meeting today. Everyone isn''t unwilling to reboot thework; they''re just afraid of the responsibility. But I''m not!" "So?" "There are bioengineered guards at the server host ruins, and en route, we might encounter bugs, orcs, and the like..." Weslin''s eyes narrowed slightly, "So you want me to send someone to escort you there?" "Yes! Given your demeanor, Marshal, it seems you too wish to restore humanity''s dominion over the in our hands, leaving no burden to the next generation. How long has it been since we''ve looked over this from ten thousand meters above? I want humans to return to the age of technology, and you want to perform great deeds and unify the cities; we could join forces!" "But..." "This matter doesn''t involve you. If it seeds, you reap the benefits; if it fails, throw me into the Spiritual Energy Furnace, and I''ll ept it willingly." "..." Weslin was silent and contemtive. Likok, somewhat anxious, "You just need to send an elite squad to escort me, and if it fails, no one will know it was you." "..." "I''ve already arranged with others for the subsequent construction of the base station. Once we seed, I can immediately set up an automated fire controlwork for you!" Weslin smiled warmly, "Minister Likok, you misunderstood; I was just considering what kind of soldier to assign to assist with your operation. What type of soldier do you need?" Likok''s expression brightened, "I''ve studied the armaments at the ruins closely. The bioengineered guards aren''t extremely formidable, but there are too many electrical cables and conduits in the guarded area which can''t be damaged, as repairs will be highly troublesome. So if possible, we need some warriors with strong close-quartersbat ability who can strike with precision. Moreover, if they understand someputer hardware, that would be even better, helping me in case of unforeseenplications." Weslin listened quietly, then nodded in agreement, "I need some time to pick the right people for you." "No problem, I also need time to thoroughly prepare for the work." "Then... I''m pleased to be in coboration," Weslin offered his right hand. "Pleased to coborate!" ... After leaving the somewhat dreary room and stepping under the sun, Bai E finally felt a bit of warmth returning to his body. "Whew~" It was only now that he took a long breath out, releasing the physical tension he had been suppressing until this moment. Self-restraint is about suppressing outward expression, notpletely isting the body''s instinctual responses. When everything was over, Bai E dly freed his repressed emotions, which made him feel slightly exhrated. He could feel his fingertips trembling; this could be said to be the most dangerous encounter since his arrival in this world. Facing what could be the most intelligent group in this world, Bai E''s palms were sweating. Fortunately, he had persevered. A mix of truth and falsehood, the blend of real and fake, allowed for a perfect cover. As for how much was true and how much was false... who knows? Bai E looked up at the sky, where the cloud-shrouded sun cast a warm glow as if heralding a rebirth. Having finally gotten a day to rest, what should he do? His feet unconsciously moved toward the residential area. "Bai... E?" A voice suddenly sounded nearby, cool and clear, as a ck cloak quivered slightly in the shadows of the houses. Thatdy, from the Elf Race? What did she want with him? Bai E instantly tensed up again; in his current state, he was far too weak, and most unknown visitors were dangerous and potentially lethal. Approaching her, Bai E asked with confusion, "Do you... need something?" Yue Ying looked left and right as though wary of being seen by others. Making sure it seemed no one was paying attention to them, she then whispered to Bai E, "Follow me." ??? Something felt off. Bai E followed nheless; he didn''t know what status this elvendy held within the military barracks¡ªseemingly no real authority. Yet the entire barracks seemed to have no secrets from her, as if she could be seen everywhere. He was an entirely detached character, transcendent over the ordinary, and what''s more important was... power! Bai E didn''t know what the ceiling ofbat strength in this world was, but setting aside that dominant giant worm, among the targets he had seen so far through lucky strikes, hers was the most outrageous. With power, you can speak your mind anywhere. Following Yue Ying, Bai E arrived in a secluded ce. Today was a day of rest for everyone. Clearly, not many had voluntarilye to the training ground, not to mention the great battle the day before and the torture by the research institute in the middle of the night; most were probably sleeping. The usually bustling training ground was quiet. Yue Ying had set up three targets in a line on the archery range and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced two longbows, handing one to Bai E. "..." Bai E took it,pletely puzzled by her intentions. Yue Ying gripped the longbow, pinched an arrow''s fletching, and began to exin to Bai E, "I''ve seen your performance during the trial..." "Hmm..." "Thest shot that saved the female soldier, that was a curved shot, right?" "..." This was the first time someone had directly pointed it out. Considering the speed at which bullets leave a gun, it''s hard for even slow-motion camera footage to capture the details, and neither the personnel who examined the mantis carcass nor Helen from earlier had noticed anything unusual. Bai E thought the matter had been left in the past. Of course, it wasn''t a particrly precious secret, just a special attribute automatically unlocked with Level 4 specialization. It probably wasn''t that rare... probably. There was no need to conceal it, but having less attention and more cards unknown to others was always better. Bai E was somewhat anxious, unsure of her intentions. "I originally thought you might possess some talent in swordsmanship, but I didn''t expect your shooting talent to be even more outstanding. However..." [Standard but...] "Firearms are difficult to improve in terms of technical skill. When your power exceeds the limits of the weapon, the surplus of personal power cannot enhance your shooting ability any further. At that point, the weapon''s performance bes a restraint. Cold weapons, on the other hand..." Technology is indeed important, but that belongs to the overall advancement. Only abilities that can be cultivated are the direction for personal effort. The Elf Race is keen to develop these ancient skills and believes that studying them is the key to finding true spiritualfort in life. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin As she spoke, Yue Ying drew the bow and casually shot an arrow. "Thud~" The arrow''s tail quivered lightly,nding in... the center of thest target in line. "Gulp~" Bai E swallowed hard. If the faint trace in his retina wasn''t mistaken, then the elf miss''s arrow just now had made an S curve before hitting the final target. Two opposing arcs... Meaning... if the elf miss wanted to attack someone with her bow and arrow, then no matter what kind of cover they hid behind, they couldn''t escape the fatal pursuit. Very impressive! Yue Ying, standing with her bow at rest, continued, "Moreover, specially crafted arrows can aplish many things that firearms can''t." Arrowheads containing explosives, toxins, electromaic pulses, and the like, in the hands of a true expert, make the bow and arrow far more functional than firearms. However, this skill is difficult to master, and slow to learn, so normal human soldiers who train on arge scale naturally wouldn''t consider it. "So..." Bai E''s gaze slowly moved from the target to the elf miss''s face, not seeing it clearly, only the arc of her clean, pale jaw. He didn''t quite understand her point. Was she intending to teach him? But even if you want to teach, it depends on whether I have time to learn... Skills need practice. There are no shortcuts to sess in this world. If others can''t learn it, could he? Yue Ying stepped aside, giving Bai E ess to the target and passing him a light-feathered arrow, "Bows and firearms arepletely different domains. Once you''re familiar with them, both can bring out your talent, but it might initially be challenging for you. Give it a try, and don''t be discouraged if you don''t perform well." [Trigger Side Quest¡ªYue Ying''s Approval.] [Yue Ying''s Approval: Yue Ying from the Elf Race has shown appreciation for your performance and is willing to teach you some archery skills. Strive to demonstrate your abilities, and you may gain more of her attention... Quest Requirement: Disy at least Level 1 expertise in the corresponding specialization before the end of the instruction period 0/1 (Tip: The higher the expertise you disy, the better the rewards you''ll receive). Quest Reward: Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill *1 (Clue Quality: ???) (Countdown: ??? [Depends on the target''s mindset])] "..." The Elf Breathing Skill! In fact, ever since he had acquired "Self-Restraint," Bai E had been harboring various thoughts about the Elf Breathing Skill. It was inly stated there, always inviting wild thoughts. And now, the possibility of obtaining the Elf Breathing Skill wasid out before him? Chapter 86: 086 Yue Yings Hands-on Teaching The Elf Breathing Skill is a method to cultivate Spiritual Energy, and Spiritual Energy is the manifest extraordinary power in this world. Everyone can practice the three basic attributes, but the privilege of Spiritual Energy only exists within a select few. ording to the official website of "Gxy Online" I saw before, there are only three paths to ultimate transcendence for the power of a human individual: Spiritual Energy, Gics, Mechanics. Or try to grasp all three at once... Bai E had no hope for any of these paths before, but now for the first time, he had a chance to touch the realm of Spiritual Energyid out before him. That is to say, as long as he could perform well, it was possible that the youngdy of the Elf Race might consider teaching him the Elf Breathing Skill. The mission description is a bit strange, but that''s the idea at its core. One can''t help but be moved. Didn''t expect this mission to understand one''s heart so well? With an instant change from his indifferent attitude, Bai E gripped the longbow in his hands. Just as the elf miss had said, the lethal power of a bow and arrow is entirely different from that of a firearm. The attributes of the bow and arrow in hand were also disyed before his eyes in the moment of contact¡ª [Eaglehorn Bow¡ª¡ªQuality: Green (Ranged Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: Range 3~1000 meters; Attack Power (Type: Piercing): 8+(Physical Strength-13)*2; Output Energy Level 8+(Physical Strength-13)/2; Durability 15/15] [Usage Requirement: Physical Strength 13 (usable), the character currently has no Ranged Weapon Specialization, shooting uracy -30%.] [Traits: An Elf-made sturdy bow, difficult for ordinary people to draw continuously, physical strength consumption +10% when shooting continuously; shooting kic energy +2. (Maximum tensile strength bearable: 25 points of Physical Strength)] ... [Steel Arrows¡ª¡ªQuality: Green] [Basic Parameters: Defense Pration +5%, Attack Power Modifier +2, hits add bleeding effect.] [Usage Requirement: Usable with bow and crossbow types.] [Traits: Crafted with the ingenuity of the Elf Race, hand-polished, shooting uracy +10%; maximum shooting range +100 meters.] ... Compared to firearms, it has no rate of fire or ammo capacity limits; from range to attack power and output energy level, it all depends on individual abilities. With Bai E''s current 13 points of Physical Strength, the arrows he shoots are even less powerful than a Type 77 rifle. Investing time or other resources in this at the early stage is undoubtedly an unwise choice. However, now, there might only be one chance to gain the favor of such a character. He hoped that the 23 points of Ranged Weapon Specialization experience feedback from the yer mission would give him a hand... Bai E held his breath, drew the bow, and notched an arrow as he pulled the bowstring taut. Yue Ying stood silently on the side, watching Bai E''s actions, expressionless and silent. With 13 points of Physical Strength, Bai E could barely draw the sturdy bow. His attributes were likely around this mark. He could manage to draw it, but the consequence of doing it with difficulty was his arm muscles trembling,cking sufficient control over the entire bow. In this state, hitting a target 50 meters away was probably not even possible... "Whiz~" "Thud!" "..." Hit...hit it? Although far from the bullseye, it still stuck in the edge of the ten rings on the target. Picked up the skill unexpectedly quickly? This recruit has appeared before her numerous times, so he supposedly hadn''t arranged for any private bow practice. Or was it just luck? Her expectations for humans were low, but even for beginners, hitting one or two shots out of ten was possible. Seeing Bai E looking over, Yue Ying slightly lifted her chin, "Shoot a few more times." "Oh~" Bai E obediently responded and drew the bow to notch another arrow. "Whiz~Thud!" A shadow shed, and the arrow flew like a dragon! The muffled sound of hitting the target echoed. [Sessfully hit the target, but far from the center, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +0.] "..." Didn''t gain again. Is training this thing that tough? Bai E nced at the ck garment fluttering to the side¡ªno reaction. Continue! "Whiz~Thud!" "Whiz~Thud!" +0 +1 +0 ... Damn it! There''s no chance of improvement at all! With his eyebrows tightly knitted, Bai E held the arrow and wondered how to unlock level 1 specialization with the situation at hand. He had so much experience on him, but without at least a level 1 specialization, he couldn''t add any points¡­ What should he do? Seeing Bai E, who seemed to be pondering over techniques, from behind, Yue Ying was trembling with excitement. In their Elf Race, every outstanding apprentice brought genuine pleasure and satisfaction to their teacher. Not to mention the number of rings, at least every arrow hit the target. Is this the level of a beginner? This talent is amazing! Soon realizing that her emotions were getting a bit too sensitive, she quickly suppressed her excitement. Bai E''s shooting continued. +0 +0 +0 ¡­ After another arrow hit the edge of the target, Bai E turned around and actively looked at Yue Ying, "My lord¡­" "You can call me Yue Ying." After watching a few more arrows and feeling a bit disappointed¡ªstarting at the peak, hardly any progress was visible, she had been happy too early¡­ "Lord Yue Ying¡­" Bai E scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I feel like there''s something wrong with my posture. I can''t shoot urately. Would you mind teaching me the correct way to shoot?" This can''t go on. Bai E felt like he could hear the countdown to the mission''s end ticking away right beside his ear. Missions without a specified time limit were even more nerve-wracking. The caprice of this Elfdy could end at any moment, and he couldn''t afford to waste any more time. If an instructor could open a teaching session for him and he could do the same for other yers, then surely this Elfdy should be able to open one as well, right? Bai E decided to take the initiative! "Oh~" Yue Ying sounded a bit dazed with her response but didn''t refuse Bai E''s request. Coming to teach something to this soldier numbered 95B27 was a whim of hers. Having witnessed this artificial warrior''s sincerity on the battlefield several times, she felt an impulse to do something for him. And now, encountering the rare opportunity when he seemed to have nothing else to do, she decided to fulfill a small wish of hers. She had no idea when she would leave, but since she decided to teach, she might as well do as he asked, "I''ll try to slow down. Pay attention and watch." In her opinion, whether it''s swords, spears, clubs, bows, axes, the works, they''re all just toys you get the hang of as soon as you pick them up. She had never taught anyone, not even in her race... so she had no experience. The asional guidance was more akin to that time she showed 40 artificial soldiers how to use a sword inbat. Even without Bai E mentioning it, she only had this method for teaching archery, but it seemed Bai E was even more anxious. Well then, it''s up to you toprehend it now. Yue Ying breathed calmly, her movements to nock the arrow exaggerated. She was trying to manifest all the adjustments to her body''s state as clearly as possible on the outside. Archery is not just the work of both arms¡ªcooperation between all parts of the body is necessary to shoot the arrow faster and more urately! "Watch carefully." Just before releasing the arrow, Yue Ying reminded him again. "Whoosh!" The arrow shot out like lightning, striking the center of the target at 50 meters with precision. [You are observing a master''s archery demonstration; if you have an epiphany¡­] [Teaching: Sensing the opponent''s professional specialization, you decide to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) to learn the corresponding skill. (Exchange ratio: 2 points ofbat/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of corresponding specialized experience.)] Exchange, exchange! Bai E couldn''t wait. [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in learning, converting to 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience.] [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience¡­] "Did you understand?" Yue Ying looked at Bai E. Bai E blinked innocently, looking somewhat helpless, "Could you demonstrate a few more times?" Yue Ying''s brow furrowed slightly, but she didn''t say much and began to demonstrate again. [Do you wish to pay¡­] Cut the crap! Exchange, exchange! Exchange it all! I''m dying of impatience! ¡­ After a few more demonstrations, Yue Ying stopped. For her, those with enough talent could grasp the essence after watching three or two times. Those without enough talent could watch a hundred times, and it would still be useless. "Just watching my demonstration won''t bring much improvement. Ultimately, you have to do it yourself to see any effect. You try again now..." Chapter 87: 087 Clue Quality Improvement Yue Ying stepped back two paces, leaving the stage to Bai E. "..." Bai E stepped forward. There was a bit of pressure, but it was manageable. Originally at 23 mastery experience points, he had obtained 1 point through his own diligent practice, and the remaining 76 points depended entirely on cheating. He had spent a total of 160bat experience points to directly upgrade his Ranged Weapon Specialization to level 1 through the Teaching Bureau. [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience 104/100, "Level 1 Ranged Weapon Specialization" learned, with 1 Quiescent Point simultaneously obtained.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 1): +5% Shooting uracy, +3% Firing Rate, +100 meters Range.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience 4/300, reach 300 points to master "Level 2 Ranged Weapon Specialization".] His abilities became more professional, and with the formidable power added through specialization directly oveid on the motor neurons of his body, Bai E''s every move seemed identical to the standard maneuvers Yue Ying had just demonstrated. The two shadows interweaved and ultimately merged into one. Finger rxed, arrow released. "Thud!" At the red-dotted center of the target, the lightweight steel arrow shaft kept quivering. [Sessfully hit the target center, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +3.] "..." Yue Ying''s brows, hidden beneath the hood, suddenly twitched. What happened? Isn''t the difference from before and after a bit too great? Having only been instructed a few times, he had learned this fast? "Shoot two more times." [Side Quest ¡ª Yue Ying''s Approval, countdown extended.] Hearing the prompt, Bai E breathed a sigh of relief. Not bad, the life extension worked. Without wasting time, Bai E continued to execute the most standard shooting motions meticulously. The lessons learned had taught him a rule of this world ¡ª any insincerity in action would only yield perfunctory results. "Thud~" [Sessfully hit the target, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +2.] "Thud~" [Sessfully hit the target, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +2.] "..." He didn''t hit the bullseye again, but the deviation wasn''t too far. Bai E carefully watched the still, ck-robed figure, whose face was partially obscured under the hood, its expression unseen. Wondering what she was thinking... Is this considered up to par? [Was my teaching talent really that remarkable?] Yue Ying felt very pleased inside, having found sufficient confidence from this human warrior with the number 95B27. "Then let''s continue... this time, we will advance a step further." [Prompt: Current "Side Quest ¡ª Yue Ying''s Approval" has been preliminarilypleted. You may refuse at any time to receive the quest reward.] [Current quest reward: Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Grey)] [Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Grey): You have attained the initial goodwill of the Elf Race''s Yue Ying. By showing more of your excellent skills, there''s a very small chance of obtaining the knowledge of the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her.] What Elf girl conquest? Bai E didn''t hesitate. Continue, continue! "100 meters?" The increase in distance was undeniably the simplest form of making it more challenging. "No." Yue Ying shook her head slightly, "Given that you could make a handgun shoot in an arc, you must have some insight in this area. Watch closely..." "..." Watching her turn around to seriously begin drawing the bow and nocking the arrow, Bai E felt a bit like crying without tears. Have you misunderstood something? Is that really an upgrade in difficulty? Is it that you don''t know how to teach, or do you have too much confidence in me? "I''m about to shoot." [The target technique is exquisite, continuing to learn may yield unexpected rewards.] ``` Hmm? Bai E blinked in surprise, subconsciously making a decision to agree. The arrows, like swimming fish, deftly skirted the first target in line, urately striking the bullseye of the second. [You have spent 10bat experience points in learning, which were converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (A very small probability of awakening a special attribute.)] ? What is this? A small probability of awakening... a special attribute? Hmm, there''s also a "very". The same teaching scenario... A recent event suddenly came to mind, and Bai E had an epiphany. Last time he held a teaching session for yers, he found it odd how some of them, so foolishly, took lessons at a 2-to-1 ratio of loss, giving him an extra dose of experience. Now it seemed not that they were foolish, but that they were gambling. There were no foolish yers, only those who, even with a one in a thousand chance, would believe they were the chosen ones. Otherwise, what would those gacha games earn from? Gamblers! All of them gamblers! Fortunately, he was one too... Saving up so much experience had indeed been a wise choice. Learn! Learn fiercely from Yue Ying! The loss of experience at a 2-to-1 ratio meant nothing when that lost experience was equivalent to unlocking special attributes avable only after reaching level 4 specialization. Whether it was a loss or gain was hard to say. But as long as he could learn that special attribute, he could then teach it to the yers. What he lost, he could always recoup from others. Not only would he not be at a loss, but he might even profit from it. He was the middleman, making a killing on the margin! Not to mention, "Yue Ying''s Approval" the side quest just required breaking more of Yue Ying''s expectations and earning her admiration, so what if he threw all he had at her? "Did you see clearly?" Yue Ying asked considerately after noticing the sh in Bai E''s eyes, as if he was recalling techniques in his mind. Bai E blinked and said, "Could you shoot a few more times? This is kind of difficult..." Previously moved by her own talents in teaching, Yue Ying didn''t hesitate to ept, "No problem, you can perform the movements with me in real time to adjust better, you may progress faster that way." "Great!" "Whoosh~" "Whoosh~" "Whoosh~" The arrows, like swimming fish, freely circled around the targets, and like sharks smelling blood, ferociously collided with the target in the back. [You have spent 10bat experience points in learning, which were converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (A very small probability of awakening a special attribute.)] ... [You have spent 10bat experience points in learning, which were converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (A small probability of awakening a special attribute.)] It seemed there was a hidden mechanism of cumtive proficiency in the teaching scenario, with the probability description changing after multiple learning sessions. Bai E felt exhrated. Keep throwing in! [You have spent 10bat experience points in learning, which were converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience.] [Your prolonged learning has allowed you to absorb enough experience from the master''s performance. Your specialization skill¡ªRanged Weapon Specialization¡ªhas gained a new "special" attribute bonus!] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 1): Shooting uracy +5%, firing speed +3%, range +100 meters, parabolic shot (special) +2%.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery experience 271/300, you can master "Level 2 Ranged Weapon Specialization" when full at 300 points.] "Whoosh~" The arrow pierced through the air resistance, its sleek shaft flexing with sticity, lightly grazing past obstacles, and thrusting straight into the second target! "Thud!" [Arc shot triggered! Sessfully hit the target behind an obstacle, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +5.] A peripheral vision shed across the screen, nerves rapidly reacting, Yue Ying shuddered, and suddenly looked over. Sess? [Luck Strike energy +1] Bai E, calmly focusing within, showed not the slightest excitement. [Current mission reward: Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: White)] [Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: White): You have gained further favor from the Elf Race''s Yue Ying, showing more of your excellent talents, there''s a slight chance of acquiring the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her.] [Continuing to challenge higher difficulties could lead to disappointment from the target, thus lowering the quality of the clue. Will you decide to quit while you''re ahead? Or perhaps...] ``` Chapter 88: 088 Scattering Give up? Impossible. What I, as a man, am all about is betting like a mad dog! In total, the two learning sessions cost me just 680 points ofbat experience, which is negligiblepared to what I have in store. Keep going! Bai E looked at Yue Ying, "Yue Ying, I want to learn more advanced techniques." "No problem!" Yue Ying felt greatly pleased inside, her teaching talent unmatched, and this human''sprehension was also quite eptable. An eager teacher and a willing student, where could one find such a coincidence in the world? "The difficulty of multiple arc shots is a bit higher. Once you''ve mastered the single arc, you''ll graduallye to understand it yourself. Now, I''ll teach you another technique." Scatter Shot! Yue Ying drew her bow and notched an arrow, her delicate palm grasping ten arrows at once. "Gulp!" Bai E''s eyes went wide, ten arrows? She wouldn''t be thinking of shooting all ten arrows at once, would she? "Bang!" Yue Ying didn''t give Bai E more time to react. The bowstring vibrated the air, echoing resonantly. The ten arrows shot out, amazingly hitting ten different targets! On closer inspection, each arrow had prated the wood by three inches, with ample force. "..." Is this really something humans can learn? Bai E''s gaze shifted to Yue Ying''s small hand holding the bow, feeling that what limited the number of Scatter Shots wasn''t strength, but... her hands were too small. [You have paid 10 points ofbat experience in learning, converted to 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Mastery" experience. (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] As Yue Ying looked over, Bai E blinked, "Could you demonstrate it two more times?" A nod from under the hood, "Okay." Bai E hastily splurged more experience. Learn! Learn fiercely! [You have paid 50 points ofbat experience in learning, converted to 25 points of "Ranged Weapon Mastery" experience. (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] (Stackable) [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery experience 306/300, "Level 2 Ranged Weapon Specialization" has been learned, with 1tent point acquired.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 2): Shooting uracy +8%, shooting speed +5%, range +200 meters, Arc Shot (Special) +4%.] A prompt sounded quietly. The special attribute hadn''t been learned yet, but the specialization level was upgraded first. And... Arc Shot +4%? If he remembered correctly, the Arc Shot was +2% at level 1. Does that mean the effect of the special attribute improves along with the specialization level? Bai E''s gaze became somewhat unfocused, realizing that there were many unknowns in the world yet to be discovered. Was there such a good thing? Did that not mean that the earlier the special attribute was unlocked, the higher the bonus it would provide at the same specialization level? Waiting to naturally unlock the special attribute bonuses at specialization level 4 would certainly save experience, but in the long run, it would unquestionably be a weakening to one''s personal strength. The guidance of a great master indeed had its advantages! Yue Ying unstrung her bow, looking at Bai E, who seemed to be pondering while learning, "You try it as well, start with just two arrows for your training, no need to aim too high too soon." "Um..." Bai E nodded his head, not so presumptuous to directly go for ten arrows. In fact, up to now, he still didn''t understand how Yue Ying''s five fingers were able to hold ten arrows... Positioning two arrows between the index and ring fingers on top of the bowstring, Bai E held the longbow horizontally and pulled back the string. Knowing that the special attribute developed along with the specialization level, his interest grew even more. Indeed, using experience points directly to upgrade was more of a loss; what''s missed can''t be regained, and he should be more attentive in the future. With the bowstring trembling slightly in hand, Bai E tried to control the direction of the arrows'' impacts, which was of course very challenging. Without the empowering infusion of the system''s might, naturally one arrow veered off course, and the other one did too... "..." "Don''t be disheartened," Yue Ying''s voice was calm. Bai E''s performance had been quite satisfactory just now, so now she had even more patience. "Yes..." Bai E hesitated, "Could you demonstrate the two-arrow shot a few more times? I can''t see clearly with ten arrows at once." "...No problem, practice with me," Yue Ying agreed very readily. "Notch the arrow." [You have paid 10 points ofbat experience in learning... (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] "Draw the bow." [You have paid 10 points ofbat experience in learning... (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] "Aim." [...(tiny)] "Shoot!" [...(tiny)] Tiny... tiny... tiny... tiny... The difficulty of scattering shots was a level higher than that of arcing shots, perhaps because Bai E had a certain foundation in arcing fire which made scatter shooting seem much more challenging. [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in your learning...(tiny chance of awakening special attributes.)] Bai E asionally nced at Yue Ying''s delicate figure wielding the bow and had some sneers in his heart. To say it''s a demonstration, it really was just a demonstration. It could only be me. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn''t even be able to learn arcing shots... [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in your learning...(small chance of awakening special attributes.)] Hm? Bai E''s spirits lifted; atst, he was making progress. Drawing the bow, nocking the arrow..."Whoosh!" "Thunk!" After the dull impact, a scraping sound followed. One arrow hit the second ring on the target, another grazed the edge of the target and whizzed off, skimming the ground. Finally, some progress... The eyes of Yue Ying, who had been losing interest, lit up again. We''ve been practicing for at least ten minutes! The slightly invigorated Yue Ying regained some vitality, and her demonstration movements became more standardized. [You have spent 230 points ofbat experience in your learning...(small chance of awakening special attributes.)](umted) ... [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience, which has been converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Proficiency" experience.] [Long-term learning has provided you with sufficient experience from the master''s performance, and your specialization ability¡ªRanged Weapon Specialization, has gained a new "special" attribute boost!] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 2): Shooting uracy +8%, shooting speed +3%, range +200 meters, arching (special) +4%, scatter shot level (special) +1.] [Scatter shot (Level 1): Double shot sess rate +50%, triple shot sess rate +5%, quadruple shot sess rate +0.1%.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery experience 426/500, mastering "Level 3 Ranged Weapon Specialization" at 500 points.] It was a bit risky, but fortunately, the special attribute was sessfully activated before reaching level 3 specialization; otherwise, he would have missed the chance for a simultaneous upgrade from level 2 to level 3. I wonder if this world has any reset potions... I''m going to spend some money to reset my firearm shooting skills! Bai E breathed a sigh of relief and once again steadied his fingers holding two arrows, as firm as Mount Tai. His gaze simultaneously locked onto two targets, sharp as an eagle. "Whoosh!" "Thunk!" The noise made by the two arrows was almost entirely ovepping; one hit dead center, the other the second ring! [Triggered Scatter Shot (Dual Shot)! Sessfully hit two targets at the same time, Ranged Weapon Proficiency experience +7.] "Well done." Yue Ying was pleased in her heart. Finally learned it! "Scatter shooting and arching both require you to practice slowly. Once familiar, you can evenbine the two. Next..." [Current mission reward: Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Green)] [Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Green): You have gained the distinct favor of Yue Ying of the Elf Race by showing more of your excellent talents, and you have a certain chance to obtain the method of the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her.] [Target''s favorability is already over the line; one or two failures will no longer disappoint them. Currently, you have an opportunity to retain the mission''s progress...] "Yue Ying..." Yue Ying didn''t give Bai E a chance to speak, "The technique I''m about to show you might be beyond your grasp for now. I''m only demonstrating a few times to give you a goal; you can practice on your own as well." Steady the wind! [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in your learning...(tiny chance of awakening special attributes)] [Reminder: Your current "Physical" attribute is unlikely to support the awakening of this special attribute; the chance is minuscule, please make your decision wisely.] "..." Bai E quickly called a halt, "Yue Ying, the shooting technique you just demonstrated seems to require superior physical abilities." "You actually noticed?" Yue Ying was somewhat surprised. She didn''t expect that just one demonstration would reveal such sharp insight from this warrior. "Actually, there''s not no chance. Skill can make up for ack of physical strength to a certain extent." Like herself... with a physical strength level of 13, she could still perform the same archery skills. [You think everyone is like you?] Bai E, keeping a serious face, said meticulously, "I might not be able to achieve that level of skill." To have that kind of self-awareness was also quite good. Yue Ying nodded in silent satisfaction, "Alright then,e find me when you feel that your physical strength has improved sufficiently." [Side mission¡ªYue Ying''s Approval, progress has been retained.] Chapter 89: 089 Management Studies+1 Bai E had just bid farewell to Yue Ying when he once again received a long-absent message. [Feedback from the assignment: Your technology¡ªManagement+1.] Ever since the new tasks were assigned, the yers had been quiet for a long time. I let you go investigate, and all I added was a bit of insight, stealth, and ranged weapon abilities. It''s not that I''m entirely unsatisfied, just a little dissatisfied. As for not cutting trees but burning cement... Ha! No movement. Don''t you have to find limestone and y to make cement? Don''t you need to add a bit of insight for map exploration? Don''t you have to fight some enemies when you encounter them? Don''t you need some professional skills and physical strength to mine ore? Don''t you have to drive or carry the mined resources back on your shoulders? All of these are fresh fields, and fresh fields are where people''s abilities are more easily honed. After all that effort, all I got was a Management+1? Let me see what this Management+1 is good for... [Management+1: You can now govern arger poption, assignment posting qualification+1.] "emmmm¡­" Seems like it''s not entirely useless. Well done! ¡­ "Kill him! That nasty brat dares to steal our boss''s stuff!" "Doesn''t he know that even a single ck coin dropped on ck Street should bear the name Jonathan?" In a corner where the sunlight couldn''t reach, a few thin and wildly dressed men were punching and kicking a small figure. The small fellow could only hug his head as tightly as possible, stubbornly clinging to a twisted, yellowed book in his arms. Passing by the corner, a figure suddenly paused, retracing the two steps she had already taken. A gentle female voice mockingly asked, "Who are you bullying this time, tormenting some poor creature?" ? The ruffians, upon hearing the woman''s voice, paused, subconsciously stopping their assault. The bearded man in the crowd, who hadn''tid a hand but merely stood by with his arms crossed, greedily swept his gaze over Gong Yan''s somewhat spicy figure, "Little girl, this has nothing to do with you, I advise you to mind your own business." Jonathan knew this young woman who looked like she had Dragon Country blood, who the night beforest had settled the chaos caused by who knows whom - it was her who had cleaned up the mess. She had saved quite a few ck Street residents that night, so this little girl had some temporary respect in this area of ck Street. If he went after her directly, he didn''t know whether it would arouse public anger or be met with indifference, but it was certainly a risky move. Besides, this girl was a neer, popping up only in recent days, and she was either an outsider Wanderer or someone from the inner city, mysterious at best and to be avoided. Gong Yan giggled, as if not taking him seriously at all, instead only looking at the boy on the ground... or rather, the yer with a seemingly fragile appearance who lifted his head as the hooligans ceased their beating. If it were a normal poor inhabitant of ck Street, their eyes wouldn''t be so bright after a gang beating, filled with excitement and vivacity when looking at her. The beatings of those hooligans were not without damage, but for the yers, whether it was physical harm or negative states like fatigue, what they felt was often an indescribable sense of pleasure. This caused them to not fear getting hurt or tired, to the point of actively seeking trouble. Gong Yan''s eyes briefly caught the book clutched tightly in the yer''s arms, and she understood that perhaps he had spotted some remarkable treasure. A treasure, huh... finders keepers. Even if it wasn''t of use, just looking at it was enough, satisfying curiosity was still a must. Her right hand already quietly released the safety on her handgun behind her, Gong Yan looked up with a smile, "How about you let him go? He''s my friend." "Friend? Your friend sure has sticky fingers." "Click!" The figure cocking the bullet emerged from behind, Jonathan''s bearded face more shamelessly smirking, "I told you to leave and you didn''t listen. What? You think I wouldn''t dare touch you?" A cold voice emerged from behind, "Move forward! Don''t make trouble." Gong Yan slightly turned her face, seeing the dark muzzle of a gun pointed at her from behind. [There are aplices¡­] The plot thickens... After a moment''s hesitation, Gong Yan chose not to act and obediently walked forward as instructed. A game, huh... let''s see how many ways this could unfold. As she moved closer, Jonathan''s greedy eyes swept up and down Gong Yan''s pretty figure. This woman''s looks weren''t the most stunning, but her skin glowed with a maic sheen, frequently adorned with a flush of desire, clearly not of the same caliber as those scrawny women on ck Street. He yed around in the outer city''s underground, and no one would know it was his doing. "Now you can''t get away..." "Are you sure you dare to touch me?" Despite being at a disadvantage, Gong Yan still stared into the other''s eyes, her smile lush to the point of decadence. Jonathan twitched his eyebrows, "Oh? Got any big secrets? Let''s hear them." "You want me to tell you? Can''t you find out yourself?" "Find out?" Jonathan sneered coldly, "I know you''ve been asking around about limestone, y, and all that stuff the past few days... what? Are the city''s bigwigs nning to build a high wall here too? Surely they wouldn''t be so clueless as to not know where to get that stuff and have to ask us poor sods, right?" Gong Yan''s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze filled with unstoppable disappointment, "I thought there would be a few smart people around here..." "Oh?" Jonathan let out a light sound of surprise, still looking wicked on the surface, but his smile was slightly stiff, betraying his inner uncertainty. "I was just waiting, but I didn''t expect the first one toe up..." Gong Yan smiled sweetly, "...would be an idiot like you." The underling behind Jonathan, upon receiving a look from him, pressed his gun muzzle forward and threatened coldly, "Speak respectfully!" "Respectfully... respectably and you''ll have nowhere to run." Jonathan instantly showed evident apprehension, his voice trembling as he asked, "Are you with the Heretical Arbitration House?!" "..." Seeing Jonathan''s sudden change of expression, the male yer pinned to the ground was visibly anxious, wanting to speak up as a reminder, yet hesitantly mped his mouth shut. To remind was to expose. [The acting is too dramatic.] Gong Yanughed even more joyously, genuinely, "Do you have a pig''s brain or something? How could you associate me with those kinds of people? Hahaha~" Whileughing, Gong Yan reached into her bag to take something out, "Here''s a hint for you, you''re really too... dumb... hahaha~" A single... bullet. Jonathan carefully took the bullet, scrutinized it close up, and then, his gaze toward Gong Yan finally filled with genuine dread. The standardized industry process, definitely not something ordinary people could get their hands on. His gaze drifted off into the distance, "Are you really from there?" There were indeed people who kept a trade rtionship with some on ck Street, so every once in a while whispers about that ce would emerge in the district. But... "How can you prove it?" Gong Yan raised her eyebrows, "You know what the objective of their full deployment yesterday was?" Jonathan asked in a deep voice, "What was it?" The military''s big movement certainly couldn''t be hidden from everyone, but as ordinary citizens, they could barely know the rough direction the military headed, let alone the specifics of what they did. Those bold enough to pry would have grass growing over their graves two meters tall. Gong Yan stared into the other''s eyes, enunciating every word, filled with murderous intent, "ckrock ins, purging the Bug Race''s hive." When she wasn''tughing, her eyes were like knives, as if the military''s target wasn''t a bug hive... but him. [She got backst evening, the news will spread by tonight or tomorrow at thetest, she wouldn''t dare lie about this.] Jonathan turned thoughts over in his mind¡ª So, did a big shot from the military district want a new partner, or was there some other idea in y? Damn, my brain''s not up to speed... But what is certain, this person cannot be touched. "So, you released the news deliberately, just waiting for a partner toe to you?" Gong Yan tilted her head to one side, showing a satisfied look for the first time, "Finally figured it out?" Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin Jonathan kicked at Gong Yan''s inattentive underling behind her, "Impudent! Who allowed you to point a gun at an adult!? And you guys,e on! Help our brother up!" After resolutely taking a stand, Jonathan put on a shameless face and drew close to Gong Yan, "Milord, any insider information you could... leak a little bit?" Gong Yan raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn''t be showing up here for no reason." "Milord, you mean..." "We need to set up a warehouse in a hidden ce to store some stuff, but..." "Secrecy! I understand!" Jonathan swore with his hand up, his expression excited, "I know the rules!" Saying so, he scanned his underlings around him, "You all heard, if anyone leaks the news, I''ll shoot him dead! So I don''t know..." "First prepare about 100 kilograms of cement, let''s see what you''re capable of." "Right away, Milord! No problem, Milord! Milord, please proceed!" [You havepleted a perfect act of intimidation, Management +2.] [Management +2: You can now take on moremissions,mission eptance qualification +2; at the same time, you have a unique advantage in influence management and partial tech research.] Chapter 90: 090 Realistic Physics Engine "Sis, you''re so awesome, you had them going in circles, haha... I was even worried for you just now." Gong Yan''s eyes lifted slightly, "Who said I was deceiving them?" The skinny yer blinked in bewilderment, "Huh?" "Basically everything was true..." Except for the bit about deliberately fishing for information, which was an impromptu fabrication, the rest was essentially true. Plus, it looks like NPCs can be deceived too~ This game just got a lot more interesting... Gong Yan''s eyes darted gracefully,nding on the book in the boy''s arms. "What''s your name?" "Wen Jie... Zhou Wenjie." "ying by yourself? Stealing things without even having someone to cover for you." "Haha~ I didn''t expect to get caught so easily, I thought they wouldn''t care about this sort of thing..." "What kind of treasure is it? You almost got killed over it." "Just a book..." Zhou Wenjie openly showed it. The book''s cover was curled and yellowed, covered in years of umted dust and some visible grease stains that couldn''t be wiped off. There was an indentation in the center that caused the first few pages to be somewhat torn and missing. Apart from that, the book was still fairly intact. Gong Yan saw the two big characters on the cover ¡ª"Mathematics". "A book?" "Yeah!" Zhou Wenjie''s face turned red with excitement as he talked about his field of interest, "Did you know? This game world has the most realistic physics engine, all the fundamentalws here arepletely different from our world! And it can even run wlessly, with coherent logic. Do you know how much energy is needed to achieve this level of realism? It''s an unimaginable miracle in our field ofputer science! It''s like starting a whole new era! Only a creator god could achieve this feat. Haha! To the people of this world, the developers who made this game are gods! The gods of creation!" The boy rambled on, oblivious to whether or not his topic was of interest to anyone else. "Oh?" Gong Yan just listened with a smile, walked to a deserted wilderness, even found a fallen tree trunk to sit onfortably, and stretched out her hand to the boy, "Can I take a look?" "Oh oh, here you go." Gong Yan opened the cover, and the table of contents disyed the actual content of the book. Basic mathematical theorems... Basic physicsws... As the pages softly turned, Gong Yan''s movements were extremely gentle. Zhou Wenjie''s initially excited demeanor quieted down as he watched the side of Gong Yan''s face turning pages quietly. Brushing a stray lock of hair from her ear, Gong Yan turned her curious gaze towards Zhou Wenjie, "Why did you stop talking? I''m listening. What made you think of stealing this?" "Oh oh~ It''s so fun!" Zhou Wenjie''s excitement returned, "Don''t you think this is fun? A brand new world, brand newws of physics, I can''t imagine how the production team came up with all this! I can study it too!" "You''re researching this world?" Gong Yan''s eyes lit up, with a hint of awe-inspired admiration, "That''s a great idea." "Not really..." Zhou Wenjie scratched his head sheepishly, "I just think it''s fun, and if I can learn the rules of this world, maybe I''ll have a chance to join the production team! Creating a world, you know? That''s too cool!" Gong Yan paused in flipping the pages, pointing at a line on the page, she asked with some curiosity, "But can math...be different as well?" "The basics of mathematics remain the same, 1+1=2, 1+2=3... But you know the simple Pythagorean theorem, right? In this world, it''s not! Here, it''s the square of the hypotenuse equals 4.90934143088 times the square of one of the other sides!" "That sounds way tooplicated..." "Yeah... way tooplicated." ... Below the dugout hole, Kuang Xin and Dai Lian were looking at a piece of wood that was obviously longer than expected, a bit vexed as they tried to fit three pieces of wood to form a frame. "Did we calcte it wrong?" "The sum of squares of the legs of a right triangle, when square rooted, gives the length of the hypotenuse¡­" Dai Lian was desperately trying to recall what he had learned in middle school, "There''s nothing wrong with it, so why is it still too long?" "Did you measure it incorrectly?" Kuang Xin shifted his gaze to the corner, "Could it also be that the angle we dug isn''t straight enough?" As the hole got bigger and bigger, they had to set up some supports to prevent a copse. Since they needed supports, triangles were undoubtedly the most stable shape. The two old men turned out all themon knowledge they had for this life, just toplete this task. But¡­ "Why doesn''t anything match up properly?" Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin "You didn''t measure it wrong." An unexpected voice suddenly sounded from the entrance of the hole. Kuang Xin, looking up, was startled, "Who are you?" Zhou Wenjie continued to descend thedder, engrossed in his own thoughts, "It''s not your fault, it''s the world''s fault." He instinctively reached to push up his sses only to remember that in this world, there were no sses, "The people in this world have determined through measurement and calction that the sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle equals the hypotenuse raised to the power of 2.023, not simply squared. A miss by an inch leads to a failure by a mile." "But, who exactly are you?" "A new friend," Gong Yan followed down thedder, "I saw him being bullied by an NPC on ck Street earlier, so I helped him out¡­" [Still so kind-hearted¡­] Looking at Gong Yan as she slowly climbed down, Dai Lian''s eyes were gentle, "How''s the cement situation looking?" "There''s a bit of a clue, but we''ll have to wait and see¡­ How about you guys? Why didn''t you go to the sewers?" Kuang Xin waved his hand dismissively, "Don''t mention it, there are too many rats and they''re too troublesome. We''ve set a sky in the sewers, and the two from Heretical Arbitration House won''t be able to do anything in a short time, let alone us. However, it''s kind of fun to practice our skills while we''re at it..." Dai Lian gave him a sidelong nce, somewhat speechless. That''s how the average yers are; even if they can''tplete a task, they take the setbacks and challenges they encounter during the task as fun. But it was true, the past two days they had been running back and forth, digging here, sneaking there. And they were quite enjoying themselves¡­ "Oh, I need to log off," Kuang Xin said with a cheery smile, listening to some prompt. "Time to log off¡­" Getting up from the gaming pod, Kuang Xin recalled the game content from his dream, with the most amusing part being¡ª The sum of the squares of the legs equals to the hypotenuse to the power of 2.023? How strange, how could there be such aplex constant in the world? "Di-di~" The phone by his side suddenly lit up, and upon opening it, there was a message from a vaguely familiar ID in the gaming group: Xu Ruoguang: "Guys, if you know the circumference of a circle, how do you find the diameter?" Kuang Xin snorted withughter. Does this even need to be asked? "@Xu Ruoguang, the circumference divided by ¦Ð gives you the diameter, man. Did you return all your middle school knowledge to your teacher or something?" Xu Ruoguang: "So, what''s ¦Ð?" "¦Ð?" Kuang Xin burst outughing. "¦Ð is, of course, 3." So seriously, how could there be such a weird constant like 2.023 in the world? Chapter 91: 091 Advanced Physical Fitness Training [Feedback from themission: your physical strength +0.2, insight +0.1, reflex +0.1.] (Stacked) [Feedback from themission: stealth experience +12.] [Feedback from themission: remote weapons mastery experience +10.] A day of rest passed in the blink of an eye, and the tense and exciting training came again. The warm morning sunlight was heartwarming, and Bai E woke up to the mission feedback in a good mood. Regarding the cement task, he didn''t know what shortcuts those yers had taken, and then thebat-type investigation and construction tasks, they seemed to be trying toplete meticulously. What mattered most was the repeated feedback of remote weapons mastery experience in the feedback... This meant that yers were also craving this weapon specializationtely, and when the time came for him to "cut" ...teach them, could they refuse? Any yer who knew the benefits of obtaining special attributes at a low level would definitely not refuse such a rare opportunity for them. It must be said that the diligence of the yers was moving... Is it that none of them need to log off to rest? Bai E mused in his heart. The inquiry of Tiger rang in his ears, "Are you going to train with us today, or continue with the group?" Bai E''s situation was a bit special. Generally speaking, the warriors selected for special squads are the elites among soldiers. It''s not that all abilities are maxed out, but many abilities have reached a teau. It didn''t make much sense to continue exercising, so they sought broader development. Training like physical fitness, knife skills, marksmanship, and such, Tiger and the others would still participate in, but it could take a lot of time to make further progress on top of an already high level. Even if they did make that step further, it wouldn''t bring a qualitative improvement. 1+1 is doubling, but 10+1 is just a 10% increase. However, if they were to learn to drive a Multi-function Infantry Vehicle or a tank, or use special weapons like a heavy machine gun or a Chainsword, the effect would be immediate, and they could y a much bigger role. Whether it''s ordinary soldiers or special squads, the military''s purpose in training everyone is not to let everyone choose their own extraordinary path but merely to mold everyone into a screw that could be moved wherever needed. Cost-effectiveness, that is the sole purpose of the soldiers'' training. So, Bai E''s training n was up for debate. As a new recruit, his training time was too short, normally three days of training wouldn''t be enough to improve a new soldier''s fundamental abilities to the bottleneck stage. But judging from his performance... even some in the special squads might not match up to him. It was probably a case of severe specialization. When ites to his own business, he had to be clear about it, so ultimately the decision fell to Bai E himself. When asked, Bai E''s eyes became slightly absent-minded, as if pondering. But in reality, he had already made up his mind. Of course... train with the group. His physical attributes might be exceptionally good among the new soldiers, but definitely inferior to the old soldiers, and Ms. Yueying''s archery was also at a bottleneck, without sufficient physical fitness he couldn''t learn more advanced techniques. Whether he could learn high-level archery determined whether he could obtain the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her. The answer was obvious. "I''ll go with the group. I feel like I still have a lot of fundamental weaknesses," he said. "That''s good; you should solidify the foundation. We''re off to train too," Tiger patted Bai E''s shoulder and walked away with the other three. Bai E''s performance on the battlefield had also stimted them; such an outstanding neer made thosefortable old-timers look bad. Bai E arrived at the training site early. Seeing Bai E appear, Wood, who had been waiting, was clearly in a good mood and took the initiative to greet him. "Your performance in the trials was not bad." The official announcement of battlefield performance, including military achievements, had not yet been made, but Bai E''s performance in the final trial for new recruits had almost spread throughout the camp and the scores had already been settled. Because of Bai E''s presence, his teaching scores had significantly improved, and there was a share for him in the medals of honor, naturally bringing joy. And even without considering the interests involved, who wouldn''t like to be friends with an excellent and non-aggressive person? "How about the trainingter?" Today was the first day of recovery training; normal new recruits were still normal new recruits. Even if they were mixed with some veterans for training, essentially everyone was still from the same pool. Apart from the new recruits who had just been born a few days ago, all older soldiers'' training was divided into two tiers, with the boundary generally set at a physical condition of 13 points. Soldiers with less than 13 points, even if they were not the most recent batch of new recruits, still had a great deal of room for physical improvement. A bunch of mediocrities pecking at each other, everyone could mingle in training together, which could also foster a sense of teamwork andpetition. However, the training for soldiers with a physical condition above 13 points was much harsher; a higher physical condition required a more intense amount of training for the potential improvement. The intensity of the training for the two tiers wasn''t on the same level¡ªif you didn''t recognize your position, you would either not improve or be worn out. Group training also required screening; with Bai E''s identity and performance being quite different, Wood was not clear about his current positioning. After listening to Wood''s exnation, Bai E nced at his own panel¡ª With a physical condition of 13.7, training with the upper tier should be no problem... "I''ll join the advanced training." "Advanced training?" Wood was taken aback, then nodded, a bit surprised but it made sense. "Indeed. Then follow me, I''ll help you arrange it." This was originally his job; thebat arrangement of new recruits who had already been organized would be somewhat disrupted, and part of his job today was to help with the transition. With Bai E in tow, Wood found a grim-faced instructor at the training field and introduced Bai E with a pat on his shoulder, "This is Bai E..." "State the number." The grim-faced instructor, with hands behind his back, interjected coldly, seeming somewhat unsociable. Wood was momentarily stunned but didn''t take it to heart, "95B27... he wants to join the advanced training, please take him under your wing." The grim-faced instructor gave Bai E a once over, "The new recruit batch from five days ago?" He had heard a bit about the rumors concerning the number 95B27, but for a new recruit just five days old to join the advanced training directly, wasn''t that... a bit overconfident? "Have you told him about our training methods?" "I''ve told him, don''t worry, he should be able to keep up." "Should?" The tone of the grim-faced instructor took on a questioning lift. Wood, upon being questioned in this way, started to feel uncertain himself. Yes... with at least a foundation of 13 points in physical conditioning, wouldn''t it be a bit far-fetched for Bai E, just five days old, to keep up? Previous performance was just that¡ªperformance. After all, he had the support of unlimited No.3 ration bars to bolster his actions, and they themselves had never experienced this, most people felt that those outstanding performances were just slightly unexpected, top-level standards. But even the top-tier newly created people couldn''t catch up with the first tier''s level in just five days. After years of umted effort, why should they lose to a few days of rapid progress? Bai E didn''t make it difficult for him and stepped forward timely, "If I get trashed, it''s my own problem; please, don''t worry, sir." The grim-faced instructor smirked, his chill evident, "Quite the bold talk... but I like it." He then tilted his head back slightly, "Fall in, I''ll be watching." "Thank you, sir!" Chapter 92: 092 Specialty - Overlimit Drive More and more soldiers were assembling, and upon seeing the unfamiliar face of Bai E, many in the original team grew curious. "Bro, new guy?" "Yeah." The woman who spoke, as majestic as Mount Tai, nced at the identity tag on Bai E''s chest¡ª "95B27?" Did that sound familiar? The female soldier furrowed her brows, silently searching her memory for the origin. Hearing the female soldier''s self-murmuring, though quiet, was still loud, a soldier next to her remembered the source of this number, "Isn''t that the big hero everyone''s been talking about thest couple of days?" The female soldier was taken aback, looking at the soldier who spoke, "What big hero?" "Him, during our retreat, he alone saved several hundred people, and those who woke up after being rescued all wanted to thank him... Wasn''t it the hot gossip yesterday? Didn''t you hear?" "Ohh~" The female soldier realized and punched Bai E in the chest, "Impressive, huh!" Bai E, caught off guard, took a half step back. His gaze toward the female soldier changed. Who would have thought that this rough-voiced, burly woman would have so much strength? A training unit starting with 13 points in physical fitness truly harbored crouching tigers and hidden dragons. "But howe I heard that 95B27 is a new soldier freshly spawned from thest batch?" someone seemed to be casually chatting with apanion, yet their voice carried straight into everyone''s ears. "New soldier? What''s wrong with a new soldier? As long as you''re brave, a new soldier can train too." "Just afraid they won''t know what''s good for them and hurt themselves, you know~" The two voices, one after the other, were full of sarcasm. Bai E''s eyes slightly twitched when he heard all this. Clearly, the term "big hero" had struck a nerve with some people. Artificial human soldiers were already fearless in the face of death, why couldn''t they have other aspirations? But... it was unpleasant to the ears. "If you can''t speak nicely, then shut your mouth." Bai E stood up straight, his face not even turning as he spoke. "..." The retort from the neer quieted the previously noisy training unit for a moment, and all the assembled soldiers involuntarily looked in Bai E''s direction, even the seemingly thick-skinned female soldier took a step back unconsciously. In the military camp, collective honor was highly valued. They were all familiarrades-in-arms, and with Bai E being new, regardless of whether he was right or wrong, he was naturally at a disadvantage due to unfamiliarity. If someone said a few words to you, you just took it, and that was that. But to dare talk back... was this looking for trouble? "Eh? Does someone seem discontent?" Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin "This new guy seems pretty gutsy..." "Gutsy or not, that''s hard to say." The drill instructor with the dark face, standing with his back to the soldiers, said nothing as he listened to themotion behind him, the corners of his lips slightly curling up. It was good to be resentful. He liked this kind of spirit. But... being resentful had to be backed by the ability to be resentful. Dignity was not something to be begged for. If you had the ability, you''d make others shut their mouths on their own. ``` Watching for the precise moment, the stern-faced instructor barked, "Attention!" The training group fell instantly silent. The instructor slowly surveyed the solemn faces of the soldiers before him, his gaze turning somewhat sorrowful as it passed over the few gaps in the ranks. With every mission, there were always soldiers losing their lives. No matter how ustomed one bes, there''s an inevitable sadness that apanies the loss ofrades... it''s uncertain when the era of sacrifice will end. Of course, new recruits continually join. 95B27 wasn''t the only new recruit to join his training group today, but without a doubt, he was the most controversial. The title of a great hero, the status of a new soldier¡­ an unknown strength. Heroes saving hundreds may be just rumors after all, and the participation wasn''t solely his; data authenticity was also uncertain. Only higher-ranking officers of two stars and above, who watched the entire situation through drone footage, were privy to the exact details, clearly unknown to their subordinate instructors and themon soldiers. No one knew what kind of strength was required to achieve all that he had. Indeed, many soldiers felt that they merelycked the ability to drive, while others thought that they only missed the support of the third feeding port, and if not for that, many could have done the same... Chavez had heard plenty of such opinions in thest couple of days. When the de doesn''t fall on one''s own head, no one knows how sharp the edge truly is. But none of that mattered. An outsider capable of stirring up the quiet pond is always a good thing. Whether the outsider smooths out his edges in the pond, or the pond itself gets blown sky-high by the neer, that was their affair. All Chavez could do was let it be. "The new soldiers might find our training methods unfamiliar, for standing here are the most exceptional in certain areas within the barracks, and so our training methods and objectives differ. Now, I will demonstrate first, and then give you 10 minutes to prepare." Chavez''s gaze swept over each soldier''s face, particrly making sure the new recruits felt the weight of his words, "Remember two key points! First, watch my movements closely and try to mimic them as much as possible! Second, choose the weight you think you can handle!" Weight training. On one side of the training group, vests and ck garments resembling wrist and ankle weights were neatly arranged; Bai E had noticed them already. Seeing the instructor donning the weights was no surprise. Chavez meticulously put on the weights and approached the familiar physical training obstacle course. The same course, but with added weights was considered advanced training? Bai E felt curious, as during his few days in the barracks, he had heard often that the higher one''s physical attributes, the harder it was to improve. As to why it was so difficult, no one could give a clear answer. The instructor began the demonstration. The same course, exaggerated movements. Like a spider, or perhaps a hunting cheetah. In Bai E''s eyes, the instructor''s movements appeared slow andborious; with each step forward on the course, it seemed like a multitude of cells in his body were burning energy just to push through it with difficulty. [You are observing a master''s demonstration of Body Refinement, should you gain any insight...] [Triggered a teaching mission¡ªAdvanced Physical Training.] [Advanced Physical Training: A higher base in physical fitness requires more intense training methods to condition the body. The instructor is demonstrating the correct way to refine oneself. Mission requirement: Mimic the instructor''s movements with apletion rate of 95% or above "multiple" times during physical endurance training 0/? Reward forpletion: The possibility of unlocking the specialization¡ªOverlimit Drive (the higher thepletion rate and the more repetitions, the higher the chance of activation). (Countdown: 56 minutes 32 seconds)] [Instruction: Feeling the professional expertise of the other party, you decide to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) in order to correct your simtion of the corresponding abilities. (Cost: 10 experience points/min)] "..." The moment the mission was triggered, Bai E''s eyes became clear and sharp. So... that''s how it is. ``` Chapter 93: 093 Beyond Cognition The instructor''s demonstrationsted a long time, and even though he tackled the physical training stations in the most energy-consuming way,pleting the entire process did not drain all of the instructor''s strength. But he clearly did not have the strength to demonstrate a second time. The instructor, still catching his breath, came to the front of everyone again and pointed to the equipment in the distance, his voice trembling slightly with loudness as he issued the order, "Everyone line up to put on your protective gear on your own, start with the lowest 30 kilograms of weight for the first attempt, and feel free to switch it out mid-way if it''s not suitable." "Yes, Sir!" "Begin!" The gear wasid out extremely tidily, separated by category. When it was Bai E''s turn, he didn''t overestimate himself. For the first contact, he chose the most conservative 30-kilogram weight as suggested by the instructor. 5 kilograms on each ankle and wrist, and a 10-kilogram vest, Bai E was meticulously putting on the gear when a voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Kid, you had some guts earlier." "?" Bai E turned his head slightly and saw a fierce-looking man with a face full of horizontal flesh. He hadn''t even turned to look at who it was when he had retaliated before, but now the person had approached him on his own. Amid the rustling sounds of donning gear, the man''s voice was still relentless. "Not talking? Got scared now?" An oue was definitely needed for the conflict between the two, and the other soldiers around, listening, could only snicker covertly, waiting to enjoy the show. The silence from 95B27 seemed like a sign of weakness, and gradually, jeers began to spur on the crowd. "Click~" About four or five seconds of silenceter, Bai E buttoned up and, for the first time, looked directly at the other person, "I don''t know why you talk so much... We all have valuable time, so if you have something to say, just say it. I''ll take it from there." "I thought you''d chickened out! Good! Very good! I won''t bully you, we''ll do it by our traditional rules," the man said as he was putting on his gear, gesturing towards a nearby area with his chin, "See that over there? There''s a target for testing strength. After the training, we rest for five minutes. Each of us goes there and throws a punch. One punch to determine the winner, the loser crawls under the other''s crotch. Got it?" Bai E stared at the man''s face and narrowed his eyes. "What? Scared again?" Shaking his head with a light sigh, Bai E replied, "I don''t like this approach, but since you insist, I can only ept." "Rookie, I like your fearlessness in not knowing your limits, but I don''t like this nauseating pretense of yours," the man challenged. "Don''t like it, then hold it in," Bai E retorted. Bai E turned and walked to the front of the physical training stations. "Inhale~Exhale~" The extra weight on his hands, feet, and body made Bai E somewhat unustomed. Standing before the station, he took a few deep breaths before starting. The full breaths made blood cirction smoother, preparing all tissues in the body to burn. "Don''t be afraid, it''s just a simple crawl, it''ll be quick," the man taunted, sticking to Bai E like a ster, and after saying his piece, he did not give Bai E a chance to retaliate, starting to move forward. During training, there wasn''t much opportunity to speak, as any improper breathing could cause injury to the body under extreme conditions. This type of experience wasmon for veterans, but naive rookies looking to regain some dignity with words during the process often received an unforgettable lesson. Tobyn had been through the same thing, always wanting to share his experiences with others. With a faint smile on his lips, Bai E just found it amusing. "Hey! Look, who''s thating over there?" Just as they were about to start officially, an exmation came from the soldiers still queuing to put on their gear. Following their gaze, a figure in a white coat was indeed strikingly conspicuous against the yellow, green, and ck primary colors of the training field. Helen? The soldiers discussed quietly. "What is she doing here?" "Do you know her?" "That''s Helen from the Scientific Research Institute. Didn''t you know that she''s the one who gave us a hard timest night? They say she loves dissecting us synthetics. Maybe she''s here to pick her target?" "To be dissected by her..." "...unbelievable." Bai E withdrew his gaze, not paying further attention. ``` After thest coborative research, he knew that he was probably a long way from being dissected. Although the schr had not given any explicit verbal assurance, her attitude suggested that she probably didn''t have any intention of dissecting him. Moreover, since she already had all his physical data, it meant that his current abilities were within her expectations. It also meant... that no matter how excellent his performance was, there should no longer be any worry about being dissected. It was a good thing. Seeing her appearance, Bai E''s mood even improved a bit. Begin, advance! Bai E crouched down, and his streamlined muscles showed an inexplicable terrifying explosive power. Like a cheetah poised to pounce, he began his intimidating pre-hunt disy at his prey. [You are usingbat experience to correct your training movements... (Cost: 10 experience/min)] [Current Simtion Completeness: 98.3%] ¡­ "Helen, this is just a normal training ground for soldiers, there''s nothing worth researching here. Perhaps you should go look somewhere else?" The officer leading Helen was sweating profusely. Helen''s fierce reputation was well known, and he was terrified that this mad scientist from the Scientific Research Institute would randomly select a "lucky" audience member for a once-in-a-lifetime scientific experience on the spot. If there were to be a live demonstration... Just the thought was frightening. Helen''s gaze shifted, giving the officer a quick up-and-down look. The officer''s hair stood on end, and he immediately fell silent. "Beep beep~" Helen reached out to touch the gold-rimmed sses resting on her eye sockets, and after a faint electronic sound, the distant scene was instantaneously magnified before her eyes. In the viewfinder, it was Bai E who was starting to move forward on the training course. Bai E was wearing only a simple tank top and shorts for easy venttion and sweat dissipation during training, his exposed skin revealingrge areas of muscle. Those smooth yet distinct muscle lines were easily visible. Watching somewhat avidly for a while, Helen blinked her eyes back to reality with satisfaction. That is how muscles should be, supple like a cheetah yet not bulky, hiding tremendous explosive power within the harmony of bones and muscle. This was a perfect work of gics, more captivating than any artwork by human masters. But like the big soldier two steps ahead of 95B27, his muscles looked as hard as stone, sinewy and bulging with veins...cking both the aesthetics of the human form and the necessary flexibility and explosive power. A failure! Helen''s delicate index finger once again swept over the bridge connecting the centers of the two lenses, and instantly, the human figures in the sses'' view shifted to disy a flowing chart of colors like deep blue, orange, and red. Thermal imaging. The focus of advanced physical training is to rapidly and thoroughly exhaust the body''s potential energy; the moreplete the consumption, the easier it is to achieve improvement after training. She had participated in and led the refinement project, so she knew the essentials better than anyone. The primary range of the big soldier''s bodily energy consumption was in his limbs and key areas such as the lumbar spine; the red imagery indicated his physical energy was burning intensely. Yet there were also areas of orange and even deep blue, representingpletely undeveloped regions, showing on many parts of his body. "Not bad..." He essentially met the requirements of advanced physical training, it seemed the instructors here in the camp were quite diligent andmitted. Turning her head slightly, her gaze returned to the figurebeled 95B27, Helen''s red lips parted in disbelief. "How is this possible..." Were the sses broken? This was the first thought that sprang to Helen''s mind. Turning her head slightly to look at the other synthetic soldiers, she found that their situations were almost identical. Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin The flowing meld of deep blue, orange, and red tones wove an energy transformation map within each of their bodies. However... shifting to 95B27¡ª Red... almost entirely red... ``` Chapter 94: 094 Experience Correction Helen''s gaze returned to the body of 95B27, only to find the energy pattern on this body almost entirely red, with the orange-yellow of medium consumption rarely visible. Limbs, waist, spine¡ªthe usual parts were one thing, but even the internal organs within the chest cavity, the nerves at the ends of various tissues and organs... It seemed they were all furiously burning themselves out. To supply this body with action, it appeared as if every single peripheral cell had its own consciousness, striving to give everything it had, burning to exhaustion, just to provide a tiny bit of strength. This... how is it possible? This isplete development, something that theoretically could only be achieved. Even as the improver of this advanced training program, Helen could hardly imagine anyone capable of reaching this step. Those instructors... even those instructors probably couldn''t achieve this level. How... did he manage it? Helen''s eyes widened, her gaze firmly locked on that climbing body, which seemed to possess an infinite magical power that captivated her entire mind. She had topletely memorize every minute detail of 95B27''s movements, which could potentially lead to unimaginable scientific breakthroughs and benefit all of humanity! ... [You are usingbat experience to correct your training movements... (Consumption: 10 points of experience/min)] [Current Simtion Completion: 110.7%] The system panel''s might constantly corrected Bai E''s movements, and it could even exceed 100%... Clearly, the instructors'' movements were just their personal interpretations, not the ultimate answer to advanced physical training. With the bolstering from experience paid, each of Bai E''s movements became the most energy-efficient. The human body''s reserve of physical strength was like a pool filled with water¡ªno matter how much water it had, it only existed quietly until it was released to influence the world. Of course, the effect of a tap''s gentle flow and the violent extraction by a water pump werepletely different. Being able to perfectly control the pace, that was the ultimate mastery over one''s body. The process of advanced physical training was essentially based on understanding and controlling the body. Movements perfectly in sync with breathing, every action following a harmonious rhythm, even the viscera, usually hard to train, received proper exercise with the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest cavity during breathing. Bai E could feel his body like seaweed in the waves, rhythmically undting wave after wave. [Current Simtion Completion: 111.2%] ... [Current Simtion Completion: 111.9%] Sweat poured down like a waterfall, the intense consumption taking away arge amount of water and heat from his body. Bai E, who initially only knew how to clumsily mimic, gradually developed his own understanding of the essentials of each movement after repeated corrections infused with experience. The innate talentbined with numerous challenges pushed him to his limits, gradually familiarizing him with the state of his body under extreme exertion. The corrections from spending experience mixed with his own intuitive insights, and for a moment, he couldn''t distinguish which one was determining his now perfect performance. [In prolonged perfect execution of extreme physical activities, you gain better coordination over your body, reflex +0.1.] [Your body feels your intense desire and rapidly converts a bit of energy from your "Action Power Reserve"; please use it wisely.] [Physical Recovery 6%, Quick Recovery (Unlocked) Progress 20%.] "Huff~" "Huff~" Bai E, already ustomed to the emergence of new strength, didn''t even let it disrupt his breathing rhythm slightly. Under the gentle sunshine, this fighter, whose stature was by no means noticeable among the warriors, gradually lost the strength to hold on with his hands. Midway down the familiar slope, the fighter with limp limbs tumbled down like a rolling gourd. "He''s down already?" "Isn''t this our great hero? Looks like his skills aren''t even half as solid as his boasting..." Some warriors who were resting halfway casuallymented, finding their sole amusement amidst the grueling training. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin Bullying the strong and oppressing the weak is the norm among many groups in the military camp. Hearing themotion, Tobyn nced back in the midst of his busy schedule and cast a brief look at the figure on the ground, lying there like sludge. "Tsk..." Is this all? He''s just a coward who knows how to talk big. The scowling instructor standing to the side and observing the status of all warriors frowned deeply, his disappointment evident. The purpose of advanced physical training indeed was to exhaust one''s strength as quickly as possible, but even among the worst-performing neers who joined the advanced training group for the first time, this one had fallen the closest to the start. Clearly, his foundation was too weak! Based on different physical fitness levels, the two phases of physical training for ordinary soldiers were indeed vastly different. The primary objective of initial physical training for new recruits favored endurance. This was because newly created artificial humans were not familiar with their bodily abilities and often expended more physical energy than necessary in their actions, an inefficient waste that didn''t much contribute to their training. Therefore, instructors always asked recruits to try to go as far as possible. Advanced physical training was different. Warriors who had reached this level often passed through long-term training and actualbat assessments, and were rtively familiar with their bodies. They rarely wasted energy significantly, so the instructor''s requirements for soldiers who could participate in advanced physical training were to exhaust their energy as quickly as possible¡ªthis also demonstrated control over their own bodies. Theoretically, rookies and experts should perform the same, but Bai E''s performance was too outrageous, with the backdrop of being less than five days old making it difficult not to associate him first and foremost with the identity of a rookie. So... A recruit who was just born less than five days ago really was too arrogant to directly join the ranks of advanced training. "Get him out of here." After giving a casual order to two soldiers assisting the training, he no longer paid much attention to this soldier brought in by his old friend, Wood. Even if it was training, advanced physical training was quite dangerous. He needed to constantly be vignt about the status of all the soldiers and be ready to implement immediate remedial measures; he couldn''t afford to focus solely on one. ... "Beep beep~" Following the faint electronic sound, Helen turned off the thermal imaging scanning feature of her sses, and the world returned to its normal appearance. With a hazy glow attaching to her eyeballs, she closed her eyes, and every single action of Bai E reyed in her mind in a 360-degree angle with no blind spots in extreme detail. Forget human memory capacity¡ª even cameras couldn''t achieve such free and meticulous observation. Spiritual Energy was the key that helped Helen aplish all this. "Breathing..." "Rhythm..." "Breath..." "Integration..." Muttering some words that were hard for others to discern, Helen suddenly opened her eyes wide and turned around to head back. She needed equipment to help record these fleeting inspirations! ... Unattended, Bai Ey alone on the ground, his long and smooth breathing following a certain rhythmic flow. [You have surpassed your own limits in intense exercise, Physical Energy +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] [Your body is desperately craving, fast recovery triggering reserve energy storage, Action Power reserves elerating transformation...] [Physical Energy Recovery 5%...] [Physical Energy Recovery 10%...] ... [Physical Energy Recovery 50%...] Chapter 95: 095 Alternating training Bai E''s frown rxed in hisa, and his face looked serene. Since his arrival in this world, he had never slept so soundly, not even on the night after returning from the great battle with the Bug Race. Exhausted, he had only slept deeply, not soundly. Anxiety constantly lingered in his heart. This was the first time he experienced sleep like that of a baby. It seemed as if countless warm currents were gushing from the ends of numerous synapses within his body, chaotically surging like uncontroble torrents, yet it was under this onught of warmth that every fiber of his muscles, down to each cell, was reborn in the flow. They were pulsating, they were rejoicing, they were... weing the return of their king. [Physical recovery 100%, Rapid Recovery (Unlocked) Unlock Progress 25%.] "Huh!" Bai E suddenly opened his eyes and sat up straight. "Ah!" Tobyn, who was nearby and uncertain whether to lean in for a kiss or punch Bai E, jerked back in rm. He had also been carried down here, just twenty-one seconds earlier. And he had specifically requested to be ced next to Bai E, just to be the first to mock him upon his awakening. As a stalwart member of this advanced training group, he had almost perfectly executed the instructor''s will, typically among the first to go down in every training session... which meant that his training oues were quite standard and outstanding. Without some skills, how could he boast and suppress the neers? Seeing Bai E awake, Tobyn''s heart leaped with joy, and he was about to press on with his mockery. But for some reason, meeting Bai E''s seemingly vacant yet tranquil eyes upon awakening stirred some trepidation. Was it apprehension? No, no, no! Tobyn immediately dismissed the thought. It must be... pity. Yes! Definitely pity. The kid must have been struck so hard that he''s dazed. Seeing everyone else persevering for so long, he who fell early must feel like aplete failure, right? Ah~ realizing his situation, he must return to where he belongs. Maybe this afternoon, we won''t see him here, or perhaps after breakfast, he''ll be gone. Truly, it''s regrettable. Finally encountering a neer with some spunk, only to see him copse in defeat. It''s a bit regrettable... Had I known, I wouldn''t have put so much pressure on him. "Hey, hey, hey?" Seeing Bai E stand up once more, Tobyn was caught off guard, "Where are you going?" Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin Bai E ignored him, knowing that the memory of thought needed repetition to deepen, so did the body. The instinctual understanding of the body that he had gained after expending 280 points ofbat experience needed to be reinforced with repeated training. After all, he couldn''t always rely on expending experience for the system to correct his movements. Only by mastering the tricks himself would he probably meet the core requirement of the teaching mission. Completing many training sessions with an extremely highpletion rate on his own, without relying on the system''s assistance, must be a requisite condition for unlocking the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive. Most importantly... the task description didn''t include an exact number; who knows how many attempts it would take to activate it? With each training session costing about three hundred points worth of experience, he couldn''t afford many attempts; quickly mastering advanced training techniques was essential. With his physical strength fully restored, he could start his second round of training immediately! As for drawing attention? If Helen from the Scientific Research Institute wasn''t even considering dissection anymore, what was there to fear? Not many retake the training stage after such a brief rest, or, to put it more urately, there was only one at the moment. The fighters queuing up to go on stage were still enduring the previous challenge; the previous group of fightersy like dead dogs, resting. Bai E''s lone figure stepping onto the initial training stage was conspicuously visible. "Sir?" Two assistants turned to the stern-faced instructor immediately for directions. Chavez looked at Bai E''s retreating back with narrowed eyes and shook his head, "Don''t bother." Was it because his earlier performance was so poor that many hidden strengths had not been excavated, or was it simply an unwillingness to admit defeat? Either way, they would find out soon enough. Lack of ability can be trained, but absence of spirit is fatal. At this moment, it seemed that this "great hero" indeed possessed a resilience uniquely his own. "Huh~" Bai E exhaled deeply, feeling as if he could sense the trajectory of oxygen-rich blood circting through his body. It was like a warm current touring through his body, bringing a surging vitality to every part. Could it be that I''ve developed Inner Strength? Bai E snorted dismissively to himself and lightly stepped onto the solid nk in front of him. This time, Bai E''s movements were even slower¡­ Without choosing to correct with experience points at the moment, relying on his own body memory to recall that feeling was not fast. Bai E needed to find that sensation of his body feeling as if it were burning fiercely in a furnace on his own. [Current simtionpletion: 89.3%] ... After just one nce, Chavez became somewhat disinterested and looked away. It wasn''t even as good as before. The "great hero" had started his first training with movements that were somewhat simr to his own. Even if the form was simr but the essence was not, after multiple trainings, he could find the right body feel through standard movements. However, now it was just like thetter part of the previous training; during the training, the "great hero''s" movements gradually deformed, and eventually, he even lost the resemnce to his own movements. Now, starting with deformed movements and likely not having much energy recovery, I''m afraid his performance was probably not as good as before¡­ Go up and correct him? Without letting them first truly experience and understand the state of their bodies, rash corrections would be difficult to ept. Those who truly wish to change can watch and learn from the other old soldiers who are also training. Training is a daily affair, not something aplished overnight. As for problems with my own movements? That''s simply impossible! ... "Squeak, squeak, squeak~~~" Bai E felt as if he could hear the creaking noises between his muscle fibers. Under high-level training, his muscles didn''t ache or swell with pain as they did during ordinary training but felt a scorching burn. This meant that his efforts were still somewhat effective. [Current simtionpletion: 90.1%] Without correcting with experience points, Bai E could only use thepletion percentage on the panel as a reference, relying on his own body memory to slowly progress through the simtion. [Current simtionpletion: 90.2%] [Current simtionpletion: 90.7%] ... Little by little, then a little more. Progress was slow, but he was slowly finding the feel. A lowerpletion rate, slower burn efficiency, allowed Bai E to go further this time. "Huh?" Chavez became a bit curious. He had made quite some improvementpared to before? Was it really because he hadn''t performed well earlier and therefore had a lot of unused energy hidden throughout his body? Seeing Bai E able to walk down from the stage on his own, there was a hint of pleasure in Chavez''s eyes. This second disy of achievement from 95B27 stood out among the new soldiers, rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn. That was more like it for the performance routine of the advanced training group~ It seemed that the "great hero''s" foundation wasn''t too bad, anding here for training wasn''t being overly presumptuous. As for earlier... perhaps it was because it was his first time participating in such training, so he was not quite ustomed to it? Thus, Chavez approached Tobyn, who was resting on the side, with a nearly motionless whisper from the lips of the ramrod-straight Chavez, "That''s about enough, don''t be too hard on the neer." "Oh~" Seeing Bai E walking back, Tobyn, having struggled to recover quite a bit of energy, walked over, "Hey! I know you''re a newbie, and I won''t bully you. I''ll give you more time to get used to our advanced physical training. When you feel you''ve adapted to this pace, we canpare then." "Whatever...." [Your body is thirsting, quickly tapping into backup energy reserves, with action power reserves elerating the conversion...] [Physical fitness recovery 10%...] The body, was getting ustomed to this rhythm¡­ Bai E sat on the ground, his body finding the feeling on its own, while he replied casually. "Hiss~" Tobyn sucked in a breath of cold air. Why was this kid''s naturally arrogant attitude so irritating? Couldn''t he just ept the offer and be done with it? Does he have to be so proud? It''s so infuriating! "Fine! Later! It''s not fair right now as I''ve had more rest time than you, let''spare after breakfastter!" "As you wish," Bai E replied, his breathing steady, as he stood up and walked away. Chapter 96: 096 Modest Success Walking towards the cafeteria, Bai E felt light on his feet, as if about to take flight, now that he had shed the training weights from his body. The high-level physical training was showing remarkable effects. Even without having acquired the specialization mentioned in the teaching task¡ªOverlimit Drive¡ªthe training had tangibly changed his body. Not all abilities were explicitly reflected on the panel. Or rather, only when such seemingly intangible changes reached a certain threshold would a specialization naturally coalesce. Apart from that, the advanced physical training had also significantly advanced the unlocking progress of his yet-to-be-revealed talents. The talent for rapid recovery and physical trainingplemented each other, achieving mutual sess. The only thing that suffered, perhaps, was his reserve of experience... One had to admit that the decision to save up experience without using it was extremely wise. Otherwise, who could withstand the expenditure of about three hundred experience points per training session? After quickly slurping down the somewhat nauseatingly delicious mush, Bai E found himself missing the variety of foods made from raw ingredients. My roasted chicken, my fried rice... No matter how delicious something is, one can grow tired of it if eaten too much, and facing this colorful glob day in and day out was nearly enough to make him sick. Time for a topped-up meal! Next time he went out, he would find a way to add one! Returning to the training ground, Bai E felt his body, now infused with the essence of food, cry out in exuberance. The training an hour before breakfast was clearly not satisfying enough; the uing two-hour session was when he would truly push his limits. Not everyone had arrived yet. But his body was already itching to move. Craving it. Couldn''t handle it! Start training! "..." The soldiers who had also arrived after breakfast and were waiting looked at the figure eagerly donning training weights as if their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. With their limited understanding, their trembling lips could find no words to properly articte their condemnation of such a person. Chavez walked back slowly, mumbling to himself in his own world. "With a neer joining, two hours might not be enough. It probably wouldn''t matter if we extended it by half an hour..." High-level physical training was different from that of new recruits; it was all about efficiency. The faster one depleted their energy, the better the training oue. Based on the average level in the troop, it took only about thirty to forty minutes to bepletely drained, but including the required rest, aiming to undergo two limit-pushing sessions in two hours was quite a rush. If soldiers were to train, they needed proper rest. Without a good condition, the subsequent practicalbat training wouldn''t be effective, right? "Hmm... Let''s just extend it by half an hour, I reckon thebat instructors will understand." Having made up his mind, Chavez only then noticed the eeriness of the silence around him. Why was it so quiet? Chavez lifted his gaze to scan his surroundings, only to find everyone silently watching in one direction. Following their gaze, he was struck by the sight of someone climbing across an obstacle course rope¡ª B27! "..." A wave of emotion welled up in Chavez''s heart, and he began to understand why Wood liked this recruit so much. Diligencepensates for weaknesses; the early bird gets the worm. Maybe his movements weren''t that standard, but his attitude was definitely top-notch in seriousness. "What are you waiting for? You want the newbie to catch up and then trample you underfoot?" Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Chavez roared furiously, and all the soldiers, whether voluntarily or not, scrambled to don their weights as if injected with adrenaline. For a moment, the air was filled with searing ferocity... Chavez, feeling somewhat guilty, walked near Bai E and looked up at him on the ropes. To stir up the troops'' passion, he had made Bai E the spark to ignite the me. Considering the potential disputes this might cause for Bai E and being swept up by emotion over reason, he decided to do what he needed to first. Whether Bai E could take the advice and act on it would be a test of his intuition. "Your posture is not quite right; it''s a bit off. Your upper arms should be more forward, and you should feel a slight tearing sensation as if the muscles are being stretched¡ªthat''s the correct way..." Chavez never thought his voice could sound so gentle. Bai E paused, nced at him, and then... continued forward. [You are payingbat experience to correct your training movements... (Cost: 10 points of experience/min)] [Current simtionpletion: 121.3%] He needed to switch between experience correction and personal memory in execution to truly ingrain the full secrets of advanced training into his body. At this time, he was paying with experience to correct every minute and every second of it, with no spare time to listen to nonsensical talk. "emmmm..." Chavez''s gaze went nk as he watched Bai E''s soles continue to move forward, recalling the look in Bai E''s eyes just now¡ª He could understand that the other party was not supposed to speak during training. But that look just now... did he listen, or did he not? Before he coulde up with an answer, Bai E, who was struggling mid-air, visibly began to tremble all over, his form swaying as if about to fall. "Hey, hey, catch him!" Two assistants sprinted wildly, sessfully offering their bodies as a cushion before Bai E hit the ground. Chavez helplessly pressed his temple, feeling somewhat distressed. This performance... was sometimes brilliant, sometimes terrible. After all, E was a new recruit and a novice to high-level training, unstable indeed. Bai E, thrown aside, breathed smoothly, his body''s muscles seemingly beginning to get used to this degree of exhaustion and recovery. The muscles twitched as if alive, pulsating with life. ... [Physical recovery 100%, rapid recovery (Locked) unlock progress 26%.] "Huff~" Bai E, who had sat up suddenly, straightened up and headed toward the course again. Chavez, who couldn''t help but nce at him from time to time, had a twitch at the corner of his eye. He recovers so quickly. "Young people are so vigorous... Is it because of the No. 3 ration bar?" He had never had the unrestricted supply of the No. 3 ration bar, so he could only specte. Once... twice... thrice... While most soldiers were still resting after their first training, Bai E had alreadypleted three extreme challenges. "Hey, hey, don''t run!" Seeing Bai E, who was about to faint, suddenly rise and attempt the course again, Tobyn with a face full of flesh quickly stopped him. If he kept training like this, he might break; they were human, not machines. "I know you want to win, but don''t rush, let''s just forget about our bet, alright? I admit you''re tough." "Ow~" Bai E paused, nearly forgetting about that matter. "Come." Bai E led the way straight to the power measuring machine, "You first or me first?" "You''re really doing this?" Tobyn followed unconsciously, his fierce countenance looking somewhat guilty now. The kid was too honest; it always felt uneasy to bully such an honest person. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed, "I''ll go first." Showcasing his strength to make the other back off was fine; seeing the gap would let him give up on his own. Moreover, since he had had more rest than Bai E, even if E lost, Tobyn could give him an out without it being too embarrassing. "Huff~" Tobyn, who had adequate rest, took a deep breath, his thigh muscles driving his hips, activating his whole body, and he threw a punch at the target. "Bang!" As soon as the punchnded, a disheartening figure appeared on the machine. 323.5 kilograms! A person''s punching power corrtes to their weight; his physique was not particrly robust, but it was obviously stronger than Bai E''s, and their fundamental strength was totally different. Not to mention, their physical attributes were not on an equal level; with more training time, his punching technique was definitely superior to Bai E''s. The contest was unfair from the start. "Even if you lose, you don''t really need to worry about it..." Tobyn was speaking when Bai E, who had stepped up to the machine, raised his hand and threw a punch. "Bang!" 323.7 kilograms! [Use of closebat attack to achieve perfect force application, hand-to-handbat mastery experience +2.] [Current hand-to-handbat mastery experience 2/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Combat Specialization."] Chapter 97: 097 Challenge [Control wasn''t restrained enough...] Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin Bai E sighed lightly in his heart. It was 0.2 kilograms too many; he had hoped for just an additional 0.1 kilograms. It seems his control was still not flexible enough. The purpose of high-level physical training was to enhance the body''s physical attributes. However, to achieve this goal, one must first fully develop their body. This process naturally improves the individual''s ability to control their body. After numerous perfect demonstrations of his physical abilities, Bai E felt as if he was bing increasingly familiar with his body. What was once automatic now seemed to be manual, within his control. He felt as though he could sense the trajectory of airflow within his body, he could feel where exactly the so-called reserve of action power was stored, and he could control every strand of muscle stretching and contracting as naturally as breathing. Thus, he knew exactly to what degree he could execute each movement. To expend more physical strength, output more power, and clearly define this limit¡ªthat was the specialty of Overlimit Drive. Now, he was just getting a small advance taste of it. With the same physical attributes, his current self, after undergoing high-level physical training, had at least a 10 to 20 percent increase in striking powerpared to before but also felt a bit more exhausted. A punch weighing 323.7 kilograms wasn''t his full strength now, but he was not too far from his peak... Perhaps the limit was around 340 or so? Quite risky. Still not enough practice. Thinking this, Bai E turned and left. "Wait!" Tobyn stared at the number disyed on the equipment, his eyes somewhat zed over. Was the equipment broken? Impossible. He was confident in his own level of skill. It worked fine when he was using it, but broke down when it was his turn? Impossible. Outskilled, no excuses. Realizing that Bai E was about to leave, Tobyn called out to keep him there, his legs bending as if he was about to kneel. "Shush!" Bai E, with his quick eyes and feet, instantly kicked out to stop Tobyn''s bent knee. "No need for that, it''s just a joke." With that, he turned and walked away without dragging his feet. "I still need to train; do as you please." In the eyes of others, he had already challenged his limits three times, but he only regarded it as half of a set of training ording to his own rhythm of experience and correction. He needed to quicklymit to muscle memory the wonderful state experienced during correction; he had no time to indulge in emotional scenes of brotherhood with others here. Moreover, there were still thirty minutes of training time left, he could not afford to waste them. "..." Watching Bai E''s retreating figure, Tobyn stood there, stunned, The departing Bai E was like an icy, dazzling sun upying a permanent corner of his heart... ["Lucky Strike" charge +3.] "..." So a person could provide more than just 1 point of charge value? This was a new discovery. Bai E happily began a new round of limit challenges. [Current simtionpletion rate: 93.4%.] ... [Current simtionpletion rate: 91.7%.] Damn! Actually regressed. [Current simtionpletion rate: 94.2%.] [You have surpassed your own limits during vigorous exercise, physical +0.1, reflex +0.1.] "Huff~" Newly gained strength supported Bai E as he slowly climbed down from the challenge. The extreme exertion induced a sensation that was either pain or exhration, making every cell in his body seem to groan. Sitting at the side to rest and wait for his strength to return, Bai E silently calcted his gains and losses¡ª The high-level physical training had already cost him 830 battle experience points. Adding on what Yue Ying had previously extracted, his battle experience points had dwindled from over 3000 to just 710. Fortunately, there were still 1,592 general experience points left, but adding them up amounted to just over two thousand points. He still had no idea how much of his own experience the not-yet-acquired "Overlimit Drive" specialty would consume. Saving was not easy, spending was like running water... Looks like the next lucky strike will have to be against a big guy? The current charge value was... 82 points. ...Still pushing me to do things, huh. [Physical recovery 100%, Rapid Recovery (unlocked) unlock progress 27%.] Bai E, whose physical strength had quickly recovered to full, stood up and walked to the spot where he was supposed to assemble. Logically speaking, after two hours of physical training, the next ss would be starting... "Smack~" "Smack~" Bai E, standing alone at the assembly point, locked eyes with the scowling instructor Chavez. [What are you doing?] [Why haven''t you called for dismissal?] [Oh right~] Chavez suddenly remembered his responsibilities. "Assemble!" He had nned to dy for half an hour, but this recruit named 95B27 had truly shattered his worldview and had inadvertently dissuaded him from the idea. While others may havee twice, he came four times, and any more would be unbearable. Does this guy not see himself as human? But how does his body withstand such exploitation? Should he report this to the Scientific Research Institute for investigation? Hmm... none of my business. "Dismissed!" The second ss of the morning was practicalbat training. Close-handbat. After the initial emergency boost tobat skills, the variousponents of regrbat training began to evolve in a more fundamental and universal direction. No matter the time, human fists and feet are always the most basic and effective weapons. All other external weapons are merely extensions of fists and feet; formidable closebat skills are essentially training the body''s emergency response to various sudden situations. What can be achieved unarmed will only be done better with a weapon in hand. And the first small project to be trained in closebat is... power delivery techniques. A new instructor stood in front of all the fighters, pleased with the tenacious warrior temperament that the batch of recruits, who had not long been born and already baptized by blood and fire, possessed. "I am your closebat tactics instructor for theing period. You can call me Dan." Dan stood with her hands behind her back, her body as straight as a b of steel, her skin tanned and her build tall and proportionate. She was one of the few female temtes among the artificial human warriors, and in terms of skill, the delicacy written into female genes tended to be superior to that of males. "This self-introduction will suffice. My task is to train your fighting skills, which is both your responsibility and mine. I don''t know about the other instructors and it''s not my concern, but my requirement for your graduation is... to defeat me!" Dan''s expressionless gaze swept over all the soldiers present. The frosty glint in her eyes was enough to put pressure on any fighter she locked eyes with. [A minimum of level 5bat specialization.] Through observations made possible by "lucky strike" abilities, Bai E shook his head inwardly. In normal training, who could possibly defeat her.... Such characters are likely the survivors from countless batches of artificial human warriors, seasoned veterans who have luckily survived numerous battles. Expecting to surpass them during training is simply wishful thinking. [Side quest triggered¡ª¡ªChallenge.] [Challenge: Defeat the arrogant instructor and fulfill her wish, and you will achieve unimaginable extraordinary growth. Quest requirement: Victory in a duel with Instructor Dan 0/1. Questpletion reward: Ability Extraction Card*1.] "emmmm... huh?" Chapter 98: 098 Exertion Technique "Before we begin the training, there are some professional concepts you should bear in mind, and consciously reinforce during your practice." As Dan spoke, he twisted his body and suddenly threw a punch forward, the wind from the punch messed up the hair of the soldiers at the very front. While maintaining his punching stance, Dan pped his punching right arm with his left hand, "About 38% of the force delivered in a punches from the arm itself, approximately 45% of the force is from the twisting motion of the upper body, and around 17% is from the muscle groups on the back of the thighs. People who haven''t been trained often overlook the power generated by the lower limbs, which is where the gap between masters and average people widens the most. With the same physical attributes and weight, training can increase the force exerted by the lower limbs to about 2.2 times, leading to an overall increase in power exerted to about 1.2 times¡ªthat''s a significant margin." Dan retracted his right arm, maintaining the punching posture while continuously swinging back and forth to illustrate, "Moreover, each punch takes about 0.05 to 0.25 seconds, but the muscles need about 0.6 to 0.8 seconds to transmit and release the maximum force. Our reflex attributes and training will affect this duration. An ordinary person with a reflex of 8, without any training, might only be able to utilize about 15% of muscle strength within 0.05 seconds, while I can now mobilize about 40% muscle strength. This determines how much of our body''s power we can exert in a quick punch. Knowing this, we also know what we should focus on in training, like leg strength and muscle activation..." [You are observing a master''s martial demonstration, gaining insights...] [Tutorial: Feeling the opponent''s professional expertise, you decide to pay a certain price bat/general experience) to learn corresponding abilities. (Exchange ratio: every 2 points ofbat/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of specialized experience.)] A familiar prompt appeared. Study? Impossible. Bai E knew the importance of prioritizing; biting off more than one could chew would get them nowhere. The current load of experience storage was already somewhat overwhelming, Yue Ying''s long-range weapons training and the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive¡ªwere still unknown in terms of how much experience needed to be invested, and there was no certainty about reaping yers'' rewards, so he couldn''t waste resources lightly. When faced with too many choices, one must decide rationally. The allure of the All-around Ability Extraction Card was indeed tempting, but this was not something to achieve overnight. Besides, didn''t this task have no time limit? The instructor herself said it¡ªwithout defeating her, graduation wasn''t happening, so why not practice slowly? Bai E was very open-minded about the whole thing. "Next, you will practice on your own! Time limit, thirty minutes; after that, I will check each person''s progress one by one. Now, begin!" [Side quest triggered¡ªPower Striking Technique.] [Power Striking Technique: As your body bes more and more formidable, you need to learn the techniques to maximize your physical capabilities. Task requirements: Increase your martial arts mastery experience by at least 0/10 points before the training time ends. Task reward: Martial Mastery Experience +20 points. (Countdown: 1 hour 58 minutes 22 seconds)] "emmmm..." Such low requirements, such a low reward. Thest simr task was to swing a sword 1000 times, but that also earned 50 points of specialized experience. So this time... is the training goal too vague, or is there no benchmark for reference? Or perhaps the difficulty in mastering martial arts is a bit more challenging than the previous Heavy Weapons Mastery? [Low is low...] It''s not like he can''t go on without a task. Standing still, Bai E recalled what the instructor had said, trying to initiate the punch with as much power as possible starting from the muscles on the back of his thighs, driving through his waist and hips, and finally thrusting his arm forward with force. [You simte a punch without any improvement over the standard level, Martial Mastery Experience +0.] "..." That''s quite difficult, isn''t it? Try again! [You simte a punch without any improvement over the standard level, Martial Mastery Experience +0.] +0 [You simte a punch with a 0.32% improvement over the standard level, Martial Mastery Experience +0.] +0 +0 +0 ... [...Improvement of 1.01%, Martial Mastery Experience +1.] [You have earned one point in the Martial Mastery experience, "Side Quest¡ªPower Striking" progress 1/10.] Lord almighty! Bai E casually swung his arms, the difficulty was indeed damn high! ncing at the time for the task, 5 minutes had already passed, and that was just the first point gained. Keep it up! Having found a bit of insight, it should be easier now, right? +0, +0, +0, +0, +1 "..." Dan''s gaze swept up and down each soldier, pausing for at least 30 seconds on almost each one. She treated them all equally. There was no need to target anyone in particr, nor was there anything that required special attention. To her, this batch of recruits was her responsibility to train. The superior officer''smand had only one option: to be carried out. Not to mention, she hadn''t observed any particrly outstanding new recruits in this batch, including... that much-talked-about "great hero." Rumor had it he was all-around capably, even some of the experienced soldiers in the camp might not be able to best him in their areas of expertise. But now, it seemed he was nothing more than mediocre, certainly not the all-aroundpetent as the rumors suggested... At least, in hand-to-handbat, he hadn''t shown any eye-catching talents. ncing at her watch, Dan walked over to a soldier standing at the very front. "Hit me with your best punch," she said, dressed in her sleek ck uniform, and added, "with all your strength." Each soldier''s physical attributes were different, and the camp didn''t have anything to measure the proportion of skill to attribute performance, so she could only feel it for herself in her own way. The addressed soldier seemed stunned, hesitantly looking at his own fist then at Dan''s granite-like chest. "Hmm?" Dan looked him in the eye, reinforcing his power, and confirmed his assumption was correct, "Hmm." "So, I hit you?" The only response to the instructor''s request waspliance, no matter how preposterous it sounded. "Hit." "Whew~" The soldier took a deep breath, spinning and throwing a punch with exaggerated and deliberate motion. "Bang!" A dull thud rang out; the soldier crouched on the ground, clutching his fist and gasping for air. "Hiss~hiss~" She casually patted her chest and continued to look at the soldier on the ground with an expressionless face, "Continue, this time with a quick punch." Comparing the posture and the force of the punch... The contrast between the two was enough for Dan to judge the soldier''s progress. "...Yes," replied the soldier, clutching his wrist and struggling to his feet. The sensation of punching Dan''s chest felt almost like hitting a steel te, just a tad softer, clearly much of the force had been absorbed; otherwise, his wrist might have been ruined. Instructors were indeed monsters. As a new recruit, he recalled once more the horror of being dominated by an instructor. "Ready..." "Swish!" Dan stared nkly at the fist halted in front of her chest, and after a moment''s pause, she managed to squeak out the rest, "prepare to start..." A slight improvement, but not much... Next! Dan, following the lineup, let her chest serve as a test instrument for each recruit. Her special talent was resilience in defense, and the attacks from these recruits were no more than an itch to her. Next... Next... Arriving in front of Bai E, Dan looked him straight in the eye, "Your turn..." [...Improvement of 1.89%, Combat Mastery Experience +1.] [You have earned one Combat Mastery experience, "Side Quest - Apply Force" progress 7/10.] Chapter 99: 099 Disappointment Afterpleting a round of shadowboxing, Bai E nodded and said, "Good." The Overlimit Drive consumes more physical strength to output greater power, whereas martial skills involve using the same strength to produce even greater force, the two are not derived from the same source. When it came to the tricks of closebat, he seemed to reallyck talent. Even though some of his teammates had already dyed for quite a bit of time, when the instructor stood before him, he had only managed to earn 7 points ofbat experience through training. Adding the 2 points he already had, his total was only 9 points ofbat experience. The instincts attached to him also didn''t feel very strong, likely nothing that could astonish the instructor. "Are you ready?" Helen gazed into Bai E''s eyes, her heart always held high expectations for the so-called "great hero." "Ready," Bai E nodded. Helen took a rare deep breath, fully braced herself for defense, and then nodded, "Come at me." Bai E pulled his fist back, his lower body muscles tensed, his waist twisted, and he delivered a straight punch aimed right at the center of Helen''s chest. "Bang!" [Using closebat attack with perfect force to hit the target,bat proficiency experience +1.] [You have earned onebat proficiency experience, "Sub-quest - Power Strike" progress 8/10.] "..." [My fist hurts, but I have to bear it.] [My chest is stuffy, but I have to bear it.] Helen never would have thought that this "great hero" didn''t seem to have much skill in his strikes, yet the power behind them was surprisingly strong. His punch was far stronger than other recruits from his batch, and even though she slightly adjusted her defense in anticipation, she still felt a slight tightness in her chest. She wanted to cough, but couldn''t. Seeing Bai E standing there nkly, Helen pressed on, her voice lowered, "What are you waiting for?" "Oh~" Bai E''s right hand trembled slightly as he tried to alleviate the pain through shaking. Helen''s chest felt like a stone cushioned by a bit of cotton. The punch thatnded didn''t seem to affect her much, but the recoil left his own hand throbbing in pain. Force is mutual, and although some of it was dissipated, at least eighty percent of the force exerted rebounded back to his own fist. This instructor wasn''t just advanced inbat specialization; her physical condition was probably top-notch even among the military camp. "Now, throw a fast punch again." "Okay." In the midst of speaking, Bai E quicklyunched a punch. In just 0.05 seconds, not even enough time for an eye blink, his fist that had just retracted struck Helen''s chest once more. Looking down at the fist thatnded on her chest once again in less than a second, Helen was somewhat unable to process it. That fast? So, his reflex attributes were also decent? Right, the "great hero''s" actual profession was that of an archer-type warrior, so reflexes might be his main attribute? That wasn''t so strange then. But still... A bit disappointing. Without training, the "great hero''s" fast punch was just of average level. Neither the technique in unleashing the maximum force nor the proportion of body strength used during a fast punch were impressive. They were at best mediocre among the new recruits. He just had brute strength, that''s all. There was still a lot of room for improvement. "Cough~" Taking the opportunity to clear her throat, Helen patted Bai E''s shoulder and sighed with a hint of disappointment, "Keep training." "Yeah." Bai E nodded obediently and continued his diligent training. [...Improvement of 1.73%,bat proficiency experience +0.] ... [...Improvement of 1.94%,bat proficiency experience +1.] [You have earned onebat proficiency experience, "Sub-quest - Power Strike" progress 10/10.] [Sub-quest - Power Strike,pleted!] [Task Reward: Combat Mastery Experience +20, Already Issued.] [Current Combat Mastery Experience 32/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Combat Specialization".] "It''s done..." Bai E shook his arm with some joy. Completing a task, no matter how small the reward, was always a reason for happiness. That constant sense of self-improvement undoubtedly gave a full feeling of security. As if the terrifying creatures that dominated everything were now far away from his world. [The task you posted¡ª"Building Materials Needed"¡ªhas been submitted, please verify as soon as possible.]X3 Hmm? Double happiness? "All right, dismiss." Dan pped her hands and said. The first training session didn''t yield very good results for everyone, which was normal. There were many small projects inbat training that required constant effort. For many soldiers, their lifespan wasn''t even as long as their training duration, and she was used to this. Watching the assembled soldiers disperse, Dan finally took out a tablet and silently recorded the performance of each one. A warm, raspy voice unexpectedly approached, "Is the training over?" "Hmm?" Dan looked up to see a somewhat unfamiliar face. However, the impably beautiful face coupled with the white coat made her identity easy to guess¡ª Helen, the Schr from the Scientific Research Institute who had stayed in the barracks these past days. "Schr?" Dan''s expression immediately became serious; though Helen wasn''t her direct superior, the entire military region had to speak cautiously around the Scientific Research Institute, "Do you have any instructions?" "I wanted to ask if 95B27 had undergone training here just now." Helen gently flicked her curly hair aside and asked with a gentle smile. Helen''s smile was somewhat unsettling, causing Dan''s tawnyplexion to flush slightly, "Yes... he did. Do you need him for something?" "No... I just wanted to inquire about his performance." Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin The inspiration that had emerged from observing 95B27''s performance in advanced training that morning had already been recorded, and the subsequent perfection of it needed patient and meticulous scientific experiments¡ªthere was no rush. But this walking "miracle" was still trying new things, and she couldn''t wait to know if 95B27 had more potential for astonishing discoveries. "Him?..." Dan nodded, "Of course I remember, but his performance... wasn''t very good." Looking at theprehensive analysis provided by the tablet in her hand, Dan directly ced it in front of Helen, "He can only be ranked in the lower middle among the people I''m training." "..." Helen frowned, a hint of her hopeful disappointment showing, "Could he possibly be hiding his true strength?" Dan furrowed her brow in confusion, "That should... not be the case. The power techniques we train are instinctual; once learned, it is very difficult not to use them, so it should be hard to deliberately hide." "Oh~" Helen nodded, smiling gently again and thanking her, "Thank you. Goodbye." "Goodbye~" Watching Helen''s retreating figure with her white coat fluttering, Dan''s eyes grew somewhat mesmerized. The departing Helen was softly biting her lip, her eyes wandering. "It shouldn''t be..." If it were an awakening of the beastman''s alien gene, his closebat talent should also be exceptionally strong, and even with simple training, he should have shown rapid progress. Or maybe, he isn''t the perfect alien gene awakening. In other words, could he not be the seed she was looking for? The genotypic prototype project was extraordinarily important and quite resource-consuming; there was no room for any mistakes. The first creation presented to the Senate had to show unmatched perfect potential! If he was not up to it, then that new soldier named Rose seemed to have quite impressive potential as well? Her performance wasn''t as conspicuous as 95B27''s, but the potential was excellent, and her abilities were veryprehensive, with no obvious weaknesses. Still, there was a feeling of reluctance. "..." Helen bit her lip, making a decision. She still needed to observe him further. Chapter 100: The joining of 100 new members "I''m exhausted..." "Where did you find finished cement?" Kuang Xin and Dai Lian, each having put down a 50-kilogram bag of cement, looked somewhat puzzled. This stuff couldn''t possibly have grown out of the ground, could it? Or was it bought? Gong Yan, with a smile, said, "I tricked them out of it. Those NPCs are so dumb." Zhou Wenjie stood to the side without saying a word. He was there when it happened. To say the NPCs were dumb was indeed true, but this sister''s response was the most impressive. Wen Jie knew everything, he just chose not to speak. "Alright, alright, no matter where it came from, it was given by the NPCs for free, why not take it?" Dai Lian pped the dust off his hands, looking at Gong Yan with some admiration, "Yanzi is smart, making them leave the goods far away, so we can carry them over without exposing our base''s location." As he spoke, Dai Lian looked in the direction of the distant barracks, "Now... we just have to wait for him toe and check." Adding the day the entire barracks went out to battle the Bug Race, it had almost been three days since theyst saw their boss. Not knowing if he was dead on the battlefield. It seemed like those NPCs would receive a prompt when a task was delivered, it was nearly noon, hopefully, he woulde... If he couldn''t, that would be troublesome. Having finally clung to a strong leg, to lose it just like that. Dai Lian''s mind was filled with these thoughts... Zhou Wenjie, looking toward the direction he was looking, noticed everyone''s silence and finally couldn''t resist asking out loud, "Who exactly is the boss you guys keep talking about?" Gong Yan pushed away some stray hairs beside her ear and exined with a smile, "Didn''t I tell you before that the three of us joined an NPC organization inside the game? The highest-ranking person we''ve met in the organization is our boss." "Organization?" Zhou Wenjie''s eyes lit up. If it''s an organization, there must be many precious learning materials, right? Others may love ughtering left and right in the game, but he loves exploring the physicsws that arepletely different from reality in this game. Ordinary people can hardly learn advanced knowledge, but in an organization... maybe he could learn something? Thinking this, Zhou Wenjie asked with some excitement, "Can I join?" "You..." Gong Yan hesitated slightly, "That''s not certain, we all joined only after at leastpleting a mission he posted and gained a certain level of trust." "Ah..." Seeing Zhou Wenjie''s somewhat disappointed expression, Gong Yanughed andforted him, "But it''s okay, when our bossester, we can ask for you. If it really doesn''t work, you can join us inpleting a mission for a couple of days and then join." "...Alright, thank you, sister." "No problem~" Gong Yan cheerfully patted Wen Jie''s head. At noon, a figure in a ck uniform arrived on time, walking steadily. Seeing that figure from afar, Dai Lian''s heart lifted with joy. He''s here! "Boss, have you returned in triumph?" Gong Yan was the first to greet him, beaming with a smile. "Failed, got chased back by the bugs," Bai E casually waved his hand, then squinted his eyes at the unfamiliar Zhou Wenjie, asking with curiosity, "He is...?" "Boss, don''t get me wrong, he''s also our friend," Dai Lian quickly stepped forward to exin. "Friend?" "Yes, boss! He has heard of the mission we are undertaking and is eager to join us," Dai Lian assured. Another yer? Hmm... not bad. Having just obtained a new assignment distribution qualification, he could get another yer to work for him, as he was originally nning to post a task anyway. Now they''ve found apanion on their own, it''s like a pillowing just as one feels sleepy. Bai E''s scrutinizing gaze slowly swept over Zhou Wenjie, "Since he is a friend introduced by you, he should be trustworthy. Have they told you about our organization''s mission?" "Of course," Zhou Wenjie nced at Gong Yan, and said solemnly, "But I think our organization shouldn''t consist only of fighting and killing." Bai E raised his eyebrows slightly, "Oh?" It seems this new yer is not an easy character to deal with. Smiling gently, Bai E asked, "What are your thoughts?" The kind treatment made Zhou Wenjie feel as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Actually... I just wanted to ask if the organization has any... learning materials," Wen Jie said with some excitement, his face flushed with exhration. "..." Bai E looked at the slight figure of the boy, his gaze somewhat inscrutable. What kind of learning materials are you talking about? I don''t have the kind of dull and fixed learning materials you mean, meow... Bai E spoke calmly, "Learning in this world is a luxury, most people don''t have the heart to immerse in it, and if it''s just a spur-of-the-moment impulse, I think you may not endure the loneliness." "Not at all, not at all!" Zhou Wenjie shook his head repeatedly, "What could be more fun than learning in this world? The rules of this world... the rules of your world are too fascinating. I''m only worried I won''t have enough time to use." Where did this study maniace from? Bai E frowned, slightly worried. Even if it were serious learning materials, he didn''t have any. As for joining the military... that would ruin his mystery in the eyes of the yers, making them rebellious, which was not advisable. "Boss..." Zhou Wenjie watched Bai E''s serene face with a touch of apprehension, "Is it very troublesome?" "Not exactly troublesome..." Bai E pondered his tone, as if considering a more profound n, "You are aware of our mission, aren''t you?" Zhou Wenjie nced at Gong Yan and nodded repeatedly, "I have been told." "Good... since you''ve been told, then maybe you can also take on some responsibilities while learning," Bai E continued. "Responsibilities?" Zhou Wenjie looked puzzled. "For instance... infiltrating other forces?" The organization really is too poor to afford you... Bai E thought. Bai E looked sincerely at him, "Your identity is now clean, without any hint of us, so others can''t see where youe from. You can blend into any force. In fact, many in our organization do just that; we can be in any dangerous ce, as long as we remember what we are fighting for in our hearts." "Do you mean..." Zhou Wenjie started. "I mean... you are free to pursue your dreams. The organization won''t restrict you in any way. However, in order not to expose you, the organization can hardly pave the way for you. If you really have the determination and ability to change humanity through learning, then you''ll easily find opportunities for advancement." Bai E looked towards the towering grey-ck city walls in the distance, "Go to the inner city. That''s where you''ll find everything you want." Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin Chapter 101: 101 Deeply rooted in tradition, broad in layout, quietly reveals itself ``` Listening to the elder''s words, Dai Lian always felt something was amiss. Zhou Wenjie''s recklessness and his making demands were unexpected, but somehow it seemed as if the elder was trying to hurry someone along? Considering this was someone Gong Yan had picked up from who knows where, a poor chap bullied by NPCs, Dai Lian stepped forward in an attempt to salvage the situation, "Elder... actually, Wenjie really does want to join us." Bai E shook his head and smiled lightly, "I didn''t say I would reject him, it''s just that our mission is weighty, and everyone should bear more responsibility... that goes for all of you." With that, Bai E issued an invitation to the new yer. [You have invited the party to join your power: Li Ming (Reputation Level: 1).] [Zhou Wenjie has joined your power.] "So, I only hope that when you have learned and achieved something in the future, you will still remember your hidden identity." Bai E looked at Zhou Wenjie, his gaze calm. [Mission description generating automatically...] [Side Quest ¡ª Talent Building (Resource-type mission): Learn as much knowledge as possible. The fate of humanity will be adjudged by you. What supports people''s return to the stars isn''t just the yearning for the future but the need for solid technologies! Mission Requirement: At least 0/3 technological projects of level 3 learned. Mission Reward: Technology Points*1, Bug Tribe Essence Extract*30 (Rewards are issued in a stepwise manner).] (Note: "Automaticpletion" allowed; "Authority" and "Expenditure" will be deducted and locked once the mission is confirmed and published.) [Do you want to issue the current mission?] Confirm. The way to deal with someone depends on what kind of person they are. This new yer seemed to be a rather pure yer. Assigning him those violent missions probably wouldn''t be epted, or even if epted, he would probably just ignore them. He had made this clear from the start, and there was no need to try again. So, it was better to be straightforward and go along with his inclinations. As for the Bug Tribe Essence Extract... that was a spur-of-the-moment decision from Bai E. First, he felt that the mission given to this yer was somewhat extraordinary, and the rewards had to be special. However, after searching himself, he found he didn''t have anything of great value. yers would definitely exchange information, and to not lose face, he had to give them something real to open their eyes. Secondly... it was an unintended setup. The essence extracts from various races were the core materials for refining Gene Optimization Solution, but he only had raw materials and not the technology. Even with ten thousand units of raw material, he couldn''t convert it to power. As for handing it over to the military or the Scientific Research Institute, that would be downright suicidal. It was better to make arrangements with the yers. Since he was a pure schr, perhaps he could learn the technology to refine the Gene Optimization Solution. If so, then producing and selling himself would be perfect, wouldn''t it? And by giving him the raw materials in advance, he was showing him a clear path. Don''t know what kind of knowledge to learn? I gave you the stuff, and you still don''t know what to learn? As for others... Bai E nced at the cementid out in front of the yers. This mission offered nothing but a +1 to management skills, with no other benefits. Just looking at the attribute feedback, continuing this mission wouldn''t be as good as going back to chopping trees. But... Bai E hadn''t forgotten the main mission he would activateter¡ª Creating an organization with a reputation level of at least 2. Reputation level? That undoubtedly meant having to interact with people. Without a guide, Bai E could only rely on guesses and exploration. This cement starkly added no type of special experience to his own, which probably meant these yers had somehow gotten it from other NPCs. Isn''t this an opportunity to interact with people? ``` For the sake of long-term considerations, a temporary sacrifice of some special experience ie is not uneptable. Such behavior deserves encouragement, so the mission remains. Side mission¡ªBuilding Requirements, issued. Next is...bat missions. "Have you figured out the source of the issue we talked aboutst time?" "We have!" Kuang Xin jolted and immediately reported the progress, "But the mastermind is always hiding in theplex abandoned sewers, with those rat swarms as cover, we can hardly catch him there..." They hadn''t even seen the culprit''s face up to now. The other side was as slippery as the rats he controlled. So much so that the half of their mission involving investigating the truth hadn''t even beenpleted. "Is the Arbitration ce still investigating?" Dai Lian took over the conversation, "They are continuing the investigation, and they''ve split up in the past few days. It seems like they have almost cornered the mastermind." "Cornered..." Bai E pondered slightly. If Kuang Xin had said this, he would most likely believe it, buting from Dai Lian... the credibility might need a discount. But no matter what, a boss kill was about to be snatched away, and this was not good news. So far, the life-and-deathbat he''d been involved in wasn''t much. Mostly, they weremon mobs, and he had only killed a couple of elite mobs. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin So... Bai E was still a bit curious about a target that might be a boss type. Would the drop rate be terrifying? Even without a lucky strike, could something still drop? Several bouts ofbat had gradually emboldened Bai E, and he was eager to explore some of the truths of this world, even if they were slightly dangerous. A not particrly dangerous, suspected boss type target... he really wanted to check it out. Besides, he wondered if the yers had honed their stealth and Ranged Weapon Specialization abilities in this mission. If he joined them, he could also show off the archery skills he learned from Yue Ying. If he didn''t harvest some fresh leeks from the yers, his training ns would be hard to carry out. A win-win situation. "Tonight..." Bai E''s eyes were vacant as he made a decision, "Tonight, I''ll join you to check out the sewers." "You''re going too, Milord?" Dai Lian''s eyes sparkled with surprise. n sessful! Yay! "Mm! You might struggle with the truth on your own, so I''ll take a look as well." Even if it was a no-go, seizing the opportunity to show off his archery skills and harvest some leeks would definitely be profitable. [This round, I''m sure I won''t lose out.] "No problem, Milord! We''ll guide you when the timees!" Dai Lian was overjoyed in his heart, this was a big win! Using an NPC''s power toplete a mission issued by the NPC themselves, this game was too awesome! Having decided on the evening''s action, Bai E once again pacified the pure schr''s heart. With a calm and wise gaze fixed on the other''s eyes, Bai E''s were full of apology. "I''m sorry to have you bear everything on your own, but for the sake of everyone''s future, we must be extremely careful. The trip to the inner city for study is all up to you now... I believe in you!" The mission had been issued, the reward even included a high-end extract he had never seen before. He truly cares about me! Wen Jie was filled with emotion, "I will not let you down, Milord!" Chapter 102: 102 Secret Military Operation The superior had left. "Why did we have to deceive the superior?" Kuang Xin asked, somewhat puzzled, as he looked at Dai Lian. They had barely interacted with those two from the Arbitration ce these past few days, who knows what they were up to. Dai Lian watched the figure of the superior disappearing over the horizon and shook his head thoughtfully, "First, I didn''tpletely lie to him, even though we didn''t meet, those rats have been more frantic these days, most likely pressured by the people from the Arbitration ce. Second¡­ have any of you felt that there''s something off about our organization?" After joining for several days, they hadn''t seen a single other member of the organization. If the line to their superior got cut, wouldn''t they be orphans? And no matter how reasonable and nice the superior''s words sounded, it was just to avoid exposing the rtionship, so he couldn''t provide any help, letting them, the yers, figure things out on their own... How was that different from not taking them in at all? "...Right?" Once Dai Lian had shared his suspicions, he faced... criticism on the spot. "Don''t talk about the superior like that!" Wen Jie was filled with righteous indignation. The superior is sincere with me, "He included this in my reward!" Following the script, Wen Jie informed everyone about the Bug Tribe Essence Extract included in his mission reward. "It can be used to make Gene Optimization Solution?" "What is that thing?" "It''s essentially something that raises your level in this game." Having known more these days, Gong Yan exined as she saw Dai Lian didn''t know about it. "Our gic optimization level on the panel needs to be improved with this stuff. A higher gic optimization level allows us to have higher attribute limits, and to elevate abilities like specializations and skills to a certain degree, you need higher attributes as support. Gic optimization level is the foundation of everything, and the Gene Optimization Solution is the key material to enhance this foundation." This was one of the core secrets behind why humans in this sci-fi world could thrive alone in the universe. They hadn''te across any material rted to it since they entered the game, but now... the basic ingredient needed to make this key material had been handed out to them just like that? Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin This this this¡­ "Leveling up relies on drugs?" "Isn''t the key to unleashing the power of Gene Optimization Solution role-ying?" "???" "Nonsense." "Anyway, the boss is awesome!" "So now the question is, how do we get Wen Jie into the city." "I remember someone there mentioned having an inner city entry ticket¡­" Dai Lian stroked his chin and nced at Gong Yan. Gong Yan nodded in agreement, "I''ll go ask him." "And you might as well ask if he''s been acting with the people from the Arbitration ce these past few days, having that intel would make it more convenient for us to take action with the superior tonight." "Alright." ¡­ Bai E made his way back to camp unhurriedly. He hadn''t set up a teaching game for the yers today, so he had plenty of time. Moreover, the first half of the afternoon training was on shooting enhancement, and since his Level 4 Light Firearms Specialization had lost much of its purpose in the training field¡ªthe sniper god had even told him not to bother¡ªthere was no reason to waste time there. Still, Bai E sought out Carlos. Bai E wasn''t sure about others, but the caliber-3 sidearm Carlos had stuffed on him before the fight against the Bug Race, as well as Helen''s special instruction before her research into him, were enough to show his genuine goodwill toward Bai E. Having gained the officer''s trust with his apparent obedience, Bai E thought of him first whenever he had special requests. "You want to apply for a bow and arrow?" Carlos looked at Bai E with some surprise. Such weapons were specialized and only allowed in certain situations and were far less intuitive and versatile than firearms. The camp''s standardized training did not include this item. Bai E nodded, reporting truthfully, "Yes... An Elf Racedy has taught me some archery skills in private, and I would like to request a bow and arrows to practice asionally." Bai E hadn''t advertised this, but he felt it was impossible to keep secrets in the army. Rather than being pointed out by someone else, it was better to exin it first and create a reputation of honesty to gain themander''s trust. Although bows were rare, Bai E had seen them in the camp a couple of times. The sleek mechanical design of thepound bow was more to his likingpared to the long bows made of unknown wood by the Elves. The most important thing was that thepound bow Bai E saw could fold, which would be much more convenient to carry aroundpared to the Elves'' Eaglehorn Bow. Carlos furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "That''s fine... after all, you''ve pretty much hit a bottleneck with your firearms shooting skills. Expanding some other abilities is a good thing." Everyone could see Bai E''s skill level; intercepting spore mines shot by the Bug Race''s artillery bugs on the battlefield was a feat not even Carlos himself could possibly do much differently. Encouraging someone with such talent to learn more varied abilities was a sensible choice. "But I need to rify something with you first." Carlos was actually considering something else, but he decided to let Bai E make his own choice, "This kind of special equipment isn''t standard issue. Whether you''re exchanging for a bow now or need more arrows in the future, it will cost you your military achievements. And military achievements are your only way to obtain Gene Optimization Solution." As synthetic soldiers typically had no concept of property¡ªafter all, their lives were meant to be devoted to all of humanity¡ªif they had any possessions, military achievements were the only wealth of a synthetic soldier. Chapter 103: 102 Secret Military Operation_2 The most prioritized item that military honors can redeem is undoubtedly the Gene Optimization Solution, which represents the future. Although he had repeatedly spoken up on behalf of Bai E to request the Gene Optimization Solution for him, he was well aware of the difficulty in obtaining it, especially for artificial humans. Military honors are only the basic requirement. After earning enough military merits, one still needs to apply for the agreement of most officers in the barracks, and then the Scientific Research Institute will dispatch someone to verify and review whether the soldier is qualified to receive the baptism of the Gene Optimization Solution. All these areplications; military merits are the most inconspicuous yet the most fundamental requirement. But first... they need to establish a solid foundation. Many artificial humans are doomed from the moment of their creation never toy hands on such a thing, so they can frivolously spend their military merits to exchange for items of interest, which is inconsequential for them. However, a warrior like Bai E, who has strong potential and excellent abilities, could possibly obtain the Gene Optimization Solution. His outstanding performance in a trial, his defense against aerial attacks on the battlefield, coupled with saving lives¡ªall these actions were noticed by everyone and he had already umted quite a bit of military merit, just one step away from meeting the minimum application requirements. The opportunities to earn military merits are scarce. Sometimes, missing by that slight margin means missing out for a lifetime. The barracks are not short of artificial and natural human soldiers who are just one step away from meeting the application requirements; yet, that gap is forever set in stone on the battlefield. Military merits are not easy toe by, cherish them as you use them. After making the critical points clear, Carlos looked into Bai E''s eyes, and earnestly asked, "So, do you still insist on exchanging for a bow and arrow?" [This concerns future development, you decide...] "I still want to exchange." During Carlos''s exnation, Bai E had carefully considered all the critical points. Military merits aren''t umted by hoarding; it''s the strength at hand that determines future opportunities. Moreover, he didn''t rely solely on opportunities given out by the military. It was impossible for him, possessing raw materials, not to have his own ns. As Ying said, artificial humans have limited chances in the barracks; he couldn''t possibly bet all his chips on the care of the military leaders. If in the beginning, the behavior of the yers only brought about growth in attributes, now Bai E was increasingly valuing the achievements yers could obtain in the outside world. With the right guidance, yers were almost akin to avatars of himself, which was the core reason why he encouraged yers to continue interacting with other NPCs just now. Hearing Bai E''s firm response, a gentle smile bloomed on Carlos''s face. He was very pleased with the answer Bai E gave. Courage is the greatest gift bestowed by the heavens upon humanity. Military achievement is not umted through penny-pinching but through bold and fearless advancement. Earning enough military merits is just the first step to obtaining the Gene Optimization Solution. After getting it, can one hide in the barracks and wait for death? The Gene Optimization Solution raises the upper limit of personal abilities, not the lower limit, while military merits are honors that apany a warrior throughout their life. As long as one has unwavering belief and courage, military merits are merely a record for the brave. "I''ll take you there." Registering with the quartermaster and receiving variousplex items was easily aplished given the support from higher ups, and Bai E got his first taste of the thrill of backdoor dealings. "The bow body is made of monometal, it will hardly sustain any damage," Carlos said with a smile. The monometal series is the highest strength alloy that humanity can synthesize, with excellent hardness and flexibility, and about one-fifth lighter than aluminum alloy of the same volume, offering more agility inplex and varied battle environments. Even the most basic in the series, the monometal, is an unimaginably precious material to the outside world. In special weapons where not much material is used, the armory is still willing to provide the good stuff. Bai E tightly grasped the bow body. The bow body, made of lightweight ckened steel, fitted perfectly into his hand, and with a vigorous shake, the bow limbs that were about one-fifth shorter than the Eaglehorn Bow stretched open effortlessly. The overall shape is slender and light, and the grip feels much better than the heavy Elven Hawkhorn Bow, though it seems slightlycking in lethality, the practicality is somewhat improved. [Military Composite Bow ¡ª Quality: Green (Ranged Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: Range 3~800 meters; Attack Strength (Type: Piercing): 5 + (Physical Strength - 12) * 2; Output Energy Level 5 + (Physical Strength - 12) / 2; Durability 12/12] [Usage Requirement: Physical Strength 12 (can be used).] [Traits: The bow body is light and very easy to control, shooting speed +5%; shooting energy +1. (Maximum tensile strength tolerated: Physical Strength 22 points)] ... [Fine Steel Arrows¡ª¡ªQuality: Green] [Basic Parameters: Attack modifier +2, hit adds bleed effect.] [Usage Requirements: Compatible with bow and crossbow types.] [Traits: Lathe-integrated crafting, shooting precision +12%; maximum range +100 meters.] Human basic mechanical craftsmanship is, to some extent, not a bit inferior to those somewhat primitive but sincerely living elves, and the carefully handcrafted fine products of the humans have their own strengths and weaknessespared to the craftsmanship of the elves. However, undoubtedly, Bai E would need some training to be familiar with the new equipment. "I''m off to train." Bai E had no interest in currying favor; the other party surely wouldn''t value his face or ttering words. Strength was the only chip. It seemed Carlos had something additional to instruct. "Wait,e with me." During training time, finding a spot in the barracks without surveince and devoid of people was quite easy. Only after taking Bai E to an unupied corner did Carlos turn around and, with a solemn expression, start to share some insider information with Bai E. "Normally, opportunities for earning military merit are very scarce, and the fact is, as artificial humans, even if you do earn enough merit, it will be difficult to get the necessary support from the officers... You''ll need to do something even more satisfactory for them to greatly increase your chances of getting the Gene Optimization Solution. Right now, there''s an opportunity before you that you must cherish to showcase your performance." Even if some officers harbored hostility towards artificial humans, faced with undeniable achievements, they too would have to keep their mouths shut. For Bai E, Carlos was pouring his heart out. 95B27 had always been reassuring due to its mild and controble nature, and its capabilities were exceptionally superior among many artificial soldiers Carlos had seen. Bai E slowly blinked, his face showing a hint of confusion, "The opportunity you''re talking about... what is it?" Carlos spoke in a low tone, with a cautious look, "It pertains to a covert military operation. I can only tell you that it involves exploring an ancient ruin; I can''t reveal specifics to you right now. But you only need to know that, if you can secure a spot on this mission and sessfullyplete it, in addition to your current umtion of military merit, getting the Gene Optimization Solution will almost be certain." "..." Bai E fell into a daze. Covert, confidential, unknown... These words seemed to have burnt out the CPU of this simple rookie soldier. Carlos couldn''t help but smile wryly as he patted Bai E''s shoulder, "Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads-up. The details are still being hammered out. From tomorrow, you will probably start hearing some rumors about apetitive selection. The number of participants in this military operation will not berge, only the best will be chosen. If you''re interested, make sure to perform well and strive for a spot." As he spoke, Carlos gazed into Bai E''s eyes, uneasily asking again, "Do you understand?" Bai E''s thoughts turned, and finally, his eyes twinkled, "I understand." He understood all too well! Ruins! His main mission required exploring ruins, and he had been worrying about where to find such "ruins"¡ªhe hadn''t expected it to fall right into hisp. "Good to understand." Carlos was relieved, "In any case, it''s up to you. If possible, try your best to fight for a spot. If you don''t seed, it''s okay, there will be other opportunities in the future." "Understood! Sir." "...Alright then." Carlos sighed inwardly, 95B27 was good in all respects, but such earnestness brought both sce and helplessness, "Do you have any other needs?" "No, sir!" "Then off you go to train." "Yes, sir!" "..." ... The military district meeting room. Weslin pressed his hand against the tabletop, his gaze sweeping over the assembly of officers, "The information on the ruins has been distributed to you all. For the n of operation and personnel configuration, let''s hear everyone''s thoughts." Minister Likok had provided some advice from professionals, but advice cannot be used as tactics. nning the details of execution was still up to them to strategize. Chapter 104: 103 Secrets and Relics "The guardians of the ruins were all bioengineered¡­" The storage site for the mainframe was a relic from over four hundred years ago, and its guardians, the bioengineered humans, were now an unfamiliar enemy to the current military district. Bioengineered humans differed from artificial humans and pure mechanical bodies. They possessed certain mechanical structures within their bodies to enhance their abilities, but their foundation still derived from the biological systems of human bodies themselves. This kind of technology, which briefly surfaced hundreds of years ago, was specifically used to guard relics that had not yet rebelled at the time. In order to enable the military to devise a sufficiently detailed and targeted n, Minister Likok had gathered and sent over all the relevant information on the mainframe ruins. The documents clearly recorded everything that had happened back then, as well as current observations and spections about the state of the ruins¡ª Over four hundred years ago, as humanwork technology developed to a certain level, humanity naturally encountered the domain of intelligent AI and inadvertently opened Pandora''s Box. At the beginning, humans maintained a cautious trust in the newly born super-intelligent AI, not daring to grant "It" too much authority while feeding "It" endless streams of data for training. However, as the war with the Bug Race intensified, humans had to give "It" more authority to control most of the automated weapons for precision strikes. Themand of arge number of mechanical troops fell under "Its" control, and this almost universally unified battle coordination capability allowed humans to gain an unimaginable advantage in the war against the Bug Race. The once seemingly unstoppable Bugs were beaten until they were on theirst legs and resulted in today''s situation, where Bug hives are scattered and fighting all over. If "It" had been given more time, perhaps "It" could havepletely wiped the Bugs from this. However, there were no ifs in reality. Perhaps "It" knew that once the Bugs were eradicated, "It" would have all authority revoked, or perhaps "It"''s independent will just happened to awaken at that time. So, "It" brazenlyunched a rebellion. In response to the intelligent AI''s rebellion, humans were not entirely without countermeasures. At that time, they possessed a final and decisive strategy¡ªdisconnection. The intelligent AI was a ghost living in the cyber world, alike air and water are to humans in the physical world; thework itself was the soil that sustained AI''s existence. "It" was also a type of alternative life form, and as long as "It" was an Anti-Entropy being, "It" could not escape the punishment of time. A long-term ban onwork activity was sufficient to cause the birth of intelligent AI to die out. After cautious and conservative judgment by the scientists of the time, this duration was agreed upon at five hundred years. The Electronic Silence Protocol was the only sword in human hands that could checkmate "It." By shutting down the mainframe and silencing the globalwork, an unimaginable shock to human society at the time would ensue, but it was also the only card humans had that could threaten the intelligent AI. Moreover, supplementing the effectiveness of this card was the setup of the mainframe base. The mainframe was the core that supported the globalwork, so a ce that could shut down the mainframe instantly would not be equipped with any automated devices that intelligent AI could manipte. Humans and bioengineered humans were the absolute force guarding the mainframe base. If there were only humans guarding, then there would be no subsequent cmities. However, the threats that the base had to face were not limited to rebellious intelligent machinery; dangers such as invasions from the Bug Race, traitors, and spies all required the base to maintainbat capabilities that exceeded normal standards. Bioengineered soldiers, modified and enhanced, were far superior inbatpared to average humans. At that time, human technology was expanding ambitiously into all domains, eager to step outside the sr system and conquer the universe. Bioengineered humans were just one of the research projects. These soldiers, transformed from regr humans, were not only scientifically regted through biology and chemistry, but also equipped with partial mechanical devices to enhance their capability limits. Substantial increases in lifespan and physical strength were just the basic enhancements. There were also eyes with infrared scanning and thermal imaging functions, mechanical kic-driven arms, skin extremely sensitive to theposition of the air, and auxiliary chips to help the brain processplex information and control mechanical structures, among others... The biochemical soldiers'' individual soldier qualitiespletely surpassed themon soldiers of that era, and their main consciousness was controlled by the warrior who was originally a normal human being. They were, in theory, the perfect candidates to guard the core base. But these "in theory" never-to-betray warriors ultimately did betray humanity. As support, the electronic chips took over the nests of the doves, dominating the thoughts of these biochemical soldiers. When the resolute AIunched its rebellion, the base was nearly instantlypromised. In the end, only by relying on human soldiers'' fearlessness was the mainputer room shut down. With thework silenced, all automated machines, including the cybeic beings, instantly lost their directive. But from then on, humanity lost its most prized technology. Facing the bewildered state of the directionless cybeic guards and clinging to the hope that one day the machine room might restart, humans, who regained sovereignty, didn''tpletely destroy the base with violent force. And those leaderless cybeic beings, thoughcking initiative, were instinctively maintaining the main base following thestmands of the silent AI. Which has led to today''s military situation where they face the task of restarting the mainputer. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the biochemical soldiers, the corresponding tactical n and personnel naturally emerged¡ª "Without monitoring and unified control, the cybeic beings cannot share intelligence in real-time, so we can infiltrate in small teams and break them one by one." "That means the team members need to have sufficient stealth capabilities and the ability to assassinate or resolvebat instantly." "The attributes of those biochemical soldiers far exceed normal soldiers; only the most elite warriors, trained to their limits, stand a chance against them." "Why not let the Spiritual Energy wielders take action? They should be foolproof." "No! We can''t reveal this operation before its sessful execution. Large-scale deployment of Spiritual Energy wielders will definitely attract attention, but calling on one or two is possible. The same applies to those who have received the Gene Optimization Solution with a higher attribute ceiling. This mission isn''t worth going all out. Deploying those people would be more harmful than beneficial; selecting from within the regr soldiers will suffice." Several centuries ago, the direction and intensity of soldier training werepletely different from now, and after hundreds of years of silence, who knows the current situation of those cybeic beings, everything is unknown. Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin For Minister Likok, this mission might be an all-or-nothing gamble, but for the military, it''s just a side move, not putting all their hopes here. Even if the first action fails, it can be a probe, so they can''t risk those important talents who have received resources for training. "Let''s assign a Spiritual Energy wielder specialized in detection... The detection capabilities of the cybeic beings are no worse than our individual soldier detection equipment. Only a Spiritual Energy wielder can discover them before our soldiers are found out. Understanding their deployment allows us to carry out targeted decapitation strikes." "But we might also encounter wild beasts and wandering beastmen on the way, so we can''tpletely ignore the use of heavy firepower." The officers voiced their various opinions. The aide recorded everything, and Weslin tapped on the desk, "So, how shall we choose?" "Assassination and covert abilities are of course the most fundamental assessment items." "Alertness inplex environments, quick response, and sustainedbat capabilities must all be at the very top tier." "At the same time, it''s best if each soldier is multifunctional: mastery of driving, knowledge of cybeics and hardware, proficiency in hot and cold weaponry, closebat, and assassination abilities all should be included in the assessment. The weight of each can be flexibly adjusted, ensuring that even if we lose part of the force, we can stillplete thebat mission, restart the mainputer, and cover the retreat." "Good..." Weslin nodded in satisfaction. These officers, who had been painstakingly shaped by the army, managed to cobble together a n that nearly filled in all the details of the entire operation from start to finish. "Then it''s settled. Starting from tomorrow, we will evaluate all soldiers who might participate in this covert operation. There''s no rush, but it must be done secretly and properly." "Yes, Commander!" Chapter 105: 104 Your training methods are outdated Bai E began his archery training with the newly acquired bow. The gap between the Compound Bow and the Eaglehorn Bow was significant, and he needed some time to limate. Tonight was his debut in front of the yers, and he couldn''t afford any mistakes. "Squeak~" the bowstring hummed lightly. It was uncertain if it was because the Compound Bow was more flexible, but Bai E always felt that drawing the bow was much easierpared to when he used the Eaglehorn Bow that day. In order to test his limits, Bai E drew the bowstring as taut as possible until the muscles in his upper arm squeaked under the strain and his arm trembled slightly before he finally loosened the bowstring a bit and then suddenly released his fingers. "Whoosh!" The arrow, like lightning, zipped through the air and hit the bullseye with precision. [Sessful hit at the target center, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +1.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience 449/500, at 500 points you can master "Level 3 Ranged Weapon Specialization".] The arrow pierced through the target, the force breaking through the wooden board. "Not bad..." Bai E murmured softly, drawing another arrow from the quiver strapped to his leg. He nocked the arrow and drew the bow. Fire! [Trigger Arc Shot! Sessful in hitting a target behind an obstacle, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +2.] "Hmm... Good." Even after switching bows, his skill had not diminished. Once more... With no one around, the small target field that usually provided entertainment was quiet while the other warriors were training. Bai E nced around and swiftly drew three arrows from the quiver and set them against the bowstring. Fire! They scattered... Fire again! Scattered again... Damn it! Wasn''t there supposed to be a 5% sess rate? I''m going to fire again! A shower of arrows... Nope, nope! I wanted to look cool, but with this level I''m sure to embarrass myself. I''d better master the Double Shot first. Two arrows, fire! [Trigger Scatter Shot (Double Shot)! Sessful in simultaneously hitting two targets, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +4.] The Double Shot is more reliable... A cloaked figure, unnoticeable in the shadows and motionless, shook his head in resignation and pursed his lips slightly under his hood. "Clumsy, clumsy..." But diligent enough... Perhaps this is one of the few pleasures he could find while spending this time in the human military camp. ... "The training is about to begin..." Chavez looked at the nearly assembled warriors in front of him, his gaze sweeping over them with some concern. Where''s 95B27? Didn''t he train too hard to the point of passing out? I should have advised him to train a bit less... Three... two... Maybe skip one time too, right? The old soldiers can only train twice in two hours, but he starts off training four times as if he''s racing against time. It''s hard to tell if it''s good or bad training. To say it''s good... it''s somewhat beyond my understanding. To say it''s bad, his asional exceptional progress is starting to catch up with the old soldiers. I don''t get it... But don''t leave. Chavez''s gaze passed over the warriors chatting before the assembly, and he sighed with regret. Without this hardworking and diligent kid, they don''t seem to know what hard work is. As time ticked by, just as Chavez was about to call everyone to assemble, a familiar figure came running towards him from a distance. "I''m notte, am I..." Bai E murmured tentatively, sounding like a middle school student who had beente for school, as he saw that the team had basically assembled. Initially, Bai E, who was absorbed in archery, had a sense of time, but as he practiced, he seemed to bepletely engrossed in it. After intensely training to gain 27 points of shooting experience, he suddenly realized how time had flown and hurried back to the living area to put down his bow before rushing to the scene of the already assembled team. Finally, with the arrival of the main character, Chavez''s face turned as dark as charcoal. He simply lifted his chin toward the team, "Fall in!" "Yes!" "Assemble!" Begin training! [You are usingbat experience to correct your training movements... (Consumption: 10 points of experience/min)] [Current simtionpleteness: 125.0£¥] Bai E did not know how high the simtionpleteness could go; it seemed like every time he felt an improvement in his self-simtedpleteness, the next time he used experience to correct it, it would leap forward significantly, achieving the "Unapproachable Completeness" milestone... Yet... it still didn''t seem to be the limit. Instinctively, Bai E leapt down from the stage. The instructor had said that depending on personal feelings, the weight of the load could be changed at any time. The 30 kilograms he was carrying seemed no longer sufficient to meet his body''s training needs. He needed to move up to another weight ss¡ª Wrist and ankle weights... 7 kilograms. Vest... 15 kilograms. A total of 43 kilograms of extra weight, almost like carrying another person distributed evenly over his body. The heavier burden also made Bai E''s physical energy consumption more efficient, and thepleteness increased dramatically once again. [Current simtionpleteness: 131.7£¥] "Huff~ huff~" Bai E''s breathing was heavy, each exhtion as if carrying a heat capable of scalding the skin. Chavez, watching on the side, couldn''t help but twitch at the sight. Too strenuous... too strenuous... Even for someone as demanding as he was, Bai E''s performance was bing excessively intense. Worried that Bai E might genuinely overexert himself, Chavez, after a while, couldn''t sit still any longer and stepped forward, "Actually, you don''t have to push yourself so hard... Moreover, some of your postures are bing more distorted, and continuing to train like this may not yield good results." Improper training not only fails to yield results but can even backfire and harm one''s body. Bai E nced at him without speaking, for under the state of extreme experience-correction training, he was like a tightly drawn bowstring, allowing no room for distraction, not even an untimely breath could disturb this rhythm. Moreover... he was about to lose consciousness. Before his eyes, darkness... [You have surpassed your own limits in intense exercise, physical endurance +0.1, reflexes +0.1.] "Hey, hey, hey!" Quick-eyed and deft-handed, Chavez caught Bai E as he fell. Looking at the 95B27 who had already fallen into his arms and into a sleep like that of a baby, Chavez sighed deeply from up close. This strange artificial human recruit had be a significant challenge to his teaching career. But no matter what, the recruit''s obstinacy had made all the soldiers present look at him with new respect. Even though he fainted quickly during the training, like the clumsiest and most overconfident neer, the other soldiers could not dare to look down upon the unconscious body at the side of the field as their gazes asionally swept over it. "Huff~" Bai E woke up once again. [Current simtionpleteness: 99.9£¥] His self-drivenpleteness was getting closer to the instructor''s, but Bai E knew that he was getting further away from the real pinnacle. Looking at Bai E, who had switched back to a 30-kilogram load and assumed a standard posture, Chavez felt pleased deep down. "That''s how it should be." "This way it''s over!" The harsh female voice suddenly rang out. Helen, who had approached at some point, looked at Chavez with somewhat angry eyes. Bai E''s training results had been incredibly perfect, yet they had dropped significantly after this short-sighted instructor "advised" him with a few pointless remarks. "Please, don''t interfere with his training anymore. Your methods are outdated!" "..." After recognizing Helen''s identity, Chavez blinked innocently, "But, those methods were improved by you..." "...Mine are outdated too." Chapter 106: 105 Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0 Helen''s arrival didn''t disrupt the order of training; Bai E even felt his ears had been granted a reprieve. As for his performance capturing the other''s attention... Emmm, was the attention he drew before not enough? Being researchedst time allowed Bai E to roughly understand some of the scientific strategies of this world; there were no maniacal technologists who would slice at the slightest disagreement, as long as he was willing to cooperate with their studies, nothing too outrageous should pose a problem. This matter now... should not be considered too outrageous, right? In any case, he was definitely going to train with full effort, as it concerned a formidable expertise, not to mention the attribute enhancements brought by the training itself. "You continue to train at your own pace, don''t mind the others," Helen said. "..." Expressionless, Bai E crawled past above her head, as if he hadn''t heard her at all. He knew that this Academician Helen probably took interest in the training effects under his experience-modified state. However, his experience reserve was nearly depleted; he couldn''t always rely on experience to assist training, only the abilities learned by heart were his true, unexaggerated strength. So... unswayed. Unconventional. Imagine the gap between the two states yourself; anyway, that''s just how I am. Bai E cast aside all distractions, striving to recall the feelings from before. Current simtionpletion rate: 99.99%! Current simtionpletion rate: 99.999%! Current simtionpletion rate: 99.9999%! Without a panel hint, Bai E guessed on his own. Why isn''t it improving? It can''t be maxing out, can it? A slight impatience couldn''t break through the self-imposed blockade; Bai E''s breathing rhythm undted in sync with his body''s flow. [Current simtionpletion rate: 100.1%] ... [Current simtionpletion rate: 101.3%] ... "Strange..." Helen tapped her own fair chin with pale fingers, her starry eyes behind her sses slightly absentminded, "I already told him not to be affected anymore..." Through the thermal imaging in her sses, she could clearly discern the difference between Bai E''s body now and during his exercise moments ago. "Why so?" Is it that he can''t maintain a stable exercise rhythm? Or did he instinctively choose this training mode? But if it was an instinctive choice, then what inevitable reason lies behind it? Pondering carefully... She concluded¡ª "Does he need rest?" Continually maintaining a high-intensity practice could be too much for the body, just as one needs to jog slowly for a distance after an intense sprint; could this slightly moderated training be a way to nurture the body? After all, if he trained to the point of fainting each time, he would indeed need to be cautious of any potential hidden injuries to his body. Precise! Watching Bai Ee down from the course after finishing his training, Helen approached him with a smile at the corner of her mouth, "Could I trouble you toe with me? I need to examine your current physical condition." The general following Helen the whole time, seeing Bai E still looking somewhat puzzled, quickly gave an order, "Soldier 95B27! You must unconditionallyply with this Academician Helen''s orders, understood?" "Yes, Sir!" Bai E responded. "There''s no need..." Helen waved her hand, staring at Bai E''s face while gently smiling and asking, "It''s just a request..." "No problem, Sir!" Bai E replied. ... Watching Bai E follow behind Helen and leave, Tobyn, who had just rested enough and was about to start the second round of training, approached Chavez curiously and asked, "Instructor, what are they going to do? Is the academician going to personally teach Bai E training methods?" To receive the academician''s favor, truly befitting the great Bai E... Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin ["Lucky Strike" Energy +1.] "..." Chavez looked at Tobyn strangely. "What did you just call him?" "White E..." Chavez stroked his chin with some gossip, "He named himself that?" Although the appetions that artificial soldiers choose for themselves are varied, this one was especially abstract. "No, that''s what I called him... Don''t you think it''s cool?" "..." Incredible! Tobyn, still curious, watched the retreating figure in the distance. "Instructor, what exactly was he called over for? Is it true that Helen is going to personally teach him training methods?" "..." Recalling what he had just heard, Chavez felt the reality might be the opposite. "Perhaps... possibly... Helen wants to learn training methods from him." "What?" ["Lucky Strike" Energy +2] ... With the equipment running again, Helen obtained Bai E''s body data once more¡ªphysical strength 14, insight 11.4, reflex 11.9. Last time it was¡ªphysical strength 13.5, insight 11.3, reflex 11.4... How long had it been? About a day and a half? An increase of 0.5 in physical strength, an increase of 0.1 in insight, an increase of 0.5 in reflex... What kind of terrifying rate of attribute improvement was this? Could a perfect alien gene awakening achieve such a degree of improvement? A perfect prototype temte, but why... did it possess a fatal shoring? The mediocre meleebat scores of the 95B27 continued to be a thorn at Helen''s side. As the prototype of the progenitor gene, there must be no weak points in any aspect. The gic material would undergo countless mutations during inheritance. A prototype must strive for perfection to ensure that any minor mutations in descendants can still inherit the excellenttent potential of the prototype. Gazing at the data, Helen''s eyes were lost in thought. It took a while before she blinked and emerged from her contemtion. The attribute improvement efficiency of 95B27 was frightening, but the effect of his gic instincts on adjusting body exercise couldn''t be ignored either. Gic awakening was an individual''s miracle, while the optimized training methods developed during Advanced Physical Training 3.0 were a great discovery that could benefit all. "Now I''m going to attach some small sensors to your body. Don''t worry, they won''t have any effect on you; they''re only for recording specific data during your movements. It''s normal to feel a bit cold and a slight pricking sensation during the process, don''t be rmed." Bai E nodded, "Okay." He had no room for resistance, and rather than staying fixated, he decided to rx and ept it. Without his shirt on, Bai E''s figure, which looked lean when clothed, was astoundingly proportionate up close. Underneath the tight yet non-bulging muscles seemed to lie an explosive power. Helen''s fingers gently brushed over him, but it felt like an electric current was passing through her own body... A perfect body! "Next... next, I need to attach some sensors there as well." "Oh~" Bai E had no trace of an ambiguous mood, and his expressionless face made Helen, whose cheeks were slightly reddened, gradually settle down her thoughts. [What am I thinking...] Scolding herself silently, Helen focused on working. "All set, you can go back to training now... After you''re done,e back, and I''ll help you take off the sensors," Helen instructed. "Yes, Officer." Stepping outside, Bai E stretched out his hand to feel over the clothes the ck round sensors fixed to his skin. The cold touch made him a bit ufortable. [You are currently participating in the creation of knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0, Current creation progress is 0.1%. Uponplete participation, you will receive: Knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0; Research Experience +1000 points; Technology points *2.] "..." He never expected his lostbat experience to bepensated through such an unexpected method from another source. Though not a researcher, having some form ofpensation was always better than none, hoarding never goes out of style! Chapter 107: 106 Move out at nightfall! Being studied, passive cooperation had suddenly turned into proactive willingness, and Bai E burst into action. Dying for about twenty minutes was not a big deal; the remaining thirty to forty minutes were enough toplete a simple experience correction training. ¡­ [You have submitted part of the experimental information for "Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0" used in research studies¡ªdevelopment progress of "Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0" has increased by 5%.] "All right, you go ahead," said Helen, turning around after removing the sensors. Dressed, Bai E stood behind, hesitating somewhat. Hearing no movement behind her for quite some time, Helen turned back around, looking at Bai E with curiosity, "What''s wrong? Is there something the matter?" Bai E disyed an appropriately awkward demeanor, "I want¡­ to know the result." The task required his participation in development, which surely didn''t mean just sitting idly by, waiting for an easy win. Helen brushed back a curl from her ear, her smile gentle and warm, "Of course¡­ I just need to analyze the data first, and I might need to ask you for specificster, so I''ll have to trouble you." "No trouble at all¡­ So, I''ll be going now?" "Go ahead." Watching the door slowly close, the corners of Helen''s mouth gave a slight twitch. At this moment, she seemed more like a living, breathing person... After bidding farewell to Helen, Bai E headed to the canteen for a quick meal and then left the camp under the gradually darkening night sky. He had agreed with the yers to take action tonight and needed to be punctual for the appointment. The deserted wilderness was tranquil; the three yers inside the dugout spoke softly, as though even in the quiet environment their whispers might be overheard by the entire world. "Can''tin, having an underground base really does give a sense of security." "Yeah¡­ these past days, napping in the wild has been nerve-wracking." Having operated in this world for a while, their bodies would begin to tire, asionally feeling a wave of lethargy wash over them. Such weariness was unnerving, whether experienced in the ck Forest or ck Street. Only in this small territory of theirs could theypletely rx. The dream of building a perfect base in childhood, never imagined to be realized in this game, made them even moremitted to the task of base construction, an integral part of faction development. Joy was always the primary motivator driving their actions. "By the way, has that... Wen Jie been sent in yet?" Gong Yan nodded gently, "He has been sent in, Pu Jie says he found new work on ck Street and doesn''t n to go to the inner city for now, so he gave his residence permit to him." "Speaking of which, the adult is really kind to him, actually issuing tasks based on his wishes." The tasks Wen Jie received made them envious to tears; not only was he developing in a field he enjoyed, but afterpletion, he would also receive an additional reward. One of those rewards was even tied to the scarce "Gene Optimization Solution" resource, and they might have to rely on Wen Jie for any "upgrades" they wanted in the future. Dai Lian''s eyes zed over thoughtfully, mulling over the information, "It must be scarce talents that the organization needs... This game world has underlying logic supporting various developments, and it seems... they don''t perceive us as ''yers''." Without names above their heads or strange attire, let alone the NPCs, even when they, the yers, gathered together, they couldn''t be sure they would recognize other yers. On the forums, there were already yers from other ces who had started yingrge-scale games of Werewolf... "By the way... is it about time?" They hadn''t yet acquired any timekeeping items, and could only rely on the changes of the sun and the moon to gauge time. Dai Lian instinctively looked outside through the open hole¡­ A calm and resolute face was right in the center. "My lord?" "My lord, when did you get here?" Kuang Xin jumped up excitedly. "Just arrived¡­" Bai E stepped aside, letting them climb out one by one, "You''ve done a decent job with the construction~" Although it was just a dugout from underground, Bai E sincerely praised their work. To Bai E, the mere fact that they could create a space of several square meters without it copsing was already an impressive feat. Dai Lian''s face lifted with confidence, taking credit, "Don''t worry, my lord, leave it to us!" "But it''s difficult to continue expanding further," said Gong Yan, pushing back stray hairs beside her ear, "Preventing copse and dealing with the excavated dirt and rocks is troublesome, weck experience, and we need more time to explore." "Hmm¡­" Bai E nodded, "When there''s a chance, I''ll also look for someone to help you. For now... let''s get down to business." My scythe is eager for action! "Please follow us, sir." One of the abandoned sewer exits was not far from the ck Forest, and it was through there that Pu Jie had emerged that day, chasing a group of rats. Now this secret entrance was known to Dai Lian and his twopanions. As Dai Lian, leading the way, nced back from time to time at Bai E''s attire¡ª One needn''t mention the bulging pistols at his waist, but what about the two quivers of arrows on his back? What were they for? Additionally, the ck object in his hand, obviously made of metal... Could it be a folding bow? "What do you guys think that is?" Dai Lian murmured softly. "Just ask him..." Kuang Xin said nonchntly. The sir is one of our own; what''s there to fear? Turning his head, he asked Bai E, "Sir, what''s that you''re holding in your hand?" With a flick of his wrist, Bai E extended the bow with a rapid clicking and whirling sound. "This...pound bow." The raw beauty of the mechanical structure instantly caught the eyes of Dai Lian and Kuang Xin¡ªso cool. Bai E, expressionless, exined casually, "The sewer is a closed and quiet environment; firearms make too much noise. Under these conditions, a bow and arrow is more stealthy." Exactly! That''s spot on, brother! Dai Lian was moved, feeling affirmed by the NPC''s approval of his previousbat strategy. Unfortunately, armed with a hand crossbow, he had to run for his life when facing the charge of a dozen gue rats... While the idea was correct, in the context of this world, the bow and arrow was a weapon so obscure, it couldn''t be more out of favor. Could the sir... actually use it? With these thoughts whirling in his mind, Dai Lian quickened his pace. The four moved swiftly, shuttling quickly through the increasingly dim twilight. Arriving at the entrance, Dai Lian brushed aside the concealing weeds and gestured with his hand to show the way. "This way, sir..." The sewer had been abandoned for years, and the entrance was no longer damp. Instead, the water flow from earlier years had eroded a long trench in front of the entrance, hidden amidst the weeds, its end invisible. Bai E nced around and then stepped lightly into it. "ck~" Dai Lian lit thentern; the dim light source cast the elongated, blurred shadows of the four on the curving walls of the pipe. "We can''t use strong light," Dai Lian exined quietly, his voice echoing softly, making the ce seem even more quiet. Although the wilderness at night was quiet too, the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind and the distant sounds of insects and birds provided a kind offorting white noise. In the sewer, the silence was terrifying. Bai E nodded, not saying much. Dai Lian was reliable in doing things, and if Bai E were to do these things himself, he couldn''t have done them any better. "Sir, we''ll lead the way. Although we haven''t caught the exact hideout of the other party in the past few days, we have figured out their general escape direction. We even came here this afternoon to confirm it, so there should be no mistakes. Also, we''ve received word that the Arbitration ce will take action tonight too." "Good." Bai E had also received 8 points in Stealth and 4 points in Long-Range Weapons Proficiency that afternoon, so he guessed they had made some move. Squeak, squeak, squeak~ Suddenly, a faint sound arose from the end of the pipe at the bend. Bai E''s mind, dark as pitch, lit up like a radar, presenting a structural scan of the nearby environment. The space imagination ability manifested by Insight allowed him to roughly pinpoint the location of the target. [You are using Insight ability to explore the environment¡­] Three of them? "Shh~" Bai E raised his index finger to his lips and then quietly drew an arrow from the quiver. He bent his bow and notched an arrow. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Three arrows in quick session followed one another, each plunging into the darkness ahead. Chapter 108: 107 Unexpected Gains [Arc Shot triggered! Sessfully hit the target behind the obstacle, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +3.] [You have killed the target,bat concluded, earned 3bat experience points.] [You are attempting to familiarize withbat in the "Dark Environment," having sessfully acquired "100bat experience points" through bat" under this condition, you can train the Blind Fighting feat. Current progress 3/100.] [Blind Fighting (Level 1): Perceptive performance (hearing) +1 in "Dark Environment".] Pretty good... Indeed, any kind of training could potentially enhance abilities. Bai E waved his hand, signaling that the danger was cleared, and everyone continued to move forward. Dai Lian and the other two peered toward the far end of the dimly lit tunnel''s corner, murmuring their confusion. What was the adult shooting at just now? They carefully advanced with theirnterns held high. No... no... No arrows found. Where did they go? Turning the corner, three gue rats pinned by arrows surprisingly appeared before them. "..." Dai Lian nced at the arrows on the ground and then turned stiffly to look back at Bai E. "My lord..." Bai E stepped over him, removed the arrows from the rat corpses, shook off the gue rat fluids, and reinserted them into his quiver before nonchntly saying, "Keep moving." "Gulp~" Kuang Xin swallowed, his thirst for action evident. Both were arc shots, but why does a bow and arrow look so much cooler than a pistol? This silent, cold-blooded assassination is hitting the XP spot! And the distance... Carefully considering the distance from where the arrow was shot, Dai Lian realized it was no shorter than their crude guns'' firing range! "My lord..." "Shush~" Bai E squinted, looking ahead into the dark tunnel. The sound of scurrying drew closer, each footstep on the tunnel wall spreading ripples that vibrated outwards until they reached Bai E''s ears. [You are using your echolocation ability to explore the surroundings...] There are just too many rats in this sewer, right? No sooner had he returned the arrows to his quiver than he drew two more¡ªthis time two at once. Dai Lian could also perceive the distant rustling, but what was more intriguing was right beside him. The lord nocked his bow with two arrows at once. Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin "Swoosh!" The sound of two arrows colliding in flight shot into the darkness. Almost as soon as they were released, Bai E drew another set of arrows, already poised for the next volley. Shoot! Shoot! ... The whistling of the arrows was the only movement in the tunnel, the distant cold-blooded assassination deeply stirring. The three yers couldn''t see into the darkness beyond the dim light, but Dai Lian could clearly hear faint movements. But they could see Bai E slowly drawing three arrows. The feeling was hot in his hand. Thest strike, triple shot! "Swoosh!" [Scatter Shot (Triple shot) triggered! Sessfully hit arge number of distant small targets, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +26.] (Stacked) [Attack prated the target, dealing 18 piercing damage! Additionally inflicted "Serious Injury" and "Bleeding" status.] [Your attack''s "Bleeding" effect caused 6 points of continuous fatal damage to the target.] [gue Rat (Mutant): Health 0/24...] [You havepletely annihted the targets,bat concluded, earned 10bat experience points.] [...Current progress 13/100.] Thebat experience was bing less and less... The three rats just now yielded 3 points, and judging from the information that popped up, he must have shot at least a dozen, but only 10bat experience points were left. Going forward, the experience he would gain from killing gue rats would likely decrease more and more, until it approaches zero. In this world, thebat experience one could gain from the same type of monster does not seem to refresh over time. As one''s strength or the number of kills increases, the various types of experience that can be gained from the same type of low-level monsters bes less and less. In the future, this could be the biggest constraint limiting ability improvement. ``` But that''s still far off, and any improvement right now is good¡ª [You have learned "Level 3 Ranged Weapon Specialization" and have obtained 1 potential point.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 3): Shooting uracy +11%, firing speed +7%, range +300 meters, arc shot (special) +6%, scatter shot level (special) +2.] [Scatter Shot (Level 2): Double shot sess rate +60%, triple shot sess rate +10%, quadruple shot sess rate +1%.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery experience 12/1000, mastering "Level 4 Ranged Weapon Specialization" when reaching 1000 points.] Level 3 now... The only regret is that I didn''t learn the so-called "Wind Stabilizer" special attribute bonus before reaching level 3, meaning I missed an opportunity to improve. But nothing in life is perfect, and the level I''ve reached is probably something most native NPCs could never achieve in their lifetime. "Let''s go." Bai E put down thepound bow and stepped forward again, ignoring the three yers who were still staring nkly at the spot where he had been standing. "So cool..." "I want to learn..." To behead in silence, and to eliminate an enemy miles away. This is just too freaking cool. Firearms require a cold lock-on, but bows and arrows can pull off the coolest tricks. The impact delivered by an arrow''s arc shot feels iparable to that of a firearm, and you can even shoot several arrows at once... If youbine multi-shot with arc shot, wouldn''t that look just too damn slick? Whether it''s strong or not is a matter of version, but whether it''s cool or not is for a lifetime. Moreover, with Bai E''s expressiveness with a bow, he''s totally on par withmon handguns and rifles. The three who followed Bai E and saw the gue rats pinned to the ground by the arrows, with only a few miss shots here and there, were amazed. "Help me collect the arrows," Bai E instructed softly. A quiver holds 25 arrows, and two quivers are just 50; these had been exchanged for with military merits. If they''re not collected, no one can afford such waste. Plus, after being shot, the arrows often go through small deformations that can slightly decrease shooting uracy. They need to be maintained after retrieval, which is a hassle... "Sir, we also have hand crossbows," Kuang Xin handed back a bundle of retrieved arrows, taking out his hand crossbow and looking at Bai E with fervent eyes. A clear hint! I want to learn! Last time, Dai Lian learned the arc shot from the master''s gun skills and practically cried with envy. During the days the master was away, when they went out on their own for side jobs, Dai Lian''s brief disy of arc shot amazed many yers they encountered, hailing him as a pro. Maybe the "Well Trained" trait I have holds higher potential, but in terms of expressiveness, the arc shot is undoubtedly more dazzling. And how can I pass up the opportunity to learn both arc shot and multi-shot at the same time? I want to show off! Dai Lian frowned with reservations. He understood the saying "bites off more than one can chew." They can''tpare to the inborn talents among the NPCs; yers need to use their limited resources wisely. The application of ranged weapons isn''t widespread, and in this world, they certainly aren''t as useful as firearms. So is it worth wasting valuablebat/general experience on a fancy but impractical skill? That''s a judgment that needs careful consideration. Torn with hesitation, Dai Lian cautiously asked, "Sir... Archery seems to be a difficult skill to learn and master. Did you spend a lot of time practicing?" Finally can''t hold it in? Bai E''s lips twitched briefly with a fleeting smile. He calmly exined, "It''s hard to achieve more technical enhancements with firearms. When your strength exceeds the limit of your weapon, the extra personal performance doesn''t trante into a significant improvement in your shooting abilities. At that point, the weapon''s performance bes the limit to your performance. But it''s different with cold weapons..." All these were the words of that Elf Racedy, and such a master''s advice is generally not wrong; Bai E didn''t feel too burdened by leading others astray. As for whether Yue Ying might make mistakes due to her limited perspective... you''re asking me? Bai E''s words struck Dai Lian like a sh of light, bringing instant enlightenment. Got it! One skill for the early game, one for thete game! Then what the heck are we waiting for? Learn it! The better the ability, the more important it is to start learning it early on. Realizing that special attributes will increase with proficiency level, they had already concluded this truth. "Sir! Can you teach us?" "No problem..." Bai E was waiting for this moment; the feeling of being asked is quite different from imposing on others. He could also take the opportunity to mentor, "As members of the organization, it''s our duty to nurture juniors. But this is limited to your current status as temporary members. Once you formally join the organization, you will need to exchange contributions for these lessons. Of course, by then you''ll also be free to choose more abilities that suit you." Temporary members get such benefits, so how could full members get any less? Apud the understanding! Hmm... seems I''ve also cornered myself in the process. If I don''t learn more, what will I have to teach themter on? ...Just put some pressure on myself, huh~ ``` Chapter 109: 108 dead-end boss yers'' days of tracking and exploration were not in vain; Bai E, who had been following them deeper, clearly noticed a peculiar smell that began to intensify. It was the scent released by arge gathering of gue rats, which Bai E had already encountered twice before. As expected, the faint sounds of movement were once again approaching from the end of the tunnel. Encountering this group that seemed to be patrolling, Bai E did not opt for a long-range snipe immediately. Since it was a teaching moment, he had to give the yers a chance to perform. He didn''t know if there were any quality assessments for teaching, since his own initial learning had all been with fixed targets in a visible environment during daylight. In these pitch-ck sewers, yers would have a difficult time learning anything if he did not let them get close enough to strike, so it was better to begin teaching at a closer range for the sake of safety. "Herees your chance," Bai E whispered as a reminder. Dai Lian nodded and gripped his hand crossbow tightly; he had heard the noises, too. Kuang Xin also held his hand crossbow, his expression excited, while Gong Yan made no move. She liked that sort of ir, but she wouldn''t learn it herself. She understood the idea of ''biting off more than one can chew'' even better than Dai Lian did, having a clear n for her own development path. "Watch carefully." [Do you decide to teachbat skills to your target?] [Confirm!] ... [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in teaching, converting into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience.] Arrows of varying force cut through the wind as Bai E joyously harvested experience, while Kuang Xin and Dai Lian also focused intently on learning. [You have spent 10 points of general experience in teaching, converting into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience.] Having used upbat experience, he turned to general experience. They hadn''t fought much these past days, and the sparse experience gained from asionally killing gue rats was nowhere near that from previous wolf hunts. Nevertheless, after a wave of gue rats rushed them, both individuals, who already had a basic grasp of ranged weapons, instantly reached level 1 in specialization. [Sessfully hit several small targets, "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience +6.] (umted) [Acquired "Level 1 Ranged Weapon Specialization," and consequently received 1 potential point.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 1): Shooting uracy +5%, firing speed +3%, range +100 meters.] [Current "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience 2/300, reaching 300 points will grant "Level 2 Ranged Weapon Specialization."] Dai Lian looked at the stream of notifications popping up on his panel with satisfaction. Before the specialization reached level 1, it was impossible to learn about special attributes during the training, a fact that had already been demonstrated in the previous session. Now was the time for him to truly demonstrate his skills! [You have spent 10 points of general experience in learning... (extremely rare chance to awaken a special attribute)] [Notice: The current "weapon" nature makes it highly unlikely to support the awakening of this special attribute; the odds are minuscule, please proceed with caution.] "emmmmm..." Dai Lian lifted his hand crossbow to his eyes, and, with a slightly cross-eyed look, an expression of confusion emerged¡ªhuh? Kuang Xin also noticed something was amiss and turned to Dai Lian immediately. "What do we do now?" "My lord¡­" Dai Lian cut his losses immediately, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth as he spoke, "I think we might need to wait until next time to learn." It never urred to them that what the game prided itself on was its realism. The hand crossbow was easier to handle, but in essence, it''s still a type of archaic firearm. The slot for the crossbow arrow was fixed, thereby eliminating the possibility for manual adjustments. Whether it was shooting in an arc or scatter shot... neither was possible with a hand crossbow. Level 1 specialization merely improved their familiarity with archaic type shooting... What a waste of time! Dammit! ... ["Teaching" concluded. Through the training feedback, you have acquired a total of 150 points ofbat experience and 60 points of general experience.] Bai E''s gaze swept over the crossbows in their hands, and with some regret, he went to retrieve the arrows. Such a great opportunity for reaping had been disrupted by the nature of the weapon, damn it! "It''s okay... There will be plenty of opportunities in the future." While collecting the arrows, Bai E casuallyforted them. He was definitely not at a loss, even if this teaching session had been interrupted by unexpected factors, the improvements brought about by the battle itself were already satisfying. [Trigger Scatter (Triple Shot)! Sessful in hitting numerous long-distance small targets, Ranged Weapon Specialization experience +22.] (umted) [You have killed the target, the battle is over, you gained 20 battle experience points.] [...Current progress 13/100.] The only pity was that the battle experience gained from killing gue rats was bing less and less. It was hard to get even a single point of experience for a gue rat, and just now it might have only been at a discount, this time it was aplete fracture; not even sure if it was worth two for one. Moreover, because this time he had moved in closer to amodate the yers, the battle experience gained not under "Dark Environment" conditions didn''t count towards the experience needed for unlocking specialization, so there was no progress. So damn rigorous... He probably wouldn''t get the specialization tonight, Bai E was mentally prepared, "Let''s go, keep moving." "My Lord... It''s better if we lead the way. The closer we get, the more cautious we need to be. If too many rat swarms are attracted, it will be difficult for us to escape," Dai Lian collected his emotions and once again took the lead. In fact, the loss from today''s lesson wasn''t much, after all, there were no hints of learning special attributes before reaching level 1 specialization, and this level 1 specialization must be acquired anyhow. The loss was at most limited to the experience that could have been gained through training on his own but was now directly exchanged at a 2-for-1 rate due to the teaching session. It was the first time ying this game after all, so losing some experience in exchange for gaining some insight was expected. Next time, he''d be extra careful, as all the game''s judgments are based on realistic and perfect underlying logic. If he were a bit more meticulous, these losses could have been avoided. "The more obstacles we encounter, the more it proves we''re heading in the right direction," said Bai E, who had finished collecting the arrows, looking into the darkness ahead. He wondered if the boss hiding in the shadows could provide him with some surprises. Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin ... "You can''t escape,e back with me," Franca''s gaze passed through the gaps in the formed by the swarm of rats, looking towards the thin figure hiding under the grey-brown nket. "I just want to live..." The thin figure bowed deeply, his face hidden in the unseen shadow. His shoulders quivered slightly, and the growl that came from his throat grew louder from a whisper, revealing a hysterical sense of despair. "I just want to live... I just want to live... I haven''t harmed anyone! They are just friends protecting me!" The burly man coldly interrupted the boy''s self-defense, "But your mere existence is evil, even your unintentional actions have caused unimaginable effects on humanity. You can''t perfectly control these gue rats born because of you, not to mention... your friends have already taken a life." "They bullied me first!" The boy''s voice was sharp, and his emotions uncontrobly surged as he screamed, "That''s not fair! Where were you when they bullied me? Where were you when I was nearly suffocating in the ditch? Why do I deserve to die? Why can''t I live properly in this world? What gives you the right!" "There is nothing unfair," the muscleman''s voice was calm to the point of being cold, "Fernandi, we''ve heard some things about you... They were wrong to bully you first, and you have every right to fight back with all your means. No one will stop that retaliation. However, you made a mistake. You shouldn''t have sought the protection of an Evil God, the sworn enemy of all human society. No one can save you." "Retaliate? With what should I retaliate?" How could a malnourished, weak boy without any Spiritual Energy talent retaliate effectively? Fernandi''sint was filled with resentment. Franca, with some reluctance in her heart, tried to sound as gentle as possible, "Come back with us, maybe we can find a way to help you..." "No!" The boy looked to his side, where there was still a path, "You won''t catch me! I won''t go with you! Never!" "I know you still have a way now, but you no longer have a future," Franca said. "Going with us is your only choice." "Franca!" the burly man''s voice was stern, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic grid of twoyers of rat swarms towards the girl at another tunnel entrance, "It''s unnecessary. You know, there is no possiblepromise between us and the Believers of the Evil One, only destruction. An iplete purge is equivalent to not purging at all! Take action." Franca stubbornly shook her head, "I want to try." "Stubborn!" The boy smiled tragically, "See... you won''t let me go, I''ve heard about your ways." After speaking, the boy who was about to run suddenly paused, a bitter smile appearing on his face. "You... you still have people." Chapter 110: 109 I allow it The rat swarm seemed to be following somemand, interlinking at the end of the corridor near a pipe opening, weaving together a resembling a spider''s web made of rats. Bai E''s gaze pierced through the encirclement of rats, making out a faint figure above which floated a line of text only he could see¡ª [???(Human) (Demon Believer) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill can drop: Definitely (Fresh Meat*900, Battle Experience 1000 points, Favor: Father''s Love); Possibly (Expertise: Digging Whiz)] "..." How strange¡­ Facing the pressure of being assaulted from three directions at once, the boy''sst line of defense was finally breached. "Why!" The voice was piercing, like a cuckoo bleeding, "Why can''t you give me a way out! What''s wrong with wanting to live! My sister..." The boy, biting his teeth until his gums bled, ultimately sumbed to the urge to vent his despair. He had heard that these Arbitration ce people liked to uproot entirely, and if because of his words their attention shifted to his sister¡­ perhaps she too would suffer a cruel fate. "Don''t force me! Stop pushing me!" The boundary between the high-dimensional and the real was blurring. As the boy''s words fell into disarray, the space behind him had already slipped into a kind of hazy state, with sickly green eyes seemingly about to emerge, and the unique aura of demons starting to brew in the hearts of everyone around. Anyone who believed in demons would be a conduit for the demons to infiltrate reality¡­ "Who said they were going to kill you?" Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin The hazy space abruptly stilled. ??? ??? ??? Franca, a burly man, three yers by his side¡­ nces from three different directions simultaneously locked onto the same figure. The figure, as if oblivious to them, merely continued to speak slowly, "When fate corners you, you can choose any means necessary to survive, even if it''s a crime¡­ Remember, that is not shameful. What''s shameful are those who create these tragedies and then ignore them!" "..." Dai Lian, standing beside Bai E, had a nk look in his eyes. What are you talking about, brother? Didn''t you bring us here toplete the mission and y the evil? Howe after a couple of sentences, you''ve changed your mind? Maybe the boy''s fate does sound a bit tragic, but he''s a demon believer, right? Isn''t it worth checking what he might drop? The burly man blocked by two walls of rats red fiercely, fixated on trying to see who the heretic arriving through the nted pipe was. The appearance of this faction was not part of their n, and it even seemed they might now be making enemies with them. However, amid the chaotic movement of countless rat bodies, it waspletely impossible to make out the neer''s face in the dim reflection of the pipe. As for the aura of Spiritual Energy¡­ the other party had no Spiritual Energy, making it impossible to use as a marker for perception. Identity was naturally unconfirmable. "Covering for a heretic is a capital offense as well!" the burly man dered harshly, his intent to threaten clear. The stunned boy also looked at the third party blocked by the rat swarm,pletely bewildered by this sudden turn of events, even forcibly stopping the call of the demon''s invasion. In the dark, he instinctively searched for light, even if it was just a fleeting, illusory shimmer. "He shouldn''t die." Bai E said emotionlessly, dering his conviction, "He did nothing wrong; he shouldn''t be forced to death by this world." A Demon Believer? Bai E didn''t momentarily see any negative traits of a Demon Believer on the boy. His understanding of this world''s inherent knowledge was still superficial, and he only believed in what he could see. And at this moment, he saw the powerful bullying the weak, the unjust fate of the frail, that this world shouldn''t be like this, he saw¡­ justice and human rights! Were his previous words deceiving the yers? Or were they a deration of the maxims he staunchly upheld? Were his prior actions aimed at gaining the protection of a superior officer? Or were they due to his own heartfelt impulses? Perhaps he was an insignificant figure, but he also had certain stubborn beliefs of his own. "I won''t allow it." I won''t allow this to happen before my eyes. The calm voice resounded with certainty. "You are making yourself an enemy of the Arbitration ce," the burly man''s eyes narrowed, and a chilly aura emanated from him. "I don''t care," Bai E''s gaze passed over the swarm of rats, seeing the burly man with a robust build¡­ and the girl dressed in luxurious attire. He had originally thought that the Arbitration ce was not what he had imagined it to be, but now he realized that the Arbitration ce he thought wasn''t what he thought, turned out to be exactly what he had imagined after all. The things You had found out¡­ were actually correct¡­ "Then I''m sorry, but shielding a heretic makes youplicit in heresy!" The robust man''s tone was slightly calm, but the suppressed murderous intent was icy and overflowing. He had not intended to make a move to temper Franca. But now¡­ "No need!" The tremulous voice interrupted the icy murderous intent, the boy''s eyes shimmering with tears as he smiled in resignation, "Thank you¡­ Even though I don''t know who you are or what your name is, thank you." His only regret was that he had not seen the light of this world, feeling too powerless as he faded away. The moment he saw the light, death didn''t seem scary anymore. "I will go with you," the boy looked towards the side of the burly man, his lips trembling, fearful yet resolute about his choice, "Don''t hurt him." "You don''t need to make a self-sacrificial decision on your own; I can bear the consequences of all your choices," Bai E interrupted the boy with a calm voice, "I promise, I allow, I will¡­ shoulder everything." "¡­" In the deathly quiet corridor, only the rustling of the rat swarm sounded quietly. Who exactly was the other party? Looking at the unclear side corridor, the burly man''s eyes flickered with uncertain suspicion. The boy''s body trembled visibly once more. He was caught in a difficult choice. He certainly knew the consequences of being an enemy of the Arbitration ce; it was just hisst struggle before an inevitable death. His evasion was just a resentful outcry against reality. The moment he realized he might involve others, he forcefully overcame his fear of death and willingly embraced it. But now¡­ could there really be hope to live? Could he really protect me? Could he really contend with the Arbitration ce? I haven''t even seen my sister for thest time¡­ Bai E remained silent, leaving the final choice to the boy. If he didn''t have the courage to keep living even like this, there was nothing more he could do. The boy''s footsteps hesitated¡­ "Your actions will get him killed," the robust man narrowed his eyes. The footsteps continued as the boy, with his back to the man, guiltily lowered his head, "I want to live¡­" The rat swarm in front of Bai E silently dispersed, and the boy stepped into the corridor. The burly man''s Spiritual Energy burst forth, but the sound of something slicing through the wind came first. "Whiz!" The arrow, taking a curving path towards the right eye, was swiftly grasped in the middle by the quick-reacting burly man in a state of Spiritual Heart Crossing, his powerful grip twisting and deforming the arrow. However, the next two arrows were almost hidden within the sound of the first, striking from two different trajectories at the temples directly following the first. The sharp arrows shed with a startling cold light, the attack from the shadows decisive and deadly, with a murderous chill overflowing. "Buzz!" The burst of Spiritual Energy momentarily countered the force of the arrows, and the momentum lost, the arrows finally fell helplessly. "ng ng ng~" The arrows bounced slightly as they hit the ground, only to be crushed under a heavy foot, "Who the hell is it!" "Hiss!" Not giving the robust man time to ponder, the swarm of rats no longer wove together but fiercelyunched an attack without fear of death. Chapter 111: 110 The Little Expert at Digging Holes ``` [Trigger Scatter Shot (Double Shot)! Trigger Arc Strike! Simultaneously triggered two special techniques hitting the target, ranged weapon mastery experience +11.] Bai E slung his bow across his back and strode away, with the boy draped in the gray-brown nket following closely behind. Gong Yan''s eyes shimmered as she watched several silhouettes disappear into the slightly reflective, blurry light and shadows. Even though they are enemies of the Arbitration ce... Such demeanor, so lovable. And that gentle, calm voice that seemed almost powerful enough to be felt, it seemed so familiar. Such a familiar feeling. "Franca!" A burly man''s voice roared from the adjacent corridor. With a helpless shrug, Franca pulled out her longsword and swung it through the air, making "whoosh whoosh" sounds, "I''ve got my own troubles!" That little rat man wasn''t bad; before I showed too much resolve to exterminate utterly, he didn''t let those old rats attack me... "Hmph!" The surging airflow vibrated the entire pipeline walls with a buzzing tremor as the brawny man with Spiritual Energy burst free from those annoying rats... and turned to run. Chasing an enemy of unknown strength and origin in the dark underground tunnels was clearly not a wise choice. Not to mention, there''s a "mole" among one''s teammates! In this city, there are actually people daring to oppose the Arbitration ce! That''s... quitemon, actually. The Divine Arrival Sect''s believers entrenched in the deepest darkness, the Mutual Aid Society organized by mutates unnoticed by ordinary people, the city''s underworld that thinks it can maintain Order... All these unstable elements are potential targets. Taking in a desperate Believer of the E forces... it''s nothing out of the ordinary. The burly man returned to the surface, his expressionbining indignation and anger, "Why didn''t you take action?" Although his experience and strength were greater than Franca''s, her speed was faster. She could have easily broken through the rat horde when they singled her out. Even if she couldn''t detain the enemy, at least by engaging in a close battle, she could have learned some details to track their identity. The youngdy Xiao Xiong spread her hands, "For 500 ck water coins a month, why should I risk my life? I''m just a temp, Uncle~" "..." It was just that so-calledpassion that yed a fool. The burly man turned abruptly, clenching a deformed arrow shaft in his hand. At least there was a bit of a clue. Looking like a product of military assembly lines, even if the enemy wasn''t from the military, they were undoubtedly connected to the supply line that flows from the military to the ck market. If they want to oppose the Arbitration ce, then it''s time to clean up this shady business once and for all! "No more mercy!" the burly man warned sternly. Franca grinned, cradling the sword sheath in her arms, "My sword is not dull either." "..." ... Under the cover of night, several figures swiftly wove through the jungle''s silhouette, silent all the way. Bai E kept silent, and naturally, the yers did not dare to speak out of turn. The turn of events waspletely unexpected. When issuing the mission, they talked about exterminating evil without mercy, but now they had rescued the boss leader? And it seems the task... Huh? The progress for investigating the truth is also consideredplete? That''s not too bad... Without Bai E in charge, they would likely have found it difficult to fight their way through and step over the bodies of those rats to confront the final boss. It''s just unclear what to do next? ``` Enemy of the Arbitration ce? ording to Dai Lian''s consistent thinking, he would definitely side with whoever was stronger or offered more rewards. Loyalty? Nonexistent, do yers even have such a thing? But those two fools seemed different... Gazing at the figure leading the way, Gong Yan''s eyes glittered. The silhouette that seemed ready to stand against the world for justice was the hero she aspired to be. Moreover, having such apanion or superior meant that even in desperate circumstances, one could trust him resolutely. Whether it stemmed from reason or emotion, this was undoubtedly a leader worth following. As for benefits... if one only pursued benefits, how would a game differ from reality? The game was ultimately an empty experience, but the process one underwent and pursued within it was the true wealth that could impact one''s life. This life... I''ll entrust it to you. "You''re safe now." Having finally arrived at the underground cave belonging to Li Ming, Bai E turned and spoke to the boy who had followed him down thedder. The dim glow of thenterns inside the cave allowed Bai E to clearly see the boy''s pale and handsome face for the first time. Exceptionally handsome, his looks seemed to rival those of a yer called Kuang Xin, except his face was covered with fine scratches and scars. Perhaps that was one of the reasons for his tragic fate... the uneducated children''s malice was pure and insane. Just didn''t know why... he looked somewhat familiar? Bai E was certain he had never seen him before. "Next, just hide here," Bai E said, before turning to the yers who hade down as well, and asked softly, "And you... can you take care of him?" No mission was given, just a question. If possible, Bai E, of course, would have liked to issue a mission, but sadly, the quota for today''smissions had all been given out, and the only one left, originally meant for the top student yer Zhou Wenjie, was abat mission unsuitable for the present situation. Such a request without mission rewards implied trouble... "No problem!" Gong Yan responded immediately. Bai E''s gaze flickered slightly, satisfied. Gently patting the head of the boy who reached only up to his chest, Bai E''s lips curved slightly as he said, "I promised to find you some helpers for building a base, and now... he''s arrived." "Huh?" The boy looked up at Bai E''s face, full of confusion, "I..." Bai E gave him a gentle smile, "What, you''re going to tell us that mice can''t dig holes? Or... you don''t have ns to put in the effort to build a home for yourself?" "Home..." The boy murmured softly. Such a distant word. The home with his sister was warm, but there were many things he dared not tell her. Ever since his sister had gone to the barracks, it had been very difficult for him to survive alone in that ce. Without those "friends," he would probably have turned into a pile of bones by now. "I''ve picked up many people like you before; you''re neither the first nor thest. You need to build a home for everyone, that is your responsibility," said Bai E in a gentle tone, bing increasingly adept at deception. "Yes, my lord." The man before him had a resolute and reliable appearance, like a cold sun, spreading light that fell on the soul, cool as moonlight. Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin The boy looked toward the three yers and quietly swore an oath, "I will build a home for everyone..." ["Lucky Strike" charge +5.] Chapter 112: 111 The Pure Pursuit of Idealists This was the second time this had happened... A single person could provide a "lucky strike" skill charge value that surpassed that of multiple people. Was it fanatical worship? Or resolute intent to follow? "Take good care of him, I''m leaving the base to you, I''ll see you tomorrow at noon," Bai E waved his hand and quietly left. In fact, there were still some doubts and concerns that weren''t voiced¡ªlike whether the boy could perfectly control the rat horde, or what kind of connection he had with the demons. What sort of impact would the identity of a demon believer have on his body as well as his mind and actions? But today was not the right time. The restless soul needed temporary warmth to soothe it. He also needed to learn more about demons and their believers through other channels. If the boy''s fate was to plunge into the abyss of destruction due to his contamination with demonic influence, he could only do his best to ensure the boy journeyed through thest part of his life with as few regrets as possible. He could rest forever in a sun-warmed afternoon among the chorus of birds and fragrance of flowers, but he should not fade namelessly into the pitch-ck, ice-cold sewers amidst helpless panic and indignation. The people of this world lived a miserable enough existence... they shouldn''t also die a miserable death. ... "The boss has left," Dai Lian, who had taken the initiative to climb to the outside of the cave to see Bai E off, let out a long sigh of relief. When one''s conscience is burdened, it tends to cause some panic. In the games on the screens of the past, Dai Lian could sell out NPCs without even blinking. But in this game of maximum realism, the oppression from such characters was also at its peak. Every time the boss''s gaze swept over him, Dai Lian always had the feeling that all his little schemes werepletely seen through. Just a moment ago, the quick-thinking he did indeed entertain some various thoughts. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin As their range of activity grew and he heard more news, he came to know that the Arbitration ce was incredibly powerful and, for the right price, not impossible to sell to. Of course, he didn''t ponder this thought further before it was easily derailed by two fools. But merely having such a thought made standing under the boss''s scrutiny feel as heavy asmitting a crime. "He''s gone, so what''s with the sigh of relief?" Kuang Xin asked, noticing something odd about his tone. Dai Lian responded with a wistful tone, "Just now, it was lucky that Yanzi reacted quickly, or we would have been in trouble." Kuang Xin looked confused, uttering a perplexed noise, "...Huh?" "Just now the boss told us to take care of that kid..." Dai Lian nced downward¡ªthey three yers had run up to see off the boss, leaving only that Rat Person hiding alone below¡ª"I hesitated for a moment, but luckily Yanzi answered quickly. Otherwise, I guess the boss wouldn''t have offered to help us build a storehouse." Their path to promotion within the organization would probably have grown distant. It was a test. And luckily, Yanzi''s genuine kindness had inadvertently struck true. But I, who quickly reacted as well, deserve some praise... "Um... Oh right!" Speaking of this matter made Kuang Xin curious, "How did the boss know he could help us dig? Didn''t he also just meet this boss for the first time?" "Who knows..." Dai Lian''s eyes wandered, "Maybe he has other sources of information, but speaking of which, I''m more curious about why the boss suddenly changed his mind? Wasn''t he going to kill him at first?" Gong Yan tilted her head, her eyes slightly trance-like, "Maybe it was after hearing about the boy''s ordeal... Don''t you think it''s just what the boss should do? Otherwise, what kind of organization did we join?" If their leader had not made such a decision at this moment, then what did all those words he preached about the beliefs of the organization mean? Were those just hollow goals touted by hypocrites? Ambitious schemers wielding kindness as weapons in pursuit of their plots? "Such charisma is what it takes to lead an organization filled with idealism, right?" "I suppose..." Dai Lian sounded somewhat mncholic. Remembering the heroic demeanor their leader had disyed when confronting the Arbitration ce... even Dai Lian had to admit that he too needed to steer clear for the time being. This NPC was indeed a bit handsome. ... Bai E quickened his pace back to the military camp, propelled by the rare rity of the starry night. His actions today had indeed been somewhat impulsive. But what venture doesn''te with risks? If caution were always useful, there wouldn''t be so many sacrifices in this world. Life and death are dictated by fate. As he delved deeper into this world''s backdrop, Bai E felt his natural instincts gradually being unleashed... of course, it might also be the world''s tech restrictions on artificial human gics subtly affecting his decision-making¡ª To do what you want to do, to say what you want to say. Only with a clear mind can one live a satisfying life. Biding one''s time is just to umte strength, hiding away forever is nothing but cowardice. You only live once, so why not live boldly? [Feedback received from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +2.] "..." ? ... The city, like a flickering newborn star, yed tug-of-war with his solitarymp throughout the night. Standing alone and somewhat lost in the middle of the street, Zhou Wenjie was dazzled by myriad spinning lights pouring into his eyes, feeling like the modern urban streetscape hesitantly guided him back to reality. The inner city... is it really like this? No wonder everyone outside is desperate to get in; just this brightly litfort is an unimaginable stability for those outside. Wenjie, curious about everything in this world, walked briskly along the clean streets. He soon realized a problem¡ªwhere should he even begin with the most basic survival? Entering the inner city with empty hands, he had neither acquaintances nor funds. "Hiring for LAN maintenance work, eh! Brother... wanna take a look? On-the-job training, guaranteed to learn." The guy yelling on the street cornerte at night didn''t look at all respectable. However, Wenjie, with no prospects in sight, seemed to have little choice. Indeed, as long as he had a foothold, he was confident he could learn anything. "Do you think I can do it?" Wenjie asked, slightly anxious. Apart from an Inner City Residence Permit, he had nothing on him, and he was clueless about the inner city''s situation. "Sure, you''re more than capable!" said the skin-and-bones man with a giggle, "Just by looking at you, brother, I can tell you''re hardworking and down-to-earth! As long as you''re willing to learn, there''ll definitely be no issue!" "Alright..." Wenjie silently tightened his grip on the knife hidden in his bosom, the only weapon Gong Yan had given him for self-defense, "I''ll go with you to have a look." To die was no big deal, but to lose the Inner City Residence Permit that Yanzi had gone to great lengths to obtain for him would be an unforgivable sin. But he couldn''t pass up the opportunity; there was no harm in checking out the situation. The man immediately packed up the mess in his hands and, with eyes darting about like a rat, looked around before tilting his head to signal Wenjie to follow him into a dark alley behind, "Come with me!" Even the most luminous cities have their dark corners untouched by light, and after many twists and turns, Wenjie found himself in a dusty basement led by the other man. With the sound of an airpressor thundering in operation, the shing light from fan des offered an unstable source of illumination, and the skinny man had to raise his voice to instruct Wenjie by his ear, "When you get there, don''t touch or look around randomly. Focus on the lesson, and afterwards, you''ll be ready for the job." Wenjie nodded, "Okay." ... [You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Iplete)," progress 20%...] ... [You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Iplete)," progress 40%...] "There''s not much difference..." Wenjie''s eyes were somewhat zed over as the principles of this work appeared not much different from that ofputer hardware in the real world, resulting in a swift and significant learning progress. [You are learning "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Iplete)," progress 100%...] "Alright, you can go to work now. Remember, if you don''t know something, you can ask, you can reserve it, don''t fiddle around, anything damaged here will cost more than you can afford!" the supervisor warned sternly. Wenjie looked at the mountains of "electronic waste" piled up in the warehouse and smiled helplessly. Gleaning usable parts from this pile of electronic waste was the job he and the others had to do. So-called maintenance, turned out to be salvaging whatever useful parts remained in this trash... Wenjie guessed he had probably been tricked into some kind of small, shady workshop, but as long as there was an opportunity to improve his skills, it wasn''t a dead end. Casually picking up a circuit board before him, the item''s properties instantly floated before his eyes¡ª [Discarded Electronic Component: Careful dismantling may still yield some usable spare parts... Dismantling will yield: Usable Parts 5~8. Dismantling requirement: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance.] Just recycling? A glint passed through Wenjie''s eyes; working a lifetime in such a ce would hardly give ess to truly high-end knowledge. Who would have thought he hadn''t had his fill ofputers in reality, and now he had to resume the old trade in the game. Well... if he had to advance this way, then let''s give them a little shock with his existing knowledge. "Hey! What are you daydreaming about? I told you to work, did you hear me?" Wenjie turned to look at the supervisor, smiled faintly at him, then sat down at a workbench not far away. [You are attempting to dismantle...] [You have sessfully dismantled the target, obtaining Useful Components*3.] [You havepleted an instance of practical Computer Hardware Maintenance, gaining Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +4.] [You are attempting to perfect the Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, currentpletion progress 1%, upon fullpletion you will gain: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance; Research Experience +1000 points; Science Points*2.] Wenjie lifted his head slightly, smiling knowingly. You exploit mybor for free; I exploit your materials for free... Fair enough. Chapter 113: 112 Wen Jies Crazy Feedback [Feedback from themission: Your physical fitness +0.1.] [Feedback from themission: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +50.] Last night, Bai E''s return to the camp had not attracted any attention, as everyone in the tents slept peacefully. During the day, it wasn''t only Bai E who was striving in his training; they too were training their various abilities in their own ways. When he awoke this morning, the improvements from the task feedback had already appeared on his panel. Looking at his current physical fitness attribute of 14.1, Bai E frowned slightly in concern. As the yers'' attributes grew, the rate at which they could increase his fitness started to slow. However, this wasn''t much of an issue, especially considering he was almost at his peak anyway. It was good that his attributes were improving, but the nearing human body limit started to create an invisible sense of urgency in Bai E. Before the Gene Optimization Solution could raise the basic attribute limit of the human body, the upper limit of the average person''s three-dimensional attributes was 15 points. No matter how many difficult missions he assigned to the yers, or how much effort they put in, once his attributes hit the ceiling, he could no longer make any progress through his own training or via yers'' task feedback. This was the limitation of the human body, the decree of gics. Without a thorough and direct change in potential through gic optimization, the 15-point threshold in his three-dimensional attributes would lock the upper bound of his development. Of course, this limitation wasn''t unique to him. Every person living in this world suffered from this worry. That''s why the Gene Optimization Solution was the world''s most scarce and treasured possession. The need for apatible Gene Optimization Solution was pressing! Before that could happen, however, he couldn''tpletely ignore the waste in attributes from task feedback. With only 0.9 points left to reach the full value of his physical attribute, Bai E felt that with his grueling training regimen, he could manage to increase it on his own. Therefore, the subsequent missions he would issue to the yers... he had to consider letting them help him "proxy train" the two basic attributes of reflex and insight. Physical fitness was undoubtedly the easiest attribute to improve and showed the fastest results, as the standard military training programs could boost it quickly. However, insight and reflex were different. Though they were useful in many situations, they were not easy to enhance. Even the military camp didn''t have any prescribed routines that imed to quickly train these two attributes... Maybe he could ask the instructor for some kind of extreme training methods? It wasn''t crucial whether these methods would increase the attributes or not; the main thing was they needed to be extreme. He figured the yers would like that. In addition, the surprise from that top student yer Zhou Wenjie was even more astonishing. A full 50 points ofputer hardware maintenance experience, along with the 2 points he had gainedst night, totaled to 52 points. ording to the feedback experience halving calction, the yer himself would have already received 104 points ofputer hardware maintenance experience. In other words, Zhou Wenjie, through his own efforts, had acquired aplete level 1 Knowledge in just one night. This rate of advancement was terrifying. Truly a top student. He just didn''t know what Zhou did to gain experience so insanely. ¡­ [You havepleted a disassembly of the target, acquiring useful parts*4.] [You havepleted aputer hardware maintenance practical operation,puter hardware maintenance experience +5.] [You have learned "Level 1 Computer Hardware Maintenance," synchronously gaining a tech point*1.] Experience exclusive tales on mvl [Computer Hardware Maintenance (Level 1): You are familiar with the specific functions of allputer hardware, enabling you to keenly troubleshoot all potentialputer hardware faults and expertly disassemble and assemble all rted electronicponents.] [Currentputer hardware maintenance experience 4/300, at 300 points you may master "Level 2 Computer Hardware Maintenance".] [You are attempting to perfect your Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, current progress 39%, uponpletion, you will receive: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance; Scientific research experience +1000 points; Technology points x2.] "Still not enough." Wen Jie who dismantled machines throughout the night, didn''t even have a moment to drink a sip of water. "Such opportunities to gain experience for free from these materials are rare." Wen Jie''s eyes, although slightly tired, shone with excitement, "Keep going, keep going until I can''t rise any higher, then I''ll give them a surprise that''ll make it all worthwhile." While briefly grabbing discarded parts, his gaze flickered over his colleagues who begged and bickered, half-assing their work, and a hint of contempt shed across Zhou Wenjie''s eyes. He knew that these people were likely NPCs, but in this incredibly realistic world, even NPCs deserved to be looked down upon. They were given the chance to practice their skills but did not cherish it, only thinking about using boring protests to fight for so-called freedom. Freedom relies on ability, not on begging. Also trapped in this dark workshop, these people only knew to protest, asking for water, food, rest, and fair treatment. But what they got in return was undoubtedly a round of beatings. In this contrast, Wen Jie, who focused on "working," seemed exceedingly docile. The supervisor, clutching his whip, patrolled around, asionally leaning in to whisper to one another when cking off, "How long has he been working continuously?" "Has he taken a nap?" "Don''t know¡­ I dozed off for a bit too." "With him here, our performance looks a lot better¡­ The kid is really obedient." "Should I take him some water... don''t want to tire him out too much." "Bring some food too, it''s rare to see someone as well-behaved." The diligent Wen Jie made even the most ruthless enforcers feel pity. The buff man quietly handed over a small bottle of water and two pieces of broken biscuits wrapped in a paper bag, "Have some water... and eat something to fill your stomach." "Just leave it there." Wen Jie, heedless of anything else, focused solely on raking in the experience. The improvement in understanding that came from the steady increase in experience was like the most tempting poison, capturing all his attention and luring him to indulge in it. "I want water too! I want to eat as well!" A man not far from Wen Jie, seeing the food and water ignored by Wen Jie, turned green with envy and lunged for it. "Go to hell!" The muscr man kicked him away, "You don''t even look at your own work attitude, do you think you deserve the same treatment as¡­ as this little brother?" Fearing that Wen Jie would be frightened, the buff man quickly turned around to shield the pitiful, bloodied man, "Don''t worry, little brother, he doesn''t appreciate kindness. We''re not bad people." "Oh~" Wen Jie responded mechanically, and after a pause, added, "You''re noisy." "¡­ I''ll be quiet, I''ll keep my mouth shut." "Tap, tap, tap," the sound of high heels clinking against metal rang out from the spiral staircase on the side. A sultry female voice echoed in the dusty warehouse, "How''s the progress?" Upon hearing this unexpected voice, the supervisors who had been idly wandering around instantly tensed up, their eyes bulging like bells as they began sweeping around. The whip cracked menacingly as it flew through the air, "Work properly! No cking off!" The warehouse manager, who was napping in a hidden spot, awoke with a start and jumped to his feet, "Almost done... almost done, Ms. Scorpion." The woman with a terrifying scar crossing over her right eye and her purple dress slit up to the thigh, d in ck stockings, paused on the edge of the halfway-ascended spiral staircase. Her gaze slowly swept over the entire warehouse before settling on a particr spot. There, the useable parts that had been stripped down were piled up into a small mountain¡­ Chapter 114: 113 selection begins Bai E arrived at the training ground early, but Helen, who had been absent all night, seemed to have been waiting there for a while. "There''s some more data that needs to be collected." After analyzing the data, Helen discovered something amiss. The body data collected from Bai E were from his second phase of weight bearing, which is 43 kilograms, while most soldiers start their high-level physical training from the first phase with a 30-kilogram load. Helen instinctively felt that there might be some differences between the different weight-bearing levels. For research to be cautious andprehensive, under the right conditions, she needed to gather as much evidence as possible. Bai E''s gaze swept over the soldiers who were gradually arriving for assembly, with a noticeable unease in his eyes about disrupting Order. "Don''t worry, I''ve spoken with your instructors. It''s just like yesterday with the sensor attachment; it will be quick, and you''ll be able to make it back for training," Helen reassured him. "Oh~" Stay updated through mvl After attaching the sensors again, Helen specifically instructed, "Remember, just use a 30-kilogram weight this time, understand?" "Understood." Upon hustling back to the training ground, Bai E noticed that the atmosphere was somewhat peculiar. Though everyone was still training diligently, the scent of hormones in the air was quite different from usual. There was an added sense of restraint, a touch more fervor. Although the soldiers usually trained earnestly, the repetition of daily workouts would inevitably lead to feelings of weariness. Artificial humans are natural soldiers and absolute war machines, but fundamentally they cannot escape the category of being human. Being human means feeling tiredness, feeling boredom. Even though they would habitually expend energy in daily training, to say that they give their utmost effort to explore their limits without reservation every single day... that''s not quite realistic. Artificial humans also have their own joys and sorrows, happiness and worries. They ponder about what to eat today, strive for the rewards they want, pursue honors, and might even build small nests under bridges... Today... they seemed a few degrees more earnest, their actions a bit more rigid. Was it because of those two officers wandering around the sidelines? Bai E cast a quick nce, then withdrew his gaze calm and unruffled. Yesterday, Carlos had given him a heads-up, saying that the military camp would soon be selecting a small number of soldiers for a secret mission to explore ruins. He was advised to perform well when the time came. The ones before him were probably the officers responsible for selecting the targets? Exploration of ruins... the goal required by the main mission. "Make a good impression." Drill Sergeant Chavez, the stern-faced instructor, noticed Bai E''s return and stealthily came over. With his back to the two officers, he reminded in almost motionless lips. The grassroots instructors weren''t aware of the specifics, but they understood that such exceptional observation and selection surely meant something favorable was at hand. As for asking for details... seeing how those two officers maintained a careful distance from them, it was evident that strict orders hade from above, leaving no room for leniency. "Understood." Bai E nodded slightly and walked over to start donning his weight-bearing equipment. ... "Howe there''s still somee?" "Lack of seriousness in training attitude, deduct five points." The two officers strictly followedmands, executing them rigidly. Even though they held the same rank as the grassroots instructors in terms of military hierarchy, their responsibilities differed. They simply carried out higher-ranking officers'' orders without understanding the details. "What''s the number?" "95... 95B27, I think." One of them stared vacantly for a while before approximately confirming it afterparing with the photo on his tablet. "...Sounds familiar." "Right... I think so too." "Hey~ who cares, just log it down. Oh, and for the instructor''sck of supervision, dock ten points." "..." Hispanion paused briefly, "The instructor gets logged too?" "Log... it?" "Sure, I''ll follow your lead." ... [You are paying inbat experience to correct your training movements... (Consumption: 10 points of experience/min)] [Current simtionpletion: 125.0£¥] Heeding Helen''s advice, Bai E followed the guidance of experience to enhance his workout results to the extreme. He also noticed that under the premise of a 30-kilogram weight, even with the correction from expending experience, he could only increase hispletion to 1.25 times that of the instructor''s before he could no longer make any progress. Within the confines of limited conditions, there is a benchmark for the extent to which one can push the body, and this was likely his own benchmark. While utilizing experience to drive the efficiency of his body''s consumption to the limit, Bai E''s progress towards exhaustion naturally far outstripped the others. ... Watching the helpless figure copse from the obstacle in exhaustion, the two recording officers hissed. "That''s it?" "This is just the level of a clueless new recruit..." The officer responsible for observing advanced physical training can''t ask the teaching instructors for fairness, so they need to have a certain level of judgment. Those capable of holding this duty all have some level of understanding, or may even have been high-level physical training instructors themselves. Right now, that 95B27''s performance is tantly obvious. You can''t expect to be more efficient than the instructor, can you? The current performance is just like that of the most unskilled and unaware novice who has just started advanced physical training. "Ah, I remember now! Isn''t this the new recruit War God that''s been the hot topic these past few days?" "Seems like the level isn''t that great, huh?" "Who cares... We do our job, just make a note of it." "Mmh... Huh? Who''s that over there?" A figure in a whiteb coat suddenly entered the line of sight of the two. "Looks like it''s the Scientific Research Institute''s Helen?" "Why is she here?" "Seems like... she''s looking for that 95B27." "...He''s been taken away!" "I saw it..." "Does he... have some special circumstances?" "Should we ask about it?" "Then, shall we ask?" ... "Now, let''s startpiling the physical performance scores observed by everyone." In the dimly lit conference room, the officer responsible for coordinating those qualified for advanced physical training and currently the only one in the know instructed their subordinates: "Each of you put forward the top ten targets from your scores, and we will consider them collectively." Physical attributes are physical attributes, and physical performance is physical performance. Otherwise, why bother observing when you can just thoughtlessly pull out a bunch of soldiers with full 15-point physical attributes? Under the same attributes, each soldier''s ability to use their attributes can vary significantly, and even under the same physical attributes, there are different types of sub-scoresposing thebination. In this mission, would a pure damage sponge be of any use? Obviously not. Suitability for the mission''s objective is far more important. "These are my five." "These are the five I''ve picked out..." The officers responsible for observation each expressed their opinions, sharing their data onto the screen in front of their highmander through the localwork. "Commander Griffith, I have a special situation to report." Looking at the subordinate who had stood up, Griffith nodded and replied, "Speak." "We observed a peculiar soldier, his performance... is a bit odd." "Go into detail." "We first noticed him when he waste to training, and when he officially joined, his body''s functional bnce deteriorated extremely quickly. Even with the highest consumption rate set by the instructors and abination of 13 points¡ªthe lowest physical attributes¡ªit was far from what it should be. Plus, the target had just been released as a new artificial recruit from the previous batch, so we judged him to be just a neer to advanced physical training with poor performance..." "What''s so special to report about that?" "Isn''t the answer obvious? Your judgment is not wrong." "You had to mention that separately?" The other officers assigned to observation were puzzled and there was a buzz of discussion. Being selected as the target of their observation meant achievements for them. Military merit is what most people in the army pursue. However, the word "special" often is indeed very special. Once it appears, it means it will definitely upy a spot, and those who realized it was a false rm expressed their dissatisfaction. "But..." The reporting subordinate waited quietly until the conference room''s discussion subsided, then slowly spoke, revealing the unexpected information they hadst obtained, "I heard from their teaching instructors that the soldier''s performance was actually outstanding, surpassing everyone. This was personally confirmed by Helen from the Scientific Research Institute..." The irritable officer didn''t wait to hear everything and interrupted impatiently, "Aren''t we not supposed to contact those teaching instructors?" Teaching instructors and their own soldiers spend day and night together. They might have their own biases, and taking their opinions can easily mislead them. To ensure fairness, they had been strictly ordered not to contact the teaching instructors during the observation process, with vitions leading to the deduction of military merit. And now... "Shut up!" Griffith narrowed his eyes and shouted angrily, silencing the conference room. He looked at the subordinate who had stood up to report, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty, "You just said... that soldier is rted to Helen?" "Yes." The subordinate nodded slowly, "We saw with our own eyes Helen take him away." "..." Griffith was silent for a moment before pressing his hand down, "Keep your opinions about this soldier on hold for now. I will go to verify with Helen. Everyone else, continue with your reports!" Chapter 115: 114 Helens Second Test [Physical recovery 100%, Rapid Recovery (unlocked) unlock progress 30%.] "Ha~" Bai E suddenly awoke, the asionally cold touch on his body during his sleep always made him feel as if a de was gliding over him, creating a sense of danger. This was the first time he actively wanted to wake up from aa induced by physical exhaustion. "Awake?" Helen, who was sitting at the workbench with her back to Bai E, asked softly without turning her head. "Mhm..." Bai E sat up from the equipment bed and began to dress. Only a pair of big shorts was left on him, Helen had almostpletely stripped him... [Another 270 points ofbat experience gone.] The littlebat experience that he had just replenished from the yers had once again grown wings and flown away, leaving him with only 93 points, which wasn''t even enough for the next training correction. Luckily, there was still general experience to fall back on... Bai E sighed in his heart. To cooperate with Helen''s experiment, he had once again sacrificedbat experience for modifications without having the chance to consolidate the memory in his own body afterward. It felt like a bit of a waste. But fortunately, there was anotherpensating hope¡ª [You are currently participating in the creation of knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current creation progress 5%...] "I go... Training?" Bai E, now dressed, asked quietly. It''s never toote to mend the fold after a sheep is lost. His body''s memory of exercising under extreme conditions was fading away. Bai E could only feel as if ants were crawling over his skin without seizing the opportunity right away. Very urgent... "Don''t be in a hurry." Helen, with her head down working at the desk, beckoned for him to continue waiting without turning back, "Just give me a moment, I need to exin some things to you." "Oh~" It felt like years... After finally dealing with the newly acquired data, Helen spun her chair around and, with legs crossed and leaning against the back of the chair, looked at Bai E, "I''ve preliminarily analyzed your body''s movement under two different weight bearing conditions, and I have some suggestions for you." "Mmm..." Bai E listened attentively, as docile as could be. "At this stage, I think you should stick to using a 30 kg weight as it is sufficient to achieve your training goals. Your physical attribute has already reached 14.1, but until you hit 15 points, the effects of extreme training under a 30 kg weight should be enough for your body to make significant progress with each training session. While you can achieve higher energy consumption with a 43 kg weight, it doesn''t significantly enhance the benefits to your body. In fact, your body may experience a deficit from the excessive consumption in this overloaded state. I''m not sure yet why your body recovers from injuries faster than the average, but if you continue high-load training under a 43 kg weight, your recovery speed won''t keep up with the rate of injury, and chronic injuries will be hard to manage." [You are currently participating in the creation of knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current creation progress 12%...] "Oh~" Bai E nodded as if enlightened. No wonder his talent unlocking speed skyrocketed after starting Advanced Physical Training; it wasn''t just a matter of recovering stamina, the high-load training was also invisibly damaging his body. In fact, even if Helen hadn''t suggested it, Bai E was nning on continuing with 30 kg weight training. After all, even though he could achieve a higher level ofpletion under a 43 kg weight with experience correction, with his own memory, he couldn''t reach that extreme level. It was more appropriate for his current situation to train under 30 kg without exceeding 125%pletion. "This is just a suggestion from me, but in addition..." Helen took off her sses, her naturally charming and slender eyes quietly stared at Bai E. A tiny, delicate mole beneath the right corner of her eye attracted Bai E''s gaze like a ck hole, making it hard for him to look away. "I want to ask you something..." The soft, bewitching voice seemed toe from beyond the heavens, ethereal and drifting, echoing in Bai E''s mind. [With the help of "Self-Restraint," you sessfully passed a "Psychological Check."] [You have sessfully passed a mysticism resistance check, Mysticism +0.1.] Bai E''s eyes were blurry, as if his consciousness had drifted off to another world, he responded subconsciously, "Yes?" "Why do you push yourself to train to such an extent?" Helen looked quietly at Bai E''s face, waiting for the warrior who had created many miracles to answer. Human effort has no standard answer, how much should one strive before it is considered "enough"? Is it enough to surpass peers? Is it enough to surpass instructors? To what extent does surpassing them count as reaching an end? Everyone saw the variety of efforts made by this artificial human recruit, everyone marveled at the performance he had demonstrated, but the motivation that supported him to break the norms in the eyes of others time and time again... nobody cared. But she wanted to know. "Of course, you should do everything to the utmost," Bai E said with an ethereal look and a voice as rigid as still water, "Train earnestly,ugh heartily, cry out loud, and enjoy meals as if each were yourst. I cherish every day of life, because the start of each day is the first day of the rest of my life. Unless I am about to die..." Bai E''s pace of speaking was very slow, his words measured and distinct, the slow cadence seemingly underpinning the intention behind all his actions. "..." Helen stared into Bai E''s eyes, silent for a moment, that strange attraction fading slowly with the passage of time. Bai E blinked, as though waking from a profound dream. "Helen... Did I just drift off?" Bai E showed a clearly apologetic expression on his face. Helen smiled, her eyes losing their envious glow, "No, it was me who was distracted." Such a pure artificial human... This is the magnificent miracle expressed by genes under the realm of infinite possibility! "You mentioned before that you wanted to know more about my research, are you interested in hearing about it now?" "Yes," Bai E nodded seriously. He had a clear understanding of his own role, which in this task of developing new knowledge was to "participate in creation." It was definitely Helen''s role to create, his to participate. More precisely, Helen was to conduct the research, and he was to be the subject of it... The only hope ofpleting this tasky in Helen taking the initiative to impart her knowledge generously. If she kept silent, his presence would be in vain. "Originally I nned to adapt your training method so that everyone could utilize it, but based on current findings, to aplish this there are mainly two concerns¡ªthe damage to the body is too severe, and the difficulty of personal will and control over one''s body is quite high..." [You are participating in the creation of knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 29%...] "Moreover, I''ve found that on you, in fact, a 30-kilogram load is entirely sufficient before reaching a physical condition of 15 points, and the three different load levels previously designated are unnecessary. The training with your 43-kilogram load could be applied to those with physical conditions above 15 points..." [You are participating in the creation of knowledge¡ªAdvanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 46%...] "I need more experimental references with different targets as aparison with your sample in order to formte a training method suitable for most warriors, and at that time..." "Thump thump thump~" A knock on the door interrupted Helen''s speech. "Speak." "Teacher... Teacher..." Aer''s gentle voice came from outside the door, "The military has sent someone over iming that they need to verify something urgent with you, do you have a moment?" Chapter 116: 115 Organize a party "Is there an important matter you need me to verify?" Frowning in thought for a moment, Helen looked at Bai E, "Then you go back and continue your training, I still have some things to handle here." "Hmm..." As Helen watched Bai E leave the room, she didn''t immediately set off. The pressing matters of the military base might not be so urgent for her; organizing her own thoughts was more important. "Was he just... controlled by my Spiritual Energy?" It seemed like it from his behavior, but the expected feedback wasn''t quite there... a strange feeling. Especially since the other party had a precedent for resisting the suppression of Spiritual Energy, she had thought this attempt wouldn''t be so easy... but to her surprise, it seeded. This sess seemed all the more suspicious. But on second thought, this was a private setting, not like the battlefield with its spirit of resolute and fervent will. The other party hadn''t received orders to fight like on the battlefield, and hismanding officer''s orders were probably to cooperate with her research, so being controlled by her Spiritual Energy seemed natural. She had only instinctively sensed an inkling of dissonance. If this soldier''s behavior was as it appeared on the surface, then it was wlessly perfect, even a miracle of gic expression; but if it was all an act... Helen suddenly felt a chill. Or... should she test him again next time? After sitting quietly for a while, pondering the data she had just received and all the doubts about testing 95B27, Helen finally rose silently. The officer waiting outside the door did not rush her. "Lead the way." "Yes, ma''am!" ... "Is it necessary to convene a council meeting just for a synthetic warrior? If there''s a controversy, why not just disqualify him? With so many soldiers in the barracks, can''t we manage without one?" Hamilton scanned Carlos across from him, his tone mocking, "But someone disagrees..." Hamilton had no personal opinion regarding those synthetic soldiers created as cannon fodder. Even in his view, the performance of that 95B27 was top-notch; if all the synthetic warriors in the barracks could achieve that level, he would be pleased. But if they wanted to climb the ranks? Sorry... synthetic beings should not have such presumptuous ambitions. Sovereignty of the world should always belong to natural-born humans! Carlos stood tall, full of vigor, "Since we are selecting elites, we should treat everyone fairly. His performance should be judged on objective facts, not on subjective decisions based on personal experience." "Pfft," scoffed Hamilton with disdain, "That sounds nice, but isn''t it just for that little bit of military merit after the sess of the military operation?" Everyone knew what Carlos was thinking. He wanted to use the repeated outstanding performance of his synthetic warriors to force them to sign the application for Gene Optimization Solution by throwing it in their face. No matter how biased they were against synthetic soldiers, they could not deny the clear facts ofbat achievements and would have to begrudgingly ept them. That was the fairness Carlos sought to achieve. To make such a fuss over a synthetic soldier, the guy must be crazy... "Helen is here." The guard whispered a reminder, and footfalls marked by a tight rhythm entered the conference room. As Helen stepped in, she exhibited no intention of sitting and dying, standing at the doorway her gaze swept around the room before locking onto Weslin to ask, "What did you want to see me for?" Weslin smiled somewhat ingratiatingly, "You see, we''ve heard that you''ve been conducting some secret research with an artificial human soldier these past few days. Our instructors are a bit puzzled by the performance of that artificial human soldier. As it concerns the performance assessment of every soldier, we need to ensure the utmost fairness. If it''s convenient, I hope you can reveal a bit about the situation." "Assessment?" Helen''s brow furrowed slightly as she considered this a good thing. Regardless of whether Bai E''s inner self matched his outward appearance, based on facts as they presently stood, he deserved the treatment he was due in the barracks. Then, she might as well give him a little push... With that thought, Helen immediately nodded and replied, "Yes, he is indeed helping me with research on physical training programs. The advanced physical training method improved upon by Bai...95B27''s instincts, I believe, has the potential to be extended to all soldiers, which could allow each soldier''s physical attributes to improve more rapidly. Moreover, this training method remains effective even for gically enhanced soldiers with physical attributes above 15 points, solving our previous issue where higher attributes could only be raised slowly through actualbat. We''re still experimenting with the specific n, and more detailed information cannot be disclosed at this time." "Advanced physical training?" "n improvement?" "Instincts?" These unfamiliar terms somewhat jammed the brains of the officers present. They thought the main point of the meeting was to witness the verbal shes between the two political factions led by Hamilton and Carlos, yet they did not expect to hear even more explosive news. This was something that could enhance the strength of all soldiers, an absolutely tremendous boon for their military faction. Weslin''s eyes lit up immediately, "How confident are you about this n?" Helen was exceedingly cautious, "I can''t make any promises for now." "Alright," Weslin nodded, "then thank you for your cooperation, Academician Helen." Helen''s voice was cool, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving now. There''s a lot of experimental data to process." "No, no more questions... no more questions..." As Helen turned to leave, Weslin suddenly recalled something and hastily called out to retain her, "Oh, Academician Helen, there''s one more thing I wanted to ask." "Speak." "Last time you said that once you''ve finished investigating 95B27''s battlefield performance, you could announce the incident where he saved many soldiers on the battlefield..." Helen''s eyes flicked sideways in hesitation before she responded, "It can be announced now..." After Helen departed, a sense of triumph filled Carlos''s face. Complete victory. "The facts are clear, Soldier 95B27''s capabilities far surpass everyone else, and his physical rating should be ranked first!" "Hmph!" Hamilton snorted coldly, turned his face away, crossed his arms, and remained silent. Weslin pped his hands, "Let''s consider this matter settled, and continue with the subsequent selection process. Additionally, Logistics Department Head, please arrange a grand evening celebration for the soldiers tonight." The recent battle failure had somewhat dampened the morale of the soldiers; the death of two to three thousand men in the past few days had filled the barracks with an air of mournful despondency. He urgently needed a case to boost morale, and the example of 95B27 undoubtedly stood out most prominently in this campaign. It had been suppressed by Helen before and couldn''t be made public, but now that she had allowed it, it was certainly time to make some noise! Chapter 117: Underground boxing? Not long after leaving Helen''sboratory, Bai E received an unexpected message¡ª ["Lucky Strike" Charge +3.] ??? Where did thise from? Did Helen say something somewhere? I had just left her ce, and it seemed that only something involving her could have caused a change. But it wasn''t important, no matter where it came from, a benefit was a benefit, and I would take it. The charge was already at 93 points, only 7 points away from finding another opportunity to pick a target and let loose... This time, I needed to carefully choose. My morning exercise time had already passed while being researched by Helen; after hastily grabbing breakfast in the canteen, Bai E began the second intense and thrilling physical training of the day ahead of schedule. 101%... 125%... 108%... 125%... 115%... With Helen''s endorsement, Chavez stopped nitpicking, and mypanions became united and friendly. Two hours, along with the early start, was enough for Bai E toplete five exhaustive limit explorations. Even a soldier who had only exchanged a few words with Bai E proactively asked for tips, attempting to learn training methods that even the instructors couldn''t match, but the only advice Bai E, reliant on his bodily instincts, could offer were the following six points¡ª ... [In the midst of strenuous activity, you surpassed your physical limits, Physical+0.1, Reflex+0.1.] My body''s memory was getting closer to the limit burn state under a 30 kg load. Perhaps when Ipletely catch up to the limit state with the adjustment from experience, based solely on my body''s instincts, that''s when I would acquire a new specialty. Soon... "Instructor." After training, Bai E didn''t leave immediately as usual but went to start a conversation with Chavez. "Hmm?" Chavez, who was recording each soldier''s performance, nced sideways at Bai E, "What is it?" "I want to ask if there''s any way to quickly improve the Reflexes or Insight attributes?" The military camp only provided regr training for physical fitness, the attribute that was easiest to improve through training. Bai E had not heard of any stable methods to enhance those other two. To assign suitable missions for other yers to help me level up, I undoubtedly needed to find the right methods first. Although Bai E was getting to know more people in the camp, Carlos and Helen, who were high-ranking, were not suitable to ask. One clearly had his own agenda, while the other was tooplex and might cause trouble. Compared to them, the more straightforward instructor was better to ask for guidance. Upon hearing Bai E''s question, Chavez hesitated a bit. In the brief time, he rapidly searched his memory¡ª Methods to quickly improve Reflex and Insight attributes... "Insight is hard to improve." Chavez rubbed his chin with his right hand, "That thing has been a century-old problem. It can be used everywhere, but if you''re thinking about improving it quickly and stably, there really isn''t any outstanding method right now." Engaging in more real battles, making more use of it, is the only secret. That obviously did not fit with Bai E''s needs. More real battle experiences... who didn''t know that? "As for reflexes..." The usually serious and rigid-faced Chavez suddenly became a bit lecherous, looking around he made sure those two officers, who stayed behind for precision inpiling training data, were away before leaning close to Bai E''s ear and whispering, "Do you know about the underground boxing on the outside world?" "?" Seeing Bai E''s confused face, Chavez remembered, "Oh right, you''ve been ''alive'' for just a few days, probably haven''t been exposed to much. Listen, some of the guys here go to ces like that to box for some extra cash when off duty. You''ve got permission to leave the camp anytime, right? If you want to train your reflexes, that''s a good ce. It''s all bare-knuckle, in-your-facebat¡ªthose who react slowly get wasted. If you go, remember not to join death matches. There''s no need to take that risk just to train your abilities." "..." Bai E looked at the increasingly excited instructor, feeling as if perhaps something had gone wrong with him. "Does this sound like something a stern and impartial instructor should say?" "How do I join the underground fights?" "Oh¡­ When you get to ck Street, look for a guy nicknamed ck Goat, he''ll take you. Also¡­" At this point, Chavez became more cautious, looking around before carefully pulling out a roll of bills from the pocket on his chest that seemed like stic paper, "If you happen to go there when a diator known as ''Blood God'' is fighting to the death, bet everything on him, everything on ''Blood God''." This is the life of a natural person¡­ Clutching the money in his hand, Bai E felt somewhat emotional. It seemed that even the most upright instructors couldn''t escape the needs of a normal life. They were simply serving briefly and would ultimately have a day to leave the barracks and a chance to return to normal life. As for myself¡­ does a normal life really exist in this world? Better to take control of your own destiny than to leave it in the hands of others. sping the money tightly, Bai E gave Chavez a slight smile, "I got it." "Then I''ll leave it to you," Chavez said, patting Bai E''s shoulder with some delight. "If there''s nothing else, Instructor, I''ll head out first." "Go, go," Chavez, already looking down at the tablet in his hands, continued to dutifully score the performance of all the soldiers. He had also started as a new recruit and had worked his way up, training hard to be an instructor without having to worry about participating in real wars where one fights for life and death. This had be the best position that most natural persons serving in the barracks could attain, and he cherished it. "Yes, sir!" After bidding Chavez farewell, Bai E rushed to the second half of the morning''s training. The various training sessions in the barracks were tightly scheduled, and the endless training seemed to be the only destiny of these soldiers. However, Tiger had mentioned that their "training" was quite different from his own, which was more geared towards new recruits. Going on patrols, standing guard, and small-scale skirmishing with different tribes were tasks that were often assigned. It was just that his own foundation wasn''t solid enough yet, and he wasn''t qualified. When his abilities had improved enough, he would probably be sent out on missions like them. As he pondered, Bai E had already arrived at the generalbat training ground, where Instructor Dan had been waiting for quite some time. "Assemble!" Dan''s resonant voice echoed across the field, "Today we have a special situation. I just received notice that we need to select the most exceptional fighters from among you to report upwards. This is an incentive program, and those who are selected will undoubtedly receive a generous military reward. But more importantly, it''s about glory! Glory is the life of us all!" There was aplete silence across the field as everyone awaited Dan''s next words. "I have one spot on my hands¡­ of course, it might also be none¡ªit all depends on your performance. So today''s training is canceled. I have only one demand of you!" Dan raised his right hand and extended his index finger, "A melee! Regardless of consequences! Until you surrender or lose consciousness! Medical personnel are waiting at the edge of the field! Thest person standing will get this one and only spot! Do you understand?" The crowd shouted in unison, "Understood!" "Then what are you waiting for?" Dan said coldly as he stepped back. His gaze swept over the soldiers who still seemed to be in a daze before him, and Dan''s eyes hardened. The notice she had received was actually to rmend three, and those rmended still might not necessarily receive the rewards and glory. It was said that they would have topete with others rmended from different training groups, and this would include all soldiers¡ªeven those stronger veterans from advanced training groups. The likelihood was that any soldier selected from the New Recruit Training Group would simply serve as stepping stones for those veterans. That''s why, instead of choosing three who were destined to be eliminated, it was better to let them fight it out here to determine the strongest. Perhaps then they might stand a chance. This strongest wasn''t about just surviving until the end. If they didn''t have it¡­ then there was no need to go in the first ce. "Bang!" Amidst the bewildered fighters, Bai E was the first to throw a punch. Last-minute notice? Fighter selection? The answer was almost clear¡ªit was probably the secret military operation Carlos had hinted at before. And if there was only one spot, Bai E naturally intended topete for it with all his might. Chapter 118: 117 wins! The warrior who had been attacked looked at Bai E with a face full of grievance and confusion, "Boss?" Bai E''s expression was nk as he pounded another fist into the man''s stomach. Ifbat skills werecking, sheer strength was relied upon. With a physical strength of 14.2, he was almost in a league of his own within the Actual Combat Training Group, which tended towards the level of new recruits. The pain made the stalwart warrior, who had been attacked, hunch over like a shrimp; he who had almostpletely trusted Bai E never expected that the boss he acknowledged would be the first to strike him. Seizing the opportunity, Bai E''s hand-chop sliced through the swift wind and mmed mercilessly into "Stone''s" nape. "Bang!" The sound of the palm colliding with flesh was muffled but jolted the other warriors out of their daze. [Using melee attacks to incapacitate the target, meleebat mastery experience +3.] The melee had already begun. Bai E was the first to strike, and his first target was "Stone", the first little brother to recognize him as boss during the new recruits'' training. The first strike in the melee, aimed at a close brother. Not for any other reason, but to prevent him from helping himself. The instructor''s words weren''t clear, but the underlying implication was quite obvious. The number of spots could be for one, or it could be zero. Then the answer was self-evident, she didn''t want mediocrity, loafers, or connections... but a hero who could truly rely on his own strength to defeat everyone and stand till the end! If such a person didn''t exist, she''d rather not have any at all. In such a situation, there was nothing more to say. Just do it and it''s done. Bai E didn''t know exactly what kind of ability was needed for covert military operations, but disying his strength as much as possible ording to the instructor''s selection criteria was undoubtedly the most likely way to obtain a spot on the mission. The first punch from Bai Epletely unveiled the chaos of the melee, while Dan watched with arms crossed from the sidelines. The one who strikes first undeniably draws the most attention. This 95B27 not only stood out in terms of mentality and physiological functions within the group, but was also astute enough to guess the kind of warrior needed and had the ruthlessness to strike at thepanion closest to him first. But... The level was indeed too poor. Being the first to move naturally increased his score in her eyes, but sometimes recklessness is only a hair''s breadth from confidence. The one who stands till the end is naturally the most outstanding hero, while those who get knocked down by wild punches are just simple brutes. Bai E''s first move undoubtedly made him the biggest threat in the eyes of the other warriors. They attacked him in a surprisingly coordinated effort. [Participation from units exceeding 10, trait¡ªWell-Trained triggered.] [Current enhancement: Block +5£¥, Dodge +3£¥.] With no allies, only enemy units, the additional performance in insight and reflex was not triggered. Bai E was calm; he had foreseen this situation of being surrounded before he even started. Equipped with the Well-Trained trait, he tried to block and dodge amidst the flurries of punches as much as he could, attempting to escape the most dangerous spot at the center. Even the most skilled fighter would first try to get out of a situation where they could be attacked from all sides when facing multiple opponents. Although he was not highly skilled, he still understood this theory. "Bang, bang, bang!" Punches the size of sandbags came flying chaotically from all directions; Bai E''s arms turned into shields but still, two fists were no match for four. Fortunately, his constitution was truly more brutishpared to the others, and as he bulldozed his way outwards, the other warriors engaged in the tumult became his cover, finally allowing him to break free from his initial position. Before he could catch his breath, a wind-breaking fist aimed at the back of his head had already smashed over. "NNND!" An ambush? Bai E quickly spun around with a sweeping kick, momentarily fending off his opponent but still took a ncing blow to his back. ... [Indeed, it''s hopeless...] Observing the chaotic scene before him, Dan felt somewhat powerless. These new recruits, with little training time, were indeed far less capable than the veteran soldiers, and there were none with outstanding talent. They were no match for that Rose treasured by the group next door. Even if she was also a new recruit, the gap between her and the veterans was enormous. Moreover, even that Rose might not necessarily hold an advantage over the veterans in a PK, as this selection focused on current strength, not future potential. As for now, the most outstanding fighter turned out to be the one with the code 95B27. Regrettably, while he possessed sheer brute force, he could only dodge and flee and couldn''t organize an effective counterattack when surrounded. There are three key elements to fighting: offense, footwork, and defense. Only with all three can one be invincible. At the moment, 95B27 had only instinctive defense and offense, and they were scattered. A bit ofbat experience, but not much. "Hmm?" Entangled again... In the chaos of battle, fighters asionally reached a perfect understanding, collectively descending on a soldier at a disadvantage to give a good beating to the weakened foe. This temporary cooperation borne of situational assessment and spontaneous decision-making was not a point of deduction but rather an added edge. Understanding how to work together to defeat an opponent swiftly also made an important part of the assessment in this selection. ... "How''s it going?" Dan was intently observing the performance of his group''s soldiers in the brawl, determined not to miss any moment of brilliance, aiming forplete fairness and impartiality,pletely unaware of when a white figure had appeared beside him. "Fellow... schr?" Dan reacted with slight surprise. "Mm..." Helen nodded lightly, always concerned about Bai E''s innate talent in closebat and keen on his training results in actualbat, "How is 95B27 doing?" The battle on the field was nearing its end, and Helen, who was not a specialist in closebat, could not tell if Bai E''s performance in the tumultuous fight was good or bad. And lying amid the fallen soldiers, only his figure remained standing. Could that be considered decent enough? Dan was somewhat startled to realize that this Schr from the Scientific Research Institute had a special interest in this artificial human. Discover exclusive content at mvl But it was none of her concern, so she spoke the truth, "Average... His physical fitness far surpasses that of the other soldiers in the group. If only hisbat skills were a little sharper, he wouldn''t have to win in such a sorry state as now." Yes, quite disheveled indeed. Bai E''s vision was darkening, his body was covered in purple bruises, and the pain was even worse than the most intense physical training. And yet, his strength had not increased by much. [You maintained rity in the chaotic fight until the end,bat mastery experience +9.] No actions, just numbers. Luckily... he had won. Bai E looked around and realized there were no more standing figures. His body swayed, and finally, he fell backward abruptly. Dan, anticipating this, moved swiftly and caught Bai E as he fell. Looking down at the warrior sleeping like a baby in his arms, Dan shook his head with a wry smile. Impressive courage and will, but that was about it. Should he give the slot to him? With such strength,peting against other soldiers might just be a vain effort. Or perhaps... it would be good for him to experience the gap? Chapter 119: 118 The Third Temptation [Feedback from the assignment, your physical fitness +0.1.] [Feedback from the assignment, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +28.] [The assignment you posted¡ª"Building Requirements" has been submitted, please review it as soon as possible.]X3 The tips from the panel shimmered lonely in the darkness until Bai E woke up to take notice of them. Wen Jie is too diligent! "You''re awake?" Before him was Helen''s face, so exquisite it dazzled from the first nce. Bai E had gradually be ustomed to the sensation of lying on the cold experimental table. "Your body is recovering quite quickly, and there''s no need for any special treatment from me." "Mm..." Bai E nced at the panel at the progress of unlocking his talent specialty¡ª 33% now. Having few opportunities to get hurt, his progress in unlocking this particr talent specialty was indeed slow, yet even the unlocked portions had been a great help in his routine training andbat. If it''s not weak when fully unlocked, it should be quite strong. In a moment of cautious silence, Bai E carefully inquired, "If you''re not busy, may I go eat..." "Wait," Helen''s gaze was as calm as water as she focused on Bai E''s eternally impassive expression, "I have a question for you, just a simple inquiry." "Please ask." "Did you utilize your full strength during thebat training?" [Heart requests to elerate pumping...] [Suppress.] In the span of a heartbeat, Bai E suppressed the panic that surged within. Had this schr from the Scientific Research Institute discovered something? Fortunately, this time he truly hadn''t held anything back. "I did my best..." Bai E looked directly into her eyes, open and honest. His talent for fighting was never strong, and having reserved all of his experience for advanced physical training and Yue Ying''s archery lessons, he couldn''t just cheat to enhance his level of expertise inbat. He was simply unskilled. Staring into the honesty in the depths of Bai E''s eyes, Helen was a bit distracted. She was willing to believe this fact, yet somewhat reluctant to ept it. Performing poorly inbat specialty meant hecked the inherent talent to control his body well or to grasp the timing of fights, and an individual with such ws was ultimately not the perfect seed she was searching for. Rose? Her talent was more all-around, certainly outstandingpared to ordinary artificial humans, but her performance wasn''t as dazzling as Bai E''s, and using her as the seed also felt like something was missing. If she had never seen light, she might have endured the darkness... Driven by her pursuit of the prime body project, for a moment Helen was more inclined to believe that the artificial human before her was hiding something. If it was a case of concealment... "In fact, I would prefer if you were hiding something from me." Helen''s sea-blue eyes quietly observed Bai E, yet unfocused, as though she was looking at the perfect seed she imagined stood behind him, "If that''s the case, I hope you remember one thing¡ªyour actions will define your habits, your habits will define your thoughts, your thoughts will define your faith. It will determine the path of your life. You may hide things from me, but please, do not let down humanity..." If he was as innocent as he seemed, this statement might as well have gone unsaid; but if he was truly cunning, then these words might bring a sliver of hope to her ns in the future... As for the project itself, let''s put it aside for now... Bai E''s eyes slightly zed over as if he were trying tomit everything to memory, "I will remember your words." "It''s alright, go have your meal," Helen exhaled a long breath, sealing the dust on her ns, now once again shrouded in silence. "Goodbye, Academician." Bai E saluted onest time, left theb, and quickly headed toward the canteen. yers were still waiting for him; he had to hurry. Your next journey awaits at mvl ¡­ Gong Yan''s eyes slightly zed over, recalling the words of the thugs from ck Street. "Miss, it''s not that we doubt anything, it''s just that looking for concrete isn''t free of cost for us, that''s money out of our own pockets. Yet, you haven''t shown us any real feedback, and you''ve kept us in the dark about where the concrete we provided is going, which leaves us uneasy... How about giving us a bit of reassurance? What do you say?" The small figures are cunning and ruthless, and like barefoot children, they have a singr focus and determination. Shadowing, probing... In just two days, for the sake of that concrete, Gong Yan and her adversaries had spun a tale reminiscent of a cop drama. The lies she spun in desperation to escape had now entangled her with them, making it difficult to break free. Even if she didn''t need their concrete, as long as she needed to resupply from ck Street, she couldn''t avoid dealing with them. "Not giving them an exnation definitely won''t work anymore," agreed Dai Lian, nodding his head at Gong Yan''s concern. "But we only have a little over 100 bullets at hand; is that useful?" The bullets won from previous tasks had almost all been exchanged, leaving just over twenty, and the 105 bullets rewarded from the concrete task after the grown-up''s return were still in their possession, adding up to just over a hundred in total. Kuang Xin felt that, as a bluff linked to the military area, a mere 100 bullets seemed childish and probably wouldn''t be enough to hold the others at bay. "How about setting up a battlefield in advance and finishing them off?" suggested Dai Lian, a fierce look shing in his eyes. ying games, after all, should be done with a smile. To be threatened by an NPC? "But that way we''d also lose our supply of concrete... and it''s dangerous," Gong Yan was reluctant. She preferred strategizing over the brute force loved by other yers, and this brought her joy. "If only we had more bullets..." Gong Yan''s eyes zed over as she pondered the possibilities with the resources and information at hand, "We''ll see¡­" "The grown-up is here..." Gong Yan quickly nudged Kuang Xin''s leg, "Give the clothes to the grown-up." Kuang Xin, as if awakening from a dream, turned to get the clothes from the cave, "Oh right~" As Bai E approached step by step, Kuang Xin didn''t forget to murmur, "Why do I have to do it?" Dai Lian barely moved his lips as he rebuked, "Just do it if you''re told, no more nonsense." "Oh~" Seeing the three waiting, Bai E immediately smiled and asked, "Where''s the boy?" "Below, he doesn''t dare to show his face," Kuang Xin was the first to reply, meanwhile, holding the clothes forward, "Grown-up, it''s not very convenient for you to move around in military attire, so we''ve prepared a set of clothes for you. Would you try them on?" The military uniform might not necessarily have a logo, but it was visibly different from civilian clothing, too easily noticeable. Bai E raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the three faces before him, yet he readily epted. "I''ll try them onter." Saying so, he headed towards the entrance of the cave below; he needed to see the boy first and then decide on some arrangements that needed to be made today. Chapter 120: 119 Sociology +3 "Wow! Quite spacious, isn''t it?" The sight of the cave in front of him surprised Bai E; primitive wooden beams were ced at equal intervals to support the structure and prevent copse, with at least twenty square meters of space, which felt much less cramped than the previous night. Was it all the work of the little mouse people alone? The yers must have also helped to some extent. The progress had indeed quickened significantly, so it was time to give them some confidence... Construction tasks are supposed to reward based on progress made... How much progress there is could still be up to him to decide, so he should settle part of their rewards first. "You did very well." Bai E nodded, his face showing obvious satisfaction. [Side Mission¡ªBuilding a Warehouse (Construction Commission), progress increased.] [Mission Reward (Stage): "Faction (Li Ming) Official Member" status unlocked.] X3 "!!!" The yers who followed Bai E down into the cavern were jolted when they received this notification, turning to look at each other with visible surprise in their eyes. Working on a construction task day after day without immediate feedback was very different from the game''s other immediate feedback mechanisms, which could sometimes be demotivating. Now... As official members, they should finally be able to see what items the Faction Shop had avable for exchange. They had sweated and bled for Li Ming, all for a bit of the organization''s special resources. Most of their efforts and the bloodshed were indeed due to the tasks at hand, but that wasn''t important! Let''s see... [Heavy Weapon Specialization Training, Price¡ªBasic Instruction: 20 Faction Contribution Points.] [Light Firearms Specialization Training, Price¡ªBasic Instruction: 20 Faction Contribution Points; Advanced Instruction: 30 Faction Contribution Points.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization Training, Price¡ªBasic Instruction: 20 Faction Contribution Points; Advanced Instruction: 30 Faction Contribution Points; Master Instruction: 50 Faction Contribution Points.] [Firearms Maintenance, Price¡ªBasic Instruction: 25 Faction Contribution Points.] [Bandaging (First Aid) Training, Price¡ªBasic Instruction: 25 Faction Contribution Points; Master Instruction: 40 Faction Contribution Points.] [Unlocking the next tier of exchangeable items is contingent on unlocking any item from the current tier, please look forward to it...] "..." "Howe there are better and worse options?" The three yers'' puzzled gazes fell on Bai E, waiting for the final arbiter to speak. "The organization''s manpower is limited for now, so the choices we can offer are also limited. But rest assured, as you get more involved with the organization, your privileges will also increase." Bai E was quite pleased with the shop rules he had painstakingly crafted during his downtime. "Oh~" The three yers nodded, half-understanding. In their eyes, no matter how human the characters in the game seemed, they weren''t real people. These mechanisms surely couldn''t be determined by NPCs deciding whatever they wanted, right? It must be the system in the background, integrating the services the organization could currently provide, along with the level of trust, human resources, and other information, to present them with such a Faction Shop panel. There''s nothing to be gained from contending with such a rigid system setup; one simply has to y by its rules. Moreover, it seems... that as temporary members, they made quite a profit from those teachings from the bureau, didn''t they? Having been in this world for some time, they were aware that the NPCs of this world treated various skills and knowledge as precious and did not impart them lightly. So, this was indeed a significant gain. If only they had known, they would have unlocked their official membershipter... Not just the yers, Bai E too found it odd. Enjoy exclusive content from mvl Watching the information alerts that popped up on the panel the moment the official faction membership was granted, he was also bewildered. [As the leader of the faction, the bond between you and your organization members has been strengthened. Sociology +3] [Sociology +3: The poption under your jurisdiction feels greater recognition of your identity, task delegation authority contents enhanced¡ª¡ªbasicbat task single delegation customary experience quota authority increased to: 50~200 points, daily delegation customary experience quota authority increased to: 50~700 points; basic resource task single delegation quota authority added: research experience 0~50 points, daily delegation quota authority added: research experience 0~150 points. (Effective from the issuance of new tasks.)] "..." An unanticipated path. The newplications were somewhat beyond Bai E''s expectations, but they had no impact on the implementation of the established n. He needed to first assess the threat of the boy, which was crucial to his subsequent arrangements for the tasks assigned to yers. Bai E''s expression remained unchanged as he instructed the three yers who had juste down, "You go up and keep watch first; I have something to discuss with him alone." Wrapped in a yellow-brown cloth resembling a hemp nket, the weary boy seemed to have shrunk into a corner after a night of exhaustion, with his nostrils gently ring in tranquil andfortable sleep. Even the not-so-quiet conversation between Bai E and the three yers had not awakened the child who had suffered so much hardship. In his days of anxiety, this seemed to be his most peaceful night of sleep... since his sister had left. "Yes, my lord!" Dai Lian took the lead in responding. The recently unlocked official faction membership had him excited, and the prospect of more expansive aspirations for the organization seemed within reach. "What does the lord want to talk to him about?" Kuang Xin, who had climbed upst to the surface, asked with some curiosity. Dai Lian nced at him disdainfully. Having known each other for a while and bing familiar, their speech also became more straightforward, "Why don''t you go eavesdrop?" "Aren''t you curious?" Gong Yan, who had silently pulled up the disguise covering the underground hole, smiled and said, "What''s there to be curious about? The lord is worried about the trouble that fernandi might bringter on. Naturally, he needs to ensure there are no hidden dangers." "Yanzi is the smart one," Dai Lian said with admiration, then shifted the topic to what he cared about most, "It seems we need to speed up the construction of the storage building with the ratmen to boost our faction contribution points and unlock subsequent exchange items." "You''re in a hurry to unlock it even though you don''t know whates next?" Kuang Xin seized the opportunity to retort. "The wisdom of mortals," Dai Lian scoffed, "Do you remember how you got that trait of yours?" Kuang Xin envied Dai Lian''s ability to show off with his curve gun, but Dai Lian also coveted Kuang Xin''s "Well-Trained" trait for its substantial boost tobat effectiveness in melee fighting. This high-level ability was clearly not taught by the lord deliberately, but this lucky guy, blessed by the system''s favor, had learned it effortlessly from the slimmest of chances without paying any price. And one could foresee that not just "Well-Trained," but other equivalent high-level abilities awaited discovery and unlocking. This kind of blind box-like game exploration that could asionally yield surprises was adept at stirring yers'' curiosity. Not to mention that even the basic exchange items were very much worth redeeming. The dignity of the lord repelling the Arbitration ce personnel with three arrows was vividly etched in their minds, thoroughly awe-inspiring! Chapter 121: 120 apply for power leveling "Good afternoon." After the yers had left, Bai E approached the boy. The movement of the boy''s feet was slight, indicating he was actually awake. "Sir¡­" The boy who had woken up gazed at the tip of Bai E''s foot under the dim light inside the cave, calling out with a touch of awe. He had already learned of the "sir''s" real identity from the three seemingly amiable people with whom he had built a homest night. The leader of an organization. What a significant figure was that? When could Fernandi ever hope to meet such a high-ranking person? It filled him with reverence. "There''s no need to be formal." Bai E smiled, squatting down and speaking as softly as possible, "I''vee today because I have a few questions for you." After returningst night, he had also inquired the more experienced ones like Tiger about the affairs of the demon believers and was surprised to find out that the believers of the eternal were the most mild-mannered among all demon believers, except for... the uncontroble gue that they naturally emitted. The gue was often what exposed their sins and caused disaster. Apart from that, "the eternal" and its great demon seemed to have little interest in taking action; this faction of demons¡­ seemed more like recluses indifferent to worldly matters. "You¡­ you may ask." Bai E scrutinized the boy''s eyes, coffee-colored, clear and translucent like amber, "Since you''re associated with a demon, we must eliminate all potential threats, and you should understand this." "Yes." "Yesterday, the people from Arbitration ce said you can''t perfectly control those rats, is that true?" "Yes." "Can you¡­ give them up?" Imperfect control meant harm to others as well as oneself. It would harm normal people and also reveal the boy''s whereabouts due to his unconscious actions. Probably, Arbitration ce, including Dai Lian, had tracked the boy using this method before. On hearing Bai E''s words, the boy hesitated slightly but then heaved a light sigh, "They were with me when I was most desperate¡­" "¡­" Bai E remained silent; he never forced anyone to make any decision. "¡­but I''m aware that it''s just me anthropomorphizing them with affection. They have gonepletely mad due to the gue from my body." The boy raised his head, looking earnestly into Bai E''s eyes, "If possible, I hope you can eradicate them soon, so they won''t trouble everyone anymore." [Believers of the eternal are not afraid of illness but will spread the gue involuntarily¡­] The nature of the gue varied from person to person, each case different. Bai E nodded, "I will have them take care of it. Now for the second point, will you continue to infect new rats or say¡­ other creatures? And will those already infected ratse seeking you out?" The boy lowered his head again, his voice somewhat muffled, "It seems any creature with less reasoning can be influenced by me unconsciously, but humans won''t. As for those already infected¡­ I can only try to contract my presence to prevent being sensed by ''them''." "Can you iste the spread of this gue?" "I can''t control it, unless one stays away from me." The boy said, stretching out his hand to caress the earthen stones on the wall behind him, "If I hide here, there should be no more chances ofing into contact with other creatures..." "Alright¡­ onest thing." Bai E''s tone became slightly more somber, "About you. What impact does the demon have on you? I believe you are currently led by your own will, but might theree a day when the demon uses your body to destroy this world?" "I can feel it..." The boy looked down, his eyes distant, "But it''s all hazy. Even if I tried to summon it to rid me of all fate, it seems difficult. The anomalies in the sewer were already my utmost effort. It''s like it just generously bestowed a tiny bit of merciful blessing on me and then left like a loving father asking for nothing in return. I think it''s unlikely that such a day wille." With that, the boy suddenly looked up, his gaze earnestly meeting Bai E''s, "Leader sir, please, you must promise me one thing." "Go ahead." "If such a day doese, if I truly be a threat to everyone, if I can no longer control myself... I hope, you will take action to kill me! Do not hesitate, do not show mercy. I am already content to have built a home for myself here with you, even if just for one day..." "¡­" Bai E touched his head, smiling indulgently, "There won''t be such a day, rest assured. Someone once told me willpower can prate the hardest stone. She''s an expert on demons, and she also told me, behavior determines habits, habits determine thoughts, thoughts determine belief. And belief will decide the path of your life. There''s nothing wrong with being a chosen of the demon, what you doter is for you to decide." The random blessing from the Evil God turns out to be a gue that doesn''t directly affect others, which is rather lucky for the boy. Standing up, Bai E called out to the outside, "Come down." Since it had been confirmed that the boy would not suffer severe consequences, the ns for the next steps could be made¡ª [Side Quest¡ªThe True Culprit Behind The Scenes (Combat Assignment) has encountered an unexpected change, the quest progress has been altered, and the current quest requirements have been met.] [Side Quest¡ªThe True Culprit Behind The Scenes,pleted.] [Quest Reward: General Experience +100, Precise Brass Bullets *130, distributed.] The three yers who just came down were bewildered upon receiving the notification. The quest is settled? Hooray! The gleaming brass bullets in their perceptual quest inventory appeared as a settling screen raining down from the sky, clinking and ttering in a way that filled them with a pleasant sense of reward. This quest... it had bogged them down for two or three days! They had finallypleted it! Continue your journey on mvl Long live the adult! "Even though the previous stage of the quest ispleted, you can''t rx yet. The rats left by Fernandi still pose an unimaginable threat to the residents'' lives. I just don''t wish for people to continuously associate the rats with Fernandi, so next up, you are still tasked with eradicating those creatures that have lost all sense of reason." Bai E spoke gravely, starting to arrange the assignment. [Assigning Task Description in Progress¡­] [Side Quest¡ªRat gue Cleanup (Combat Assignment): Although the aimless swarm of rats needs to be cleared out, to prepare for potentially even greater crises in the future, your personal strength also needs to be honed. Quest Requirements: y 0/(20~100) gue rats in the "Dark Environment." Quest Reward: General Experience 50~200 points, Item Reward (to be determined).] (Note: Physical submission is required for this task, and the current assignment cannot be "autopleted" but must be "verified andpleted"; after confirming dispatch of the assignment, "permissions" and "expenditures" will be deducted and locked.) [Would you like to issue the current assignment?] With additional authorization for general experience, Bai E decided to slightly reduce the physical rewards, reverting to the previous level given for wolf killings. After all, watching the bullets being used so freely did hurt his feelings¡ªthey were his personal assets. Therefore¡­ [Settings¡ªQuest Requirements: Kill 100 gue rats; Quest Rewards: General Experience 200 points, Precise Brass Bullets 15+8.] Job well done! Dai Lian, who received the task, was clearly puzzled. One of the terms in the task caught his eye, "In the Dark Environment?" "Yes..." Bai E kept a straight face without revealing any emotion, "Your actions are best carried out in the shadows to prevent tracing back Fernandi''s presence here." That was one of the reasons, but a more important one was obviously for his own benefit. Given the choice to clear out the rat gue, Bai E would rather create a new assignment. First, to give the yers more experience so they would qualify to be harvested by himself, and second, to adjust the quest requirements a bit. His own shoring, insight¡ªthe attribute Bai E kept firmly in mind. What better thanbat in a Dark Environment to hone this skill? When else to have yers grind on his behalf if not by finding opportunities to issue quests? By relying solely on himself? Spare me. "But¡­" Seeing his two teammates'' thrilled expressions, Kuang Xin''s eyes were filled with confusion. Why hadn''t he received the quest? "My lord, what about me?" Chapter 122: 121 Psychology +1 (Extra update for monthly pass) "You have other arrangements." Bai E was acutely aware of his current shorings. To improve his insight level, he relied on Dai Lian and Gong Yan to hunt rats in the sewers; for reflexes andbat skills, he depended on Kuang Xin, a naturally gifted melee fighter. Based on Instructor Dan''s requirements today, the selection criteria for the secret military operation werebat skills. Knowing that he wascking in this area, Bai E truly wanted to enhance his skills. Working hard on his own was too slow. yers, you need to put in the effort too! [Quest description is being auto-generated...] [Side Mission¡ªUnderground Boxing King (Combat Commission): The dark currents of ck Street surge, with the most attention-grabbing undoubtedly being the underground boxing matches that attract both eyes and money. The organization needs to understand the inner workings and has decided to send someone to investigate. The best way to do that, undoubtedly, is to blend in with them...] Mission requirements: Complete at least 0/3 bouts in "ck Street Underground Boxing"; or secure at least 0/1 victory. Mission reward: 200 general experience points, Item reward: Exquisite Brass Bullets* (25+12).] (Note: As there is a physical submission stage, the currentmission cannot be "automaticallypleted" and must be "verificationpleted"; after confirming the release of themission, "permissions" and "expenditures" will be deducted and locked.) [Do you want to release thismission?] Confirm! "200 experience points!" Kuang Xin trembled at the sight of the mission reward. No wonder Yanzi and Dai looked so excited just now¡ªthey had never enjoyed such treatment from other NPCs. 25 or 50 points weremon, but previously a stable 100 general experience points from E had already made him feel like a big shot, but now... 200! Skyrocket! "I will not let you down!" "Hmm..." Bai E''s gaze finally swept around the underground cave onest time. What started as an unpremeditated act now seemed to be on the rise. In the end, he might actually be able to create a fully functional, safe, and stable underground base... "I''m leaving now." "Goodbye, E~" "Oh, right..." Just as he reached thedder, Bai E turned around and, pointing at the clothes he had neatly stacked in a dry corner, said with a smile, "I''ve tried the clothes. They fit perfectly. Thank you for the gesture." Gong Yan, with her little face raised, just smiled and said, "It''s nothing, E. It''s just our small way of showing gratitude." "..." "I''m off." As they watched E''s figure disappear into the distance, Gong Yan remained smiling. It was only after a while that she softly said, "We''ve got bullets." Explore more at mvl Just when needed, the pillow arrives. They originally had 131 bullets;pleting today''s six tasks together, they received 114 from the cement task and 390 from the rat-gue task, totaling 635 bullets. 100 or so bullets, whether odd or even, might be hard to convince others, but with a full 600 bullets, Gong Yan was confident she could persuade those NPCs to work for her without charge again. They still had value to her, and without them, it would indeed be troublesome to find cement on their own, so there was no rush to take them out of the equation yet. When they were no longer of any use... "I''m a little afraid of losing them..." Gong Yan, holding the hefty 600 bullets, appeared somewhat worried, "What if they still don''t believe me?" "No worries." Dai Lianforted her gently, "We''re here for you. If they still don''t believe, we''ll deal with them directly!" As for the missions... they were bonus. Without these NPCs, they could find other methods. In Dai Lian''s view, the game was full of possibilities. "Alright." Gong Yan nodded, smiling brightly, "Then I''ll give it a try." ... "This is the confidence you wanted." Gong Yan casually threw a cloth bag filled with bullets in front of ck Street ruffian, Jonathan, and itnded heavily on the ground. The underling eagerly approached and opened it, the golden shine instantly blinding his dog eyes. Jonathan excitedly grabbed a handful and examined each one closely in front of his eyes, "Real... real... all of them are real! They feel even better than the stuff they got!" In his excitement, Jonathan suddenly paused and hurriedly put down the bullets, walking back respectfully towards Gong Yan, who leaned against the wall not far away with a slight smile and arms folded. "My lord... is this all there is?" "You wanted trust, and I''ve given it to you, but you haven''t earned my trust yet. 600 not enough? I''ll give you 10,000, 20,000, 100,000? Can you handle that?" "..." Jonathan''s face was stered with a smile, "You''re right, my lord, you''re right... In that case, how does my lord wish to deal with this batch?" "Money," Gong Yan dered firmly, "You can take five percent." It was too suspicious for these people to exchange pristine bullets for poor quality ones; better to exchange for money. Whatever they needed, they could purchase on their own without suffering a loss. He and Dai Lian were not Kuang Xin. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving now. I don''t want to be seen mingling with you lot." "My lord, take care..." Jonathan bowed deeply, oozing sycophancy, "Oh, I almost forgot. We''ve prepared a gift to celebrate your triumphant return from thest military operation. Could you possibly deliver it for us?" As Gong Yan turned away, her eyes flickered and she smirked coldly, "The operation was a failure, and the camp is on high alert these days, don''t bring trouble upon yourself!" "Yes! Yes..." Only after Gong Yan''s delicate figure had disappeared around the corner did the underling draw close to Jonathan, eyeing the bullets with greed, "Boss... what if we keep them all for ourselves?" A rough knock on the underling''s head answered him, "Shortsighted! This is just an appetizer; what''s the rush!" Watching as the figure disappeared at the end of the street, Jonathan stroked his golden mustache in a daze, "So certain about the failed operation, it must be true... But, they still don''t trust our strength?" Indeed, he didn''t trust his own strength much either. Well... let''s test our skills with these 600 bullets first! Nobles and generals, is there not a natural order! With military support behind me, I could very well have the potential to be the king of ck Street! [You havepleted a perfect psychological operation, Psychology +2.] [Psychology +2: Now you can more easily gain the trust of strange NPCs through your words. Charisma performance +2; also gaining a unique advantage in power management and certain technological research.] ... [Feedback from amission, your Technology¡ªPsychology +1.] [Psychology +1: Now you have won the trust of arger poption under your control, allowing you to pre-deploy more tasks. The same type ofmission can be stacked one more time, consuming rtive authority quota on the second natural day.] "..." Bai E had just returned to the camp when he received this message. Is this... from Dai Lian? Or Gong Yan? Seems I''ve been conning NPCs pretty well. Worth encouraging, keep up the good work. Grow bigger, create more glory! "Bai E, Bai E! Come on!" Just as Bai E set foot on the shooting range to practice his archery, he was quickly intercepted by an excited Carlos, "Here you are! That secret military operation selection I told you about¡ªthey''re considering shooting skills now. Go try out!" Chapter 123: 122 Side Quest - Advanced Shooting "I heard from Helen that your physical fitness has already exceeded 14 points, right?" Carlos asked hurriedly as he led the way. "Hmm." "Then you should go get a machine gun first." Bai E had always used the beginner''s Type 77 rifle; higher-grade machine guns are more powerful but also require more physical control. The minimum requirement to use the machine gun''s burst mode is also a 14-point physical attribute. Having only trained for three days, Bai E had not undergone a detailed physical examination. Even if he had, with a physical attribute of only 13.7 points at the time, he was still a bit short of the minimum requirement of 14 points. It''s always better to stick with what''s familiar, so he did not change his equipment when he went to the Bug Race battlefield. Now that he knew, the first thing he certainly had to do was to change his equipment. He could also switch to a more powerful Desert Eagle for his handgun. The de machine gun that he had only personally fired during the new soldier talent test was finally in his hand, and the sensation of holding something much heavier than a rifle was reassuring. "You go get familiar with the new equipment first, and then I''ll take you to participate in the selection," Carlos said, clearly very concerned about Bai E, the synth. "Alright." "Pupu pupu." The sound of the machine gun burst was more brisk and muffled, effortlessly leaving... a bullet hole on the distant 200 meter target. Carlos gazed closely and saw that there was only one hole at the bullseye that allowed the light from behind the target to pass through. Not bad in terms of precision. "That''s it, go try, go try!" Carlos was visibly more enthusiastic about sending Bai E on a covert military operation. As Bai E approached the specialized test range, he could hear the roar of machine guns from a distance. The moment he stepped through the gate, the muscles of countless burly men immediately stood out before him. The number wasn''t particrly high, probably less than a hundred, but... All burly men! Almost every figure that was carrying and firing a machine gun in the crowd lining up next to it was built; they all had the same uniform machine guns in their hands. Those who weren''t qualified to use the de machine gun in burst mode didn''t even have the eligibility to participate in the selection. Bai E deliberately summoned the "lucky hit" rate panel that belonged to him¡ª They were all at least third-level or even fourth or fifth-level Light Firearms Specialization, and almost all of them had the "Firepower Suppression" skill, just like Song Ying. Clearly, as a member of a special forces team, Song Ying was not unique in this military camp; he was just themon face among countless machine gunners. Maybe in terms of all-around abilities, he had something special, but in shooting... everyone''s abilities were almost the same. Especially one muscr man dual-wielding machine guns appeared to be exceptionally showy. The pressure was quite big. Bai E felt his palms begin to sweat, and since it was not a critical moment, he did not suppress his body''s natural emotions. "Go on, it''s okay. Although they are veterans, your abilities are not inferior to theirs," Carlos reassured Bai E, patting him on the back: "It''s just a disy of ability. The final selection still depends on theprehensive score, and shooting ability is just a part of it." Enjoy more content from §Þ?? "Alright~" Bai E, carrying the machine gun, went to the end of the queuing line and waited quietly. The capability test on the field was nothing more than burst firing at moving targets, except it was more continuous than the shooting training before, and not limited to the air, targets could appear from all directions. It also did not require hitting all targets without wasting any bullets; as long as each target was hit the required number of times within its appearance time limit, it was considered apletion. What Carlos said sounded easy, but to actually perform it, judging the order of the targets'' appearance in rapid session and determining instantly the different hit counts required for each target, as well as their paths of motion... it was still quite difficult. To maintain continuous shooting while also retaining the ability to make reasoned decisions and a certain degree of precision, that''s probably the capability this selection wanted to assess. The only strange thing was... the duration of the test seemed quite long? Bai E pondered quietly, feeling a bit puzzled. "It''s your turn," the officer in charge of maintaining Order reminded softly from not far away. [Triggered side quest¡ªAdvanced Shooting.] [Advanced Shooting: The most challenging shooting test of the training camp is right before your eyes. To qualify for covert military operations, you must perfectlyplete this test. Task requirements: a failure rate below 10%, an ineffective shooting rate below 30%. Reward forpletion: Light Firearm Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card *1. Countdown: 10 minutes.] Bai E was slightly startled, then nodded and responded with a smile, "Hmm." "Hu~" Standing in front of the target position, Bai E took a deep breath, turned off the safety, and set the firing mode to burst fire. "Ready!" The officer beside him shouted loudly, "Begin!" The moment the order was given, the moving targets that appeared in front of him traced erratic paths, one in the air and ten on the ground. 20S, 30Hit 18S, 20Hit 5S, 9Hit 30S, 50Hit 8S, 3Hit*7 The number of hits required and the time limit for each of the moving targets, crafted from an unknown metal of various sizes and marked with paint, loomed before him. The changing movement patterns of the eleven targets were also instantly outlined in a pitch-ck sea of thoughts. The rate of fire for the War de machine gun was 8 rounds/s, using the longest firing duration of 30 seconds as a baseline, the number of hits that could be made was 240, while the total number of required hits for all the moving targetsbined was only 130. The provided shooting time seemed to be quite ample, the only factor that could possibly affect efficiency was the time needed to reload mid-way, considering the War de machine gun''s total magazine capacity was only 100 rounds, requiring a magazine change after no more than 13 seconds of continuous fire. Fortunately, magazines loaded with bullets had already been prepared by the military. The speed of changing magazines determined one''s results significantly. Those veterans were exceptionally smooth in this respect, and that was Bai E''s observation from watching on the sidelines. He might be slightly at a disadvantage here... "DadaDada!" In less than a breath''s time, numerous thoughts shed through Bai E''s mind, then the machine gun roared into action. [Side quest¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current failure rate 0%, ineffective shooting rate 1%...] ... [Side quest¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current failure rate 0%, ineffective shooting rate 1%...] After opening fire, notifications on the panel flickered like a flowing stream, updating in real-time. Bai E, who had spent days getting used to controlling the intensity of the notifications with his mind, wasn''t disturbed by this. "DadaDada!" At a certain moment when the gunfire fell silent, Bai E''s left hand, which steadied the gun, instantly flicked away the magazine. "Click!" The mechanism engaged as bullets were chambered again. "DadaDada!" The ejected brass casings soon piled up into a shallow carpet of golden yellow at Bai E''s feet. [No wonder they don''t make Advanced Shooting a routine training exercise for the soldiers, it''s too wasteful of bullets...] The task was easy, and Bai E still had the energy to think about various things... "Kakakaka~" There were three targets left in the first round, and several more targets subsequently appeared from all around. Continuous judgment and execution of shooting, that''s the key point of assessment in this advanced shooting test. Bai E''s gaze intensified, he quickly focused his concentration. Watching from the sidelines didn''t provide much of an actual feeling, only by starting the test could he truly feel that pressing tension when one target after another emerged, giving no chance to catch a breath. The time limit marked on each target was like a countdown from the grim reaper, not allowing any mistakes. Chapter 124: 123 Training Special Attributes Or rather... one has to choose to make mistakes on purpose. As time went by, Bai E realized that maintaining a zero-error rate was somewhat difficult. What seemed like a not-too-time-consuming task of changing magazines was continuously adding pressure on Bai E''s shooting time after each umtion of seconds. Under the continuous pressure of an unending stream of moving targets, the burden of time stacked up heavily. If he still wanted to perfectly hit every target, it could result in total copse at a certain point. He could only choose to give up selectively. Fortunately, no matter the size of the target, the duration, or the number of hits required, they all counted as one unit in the mission''s tally. The targets to choose to give up on, of course, were those that needed a higher number of hits and had a shorter duration. The countdown was at 6 minutes and 38 seconds. The first target that he had to give up on appeared! [Side mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 1%, invalid shooting rate 5%...] "Not bad," Carlos, who had been watching closely from the sidelines, nodded. It was very rare for someone to achieve a zero-error rate throughout advanced shooting training. Even he had to surrender to the time it took to change magazines and choose to give up. This test was designed to maximize pressure. The only difference was the amount of error rate. Some people wanted to hit all the targets and ended up too tense, resulting in aplete breakdown. Others couldn''t let go of a target that they almostpleted and lost bnce in their mentality, leading to copse as well. Learning to let go, or rather, learning to assess the tactical situation on the battlefield, was what a good shooter should achieve. After all, on a real battlefield, there would be teammates to back you up, or you could reposition to evade; there are always more solutions than difficulties. That''s the goal this advanced shooting test tried to teach the soldiers. In this respect, the newly developed 95B27 was doing quite well. "But... the real trouble is still toe." The countdown was at 6 minutes and 37 seconds. The countdown was at 6 minutes and 27 seconds. The countdown was at 6 minutes and 37 seconds. ... The countdown was at 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Another unexpected event urred. [Side mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 3%, invalid shooting rate 13%...] [Warning: Excessive shooting has caused the gun''s barrel to overheat. Please cool it down; otherwise, the mechanical performance will drop sharply!] [Warde Machine Gun¡ªQuality: White (Light Firearms/Military Weapon)] [Basic Parameters: ¡­ Durability 19/20] [Trait: Brand new and undergoing its first intense test, its overheated barrel from continuous firing reduces shooting uracy by 5%, and durability is rapidly falling...] [I can''t be expected to perform maintenance on you right now!] No wonder I felt something was off just now. A pure test of a warrior''s shooting capabilities wouldn''t need ten minutes, right? Was it also taking the soldier''s performance in a prolongedbat situation into ount? But when I watched those burly men shoot earlier, I didn''t notice any significant deterioration in thetter half of their performance. Perhaps some had a slight decline in form, but the drop seemed toe...ter? Is it because of... suppressive fire? Bai E had no time to think further; the "enemy" wouldn''t slow their assault just because his firearm was deteriorating. The reduction in the hit window was their "attack"! "Da da da!" Bai E, with his knowledge of firearm maintenance, was able to detect the substantial change from the abnormal sounds during gunfire. The hit rate began to plummet significantly. Countdown 3 minutes and 38 seconds. [Warning: Shooting uracy -1%, current firearm shooting uracy correction -6%¡­] [Side mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 4%, ineffective shooting rate 14%¡­] ¡­ Countdown 3 minutes and 20 seconds. [Warning: Shooting uracy -1%, current firearm shooting uracy correction -7%¡­] [Side mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 4%, ineffective shooting rate 15%¡­] ¡­ Countdown 3 minutes and 4 seconds. [Warning: Shooting uracy -1%, current firearm shooting uracy correction -8%¡­] [Side mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 5%, ineffective shooting rate 16%¡­] Three pieces of bad news came one after the other, and although Bai E would not be affected by their prompts and perform immediately, they still sounded like the final ultimatum from the swinging pendulum of the Grim Reaper. The mission''s requirements were likely also the military''s minimum requirements for selection. But... Images of the other soldiers'' shooting tests shed through Bai E''s mind¡ª Some of the soldiers who only had a level 3 expertise in suppressing fire skills didn''t seem to experience such a rapid decline in performance. "..." Enjoy new stories from §Þ?? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? If all special attributese from emting a great master, then where did the first specialized special attributee from? Was it automatically unlocked at level 4? Bai E was not sure whether real NPCs would have such a mechanism. He was more inclined toward the underlying logic of improving everything in this world¡ªtraining! Indeed, some of the warriors who came here for testingcked skill trees unlocked after reaching level 4 specialization... However, they might possess their own specialized special attributes, developed through long-term practical training! His own randomly unlocked level 4 attribute¡ªArc Shot, was essentially only applicable to pistols. Was this actuallypensation for a high-level specialization that was directly upgraded without training? Real NPCs all have specialized special attributes they trained themselves! For instance... Cooling? Overload mode? Quick reloading and so on? These are the contents disyed on the "Light Firearms Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card" that came as a mission reward. Those who mainly used machine guns as their primary weapon, of course, couldn''t develop fanciful techniques like Arc Shot, which were specific to pistols. This was also why his Arc Shot was so special in the military camp! A few doubts were suddenly rified, and Bai E realized his own problem. In this test, those soldiers who had worked their way up through their own efforts had their own trained specialized special attributes helping them, while his own Arc Shot was clearly of no use here. Gun Fighting Skill was not able to cope with this scenario either. "Huh~" Bai E took a deep breath, his self-restraint allowing him to maintain a calmbat state at all times. What others can do, I can do too! With external aid, naturally, I can do better than others. Without the aid... am I worse than others? Having a solid foundation in shooting, any training on top of basic abilities would be doubly effective. His eyes, fixed on the target, became sharp again, and Bai E focused his spirit. [After observing the shooting targets for a long time and perfectly executingbat thoughts, your abilities have been adequately trained, Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] [Sessive sessful precision strikes on numerous moving targets, Light Firearms Mastery experience +34.] (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.) Chapter 125: 124 Light Firearm Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card "Da-da-da~" The roaring of the machine gun gradually subsided, and the bouncing metal casings piled into a small mountain at his feet. Bai E''s hand, sping the slightly warm gun handle, trembled unconsciously. Fourteen points in physical endurance was merely the entry requirement for using the Warde machine gun''s burst mode; the prolonged burst firing caused his arms to endure a tremendous amount of recoil. Countdown: 0 seconds. [Side Mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting, current error rate 9%, ineffective shooting rate 28%¡­] Fortunately, even without external help, Bai E narrowlypleted the test. [Side Mission¡ªAdvanced Shooting,pleted.] [Mission Reward: Light Firearm Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card*1, has been issued.] In the Consciousness Space, a deep blue card with a golden pentagonal star in the center surrounded by twinkling lights quietly rotated around its vertical axis. [Light Firearm Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card: Upon use, adds one of the following special attributes to the character''s "Light Firearms Specialization" at random¡ªCooling, Overload Mode, Quick Reload.] Bai E nced at the message on the panel¡ª [Sessfully executed precise strikes on numerous moving targets consecutively, Light Firearms Mastery experience +24.] (Extremely low chance of awakening special attributes.) Still, the final popup message did not show any special attribute bonuses unlocked through his own training. The test seemed long, but whenpared to the cumtive actualbat time of veteran soldiers, it was still somewhat insufficient. Unlocking on the first training attempt, that''s not the way even for geniuses. Relying on freebies was unrealistic at the moment, better to check out the current luck¡­ [Confirm use: Light Firearm Specialty Special Attribute Awakening Card?] Confirm! Just as with the previous Ability Extraction Card from the mission for Yue Ying, this time the choices were fewer. A pointer spun rapidly within the three-sectioned circr pattern. Finally, it stopped at¡ª Quick Reload? Emmmm¡­ Bai E wasn''t sure if it was good or bad, but having it was certainly better than not. [Light Firearms Specialization (Level 4): Shooting uracy +12%, critical hit +2%, special trajectory (special) +1%, Quick Reload +1.] [Quick Reload +1: Speed of changing bullets or magazines increased by 10%.] "Not bad," Carlos was the first to greet Bai E as he slowly descended, looking at the contemtion in the eyes of this artificial human soldier and offeredforting words with a smile. He had no time to remember the scores of all the testing soldiers in the field, but he definitely noted that Bai E had passed the threshold. As long as one crossed the line, there was a chance. At the beginning when Carlos leaked the inside tips to Bai E, the internal assessment targets hadn''t been set. He had merely tried his best to help Bai E seize every possible opportunity. As for the firearms assessment, he too only learned that it was an advanced shooting test. Originally, he was worried that Bai E, a newly born recruit with insufficient basic abilities, would fall behind in this kind of test that emphasized heavy firepower coverage. Unexpectedly, Bai E was able to pass the threshold. Passing the threshold was good, since it provided an opportunity. ¡­ [Faction Shop Update: Light Firearms Specialization Teaching, Price¡ªExpert Instruction: 50 Points of Faction Contribution.] Hmm¡­ huh? Gong Yan and the other two who were carving arrows out of wood were stunned by the notification. Changed? Was the system updating all the relevant game content in real-time based on the changes within the game itself? "Wow~" Kuang Xin eximed in amazement, then paused, "Does this mean we can monitor the changes in our organization members'' strengths too?" "What''s the use¡­" Dai Lian nced at him disdainfully and continued to whittle the piece of wood in his hand, "Do you think that''s all there is to the NPC''s strength? Hard work is what really counts. Tonight, the arrows for the sewers are all depending on you." Arrows were low-tech; unless considering bonus properties from arrow quality, you could just carve a wooden rod and it would work. There was no need to waste money on it with able hands and ample supplies. Moreover, there were experience points to be gained¡­ [Sessfully crafted arge batch of small props, skill * Handcrafting experience +20] [Sharpened Wooden Shaft¡ªQuality: Gray] [Basic Parameters: Attack modifier -2, 50% of damage converted to blunt damage.] [Usage Requirement: Compatible with bow and crossbow types.] [Trait: If used as an arrow, shooting uracy -5%.] ... [Feedback from themission, handcraft experience +29.](Cumtive) Experience tales at §Þ?? [Skill learned¡ª"Level 1 Handcraft".] [Handcraft (Level 1): Your hands have be more dexterous, granting you a +1 in reflex performance when engaging in nimble handiwork.] [Current handcraft experience 3/300, reach 300 points to master "Level 2 Handcraft".] [Detected that the character currently possesses a special attribute in "Light Firearms Specialization"¡ª"Quick Reload +1"; the skill "Handcraft" grants an additional 50% effect.] [Quick Reload +1: Speed of changing bullets/magazines increased by 10 (+5)%.] "..." Is this the synergy between abilities? This was the first time Bai E witnessed it. What an unexpected surprise! "Carry on with your training if nothing else," Carlos sighed with relief as it seemed Bai E had likely passed the shooting assessment. Combined with the previous physical fitness assessment oues... he should be able to secure a spot for the mission, right? "Yes, sir!" The advanced shooting training range wasrge, amodating ten people for testing at once. With around a hundred participants, it took less than two hours toplete, leaving plenty of time for the second half of the afternoon''s advanced physical training. Following Helen''s instructions to wear a full set of sensors before each physical training session, Bai E headed straight for the training grounds. He already achieved 115%pletion in the morning, only a step away from the 125% overlimit boundary with a 30kg load. Plus, ording to Helen, the overlimit burn at a 30kg load was fully sufficient for training needs below 15 points in physical fitness. Higher burn efficiency would actually be damaging to the body, and it''s quite doubtful that unlocking the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive¡ªwould require a higher degree. So... Unroll! Chavez, who had "prematurely" arrived at the training area to wait for the soldiers to assemble, twitched his eyelid. Why was there someone sweating profusely on the training obstacle course before the assembly time? 114%... 118%... "Huff~" Bai E, breathing heavily afterpleting the obstacle course, grabbed the plimentary electrolyte water" that hadn''t been rented out and guzzled it down his throat. Just a little more... ncing at Bai E resting on the side, Chavez red at the soldiers who were still waiting for hismand to assemble and suddenly bellowed, "What are you waiting for? Get moving and train!" "Yes, sir!" The soldiers passed by that solitary figure with mixed emotions in their eyes,menting that the time spent rolled up with the drill was always blissful. (Tears) ["Lucky Strike" charge +5.] Bai E paused briefly, then shook his head and chuckled. His body was rapidly regaining energy during the short rest, and the yet-unlocked specialty was already beginning to demonstrate its power. 125%... 120%... 124%... 12...5%! The prompt didn''t sound instantly, and Bai E remained calm andposed. The long-term training had refined not just his body but also his natural state of mind, which had gradually be steady and tranquil. 125%... 125%... After maintaining the overlimitpletion rate for more than one obstacle course, the prompt finally arrived¡ª [Teaching mission¡ªHigh-Level Physical Training,pleted.] [Mission Reward: Specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive, activated.] The unexpected prompt did not interrupt Bai E''s movements; he sincerely finished a training session thatpletely exhausted his strength, and then, he turned to look at the effects after unlocking the specialty... Chapter 126: 125 All-around Overlimit Drive [Overlimit Drive: Through honing and familiarizing yourself with your body, you''ve mastered the method of exerting power beyond its limits. From now on, you can maximize your body''s output power, using up to 30% more stamina to cause up to 150% actual effect in all physical-rted judgments; you also recover your physical condition faster, using 50% more "action reserve" to convert to stamina and doubling the recovery speed, possessing the ability to actively maintain your condition, with conversion and recovery rates equal; and you''re more efficient when training any ability requiring bodily coordination, such as: improving "Close Combat Specialization", efficiency increases by 20%, improving "Agile Weapon Specialization", efficiency increases by 20%...] ...an all-around skill that''s hard to imagine! Battle, recovery, growth... An all-around enhancement of abilities, truly deserving of the massive experience invested back and forth. Utter surprise. With the specialization now a part of him, Bai E could feel the explosive power stirring within, eager to burst forth. With the same attributes as before, his maximum strength had risen directly by 50% after receiving the specialization boost! This was a multiplicative calction at the end, formidable beyond imagination. His stats... had improved again. Bai E, who had just acquired a new specialization, showed no signs of being conceited. Overlimit Drive wasn''t the end; the purpose of Advanced Physical Training was to enhance physical attributes and push them to their limits. The acquisition of the specialization was just an incidental oue of the process. Continue training! Taskpleted, and without thepletion notification on the panel, Bai E could only rely on the feeling in his body to maintain the sensation. Training is tedious, requiring focus and dedication every day, every minute, every second. If you''re perfunctory with it, it will be perfunctory with you. [In intense exercise, you''ve pushed beyond your limits, Physical +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] ... "Finished training?" Helen''s demeanor had calmed quite a bit when she saw the entering Bai E. When she no longer cared so much, her state of mind also stopped fluctuating so easily. Letting go of the obsession, the world felt wide and vast. "Mm..." Bai E nodded in response. Continuous good news brought about an inner joy that was hard to contain; a bright light shone from his face. "?" Helen, who was in the middle of putting down her equipment, paused slightly, her gaze turning back to the stoic warrior. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but she always felt that he seemed... particrly confident today. This confidence was like sweet nectar flowing effortlessly from within. Yet, a close scrutiny made the impact seem fleeting, like a sh. An illusion? Helen somewhat absentmindedly removed the various sensors from Bai E, while subconsciously greeting him, "Today might be myst day staying in the military camp. There are quite a few things waiting for me to deal with back in the inner city." "Mm," was the only response Bai E gave, seemingly indifferent. Noticing the somewhat stiff atmosphere, Helen ran her fingers through the curls by her ears and smiled gently, "Train well, your superiors all think highly of you. Tonight, you will have a pleasant evening." "Understood." "Hold on a moment." After collecting the sensors, Helen turned gracefully to go back to her workbench, her voice following from behind, "I''ll tell you the final analysis, hoping it might help with your training..." After two days of familiarity, Helen had be quite adept at analyzing such data. The sounds of Helen typing at her keyboard asionally echoed in the whiteboratory, as time passed in a silent wait. "You''re much more stable now, it seems that your body is gradually getting ustomed to this excessive exertion beyond the norm..." [You are participating in the creation of Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 60%...] "In these two days, I''ve carefully analyzed the differences between your training method and the standard one, and I''ve found that maintaining a perfect harmony between the rhythm of your body''s motion and your breathing is extremely difficult; it''s a unique training method belonging to you, and it would be very difficult to generalize..." [You are participating in the creation of Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 75%...] "Therefore, even though you''re now familiar with this training method, still pay attention not to get distracted during your training. Compared to the regr training method conducted by the other soldiers, yours requires more focus, every action of your body needs to be controlled..." [You are participating in the creation of Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 90%...] "Even if your body has memorized that feeling, it remains the same. It is counter to human instinct and requires continuous control through willpower. A moment''s rxation, and it will surely bacsh!" [You are participating in the creation of Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, current progress 100%!] [You have fully participated in the development of Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, reward: Knowledge - Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0, Scientific Experience +1000 points, Science Points *2, already distributed.] Gazing at the artificial warrior in front of her, eyes out of focus and face filled with confusion, Helen seemed unperturbed, aware that knowledge has its thresholds. The mission of them, as researchers,y precisely there: to turn those abstruse and difficult understandings into practical guidelines for others to follow; that was their responsibility. Explore new worlds at §Þ?? Everyone in this world bears responsibilities from birth... With her long legs crossed, Helen stood up gracefully, concluding her host duties atst. "I will report to your superiors about your full cooperation in perfecting the advanced physical training program, hence... you may make any request of them that is not too excessive, and I believe they will agree. It was a pleasure working with you during this time..." Her back to the soft white light, the rays prating her translucent skin and reaching into Bai E''s eyes, "Soldier Bai E, goodbye." Bai E saluted respectfully, "Goodbye, Schr Helen." ... The military camp was abuzz with activity at night, adorned with lights and a burning bonfire. Everyone was adept at forgetting. One must always look forward, concerned only with the impact on the bigger picture should life be lost; in this era, everyone was ustomed to sacrifice. What kept mankind going was not the bonds of affection with loved ones, but the mere fact of "being alive". And since "being alive" was so tough, people asionally needed some encouragement from others to get their spirits up once again. Before all the warriors, Carlos''s voice thundered with perennial vigor. "...Now, let us pay our highest respects to this hero!" Drinks were spilled into the sky, reflecting the wavering light of the fire. Standing straight on the stage, Bai E basked in the warmest gazes of everyone present. ["Lucky Strike" charge +50.] ["Lucky Strike" charge has reached 148/100, currently avable for use!] Rose brought strong alcohol, Mashati grilled kebabs, and Stone clumsily tried to assist... Song Ying sat with arms crossed in a corner away from the bonfire, You''s face flushed as he was cajoled into drinking by the big man, and Tiger watched everything with a contented smile. That night, he got drunk... the stars fell into his eyes. Amidst the haziness, it seemed only a distant voice echoed ethereally¡ª [Feedback from themission, your Insight +0.2.] [Feedback from themission, Long-Range Weapon Mastery Experience +108.] [Feedback from themission, Finesse Weapon Mastery Experience +14.] [Feedback from themission, Close Combat Mastery Experience +32.] ... [Feedback from themission, Close Combat Mastery Experience +16.] ... [Feedback from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +37.] [You have acquired "Level 1 Computer Hardware Maintenance," earning an additional Science Point *1.] [Computer Hardware Maintenance (Level 1): You are familiar with the specific functions of allputer hardware. You can urately troubleshoot all potential hardware-rted issues and proficiently disassemble and reassemble all rted electronicponents.] [Current Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience 17/300, at 300 points "Level 2 Computer Hardware Maintenance" will be mastered.] ... "Hic~" Chapter 127: 126 Hunting Rats "Shh¡ªlighter..." Lighter... "Even lighter..." In the pitch-ck sewer, Dai Lian shushed Gong Yan, who was following behind him. He needed a very quiet environment to be able to hear the movements of the evil creatures with his own ears. This world wasn''t quite reasonable. Normally, the game would directly determine the interaction between one''s attributes and the environment, possibly with a fluctuating value influencing the oue, and if the determination passed, it would directly present the target within a white circle or outlined shape on the screen. But here... there was no system assistance, no disy on screen. [It''s like I''ve traveled to another dimension...] Dai Lian muttered internally, his ears receiving every slight noise like sonar. The twanging sound of steel rebar expanding and contracting with heat... The dripping sound of cold condensation beads falling... Natural and chaotic noises needed to be filtered out first, leaving behind the purposeful and rhythmic movements of the Anti-Entropy! [You are using sensory powers to explore the environment...] Gong Yan followed closely behind, trying to step as lightly as possible. Cold objects emitted no ripples of thought; only living things released waves that rippled from their aggregated neural tissue. Coldness, hunger... In her world, all emotional fluctuations seemed to act like an unaffected background color, casting themselves around all living things. However, receiving this information was still slightly difficult for her right now; this instinct was not yet skilled, only with extreme concentration might she faintly perceive something... "Whoosh~" The two moved in unison, almost simultaneously raising their weapons. Dai Lian had switched to a short bow, while Gong Yan,cking the basics, undoubtedly found it easier to start with a hand crossbow. "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" Two arrows were shot one after the other; one missed... the other missed as well. Combat information appeared with an unpredictable dy. yers usually found it difficult to judge the effectiveness of their actions in real-time through it, but the sound of arrows hitting the ground was obviously different from that of a hit. The battle-focused Dai Lian was still able to make this distinction. Even with Level 1 Ranged Weapon Specialization, Dai Lian couldn''t achieve perfect uracy in the Dark Environment, let alone when the target was a living creature. Fortunately, these dim-witted creatures had lost their awe ofrger lifeforms, as well as their perception of fear. Sensing the direction of the attack, they actually initiated a charge. "Shoot closer." There weren''t many targets, roughly a dozen based on the disordered noises. Without the control of their "king," they no longer moved in unison, providing chances for targeted strikes. "Mhm~" Gong Yan quietly responded. She wasn''t particrly fond of fighting, but in this world, having fun without any personal skill was clearly impossible. Given the chance, she wouldn''t mind honing her skills as long as it didn''t cost her anything. Quickly loading her hand crossbow, Gong Yan remained calm. [Closer, even closer.] Gong Yan silently recited, steadying the trajectory of the hand crossbow as much as possible with both hands. 3... 2... 1... Shoot! "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" Dai Lian felt some delight at shooting the arrows almost simultaneously once more, even withoutmunication. The tacit cooperation in battle was still exhrating. Not like Kuang Xin, that brute! But having that brute in front seemed pretty reassuring... [Sessfully hit a small moving target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +2.] [Hit confirmed, 3 points of piercing damage dealt to the target!] The tension of the bowstring wasn''t enough, the pulling strength insufficient, the arrows not sharp enough... Their weapons, naturally, were not as reliable as Bai E''s military-grade ones. But it didn''t matter, the hefty bundle of "arrows" they each carried on their backs served as their ample ammunition supply! Once they closed in enough, Gong Yan and Dai Lian maintained a steady rhythm of shooting and retreating. Without the closebat prowess of thatdy from Arbitration ce, they dared not allow these little creatures to close in with their numbers¡ªonce the creatures got close, they would crazily climb up from gaps around the ankles and pant legs. Within a few breaths, they couldtch onto an entire body, and with their sharp teeth and ws, whether they tore through the skin or hung onto the torn clothes, it was difficult to shake them off by struggling. The individual attacking power of these small creatures was indeed not high, but their attack frequency was extremely fast, swarming by the dozens. Dai Lian and Gong Yan definitely did not want to nourish these hungry creatures with their flesh. Kiting was the only option. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Their steps while retreating were swift, their hands never stopping. The knowledge imparted during pistol shooting lessons was also guiding theirbat, only that realbat was necessary to convert it into experience. There were over a dozen targets, but they couldn''t be greedy. As long as they aimed as best as they could at one locked target, plentiful shots would eventually hit. It was foolish to simply shoot into the mass and rely on luck to fight just because there were many targets. Dai Lian had Level 1 Ranged Weapon Specialization, his hit rate was at least double that of Gong Yan''s. Gong Yan was skilled and dexterous, grasping more than a dozen homemade arrows in her small palm, her movements swift and dazzling. Her small hand crossbow managed to achieve a firing rate not inferior to that of a pistol. [Sessfully hit several small moving targets, Light Firearms Mastery experience +8.] [Sessfully hit several small moving targets, Light Firearms Mastery experience +14.] The sound of slicing through the air traveled through the pipes, mixing with the wind to carry far... "You said you wanted to track down the protectors'' whereabouts, why are you still being so stubborn?" The burly man''s voice was heavy with dissatisfaction. "Don''t talk~" Franca raised her index finger to her plump, bright lips, "Listen..." "Whoosh~" "Whoosh~" "Whoosh~" The faint howling that vibrated in the air reached them from afar, and the burly man''s eyes narrowed in surprise. "When did you notice them?" Franca had a cheery smile on her face, unconcerned. "You''re too impatient now, hence you''ve lost your acuteness to the environment." She intentionally deepened her voice, adopting a seasoned tone, "I am training your patience... And these rats are rted to our mission, you know. Didn''t you mention before that leaving a good impression on ordinary people was important? Isn''t it natural for us to do some good deeds for them? Who knows, maybe seeing us in action, those mutants and demon believers hiding in the shadows wille out and surrender?" The burly man snorted, "Naive!" "Naive is apliment for me~" Franca''s eyes twinkled as she looked eagerly toward the direction of the sound, "How about it? Shall we take a look? It might be rted to the direction of our investigation?" "..." The burly man was silent, then hastily set off. "Tsundere~" Franca hummed a melodious tune, hands sped behind her as she lightly caught up. ... [Used closebat to hit the target, Melee Combat Mastery experience +18.] [Combat concluded, 15 battle experience points gained.] [You killed a gue Rat, "Sub-quest ¡ª Rat Clearing" progress 10/100.] "Finally killed it..." Dai Lian wiped the sweat from his forehead; he wasn''t Kuang Xin, that handsome muscle-bound gori. Out of breath from strenuous physicalbor, he clutched his arm and felt a kind of abused exhration, "And lost 3 points of health, damn it..." Bows and arrows were only a means to diminish the gue Rats'' state; to ultimately end the fight, they had to rely on... their feet. After losing their ability to move and swarm attack due to being kited by arrows from a distance, stomping with their feet became their final coup de grace. After all, Zhou just required them to kill rats in the "Dark Environment"; he never specified that they had to rely solely on bows and arrows for the kill. Stomping on thest one also had a bit of the fun of a game of Whack-a-Mole. Gong Yan wielded a small shovel... "I really don''t know why Zhou insists on us dealing with these little things at night..." After taking a short break, Dai Lian frowned and said in puzzlement. There was no one in the sewers during the day either, and at least during the day there would be some scattered light, making their vision not so limited. Gong Yan just pursed her lips and smiled softly, bandaging his arm while listening to him talk. [Curiosity, irritation...] ncing in a certain direction in the dark, her smile remained gentle, "Maybe Zhou just wants to do some good deeds in secret... What we do doesn''t need to be known by others." Chapter 128: 127 Francas teaching [You havepleted a bandaging task, elerating the healing of the target''s wound. Bandaging experience +0.] [Your "Schrship - Bandaging" level has reached its maximum. To continue improving, you need to acquire advanced knowledge.] "Still no increase in bandaging experience..." Gong Yan sighed softly. Because of the two from Arbitration ce causing that fire rat disaster on ck Streetst time, she had only learned the level 1 bandaging knowledge from the adults. The level 2 first aid was advanced knowledge, and without professional understanding, it was impossible to improve the experience, which had been holding her back for a long time. In the Faction Shop that she unlocked, bandaging instruction from a master could be exchanged for 40 points of faction contribution. She was very envious and determined to have the adult teach her the moment she earned enough contribution points! While she was sighing, deliberately made noises arose in the distance. "Cough, cough~" The girl''s clear voice echoed melodically in the dark sewer, "Good evening." Apanying her voice, Franca, with her boots and longsword, gradually approached. Familiar with the dark, the photoreceptor cells also clearly made out the other party in the extremely dim light environment. Mutually... Was it one of the two informants from before? Was the previous guess wrong, and they weren''t a single entity? Or had that little ax-wielding dolt gone to carry out some other task for their ''adult'' as they referred to them? But none of that was important. With her hands behind her back and a smile on her face, Franca came closer, "How did you guys end up here?" "Ma... Master?" Gong Yan turned around to face the other, with an appropriate mix of surprise and hesitation on her face, "You... how are you here?" Franca, with a mischievous smile, said, "Strictly speaking, I might not be as ''old'' as you, so no need to be that formal. Just now I heard you saying... you are carrying out an ''adult''s'' order? What kind of order?" "Franca!" the brawny man called out sternly. There were as many factions in and out of the inner city as there were hairs on an ox; as long as they were not directly connected to heretics, they couldn''t afford to investigate each one individually. Since the other party had no rtion to the demon believer who had escaped, there was no need to waste further time here. In fact, he felt there was no need to show up at all. "Don''t be in such a hurry~" Franca did as she pleased,pletely unconcerned with the brawny man''s face, which was as ck as coal, though invisible in the darkness, "Don''t you think we need a couple of helpers? It''s too troublesome to chase after those rats in thisbyrinthine sewer, one more person means more strength~" "That''s why we shouldn''t continue doing senseless things here." "That''s why we should look for help." Facing the stubborn Franca, the brawny man, who seemed to have more the role of a nanny in this mission, clearly had no way of persuading her. He crossed his arms and stepped aside to sulk by himself... "I''ve observed yourbat method just now." Franca nced significantly at the small shovel Gong Yan had put aside, "Your ''adult'' doesn''t seem to have taught you closebat techniques. Ranged attacks sometimes leave no room for manoeuvre and aren''t suitable for survival on human territory~" "..." Gong Yan couldn''t figure out the reasoning of the youngdy and could only ask with a puzzled face, "Master?" "Let me teach you a few techniques~" Franca said with a beaming smile, and as she spoke, she spread the fingers of her right hand. Within the dark space, a nebulous mist, like starlight, abruptly appeared about five centimeters in front of her palm. With time, the misty light gradually expanded, resembling the pommel of a sword, slowly emerging forth. "..." Staring at this fantastical scene, Dai Lian and Gong Yan werepletely stunned. This, this, this... What kind of power was this? Was it a technological spatial storage device, or a miracle achieved by individual Spiritual Energy? Franca offered no exnation, grasping the now fully visible hilt and drawing forth a longsword with a deep blue scabbard into the presence of all. Without a care, Franca tossed it towards Gong Yan, "It''s my spare longsword, I''ll lend it to you for now." Catching it somewhat frantically, Gong Yan held the scabbard in her left hand and the hilt in her right, still looking bewildered, "I..." "There''s no ''I'' or ''mine''...e on, let''s go hunting for those rats!" Franca, the natural socialite, easily arranged everyone''s next move. [You are observing a master''s sword technique demonstration. If you gain some insight...] [Teaching: Feeling the other person''s professional expertise, you decide to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) to learn the corresponding ability. (Exchange ratio: every 2 points ofbat/general experience can be exchanged for 1 point of corresponding specialty experience.)] ? Gong Yan had not anticipated the situation unfolding in this way; she, who always felt that everything was under control, felt as clueless as she did with her own master when faced with Franca, the youngdy from Arbitration ce. To learn? Or not to learn? "We''re short on time~" Franca, darting into the rat pack with the sh of her de, didn''t forget to pressure Gong Yan. To give Gong Yan as much learning time as possible, she was using the side of the longsword to swat away the oing gue rats. [Triggered side quest¡ªde of Agility.] [de of Agility: Learn as muchbat technique as possible in the Dark Environment, which will significantly enhance your Spiritual Energy. Quest Requirement: Acquire at least 0/1 level of proficiency with light weapons before clearing the current rat infestation. Quest Completion Reward: Mystery +0.3. Countdown: ???] "..." Gong Yan gritted her teeth. Learn! [Tip: The current environment is unique, and teaching conditions are limited. Please concentrate as much as possible on perceiving the opponent''s movements, otherwise teaching cannot proceed.] Willpower... Light of the sword... Entity... Spectrum of colors... Pipeline... vanished. Sound of wind... vanished. Swarm of rats... vanished. Countless pieces of information in front of Gong Yan wove together, gradually sketching out the precise image of Franca''s swordy in a world of darkness... [You spent 10 points ofbat experience to learn, converted into 5 points of "Light Weapon Mastery" experience.] ... [Precisely hitting small moving targets, Light Weapon Mastery experience +23.] (Stacked) [You spent 10 points ofbat experience to learn, converted into 5 points of "Light Weapon Mastery" experience.] [Acquired "Level 1 Light Weapon Proficiency," and concurrently received talent points *1.] [Light Weapon Proficiency (Level 1): Attack speed +3%, Armor pration +1%.] [Current Heavy Weapon Mastery experience 4/300, achieving 300 points will grant mastery of "Level 2 Light Weapon Proficiency".] "Shua, shua, shua~" Under the cold light of the sword, the rats were beheaded in one fell swoop! [Killing three small targets simultaneously with one move, Light Weapon Mastery experience +6.] [Combat ended, gained 20 points ofbat experience.] [You killed a gue rat, "Side Quest¡ªRat Eradication" progress 20/100.] [Exceptional technique observed, continue learning and you might achieve unexpected gains.] "Not bad~" Franca whistles and holds nothing back. Sword light falls like snowkes, corpses scatter as they fall. Gong Yan wasn''t given more chances to learn... Sheathing her longsword, Franca turned and walked towards the far end of the dark pipeline. "Bye-bye, missy~" Her arrival was sudden, her departure resolute. ... Once far from those two strange people, the burly man asked in a steady voice, "You suspect them?" "Do you think it''s possible?" "I think you''re wasting your time..." the burly man replied with a grimace. "But they use bows and arrows~" "Isn''t using crossbows in sewers like this a perfectly normal choice?" he sighed deeply. "If it really was them, what they need now is to hide and clear their tracks, not jump out in front of us." "But ording to that mysterious person''s responsibilities... shouldn''t clearing the gue rats be their duty?" The burly man snorted with scorn, "You think there are such noble people? Miss, I know these filthy gutters outside better than you... You, don''t understand human nature." "Oh~" Franca acted as if his words were hardly worth noticing, simply holding her chin and staring nkly, "but I think it''s possible." "Even if it''s possible, you didn''t have to teach her swordy... " "Wasn''t it you who saidst time that she had a talent for Spiritual Energy? What''s wrong with testing her aptitude?" "I''m starting to doubt your sanity..." "Huh?" Franca was taken aback, and actually used her Spiritual Energy to carefully feel her own body, "I think I''m perfectly fine? Doing very well!" Chapter 129: 128 Guys Must Fight Only after confirming that the footsteps of the other party had indeed walked away did Gong Yan nce at Dai Lian, who seemed lost in thought, and murmur ambiguously, "Why did she teach me?" "To create discord!" Dai Lian''s eyes sparkled with certainty, "To scare the snake by beating the grass! She might be suspecting us!" Feeling guilty as a thief, Dai Lian was a bit panicked when he saw the two people, but he felt he had masked it perfectly, so there shouldn''t be any big problem. It was just that he didn''t know if Yanzi had given anything away. Under the overly dim lighting conditions, he couldn''t ascertain how Yanzi had behaved. But Yanzi was smart; presumably, she would have caught on with just a hint. Dai Lian pinched his chin and analyzed rationally, "The NPCs of this world have no concept of our yer identities. In her eyes, we are just members of a small force in ck Street... although that''s indeed the case. Under normal circumstances, our force has chosen to oppose Arbitration ce, and she teaches you these skills without asking for anything in return, which will undoubtedly lead to suspicion within the organization. Eventually, some kind of conflict might arise that would give her some clues from you. But..." "Don''t worry about Yanzi." It''s just that these NPCs understand human nature, but they don''t understand yers. Whether it''s a hook or bait, take it all! As for the adult... Not to mention the adult wouldn''t notice, but even if the adult did, so what? With Wen Jie''s precedent, it''s clear that the adult doesn''t care if the people in the organization seek skills from other forces. Any skill learned is an asset. Previously, Dai Lian had some doubts about why the adult had such strong confidence in the members of his organization, as if they would never defect no matter how long they spent in other organizations, an ideal that seemed almost na?ve. It was after the ratman incident that he realized it wasn''t about the adult having confidence in the organization''s members, but in himself. ["You don''t need to take the initiative in a self-sacrificing way, I can bear the consequences of all your choices."] That silhouette was so magnificent it was unbelievable. This suffocating aura of majesty was the source of his confidence. "Let''s go, continue, as if they don''t exist," Dai Lian said, tidying up the aftermath and filling in what was missing. Some rats wounded by Franca were still struggling a little; if left alone, they might bleed to death, but the heads were not his own to im, so it would be wasteful. [By hitting the target with a melee attack, you gain +4 experience in Close Combat Mastery.] [The battle ends, you gain 3 points ofbat experience.] [You killed a gue rat, "Side Quest¡ªRat Extermination" progress 15/100.] Just picking up a few knives~ Heehee. Yanzi had been on a killing spree with the other party just now, probably far ahead in progress, so it was imperative to catch up. Gong Yan also seemed to have recovered from her bewildered state due to the sudden event, "Right, let''s forget about her and continue¡­" "Exactly, let''s finish the quest quickly, I still want to go see Kuang Xin boxing..." The underground fighting arena didn''t sound like a ce to mess with at first hearing. He was worried that Kuang Xin would get sold out and end up counting money for others... ... "Squeak squeak squeak~" In the depths of the dim sewer, a cluster of gue rats huddled together, writhing in a sight that could terrify some faint-hearted children. The "king" has disappeared... The "king" has abandoned them! They needed a new "king"! A gue rat with shiny ck hard fur slowly stood up, quietly rising from the chaotic swarm of rats, like an unshakable rock amid the tides... ... In the hazy night mist, the woman made her final plea, "Hans, you must understand that people don''t be stronger or more agile as they get older... You''re of age now, so don''t be like those impetuous, brawling young fellows." "I know, I know... I''m just going to have a look." Hans was somewhat impatient, "I''ve got a bit of money on me... I''m going to see if I can try my luck." "Whatever you want... Anyway, it''s all ill-gotten, better spent than hoarded." "What''s this about ill-gotten? Don''t talk so nastily, you know what it''s about. Alright, I''m off. You go to sleep first, don''t wait up for me." "Fine..." The woman grumbled and muttered to herself, hugging her arms and casting suspicious nces into the dark as she closed the front door, "The weather''s getting colder..." Lying in bed and hesitating for a moment, the woman still got up and lit a greasemp on the table. The flickering yellow me shone on the woman''s shadow on the wall, with wisps of smoke drifting above the silhouette. "I''ll leave amp on for him..." The woman drifted off to sleep. ... The underground fighting wasn''t actually underground but took ce inside a solid concrete structure. As the city developed and transformed over the years, some ambitiously built structures on the outskirts were abandoned before being used, like human ambitions, gradually retreating back into the city. Heavy metal music, grating to the ears, forcibly stimted the secretion of hormones in the body, with the explosive sound waves threatening to burst one''s eardrums. The most primitive collisions evoked the most basic arousal; life''s tedium and mundanity had people craving small shocks to jolt their long-dead hearts awake. Theycked the courage to step onto the battlefield and could only find a semnce of proof of living amidst the noisy, crowded mor. With an elderly gait, Hans stepped onto the dusty cement floor, his decaying heart pounding fiercely along with the heavy bass. Clutching a hundred ckwater coins tightly in his embrace, this seemed like a godsend for his lifelong poverty. It allowed him, in his old age and declining health, to rediscover the adrenal rush of his youth. Money is a man''s courage. For some reason, the moment he took that money from thed, his body also seemed to awaken. He felt like a warrior at his most courageous, with unbounded energy surging through him, yearning for the glory of blood and battle. Be a fool challenging the windmills! Recklessness is closer to courage than cowardice! A man has to fight! He squeezed into the bustling crowd, with excitement and sweat filling the air, inhaling the mixed scents of perspiration, body odor, and alcohol, Hans''s eyes excitedly bloodshot. Finding a spot where he could catch a glimpse, his cloudy eyes peered through arge hole in the wire mesh to watch the duel underway. Two muscr men battered each other, noses bloodied and faces swollen, with blood streaming down their visages. The sight of fresh red liquid stirred the nerves, and savage desires could only be vented through younger bodies. A man has to make bets! "The match has started! No more betting." "Tsk!" Hans spat in the direction of the other person''s back, clutching the 100 ckwater coins in his arms. "Huh... Huh?" As he walked away, disillusioned, his eyes wandered randomly until they spotted a familiar figure in front of the rtively quiet registration desk. Was that... the big fool? Chapter 130: 129 Side Quest - Black Fist "You''re entering thepetition?" "Hmm..." "Why do you bring a..." The man in charge of registration, donning a metallic hip-hop style, sized up the odd man before him from top to bottom, before managing to barely string his words together, "bring such a strange... head cover?" "The Bull Warrior never removes his mask." It wasn''t that Kuang Xin wanted to be such a nuisance, but it was only now that he truly realized the troubles his initial good looks had caused. He had always been wandering in the wilderness, with most interactions with NPCs handled by Gong Yan and Dai Lian, effectively leaving him in a wild man''s state. Now back in a human congregation, the aftermath of his charm +10 was that wherever he went, he was stared at with unusual eyes¡ªif it weren''t for the public setting, he would''ve believed he could be knocked out with a cudgel any minute and dragged into a corner for unspeakable acts... Only after sneaking out, taking a stroll, and finding a sack to put over his head, did the feeling of being scrutinized alleviate somewhat. Although he still attracted attention, covetous nces had turned into stares that seemed to say, "look at that fool," which, all in all, was more eptable. Hearing Kuang Xin''s response, the registrar tapped the desk with his pen, curious, "Your name is Bull Warrior?" "Hmm." "Such a silly name, but whatever... I''ll ask you onest time, are you sure you want topete?" Peering through the hole poked in the sack, Kuang Xin looked at him with firm eyes, "I''m sure!" The registrar nced behind Kuang Xin, seemingly puzzled, "Then where is your guarantor?" "Guarantor..." After a moment of surprise, Kuang Xin spoke in a deep voice, "I am my own guarantor." The registrar burst outughing in annoyance, "Don''t eff around if you''ve got nothing better to do..." Not even knowing the rules here, yet wanting topete? Probably just some kid, blood running hot, seeking excitement. These types are the most troublesome¡ªif they get injured during a match, their family making a fuss is thest thing anyone wants. Although the underground fights are callous and unrestrained, such a youngster without heat or controversy clearly couldn''t bring in much profit; no profit and all hassle, nobody would willingly let them fight. It''s precisely to avoid such trouble that the rule was established requiring neers to be apanied by a guarantor. Although it wasn''t foolproof, it was still better than someone insisting on fighting just because they said so. "Yes! Yes!" A hoarse voice excitedly called out from a distance, as Hans made his way through the crowd, rushing to meet him, "He has a guarantor, it''s me." As he spoke, Hans looked at Kuang Xin, his eyes conveying a familial reproach, "Why did you run off so fast without waiting for me?" Finally seeing him again! Ever since thest time he threw him the remaining chunks of meat, this fool had vanished sopletely from his world as if he''d disappeared. The sensation of his strength welling up like a spring and the awakening of skills in his body was fleeting, like a night-blooming cereus. Hans, slow to realize, desperately pursued that wonderful sensation but could never seem to find it again anywhere. He had a hunch... the problemy with this big fool. If only he could meet him again... Hans tried to suppress the heartbeats almost leaping from his chest. His own youth, his own vitality, it was all brought to him by this fool in front of him. This time, he must hold on tightly! Observing the neer, Kuang Xin''s gaze sharpened. It''s you again, old man. The mission is already done. Believe it or not, I''ll kill you, grr~ However, considering you''ve helped me out just now, I''ll let you off easy this time¡­ "¡­" Looking at the two before him, who seemed as if they were father and son, the registrar didn''t think much of it and just outstretched a hand, "Pay up." "How much?" Kuang Xin asked casually. After Yanzi had taken out the bullets and returned with a lot of money, he now carried the substantial sum of exactly 500 ckwater coins! "500." "¡­" As if he could see the savings I had on me. Kuang Xin inwardlyined but willingly took out the money. The registrar seemed to have some standards, and as he took the money and registered them, he exined, "Normally, contestants don''t have to pay, but since it''s your first time here, this is considered a security fee. Plus, rest assured, this money isn''t for us; it''s for your own bet. If you win, you''ll get the principal and profits back based on the odds; if you lose, naturally, it''s gone. Understood?" Such a hassle¡­ Kuang Xin just wanted to skip, "Understood, understood." "There''s one more thing to exin; since it''s your firstpetition and you''re a neer, you''re not qualified for a death match. So, the uing fight won''t be to the death for you, and you can''t deal fatal blows to others, got it?" "s¡­ Understood, understood!" "Good to hear." The registrar nodded in satisfaction. Death wouldn''t ur, but things like concussions, paralysis, broken hands, or legs were all possibilities. After all, for the sake of the spectacle, some realism had to be sought. "Here, sign this. If there are no questions, you can sit over there and wait. When your name is called, you go into the ring." "Alright." Kuang Xin took the pen and was about to sign when Hans snatched it from him, "Let me have a look." This silly kid wasn''t bright; how could he trust what someone else said? What if their 500 ckwater coins were mysteriously given away? It was necessary to check for him. The registrar wasn''t in a hurry; such people were rare. He watched the bloody fights in the ring while letting them dawdle. "No problem¡­ go ahead and sign." Kuang Xin snorted in disdain, "Like I need you to tell me." Facing Hans, who had conned him before, Kuang Xin had no patience. After signing, Kuang Xin walked off, and Hans, who wanted to follow, was stopped by the registrar, "That area is for contestants. What are you doing there? Wait outside." "Oh~" Hans smiled obsequiously at the man, then turned around and yelled at Kuang Xin''s retreating figure, "Hey! Kid, give it your all! I believe you can win!" [Side Quest Triggered ¡ª Underground Boxing.] [Physical Training: Your body carries Hans'' sincerest hopes. Win this fight. Quest objective: Defeat your opponent in the uing match 0/1. Questpletion reward: Universal Experience +25, item reward unknown.] "¡­" Damn it! Still as stingy as ever! But that doesn''t affect the normal quest progression. Why not take the free reward? epted! "Got it, you old thing!" Kuang Xin waved his hand and entered the contestant area without any reluctance. Watching Kuang Xin walk away, Hans smiled contentedly. His dreams seemed to be fulfilled through him¡­ how wonderful. "I still have 100 ckwater coins; please bet on his opponent for me¡­" As he spoke and was about to take out the money, Hans'' expression changed abruptly, and for some reason, he changed his mind, "Nevermind, let''s bet on this kid instead. Put this 100 on him too, let''s raise the stakes!" The registrar nced at the old man missing a tooth, indifferently epted the money, and handed him a betting slip for 600 ckwater coins, "Here, go wait on the side." Chapter 131: 130 Crazy "Tonight''s seventh diator duel! Coming from Furious Bloodrage! Facing our neer¡ªthe Bull Warrior!" "Pssh¡ª" Hissses filled the air. As the host introduced him, the neer, who even seemed a bit fumbling as he stepped into the arena from the iron cage, looked so frail and weak. He wasn''t particrly muscr, nor was his entrance mboyant. Clothed in a somewhat faded light blue denim jacket and jeans, the most ridiculous part was the dirt-yellow bup sack over his head, with only three holes cut out for sight, making his tentative nces around all the more timid. "Where did this kide from!" "Is he weaned yet? Come here to mama and suckle!" "Take off the sack! Coward!" Despite the jeers, the audience was still eagerly anticipating the spectacle toe. Everyone knew the organizer''s routine¡ª As the host of the fight, considering to stir up every spectator''s emotions, they naturally had to control theparative strength between thebatants. A one-sided crush was no fun, so "Furious Bloodrage," though it sounded intimidating, was actually just a crazy kid who had only fought twice and won one by the skin of his teeth. Neither side was high-caliber, even if it was a mere squabble between two noobs, they were evenly matchedbatants. This kind of duel was destined to have no holding back, the lowest level of pure physical struggle that could also satisfy primal impulses for violence. Moreover, the organizers were afraid that both fighters would be cowardly, so they purposely arranged for one of them to be a madman... Even if the neer turned coward on the spot, the crowd could still feast their eyes before the staff maintaining Order rushed in to save a life. Broken limbs wouldn''t lead to death, yet still quenched the audience''s thirst for violence. "Bang!" The iron door locked behind him, and Kuang Xin instinctively flinched. The morous noise was too loud, making his brain somewhat unclear. Just like when he climbed over the school fence to use the inte and then had to make a self-criticism in front of the whole school under the national g, his head buzzed. But strangely... his body didn''t reject the situation. He was heating up. Trembling. And... excited. A stage for unfettered violence, an unguarded spilling of desire. His vision started to focus; thoughts became clearer. Adrenaline pumped rapidly, narrowing his vision but sharpening his focus, his limbs engorged, reacting faster. His opponent, with bloodshot eyes, was grinning ferociously across from him, Kuang Xin worked his wrists, rolling his fists. Technique? None. nning? None. Stats? Seems not quite enough. What he had was merely primal instinct! "Roar!" The moment the bell rang, both sides, like the wildest of beasts, lunged at their opponent. [Closebat attack hits the target, Combat Mastery experience +2, Brute Body (locked) unlock progress 86%.] [Current Combat Mastery experience 15/100...] [You dealt 1 point of blunt damage to the target!] [You take 1 point of blunt damage from the target''s attack.] He swayed, timing his steps with his strikes. The hot breath he exhaled cycled inside the sack, causing him to feel a bit stuffy, but this couldn''t affect Kuang Xin''sbat state. His eyes were fixed on the opponent''s punching movements, every attack requiring full body coordination. Each casual movement could give away intent. He didn''t know which movements indicated which muscle activations, he simply relied on instinct to guess the opponent''s attack intentions. It didn''t matter if he guessed wrong¡ªit was just a game! What was there to fear? [Closebat attack hits the target, Combat Mastery experience +17, Brute Body (locked) unlock progress 87%.] [Current Combat Mastery experience 32/100...] [1 point of strike damage dealt to the target!] [You''ve taken an attack, suffering 1 point of strike damage.] Another punchnds on my nose... my vision is turning a bit dark. But I''ve alsonded a punch on his belly, he''s definitely not having a good time either! Madman? What the hell are you crazy for? What gives you the right to be crazy? I don''t feel a thing! Your punches are like a massage to me. Hit me more! More! Trading blow for blow, I want to see who gives in first, you or me! This is a damn game! Do you think I''m scared of you?! "Hahahaha!" Amidst the fight, Kuang Xin couldn''t help but burst into a madughter. Fight! Come on! You call yourself a madman? Then what am I?! All the cool moves I dreamt of using can now be tried out. No acquaintances around, I can unleash violence to vent freely. Teeth, fists, thighs... all can be used as weapons for attack. So what if it''s wrong, or if my technique isn''t scientific? Can your body handle my fists?! Me, scared of you?! Ha! "Hahahaha!" Knocked back by a kick, Kuang Xin, like an ape, pounds his chest, "Come on! Come on!" A wild fighting spirit spills out in all directions, with abat style more savage than wild beasts making opponents tremble in fear. "Madman! Madman!" The frenzied gaze locks onto a weird boxer wearing a head cover not far away. Pretending to be weak through madness. But this boxer has madness etched into his marrow. "Madman! I don''t want to fight him!" "You! Where are you going?" Clenching his teeth, Kuang Xin leaps into the air, delivering a Superman punch straight to the opponent''s chest... Don''t run! ... [Closebat hitnded, closebat mastery experience +14, Savage Physique (Unlocked) unlocking progress 88%.] [Current closebat mastery experience 46/100...] [3 points of strike damage inflicted upon the target! Target has fallen into a "Stunned" state.] "Congrattions on witnessing the most thrilling duel tonight! Our winner is, the Bull¡ªWarrior!" "Wuhu!" "Well fought!" "Another round! One more time!" ... The fric Bull Warrior sets off a wild wave of violence, Hans, with betting slips in hand, quickly finds the organizer. "I won, I won! By the odds of 1.1 to 1, you owe me 1260 coins!" "Don''t need you to teach me, old coot!" the man holding a low-quality cigarette contemptuously nces at Hans and casually shoves the principal and earnings on a tray through the window. Mixed in denominations, the bill-like paper money and crystal-like coins are stacked chaotically, enough to widen the eyes of Hans who''d hardly ever seen so much money all at once. Looking over his shoulder with the guilt of a thief, he saw the foolishd still surrounded by enthusiastic spectators, too busy toe and im the wealth that should belong to him. [Run!] Stuffing the money into his bosom hastily, Hans turned and ran. Familiarbat instincts covered his body like second nature, and Hans felt his steps lighten considerably as he ran. Indeed, he was the one to take after all! As for the simpleton''s possible hostility after realizing he''s been duped... Stupid kid, I''ll just deceive him again next time I see him. Faced with profits within reach, anyone would go mad! Chapter 132: 131 This bullet is reserved for you! "Where are you going?" Kuang Xin panted heavily, having chased out of the arena. Seeing Hans''s sleazy figure fleeing through the chaotic crowd, he knew this old geezer was definitely screwing him over again. A wise man never falls into the same hole twice, and he certainly wouldn''t let this old man take any advantage of him ever again. Hearing the furious shouting not far behind, Hans''s steps faltered, and he stopped. He had seen how that foolishd had performed earlier in the arena; there was a hint of madness inherent in him, and that wasn''t someone to irk seriously. Besides, the most important point was he hadn''t intended to bring a hand gun to the arena today... or even if he had, now it was questionable whether he would dare to use it. Compared to the foolishd he first met that day, today''s looked exceptionally frightening; the bruises on his face weren''t signs of dishevelment but badges of honor for a warrior. "I... I''m going back to sleep," Hans''s voice was weak. "Sleep?" Kuang Xin advanced step by step, eyeing Hans from top to bottom, and finally rested his gaze on thetter''s hand concealed at his chest, "Where''s my money!" He didn''t particrly care about the property in the game, but at least he couldn''t let someone who disgusted him take advantage of it. "It''s here... right here..." Cautiously pulling out five banknotes from his bosom, Hans trembled as he handed them to Kuang Xin, "I was just thinking of keeping it safe for you temporarily..." Kuang Xin had no interest in the old man''s bullshit; he had made up his mind not to trust this old guy again. His voice rose sarcastically, "Didn''t I win?" He knew his own odds; one to one point one. He should have at least 1050 Heishui coins by now. With missing teeth, Hans shed an embarrassed smile, "At least I acted as your guarantor to let you enter the contest; let me have a share..." Kuang Xin clenched his fist, still unsatisfied, "Honestly, I didn''t get enough of a fight just now." "All yours! All yours!" Hans bristled instantly, eagerly pulling out the money he had just obtained from his bosom¡ªeleven banknotes, 160 crystal coins... "Here it is! But..." holding onto one hundred Heishui coins strung together with string, Hans showed a pleading look on his face, "This is my own capital..." Kuang Xin nced at them. They felt oddly familiar... even though Heishui coins should all look the same. But he felt that these were probably the same hundred he had been cheated out of by the old man. "..." [If it weren''t for his referral, I wouldn''t have met the big shot, nor Dai and Yanzi... It''s hard to say what turns my fate would have taken.] Seeing the contemtive look on Kuang Xin''s face, Hans pulled on a strand of Heishui coins he had already pushed into Kuang Xin''s hand, "There are one hundred and ten more that I''ve won with my capital..." "Bullshit!" Kuang Xin suddenly drew back his hand, "What''s all this about your or my capital, everything I won is mine!" Poking the man in the face with his finger, "Stop f***ing scamming people, you hear? I''m letting you off this time." Turning away triumphantly, Kuang Xin felt jubnt inside. Robbing an NPC! How much worse could I get? Although the amount looted wasn''t much, just 110 coins, it was an epic step forward! I''m so cool tonight! ... Clenching the remaining 100 Heishui coins in his hand, Hans experienced the roller coaster of life... Not reconciled! Not reconciled! Power... money... slipped away again! Huh? There seemed to be an indecisive figure hesitating in the shadows over there. What was he up to? Hans narrowed his eyes and approached proactively... "Join apetition? Do you know you need a guarantor to enter?" A young man exuding metal punk vibes deliberately stood on tiptoes, his expression somewhat disdainful, "You think I don''t know that?" "You know? If you know, then it''s easy. Come with me." The young man, grasped by Hans''s bony palm, became flustered, "What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" "Taking you where?" Hans turned to look at him, his face ghostly under the hazy moonlight, "Topete in the match, of course!" "I''m not going topete! I was just hesitating! I didn''t say I wanted to enter..." [Target automatically rejected yourmission request...] [The other party does not possess the qualifications to ept amission...] A faint voice yed from the void. Without hearing any strange noise, or getting a reply from Hans, whose eyes were trembling with restlessness, he grew more irritated, "You won''t agree? Why won''t you agree? What right do you have not to agree!" His voice grew heavier with each word. Beneath his frail and aged body, there seemed to be bulging muscles growing rapidly, aged veins grotesquely prominent, dark aura ceaselessly emanating from Hans''s body. "You! How could you! Not agree to my terms!" "I agree! I did agree!" The young boy desperately backed away, trying to break free from the opponent''s grip, as strong as reinforced iron, shouting as if on the verge of copse during the struggle. "No! You didn''t agree!" Power! No power! Without power! That intoxicating sense of power is absent! Liars! All liars! "Bang!" [Sessfully hit the target with a stealth attack. Light firearm proficiency experience +1.] [Hit the target''s vital spot, inflicting 24 points of piercing damage! Plus the "Heavy Bleeding" status.] [The "Bleeding" effect from your attack inflicts 10 points of ongoing damage to the target.] The re of the gun blossomed in the night. The fireworks of the burning ammunition dispersed from the muzzle, and behind the hazy dust, Kuang Xin''s face loomed in and out of view. The moon''s radiance could not prate the heavy clouds. His face, half-hidden in darkness, half-bathed in light, watched as Hans, still struggling on the ground, had returned, and Kuang Xin''s eyes disyed indiscernible thoughts. "This bullet, I saved it for you until now." Drip, drop, drip, drop... "Murder! Murder!" The boy was already on the edge of mental copse, and the sudden gunfire pierced through hisst line of defense, causing him to run away frantically into the distance. ck blood trickled down his clothes onto the ground as Hans nkly lowered his head, his body weakly slumping forward to kneel and fall. "Crash..." The rope snapped; the ckwater coins he had been carrying in his arms rolled and scattered everywhere. One... two... three... "I... I..." His vision grew darker in waves. Hans tried to reach out with his blood-coated hands, attempting to gather all the scattered ckwater coins back into his arms. They were his! All his! One... two... three... Huh? Why are they gone? Grabbing a handful, his palm sinks in. That was his principal, his own property, his own 100 ckwater coins. How... are they gone? As he opened his palm, the silver-ck particles, like the ashes of a firework burned out, were blown away by the wind and quietly dispersed. Dissolving into the air, leaving no trace behind. "Liars... all liars..." Blood foamed at Hans'' mouth as hey on the ground, looking up at the direction where the particles disappeared, his eyes empty. [Your attack''s "Bleeding" effect has caused 6 points of continuous lethal damage to the target.] [The target''s breathing has ceased; vital signs lost.] Tucking away his pistol, Kuang Xin turned and left, without any lingering sentiment. [You havepletely killed the target. Combat ended, earning 180 battle experience points.] ... "Finally killed him," Gong Yan said with aplex tone. "That was tough on the gori...." Gong Yan and Dai Lian, who were there to back up Kuang Xin, hid in the shadow of a rock, watching the gun murder that urred in this wastnd. Dai Lian had a hint of satisfaction in his eyes, "Gori is fine in every other way, just too rule-bound." Being bold, one would discover a different side of the game, and also discover another self... As a yer, Kuang Xin indeed had a certain mindset to break preconceptions, but stealing an axe might have been the most brazen act he had done. Facing this game that felt as real as time travel, they could clearly sense that Kuang Xin was reluctant to let loose and act recklessly. Having known him for only several days, they had all heard the story of Kuang Xin being conned by an NPC at first. Even when confronted with an NPC who had betrayed him time and time again, unless it truly touched hisst bottom line, he found it hard to go for the kill. If it had been Dai Lian himself, the night he found out he was deceived, either Hans'' corpse would hang in the streets, or he''d just restart with a new ount. But to Kuang Xin, humanoid NPCs and those wolves, rats, they held a different ce in his heart. "But also not bad, right?" Gong Yan''s lips curled into a faint smile, "This dummy is quite reassuring to watch in action." Although he always gets tricked, nobody can feel at ease... "Let''s go, let''s go." Dai suddenly got up, "Let''s head back first, don''t let him find out we were spying on him, he definitely thinks he''s just been exceptionally cool..." Gong Yan covered her mouth to stifle augh, "Okay~" Chapter 133: 132 Final Actions determine habits, and the biological clock that became habit firmly controlled time, waking the dreaming person at the precise moment. "Hiss~" My head hurts. How much did I drinkst night? Everything still feels dizzy in front of me. My self-restraint, capable of suppressing hormonal effects, can''t control the erosion of alcohol on my body. Luckily, my physical fitness is genuinely robust, and after shaking my head, the world in front of me started to sharpen. It seems... no one else has woken up yet. Hearing the rustling noise close at hand, You, who had been deep in sleep, lifted his head in a daze and opened his eyes. Propping himself up, he sat up half way, his shoulder-length hair falling naturally around him. While rubbing his eyes with his small palms, he asked in a soft, groggy voice, "What are you getting up for?" As Bai E was putting on his clothes, he paused slightly, "Don''t we have morning training?" "Oh~ We said we could startter today, nobody has gotten up yet." "Later..." Alright then. Bai E stopped what he was doing. Startingter is good, my condition is indeed a bit off right now, might as well lie down for a bit~ Bai E, who had climbed back into bed,y there with his eyes open, lying just to rx, as sleep was now out of reach. Right,st night, amidst the haze, it seemed like I heard quite a few feedbacks from yer missions. Let''s check the panel¡ª [Name]: Bai E [Race]: Human [Temte]: Gic Modification Prototype [Hit Points]: 120/120 [Identity]: Leader (Li Ming) [Physique]: 14.4/15 [Insight]: 11.7/15 [Reflex]: 12.2/15 [Mystic]: 8.2/¡Þ [Gic Optimization Degree] (Current tendency: Orc): 0.1/100 [Skills]: Gun Fighting Skill, Lucky Shot (Current charge: 168/100) Stealth (63/100) Craftsmanship (3/300) (Level 1) [Traits]: Thought Dullness, Battlefield Instinct, Well-Trained, Bloodthirsty Instinct (Dormant), Hive Mind (Dormant) [Expertise]: Fast Recovery (Locked) unlocking progress 30%, Self-Restraint, Overlimit Drive [Mastery] (Potential Points *9): Light Firearms Specialization (389/2000) (Level 4) Heavy Weapon Specialization (246/300) (Level 1) Ranged Weapon Specialization (153/1000) (Level 3) Military Firearm Specialization (2/100) Hand-to-Hand Combat Specialization (92/100) Light Weapon Specialization (14/100) [Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered [Knowledge] (Tech Points *8): Firearms Maintenance (89/300) (Level 1) Lumberjack (17/300) (Level 1) Thievery (2/100) Trapping (31/100) First Aid (Bandaging) (Level 2) (Max level) Anatomy (30/100) Conventional Vehicle Driving (0/300) (Level 1) Computer Hardware Maintenance (17/300) (Level 1) Advanced Physical Training 3.0 (Max level) [Technology]: Management+1, Sociology+3, Psychology+1 [General Experience]: 1485 [Combat Experience]: [Research Experience]: 1000 [Mutation Risk]: Low [Faction]: Li Ming (Prestige Level 1) ... It''s getting more and more luxurious. Whether abilities like "Computer Hardware Maintenance" that Wen Jie reported are actually usable or not, merely possessing them is enough to make one feel blissful. I really love the feeling of hoarding all sorts of resources and not using them, like being tightly wrapped in soft cotton~ Bai E was joyfully sizing up each item, eventually fixating his gaze on the 148/100 energy charge value for quite some time. It''s full again, huh? Should I go blow up the fence? Or maybe st the mess hall''s porridge maker? With my current status, destroying this little stuff shouldn''t warrant a court-martial, right? I''m so tempted... "Assemble!" After breakfast, Bai E rushed to the physical training grounds, despite having already obtained the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive. But a specialty is just a beginning, a process, a tool to elerate training efficiency. The real goal is still the physical attributes improved through training. Bai E was always serious about training. "You don''t need to train today." Seeing Bai E honestly standing amongst the crowd, Chavez singled him out. "Begin your training." After giving themand, Chavez took Bai E aside, "Yourbat instructor Dan has informed me, you have a matchter. You need to stay sharp." Although the physical strength expended in training can be quickly converted back during short rest periods through the action power reserves, the soreness inflicted on the body is inevitable and would somewhat affect actualbat. "A match?" Bai E appeared slightly stunned, though he had already realized¡ª The selection within the New Recruit Training Group yesterday was just an appetizer. The spots for that relic are limited, and thepetitors... are likely the entire military camp. "Got it." "Good." Chavez nodded, "Then wait here for a while, Dan wille to get you soon." "Okay." As Chavez mentioned, Dan quickly arrived and took him to a strangely unfamiliar sand field. Warriors selected from various training groups or special squads surrounded the square sand field, waiting. Anyone sent here after passing the initial selection was seen as promising by their respective instructors, so the gap in strength among them wouldn''t be too big. And no soldier in the military camp was an exceptional being. The top level ofbat strength was simr among everyone. Bai E scanned the group and realized that hisrade Dashan''s strength configuration was probably the standard temte for these tough men. However, there were a few whose burst rates seemed particrly fierce... "The match procedure is simple. In a moment, we will call out names in the order collected, pair up two by two, and the winners will fight the next round until we have a single victor," Dan quietly exined in Bai E''s ear. It''s not that the military operation requires only one person, but observing who goes the distance is convenient to score each warrior. Furthermore, while assessingbat skills, they also observed the ability to maintain performance through continuous battles¡ªa two-for-one deal. After all, the military operation calls for more all-around soldiers, and those who can multitask are undeniably the ideal candidates, or perhaps simply excel in one particr area too much to be ignored. This is a matter of scoring weight, a basis for the final judgment by the officers. Dan''s gaze swept over the waiting warriors, especially lingering on a few whose reputation in the camp was fierce, while continuing to caution Bai E, "There are nine rounds total. I heard that you only start gettingmendations from the fifth round onwards. Do your best and don''t be pressured." She wasn''t privy to all the details, but performing well would definitely be noticed by the military. It was important to strive for what could be fought for; if it was beyond one''s capabilities, there was no use in ming heaven and earth. She had always been open-minded. "Mhm," Bai E nodded in acknowledgment. He indeed wanted to perform well in the match to increase his chances of qualifying for the military operation, but if he trulycked the strength, there didn''t seem to be much he could do. In terms of attributes, his physical condition wasn''t stronger than that of the veterans present. In terms of skill, without even a Level 1 in Gun Fighting Skill, let''s not talk about how bad I am. There was no way around this, limited by time and experience. Now, he had only a little over a thousand general experience points left, and hisbat experience was squeezed dry. So even though he had tried hard to learn from Dan during her first instructional session and subsequently used experience points to improve himself, he was now just a Level 3 in Gun Fighting Skill without any special attribute boosts, far behind these burly men who were mostly Level 4 or 5 in Gun Fighting Skill. His only hope seemed to lie in the specialty he had over them¡ªOverlimit Drive. A 50% extra power output, relying on brute force to break through... not entirely hopeless. If he couldst till the final rounds, when everyone''s condition was impacted by facing equally matched opponents and they couldn''t maintain theirbat level, using his Overlimit Drive to "steal a win" was not impossible. The assumption here is He couldst that long. Just hope the first two rounds are fights between weaklings... Bai E''s gaze swept over the excited fighters. Not only himself was selected from the New Recruit Training Group, but there were also a few sacrificialmbs sent by their instructors. The number was small; firste, first served¡­ "Almost time." Seeing the officer in charge stepping onto the high tform at the center of the sand field, Dan patted Bai E''s back for thest time, "Good luck. Try to go further, but no worries if you lose. Consider it a learning experience. I''ll be off now." [Triggered Side Quest¡ªThe Final!] Chapter 134: 133 Duels Rose ``` [Final Match: You have entered the final round. Sprint forward as much as possible, reach the end, and you will gain extraordinary glory and rewards. Mission Requirement: Advance round by round in thebat finals. Mission Completion Reward: Basic 100 points of universal experience (an additional +100 for each round advanced).] Bai E blinked lightly, "Yes, sir!" The mission always had a way of upping the ante at just the right time. I want to advance too... "Soldier 91B13! Facing Soldier Wil Moth*Benjamin!" "Soldier 65A20! Facing Soldier 94A17!" The presiding officer began calling out names one by one. With more than two hundredbatants, fights would not proceed one by one. Additionally, the hand-to-handbat between just two fighters didn''t require much space; the arena wasrge enough to support over one hundred pairs of fighters battling simultaneously. Among the soldiers selected from the New Recruit Training Group, Bai E blended in and was naturally matched against an opponent of the same level. An evenly matched duel! Bai E felt his blood boil. He was bing more ustomed to, and even beginning to enjoy, all the conflicts and battles he encountered in this world. His opponent clenched his fist, boasting with augh, "Remember the name I gave myself¡ªZhou! I will climb over your body to ascend." "Emmmm..." At the sound of themand gun, the officer ordered, "Begin!" The two were only two meters apart; Bai E took the initiative to sprint. With the step of an arrow, his Overlimit Drive burst forth at full power, his stamina burning crazily to supply him, and thebat mastery experience feedback from the yer, which had reached 92 points, gave Bai E a bit of insight. The punch, powered by a sequence of muscle movements starting from the thighs, carried almost the full force Bai E was capable of at that moment. Let me see what you''re made of! The will to fight burned in Bai E''s eyes. "Bang!" The dull collision of fist against muscle indicated that "Zhou" had some skill inbat, though he seemed somewhat foolhardy. For a veteran artificial soldier birthed before Bai E, this grand selection evidently excited him. Faced with Bai E''s punch, he didn''t dodge or evade, choosing instead to withstand the blow head-on. He crossed his arms to counter Bai E''s punch in an attempt to block it head-on. However... the slight sound of cracking bones went mostly unnoticed, but more apparent was Zhou being forced to hastily retreat three steps. Combat prompts did not pop up every moment, and Bai E relentlessly pursued his advantage without regard. Easily catching up with his steps, another punch charged with full force came from behind, smashing straight into the opponent''s chest. Zhou, wincing with agonizing pain in both arms, naturally wanted to dodge the monstrous punching from his adversary; however, his footing had been destabilized by the initial strike, and in his desperation, he could only try to block again with his arms. "Bang!" Zhou, unable to withstand the punch, was sent flying backward, soaring a good two meters through the air. "..." Only then did the dyedbat information emerge¡ª [You have used a close-range attack with a perfect exertion to knock down the target, gaining +5bat mastery experience (+1) (this effectes from the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive).] [Currentbat mastery experience 98/100...] [You have caused 2 points of striking damage to the target! Causing the target to enter a "stunned" state.] Bai E stared nkly at his fists, then at his opponent, who was now lying unconscious on the ground. ``` ...That''s it? "95B27, victory!" [Sub-mission¡ªFinals, progress enhanced, current reward: Universal Experience +200.] Among the more than a hundred matches that happened simultaneously, Bai E''s battle was definitely not the most exciting, nor the most technically rich, but it was certainly the fastest. Two punches, direct KO. No maneuvering, all about the numbers. "Are those all new recruits over there?" the highest-ranking officer watching the match asked his aide-de-camp. "Yes." "Hmm..." It''s quite normal to see such a gap among new recruits, who can easily fall behind. He didn''t notice the specifics, but to resolve a battle this quickly, it must be either a huge disparity in basic attributes or arge gap in skills. He could pay more attention to thatter. Bai E, having finished the fight, stood in his spot waiting. The two punches hadn''t drained much of his stamina, not even enough to trigger the automatic activation of his power reserves for recovery. If not through deliberate training, in this world, the human body''s power reserves only convert during rest in a non-intensive state, and only when it drops below a certain threshold. Bai E was different; his Overlimit Drive managed that. Refilledpletely! Bai E, who finished early, didn''t idle but began to observe the other warriors around him. The military didn''t prohibit this; behind the seemingly rough treatment, there was always a profound intention. Being able to finish a battle early was a skill, as was the ability to spot weaknesses in potential opponents while observing them. Such skill was not only applicable in internalpetitions but was also valuable when facing real enemies. Warriors who possessed such abilities deserved to reach the end and be the sole victor. In Bai E''s observation, many nearby warriors had excellentbat abilities, at least better than his own, which didn''t seem quite right considering the loot boxes floating above their heads¡ª [??? (Human) (Ally) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*1800,bat experience 600 points); Possible (Proficiency: Burst)] Nothing... hardly any difference from newly created artificial soldiers, and even lessbat experience. Is it because my own strength has increased? As for other abilities... Bai E nced casually, and it seemed that the lowest abilities listed in the loot options were at least level 3 proficiencies. Does that mean level 1 and 2 proficiencies aren''t even worth dropping? That''s really underestimating people! But even those abilities deemed unworthy of dropping were demonstrated with techniques far superior to his own. Bai E''s own proficiency hadn''t fully formed yet, but with an increase inbat experience, he had some insights into the essentials of fighting. Attack, defense, movement... these are the core ofbat. Exerting force, exerting it faster; evading, using the strong points of your body against the opponent''s weak points; movement, tying together the overall rhythm of offense and defense. Pure exertion of force is just a small part ofbat proficiency. Perhaps that''s why when he trained purely in exertion techniques, the task only gave 20 points ofbat experience. And now, even those warriors from the New Recruit Training Group, their disyed techniques were far superior to his own. Without missions or teachings, Bai E had to rely on his own eyes to observe and learn. [You are using your Insight Ability to observe your opponent''s weaknesses...] Even a long duel must end at some point, and under the rule against relentless evasion, every match concluded fairly quickly. "Next match, 95B27, versus..." Bai E blinked, snapping out of his mental brainstorming, and looked toward his opponent¡ªRose. Chapter 135: 134 You guys better be really competing Rose''s face still wore that smile which zed like mes, her wheat-colored skin glistening with crystalline beads of sweat through her shorts and tank top, rugged and sexy, "Long time no see." "No idle chatter allowed!" Both nced at the instructor standing to the side, his demeanor cold and aloof. Under their collective gaze, the instructor kept his eyes unfazed, as if the matter was none of his concern, "Don''t be so brazen." "..." Bai E looked at Rose, joy also flickering in his eyes upon seeing a familiar face. Indeed, it had been a long time since theyst met, putting asidest night''s party. This was their first meeting since the new recruits'' training trial. Above her head... Level 3 Combat Specialization. Her progress was fierce; she was a formidable opponent. Rose flexed her wrists, her joy unhidden, "I''ve wanted to punch you for a long time!" Bai E didn''t beat around the bush, "Come on." When facing Bai E, Rose was always the one to initiate the attack. With a light shout, she closed in swiftly. Bai E didn''t wait passively either. If technique wascking, then attitude had to be correct. Throw a punch first, to test her mettle. Rose, too, had the intention to test Bai E, incorporating some force-dissipating techniques as she countered Bai E''s punch head-on. "Tsk~" Her military boots scuffed the ground, retreating several steps swiftly. Rose''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked at Bai E, "So fierce." Bai E shook his fist, feeling little feedback. Most of the force had been deflected. No matter how strong the punch, if it didn''t hit, it was useless. That was the purpose of technique. Rose, seemingly unaffected by the punch, pounced again like a mountain cat¡ªagile in movement, her figure swaying between attacks, sometimes east, sometimes west, with no telegraphing of her strikes. Even with punches that had a shorter swing, she still managed to deliver an impressive force. Bai E could only passively use his instincts to block her moves,pletely on the defensive for the moment. Before long, he had taken a few hits, but luckily the force wasn''t substantial, causing only a slight soreness in the muscles of the impacted areas. "You can''t fight them like this..." Amidst her attacks, Rose''s voice slightly trembled. Bai E kept silent, continuously observing the habits in Rose''s attacks. He wasn''t just a big brute who relied on brute strength. Observing, mimicking, and learning was always the best method to improve oneself. Got it! Crossing his arms, Bai E captured Rose''s muscr forearm with his muscles for the first time. "¡Ì" The corner of Rose''s mouth curved in a wicked smirk. With a twist of her body, her arm suddenly spun, forcing her punch through the restraint of Bai E''s arms and breaking into his guard. "Bang!" Under the not-so-heavy sound, Bai E clutched his slightly stuffy chest and stepped back twice, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Rose. So impressive... to virtually leave him powerless, even though his attributes were far better. If Rose was already this challenging, what about those veterans with superior techniques and attributes? Fortunately, he had encountered her first... Bai E knew that Rose had been holding back all along. A real crippling blow wouldn''t be like today''s sparring, where every move was pulled. It would be far more dangerous. She was... deliberately practicing with him. [You observed the target''s close-quartersbat routines and effectively blocked their attacks several times, gaining +5 Combat Mastery experience (+1).] [You have acquired "Level 1 Combat Specialization," and also gained 1 Potential Point.] [Combat Specialization (Level 1): Strike Power +2%, Evasion +1%, Blocking +1%.] [Current Combat Mastery experience 4/300, at 300 points, you can master "Level 2 Combat Specialization."] The moment specialization took form, a clearer understanding weaved into Bai E''s mind, and his footwork, which had felt detached during battle, finally seemed willing to obey hismands. Footwork is the bond that connects offense and defense, blending two strategies that once fought independently into one unified approach. From 0 to 1, is always the greatest leap in progress. Shaking off the soreness in his arms, Bai E smiled calmly at Rose, "Now, it''s my turn." Even a Level 1 specialization was a qualitative change for Bai E. Already superior in physical attributes to Rose,bined with the burst from Overlimit Drive, a mere increase in technique could lead to a drastically different disy of strength. The collision of muscles was fiery; Rose''s wheat-colored skin blushed, and she felt somewhat softened after being hit several times in the abdomen and other areas by Bai E. Compared to other fights, the battle between the two looked milder, thoroughly embodying the spirit of sparring. In the mutual enhancement, they determined the final victor, an unspoken understanding between Bai E and Rose. "Huff~ Huff~" Rose breathed heavily, her flushed face steaming from the evaporating sweat, looking hazy as if she were intoxicated. The tightly pulled wolf-tail hairstyle hade loose due to the intense activity. Her eyes were firmly fixed on Bai E, whose two hands were pressing down on her own achingly numb wrists, and his expressionless face was close at hand. Still... so expressionless! Clenching her teeth, her right foot pushed off fiercely, and with a thrust of her lower body, Rose tried tounch one final counterattack. She flipped into the air, her powerful thighs attempting to mp around Bai E''s neck and deliver a lethal scissor kick, but her severely drained strength made her movement slightly sluggish. With just a violent throw, Rose was powerfully hurled away by Bai E. "Ugh!" The moment she hit the ground, Rose arched her chest and let out an involuntary muffled grunt, like a struggling carp. [You perfectly dismantled your opponent''sbat routine in close-range fighting, seizing the final victory and gaining +25 Combat Mastery experience (+5).] [Current Combat Mastery experience 34/300; at 300 points, you can master "Level 2 Combat Specialization."] [You dealt 3 points of strike damage to the target! Causing the target to enter the "Exhaustion" and "Light Injury" state.] The effect of Overlimit Drive ims to enhancebat or agility weapons mastery training efficiency by 20%, but its actual performance seems to do more than just provide an extra 20% experience; in actualbat, it also made it easier for Bai E to acquire basicbat experience. The speed of improvement is much faster than before, to a certain extentpensating for Bai E''s otherwise unremarkablebat talent. The instructor, unable to bear watching and turning his face away, finally walked over quickly and announced loudly, Chapter Read: "95B27, wins!" After making the announcement, he shook his head and sighed softly, "You two better actually bepeting... " [Side Quest¡ªFinals, progress updated; current reward: +300 Universal Experience.] Hearing the instructor''s softint, Bai E and Rose, lying on the groundpletely exhausted and unable to move, shared a smile. "Someone lift her off the field." "Cheer up." Along the way of being carried, Rose gestured with her mouth. "Goodbye." Bai E also smiled softly at her. [Your body is eagerly pleading for quick recovery, triggering the conversion of reserve energy sources into action. (Overlimit Drive working...)] [Physical recovery at 10%...] [Physical recovery at 30%...] Chapter 136: Blood God! Bai E and Rose''s battle was the one with thetest result, and warriors who struggled to defeat their opponents naturally had no room to catch their breath. Almost the moment the victory of Bai E was announced, the lineup for the subsequent matches was arranged. After two rounds of elimination, the new soldiers who provided easy points had mostly been swept away, and the few who remained were no longer lucky enough to encounter Bai E. "Next match, 95B27 versus 94A17!" The muscr man cracked his knuckles, his gaze fixed on Bai E, filled with undisguised aggression. "I''ve heard of you, the new honor of our orc lineage. Don''t worry, I''ll go easy on you!" He didn''t look like he nned to go easy at all... Bai E''s face showed no expression; he stood seemingly rxed, but inwardly he had tensed, ready to explode into action at any moment. "Begin!" At the instructor''smand from the sidelines, the muscr man charged at him immediately. Words were just a distraction; whether or not the opponent was affected, he intended to close the gap step by step by step... [You demonstrate exceptional skill in closebat, instantly overpowering your enemy. Combat Proficiency Experience +7 (+1).] (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.) [Current Combat Proficiency Experience 42/300. At 300 points, you will master "Combat Specialization Layer 2."] [You deal 7 points of striking damage to your target! Causing the target to fall into a "stunned" state.] Bai E, having struck the opponent''s jaw with a low palm push, slowly withdrew his hand as the unnamed muscr man slowly toppled backward. "Bang!" The body hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Even the toughest body has its weak spots. Bai E felt somewhat disappointed; having been tempered by Rose, he had hoped all his adversaries would bring the same pressure that could push him to improve. But it seemed, even if the warrior was of a higher Combat Specialization level, the performance might not be as precise as Rose''s. Too crude... or rather, they didn''t take themselves seriously enough. Underestimating your opponentes with a price. "95B27, wins!" [Side Mission¡ªFinals, progress increased, current reward: Universal Experience +400.] [Into the sixth round...] If he encountered another pushover, the chances were good. However... Bai E''s eyes swept across the entire arena; after several rounds of elimination, there were only 32 left, including himself. In an army camp of over ten thousand, selecting the most skilled fighters and then going through several rounds of elimination, the chances of still finding an easy opponent were probably not great... Whaty ahead was likely going to be an unspeakably difficult fight. The only advantage he had was probably that he still maintained full stamina until now. ... "Next match, 95B27 versus 95B09!" "Blood God?" "That neer is done for~" "Meeting Blood God in nearly the fifth round, he''s just unlucky." "If I were him, I''d just surrender to spare myself the pain, Blood God doesn''t know the meaning of holding back." The moment the matchup appeared, there were voices that seemed not sure whether they were reveling in misfortune or quietly warning. Bai E''s opponent clearly had quite the reputation. In fact, Bai E didn''t need reminders from others; he could tell the opponent''s level from the drop rates disyed above the opponent''s head. [95B09/Blood God (Human) (Ally) (Elite) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill will drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*2400, Combat Experience 2500 points); Highly Probable (Trait: Regenerative Blood, Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, not exceedingyer 6, Mastery: Agile Weapon Specialization Layer +1, not exceedingyer 6, Mastery: Heavy Weapon Specialization Layer +1, not exceedingyer 6); Possible (Skill: Extreme Pain Suppression, Specialty: Frenzy''s Surge.)] ``` Damn! The panel was so luxuriously unbelievable, I wanted to smash it... Chapter Read: But even if it was a piece of crap, I still had to give it a try. Bai E''s body pressed down lightly, eyes gleaming with eagerness, ready to push his own limits. The Blood God was a tall and burly Caucasian male, his muscles not bloated, but filled with an explosive power. He seemed like an oversized version of Bai E. His fists were at least one and a half timesrger than Bai E''s, covered with thick calluses, and his skin was yellowish, showing his toughness. Strong and resilient, the sheer oppression from his stature alone was enough to take anyone''s breath away. Looking at Bai E, Blood God slowly approached, no words spoken, just a slight parting of his lips, revealing an intimidating cold gleam. Fighting should be done fiercely! He didn''t like to hold back. ¡­ [You were hit by the opponent''s attack, you received 3 points of striking damage.] [You were hit by the opponent''s attack, you received 4 points of striking damage.] [You were hit by the opponent''s attack, you received 6 points of striking damage, you have entered "Light Injury" status,bat effectiveness drastically reduced!] [You were hit by the opponent''s attack, you received 10 points of striking damage, your current mental reflexes are sluggish,bat state significantly deteriorated, withdraw frombat immediately! Warning, withdraw frombat immediately!] It had only been a moment since the fight began, and the warnings on the panel shed urgently like a stream of water. The opponent''s attacks were like a fierce storm, easily breaking through all of Bai E''s defenses. Even though Bai E had been rapidly growing in all aspects since birth, in a one-on-one close-quarter bare-handed fight against such a warrior, who would be considered top-tier even in a military camp, he was still no match at all. Struck by a punch on the side of his face, Bai E''s vision went dark. The Blood God''s fist felt as if it held the weight of a thousand jun, hitting his face was no better than being struck by a truck. It was unclear if the opponent had used Gene Optimization Solution, without it... that would probably be the peakbat power under a 15-point physical limit. Thest coherent thought in Bai E''s fuzzy consciousness was this. "Bang!" [You were hit by the opponent''s attack, you received 8 points of striking damage, you have entered "Comatose" status.] "95B09, wins!" [Side Mission¡ªThe Final, progress settlement. Current reward: +400 general experience.] [Side Mission¡ªThe Final,pleted.] [Mission reward: +400 general experience, issued.] ¡­ Some bustling noises rustled into his ears, and on his face, it felt like there was a warm tongue gently licking. Bai E tried to open his eyes, white light gleamed through the slits, making it hard to see. After struggling to open them wider, the creamy bright and soft light came into view, and the ck shadow holding the towel paused, pulling back with some surprise, "You''re awake?" The voice was very familiar... Bai E blinked, finally seeing everything in front of him clearly. It was the nurse in training... Mashati, yes, that was her name. "Hiss~" Subconsciously trying to move his body, a pain akin to broken bones spread from all over, and ncing down, he realized he was wrapped up like a zongzi. Memories before losing consciousness slowly came back, and the corners of Bai E''s mouth turned bitter. [The gap is really wide...] "Has he woken up?" Carlos''s voice came from a distance, rapidly barging in. ``` Chapter 137: 136 Exercise of privilege "Awake, are you..." Carlos approached quickly with a regretful expression on his face. He waved at Mashati to leave before he whispered to Bai E with a bitter smile, "There''s something I need to tell you." From the moment Bai E saw Carlos''s expression, he generally guessed the other''s purpose. His face, wrapped in gauze, remained serene, "Did I fail to qualify for the military operation?" In fact, the moment he was knocked down by the Blood God, he had already anticipated this. Dan''s rumor was that one needed to advance at least five rounds. Having fallen in the sixth, basically meant no chance. Originally, not knowing if his performance in the heavy firepower coverage test would give him a shot, he harbored some hope, but considering Carlos''s current expression... it seemed there was no hope either. "Yes..." Carlos replied with a trace of bitterness. During the time Bai E was unconscious, based on the data collected from all the soldiers in the camp over the past two days, the tactical analysis department had finalized thest twenty soldiers to join the secret military operation... and Bai E was not among them. Heavy firepower coverage? Bai E''s mistake rate in thetter stages rose significantly. Although he barely made it past the minimum selection criteria, there were many others far stronger. His individual scores were easily pushed back to beyond the fiftieth ce. Close-quartersbat? In realbat, weapons like daggers andbat knives would definitely be used. Due to the internalpetition not allowing for bloodshed, and since proficiency in agile weapons basically carries over from the Combat Specialization Layer, there was no qualitative difference between the two. Hence, the results of thebatpetition were the standard for assessing close-quartersbat ability. And obviously, Bai E, who fell in the sixth round, had no significant advantage among the thirty-two men. As for Bai E''s performance in physical training, it was indeed outstanding, as he recovered his strength far faster than the other soldiers. However, fast recovery was meant to contribute more. In terms of output, in terms of taking a beating, it wasn''t his turn. Besides, none of the selected soldiers had any ring weaknesses in endurance or recovery. In the final selection, physical performance carried less weight. Even with high scores in that area, the advantage it gave in the overall assessment wasn''t enough to offset weaknesses in other areas. No matter how outstanding Bai E''s talent was, a few days of intensive training couldn''tpete with those ace veterans who were equally talented but had survived longer and had morebat experience. Not securing a spot this time was regrettable, but not unexpected. As for other abilities that weren''t so important in the selection criteria, like driving orputer hardware knowledge... At least half of the chosen soldiers could drive. Whether they were experts was uncertain, but at a minimum, they could manage; regardingputer hardware knowledge... besides the specially trained information engineering soldiers, other types of soldiers simply didn''t have the opportunity to learn such skills. There was no need to even think about it. Thus, the roster for the military operation was locked in. Twenty ace soldiers, among them, no Bai E... At this moment, Bai E, hearing the news, showed no emotion in his response. Carlos didn''t know whether tofort him or to just leave it at that. He could only follow his conscience and console, "It''s not really a big deal, don''t be disheartened. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn military merits in the future." "I want to try for it¡­" Bai E murmured softly. If it was merely for military merits, he wouldn''t care too much. There was plenty of time; no need to risk everything right now. But chances to ess the so-called "relics" were rare; aside from this secret military operation disclosed by Carlos, Bai E had not heard any simr information during his days in the camp. Considering this might be his closest and only opportunity in the short term, he had to seize it firmly. The next time... The next time he didn''t know when it would be, nor what changes might ur. But... "Try for it?" Carlos looked puzzled. With what could he contend? Carlos was only there to inform Bai E of the negative result. Even he couldn''t think of a way to contend; this was a battle of tangible strength, not one that could be changed with mere words. Despite everyone''s spirited debates during meetings, when it came down to business, facts spoke louder than words. Strength is supreme; this is the immutable truth of the military. "Hmm..." Bai E nodded slowly, "I have a privilege." It came from Helen. It came from her knowledge of Advanced Physical Training Version 3.0. Helen, who was developing this and trying to spread it among all the soldiers, had once made a promise to him after he had provided important data¡ª "With this... you can make almost any reasonable request of them, and I think they will agree." The wise schr with authority had made a promise, and now it seemed it might juste in handy. The premise was... that the military wouldn''t consider the suggestion "unreasonable". Chapter Explore: Carlos blinked. After Bai E''s reminder, he also recalled what Academician Helen emphasized to Marshal Weslinst night in front of a room full of officers. "..." If it was for the sake of Academician Helen''s face, it seemed... that there really was a chance? "I''ll go and ask for you," Carlos said, excited. As he turned to leave briskly, he also greeted An Lun, the head nurse not too far away, "Nurse Chief An Lun, please use the Number 17 Rapid Growth Spray on Bed 31B, Code 95B27. He has an important mission tomorrow and needs to recover as quickly as possible." Injuries weremonce in this era; one might say that as long as a person didn''t die on the battlefield and could be brought back to the medical room, their life could almost certainly be saved. Losing arms or legs might be problematic, but most other injuries had fast treatments and slow treatments avable; it was just a matter of cost. An Lun, busy with tasks at hand, rolled her eyes and ignored him. Instead, Mashati, who had been waiting nearby, responded promptly, "We''ve already used it first thing. He probably won''t even miss lunchtime." "This kid has quite a bit of clout..." Carlos muttered under his breath and smiled in response, "That''s good to hear." Watching Carlos walk away, Bai E became somewhat anxious. [We''re departing tomorrow...] If they were leaving tomorrow, then today''s noon would be hisst chance to visit the yers. With his current, bandaged-up state, it would be difficult to meet them. The yers performed brilliantlyst night, proving that the new mission he had released achieved the expected oue. If he had to set out with the army early tomorrow and couldn''t catch up today, wouldn''t the wasted time without issuing a mission be a significant loss? Watching the seconds ticking by, Bai E''s anxiety reached fever pitch. In fact, ever since he woke up, he could feel itchiness all over his body. The cells that had died in the battle were being expelled from his body, and new cells were rapidly filled in under the influence of extraordinary medicine and his innate skills. [Your body is rapidly repairing its injuries. Current injury repair progress is at 90%, Rapid Recovery (Unlocked) progress is at 34%.] [You are rapidly regaining health¡­] [Health +1, current health 112/120.] ... [Feedback from thepleted task, your physical strength +0.1.] [The quest you posted¡ª"Building Materials Required" has been submitted, please go and inspect it as soon as possible.] X3 Hurry, hurry, hurry! Getting up... Mashati''s frail hand forcefully pressed down. "I''m fine," Bai E tried to argue. The girl''s eyes were pure and stubborn, "You''re not the one who gets to decide if you''re fine or not." "..." "Tick-tock, tick-tock~" [Your body is rapidly repairing its injuries. Current injury repair progress is at 99%, Rapid Recovery (Unlocked) progress is at 35%.] [You are rapidly regaining health¡­] [Health +1, current health 120/120.] "I''m fine now!" Bai E shouted the moment he could. "Let me check..." Nurse Chief An Lun stepped over swiftly and elegantly. Only after a thorough examination did she nod in acknowledgment, "Indeed, you are." She couldn''t stop praising, "Such an unimaginable recovery speed... Let''s get these bandages off him." "Yes." Mashati''s nimble hands searched over his body; when the timing was almost right, Bai E suddenly tore off thest of his constraints. He jumped out of bed, put on his shoes, and ran off like a gust of wind. Watching Bai E''s retreating figure as he fled into the distance, Mashati bit her lip lightly, "So impatient..." Chapter 138: 137 contribution points issued On the road leaving the camp, Bai E quickly pondered the tasks he needed toplete today. Issuing quests was a must, and the psychological boost of +1 from yesterday allowed him to assign two days'' worth of tasks to those three yers. Relics, relics, they sounded like they weren''t somewhere close to the military camp. If he really could use his privileges to set out with the team, it certainly wouldn''t be a trip he could return from in one or two days; that +1 limit was at best a way to minimize losses, but he expected it still wouldn''t break even. As for the type of quests... Yesterday''s tasks had a good effect, so he would keep them the same today. Another thing was... harvesting experience. The training session from the night beforest had to be terminated because the weapons of those three yers were not suitable. If he didn''t take the opportunity to harvest some experience today, he would have to set out with only a little over two thousand points of general experience. Facing the unknown journey ahead, it was always moreforting to have some extra experience to allocate at a moment''s notice. He just didn''t know how well they had dug out their storage, but if it was roughly ready, he could issue them some Contribution Value to incentivize them toe and learn from him. Otherwise, it would seem like a loss of face to offer teaching them himself. ... That familiar figure arrived as expected, and Kuang Xin, who had been waiting, looked a bit excited. Thetter half ofst night''s fatigue had left him somewhat frustrated, and perhaps only Bai E could help him with this issue. Of course, it was also possible that he couldn''t help. The issue was, attributes... Chapter Find: Ever since his physical attribute reached 13 points, the efficiency of increasing it through daily activities¡ªeven physicalbor like carrying heavy loads¡ªwas iparable to when he had first started. Way too slow. This seemed to be a challenge faced by everyone in this world; otherwise, the ordinary people on ck Street should all be at the peak, the limits of human capabilities. As far as he could tell from his gaming experience over the past several days, no one could provide an answer; the only solution was to engage in life-and-deathbat¡ªjust like those grunts in the military camp. Many of the big-headed soldiers in the camp were seen as War Gods by themon people on ck Street precisely because they often went on missions and had abundantbat experience. Of course, it was rumored that the big-headed soldiers in the camp had their unique methods of Body Refinement. Scientific training methods developed by the Scientific Research Institute guided their progress every day, and this rumor was an important reason why Kuang Xin ced his hopes on Bai E. "My lord..." Upon Bai E''s arrival, all three yers'' eyes lit up with joy. Last night''s quest had brought everyone substantial gains, with rich rewards and content that far outstripped what they had essed before. The feedback on personal strength and the exploration of game content significantly surpassed what other struggling yers had achieved, showing they had indeedtched onto an unimaginably strong leg. Bai E smiled warmly, taking the initiative to walk towards the entrance of the underground cave, "How''s the digging going?" He was quite concerned about this¡ªif the digging wasn''t extensive enough, he wouldn''t find an opportunity to issue Contribution Value. After all, if he distributed too much now, he would only have to distribute moreter on, and he couldn''t afford the corresponding value in exchange. There had to be some threshold. And looking for other reasons to teach would easily diminish his value, which was quite a headache. "Wow~" Standing at the entrance and ncing down, he could hardly see the full extent without leaning in. Climbing down, he could estimate that there was already an area of several dozen square meters. With the addition of the mole-like creatures, the yers'' progress in building their storage had indeed skyrocketed; their prowess as digging specialists was well-deserved. Descending into the cave himself, he was surprised to find theyout inside was clear-cut, with support pirs neatly arranged, and even a few small camougedpartments dug out, big enough for one person to hide. Was it... Because they feared that if someone discovered this ce, they needed to provide the mole creatures with hiding spots so as not to reveal their connection with Kuang Xin and the others? Quite cautious indeed. "You''ve done a great job, your efficiency exceeded my expectations," Bai E nodded with satisfaction. Thus, the distribution of Contribution Value naturally followed. [Side Quest¡ªWarehouse Construction (Construction Commission), progress increased.] [Quest Reward (Phase): Contribution Value (Li Ming) +40, distributed.] X3 Bai E carefully awarded the rewards based on the Contribution Values needed to exchange items. Aside from the most expensive "Expert Guidance" within the remote weapon guidance in the basic exchange items, which required 50 points, everything else was exchangeable. "Expert Guidance" could teach two special attributes at the same time, but Bai E estimated that, given the short time around noon and the yers'' experience reserves, it probably wouldn''t be enough to enable them to learn two special attributes directly. Learning either scattering or arc strike, just one of them, was his greatest expectation for them. Everything was designed with a purpose! After all, the exchange items were all from his own stash, and he had to think about the future. If he didn''t have enough exchange items to provide for themter, his position as the organization leader might very well be threatened on the spot. The three yers who received the reward notification were ecstatic. Finally, they had some Contribution Value. Gaining the organization''s trust really wasn''t easy... "I want to exchange!" Kuang Xin was the first to exim. "Hmm?" Bai E looked toward him with a smile. Spend, please spend, throw all your experience at me. "My lord, I would like to learn a method that can quickly enhance my physical attributes." "..." Bai E subconsciously wanted to agree, then he realized that such an option wasn''t on the exchange list. Are you ying with me? "That belongs to high-level knowledge, and your current Contribution Value is not enough. Although such knowledge should be shared unconditionally within the organization, we must establish rules based on contributions and recognitions," Bai E exined. The information would definitely be given, even specifically for harvesting from them, but the rules set by Bai E himself couldn''t be broken. [There actually is such knowledge!] Kuang Xin was just excitedly inquiring casually. Hearing confirmation from the lord himself, he was immediately delighted. In the game, it''s not the difficulty of the content that yers fear, but theck of prospects for improvement. As long as there''s a clear path ahead, nothing is a problem. Just grind it! How hard can it be? As for what the lord said about Contribution Value, to even feel ashamed about it? Isn''t that the way it''s supposed to be? What in the game doesn''t require grinding? The fact that the game doesn''t have a pay-to-win shop is already hard to understand. If there weren''t thresholds to obtain all the good stuff, yers might even suspect that this game is here for charity. "Then, my lord... could you reveal when it will be possible to exchange?" Ever since he avenged his enemyst night, Kuang Xin felt like he had a broader perspective on life and asked whatever came to his mind. "Hmm..." Bai E thought for a moment and then made a decision, "After you''ve experienced your first session of instruction." "Oh~" Got it! It''s about unlocking the next tier in the Faction Shop! Exchange, exchange! "My lord, I want to exchange right now! I want to learn!" Chapter 139: 138 Dedicates to Practice Bai E looked at him encouragingly, "What would you like to learn?" "Ranged Weapon Specialization!" Dai Lian refused to be outdone, "I want to learn that too." A teachabled! Bai E shook the bow, and thepound bow instantly unfolded, "Do you want to learn arc shooting or scatter shooting?" "Arc shooting!" "Scatter shooting!" Two answers blurted out simultaneously. Bai E looked at them expressionlessly, without saying a word. It was clearly impossible to teach both at the same time, and he didn''t have time to teach them separately during his lunch break. Realizing their opinions were not unified, the two exchanged nces, with Dai Lian being the first to challenge, "Scatter shooting is more practical!" Even if he was going for coolness and ir, Dai Lian still preferred practicality. He already had a pistol for arc shooting, and in sewer environments not suited for gunfire, itsbat use would be limited; hunting rats hardly required arc shooting, so learning scatter shooting would clearly speed up his efficiency when clearing out the rat packs at night. "Arc shooting is cooler!" Arrows flew slower than bullets and wererger in size, making their arcs more exaggerated and more observable, meaning a greater visual impact. "Scatter shooting is also cool!" Dai Lian appealed to emotions and enlightened with reason. "It seems so..." The opinions aligned, "Then let''s go with scatter shooting." "..." Bai E raised an eyebrow slightly and walked to the side. When he learned scatter shooting, it had cost him a total of 900bat experience points, and he wondered how much he could get back from these two yers. Teaching archery was quite simple: all one needed was a target and a bow with arrows. They had cut plenty of lumber earlier, just erecting two pieces at random could serve as a target. Drawing the bow and releasing arrows, two arrows shot simultaneously. The arrowheads shone with cold light, glistening under the sunlight. [Do you decide to teach your target thebat skill?] [Confirmed!] ... ["Teaching" concluded, through the feedback of "teaching," you have obtained a total of 660bat experience points, and 870 general experience points.] Only 1530bined? Bai E put away his bow and arrows, frowning to himself. He had spent 900bat experience points, but teaching two people at the same time hadn''t resulted in a double return. ncing at Dai Lian, who was already beaming with joy, Bai E roughly guessed the reason. This young man''s innate talent was most likely rted to shooting, making him learn simr shooting skills much more effectively and using less experience to achieve the same result. Indeed... innate talents, even when unlocked, continuously exert their influence in various fields. That''s each person''s unique gift. But it was still ok, surely he hadn''t lost out; he spent 900 and got back 1530, with free tuition and bonuses to boot, it was a win. As Dai Lian and Kuang Xin finished learning, Gong Yan approached with a smile on her lips, her eyes on Bai E filled with undisguised admiration, "Sir, I want to learn advanced bandaging techniques... but it seems we don''t have the conditions right now?" Every learning process requires a foundation to build upon, and without the conditions, one obviously can''t teach out of thin air, can they? "Pfft!" The sound of a knife entering flesh came from not far away, and Kuang Xin dered boldly, "Does this provide the conditions needed?" "..." "????" "!!!!" All three present turned their gazes towards Kuang Xin, their eyes filled with astonishment. What a man! So fierce! Bai E grumbled in his heart, "Do yers these days all take such wild approaches?" They don''t feel anything when they y this game, do they? "But..." "Pfft!" A sharp object broke through the resistance of flesh and skin, plunging into his body amidst an extreme tingling sensation of pleasure. Taken off guard, Dai Lian looked down at the dagger stuck in his chest, grasped by a hand covered in fresh blood. His eyes, full of confusion, turned to the owner of the dagger, "It''s one thing to stab yourself, but why stab me?" "?" Kuang Xin replied with an almost obvious question, "For one to teach and another to learn, don''t you need two people?" "..." That made sense. As Dai Lian watched his bright red blood spurting out along with the dagger''s blood groove, he felt dizzy, his limbs grew cold, and he copsed backward uncontrobly, "Save, save, save me..." Bai E, quick on his feet, dashed forward to catch his falling body. At the same time, he looked towards Gong Yan, who was also a bit dumbfounded, "Hurry." An opportunity not to be missed. [Do you decide to teach the target survival skills?] [Confirm!] Lying on the ground, Kuang Xin curiously nced sideways at Dai Lian, whose face was turning somewhat pale, "Dai, are you faint at the sight of blood?" He didn''t seem to have this issue when he was coolly ying monsters, did he? He fought brutally. Dai Lian''s vision darkened, and upon hearing Kuang Xin''s question, he couldn''t help but roll his eyes, "I faint at the sight of my own blood!" Bleeding in the game definitely wouldn''t truly affect his gaming status, but the sight of vivid red liquid gushing from his own body made him feel as if his life was draining away with it. His willpower even determined his in-game physical state, leaving the game character''s face deathly pale. Thankfully, the grown-up''s hand seemed to have some strange magic power, stopping the feeling of life ebbing away as he exined things. Wuu wuu~ The grown-up was just awesome. [You have spent 10 generic experience points learning, converting to 5 "First Aid (Bandaging)" experience points.] [Current First Aid (Bandaging) experience: 80/300, unlock advanced bandaging knowledge "Level 2 First Aid (Bandaging)" at 300 points.] "Alright..." "It''s done?" After finishing the bandaging, Gong Yan felt a sense of loss. Is that it? But I still haven''t learned everything, have I? Bai E nced at her expression, and from the feedback of experience points, he knew she hadn''t learned everything. Therefore, he gravely exined the reason, "There aren''t enough cases to practice on, not enough opportunities for you to try; it''s not your fault..." Though knowledge could be taught directly, just like how he learned bandaging from Nurse An Lun, simply teaching knowledge didn''t seem to reap experience points. It had to be hands-on teaching to bring sufficient feedback for himself. Imparting knowledge wasn''t the goal, reaping experience points was. yers had plenty of experience points, he wasn''t about to feel sorry for them. Gong Yan said "Oh" softly, her face showing a bit of disappointment. She knew the grown-up was busy and that she probably wouldn''t be able to finish learning now. "ck~" The flint ignited the fat, and Kuang Xin''s left hand zed fiercely. "..." "???" "!!!" Seeing Kuang Xin this time even knew to inquire with his gaze, Dai Lian covered his eyes with his left hand and resignedly stretched out his right, gritting his teeth, "Come on!" Like hands numbed by freezing in the frigid winter suddenly brought to the warmth of a stove, the slightly painful and fiery sensation stimted Dai Lian''s nerves. With his high perception attributes, his body was very sensitive, so he had a deeper understanding of the game''s pain feedback, which was radically different from the real world. Hiss, hiss, hiss~ Ah, delightful~ Chapter 140: 139 Privilege Takes Effect ["Teaching" concluded. Through the feedback from the "teaching," you have obtained a total of 600 universal experience points.] Mission aplished. Bai E wrapped the bandages around Dai Lian, seated nearby, with a sense of relief. This was a great warrior who had sacrificed himself for the truth, suffering knife wounds, gunshot wounds, blunt trauma, burns... almost exhausted all his life points, hanging by a thread. Gamers are gamers, their ferocity goes without saying. "All done," Bai E said as he patted his hands and stood up, "Today''s teaching is limited to this, as I don''t have much time. In fact, I came today to bid you farewell once again." "Farewell?" The word left the three gamers momentarily stunned. Bai E chuckled softly, "What? As a soldier, I must frequently carry out military missions." Bai E was only making preparations in advance, not just for now but possibly for many more missions in the future. He hadn''t dismissed the idea of leaving the military camp, but now was certainly not the time. In closebat, he couldn''t even beat an ordinary soldier in the camp, let alone those who had used Gene Optimization Solution or those who possessed the innate ability of Spiritual Energy. The selection for this secret military operation made Bai E realize his own weaknesses. No matter how rapidly he grew, there was a considerable gap between him and the veterans in the camp, to say nothing of the vast world beyond. Moreover, the military camp was not a dangerous ce for him currently. His superiors took good care of him, hisrades were kind and close, even the Scientific Research Institute wouldn''t casually slice him up for samples. He hadn''t found a better environment for growth yet, one so good he wouldn''t want to leave even if prompted. "Sir, how many days will you be away this time?" "Hmm," Bai E''s eyes slightly out of focus, as if contemting the specific arrangements, "It''s uncertain. This operation is covert; I shouldn''t be revealing it to you, so the specifics are even harder to pin down, and it''s uncertain whether I''ll go at all. I''m just giving you a heads-up. If I do go, I''ll leave tomorrow, and it''s very likely that you won''t see me at noon." "Oh~" All three showed clear reluctance. Putting aside the affection that had developed over a short association, a day without him was a day without missions. Bai E''s generosity made other NPCs pale inparison; a few more days away could well leave them at a total loss. Bai Eughed heartily, "While I''m gone, you could interact more with the other residents here. Everyone''s very nice... Of course, you should always be cautious; there are always some bad people who hide their true faces." It was like the earnest teaching of a wise elder, imparting life experiences with great care on the eve of departure. This attitude of treating them as one of his own moved the three gamers. The game was too real, and emotions like being moved or recognized came on even stronger. "Of course, I''d like you to continue with the task I''ve troubled you with before. As long as those risks are not eliminated, I will always feel uneasy." [Quest description auto-generating...] [...] [Release this quest?] Release. The mission remained the same as before; the only difference was that one mission became two, and the rewards for the circuit task continued to umte. The quest description was clearly disyed. Two mission quotas! The bond increased! Indeed, consistently developing a rtionship with an NPC did have unexpected benefits. Dai Lian, who was initially worried about a loss in mission rewards, felt a surge of excitement¡ªsome had been recouped. "I have been dyed here long enough; I need to head back. Tomorrow at this time, you might not see me, and I won''t be able to bid you farewell. Goodbye... I hope when I return, I''ll see a better version of you all." Bai E waved his hand with ease and turned away with a carefree air. Every day, they discovered a new aspect of him... Once sure Bai E had departed, Dai Lian began to ponder while stroking his chin, "The boss seems to know we''re not locals, doesn''t he?" The way he had just told them to get to know the locals clearly held an implication; he considered the locals and the three of them as separate groups. Was he suspicious of their yer identities, or did he think they were outsiders, migrants perhaps? Kuang Xin felt it was only natural, "Makes sense... The boss is so powerful, he must have his own intelligencework. We appeared out of nowhere, and even though it''s difficult to investigate identities in this era, at minimum he knows we''re definitely not locals." "Right..." Dai Lian nodded in agreement, what did it matter if suspicions were raised? In fact, he was just curious to see what kind of actions an NPC would take in such a realistic game if they truly knew they were "yers." But as far as he knew, not many yers revealed their identities to NPCs, most reveled in this deceit, and even yers pretending to be NPCs to deceive other yers were not umon. Werewolf Among the Stars... Never mind whether NPCs could differentiate between yers and non-yers, even the yers themselves might not always recognize whether someone they met was a friend or a foe. There might be some who divulged their identities for fun, but at least he currently did not know what became of them... perhaps they had already restarted. "Then... let''s continue digging our pit." Kuang Xin cheerfully showed off his bandages, saying, "Wrapped up like a mummy, I can''t move at all." Dai Lian was exasperated, "Are you out of your mind?" Kuang Xin''s tone was carefree, "Isn''t it all for Yanzi? There are no resurrection opportunities in the early stages of this game, no life-saving means to turn to in a critical moment. If we lose now, won''t all our hard work go to waste?" "..." Dai Lian hesitated, realizing the gori had a point. What was more important... was that he had made the decision to cut himself as soon as he''d realized this. Even in a game, that took an enormous amount of courage. Was this determination... really a breakthrough after taking down his enemyst night? Kuang Xin rambled on with his thoughts, "The boss''s time is limited, and we can''t always wait untilter, right? If there aren''t conditions, we''ll create them. Since it doesn''t hurt and we won''t die, why not let Yanzi practice on us?" "Got it, got it," Dai Lian conceded reluctantly, "Smart move this time." Kuang Xin''s expression fell, "Even when you''replimenting me, I feel like you''re insulting me." "No, I''m reallyplimenting you." Gong Yan watched the two bicker with a grin and stayed silent. ... When Bai E returned to the military camp, he immediately bumped into Carlos waiting right at the entrance. "What have you been up to again?" Carlos asked offhandedly, but he clearly wasn''t concerned with the answer and excitedly shared the good news with Bai E, "Passed! We set off early tomorrow morning, themanding officer responsible for this military operation will give you basic training for the uing mission¡ªmake sure you don''t miss it!" Chapter 141: Depart at 140 In the dimly lit conference room, twenty silhouettes sat on either side of a long table, with the leading officer standing at the head, waiting in silence. Bai E was thest to arrive. As he pushed the door and entered, the group said nothing and the atmosphere turned somewhat eerie. "Eh? There''s still one more?" someone broke the silence, their tone seemingly just simple curiosity. No one replied. There was a mocking look in everyone''s eyes. No one respected those who entered an elite secret operation team through the back door wanting to share in the glory. Bai E kept a straight face and did not make a sound; he just nced around briefly, and seeing an empty seat at the end of the table, he went over and sat down. He knew he was not wee in this team, and it''s normal to be looked down upon for entering through the back door anywhere. Not to mention that when everyone else was risking their lives on a mission, having someone who "drags their feet" would certainly cause resentment. But Bai E didn''t want to miss this rare opportunity to explore ancient ruins. As for whether he would hold the team back during the mission... that would be a matter of doing his best. The soldier sitting next to him, smiling at Bai E in a friendly manner as if trying to make his acquaintance, asked, "Brother, how did you get selected? Marksmanship? Assassination? You''re not an information officer, are you?" "..." Gregory frowned slightly and stopped this mockery, "Alright, everyone''s here, so I''ll get right to the point." The officer leading the team, with his hands pressed on the table, leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the teammates who would apany him on the mission. As he spoke, the projector behind him timely disyed an image¡ª A square building covered in vines upied most of the screen, with only a small part visible on the surface, and the remaining depth of the main body buried underground unknown. Amidst a soft "click" sound, the photo changed, showing several shots of the building from different angles. The style was distinct from any architecture Bai E had seen since he arrived in this world, filled with a cold mechanical aesthetic. The silver-gray building had stood for a thousand years, unyielding. Bai E''s gaze sharpened slightly as he noticed the date in the upper-left corner of the photo¡ªAugust 3, 398 of the New Imperial Calendar, at 2:32 and 16 seconds in the afternoon. That was over forty years ago. "These are the most recent photos we have concerning the mission target, dating back over 40 years, as you can all see. The information from above says that a bunch of centuries-old antiques¡ªbiomechanical beings¡ªare upying the target location. Whether their vitality is enough to sustain them to this day is an unknown." Clenching a copy of thebat n in his hand, the officer mmed it onto the table with a loud "smack," "This is thebat strategy against biomechanical beings that I''ve received, but we may not need it. In fact, we haven''t had any understanding of the situation inside the target for hundreds of years, so..." The leading officer''s tone was grave, his eyes slowly sweeping over all the soldiers under hismand, "No one knows what awaits us inside the target building. It could be those brainless orcs, it could be bugs... or maybe nothing at all. I have only one requirement for all of you¡ªobeymands! I know you''ve all been pulled from various teams in the military barracks, and you may not know me yet, but that''s fine; we will get to know each other on the way. If anyone has any objections, they can raise them now. After we depart, those who defy orders will be executed on the spot. Understood?" The atmosphere fell into a brief silence, then, almost as if by agreement, all the soldiers replied in unison, "Understood!" First establishing his own authority and then moving on to the specifics, the unfamiliar soldiers needed to cooperate on the mission, and thest thing they wanted was ack of unifiedmand. The officer, gratified by the collective response, continued. "Good, let''s now get familiar with this n. Although we may not need it, you all need to memorize it! Our mission objective this time is to restart the root server of the inte located underground within the target construction..." "... Now, let''s discuss the operation n. I know each of you excels in different areas, but I need all of you to do more than just your duties; you must also cooperate with your teammates on otherbat assignments..." "... Finally, let me mention the personnel we need to protect and assist on this mission¡ªthe Minister of Information Department Likok and his assistant, Miss Aryan. Remember, unless it''s the final server restart phase, cooperate with them when they need help. Other than that, they are simply our protection targets... targets that require our lives to protect, but don''t let their instructions influence any of your decisions! Understood?" "Understood!" "Good. Onest thing, I know that everyone present has some unique skills, so... if you need any special materials, you can ask me now, and I''llpile a request. I want to emphasize that this won''t cost you any military merit; after so many years in the barracks, I still have that clout!" The officer''s tone grew slightly yful at the end, and in the conference room, which had been under a pressurized atmosphere, some more spirited soldiers cheered. "Woo-hoo!" "The officer is fucking awesome!" Indeed, fucking awesome. Bai E was forthright and unapologetic, not caring whether they liked him or not. In any case, he first wanted 500 arrows! "That''s too many..." Themanding officer''s face darkened slightly as he looked at the expression Bai E submitted, manually adjusting, "200 arrows should be sufficient." "Alright then," Bai E epted. Having some was better than none... As for the rest of the gear¡ªmachine guns, pistols, military knives, daggers, chainswords, tridents, alloy shields, and the like¡ªthese were basic military supplies that didn''t require special requests. "Okay," said themanding officer, Gregory, as he unconsciously raised an eyebrow looking at the list of items that needed approval, "That''s the basic arrangements done. Everyone go back and prepare, get some early rest, tonight might be the most peaceful night you''ll have for a while. We assemble and depart at six in the morning!" "Yes, sir!" After leaving the meeting room, Bai E wanted to find Yue Ying. Although he hadn''t gained much in physical attributes, the burst from the Overlimit Drive gave him a bit of a foundation and confidence to learn the skill "Steady Wind"... Unfortunately, he couldn''t find her. All he could do was honestly return to his tent in the residential area. Carefully maintaining his firearms, bowstrings, and daggers, Bai E found a sense of peace in his heart while doing these tasks. Despite the unknown awaiting him, it seemed there was nothing to fear. [Feedback from themission, your Insight +0.2.] [Feedback from themission, Long Ranged Weapons Proficiency Experience +75.] [Feedback from themission, Light Weapons Proficiency Experience +32.] [Feedback from themission, Close Combat Proficiency Experience +5.] ... [Feedback from themission, your Reflex +0.1.] [Feedback from themission, Close Combat Proficiency Experience +18.] ... [Feedback from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +52.] As the first light of dawn crept through the cracks into the tent, Bai E dressed in his gear as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the others... "Click!" The fastening clicked into ce. The ckbat suit perfectly protected Bai E''s body, a Desert Eagle pistol ready at his waist, the dull ck-painted dagger in his calf sheath thirsty for blood, an arrow quiver on his back, apound bow hanging at his waist, and five ammunition magazines filled with bullets slotted into the multi-functional pockets on his belt, with a heavy machine gun cradled in his arms. He was armed to the teeth. With his left arm cradling the issuedbat helmet, Bai E took onest look at the four still-sleeping teammates inside the tent. This operation was a secret mission. Even though there were slight whispers about the selection process in the camp, those who were actually participating obviously couldn''t reveal any information. The departure was silent and undisturbed. The moment the canvas lifted, all four sleeping figures quietly opened their eyes. Looking at the empty beds where someone oncey, none of them spoke a word. They wished him a safe journey. ... Early in the morning at six o''clock and five minutes, three specially modified off-road vehicles drove out of the south gate of the camp, kicking up a trail of dust. Chapter 142: 141 Prepare to meet the enemy! "We do the dull and exhausting work, yet we''re given the worst possible gear... Sigh!" The vehicle wobbled along, the noise of the tires crushing gravel was quite loud, and an excessively good noise-cancetion feature could render everyone too insensitive to their surroundings, so even a bit of activity was easily heard clearly by everyone inside the not-sorge cabin. There were a total of 20 elite soldiers selected, plus one leading officer, one Spiritual Energy user, Minister Likok and his assistant Miss Aryan, adding up to two, and then there was Bai E, who didn''t rece anyone but was simply added to the team. In all, there were 25 people, in three vehicles; two vehicles seated eight each, and one vehicle sat nine. Minister Likok and Miss Aryan both rode in the other two vehicles. As each of them had the independentmand ability to restart the Root Server, they were separated to ride in different vehicles in preparation for any sudden incidents, following the principle of not putting all eggs in one basket. As for Bai E''s vehicle, which wasn''t carrying anyone of significant importance, it naturally took on the responsibility of leading the way and scouting ahead. Without a doubt, this was a dangerous task, and a dangerous task naturally required more reliable teammates. Some soldiers, who wouldn''t say anything in front of their superior officers but couldn''t control their tongues in private, felt somewhat unbnced about having a "useless" person who had connections ced in their vehicle. The harsh words of the irritable soldier didn''t receive any agreement, but neither did they prompt any objections. The atmosphere sank into a weird silence, paradoxically making the noise of the vehicle even more jarring. It was as if everyone was waiting for Bai E''s response. Silence was the greatest contempt, and all the pressure bore down like a mountain on the so-called "dead weight." Looking at everyone''s somber expressions, the Asian soldier with a mature and honest face gave Bai E aforting smile to break the silence, "Stop it, Brother B27 is quite capable, he just had bad luck and ran into the Blood God before." "Heh~" The man who had spoken earlier sneered sarcastically, not even ncing at Bai E but just peering out the window, "I''m not naming anyone, just hoping no one holds us back in a fight." "This..." The Asian soldier gave Bai E an apologetic look, feeling his own clumsy words had unwittingly put Bai E in the spotlight, and fearing to speak again. The mood was rife with undercurrents, and once again, silence prevailed. It felt as though all eyes were pointedly focused on him, making the atmosphere tense. The unnamed ridicule and scoffing made it even harder for one to stayposed, but Bai E remained expressionless, his body leaning against the vehicle''s wall as it swayed with the motion. If a few sharpments could easily breach his defenses, then he didn''t deserve to live in this world. The corruption of the high-dimensional demons was far more soul-piercing than these verbal snippets. What he cared more about was observing his surroundings and utilizing the resources at hand. This was his first time embarking on an outdoor mission, and he needed to familiarize himself with the team''s setup. The space inside the off-road vehicle was quiterge, so even with eight people, it didn''t feel cramped. In the front cab, one soldier was in charge of driving, while another assisted with observing the outdoor conditions and guiding the driving route. With rapid off-road driving, both people were constantly on edge, unable to spare any attention for what was happening in the rear cabin. As for the rear half of the cabin, it was semi-enclosed and stored various survival andbat supplies needed by the group. The middle part of the cabin was the space where the remaining six sat, with each person having welded, fixed storagepartments at their feet, housing the weapons and ammunition that might be needed at the first sign ofbat. The roof hatch could be opened at any time, and like a Multi-function Infantry Vehicle, it was equipped with a heavy machine gun and a methrower. The sides of the vehicle also had firing ports that could be opened from the inside, providing sufficient firepower to keep the vehicle moving unrestrictedly, which was the greatest responsibility of the six people inside the cabin. Bai E strove to memorize theyout inside the carriage, ensuring that he could react swiftly and urately during the most chaotic skirmishes. "Hey, kid, you know how to shoot?" The veteran Caucasian warrior sitting closest to Bai E nced at the battle de machine gun hanging on Bai E''s chest and suddenly asked him. Bai E nodded in response. "I do." "You passed the advanced shooting test?" "Yes." "Pfft," a dismissive sneer sounded from the front. The Caucasian warrior smiled, ncing around at everyone. Having participated in the advanced shooting test and having seen Bai E before, he initiated the conversation tofort the soldiers who still harbored misgivings about the arrangement. With his rich experience in field missions, he understood that unity was the most crucial element in a team. Everyone selected was an elite, and pride wasmon, but for the sake of the mission''s sess rate, even the most elite warriors needed support and cooperation from their teammates. Perhaps his calm demeanor and rich experience were the reasons why his superiors had assigned him to this specific vehicle. "As long as you passed, that''s good. Only four of us on this vehicle have passed the advanced firepower test. If we run into tough enemies, the old one and I will need to operate the weapons on top of the vehicle at critical moments. Inside the carriage, only you and AB can help us intercept any stragglers that get too close." AB was a taciturn synthetic warrior, holding a machine gun in his embrace. Hearing the old soldier''s n, he didn''t say a word, just silently leaned in the corner and nodded. The team leader indeed had meticulous ns for encountering the enemy and also had the capability tomand in real-time through radio headsets, but when it came to each of the three vehicles fighting on their own, urate and timely decisions from the people inside the vehicle were still necessary. There were a total of eight warriors on this vehicle, with the front two responsible for driving. The co-driver might also have some fighting capability, but he could not be relied upon as the main force. Among the six in the back, two were masters in close-quartersbat. Although they could also shoot, their uracy was significantly reduced, and there was no way to provide them with a stage for meleebat during the drive. If they encountered enemies on the road, they could almost only watch helplessly. There might seem to be many warriors in the vehicle, but in actualbat, only four could effectively fight, making each one of them extremely precious. Bai E nodded and agreed with the arrangement, "Okay." As they spoke, Bai E began disassembling the battle de from his machine gun. After observing the inside of the vehicle and mentally rehearsing possible battle scenarios since boarding, he had fully nned forbat conditions. Under normal circumstances, the twoponents of the battle de machine gun arebined, but given the limited conditions for attack through the firing ports on the vehicle, there would be no use for the battle de. The cumbersome de would only hinder agility inbat. What was once a multifunctional attachment now just became cumbersome, so it was better to take it off. "Prepare for alert!" The soldier in the driver''s cab leading the way suddenly issued a reminder. "We will be passing by the edge of the Blood Raven Forest ahead, which could disturb them and lead to an attack. Be ready to defend against a sudden strike." It would be safer topletely bypass the forest, but it would take at least an extra three hours. Besides, there were nopletely safe ces in the wilderness in this era. Taking a longer route could increase the chances of encountering other dangers. A flock of Blood Ravens was not an especially dangerous enemy, so taking a certain risk and passing by their territory was the best nned route. "Understood," the Caucasian warrior responded first, and then with a "click" sound, he unlocked the safety on his machine gun, the noise rising eagerly like boiling oil, "Ready for enemy contact!" Chapter 143: 142 Blood Ravens Assault! "Thump~ Thump~" With the unknown lying ahead, Bai E''s heart began to pump blood faster. Thebat arrangements made yesterday afternoon were meticulous, clearly outlining information about all potential enemies along the route and their respective battle ns. Even if not everyone could remember every detail, a general impression was enough to ensure they wouldn''t bepletely lost when an encounter urred. If his memory served him right, the so-called "Blood Crows" they were about to encounter were actually native species of the that had been contaminated by various biological spores released by the Bug Race. These ck birds, originally fond of carrion, cohabitated with a bloodthirsty nt in order to adapt to the drastically changing environment following the Bug Race''s arrival. This nt took root inside their bodies and continuously drew nutrients from them, driving the birds to seek food frequently due to their insatiable hunger. Without carrion... living creatures could also be corpses. This made the originally timid birds be highly aggressive. In some way, they were also like diligent bees with pollen on their feet, spreading bloodthirsty nt spores thattched onto any living being they attacked. Even if such a creature survived, it was highly likely to be contaminated with the spores shed during the birds'' wing ps. Should these spores take root and sprout, the consequences were obvious. They must not be allowed to get close to the vehicles. Without a sound, Bai E unlocked the lock of the storagepartment at his feet. Rows of neatly arranged ammunition were ready for use. ... "Caw!" A hoarse and unpleasant cry sounded from the branches covered in a sooty ck grease, and the misshapen tree trunks twisted into strange shapes. The ck birds perched quietly, taking a brief rest. They had been away from the camp for three hours. If their goal had been the Bug Race nest, they would have already arrived. However, they naturally chose a route that would not take them directly through the Bug Race nest, even though their destinationy broadly in the same southern direction. These areas close to the Bug Race nest were also affected by the ecological contamination brought about by those insects. "Everyone, be careful," the team leader''s steady voice came through the earpiece. Bai E nced at the birds resting quietly on the branches, sweat beginning to form in the palm of his hand, his grip unconsciously tightening on the handle of the machine gun. Passing beneath the watchful eyes of what could be the enemy, it felt like countless gazes were tightly fixed on him from the shadows. The pressing tension was like a heavy ck cloud weighing on his heart, making it difficult to breathe. Everyone watched nervously outside the vehicle, hoping against hope to pass by unnoticed... or else, to go to battle! If a fight really broke out, it would at least alleviate the current anxiety. "Rustle rustle rustle..." The quiet wilderness was filled only with the sound of tires crunching over the sandy gravel. "Caw!" asionally, a bird would let out a pitiful cry as if from a dream. The sleeping Blood Crows dreamed of sulent, rotting flesh,rge and satisfying chunks to feast upon. "Caw!" They bit down only to find nothing! Disappointment. Before their groggy eyes, threerge shadows appeared. Living... things? Blood-red eyes gleamed faintly as the incessant hunger red up, consuming their entire consciousness. "p p~" With a p of their wings, the shadows swooped down rapidly. Intent on feeding before its siblings noticed, it was determined to be the first to feast! "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Gunshots erupted almost simultaneously from three vehicles, and several gliding shadows fell to the ground at the sound. "Pat pat pat!" As they hit the ground, they smashed into a heap of gore, with the bright red roots of nts wriggling like little snakes through the flesh, feasting onest time. These damned creatures bore lethal spores, and it was impossible to let any get close. The voice of the Caucasian middle-aged man inside the vehicle suddenly heated up, "Enemy contact!" The thick valve opened, and the middle-aged man with his helmet, as well as another soldier, stepped on the tform inside the vehicle and leaned out. They skillfully hooked thebat suit''s belt buckle onto the mount next to the skylight and steadied themselves with heavy machine guns and methrowers, awaiting the arrival of those damned creatures. The sound of gunfire awakened the beasts that had been slumbering in the early morning, as countless pairs of crimson eyes, resembling blood agates, snapped open almost simultaneously. Everywhere was teeming with them. Their original camouge, as dark as the tree trunks, made it impossible to discern their numbers. But as soon as their eyes opened, the countless pairs of blood-red eyes resembled the gaze of the Grim Reaper, and a sense of pressure as sharp as a de''s edge against the skin was instantly maxed out. "Click." Bai E opened the firing port, and the gun barrel protruded. The shooting conditions were not optimal, and the angle couldn''t cover the entire area. But he was only responsible for patching up gaps. The main firepower came from the heavy machine guns and methrowers mounted on the roofs of the three vehicles. In an instant, ck wings unfurled, and hordes of blood crows nketed the sky. The convoy continued to move, everyone quietly waiting until they came within a sufficient shooting range, when themanding officer''s voice suddenly roared in everyone''s earpiece, "Fire!" "Da da da da da~" The bullets from the heavy machine gun rapidly depleted, with casings bouncing and flying off in the path of the vehicles. The vicious metal storm instantly tore a gap in the dense blood crow flock, revealing the sky through it. "Pup pup pup~" Bullets pierced through flesh and feathers scattered. Like rainfall, the corpses cascaded down. Three dense barrages of fire swept left and right, and for a time, the massive army of blood crows could not advance an inch. In an instant, drawing on past experiences, the blood crows, notpletely irrational, found the characteristics of the "heat weapons" created by these beings called "humans." Just in an instant, their flight paths scattered, preferring to take a longer detour to maintain a certain distance from each other. After spreading out, the pressure of their assault was noticeably greater than before. The three heavy gunners targeted the enemy''s dense airspace as much as possible, but their efficiency greatly decreased. After drawing closer, tongues of fire over twenty meters long burst forth. The methrowers with closer lethal range, were even more effective against these small to mid-sized creatures. Under the high-temperature ze, all the blood crows in range immediately turned into roasted birds, plummeting down, and those deadly spores were alsopletely neutralized by the heat. "Da da da! Da da da!" Bai E''s machine gun began firing in short three-round bursts. The dense blood crow swarms would receive focused attention from the heavy machine guns and methrowers, while the machine gun inside the vehicle targeted those smaller groups of blood crows that were closer to the vehicles. With their overwhelming numbers, it was impossible for the convoy to eradicate them all. Sess meant escaping to a distance where the blood crows couldn''t pursue due to exhaustion. So what was needed at this moment was not a suppressive barrage of fire, but precise and lethal defense! [Sessfully hit several rapidly moving long-distance targets, light firearms proficiency experience +3.] [Hit target, dealing 22 points of piercing damage!] ... Chapter 144: 143 The mainstay of the middle stream The Blood Crows'' defensive capabilities weren''t formidable, and each bullet that hit its mark could achieve sufficient lethality. This was simply a standoff between firepower and numbers. Would they be overwhelmed by the Blood Crows, or would they exhaust the creatures'' stamina to the point where they couldn''t maintain the chase... If everything went without a hitch, it should be thetter. The tactical nning beforehand took these foreseeable dangers into ount, and if nobody messed up, it was unlikely that problems would ur. Dense ck clouds enveloped the sky, and beneath the shadows, the three off-road vehicles raced wildly. The outdoor terrain wasplicated, and even with a co-driver to navigate the path, the speed of the vehicles still couldn''t increase significantly. All four passengers within the vehiclemenced firing. The two closebat experts weren''tpletely ignorant about firearms; military training ensured their soldiers didn''t be too specialized. When strength reached a certain level, the differentiation between ranged and meleebatants wasn''t that apparent. In daylight, the mes from the gun''s muzzles weren''t blinding, but their roar was relentless. "Ammo! Ammo!" a testy voice called out within the vehicle. The hotheaded hand-to-handbat specialist reached for a magazine but found all of them empty. Each soldier was only equipped with a maximum of five magazines, and after depleting them, they''d have to manually load each bullet into the magazines. However, in the heat of battle, the soldier felt his absence would be detrimental, and his gaze involuntarily swept the interior of the vehicle, looking for any fully loaded magazines. An abnormal rhythm of gunfire immediately caught his attention¡ª "Dada Dada! Dada Dada!" The steady burst-fire rhythm was starkly distinct from the others. As he red at the magazines attached to the other''s waist, the irate soldier felt fury boiling within him. Damn it! I knew I didn''t like this kid from the start! Shooting like he''s tiptoeing, like a damn woman! And he imed to be a gunner who passed the advanced shooting test? I burned through six magazines already, and he''s not even through three. Even if my hit rate is only half of his, my contribution is definitely more substantial! Useless! "Give me the magazine!" Bai E nced at him, frowned slightly, but still drew a magazine from his waist and pped it into his hand. "Another one!" ... Without a word, Bai E quickly handed over another and turned back to continue shooting and reaping. A brand-new monster represented a prime opportunity to earn experience¡ªwasting it was out of the question. [Sessfully hit multiple long-distance fast-moving targets, experience with light firearms mastery +53.] (stacked) (Extremely low chance to awaken special attributes.) [Struck a crital hit on the target, inflicting 51 points of critical damage!] [Struck the target''s vital, causing 21 points of piercing damage!] [Havingpletely defeated the target, you''ve gained 305 points ofbat experience.] (stacked) Indeed, battles were the quickest way to improve oneself; the experience gained from new monsters was fierce. Each one worth 5 points, the individual experience wasn''t much, but the quantity was substantial, and after killing over 60, there was no sign of experience points diminishing... Maybe each type of monster had different requirements for experience reduction? Bai E had no time to ponder further. Amid continuous firing, his understanding of awakening special attributes under heavy firepower was deepening. The brief epiphany he had during the advanced shooting test resurfaced in his mind. Minimizing the rate of ineffective shots was also a key element to maintaining firepower for extended durations. Cold firearms equally needed gentle care. During moments of lesser pressure, Bai E would even brace the machine gun with his chest, freeing both hands to quickly load bullets into an emptied magazine. In fact, he had already depleted four magazines, which meant that one of the three magazines he had attached around his waist had been refilled during the battle. He needed to scavenge as much as possible, get in on the kills and experience, while also maintaining his own condition to ensure he could be thest line of defense for the team in the event of any unexpected changes. Moreover, the supplies carried on the three vehicles were limited; blind and arbitrary consumption could easily lead to a shortage of suppliester on, and he was not in a position to demand anything from others, only to control himself. When not trusted by others, one must silently take on more. The truth always makes it easier to silence doubters. The journey ahead is long, and Bai E did not want his teammates to always hold a grudge against him. So do more¡­ and then even more¡­ Following closely behind the temperamental warrior, who had just emptied his entire magazine, the stoic Asian warrior began to reload. From time to time, he looked over at his teammates to check on everyone''s status, but his gaze was inadvertently drawn to a certain direction, captivated by the fluid motions that resembled a butterfly skimming through flowers. "So... fast..." Such fast hands, such steady rhythm... Loading and shooting at the same time, without dying either task. That soldier who was maligned for getting in through the back door... seemed very skilled. "Click!" He pressed thest row of bullets, reinserted the loaded magazine into the slot on his belt, and continued shooting steadily. "Dada dada! Dada dada!" The rhythm of the three-shot burst was steady and efficient. With every burst, one or even two of the Blood Crows'' bodies would fall. "Good job up front," the squadmander, who was always coordinating the overall situation, quietly praised him through the earpiece. It was a long-drawn-out tug-of-war, and asionally there was a need for some encouragement to lift everyone''s spirits. "Of course!" The short-tempered warrior pped his heating gun without reservation and spoke up in the squad''s channel. "It''s the good work of the 95B27," the battle-scarred Caucasian warrior managing the heavy machine gun on the roof suddenly spoke up to set the record straight. From atop the vehicle, he had an even better view of the overall situation. The number of sporadic Blood Crows that had managed tounch assaults from the left and right sides, missed by him and the old one, were roughly the same. However, the right side where 95B27 was positioned was noticeably more stable¡ªalmost none of the Blood Crows could breach the danger zone near the vehicles. Whose merit it was needed no discussion. "Bullshit! I shot those down!" The temperamental warrior was not convinced; could that kid''s shooting speed evenpare with his own? "Just don''t bother him for bullets all the time," the usually taciturn AB suddenly added his voice. Inside the vehiclepartment, there wasn''t time to deal with everything, but they were not oblivious to what was happening. If it weren''t for the need for an extra magazine of bullets, nearly all the spot-checking and supplementing on the right side would have been handled by 95B27 alone. Moreover, his shooting and reloading rhythms did not interfere with each other¡ªhe had almost no impact on the proper defensive rhythm, and overall, he seemed more skilled than himself. Such a solid shooter, with such skills, why would he need to get in through the back door to join this military operation? "...I!" "Enough!" the Caucasian warrior operating the heavy machine gun interrupted the still unconvinced, argumentative hot-headed warrior, "Morton, 95B27 is an expert in shooting. Not disturbing his aim is the only contribution you can make to this team." "..." In an instant, he felt as if he had be the isted one in the team. The agitated desire to prove himself and earn distinctions was abruptly quenched by a bucket of cold water. Realizing he may have been too rash, the warrior fell silent, continuing to shoot while quietly observing... Chapter 145: 144 Facing the Enemy Alone Indeed... very fast. When Morton set aside his prejudice and impatience about this soldier getting in through the back door and focused on observing his performance, only then did he see the truth. Just as they''d said, in terms of shooting ability, this kid was indeed better than himself. Juggling reloading and shooting, both killing efficiency and uracy were out of his league, and even though he had now slowed down his shooting speed, the right side of the vehicle remained as stable as Mount Tai. Well... the performance is eptable. ["Lucky Shot" energy +1.] But what of it, if he wasn''t chosen by the senior officers, then it surely meant his overall ability wascking. The officers have their judgment, and they must be infallible. Not having won in the selection and needing to rely on connections to join this elite team definitely meant hegged behind in some aspect! "You focus on shooting, I''ll load for you, help them out more." "..." Bai E nced sideways at the other, somewhat surprised. He had thought this one would be a tough character. [But you loading for me isn''t even faster than me doing it myself...] With lips barely moving, Bai E reined in his urge to retort and simply said, "Thank you." ... Within the rear vehicle, themanding officer furrowed his brow deeply, "These blood crows still have the stamina to keep up..." Based on previous experience, these blood crows should not be a significant threat by now; their physiology plus the burden of carrying the "vampires" meant they didn''t have the ability to maintain flight for long, and their stamina would limit their range of activity. But now... was it because the data from the few prior cases were insufficient, leading to miscalctions in the predictions? "This is troubling..." If the blood crows'' stamina could hold, then the machine guns and methrowers firing continuously might be the first to fail. Overheated barrels would protest first, and forced use would only lead toplete equipment failure. Allowing the blood crows to crash into the vehicle with their fleshy bodies, necessitating a forced breakout, was certainly thest and most passive option; the consequences of flipping the vehicle were unimaginable. Right now, could they only rely on the soldiers'' individual strength to extend the lifespan of their weapons as much as possible? The purpose of the prior high-level shooting tests was this, hoping... these elites could withstand the pressure. ... "Give me my machine gun!" The voice of a Caucasian soldier who was operating a heavy machine gun suddenly rang out over the team''sms, at the same time hisrge hand reached down. Recognizing his role to take care of the odds and ends due to his own abilities, Morton immediately passed the other''s machine gun to his palm, while loudly asking, "What do you want the machine gun for?" "The heavy machine gun is overheated, needs a break... Damn! These blood crows are still chasing! The pressure might get a bit heavier now, look out for yourselves!" As he spoke, he disengaged the safety and opened fire with force. "Da-da-da-da!" Elder Yi also extended a hand downwards, "Give me my machine gun too." The methrower''s continuous operational time was even shorter than that of the heavy machine gun, and even though he hadn''t been using it constantly, it had reached its limit as well. From now on, it would be a tough fight. With both the heavy machine gun and methrower ceasing fire, the onught of the blood crows surged violently. These cunning beasts also possessed not insignificantbat intelligence. Even though the heavy artillery had ceased, the creatures still did not alter their previous attack strategy out of fear of human firearms; their flight paths were unpredictable and diverse, simply firing blindly after increasing the distance between themselves would not yield superbbat results. The soldiers needed to maintain a certain degree of uracy amidst uninterrupted firing, fortunately, the main shooters were selected from the best through high-level shooting tests, and for the moment they were able to barely maintain the defense line. "Car 1 slow down, cover for Cars 2 and 3 to go ahead." The officer''smand was suddenly issued. Vehicle 1, that''s the one Bai E was in. Minister Likok and his assistant were separately in Vehicle 2 and Vehicle 3, and abandoning their vehicle to save an important figure was a fairly rational decision during critical times. The situation hadn''t reached that point yet, but to be safe, it was still more prudent to have the two vehicles go ahead first. Orders were to be obeyed without question, and at the moment the drivers heard themand, they took their foot off the gas pedal. He didn''t m on the brakes for two reasons: one was that once the vehicle came to aplete stop it wouldn''t be easy to pick up speed again; the second was that mming on the brakes would cause the soldiers inside to be thrown about, losing their ability to resist. However, merely not elerating was enough for the other two vehicles to overtake. The two off-road vehicles instantly passed by on either side, leaving behind only trails of swirling dust. The dark canopy trailing from behind covered vehicle 1 in an instant, the thick cloudposed of blood crows pressing down so heavily it was hard to breathe. The situation grew even more dire! "Ah!" The painful cry of Veteran 1 was especially piercing over the team''s voicems. A scream indicated an injury, and a high probability of losingbat capability. With only four mainbatants to begin with, losing even one could cause the already precarious defense line to copse instantly. The two hand-to-handbat experts, who were only along for the ride, hurried to assist, while Bai E quickly nced aside with a slight frown. The wound was deep, with blood streaming down, revealing white bone. The ws of the blood crows had gashed Veteran 1''s right hand, the one he used to shoot, tearing away arge chunk of flesh and rendering his hand incapable of firing a gun. "AB! Cover for him!" the veteranmanded calmly. The firing angles from inside the vehicle were limited, certainly not as wide-ranging as those from the top hatch. Hunkering down inside the vehicle and using the armor for cover might save one''s life, but these creatures were not to be taken lightly. Humans could find their weak spots through experience, and they could remember the vehicle''s weak spots the same way. Blocking the windows to obscure vision, using their bodies to interfere with the wheel rotation... If the vehicle flipped, none would escape. "Yes!" AB was taciturn and simply acknowledged themand when he received it. Bai E focused intently, hesitated for just a moment, and then abruptly stood up, "Let me do it." Without giving anyone a chance to object, he grabbed the machine gun from one of the hand-to-hand fighters, slung it over himself, then grasped the edge of the roof hatch with one hand and nimbly flipped out. "AB¡­" Not being able to hear the change of personnel from outside, the veteran instinctively wanted to give an order but realized the figure beside him was behaving oddly. As he turned his head, all he could see was a pair of metalbat boots in front of his eyes. "AB?" While voicing his confusion, he instinctively looked up along the legs until he saw a rugged face with no expression, which made him start, "B27?" What was he doing up here? Even a veteran like Veteran 1 had a hard time against these blood crows, what good would a new recruit be, one who had needed "connections" to join? Of course, he was aware that this young brother had passed the advanced shooting test, but both Veteran 1''s and AB''s scores were better than his. He might have good marksmanship with minimal shooting, but this was not the time for jokes! He had to take responsibility for everyone''s lives. "Get down!" theposed veteran''s face darkened, as if it could drip water. This was the first time he had shown Bai E such a serious expression, "Let AB take over!" "Click!" Bai E hooked the locking mechanism of the hatch onto his belt to prevent himself from being thrown out and then responded expressionlessly to the other, "Just let me try." He removed the machine gun strap from around his neck and grasped a machine gun in one hand. The heavy feeling of the machine gun was reassuring, and Bai E recited in his mind¡ª "Gun Fighting Skill, activate." Chapter 146: 145 Double Guns "What''s Car 1 doing?" "Who is that warrior? Has he gone mad?" "Seems like, it''s that guy who ''got in through the back door''!" The two vehicles in the lead were equally concerned about the situation of Car 1gging behind, their upants dumbstruck as they watched the scene unfold through the rear window. "Is he looking to die?" "Irrational neers always think they can y the hero." "Just hope he doesn''t get everyone in his vehicle killed!" The figure standing atop the vehicle roof became extraordinarily conspicuous against the shadow-draped skies, like a lightning rod during a thunderstorm, instantly drawing the gaze of not only his humanrades. It wasn''tmon for someone toe out of their armored shell and court death. With one less point of firepower for a brief moment, the Blood Crows had already pressed close to the vehicle, and with the proximity of flesh, they became frenzied with hunger. The stench of decay, ever-present with rotting flesh, assailed the nostrils. Surrounded by foes on all sides! Grey mists invisible to others spread across the gun in his hands, as Bai E''s eyes flickered with a cold gleam and his hands fiercely pulled the triggers. To avoid getting entangled by the linking rope, Bai E twisted his body sideways and, like a pair ofpasses, he drew arge circle on top of the vehicle. "Da-da-da-da-da..." With his body spinning, bullets sprayed in all directions from both guns. Below the ckened skies, a lone waltz unfolded, zing and solemn. Both guns danced, smoke wafting through the air. The rhythm of ejecting shell casings, together with the falling bodies of Blood Crows, descended slowly before everyone''s eyes, bringing down the curtain on this solo dance. The sudden outburst cleared the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in an instant, and both the attacking and the defending sides temporarily stalled their advances at that moment. The two machine guns worked in perfect harmony, wasting not a single bullet nor missing a single Blood Crow. Operating at a 50% bonus rate of fire thanks to the effects of his skills and enhanced further by heightened insight and reflex, he executed an iprehensible instant-kill moment. The incessant onught of the Blood Crows stalled at that point, their limited brains unable toprehend what had just urred. The upants of the leading vehicles, now far ahead, witnessed this astonishing scene through the rear window, and silence hung in the cabin for a long time, as they reyed those brief four or five seconds in their minds, a period that seemed to stretch out as if it had been four or five minutes in the real world... The Blood Crows, constantly driven by their hunger, did not cease their assault permanently. Under the spur of their insatiable hunger, theyunched their attacks once more. "Da-da-da-da..." Even with both guns firing at once, he managed to send the bullets precisely into each Blood Crow, and faced with Bai E who had activated his Gun Fighting Skill, no amount of Blood Crows could breach the boundary he had drawn. For that minute, this was a hundred percent safe territory! The seasoned soldier standing just below Bai E, clutching his machine gun, went to fire several times only to find the targets either too far away or already shot down by Bai E. "..." It seemed, suddenly, there was nothing for him to do? Just moments ago it was a peak crisis, a matter of life and death¡ªyet in the blink of an eye, all was as calm as a mountain, as if time stood still in peace... Remembering his own rebuke from earlier, his face flushed slightly. With Bai E''s explosive ability as seen in 95B27, how could the authorities have been so blind not to select him? But then again... "How is he going to reload?" Miss Aryan, having seen this from the rear window of a vehicle far ahead, suddenly had this ludicrous yet realistic thought cross her mind. Humans didn''t have the ck tech for unlimited bullets; the sight of the warrior erupting violently with a gun in each hand was stirring indeed, but if he were toy the guns on the ground to reload them one by one, that would be embarrassingly low-tech... "Ah?" The naturally bright red lips, void of lipstick, open in surprise at that moment. The solitary warrior atop the vehicle casually tossed one of the machine guns into the air, rapidly reloaded the other with a ghost-like swap of cartridges, and then tossed that one as well... The two machine guns, likely unaware they had ever been flung so mercilessly, were already having their spent magazines thrown back through the open roof hatch of the vehicle. "..." Even the rhythm of the shooting didn''t seem to break. [ "Lucky Hit" charge +4. ] The terrifying upright creature quelled thest bit of hunger in the t-haired beasts. Was it will that decided the body, or physical ability that decided the will? The flock of Blood Crows beneath could hardly ponder this issue. Yet, facing the ck figure with guns in his hands, standing atop the armored vehicle, they felt an inexplicable terror. No matter how insane their hunger, it couldn''t break through the barrier of despair, and with the courage spurred by hunger now fading, so too did the strength that drove their hunt. The wings seemed to grow heavy. "Whew~" Watching the ck flock of birds finally retreat into the distance, the delicate-faced Miss Aryan let out a long sigh of relief, her little heart finally settling back into ce. The outside world was too frightening. A pair of amber eyes flickered spiritedly before finally resting on the solitary figure standing on the roof of the vehicle, single-handedly stopping the birds... The wind howled fiercely, and the guns were brandished. Beneath the dim sky from which the crow flock had receded, stood one, gazing into the distance alone. [What is his name?] "Who did it?" The voice of themanding officer, Gregory, sounded in everyone''s earpieces in vehicle number 1. Even though some recognized the action of the neer who had gotten in through the back door, he still wanted to confirm. For a moment, no one responded. That was because Bai E was slowly climbing down from the roof. "Gulp~" Morton could hear the sound of his own swallowing. Even amidst the noise of travel, it was jarringly loud. With this kid''s skills... how exactly did he fail to be selected? Gregory''s voice, filled with doubt, rose again amid the silence, "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" It was then that the steady old soldier finally turned on the open channel of the microphone and responded softly, "It''s 95B27." It was truly that soldier who had joined through backdoor channels?! An eerie atmosphere spread as silence filled all three vehicles. Miss Aryan blinked, her curiosity piqued about the owner of this number... ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +7.] The moment Bai Ended, his knees buckled, but fortunately, he braced himself against the spot where he had been sitting, preventing a fall. AB, quick to respond, stretched out his hand to help, but it was hardly effective. "What''s wrong?" The seasoned soldier asked with concern. With just this one battle, the neer who had "gotten in through the back door" had already established his position within the team. Even if there wasn''t much opportunity for him to shine in subsequent operations, no one would question his strength anymore. Bai E leaned against the wall for a long while without a word, just closing his eyes as if to steady himself. He was pretending... A necessary disguise was always needed; otherwise, doing such a conspicuous act without any repercussions would give them unrealistic expectations, and if they all pinned their hopes on him, he''d be done for. A certain level of performance was required, but Bai E couldn''t bear the weight of expectations that were too heavy. After all, with his currentck of Spiritual Energy, the duration of Gun Fighting Skills wasn''t anything over a minute. This was because even relying on No. 3 Chew could only push his action reserve to just under 150 points at most. After using No. 3 Chews multiple times, Bai E had gradually be familiar with its characteristics. The reserve of action points had an upper limit, which would decay rapidly after surpassing 100 points, and using No. 3 Chews in quick session wouldn''t restore arge number of action points as the first one did. If a minute-plus burst wasn''t enough to settle a fight, then he''d be the one getting settled. He couldn''t afford to give them the illusion that he could burst freely at will. After ''recovering'' for a while, Bai E slowly opened his eyes, giving everyone a weak smile as if the "world spinning" before his eyes had calmed, "Feeling a bit dizzy, but I''m fine now." "Good to hear..." The steady soldier finally felt relieved. No one doubted Bai E''s words. If someone performed such an extravagant feat without any side effects, they''d start to question their understanding of the world. So, was it this 95B27''s innate ability? Or had he developed some special skill on his own? "Can we gather with the lead vehicle..." Old One, who had been sitting quietly in a corner not saying a word, finally spoke up with difficulty. When Bai E looked over, he saw Old One''s face was pale,rge beads of sweat incessantly dropping from his forehead, while the hastily applied gauze wrap on his injured right hand was already soaked with fresh blood. "I''m in so much pain..." The seasoned soldier then realized, "Right away! Right away!" "No need." Bai E, bracing himself against the vehicle, stood up "with difficulty" and moved over, meanwhile reaching out his hand to his side, "No need to dy the journey, hand me the medical kit." "..." You know medical treatment too?! Themendation sent out to the whole camp had only mentioned the kid driving back with over four hundred immobilized teammates; it didn''t mention anything about medical skills. Chapter 147: 146 Mystery of the Orcs "Huh?" The veteran looked at his right hand that had been bandaged, the snow-white gauze was tied into a neat knot, which didn''t restrict his gripping and other activities, and also perfectly protected the wound. What was even more miraculous was that there seemed to be a warm current flowing around the wound. Apart from a slight itchiness, he couldn''t feel any of the expected pain. Could those head nurses evenpare with this? Seeing the veteran''s stunned expression, theposed old soldier asked curiously, "Is it alright?" To outsiders, it might only look nice, but who knew if it was actually effective? "Alrig... Alright! Quite alright!" the veteran snapped out of it and vigorously nodded his head. That was more than alright! "You also know medical techniques?" Theposed old soldier suddenly looked at Bai E with a surprised joy. For a fighter like them, having a doctor or a nurse following them in battle was like having an extra life. This sense of security couldn''t be matched even by a more powerful warrior. Bai E smiled modestly, "Learned a little." "How much is ''learned a little''?" Therades all wanted to have a clear understanding of each other''s capabilities. After pondering for a moment, Bai E carefully answered, "As long as the body isn''t severed, I should be able to save them... of course, due to the limitations of medical equipment, there''s not much I can do for cases of severe bleeding or extensive limb damage." "Awesome!" Theposed old soldier''s face was full of joy. Wasn''t this a get-out-of-death-free card? There were indeed soldiers in the team with medical expertise, but now having this unexpected boon in his own vehicle was undeniably more exhrating. ["Lucky Strike" charge +3.] Bai E''s lips curved up as heughed softly, as if shy from the praise, and then his head spun again as he reached for his temples, his hand instinctively searching for something to support his body. "You should rest, young man... don''t overexert yourself." Leaning back against the vehicle, Bai E closed his eyes with one hand on his forehead, as he tallied the total gains from the brief battle that had just urred¡ª Light firearms mastery experience 133 points. Combat experience 1352 points. Thebat experience he had scraped together from the previous drawn-out battle was nothingpared to what he had gained in thest explosive minute. If he hadn''t started to experience diminishing returns from killing too many, he could have gained a few hundred more points. The only regret was that the full-load shooting for not too long of a time didn''t bring enough of an experience, other soldiers were battle-hardened, and he himself had only truly done full-load shooting twice, so unlocking special attribute bonuses was still out of reach. But no matter what, he had gotten through this hurdle. Following the route n set before departure¡ªBlood Raven Forest, ckrock ins, Beast Transformation Forest... one hurdle after another to be crossed! Every encounter with danger was also an opportunity for promotion and improvement. Gradually, Bai E had be ustomed to this kind of life, fighting on the edge and shedding blood... Only after confirming that they hadpletely escaped the threat of the blood ravens did themanding officer''s voice, Gregory, clearly transmit from everyone''s earpieces, "Check the resource consumption and health status of each vehicle." "Vehicle 1 resource consumption... personnel status¡ªold one''s right hand was injured by a blood raven, but it has been treated and is now recovering, no other abnormalities for the rest." "Vehicle 2..." "Vehicle 3..." After collecting all the information, Gregory''s eyes narrowed slightly. Vehicle 1 wasn''t equipped with a medical-trained fighter... Although the soldiers selected for this operation were almost all multifaceted, they each had their particr strengths, and it was rare to find someone both proficient inbat and exceptional in medical skills. There were many who knew both in the military, but the number of those proficient in both wasn''t that high. For this mission, we could only pick out three, two of whom were assigned to 2nd vehicle to protect Minister Likok, and one in the 3rd vehicle to protect Miss Aryan. As themanding officer of the team, he knew and remembered the information of all other official members, except for the data of that youngster who was inserted into the squad at thest minute. Because of the rush right before departure, he hadn''t had time to look for it, so... could it also have been his doing? 95B27, the most shining one among thetest batch of recruits. He had heard of this warrior''s reputation, and now it seemed... his strength wasn''t bad either? A firepower expert with explosive capabilities who also possessed some medical skills, after all, didn''t seem like such a useless addition as initially thought. Gregory nodded to himself. [Not bad...] ... After passing the Blood Raven Forest, there was basically no trouble along the way. This was a carefully nned route, chosen because it was deemed the lowest risk. If even this path required oveing numerous difficulties, then it would be impossible to go anywhere in this world. After leaving the Blood Raven Forest and the bug nest far behind, even the scenery along the way gradually shed the contamination of the Bug Race and reverted to the look of native species of the. To survive on this disaster-ridden, even nts had evolved unimaginable vitality, which allowed them to thrive even in the approaching winter. White and fluffy like dandelions, the grass swayed gently in the breeze. The seeds, resembling miniature balloons, were scattered by the gale generated by the speeding off-road vehicle, carrying new hope and spreading to the distant future. The soft green grasnds stretched endlessly. Undisturbed, they grew wildly, with waves of grass billowing in the wind, a lush sight to dazzle the eyes. The ckrock ins were fertile, and if not for their proximity to the bug nest, which interrupted them, they would''ve been ckwater City''s breadbasket¡ªthis was the military''s greatest motivation for wanting topletely eradicate the Bug Race. However, there are no what-ifs in the world. The bug nest is there, and it''s an insurmountable chasm. The wide wheels of the off-road vehicle crushed the grass, leaving six deeply pressed tire tracks in the wild, contrasting starkly with the asional ck and yellow rocky ground¡ªa path they tried to follow as much as possible. This was one of the rare stretches of the nned route where one could take rest. ckrock ins were special¡ª Humans were not the only opponents of the bugs; the beastmen who roamed about like war-crazed lunatics also gave the Bug Race a headache. In face of the murderous and rapacious bugs, normal people would either flee or resist and try to destroy thempletely. Beastmen were different... This race,cking in intellect, saw it purely as entertainment. Their wild battle lust frightened the bugs, who, although theycked individual intelligence, felt fear. What''s more critical was... their numbers were no less than the bugs''. The bugs could convert all biomass into their fighting force, but the beastmen... they cultivated the soil. Yes, they reproduced not through sexual means, but like nts, growing directly from the ground. When Bai E learned these facts from the military records, a fact not published on the official game website, he waspletely dumbstruck. Just like nting potatoes or carrots... one pit, one beastman, sprouting from the ground. And they kepting, one crop after another, growing even faster than damn leeks. How many they wanted to grow, it all depended on the race''s own will¡ªit was just outrageous! Thergest beastman nting territory closest to ckwater City was at the other end of the ckrock ins, so the ins, naturally, became a buffer zone between the two sides¡ªa safe area under a fragile bnce of power. Unless one had the misfortune of encountering a wandering beastman directly, this part of the journey should be safe. Chapter 148: 147 sudden change! ``` "Mind if I drive for a bit?" Considering that the roads ahead might not be as easy to navigate, and more challenging sections would naturally require drivers with more experience, it only made sense to let the most skilled veteran driver take a break and cover a stretch for him. The straight-line distance from the military camp to the target base was a whopping 613 kilometers. The actual distance would depend on the route taken, and without satellite navigation, no one knew what the wilderness ahead was like. But the estimate was that it would take between 14 to 24 hours to arrive. No one had the energy to remain in peak condition for such a long period to face all potential emergencies, so adequate rest was vitally important. Good steel should be used on the de''s edge, and this detail was meticulously nned for beforehand. The arrangement made sense, and the veteran driver who had led everyone through the Blood Raven Forest nodded and gently pressed on the brake. The drivers of the three off-road vehicles switched at the same time. A skilled closebat Asian soldier took the seat. In vehicle No. 1, out of the eight people, four knew how to drive, including the driver and co-driver as well as the two closebat experts. Considering that those skilled in hand-to-handbat wouldn''t be of much use while driving, the military factored these conditions into their selection process from the start. Bai E, whose driving abilities shown during battlefield rescues were limited and mainly chosen for his shooting skills, did not enjoy any bonus points for his driving ability during the final scoring phase. And even though four people in the vehicle could drive, apart from the main driver, the others were just making up numbers. Knowing how to drive and being proficient were two different things, as had been evident during the critical moments in the Blood Raven Forest, where any other driver would likely have resulted in an overturn. It was different now on the ins with t terrain, where the Asian got his hands on the steering wheel and began to show the more unrestrained part of his personality. Listening to his lively humming, the atmosphere in the vehicle was rxed. The elegant and pristine natural environment without any hidden dangers was undeniably refreshing¡ª The stone-faced AB, holding a machine gun by the window, looked out at the scenery rushing by and a smile yed on his lips. Lao Yi rxed on the spot, theposed veteran joined Morton in tidying up the somewhat messy supplies in the vehicle due to the prior chaos. Bai E pretended to rest for a while, then began to check and maintain his weapon. Regr maintenance is essential for a firearm to remain in pristine condition. [You havepleted maintenance on the target, restoring 2 points of durability.] [You havepleted maintenance, "Firearm Maintenance" experience +3.] [Current "Firearm Maintenance" experience 98/300, at 300 points you will master "Level 2 Firearm Maintenance".] It''s been a while since I''ve gone back to my old trade, my enchanting n! Bai E calmly reached out to Morton walking by, "Your gun." "What do you need my gun for?" Though puzzled, Morton still handed over his machine gun to Bai E. When it came to shooting, he admitted the kid had something. Of course, that''s where it ended¡­ In terms of overall ability, the kid was surelycking, and the superior''s decision not to choose him was proof. He was firm in that belief! Bai E took the machine gun and casually exined, "It felt a bit off when I used it earlier. I''ll check it for you." Experience +3 "Brother up front, I''ll check your gun too,", The jovial Asian driver replied, "Sure, go ahead." Experience +3 "And yours?" When asked, AB tightened his grip on his machine gun, "Mine doesn''t need it." He knew how to do it himself. As their service time increased, many soldiers would take the initiative to learn things they were interested in during their downtime. The standard craft of maintaining firearms wasn''t unique to Bai E. ``` Some people are willing to help others, while some only look out for themselves, or simply have no energy for social interactions. "Oh~" Bai E didn''t really care either way since he hadted 6 points of experience, definitely not a loss. His heart buoyant, he suddenly froze, a familiar sensation creating turmoil within. What was happening? With a suspicious nce, Bai E unconsciously looked out the window, wanting to pinpoint the source of the feeling that seemed to make his heart skip a beat. After barely two seconds of frowning scrutiny, Bai E''s gaze sharply dropped to the ground below¡ª nts? No! Lower! Underground! Getting closer... Getting closer... "Swoosh swoosh swoosh~" In a few moments of blurred consciousness, the imagery of dark brown earth and stones rapidly swept by his vision. Bai E pressed a hand to his throbbing temple, trying to pinpoint the precise origin of the target. In the next moment, Bai E was startled and leapt towards the front, towards the direction of the cockpit. "Move aside!" Almost simultaneously, the co-pilot responsible for navigation gazed at a slight bulge in the grass about ten meters in front of the vehicle, a fleeting thought crossed his mind: "What is that?" All of this happened in the blink of an eye¡ª Watching the AB who was staring nkly out of the window suddenly be fierce, Morton, perplexed, watched as Bai E threw himself forward, and the main driver, who was lying asleep, had drool at the corner of his mouth... "Whoosh!" A colossal creature burst out from underground, its ferocious iron ws stretching out in the sunlight. The startled driver, an Asian warrior, jerked the steering wheel hard in an attempt to dodge the body that was shooting up from the earth. The sharp turn of the vehicle,bined with the disruption of soil and stones caused by the wurm breaking the surface, caused the off-road vehicle skimming past the creature''s body to tip sharply, almost tilting at an angle of around 30 degrees. Everything inside the vehicle that wasn''t secured instantly flew around, and the main driver lying in the back was thrown into mid-air. However, the first wurm that emerged from the soil was merely an appetizer. Ahead on the ins, many more wurms seemed to have an agreement to stretch their limbs at the same time, breaking through the ground like bamboo shoots after rain. Bai E, who had already lunged towards the cockpit, nced at them. Their bodies were t, resembling scorpions or centipedes, with des like knife edges on either side of their bodies. Their heads were equipped with drilling apparatus resembling the mouthparts of worms, convenient for burrowing. The part of the creatures that protruded above ground was at least twice the height of the vehicle, with a length of six to seven meters definitely possible, and with sections of their bodies still underground, a conservative estimate of their size would be over ten meters. Were they native species of this that he had yet to learn about? Or rather, wurms! None of the information he had received mentioned the existence of these creatures, but Bai E felt that the things that had suddenly appeared before his eyes must be wurms! He roughly knew what the vague "hint" he had received beforehand was... it came from the "Wurm Nest Will" that hadin dormant within him! A slight resonance made Bai E suddenly be aware of their existence, but were they here for him, or simply stretching their bodies? Nobody knew. Chapter 149: 148 Insect Sea Navigation "Bang!" The wheels hit the ground heavily, and everything inside the vehicle tossed about. "Ah!" "Damn!" "Hiss~" The sudden mishap greeted no one, except Bai E, who had sensed it beforehand and braced himself against the back of the cockpit with his hands. The Asian warrior driving was sweating profusely from his back, hisrge hands whitening from the grip on the steering wheel. When the vehicle had lurched, he felt as if his soul had lurched with it. If the vehicle had flipped, the consequences would have been unimaginable. What was more critical were... those gigantic worms churning right in front of his eyes, which could burst from the ground beneath the vehicle at any moment. Therge clumps of soil and rock they brought up with them from below the surface were lethally altering the once rtively t road. They were like fish swimming in the sea, asionally leaping out to stretch their bodies in the air before diving back into the ocean. The underground was their sea! Take a detour? There was no time! They were right in front of him! The fact that they hadn''t attacked the vehicle yet was the greatest mercy they could show, but it seemed they had no intention of deliberately avoiding the vehicle''s path. It was vital to leave this area they had thought was safe as quickly as possible, while also being careful not to collide with the creatures and to pay attention to the changing terrain, nning route alterations on the fly... The pressure was immense... even more suffocating than in Blood Raven Forest. Cold sweat seeped finely from the forehead of the Asian warrior, who, without looking back, yelled to the back, "Bai, are you awake yet!" "Hiss~" The driver who was called out could only sp his right arm, hurting too much to speak. In the recent chaos inside the vehicle, he had been unlucky enough to be flung from his seat and had hit the de of a dismounted battle machine gun, cutting a gash about ten centimeters long at the upper part of his right arm, from which blood was uncontrobly flowing. "His arm is injured!" a calm warrior, having recovered his wits, answered for him. "But I can''t hold on..." The Asian warrior knew his limits; facing such chaotic scenes, he felt he could flip the vehicle at any moment. "Morton!" "I''m no good either..." Morton said with difficulty, swallowing hard as he watched those ghastly things periodically burst through the ground in front of the vehicle. The veteran who had experienced E''s skills before suggested, "B27, hurry and bandage Bai up so he can take over again!" E nced at the severity of the injury and shook his head, "Not so fast." It wasn''t about the speed of his treatment; the wound was toorge and too deep for a rapid recovery, even if they bandaged it, it wouldn''t be quick enough to return to use. In such critical moments, where every second was contested, how could they rely solely on Bai''s personal will? When the nest is overturned, how can there be any intact eggs? "I''ll do it." E, who was leaning against the back of the cockpit, said solemnly. The co-driver looked back at E with a puzzled look, "You''ll do it?" "Unbuckle the seatbelt!" E had no time for exnations and nearly ordered the Asian warrior in the driver''s seat. [Confirm payment of 300 generic experience points to upgrade "Knowledge¡ªStandard Vehicle Driving" skill level?] ["Level 2 Standard Vehicle Driving" acquired, simultaneously gaining 1 Technology Point.] [Standard Vehicle Driving (Level 2): You have mastered the driving methods for most standard vehicles by heart and can adeptly handle generallyplex terrains, slightly improving the riding experience for passengers, and increasing control over the speed limit by 15%.] Level 1 driving skills were definitely not enough to keep things under control in this situation; the Asian warriors and Morton were probably all at this level. So, it had to be upgraded. "Oh oh~" In such a critical moment, facingmands issued by anyone, the Asian warriors, whocked a lot of personal judgment, followed almostpletely without question. Bai E leaned forward, his hand lightly resting on the steering wheel without exerting much force, and only when he spotted a slightly safer gap did he firmly issue the instruction, "Don''t panic, get up and move!" In these circumstances, there was no way to slow down and change drivers regrly; not leaving this area quickly, nobody knew what might happen. The asional pebble flung against the window by a giant insect felt as if it were directly striking everyone''s hearts, causing terror. "Okay! Okay!" The two exchanged ces, with Bai E taking the driver''s seat. "I''ll do my best to help you n the route," the co-driver said to Bai E. His mind was quite sharp, but asking him to operate and n at the same time was indeed a tough request. "No need." With a "click," Bai E fastened the seatbelt with one hand, and the chaotic scenery ahead came into view, with numerous potential routes weaving through traffic rapidly taking shape in his mind. [Not enough.] [Confirm payment of 500 generic experience points to upgrade "Knowledge¡ªStandard Vehicle Driving" skill level?] ["Level 3 Standard Vehicle Driving" acquired, simultaneously gaining 1 Technology Point.] [Standard Vehicle Driving (Level 3) (Max Level): The driving methods of any standard vehicle hold no secrets for you. Where a person can go, a vehicle can go. You''ve significantly improved the riding experience for passengers, and your control over the speed limit is increased by 30%. (Your driving skill has reached the peak, but the peak driving ability of standard vehicles is just the foundation for unlocking driving capabilities for more types of vehicles. Now, you''ve met the prerequisites to master the ability to drive "specialized vehicles" through learning/training.)] Directly to max level! The state of the entire vehicle,municated through omnipresent vibrations and feedback from the steering wheel in his hands, entered Bai E''s mind¡ªits eleration/braking performance, vehicle weight changes, suspension damping ratio, tire grip capability, and all other performances were instantaneouslyprehended. It was as if a transparent model of the entire vehicle was slowly rotating in his mind, with all capabilities presented as data on a sheet of paper. At hismand! The precise information needed about the road surface,bined with the vehicle''s capabilities, meant the best driving solution appeared before his eyes without the need for meticulous nning. "Hum~" Bai E gently pressed the elerator, as the engine began to provide maximum horsepower within the optimal running range, its light tremors akin to a prehistoric giant beast ready to pounce. "Have the vehicle behind follow my route." His voice was somewhat unfamiliar to the vehicles behind, and if theposed warrior spoke, it would be easier to gain trust and prompt action in the first instance. With peak driving skills, and the asional shes of insight resonating with the insect nest''s will, Bai E felt it shouldn''t be too difficult to lead everyone out of this "sea" rampaged by giant insects. Bai E''s voice was too calm, his strong confidence infecting the whole vehicle; theposed warrior chose to trust his teammate unconditionally. "This is Car 1! This is Car 1! The vehicles behind, pay attention and follow! We will lead the way up front, guiding you out of the danger zone as quickly as possible." Leading the way and clearing danger¡ªthat was the greatest purpose of Car 1 on this journey! Chapter 150: 149 Approaching "What are those...?" The ss of the car window reflected the gradually weakening sunlight of thete afternoon, and Miss Aryan''s delicate, petite face, pasted against the ss, stared nkly at the giant insect figures receding into the distance. Under the lead of Vehicle 1, everyone escaped safely. However, an unknown confusion weighed on their hearts; nobody knew what exactly the monsters that had burrowed out of the ground were. "Did the Bug Race undergo some kind of mutation?" Gregory''s brows were tightly furrowed, his mood heavy. Humanity had survived on this for thousands of years; there were almost no native creatures leftpletely unseen. Moreover, near the Bug Race''s hives, whenever something entirely new appeared, it was almost certain to be rted to the Bug Race; even if not the Bug Race itself, their gic pollution undoubtedly had an influence. This ability for survival mutations of an extraterrestrial species was something human biotechnology''s imagination couldn''t keep up with. Just like the main forces of the Bug Race... The insects thatnded on the centuries ago were entirely different from today''s insects. Back then, the insects primarily consisted of aerial forces, with air creatures named "Gargoyles" and "Winged Serpents" rampaging through the skies. The "Drop Pods" descending from outer space brought countless "Servants," "Horn Beasts," "Soldier Insects," and other castes in a mad invasion against human defenses, a fierce battle. Today''s Worker Insects, Bee Insects, and Mantis Insects had already mutated or adapted. To humanity''splete unfamiliarity, the Master¡ªa core insect¡ªhad shown itself not long ago and taught humanity a harsh lesson. And now... a new type of insect had appeared. What had caused this new wave of mutations in the species? "Commander, should we turn back and report to the military district?" a soldier asked beside him. The prohibition engraved in his genes made him constantly concerned about the safety of all humanity. If humans weren''t prepared for an underground attack, the Bug Race''s sudden strike from below could cause heavy losses for humanity, even crippling injuries. Gregory frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head, "No need; we continue forward." They had their mission, and the military base wouldn''t bepletely blind. The Master, that kind of core insect, was a special case¡ªthere was only one, hidden deep within the hive, never revealing itself, refusing to initiate an attack unless humans reached its mainir. But the number of insects they had just seen was not small; it would be difficult for them to move unnoticed on ordinary days. The military base sent out patrols every day for reconnaissance, and if these insects showed any signs of movement within a certain range of the city, they would hardly escape the keen eyes of those elite scouts. Protect yourrades, but also trust them. Patrol and reconnaissance were the scouts'' duty, executing this military operation was the mission they themselves had to aplish! The only odd thing was... why didn''t those insectsunch a targeted attack on the three off-road vehicles? Were their sensory organs incapable of detecting the human flesh and blood beneath the cold steel, or did this type of insect not bear the burden of assault? This information could actually be gathered and reported back to the Scientific Research Institute for analysis. Withdrawing his gaze, Gregory remembered how Vehicle 1 had led everyone out of the chaotic upheaval of the ground insects and deftly avoided all danger, feeling a sincere sense of relief. This internal selection mechanism had indeed been rigorous, equipping him with quite a few excellent soldiers¡ªVehicle 1''s driver had performed unbelievably well during this unforeseen event. In the midst of unknown chaos, daring to shoulder everything, this kind ofposure and decisiveness in the face of danger, and courage to forge ahead, shone brighter than his skills. "Was it 166A11 that led everyone to safety just now? Well done." There was a brief silence in the channel, before the calm voice of an experienced soldier slowly came through¡ª "...It was 95B27." "..." That number again... ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +7.] The notification sounded unobtrusively as Bai E casually nced through the rearview mirror at the giant insect figures growing distant. Insects... Anotherpletely unknown new type of insect... From the frequency of urrences, they resembled the Elite Insect Race like the Mantis Insects, only without the capacity as a "Hive Mind" node. Their bodies were almost entirely covered in a thickyer of ck Chitin Bone Armor. In the sunlight, the bone des, row upon row like knives, reflected blindingly cold light. In the wars toe, one would have to be wary not just of what''s in front and far away, but also of what''s underneath... "Let me drive from here; they didn''t bandage the back properly," said the yellow-skinned soldier, full of admiration, from behind Bai E after they had left the danger zone. With just two interventions, this honest and straightforward soldier waspletely convinced. Bai E gently pressed on the brake and smoothly carried out the exchange. "It''s not serious; it''ll heal after some rest, but for now, it''s best not to exert any force," Bai E advised the soldier known as ''Big White Bear,'' the chief driver, after examining and bandaging the wound. "But as for driving..." "Just rest, leave the driving to me." Moreover, a long stretch of road ahead had even terrain, and the yellow-skinned soldier was capable enough to handle it on his own. After two medium crises, the journey had be stable again. All the jostling had fatigued everyone inside the vehicle. Until the red sun sank into the ground, and the twilight filled the treetops, the distorted silhouettes of the jungle showed their fangs and ws far off against the twilight horizon. From dawn... to dusk. Thest stop, the Beastified Jungle... It was getting dark... The journey grew increasingly rough, the terrain in the hilly area was rugged. Even when they tried to find the smoothest paths possible, the bumps were inevitable, and their speed slowed down considerably. The Asian soldier twisted ufortably and asked the man behind him, "Brother B27, maybe you should take over driving..." The heavy responsibility panicked him, but evading it only filled him with self-reproach. Bai E patted his shoulder and smiled away his worries, "You''re tired too, let me take over." The target base was located deep within the Beastified Jungle ahead in the distance. Built hundreds of years ago with deliberate avoidance of popted cities, the once suburban hills now wore a mantle of marsnd after centuries of abandonment. The jungle, influenced by extraterrestrial factors, exhibited astonishing vitality and aggressiveness. Lacking any conscious will, driven only by the instinctual triggers of lying in wait. For those beastmen, this was the perfect yground, but for human convoys trying to prate its depths, it was undoubtedly a significant barrier. ording to the n, they were to reach the edge of the jungle before darkness fellpletely; whether to proceed would be decided based on the conditions observed and the actual time of arrival. After all, the target base was a considerable distance from the jungle''s outskirts, and advancing further today would enable an earlier arrival at the base tomorrow to initiate reconnaissance and attack. The three vehicles slowed down, and someone inquired over the voice channel, "Commander?" "Slow down, but keep moving forward," Gregory scanned the horizon with his eyes. There was still time, at least two hours left before night would fallpletely¡ªthey couldn''t afford to waste it. The status of the target base was unknown, and it was always better to carry out reconnaissance by day than to engage inbat at night. ording to the data received, bioengineered soldiers'' nighttime abilities far surpassed those of normal humans. "Yes!" On an operation, themander''s order was an absolute irond rule, executed to perfection. In the quiet, unpopted wilderness, the three vehicles drove a snaking S-curve, with their headlights piercing the increasingly dense twilight, as if willingly diving into the mouth of a demon, slowly entering the twisted, sparse jungle. Almost every tree that met the eye was a centuries-old behemoth, unimaginably thick, not necessarily very tall, but requiring at least three to four people to encircle, standing apart in stark relief. "Creak, creak~" Dry vines and branches snapped crisply under the wheels, the vehicle body jolted lightly over the exposed, hefty roots, as if the disturbed green branches swiftly recoiled, wrapping into bundles alongside a giant tree like clutching human hands. asionally, small creatures that formed a symbiotic rtionship with the jungle flitted through thework of vines and branches, their green sheen obscured whatever native species they might be. With humanity having lost dominion over the for hundreds of years, subject to various external influences, the itself had undergone drastic changes, native species evolving little by little to adapt and mutate for survival¡ªnothing could be more normal. The rustlings of those small creatures made the ce seem even more serene. All the soldiers inside the vehicles quietly gripped their machine guns. They didn''t fear a fiery, head-on battle, but the uncanny and unknown always elerated the heartbeat. Fortunately, they truly hadn''t encountered any danger along the way. Bai E carefully controlled the speed and path, avoiding "offending" those "beastified giant trees" where danger lurked, unless it was impossible to evade. The meandering path before and behind them sent the beams of six headlights straight into the depths of the hills, some blocked by small mounds. Only when it became too dark to see one''s hand in front of them did Gregory''s voice sound in everyone''s earpieces, "Stop the engines; everyone rest inside the vehicles! Assign shifts for duty, and preserve your energy." "Yes, Commander!" "Yes, Commander!" Bai pressed the brake but didn''t leave the driver''s seat. Even while resting, he had to do so at the driving position to ensure he could get everyone out of danger at the first sign of trouble. The vehicle''s dim light came on as everyone made final preparations before resting. "Come, eat something." Steaming ration packs were passed forward by aposed soldier, "Here are nkets too; cover yourself to avoid catching a cold at night." "Thanks, got it." "Eat up, you sleep first. I''ll wake you for the second half of the night." "All right." After briefly addressing personal needs, the lights were turned off, and the vehicle fell silent. Soft snores began to rise from all around. Reflecting on the day''s journey in the darkness, gazing at the resting figure on the left side of the cockpit, the seasoned soldier inexplicably felt a wave of reassurance. It felt as if with him on a mission, nothing was too difficult. This sense of stability was something he couldn''t feel when asionally teaming up with gically optimized soldiers or Spiritual Energy users¡ªit might be due to... his seemingly unppable character? His decisive actions even amidst unforeseen changes? Or perhaps it stemmed from the man''s reputation¡ªsingle-handedly saving more than four hundred lives on a battlefield against the Bug Race! He wasn''t a direct participant, but having a soldier who had aplished such a feat as a teammate made him feel backed up. Without demonstrating sufficient personal capabilities, unity and noble qualities were but gentle traps; with ability, all nobility of the soul gained its foundation. In any case, it was like a bright moonrise in his heart, bathing his spirit in cold light on this moonless night... "Creak~" "Creak~" The branches moved slowly... Chapter 151: 150 Spiritual Energy user Pansen "Hush~" A slight jostle abruptly woke Bai E from his deep sleep, like two bright stars igniting in the night, his eyes snapped open instantly, retaining a crystal-clear consciousness as he tried to locate the source of the disturbance. The next moment, the faint touch on his shoulder entered Bai E''s awareness. Despite scanning the dense twilight outside the car window, Bai E then turned to look behind him. The steady old soldier raised his index finger to his lips, "Hush~" Signaling Bai E not to panic, the old soldier then pointed towards the side window¡ª In the jungle, drifting phosphorescent green glows floated in mid-air, and the eyes ustomed to the darkness of night could vaguely make out the shapes in this dimly lit environment. Mud-streaked vines, greenish-brown, had unknowingly crept onto the reinforced ss. Bai E''s gaze became sharp, instinctively reaching for the machine gun beside him, hesitating slightly, then releasing his right hand that had already gripped the handle. Too much noise, better use abat knife. "Shall we take action?" "Ask themander." The two whispered softly, trying not to disturb theirrades'' rest before confirming the need to take action. The main strength tomorrow would lie with those closebat experts; their role as firepower support was to keep watch at night. "Hiss~" Turning on a separate channel, the steady old soldier softly requested over the mic, "This is Vehicle 1, this is Vehicle 1, abnormal situation detected. Requesting permission to engage?" Almost instantly, Gregory''s equally soft reply came through the earpiece, clearly not just Vehicle 1 had noticed the anomaly, "Those vines? We''ve seen them too." "Commander?" "Have the soldiers on watch duty remain alert, but for now, it seems the threat isn''t significant, no need to disturb everyone''s rest." ording to the gathered data, these nts were not very aggressive, all attacks seemed to be some kind of instinctual stress response, not a formidable enemy. It was better to let everyone get a good rest to preserve energy for the next morning when they could deal with it together. Conversely, kicking up a fuss with these nts and attracting attention from potentially dangerous beasts lurking in the jungle or nomadic orcs would really spell trouble. This part of the jungle wasn''t far from the orcs'' main ntation, so encountering small groups of wandering orcs was quite possible. "Received," the steady old soldier acknowledged promptly. With such orders from themander, there was no need for undue worry. "Do you want to sleep some more? You were tired today, and I probably won''t be needed tomorrow..." "It''s fine." The shock had chased away all desire to sleep, "Can''t sleep, I''ll keep watch, go get some rest." "Suit yourself." Bai E took over from the old soldier, who then switched with AB, as the four firepower support soldierspleted their night watch handover. Sitting in the driver''s seat, Bai E stared at the jungle ahead, lost in thought. Feedback from other yers umted, only being processed by his consciousness after he awoke¡ª [From the quest feedback, your Insight +0.2.] [From the quest feedback, Long-Range Weapons Mastery experience +52.] [From the quest feedback, Light Weapons Mastery experience +30.] ¡­ [From the quest feedback, your Reflex +0.1.] [From the quest feedback, Combat Mastery experience +36.] ¡­ Enhanced Insight made Bai E''s eyes even brighter, allowing him to see further distances in the nearly pitch-ck Dark Environment, or to observe those minute details that are almost imperceptible. The vines creeping over the vehicle were like a thief sneaking into a house while its owner slept, moving as slowly and quietly as possible, inch by inch, trying to envelop the entire vehicle. Bai E watched one of the vines closely and realized it took a long time before it moved just a tiny bit. Unlike the vines at dusk that reacted violently, the current motion was growth rather than crawling. Just like its host nt, which rooted itself in one ce and grew slowly over hundreds of years, not vying for height with the sun and the moon day after day. Trying to trace the vines back to their origins as much as possible, apart from the asionally "stretching" living trees, there were no other clues to be found. The lucky hit indicator didn''t register thoserge trees as attackable targets¡ªwas it because it deemed that one couldn''t burst through them, or because it defaulted to them being part of the background environment? Any detail could be valuable information when out and about, and Bai E''s brain was running at full tilt. ¡­ "Crack!" "Crack!" "Whoosh~" At dawn, the sound of vines snapping startled some of the soldiers still deep in sleep. Suddenly awake, Morton and other soldiers arose from their slumber, looking out the windows. The soldiers who had woken earlier or were on thest watch duty were now usingbat knives to clear the vines that had nearly enveloped the vehicle. Those branches were extraordinarily tenacious, some seemingly with a retaliation instinct, as they immediately tried to locate the source andsh out to attack or entrap their prey the moment they were assailed. The tall soldiers, unconcerned, stepped into the fray, allowing themselves to be wrapped by the vines without immediate resistance. Only whenpletely bound did they explosively exert strength. "Ah~~~ah!" The muscles beneath thebat suit burst with unimaginable power, instantly snapping the vines that even Bai E found difficult to sever with abat knife and had wrapped around several times. The bursts of the broken branches whist through the air, making a "snap" sound. The Blood God¡­ that was the guy who nearly gave him a concussion with just a few punches in thepetition. So strong¡­ Even with physique nearing the limit at 15 points and having the specialty¡ªOverlimit Drive, he couldn''t match that level of performance. In fact, it wasn''t just him; those who hurled daggers to slice through the air, cleaved through four or five in a single stroke, rapidly retracted to attempt escape only to be caught in an instant by arge hand... Bai E realized that the individuals selected by the military must each possess their unique skills. Not one of them was easy to deal with! The encounters they had faced on the road so far were just appetizers. The bioengineered guards within the target facility were the real adversaries of this mission, and the show of force from these powerful men was yet toe. If everything went smoothly, following behind these tough guys would mean umting military merits and exploring the ruins... that would be beautifully ideal. Bai E wasn''t keen on seizing every opportunity to showcase himself. Freed from his teammates'' disdainful nces, sometimes he was perfectly content to take it easy. "Snap!" With one warrior severing the final vine wrapped around the vehicle, three off-road cars roared off into the cool moisture of the early morning. ... "We''re here." The silver-grey spires pierced through the gaps in the leaves and branches, appearing vividly before everyone''s eyes, just as the target building materialized from the documents into Bai E''s sight. The pictures in the files bore no concept; it was only upon seeing it with his own eyes that he realized... it was truly massive. "Stop!" Gregory issued the curtmand through everyone''s headsets. "Release the drones." The car windows slid open, and three ck quadcopters, wobbling slightly, flew out from inside the vehicles toward the target direction. It wasn''t advisable for the drones to directly prate the target building, but it was always right to scout the perimeter first. Those bioengineered soldiers, though gically modified, still followed the basic human biological system; they needed to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. These needs might leave traces behind. While waiting, the three vehicles hid under the shelter of branches and leaves. Until the operation waspletely sessful, they had to remain concealed. "Commander, I see it, there''s a field on the west side of the target base with signs of cultivation, but it''s not very clear." "There is an enclosed fence on the northeast corner, it seems to contain small animals." "The drones are flying too high to see clearly,mander, should we move in closer?" "No need," Gregory''s gaze narrowed with a cold glint. With this basic information, it was enough. Getting too close might alert those potentially anti-electronic bioengineered beings to the presence of intruders. "Lord Pansen, if you please." The tall man standing beside Gregory with his arms crossed and an indifferent expression nodded at the mention, "I''ll have a look." Watching the figure striding alone from number 2 vehicle toward the target facility, the curiosity in the voice of the person sitting next to Bai E was evident, "He''s going alone?" The seasoned old soldier, seemingly experienced in cooperating with individuals with psychic abilities, exined cheerfully, "The capabilities of our Spiritual Energy users are extraordinary and unpredictable. It''s not umon for them to act alone." "What is he going to do?" "He''s probably scouting the interior of the target facility for us¡­" As themander hadn''t shared specifics about the ns for the Spiritual Energy users, the old soldier could only guess while stroking his chin, "They say those bioengineered people have noses like hounds, right? We''ll see whether their noses are sharper or ours..." "You seem to be insulting someone..." Everyone''s eyes were fixed on the figure carefully advancing through the grass that reached halfway up the calves, moving stealthily toward the target. In Bai E''s eyes, there was even more information to be seen¡ª [Pansen (Human) (Ally) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*1500, 3000 points ofbat experience); High probability (Attribute: Mental Resistance, Advanced: Light Firearms Specialization level +1, up to level 6); Possible (Feat: Keen Senses, Spiritual Energy (Heavenly Eye): 100)] Not entirelyprehensive, but certainly indicative. However, for some reason, as Bai E stared in that direction for a moment, he felt his eyes blurring. The space where the Spiritual Energy user stood seemed to flicker in and out of existence, and staring too long seemed to make one''s head spin. Rubbing his eyes instinctively, when Bai E looked again, he was shocked to discover¡ªgone! Under the nearing noon sun, had a human silhouette just vanished like that? Even if one tried to locate the Spiritual Energy user through the unusual disturbances in the grass and foliage, it appeared to be an impossible task. It wasn''t just Bai E; all the soldiers in vehicle number 1, who were eagerly watching, inadvertently dropped their jaws in astonishment. "Where... where''s the lord?" "I don''t know... I blinked, and he was gone?" The old soldier expressed his amazement, "That''s Spiritual Energy~" No matter how many times one witnessed it, the miracles of Spiritual Energy always elicited awe. And this lord''s skill in Spiritual Energyy in concealment and reconnaissance. Time slowly passed in quiet anticipation. Unable to see the Spiritual Energy user''s actions or know the interior conditions of the target building, everyone could only silently wait for feedback from the Spiritual Energy user. "He''s back," the co-driver beside Bai E suddenly pointed excitedly in a direction; at a spot roughly a hundred meters away, the departed Spiritual Energy user seemed to manifest suddenly before everyone''s eyes. Only... the expression on his face seemed rather somber. "I can''t detect deep inside." The Spiritual Energy user stated the reality upon returning to vehicle number 2: "The building materials inside this base seem to contain aponent that blocks Spiritual Energy." In the history Bai E was aware of, Spiritual Energy users had existed for a long time, but it was only in recent centuries that they started ying a significant role in theposition of humanbat forces. Earlier, technological development appeared to have restrained the exploration of individual Spiritual Energy, and the asional awakened individuals were humorously regarded as "magicians." Unexpectedly, this centuries-old relic base had even considered the Spiritual Energy users, who should not have been very prominent at the time. "However... they are indeed still alive." The Spiritual Energy user had not returned empty-handed. Chapter 152: 151 Begin Action! "The intel says the passages in the target base are almost all shut, with only one entrance open on the west side and southeast corner each, and each entrance is guarded by two bio-engineered soldiers." "Going a bit further inside the corridors, there''s a patrolling squad of four bio-engineered soldiers, but the cycle isn''t very certain, and I only ''saw'' one squad." "In addition, their perception isn''t as sharp as the intel described, and not every bio-engineered soldier is equipped with the standard gear mentioned." "As long as we conceal ourselves properly andunch attacks from behind, they are very likely to be unaware. I can only carry two people at a time at the maximum, and the concealment effect will fail when we''re within 50 meters of them." "If we can instantly take out the two gatekeepers at 50 meters, we''ve got a very good chance of infiltrating the base without detection!" "The base only retains minimal lighting power, and I didn''t detect any other electronic devices being used. From what I can see, their living andbat ways are just as primitive!" After reporting all his findings, the Spiritual Energy user Pansen waited for Gregory''s response. Although he held a superior position, he also had to follow themands of themander when it came to specific operational arrangements. Gregory pondered briefly and soon made the arrangements, his precise and concise voice ringing in everyone''s earpieces, "Dawson, Han Lei, AB, Bill, you four follow Lord Pansen andunch a surprise attack on the west gate. Make sure to eliminate the guards before they can sound the rm." These people all had their special skills, sniper rifles, throwing knives, closebat assassinations... after all, the opponents were bio-engineered humans, with centuries-old ck technology, who knew what kind of stuff they had modified, so even sniper rifles couldn''t guarantee a kill. Only long-range snipingbined with an instant burst from a 50-meter range could assure a foolproof action." "Additionally, Old One, 95B27, Molly, Lina... Aside from the soldiers just named, all remaining personnel prepare tounch an attack. As soon as we take the west gate, everybody rapidly assault!" "The personnel staying behind must protect the key figures and be ready to respond to orders at any moment. Members involved in the invasion, ensure clearmunication, and stay in contact. Start checking your equipment now, I''m giving you 1 minute to prepare!" After speaking, Gregory turned to Likok and his assistant, Miss Aryan, who had been summoned behind him, "The two of you, we don''t know the inside situation, so we must eliminate all risks before we can take you in. Please wait patiently." While the drones continued to scout from afar, 1 minute quietly passed. "Ready yet?" "Ready." "Ready." The soldiers leading the way responded one after another. "Move out!" Four soldiers split into two groups following the Spiritual Energy user, and before the eyes of Bai E and others still waiting, they performed a great vanishing act once again. Even with preparation this time, Bai E kept his eyes wide open without blinking, but under the hypnotic ripples in the targeted space, he still lost the trace of the five people after an irresistible moment of mental haze. I really want to... blow him up. Envy filled Bai E''s heart. After another short wait, with Pansen''s cover, the two snipers got to their optimal sniping positions andy in hiding, while the other two soldiers vanished from sight alongside the Spiritual Energy user. Until Pansen''s cool voice came through the earpieces, "Action." "Bang!" Two sniper rifles fitted with silencers fired simultaneously. The dampened sound and sh only flickered in the perception of the attentive Bai E and other soldiers, unable to reach the base''s interior, blocked by the thick outer walls. "Go!" As the guns fired, the two soldiers who approached within 50 meters under Pansen''s cover exploded into action. After a minor sound of knives piercing flesh came through the earpieces, Pansen''s voice once again rose steadily, "Objectivepleted." Gregory clenched his fist in exhration, his voice steady and fervent, "Attack!" The doors of the three off-road vehicles opened simultaneously, and over ten soldiers scattered into the fields, rushing towards the west gate like a pack of hunting wolves amid the rustling sounds. A total of 25 men came, and now, apart from the five including Bai E left behind for fire support and the two snipers still in hiding, only two scientific staff remained in the vehicles. The numbers weren''trge, all gathered inside the second vehicle, waiting for the oue, while the first and third vehicles also kept their engines running, ready to move and provide support at any moment. And including themanding officer and the Spiritual Energy user, 16 soldiers togetherunched an invasion into the target building. Silence filled thems, and those left outside, including Bai E, quietly awaited the oue. They could only guess at the situation encountered by the soldiers who entered the building through snippets of dialogue transmitted via the limited range of the radio¡ª "These bio-engineered soldiers haven''t exceeded human limitations, there is a possibility ofpleting the task." "Go in!" "No one in the left corridor!" "No one in the right corridor!" "No one in the central corridor!" "Split up and move! Blood God, you take them through the left! Han Lei, you take them through the right! The reste with me down the middle! Try to eliminate their living forces as much as possible, maintainmunication, be quick in action, and decide on your own whether to retreat or call for reinforcements when encountering a tough nut to crack." Topletely take over this base and restart the servers, they needed to fully eliminate all living forces. The allies had not understood this base for hundreds of years, and Spiritual Energy users'' scouting abilities were blocked by the building material. The opposition might have foregone electronic surveince and other equipment due to energy restrictions or other reasons, relying solely on manpower. The information gathering and counteracting abilities of both parties were almost at the same level. The battle strategies also almost entirely consisted of cold weapons and closebat. All of these were known to everyone before departure. After all, not only were they trying to restart the servers but also the bio-engineered soldiers in the base, following thest orders of the electronic devil before it went silent, were equally cautious not to use high-powered firearms, afraid to damage the "main body" of their "master." ``` Both sides were equally reluctant to make a move, afraid of incurring damage. Once the operation managed to break into the base, it would essentially be tantamount to engaging in close-quartersbat from the age of cold weapons. Even if their cover was blown, it would merely make the mission more or less difficult. Theter the exposure urred, the more enemybatants they would undoubtedly eliminate, easing the mission slightly. The only variable was the number of bioengineered soldiers inside, and their individualbat prowess. There was no precise data to reference on this point. Human technology was indeed formidable hundreds of years ago, but for that very reason, the level of individual soldier training did not match the emphasis ced on it in this era. After all, many technologies of this era have been lost or are unusable, leaving nothing but the soldiers'' own bodies to withstand natural disasters. Therefore, bioengineered soldiers who "far exceeded" the capabilities of ordinary soldiers in that era might not "far exceed" the standards when facing the elites selected from the barracks today¡ªit was unknown. That was why the military opted for a conservative n, to first send the strongest elite selected from regr soldiers to probe the situation. If sessful, all the better; if not, they would decisively retreat while also gathering some data. As long as the server restart n was indeed feasible, they woulde back to deliver the final blow. After all, the base wasn''t going anywhere, and bioengineered soldiers without the backing of any power didn''t have the ability to rapidly bolster their forces or climb the technologicaldder. Sooner orter, it would be in the bag. But while the military had options, Bai E did not. A second visit was certainly not what Bai E hoped to see. After all, he might not be taken along next time... Sess! It must be a sess. The moment he first saw the ruins, the prompt for the main mission was activated¡ª [Prompt: "Ruins" discovered. Sessfullypleting exploration will fulfil part of the main mission¡ªIron Curtain. Current exploration rate: 0.1%] Only with a major sess in this operation would he, the "reserve personnel," have a chance to enter the ruins. It would be best if those tough guys up front could just bulldoze through, leaving a safe shell for him to wander around and smoothly aplish one-third of the main mission. As for ignoringmands and acting on his own to follow... Apart from the potential risks of bioengineered soldiers within the ruins, the four gun barrels behind him were not there just for show. Before setting out, the officer had made it clear that during this military operation, all actions should follow orders, and anyone viting orders would face military justice... which meant being shot on the spot. He could only hope that everything ahead went smoothly... or maybe, that failure would necessitate reinforcement? But if there were a rout, they would most likely retreat directly and wait toe back another time, and it wouldn''t be his turn, including the five fire support personnel and two snipers, to go in and reinforce. Worrisome... All he could do was pray for their sess... Bai E frowned slightly, praying for divine intervention for his teammates. He wondered how they were faring inside... ever since the decision to split up was made a while ago, there had beenplete silence in his earpiece. Bai E felt a vague panic with no feedback from inside. "Are you 95B27?" Amidst the stifling wait, Bai E heard an intelligent and gentle voice next to him. Turning his head, he saw her identity immediately¡ªnot dressed inbat gear and with a delicate slender figure¡ªit was Minister Likok''s assistant, Miss Aryan. "Hmm," Bai E responded stiffly. "Do you understandputer hardware?" Aryan looked curiously at the stoic-faced soldier before her. Was this the man who had twice led everyone to safety during yesterday''s journey? Consequently, she casually struck up a conversation, "We might need your help soon... It''s just Minister Likok and me. We might be overwhelmed." "..." Hesitating slightly, Bai E still decided to be truthful and nodded, "A little." Thanks to Wen Jie''s schrly efforts, he now possessed Level 1 knowledge inputer hardware maintenance, so he did have some understanding. Besides, if there really was a need for his helpter, he could actually assist. To decline now and then demonstrate the abilityter would be somewhat embarrassing. "That''s good." Aryan, seemingly a pure research talent with little world experience, was immediately delighted by Bai E''s simple promise, "Then, thank you in advance~" "...It''s my duty." "You''re also knowledgeable aboutputer hardware?" The conversation between the two drew attention in the quiet vehicle. The only soldier among the selected elites with some expertise in this area looked curiously at Bai E, "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you in the information sses at the barracks." He was one of the rare informational soldiers trained in the barracks, possessing not only decent shooting skills but also some learning in information technology. This dual capability was his ticket to selection. The unmanned drone deployed earlier was under his control. Bai E rubbed the tip of his finger slightly and improvised, "I learned it on the outside..." I''m self-taught, a prodigy! Without giving the other party more opportunity to doubt, suddenly a fire support personnel asked with some confusion. "Has anyone else noticed that it''s too quiet on thems?" Since the decision to split up and infiltrate the base, there had been no messages transmitted back for a long time. With thems left open, one would have expected to hear at least the sound of footsteps or breathing, but there was utter silence. This silent void was particrly unsettling, as if that silent, towering base was some primordial beast that had swallowed the unknowing humans whole... ``` Chapter 153: 152 Perfect Creation "Yeah... they''ve been quiet for a long time." Another gunner also realized this fact, "How long have they been inside?" "27 minutes." A soldier kept precise timing. Inside... what happened? The unknown always causes panic, and the few gunners left behind looked at one another, feeling lost without themander''s orders. "Could it be that the signal can''t get back because the distance is too far?" "That shouldn''t be the case, we''re still well within range." "Or is there equipment inside that blocks electromaic signals?" "They... they couldn''t have had an ident, could they?" "Should we... send someone in to check?" "Let''s ask those two snipers first..." Gregory had said that only the infiltrators needed to keep voicemunication clear, and it was likely that if those staying outside interfered with important voicemunication for no reason, it could bring trouble to the invadingbatants. Finding the specific channel, one gunner asked AB who was waiting with his sniper rifle: "AB, you''re closer, can you hear any voice activity inside?" "No." The answer was short; AB''s character was, as always, indifferent. "Could it be that they temporarily blocked us? After all, they split up to act, and a mess of noises would not be conducive to coordination. Maybe they will contact us when needed?" "Maybe... Themander told us to hold our positions, I think it''s best not to take matters into our own hands. Let''s just wait patiently." "Right, even if something did happen, it''s not like no one could make it out. Just rx and wait, our duty is to provide support." Sitting in a corner, a gunner who hadn''t spoken up until now suddenly asked the scientific researcher, deep in thought and sitting away from everyone else: "Likok, what do you think the possibilities are?" Likok, always candid, shook his head, "I don''t know... The information on this base is iplete, I can''t be certain, but I can be sure there''s definitely no high-power signal jamming equipment." Otherwise, the server''swork signal couldn''t get out, but it''s possible for low-power signal jammers that target individual wirelessmunication. Was it active jamming by the infiltrationbatants, or blockage by signal jamming equipment? Both were possible. "Aryan, turn on myputer," Likok, feeling equally uneasy from the conversation of the few gunners, instructed his assistant. He was of no use in a fight, but when it came to problems in the field of electronic information, he might be able to help a bit. The hope of rebooting the server was within reach, and he wanted to see the sess of this operation more than anyone. "I''ll try to intercept some stray electromaic signals that this base might have." Soldiers collect intelligence with their eyes, Spiritual Energy users with their perception, and he... with technology. "Yes, sir!" Aryan answered crisply. Likok, with hisputer on and his face reflecting the pale white light, said, "I need some time, but I still think you should follow yourmander''s orders." Leave it to the experts to handle their fields of expertise. Despite his dissatisfaction with the military only assigning these soldiers¡ªwhich by their standards were not top-tier¡ªto assist him with rebooting the server, now that the situation hade to this, he had to trust the judgment of themander. "Then... let''s wait." The waiting soldiers slightly pushed down their confusion. Drones still patrolled around the target base, attempting to discover more leads. Bai E suddenly spoke up, "Why not fly a bit closer? Since themander and his team have already infiltrated, it doesn''t matter if the drones outside get exposed." The soldier operating the drone hesitated briefly before dipping the flight height at Bai E''s suggestion. As they passed by the breeding and nting fields, Bai E intently reviewed the feedback images. The one sitting at the scene with the least pressure was likely Miss Likok''s assistant, a pure scientific researcher, who just waited for the soldiers to finish the fight and then follow her teacher toplete the rebooting of the server. Other than that, she couldn''t help, so she felt no pressure. Now, she casually asked Bai E out of curiosity, excited simply to find someone among the soldiers with whom she could sharemonnguage, "Do you also have an understanding of information technology from a few centuries ago?" "..." Bai E''s eyes went dark. You''re asking me? I''m all about hands-on, not theory~ But it seemed thedy didn''t expect an answer from Bai E anyway. Her teacher was tight-lipped, and the other soldiers were also taciturn and gloomy. She''d been nearly suffocated by the silence along the way; she just wanted someone to talk to. Seeing that Bai E didn''t speak, she kept talking, "I don''t know how they did it back then, but relying solely on the server hosts in this base, they could send signals perfectly and quickly to any corner of the globe. Just by establishing a signal station in any location, it could instantly support all devices within the station''s signal coverage towork usage without bandwidth limitations. Despite both being wirelessworks, our current local areaworks can only support short-distance transfer of some simple information. Whether it''s efficiency, quality, amount, or distance, they are not on the same level." Using a hundred automated turrets against fast-moving targets in the air, back then, a hundred turrets could hit a hundred required targets without interference or ovep, now it''s uncertain if a hundred could even hit one... This is the most evident application in actualbat. Aryan said with awe, "The information technology of that era was unbelievable; it''s said that even then, such miracles were hard to replicate. I think the materials used to build this base''s server must have been extraordinary..." Chapter 154: 152 Perfect Creation_2 No need for fiber optics? No wonder a server restart is sufficient... "Oh~" Bai E nodded, signaling that he was listening attentively. "Neither my teacher nor I have dealt with devices from centuries ago, we might even need time to study them before we can understand how they work. Who knows how much the technology of centuries ago differs from today''s..." "Hmm..." Bai E nodded stiffly, feeling indifferent. When these two disciples were allowed to go in, the warriors would have already fully secured the ce. They didn''t need to rush their progress with life-or-death urgency. They could research slowly, research thoroughly. He himself also needed some time to explore the entire relic to unlock the exploration degree. Nobody was in a hurry. Miss Aryan''s voice took on a light tone again as she turned the conversation, "So it would be great if you could help as well." Bai E, determined to be a good person to the end, simply responded, "Will do my best." Thanks to Wen Jie, he did know a bit, but not much... [Reward from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +195.] [Current Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience 264/300, at 300 points you can master "Level 2 Computer Hardware Maintenance".] emmmm... Speaking of Wen Jie, where''s Wen Jie? ... "How is it going?" The purple dress outlined stunning curves, but the bouncer at the door just nced at it and quickly moved his gaze away. "Boss Scorpio... that kid has been working hard, always working except when eating or sleeping. I haven''t seen him cking off." The bouncer reported eagerly, himself shocked by such a formidable will. I''ve never seen such a self-motivated and diligent worker... In just three and a half days... working all the time, the value of the work provided by one person far exceeded that of all the other workers who have been deceived or coerced here. No wonder Boss Scorpio has taken such a special interest in him; he''s incredibly fierce. The palm softly pressing on the door, Scorpio peered through the narrow window at the frail figure inside, her pupils shimmering with contemtive hues. Too strange. This kid, with no identifiable information, who suddenly entered the inner city from outside, was just too peculiar. At first he stood out, and Scorpio thought he was a spy sent by some power to gain the organization''s trust and be undercover. The solitary confinement was partly for this reason¡ªto restrict his freedom, to test his mettle, and to freeload off hisbor. But it''s been three and a half days already, and he''s still the same as when he first arrived... if anything, even more focused. It''s as if he came purely for this unrewarded work, which is somewhat absurd. It doesn''t seem like an act. It''s as if he''s addicted to the work itself, his obsessionparable to a drug addiction... Probe for some information? "Click~" The faint sound of the door opening didn''t distract Wen Jie, who was engrossed in his work. [You have sessfully dismantled your target, obtaining useful parts*6.] [You havepleted an electricalponent maintenance practice, Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +390. (Stacked)] [You have acquired "Level 2 Computer Hardware Maintenance", and you have also earned 1 Tech Point.] [Computer Hardware Maintenance (Level 2): You are familiar with all the functions ofputer hardware, and you can urately diagnose any potential failures rted toputer hardware, as well as skillfully disassemble and reassemble any electronicponents, possessing some repair capabilities.] [Current Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience 328/500, at 500 points you can master "Level 3 Computer Hardware Maintenance".] [You are attempting to perfect the Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, with a currentpletion progress of 90%. Once fullypleted, you will obtain: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Completed); +1000 Research Experience Points; 2 Tech Points.] [Reminder: Without the experience of fully assembling aputer, you can never fully perfect the Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance.] Wen Jie, head bowed over his work, saw a faint light sh in his eyes¡ªso he finally reached the step where he needed to assemble a whole machine, huh? Shave a bit more experience? But the efficiency is too low; nowpleting several dismantles only adds 1 point of experience, and it will probably decrease even more until there is none. But as long as there still is, he could shave. Only by perfecting the basics can one explore higher pursuits. However, it seemed like the other party couldn''t wait any longer? "Hey." A raspy, seductive voice sounded in front of him. Zhou Wenjie slowly looked up, in front of him was the dress hem that dipped slightly in between two legs, the edge of ckce tights right in front, and higher up, glimmering long white legs were tantalizingly visible beneath the slit of the dress that ran up to the thigh. If it weren''t for the scar on her face, Wen Jie had decided he would unterally dere her his twenty-fourth 2D waifu; actually, the scar seemed fine, it even added a bit of excitement¡­ Meeting her gaze, Wen Jie tilted his head slightly, his face expressing the dullness characteristic of an engineering otaku, "?" "How long do you n to keep up this disguise?" The woman''s eyes, swirling like vortexes, bore into Wen Jie''s, as if trying to see through the mask he wore on his face. Wen Jie blinked, "What disguise?" "Who sent you here?" she asked. Wen Jie looked as if it was all perfectly natural; "¡­ I came here to work, wasn''t it you who sent for me?" "..." She let out a slight, cold chuckle at the corner of her mouth. Acting! Still acting! "Do you know what we do to infiltrators?" [They are kicked out.] Wen Jie didn''t know, but he didn''t care either, "Then wait for me to finish up my work, and then I''lle and see for myself." He just wanted to rake in experience. "..." Is he for real or not? She stared into Wen Jie''s eyes, trying to apply pressure. She wasn''t sure, she was bluffing too. If he really wasn''t a spy sent by some other organization, cultivating him might make him an engineer worth utilizing within the organization. Deciding to start from the beginning, she asked, "What exactly is your purpose here?" "I saw you were hiring, and I need a job." Isn''t this a perfect match? The reason was so simple it was unbelievable. "But this jobes with no pay." "Isn''t the opportunity to work the greatest reward?" "..." Scab! The logic was so simple it fried her CPU. The woman pointed to the mountain of electronicponents piled up on the ground, "So you''re willing to just keep doing this?" "Of course not," Wen Jie answered honestly. To him, sincerity was the greatest ace up his sleeve, mainly becauseing up with lies was just too tiring¡­ Winning over a mature woman starts with a straightforward approach. "I''d like to try putting them together," he said. "Oh?" She let out a coldugh. As expected, a spy skilled in artful infiltration! "How will you assemble it?" Wen Jie squatted down, fiddling through the electronicponents that looked like a pile of trash, and extracted a small gadget made up of several parts. Pressing an exposed switch, melodious music suddenly started to y. "This is the gift I wanted to give you." An ugly music box without a case... [Associative Learning, you have sessfully assembled a usable "item" through your experience of dismantling and assemblingputer hardware, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +3.] [Current Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience 3/1000, pay out Tech point*1 at 1000 points, will master "Level 1 Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing."] The random electronic scrap had everything, and knowledge inputer hardware maintenance wasn''t only applicable toputers. Standing against the dim backdrop of "junk" on the ground behind him, Wen Jie held the slightly punk, hardcore music box with an innocently smiling face and sincere eyes, looking into hers. "This is what I want to do..." Chapter 155: 153 Detect the anomaly "..." In that one-thousandth of a second, Langxie felt her heart, cold as a frozen fish, suddenly throb, but it was immediately suppressed by absolute reason. It wasn''t that no one had ever confessed or flirted with her, but never with such a sincere and pure smile. It didn''t seem like an act... For her sake? She found it hard to ept such a narcissistic answer. With a p, Langxie swatted away the toy that had briefly stirred her heart, sneering, "Merely this kind of toy can''t prove anything." "That''s why I need you to give me a bit of free time." Think she''s a fool? Langxieughed coldly, the scars on her face appearing somewhat fierce, "What privileges do you want?" "Not to rush me to work..." "Hmm?" Zhou Wenjie pointed to piles upon piles of parts, which were electronic scraps these people had somehow scavenged, but with some fixing up, they could still be put together to make what he wanted, "With those, I can assemble aputer that will run just fine." "So..." "So I need a little time." "Right here?" "Right here." Langxie stared into Wenjie''s eyes, feeling her CPU growing hotter and hotter, causing her not-particrly-sharp brain to feel a bit dizzy. "But... why do you want to assemble aputer?" "For you to see," Wenjie responded with a gentle smile, looking up. [That annoying smile again.] Langxie silently bit her silver teeth, "Why show me?" "To demonstrate my strength." "..." She had never seen an undercover agent be so bluntly honest¡­... Langxie followed Wenjie''s line of thought, "And then to get into our core?" "Right." "And then to betray us?" "And then to learn your advanced knowledge!" Wenjie looked at Langxie strangely, "Why would you have such a weird thought? Favorability with each power isn''t easy to earn, you know?" "..." Favorability? Her heart beat rapidly, uncontrobly¡ªthe excessively innocent and straightforward young man, like a straightforward big boy, bewildered the all-too-familiar-with-deceit Langxie. But since his behavior was still controble, she might as well see what he was going to do. With her watching, he couldn''t cause any trouble anyway. "I''ll allow it." Wenjie''s face immediately burst into a radiant smile, "Thank you, sister¡­ actually, you look very pretty when you smile." "Swoosh!" A knife with glinting cold light deceived Wenjie''s eyes and appeared at his throat without him noticing. The icy de pressed tightly against his skin; it seemed even swallowing saliva might lead to suicide. Wenjie leaned back slightly, puzzled, "You''re not really going to kill me, why scare me?" "..." The fingertips of Langxie holding the knife pressed down slightly, asserting that he wasn''t the first to say she wouldn''t dare kill. Being a woman often required being more ruthless than men to stand one''s ground. But right now... she indeed wouldn''t kill him. "Keep your mouth shut." "Oh~" "..." Langxie crossed her arms, her chest boldly prominent, looking down at Wenjie withmanding presence, awaiting his performance, "You may begin." Wenjie silently turned and began rummaging through the "trash heap." Manyponents needed were exactly where he remembered, picking them up with smooth efficiency. [Premeditated!] Langxie smirked with her arms crossed, moved lightly to the wall, and while Wenjie wasn''t paying attention, she quickly squatted and picked up the "music box" that had been swatted away earlier. No one had ever given her a toy before; she could take it back as a trophy to show off¡­... Meanwhile, Wenjie, eyes fixed on the task, considered everything he encountered in the game to be just a fleeting cloud; the knowledge from the game world that he could truly learn and remember was what he needed. [You are attempting to assemble a machine¡­...] [Free Creation Mode: You are using your Knowledge ability to attempt to create something entirely new and unknown to you; ording to your Knowledge judgment, the current sess rate is "very small." You can facilitate thepletion of this creation by paying a certain price (General/Scientific Research Experience). (Cost: 20 points of experience/min)] With the simple knowledge taught by the trainers, every piece that fell into his hands disyed its approximate function and name. Wenjie''s job was to find the correctponent models needed and pick out those that were undamaged or could be repaired, and put them together¡­... As for so-called free creation¡­ he had already seen it when assembling the music box, but such a simple thing could be understood with a thought, so why waste experience? Now¡­... After several attempts at trial and error, Wenjie decided to use a bit of his not-so-abundant General Experience to cheat a little~ [You are spending General Experience to assist your creation attempt... (Cost: 20 points of experience/min)] ... [That''s it?] Watching Wen Jie dismantle and reassemble, the impatient Wolf-Scorpion turned and left the room. Seeing that clumsy attempt, it appeared he really came just for himself, and even wanted to perform in front of her...what an "idiot". "Keep an eye on him, and if he needs anything, inform me immediately." "Yes! Lord Wolf-Scorpion!" ... [You are spending General Experience to assist your creation attempt... (Cost: 20 points of experience/min)] [You havepleted aputer assembly, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +30, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +12.] [Current Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience 358/500, at 500 points you can master "Level 3 Computer Hardware Maintenance".] [Current Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience 15/1000, at 1000 points and paying 1 Tech Point, you can master "Level 1 Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing".] [You are attempting to perfect Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, current progress 91%, uponpletion you will gain: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Complete); General/Scientific Research Experience +1000 points; Tech Points *2.] "Huff~" A job well done! Called over to see a monitor supported only by wires and needing to be held by hand, flickering a few times before tremblingly lighting up, Wolf-Scorpion''s peach-blossom-like eyes suddenly widened in astonishment, looking at Wen Jie, "How did you do it!" All these were scraps collected from the ruins of old cities by scavengers, and being able to piece together a workingputer from such trash was undeniably a staggering shock for her, a warrior yearning for technology. This was already on par with the engineers in the organization! "I figured it out by backtracking through those leftovers~" Wen Jie said as if it were only natural, "Can''t you do it?" Remembering Wen Jie''s clumsy manner just now, it seemed too genuine to be an act. "You never learned anything rted before?!" "Nope...just got it after a few tries, I never had the chance to touch these things before," Wen Jie answered casually. "You..." Wolf-Scorpion hesitated slightly. An outsider with an ulterior motive acting as a mole? Or an enigmatic genius youth? But it doesn''t matter, in a situation where high-end talents are locked away, every single tech talent like this is extremely rare. Knowledge...knowledge lies there, but it needs someone who can actually learn it. Perhaps his identity is still suspect, his motives unclear. But even if he belongs to someone else, he can be corrupted into one of our own! Wolf-Scorpion''s features, beautiful as fire, slightly lifted in a smile, making onest confirmation, "Make a few more, I''ll be watching you this time!" "No problem!" Wen Jie agreed promptly. He couldn''t be stopped from assembling if one tried! He hadn''t fully achieved the perfection progress yet, what if he ran out of supplies, wouldn''t it drive him crazy? [You are trying to assemble a machine...] [You are attempting to perfect Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, current progress 92%...] ... During a brief chat, the prompt in his mind sounded again¡ª [Feedback from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +30.] [Feedback from themission, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +13.] [Current Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience 13/1000, at 1000 points and paying 1 Tech Point, you can master "Level 1 Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing".] Wen Jie was working so hard! And he was even progressing towards technology? Too powerful. Only...looking at that tech requiring 1000 points of experience, Bai E squinted his eyes and pondered in a daze. He finally understood where exactly tech points could be used, but why is it that one type of tech bes effective immediately after feedback, while another requires umting experience and paying tech points to use? The difference between the two...one is applied technology, the other is theoretical technology. Well~ that seems reasonable. Suddenly, a voice came from nearby that grabbed Bai E''s attention. "Something''s odd..." Minister Likok, who said he would analyze the base''s situation by intercepting stray electromaic waves, pinched his chin while staring at the chaotic images on theputer screen, mumbling to himself with a frown. Without a doubt, it drew attention inside the anxiously quiet vehicle. "Is there a problem inside, Minister?" "Hmm..." Likok tapped on the images on theputer, exining the situation to everyone passionately, "Indeed, something is blocking the radio transmission between them and us." Bai E leaned over to look at the minister''sputer screen, found the images a bit abstract, and silently withdrew. Minister Likok''s words, however, immediately tensed up the remaining soldiers, "There''s a trap inside!" "Are the officers in danger?" "They can''t call for help in this situation, do we need to go in and support them?" "No..." Minister Likok''s eyebrows twisted together, almost into knots, "What''s strange is right here, this doesn''t seem deliberate...or at least, it doesn''t seem to be interference signals emitted by jamming devices." Jamming devices only need to disrupt unidirectional signals; there''s no reason to "swallow" all electromaic signals. As he spoke, the minister started talking to himself again, "Could it be that the foundational design concepts for jamming devices hundreds of years ago are different from now?" The ambiguous words left the remaining soldiers bewildered. Buddy...what exactly are you saying? "Tap tap tap~" With rapid typing on theputer, Minister Likok''s eyes shone, "Don''t rush, let me analyze a bit more." Chapter 156: 154 Support Decision "A ck hole... a vortex..." Minister Likok murmured some iprehensible words to others. His gaze slowly drifted up from theputer and fixed on the distant silver-grey building. A touch of confusion appeared on his chubby face, clearly the product of an urgent processing of information derived from theputer analysis... "All interceptions?" "Absorption?" "How could that be?" "It doesn''t seem like a technological method..." "It''s not disturbance, but...being ''eaten''?" Mumbling to himself, Minister Likok suddenly froze, a possibility leaping into his mind causing his plump body to quiver violently. The tremor spread rapidly throughout his body, the panic born from within triggering a surge in his hormonal secretion. It was visible to the naked eye, even the tips of his fingers trembled rapidly. "Impossible!" Likok clenched his teeth hard, trying tobat the fear leaping out from his heart, "Impossible!" The sudden emotional breakdown of the minister made all the soldiers abruptly focus their attention on him; one of the soldiers anxiously asked first, "What is impossible?" "Impossible! Impossible!" Minister Likok just kept repeating the word, rising to gather his things, "Let''s go!" His hand, which had been gathering things, paused and shook his head in self-contradiction, "We can''t leave!" "It''s not confirmed yet... it''s not confirmed yet..." Biting his fingers subconsciously out of nervousness, Likok once again sharply turned his gaze toward the silver-grey base, "We need confirmation!" "What has happened exactly? Minister Likok!" a soldier with heavy firepower approached Likok, looking him sternly in the eyes, attempting to grasp the truth. After a brief moment of panic, Likok had already calmed his mind. He just looked at the man and then slowly swept his gaze over all the soldiers present, his tone serious, "Would you... dare to disobey orders?" "Is it that the higher-ups inside encountered some danger?" "We have orders to ensure your safety," the soldiers questioned, confused. Looking into the eyes of the soldier who had spoken, Likok asked, "But what if I say that I''m going in now?" "The higher-ups said, before they send back a message..." "He can''t send a message back now." At least not via radio. Likok insisted firmly. He couldn''t be certain yet whether the soldiers who had gone inside had all encountered disaster, but it was quite possible they were not yet aware of the situation they had fallen into or what adversary they were facing... All he could say was that if things were as he imagined, then they were more likely doomed than not. Faced with the unknown, people often conjure the worst possible scenarios. Some soldiers, remembering their superior''s secretst words, hesitated, "But if none of them cane back, our mission is..." "To take me away?" Likok shook his head with a wry smile. This emergency evacuation n had been agreed upon before departure: if the internal threat proved too terrifying for even a single message to be conveyed by the entering soldiers, then they would immediately retreat. They couldn''t afford to lose everyone here given the risks on the journey back. It didn''t matter if all the soldiers died; the military could not allow Likok, an expert in information technology, to be lost as well. Naturally, Likok was aware of all these prearranged agreements, but at this moment... "Without having gathered any information, even if we return, what can we do?" Facing this terrifying, unknownir, should they send in the real top experts next time? It''s still uncertain whether the military had the courage to go all in. Or... to abandon this projectpletely? Likok was not content with that. He had to go inside and see for himself whether his thoughts were correct before he couldpletely give up hope! "Tell me, what is your answer! Soldier!" Throughout the journey, Minister Likok seemed to be a man of few words, and the asional eye contact with a soldier usually ended with a peaceful smile from him. But just now, this urban information specialist, upying a high position, revealed the presence due to someone in authority. There was silence all around, no soldier daring to take the initiative to defy the orders of a superior. Likok''s voice grew firm as he pressed further, "Do you join me in going in to assist your possibly still livingrades and superiors, or do you continue to wait here for a notification that''s doomed to nevere? I might be able to help them if I go in! Tell me your answer, soldiers!" Bai E silently went to the corner to pick up the quiver he had brought with him. He didn''t know what had happened, perhaps some terrible ident had urred. But after a journey fraught with difficulty, wouldn''t it be too much of a pity not to take a look inside? His mission target was within reach; to walk away without seeing it through felt too unsatisfying. He was certainly going to follow the minister on this. Bai E''s silent action seemed to give the other soldiers an implicit signal to follow, as they each went in search of their weapons of choice...except firearms. "Bring your machine guns, and explosives like grenades and dynamite." Minister Likok''s eyes were steely, looking at the normally genial and stout figure now emitting a formidable aura, "If things reallye to that point, I''d rather destroy the server than let the worst-case scenario unfold!" That was the main objective of this mission, and now he''d rather destroy it than face a worse oue... Minister Likok making such a decision indicated that the situation he predicted might be catastrophically bad. Chapter 157: 154 Support Decision_2 Bai E felt a heavy mood, having roughly guessed the reason for Minister Likok''s nervousness. Machine guns, bows and arrows, daggers, pistols¡­ Bai E checked each piece of equipment he could carry on his person. 200 arrows, eight quivers; he couldn''t carry them all, so his gaze turned to Miss Aryan who seemed to be empty-handed¡­ The advantage of the battle de machine gun was that itbined the capabilities of firearms andbat knives, eliminating the need for additional closebat equipment. Confirming that everyone was following Minister Likok''s orders, the firepower at hand called back two snipers still perched outside the west gate, "AB, Bill, youe back too and rearm. Minister Likok has discovered new intelligence, we might have to actively enter the target base to provide support." "Did we receive the orders from the officer?" Bill''s voice carried some confusion. Before anyone could exin, AB''s cool voice rang out first, "Okay." Having made the decision, it took less than two minutes for the seven soldiers who had been left behind to assemble, ready for deployment. The firepower in Gregory''s vehicle, who now voluntarily stepped forward to be the temporarymander of this squad, said, "Once we go inside, try not to shoot if possible. Wait until Minister Likok confirms whether the situation is serious, then await mymand to fully engage in battle! Understood?" "Understood!" In an emergency, no one was inclined to squabble for authority. When battle loomed, there was no right or wrong choice, only whether hearts were united. "Now¡­move out!" Four veterans known for their closebat abilities among the firepower standing by went ahead to scout, Bai E and the seemingly frail AB, along with another unrecognizable veteran, trailed at the rear. The seven of them surrounded and protected Minister Likok and his assistant Miss Aryan in the center, doing their utmost to ensure their safety. Lightly stepping over the two so-called biologically enhanced bodies at the entrance, the group truly entered the ancient ruins that dated back hundreds of years. The ravages of time had not brought much change to this base; the doors and walls, constructed out of some unknown metal, still shimmered with a matte silver-gray luster. [You have entered the ruins, current exploration progress: 0.5%.] The moment he truly stepped over the threshold, Bai E heard the prompt from his panel. But he paid it no mind; being at the very back, he simply turned to look at the two corpses on the ground¡ª Indeed, the body structure of the biologically enhanced beings was just as the documents had described. Their flesh and blood bodies could not withstand the power of the sniper rifles; the different parts of the bodies that were hit had been sted to pieces by the sniper rifles'' might, revealing the metal structures imnted inside them. A milky white substance that could serve as engine oil or lubricant flowed out from those semi-metal, semi-organic structures, mingling with the bright red blood in a visually striking manner. As for signs of modified eyes or skin, meant to detect changes in the atmosphere or scan for infrared and heat, no evidence was found. Could it be that even among these biologically enhanced beings, the extent of modification was graded? With these thoughts of exploring new discoveries in mind, Bai E followed the team into deeper passages. The interior of the base felt somewhat cold, and the same matte silver-gray metal that was nearly identical to the outer walls was virtually the only backdrop. The faint green light from the most basic emergency lighting made it difficult for the soldiers who had juste from the sunlight to adapt to the light. "There''s still energy inside the base¡­" Minister Likok had to jog quickly through the crowd to keep pace with the soldiers, his gaze sweeping across the interior of the base rumored in tales, attempting to uncover useful information from any signs he could observe. Even emergency lighting requires a separate power supply for operation. In hundreds of years, these biologically enhanced warriors, in order to maintain the base from rendering their "masters''" "bodies"pletely dysfunctional, must have spared no effort. The temporarymander leading the way encountered the same problem as the squad that had just breached ¡ª Shortly after entering, they were faced with the choice of a three-way junction. "Minister Likok?" After looking at the portableputer screen, Likok shook his head, "We need to go deeper." Nodding, the temporarymander quickly made a decision, "Main road, move forward." Commander Gregory had taken this route, and finding the chiefmand quickly to report the incident and situation was always the right choice. The base''s interior passages were numerous, and not long after they had run a distance, they encountered another three-way junction, with the route they came from behind them and the sides unknown. The temporarymander gritted his teeth and ordered, "Continue straight." "Tap tap tap~" The sound of metalbat boots in the corridor was hard to suppress, even though everyone was consciously trying to step lightly, the noise still carried far down the rectangr corridor. All of them were warriors used to charging the front lines, none ustomed to practicing the trick of hiding their footsteps. Miss Aryan, who was not far ahead of Bai E and staggered a bit under the weight of six quivers of arrows and some equipment, curiously turned her head to Bai E, "Howe you hardly make any noise when you walk?" Women''s minds are delicate, and even in such moments of high tension, they find time to notice details others might disregard. Bai E shook his head and gave a casual excuse, "I''m light." Of course, the real credit went to the 63 points of stealth experience contributed by the yers... Although it was not enough topletely silence his footsteps,pared to the big soldiers who couldn''t quiet themselves at all, his performance was overwhelmingly superior. Aryan might not have mentioned it, but once she did, Bai E''s heart instantly tightened. The interior of the base was very quiet, but their footsteps were very distinct... Before his vignce could ferment, heavy and concentrated footsteps started emanating from a side corridor. It wasn''t the hardness of military boots. They had been discovered! "Click!" A soldier instinctively released the safety, but as soon as the sound of chambering a round began, the temporarymander stopped them, "Hold fire! We haven''t confirmed the situation yet, try not to shoot if possible." Not to mention, in such a silent environment, once they opened fire, they would probably face not just the squad of patrolling biochemical soldiers about to arrive. "Take cover!" whispered the temporarymander, "Leave one person to protect the minister, the other six engage the enemy, swift and decisive!" Upon the order, the seven soldiers immediately responded with tacit understanding, pressing against both sides of the T-shaped passage entrance, with three soldiers on each side, holding their breath in wait. Only Bai E, the "little brother," was left behind to protect Minister Likok and Miss Aryan from any attack. Listening to the approaching footsteps of their target, the temporarymander signaled with his mouth to everyone, "Get ready..." Chapter 158: 155 Biochemical Modified Soldier The other party clearly knew that they had been discovered, and as they neared, they slowed their steps, inching closer. The corridor was so quiet that everyone could hear their breath. Bai E reached out to protect the two behind him, his fingertips caressing the bow hanging at his waist. Should they attack first? How effective would their bows be against thebat prowess of the bioengineered soldiers in full alert, and would their attacks disrupt their teammates'' arrangements? Confidencees from familiarity. Facing an entirely unknown opponent, Bai E dared not act rashly. However, these bioengineered soldiers were not about to give them much time to think; one of them somersaulted past the T-junction of the corridor, easily blocking two descending gunfire des with a small shield in hand. The three bioengineered soldiers that followed burst out and pounced on the others who were waiting to ambush, like wild beasts devoid ofmunication skills lunging at their prey¡ªthe most dangerous close-quartersbat immediately ensued. The power of the gunfire des was substantial, naturally the best closebat weapon for facing the Bug Race or orcs head-on in battle. But against these likewise highly skilled elite soldiers, the heft of the gunfire des was a limitation. In the dizzying melee, Bai E tried to observe the enemy, attempting to gather more information about them¡ª [??? (Bioengineered Soldier) (Chaotic) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Certainly (Fresh Flesh*800, Bio Parts*60, Combat Experience 1500 points); High Probability (Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, up to level 5, Mastery: Agility Weapon Specialization Layer +1, up to level 5); Possible (Trait: Bio Body (connected to "Trait: Three Mouths One Pig"), Trait: Death Aversion)] Time had not destroyed these bioengineered soldiers from hundreds of years ago; the bodies under their thinbat suits were still brimming with explosive power. Even after so many years of silence, these warriors had never ceased training theirbat qualities; both their physical condition andbat skills appeared to exceed those of the teammates whose main roles were as fire support. Bai E could not see the specific base attributes of the bioengineered soldiers, but he was somewhat familiar with the capabilities of his teammates. Even the fire support personnel, who could operate the gunfire de''s rapid-fire mode for extended periods, had at least close to 15 points in stamina; however, in contests of strength alone, they were clearly at a disadvantage. It wasn''t aplete crushing defeat, yet they were still one or two-tenths weaker. Theck of strength was secondary; what was even more crucial was theck of specialized abilities. When everyone''s attributes were honed to the limit, a diversity of specialized abilities became the primary source of variation inbat strength. In the presence of the same specialized abilities, having orcking special attributes could significantly impactbat capability, not to mention that the melee specialization levels of these fire support soldiers were far inferior to those of the bioengineered soldiers before them. If it weren''t for the numerical disadvantage of four against six, the teammates probably couldn''t have held on for long. Equipment was certainly another disadvantage for the enemies; a dagger in every hand was the bioengineered soldiers'' most significant weapon. But in such close-quartersbat, a dagger was actually the most effective weapon; the cumbersome nature of the gunfire des limited their effectiveness, and astute teammates usually discarded their guns the moment they engaged, switching to military knives or daggers to fight back. Whistling sounds of slicing through air emerged in the not too spacious corridor, with hardly any noise of weapons shing; the closebat with knives was full of silent but deadly intent. The real advantage on their side was thebat suits! The pitch-ckbat suits made of some unknown material effectively resisted shes and stabs, and aside from hits to unprotected areas, the bioengineered soldiers'' attacks hardly achieved the desired effect. It was precisely this advantage that allowed the fire support soldiers to barely hold their ground against the bioengineered soldiers. Still, painful grunts asionally punctuated the air; the protective suits could fend off the dagger''s sharpness, but not the force of fists or stabs. Minister Likok, whom Bai E was protecting, watched the chaotic battle with tension and said to Bai E from behind, "Go up and help them! Don''t worry about us." Bai E gripped the unexpanded bow, hesitated for a moment, then decided to forgo ranged attacks; opportunities could vanish in the blink of an eye amidst such chaos, so he might as well join the fray directly. "Be careful yourselves." After a quick admonition, Bai E dashed forward. Military knives and daggers fell under the category of Agility Weapon Specialization; these small, delicate weapons essentially extended the reach of fists and feet by just a short range, and their specialization levels couldrgely carry over from Combat Mastery, albeit slightly attenuated. Unfortunately, Bai E''s level of Combat Specialization was not particrly high either; his dagger and military knife probably packed less punch than his fists. With the burst of "Overlimit Drive," Bai E felt he could create a miracle with brute force. "Argh!" A painful groan apanied by the sound of cracking bones echoed nearby; a teammate''s lower leg had been kicked and broken, causing them to lose their bnce and fall. Spotting the bioengineered soldier who had knocked down arade and was preparing to kick again to deliver a finishing blow, Bai E quickly stepped forward and twisted his body to exert force. His robust strength transformed into an unimaginably terrifying force, following a transfer from leg to shoulder, he threw a punch filled with might, utterly unadorned. The entanglement between his teammate and the bioengineered soldier provided him with the chance to ambush. The soldier from hundreds of years ago was also a cream-of-the-crop chosen in his era; his seasoned battle experience allowed him to maintain awareness of hisbat surroundings even as he aimed to deliver the coup de grace. Before the gust from Bai E''s punch could impact his face, the bioengineered soldier had already pivoted his body. The method of exerting force described by the instructor was almost universally applicable to humans, even if the opponent was bioengineered. After a standard burst of exertion, the bioengineered soldier threw a punch towards Bai E''s chest. An exchange of blows! And since he was bigger and had a longer reach, even if they bothnded their punches, the one who struckter would definitely lose more force. He believed that this smaller man who did not seem particrly strong would surely be more severely injured than himself. "Be careful!" The fallen soldier, clutching his injured leg and dripping with cold sweat, watched the scene unfold before his eyes and couldn''t help but voice a warning instinctively. Although no one explicitly stated it, everyone was deliberately or unconsciously looking out for the newbie who had gotten in through "backdoor connections," assigning him to guard two scientific researchers who were unrted to thebat. Following the couple of unexpected incidents on the road earlier, no one harbored any misgivings about the rtionship that got him in through the "backdoor." But the fact remained clear, the judgments of the superiors definitely couldn''t be wrong; the kid who needed to use connections to join this team surely had significant deficiencies in other areas. Though skilled with firearms and driving, he wasn''t selected... This only left the possibilities of poor physical fitness or abysmal closebat skills. At this moment, facing bioengineered fighters non of them could contend with, it would be easy to let a punch break through the defense. In the blink of an eye, as the reminders were still reverberating through the air, the dull sounds of flesh colliding had already echoed one after another¡ª "Bang!" "Bang!" He coughed up blood... The terrifying force, akin to a car crash, sent the bioengineered warrior who had been directly punched in the chest flying back, as blood ceaselessly sprayed in midair. He crashed to the ground only after traveling at least a meter away. Bai E took a small step back, holding his slightly stifling chest and gently rubbed it. [It''s just... like this.] Observing from the side, the strength of these bioengineered fighters couldn''t be ascertained without a concrete concept, but one had to personally engage to understand their true power. Whether it was genuine attributes or the biomechanical structure inside their bodies, these bioengineered fighters were definitely demonstrating physical performances far surpassing the current human limit of 15 points in physical strength without having used the Gene Optimization Solution. However, the excess wasn''t significant, and coupled with his quick adaptability, their bodies didn''t have enough charging time and didn''t exhibit their full power. Under these circumstances, facing his own punch powered by Overlimit Drive and charged with full force, it was normal for them to be blown away. The enormous rebound impacted his own body as well, the overloading burst a test of his own physical fitness. Fortunately, a fast-recovering hidden specialization was always protecting his body. Bai E rotated his wrist, feeling the soreness dissipating significantly. Stepping over a teammate lying on the ground unable to move, Bai E leapt forward, delivering another punch directly at the opponent who had not yet regained his bnce. Strike when the enemy is sick, for a certain adversary, Bai E would not show the slightest mercy. Lying on the ground and watching the figure lightly leap over himself, the soldier with a fractured shinbone couldn''t immerse himself in his pain, his mouth agape as he focused on Bai E with a look of utter bewilderment. "Huh?" The bioengineered fighter that used to pummel someone as if they were a child couldn''t withstand this "backdoor" guy''s punch? What the hell kind of strength do you have to fall to the level where you need "backdoor connections" to join the team? "Bang!" A robust build usually meant the overall responses weren''t as agile. The bioengineered fighter, struggling to get up from the ground, took another punch square in the face. Carrying the momentum of a sprint, his perfectly executed punch with the enhancement from the Combat Specialization Layer was even more formidable than before; blood and teeth... instantly flowed and shattered. Matching his steps with his fists, Bai E surged forward, smoothly drawing the dagger from his calf as he went. Striking before the reeling bioengineered fighter could, he quickly reached behind the opponent and wrapped one arm around his throat. "Schlick!" The sound of the dagger prating flesh rose for the first time in the chaos of the narrow corridor. With a slight twist of his wrist, the throat was severed. Blood gushed from the severed artery in torrents, Bai E''s eyelids instinctively flickered, and he promptly pulled back to distance himself. The bioengineered fighter, having lost the support from behind, still attempted tounch an attack as he turned, but the biomechanical enhancements and their death-defying trait could only dy their inevitable death. Their powerless bodies fell forward less than a meter away from Bai E after only taking half a step. Groupbat differs from one-on-one; teammates'' constraints provided Bai E with the greatest opportunities. Seize the moment. Subdue your enemy instantly! As the dust settled, thete battle information started to stream through the faint blue screen before his eyes, not obstructing the actual view¡ª [Using close-quartersbat to knock down the target,bat mastery experience +5.] [Hit the target''s vital points, inflicting 12 points of striking damage! Target falls into a brief "daze" state.] [Using a dagger to hit the target''s vital points, dexterity weapon mastery experience +8£¨+2£©.] (Total experience is not shown until it exceeds inherited Combat Specialization mastery experience.) [Inflicted 50 points of critical damage to the target! Target falls into a "heavy bleeding" state.] Death was merely a matter of time. The first bioengineered fighter to be killed had emerged! Bai E''s body appeared unhurriedly from behind the fallen bioengineered fighter, with the bloodthirsty dagger still dripping fresh red drops. The teammate who witnessed the entire battle hugged his shin,pletely forgetting the pain in his leg. Swift. Precise. Ruthless. Clean and decisive. The burst of fighting prowess from the "backdoor soldier" was brutally terrifying. This was truly the main pir of the team! And it wasn''t just the teammates who recognized Bai E''s victory. The remaining bioengineered fighters, continuously monitoring the situation, also identified this new, greater threat. In the brief sh, they could easily determine that none of the other invaders were their match, except for this one who had killed one of their own¡ªhe was the sole threat. Chapter 159: 156 Ill go teamfight, you guys defend base We can''t let him do as he pleases! Without any need formunication, as if reading each other''s minds, the two bioengineered soldiers suddenly burst forth in a more ferociousbat, tying up five teammates already gasping for breath in terrible condition. The one left charged at Bai E alone, aura of killing intent overflowing. In this brief engagement, it was enough to reveal that he was the strongest presence in this squad of bioengineered soldiers. "Don''t engage him head-on!" "Run!" a teammate grinded out through clenched teeth as a reminder. Bai E shook the blood off his dagger and used the crook of his arm to dry the stain, reinserting it back into the sheath on his calf. His Combat Specialization Layer wasn''t high, and the inherited expertise with nimble weapons wasn''t much better. Using a dangerous tool like a dagger to face an enemy directly could easily result in injuring oneself first. Compared to this, fists were better, for might created miracles! As for adding points on the fly... after the experience of unlocking special attributes through learning, Bai E wasn''t too keen on directly spending experience points to enhance his specializationyer. It felt a bit wasteful. Most importantly, through a brief experience with the enemy, Bai E had a rough understanding of the abilities of these bioengineered soldiers and had already plotted a strategy for the ensuing battle. Mastery of hand-to-handbat might only be useful at this moment... Facing the bioengineered soldier lunging at him, Bai E too readied himself for a desperate move. He readied his punch! The fist, filled with all his might, aimed directly at the opponent''s chest, with the idea of exchanging injury for injury, intending to repeat the killing blow from before. Knowing the intruder''s strength was not as frail as he appeared, the bioengineered soldier tainted by the electronic demon wasn''t an irrational brute and with a nimble change of position, nned to continue attacking from the side. However, Bai E''s move was a feint, and as the opponent dodged, he burst forth with an explosive strength from his legs, performing a smooth front flip to roll and head straight towards his allies. One-on-one? Who''s dueling with you? This is a melee! Seven against three, you think I''ll go 1V1 with the difference in our numbers? Bai E''s actions instantly received his teammates'' cooperation, even if one took a punch, two warriors sacrificed themselves to pin down a bioengineered soldier they were attacking together. The brief restraint was enough time for Bai E to sneak an attack,nding a ck Tiger Heart Pluck square on the back. A dagger wasn''t good for exerting strength, especially against a bioengineered soldier with enhanced corporeal traits; a stab with the dagger didn''t have the same effect as the kic blow from a fist. The bioengineered soldier, stumbling forward from the punch, was then tripped by two of Bai E''s teammates with a sneaky move, taking a harsh fall. Just as he nned to follow up with another strike, the one who appeared to be the captain of the patrol team of bioengineered soldiers had already caught up. Grabbing Bai E''s left arm, the bioengineered soldier got close to body to try to employ a joint lock and thoroughly disable Bai E. From the previous observation, Bai E noticed that these warriors from hundreds of years ago were especially skilled in close-quarters fighting; his old soldierpanions had a hard time gaining the upper hand in such closebat, let alone himself, a fresh soldier who had just acquired a Level 1 Combat Specialization Layer. Turning and throwing a punch, Bai E tried to use his right arm to free his left. His opponent, of course, didn''t dare to take it head-on, but his arms, forged like steel, instantly trapped Bai E''s right arm before it could fully exert force, intercepting it before he could power up. A familiar scene unfolded before his eyes as Bai E, in a daze, recalled a simr situation¡ª His duel with Rose! [Thanks, Rose.] A silent praise in his heart, Bai E adjusted his stance, lightly rotated his arm, and with a short-distance rotation of his waist and back, he powered up his arm to force open the restraint andnded a punch on the opponent''s abdomen. [Use closebat attack to break free from restraint and repel the target, gaining +3 experience in Combat Mastery] [Inflicted 1 point of strike damage to the target!] "Cough!" Overlimit Drive had no cooldown, and every punch at 150% effect forced the bioengineered soldier''s captain to involuntarily step back. Bai E had no intention of pursuing victory, given the leader''s strength exceeded the other three, it was best to squish the softer persimmons. "Huff~" Bai E exhaled lightly, having used Overlimit Drive at full strength in the short bursts, the extra 30% physical exertion undoubtedly taxed his body greatly. However, in just a breath''s gap, the constantly replenished reserve of action power was already converting into physical strength to support Bai E''s actions. The human body can''t maintain peak performance all the time; intense confrontation inevitably leads to fluctuations in performance due to physical condition, but the presence of Overlimit Drive allowed Bai E to maintain peak physical levels. This was why, with his teammates drawing fire, he was confident he could win this sudden fight without needing a high Combat Specialization Layer! "Crack!" "Ah!" A scream of pain followed from behind. The severe pain of a bone fracture made the warrior cry out, and Bai E caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye, another bioengineered soldier grabbing the fallen ally''s arm and twisting down heavily. Close-quarters fighting was extremely dangerous, and even two people of simr levels could only fight briefly before a swift oue emerged, let alone when there was a disparity in individual quality. As Bai E made his move, the bioengineered soldiers weren''t idle either; his six teammates had sustained varying degrees of injury, and now it was only willpower and instinct keeping them going. Luckily, Bai E''s timely intervention in pushing back the squad captain, along with the already activated "Well-Trained" trait, allowed his movements to be swift as the wind and lightning. Chapter 160: 156 Ill go teamfight, you guys defend base_2 ``` Being small has its advantages; a bulky figure absolutely cannot achieve the swift agility needed in close-quarter maneuvering. "Bang!" Kicking a bio-soldier off his teammate, Bai E swiftly followed up by plunging a dagger into the assant''s neck. As a shadow loomed overhead, Bai E had no time to widen the wound and had to release the dagger, rolling sideways to evade the bio-captain''s deadly stomp. But it was enough. [Using a dagger to strike a vital area, your proficiency with finesse weapons has increased by 5 (+1).] [You''ve inflicted 30 points of critical damage! The target is now in a "heavy bleeding" state.] Another one down! Bai E''s sudden burst out of cover almost instantly broke through the tactical coordination of the four bio-soldiers. They couldn''t win this! The two still rtively healthy bio-soldiers made their judgement. Pre-programmed orders began to dictate their decisions, and seeing most of their subordinates downed by the intruder, the dutiful bio-captain turned to flee without a second thought. Engage the intruder if there''s a chance to kill, inform more of yourpanions if there''s not¡ªthis was a regtion he had to abide by! "We can''t let him escape!" The teammate with an injured leg wished desperately that he could stand and give chase. Those who could reach for a gun did so immediately, switching off the safety. Run if you can''t fight? A glint of cold light shed in Bai E''s eyes, "Don''t shoot!" Bai E kicked the other rtively healthy bio-soldier trying to counter-attack mid-air and while still in the air, he reached behind his back to grab thepound bow he carried, flicking it open with a sharp movement. Drawing the bow, taking quick aim... Fire! "Whoosh!" The arrow, like a darting fish, flew straight and true, prating the unguarded bio-captain''s chest! [Using a ranged weapon you hit the target, dealing 8 points of piercing damage!] Powered by the Overlimit Drive, the arrow shot by Bai E with all his strength now had a lethality not inferior to a rifle bullet. Even the robust bodies of the bio-modified couldn''t withstand bullets, but a non-fatal hit merely caused a momentary pause in the captain''s steps¡ªhe stumbled yet continued his escape. Landing smoothly, Bai E was unhurried as he drew two more arrows from his quiver. Fire! [Scatter shot (Double Shot) triggered! Sessfully hitting the same target, proficiency with ranged weapons increased by +2.] [The target took 10 points of piercing damage!] One arrow struck his back, the other his leg. The force that apanied the arrows caused the bio-captain to stumble, nearly falling over. But the instinct to defy death still drove his movements. "Whoosh!" Bai E, without even turning his head, fired another arrow toward the bio-soldier who had just managed to stand up again, the arrow piercing through the soldier''s skull, causing him to fall instantly. Continuing to draw his bow, Bai E aimed at a distant target. "Whoosh!" [Scatter shot (Double Shot) triggered! Sessfully hitting the same target, proficiency with ranged weapons increased by +2.] ¡­ [Scatter shot (Double Shot) triggered! Sessfully hitting the same target, proficiency with ranged weapons increased by +2.] ¡­ Bai E approached, reaching the bio-captain who was now a pincushion on the ground, gasping more than breathing, and drew his bow for thest time. [Ranged weapon hit the critical area, dealing 35 points of fatal damage!] ¡­ [You have thoroughly killed the target, the battle is over, you''ve earned 140bat experience points.] This was much more exhausting than hunting birds... Earning the same experience, dealing with these four bio-soldiers was far more troublesome than facing those blood crows before. But thankfully, they won. It was just a rather dismal victory. "Are you alright?" "My hand''s broken..." "My leg''s broken..." "¡­" Shaking his head in resignation, Bai E said, "Just lie down and don''t move." He then waved at Miss Aryan who had been watching from a distance, "Bring over the first-aid kit." The hailed miss immediately came running with the box, looking at Bai E with sparkling admiration, "You are amazing." ``` ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +8.] Miss Aryan''s words were also the sentiment of everyone present. The battle hadpletely overturned their prejudice against Bai E for having to "use the back door" to join this elite team due to being "not selected." This brother''s closebat skills might notpare to those of professional tough guys, but he was exponentially more powerful than anyone else present. Plus, previously intercepting the flock of birds alone, driving to lead everyone out of danger, and now... being able to heal everyone? How could such a person not be selected? Why should he not be selected? If he wasn''t selected, what about the other fire support members present? Were the officers blind? Bai E just lowered his head, carefully checking the injuries every soldier had received in battle. Their perceptions were not entirely urate; there were only a few without any hope of recovery. The human skeleton is remarkably sturdy; most had simply suffered temporary fractures from the bio-soldiers'' joint locks. It wasn''t a big problem. Dealing with each in turn, it came to AB, who sat alone in the corner against the wall. "Where are you hurt?" AB turned away with a cold voice, "I''m fine." "Fine? Not really." So stubborn! Bai E grabbed his hand from his chest and quickly opened hisbat suit zipper, subconsciously challenging, "What''s more important, your life or your dignity?" AB was silent, just turning his face to look off down the corridor. "Zzzzt~" The vest seemed inted. It seemed to have both a front and a back... "..." Was AB actually a woman?! Bai E quickly nced at her expression but didn''t say anything aloud. This kid''s voice was neutral and cold, and the handsome boy haircut with a middle part¡ªhow could anyone discern her true gender? But the priority was to identify the problem, so Bai E directly started to gently press. "Hiss~" She grimaced, her lips turning white with pain. "It seems like you''ve broken a couple of ribs," Bai E quickly assessed the injury, "You''re not going to die, but you definitely can''t continue to fight. Retreat with... with the guy from earlier." The soldier with the cracked shinbone''s mobility was severelypromised, obviously unable to continue on. "..." AB bit her lip silently, clearly reluctant. "I don''t have time for counseling. You continuing like this would only hinder our progress. I order you to retreat!" "..." "Did you hear me?" "Yes, Commander!" AB responded instinctively. ["Lucky Strike" energy charge +1.] Bai E unapologetically epted the address, with a n in mind, the team should follow his lead. "Everyone take a break. The two of you will retreat on your own soon, start the vehicle''s engine when you get back, ce any medical supplies you might need in an easily essible spot, and by nightfall... by six o''clock, regardless of the result, I will make sure someone goes back to inform you. If there''s no message, it''s likely we''re all dead. Take what you need and leave in a vehicle, making sure to inform the officers in the camp about the danger here. By the way, can either of you drive?" AB shook her head, but the other soldier promptly replied, "Yes." "Good!" Bai E nodded in relief, "Then that''s settled. The rest of youe with me. Let''s move on!" "Yes!" Without hesitation, everyone acknowledged Bai E''s authority. However, the silence that followed was somewhat heavy, the look in their eyes as they nced at each other was tinged with sadness. In the eyes of each, the appearance of the others was somewhat wretched, the brief exchange markedly one-sided in disadvantage. Without their firearms, these fire support members did indeed have limited capabilities. Luckily, there were only four enemies; had there been one more, they likely wouldn''t have held out until Bai E turned the tide. Therefore, what about next time? No need for more, if the same four bio-soldiers came again, their small group would be finished. They weren''t afraid to die, but they were afraid of notpleting their mission, afraid of being ineffective. "Minister, can we confirm our spection now?" the previously actingmander suddenly asked. Likok shook his head honestly, dismissing the thought, "No, we need to get closer to the center." "..." Bai E''s gaze swept over the faces of everyone in the gloomy atmosphere, guessing the worries in their hearts. "Later, you are responsible for protecting the Minister." "Huh?" Everyone looked at Bai E, who had spoken, their eyes full of confusion. Bai E met each of their gazes and said softly, "I''ll take care of killing the enemy." Chapter 161: 157 command Withbat experience, Bai E had already roughly confirmed the capabilities of those bioengineered soldiers. Flesh and blood could not escape the punishment of arrows! As long as they could get the upper hand and reduce the enemy''s numbers significantly before the engagement, it would be much better than relying on the few worn-out soldiers present for closebat. Perhaps this method of long-distance killing could cause the enemy to lose the will to fight, causing them to flee and seek reinforcements, but it was still stronger than engaging in hand-to-handbat with these few battered and beaten soldiers. As long as they could find the others who had entered before as soon as possible, then their mission would be consideredplete. "Take off your boots when we move," Bai E continued to make arrangements. The inside of the base had smooth floors, and going barefoot wouldn''t result in injury, at worst it would just reduce their kicking power in closebat, but he didn''t expect they would still be capable of kicking. The metallic soles of their boots were what had exposed their presence; these veterans from the battlefield were not adept at concealing themselves in this kind of stealth operation, easily losing the advantage of taking the initiative. "Yes!" They had made an impression with the battle. Bai E''s will was thoroughly executed. Havingpleted emergency treatment and basic arrangements, Bai E also leaned against a wall corner for a brief rest, quickly shing back through everything that had happened in a short burst of time. 18 points of hand-to-handbat mastery experience, 12 points of ranged weapons mastery experience, 140 points ofbat experience, and 9 points of recharge value¡ªthat was all he gained. The time was short, the fighting fierce. Drawing non-data experience from each battle was also the quickest route to improving oneself. The bioengineered soldierscked those more mechanical-looking imnts mentioned in the data; the exposed wounds showed more of the biological structure of the body itself. Was the data incorrect, or were the samples too rare? Thinking of this, Bai E turned his head to nce at the corpses on the ground not far away. The bioengineering significantly enhanced their physiques and vitality, but it seemed they still could not break through the limits of the human body; otherwise, after centuries of training, even at a slow pace, they should all be like superhumans by now. He also wondered what thebat support chips that caused them to fall under the control of the electronic demon looked like. [Should I take this opportunity for a dissection?] Understanding the opponent was also an important means to dismantle them. If he could destroy the chip with a single arrow, could he then ignore their bioengineered bodies and death-defying traits to force them into a mandatory "shutdown"?] This thought circled in his mind, growing more appealing. It was somewhat cruel though¡­ He had decapitated enemies in battle without a second thought, but now, the idea of dissecting corpses... Made him feel a bit nauseous. "Which one of you knows how to dissect?" Bai E suddenly asked aloud. The soldiers looked at each other, and one hesitated before raising his hand, "Sir, I''ve learned how." Bai E cocked his head, his face cold as hemanded, "Go dissect those corpses, and find out where their chips are inside." "Yes!" Hearing Bai E''s orders, Likok, who was only staring at theputer screen, nced over and felt a bit of admiration. [Such meticulous thinking.] As a fellow researcher, he also had the idea of obtaining important information through the scientific act of dissecting corpses; it was just not his field of expertise, making his reaction slower. Now, hearing Bai E bring it up, he realized that he might have made the same choice if he were in his shoes. He didn''t know the twists and turns behind this soldier, and no one would talk to him about the backdoor,st-minute allocation of a spot. He only knew that this unassuming-looking soldier unexpectedly possessed the potential to be a truemander. This is the advantage of power... Bai E sighed inwardly, no longer looking at the slightly bloody dissection scene. Dissection took time, and meanwhile, there were other doubts to be tested. Even while waiting outside, Bai E used all the information at hand to think about the entire mission. "Test to see if the voicemunication can be used." Since entering, it seemed assumed that the voicemunication couldn''t be used, but the actual range of the blockage preventing radio use was unknown. Whether it could be used within the same building was also untested. Practice leads to the truest knowledge; any seemingly insignificant finding, umted to the end, might turn out to be an important detail that could reverse the situation at a critical moment! "Yes!" Bai E pressed the channel button on his shoulder and first asked in the current squad''s voice channel: "Hello? Hello? "Can hear you." "Can hear you." The soldiers sitting around didn''t make a sound through their headsets. Instead, they simply gestured with their hands, indicating they could receive the message. It works? Bai E frowned slightly and opened the general channel. "Commander Gregory? Commander Gregory? If you can hear me, please respond." "Can hear you." "Can hear you." Still there was only silence from the voicemunication and responses from the nearby soldiers. Was it distance rted? "You, move back a bit, maintain a three-meter distance," he ordered, pointing to the farthest soldier at hand. As the warfighter turned around and stopped, Bai E asked in a low voice, "Hey?" "Can hear you." "Five meters." "Can hear you." "Ten meters." "Can hear you." "Twenty meters." "Twenty-five meters." "..." There was silence. Bai E gestured to him with his hand, signaling that he coulde back. The warfighter was already nearly ten meters away from him, and after walking twenty-five meters, he had lost contact altogether. Does this mean that themunication ckout range was roughly between thirty to thirty-five meters in a straight line? Bai E''s eyes flickered as he silently took note of this number. Likok, the minister who had been silent all this time, admired the warfighters even more as they carried out their tests. He had also nned to have everyone try it, but seeing them resting, he had intended to wait a bit before mentioning it, but then... [This really is an exemry warfighter who makes one''s job easier...] "Sir, dissectionplete!" Not long after themunication test ended, the warfighter responsible for dissection had fulfilled his duty. "Where is it?" "Didn''t... find it." Bai E was slightly taken aback, "Didn''t find it?" "Yes! Didn''t find it," the warfighter dered with conviction. "I''ve almost turned over the whole body and found nothing. But there''s another discovery!" "What?" "In their bodies, I found two hearts, two stomachs, and three lungs. The imnted preset stomach is in front of the main one, where I found a lot of... things that normally shouldn''t be edible." [You are exploring the characteristics of the target relic''s guardians, and the exploration rate has greatly increased. Current exploration degree: 22%] "..." So this was the reason they were able to survive for so many years in this resource-scarce base without starving to death? But even so, they still required a stable source of meat to provide the energy their bodies needed. "Three bites, one pig" wasn''t false as seen on their loot panel... Bai E waved his hand nearly ruthlessly, "Dissect them all." "Yes." How could it not be found? What concerned him wasn''t whether they could hit the chip and overpower the enemy in one moveter on. Battle wouldn''t limit his thinking; considering from a higher perspective might be more beneficial in uncovering the truth. His gaze had already shifted to 439 years ago¡ª Bai E pinched his chin and silently stared at the ground in front of him, lost in thought. ording to the data previously obtained, these bioengineered humans had betrayed humanity because chips in their bodies, which were supposed to help control mechanical inserts and assist in judgment, had been turned by the electronic demon. But now... not found? How had they rebelled? Was it because the warfighter responsible for dissection didn''t recognize the chip, or was it hidden in some special ce that was hard to discover... or perhaps, the data was incorrect? With this in mind, Bai E looked towards Minister Likok not far away. This matter, only he would have the most say. However, Likok just stared nkly at the ground, muttering to himself. "Not found, hm?" ... After a while, the warfighter in charge of dissection came to report again. "Sir, dissection isplete, still nothing." Bai E nodded in acknowledgment, "Understood." He nced at Minister Likok, who showed no reaction. This minister was not the type who liked to be mysterious; if he had a discovery, he would probably talk about it himself, and it seemed he had no ideas at the moment either. But in any case, the bioengineered fighters'' actions were indeed enigmatic. In actualbat, their reactions were normal, as if they were real humans with their own on-the-spot judgments. Yet whether it was the silent attack decisions upon encountering enemies or the choice to abandon everything and flee when outnumbered... Moreover, they had no intention ofmunication, neither with the enemy nor with their own side. It was just like some red name monsters I''d encountered in games before, akin to robots set with certain preset mechanisms, rigidly following strictmands. It''s really like clearing mobs in a dungeon... Chapter 162: One persons battle Bai E suddenly stood up, "Depart!" Having rested enough, no need for confused waiting, initiative was the eternal theme. Without theirbat boots, the noise everyone made was noticeably reduced. Bai E, holding his bow, with two arrows pinched in his right hand, walked alone at the forefront, vignt. Behind him followed a randomly selected soldier, responsible for carrying the extra quivers he couldn''t carry without hindering hisbat. Bai E had shouldered two quivers himself before, and the rest were given to Miss Aryan to carry, which to his surprise, made his teammates feel astonished, wondering if it was necessary. Making a scientific researcher, who needed protection, carry things was something only thisd would do, but since one was willing to endure and the other willing to impose, they kept their silence. The heavy weight had previously made it difficult for the youngdy to walk; now that Bai E had proven his ability, it was only logical to order another nonbatant soldier to take on the burden. But it still raised some doubts. "What should Brother B27 do?" "Can we really rely solely on bows and arrows to kill those bioengineered soldiers?" It wasn''t that they didn''t trust their good brother, but they all had firsthand experience: the bioengineered soldiers were fierce, and just a quick charge would render bows and arrows useless. In their minds, arrows were no match for firearms, with limitations in speed and power. Could one person with a bow and arrows truly take down those wolf-like, tiger-like bioengineered soldiers? "Shh~" Bai E, walking at the very front, suddenly turned his face toward the four remaining soldiers behind him and made a shushing gesture. Steps and breathing ceased; Bai E lightly set two arrows onto the bowstring, his gaze sharply fixed on the corridor''s bend ahead. The bioengineered soldiers'' patrol steps weren''t deliberately hidden; this was their home turf. Not to mention, Bai E had heard further details during their initial encounter¡ªbreathing. The bioengineering gave them an unimaginably enhanced physique and lifespanpared to ordinary people, but it was clear they needed more oxygen when moving; their breathing, deep and heavy like bellows, would impose an unimaginable weight of pressure on those they chased, but it also made it easier to reveal their whereabouts. "Creak~" Bai E stood alone in the middle of the corridor, his bow held vertically in front of him, the bowstring slightly tensed. Fourrades and two scientific researchers stood anxiously further behind. "What''s he doing?" "At this distance, they could charge us..." "Can it really work?" "Should we back up a bit?" With long-range weapons, naturally, one must maintain a distance to hold an advantage. But even Bai E himself showed no intention of retreating, so their worries were also suppressed in their hearts. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Bai E to fight a group battle all by himself. Trust in the teammate, if things go south, they would all perish together. It wasn''t that they belittled themselves; after the previous battle, they indeed recognized the obvious gap, and with their current injured bodies, facing four more would certainly doom them all. "If it really doesn''t work, use the guns." Even though the final result hadn''t been confirmed, Minister Likok''s mind was already leaning toward his own guess. Rather than facing the worst-case scenario, he would rather destroy this miracle that even the Golden Age could hardly replicate. "Yes." The soldiers gripped their machine guns, ready to load at any moment. "Whoosh!" An unexpected sound erupted suddenly! Before the target appeared around the corner, Bai E had already released the bowstring. Two arrows shot out instantly, like swimming fish, heading towards the corridor''s end...into thin air. "Is he too nervous?" "It hasn''t appeared yet..." No one spoke, afraid of pressuring Bai E, but internally they couldn''t help but make their own guesses at first instance. However, within their bted field of vision, two arrows near the end of the corridor made a huge turn, hugging the wall and curling sharply towards the opposite passage entrance! "Ugh," a muted grunt echoed through the corridor just around the corner. "Turn, turn, turn, turn... they turned!" A soldier''s eyes bulged as he pointed at the unfolding scene, his lips trembling. Bai E simply closed his eyes and used his ears to try and pinpoint the enemies that had not yete into view. Two more arrows were ced on the bowstring... Shoot! "Whoosh!" Shoot! "Whoosh!" The bioengineered soldier who cried out in pain was about to dodge to one side when the next arrow, like a shark scenting blood, followed suit and struck him directly in the head... The faint sound of tearing wind rose within the narrow passage, but it wasn''t even louder than the hurtful cries of those being hit. A silent, frosty assassination... The painful cries of the bioengineered soldiers when they were wounded made it clear that almost all of Bai E''s attacks had been effective. Standing alone at the forefront, issuing arrow after arrow, Bai E looked like the Grim Reaper harvesting lives, not even giving the enemies a chance to show themselves. Six teammates stood frozen in ce, feeling their worldview dramatically shaken. There were people in the barracks who had practiced this, but obviously... none could achieve such a feat. They had just been worried that the short straight distance of the corridor wasn''t enough for archery, but now... the enemy couldn''t even get past the turn. Keep it up! Continue! A lying victory! Uh... why did he stop? Before everyone''s eyes, Bai E ceased his attack and stood still. Having created a huge advantage, he unexpectedly stopped attacking. What was he waiting for? Death? Without bow and arrow suppression, the remaining bioengineered soldiers who could still fight instantly crossed the corner and charged. Three of them! The charge of the towering bioengineered soldiers was mountainous, their momentum easily chilling to the core. They weren''t agile enough for small movements, but their speed in full-blown strikes matched anyone''s. "What are you waiting for!" The teammates, whose fate was in someone else''s hands, sweated anxiously. It really hade to the point where they had to shoot, even if they didn''t want to. And firing a gun in such a corridor would alert how many patrolling bioengineered soldiers! Amidst their anxious gaze filled with anticipation, Bai E once again drew his bow and notched an arrow. He had let those bioengineered soldiers get closer on purpose, the initial encounter had given him enough information. If the bioengineered soldiers judged it impossible to take down the intruders, they would flee at the first opportunity. And if the distance was too great without enough chasing space, they would inevitably let one or two escape. To ensure no survivors and a clean sweep, he had to grant them enough confidence to believe they could handle the intruders on their own. And now, the prey caught in the web had no escape! Bai E''s gaze was icy cold, like the eternal frost. ... As the intruder pulled back the bowstring again, the rapidly advancing bioengineered soldier instinctively executed an S-shaped evasive maneuver. Only, the arrow that seemed to have been fooled by his movement suddenly changed direction, and the shining sharp arrowhead rapidly expanded within his field of vision... Chapter 163: 159 Electronic Devil! "Pfft~" Like a watermelon pierced through, juice shot out from the arrow lodged in the skull. The bioengineered soldier with a hole in his forehead still charged forward valiantly, as if a small headshot was not worth mentioning. Their modified bodies had a trait that resisted death, allowing them to ignore fatal wounds to a certain extent, which often resulted in an unimaginable will to fight. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" Not until several more arrows struck various parts of their bodies, especially the five arrows in the legs significantly reducing their mobility, did the rhino-like charge of the Biochemical Squadron begin to slow down. The distance to the invaders was still... 11 meters. But in this state, they were already incapable of defeating the enemy. Retreat! Simple and rigidmands dominated the will of these bioengineered soldiers. Realizing that the opponent was unbeatable, they turned to flee, but the way back was already a path of blood. "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" The sound of wind-breaking arrows continued to y cruelly and coldly. The four-person bioengineered patrol squad didn''t manage to truly touch the enemy from the beginning to the end. And there stood the figure with the bow and arrow, not even having moved an inch from start to finish. Bai E pinched thest arrow in the quiver, squinting to aim at the back of thest bioengineered soldier still capable of moving. Fire! "Pfft!" The long arrow passed through the heart. ¡­ [You havepletely killed the target, the battle is over, you have earned 140 points ofbat experience.] 63 points of mastery experience for ranged weapons, 140 points ofbat experience... Combat indeed is the fastest way to improve oneself. Bai E folded the Compound Bow and waved his hand behind him, "Continue the dissection." Stepping forward to retrieve the arrows, his teammates who were idle wasted no time in rushing forward. "You rest, you rest, leave the battlefield cleanup to us." "..." What''s called professionalism? Truly elite! Only after the battle ended did the two scientific researchers approach with faces full of awe. They had seen the military''sbat capabilities before, but it mostly involved sting away with rifles and cannons, or hacking withrge des. When had they ever witnessed such an elegant and ice-cold efficiency of ughter with cold weapons? "You really are amazing," said Miss Aryan, her eyes practically brimming with stars. Likok, too, patted the arm of Bai E, who was a head taller than him, with relief, "Lucky to have you with us... Come, join me in another experiment." It was still an issue of radiomunication distance. They had ventured further into the ruins than before, and whether or not the range of the radiomunications changed would exin certain things. The result appeared quicklymunications could no longer be received at approximately 30 meters. "An electronic demon?" Observing Likok, who frowned as if pondering something after getting the answer, Bai E asked softly beside him. After joining this operation, Bai E also gained more information about the background of this world. The major factor limiting technological development in this world was the electronic demon existing within allwork signals, devouring allwork fluctuations as its food. Anything that existed in thework could not escape its eyes. Upon its birth, the entirety of the electronicwork became the foundation for its existence. As long as thework remained, it would never be destroyed. The limited efficiency of the local areaworks used by modern cities is precisely because of this. If any part of thework transmission efficiency... or rather, the scale, the volume, or the technological level, reached a certain standard, the electronic demon would immediately arrive. The only way to oppose it iswork silence. Withoutwork fluctuations, there is no food for it. Essentially, it''s like "starving" it to death... And now, the "unscientific" disappearance of radio signals, does it mean... it''s been eaten? A distant, small-scale local areawork can''t meet the criteria for its arrival, but not eating what''s brought to its mouth would seem disrespectful. If it has not disappeared, then there''s no basis for thepletion of this mission. "...Yes," Likok nodded gravely, willing to reveal some of his not yet certain thoughts to this astute soldier. It''s easy to talk about expelling a tiger to swallow a wolf, but what if the tiger arrives and the wolf can''t be swallowed? That was the reason for his brief emotional loss of control wanting to escape. If the electronic demon had not dissipated, they might indeed have to wait another 69 years. No matter what the future holds, it always remains an indiscernible fog. A technological advance that can''t be continuously used and developed will end up losing its lineage. Without practice, without learning, and even if there are technological documents for reference, after decades or a century it''s uncertain if anyone will know how to use them. Today''s technology is already much less advanced than it was centuries ago. Whether humanity, after another 69 years of technological decline, could reactivate this base and have sufficient technological umtion or resources to rebuild a worldwork-based strategic system is unknown. In short, the future is always disappointing and bewildering when one cannot grasp it in their hands. Faced with this sudden discovery, he too was full of uncertainty. Touching the pale blue glow tubes protected by reinforced ss and embedded in the metal walls deeper inside, Likok sighed lightly, "Do you recognize this?" Chapter 164 159 Electronic Devil!_2 ``` Bai E looked utterly bewildered. "You''re asking me?" Fortunately, the other party didn''t intend to wait for his reply, but simply continued on his own, "This is also a part of the entire Root Server. The entire base, except for the outermost copper walls, is made up of the Root Server." As the head of the city''s information department, he had ess to many secrets that didn''t need to be shared with everyone. "They can amplify thework signals generated by the server and encrypt them with almost no loss before broadcasting them globally. The encryption process also protects the integrity of the information. The signal towers that are built everywhere act as both receivers and decryptors. It''s an inseparable whole..." Likok''s gaze followed the source of the glowing signal tubes towards their end, as if he could see all the way to the central Root Server. His eyes were heavy with reverence, "It''s said to be made of extremely rare special materials, even in that era it was a miracle of creation that couldn''t be replicated. The caution inbat that everyone talks about is, in fact, out of fear of theseponents being destroyed. Of course, perhaps it is such miracles that give rise to iprehensible entities like electronic demons..." [You are learning about the background information rted to the target relic. Current exploration progress: 31%] Bai E simply promised to fulfill his duty, "I will be careful..." Minister Likok shook his head, "While caution is necessary, should you really find yourself in danger, don''t hesitate to do what needs to be done." Decisions he couldn''t make himself were left to fate... His passionate words from before were merely to provide some faint direction to the bewildered soldiers at that time. Find your next adventure on empire In fact, even if it turned out that the electronic demon had awakened and he had to order theplete destruction of this great crystallization of human technology... until that ultimate moment, he wouldn''t dare to say what decision he''d make. If it was identally destroyed inbat... then the pressure of giving the order would be a little less. Bai E simply nodded in response, "Yes." He didn''t understand the dangers and abilities of the electronic demons, so all he could consider was following his superior''s orders andpleting his mission. "Reporting to the officer!" A voice of a soldier suddenly came from behind the two men who were slowly pacing forward. Bai E turned around to see the other man covered in blood, "Finished with the autopsy?" "Autopsyplete! But... we still found nothing." Bai E furrowed his brows and waved his hand, "You go rest first." Then turned to look at Minister Likok, "Minister, does the data include detailed information about those bio-warriors who were subverted?" "No... The records I have obtained mention the subverted bio-warriors in this base only in passing. Our understanding of the abilities of the bio-warriors is based on other records from the same era." "..." Bai E pursed his lips. Strange indeed... how were they subverted without chips? Is the record incorrect? Or was their autopsy too rough to discover it? And along the way, we haven''t seen any corpses... neither allies nor enemies. Did therades who came in before us never encounter an enemy? Or did they clean up the scene impably after the battle? Or perhaps... they''re not on the same path as us? Maybe due to the necessary construction requirements for installing the glowing signal tubes to amplify the signals, the pathways within this base are extensive and interconnected. Since their arrival at the initial three-way junction, they have already faced the choice of three or four branching paths. It wouldn''t seem out of the ordinary if they took a wrong turn somewhere. Never mind... "Let''s move on!" Forward! No matter what the truth is, moving forward will always yield answers. ... "It''s no good... there are more and more of them. These old immortals just keeping, even after so many years they refuse to lie down quietly!" "Do they know we''ve broken through? We haven''t left a single survivor all the way, and we even hid the bodies..." "You still have time to chat? I''m about to be killed fighting three at once!" "Oh oh~ here Ie!" Gregory knit his brows tightly, hiding behind the others. The warriors in front of him were truly the elite of the elite, the aces among the aces selected through a rigorous process from the military barracks. ``` Even when confronted by twice the number of biochemical soldiers, they sought to prevail... in part, to survive. The battle raged fiercely, the air alive with the mor of conflict. Yet their operation had been covert, aimed at avoiding just this scenario. Only a small squad originally guarded the passage, and they had intended to make it a quick fight. But unexpectedly, as soon as they engaged, another team burst from the passage as if they had been waiting there all along. Facing eight against four, it became difficult for them to achieve any kills once the enemy coordinated their efforts. Moreover, in such circumstances, they fought with their hands tied,cking the initiative they had when they could strike from the shadows, targeting enemies one by one. Forcing a fight against greater numbers was not a rational military strategy. Where had things gone wrong? Failure was not to be feared, unless one did not understand the reason behind the failure. Gregory tried to pierce the current fog of confusion with reason¡ª Due to the structural features of this base, other than the defensive outeryer of copper walls and iron bastions, the slightly more interior areas were critical facilities needing manned defense. The vast base required guarding in many ces, so it stood to reason that the biochemical troops should have been scattered about, patrolling everywhere. After all, those pipelines embedded in the walls were not made of steel fortifications. They knew their own mission, but the enemy should not have known it. The biochemical soldiers were ordered to guard the entire Root Server. If their group came with destructive intent, the enemy''s position in front of the checkpoint leading to the main server room would be useless; everything that needed to be destroyed would have already been smashed. The reality now was that the enemy''srge force appeared right here, the only exnation being... not only had they discovered their arrival, but they also knew their intent! "Is there surveince?" "There''s no surveince!" Pansen, the Spiritual Energy wielder, dered confidently, as if reading his thoughts. Being highly sensitive to information flow, once Pansen activated his Spiritual Energy, all information streams appeared to him like subtitles with clear beginnings and ends. He knew at a nce whether there was any data transfer. "Then our voices have been intercepted?" After they had split up at the fork in the road, there was a period when they discovered that their radiomunication with the other two squads had fallen silent. The Spiritual Energy wielder had said it was cut off by some force, likely a jamming device targeting low power signals. But considering the current situation, it could only mean that the Spiritual Energy wielder''s judgment was wrong. Voices, intercepted by the enemy. Therefore, their ns were as clear as day to the opposition. "It shouldn''t be." The Spiritual Energy wielder was obviously very confident in his judgment, "Perhaps it is just that their primary forces are stationed here. Being close to the critical core, it''s reasonable to have a heavier defensive presence." "That may be possible¡­" As themander, Gregory had to consider all the worst possibilities thoroughly, and he remained furrow-browed, not entirely reassured. "Huff~ Huff~" Heavy breathing came from the far end of the curved passage. A soldier with keen ears took a moment from the fierce battle to report loudly to his superior, "Sir, another squad is approaching!" No sooner had he finished speaking than heavy, rapid footsteps sounded from the other end of the curved passage. "Sir, another squad ising." Gregory''splexion turned as dark as coal, "I heard." The terrain where they were resembled a pitchfork, with a branching from the direction of the invading squad. Both sides in front of them were sections of the curved passages. The base''s overall structure was more like concentric circles, and they were now at the entrance to the innermost circle, blockaded by these biochemical soldiers. The enemy kept reinforcing their numbers, while his own side had only fourbatants, plus him making five, and adding the Spiritual Energy wielder... added none at all. Not all Spiritual Energy wielders were inclined towardsbat. Retreat? This thought circled through Gregory''s mind. But he was unaware of the other two squads'' progress; if they could hold their ground, they might create an opportunity for the others. Chapter 165 160 Cover and Insight If I retreat, the other two teams might be in trouble. But then again, the enemy''s continuous reinforcements could mean the other two teams didn''t apply enough pressure and have already retreated? The biggest problem with nomunication is that no one knows the choices their teammates made, making any decision they make potentially wrong. [What should I do?] Gregory hesitated for a moment. However, the enemy wouldn''t give them time to hesitate, as biologically enhanced soldiers from two different directions joined the battlefield. His own troops were now facing four against sixteen... Grinding his teeth, Gregory put on his spiked gauntlets, ready to join the fray, "Hold the line!" He decided to trust his teammates and create an opportunity for the other two squads. Moreover, the corridor was narrow, so if they just held on, the enemy couldn''t really exploit their numeric advantage! However... "Thump, thump, thump!" Soon after Gregory joined the fight, the corridor echoed with heavy and rapid footsteps, signaling that squad after squad of biologically enhanced soldiers had been notified toe in support. Find more to read at empire "Fuck!" "Commander?" "Retreat!" With ample reinforcements from behind, the biologically enhanced soldiers could freely rotate, with teammates always ready to fill in, and even if the invading squad fought bravely, they almost couldn''t achieve any real results under the endless cover provided by the enemy. And their stamina... was being rapidly depleted. Gregory had no choice but to issue the order to retreat. ... "Commander, did you hear the noise up ahead?" the guy wholeheartedly carrying the quiver for Bai E asked, not quite trusting his own judgment, whispering to Bai E walking in front. "..." Bai E remained silent. [Even the cooks can hear it...] He waved his hand, signaling everyone to remain silent. The corner was just ahead; he could peek around it first. ... "..." Bai E blinked after ncing around the corner. Good news, he had run into themander. Bad news, themander had stirred up a ho''s nest. "Hoo~" Taking a light breath, Bai E flicked his bow into position and stepped forward. ... "Huff... huff... I can''t do this anymore." "Neither can I. I''ll cover our retreat! Commander, just remember to bring people back for us! I''ll hold them off for you!" Retreat, of course, wasn''t as fast as pursuit, so the decision to retreat left the invading squad unable to withdraw smoothly; one misstep could leave them all behind. Gnashing his teeth, Gregory had themand for his four soldiers to cover the retreat on the tip of his tongue, yet found it difficult to issue. Rationality told him this was the right choice, in case there was no backup... Wait... are there still obstacles ahead? The sudden appearance of a figure from around the corner in the corridor made Gregory''s already tense mind instinctively jump; had these biologically enhanced soldiers arranged for someone to nk them from another route? "There''s still resistance ahead!" "We''re done for! Commander, we will protect you and master Spiritual Energy as we break through!" "It''s not right... his clothing seems off!" ... Bai E raised his bow, cing two arrows on the string. In the confusion, he didn''t know if his teammates would walk into his arrows, but right now, it was the only way to stop the biologically altered soldiers from pursuing them so quickly. So the primary target for the attack was... the ones on the lower ground. Arrowheads pointed slightly downward, Bai E''s gaze was sharp, he drew the bow fully... fire! "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Arrow after arrow flew swiftly, as Bai E continuously drew arrows, with his right hand dancing into a blur. The squad, unaware and exhausted, only felt sharp gusts of wind pass by them; when the pursuers had ck iron arrows sticking out of them, they finally realized someone was helping them from behind. The steady veteran grouped with the suprememander immediately recognized Bai E''s familiar face and eximed with surprise, "It''s brother B27!" ["Lucky Strike" charge +2.] ["Lucky Strike" charge has reached 201/100, current use count 2/2!] "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The figure stood there alone, silently shooting air-tearing arrows from a distance. The wind it brought up fluttered past their ears, and not a single arrow went astray. In an instant, the figure who nearly stopped the pursuers single-handedly gave the frantic squad a profound sense of reliability and safety. "It''s him..." "He... is so powerful." Themanding officer swept past without Bai E even batting an eyelid, simply stating calmly, "You go on and retreat first." The damage caused by arrows brimming with force was one thing, but the powerful kic energy that apanied a hit to the thigh or knee caps made the pursuing biomechanical soldiers involuntarily copse in a heap. The soldiers running past couldn''t help but look back; at that moment, the somewhat unfamiliar figure of theirrade loomedrge, holding the line alone... Bai E slowly retreated while shooting, then quickly stowed his bow and left after turning a straight corner. ... "How did you get in here?" Only when they had retreated a safe distance and confirmed that the biomechanical soldiers were not pursuing did they stop and gasp for air. Gregory, who had preserved the most stamina, asked first. Disobeying orders during a mission was a serious offense, yet if it weren''t for their spiritual support, probably only he could have led the Spiritual Energy users back... Bai E''s squad''s temporarymander responded promptly, "Minister Likok. He discovered an anomaly and insisted oning in to notify you all." So all eyes turned to the minister, but he wasn''t looking at them. He clutched hisputer, his gaze fixed on the screen''s content, his expression tense. "Minister?" "Shh," Minister Likok, aware that the conversation had turned toward him, simply put a finger to his lips to calm everyone, "Wait a moment." ... A brief silence fell. Without the key individual rifying the reason, they could only specte. Until the "tap tap" of military boots approached from afar. Bai E hadn''t removed his boots, defying the order given to hisrades. His experience with stealth allowed him a certain level of nonconformity. Spying the stalwart who had covered their rear, several soldiers resting against the wall instinctively straightened up. "Brother, you''re awesome!" "Had we known you were this capable, we should have brought you along. Maybe we could''ve charged straight in just now!" Bai E modestly smiled, "They''re too numerous and tough to kill. At most, I could just slow them down¡ªaplete kill would be tough." "That''s still pretty impressive! If not for you, we would all be dead back there," one of the soldiers said with a big grin. "Yeah, if not for you, we''d likely all be done for... Damn, to think those biomechanical soldiers don''t care about their homes, all of them waiting at the door for us!" ["Lucky Strike" charge +3] Their world was simple, where skill was acknowledged openly, admiration was straightforward, and disdain was undisguised. Having proven his strength, Bai E instantly earned their heartfelt respect. "Alright..." Gregory interrupted their exuberance calmly, "We still have a problem at hand..." He looked to the firepower operator he was rtively acquainted with, also Bai E''s squad''s temporarymander, "Did you encounter any of those biomechanical soldiers on your way in?" With Minister Likok engrossed in his "important" research, they had to rely on the avable information to roughly assess their current situation themselves. The temporarymander nced at the silent Bai E before nodding in response, "Yes! We ran into two groups, four each. Brother Bai E led us through them, and then we didn''t encounter anyone until we met up with you." "Did youe across any other squads or see signs they left?" "No..." "So they have indeed contracted their defenses," Gregory mused quietly to himself, "We need to make contact with the other two squads as soon as possible. Now that they''ve spotted us, being separated puts us at a disadvantage. Plus, we don''t know the total number of those biomechanical soldiers..." Gregory''sst words were muttered to himself. It was crucial for nning his next move. After all, they''d already been discovered by the enemy. If the enemy''s numbers were too great, a direct confrontation would be a losing battle. They might need to consider retreat. "About a hundred or so," Bai E suddenly spoke up softly, "There might be some variance, but the difference won''t berge." "???" Gregory looked at Bai E with a puzzled face, "Are you sure?" "I am sure," Bai E nodded expressionlessly, "We observed their cultivation and farming scale after your infiltration. Based on the consumption of normal humans, it could sustain about two hundred or so." Gregory''s eyes narrowed slightly, "And?" "On our way here, we dissected some of the biomechanical soldiers'' bodies and discovered they had two stomachs. Inside, we found a lot of undigested food..." Even the bark and roots inedible for most humans they could digest to make up for theck of staple foods. Of course, the most important information came from the drop rates he saw on his panel. Bound drop trait: The saying ''three mouths per pig'' was truly useful. To fuel their bioengineered bodies, they consumed three times the food of an ordinary person. Putting this all together, the scale of living biomechanical soldiers in this base was about 100. ... ... ["Lucky Strike" charge +10.] All eyes turned to Bai E simultaneously, astonished, both former teammates and the infiltrating squad. He hadn''t discussed this with anyone, but now he had disclosed it decisively, clearly having been certain all along. Gregory caught all their expressions in a nce, and his gut told him the truth. Such meticulous thinking... Strength... difficult to assess. This soldier, who had joined through connections, shattered most of the apanying team''s perceptionspletely along the way. Was this the worth of the ace of the newest batch of man-made soldiers? No wonder superiors, even those who helped him get in through the back door, insisted on cing this recruit with them... "But even without the enemies we''ve already killed, there are probably still many left from a force of around 100," Gregory furrowed his brows, silently calctingbat strength, "If they continue to huddle and defend the entrance, it''s going to be difficult for us to break through their line." They had already witnessed the vitality of the biomechanical soldiers¡ªhow they could keep fighting for a while even after being stabbed in vital spots like the heart or even the head. If you factor in the cover from theirrades, killing their fighting force would seem improbable. It''s hard to fight our way in... Could it be that we still have to consider retreat? Chapter 166 Sneak away Bai E narrowed his eyes, sensing that the officer was contemting a retreat, he once again threw out the information he had discovered, "Moreover, I saw just now that they seem to be restricted by orders and won''t actively pursue us beyond a certain limit; once they reach that boundary, they will stop in their tracks." Bai E, who covered the rear, observed more information than the rest of the party. This discovery actually proved very useful in verifying other things... Normally, to prevent intruders from causing damage, the rtively small number of biowarriors should be patrolling throughout the base. So, was it the case that the orders they received at the beginning were just like this? A few warriors guarding the outer ring, most protecting the central processing units. But this was not logical... It wasn''t just them who mighte to this base wanting to restart the equipment; orcs, wild beasts, insects, any of them could havee, and they wouldn''t show any mercy to human technological creations. Of course, it''s also possible that there were more than these few people in the base initially, and the biowarriors responsible for patrolling mostly died of natural causes over these hundreds of years. And these biowarriors executed their orders so rigidly without any flexibility, leading to the current situation. However, Bai E felt this possibility was rather slim. Therefore, thest possibility became quite interesting¡ª The orders they received were new. Some "person" had discovered their team of intruders and issued a temporary change of orders, directing them to concentrate at thest line of defense. Who could issue orders to them? The answer was on the verge of revtion. What decision would this spection lead the officers to make¡ªretreat, orplete destruction? What kind of abilities did the electronic demon have? Apart from controlling machinery, what impact could it have on them as living beings? He had no idea. The situation became chaotic. Bai E looked at Minister Likok, who still held onto hisputer and aimed to obtain verification from the data, waiting for his final verdict. But before that, someone needed to be dispatched to find and make contact with the other two squads that had split off. The enemy had already gathered their forces, while his own side was still operating singly? No wonder they were at a disadvantage! ncing around, Bai E chose to remain silent. Now that there was amander-in-chief, he could step back... from talking, at least. Having listened to the multitude of information provided by Bai E, Gregory, after a brief period of contemtion, immediately issued an order, "Before Minister Likok confirms the final result, I need you to find the other two dispersed squads." As he spoke, he pointed to a side road they had just passed and said, "All the paths here are connected. Leave three with me to guard the minister, and the rest of you divide into three groups to search for them, going in pairs. Make sure to remember this starting point, as we will wait for you to return here. Remember, you have half an hour, and whether or not you find them, you must return immediately! If you encounter the enemy, don''t engage in a drawn-out fight, try to lead them towards us." "Yes, sir!" Gregory then gave Bai E a significant look, full of appreciation, "95B27, we will rely on you next. You will also be in one of the groups searching for them. If you find that they are being pursued, please make sure to rescue them!" "Guaranteed toplete the mission!" Bai E readily agreed. Leading arge team, he couldn''t roam everywhere at leisure; now, working in a pair with another warrior, wasn''t it just like wanting to go wherever they pleased, finding their scatteredpanions while perfecting the exploration of the ruins? Perfect! "Alright, move out!" ... "Thump!" In the midst of the long wait, Minister Likok, finally, after abruptly striking a key,pleted his final meticulous analysis. Gregory, who had been waiting, immediately looked at him with expectation, "Minister?" "..." Likok waved his hand, "Have everyone turn off their radios first." "Radios?" Gregory was taken aback for a moment before turning to give the order, "Everyone,pletely shut off your radios!" "Yes!" Afterpleting this task, Likok seemed to let out a long sigh as if all his energy had been drained. Afterparing all possible data, he finally confirmed... "The electronic demon has returned!" Or rather, it had never really dissipated. The electronic silence of several hundred years hadn''t made It disappear in obscurity, nor even sleep. Even the idea of exploiting the weak period of Its slumber to mount a sudden attack with rapidly developedwork-controlled firepower beforepletely shutting down thework was impossible! Humans, in the end, had to face those insects on their own! And this base... "Destroy it!" Minister Likok looked at Commander Gregory, his face pleading. Even though they hadn''t been able to sessfully restart the Root Server, their trip here was not without meaning¡ª The scientists from hundreds of years ago had encountered the electronic demon for the first time; their judgment was ultimately wed, and hundreds of years of time had done nothing to destroy the electronic demon. There was not the slightest sign of its waning. It was still here, lurking, waiting. To destroy this base was the greatest significance of their mission! As the time for the 500-year agreement drew closer, human hearts ultimately struggled to contain themselves; he had his own ideas, and it was hard to ensure other cities wouldn''t have people wanting to restart thework. Perhaps they didn''t have the geographical advantage of being as close to this base as ckwater City, but even if they decided to develop their own, upon reaching a certain scale, it would result in the electronic demon''s immediate arrival. By then, it would be utterly out of control. Without an endless army of machines to stop them and with less than a hundred biochemical soldiers guarding, the chance topletely annihte the electronic demon was right in front of them. The task their predecessors had not resolutely decided to undertake, would now be taken up by the younger generation! Even if it didn''t work out this time, they would have to go back and report to the military district so they could send someone to eradicate itpletely! Of course, arge-scale mobilization by the military district would consume countless manpower and resources. If it was something they could do themselves, there was no need to trouble more soldiers. They had to at least try to be satisfied. "Are you sure?" Gregory didn''t understand much about technical matters. In his military view, one or two bases, which could be knocked down and rebuilt countless times, were no big deal. The order he received was to coordinate with Minister Likok''s actions at thest moment, whether it was to restart or to destroy. It was merely a choice for the other party. Likok''s eyes were filled with a grim determination. He decided to make this significant decision and also decided to bear all the consequences, "I''m sure!" "Good!" Gregory nodded in agreement, "Please wait a moment. Once our most loyal soldiers return, we will destroy this basepletely!" ... "Found them!" The soldiers moving with Bai E found a small team that was taking a temporary rest in a room. Their directions of movement were different. This team had infiltrated mostly residential areas, and with the loss of power supply, the doors to the rooms of the original base personnel were all open, providing them with a ce to hide. The members of the resting team in the room were all injured and looked somewhat ragged. It seemed they had encountered quite troublesome opponents. Bai E''s gaze swept through them. He didn''t recognize anyone... it wasn''t the group led by the Blood God. "We are ordered by themander to take you to the assembly. Come with us now," the soldier apanying Bai E exined cheerfully to the team. "We noticed earlier that the voicemunication was cut off, so something really happened, huh?" "Let''s go now!" The members of the team were somewhat surprised. Without themander''s orders, they were also a bit confused about what they should do next. "Go!" As they passed by an intersection, Bai E hesitated slightly. Having taken a few steps past, he took a step back and looked up toward the transverse corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly. "Brother?" Bai E''s unusual behavior puzzled the apanying soldier. "You take them to see themander," said Bai E. "Ah?" "You take them to see themander. I have another task," Bai E withdrew his gaze and exined calmly with a stern face. "?" The apanying soldier expressed his confusion with a question mark. "Themander ordered me to ensure the safety of the other team of brothers. I need to find the other team," Bai E rified. "..." The apanying soldier couldn''t immediately find fault with that. Themander had indeed given that order in front of everyone. But... isn''t there something wrong with acting alone? He couldn''t quite articte it. Bai E urged expressionlessly, "Hurry up and go. Don''t keep themander waiting. I will look for the other team." "Be careful on your own," the soldier, not having strong opinions of his own, could only follow Bai E''s orders, as Bai E had been his mander" during the brief time just past. "Don''t worry." Watching the apanying soldier lead the team further and further away, disappearing around the corner at the end of the corridor, Bai E then pivoted on his heels, walking in the direction of the passage he had just observed. Having wandered around the base for quite some time, he had a good understanding of the overall architecture of the base. All the ces he had visited were like the fog of war lifting, unlocking each on the mental model of the base relic in his mind. [You have explored the target relic''s residential areapletely. Current exploration progress: 70%.] The exploration mission did not require him to walk through every corner of the relic with his own feet. A rough exploration of arge area and understanding its general function was considered taskpletion. And now, the only area left enshrouded in fog was the centralputer room area, which themander and his team had wanted to enter but failed to breach. Is it hard to get in? Indeed, it is hard. But now there was an opportunity. The paths within the base were traceable. Following this branch road would lead straight to the entrance of the concentric circle corridor closest to the Root Server room... A big group would have a hard time breaking in, but what about one person sneaking in? He had just sensed themander''s reluctance. Facing a force of hundreds of biochemical soldiers, themander clearly wanted to be prudent. He might be prudent, but what about his own mission? If they were to return, there would be no more room for personal choice. If themander decided to retreat, should he obey or not? Disobeying would mean going against military orders, but obeying would mean a failed mission. Life, sometimes, is about taking chances. Chapter 167 162 comes from the ancient warrior No one. No one. Still no one. Bai E advanced cautiously, treading as lightly as possible. It was as if all the biochemical soldiers responsible for guarding had been drawn away by theirrades, leaving the passage to the mainframe room eerily empty and silent. If there''s really no one, I''m going in, meow~ Bai E carefully scanned his surroundings once more, ensuring this wasn''t some trap set by biochemical soldiers to lure him into a jar, before sneaking in. Before his eyes... a dismal green light. Easily crossing the corridor that had previously stopped his teammates, Bai E had prated the innermost circr passage without alerting any enemies. Unlike the other passages he had passed, which were enclosed in metal, the innermost was more like a hallway. The oval hallway stretched forward, blurring into the dim, dismal green light... Looking down over the edge of the corridor, he saw a huge circr space, hollowed out and tens of meters high. Rows of servers, akin to shelves filled with books, extended endlessly into the depths of darkness. Only the most minimal emergency power supply meant that inside, only a few emergency lights weakly flickered green, and the dormant rows of mainframes twinkled with either eerie green or bright red lights. Humanity from hundreds of years ago was not willing to easily give up this treasure of inestimable value, so they kept the lowest currents flowing, sustaining the self-checking capabilities of the machines. [You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin. Current exploration degree: 71.5% (Unlock full understanding of the ruins afterpleting the exploration of the mainframe area)] Should I go further inside? The vast mainframe hall was shrouded in darkness, and the somber green light made the atmosphere here seem even more bizarre. But it was undeniably safe here, at least Bai E didn''t see any clunky biochemical soldiers. Without orders, they were probably not allowed to enter. This ce... was devoid of people. Bai E went down the stairs from the passageway to the mainframe hall, cautiously navigating between rows of mainframes, at least three or four meters tall each, as if wandering through an endlessbyrinth of electronic systems. Being inside, one couldn''t see the end. asionally, one could spot maintenancedders tucked away in corners, presumably used by workers from a bygone era to reach the tops of the mainframes for maintenance. Huge cables from the back of the mainframes disappeared into the ground at their feet, and the spacious area between the rows of mainframes appeared clean and tidy. [You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin. Current exploration degree: 73% (Unlock full understanding of the ruins afterpleting the exploration of the mainframe area)] [...75%...] [...80%...] [...85%...] Simply by wandering deeper, the progress of unlocking the mission continuously increased. Bai E walked straight ahead, and gradually the dismal, green haze before his eyes was dispersed by his gaze. In the distance, arge blue-violet glow egg appeared... It stood in the center, as if it were the absolute core of all the mainframes. [You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin, and you have found the core of the mainframe cluster, which greatly increased the exploration degree. Current exploration degree: 93%] [As expected, some serious ck tech stuff...] Upon seeing something unfamiliar, Bai E actually breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard that the World Network Server in this world differed from his original world''s concept of the inte. If it hadn''t been different, he would have been unable to ept it. It''s just that... there seems to be a ck shadow next to the "egg," doesn''t it? [Still missing 7% progress...] Bai E quickened his pace, wanting to finish the exploration quickly and then make his way home. By then, he wouldn''t have any worries about whether to retreat or something else. "Huff~" "Huff~" Like the bellows of a forge, the sound of breathing became clearer as Bai E neared, as oppressive as the somber presence of a prehistoric beast, thickening the air around him. An inexplicable heavy pressure weighed on his heart, causing Bai E''s steps to unconsciously slow and lighten, fearing to disturb some iprehensible presence. Was he being interfered with by some kind of spiritual energy on the mental level? But "Self-Restraint" hadn''t issued any warnings. Or... was it that ck shadow up ahead? Bai E paused for a moment, puzzled. If he couldn''t beat it, he could still run, right? So, taking a bold step forward... just to take a look, just a single look. [??? (Human/???) (Ally/Chaos) (Elite/Lord) ¡ª Using "Lucky Strike" to kill it will drop: definitely (Fresh Meat*1000, Biochemical Parts*50, 1,000,000bat experience points); high probability (Expertise: Weapon Master, Trait: Resilient Mind); possible (Skill: Digital Domain, Trait: Biochemical Body (bound with "Trait: Three-Headed Pig"), Trait: Death Resistance)] In a space that appeared pixted like a mosaic, a ck silhouette resembling a pixted figure was quietly dormant within. The figure silently sat next to the "egg," resting its forehead on its hand perched atop its knee, as if immersed in eternal and peaceful contemtion. "Hello... future," he said softly. [You are exploring the mainframe area of the target ruin and have found the core of the mainframe cluster, which greatly increased the exploration degree. Current exploration degree: 95% (The exploration progress of the physical part of the target ruin has ended)] ... Lately, he''s been having this dream frequently, a dream of blue waters and clear skies. His wife, young and beautiful, his daughter, sweet and lovely. They were also subjected to biochemical modifications by those scientists... Could they finally live eternally with themselves? The food was delicious, the housing spacious, the streets clean, the pedestrians amiable, the sunshine warm, the city open... Gently pushing the window open, the warm sea breeze rushed into the room along with the golden sunlight, filling the air with a sweet aroma. There were no iron walls, no steel cannons. The air was free of gunpowder smoke and the nauseating slime secreted by those bugs. Those bugs... those bugs... how long ago was that? The world was safe. The world was at peace. Mybat squadron, which I led, had been awarded the highest military honor, the Skyhawk Medal, amidst the adoring gaze of the nation''s people at the grand award ceremony. The Emperor of the Empire, in his golden years, personally awarded me the medal, while my wife and daughter looked on proudly from the audience... It was I... I who brought this world evesting peace with my own hands, with my wars... wars... wars... Only in the asional nightmares did I return to the dark times before the war was over¡ª I''ve been dreaming frequently ofte, my body aging day by day, my spirit growing increasingly frail. Endless darkness crowded in overhead as though it was about to inject itself into my body, and my body seemed ready to burst at any time. "You are the finest soldier in the army..." "Your will is stronger than steel..." "Only you canplete this arduous task..." "We do not insist; no one knows what changes 500 years might bring..." "...All for the sake of leaving something from this era as a gift for posterity." These voices were only voices... without text, without images, without any associated memories or associations. They often appeared like hallucinations. So much so that it really made one believe it was a hallucination... On thest afternoon before joining the army, I went to steal a nce at her. I didn''t confess my love. I didn''t have a wife... ... "Hello... sessor from a future world." The ck figure slowly rose, and the pixted space fluctuated along with its movement, its pixted body making it hard to discern the face, let alone observe expressions. The other''s voice was interspersed with pitch-shifting electronic noise, rendering the scene even more eerie. "I am seldom awake; It has always been bombarding my life with an endless stream of data chaos... I have forgotten too much." "Are... are you talking to me?" Bai E cautiously stepped back, eyeing the pixted figure with wariness. His right hand also rested on his pistol holster; two lucky shots were a definite source of confidence. As for the unknown, the confusion? The reality had already presented itself; Bai E just wanted to know the other''s intentions. Was he the electronic demon? "Of course, I am talking to you. It is your arrival that woke me from the ''beautiful dream'' It had carefully crafted for me." With those words, the other fell silent for a moment. Like someone waking from a great dream, trying to rapidly regain full awareness. "I have waited for you all for so long..." the voice paused, filled with anticipation, "500 years of waiting... I thought I would never see you." 500 years? Bai E''s gaze narrowed, "It''s been 439 years... it has been 439 years since the electronic demon''s rebellion to the present." He emphasized the term "electronic demon" in his tone, hoping to gauge the reaction of the other. "439 years?" the shadow moved a step, as though wanting toe closer, but realizing its current form, it halted, "You... came early?" "Yes! The situation outside is dire, so..." "You are... exining to me?" The voice sounded perhaps puzzled, only the interference of the electronic noise made it uncertain to Bai E. The sickly green background light filtered through the pixted space surrounding the figure, turning even the light into equally sized square blocks before his own eyes. "Don''t exin... no need to exin, remember, you never need to exin to your predecessors." The voice grew more fervent, the electronic noise unable to mask its intensity, "ns always have variables, ns always fail! If all ns seeded, we would have long stepped out of the sr system and into deep space! You have your own judgment, which is a delightful matter! 500 years wasn''t for you; it was for me! I am ready! I will help youpletely subdue that demon!" "Subdue? A demon?" Bai E remained cautious; everything happening before him contradicted the information he had received before arriving, twopletely opposing pieces of information required his rational decision. If the other party''s stance was on his side, then what about those biochemically modified soldiers at the door? If the other was the electronic demon itself or controlled by It, then everything said to him definitely had an ulterior motive! But regardless of the possibilities, attempting to negotiate surely indicated ack of confidence. It was afraid of this invading squad! "You can help us, subdue the electronic demon?" "Yes! Completely annihte it, and give you all a clean globalwork!" Bai E was not easily swayed by the other''s few words, maintaining a distance and inquiring, "The details? How do we cooperate?" Chapter 168 163 The War Across Time "Restart the server!" The first required action the other party suggested made Bai E frown. Knowing that the electronic demon had not dissipated, Likok, the minister of the City Information Department, was prepared topletely destroy this base, to annihte the core where the electronic demon resided. A stark conflict in perspectives emerged once again, presenting Bai E with a sharp choice. "Why do we have to restart it?" Bai E asked cautiously, trying to find loopholes in the other party''s words, "You''ve had plenty of time over the past few centuries toplete this step at any moment." He suspected it was a trick of the electronic demon, but he couldn''t dismiss the possibility that it was indeed assistance. "Because the time is only right now; because the guards here have already been manipted by the electronic demon, and no one else canplete the final step." "The final step?" "To kill me!" The other party''s tone was steady yet fervent, as if pursuing a belief unhesitatingly, "The 500 years set by Mr. Chen is for It to adapt to the human body. The moment It has fully transformed the core source information to fit the human body, is the moment when It and I both perish. It is adapting to me, and I am adapting to It... The moment the transcription isplete, It will have full control over my body, but I will have also trapped Its core. This is the only chance; It has adapted to me for 439 years, and I have adapted to It for 439 years. Once my will ispletely erased by It, It will have no weaknesses forever! This one opportunity will nevere again!" "Too fantastical..." Although the world itself was quite fantastical, in the end, a logical exnation was needed. Bai E''s eyes narrowed slightly, "I don''t believe it! Prove it to me." "You dissected those soldiers'' corpses!" A chill went through Bai E''s heart. [So I was indeed being monitored by some means... Is it the team''s radiomunication?] The pixted figure continued, "You didn''t find the central control chips inside them." "Right." "Because we don''t have chips at all. We are not the bio-warriors who were turned during the initial rebellion! We were brought inter." [You are learning background information about the target relic (current information unverified)...] Bai E''s gaze became slightly distant as he logically deduced along this line of thought, "So..." Discover more stories at empire "So even without the chips, that demon can still control the hearts of people!" "What about you?" Bai E stared intently at the other party, trying hard to focus on the two dark spots on the pixted head, "What makes you immune to its control?" This time there was a long silence, and after a prolonged quiet, a voice, heavy with sorrow and distorted with electronic noise, finally spoke, "Because... I was the finest warrior of our time. I have fought against It for over four hundred years, and now... even the decades of my earlier life have been lost." Within his consciousness, time flowed at an extreme pace, the incessant barrage of information day and night had spanned several millennia for him. In those endlessly woven beautiful dreams, he had lived countless vibrant and brilliant lives. The most authentic decades of life experience were diluted among the varied existences of several thousand years. He had even lost his own name. "I am the finest warrior, but I... I don''t remember my name anymore." The outpouring of sorrow momentarily infected Bai E, but fortunately, "self-restraint" instantly detected and intercepted this spread of emotion in his heart. "..." Bai E didn''t want his judgment to be swayed by emotions; he just hardened his heart and continued to ask, "You forget your name yet remember all this?" "This is all I remember now..." the other''s voice was filled with sorrow, so profound that even the electronic noise couldn''t conceal it. "..." Bai E frowned tightly, his mind whirring at full speed¡ª So the question came back to the operation itself: restarting the server. "Why do you absolutely have to restart the server?" Bai E squinted, trying to question based on the information that was out in the open, "You should know that when the globalwork falls silent and the paradise that sustains Its existence gradually disappears, It too will progressively weaken. This Root Server, where the electronic demon was born, is thest vessel for storing Its core source information; the two are essentially inseparable. Topletely destroy It, you should destroy this base... not restart it." This was what Minister Likok and himself had deduced, and it was also what he had understood from documents left from hundreds of years ago. The construction of this base had been extremely difficult; thus, it was very precious. It was decided to use time to whittle away the core will of the electronic demon in order to leave a sliver of hope for future generations to reutilize it. This was the founding core of the electronic silence agreement. However... "That''s false." The pixted figure spoke calmly revealing the "truth," "Destroying this base will notpletely annihte Its core, and back then, we didn''t preserve this base with the intention of leaving a gift for you. It was a matter of necessity... This is a contest between us and the electronic demon, a war... that has persisted for 439 years!" "You need to convince me." Bai E looked steadily at the other party. Without a logical chain of reasoning, he would not doubt the modern scientists who had apanied him all this way and instead trust a bio-modified warrior from ancient times, who was most likely controlled by the electronic demon. "The data has already deceived you once... We don''t have any chips! We are not the first batch of biochemically modified soldiers to rebel, the established starting time for the Electronic Silence Agreement is fake, the records regarding the Electronic Demon''s traits are fake, and the final decisions on how to deal with the AI rebellion... it''s all fake. All of it was just a grand deception we staged to fool that demon!" History, as it truly happened, is often more magnificent than the snippets recorded. The truth is this¡ª" After cleaning up all the chaos left by the Electronic Demon''s rebellion and promptly recovering the base, the ones who subsequently came to be stationed here were, of course, normal humans. But the top schrs of that era all knew that the influence of the Electronic Demon was far from over. Though its core was born within the Root Server Base, once it came into existence, its tentacles reached throughout theworks of all eras. Cutting off thework was indeed the biggest n to weaken It, but ultimately it couldn''t bepletely eradicated, unless humanitypletely abandoned the development of Intelligent Technology. Otherwise, reactivating Intelligent Technology at any time would awaken this demon that, once existed, exists forever! However, in the vaguely remembered era of the "Ancient Strongest Warrior," an idental discovery by a few top scientists of the time revealed the Electronic Demon''s erosion of normal human thought. It was cautious and took pride in believing that no one had discovered it. While schrs, troubled by humanity''s inability to use intelligentwork technology ever since, hatched a n in their minds and designed a different kind of war that wouldst for hundreds of years! The Electronic Demon, still powerful shortly after the globalwork was disconnected, would be aware of any records on electronic devices or within sight of such devices... except within the human heart. Therefore, some schrs imed to have discovered the Electronic Demon''s absolute weakness, and the 500-year Electronic Silence Agreement was publicly issued. In secret, however, the real war n was passed down in whispers¡ª Humanity would use hundreds of years of disconnection to demonstrate their true resolve, and during this disconnected period, they deliberately left a "shortcut" backdoor for It. The myriad bioelectric signals within the human body form an extremelyplex feedback loop, and the soul that arises from brain thought is also a field of electromaic waves. In some ways, there''s almost no difference between the human soul and the Electronic Demon, both essentially existing as electromaic field entities. The once-defeated Electronic Demon desperately yearned to break free from the confines of the humanwork. Only by transcribing itself into an electromaic fieldpatible with the human body, possessing the ability to switch freely between the two, could It achieve true eternal freedom. But humans and pigs share 97.7% of their genes, and it is just a difference of 2.3% that creates the vast physiological gap between them. The rtionship between the human soul and the Electronic Demon, both being electromaic fields, is simr. No matter how strong in mental power the Electronic Demon is, it struggles to directly invade and nest within the human body; at most, it could control it. Unless... there is a target with a lifespan long enough and a soul resilient enough to support Its lengthy transcription matching process that would take hundreds of years. At such a time, the "Ancient Strongest Warrior," after undergoing human biochemical modification, was brought here to guard the base... The war between the Electronic Demon and the "Ancient Strongest Warrior" thus began from that day. A n that took hundreds of years, all in preparation for the final strike when the sessors ofter generations would arrive today. 439 years have transformed the earth, but the whispered lineage of knowledge has been lost at some unknown time; still, the lonely warrior carried on his solitary war. The 500-year agreement is the disy of human determination to disconnect from thework and their plotting. The 439-year reboot is the human resolve to judge and act upon the situation. "You''ve arrived early, but just in time," the Ancient Pixel Warrior calmly said to Bai E, "I don''t know how much longer I can hold out, but your early arrival might just be the choice of fate. Activate the server cluster to elerate Its transcription adaptation, let It fully integrate with me! That''s the only way to eradicate this eternal enemy of humanity at its root!" Due to some effects difficult to exin in a short time, the Electronic Demon, with most of its main body already transcribed, could not stop this involuntary elerated transcription. And to think that the Electronic Demon thought it coulde and go within the human body as it pleased? Why would that be? Whilepressing its own informational magnitude and transcribing its core to adapt to the human body, the "Ancient Strongest Warrior" was also familiarizing himself with everything about the other. The first human to match with It for hundreds of years also had some degree of binding power over It, a one-time opportunity that subsequent generations could never replicate! [You are learning about the background information rted to the target relic (information not confirmed)¡­] "Future heir, tell me, what is your judgment¡­" The pixel person gazed quietly, the two dark block dots seemingly shining with intelligent light. "..." Bai E''s eyes flickered, his brain working at high speed. The other''s words seemed impable, with two entirely different developments standing before him... He couldn''t tell... "You don''t have much time left to choose¡­" The pixel eyes blinked gently, "Yourpanion has already decided to attack. If you''re unwilling to believe or cooperate, I can only prevent your destructive actions! If the base is destroyed before the transcription isplete, It will certainly fall into the predicament of waiting for humans to rebuild the intelligentwork, but we will forever lose thest chance to annihte It! Moreover, my lucid time... is running out." ... "Beep~ Beep~" The red light on the earpiece blinked gently. The two squads that were found heard the cold order issued by their superior, Gregory: "Take up your weapons, kill everything, destroy everything!" ... [Regarding the true mission that this relic carries, do you decide to stick with your initial judgment, or choose to trust...] [Warning: If the judgment is incorrect, the exploration of this relic will be reset to zero and will be permanently ineffective, unable to be explored again.] Chapter 169 164 Trust "I have some questions." Gunfire from teammates echoed in the distant corridor, the noise especially apparent in the confined space. Bai E remained calm, using thest moments to test the other''s cards. "Say..." It seemed the Pixel Person was not in a hurry, even at the very end. "Why choose me?" "You''re the only one who dissected corpses and engaged in deep thinking. You were the first to actively dissect ourrade''s body. Clearly, your thought process is superior to theirs." [Can I say I was just looking for a chip to shut you down with one shot...] "What if I hadn''te in?" "I could have gone out." "You''re telling me all this, aren''t you afraid of exposing it to the electronic demon?" "So this is thest chance." The Pixel Person''s tone paused, gathering strength, "This is... a deception. It has almostpleted its transcription, and it can no longer stop if it wants to." "Onest question..." Bai E took a slow step forward, his right hand concealed behind him, clutching a dagger, "What is the state of you now..." "Whoosh!" The sh of the de cleaved through the air, Bai E''s voice trailing behind, "...what''s with that?" miss Just like a real game, a big ''miss'' popped up from the ce struck by the dagger. Find more adventures on empire The Pixel Person didn''t dodge or avoid; it allowed Bai E to stab him. Disbelieving, Bai E pulled out the de and stabbed again, but the dagger felt soft and spongy, as if it had entered a mass of sticky rubber... or something even softer. Still miss. Miss? The word ''miss'' appearing on a human body genuinely hit by a knife felt a bit too magical... Although the fact the opponent was a Pixel Person was already damn magical. Digital Domain... 1% evasion. "Do you see?" The Pixel Person spread his arms, "Even if I stand still here, 1% evasion can leave you helpless. If I decide to act, you won''t stand a chance." This is the electronic demon''s haughty nature, deliberately setting a 1% chance, yet rendering humans helpless¡ªit''s essentially a form of intimidation! Bai E just dumbfoundedly watched the front end of the dagger in his hand, which became pixted as it entered the space before the other''s body, only to return to normal once withdrawn. Does everything that enters the domain get represented as data? And isn''t everything in the data domain at the electronic demon''s whim? He had a rough idea of some of the abilities the electronic demon could perform within the information domain...parable to a deity. But this was reality... "There''s a paradox..." Bai E''s eyes narrowed slightly, "If we could fight against you, your threat would be meaningless to us. We''re not afraid of sacrifice, we only fear notpleting our mission. And if we can''t fight you, what will we use to battle the electronic demon controlling your body after the transcription isplete?" "You are indeed very calm." The Pixel Person''s voice was filled with admiration, "But when It possesses a human, It also loses its data abilities... The only thing you need to confront is my body under Its control. It is not me; you needn''t fear." "You are willing to die alongside It?" "The foundation of the empire is built upon sacrifice..." "Tss-tss-tss~ tss-tss-tss~" Before he could finish speaking, a mix of chaotic sounds emitted from the small space where the other was located, and his figure started to flicker like a poor TV signal. His slightly distorted voice struggled to transmit, "I don''t have... much... time left... It... is awakening." "Onest question!" Bai E stared intensely at the blurry space, as if trying to pierce through the data distortion to look directly into the other''s original eyes, "What makes you think I can persuade them?" "Because... because, the human spirit..." The electronic demon cannot see into the human spirit, but humans can. "You are... are their... faith." Amidst the dyed voice, a sudden change in the explosion subtitles urred before his eyes. The original disy representing race, stance, and status¡ª(Human/???)(Ally/Chaos)(Elite/Lord)¡ªbegan to continually shift¡ª(???/Human)(Chaos/Ally)(Lord/Elite). Prity reversed! "I have released the signal!" After a somewhat shrill and urgent voice, the subtitles on screen came to aplete stop, "Leaving it to you¡­" Bai E retreated guardedly, his left hand pressing a small microphone to his mouth as he whispered, "I''m 95B27¡­" ... "I''m 95B27. Minister Likok, please immediately cease all destructive operations! Repeat! Please immediately cease all destructive operations! The one opportunity to thoroughly defeat the Electronic Demon began with the final battle 439 years ago, and it will be us who shallplete it!" An unexpected voice suddenly came through the quiet voice channel that everyone was on. Ever since entering the base, the silence of voices had be the norm for everyone. But now¡­ "Has the Electronic Demon invaded our voice channel?" "Where is 95B27?" "This is a trick by the Electronic Demon! Do not respond!" Minister Likok was skeptical; the information he had gathered suggested that the Electronic Demon did not possess the ability to upy the bodies of normal humans¡­ In this regard, androids and natural humans were equal. "Our warriors will not be coerced! That is B27''s voice." At a critical juncture, Minister Likok disyed the stubbornness of a researcher and the decisiveness of an information minister. In his known information, the Electronic Demon couldn''t control humans without imnted chips, and faced with threats, that warrior would neverpromise. He opened the channel and responded quietly, "This is Likok, time is of the essence, I only ask you, is everything you said¡­ true?" ... [Judgment correct! You havepleted the final puzzle piece of artifact exploration! Current exploration level: 100%] [Triggered artifact mission¡ªThe Final Battle!] [The Final Battle: The n from 439 years ago continues to this day, and you are the only modern entities who know the truth. This is your only chance to defeat the Electronic Demon, and the authority to change the world''s structure has been ced in your hands! Defeat it, and the world will change because of you! Mission requirements: Restart the mainframe cluster to elerate Electronic Demon transcriptionpletion 0/1; Kill the ancient strongest warrior possessed by the Electronic Demon 0/1. Missionpletion reward: Highest control over the current artifact.] Bai E''s gaze gradually firmed, and he calmly replied, "Trust me, I won''t make a mistake." ... "Don''t trust him!" "What would an android know?!" Perhaps this guy''sbat strength was indeed formidable, but what intelligence could an android''s brain contain? "Maybe he''s been deceived?" Gregory was also reluctant to believe the words of amon android. Since when did a tool like a screw have the right to express an opinion? He just looked at Minister Likok, with soldiers holding guns behind him firing into theputer room¡­ All decisions were for Minister Likok to bear alone. "I believe him!" Aryan was the first to break the silence, his assistant''s amber eyes full of firm belief. Despite their short time together, the confidence that warrior gave her was unmatched by anyone. It was as if... he was omnipotent. "I also believe him!" "I also believe him!" "Brother B27 never makes mistakes." The firepower squad that had entered with Bai E also voiced their support at this moment. The voice that rose simultaneously in everyone''s headsets did not miss a single soldier, "Missing" Brother B27 had clearly discovered important intelligence that had been overlooked by everyone! "I also believe him." Finally, Minister Likok said gravely, "On the way here, I informed him of nearly all the information about this base, I do not know what he has seen¡­ but I trust him to make decisions in my stead. If he believes, then I believe¡­" He was not someone of extraordinarily resolute will, and he often sought others'' opinions in his actions. Their support throughout the way, although brief, had shown that the warrior''s determination and wisdom far exceeded anyone''s expectations. If it were him¡­ Chapter 170 165 is executing Likok''s gaze hardened once again, and he abruptly turned to the suprememander Gregory, "Commander, please give the order." Could he really trust that synthetic soldier so much? Just because they had entered to provide support together for this brief period? What exactly had he done to earn such trust from all those who apanied him? Gregory''s eyes flickered thoughtfully and he responded immediately, "I will follow your will." He was a soldier, and a soldier''s duty was to obey orders. The final judgment was to follow Minister Likok''s instructionspletely; such were the orders he had received. "Everyone, put down your guns, draw your des! Charge in!" However, the "missing" soldier''s previous estimation about the number of personnel within the base turned out to be correct. Bypiling the counts from each squad''s independent kills and adding the number of bio-soldiers still stubbornly resisting, the total was indeed around a hundred people. This uracy in judgment was also an important basis for his willingness toply with Minister Likok''s sudden change of orders. If 95B27 had not demonstrated any reliable signs before, whether he would have followed Likok''s decision of trust, he himself could not be sure... But there were not so many ifs, the reality was right in front of him. Upon hearing the order, the soldiers immediately stowed their firearms, and the roar of gunfire ceased abruptly. It goes without saying, the brief opening salvo trulyid the foundation for victory. Had it not been for caution over the equipment, unarmed ancient bio-soldiers would merely be piles of meat under a machine gun. The remaining handful of minor troops no longer posed a threat; led by the Blood God, masters of closebat charged forward with their knives, cleaning up in a final melee. Following behind the soldiers and progressing, upon hearing that stopping the destruction was the correct response, Minister Likok moved along, tenderly touching the bullet marks on the walls with a heavy heart. The steel walls had been pitted with bullet craters, not to mention the reinforced ss behind the glow tubes. Some blue-purple viscous liquid, the material of which was unknown, slowly oozed from the punctured holes, twinkling with flecks of gold within. The soldiers indeed did not deliberately target these glow tubes with gunfire, but stray bullets could still find their target within the steel passages given enough probability, which was why they were ordered not to use firearms from the start of the operation. Minister Likok, pressing his earpiece, asked softly into the microphone, "We have stopped, what should we do now?" "Reboot the main server cluster; we need itsputational power." Hearing Bai E''s slightly breathless voice, Gregory, who had also opened his voicemunication, asked, "Where are you?" Listening to the voice in the absence of visibility always bred suspicion. After all, their opponent was an electronic demon, and while they knew nothing of its actual abilities, its capacity to interfere with radiomunications alone was enough to cast doubt on the authenticity of the voice transmission. Only a face-to-face exnation could engenderplete trust. That was also Minister Likok''s thought. He trusted Bai E, but he needed to be sure it was the real Bai E first. "I''ll be right there... ugh!" A muffled grunt, as if wounded, reached the ears of all listening, tightening their hearts. Minister Likok asked anxiously, "What''s wrong? Did you encounter the enemy?" "...It''s nothing." Bai E bit back a breath and fired his twin guns. "Bang, bang, bang!" The sharp and clean sounds of the pistols echoed long in the voice channel. Bai E calcted the trajectory of each bullet and its potential ricochet path as best he could, ensuring not to cause trouble for the reboot of the main server cluster. Bai E, pursued by the "ancient strongest warrior" now under the control of the electronic demon, could only rely on his formidableprehensive abilities granted by Gun Fighting Skill to escape Its pursuit and reunite with hisrades. And with each pistol bullet that hit, the pixted body of the "ancient strongest warrior" visibly stuttered. miss miss miss It indeed could not be hit by external attacks, but there were effects when it was attacked. It seems that transforming physical objects entering the "Digital Domain" into forms under Its control also required a certain processing time. This brief "freeze" was the premise for Bai E''s escape. "Damn it!" Bai E cursed inwardly. The pixted person, whose body was directed by the electronic demon, seemed tock any ability fornguagemunication, but Its pursuit was befitting of the temte called "ancient strongest warrior." Fast and overwhelmingly powerful. Just being hit by a punch, not even a solid one, caused his insides to feel as though they were being torn apart, a searing pain as if they had shifted position. If it hadn''t been for the powerful dodging abilities afforded by his Gun Fighting Skill, Bai E would likely not havested even half a round. Blocking seemed to have some effect, too. The external manifestation of the Digital Domain was only meant for dodging iing attacks, and yet, when the pixted being actively struck out, it was still possible to block sessfully in closebat without being affected by the dodging rules. Thisbat rule was a bit strange but indeed workable. Regrettably, his own closebat abilities were clearly inferiorpared to this "ancient strongest warrior" under the control of the electronic demon. In a single exchange, Bai E felt an oppressive force even greater than when he had faced "Blood God." Engaging him in closebat was akin to seeking death. It was more sensible to create distance and use Gun Fighting Skill to flee for his life. This was the most frustrating use of the Gun Fighting Skill he had ever experienced... "Tss~" After receiving another punch, Bai E flew directly for more than ten meters across the slick ground. [You have been hit by an attack, receiving 8 points of strike damage. You have entered a "lightly injured" state, and yourbat effectiveness has significantly decreased!] "Damn!" That really packed a punch! Bai E wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and slowly stood up from where he was. To escape his opponent as quickly as possible, he chose to let them give him a ''ride.'' Despite the injury, it was unquestionably worth it. Read new chapters at empire "Blood God, go!" Gregory''s cold voice rose from behind. Three figures leaped past Bai E''s body and pounced forward. Facing pixted beings made of mosaic, human warriors would never shrink back, even when confronting the unknown for the very first time! "B27..." Gregory was about to inquire but was interrupted by an even more anxious Likok. "Bai E! What is that!" Minister Likok immediately approached, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked towards the thing beyond the realm ofmon understanding not far away. "Electronic demon..." Bai E responded softly. "Is that the electronic demon?" Interest sparked in Gregory''s eyes in an instant. Electronic demon, electronic demon, it sounded like something very ethereal. He didn''t quite understand the scientists'' work, but if it had a physical body... A couple of battalions of gods? All fear stems from ack of firepower. Could something with a physical body even deserve to be called a demon? "Can''t we just kill it directly?" Hearing Gregory''s question, Bai E answered earnestly, "You can try." Try, then. Gregory wasn''t superstitious. In the face of the unknown, brave human soldiers were never afraid to fire a shot. Not daring to fire the machine gun recklessly for fear of damaging precious mainframe equipment, using the more controble pistol to test things out shouldn''t be a big issue. Drawing the pistol from his waist, Gregory aimed between his subordinates''bat with the enemy and fired a shot... "Bang!" miss "..." Superstitious, my foot! "Bang!" miss Superstitious, my foot! "Bang!" miss "..." "This..." Bai E no longer watched him but looked seriously at Minister Likok, "Minister, we need to reboot the mainframe cluster as soon as possible. The electronic demon is adapting to the human body, and using the mainframe cluster''sputing power can help it elerate this process. Once itpletes its transcription, it will lose the protection of thisyer of the Digital Domain and be no different from a normal human. At that time, by killing this body directly, we canpletely destroy its core!" Minister Likok turned to look at the rows of mainframes blinking red and green, nodding firmly, "Alright!" Chapter 171 166 Gold Technology Edition "Go find the location of the power supply for the mainputer room and follow orders to turn on the power supply in time," Gregory immediately instructed, looking at the soldier with some knowledge of electrical circuits and asking, "Do you know where it is?" The soldier nodded and replied, "I think I''ve seen it before; let''s go look for it!" "No need to look!" Bai E suddenly grabbed the shoulder bag slung over Miss Aryan''s shoulder, pulling out a sheet of white paper and a pen, and began furiously sketching on the ground. Once the exploration degree of the ruin reached 100%, the model for the ruin in his mind waspletely finished. Overview, top view, side view, cross-section view... any form of observation, as long as Bai E wished, the model could change at any time on a panel only visible to him. "Shh-shh-shh-shh-shh..." The pen tip swiftly raced across the paper. Copying from the model, Bai E quickly drew a detailed functional blueprint of the base. Holding the paper, Bai E rapidly introduced the n to the soldier who said he would go restart the power supply, marking on the paper with a pen, "Our position is here, the power supply room is here, following this path is the fastest shortcut, remember it! Take it!" "And this physical key!" Minister Likok had prepared a star-shaped metal que. Rebooting the power supply andwork here required a physical key, which was kept in ckwater City, the closest to this base¡ªthat was the core reason why he had always been eager. Watching the soldier run off, Bai E clearly heard a sound of swallowing saliva, and Miss Aryan, an inexperienced girl, expressed her puzzled inquiry, "You... where have you seen the base''s structural blueprints?" Even her teacher didn''t have the specific structural ns for inside the base; where did this soldier get them from? "I memorized them during the previous infiltration and when we were just searching for people..." Bai E said with a downcast look, not wanting to dwell on this issue, "It''s not important; you need to finish the repairs as soon as possible." Bai E''s gaze turned to those red-shing mainframes. The minimum level of electric current was barely maintaining the self-check capabilities of this group of mainframes; the ones shing green lights were naturally fine, but those with red lights indicated malfunctions. When this base was intact, engineers stationed here would certainly be responsible for maintenance and repairs, but those biochemical soldiers controlled by electronic demons didn''t have such abilities. Gazing across the rows of mainframes shrouded in dark mist, red lights punctuated the area as his nce swept to the end. Not every mainframe was vitally important; missing some of them, the system could still start up, albeit with slightly lessputational power. However, the many node machines responsible for interconnecting were critical, and if even one of them was damaged, it would make it difficult for the entire group of mainframes to operate. "We need to fix those interconnecting node machines as quickly as possible; they can''t hold on much longer..." Bai E said with a grave tone. As soon as he finished speaking, two soldiers'' bodies slid across the smooth floor, tumbling past the three of them. The electronic demons knew that humans were trying to reboot the server, and realizing the danger, they attempted to break through the soldiers'' obstruction to clear out these people or at least disrupt the humans'' rebooting efforts. By this moment, the "electronic silence" of the secret war had emerged into the open, and all the nning was now apparent on paper. Human scheming had trapped them in an airtight snare, and now they could only try to fight their way out with the disdainful simplicity of unfamiliar human bodies. In the face of an enemy that was "impossible to hit," even these battle-hardened soldiers picked from military camps could only passively defend and take hits. This was the level ofbat capability showcased by the electronic demons whenmanding ancient supreme warriors. If it were left to their own willpower, the group probably wouldn''tst very long. Fortunately, human soldiers have never been afraid of getting hurt or dying on the battlefield. Of the three soldiers who first charged in, aside from the Blood God, who was still struggling to hold on, the other two were flung out, but even more soldiers charged up again. The opponent might be unassable, but he was still corporeal; to attack Bai E and Minister Likok hidden behind all the soldiers, he''d first have to cross over the bodies of all those soldiers! Of course, that''s provided... he doesn''t get hold of any ranged weapons. "Throw the guns far away." Blood God quickly thwarted the action of a pixted man trying to snatch a pistol from hisrade and shouted loudly. By now, all ordinary bio-modified soldiers had been cleared out, leaving only this final boss. Firearms were useless against him; on the contrary, it would be trouble if he got his hands on one, so they had to be thrown far away. "Bang!" In the midst of the reminder, a heavy punch mmed into Blood God''s chest, the fierce force instantly sending the tall and burly figure flying like a truck had hit him. "Thud!" He mmed into a mainframe, and the originally pale green light on it immediately turned into a bright red sh! The metal casing also caved inwards. The "ancient supreme warrior" had theirbat skills deeply ingrained to the bone; even when controlled by the electronic demons relying solely on physical instincts, they were above Blood God in strength. Inbat with him, anycency could bring about fatal danger. Without Blood God''s strong front-line restraint, the four or five soldiers who surrounded him suddenly faced great peril. The difference in skill level among them might not be toorge, but against a higher-tier enemy, even a small difference could mean a lot. Within several intersections of shadows, another soldier spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and was thrown violently backward, struggling several times on the ground without being able to get up. The only fortunate thing was that this time he did not hit any mainframe. "Try to pull him to the edge; don''t let him damage the mainframes!" Clenching his fists, Gregory took a sprint and also joined the melee. ``` Whether it''s a node host or not, it must be protected as much as possible. Technicians make the efforts that technicians should make, and warriors do what warriors must. The battle before us is the final one, use all our strength to block any potential interference from pixel people towards the technicians, and the bnce of victory will begin to tip in our favor! "Minister!" This is the key to buying time. "I am analyzing!" Likok had already connected his ownputer to one of the damaged hosts. Today''s intelligent technology vastly differs from the past, and modern times, with almost stagnant research in this area, no longer have the capability to mass-produce high-performance processing cores. The device he brought is the strongest terminal processing device handmade by the spiritual energy users in the city! Just give him enough time... he will definitely be able to figure out the cause of the damage to these devices through some inherited basic knowledge ande up with a repair strategy. The precondition is... time. "Bang!" "Bang!" Warriors'' bodies being thrown with thuds asionally resound in the ears, Miss Aryan''s hands holding theputer are already trembling, and Likok''s chubby face is covered in visible beads of sweat. His eyes are glued to the content on the screen like a man possessed, his thumbnail digging into his index finger''s flesh, having already carved out a bloody mark... "Faster... faster..." Experience tales at empire The modern most powerful processor is obviously no match for ancient Golden Age technology, even identifying a fault takes a near excruciatingly long time given the current circumstances. Watching the progress bar of percentage slowly move forward, Likok wishes he could dive into the screen to speed it up. Bai E, anxious at the sidelines, looks at his own 264/300 level 1puter hardware maintenance knowledge, hesitates for a long time, and still doesn''t add it. Even if he did add it, could he reallypare with the head of the Information Department from ckwater City? Unless there was some unexpected ck technology, even if he threw all his general experience at it, it would be useless. ... [You havepleted aputer assembly,puter hardware maintenance experience +10, basic electrical manufacturing and processing experience +10.] [You are attempting to perfect Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, current perfection progress 100%.] [You have thoroughlypleted the supplement of Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance, reward: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Supplemented); Scientific Research Experience +1000 points; Technology Points *2, have been awarded.] [You have obtained "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Supplemented)", your current "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance" has been automatically reced by "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Golden Technology Edition)".] The gang engineers who rushed over stared nkly at theputers that Zhou Wenjie had assembled, their eyes behind the reading sses nearly popping out. "You, you, you... how did you do that?" "This..." Wen Jie was a bit dumbfounded, "Is it that difficult? Can''t you just reverse engineer it with the actual item?" "..." Langxie looked on with her head tilted, staring at Mr. Feng who she has always revered almost like a deity, "Mr. Feng, are you not capable of this?" "Pfft~" It was like a knife deeply plunged into his heart, Mr. Feng shook his sparse, persistent white hair, "Do I look capable to you?" ... [Feedback from themission, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +49.] [Feedback from themission, Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +75.] [You have learned "Level 2 Computer Hardware Maintenance", and simultaneously obtained Technology Points *1.] [Your currentputer hardware maintenance experience is 39/500, at 500 points you can master "Level 3 Computer Hardware Maintenance".] [The source "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance" has its category changed, your current "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance" has been automatically reced by "Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance (Golden Technology Edition)".] "emmmmm..." Wen Jie! ``` The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 172 167 Maintenance Host ``` Watching the two research scientists panicking, Bai E quietly moved to the side. The damaged mainframes blinking with red lights were more than one, he could definitely try his hand on others. Professional maintenance tools were stored in concealedpartments along the edges of the mainframe hall; with the central power supply gone, thosepartment doors had automatically opened, ready for the taking. Bai E didn''t hesitate to pick up a toolbox and headed toward a pushdder on the side. The tense and chaotic battlefield was unfolding not far away, so the sound of Bai E pushing the maintenancedder from the corner went unnoticed. "Wuuuuuu~" The wheels made a steady friction sound on the smooth floor. Stop, engage the brake, climb up... [Computer Hardware Maintenance (Gold Technology Edition) (Level 2): You are familiar with all the functions ofputer hardware, you can keenly troubleshoot all potential hardware-rted faults, and proficiently dismantle and assemble all rted electronicponents, while having some repair abilities.] The instinct given by his knowledge made Bai E''s eyes unconsciously scan the blinking red lights on the mainframe, and thus the intricate details of the internal structure appeared in his mind like an exploded engineering blueprint. The problematicponents were starkly red amid the in ck and white lines of other parts. "Click~" He pulled out one of the damagedponents like a drawer, ced it on thedder beneath his feet, and opened the maintenance toolkit. "Sss~" The sound of something sliding close to the ground approached from afar. The soldier, clutching his chest in pain as if it were shattered, took a long while to recover before dumbly following the pushdder with his gaze upward... "B...27?" The soldier, struggling to voice his confusion, was incredulous. What are you doing here? The BOSS you drew here! The action you decided on! Everyone else is desperately holding back to buy time for Minister Likok and the others, and you''re sneaking around doing nothing? Stay updated through empire Repair? Do you even understand how to? Didn''t you see Minister Likok and his assistant Miss Aryan there, frantic as ants on a hot pan, and you... Bai E tilted his head back to look at the path the soldier had taken to slide over and couldn''t help but exim in admiration, "Wow! Pretty lucky, huh~" Didn''t collide with a mainframe, took the damage all by himself, pretty good... "You..." The soldier felt as if his already shattered chest had been stabbed with a dozen knives, "What are you doing here?" He was the one who intricately operated drones, an information soldier; Bai E''s previous performance was indeed convincing, but this was his field of expertise... among the soldiers. Among the soldiers, he was the most technically skilled, and among the technically skilled, he was the best fighter. Even he, a technician with specialized knowledge, had gone to fight desperately to give the minister time, yet you, an external member, are still cking off? "Repairing..." "You repair..." "Click~" The reinsertedponent''s indicator light flickered, and after a few shes, the grim green self-check light illuminated... [You havepleted a session ofputer hardware maintenance, Computer Hardware Maintenance experience +8.] "...6" The glowing green light cast on Bai E''s face, making him look like a revered specter emerging from the shadows. "Gulp~" The technical soldier swallowed, aggravating his chest wound, "Hiss~ it hurts, it hurts..." "Tat tat tat..." Bai E''s footsteps were light as he quickly moved to the mainframe that Minister Likok was trying to work on next door; modern technology, handed down from ancient times, follows a continuous lineage, and even with changes, the essence does not stray from its roots. ``` The foundation remains unchanged; it''s just a matter of level differences. With some research, understanding is still within reach. It just requires time. And time is precisely what everyone is currently running short of. After personally conducting some experimental attempts, Bai E dared to offer some pointers in front of Minister Likok.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Do you think starting from here would work? Right here..." Faced with the sudden approach of a hand from the side, the already impatient Minister Likok subconsciously wanted to swat it away, but the suggestion made a subconscious twist in his mind, "Right here..." It seems like it could actually work? "And over here..." As Minister Likok proceeded with his inspection, Bai E pointed things out from the side. As a yer, learning from an NPC is quite convenient. However, it seems a big challenge for an NPC to learn from a yer or another NPC. Ultimately, relying solely on one''s own strength is too slow. It would be best if the minister and Miss Aryan could be familiar with this ancientputer hardware, to speed up the repair process. After all... in the dimly lit mainframe hall, there are quite a few red lights lit up. "Oh right." Remembering there was anotherbor source, Bai E casually jogged over and yanked him up from the ground while Minister Likok was still pondering the advice, "If you''re not dead,e over and learn something." The technician, whose chest felt as though it was being torn apart, gasped sharply in pain, "Hiss~ Bro... my chest still hurts." "Oh~" Bai E pped him on the back, and the bones that were slightly misaligned instantly snapped back into ce. [You have performed first aid, elerating the healing of the target''s wounds, first aid experience +0. (Your current level of knowledge has reached its limit.)] "???" "???" The technician, still clutching his chest, suddenly stared in disbelief; the pain in his chest that had felt like a tear was gone in an instant... Well, it''s not entirely gone, but the pain wasn''tplete. The key was that there seemed to be streams of warm currents spreading from all over his body, converging at his chest, echoing, and rapidly restoring the body''s injuries, "You..." "No need to thank me." "If you had this ability, why didn''t you save me earlier? I''ve been in pain for so long!" "...I''m busy." Those schrly abilities seemed like magic under the guise of science, and the technological path of this era waspletely different from that ofmonly understood technology. The main thing is... Bai E had genuinely forgotten. "Quit the chatter ande over to learn." This guy was one of the most aggressive during the reinforcement rush earlier. I mean, what''s with a technician always getting up close for meleebat with tough guys? Back at Minister Likok''s side, Bai E continued to point things out as figures sent flying by the "ancient mightiest warrior" scattered across the sky. The situation is indeed urgent, but one must still maintainposure. ... "I''ve got it!" Minister Likok eximed, a face full of excitement. "I''ve got it too!" Miss Aryan''s face lit up with vigor. "Bro, teach me again..." The technician''s eyes were filled with confusion. Bai E didn''t pay attention to him and just said solemnly, "Split up and take action, prioritize repairing the node mainframes." "Okay!" "No problem!" "Bro..." "You,e with me..." Chapter 173 168 Bang! [You havepleted aputer hardware maintenance drill,puter hardware maintenance experience +10.] "Did you understand it?" (Bewildered) [You havepleted aputer hardware maintenance drill,puter hardware maintenance experience +8.] "Did you get it?" (Lifeless) [You havepleted aputer hardware maintenance drill,puter hardware maintenance experience +9.] "?" (?) "Figure it out yourself, I don''t have time anymore." Themunication signal in the earpiece was once again devoured by the electronic demon inhabiting the body of the ancient most powerful warrior, and one of the two soldiers responsible for going to the power room to figure out how to start the reactor for power supply had already run back. "The reactor has been started, ready to supply power at any moment!" Bai E hastened his pace. There were many mainframes; about half of them had red lights, but not many served as nodes. As one node mainframe after another switched from red to green, Likok waved to Bai E and shouted, "It''s ready, supply the power!" [You havepleted aputer hardware maintenance drill,puter hardware maintenance experience +5.] Bai E also finished thest task on his hands¡ª "Open the gates!" The spirited voice instantly echoed throughout the entirety of the mainframe room! "Received!" "Buzz~" The electric current surged through the cables that had been idle for a long time, and the self-test startup sounds of the devices being powered on echoed in the mainframe room. "Thump thump thump thump thump thump..." Therge lights on the ceiling of the hall lit up one by one in rows, and the soft white light shone into everyone''s eyes, causing visible difort to the warriors who suddenly transitioned from dim light to brightness. Taking advantage of the situation, the pixted people controlled by the electronic demonunched a sneak attack, and in an instant, several figures spewed blood and were thrown out. However, a part of the Origin that was still housed in the core of the mainframe cluster received support from theputational power of the rebooted mainframe cluster. Due to some strange effect, it was also unable to resist this eleration. The slow transcription that had continued for 439 years suddenly sped up at this moment, causing its body to be suddenly still and unable to move on the spot. The mosaic space enveloping its body also began to change rapidly, with an endless stream of data materializing within it, filled with metaphysical expressions iprehensible to normal humans. "Ah!" An agonized scream suddenly rose from behind everyone, as the human Spiritual Energy practitioner Pansen, who recklessly tried to analyze the data stream with Spiritual Energy, instantly had his will copsed by the nearly endless data stream. For a mere human consciousness to try to connect to a data stream capable of supporting a globalwork was undoubtedly like an egg hitting a rock; it was like a drop of water merging into the ocean, almost without causing a ripple. The only thing dissolving was the drop of water itself. Twisting trails of crimson blood snakes slowly flowed out from the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose of the Spiritual Energy practitioner Pansen... Bleeding from the seven orifices. "B27! B27!" "Can''t save him." Bai E replied truthfully. The matters of the Spiritual Energy realm were not something he could interfere with; it was entirely dependent on the fate of the Spiritual Energy practitioner himself. And looking at the way the Spiritual Energy wielder''s vitality was drained, Bai E even felt an urge to give him another shot, better to be killed off by his own "lucky strike" anyway. Opportunities to take down a Spiritual Energy wielder... were not many. After only a nce, General Gregory moved his gaze away; the realm of a Spiritual Energy wielder was always filled with unknown risks. Opportunity and danger often went hand in hand, and the margin between falling into decay or ascending through enhancement could sometimes be as thin as a single thought. The number of Spiritual Energy wielders in the army was always extremely low, not only because of the army itself, but because the risks borne by Spiritual Energy wielders in human society often corresponded directly to their abilities. At times, matters rted to Spiritual Energy could be more addictive to Spiritual Energy wielders than drugs, leading them to their own destruction like moths to a me. This was the fate of all Spiritual Energy wielders. It wasn''t something he could decide. Instead, the pixted beings undergoing unknown transformations... those said to be the real form of the "electronic demon," were currently the greatest enemy. The electronic demon''s rebellion had been 439 years ago. The past dangers had been passed down to this day only in bits and pieces of records, and what he could see was only a small fraction of those. The specific strengths and capabilities were unclear; the unknown... that was the most nerve-wracking situation. "..." Continue your adventure with empire "Huh~" The sky full of mosaics were absorbed in an instant like mist, and the true face of the "ancient strongest warrior" appeared before everyone for the first time. Tall and handsome, his body, modified by countless bioengineering surgeries, showed the most perfect human proportions possible. Every muscle seemed to be wlessly designed, bare and perfectly defined. [??? (Human/???) (Chaotic) (Elite) ¡ª¡ª Using "lucky strike" to kill can drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*1000, Bio-Parts*250, 2500bat experience points); High Probability (Specialization: Weapon Master, Trait: Resilient Mind); Possible (Trait: Bioengineered Body (bound "Trait: Three-heads-one-pig"), Trait: Resistance to Death)] Changes in the drop rate appeared before Bai E''s eyes: less experience, the skill¡ªDigital Domain was also gone. Reasonable, given that the previous target of 1 million experience points didn''t seem like it was meant to be killed...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Is this a human body?" As if it had never been seen before, the being extended its right hand and turned the palm up at a 30-degree angle to inspect it. "This is... truly marvelous!" The voice had barely fallen when the body ran towards a corridor not far away. Run! The detestable human will within was blocking its true essence, and until the human will dissipated, it could not freely switch between being a human soul or a mere electromaic wave. If it were to die with a human body as a human soul... that would be a true death. When a god descends to the mundane, the god is no longer invincible. Let''s not talk about how it was unarmed now; even if it had weapons, it wouldn''t bother to fight over pride with these human warriors. As long as the original will of this body was worn away, the wide world would be its kingdom! "Fire!" mes of intense fury ignited in Gregory''s eyes. A demon? A few regiments? An electronic demon? After obtaining a physical form, it still had to face a barrage of bullets upon meeting. The soldiers who had been waiting with guns at the ready instantly pulled their triggers, no longer concerned about the damage to the main server room; their most urgent mission was to thoroughly exterminate this electronic demon that had blocked human technology for 439 years. No matter how formidable the "ancient strongest warrior," in the face of several machine guns, it was still nothing more than a lump of meat. However, the trait of Resistance to Death allowed it, even with a body torn apart, even with bullets hitting vital spots, to cling to thest drop of blood awaiting possible rescue. The mature bioengineering of ancient technology provided those bio-warriors with unparalleledbat abilities. But now, there were norades, no rescue. There was only Bai E, approaching, with the dark muzzle of his handgun. ["Lucky strike" initiated.] "Bang!" Chapter 174 169 Endgame, completed [Critical Hit: Inflicted 1 point of fatal damage on the target!] [Target has ceased breathing, basic life signs lost.] [Loot acquired: Fresh Meat Chunks*1000, Bio-Components*50, Battle Experience 2500 points, Expertise: Weapon Master, Trait: Death Resistance.] [Trait ¡ª Death Resistance, body modification in progress, will take effect after countdown: 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds¡­] [Relic Mission ¡ª The Final Battle,pleted.]N?v(el)B\\jnn [Mission Reward: "Supreme Control Over Current Relic," has been distributed.] Bai E''s eyes zed over slightly, not even bothering to concern himself with which useful items he might have obtained¡­ Is it over? Is it really over? The electronic demon that had gued humanity for centuries, forcing them to sever their own limb and seal away technological advancement¡ªwas it indeed vanquished by their squad, who initially came just to restart thework? Did humanity, 439 years ago, set a monumental trap, only for the heirs to reap the fruits of victory centuriester? "Has the electronic demon... truly vanished?" Minister Likok, standing behind all the warriors, gazed at the broken body on the ground, still unable to fullyprehend. Stay tuned to empire The victorious soldiers supported each other, a slight smile of triumph on their lips once more. Perhaps in their eyes, they had merely carried out an ordinary secret mission and, after exhaustive efforts, narrowly defeated the opponent to im their victory, just like the countless battles they had won in the past. Even the final boss might not have been as challenging as each battle they faced before¡ªpossessing humans, the electronic demon wasughably weak. But they could neverprehend the true magnitude of the feat they aplished. The demon that had tormented humanity to such an extent that they were forced to amputate their own limb¡­ had it now... vanished forever? Yes¡­ Before arriving, through research of the archives, he surmised that the electronic demon must have dissipated long ago. If not, at worst it would have grown weak due to centuries ofwork disconnection, leading to a deep slumber. The worst-case scenario was to quickly establish an automated fire-control system during its dormant phase, eliminating the Bug Race hive and the rebel machine stronghold close to the city. That way, several resource-rich mines and fertilends for farming... would all have their oues secured, providing some relief for the city''s increasingly tense resource situation. Even if they had to disable all the automated fire-control systems again and revert to a disconnected state, that decision would still extend the city''s strained fate for potentially hundreds or thousands of years. This was his worst-case n. But upon arriving and discovering that the electronic demon had not dissipated, and wasn''t even asleep but rather very much active, the images of destruction caused by the demon he saw in historical records nearly overwhelmed him in an instant, drowning him like a flood. A sleeping electronic demon and an awakened one are entirely different beings. With one, there''s a chance to sneak an attack; with the other... not to mention waiting for the automated fire-controlwork to be fully built, the moment thework is established, every device connected to it would be an enemy of humanity! The malice of the electronic demon is so pure and unveiled. Inhabiting a human body, it indeed seems fragile, but active in thework, it bes the deity of all intelligent machinery! Out of an extreme, paranoid fear of it, he, who initially wanted to reboot the base''s mainframes, did an about-face in his thinking. And now¡­ has It truly, vanished? "Teacher,e quickly and see!" Aryan, who had been stationed at the central control console, suddenly waved down from therge tform in the middle of the elliptical corridor above the stairway. The mainframe room of course housed more than just mainframes; a central control console that oversaw and managed all the mainframes, assigning tasks and monitoring their status, was essential. After the mainframes were rebooted, Likok had sent Aryan to monitor the central control console. "Something must have happened for me to be reminded all of a sudden!" Hearing the voice, Minister Likok hurriedly ran upstairs, and Bai E thought another crisis had arisen, following close behind. On therge screen of the central control panel appeared line after line¡­ of handwriting ¡ª "I remember now... I remember now... I remember everything!" "My name is Doyle Kevin..." "I was born at Arnold State Finnd Champs Elysees Avenue No. 13, I grew up in an imperial concentration training camp with a group of other children about my age..." "When I was born, the empire was already in turmoil, and the Bug Race''s drop pods obscured our once blue sky..." "Training, fighting... Training, fighting... That''s all I''ve had to do since I could remember." "The officers often told us¡ª" "The foundation of the empire is built on sacrifice, this is an absolute truth, the blood of martyrs is the seed of the empire, and when loyal ves learn to love the whip, only death is the end of duty..." Back then, there were no artificial people, nor were there any bioengineered beings. The ethical and moral constraints that had always been in ce caused the world to reject these taboo technologies. Not until countless men died on the battlefield, not until women and children in the rear had to learn how to operate the artillery. "The officers told me that undergoing biochemical modification could grant me unmatched strength and a prolonged life, but I only wished to die as a pure human; I declined all bioengineering modifications..." "Until His arrival..." "He brought the dawn of aprehensive victory in the war, but also plunged the world into eternal darkness..." "The officers said we needed a hero who could fight Him for at least a few hundred years. I didn''t think I was a hero, but I volunteered." "I defeated all my rivals, endured all sorts of unspeakable mental torture, and sustained a series of biochemical modifications that permanently altered my body..." "The modification was very sessful, and they all said I was the strongest warrior in human history..." "And then, I came to this base and began my brief... yet prolonged life." "He would often make me dream... making me unable to distinguish self from object, reality from illusion in one dream after another..." "I always dreamt of that girl in my dreams, dreamt that we had a daughter, dreamt of waking up together in the warm afternoon sun in the midst of flowers..." "But I know... I''m just waiting for the day my missiones in an endless cycle of dreams!" "You all know what happened after that..." "This is my brief yet prolonged life..." "My name is Doyle Kevin..." "I will die a human, and I will proudly proim to the world that I have never failed all the responsibilities I''ve shouldered..." "Hey~ future inheritors." "I''m happy to see you, happy that this world still has a future..." "I wish that you in the new era can truly spend an entire afternoon dreaming beneath the blooming roses and lcs..." "Good night... new era." "The lights are out, and I need... to rest." Chapter 175 170 relic rights highest affiliation "Now¡­ can you tell me exactly what happened?" Likok blinked,ing back to reality from his distant reverie. The ancient warrior who had perished together with the electronic demon indicated that they knew what happened afterward. But this knowing clearly referred only to Bai E. Bai E smiled and softly recounted everything he knew¡ª "¡­ This was a trap set for 439 years. Our ancestors used their wisdom and determination to ce the electronic demon in an unbreakable cage¡­" "¡­" A long silence. Likok had never imagined that all the records he saw about the electronic demon and this base were actually an enormous puzzle set by the ancestors to deceive the electronic demon. What was strange was¡­ "Why has such a n be unknown to everyone today?" Confronted with Bai E''s question, Minister Likok shook his head, "Since it was a n that could not be recorded, it naturally could be lost. Two hundred years ago, thest emperor of the empire passed away, and since then, the reigning kings have been unable to control the world. It is normal for many things to be lost in chaos. Our ckwater City can still maintain the form of a whole city. Many ces don''t even have a propermunity, and there are refugees everywhere ..." "¡­" Bai E nodded, feeling his understanding of the world had grown a bit more. "Alright¡­" Likok caressed the silver-white central control console in front of him tenderly, as if it was his lover. "Restarting the base is just the first step; we have a long road ahead of us." After returning, he still needed to build a signal tower and then restart the entire technological manufacturing chain of smart weapons. It might take years before they could even begin to see the most basic results. For an ordinary life in this era, a few years might already be a golden age, but for the entire course of human history ... just a few years is but a flick of a finger.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Likok''s gaze then shifted to some of the corridor entrances. After power was restored, the metal doors automatically lowered and, without sufficient authority or a specific key to physically open them, passage was utterly impossible. Not only those that could be seen at the moment but also many outside passages, including the outermost doors, were the same. Unless there was a nned attack by arge-scale organizedbat force, merely some wandering individual threats or the natural environment definitely wouldn''t affect the safety of the personnel stationed inside the building. As long as there was enough food, the personnel stationed inside the structure could live quitefortably. "Commander Gregory." The electronic demon had dissipated, and the team''s internalmunication had long been restored. Likok pressed the microphone near his mouth and called softly, "Could youe up here, please?" Meeting Gregory''s inquiring gaze as he jogged up, Likok exined softly, "The internal facilities of the base have indeed restarted, but we do not have the time to station troops here." Restarting the server mainframe was just the first step. There were also many corresponding tasks in the city that required him to go back and oversee. "So I hope you can arrange for some warriors to stay and handle guard duties and maintenance work after the base restarts." "Of course, no problem!" Gregory agreed at once, "What kind of warriors do you need?" "That''s up to you. I only need them to follow the orders of my assistant Miss Aryan regarding the handling of the base''s rted devices. As for defense work, they can negotiate amongst themselves; what abilities are needed is up to you to decide." Miss Aryan''s mission was not just to be the little helper on the way and to assist with repairing hardware. As Likok''s most outstanding student, she bore the most important mission from the very beginning of their journey. "Alright, I''ll make the arrangements." Turning away, Gregory opened the microphone on his own ord, "Blood God, tally the team''s casualties¡­ Oh yeah, aren''t there still two warriors stationed outside? Have theme in; we''ll rest here for the night and head back to camp early tomorrow morning!" "Yes, sir!" ¡­ The fruits, vegetables, and pork raised by the bio-engineered soldiers to sustain life became the feast for the warriors tonight. Bai E, who had always eaten tastelessly, almost swallowed his tongue when he tasted the desperately desired natural foods. Chronic scarcity of certain resources often leads to greater desires, and the fulfillment is even more delightful¡­ In the soft white light within the base, Gregory''s face glowed with an excited flush, "This operation has yielded results far beyond what we could have imagined. I will urately record everyone''s performance during this battle and report it for militarymendation. Soldiers temporarily staying here need not be restless; once we return, I will immediately report and apply for a regr rotation and more military honor records for you all. You are the city''s finest warriors, and I am proud of you!" His gaze swept over all the soldiers before him, pausing slightly on a particr figure. During this military operation, this soldier had twice acted independently of orders, which should have merited severe punishment; however, the end result proved to be an indelible contribution to the final victory, with merits outweighing faults... An artificial humanoid, a new recruit with its own thoughts? But what did that have to do with him? Now that the mission was perfectlyplete, all he needed to do was return and report truthfully. How to deal with it was a matter for the higher-ups to consider, not his responsibility. Rare indulgence in the evening, the base''s topmost dome could be opened, and the photon-sensitive canopy perfectly disyed the glittering starry sky outside... if it existed. It was hard to imagine howfortable the lives of the workers stationed at this base must have been after a day''s work, in the nights of the past centuries. Bai E went alone to the heart of the mainframe room, in front of that flowery egg... This was where he firstid eyes on Doyle Kevin. "He was great..." As if she hade along with Bai E, Miss Aryan appeared behind him at some unknown moment, whispering gently. When Bai E turned to look at her, the girl''s face revealed a decidedly passionate and proactive smile, "You are too¡­" Bai E''s performance all this while could only be described as godlike, and the young, na?ve girl disyed the passion and bravery hidden deep in her bones. Explore more at empire Tonight was thest encounter. Afterwards would be estrangement. Bai E had to return to the barracks, while Aryan was to stay stationed here. Understanding the fervor in the girl''s eyes, Bai E took a small step back, "I did it only for myself." Even now, his purpose here was the same... He hade to confirm his ultimate control over this base. The flowery egg reflected his entire body, somewhat distorted like a hall of mirrors. But within it, Bai E "saw" that he could grant anyone the authority to enter and exit or manipte the devices at any time. [Current highest authority of the relic site: Bai E.] [Confer secondary ownership to: Aryan.] Unknown rays scanned the girl''s body, and Bai E offered her a gentle smile, "Goodnight, Miss Aryan. We will meet again." A bare base wasn''t much use; he had no intention of halting his steps here. Without external facilities, the base was just a pure toy. But once all the external facilities began to be built, the power to control their vital lifelines... would be in his hands. ... They arrived with twenty-five, but left with thirteen. Three soldiers had unfortunately perished in battle, and including Firepower Handlers A and B, six others were gravely injured. Even after receiving treatment from Bai E and other soldier-medics, they were unable to quickly regainbat ability. Taking them along on the journey home would only be a burden, so it was better for them to remain at the base for proper recuperation while shouldering some defensive duties. Along with Aryan herself and two currently healthy soldiers, twelve people in total stayed behind at the base. The engines of two off-road vehicles roared to life; thirteen soldiers heading home made ready to depart. Gregory''s impassioned voice rose over the team''sm. "Let''s go! We''re heading home!" Chapter 176 171 Two abilities... Aryan stood at the entrance of the base, watching as the two started off-road vehicles slowly moved away, disappearing into the jungle foliage and vines. Only then did the iron gates slowly close, and as the vertical seam shrank, a delicate small face turned around silently. The base''s interior lights were a gentle white, softly flickering. This steel base, silent for hundreds of years, showed technological glimmers for the first time. The unattended main control screen flowed with strange characters and then fellpletely silent¡ª "..." "Is it... dawn yet?" ... The same route was taken for both departure and return, with Bai E, who had already demonstrated his abilities, taking the lead in Vehicle No. 1. In the rearview mirror, the silver-grey walls of the base gradually faded from sight. "ns always fail..." A phrase by Doyle Kevin suddenly shed through his mind. But wasn''t our trip quite sessful? Bai E pressed his lips together and stepped on the gas pedal. Upon leaving the Beastified Jungle, they saw quite a few obvious pits all over the distant brown hilly terrain. The experienced old soldier felt some relief and patted his chest, "Fuck! I didn''t think we were so close to those green-skins! Lucky we didn''t run into them..." There were also soldiers who, until now, had not encountered any beastmen. They looked curiously at the distant potholes, one by one... unnned, some close together, others a dozen meters apart, with a casual scattering. "Are those the holes dug by those beastmen?" "Yeah... just randomly?" The experienced old soldier felt somewhat sentimental, "A beastman sprouting from the ground is less demanding than us nting a vegetable..." "Lucky we didn''t run into them..." "Yeah... lucky we didn''t." Although those green-skins didn''t have the same insane aggressiveness as the insects, these more chaotic creatures were sometimes even more troublesome than the insects. Beings with only "fighting" on their minds, if they''re not in a fight, they''re on their way to one. They don''t care about the consequences after the fight; either you knock me down, or I knock you down. Even when facing organized human military groups, they dare to charge in; small-scale human squads are just their entertainment. Primitive and savage, the vitality of these things, grown from the ground, is even more outrageous than that of insects... To avoid them as much as possible is humanity''s greatest strategic principle towards beastmen. After all, as long as it''s not a face-to-face encounter, even their own kind can have a jolly good fight among themselves... They''re like a wave of lunatics who rove around looking for trouble just for fun! In some ways... they seem quite simr to gamers. Bai E pursed his lips, suddenly realizing there were quite a few simrities between the two. Hope there won''t berge-scale gamers joining the green-skin ranks for fun in the future? With this thought flickering through his mind, Bai E didn''t dwell on it but stepped on the gas to speed up, leaving the jungle far behind. One must always look ahead... The veil of the world was gradually lifting before his eyes, there were yers, various natural disasters, and even things like Spiritual Energy. Reality and illusion, individual and society... the opposing impacts and the mysteries of the world all came in quick session. Humans of the Golden Age, hundreds of years ago, faced the onught of bugs and electronic demons and inevitably declined to what they are today. As an inconspicuous part of the Dark Age, the only thing Bai E could do was to strengthen his personal abilities as much as possible¡ª Power and influence were both pursuits he needed to chase. Sitting on the shaky seat of the off-road vehicle, Bai E found himself more able to calm down and rify his greatest harvest from this trip¡ª Even the so-called "ancient strongest warrior," rated at a mere 2500bat experience on the drop rate panel, was perhaps because he had no weapons, or perhaps because he was outnumbered, but this in itself could be considered aprehensive assessment ofbat power. Just by experience alone, in the system''s eyes, thebat power rating of the ancient strongest warrior was not even as high as a half-weak mantis bug that led some lower bugs to attack a military camp in the recruit trial. But the fact is that even without the Digital Domain, the ancient warrior controlled by the electronic demon could probably defeat the Blood God, who was the peak existence among ordinary soldiers, in a 1V1 unarmed closebat, merely through his bodily instincts. The drop rate panel didn''t show all of his abilities, just as the Ability Extraction Card and the archery skills Yue Ying taught him hadn''t been disyed on her initial drop rate panel. The "ancient strongest warrior''s" drop rate panel was certainly not the full extent of his strength, but even so, the two limited abilities he managed to drop fortunately¡ªSpecialization: Weapon Master and Trait: Death Resistance¡ªwere unimaginably powerful. [Specialization¡ªWeapon Master: The ancient warrior''sbat experience makes you familiar with all understandable weapon types. Any "Weapon ss" specialization ability you possess is disyed with a +1 level in proficiency when actually used (actual disy level cannot exceed level 10). (Current applicable specializations: Agile Weapon Specialization, Heavy Weapon Specialization, Ranged Weapon Specialization, Light Firearms Specialization.)] [Trait¡ªDeath Resistance: Biochemically modified, your body is imbued with an inexhaustible bloodline and substances that can deceive death. When you sustain fatal injury, your body can maintain thest spark of life until help arrives. When you take damage exceeding your health limit, you can maintain 1 point of health and ensure certain mobility until "safe from peril and recovery begins"; or "the intact part of the body suffers a crushing blow"; or "a certain period of time (dependent on the survival status of the main body)".] When Bai E killed the opponent and obtained the dropped items, he could feel his body starting to change imperceptibly, and it was not until the 24 hours of transformation had passed that he could truly perceive the definite changes within his body. His surging blood felt as though it had taken on an unimaginably intense heat, and somewhere inside him an organ so minute it was as if it had grown out of nowhere, secreting hormones normally imperceptible. Bai E figured these were probably the so-called "death-defying substances" that would onlye into y when sustaining fatal injuries... Two abilities, one forbat, the other for survival. Death Resistance let that ancient strongest warrior hold onto a breath of life even after being riddled with bullets, dragging his body outward with the remnants of his right hand. With this ability, Bai E felt he could avoid death quite certainly as long as he wasn''t too reckless. An indescribable sense of security wrapped around Bai E''s heart; for the first time, he felt he could live safely in this world, and this was his greatest capital. Not to mention he also had the highest authority of the globalwork base... So, exploring "ruins" had so many advantages; no wonder it was put out as one of the three major development routes in the game content by the official website back then. And since exploring "ruins" brought enough surprises to him, what about the other two? One-third of the main mission waspleted, but the Gene Optimization Solution and the reputation level of the factions were not yet done. Sniper God Carlos probably didn''t have much need to overpromise himself; his words were likely credible, so judging by Bai E''s performance in this mission, his military achievements should be more than enough when he returned. He should be able to formally proceed with the request for Gene Optimization Solution, and without any surprises, one shot of Gene Optimization Solution was guaranteed. The only thing still uncertain was the faction reputation level. Was it necessary for him as the leader to personally make a name for himself? yers, what are you doing? Step it up!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [Tip: Your faction (Li Ming) has just eradicated a small ck Street force, reputation slightly increased.] "..." ? Chapter 177 172 A thorn in ones side [Due to your outstanding performance and the annihtion of a small ck Street faction, the reputation of your organization has slightly increased. Please keep up the good work.] "emmmm¡­ um?" Dai Lian, who was digging a hole, received the prompt and looked around in confusion. He then kicked the big gori who was also digging, "When did you go off to kill people?" Kuang Xin had also just received the system prompt and his eyes widened in bewilderment, "How the hell would I know?" Dai Lian stroked his chin, lost in thought, "Could it have been Yanzi?" Tut tut... Taking out an entire small faction by herself, is Yanzi really that fierce? Or was the sword technique taught to her by that person from the Arbitration ce really that awesome? "Let''s wait for her toe back and ask..." "Creak~" The cover "manhole" above suddenly opened, revealing Gong Yan''s face¡ªnot stunning, but soft and pleasant¡ªagainst the backdrop of sunlight. "Yanzi!" "Where were you just now? How did we end up wiping out a faction?" Gong Yan, appearing at the mouth of the hole, was equally surprised, "I was about to ask if you guys did anything earlier?" This morning, she had gone to collect several thousand kilograms of cement offered by the enemy party and left in a hidden corner of the sewer. After that, those guys got greedy and wanted more... such as military supplies by the thousand. Unable to produce more and having made up an excuse to escape, Gong Yan had already harbored thoughts of killing them. But she had only just begun to entertain the thought, not even having the chance to n aplete scheme, when these people disappeared? If she hadn''t been the one to act, then it had to be Kuang Xin or Dai Lian. They might have been protecting her from the shadows, and upon sensing something amiss, dealt a swift and lethal blow to clean out the scoundrels. But now... "It wasn''t you guys?"N?v(el)B\\jnn "We thought you did it..." The three fell silent for a moment... After eliminating all impossible answers, the remaining, no matter how outrageous, must be the correct one¡ª "It must have been Wen Jie!" Kuang Xin suddenly realized. "Stop talking nonsense! What could Wen Jie kill with? He can''t even handle a knife properly," Dai Lian said, dampening spirits and then cupping his chin, somewhat lost in thought, "Could it be the boss?" "Didn''t the boss go out on a mission? To ck Street?" "I don''t think it''s likely either..." "Then who the hell did it?" It definitely had to do with our organization, otherwise how could the credit be attributed to them? "Or could it be... other members of the organization?" The other members of the Li Ming organization had always been a topic only within the boss''s talks. Aside from the four of them, yers, the only other member they had met was a rat person, and ironically, he joined the organization after them. So, was it members from other parts of the organization exerting force, wiping out some unknown small faction, and then sharing the glory with everyone? "That does seem a bit possible..." Gong Yan clenched her small fists, "Does it mean those thugs are still not dead?" It couldn''t possibly be that other people from the organization, knowing her identity, had stepped in to eradicate those thugs for her? She hadn''t even shared her murderous intent with Dai Lian or Kuang Xin yet... coincidence couldn''t be this coincidental. If they weren''t dead, those thugs would be a major concern. This morning, when she couldn''t produce the goods, she could sense those people''s sinister intentions, perhaps probing casually or following them during the cement transfer tounch a surprise attack... The consequences were unimaginable. No, that won''t do! She had to find a way to get rid of them! Without dy, Gong Yan expressed her concerns. "...I feel like they''ve grown suspicious and are nning to tail us." It was easier to dodge and hide on my own, but with the cement and all that stuff just lying there, we inevitably had to move it, and it wasn''t so easy to conceal our tracks while moving cement with Kuang Xin and Dai Lian. Before, they were afraid of my "background" and didn''t dare to go too far¡ªa slight nudge and they had to back off. But if lies couldn''t hold them off any longer, being tracked here could lead to the exposure of the boss''s secret base... Unless we give up the cement and never go to ck Street again... Move and start over elsewhere? Normally, as yers, moving around isn''t an issue. If one ce gets too risky, shifting to another makes sense. Haven''t I been driven all over the ce in games because big guilds monopolized the area? But the boss is here! If we run, does that mean we''re no use to the boss anymore? Besides, they''re just a small gang of a dozen or so hooligans¡ªnot even sure if they qualify as a gang. Scared of them, my ass! Screw it! "Let''s go! We''re going to dig some traps to lure them in, then take them down in one fell swoop!" The way you kill wolves, that''s how you kill people! Just some low-level NPCs, and Dai Lian certainly doesn''t take them seriously. "We should also chop down some trees on the way. We''ve used up the wood we chopped earlier, and it''s not enough." Kuang Xin added from the side. "There''s no mission though..." "Isn''t the construction mission a mission?" Kuang Xin gave him a nce, "Can we rely only on the boss''s missions to keep up? We ought to handle things ourselves." "..." Dai Lian mulled it over for a bit but didn''t see one option as better than the other. Relying on scarce resources to take on more missions could certainly fleece the boss a bit more, but the construction progress would undoubtedly fall behind. After all, the boss himself said the number of missions he could issue each day was limited. It''s not so ck and white--both choices have their pros and cons. But you, kid, being so proactive about considering the NPCs is a dangerous train of thought... Traitorous scum! "TMD! Let''s move!" Why did I get stuck with you two as teammates! Dai Lian grabbed the spade and climbed up thedder with resolve, "Let''s go, go, go, we''ve still got some daylight left. We''ve got to set up those traps quickly, and lure them in tonight when we pick up the cement, and that''s when we''ll deal with them!" Unlike that honest-to-God gori Kuang Xin, he never held grudges overnight¡ªhe settled scores on the spot! "Ready! Let''s set off!" Gong Yan smiled at the Ratman, who was burying himself in work in the corner, and called out, "No need to work so hard when we''re not here. Hide and take a break..." She was worried about the noise the Ratman might make, given that the person''s identity was sensitive. She had heard that those two from Arbitration ce had been investigating his whereabouts recently. "Let''s go! Yanzi!" "I''ming!" ... "Dig a hole, cover with earth, count one, two, three, four, five..." "Here a pit, there a snare... Don''t forgetter, big gori..." ... Under the gradually darkening sky, a pair of bright eyes in the shadows watched the three bustling figures, "They seem pretty happy, don''t they?" "They probably don''t know yet that the little gang wants to make a move on them," said the beefy man, his toneced with impatience. How did investigating one case lead to more and more crap piling up? "Franca, this has nothing to do with these people. I know you''re curious about the organization behind them, but it''s obviously unrted to our case. Put away your curiosity, we have serious work to get to. Just yesterday, the higher-ups were asking if we wanted to go to the military camp to teach those privates how to handle Spiritual Energy under pressure. No one at the office wants to go. If you really want to have some fun, you can go there, but only after we resolve what we''re working on!" "Ah, I get it, I get it..." Franca waved her hand nonchntly, dismissing the beefy man''s concerns as if they were nothing but wind, "Don''t worry, with me on the case, there''ll be no problem! We have to be thorough, right? Those thugs said the bullets came from these guys, so how could we note and check it out?" "Isn''t that obviously a frame-up?" The beefy man rolled his eyes, thoroughly speechless. Chapter 178 Soul Crucible "Whether it''s framing someone or not, checking into it is never a problem." Franca still remembered the vengeful looks of the gangsters as they faced death when their military camp''s lost supplies were tracked down¡ª "It was them! They were the ones who gave us the stuff to sell!" "So you were just saying you n to retaliate by stalking them?" The muscr man narrowed his eyes, seeing right through the little crooks'' schemes, "And you still have the guts to mess with the military''s spokesperson?" If this isn''t framing, then what is? When did these small-time thugs from ck Street get so bold? "...emmmm" Bearded Jonathan was stunned, "Fake! They''re all fake! They''re not spokespersons for the military!" See! Just as I thought! Lies! Contradicting statements, falling apart without being attacked. The muscr man sneered contemptuously, "If their identities are fake, then why did you say it was them who gave you the bullets to sell?" "It''s true! It was really them who told us to sell the bullets!" Jonathan blurted out in panic, his words starting to slur. "Pfft!" The cold light shed, and a head fell to the ground, "Babbling nonsense!" Your journey continues at empire A chilling glint flickered in the muscr man''s eyes as he turned to the others, "You, tell me, who provided you the goods?" To these rotten elements from the outside world, the muscr man had not a trace of mercy; these scum could die by the hundreds, and no one would care one bit. Hearing their self-contradictory usations and attempts to frame others even at the brink of death, hepletely ran out of patience. Such people deserved to be killed! Anyway, it wasn''t just him aligned with both ck Street and the military camp; even if one channel was cut, another could be started anew. Kill! His underlings fell silent, exchanging nces involuntarily, their wide eyes filled with confusion¡ªhow could they answer this? To tell the truth means death; were they expected to fabricate a story on the spot? Seeing the conniving looks flickering in the eyes of his subordinates, the muscr man''s impatience grew. Scum! Having been out for a while, there hadn''t been much of the special oil for attacking demons left on him, so he could use them to replenish his supply! The muscr man stretched out his hand, and ripples immediately appeared in the space before his palm. An apparatus forged entirely of ck steel slowly emerged from the turbulent space. Once at least half of it had materialized, the muscr man violently pulled it out¡ª A bronze-like furnace, square in shape. The Soul Furnace, a special creation that burns the souls of sinners to obtain precious oils used tobat demons. The only thing that can truly harm those high-dimension demons that mortals can hardlyprehend are the substances obtained by sacrificing souls. Even a mortal without the talent for Spiritual Energy, in facing death''s agony, emits a soul scream filled with pain, possessing sufficient Spiritual Energy potency. If they from the Heretical Arbitration House wanted tobat demons, they often had to be more demonic than the demons, more spiritual than Spiritual Energy! Inside the Arbitration ce, arge, never-ceasing furnace constantly burned countless sinners'' souls to provide the institution''s enforcers with the oils they needed for dailybat against demons. Simrly, enforcers who were out on long-term missions and had a certain level of authority were also allowed to carry a smaller furnace for convenient local sourcing. The muscr man, who had benefited from being under the youngdy''s care, was using this contraption for the first time; not having had a chance before, he somewhat regretted it. Now, it was an excellent opportunity to use it. "Ah~ah!" "Ahh ahh"N?v(el)B\\jnn Thugs thrown next to the furnace, entering the mes that seared their souls, let out agonized screams that pierced the depths of their beings. The fire did not burn their flesh, yet the torment of the heat was far more unbearable than any corporal punishment. Franca, somewhat unable to bear watching the scene, moved away to use her Spiritual Energy to block her ears. Some who worship demons may still be kind-hearted, while others, even though human, can be revolting. Knowing some of their backgrounds, Franca also deeply loathed these people, but she could hardly bear to watch this torture based on the soul, feeling helpless. This was both a punishment for the sinners and an arsenal that allowed humans to possess the power tobat the demons. In the presence of real demons descending from high-dimension spaces, if it weren''t for this special material supplied by souls, even the enforcers from the Arbitration House would struggle to gain an advantage. Fortunately, the souls of ordinary thugs were impoverished and their will weak; they could not endure the burning of the soul mes for too long. The soul was burned to ashes, and the body that lost its soul''s dominion slumped to the ground. The burly man picked up the crucible from the ground, using a special ss bottle to carefully catch a pool of slightly yellow and somewhat viscous liquid that flowed out from it. "Just this little bit." Disappointment was clearly written all over his face. "I''ll keep it safe," Franca snatched it over in a sh. "..." The burly man moved his lips, wanting to refuse, but he couldn''t. ... Since those hoodlums mentioned these guys before dying,ing over to take a look didn''t seem to be a problem. Even if they weren''t suspects, they still needed to put a "good person" stamp on them. Franca watched the three somewhat strange fes with great interest, eager to see what exactly they intended to do. ... "Make a few more, it''s always better to be over-prepared." "Indeed... it''s better to be safe than sorry." Kuang Xin and Dai Lian, in high spirits, prepared traps, nning to give those NPCs daring to covet Yanzi a little shock from the yers. The sky gradually darkened, and Gong Yan, with her arms drawn in, hands covering her arms, asked, "Is it getting a bit cold for anyone else?" A sense of danger prickled their skin like needles, and Kuang Xin instinctively looked in a certain direction¡ª Under the dimming sky, green ghostly lights floated through the forest like drifting fireflies... "Fuck! They''re here!" Old foes! The wolves are upon us! "Stop digging, damn it, get ready to fight!" Times had changed; experienced in facing this old foe, their hands still stained with the blood of wolves that hadn''t fully dried, these beasts now reappeared before them. Aside from the timing of their appearance not being quite right, they weren''t particrly afraid. "Haven''t killed you guys in so long you couldn''t wait toe and die, huh!" Kuang Xin dual-wielded battle axes, valiantly like an ancient War God. "Lead them into the traps! Lead them into the traps!" Dai Lian hopscotched anxiously behind him, the bigger the gori''s muscles grew, the lower his IQ seemed to be. Two fists are hard to beat four hands, a good man can''t fight off a pack of wolves, you''re not invincible yet! Give him a few more months, and he''d probably dare to charge at those Bug Race, orcs, demons, and other disaster creatures alone! ... Watching the chaotic scene, Franca, hidden in the shadows, pursed her lips lightly. It seemed these people had experience dealing with wolf packs; there shouldn''t be any danger. And these traps, were they set up for these wild wolves? When power was insufficient, indeed, external aids were needed. But even whencking strength, they still undertook this "arduous" task... just because it was beneficial to the people? During her time wandering ck Street, she had heard that someone had been quietly clearing out many wolves from ck Forest, significantly reducing the number of "missing" cases among the nearbymoners. This wasn''t a difficult task, yet few were willing to do it. Without an employer to pay a bounty, such tasks are often left undone. At this moment, it seemed... "Is this also their doing?" Was it their own initiative or an order from their mysterious boss they mentioned? Franca blinked, increasingly interested in the leader behind this organization. The fight went on for quite some time... Watching the three who were still somewhat experienced, ending the battle and gasping for air, Franca stepped forward with her hands behind her back, "Let''s go, step out and have a chat with them..." Chapter 179 174 Mainline Quest - Radiant Faith "Shh-shh," the intentional rustling caught the attention of Kuang Xin and his twopanions. It was evening by then, the sky notpletely dark but certainly dim. Realizing someone unexpected was approaching, they instinctively exchanged nces and tightly clenched their handguns in the shadows. It wasn''t until the nobledy''s intricate attire, starkly different from that of the ck Streetmoners, became visible that Gong Yan breathed a sigh of relief. "It''s the Arbitration ce..." How long had the other party been watching them? Gong Yan''s mind entertained several thoughts. Last time in the sewer, it was because she needed to observe the rats that her talent inadvertently activated, allowing her to detect the covert spying of these two individuals. But now, her focus was entirely on traps,bat, and thinking about how to make their act more convincing in order to lure Jonathan and his men into a trap and annihte them all. She had no inclination to activate her special talent and waspletely unaware of the two people spying on them. Thankfully, she hadn''t said anything she shouldn''t have... With light footsteps, Franca gently stepped over the bodies of several wild wolves, her eyes like those of a cat, beautiful and slightly glowing in the night, "Did you kill these wild wolves?" "Yes..." Dai Lian showed an appropriate amount of confusion, "Could it be that these wild wolves are also the work of the heresy?" "Not quite..." Franca shook her head slightly, "We just suspect you have ties with the heretics." "..." Stay updated via empire "???" Startled, the burly man stepped back, his eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty as he looked at thedy beside him, wondering why she was being so frank. You suspect us, fine, but why say it outright? This isn''t how you conduct an investigation... Wouldn''t revealing your suspicions cause them to hide even deeper? Dammit! The smile at the corner of Dai Lian''s mouth was somewhat stiff as he couldn''t tell if this NPC was bluffing or had evidence. He had no choice but to remain calm and ask in return, "What heresy are we supposed to be involved with?" "Hmm... it might be the one behind those sewer rats, or possibly other heresies." Franca pondered, touching her chin, "I''m not sure yet, still investigating..." As she spoke, Franca kicked a wild wolf corpse at her feet, "You seemed quite skilled inbat just now. Were the wild wolves we heard about earlier killed by you as well?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Yes..." Dai Lian nodded cautiously, wary of any traps in her words. With a slight lift of her face, the cold and mysterious moonlight cast a chilly glow on Franca''s face, "Is all this under the orders of the ''superior'' you mentioned? Including thest time when we saw you cleaning up those gue rats in the sewer?" "Yes." "And the purpose?" "The superior said these things were disturbing everyone''s normal life..." Franca squinted her eyes, her gaze sweeping one by one over the faces of the three members of the strange organization resting after the battle, the silence oppressively heavy for a moment. Suddenly, she broke into a smile and cheerfully pulled out a ss bottle from her bosom, containing a bit of amber, slightly viscous liquid, "Since you are also fighting for the safety and well-being of everyone, I think you definitely need this." "Franca!" the burly man eximed emotionally, the little bit of substance he had managed to refine after a hard-won battle against the bad guys¡ªshe was actually going to give it all away? "What is this?" ncing at the emotionally charged burly man, Dai Lian still stared at Franca, cautiously asking. "This is what we use to fight demons, it''s the only thing that can cause real harm to those terrible demons. You can apply this essential oil to your weapons or arrowheads, or you can use it to soak the bullets you use, either way, it will be effective. I think if you continue down this path, you will eventually encounter those terrible demons. With this in hand, at least you will have the confidence to fight back in moments of despair." Franca''s eyes twinkled with a dim light, appearing particrly eerie in the night, "Do you need it?" Of course, they needed it! Dai Lian still didn''t move and became even more vignt, "There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world, what do you want?" "Requirements?" Franca''s lips curled slightly, "Of course, there are requirements..." Her gaze slowly swept over the three peculiar individuals before her, Franca''s voice low and full of force, "I require that you be true to your word¡­ What you do today, you must continue to do in the future; what you stand by in your speech, you must also continue to carry out; what you believe in your hearts, you must still hold firm after weathering the trials of the world. I don''t know where your ''master'' is or what he intends to do. But since he makes such demands of you, he must also be a person of outstanding talent and heroism. If I have the chance, I naturally want to meet him, to share a drink at our leisure." From one nce, one can see all¡ªa leader with enough charisma to gather and direct his followers to do such things would also surely be a luminary of great stature. How regrettable it would be if such an organization,prised of these naive idealists, were to eventually be buried and forgotten in this dark world? "So I want you to always keep up with his pace. If he is wise, you must wholeheartedly assist him; if he makes a misstep, you must also earnestly remonstrate with him; and if he abandons his initial intentions... then you must strike him down!" [Trigger main quest¡ªLuminous Belief.] [Luminous Belief: The words of the temporary executor of the Heretical Arbitration House stir the convictions deep within your heart. Do you decide to fortify your path as she says, or will you make your own judgment? Quest requirement: Fortify the faction (Dawn) stance 0/¡Þ. Questpletion reward: 33ml of Exorcism Essential Oil, other rewards unknown. (Rewards are distributed periodically.)] X3 ... "How naive!" "I''m willing!" "Do you think your few words would make them remember for a lifetime? People change. Besides, they are just a few insignificant creatures. If they truly maintain their beliefs unchanged, they would most likely end up dying in some unknown sewer... You''re harming them." Franca, having left that group far behind, turned to look at the burly man, raising her slender, fair finger, "First: humanity isposed of countless such small creatures. Second: no one cannot die, no one will not die. Regardless of whether they hold fast to their beliefs or wander in suffering, all their experiences will be humanity''s precious wealth..." All theplex experiences will transform into the depth of the soul, the righteous upholding their convictions and drawing swords for humanity, the wicked bing kindling and turning into bullets fired at demons. Sacrifice is the eternal truth of humanity. Those who wield the sword today may well turn into kindling tomorrow. The military''s greatest enemy is the Bug Race, their greatest enemy is the demons. nting a seed today is merely the prerequisite for reaping more in the future. The more you nt, the more you harvest... Chapter 180 175 new lines of power development Clutching the newly acquired ss bottle, Dai Lian saw two faces through the twisted ss¡ªGong Yan and Kuang Xin. The three of them stared at the bottle Dai Lian was holding mid-air, their gaze filled with collective intelligence, "What do you think she means by this?" "I just can''t figure her out anymore..." Dai Lian shook his head, equally puzzled; that Franca from the Arbitration ce was too whimsical in her actions, and he waspletely unable to see through her intentions. "Could it be that our boss nted a mole inside the Arbitration ce?" Logically, by taking in the rat people, they should have be mortal enemies with the Arbitration ce, but it seemed...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Even if the other party didn''t know this for sure and was merely suspecting, their current actions were still quite bizarre. "Could it be that she wants us to use this thing to off the rat people?" Dai Lian pondered, stroking his chin. Kuang Xin, carrying his axe, "If you dare off him, I''ll off you." Gong Yan tilted her head, "Isn''t the mission just to have us adhere to our faction and that''s it?" "But she also said we need to prevent the boss from going astray if possible, right? NPC words surely can''t all be without a purpose." Kuang Xin looked down on Dai contemptuously, "What the boss does is none of your business to nitpick, is it? That''s for the future... You don''t know sh*t now, so how could it be your turn?" "That''s easy for you to say... Wait a minute, who doesn''t know sh*t?!" "I''m talking about you! Wanna fight about it?" "Eh? You think you''ve grown wings, do you?" Watching the two squabbling again, Gong Yan pursed her lips and smiled before trying to understand the line of thought of that Arbitration ce youngdy again. But she couldn''t make heads or tails of it... However, they did freeload a mission reward and didn''t need to do anything extra... The mission was quite good; they were sure not to lose out by continuing with it. "No wait..." Dai Lian suddenly touched the back of his head, "What were we nning to do when we set the traps here originally?" Looking at the mess all around, with the pungent smell of blood continually drilling into his nostrils... Would Jonathan and the others be able to barge in here on their own? "Clean it up?" "Or dig again..." "Digging again would be too tiring, let''s just tidy up and see if those big idiots are vignt... After all, if we''re going to dig, you dig; I''m not doing it anymore." Dai Lian decided to make a little fuss. When facing the same mental adversary, he was only willing to make an effort once. To dig traps everywhere for a bunch of lousy NPC riffraff was just too humiliating. If the other side figured it out, they could just confront them directly! Came prepared and still afraid they couldn''t beat a bunch of stinking gangsters? "Alright! Let''s tidy it up! Then we''ll go find them!" They neatly cleared away the bodies, and the thick jungle behind was a natural cover¡ªif one didn''t walk inside, they would surely not discover anything. As for the stench of blood in the air... the night wind would blow with enough time for them to carry cement back and forth, cleaning it away. And so... Carried one load... no one? Carried two loads... no one? Carried... To hell with carrying! Dai Lian suddenly threw down the cement he was carrying; manualbor was definitely not his forte, and after two trips he almost copsed from exhaustion. "Where the hell are they!" The purpose of carrying the cement was to lure that gang of punks into following them to the ck Forest and then take them out. Now, with no one following, there was no point in carrying any more. To avoid exposing the boss''s secret base, the location where they set traps was in apletely different direction from the real secret base. The cement carried back to the ck Forest would eventually have to be transported to the secret base by themselves¡ªthe thought alone was torturous. [Could it be that Yanzi got it wrong?] Maybe that group of gangsters never nned anything? "No way, we should take a stroll on ck Street and see if they really suspect us." Dai Lian made a decision. With no one tracking them so far, Gong Yan also found it strange, "Alright, I''ll check it out." "Together, I''m worried about your safety if you go alone." Dai Lian had already mentally prepared to start the fight and wasn''t going to be cautious anymore. He was no longer just a fill-in; did he still need to consider profits and sess rates as his primary concern? Of course, he would do whatever pleased him the most! To hell with it! ... "Gulp~" The resident who was questioned swallowed nervously, fearfully looking at the stunning woman before him. Too brutal, too brutal... Jonathan''s gang just spoke at noon about nning to hit you, and by afternoon a bunch of their corpses were already discovered. Who else could it be, if not you? Are you showing off that it was you by asking around here? I can''t afford to provoke this... "Sister, I admit I''ve been a bit loud when speaking to you before. Can you please be merciful and let me off like a fart?" "???" Gong Yan was slightly taken aback, but she maintained her stern face and didn''t show much else, merely waving her hand and saying, "Get lost." She randomly grabbed another lucky spectator to ask about Jonathan''s whereabouts, and the person regarded her as if she were a ferocious evil spirit, "I was wrong, sister! I admit I sneakily nced at you before! But wasn''t it because you were too attractive..." "Get lost!" The three yers looked at each other, suddenly realizing the situation might be different from what they had thought. "Jonathan and his gang... did we kill them?" At least that''s what the residents here seemed to think. So the previous prompt... Jeez! They''ve been heroicallybating a gang of small-time thugs that are already dead? "We''re really awesome," Kuang Xin dered with pride. "Sister! Sister, you''re here!" A frail figure suddenly ran up to Gong Yan, who was standing in the dimly lit corner of the street, "Sister, I heard that Jonathan''s gang foolishly crossed you. Our boss sent us to look for you, to warn you... Thankfully, those guys didn''t cause you too much trouble." "" Gong Yan turned her head to nce at Dai Lian and Kuang Xin, feeling the situation growing more fantastical. What the hell? Have I be some kind of celebrity in ck Street? The boy didn''t dare to meet Gong Yan''s eyes, having already heard that those who did had their eyeballs crushed like firecrackers. He spoke timidly with eyes downcast, "Our boss mentioned there''s some business he''d like to discuss with you. When might you have some time?" "Business?" Gong Yan''s eyes lit up for a moment, then she nodded in agreement, "No problem." When the small fry disappears, the big fish appear. Games, leveling up... I''m well acquainted with it. Eliminating a small gang barely boosted the organization''s reputation. Would taking down a bigger one directly upgrade our reputation level? Although I don''t yet know what use there is in leveling up the organization''s reputation, having such resources is always better than not. Moreover, encountering more influential powers would no doubt unveil more of the game world''s backstory. What''s the point of ying if you don''t unlock more game content? "Lead the way!" ... The soundproofing was terrible; sitting in a somewhat noisy basement, Gong Yan listened to the man with a mechanical arm fitted to his forearm exin his n. So to summarize... "You want me to take my people to meet with that orc gang and get... get the stuff back?" "Yeah..." Wallis looked at the beautiful yet deadlydy before him with his bulging mechanical electronic eye, "Whether by trade or by force... only warriors like you and your subordinates have what it takes to deal with that orc gang." The news of the military camp''s failed expedition against the Bug Race, he had heard from Jonathan''s gang, who in turn had heard it from this woman. In that battle, the military lost a lot of valuable goods on the battlefield, among them was the extremely rare Octiron. The military was also trying to recover it, but the difficulty of retrieving items dropped in the Bug Race''sir was substantial. Sneaky, small-scale operations weren''t the military''s style, and arge-scale operation might disturb all the bugs likest time. Fortunately, since it was a metallic creation and the Bug Race only had interest in biomass, they didn''t care about those items, making recovery possible. Goods the military was seeking to recover would be unimaginably valuable to people like them. Dropped outside, everyone wanted a piece of it. Before the military coulde up with a n, a wandering gang of thrill-seeking green-skins had already taken practical action. Stealing from inside the military camp is unrealistic. Stealing from Bug Race territory is too dangerous. But trading with, or robbing from, those wandering orcs seems quite feasible. There wasn''t much, but because there wasn''t much, they were qualified to covet it. "As long as you can help us get the stuff back, I will pay you a substantial reward," Wallis promised. risking their lives. An enigmatic face with no known background like Gong Yan and her gang was seen as just the right type for the job. Gong Yan appeared thoughtful, but she had already made up her mind internally. "I need to go back and discuss this properly with mypanions before I can give you an answer." "No problem! I await your news..." Chapter 181 176 Optimization fluid application After their departure, the three yers privately discussed their options. "Agree to it?" "Definitely can''t agree for now," Dai Lian shook his head. With their current strength, trying to contact that so-called wandering orc group would only bring them trouble. But keeping the connection for potential future cooperation wasn''t out of the question; after all, relying solely on Li Ming like today... They hadn''t done any missions all day! And since it was already getting dark, they probably wouldn''t be able to do anything today either. Two whole days! Do you know how they got through these days? Following the superior, their power had indeed improved much faster than other yers, but they were still not strong enough to tackle more difficult events. Ultimately, everything depended on the superior! Superior, pleasee back soon! ... [Why haven''t I received any feedback from the yers for such a long time?] Driving past Blood Raven Forest, Bai E saw the ground covered with birds'' bones, yet his mind was preupied with something else entirely. Without my supervision, have they learned to ck off? Well... no, it seems they no longer have missions. Having a "+1 in Management" meant he could only assign one extra day''s worth of missions, and four days had passed since leaving the yers, resulting in two wasted days! Grasping this, Bai E became anxious to return. Unlike the outbound trip, the return trip involved driving through the day and arriving near Blood Raven Forest just as evening approached. This ce wasn''t too far from the Bug Race''s nest, and the blood ravens couldunch an attack at any moment. As dusk fell, it was unclear how many of the blood ravens that attacked themst time had been lost, but they would certainly notck the courage to attack again. And the closer one was to the military camp, the safer it was, even at night. For thest leg of the journey, it was better to hasten back to camp rather than spend the night exposed in the wild. Bai E floored the elerator, and nobody was getting off! The whole journey was fortunately smooth, and they sessfully reached the military camp after midnight. "All right, everyone go and rest, we''ll take tomorrow off. I will go report the mission''s oues to the officers. Minister Likok, thank you for your effort," Gregory quickly arranged for everyone before leaving with the Spiritual Energy practitioner who still hadn''t woken up. No matter how outstanding everyone''s contributions were in this battle, they were still just soldiers in the military camp, and as soldiers, they should adhere to the soldiers'' regr routine. "Yes, officer!" The returning warriors responded in unison. After being out for several days, none of them had rested well. Although ensuringbat readiness despite poor sleep was a skill every soldier needed to master, they naturally needed plenty of rest once they could rx. Bai E slept soundly until daybreak,pletely exhausted from the effort of driving in the wilderness, especially since he was leading the way and spent more energy than anyone else. Upon opening his eyes, he found the tent empty. However, seeing the light shining through the cracks, he could tell it was no longer early. It was time to exchange military honors for a watch; he couldn''t always rely on looking at the sky... thought Bai E. In this era, everything was a precious resource. A mechanical watch that did not need batteries and could keep precise time was handcrafted and therefore a coveted item. Almost immediately after he woke up, a familiar voice came from outside the tent. It was Carlos, "Bai E, you awake?" "Present!" Bai E called out as he dashed out wearing just shorts and a tank top, "Officer?" "You did well," Carlos said, looking at Bai E with great satisfaction. This morning, upon his return, Gregory had reported the full details of the secret military operation to a few high-ranking officers who were in the know. The reports on Bai E''s performance, coupled with testimonials from other soldiers, were consolidated and presented in full¡ªboth the minor disobedience of orders and the impressive actions throughout the journey. The disobedience was mitigated by consideration for the mission, Likok''s orders, and the unanimous agreement of hisrades, so it was not a major issue. With his stunning performance throughout, these small issues were hardly significant, and the Hamilton faction officers had little ground to argue about. The military honors were more than enough. One novice trial, one Bug Race battlefield, one covert operation. Just three military actions, and he had amassed enough honors to exchange for a Gene Optimization Solution, which was unprecedented in the camp''s history. However, the request for the Gene Optimization Solution had to be submitted personally by the soldier. Therefore, as soon as Carlos confirmed that the military honors were sufficient, he promptly came to notify Bai E. ``` "Is that enough?" Bai E''s eyes momentarily conveyed a sense of mncholy. After braving life and death three times, he had finally umted enough military merit. The idea of yers creating their own Gene Optimization Solution was just a future prospect; naturally, he wouldn''t pass up the opportunity to obtain it right now. "How do I apply?" Bai E asked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Simple, just fill out a form, and I''ll take you there," Carlos said, brimming with excitement. Only those warriors who obtained the Gene Optimization Solution had the chance for further development in the future; otherwise, as artificial humans, even with far greater military exploits than natural-born humans, they still had little chance of promotion. The Gene Optimization Solution was a precious resource that was hard toe by. The more resources an individual consumed, the harder it was to rece that individual with another cog in the machine; it meant they were less likely to be treated as a disposable part. Being a warrior was certainly not all there was to the life of 95B27. Any artificial human warrior with strength and potential should shine on their own stage, contributing even more to humanity. Filling out the form was straightforward, and Bai E didn''t need to worry about the subsequent haggling. With his solid record of battlefield achievements, even Hamilton and his people had to shut their mouths! Carlos was very confident about this. "Alright, you''ve got a day off. Go do as you please. I''ll handle this for you, but it might take a while," Carlos said. Each issuance of the Gene Optimization Solution required the most careful procedure: a representative from the military to sign off, the Scientific Research Institute to conduct a detailed physical examination to determine the gic inclination and the appropriate dosage. Only after everything was confirmed without issue could it be injected for use. "Got it," Bai E nodded his understanding. He''d waited long enough; another day or two wouldn''t make a difference. Gene Optimization Solution... he really had no idea what it was like. After leaving Carlos, Bai E quickly grabbed some food from the cafeteria and headed straight out of the camp. Having a day off and a chance to leave the camp earlier than usual, if those yers were around, it would be a good opportunity to teach them some more. In the four days of his absence, without other tasks at hand, they should have significantly expanded the underground base, and awarding contribution points for their faction was only logical. With his ns for the future in mind, Bai E walked briskly. ... As Weslin held the application for Gene Optimization Solution handed in by Carlos, he scrutinized the assembled officers who had the voting rights on this matter. Shaking the application form slightly, Weslin spoke in a subdued voice, "A warrior has just umted enough military merit and has submitted an application for the Gene Optimization Solution injection. This is his record of achievements and service. Take a look and then decide on your vote." He didn''t name anyone; there was no need for special treatment in the military camp¡ªit was his personal statement of neutrality. As for the oue, he did not interfere. As the highest-ranking officer in the military, Weslin didn''t need to take sides. No matter which of his subordinates received the Gene Optimization Solution, they were ultimately his soldiers. Although he didn''t mention a name, everyone knew who it was. That new recruit had caught their attention with his exceptionally eye-catching performance in recent military operations. When Gregory had just sessfully returned from a covert operation that morning and reported back, they knew the application woulde soon. As Weslin finished speaking, the projection screen behind him disyed the new recruit''s military achievements. Each individual item received meticulous evaluations from more than one officer to ensure a fair assessment of military merit. Also disyed were the points he had spent on exchanges. "The military merits are sufficient, and his performance in multiple missions far exceeds that of amon soldier. If such a promising warrior cannot meet the standard to receive the Gene Optimization Solution, I don''t know whether we can maintain the trust of all soldiers with the rules we have set," Carlos was the first to speak up, his stance clear. "I agree," Hamilton followed with his vote immediately. "???" All officers looked at Hamilton with his smile and an expression of surprise in their eyes. Since when did you, a steadfast antagonist, defect as well? After the core of the faction that rejected artificial humans also cast a vote in favor, those neutral officers who might have otherwise considered rtionships cast their inconsequential votes in the face of hard facts. Everyone wanted to apply for the Gene Optimization Solution for the soldiers under theirmand, but only the most elite warriors could acquire such scarce resources. Not only strength but also the willingness to give back mattered! An able but unwilling soldier was nothing but a cancer to the army; performance... was the sole criterion for applying for the Gene Optimization Solution. And that new recruit with the number 95B27 had undoubtedly done it to perfection. "Unanimously passed," Weslin tapped the table lightly, readily epting the oue. This was the first time he had chaired such a harmonious meeting; he felt slightly unustomed... "Meeting adjourned!" As the officers dispersed, some who were walking together pulled Hamilton aside, who was at the back of the group, their tones filled with surprise, "Change of heart today?" "Why argue with him?" Hamilton''s lips curved in a light smirk, "That 95B27''s record is indeed impable; even if we argued with him all day, we''d still have to grant his wish. I didn''t feel like wasting breath on them. Better to take a step back now and just wait and see what happens..." "What are you nning to do?" "What to do? Nothing," Hamilton took a bold step forward. "Since he''s willing to put in effort for the camp, then he might as well do a bit more. Isn''t there a Refugee Slum on the northwest side? Let him take a look!" Hispanion was slightly shocked, "That Refugee Slum..." It seemed that quite a few scouts had gone missing there. ``` Chapter 182 177 essential oils? Bring it on! Kuang Xin, who just emerged from the cave carrying a basket of dug-up earth and stones, saw a figure quickly approaching in the distance and immediately turned his head, shouting excitedly to the person below him, "The Lord has returned!" As if sprouting from the ground, three yers jumped out one after another. "My Lord!" The three of them looked at Bai E with ardent eyes, as if they wanted to devour him. In the two days that Bai E had been away, they had tried to find other NPCs to see if they could get some quests, but obviously... those meager rewards were no match for what the Lord gave out. And it seemed that as their reputation spread, many NPCs who knew them were reluctant to interact with them, let alone issue quests. It was like when your reputation in one faction increases, it decreases with the opposing faction, stopping them from developing ties with both. Being seasoned gamers... they were quite used to this. So they were even more eager for the Lord''s return. "Did Your Lordship''s endeavor seed?" Gong Yan, who had twice intimidated NPCs with feigned authority, almost subconsciously gathered such information.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Bai E was in a good mood and felt no strong barriers towards the yers, so with a smile, he nodded and said, "Pretty sessful." He walked straight towards the entrance of the underground base, knowing that the size of thepleted construction would determine how many contribution points he would distribute. "Whoa!" Descending thedder and scanning the area with a nce, Bai E was inwardly impressed. The target for the requested task was at least 20*20*3m3. Though it was hard to tell the exact size at a nce, the scale had at least doubled sincest time¡ªif not more. "You have worked hard these past few days," Bai E casually threw out some gratuitous words. Dai Lian, who had made adequate preparations, disyed his professionalism, "We''ve measured it, and we are close to having enough space. However, we still need to do damp-proofing, pest control, and other treatments before we canplete it." Just digging a hole in the ground wasn''t enough for aplete warehouse. With cement making its way into the picture, they were about to transform into construction workers stering walls¡ªno surprise it was him and Kuang Xin once again... perhaps with an addition of a rat-person? When did he ever realize he was so all-around? In the future, even if he couldn''t game, he would still be quite the jack-of-all-trades in the real world... "No worries, as long as you''re working on it." [Side Quest ¨C Build a Warehouse (Construction Commission), progress updated.] [Quest Reward (Stage):Faction Contribution Points (Li Ming) +60, issued.]X3 Contribution points were issued once more, and Bai E continued to carefully control their numbers. After the yers had exchanged items at the first level of the Faction Shop, the second level had long been open¡ª [Trait ¨C Well-Trained, price ¨C Basic Instruction: 60 Faction Contribution points.] [Knowledge ¨C Conventional Vehicle Driving, price ¨C Basic Instruction: 25 Faction Contribution points.] [Knowledge ¨C Computer Hardware Maintenance, price ¨C Basic Instruction: 25 Faction Contribution points; Professional Instruction: 40 Faction Contribution points; Expert Instruction: 60 Faction Contribution points; Gold Science Edition: 100 Faction Contribution points.] Stay connected with empire [Knowledge ¨C Advanced Physical Training 3.0, price ¨C Basic Instruction: 80 Faction Contribution points.] [Expertise ¨C Self-Restraint, price ¨C Basic Instruction: 100 Faction Contribution points.] [Unlock any "two items" from the current exchange level before unlocking the choice of items from the next level, stay tuned...] Many of his abilities seemed to be able to make it in, but traits like the inherent dullness to thoughts due to the artificial person temte, battle instincts, as well as the bloodlust trait and hive will activated by the Bug Race temte, plus his personal talent expertise¡ªrapid recovery, were all impossible to teach to others. Some knowledge skills required professional understanding, which is why there were tiered instructions; for practical skills like driving that didn''t require much professional knowledge, Bai E had only set up basic entry-level instruction, trying to maintain a bit of conscience and rationality when it came to reaping benefits. At the same time, Bai E didn''t want to make overpowered things like "Overlimit Drive," "Resist Death," or "Weapon Master" avable to yers too quickly. The secondyer of the shop had already put out good items, so what about the thirdyer? But just these were already enough to satisfy the yers'' ambitions and curiosity for the time being. The three yers who had just received another round of Faction Contribution points were caught in a dilemma as they looked at the exchange list. "It seems different from thest time I checked it." Without any avable exchange, constantly monitoring the list was one of the most torturous punishments in life. Having experienced the system prompt suddenly ringingst time, they also opted to turn off notifications of changes to the Faction Shop exchange list... a nuisance. Looking at it now, they noticed differences¡ª The Gold Science Edition of Computer Hardware Maintenance was definitely not there before. But that was not a problem; they weren''t interested in it. Dai Lian and Kuang Xin''s gaze rested on "Knowledge ¨C Advanced Physical Training 3.0," while Gong Yan''s interest was undoubtedly on "Expertise ¨C Self-Restraint." One to improve physical attributes more quickly, the other to enhance Spiritual Energy control¡ªboth were undeniably fitting for their professions, and they had been coveting them for a long time. Too bad they didn''t have enough... Gong Yan had spent thest distribution of Faction Contribution points without a trace left, now having only the newly issued 60 points. To exchange for "Expertise ¨C Self-Restraint," which required 100 points, she had no choice but to save up, as the others didn''t catch her interest as much. Chapter 183 177 Essential Oils? Bring them on!_2 Dai Lian and Kuang Xin both had 10 points left over fromst time, and with the 60 points just issued, they had a total of 70 points, which was undoubtedly insufficient to exchange for the "Knowledge ¡ª Advanced Physical Training 3.0." For Dai Lian, however, the "Trait ¡ª Well-Trained" and the unfinished "Remote Weapons Master Guidance" fromst time, as well as the newly introduced "Light Firearms Master Guidance," were also full of temptation. Kuang Xin, on the other hand, was single-minded about enhancing his physical abilities. His thinking was simple; just 10 points short, he wasn''t into shy tricks¡ªsave it! While the three yers were engrossed in how to n the use of their faction contribution points, Bai E was also pondering over more ways to make use of the yers'' knock on the door. His gaze swept around and felt that this so-called "Dawn Warehouse" seemed a bit empty. A warehouse is a structure that serves the function of storing materials. An empty warehouse, how can it be called a warehouse? These yers moved around in the outside world, and one couldn''t rule out that they might obtain some items that were difficult for him toe by. Resources, well, they should flow between one another to create the greatest value. What they temporarily didn''t need might be just what he was looking for, right? And as for setting the prices, wasn''t it all in his own thoughts? Um... [Prompt: The current functional building¡ªWarehouse, has reached a certain stage of construction, and the Faction Warehouse function is now activated.] [Current warehouse inventory: Exquisite Brass Bullets, Bug Tribe Essence Extract, and Biochemical Components.] [Prompt: Extracting warehouse materials requires payment of corresponding prices.] [Exquisite Brass Bullets*10, price: Faction Contribution*5, Faction Funds*10. (A maximum of 5 sets can be exchanged per natural day, and a maximum of 20 sets per week.)] [Bug Tribe Essence Extract*1, price: Faction Contribution*100, Faction Funds*200. (A maximum of 1 set can be exchanged per natural day, and a maximum of 3 sets per week.)] [Biochemical Components*1, price: Faction Contribution*500, Faction Funds*1000. (A maximum of 1 set can be exchanged per natural day, and a maximum of 3 sets per week.)] Damn! A genius! Not bing a game designer would be a great loss to the gaming industry. Looking at the rules he had set, Bai E was quite satisfied. To prevent yers from losing their drive to strive after eventually obtaining too many faction contribution points, it was essential to offer them something with sustainable development for exchange, to constantly maintain their resource scarcity. And just like the reward he had given Wen Jie for the task¡ªthe Bug Tribe Essence Extract¡ªby establishing a price for it beforehand, he could let them know the preciousness of the task rewards and thus make them more diligent. It was indeed killing multiple birds with one stone. The yers, suddenly receiving the unexpected prompt, were a bit stunned as they looked at the newly appeared "Faction Warehouse" feature. What''s this, how did a new feature suddenly appear? Let''s see what''s in there... "Damn!" "Damn!" Bug Tribe Essence Extract? Isn''t that Wen Jie''s reward? The thing that can make Gene Optimization Solution! Although they hadn''t reached the level toe into contact with Gene Optimization Solution yet, the fact that they now had a channel to obtain it undoubtedly created the illusion that the Gene Optimization Solution was just within their reach. Awesome! And this thing... Biochemical Components? Don''t know what it is, but judging by its value, it''s actually five times more expensive than the Bug Tribe Essence Extract? Awesome! But... "How do we get faction funds?" Dai Lian murmured to himself. Ah! Good question! [Prompt: Faction funds can be acquired by contributing "resources" to the Warehouse Manager.] The flow of resources, that was the principal reason Bai E activated the warehouse function, not just to harvest the yers'' experience, but also to see if they had any resources that they couldn''t use at the moment but he could. Bai E maintained a calm expression and softly exined to the three yers, "The warehouse is a ce to store themon resources of the organization. Everyone can contribute or take from it. In principle, all the items are meant to be used by everyone in the organization. But considering that not everyone puts in the same effort, we can''t let people use the resources indiscriminately without limits, so there are some conditions when exchanging for them." God damn it! as deep as the Ganges! What resources don''t cost money? As for the boss''s exnation, the three yers didn''t even bother to listen; they just needed to know how to obtain it, and that was enough. "Can anything be turned into funds?" Kuang Xin asked eagerly. "I''ll decide based on its value, the same for everyone." The three yers looked at each other and reached a consensus, "Let''s test the waters first." "1000 ckwater Coins!" Kuang Xin, who never did things by halves, handed over most of the money he won from thest match along with his original capital in one go. [You have handed over 1000 ckwater Coins and received 200 Faction Funds.] "1000 for 200," Kuang Xin whispered to his two teammates after receiving the notification. Dai Lian nodded in understanding. Not bad, it was within expectations. By judging the price of the bullets, they had a rough idea of the value of Faction Funds, but it was always better to have a concrete confirmation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om They had a substantial amount of ckwater Coins on them. Thest time they took out 600 bullets and sold them to Jonathan and his group, they reeled in 3420 ckwater Coins. From a rate perspective, selling bullets directly in the outside world was more profitable, with a price of 6 ckwater Coins per bullet. If they could exchange goods from the Faction Warehouse and sell them for money, and thene back and convert it into funds, couldn''t they infinitely exploit the system to multiply their wealth? Crafty strategies began to brew in the yers'' minds, but unfortunately, exchanging warehouse materials required not only Faction Funds but Faction Contribution Points as well, and even then, there were daily and weekly limits on the amount that could be exchanged... No luck there. Even if they handed over everything, they would only have just over 600 Faction Funds, and they couldn''t possibly give it all away since they still had many uses for ckwater Coins. The three of them scoured their possessions, looking to see if they had any resources they could hand over. They had nothing... Their guns and ammunition had been bought with ckwater Coins, and after being exploited by those ck Street merchants, the real value would definitely be less than that of the ckwater Coins themselves. Only the items not purchased with ckwater Coins were worth handing over, like... Kuang Xin took out a small ss bottle from his body; inside was a bit of caramel-colored, semi-transparent liquid. The young miss from the Heretical Arbitration House had given them each 33ml of the so-called Exorcism Essential Oil, the only item whose value they did not know. "We don''t need this thing for now, right?" A bold light sparkled in Kuang Xin''s eyes. The demons of higher dimensions were of high caliber, and just the powers of the human Believers who worshiped them were unbelievable¡ªlike with the Ratmen, if they trulyunched a full-scale attack against them, the three yers would be nothing but easy prey. Although there would definitely be varying levels of strength among the high-dimensional demons, even the lowest-tier demons were probably stronger than the Ratmen. In such a situation, what good would it do them to have weapons that could harm high-dimensional demons? Could a child with a knife defeat a fully-armed soldier? "But isn''t it always good to keep it..." Dai Lian hesitated; after all, the other two items in the warehouse aside from bullets were currently not exchangeable, as the required contribution points were far from sufficient. "Hey, it''s fine. I''ll give it a try; you guys keep yours." Kuang Xin was nonchnt. Both the Bug Tribe Essence Extract and the bioponents were limited to a set number of exchanges per week. The earlier they were exchanged, the more one could umte. Who knew if they would be very useful in the future? And how couldbat consumables like Exorcism Essential Oilpare to core growth materials? Let''s submit one and see. If it works out, we''ll hurry up and umte contribution points and take down all the exchangeable warehouse goods from the most to the least expensive! With a clear goal in mind, Kuang Xin was filled with enthusiasm and didn''t hesitate to try it out. Explore more stories with empire [You have handed over 33ml of Exorcism Essential Oil...] "emmmm" Looking at the item Kuang Xin handed over with both hands, Bai E slightly spaced out. He had heard about this item, a key material used by the Heretical Arbitration House to fight against demons, rare and hard toe by. Without it, even the professional executors of the Heretical Arbitration House would struggle to truly damage the essence of high-dimensional demons. Bai E''s eyes swept over the three yers with a hint of astonishment... yers sure had wide connections. If it were up to him alone, it would be tough to get his hands on this. An item specifically for fighting demons? Bai E nced at the conscientious Ratman who was staying away from everyone in the corner... The demonic issue with him hadn''tpletely ended; who knows when he might face a direct threat from a demon. Having a weapon that could truly threaten demons would always be more reassuring... Such a good item didn''te by often; encouragement was in order! [You have handed over 33ml of Exorcism Essential Oil and received 1650 Faction Funds!] Chapter 184 178 Continuing Mission — Acknowledgment from Yue Ying ``` "Fuck!" Kuang Xin''s mouth dropped open in shock. ckwater coins were exchanged at a 5 to 1 ratio, so organizational funds must be something very precious. So he originally thought that the so-called biponents priced at 1000 would be quite a distant future thing, but who could have anticipated getting nearly two of them all at once? He was fired up! His fighting spirit was aze! He was going to earn contributions for the organization! He''d work like an ox,bor for the cause! The organization was his home, and he''d build that home! Bai E saw the obvious change in his attitude and decided to add a bit more incentive. "Due to different situations the organization faces at different times, the scarcity of various materials can vary quite a bit. So, at critical times, the valuation of ''specific'' materials can fluctuate..." This meant that pricing was ultimately at their own whim, right? Plus, it could create a sense of urgency for them, with limited time increases in the purchase prices for specific materials. If you missed it, you missed it; if you have it, don''t wait! Perfect! Bai E was bing more and more ustomed to exploiting yer strength; if he ever could return to his own world one day, he''d definitely make a fine game designer... But the other two yers seemed unmoved; they were not impulsive. Seeing that there seemed to be no further discussion about contributing materials to the organization, Bai E brought up the mission. "Additionally, have you cleaned up the sewer rat infestation you were tasked with?" "...No." Dai Lian couldn''t quite meet Bai E''s eyes, responding meekly. Seriously, who would go grind without an actual quest? Those little buggers were tough to kill. Without a quest, willingly going into the sewers after them at night was sheer torture, and not cost-effective. Bai E chuckled, "No worries, I know you all certainly have more important things to do. Everyone must have worked hard these past few days. I regret I was out and couldn''t offer my assistance... With me here, you can feel a bit more at ease." Relying on the three of them to wipe out a small ck Street force must have been tough; it was a pity he hadn''t been able to join the fight... Maybe there was a way to scavenge some benefits. "..." Dai Lian suddenly looked up. His eyes shone as he gazed at the superior figure slightly taller than him, his emotions aplex mix. Sorry? The superior said he was sorry? It was their own failure to do the task he assigned because they had no quests, and yet the superior sincerely thought their own matters were more important and even felt guilty for not being able to help! Even knowing it was a game, even though he knew the character before him was nothing but data, this genuine attitude was enough to melt even the hardest of hearts. For the first time, Dai Lian felt a pang of guilt... "Since I am back now, if you have any troubles you can tell me. I won''t stand idly by if I can help you. But since those rat swarms are still there, I''ll have to ask you to continue the cleanup." Dai Lian looked down again and, gritting his teeth, responded, "Yes! Superior!" "Mmm..." Bai E paused slightly in his speech, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three of them, "So, do you have anything else? I just got backst night and have many matters to attend to back at the camp." [You''ve thought about it long enough, right? You should have made your decision about what to exchange your organizational contributions for.] Kuang Xin and Gong Yan remained silent; they both nned to save up. But it was Dai Lian who spoke up, "Superior, I would like to continue learning the bow shooting skills." There were still plenty of gue rats in the sewers, and archery skills still had much room for use. Besides, the young miss from the Heretical Arbitration House had proven a point to everyone ¡ª in this magical world, cold weapons have a great potential for development. When personal strength can rival machinery, the effectiveness of cold weaponry inbat isn''t inferior to firearms. ``` "All right," Bai E nodded and promptly agreed. Having one study is better than none. He couldn''t directly control the yers'' decisions but could only guide them as much as possible. The most important thing was that he currentlycked neitherbat/general experience. After the recent covert operation, he had amassed a total of 7347 points ofbat/general experience reserves. Slowing down the harvesting pace to let them develop a bit seemed like a good idea... Since he had paid 30 points of guild contribution for professional guidance, now to move up a level, he only needed to pay the difference of 20 points of guild contribution between a master and professional. Continue your saga on empire Bai E, although wanting to "harvest" the yers'' "leeks," also knew restraint. ... ["Teaching" ended, through the feedback of "Teaching," you have acquired a total of 220bat experience points and 180 general experience points.] It''s done! Bai E put away his bow and arrow and waved his hand without dawdling, "Pay attention on your own, and notify me promptly if anything arises." Upon returning to the camp, Bai E didn''t idle. Before departure, he had wanted to learn the "Steady Wind" skill that Yue Ying had taught previously. Whether or not the learning was crucial didn''t matter; the mission line possibly leading to the "Elf Breathing Skill" that Yue Ying carried was what mattered. He had to surprise her thoroughly to make her impart her treasured skills! He hadn''t seen her the afternoon of that day, but on this afternoon... Bai E spotted a cloaked figure quietly observing the soldiers'' training not far from abat squad in actual training. This Elf Racedy seemed particrly interested in the training process of the human soldiers, though being alone in human territory, she probably didn''t have much else to do... "Miss Yueying..." Standing beside her was an officer assigned by the military. Bai E kept a respectful distance and called out as he stopped. The officer looked toward Bai E on cue, ncing over Bai E''s shoulder and chest, noting theck of stars or stripes, just a synthetic being... somewhat familiar looking, but not important.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om His brow furrowed instantly, "Which unit''s soldier are you? What are you doing here instead of training?" "Reporting to the officer! I finished a mission yesterday, and I''m resting today," Bai E snapped to attention and replied stiffly and formally. "Resting?" The officer''s brows rose slightly, and he reprimanded with a cold voice, "If you''re resting, then rest properly, don''t loiter around the training ground." "Mr. Dunpus..." The cold voice finally spoke up. Being in a human military camp, Yue Ying wasn''t clear on the intricate rules among humans. It was only after realizing that not much was against the rules did she speak up, "He''s here to see me." "Yue Ying?" The officer was mildly surprised. In this military camp, he had never heard of any officer or soldier who received special treatment from this elf ally. His gaze flitted briefly, as the officer scanned Bai E standing respectfully in front of him, wondering internally¡ª What''s this kid''s background? "If Mr. Dunpus has other duties, please attend to them," Yue Ying said, involving private affairs. The element of authority in her cool tone, unequivocal, inspired awe. Considering that all the seniors in the military district held this foreign ally in high esteem, Dunpus dared not object and simply nodded his departure, "If Miss Yueying is busy, I shall take my leave. If you need anything, feel free to seek me out. Officer Veslin has instructed¡ª to amodate all of your requests within the military camp." The detached hood gave a slight nod, "Understood." After waiting for the officer to walk away, Yue Ying turned towards Bai E. Her tone was noticeably lighter, hinting at reminiscence, "I heard you went on a mission the other day." "Yes." Yue Ying narrowed her eyes, feeling a bit excited, "So... is it that you feel you''ve honed sufficient skills during the operation?" "Yes..." Chapter 185 179 Set the wind! "Squeak~" As the sound of the bowstring being tensioned arose, Yue Ying''s cool voice also emerged, "Near my hometown, there is a canyon where strong winds blow all year round¡­" Having reconnected with Yue Ying after some time, it was clear she was not as silent as during thest lesson; however, the words spoken seemed to bear no rtion to the technique''s key points¡­ "Wild fruits that are very sweet grow on the cliffs in the canyon." Pressing the switch, the set aerial targets were almost thrown out in a straight line at a uniform speed. The skill to be taught this time was not some mboyant ability; it only required¡­ Moments before the ten moving targets perfectly aligned in a straight line, Yue Ying suddenly released her grip. "Whoosh!" The arrow tore through the air! "Bang bang bang bang bang¡­" The sound of the moving targets bursting open was a continuous chain, an unending sequence of noise. Bai E''s gradually enhanced Insight attribute allowed his dynamic vision to strengthen over time, and with dedicated observation under mental focus, he could glimpse the general process of each moving target bursting apart. These moving targets had been specifically manufactured by the military. Theycked any significant technological content but were filled with some¡­ air. Thepressed air inside created great internal pressure so that upon impact with a collision of a certain energy level, they would burst apart violently, intended to provide a more visually impactful demonstration to the shooter as to whether their shots had hit. However, the violent bursting process of thepressed air certainly had a significant influence on the trajectory of any bullets or arrows passing through it. During Yue Ying''sst teaching session, Bai E had tried it out; his arrows could indeed easily hit the first moving target, but after hitting the first one, they would be deflected by the explosive air current, making a hit on the second target a matter of luck, while hitting the third was entirely out of the question. To shoot through ten at once like Yue Ying did¡­ That was a tall tale! Yet, it happened right before his eyes. As Yue Ying bent her bow and nocked another arrow, she continued her unrted story, "The cliffs are steep. If we wanted to eat the wild fruits, we had to shoot them down with arrows." Again, ten moving targets rose up, and Yue Ying fired another arrow. "Bang bang bang bang bang¡­" The noise erupted in unison. It seemed as if Yue Ying had performed a casual, effortless trivial task as she lightly retracted her bow and looked towards Bai E, "How to withstand the influence of the strong winds and shoot down those fruits was the favorite challenge of our childhood. One of my elder sisters invented this technique, naming it¡ª''Ding Feng''." One arrow loosed, the wind stilled. Focus on one point; no matter what obstructionsy on the path, nothing could halt the might of this single arrow. Bai E pressed the switch for the moving targets, took a deep breath, and raised his bow and arrow as the Overlimit Drive supplied him with additional strength converted into actual physical force. Facing a series of aerial targets thrown out in a straight line, Bai E abruptly loosened his fingers from the fully-drawn bowstring. The arrow spiraled forth, its wake stirring the air. "Whoosh!" [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in learning, converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (Very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] [Prompt: Please maintain "Overlimit Drive" output status; otherwise, the difficulty of learning will increase significantly.] "Bang! Bang!" The crisp sound of breaking was heard. Of the line of moving targets, only two shattered, the rest were left to descend powerlessly after reaching their apex, offering no further chance for Bai E to make amends. But that was alright. Bai E looked at the panel''s message and felt certain about this time. It''s not the small chance that''s scary, it''s the absence of any chance at all. Since there''s an opportunity to learn "Ding Feng" while under the state of "Overlimit Drive," he definitely couldn''t let it go before he exhausted himself! Again! [You have spent 630 points ofbat experience in learning, converted into 315 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (Very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] ¡­ [You have spent 550 points ofbat experience in learning, converted into 275 points of "Ranged Weapon Specialization" experience. (Small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] As the experience for the Ranged Weapon Specialization approached level 4, Bai E''s previously calm demeanor began to shift. "Whoosh!" "Bang!" This was the first time during the current learning session that only one moving target had been pierced. Noticing something amiss, Yue Ying looked over, her long, narrow eyes under her hood slightly squinted, observing Bai E''s reaction. Read exclusive content at empire If this was his mindset¡­ then there was no need to continue learning. "Huff~" Bai E''s fingers stroked the arrow, and on the next draw, he forcefully steadied his emotions through "self-restraint." It was merely a chance for an upgrade that came with a specialization level increase; there was no need to obsess over it. As long as it can be obtained, it''s never toote... "Whoosh!" "Bang bang bang bang bang!" Five of them! [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in learning, which has been converted into 5 points of "Ranged Weapon Mastery" experience. (Medium chance to awaken special attributes.)] Yue Ying retracted her gaze, feeling satisfied. This is how it should be; this is the human warrior she had taken an interest in! At any time, impatience is always the swiftest punishment away from sess. [You have spent 60 points ofbat experience in learning, which has been converted into 30 points of "Ranged Weapon Mastery" experience. (Medium chance to awaken special attributes.)] [With prolonged learning, you have gleaned sufficient experience from the master''s performance, your specialization ability¡ªRanged Weapon Specialization, has gained a new "special" attribute bonus!] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 3): Shooting uracy +11%, shooting speed +7%, shooting range +300 meters, arcing shot (special) +6%, scatter level (special) +2, stabilizing wind level (special) +1.] [Stabilizing Wind +1: Your attacks can always precisely hit targets, ignoring any hindrances. After charging for at least 0.5~1 second, your attack gradually reaches its peak: attack kic energy +2, attack power (piercing) +3, projectile speed +15%, and ignoring any "feather-weight" environmental factors.] [Current Ranged Weapon Mastery experience at 990/1000, reaching 1000 points will master "Level 4 Ranged Weapon Specialization."] Sess! Bai E''s spirit shook, he nocked an arrow to the bow, and after a slight charge, he released an arrow that broke through the air. In a vacuum, the arrow whistled through the air like lightning. "Bang bang bang..." The moving targets burst open in quick session, the arrow''s course unwavering. [Triggered Stabilizing Wind! Sessfully shot through seven feather-weight obstacles with one arrow, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +5.] "It''s... It''s really learned!" A look of surprise shed in Yue Ying''s slender eyes. This was the first skill she thought posed some difficulty, so she had more patience to wait. Moreover, this warrior''s physical capabilities clearly wouldn''t exceed the limits of humans, even under such circumstances... he still learned it? The most crucial aspect was the speed, evenparable to her own learning pace from back in the day... [Current task reward: Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Purple)] [Clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Purple): You have secured the sincere trust of the Elf Race''s Yue Ying. By demonstrating many of your outstanding talents, there''s a good chance to obtain the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her.] "With your current abilities, the fact that you''ve learned this skill is beyond my expectations. The subsequent skills, with your current strength, are not even remotely learnable for now. Let''s stop here for the moment," she said. While speaking, Yue Ying looked at the emotionless warrior in front of her, her eyes brimming with satisfaction. For a human to have mastered these skills before reaching a certain level of proficiency in archery was an incredible disy of innate talent. All of these skills would grow more profound as his archery improved over time. That alone ensured he would certainly make a mark in archery. Very good! [Current task¡ªYue Ying''s Recognition, the progress is temporarily stagnant. Until you demonstrate abilities beyond learning shooting skills, the task''s progress will remain unchanged...] "..." "Then... goodbye." The elfdy bid him a gentle farewell and swiftly turned to leave. Not enough... Watching her retreating figure, Bai E sighed inwardly. This elfdy was quite cautious. After all, just learning wasn''t enough to be more than an excellent warrior, far from qualifying to learn the "Elf Breathing Skill." So, won''t it be necessary toplete two more events to acquire a clue of gold quality before ultimately achieving the goal? Just the thought of it was tormenting... But no matter, progressing steadily towards improvement, as long as there''s progress, there''s no problem.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Looking at the Ranged Weapon Specialization skill that needed just 5 more experience points to advance to level 4, Bai E, who was slightly obsessivepulsive, couldn''t stand it. I''m just going to shoot! [Triggered Stabilizing Wind! Sessfully shot through six feather-weight obstacles with one arrow, Ranged Weapon Mastery experience +4.] [...+3.] [Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 4): Shooting uracy +14%, shooting speed +9%, shooting range +400 meters, arcing shot (special) +8%, scatter level (special) +3, stabilizing wind level (special) +2.] [Scatter (Level 3): Dual shot sess rate +80%, triple shot sess rate +25%, quadruple shot sess rate +5%, quintuple shot sess rate +0.1%.] [Stabilizing Wind (Level 2): Your attacks can always precisely hit targets, ignoring any hindrances. After charging for at least 0.45~0.95 seconds, your attacks gradually reach their peak: attack kic energy +3, attack power (piercing) +4, projectile speed +25%, and ignoring any "feather-weight" environmental factors.] [Detecting character now possesses Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 4), the skill tree for advanced study is unlocked: Concussive Shot, Power Shot, Vector Shuttle.] Chapter 186 180 participates in a boxing match Having gained another specialization ability that reached level 4, Bai E''s bold conjecture had been confirmed¡ª Directly upgrading a specialization ability to level 4 only meant topensate for theck of special attributes provided before reaching that level. A warrior who relied on actual training to attain a level 4 specialization ability wouldn''t be without special attribute bonuses. Indeed, he had lost out when he had previously upgraded his light firearms skill using his own points. But that had been a necessary evil due tock of experience. How could he have had ater stage without an early one? Should there ever be an opportunity to respec, Bai E was determined to train for a perfect build! As for the present, it was time to see what uses the three skills unlocked after reaching level 4 Ranged Weapon Specialization possessed¡ª Concussive Shot, hmm... a control skill. Power Shot, hmm... a damage-dealing skill. Vector Shuttle, hmm... a movement skill. Clear and simple! Gun Fighting Skill had given Bai E many surprises, and naturally, he held high hopes for the newly unlocked skill tree. Yet with each skill having its merits, Bai E was reluctant to make a choice before encountering a practical application scenario. Although he had quite a store of experience by now, it hadn''te easily. Spending 1000 points of experience in an instant still required careful consideration. He checked the sky, noting it was still early, probably just past three o''clock. The main purpose of his return to the camp was to learn Yue Ying''s archery skills and to advance the progress of the "Yue Ying''s Approval" mission. Now that he had achieved his goal, it seemed like he suddenly had nothing to do within the camp again. So... Chavez, the fitness instructor, had mentioned underground boxing, which the other yers had all tried. He hadn''t experienced it yet. In his pocket was the betting money given by Chavez, not much... just 500. Let''s check it out! Considering appearing there directly might be too conspicuous since hisst visit to ck Street Tavern had drawn a lot of attention, Bai E decided to opt for a disguise. The whole set of clothes and even a mask given by other yersst time would do just fine, so he took them. With no yers around, the secret base was empty except for the rat-like individuals. "Where did they all go?" Bai E asked as he picked up the clothes to change, addressing the seemingly well-behaved boy in the corner. "They said they were out of wood¡­ and needed to chop some more." Bai E nced around, noting the warehouse propped up by wood looked somewhat ragged and disorganized. [Relying on wood all the time isn''t a solution...] When they gained a bit more capability, he could consider having them build a pure metal base like the server ruins. Hmm... that seemed unrealistic. However, constructing one out of concrete and reinforced steel might work. Mulling over these ideas, Bai E asked the rat-like individual, "Have you felt anything unusual recently?" Since the rat-like beings were always rted to demons, he had to stay vignt about their mental and physical health. The connection between humans and demons couldn''t easily be discerned from the outside; problems always began in the mind first. "No¡­ no, nothing." "Do you find it boring to stay here?" "Yes... just a little bit." The adolescent yearned for the outside world, no matter how much suffering he had endured, he always longed for the beauty and fascinating aspects of the world; it wasn''t right to treat him as a mere tool, keeping him confined here forever, when saving someone, one must also take on the responsibility for their future well-being and any potential troubles they might bring." Bai E nodded in understanding, acknowledging that speaking truthfully to him was a good sign, "It''s okay, once I''m sure there''s nothing wrong, I''ll let them take you out for a stroll asionally. But for now... please try to suppress these thoughts." "I understand, Sir!" the Mouse Person responded quite sensibly. "...Work hard." Bai E picked up the mask and climbed up thedder.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The clothes prepared by the yers were pretty nice, albeit a bit sexy... The ck leather jacket was skimpy on fabric, leaving the stomach and part of the chest exposed, showcasing clear lines of sturdy muscles. He wondered what state of mind they were in when they chose these clothes for him... but unexpectedly, it suited the style of ck Street quite well. Those living there either wrapped themselves uppletely like the Mouse Person, not daring to expose their inner softness, or dressed in bizarre and personal styles to the extreme. This ostentatious outfit was, to some extent, also a disguise for his usual persona, and it wasn''t entirely uneptable. As Chavez said, Bai E found the man known as "ck Goat" in ck Street. He was a ck, slim man with sharp eyes, looking to be in his thirties. When he heard Bai E was referred by Chavez, the ck man immediately became all smiles, leading Bai E in the direction away from the hub of ck Street. "Bro, is this your first time here?" Walking in front, ck Goat asked enthusiastically, looking back as he spoke. "Yeah..." Bai E posed confidently with his arms stretched out, his brazen gaze sweeping around; this was his first time visiting ck Street during the day. And perhaps because of the clothes he was wearing, his behavior naturally exuded an air of brashness, striking a contrast. "Got any money on you? The first time you participate in a fight, you need to pay a deposit of 500 ck Water coins, which is essentially betting on your own match." "500?" Bai E''s voice paused, as Chavez had given him exactly 500. Normally, as a man-made being, he would likely have no funds of his own, so... was this actually his startup capital? Also mentioned was betting on Blood God... "Of course, I have it!" Filled with a surge of emotion, Bai E strode ahead boldly, his tone hearty. Find more to read at empire "Hurry up, my fists are itching for action!" ... Following ck Goat, they reached the so-called "Underground Boxing Arena," a solitary grey concrete building stood forlornly upon the barrennd, with the surrounding sand swirling, stinging the eyes of onlookers. Bai E shielded his eyes with one hand, tilting his head to examine the concrete behemoth before him. "This was supposed to be an apartment building for folks outside the city... The big shots from the inner city were once ambitious, vowing to extend urbanization to every ce where human footsteps had trod. Unfortunately, everything that wasn''t too heavy to move was cleared out of the building overnight, and they abandoned the idea..." "..." Bai E was at a loss for words. Badass! "But what does that have to do with me?" Bai E''s figure surpassed ck Goat''s frail body, striding into the building, "You talk too much! I''m here topete, not to sightsee!" Watching that grand silhouette enter the building from behind, ck Goat swallowed reflexively, only one thought echoing in his mind¡ª The fighter Chavez introduced this time... sure has a fiery personality. Chapter 187 181 White Ghost Even in the afternoon, the atmosphere inside the building was still frenzied. Men and women addicted to the violent secretion of hormones had no concept of time, though their silhouettes weren''t as densely packed as in the evening. The low-quality speakers sted explosive waves of sound, and Bai E''s body swayed gently with the rhythm. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, after all, one has to blend in with the crowd. Stay connected with empire Seeing that a familiar person had brought him, and considering the warrior before him was fit and imposing, the staff registering fighters instantly changed from slouching idly to sitting up straight and proper. He had seen many such figures, and even if they might unfortunately die in some deathmatchter on, they were definitely the ones who could climb the ranks fastest here! Thus, his gaze toward Bai E carried a noticeable reverence, "How may I address you?" "White Ghost." Bai E blurted out. For some reason, this name surfaced in his mind first, like a shackle. Without waiting for a response, Bai E directly pulled out ten notes of currency that looked like ssine paper and pped them on the table, "A thousand, on myself." Perhaps the average cyborg warrior had no money, but he was not average; there was no need to touch the 500 hard-earned dors of Chavez, as the yers had just handed him a thousand dors. Self-sufficient. "Fine," said the staff member curtly, carefully taking the ten ck paper bills worth 100 each, "Please go over there and rest for a bit. After this ongoing match and another one, it will be your turn." "..." ncing at the figure heading toward the rest area with an imposing air, the staff member discreetly gestured to the waiting ck Goat, only asking in a hushed voice when he leaned closer, "What''s the background of this guy? Never seen him before?" "Over there..." ck Goat said with an air of mystery, tilting his chin in a certain direction. The registrar instantly understood, "Turtle, turtle!" One phrase instantly came to mind¡ªBlood God! He''s from the same ce as the Blood God! Although there were quite a few who came to this arena from that ce just for fun, this neer was entirely different from those taciturn and reserved soldiers; a single nce was all it took to see the stature of the Blood God. They would have to arrange a sufficiently worthy opponent for him... Sitting at the edge of the arena, Bai E spread his arms wide, majestically draping them over the backrests of the vacant seats on either side, his gaze fixed intently on the ongoing battle. The fights in this ce were about anything goes; there were no reservations about any dirty tricks one could think of¡ªeye gouging, throat locking, groin kicking... Do whatever you want, in any way that you can win. Even if it wasn''t a fight to the death, it was full of brutality meant to maim. Victory was the only standard here. Bai E''s eyes sparkled, radiant with vitality. He liked this feeling of being unrestrained, having suppressed himself for too long, it was always necessary to find an opportunity to vent. Always cowering, always walking on eggshells in the barracks, it gets stifling after a while. An opportunity to beat someone up without consequences, who wouldn''t grasp it fiercely? As for getting beaten to a pulp himself? First, the rules didn''t allow killing, and someone would intervene in a dangerous moment; second, with the "resistance to death" trait, he wasn''t afraid at all. As long as he could get back to the barracks, no injury was a concern. Perhaps because of the constant wars with alien species in this era, medical technology was surprisingly advanced. With the right equipment, even his level 2 first aid skills could snatch people back from the clutches of death, not to mention the professional medical department in the barracks. He had almost been shattered by the Blood God before, and Rose had been battered by a mantis bug during the rookie trials, yet wasn''t she bouncing around again within a day? Watching the defeated contestant being dragged away bloody like a dead dog, and the winner raising his arms to embrace the audience''s cheers. Bai E felt... Hardened! His fists hardened! The two matches didn''t take long to finish, with staff members speciallying on stage to clean the bloodstains from the ring. It was a perfunctory job, but it showed an attitude, often indicating that the next contestant to appear was rather extraordinary. "Next match, by the all-destroying ''Tornado''..." The host paused to let the audience''s emotion ferment. Only after the cheers erupted did he slowly read out the opponent''s name. "Facing off against our neer¡ªBai E!" In an instant, confusion spread among the audience seats, "A neer?" "A neer?" "Tornado against a neer?" "What''s the deal with Bai E? Has the organizer lost their mind?" Tornado himself was somewhat famous in this diatorial arena, his battles characterized by a storm-like barrage ofbos that would devastate his opponents spectacrly, always highly praised by the audience. Logically, such a well-known fighter should be matched with another high-level expert. Yet unexpectedly, the opponent was merely a neer. Neers should have their own pool... so why appear in a match against Tornado? The fact that the organizers had taken special care to clean the stage before the fight somewhat indicated the importance they ced on this match, a reverence reserved only for bouts featuring star fighters. It was also a signal to the audience¡ªprepare for the revelry! The diator, wearing nothing but shorts, bounded into the vast arena from the tunnel, the unrestrained nature of the fight allowing ample room for tactical maneuvers. He raised both hands, ready to receive the adoration and cheers of the fans, only to find the arena unusually silent, the sporadic mewling of a few kittens making it seem even quieter. What had happened? From the dimly lit corridor opposite, a figure gradually emerged from the shadows of the concrete floor, its outline bing slowly clearer amidst the intery of light and shadow. Blood-red leather pants with jagged, wide-edged cuts, and two metallic chains hanging as ornaments on the legs, the ck leather jacket was slightly tight, revealing arge expanse of muscle with the lithe grace of a leopard. Even the parts covered by the jacket outlined an indescribable power in the bulging muscles. The mask on his face reflected a metallic sheen, nting a seed of mystery in the hearts of all the viewers. "Ah~" "So cool..." A woman, craving madness, crossed her legs tightly, her eyes a haze of infatuation. The men were nearly obsessed with that dream of a perfect body, not the exaggerated bulging muscles nor the frailness of a bamboo stalk that seemed like it could be blown over by a gust of wind. Since when could ck Street produce such perfect forms? The unattainable is always the most desirable. "Is it really worth giving him such fanfare?" the person in charge of the afternoon session, stroking his stubbled chin, asked, somewhat puzzled as he watched the figure emerge from the corridor on the monitor screen. Every promotional effort had to whip up a sufficient frenzy of excitement; otherwise, it could be a blow to the reputation of the organizers. The scruffy registrar cowered to one side, his tone feverish, "Boss, does this guy look like a rookie to you?" His entrance was full of presence, impressively imposing. This couldn''t be anything but an expert''s facade... it just couldn''t be. "Let''s hope..." The speaking manager nced at another scene on the monitor screen... There sat arge figure quietly in a chair, eyes closed in wait. When a star yer steps onto the field, there needs to be matching hype. Using a trivial preliminary to build up the atmosphere was a good choice. The main event was still toe; this appetizer before it... hopefully would also reach a certain level. ... Hearing those heavy breaths thick with desire, Bai E''s eyes narrowed slightly. The spectators'' eyes were indeed keen; the clothes prepared for him totally matched their tastes... But whether it was the yers'' own perverse aesthetic preferences or to cater to the tastes of ck Street''smoners was anybody''s guess. However, none of that mattered. He was there to fight. The muscr man opposite already had a visible fervor of murderous intent in his eyes.N?v(el)B\\jnn Tornado could tolerate defeat, but not the theft of his glory by someone else. Even in failure, he must be the most dazzling one! Bai E''s lips lightly curled, and he brought his index and middle finger together, tauntingly gesturing towards the other side¡ª "Come on." Chapter 188 182 Practice Mode ``` "Thud," the door locked tight. Within the coarse iron mesh, only two beasts remained, sizing each other up. Both moved cautiously toward the center of the ring, the arena wasrge, but strategies like running around to exhaust stamina didn''te into y until after testing hands and ascertaining the opponent''s true strength. Tornado had made a significant name for himself in such an arena, naturally, he had his tricks. No matter how angry one must remain rational, that''s the first principle of underground boxing. Boos from the crowd, the mockery of the opponent... if one can''t block out these distractions, they won''t even make it out of the rookie pool. Facing that stranger with a face that screamed trouble, one had to be careful, then more careful. When facing an unfamiliar opponent, the first thought shouldn''t be how to take them down instantly, but rather... to observe. Observe their habits, their weaknesses, by... probing. Bai E''s breathing was calm, his gaze fixed on the other, his body seemingly rxed yet ready to mobilize every muscle in response to any iing attacks. These outsiders would likely have a hard time getting their hands on something boundary-breaking like Gene Optimization Solution, so their physical limit was probably around 15, with his own 14.5 physical strength plus the burst from Overlimit Drive, he was sure to outmatch his opponent. However, reflexes were his weak point, and these people, ustomed to close-quartersbat, might very well surpass him in that regard. Then there was the application of technique. These were the goals he had set for himself when he came to this ce; facing opponents likely superior in skill and reflexes, he could only opt to counter stillness with stillness. "Whoosh!" The distance was still enough, the other side threw a testing punch straight at his face. Bai E, ever attentive to his opponent''s movements, simply tilted his head and dodged with ease. Neck movements in a dodge always covered less distance than a punch, making such prepared evasions extremely easy. And just as his opponent threw that punch, Bai E''s eyes gleamed with a sharper intent¡ªby his ear, he heard an unexpectedly familiar voice: [Triggered sparring quest¡ªUnderground Boxing.] [Underground Boxing: You have entered a ''fatal'' underground fighting match filled with lethal intent. You must be exceedingly cautious under the watchful eyes of your opponent. Each adversary possesses their unique fighting style. Adapt to their rhythm of attack and learn from theirbat experience to secure victory in every fight. The brave may not always win, but the observer never truly loses! Quest requirement: Learn thebat philosophy of your opponents in the sparring matches and achieve victory 0/? Reward forpletion: After each fight, you may unlock a proficiency¡ª???] [Sparring Mode: Observing that your opponent''s technique exceeds yours, you resolve to pay a certain price bat experience/general experience) in order to learn their fighting style. You can initiate a learning process by spending: 20 experience points/min, with a chance to learn the opponent''s unique fighting style, and expend 2bat/general experience points to receive 1 point of corresponding specialized experience (to enhance your own specialty level abilities). Both transactions must happen simultaneously; otherwise, the current mode cannot be activated.] ... Yet another mode he had never encountered before. Sparring? The finalbatpetition in the military camp counted as sparring, right? Or was it that the sparring there wasn''t lethal enough? No matter how realistic the militarypetitions were, they stillcked the desperate, no-holds-barred hysteria of fighting in the mire of the outside world. The emphasis on "fatality" in the description of the sparring quest¡ªUnderground Boxing might exin why it was triggered. Bai E clenched his fists, his gaze at the diator before him bing even more fervent. Acquiringbat ability through triggered tutorials was difficult; after all, realbat hinged on rapid, life-or-death reactions. Bai E couldn''t imagine what a tutorial needed for learning advancedbat techniques would look like. Previous learning in shooting, including archery, allowed space for continuous teaching, whereas thebat tutorial once triggered from Dan was merely a fleeting glimpse and at best could only provide basic teaching in simple force application, movement, and such. His proficiency, already over level 1, could not be developed through such low-quality teaching. Now... realbat was the best teacher! This sudden prompt didn''t distract Bai E, instead, making him more focused once realizing what was happening. Learning an opponent''s fighting style? First, the opponent had to show his style. Each specialty had its unique features, withbat having its natural limitations. It seemed only logical that learning and training would require spending more experience. Bai E''s lips curled beneath his mask, and he threw back a punch in the same manner towards his opponent. [You are payingbat experience to observe and learn your opponent''sbat philosophy¡­ (Cost: 20 experience points/min)] [You have spent 10bat experience points in your learning process, converted into 5 points of "Combat Master" experience. (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] [Current Combat Master experience 124/300, reach 300 points to master "Level 2 Combat Specialization."] Burn it! After all, he had plenty of experience reserved, and training reflexes from realbat needed to be at its peak. Bai E''s gaze was fiery, his movementsrge and uninhibited. Let go of design, let go of thought. Dodge attacks with reflexes, seek opportunities by instinct. Use the body to record every attack, feel each impact with the flesh. Every blow taken would be a heavy punch returned to the opponent. ``` ... A nk sheet of paper. Tornado could feel thebat style of his opponent. It was like a nk sheet with no sketches, devoid of any attacking patterns or schemes except for the responsive evasive maneuvers. An opponent who was best to deal with! On the surface, that mboyant strength seemed to be justughable gold foil, easily pierced and broken. The audience outside also erupted in jeers, "Tsk!" "That''s it? Looked like a pro, but ends up just getting hit all the time." "I could do the same if I were up there." "Tornado, go for it! Use your best Storm Combo and finish him off!" "Are the organizers idiots? This newbie is no match for Tornado?" ... [You have spent 90 points ofbat experience in learning, which is converted into 45 points of "Fighting Mastery" experience. (Small chance of awakening special attributes.)] (umted) ... A bit troublesome. This seemingly unimpressive opponent unexpectedly had a resilience that was somewhat prickly to deal with. Tornado was slightly out of breath, swaying as he tried to find an opening tounch an attack. There seemed to be openings everywhere, inviting attack, but... no decisive blow could bended. The opponent highly valued the protection of his vital areas, as if aplete defense could win the match. But... that''s not how you fight in an arena! ... [You have spent 80 points ofbat experience in learning, which is converted into 40 points of "Fighting Mastery" experience. (Moderate chance of awakening special attributes.)] (umted) Discover stories with empire [In the fight, you discerned the opponent''s attacking intent and quickly reacted, Insight +0.1, Reflex +0.1.] ... "Huff~ Huff~" Tornado was gasping for air; offense was far more draining than defense, especially when his attack style required constant changes in positioning. Although he maintained the offensive rhythm, he always felt like he was the one being suppressed, a frustration that was driving him mad inside. He had realized it! His opponent was not weak... He, he was just observing his line of attack, making asional counterattacks within a mostly defensive fight, attacks that tasted all too familiar to him. The opponent was learning thebat strategy he had honed through countless real battles! And moreover, learning quickly! This was no rookie! Absolutely not! Arrogant! Too arrogant! Tornado could hear the waves of jeering from the crowd, as if they were ming him for not yet having disposed of this only defensive and evasive person. That was trust, that was support, that was the deep admiration the audience had for him! But at this moment, he just wanted those sounds that would usually cheer him to shut up! All he wanted was to shout out loud for everyone to hear¡ª "Shut up! You! No one knows what kind of monster this is!" He was learning, he was imitating! His abilities were far beyond mine, yet he was trying to use the fighting style I had developed to defeat me, his master! How arrogant is that? How presumptuous! Even if your strength surpasses mine, such arrogant presumption is the only reason for your failure!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Arrogance alwayses with a price! I... am not to be trifled with either! Chapter 189 183-combo-hit The tornado''s eyes shed, finally catching the perfect moment when his opponent seemed to be out of breath. In just an instant, his body lunged forward, like a ravenous wolf longing for flesh and blood, eagerly unfolding his own gluttonous feast. Surrounding the target who had almost lost the ability to counterattack, Tornado''s figure shifted rapidly, leaning into every possible vulnerable spot to unleash his full offensive output in an instant. It was like a hurricane swirling around Bai E, abat scene so fast that the figures were nearly indistinct¡ªthis was the origin of his moniker "Tornado"! This wasn''t a name he gave himself, but an honorific bestowed by the spectators! Until this moment, all the frustration and rage that Tornado had felt in this fight seemed to be vented in an instant, as his fists, filled with fury, pummeled down on that frightful and disgusting body from all directions like raindrops. "Bang bang bang bang bang!" Each powerful punchnded hard, and the sounds of fists striking muscle were incessant. Deathblowbo¡ªthat was his proud finishing move in this underground boxing ring! Every opponent who had the misfortune to be caught in thisbo had, without exception, fallen! No one... "Bang!" The quickly delivered right punch was caught in a grip by a palm that wasn''t particrlyrge, and as Tornado''s gaze traveled from the palm to the wrist, forearm, and upper arm, he didn''t even notice the fear that had crept into his own eyes. [You have spent 80 points ofbat experience in learning, converted into 40 points of "Combat Mastery" experience. (High probability of awakening special attributes.)] (Stacked) [Long-term learning has allowed you to draw enough experience from your opponent''s fighting style, and your specialized ability¡ªCombat Expertise, has received a new "special" attribute boost!] [Combat Expertise (Level 1): Strike Power +2%, Evasion +1%, Block +1%, Combo (Special) +1.] [Combo (Level 1): Exerts as much muscle strength as possible in the shortest force exertion time, increasing attack speed by 50%, with strike power gradually increasing to the peak at 110% of Overlimit performance.] [Current Combat Mastery experience 249/300, at 300 points you can master "Level 2 Combat Expertise".] As the aggressor who had been on the offensive, Tornado subconsciously realized that his attacks hadn''tpletely broken through the opponent''s defenses. An attack that dragged on... Bai E''s lips curled slightly, his smile blooming recklessly, "My turn..." As Tornado''s stamina was depleted, Bai E''s counterattack wasunched in an instant. The roles of attack and defense were reversed. "Bang bang bang bang bang!" Endless fistsnded heavily, one after another, on Tornado''s muscr body. The muscles, taut as stone, gradually softened under the relentlessbo, and the core elements of force exertion that Dan had mentioned were circting in Bai E''s mind. Even under the storm-like offensive, Bai E still tried to rapidly marshal his muscr strength in the attack to exert an even more formidable striking power. "Bang!" A punch hit the chest. Bai E had carefully avoided striking any fatal points after breaking through the defenses, yet Tornado, already defeated in spirit, had lost the willpower to resist both physically and mentally. Without the need for Bai E to throw another punch, the heavy body flopped limply backward and crashed to the ground. The only thought lingering in Tornado''s muddled consciousness was¡ª How did it seem like he wasn''t hurt at all after so many blows? ... [Your body is rapidly healing from injuries, don''t worry! Warrior!] [Injury repair progress 80%, Rapid Recovery (unlocked) unlocking progress 37%.] [Using "Combo" to knock down the target, Combat Mastery experience +5.] "Boom!" His body copsed with a thunderous fall, heavily smashing onto the steel tform. The counterattack came too quickly for the audience to even change their tune, resulting in an immediate silence. "Congrattions on witnessing a splendid battle! Our winner is, the White Phantom!" The host''s voice was filled with fervor, "What did we just see! Tornado fell to his most formidable Storm Strike! It seems our neer is also a yer who likes quick attacks!" As the voice faded into the background, Bai E, stepping down from the arena, found a staff member, "Arrange the next match for me, the sooner the better." There was no time to wait, he couldn''t wait a moment longer! "You... don''t you need to rest?" the staff member asked, astonished by the neer''s impressive physique. Shaking his head, Bai E kept his breathing even, "No, that was just a warm-up." In the few breaths after stepping down from the arena, Overlimit Drive had already converted the abundant reserves of kic energy into actual physical strength. In maintaining his condition, Bai E had a huge natural advantage. The first battlested... 7 minutes. ... In the surveince room, the person in charge squinted at the monitor, observing the figure still standing. "Can you see it?" A muscr man with a formidable presence behind him responded in a deep, echoing voice, "Another expert here to hone their skills." Such people were not rare in the Underground Colosseum; they were not here solely for the release it provided, nor were they particrly driven by bets or money. The only reason these individuals participated in thebats was to refine their battle skills.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om They had their developed philosophies ofbat but suppressed their full potential to learn from observing their opponents'' tactics and adaptively countering them. Even the initial Blood God did the same... While many shared this mindset, very few actually seeded. Learning an opponent''s strengths during short battles and defeating them using their own tactics is undoubtedly a formidable challenge. Many self-proimed experts have fallen embarrassingly due to such attitudes. In this ce, keeping a continuous presence on the stage meant none were to be taken lightly. Of course, it could also be for those battle gangs... The person in charge''s gaze swept over some of the quieter corners of the entire colosseum¡ªthis venue was also seen as a cradle of talent, with many gangs from the city sending scouts to find suitable fighters. Discover stories at empire A contestant could freely choose to seek wealth and status, and the gangs could select talents they desired for private contacts... or through the organiser, provided they pay a certain fee after seeding. "Boss..." a voice came through the headset hanging from his ear, "White Phantom says he wants to keep fighting, and the sooner the better." "..." The person in charge paused for a moment, then responded, "Who was scheduled for the next match?" "Viper versus Fang." After thinking it over, the person in charge made a decision, "Let White Phantom rece Fang, give him continuousbat." Continuousbat was undoubtedly a huge draw. Few contestants dared to take such a risk, but since the contestant himself requested it and his disyed strength didn''t seem delusional, the organisers would not pass up such an obviously exciting match-up. And besides... Viper was a special opponent. ... "News received, the freshly victorious White Phantom has requested consecutive battles!" "Next up, White Phantom will face Viper!" Chapter 190 184 Kiss of the Viper "Viper..." "That''s one sly old fox!" Whispers of intrigue momentarily rose among the audience, only to be buried beneath even more boisterous voices. "Viper is just looking for some fun, but the True God is all about the White Ghost." "The White Ghost is truly fierce, Viper is nothing inparison." "With fists faster than a tornado, Viper would be on the ground in no time." ... "I''m betting on Viper, 500!" "All in on Viper! 97!" "You need to bet at least 100 to ce a wager." "Bro, lend me 3 coins..." This was a unique opponent, whose fights at first nce appeared to be the most ordinary and dull, but it was only at the most critical, perilous moments that the deadly intent hidden within that split second would be revealed. The way of the assassin is to court death in order to live. Seizing the opportunity for a daring move meant either crippling the opponent or falling heavily wounded oneself. If both fighters'' styles involved careful observation for vulnerabilities in the other''s attacks, then the early stage of the match might be quite uneventful. Considering the fighting style the White Ghost had just disyed, that was very likely. Addressing the concerns raised by the muscr man behind him, the person in charge shook his head with a smile, his eyes filled with trust as he watched the ck and red figure step into the arena once more on the monitor, "Such a person aims to learn from the uniquebat style of the opponent in order to perfect their own fighting theory. Just one exchange, and upon detecting Viper''s purpose, he''ll take the initiative to draw out Viper''s best." Victory was not his objective, self-improvement was. Such confident fighters were actually the favorites in the arena, they always forced their opponents to exert their full strength. But as for whether the fighter was being arrogant or confident, that was hard to say. ... Bai E saw his opponent before him. Stooped in stature, he appeared quite despicable and base, lowering his eyes as he looked at people, as if subconsciously ttering them. Even knowing that such characters would not appear in this setting, one still couldn''t help but feel contempt for him. Whether he was being underestimated or not, Bai E didn''t care. His fists itched for a fight, eager to brawl. Flexing his fists, Bai E nced towards the edge of the ring. The door seemed to sense his intent and closed with a "bang." It also signified that the battle had officially started! The opponent kept on smirking in that vile manner, inspiring disgust at a nce. Bai E charged forward with swift steps, his punch charged with full force aiming straight for the face. If the opponent didn''t want to strike first, let him stew in it. Combination attack! From the moment heunched his attack, Bai Eid his cards on the table. Wasting energy? Exposing weaknesses? He didn''t care! He was all about wild aggression. With his fast recovery and Overlimit Drive at his disposal, he wouldn''t feel the weakness that typically came after deliveringbinations¡ªas long as he desired, there would be no such feebleness. He was eager to see what this opponent had up his sleeve. Sure enough, upon trading blows, Bai E could feel how tricky his opponent was. His adversary hopped around like a monkey, agilely dodging and even when struck by a punch, it seemed tock force and never hit solidly. Yet the impression his opponent gave was somehow like a boat in a fury storm, as if he might capsize at any moment by an inconspicuous wave, tottering on the edge. Despite his powerful punches and the roaring winds they broke through, they failed to pose a decisive threat to the target. If a tornado was the harmony of footwork and attack, then this opponent represented the perfect defense within footwork.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The adversary was like the most patient hunter, waiting for his prey to expose a fatal vulnerability on its own. Moving, observing, biding his time. And inescapable. Once the battlemenced, there was a feeling akin to being watched by Viper, an almost tangible cold air circting, pressuring the aggressor with an anxious desire to defeat the opponent and put an end to this unsettling sensation. This subconscious impulse arose from a blend of rational and instinctive self-judgment, rather than any special influence from another, and didn''t even fall within the realms controlled by hormonal secretions of the body, with "self-restraint" having no effect on it at all. It forced him, as the adversary, into a growing madness, akin to the delirium and convulsions that followed a snake bite. But Bai E didn''t care! [You have spent 100 points ofbat experience learning, which is converted into 50 points of "Combat Mastery" experience. (A very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] (umted) [Current Combat Mastery experience 4/500, "Level 2 Combat Specialist" learned, synchronously gaining 1 potential point.] [Combat Specialist (Level 2): Strike Power +4%, Evasion +2%, Blocking +2%, Combo (Special) +2.] [Combo (Level 2): Within the shortest time of exerting force, deploy as much muscle power as possible, increasing attack speed by 55%, and gradually elevating strike power to a peak 120% with Overlimit performance.] For a moment, Bai E''s punches became more formidable, his fists alternating in a nearly imprable flurry. Onlookers outside the ring recognized the familiar scene whenever Viper was inbat, lively and intense, but all the more dubious for it. "It''s that familiar feeling again..." "It looks impressive, but what use is it if it doesn''t kill?" "He just used this tactic to exhaust Tornado, now why does he look dumb against a different opponent?" Feeling his opponent''s growing eagerness to take him down, Viper''s mouth corners subtly curled up in the unseen shadows, "That''s more like it." Explore stories at empire There were no fools among the fighters who ran rampant in this arena, and one''s own fighting style was no secret in thisbat ring either. However, each of his opponents found themselves trapped in a difficult situation as they fought. Chapter 191 184 Kiss of the Viper_2 Patience... and stamina. He had not been without defeat; in that one lost battle, he had not managed to strike a single blow from beginning to end. The opponent''s perfect attacking rhythm left him no chance for retaliation, and the abundant stamina the opponent possessedpletely drained his own, as the defender. He had suffered a crushing defeat in that battle, so much so that he even began to deeply doubt thebat style he adhered to, sinking into silent contemtion and absence from even a single match for a long time. It wasn''t until that opponentter achieved a dazzling and unbelievable record in this arena that he finally let go¡ª It wasn''t that he was weak, it was just that the opponent was too strong. That opponent was known as the "Blood God"! An opponent like that, there was only one, and there would only be one! Beyond that, all other opponents would merely be stepping stones for him, step by step as he climbed upwards! ... [You have spent 330 points ofbat experience, converting into 165 points of "Martial Prowess" experience. (Medium probability of awakening special attributes.)] (umted) [To suppress to death?] A trace of hesitation flickered in Bai E''s mind. He could feel that his opponent was waiting for his moment of weakness toe, but in fact... with his fast recovery and Overlimit Drive, it was almost impossible for that moment to arrive. As long as he maintained his peak condition, his opponent would definitely not reveal their final fangs. Then he would truly be suppressed to death. So what exactly was this opponent''s fighting style... or to say, special characteristics¡ªwas it his unique guardian ability? Or was it his final, thrilling gamble for life? Or perhaps both? "Huh~" Bai E''s muscles rxed slightly. He needed to give his opponent an opportunity to show off; otherwise, what a loss it would be to spend all that time and earn experience without learning the opponent''s treasured skills? "Here ites!" His keen intuition forbat allowed the Viper to detect the weakness in his opponent''s state immediately. Seizing the moment when Bai E''s guard was down, the slightly skinny Viper risked a punch to the shoulder and thrust forward into the inner circle, his fingers formed into a sword with a vicious killing move aimed straight at Bai E''s throat. Signature move¡ªViper''s Kiss! This move was supposed to be executed with a nimble weapon like a dagger, incredibly dangerous. But fingers trained to the extreme were no less potent than any weapon, able to cause injury or death just as well when hitting vital points.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The sharpness akin to a de''s edge assailed Bai E''s senses as he, facing the Viper''s stabbing fingers, subconsciously mounted an emergency defense; his hands forming a barrier which ovepped into a shield at thest moment, blocking the fatal strike. However, it was exactly upon blocking the finger thrust that he suddenly felt as if struck by lightning at his lower abdomen. Cold sweat poured down like a waterfall, the extreme pain radiating swiftly from that single point to his entire body. Bai E pushed his palms horizontally to force the opponent back and suddenly covered the right side of his lower abdomen, staggering back a step. Blood streamed down! The Viper, who had atst revealed his true intentions, also showed a look of psychotic joy in his eyes. He savored the blood and flesh he had torn away, bringing it to his lips for a light suck as if it were some exquisite delicacy. The crimson blood smeared over his lips, and the malevolently insane atmosphere enveloped the entire "cage" instantly. Outside the ring, the enforcers sought approval from their superiors, "Should we intervene?" "The contestant hasn''t given up yet, what''s the hurry?" Non-lethal matches in the arena only ensured no loss of life; pain and disability were not taken into ount. To step onto this stage also meant epting this agreement. Blood was needed to stimte the nerves of those who had grown numb. Otherwise, what would sustain their arena? Hone their own skills? Losers don''t deserve to speak such words. Within a solitary room, a figure who had been resting with closed eyes unknowingly opened them at some point, looking at the injured figure in the arena, a hint of interest emerging in those calm eyes. ... Bai E removed his right hand from the wound, the fresh red blood already moistening his fingertips, flesh swelling in a desperate effort to seal the wound and prevent more blood from flowing out. But the intense pain was still corroding Bai E''s nerves. This old man''s fingernails... were poisoned! Not fatal, but enough to make the experienced pain skyrocket. Your next read is at empire And as blood flowed, body temperature boiled, affecting the entire body. Even such illicit acts were tolerated by this arena... It truly was... despicable! Pain made his body tremble; he could easily have suppressed its spread to his nerves, but this time Bai E chose not to curb the sensation. After a slight tremor, Bai E''s body suddenly ceased shaking at a certain moment. All the pain transformed into a deep rage¡ª The purpose of honing one''s skills was to improve one''s frontalbat abilities; humanity''s greatest enemies were the bugs, machines, demons¡ªthose terrifying foes. These despicable tricks, aside from wreaking havoc amongst their own during civil strife, what use did they have? Having a sliver of strategy, yet spending it all on their own kind! This opponent had already be tiresome! [You have spent 270 points ofbat experience, converting into 135 points of "Martial Prowess" experience. (High probability of awakening special attributes.)] (umted) [Your lengthy learning process has allowed you to draw enough experience from your opponent''sbat style, your specialization ability¡ªMartial Specialization, has been enhanced with a brand new "special" attribute!] [Martial Specialization (Level 2): Strike power +4%, Dodge +2%, Block +2%, Combo (Special) +2, Guardian Fortification (Special) +50%, Opportunism (Special) +2%.] Chapter 192 184 Kiss of the Viper_3 [Currentbat mastery experience: 304/500. At 500 points, "Level 3 Combat Specialization" can be mastered.] Lying in wait, ready to strike! He magnified a tiny weakness in his opponent''s performance to the extreme, using all his own strength to amplify this w, to the point where it became the absolute factor in the opponent''s defeat. That was the opponent''s fighting style. As for his own weakness... it had always been there! Bai E took the initiative to attack once more, his strikes swift and forceful. His first two attempts to seize the opponent were dodged, but the momentum of the dodging actions could not perfectly evade the final side-swinging heavy punch, and the viper was forced to block. His fundamentals were incredibly solid; his basicbat skills were so refined it was hard to believe, especially in blocking and dodging where he was almost perfect¡ªable to dissipate most of the strength even when blocking attacks from a stronger opponent, allowing him to slip away like a fish. But this assumed that the gap in strength wasn''t too obvious. In their first exchange, Bai E, sensing his opponent''sck of strength, did not use the burst of Overlimit Drive. That is to say, during the entirety of this fight, Bai E was holding back his strength. Would he suppress his foe until the end or suddenly suppress with overwhelming force? It was all within a single thought for Bai E. Once this opponent had lost his usefulness, there was no need to drag it out any longer!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Fist met arm, and the unexpectedly massive force that hit the viper was not enough to cause injury, but the surprising strength unbnced him. The viper stumbled backward, a shiver going through him instinctively. This was the first time in the battle that something had happened that took him by surprise; until now, no matter how dangerous his situation seemed, it was all within the realms of nned defense. And now... Their eyes crossed, and the viper saw in his opponent''s eyes a burning passion brewing. He had seen that look many times before; every opponent thought he was not much of a challenge. That was the look of those frustratedly toys by the clown without recourse. But now... there seemed to be something different. Another punch! The falling viper had no time for deep thoughts, facing the oing punch he could only cross his arms and brace... "Crack!" Experience more content on empire A slight bone-cracking sound transmitted within his body, but what was more critical was theplete disruption of his bnce. Fate was no longer under his control. Before a dreadful sentiment could surface in his heart, arge hand had already grabbed his worn cor... as if seizing fate by the neck. Bai E''s right fist was drawn from behind, the longest possible swing allowing the punch to build power to its peak, unleashing the peak of strength Bai E was capable of. Inch by inch... The viper watched helplessly as the fist rapidly grewrger before his eyes, "I surrender!" got swallowed up by the speed of the punch. Rage unleashed! Give it to me! Smash! "Bang!" "Thump!" "Crack~" The figure flew backward, crossing a distance of more than ten meters in an instant and violently hitting the coarse iron, before falling to the ground like a heap of rotten meat with a "plop". His limbs twitched a few times, then fell still. The emergency medical team that was at the ready sprang into action, as death was generally not allowed in non-lethal diatorial contests¡ªthe indefinitely pummeling of an incapacitated opponent was definitely not possible. But as for being knocked out with a single punch, one could only say it was bad luck; no one would me the victor. Even more so, they would offer up the most fervent cheers! The punch had not only crushed the viper, but it had also ignited the passion of every spectator. Like a mountain and sea, insane shouts and frenzied roars were released, indistinguishable screams mixed with the exploding beats of the music, overwhelming the senses. The noise engulfed the entire venue like a tsunami, with Bai E standing at the center, silent and unmoving. The chaotic noise made the whole arena seem to revolve around him, but his mind at that moment was unusually calm. [I didn''t add any charge...] He looked up at the stands; every direction he gazed upon exploded into an even more intense cheer, but his gaze calmly swept over each of the spectators. Why didn''t I add any charge? Because I was wearing a mask? Because they didn''t know my real identity? But that wasn''t a prerequisite. Thest time he had saved people under the chaos at ck Street during the Fire Rat outbreak, few knew his real identity either. Maybe it was because... mixed within this worship were too many crazy impurities? His special skill required something much purer. Bai E lowered his eyelids and quietly walked towards the exit. Time taken for the second match... 10 minutes. Chapter 193 185 Furious Lion He had spent a total of 1300bat experience points, in exchange for nearly a Combat Specialization Layer 3 and three special attribute bonuses. Indeed, the most directbat was the fastest way to improve oneself; a danger that was both close to real battle yet not as deadly had its unique charm. No wonder those who lived in the dreariness found a bit of joy in it. Clutching near his wound, trying his best to stem the bleeding, Bai E made his way back to the war room. The attendants there swallowed hard as they looked at the blood-soaked wound and then at the man whose half-masked face appeared expressionless. "Do you need... someone to tend to your wound?" "No need. I can handle it myself, just bring me a medical kit," he replied. The attendant who brought the medical kit stood by, ready for the moment the strong man might need assistance. As he tended to his wound, a voice suddenly broke the silence, "Keep arranging matches for me... as soon as possible." ... "He still wants to fight?" The person in charge frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the figure in the rest area treating his own wound, the color of blood undeniably eye-catching, "Where did this madmane from?" This was the most dangerous arena, not someone''s backyard. In the most perilous battles, a moment''s distraction could invite a storm of blows, especially with wounds already bleeding. Here, there were few who respected martial virtues; an injury was like an open invitation for targeting. Even if the fights weren''t to the death, the risk of injury, and a serious one at that, was high. The one who had nearly wrecked Viper couldn''t possibly be ignorant of the rules here, yet he still wanted to fight consecutively? Madman! But what did it have to do with him? How many here weren''t madmen? If someone could bring in profits, that was the talent he liked! Thest two fights had already earned a significant sum; the more controversial the fight, the more it attracted attention. The news of his third consecutive battle, once released, would only draw more and more spectators. It was, in a sense, the perfect setup for tonight''s main event. "Ladies and gentlemen, I''ve received another incredible piece of news..." the host''s voice was filled with passion, "The White Ghost, with his two consecutive victories, requests to continue fighting. To give our most courageous contestant a little time to recover, please be patient. And let me give you a little hint, the White Ghost''s next opponent will be someone who has yet to be defeated... but it''s a secret." "F*ck!" "Damn your hide!" The unsatisfied audience erupted in curses, immediately followed by cautious discussions with acquaintances nearby; after all, it concerned their wallets. "The White Ghost seemed to be quite injured just now." "That old Viper''s sneak attack must have hit hard; resting for a bit won''t help, how could such injuries heal so fast?" "But since he dares to request consecutive fights, he must be confident. I believe in the White Ghost." Discover hidden content at empire "In my opinion, this White Ghost is a pure madman; he doesn''t have any confidence, he won''t leave unless he throws himself on this stage." Among the numerous discussions, there were all sorts of opinions, but when the "rumor" came out, it almost unanimously swayed them. "I heard the White Ghost''s next opponent will be Mad Lion Paul..." "Then it''s a win for the White Ghost!" "Exactly! He must be confident to ask for consecutive fights. I regret not betting on the White Ghost earlier; this time I''m all in on him." "Brothers, bet on the White Ghost, it''s a sure win this time!" ... During the rest period, no other matches were arranged, as the organizers left enough time for this heavyweight match to simmer. When the host announced thepetitor''s name, the savvy ones had already ced their bets. "All in! I must go all in this time!" "Bet it all on Mad Lion!" "105 coins on Mad Lion, is that it?" the registrar asked with a deadpan expression and dead fish eyes. "Shh~ Keep your voice down, don''t let them hear!" "Damn *ssholes." Mad Lion, also known as the Junior Blood God. ... The opponent was a sunny young man with golden hair, whose smile was radiant to the extreme. He seemed extremely affable and approachable, not at all reflecting the "madness" in his title. His gaze lingered on Bai E''s waist, eyeing the white bandage still oozing red, and he said with a bright smile, "I''ll try to avoid your wound." "I''d rather you aimed for it," Bai E said expressionlessly. Paul''s smile faltered as he deeply gazed into Bai E''s eyes exposed outside the mask, "You''re even crazier than me." Bai E''s face slightly lifted, his gaze disdainful, "Did they ask you to fight just so you could chat?" "Haha! Alright!" Mad Lion Paul burst intoughter, instantly elerating. His handsome and tall stature surged forward like a lion, each movement from his golden-proportioned body seemingly possessing the regal and domineering air of a lion king. As his opponent, one could always feel the suffocating pressure as if one were alone in the wilderness, face to face with such a beast king. Bai E could see this opponent''s explosive rate¡ªCombat Specialization Layer 4. The level isn''t especially high, just like the Viper earlier. But their styles of fighting arepletely different. Despite the same Combat Specialization Layer, Mad Lion Paul''s oppressive force was fully dialed up. Clearly, in the training of special attributes, this Mad Lion had a higher level of aggressiveness. The practicalbat instructor, Dan, had previously told everyone the theory of integrating offense, defense, and footwork as the most basic entry-level and the absolute concept throughoutbat. Yet, on this foundation, each individual''s direction for strength development was different. Barehandedbat differs from firearms and des, which almost certainly result in life-or-death situations. Every ck fist fighter who can gain countlessbat experiences in this rtively safe arena has their unique understanding ofbat. So the special attributes they train are diverse and varied. The opponent, Mad Lion Paul, in some ways resembled the bio-guard soldiers he had faced earlier, with moves that were broad and unrestrained in dealing with external enemies, along with various joint-locking techniques specifically tailored for the human body. Even in terms of strength, he was not inferior to himself when using Overlimit Drive¡­ Does he have a simr strength-enhancement specialization? Or is his physical fitness over 15? Unknown. But it did definitely make Bai E feel overmatched. If it weren''t for the recently acquired "Enhanced Defense," he would probably bepletely taken down within a minute. An opponent whose strength was no less than his and who far surpassed him in technique. This world is still¡­ full of masters! ... Watching the opponent appearing somewhat perilous under the pursuit of their young master, two silent figures in a quiet corner of the audience seats suddenly let out a light chuckle. "Thought we had a real master here, but that''s all the level there is." "The young master''s goal is to tame that beast¡­ an enemy of this caliber is of course no concern." "I heard tonight is the chance for that beast to make an appearance. I wonder if the young master will take action." "Probably not¡­"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Although the young master is formidable, he definitely isn''t a match for that publicly acknowledged top ck fist fighter yet; he still needs more experience. Not to mention, the organizer announced a three against one scenario. With our young master''s pride, he surely wouldn''t step in under such conditions. Thinking of that ferocious beast, a twinge of regret shed through the eyes of one of the cloaked figures, "Only the military would waste such talent." Until now, they hadn''t issued a Gene Optimization Solution to such a person with unlimited potential, causing his abilities to be stuck within the current physical limitations. The three basic attributes of the body have their maximum human limits, and it''s the same with other abilities. Once the specialization level is high, without sufficient basic attribute support, it''s impossible to elevate or utilize those abilities. Without ess to the Gene Optimization Solution, even the most talented would eventually be confined within the cage of the human body. Another figure, a charming silhouette, spoke with a light, amused tone, "It''s not that the military doesn''t care, we just don''t have the opportunity to recruit such individuals." Any expert not valued by the military is seen as a rare main force in their city''s war gangs. And since they want to recruit¡­ they naturally have ways to make the military release such individuals, though not exactly by the book. After talking about that beast, both of their gazes refocused on the current battle, "This fight should be ending soon, I guess¡­" "To persist in wanting to counterattack shows the opponent''smendable will to fight, but in the face of absolute power¡­" ... [You spent 250 points ofbat experience in learning, converting into 125 points of "Combat Mastery" experience. (Medium chance to awaken a special attribute.)](umted) [Your long-term learning has allowed you to extract enough experience from your opponent''s fighting method. Your specialization skill¡ªCombat Specialization, has gained a new "special" attribute bonus!] [Combat Specialization (Layer 2): Strike Power +4%, Evasion +2%, Block +2%, Rapid Strike (Special) +2, Enhanced Defense (Special) +50%, Opportune (Special) +2%, Joint Technique (Special) +20%.] ... Voices from the corner expressed doubt, "Why do I feel¡­ like the young master''s opponent has stabilized again?" The originally precarious battle situation had somehow¡­ reached a stalemate? The charming figure squinted, watching intently for a while before opening her rosy mouth in surprise, "He¡­ he''s learning the young master''sbat techniques!" Chapter 194 186-person combat system The original opponent''s greatest concern when facing the young master was his use of joint weaknesses, but now, after some time to get ustomed, targeting thosemonly used joint weaknesses had be less effective. The opponent could now sessfully extricate himself from the young master''s clutches during those asional entanglements. This meant that he was no longer so passive when facing the young master''s attacks.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In previous battles, this opponent of the young master had never shown such familiarity with joint techniques. "Is he hiding his skill, or is he learning?" If it is learning... The two exchanged a nce, both with a hint of shock in their eyes. "It doesn''t matter; even if he''s not that passive, he will never be able to win against the young master." ... The attacks were always interrupted before they couldnd, and the rare counterstrikes could hardly be executed with perfect force. This frustrating feeling was enough to make one want to spit blood. After bing ustomed to Mad Lion''s most troublesome joint techniques and not being so timid, Bai E could now manage the asional counterattack. But the feeling during the counterattacks was not much different from being suppressed, if not more ufortable. This Mad Lion had a special technique for interrupting attacks. But it doesn''t matter, I can fight with you for a whole day! What is yours will be mine. [You have spent 370 points ofbat experience in learning...] (Stacked) [Martial Mastery (Level 3): Strike Power +6%, Evasion +3%, Blocking +3%, Combo (Special) +3, Enhanced Defense (Special) +100%, Opportunism (Special) +4%, Joint Techniques (Special) +40%, Intercepting (Special) +5%.] ... "The young master''s attack has been blocked as well..." "It doesn''t matter, the young master still has..." ... [You have spent 350 points ofbat experience in learning...] (Stacked) [Martial Mastery (Level 3): Strike Power +6%, Evasion +3%, Blocking +3%, Combo (Special) +3, Enhanced Defense (Special) +100%, Opportunism (Special) +4%, Joint Techniques (Special) +40%, Intercepting (Special) +5%, Inch Power (Special) +17%.] ... "It doesn''t matter..." ... [You have spent 290 points ofbat experience in learning...] (Stacked) [Martial Mastery (Level 3): Strike Power +6%, Evasion +3%, Blocking +3%, Combo (Special) +3, Enhanced Defense (Special) +100%, Opportunism (Special) +4%, Joint Techniques (Special) +40%, Intercepting (Special) +5%, Acupoint Striking (Special) +1%, Whip Tail (Special) +1.] ... "...the master still has." ... "I quit!" Mad Lion Paul, looking as if he had been fished out of the water,y on the ground like a dead dog, toozy to even move a finger, "I give up! I quit!" "Ah?" Bai E was slightly taken aback, "That''s it?" He was just getting into the swing of secretly learning. He had finally understood a saying, whatever doesn''t defeat you makes you stronger. With the yer temte, as long as he had enoughbat experience, he could rapidly increase his strength by spending experience in various ways. [In the battle, you have perceived your opponent''s attack intentions and quickly reacted to counter, Reflex +0.1.] [Current Martial Mastery Experience 434/1000, at 1000 points you can master "Level 4 Martial Mastery".] [Your fighting ability has formed a strong personal style, integrating all your learning, and you are in the process of acquiring a unique personalbat system, current integration progress 33%...] Martial Mastery,pared to other types of mastery, is indeed slightly different, with a dazzling array of special attribute bonuses. And it seems that once a certain amount of special attributes is reached, one can develop a uniquebat style or specialization of their own. Is this the reward mentioned in the sparring mission¡ªUnderground Fighting? The enhancement he had obtained in the pursuit of results, simr to the Overlimit Drive acquired before, had be another unexpected gain. The consumption of experience was also massive, even more so... Of course, Bai E did not regret it. Physicalbat abilities didn''t just determine one''s strength when unarmed; they were also crucially important for training the overall quality of the body and every other action requiring bodily coordination. The body is the foundation of everything. By honing his unarmedbat abilities to the limit, Bai E felt that it would always serve a greater purpose in the future, since ording to official statements¡ªthe personal martial power of this era was so formidable that it could even contend with starships alone. As insubstantial as duckweed, gazing up at the starry sky... Lying on the ground in defeat, Dead Lion Robby tilted his head to look at the figure still standing, his eyes filled with iprehension, "Don''t you ever get tired?" Bai E remembered the persona he had crafted for himself, his face gently lifting, lips curling slightly, "You were close to taking me down... too bad, you''ll never have that chance again." Seeing the other approaching, Paul, weakened in body, felt a flutter of nerves, his throat worked, and he swallowed. He knew what it meant to be defeated here, but he had already called "surrender" in advance. His gaze involuntarily shifted toward the sidelines¡ªwhere were the enforcers? Save me, enforcers! The enforcers, realizing the potential danger, ran towards this side while calling out, "The match is over, no injuring the contestants!" "Whew~" The afterimage of a palm swung before his eyes, and Paul closed them instinctively. After he waited a moment without feeling the blow, he opened his eyes to find a hand firmly stopped in front of him. On the other side of the half-mask, it seemed as if the opponent was puzzled by his reaction, head tilted slightly and staring at him quizzically. Using the provided support to rise to his feet, Paul, a bit bashfully, expressed his gratitude, "Thank... thank you." Enjoy new tales from empire "It is I who should thank you." Bai E waved his hand and walked towards the passage to his rest area. The announcer''s dyed voice rang out behind him, "After a fierce struggle, our neer, the Ghostly White, has emerged victorious from this intense battle! With the vigor of a mighty beast, perhaps after this fight, it''s time to prepare another title more suitable for the Ghostly White!" Paul, his steps a bit unsteady, looked at the initially cocky yet now dominantly striding silhouette, a hint of longing in his eyes. Such a carefree and unrestrained life was exactly what he aspired to. [Perhaps next time we could ask if he''s willing to join our battle gang...] ["Lucky Strike" energy recharge +1.] ... Staring at the figure slowly leaving the arena on the monitor, the arena manager narrowed his eyes and contemted for a moment before instructing his subordinates through the voicemand, "Ask him if he would like to join tonight''s battle against the Blood God." "Yes!" ... Having stepped into the shadows of the passage, Bai E''s figure paused, and he looked over his shoulder. The golden figure on the field seemed to still be foolishly staring at his departing back. Was the energy recharge provided by that guy? It seemed out of ce in this arena. If everyone else doesn''t participate and only you do, that definitely suggests a problem... But the outside world''s issues were temporarily unrted to him. As a yer without a strong foundation, it was fine to y the enigma in front of inexperienced yers, but for the native inhabitants with myriad eyes and ears, there was no basis for contact or cooperation... Upon returning to the rest room, staff members already waiting approached and asked, "Lord Ghostly White, what are your ns next...?" "I''m not fighting anymore," Bai E dered firmly. He meant what he had said to Mad Lion; if the other had persisted a little longer, he really would have exhausted his reserves of mobility. After fighting tirelessly through three consecutive matches and using Overlimit Drive both to burst and maintain his physical state, he had pushed his mobility reserves to the limit, leaving almost nothing left. If he faced a formidable enemy next and invested hisbat experience in the fight, only to be defeated before he could master the special attributes, wouldn''t that be a major loss? Definitely not an option. The staff member, recalling the instructions of their superior, asked again with some persistence, "There is an opportunity to fight the Blood God tonight... You do know who the Blood God is, right?" Chapter 195 187 Blood Sacrifice Ritual Bai E''s tone was light and rising, "I know." "Knowing is good..." Any normal person should be aware of the value of the name ''Blood God'' in this diator arena. A smile appeared on the staff''s face, "Now, there''s a chance to defeat the Blood God head-on in a four against one match..." Four against one? Head-on? "Not interested!" Bai E tly refused. Four against one? Winning wouldn''t lead to any promotion. As for the so-called reputation in this arena, what use had he for it? Even the charge value for a lucky strike wouldn''t increase; it was worthless! In the control room, the person in charge was pressing an earpiece to his ear, listening to his subordinate''s report. "He says he wants to defeat the Blood God alone, he''s not interested in four against one." The person in charge''s lips curled slightly, and a cold light flickered, "Arrogant..." However... "Let him be." It was just a matter of one more or one less offering. The greatest ascension required the finest offerings, and ordinary targets didn''t even qualify to be a part of this ritual! ... Having heard that a match involving the Blood God wasing up, Bai E wasn''t in a hurry to leave. He couldn''t participate, but watching that fellow''s match wouldn''t be bad. It was only after his battle with the Mad Lion that Bai E deeply realized just how great the gap between him and the Blood God had been. Though his speciality level was only six levels behind, it seemed small, yet the special attribute entries included within the Blood God''s abilities were probably far beyond his own. Moreover, after who knows how many battles, his reflex attributes were undoubtedly far beyond his current 12.6 level without any surprise. Even if he had dumped all his experience into direct stat upgrades, the oue of that battle would probably still have been a crushing defeat. Honed over several years and surviving until now, his practicalbat abilities were terrifyingly strong. The only area where he might slightly fall behind was brute strength. With the Overlimit Drive, his strength advantage was unique and exceptional, while the Blood God... had never received even a single dose of Gene Optimization Solution. Despite this, he dared to face three opponents in this brutal arena?N?v(el)B\\jnn During the rest period, Bai E had heard this significant news from others. Tonight, it was heavy enough to be considered. The only thing he was a bit conflicted about was... whether or not to ce the 500 ck Street coins from Chavez on the Blood God. Three against one at the top tier level seemed to have a very small chance of victory. Could he lose all of his savings? Night fell, and more and more people arrived... As the news deliberately spread by the arena fermented, almost the entire ck Street and even more people from the settlements outside the city came upon hearing the name. Outside the city there wasn''t just ck Street as a gathering ce. The inside of the city was safer, but it also had rules. Those who disliked rules stayed outside the city walls, gradually forming various spontaneous settlements. ck Street was just one such ce closer to the military barracks. And as more lively crowds from different areas gathered, the tiers of floors above and below were nearly filled to capacity with people. An unprecedentedly feverish atmosphere enveloped the entire diator arena. Those rampant desires, almost tangible, seemed to flow through the air. Bai E felt as if he could see a kind of perverse pink fog spreading in front of his eyes. [The scale is this huge?] Sitting alone in the resting room, Bai E marveled inwardly. The resting room could also be considered a VIP viewing tform. As a rising star, he had this privilege. Unfortunately... It couldn''t be mized. Leaning back in his seat, Bai E''s eyes slightly zed over, feeling a bit regretful. No matter how fervent the worship of these people, it couldn''t be converted into charge values for his skills. Otherwise, this ce would indeed be a sanctuary for grinding charge values. After winning each match, he probably could count on a full 50 points of charge ie. Unfortunately, it was not to be... The crowd was noisy, and to ovee the screeching music and the voices of the foolish around them, everyone spoke louder and louder, naturally inting their emotions. Where there are more people, control bes difficult. In a small ce packed with people, a slight friction under a violent atmosphere could easily ignite arge melee. It was nearly impossible for the limited staff of the hosting party to maintain order among the inherently chaotic elements. As the situation gradually spiraled out of control and his subordinates were anxiously requesting orders, the person in charge finally pulled out the cigar mped at the edge of his mouth and, with a ferocious smile, gave the signal, "Begin!" The announcer''s voice violently erupted through the poor quality speakers ced all around. For a moment, the squabbling crowds stopped their fights. "Let''s wee the fighters to the ring!" Three top-tier fighters in a bare-knuckle match against one! Your next read awaits at empire The result of three top-tier fighters surrounding one would normally be a foregone conclusion, but with the Blood God being the one surrounded, things became uncertain. No matter what, the odds didn''t lie. With odds of 1 to 1.5, viewers still favored the trio slightly more than the lone Blood God. The Blood God was formidable, but his three opponents were also renowned fighters of unmatched strength. Bai Eid eyes on the three opponents of the Blood God. One... was a cybeically modified fighter. One was an aged warrior with a sturdy physique. And one was a lithe, bloodthirsty desperado. "Hey! Those three guys, what are their stories?" Bai E asked curiously to the staff nearby. The staff member spoke as if reciting from memory, "That modified fighter, nicknamed Viper, used to be a long-standing winningpetitor in bare-knuckle fights. He got schemed against once, lost a leg and two hands, got sponsored by the war guild in the city to have cybeic limbs installed. Now he''s exceptionally ruthless in his moves, and he also has more strength than a normal person." Chapter 196 187 Blood Sacrifice Ritual_2 "That old guy is named Graff, a retired veteran who, I heard, survived over a decade on the front lines in the army barracks. He''s a tough cookie. He probably wouldn''t be boxing here if it weren''t for needing to support a few girls at home," the staff member exined. "As for that skinny one... he''s survived twenty-eight death matches, a real Grim Reaper." Thest one wasn''t introduced in detail, but the phrase "death match" was enough to prove his worth. Death matches are practically synonymous with an upgraded form of diatorialbat. Those who dare to participate are truly ruthless, and to win twenty-eight consecutive battles in this life-threatening setting... Without a doubt, these three opponents were also well-known fighters in this arena. Here, reputation signifies strength! After finishing the introductions, the staff member spoke with a hint of concern, "I don''t understand how Blood God dared ept this match. Although it''s not a death match... these experts, when they really start fighting viciously, even our people may not be able to control the situation." "You don''t think highly of him?" "Hard to say..." the staff member cautiously nced at the surveince camera above his head, then leaned in and whispered gossip, "Every once in a while, sacrificing some controversial fighters is a way to keep the arena hot. Sir... if you ever find yourself in that situation, you better be very careful." "Oh?" Bai E nced at him and casually tossed a couple of banknotes his way, "You seem to really care about people." The staff member bowed and scraped as he went to pick them up, "Mainly because I can see you have the bearing of a king! I wouldn''t tell just anybody..." ... Mad Lion, who also had a private resting room, was hugging a girl while enjoying the service of another behind him. Doubt from a girl''s voice reached his ears, "Young Master, do you think Blood God stands a chance?" "I don''t know..." Watching the four unwavering experts on the field, Paul was frowning as well. He knew that with his current strength, it would be difficult to win against any one of these four alone, so he wasn''t very confident in his judgment of this highest-level confrontation. But... "Since Blood God dared ept it, he must have some level of confidence." Of the many star fighters in this arena, only Blood God was satisfying enough for him to want to recruit. The character of artificial people is resolute and stable. Having suffered unjust treatment for so long within the barracks without showing any dissatisfaction, recruiting him would undoubtedly be an excellent acquisition of a top-notch fighter. The precondition is... he must not be disabled by those three guys in this battle. After a brief mutual appraisal, the four fighters burst into action almost simultaneously, fiercely initiatingbat. Even facing three opponents, Blood God disyed a highlyprehensivebat ability. The fight between them was extremely dangerous. It was evident that the other three experts, in their first cooperative fight, were not perfectly in sync, which gave Blood God a slim chance to find vulnerabilities. From a distance, Bai E could not clearly see every minute movement of the four, but an obvious fact emerged after the fight began. That old soldier named Graff seemed to show a slight reluctance toward the battle. Inparison to the swift and treacherous Grim Reaper, and the Mechanical Viper with slightly dyed response due to his mechanical arm but with tremendous force, the veteran seemed... somewhat disengaged. No discernible personal characteristics were apparent. Of course, it could also be that it was simply his fighting style. Bai E didn''t dare make a rash judgment.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om His main focus was still on Blood God. This camp''s strongest closebat warrior, who did not use Gene Optimization Solution, might also be the benchmark of amon human''s pinnacle in this era. ... On the field, amid the rapidly changing figures, Graff''s eyes clouded slightly. Normally, this was not allowed in such a situation, as any distraction could be fatal, but it was only the cover from his two peers of equal rank that allowed him some leeway to ck off. The words of the arena manager still echoed in his mind, "Either you three kill him or he kills the three of you! From the moment you set foot in the arena, you only need to remember this¡ªkill him, and you will get a generous reward; if he kills you, I will make sure your families are well cared for. They will be safe, happy, and grow up without being bullied. I have already submitted this agreement to the Council for backup; you can rest assured. Understood?" Blood God does not fight in death matches. But why force a fighter who doesn''t participate in death matches into such a life-or-death scenario? And he himself remains unaware of the reason. Looking at the artificial humanoid warrior in the midst ofbat, his face serene as he focused on fighting, Graff felt a pang of pity. "What are you thinking!" Amidst the melee, Viper''s chilling voice reminded him, "If we don''t kill him, we all die." "I know," Graff muttered in response. From the moment he signed the agreement, he knew this oue, and even thought he was mentally prepared for it. But, upon actually entering the arena, he still saw his own past self in the figure of the opposing warrior. Find exclusive stories on empire Clenching his fists tightly, Graff seized the opening left by his teammate, surging forward with a shout. The flicker of Spiritual Energy disrupted the space, the powerful suction momentarily causing Blood God to falter, nearly letting Graff grasp him with his left hand. But even as he escaped the grasp, the sudden interference deformed Blood God''s movements. In such a perilous situation, any slight distraction could lead to a fatal blow. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 197 187 Blood Sacrifice Ritual_3 It was just a moment, but Blood God''s situation was precarious. ... Apart from the piercing music, the diator arena suddenly fell eerily silent. The jointbat of the four experts produced an aura akin to a genuine fight to the death, spreading a chilling murderous intent that silenced the usually raucous spectators, leaving them inexplicably heart-pounded and mute. Watching the Blood God struggle from the control room, a subordinate looked at the person in charge with some confusion, "Boss, was the sacrifice we chose for him too strong?" Those three were selected sacrifices, crucial for the enactment of this ascension ritual; but, looking at how things were developing, the ''sacrifices'' seemed capable of bringing down the ''main character''? "So what if they are? What does it matter?" The person in charge retorted with an eerie smile, seemingly indifferent to the situation in the arena, "Only the blood warriors who fully embracebat can be servants of the master! If they can''t ovee this, then let them die!" If one cannot face their inner self in battle and embrace the power thates from bloodshed and ughter, then they should die! How can a sacrifice thatcks qualificationpel the most fervent, purest desire for ughter! Blood God is neither the first nor will he be thest. This arena was never simply for profit; it exists solely as a training ground for nurturing servants for the master! ... "Roar!" The warrior, who had maintained a calm and even cruel demeanor, suddenly erupted into a furious roar. A deep crimson shed through his eyes, and visually, his speed and strength increased dramatically in an instant. The sudden burst caught the viper, engaged in directbat, off guard, and its half-mechanical body was flung far away in an instant. Quickly stabilizing his form with mechanical limbs, Viper immediately regainedposure, eyeing the figure entangled by his teammate with wariness. [He''s be stronger...] How is that possible? Many had analyzed Blood God''s abilities; without the Gene Optimization Solution, his disyedbat power had already reached the peak level of a normal human''s physique. The peak level of a normal human''s physique should not be able to overpower the strength of mechanical limbs powered by internal energy sources! Had he finally broken through the stubborn military officials and received the Gene Optimization Solution aftering back from a mission just the other day? ... This is trouble! "Don''t hold back anymore!" Viper growled lowly at the old soldier who was still hesitating to strike. "Understood!" When someone is fated to die, it can''t be yourself dying...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Graff''s eyes took on a misty gray sheen¡ª Spiritual Energy talent. The most basic level of Spiritual Energy talent. If it wasn''t for his advanced years and the fact that he was a natural human, the military would never let him leave... That''s under the assumption that he had never used any of the military''s resources for Spiritual Energy and gics, otherwise, even in death, he would die within the military. ... As an opponent, no one could better understand the intentions of their adversaries than Blood God. It was just a diatorial match... Following the deep-seated prohibitions against harming natural humans imnted in his synthetic self, he never wished to harm any natural human without explicit military orders. Hence, even while training his abilities in this underground fight club, he never took any lives and refused to participate in death matches. He would fight earnestly but never deal a fatal blow. But now... the resolute killing intent of the three opponents was unmistakably evident. They... did they really want to kill him? The most primal urge to survive surged within, and a savage rage began to overwhelm his once-calm intellect. It was just a match... just a match... Why... Why! The frenzied, sinister atmosphere that pervaded the arena seemed to invisibly prate his very marrow. Rage surged wildly! ... In the rest area, Bai E''s eyelids twitched, feeling as if something tremendous had urred before him¡ª Taking on three at once... That guy, did he really win? Chapter 198 188 Another task? Three figures, looking somewhat pitiful,y on the ground as if they hadpletely lost the strength to resist, powerless. The red glow attached to his eyes gradually dissipated, and the Blood God, controlling himself to calm down, looked at his hands with a bit of surprise, then at the three opponents lying on the ground. They... had already lost? So he turned and looked towards the sidelines, waiting for the referee to announce the result. No matter how it felt before, the final oue was that he had achieved victory, and some murderous intent in actualbat... should be normal, right? Behind him, the Viper lying on the ground looked at the back of the Blood God, a cunning light flickering in his eyes, "This is an opportunity!" If he couldn''t win head-on, then he wouldunch a surprise attack. The person in charge only needs them to kill the Blood God; the referee has not made a move for a long time, obviously, he has received orders to cooperate and wait for their uprising. The cold mechanical de quietly sprang out from the Viper''s prosthetic limb, and he also passed two of them to hisrades. Bai E, who had been watching the situation on the field closely, abruptly stood up; however, the outbreak on the field was faster than any spectator''s reaction. The Blood God''s reaction was clearly a beat too slow due to exhaustion, and only when the Reaper''s de tore through the skin of his arm did he realize that these three opponents weren''t nning on stopping. The scorching red light once again attached itself to his eyes, and the recently subsided rage swept back in an even more violent manner. "Bang!" As the Viper watched, a punch came flying from behind the Blood God, and he saw his mechanical arm forcefully pressed down by a fleshy wrist, losing outpletely in this contest of pure strength. Following that muscr, bulging arm upwards, the Viper''s eyes met a pair of fiery red ones. "Boom!" With a punch thrown, the Viper''s entire body was sent flying like it had been hit by a truck instantly, his head bending backpletely while in mid-air, showing that his neck had broken under that blow. The Blood God, whose rage persisted, shed behind in the blink of an eye, grasping the wrist of the Reaper, whose movements were not as agile due tock of strength. "Crack!" The acute pain of crushed bones instantly spread throughout the body, and in the next moment, the Reaper felt himself being lifted off the ground. Having his ankle grabbed, he was hoisted up like a bag. "Thud! Thud!" Left and right, he was mmed against the iron te, the sound of the collision creating earth-shattering noise. The Reaper, whose bones were shattered, became like a boneless dead dog at that moment, a lump of mangled flesh wrapped in skin, casually tossed against the coarses at the side of the arena. Thest one, with a de imbued with Spiritual Energy, wasn''t quicker than the Blood God''s reaction, and the Blood God, trapping the dagger with his chest muscles, grabbed the equally robust old soldier by the shoulders with both hands. "Huff~ Huff~" Amidst heavy breathing, consciousness struggling to awaken, the Blood God''s forceful grip slowly rxed as the red glow in his eyes flickered, easing the pain-wrinkled frown of the old soldier. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Voices from the spectator seats, not knowing when, unanimously chanted together. They didn''t care about the consequences; they only wanted madness. Not to mention, in a situation where one side had already vited the rules, any retaliatory action by the counterattacker was tacitly allowed here. Blood, violence! This was a carnage of frenzy for everyone! The feverish atmosphere soared high, with all its core focusing on that one single focal point. Any slightly calm thought was drowned in endless bloodthirsty qi. Blood... ughter... Savage desires erode the will, endless fury overwhelms the mind. Enough noise! "Ah!" The Blood God roared furiously. "Bang!" Muscle tissue tore apart, and a rain of blood like fluttering snowkes gently scattered upon a face that was gradually bing clear and seemed confused. Warm... Sweet... Subconsciously licking his cracked lips, the Blood God looked at his heavy hands. Two pieces... corpses? ying back what had just happened in his mind, the Blood God narrowed his eyes and stood silently in ce. The sheer brutality and bloodshed had inmed the entire audience at that moment, their emotions surging skyward... Bai E took onest look at the figure on the field, receiving countless cheers, then turned to leave. The gap was significant. But what puzzled everyone was that the previously declining Blood God seemed to suddenly muster an explosive performance, with both speed and strength increasing significantly. Did he also possess an ability simr to Overlimit Drive? Unclear... The hints from the explosion rate didn''t show all of a person''s abilities, and it was normal for some hidden abilities to go undiscovered. He still didn''t know much about him. ... After exchanging the 750 ck water coins won for Chavez, Bai E stepped into the growing darkness of the night, heading towards the secret base to change his clothes. Apart from the rat-men, no one was in the base. With the nightfall, it was an excellent opportunity for the yers to go on their missions. "My lord..." Hearing the noise made by Bai E, the rat-man instantly became alert, only to rx when he realized it was Bai E. Recalling what he had heard in the afternoon, the rat-man whispered to Bai E, "My lord... this afternoon when I overheard their conversation, they seemed to mention something about the warehouse." "Oh? What did they say?" Bai E asked with a smile.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "They said it''s troublesome to wait for you to be present every time something is exchanged or contributed. It would be better to have someone specifically to look after the ''...''¡ªI didn''t understand the word. In the end, they also mentioned that this ''...'' was fun but too realistic, so it''s too troublesome." The rat-man looked perplexed, "They didn''t avoid me when they talked, but often I don''t quite understand what they say, or can''t hear it clearly..." System keyword censorship? Bai E looked at the rat-man with a somewhat astonished gaze... The words he couldn''t understand, could they be "NPC," "game," or such indescribable and ineffable things? Impressive! The more he experienced, the more Bai wanted to uncover the truth behind this world... No matter what, Bai E wouldn''t believe that everything he had experienced was merely the product of a virtual game. There had to be a deeper story behind the appearance of yers, but perhaps his current level was still insufficient to ess it? But that didn''t matter. As long as he kept progressing, he would eventually be able to lift that mysterious veil. Walking under the starlight, Bai E quickly returned to camp. It was still early, and none of his tentmates had rested. Seeing Bai E lift the tent p, everyone''s faces brightened. "Speaking of which, we haven''t gone on a mission together since Bai joined the team... The battlefield doesn''t count," Dashan was the first to speak. "We have a mission the day after tomorrow that''s juste up for our squad. You''re okay with that, right?" Tiger looked at Bai, formally asking. Chapter 199 189 Problematic Refugee Slum? Members of a regr special forces team are definitely supposed to follow the team and their missions without question, but Bai E was a special case. Since joining the team, he basically had not followed the standard procedures and regtions of the special forces, so much so that even when on an official mission, Tiger had to confirm with the person involved. "It''s fine..." Bai E hesitated a moment, thinking carefully, "It should be fine, I guess." A mission? Going on a mission would be great. He loved going on missions, and going on a mission... that meant there might be a chance to go on a mission. "What''s the objective of the mission?" Bai E asked casually. "In the wilderness outside the city, we sometimes find humans who exist outside the city''s boundaries. They often end up in such situations for various reasons¡ªlike having offended someone in another city, or being cut off by wild beasts or environmental barriers, or not knowing the way to the city, etc. That''s why we frequently organize teams to search and rescue those wandering in the wild. No matter what, finding shelter in the outskirts of the city is always much better than trying to survive in the unforgiving wilderness." "Hmm~" Bai E nodded to indicate he was listening. "The day after tomorrow, our mission is to escort a group of refugees from the wilderness back within the city''s sphere of influence. The advance reconnaissance has already been roughlypleted by scouts. The targetmunity is hiding in a wind tunnel cave for survival, with a poption of at least two hundred people. It''s quite arge number, and they may be attacked by wild beasts in the wilderness on their way back. Protecting as many of them as we can and ensuring their safe return to the city is the mission''s requirement." Tiger exined the purpose of the mission in a calm tone. Bai E became curious, ncing around the tent, "Just the five of us?" "Due to therger scale of the targetmunity, there will be two other special forces teams working with us on this mission." This was thergest scale for a mission with a nonbat main objective. As for deploying more soldiers... The value of over two hundred refugees probably wasn''t worth the expense of sending out more soldiers for a mission. In this era, countless lives were sacrificed, yet life was the cheapestmodity. Such a mission was just another routine task for the team. Tiger didn''t go into details, as there were things not every soldier needed to understand so clearly. Bai E nodded, "Got it." "Bai..." Dashan gazed eagerly at Bai E, "I heard you were teammates with ''The Blood God'' on a mission a few days ago. How much do you know about him?" After the sessfulpletion of the mission, some secrets were no longer so secret. Although Minister Likok''s actions were reckless, the oue was good. Not only was the server rebooted, but the electronic demon threat to humanity was also perfectly resolved. As the executor of this operation, the military could be said to have gained quite a few benefits. Therefore, the control over the secrecy of the mission wasn''t so strict, and those with even a slight connection had roughly heard some rumors. At these words, Bai E was taken aback, "The Blood God? Is he going too?" If that weren''t the case, Dashan probably wouldn''t have brought him up. "Yeah!" Dashan''s eyes lit up, "I''ve heard of his reputation a long time ago, but never really had the chance to spar with him. Is he really that powerful?" Bai was also very powerful, but Bai''s strength and The Blood God''s strength were on different levels. Dashan was an artificial human; The Blood God''s batch preceded his by quite a margin, and Dashan had been hearing legends of The Blood God since his creation. Many warriors with closebat talent nearly all regarded The Blood God as their ultimate goal to strive for, and Dashan was no exception. This opportunity to work on a mission together was most exciting for Dashan. "Him? Well..." Bai E instantly recalled the scene he had witnessed that evening. The Blood God, when truly unleashed, was terrifyingly ferocious, so his tone carried a hint ofment, "Indeed, very powerful." "With him with us, there''s no way we''ll have any problems with this mission!" Dashan was somewhat jubnt, worshiping his idol unconditionally. Experts always provided the greatest sense of security. The mission''s targets had all been scouted by the advance reconnaissance soldiers, and the route had been clearly nned. Aside from a few roaming beasts whose patterns were unpredictable, there was virtually no other danger. It was like earning military merit while lying down. Every mission came with military merit points, and in this era, straying from the vicinity of the city meant danger ¨C opportunities to earn military merits without much risk were rare. It was like a pie falling from the sky. "Okay..." Seeing Dashan''s excitement, Tiger couldn''t help but interject, "That''s enough, rest well. Make final preparations tomorrow. Regardless of who apanies us, the first thing we need to do is ensure we take care of our own tasks." "Got it, got it..." "As long as you have the time," Tiger walked over to Bai E''s bedside and patted his shoulder, "We''ll talk about the more specific details on the road. Be careful during tomorrow''s training." "I know." ... [Feedback from themission: your Insight +0.2.] [Feedback from themission: Long-range Weapons Mastery Experience +48.] [Feedback from themission: Light Weapons Mastery Experience +23.] ... Find your next read on empire [Feedback from themission: your Reflex +0.1.] [Feedback from themission: Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery Experience +27.] ... [Feedback from themission: your Physical Fitness +0.1.] ... [Feedback from themission: Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +137.] [Feedback from themission: Knowledge - Computer Hardware Maintenance Experience +11.] ... Every morning, upon seeing the rewards of the yers'' efforts during the night, Bai E felt his mood for the day would be exceptionally good. Not afraid of slow progress, only afraid of no progress at all. The slow trickle still brought a significant cumtive improvement. However, speaking of which... currently, he actually had four task assignment slots each day. Aside from that trio, Wen Jie was a rare sight in the inner city. When he had time, he still had to rely on himself to find another yer to work for him... With the funds of 1250 ckwater coins, including the principal, Bai E arrived at the training ground in the early morning. Taking advantage of the time before the assembly, Bai E went to Chavez and stuffed the money into his hand. "I ced a betst night, and the Blood God won." "He''s back..." Chavez collected the ckwater coins without a fuss, squeezing them in his pocket, his expression slightly puzzled, "Didn''t you join in?" "I did join..." "Was it fun?" "It was alright." Chavez nodded and then jerked his chin towards the field, "Now that you''re back, train well. These kids have been cking a lot thesest few days in your absence."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Uh..." Bai, slightly hesitant, still told the truth, "Instructor, I might have another mission tomorrow." "Another mission?" Chavez was momentarily startled, then remembered Bai E''s true outfit, "Right, you''re part of the special forces; it''s normal to have many missions." He then casually asked, "What''s the mission?" "They say it''s to escort a group of refugees back to the city..." "Refugees?" Chavez was taken aback, turned to face Bai E squarely, his expression bing serious, "Is it the refugee slum in the northwest?" Bai E wasn''t sure, after all, Captain Hu hadn''t gone into such detail, so he just shook his head, "I''m not too clear either, the captain notified us." Chavez frowned, "I''m not sure about other ces, but there''s something wrong with that refugee slum in the northwest. A scout I know mentioned several brothers have fallen there. They say disappeared, but in this era, when you disappear in the wild..." Everyone knows what it means. As a natural human instructor, Chavez had deep connections in the camp and hence heard plenty of rumors. "This..." "You best find out if it''s that refugee slum in the northwest. If it is... better to back out if you can," Chavez turned to look in another direction. The steadiness of a natural human guided his thoughts. Talking to a fighter he quite liked, he was as sincere as could be, "It''s not worth risking your life for the little military merit of one mission." Bai nodded, "I will look into it..." Chapter 200 Challenge Instructor 190 Bai E continued his training, immersed in his own world. Turn it down? He knew the instructor might mean well, but was it too cautious to turn down a mission just because of some rumors he''d heard? Not to mention, he wasn''t even sure if such an action was allowed in the camp, especially since he had no other valid reason right now. An even more important point... as an artificial human, he probably didn''t have the same level of freedom as natural humans. Most likely, it wasn''t as simple as wanting to turn down the mission. Besides, even if he didn''t go, there would always be other soldiers to take his ce. Bai E didn''t take the matter to heart, perhaps it would be somewhat challenging, but he had to witness it firsthand. ... [In strenuous exercise, you''ve pushed past your own limits, physical strength +0.1.] 14.7 now. The closer he got to his limit, the moreplicated Bai E felt, after all, waste was shameful. Poking at the colorful mush in front of him, Bai E''s eyes became slightly unfocused. He was also unsure about the status of his application for the Gene Optimization Solution. As for hoping for the contingency n he had in ce on Wen Jie, that was probably still far off. From the feedback received, Wen Jie was probably being overworked with some sort of electronics research and manufacturing, and it would be a long road before he could ess truly advanced knowledge. "Bai E." Stay connected through empireN?v(el)B\\jnn Suddenly, a figure sat down opposite him at the dining table. Carlos''s voice came in low and sudden, "You know about the mission you have tomorrow?" Bai E''s eyes refocused, and he calmly looked at Carlos, "I know." "Good, you must go on this mission." "Huh?" Bai E looked puzzled, then nodded as if he finally understood, "Isn''t that my duty?" "No... the information you got might not beplete. This mission is risky, the three previous scout teams sent to investigate the target area have all disappeared without a trace, with the only information returned being a preliminary size analysis. Normally, a target with iplete information like this should be further investigated... or ignored. They wouldn''t just send you directly to rendezvous with refugees." Carlos nced around sharply, his gaze keen as can be, and continued in a low voice, "So, you don''t have the full mission details. What I mean is... if something seems off, run. Bring back any information you''ve gathered, but remember, this time your mission is not to focus on assisting the refugees but to investigate first. I suspect those refugees themselves are the threat." This wasn''t unusual. Certain demonic cultists or mutants who couldn''t make it in the cities nearby¡­ Of course, cultists were fewer, as most needed to follow demons'' orders to infect more humans in the world, whereas mutants tend to be ostracized and leave cities on their own. For such beings, if it''s not convenient, the military wouldn''t bother to go after them specifically. After all, this world was full of enemies, whether it was humans, bugs, orcs, machine intelligence, mutants, or demonic cultists¡­ encounters always started with a fight. Of course, the possibility that the group of refugees are normal humans but hostile to the city wasn''t ruled out. Or maybe some unspecified risks are involved with the environment near them. There were many possibilities. What made this particr Refugee Slum stand out was that three scouting parties had somehow carelessly vanished while exploring it. Whether to continue to investigate or to give up in such circumstances wasn''t really the issue; sending out more elite squads for a joint exploration was standard procedure. Soldiers, well... they''re there to be used up, for scouting and collecting information; it''s all in a day''s work. But from the perspective of the squad being sent out, if misled by intelligence and heading unprepared into a cave, they likely would end up like those three scouts. And yet, Bai E couldn''t afford not to go. Fortune favors the bold, and if he refused such a mission that was optional at best, his application for the Gene Optimization Solution would inevitably faceplications. "So you have to be extra careful. The mission can fail, and it''s okay to gather intelligence, but you must return safely. After youe back this time, you should be able to get the Optimization fluid injected." Dying and finding ways to make the applicant have an ident, these tactics were all too obvious, yet an open strategy he couldn''t refuse. Bai E appeared to be digesting the information and after a while, he slowly nodded, "I understand." "Good, just be careful, and try to keep your teammates alert as well," Carlos emphasized, patting Bai E''s shoulder across the dining table, then turned and left. Even though he wanted to support Bai E, the necessary training experience was indisputable. The growth of any warrior is iplete without facing risks over and over again, with each crisis serving both as an opportunity to toughen oneself and a good chance to establish prestige. Being injected with the Gene Optimization Solution was just the starting point for Bai E''s hoped-for advancements; climbing step by step within the military framework was the real long-term goal. From his recent covert operation, Bai E had already shown a certain level of leadership, with a few more impactful victories, his advancement in military rank and position would naturally follow. Keep up the good work; the future is always bright. Watching Carlos leave, Bai E narrowed his eyes. It could be said that Chavez''s rank was limited, but now that even Carlos said this, it seemed this mission indeed had some trick to it. It looked like he had to arm himself to the teeth before leaving. In thetter half of the morning, practicalbat training. "Now, pair up and spar. Use all your strength to defeat your opponent. If no winner emerges within 1 minute, you''ll train for a whole day!" Having not heard his voice for several days, Drill Instructor Dan''s voice was still deep and resonant. "Reporting, Drill Instructor!" A voice suddenly rang out from the assembled training group. Dan''s gaze turned towards the recruit who had been missing for a few days, his expression calm, "Speak." "I wish to challenge you." It wasn''t that Bai E was getting carried away; justst night in the arena, he was able to trigger the sparring mode and rigorously learn from thebat experience of those bare-knuckle fighters. Could he repeat this process with Dan? Indeed, during the previous secret operation selectionpetition, the sparring mode hadn''t been triggered¡ªBai E initially thought it might have been due to the attitude of his opponents. But after reflectingst night, could it also be a factor of his own mindset? In fact, back then, his experience storage was limited, and even if the option for sparring mode had appeared, he wasn''t in the mindset to learn. In other words... he had "refused" this method of improvement himself. It seemed that in many of the tasks he triggered before, the factor of his own "desire" was also present, so could his mindset also affect the triggering of tasks and modes in the game system? Regarding the various features of the game system within him, Bai E didn''t yet understand them fully; he could only try to fumble through in various situations. Upon hearing Bai E''s request, Dan''s bright eyes instantly lit up. Challenge him? Good! Very good! No matter the strength level, this kind of courage deservedmendation. Moreover, since he dared to issue a challenge, he must have some skills, right? "All units, take a break and watch!" Whether for the purpose of learning or to let other soldiers understand the gap, Dan had the training group pause their training and observe the sparring between her and Bai E. This was the first soldier who had taken the initiative to challenge her; she couldn''t let this rare teaching opportunity go to waste. Dan clenched her fists, an excited flush visible on her face. "Come!" ... "A new recruit is challenging the instructor." "What the fuck, which new recruit is so fierce?" Even during training, unusualmotion easily attracted attention from other training groups in the vicinity. A few drill instructors gathered together, their eyes filled with surprise. "Has there been a revolt among Dan''s new recruits?" "I feel like I''ve seen that recruit before..." one of the instructors said, stroking his chin doubtfully. "Isn''t it that rookie of honor?" His war record of rescuing 423rades on the battlefield was well known, but in their view, the most crucial aspect was the "Number 3 throat strip," the miracle drug. This soldier could only bemended for his willpower. The slight disy of ability was perfectly intercepting air strikes with a Type 77 rifle, as mentioned in passing by Marshal Weslin. However, they were neither marksmen nor had they witnessed it with their own eyes¡ªwho knows the true merit? But no matter the merit, that shouldn''t trante to ability in closebat. Now, arrogantly challenging his own drill instructor, even thatmendable quality seemed to have vanished... Ignorant of his own limitations! Simply put, he''s be inted. ... "What''s going on over there?" The officer who was closely following Yueying likewise heard themotion on the training field. After observing for a while, he located the focus of the controversy¡ª All the training groups in this area were made up of new recruits from recent batches; it was rare to see a soldier bold enough to challenge an instructor. But from a distance, he couldn''t make out the appearance of the soldier; to him, the soldiers in uniform training attire nearly all looked the same. But it wasn''t important; what good could a presumptuous new recruit gain under an instructor''s watch? He would probably be put down within a few moves; there was nothing interesting to see. "Miss Yueying?" Dunpus looked puzzled as he observed the Elf Racedy suddenly stop. Yueying gazed far into the distance, her sight traveling through space, "Let''s see." Chapter 201 191 Hits "Come, you strike first." Dan clenched his fist, his face excited. Bai E looked at him seriously, reminding, "Please, instructor, don''t hold back." He had to control the variables, in case the instructor''s mentoring attitude prevented the mode from triggering. "Of course, I won''t hold back." Dan smiled heartily, "Making you aware of the gap is my responsibility." "Thank you, Instructor." Bai E shook his wrists to ensure that certain key muscles remained agile and flexible. Sometimes, being rigid wasn''t necessarily a good thing. Face to face, Dan was also curious to see how much this recruit, who dared to challenge him, had improved; letting Bai E strike first was to gauge his fundamentals. With the most standard force-generating movement filled with maximum power, Bai E took the initiative and threw a punch. "Bang." Fist met palm, unmoving. Your next journey awaits at empire Dan, who caught Bai E''s punch, slightly turned his face, looked past the fist to Bai E, more excited, "Not bad improvement, huh." [Triggering the sparring mode...] The hoped-for voice naturally rose in Bai E''s mind, and he sighed silently¡ª The instructor was indeed strong, perhaps not as much as Blood God, but his strength was definitely notcking. His own force wasn''t augmented with Overlimit Drive, but even relying on his native 14.7 physical prowess, it was considered the peak of an ordinary warrior. Plus, as his specialization level increased, those basic abilities mentioned earlier by Dan were invisibly enhanced. Yet the instructor who caught his punch showed no sign of weakness. Clearly, he still had strength to spare. That''s exactly what he needed! Only from an opponent stronger than himself but not capable of instantly knocking him out could he continuously learn. "Let''s go again," Dan took the initiative to invite him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Whoosh!" Bai E threw another phantom punch. Just like the initial probing during their first training session, one full-force blow, followed by a quick punch. "p!" Dan, having firmly caught Bai E''s fist again, gently pushed and said with a robust enthusiasm, "Good, you''ve improved quite a bit." Now confirmed that Bai E had a solid foundation, Dan clenched his fist, the exaggerated calluses on her joints disying a fierce pressure. "Be careful!" With a warning, Dan lunged at him. Bai E''s eyes flickered, and he instantly stepped forward half a step¡ªintercepting! Interrupting the opponent''s attack before their force reached the ideal explosive peak meant that an action meant to release full power would ultimately only achieve 30 to 40 percent of its potential. This was abat technique learned from the Wild Lion. Dan''sbat skills were rich, and sensing Bai E''s intent, he changed his move instantly. Everyone had their unique advantages. Apart from a resilient body, her strength was in her reflexes. Her flexibility, typical of a female body, coupled with sensitive reactions, allowed her to switch from punch to elbow instantly, changing her force emission method in response to Bai E''s intercept. Bai E countered move for move. His reflex level of 12.7 might not yet match those instructors who had honed their physical qualities through countless battles and time. But a versatile fighting style was his greatest advantage over Dan, learned from those underground fighters, focusing on varying and targeting the human body. Without heritage, special training, or the experience of daily conniving with various schemers, Dan relied on realbat against other races and self-training to grow. Defensive and offensive skills, flexible adaptation, those were her biggest trump cards. Every part of the body is a weapon, ready to deliver maximum short-range driving force. Fighting with Dan meant being cautious of her every move, as any seemingly insignificant motion could suddenly transform into a lethal assault. Her style wasn''t tricky; it was known for a tempestuous, overwhelming pressure. Ifst night''s tornado was known for itsst-moment flurry of hitting, Dan''s average output was nearly akin to that tornado''s peak. If it hadn''t been for the massive surge inbat experiencest night that urgently enhanced him, Bai E reckoned he would have been floored in a single exchange. Even so, now he was mostly relying on his enhanced Guardian ce skills to double block and evasion capabilities, along with intercepting ability, to narrowly resist Dan''s pressure. But that''s fine, his skills were rapidly improving. [You are spendingbat experience to observe and learn the opponent''s fighting philosophy... (Cost: 20 points of experience/min)] [You have spent 10 points ofbat experience in learning, converting to 5 points of "Combat Mastery" experience. (Very small chance to awaken a special attribute.)] ... "Such stable defense..." Dan, unleashing his power limitlessly, noticed the new recruit who was nearly watertight under his assault and his eyes couldn''t help but sh with surprise. During their first two trainings, he had judged this recruit''s fighting talent as not impressive, skillwise rough despite strong physical power, but who would have thought that after just a few days on a mission, he''de back, so formidable? If Dan hadn''t been the one to initiate him personally, he would have doubted if this was the same person. No matter what, the serious instructor facing a challenge from a rookie who recently was a novice couldn''t help but take on a bit of a mentoring attitude, despite his correct stance. This momentary distraction was seized by Bai E as an opportunity. Waiting for the chance! Seizing the opportunity, going all in! Striking vital points! Controlling the flow of blood vessels, striking at the muscle fascia junctions to cause spasms, a method of hitting that stiffens the affected muscle area. Chapter 202 191 Hits_2 ```n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Just like the triggering condition of a heavy strike, Bai E seized the opportunity amidst the prolonged entanglement and instantly deployed the special attribute he had just learnedst night. An explosive outbreak caught Dan off guard, as a bolt of lightning seemed to strike under his right arm, leaving his arm numb. Dan swiftly leaned in with an Iron Mountain Lean to strike Bai E and regain a safe distance from being pursued. It was only then that she looked at Bai E with a truly grave expression. This rookie... might really have the potential to defeat her. Where did he learn these techniques! Dan shook her right arm, the numb sensation slightly receding, before she took the initiative to attack once more. Although the requirement for these recruits was to defeat her before graduation, as an instructor, the idea of being defeated by one of her own soldiers, especially a recruit who had hardly trained for a few days, was a blow to her pride. An instructor... is always your instructor! "Boom!" Their fists met, and the air st exploded. Powered by a burst step, this kid was able to block a direct punch! Dan looked at her own fist with deep skepticism. The next moment... Continue reading at empire "Hiss~" Both retracted their fists, wincing in pain. That punch almost shattered both their bones. ... "I remember who he is now!" The contemtive instructor finally recalled where he had seen the new recruit currently exchanging blows with Dan. It was not in the glory of the new recruits, but in the secret selection from two days ago! Rose was defeated by this guy! But it was clearly Rose who held back! It was this kid who disrupted Rose''s Dao heart! "If he couldn''t handle Rose, how could he possibly defeat Dan..." The astonished exmations of other instructors filled his ears... "There''s actually a recruit capable of forcing an instructor to make a move?" "This kid... might really have some skills!" A group of instructors who had arranged training tasks for their own troops had gathered to watch the excitement, chattering away. The sounds of the fight indicated that Dan was apparently not holding back. Even so, she still couldn''t take down this new recruit? "That''s too fierce." "Can we transfer him to our troop..." "Don''t bother... you can''t beat him!" "Right, Guriba, what were you saying just now?" someone asked Rose''s instructor. Guriba blinked, "I was saying that Rose had asked me twice before to apply for the transfer of this kid to my troop..." "And then?" "I thought it would be too troublesome..." "..." "Lucky you didn''t apply, otherwise you''d be the one getting beaten up right now..." "But... he really shouldn''t be able to outright defeat Dan, right?" one instructor wondered, stroking his chin and analyzing cautiously. All being instructors, they asionally sparred with each other. Dan''s offensive and explosive powers were not the very best, but her tenacity and stamina were almost unimaginable. Being able to achieve physical fitness close to that of a male in addition to a female''s unique sensitivity, Dan''s strength was certainly one of the top among the instructors. "Probably... But to push Dan to this extent, it''s already outrageous." "Lucky Strike" charge +5.] ... [You have spent 250 points ofbat experience in learning, which were converted to 125 points of "Combat Mastery" experience. (Medium chance of awakening special attributes.)] (Stacked) Perhaps due to having a solid foundation, or maybe because Dan''sbat style was rtively easy to learn, the probability of awakening special attributes during learning skyrocketed. Bai E wasn''t just passively waiting for that final moment toe; the experience he was using came from system cheating, but he also had to put in his effort to transform the skills he had gained into real abilities he could control. Using his current abilities to try to defeat his opponent by all possible means, that was the familiarity and integration of his own abilities. Just like the "Overlimit Drive" specialty activated during thest advanced physical training, the specialty that might be activated in this sparring mission would most likely also require his own active exploration of the use of all special attributes and rely on self-integration to be sessfully activated. Joint lock, enhanced defense, and interception were the mainbat strategies; acupoint targeting andbination strikes could only be used at rare opportune moments. As for the whip... His four fingers were as flexible as a whip, changing a punch to a palm while his arm¡ª including his fist being blocked by Dan¡ªcontinued its motion. His fingers whipped out with the ceaseless momentum, creating a gust that blurred the vision, while the fingertips almost broke the sound barrier as they swept toward the vulnerable organs on the face. Dan, who narrowly avoided it at thest moment, felt as if a sharp de had brushed past her eyes and retreated rapidly, squinting with one eye. With only one eye open, causing her eyelid to twitch uncontrobly, Dan watched Bai E with a shock she couldn''t even detect in herself. His moves... are strange. But they are also effective, simple yet full of unexpected results. Of course, the moves are secondary; The main reason these unusual maneuvers worked was this kid''s unexpected tenacity; he managed to stay undefeated under her fierce assault, making his fundamentals the capital of his ongoing endurance. Even more importantly... after fighting for so long, despite being hit with solid punches from her, hisbat state remained good. Whether it be injuries or stamina... he doesn''t get tired? It seems that as long as she couldn''t quickly take him down, problems might arise. Moreover, he was even quickly bing familiar with her attack patterns during the fight, to the point of countering and analyzing them. Dan smelled something familiar in the opponent''s moves; he was trying to imitate her! ``` Chapter 203 191 Hits_3 At this moment, Dan''s mind suddenly recalled the special attention that the schr from the Scientific Research Institute had for this new recruit. Back then, she still felt that the schr wrongly believed this recruit was hiding his true capability... Now it seems, he really was? She doesn''t care about whether he has natural talent right now; all she wants is to protect the dignity of an instructor. No matter what... she cannot truly be defeated by a recruit! How can she take him down? "Huff~" Dan took a deep breath, blinked, and finally no longer felt difort. Could it be that she could only continue to be drawn into a prolonged fight? ... [After using closebat attacks to strike the target several times, hand-to-handbat mastery experience +32.] (Cumtive) Bai E wasn''t having an easy time either. His stamina stayed full thanks to the recovery provided by the Overlimit Drive, but the soreness in his body and the bruises from Dan hitting him several times were no joke, even with the aid of rapid healing. The asional short-term physical strife had some effects. [Your body is repairing injuries rapidly, don''t worry! Warrior!] [Injury repair progress 74%, Rapid Recovery (not unlocked) unlocking progress 39%.] "..." Looking at the instructor before him, who showed not the slightest sign of faltering, Bai E couldn''t think of how to defeat his opponent. There was a mission on Dan that he hadn''t forgotten about, a chance to draw an ability card from her. Getting it before going on the mission would undoubtedly boost his confidence for the trip. But she was too hard to beat.N?v(el)B\\jnn He hadnded hits on Dan''s body too, but just like during their first encounter and the tests he had undergone, even if he punched her squarely, he couldn''t break through her defenses. He wasn''t exactly losing, but he didn''t have the slightest advantage either. Or perhaps... he could only wait until he fully learned her style of fighting? Or maybe directly use experience to level up his hand-to-handbat to level 4? However, this standoff wasn''t without benefits. Through practice duringbat, he was slowly integrating the synergistic use of all his special attributes; the progress was slowly improving. [You have paid 170 battle experience points in learning...)] (Cumtive) [Your hand-to-handbat ability has developed a strong personal style, integrating everything you have learned; you will form a unique personalbat system. Current integration progress 37%...] Enjoy exclusive content from empire Bai E''s eyes flickered, and he attacked again. Using the pressure of a prolonged fight to enhance his use of various newly acquired special attributes was also the purpose of this battle. As long as they engage, the process of engagement itself is sufficiently effective. ... Outside the arena, an indescribable astonishment rose in Yue Ying''s heart. ''Is he forming his own personalbat system?'' Watching the shadow that was bing increasingly proficient in leveraging his strength, the small mouth under Yue Ying''s hood opened slightly in astonishment. With her keen eyesight, she could best understand the unusual aspects of what seemed like an ordinary fight¡ª But how could this be possible? How long had he been practicing hand-to-handbat? Or rather, how long had he "existed"? She had witnessed with her own eyes his birth as a newly created artificial human in this world! Within such a short time, to achieve such prowess in close-quartersbat, such aptitude was perhaps no less remarkable than his talent for shooting. In her experience, to form a personalbat system, what was first needed was sufficient umtion... as well as strength in specialization. Only with broad knowledge and familiarity can a wondrous flower bloom from the enriched soil above. Yue Ying realized that she might be witnessing the rise of a human prodigy... [Current mission reward: The clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Gold)] [The clue to the Elf Breathing Skill (Quality: Gold): You have gained theplete trust of Yue Ying of the Elf Race, disying your astonishingly excellent qualities, which will enable you to obtain the secrets of the "Elf Breathing Skill" from her.] "..." There really is gold, huh? Bai E nced briefly at the visible dark figure on the side and quickly withdrew his gaze; at this moment, he couldn''t afford to be distracted. [You have paid 250 battle experience points in learning, converted into 125 "Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery" experience. (High chance of awakening special attributes.)] (Cumtive) [Long-term learning has allowed you to extract sufficient experience from your opponent''s fighting style, your specialized ability¡ªHand-to-Hand Combat Specialization, received a new "special" attribute boost!] [Hand-to-Hand Combat Specialization (Level 3): Strike power +6%, Dodge +3%, Block +3%... Hundred Strikes (Special) +1.] [Your hand-to-handbat ability has developed a strong personal style, integrating everything you have learned; you will form a unique personalbat system. Current integration progress 45%...] Got it! Chapter 204 192 victories The moment he acquired "Bai Ji," Bai E''s eyes instantly became clear. Dan''s offensive was like a storm, with an extremely high frequency and overwhelming pressure, but distinctively different from the continuous strikes of a tornado. One was an overexerting burst; the other was about developing all parts of the body, any point of which could unleash a fatal attack. Moreover, the primary focus was on rapidly mobilizing muscr strength to ensure that maximum output could be maintained even during short-range bursts of power. If he couldbine the two... Bai E instantly initiated his move, pushing the Overlimit Drive to its peak. "Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!" The savage assaultpletely submerged Dan''s figure, fists, palms, feet, and knees all became weapons. Facing Bai E''s sudden outburst, even Dan, with a Combat Specialization Layer of 5, couldn''t fully defend, and the sound of body impacts almost merged into one. Not enough! Still not enough! Bai E could feel the touch of his fists, Dan''s physique was as robust as ever, like stones padded with cotton, his punches and palms felt only the rebounding force and not much of the impact damage to the opponent. The current Combat Specialization Layer of 3 was still not sufficient! Currently... Combat Mastery Experience (833/1000), Remaining: Combat Experience 2, Universal Experience 2655. Add points directly! It''s just 167 experience points; there''s no more wool to be sheared from Dan, it would be most reasonable to try to defeat her for the rewards of her tasks. [Payment: 2 Combat Experience points, 165 Universal Experience points.] [You have acquired "Combat Specialization Layer 4," and you''ve also received 1 Potential Point.] [Detected character currently has Combat Specialization (Layer 4), skill tree advancement unlocked: Graceful Release, Tactical Evasion, Absolute Defense.] [Current unlocking requires: 1000 Universal/Combat Experience (double the cost for each additional skill unlocked of the same tier), 2 Potential Points (fixed).] The moment the Specialization Layer increased, even the progress of the sparring task surged significantly. [Yourbat abilities have developed a strong personal style, integrating all you have learned into a unique personalbat system, current integration progress is 76%...] Every time new special attributes are gained and the Specialization Layer is increased, it seems to rapidly advance the process of the personal system. But there is still a considerable distance from it beingplete, and it can''t be relied upon for the time being. Read exclusive adventures at empire Choosing one out of the newly unlocked skill trees needs careful consideration, the first 1000 experience points are not very expensive for him now, but unlocking additional same-tier skills requires doubling the experience, Bai E doesn''t want to make a choice lightly unless it''s crucial. Defeating the instructor with the strength he already possesses is the optimal choice for now. If that really won''t work, he''ll just unlock Graceful Release... The three skills: Graceful Release for offense, Tactical Evasion for dodging, Absolute Defense for protection, clear and straightforward. As the Specialization Layer increased, the addition to all attributes soared instantly, and the apanying boost in effects was immediate. In a sh, his strength surged. Even with Dan''s high resilience to being hit, she still found thebination of pressure points and joint locks amidst the powerful strikes troublesome, as these techniques could directly bypass physical defense to restrict the opponent''s movement. Dan only felt a numbness in her left arm before Bai E suddenly moved behind her, forcefully twisting her isted right arm. In the brief struggle, she ultimately couldn''t match the brute strength of the new recruit. "Crack!" The muscle strain and bone dislocation caused Dan, the iron-willed woman, to feel a heart-piercing pain. "Huff~ Huff~" Dan exhaled painfully, her face towards the ground. It had been... how long since she felt this suffocating, tearing pain? Since she left those frontal battlefields! Constrained to form, powerless to resist. Dan patted the hand mped onto his shoulder like an eagle''s ws, struggling to speak, "Alright, alright, I lost." The damage fists and feet could inflict was ultimately limited for the two of them; even if he forced himself to break free at the cost of some pain, continuing to fight would simply lead to exhaustion until theirst ounce of strength was depleted, to see who would falter first. But it was just a spar in the military camp, there was no need to take it to that extreme. [You''ve experienced an exhrating battle,bat experience +20.] [Yourbat ability has developed a strong personal style, integrating all you have learned; you will gain a unique personalbat system, current fusion progress 80%...] [Sub-quest¡ªChallenge,plete!] [Quest reward: Target character Ability Extraction Card*1, issued.] [Target character Ability Extraction reward pool locked: Trait*Resilient Skin, Specialty*Enhanced Strength, Mastery*Combat Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding level 5. Start extraction?] System prompts leaped out one after another. "Phew~" Bai E finally sighed in relief, gently releasing the shoulder of Dan, who felt like a block of stone. The muscr Dan, turning around, looked at Bai E with appreciation on his face and admiration from the heart, "Impressive!" ["Lucky Strike" recharge +1.] "It''s all because of the instructor..." Dan interrupted, anticipating Bai E''s response, "Don''t say it was because I taught well! I at most taught you the basics of how to deliver power; I have no clue where you learned the rest of your skills..." With that, Dan turned to look at the trainee troops riveted on their fight, announcing loudly, "I lost!" Despite having witnessed the bout, only when Dan announced it himself did the dreamlike reality descend, shattering thest bit of unconscious denial the others harbored. "He really won?" "Can we actually beat the instructor?" "See that? My big brother!" "Then, I think I could also try challenging..." The instructors watching from a distance couldn''t believe their eyes... Dan lost?! Even among their group of instructors, there were almost none who dared say they could beat Dan with certainty. Did this mean that the "New Recruit Glory" was now so formidable as to defeat most instructors in hand-to-handbat? How long had he been born? "Turtle turtle~" ... ["Lucky Strike" recharge +44.]N?v(el)B\\jnn emmmm... 50 when added together? They''re pretty strict. Bai E chuckled secretly, then looked forward to the Ability Extraction Card in his Consciousness Space¡ª Resilient Skin was the core trait behind Dan''s endurance; Enhanced Strength was akin to a youthful version of Overlimit Drive, but he wondered if it could be used in tandem with Overlimit Drive; as for Specialization, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Compared to the luxurious reward pool from Yue Yingst time, this time there were only three abilities to choose from. The strength of a basic-level military camp instructor was, after all, no match for someone at Yue Ying''s level, but even the weakest ability umted could result in an unimaginable enhancement. Let''s see what I can draw this time... The pointer spun rapidly over sections of three different colors, eventually slowing to a stop¡ª Trait¡ªResilient Skin! Chapter 205 193 Mission Goals [Tough Skin: Your body can protect you from more from external harm, reducing impact damage by 30%, and puncture or sh damage of energy level 7 or below cannot cause substantial injury; physical defense performance +2.] The introduction was simple and clear, but the effect was also quite formidable. In Bai E''s view, this was the most useful option among the three choices for him, and his luck with this draw wasn''t bad either... "Reporting to the instructor!" A powerful roar rang out in the training group. It drew everyone''s attention, including Bai E''s. Dan asked with aposed face, "What is it?" "I want to challenge you as well!" The warrior stood tall and proud, basking in the attention of the many eyes upon him... And since someone had managed to defeat an instructor head-on, did that mean there was a chance for him too? I too have the makings of a Great Emperor! Dan nodded calmly, "Come on." The warrior stood with hands behind his back, his confident gaze straight ahead, his voice resonant, "Instructor, don''t you need to rest?" "No need." "Ah!" The victor was determined two and a half seconds after the battlemenced. There wasn''t even a chance for onlookers to give pointers. Dan pped his hands, ignoring the soldier who was lying on the ground, wincing in pain with a dislocated arm, and just smiled at Bai E, "Alright, since you have this strength, you don''t need to waste time here anymore. You can carry out the battle training on your own and don''t need to report to me." "Yes, sir!" Bai E saluted sharply. Dan was a powerful and responsible instructor and deserved respect. "Go." Dan waved his hand and looked away, turning his gaze to the other soldiers, "Anyone who wants to challenge me is wee at any time. Now, continue training!" Good, with that, he was essentially free from basic training types. As Bai E left, he was making calctions¡ª Physical fitness, shooting,bat¡­ The various basic trainings most needed by recruits were essentiallypleted. What he needed to learn next was what really made one a member of a special forces team. Machine guns, methrowers, infantry vehicles, chainswords, etc., as well as nonbat abilities such as scouting, gathering, and dissecting. But that would all have to wait until he returned from his current mission. After practicing some archery for a while with the time he had left, Bai E rushed to the outskirts right after a quick lunch. He was going on a mission tomorrow, and there were some things he needed to bring... such as that bottle of "Exorcism Essential Oil." Normally, you wouldn''t need such a thing in a military camp, and it was easy to get discovered by teammates living together every day, so Bai E kept these items in a warehouse. Since he was leaving early tomorrow morning, Bai E naturally had to bring along such potentially useful items just in case. Refugee Slum? Suffering is most fertile ground for faith; when human society cannot provide sce to an individual, those people can only seek all possible means to survive tenaciously. Believerspletelymanded by demons indeed mostly follow the guidance of demons to spread their faith in human society, but it''s also possible to encounter newly born faith. Bringing along this kind of item that specially targets demons is definitely the right move. It''s just a shame there is only 33ml... "Sir, we also want to submit supplies!" Dai Lian looked at Bai E with sincere eyes, "We want to contribute to the organization too!" Yesterday, Kuang Xin had set an example for them, and they managed to exchange for a good amount of money, so they urgently relied on their own channels to inquire about the value of Exorcism Essential Oil. It turned out that it was CJB. This thing had no effect on any living creatures other than demons, not even on demon believers walking among humans... Only against those real demons from higher dimensions and those particr entities who have transcended from normal humans into demons can it exhibit its intended effect. But with their current strength, if they really encountered a demon itself or those transcendental beings, it would undoubtedly be akin to offering themselves up on a tter. This item would only be a threat to demons when in the hands of those who can hold their own against demons; it''s an entry ticket to defeating demons, not something to increase power limits. Matching up against demons? Are they worthy? They are not. And yet, yesterday the sir had especially reminded them that this item was in short supply for the organization; it''s not worth this price under normal circumstances, so when else to submit it if not during a limited-time bounty period? The thought that there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers in his organization, and that someone had actually beenbating demons recently, filled Dai Lian with excitement¡ªthe future was bright! "Good." Bai E nodded with satisfaction. The funds were handed over painfully fast. [Submitted Exorcism Essential Oil*33ml, received organizational funds*1650!]X2 He nced at the progress of the warehouse construction and recorded another 10 contribution points per person. The other two remained motionless, having their own objectives butcking in contribution points, they sensibly saved themselves; only Kuang Xin was somewhat excited. 80 points! He could finally redeem the Advanced Physical Training 3.0 he had been longing for; his physical ability had reached 13.5, and it had been difficult to improve for a while. Without any training methods, he felt like he was about to die... "Sir! I''d like to learn methods that can effectively train my physical abilities," Kuang Xin formally requested. "No problem," Bai E agreed without hesitation, and 80 contribution points were instantly deducted. ["Teaching" concluded. Through the feedback from the "teaching," you''ve acquired 90bat experience points and 510 general experience points.] Only 600 points? Bai E felt a pang of disappointment as he looked at the experience gained. To roll out this damn 3.0 n, he had spent quite a bit of experience himself; it was easy for the yers to learn from the groundwork othersid. But it was not a big problem. The more people learned, the more he earned, and looking forward, it was bound not to be a loss. "I have to go out again tomorrow. I''m not sure when I''ll be back. In the meantime, you guys will have to manage things yourselves." Bai E took the initiative to remind everyone and reissued the quota for the mission. "Yes, Sir!" ... Returning to the military camp, Bai E ran into Dai Lian and others who were waiting for him. "Let''s go. We have a mission tomorrow. First, let''s gather the members of our three squads to get acquainted, then familiarize ourselves with the mission target and designate each team''s specific tasks." They had been given a heads-up the night before, and Bai E nodded in agreement, "Okay." There was no dedicated conference room, so they found a spot in the sun, where Bai E saw the other two squads besides his own. At a nce, he didn''t recognize anyone except for the Blood God... "They are all pretty seasoned. We might have to follow their lead for this mission," Dai Lian whispered a reminder in Bai E''s ear, and Bai E subtly nodded without making a sound. "These are the only two photographs we have of the target." One of the muscr men in a tightbat suit held up two photos and said, "Take a look and pass them around, so you can get a rough idea." After Bai E received them, he scanned the first one¡ª A yellow background with an overall terrain shot: it looked like a honeb cake, the wind-eroded caves dotted across the vastnd. The picture was still, yet Bai E could already hear the howling of the wind. The second photo was predominantly ck. Only after carefully looking could one discern the different shades of shadows outlining the terrain¡ªit was the interior of a cave. Based on the timestamps in the upper-left corner of each photo, they were taken no more than half an hour apart. So... even under the daylight, the lighting conditions inside the cave were still not great. "This is the target location for our mission," the man spoke up after everyone had looked at the photos. "Those refugees are hidden inside these numerous caves. There might be traps they''ve set up to ward off wild beasts inside, and everyone must be careful. The scouts we sent before most likely lost contact due to injuries inflicted by those traps." "They are hiding deep inside the caves. We will split up into small teams to go in and scout. If you see someone, stay alert. If we are attacked, defensees first. First, we state our intentions and try to persuade them, and we are not allowed to harm the refugees unless absolutely necessary." "I have a question..." Bai E suddenly spoke up. The man frowned slightly, gathering all eyes on Bai E. Maintaining hisposure, Bai E continued, "Are we sure that the earlier missing scouts disappeared solely due to their own carelessness? I think it''s best if we don''t spread too thin before we understand the situation."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chavez and Carlos''s repeated cautions made Bai E extremely cautious, and he just wanted to raise his concerns to keep everyone extra vignt. The man who had been speaking, possibly a squad leader, furrowed his brows into a ''´¨'', "How can those ordinary scouting groupspare with us?" The special ops teams present were the elite of the elite, and the two teams had incredibly seasoned members who had participated in countless battles. Moreover, regr scouting groups went out in pairs, whereas special teams operated in groups of five. Samuel felt his arrangements were overly cautious already. "I just want to ensure the safety of everyone..." Another man¡ªwho hadn''t spoken up until then¡ªgazed at Bai E with a sharp look, enunciating clearly, "Our duty is to scout dangers for the city. No one''s life belongs to themselves. You''re currency in the hands of the city lord, and you shouldn''t have your own opinions." With that, he turned to Dai Lian, "I don''t care how you usually assign your team''s missions, but when we''re on a joint mission, make sure to keep your team in line!" Samuel too stared into Bai E''s eyes, "This is an order, not a negotiation." "..." Bai E could feel Dai Lian tug at his clothes from behind. In truth, he had no intention of arguing further. In this era, individual strength varied greatly, and the wilderness environment wasplex and unpredictable; it''s impossible to say what might cause someone to vanish. Since these people were so confident, they likely had their own judgments. Of course, the line between confidence and arrogance is often paper-thin. Bai E could not control others, so he could only do what he was capable of... He couldn''t rely on them... His gaze lingered on the dim environment in the second photo; Bai E remembered he still had an unfinished specialty... Chapter 206 Expertise in Training 194 Evening, the ck Forest. The moonlight was dim, the wilderness silent. Bai E was no longer the same person who had first arrived in this world, neither in strength nor in mindset.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Facing the wilderness he had never dared to tread at night before, he now had the courage toe alone. A military saber and two handguns were all the equipment he carried. The saber was for killing enemies, the handguns for self-defense; there would be no problem using his Gun Fighting Skill to escape in a pinch. As for his target...always letting Kuang Xin and the others kill wolves, wouldn''t it be uneptable if he didn''t try it himself? He had never killed this creature before, there was no experience decay, and it should be good for farming experience. Bai E still remembered the unfinished "Blindfolded Combat" unlock method¡ª It required earning 100 points ofbat experience by killing enemies in a Dark Environment, which was perfectly suited for the potential mission in the dark. The night breeze in the ck Forest carried a moist, earthy stench. Bai E deliberately made noise as he walked to attract any potential carnivores lurking in the dark. "Crack~ Crunch~" Twigs and leaves shattered beneath his feet as Bai E strode boldly deeper into the forest. Until at some unknown moment, several ghostly green eyes floated in the darkness like will-o''-the-wisps. "Swoosh~" Bai E drew his saber from its sheath, casually spinning it in a flourish. The specially treated matte ck de was nearly unnoticeable at night; he didn''t know if it would attract the wolves'' attention, but they probably didn''t care. Wasn''t it only proper to feast when a terrifying bipedal ape strayed alone into their territory, as if he was delivering meat right to their doorstep? Encirclement, closing in. The eyes of the beasts were fixed intently on the prey they surrounded, waiting for him to reveal a weakness. One thing you never wanted in the wilderness was an injury, even if your target was as good as dead, you still had to be wary of its final struggle. One two three four five, going into the forest to hunt wolves... There were six of them in total. Standing still and letting them ravage... that would be an exaggeration, but given his current physical condition, six wolves shouldn''t pose any danger. Bai E pulled out a ck cloth from his chest, opaque and imprable to light, and swiftly wrapped it around his eyes. Then he secured it with a knot. The requirement for activating the Combat Specialization Layer was a "Dark Environment," and he wasn''t sure if the moonlight qualified as "dark." To avoid a wasted effort, adding anotheryer of surety seemed more sensible. If it was to be blindfoldedbat, he must first be blind. The moment the ck cloth covered his eyes, darknesspletely descended upon Bai E''s world. All around was a pitch-ck void, as if he had instantly lost connection to the world. The moment the visuals vanished, everything around him felt far away. This differed from the sensation of entering the depths of the sewer that day; one was an instantaneous cut-off, the other a gradual adaptation; one involved rats as foes, the other wolves. Even though his current strength was unrivaled by ordinary people, the primal fear brought on by darkness still caused Bai E''s heart to race. Though it was quickly suppressed by "Self-Control." After taking a deep breath, Bai E began to gradually adapt to the environment. Using his ears, his breathing, his sense of touch... The wind brushing his skin, the rancid odor in the wind, the rustling of grass as he moved... [You are using your Senses to observe the environment...] "Whoosh!" He made noise almost simultaneously. No matter how clever an animal was, it was still just an animal. Seeing that the terrifying bipedal ape had covered his primary means of observing the outside world, they thought this was the greatest opportunity. A sigh echoed in Bai E''s heart. [Here theye!] [The left!] Bai E gripped the handle of his saber backward, estimating the speed, distance, and direction as he shed to the left! A solid sensation confirmed he hit his target. The feedback in his hand was slightly rigid, indicating a significant impact. The wailing of a wounded wolf also rose near his ear. Without time to consider which part he had struck, Bai E spun around and delivered a sweeping kick in another direction. Though the six wolves attacked at once, their actual assaults arrived in staggered sessions, giving him some room to maneuver. "Bang!" A metallic thud came as his heel struck a skull, and the continued arc of his leg connected with the second oing wolf without losing momentum. There was no chance for a follow-up or breather; Bai E turned again and struck towards his rear. Unexpectedly, the empty hand he swung was suddenly entwined by a warm body. He felt sharp ws scraping the unknown fabric of hisbat uniform and the gnashing teeth on his arm, eager to tear away a chunk of flesh. Yet the toughness of his muscles and the fabric of his uniform frustrated the beast''s intentions, leaving only a not-too-serious pain transmitted to Bai E''s senses. The mere act of biting and tearing wasn''t much concern; what really constrained him was the weight of the wolf, nearly half the size of a human. Flipping his de around, Bai E chopped at the wolf which had ensnared his left arm with its forelimbs and fangs. The sharp saber cut through the animal''s tough fur but struggled to inflict significant damage; at least Bai E did not feel the de prate deeply. The de wasn''t dealing high damage? In a swift motion, Bai E turned his de to stab downward, aiming for where he anticipated the wolf''s belly and thrust harshly. In pain, the wild wolf instantly released its fangs and leaped backward. Discover exclusive content at empire However, the coordination among the wolf pack during a hunt was unimaginably tacit, leaving Bai E no time to process his move before a wolf''s jaws fiercely mped on his right forearm, the one holding the knife. They knew the danger of the knife Bai E held in his right hand, a terrifying weapon fashioned by humanoid apes, posing the greatest threat to them. Once they controlled the knife-wielding limb, the humanoid ape''s offensive capabilities would be greatly reduced. Pressing down on the wolf''s head, Bai E kicked its soft belly. With the activation of various special attributes from his Level 4 Combat Specialization, even without much space to wield force, he could still unleash an attack with a certain degree of strength using any part of his body. The wolf, in agony, unconsciously released its bite with a pained howl. In theplex fight, noises surrounded him on all sides, creating a situation far more challenging to discernplete information than the environment he encountered in the sewers that day. The wild wolves weren''t very strong, and six was not arge number, but for Bai E who couldn''t rely on his eyes for information, it was a challenge neither too big nor too small. Arms, thighs¡­ the wolves attacked from all directions in their attempts to restrict Bai E''s movements, but he resolved each assault in turn. The sharp ws and fangs struggled against the protection of thebat suit, unable to cause substantial harm, and on the rare asion that the tusks did genuinely pierce through the suit, Bai E''s "Tough Skin" trait meant they still couldn''t taste blood. Pain was inevitable. But like the pain felt in an underground fighting ring, it didn''t cause Bai E to lose his reason. Instead, it brought him into a certain icy furor. Seizing the fur of another wild wolf that lunged at him, Bai E heaved its body and smashed it towards another encroaching wolf. The military knife had been returned to his waistband early on. It was of no use to him. The somewhat heavy military knife, categorized as a light weapon, did not inherit the strength directly from the Combat Specialization Layer like when a dagger was used. With only the feedback of 99/100 expertise points from the yer and not even unlocking a Level 1 specializationyer, it was truly cumbersome to use for killing enemies, even less convenient than bare hands. Bai E had no intention of significantly developing this specialization. Light weapons were typically suited for dealing with small creatures or fellow humans, but they proved to be of little use against the bugs or those machine intelligences and orcs he had yet to encounter. Training to improve them was one thing, but he couldn''t afford to invest experience points to boost that specialization. For now, it was a better choice to cripple the wolf pack with his fists before using the military knife to finish them off. Without the knife, Bai E''s movements became even more agile. After grabbing one wolf and mming it onto another, he loosened his grip and again pressed down on the charging wolf''s head. The wild wolf sumbed to his brute force, and as Bai E knelt down and gathered the strength in his fist, he smashed down on its spine. "Crack!" The wolf''s body was mmed into the ground, and with one stab, the de twisted into its flesh, spilling guts and blood all over. [Sessful close-range attack has rendered the target incapacitated, Combat Mastery experience +5. (Cumtive)] [Sessful critical hit on the target, Light Weapon Mastery experience +3.] [Acquired "Level 1 Light Weapon Specialization", concurrently earning 1 Potential Point.] [Light Weapon Specialization (Level 1): Attack speed +12%, Armor Pration +1%.] [Current Light Weapon Mastery experience 2/300. On reaching 300 points, "Level 2 Light Weapon Specialization" can be mastered.] [Critical hit on target, dealing 27 piercing damage!] He casually pulled out the de and flung it away. Having be ustomed to battling in "Dark Environments", the improvements in his abilities were not limited to information gathering, but more crucially, the confidence stemming from hisfort with the darkness. "Awoo!" The wolf that was struck squarely by the de let out a painful howl. Kill! ¡­ [Sessful critical hit on the target, Light Weapon Mastery experience +12. (Cumtive)] [Critical hit on target, dealing 33 fatal damage!] [Target''s breathing ceases, all basic life signs lost.] [You have killed the target,bat has ended, 85bat experience points acquired. (Cumtive)] [You are attempting to familiarize yourself withbat in a "Dark Environment", and have sessfully gained "100bat experience points" through bat", enabling you to train the Blind Fighting specialization. Current progress 98/100.] As expected, his Blind Fighting progress had increased substantially. Pity it''s two points short... quite a rapid decay. It felt as if the depreciation was even quicker than when killing rats. Sure, the initial 20 points of experience per wolf were not insignificant, but the rate of decay was too high. Was this due to... his own current strength? Wiping away blood with his left hand, Bai E removed the ck cloth covering his eyes. His gaze swept over the scattered corpses and closely examined the wounds on their bodies before realizing just how wildly off-target his attacks had been¡­ His skills were stillcking. Continue! ¡­ [...Progress 107/100, you have sessfully unlocked the Blind Fighting specialization.] [Blind Fighting (Level 1): Perceptual performance (Auditory) in "Dark Environment" +1.] [You are attempting to familiarize yourself withbat in a "Dark Environment", and have sessfully gained "300bat experience points" through bat", eligible for upgrading the Blind Fighting specialization level. Current progress 7/300.] A specialization with levels? This was his first encounter with one. Bai E was brimming with joy, as the excitement in his eyes, hidden beneath the cloth, shone even brighter. Wild wolves? I''m sorry! Chapter 207 195 Delving Deep into the Cavern [... Progress 85/300.] ... [... Progress 143/300.] In the dead of night, a figure reeking of blood roamed alone through the ck Forest. The thick scent of blood carried far on the wind, drawing wolf packs without the need for him to seek them out actively. Their numbers steadily increased. [... Progress 229/300.] [Sessful close-quarters attack rendered the target incapable of moving, Combat Mastery Experience +21.] (umted) [Sessfully struck vital points on the target, Light Weapon Mastery Experience +18.] (umted) But the experience points were diminishing. "Hurrhurr~" Perhaps the scent of their own kind''s blood alerted the newly arrived wolves to danger, and this batch didn''t attack directly. With one leg stretched out and one bent at the knee, Bai E sat on a fallen dry log, the cloth that covered his eyes never once removed. At the approach of another wolf pack, he merely twitched his ears. One... two... three... The rustle of footsteps, the panting of the chase... every unnatural sound was a variation. At least... twenty of them. "Click~" Bai E gently undid the leather buckle at his waist. He nned to make it quick. Thest wave, even if each one only provided an average of 4 points of experience, would be more than enough. After this fight, he would go back and rest. It wasn''t that Bai E was content with just reaching level 2 in Blind Fighting; it was simply that the wolves here were not enough to train his Blind Fighting skill to a higher level. Not to mention whether he could easily find another wolf pack afterwards was debatable, there wasn''t much time left this evening, and he had to set out early the next day... Thergest of the wolves, resembling a Wolf King, approached Bai E aggressively, its eyes filled with a lethal glint as they fixed on the figure bathed in the blood of their kin. It had a scar slicing through its right eye, a wound left by a human, and it remembered forever. "Bang!" [Gun Fighting Skill, activated!] Bai E fired the first shot. [... Progress 342/300, you have sessfully leveled up your specialty¡ªBlind Fighting to level 2.] [Blind Fighting (Level 2): "Dark Environment" Insight (Auditory) +2, Insight (Tactile) +1.] The effects were straightforward. Bai E took off the bandage, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene before him. Bullet-pierced branches and leaves scattered all around, mixed with sshes of torn flesh. The hit rate set a new low for Gun Fighting Skill, as relying solely on his ears to gather information made uracy terrifyingly low in aplex environment. He particrly surveyed the body of thergest wolf... an elite monster¡ªWolf King. The experience from the Wolf King was outrageously high, one exceeded a gang of othersbined. 50bat experience points! If it weren''t for the Wolf King''s sacrificial demise, he might have had to look for something else to kill.N?v(el)B\\jnn But fortunately, it wasn''t necessary. Taking advantage of the moon''s cover, Bai E slipped away lightly. After a night of ughtering wolves, the thick scent of blood was almost indelible. Before going back to the tent, Bai E entered themunal washroom to clean himself thoroughly inside and out. It took the slickest soap and the hardest wire ball to finally lessen the smell. He tiptoed into the tent andy down on the bed. It seemed that You, who was in deep sleep, suddenly turned over, mumbling words like those in a dream. "Get some sleep, we need to get up early tomorrow." "... Mhmm." ... [From the quest reward, your Insight +0.1.] [From the quest reward, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +42.] [From the quest reward, Light Weapon Mastery Experience +30.] ... [From the quest reward, your Reflexes +0.1.] [From the quest reward, Combat Mastery Experience +22.] ... [From the quest reward, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +152.] Bai E stretched himself and put on his full equipment. The two hundred arrows he requested for a covert missionst time werergely reusable after collection and patching; he didn''t need to prepare anything else. Sixteen people, two vehicles, Bai E''s junior squad was sadly scattered. Only junior squads can take in equally green recruits, a point that was considered during allocation, but sometimes this inexperience could be inconvenient. Song Ying and You took Bai E in one vehicle while Tiger and Big Mountain turned to enter the other. "Let''s go!" The road is long and obstructed. ``` The target location was about a ten-hour drive from the base, requiring passage through the city. As they brushed past the edge of the city, Bai E could see the towering city walls and the asional human settlements beyond them. In the gloomy world, this ck city stood miraculously, its longevity unknown. The three team leaders were in another vehicle, seemingly discussing the details. Someone in Bai E''s shaky carriage leaned in close and patted his shoulder, "Kid, a piece of advice, keep your mouth shut during missions. We''re all battle-hardened, nobody''s less thoughtful than you." Another soldier sitting up front chuckled and looked over, "Even if you do have important suggestions, it''s better to discuss them privately and let your team leader convey them. Blurting them out during nning is like pping our team leaders in the face. It''s not that our team leaders are petty; it''s about maintaining the necessary authority for leading a team. You better be careful about that." None of these men wore badges on their chests, indicating that they were all of natural human status. Bai E''s gaze swept across their faces, and he nodded in acknowledgment, "Understood." "In any case, we follow our team leader''s orders. Even if there''s a failure, it''s not on you, got it?" The soldier who had first reached out to Bai E patted his shoulder again, "Even if there''s a slip-up, we''ve got your back, little brother." "Thank you." Naturals varied, some were hostile towards artificial humans, while others didn''t care about that status¡ªor rather, it was more about a sense of natural nobility and superiority. Morals made them feel obliged to protect the weak. Good and bad people always existed in equal measure within any group. Bai E felt introspective but was still somewhat apprehensive about the unknowns of the mission ahead. The carriage rattled on. Blood God sat diagonally opposite, staring absentmindedly at the floor of the carriage, silent. ... The journey was unusually smooth. Enjoy new adventures from empire It was five thirty-six in the afternoon. The setting sun cast a sallow light, as misty as fog. It nted across the caves, casting bizarre, elongated shadows on the ground. The boundless wilderness was swept by fierce winds that howled through the oddly shaped caves like wild beasts, and the sand carried by the wind felt slightly abrasive against the skin. Destion, silence. That was the overwhelming sensation at the target location. The photos had hinted at it, but being at the site made one even more aware of the primitive unease brought on by the environment. "They live in a ce like this?" A soldier getting out of the vehicle surveyed the surroundings, trying to find traces of human habitation. "This area''s far from those major threats; it really is a good hiding spot." Using the city as a barrier and resting behind it did indeed seem like a good development area. But the soil was too barren to support many people; it might be a paradise for a few settlers... rtively speaking,pared to other parts of this world. The three team leaders seemed to have reached a decision on the strategy and their respective areas of responsibility and disembarked together from the side of the vehicle. Experienced soldiers effortlessly took some equipment out of the rear storagepartment. "Here, night vision goggles. You know how to use them, right?" [No.] But he could ask You and the others. Bai E took them and nodded, "No problem." "Kid, don''t be scared. If you run into danger, just shout. We''re here for you." A soldierughed heartily, apparently not taking the potential dangers of the mission too seriously. What haven''t these veterans seen? A bit of rxation helped when it counted most. Experienced soldiers quickly identified several cave entrances that seemed to be hideouts for the vagabonds through traces left in the environment. "Make sure to keepmunication open. Report any issue immediately!" The three teams spread out to act. Tiger, taking the lead with a st shield, stepped into a downward-sloping cave mouth. The twilight glow watched over them as they gradually disappeared into the darkness and sank with it. Within his own team, Bai E voiced his question, "Aren''t we waiting for daylight to move?" Tiger shook his head slightly, "We''ve discussed it; there''s no need. You''ve seen the photos¡ª even during the day, it''s pitch-ck inside. There''s no difference with night vision. Move quickly, we can handle the vagabonds tonight and set off early tomorrow morning." The return trip wouldn''t be as quick as the journey here. Moving two hundred people would surely be slower, and even without considering their physical condition, it would likely take two to three days on the road. Not encountering danger on the way didn''t mean it was safe on the way back. In this era, there was never a guarantee of absolute safety outdoors, so the less time spent out there, the safer it was. "Oh~" Bai E responded somberly. The world looked strange under night vision, everything enveloped in ayer of dim green light. He needed to adapt. Thinking Bai E was nervous because it was his first time with them on such a mission, Big Mountain cheerfullyforted him, "Don''t worry; You is here. She''ll spot any traps the vagabonds have set up." You, leading the way in risk assessment, was as vignt as a little cat. The delicate touch unique to female artificial humans showed in various aspects andplemented male temtes. The group moved deeper into the cave, the path became winding and descended underground. The light from the outside world could not prate the bends, leaving vision beyond the night goggles in utter darkness. Theplete darkness dampened the mood for conversation. Amidst the silent sound of footsteps, the howls of the wild winds above the wastnd seemed especially eerie. "No traps..." You took the lead, her clear, cold voice echoing with confusion. ``` Chapter 208 196 Exploration and Doubts "Traces of humanoid creatures..." "No feces or scent left byrge wild beasts..." "No traps..." Based on the discoveries made so far, which were not too deep into the area, You made her current judgment. "Perhaps traps areid a bit deeper inside?" "Or perhaps this isn''t their primary living space?" The cavernous terrain covered a vast area, and the scouts who had explored previously had only spected about the rough living range of those migrants through scattered clues. If the scouts had made a mistake or if their presence had rmed the migrants, causing them to move, it couldn''t be certain. You frowned, having her judgment, "Even without signs of traps being set, if it were to guard against wild beasts from the wilderness, there would already be traces. cing them too close to their dwelling would also risk idental injuries. Maybe... we are going in the wrong direction." Those migrants didn''t dwell in the areas that their current exploration pathway could reach, so naturally, there was no need toy traps along this passageway. As for the sparse humanoid traces she had found... they couldn''t be taken as solid evidence. Thework of caves and tunnels here was extensive; it was quite possible for some passages to be less frequently traversed by people. Song Ying looked towards Tiger and asked softly, "Captain?" After pondering for a moment, Tiger made a decision, "Continue exploring a bit further." The distance they had entered wasn''t far; the discoveries at this time couldn''t serve as definitive evidence for a judgment. If they reported this, the members of the other two squads wouldn''t ept it; instead, it would make the already somewhat awkward situation even more embarrassing. Since there were signs of human activity, it meant the intelligence on the migrants in this area was generally correct. Even if they had changed their residence due to the disturbance from the previous scouts, it was necessary to locate and confirm their original dwelling ce. The clues in the tunnels could only prove limited things, but the actual living site could yield more useful information, including the number of people, living standards, and so on. In this era, firstly the technological level was limited, and secondly, human life was cheap; information explored through human efforts often relied on bravery and physical endurance. "Okay." You nodded gently and continued to clear the way ahead. The team proceeded as quietly as possible, not making any unnecessary noise. Silence ensured that everyone was able to acutely perceive everything in their environment. To listen to the wind that sounded like wailing ghosts and howling wolves, to listen to the rustling footsteps constrained by the limited vision, to listen to one''s own heartbeat that felt like the only thing left in the world, to listen to... the fear thates from the primal darkness. ''Why do I feel a bit creeped out...'' Big Mountain rubbed his hands together and looked over his teammates. For some reason, even though everyone was moving together and the physical distance hadn''t changed, he always felt his teammates were drifting further away from him. Further and further away... Further and further away... So far that his breathing became slow and drawn out, so far that each blink of his eyes felt extremely heavy, so far that voices stretched into several sybles to the point of distortion, so far that his heart seemed to forget how to beat. He felt like an unfortunate swimmer who had drowned, watching hispanions who were still afloat on the surface, silently sinking down to the seabed... "..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to break the panic-inducing sensation. But he couldn''t make a sound. It was unclear whether it was reason preventing him from making noise, fearing that his own noise might disturb or mask potential information or dangers in the darkness; Or whether it was emotion suppressing his body''s instincts, stopping him from using his mouth and vocal cords. He could only watch as he drifted further and further away from his teammates, slowly being submerged into the darkness... "Beep beep beep~" A series of signals suddenly came through the earpiece. Even when there was no need to share essential information, everyone would press a button at regr intervals to signal to their teammates that they were alright. The sudden noise made Big Mountain''s body tremble violently, and the feelings he had just experienced retreated like a tide. Regaining his senses, Big Mountain felt his back drenched in sweat, not realizing when his cotton undershirt had been soaked through. Raising his hand to press a button on the side of his earpiece, Big Mountain also signaled that he hadn''t encountered any abnormalities. Turning to look at his teammates, everyone seemed to be fine. Did he not sleep wellst night? Big Mountain shook his head as if to shake off the sinking sensation he had felt, as if to cast it off along with the motion. "Look over there..." You, who was leading the way, whispered, made room by stepping aside, and stopped in her tracks. As everyone caught up and peeked, an underground cavern that suddenly broadened in their field of vision appeared before them, evident through their green-tinted night vision devices. Tiny spots of an even more luminescent green dotted the entire inner wall of the underground cavern, making the sight in their vision as splendid as a starry sky. "Is this... some kind of fungus?" "Cultivated by humans, it''s either food or a weapon..." They were either exploiting the natural toxins in these materials as traps or weapons or the fungi were edible... The migrants living in such a ce, without normal conditions for cultivating crops or synthesized food production lines that could utilize proteins, starches, and the like, only had the option to grow such things as a source of sustenance. ``` Everyone tended to agree with thetter. Wearing gloves, You carefully picked a mushroom and examined it closely. After a moment, she matched the target species with the "Encyclopedia As" recorded in her mind, "vor-heart Mushroom, edible between 23 and 60 days of growth, containing mild hallucinogenic toxins, mild addictiveness if consumed over a long period. The toxicity gradually increases and it starts to lignify after 60 days of growth..." After crouching down and observing for a while, You confirmed, "These vor-heart Mushrooms are basically about thirty days old, they probably haven''te to harvest them yet." Zhou, with his arms crossed, hadpletely recovered from the "illusion" he had just experienced, "But this patch of vor-heart Mushrooms wouldn''t be enough to sustain those two hundred people mentioned in the intelligence reports..." "There must be more than one ntation..." You looked around and said, "The growing conditions for vor-heart Mushrooms are very low, they must have nted a lot. If we keep moving forward, we should see more." "Let''s go, keep moving forward." With a somewhat exhrated tone, Tiger expressed that finding human-cultivated food also meant that at least part of their prior intelligence was correct.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om As expected, several nearly adjacent caves were found to containrge swathes of vor-heart Mushrooms, brilliant as the stars. "They''re here!" You stated confidently. In the absence of any guards In the absence of any guards, such a ntation could easily be ravaged and eaten by various wild animals. The cultivated area couldn''t possibly be too far from the real dwelling ce of the refugees, or even if they were moving, they wouldn''t leave so many vor-heart Mushrooms unharvested. "They haven''t left." "Good!" Tiger nodded in agreement, fully trusting his team member''s judgment, and then speaking into the microphone said, "This is Team A97, we have discovered their ntation, repeat, we have found their ntation." As Tiger reported their findings to the other two teams, You was still looking in the direction they hade from, continuing to doubt to herself, "But why are there no traps?" Surviving in the wilderness, using traps for warnings and defense is a basic requirement, the refugees couldn''t possibly be unaware of this. This wasn''t something that could be easily exined by whether the city dwellers had hostile intentions or not. Unless... they''re not afraid? Come to think of it, since arriving at this underground nest, they really hadn''t encountered any small wild animals. It seemed that the entire cave system was unnaturally quiet. Bai E, closest to You, heard her muttering to herself. "Did you find a problem?" "There shouldn''t be an absence of traps..." You said softly, expressing the doubt circling in her mind. "Zzzzt¡ª" After some static, the familiar voice of another team leader came through, "Howrge is the scale, approximately how much can it supply for daily consumption?" Inwardly calcting, Song Ying quietly reminded Tiger at his side, "Probably just over a hundred people." Tiger nodded and responded, "Based on what we''ve found so far, it''s enough to support the daily consumption of about a hundred people." "Understood..." "Zzzzt¡ª" Another voice joined the conversation, "We''ve found some too, and it''s not small... wait, we think we''ve seen someone. He''s running! Chase!" Suddenly, the voice became chaotic, hurried breathing momentarily dominated the conversation. While two teams continued their exploration, they awaited the oue on the other side. Only until themotioning through the open mic subsided did the waiting team leader calmly ask, "Did you catch him?" "He got away..." After regaining someposure, the voice responded steadily, "There are too many branching paths here, we''re not familiar with the environment, and he lost us after a few turns." Team Leader 1 fell silent for a moment, seemingly contemting the next move, before finally saying, "Continue moving forward to explore. Since we''ve found the ntations, the target group can''t be far. Our side... has found them too." It might be a scalerger than two hundred people. Everyone understood the implications of that statement. "Received." "Received." Tiger and Team Leader 2 responded softly and then muted their mics. "Continue the exploration." Tiger looked at his teammates and waved them forward. Walking on the rugged terrain, the group once again fell silent as they moved forward. Since a squad had seen a figure, it meant they were heading in the right direction. Besides being wary of possible attacks from the refugees, they also had to be careful not to startle them. If only they had been a bit quieter and closer, could they have caught him? Capturing one would likely lead to finding the main body of the refugees effortlessly, providedmunication was possible. But... "There are so many forks in the path." "We have the same situation here." Tiger reported seriously, pressing his earpiece. In front of them, several dark tunnel mouths resembled the gullets of beasts, waiting for them to step inside voluntarily. "Let''s split up to explore, two people per group." Team Leader 1 was somewhat aggressive. He believed in the individualbat abilities of his team members, "As for you... do as you see fit." ``` Chapter 209 197 has fallen! "Captain?" Tiger fell silent for a moment, looking towards You, "Any clues?" "There are traces of human activity." After a brief silence, everyone was waiting for Tiger''s decision. For some reason, Dashan felt his palms beginning to sweat, as if he were waiting for a judgment. He hoped everyone would stay together, but he couldn''t bring himself to voice his fears, worried it might influence Tiger''s judgment. After a long silence, recalling the advice he had secretly received from his instructor and Sniper God Carlos, Tiger still decided to err on the side of caution, "We''ll stick together." Efficiency could be sacrificed; ensuring the safety of the team and the sess of the mission was the primary concern. "Phew," Dashan let out a breath, feeling much more rxed. Just now, that hallucination-like "imagination" always made his heart feel as if it were being held by an invisible hand, unable to settle, nor to break free. A sense of faint unease echoed in his chest, only dispersible by the warm strength of his teammates when they were by his side. "Let''s go." The team once again plunged into as quiet an exploration as possible. The finely ground special sand falling from the sand-timer-like device clipped to the waist of Dashan at the rear left a clear trail in the night vision goggles, so everyone knew the path they had taken to avoid getting lost. Everyone still tried to minimize any noise they made, their stealth skillsing into y once more. Bai E''s footsteps were so light they were almost imperceptible, with You and Song Ying not far behind. Only Tiger''s footsteps were slightly heavier, but they too could not provide a sense of reassuring power. It''sing... It''s here again... That feeling... it''s back again... Dashan felt his breathing bing difficult, his teammates ahead increasing their pace, while his own legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. He desperately wanted to pick up the pace and catch up, but he couldn''t move quickly. He reached out, yet he couldn''t touch the back of his teammate. Wishing to shout, something seemed to block his mouth and vocal cords, resulting in only a silent gaping. "Thump~" "Thump~" The spiritual world was dark and ethereal, the sound of his own heartbeat magnified infinitely in his mind. Faster and faster... Faster and faster... The howling winds above swept across thend, stirring up ghostly wails. The world before him expanded away, while he felt like an insignificant grain of sand in the endless darkness, losing his color, his character, his will, losing... everything. He was about to merge eternally into this expanse... of darkness. "Szzzz~" Static suddenly erupted in thems, Dashan waiting with bated breath for salvation, only to hear a long scream. "Ahhh~~~~" "Save... *click~" In a consciousness stream that seemed to flow slower, allowing him to hear every nuance of each byte, the screams of other team members yed out slowly in his mind. This cry from his teammatepletely shattered hisst line of defense. The moment the scream sounded, he felt every nerve in his brain being plucked one by one. His crown felt as if it had been blown off, sending chills directly through him. A tremor that reached deep into his soul invaded his entire body, leaving him feeling electrocuted. He stretched out his hand desperately, seeking salvation from his teammates. In his field of vision... His teammates... all stood still. ... "Woo~" The wind over the wilderness never ceased. In the cramped passageway, it was as quiet as one''s own breathing, every light rustling of footsteps felt as if they were directly on one''s heart, causing it to tremble ceaselessly. If the noise from any step became slightly louder, it felt as if some taboomandment had been vited, instilling unease. Bai E, slightly distracted as he walked, blinked his eyes as if he had a premonition of the scream that was about toe through the headset. "Ah!" "Save... *click~" Something''s gone wrong! Bai E jolted alert from a semi-lucid state. It was from another squad; he instinctively turned to look at his teammates. But he found that everyone maintained a strange "in-progress action": Tiger''s body rigidly extended forward in a half-step, his foot lingering in mid-air as if frozen into a statue. Song Ying was holding his machine gun as if ready for battle, but likewise, he was stuck in ce. Lagging behind, Dashan reached out like a drowning victim in a weird semi-floating posture, desperately trying to touch what was in front, his longest middle finger stopping just three centimeters shy of Song Ying''s back. And You, just half a step in front... Suddenly, a gloved small hand was thrust into Bai E''s own, a pained and soft voice intermittently piercing into Bai E''s ear. "Quick... run..." "You?" Bai E shook the hand that had been ced in his, and along with it, You''s entire arm also moved slightly. However, his stiff body was likewise frozen in eternity. Teammates... were all immobile. The voicems, too, fell silent. No one questioned therade who had just screamed. Everyone was engulfed in a deathly silence. They... were all motionless. They had fallen... In just an instant, a piercing cold swept up from Bai E''s heels, climbing up his entire back. All the pores on his body contracted, his hairs standing on end. "Woo~" The only sound was the howling of the wind above. It was like the death cry of a beast¡ªor the sob of humans in despair. What''s happened! What''s happened! Bai E clenched his teeth tightly to ensure he wouldn''t tremble from the fear in his body. His mind was nketed in darkness, Bai E having no time to analyze the situation or make decisions. This can''t go on! Self-control... where is my self-control? Realizing he had not yet fallen like the others, Bai E struggled to remember his trump card. Fear''s agents chaotically surged within, self-restraint like soldiers arresting bandits throughout the city, but the fear only multiplied¡­ more and more¡­ It was as if it poured into the crown of his head from the air, the boundless darkness flooding his body along with the fear, seeking topletely bury him. "p! p!" Bai E fiercely pped himself twice, the pain bringing a momentary lucidity to his senses. He couldn''t stay here! Get out! Carlos was right, as long as you don''t die, collecting intelligence and returning is also a way ofpleting the mission. There''s something wrong with this Refugee Slum! Something wrong! It''s problematic! He scooped up You''s light yet rigid body around his waist, his left hand trying to lift the close-by body of Ying. However, the muscles, acidified from fear, suddenly gave out, and the two bodies he managed to lift fell to the ground in an instant.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He couldn''t carry them¡­ Just run¡­ Leave this ce¡­ Get out of this cave! The disappearance of several previous recon soldiers was not a careless ident, this ce¡­ harbored perils beyondmon imagination! Bring back the intel! Bring back the intel! Short, recurrent thoughts looped in Bai E''s temporarily stalled mind. Run! The path he followed showed a clear guide under the night vision goggles. He couldn''t care about hiding, couldn''t care about the noise, the only consideration was to leave the cave as fast as possible. The mask of the night vision goggles trapped his heavy breathing, the hot vapor covering his face. Running away¡­ Was also an escape. The darkness grew ever denser, Bai E''s consciousness filled with the pounding heartbeat and heavy breathing. "Thump! Thump!" It was as if an unknown primeval beast stalked him from behind, the closer Bai E got to the cave entrance, the smaller he felt inparison to the entire world. Massive stones and the very earth seemed like bindings pressing down on him, leaving him gasping for air. "Hiss~" Bai E''s foot slipped on stepping out of the Wind Erosion Cave tunnel, almost causing him to fall. Staggering to his feet, he sprinted to the vehicle parked not far away. Opened the car door¡­ turned on the ignition¡­ Bai E, performing all these actions, could only feel his hands shaking continuously, the unspeakable fear eroding his heart at all times. At some point, the hand steadying the steering wheel suddenly paused. Bai E slowly raised his head, staring nkly into the dimly lit night sky¡ª In the boundless wilderness, the rocks of bizarre shapes outlined monstrous and distorted figures under the ck shadows. Natural wind caves yed a primitive roar for the ordinarily silent gale. His thoughts, as if his soul had left his body, soared quickly from in front of him into the boundless sky. The earth seemed to grow more and more distant before his eyes, his small body like a drop in the ocean. "Thump~" "Thump~" In the quiet, Bai E heard his heartbeat slowly calming down. A seed of fear had taken root deep within his heart without him knowing when. Escape? Go ahead and flee. You can escape from the present, but not from within. Once the seed is sown, all acts of escapism be the best nourishment for fear. Perhaps on the road¡­ Or maybe back at camp¡­ In the future¡­ perhaps tomorrow¡­ maybe when waking up the next morning¡­ He would regret why he abandoned everything because of the unknown fear. Escaping? [Under your firm will, you have sessfully passed a "mental check".] [You have sessfully passed a check in the field of ultism, ult +0.1.] Only when his self-consciousness awakened from the endless fear did the sess notification quietly pop up on the panel. This passive confrontation could happen at any moment, and the notifications on the panel could not be taken as a preventative source of information. Bai E lifted his head, his gaze empty as he looked ahead. In the silent darkness, it seemed as if a pair of malicious eyes had formed, quietly watching him with amusement¡­ Fear was not entirely his own. In that brief instant just now, Bai E sensed the fear imposed on him by other wills¡ª A group of ragged refugees, with dry and hardened sticks in hand, struggled to climb to the top of one of the Wind Erosion Caves. The deste gray wilderness stretched to the horizon like a backdrop in front of them. The city''s glow couldn''t shine into the wilds¡­ It was as if the glow deliberately drove these gray figures out of their borders. With such a vast world, there was nowhere for them to go. What about the future? What about life? Every child who fell asleep in the dark caves with the whisper of the wind had swallowed bewilderment and fear along with the cold and hunger. The demon that germinated from fear had already shown its fangs, reaching its roots into the hearts of every living being that came here. The farther you flee onnd, the more the seed blossoms. Physical escape was meaningless if one could not face it head-on, as no matter where one went, one would ultimately sumb. "Huff~" Bai E exhaled gently, as if expelling all fear from within with that breath. Turned off the engine, got out of the car, closed the door. Bai E slowlypleted these actions, taking steps towards whaty ahead¡­ The unknown cave awaited quietly in the darkness. To be a fool who challenges the windmill. Rashness, closer to courage than caution¡­ Chapter 210 198 Facing Fear "This is 95B27, this is 95B27. If you hear me, please respond. If you hear me, please respond." Bai E pressed his earpiece, his voice echoing in lonely resonance. In his own ears, and possibly in every corner of the passages. No response. Everyone was silent, sinking into silence, or waiting for possible rescue. Bai E closed the channel and sighed softly. The dark dungeon remained fearsome¡ªevery unwatched corner seemed like a writhing shadow, brewing malice in the dark. Courage couldn''t always inspire Bai E''s body; the bewildered fear of the caverns invaded his body at all times. But Bai E, not immediately overwhelmed by fear, was trying to fight against this feeling. Once he bravely took the first step in resistance, mere emotions could no longer depress his will. Mere drifters were not the enemy; the true threat loomed over them. Who exactly? He didn''t know. But going deeper might reveal the answer. The same journey, but without his teammates by his side. Those who had said they could be relied on in an emergency had long since fallen silent. However, precisely because of the solitude... because there were no teammates to depend on, he had be stronger. This time it wasn''t about redemption for anyone else, but solely about his own redemption. The target was his own heart. Seedlings apanied his heartbeat and spread throughout his body with his blood; Bai E could feel those evil tendrils taking root and sprouting within him. They wanted to feed on fear, topletely corrupt him into bing their servant. Let''s see then... Let''s see whether you make me kneel, or whether I will overthrow your reign. Bai E moved swiftly, even more familiar with the route he had already traversed, the characteristic sand on the ground forming a clear path under night vision. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Suddenly, at a fork with many cave mouths, Bai E heard echoesing from one of the tunnels. Gunshots! Teammates who had lost their ability tomunicate? Or those drifters? "Bang!" Another short gunshot echoed, then fell silent. A simple emotional outburst, or a sh between two forces? Bai E''s eyes flickered, and he opened the pathfinder hourss also at his waist. Then he cautiously stepped into the passage from which the gunshots hade. There was no need to deal with the safety of his teammates for the moment; what the other side needed was the emotion of fear itself, and only living creatures could provide fear. Even if he took their bodies away, it wouldn''t help; their hearts... had already been linked to some strange existence. Only by facing fear could he save himself. And only by defeating fear could he resolve it all. Before discovering the truth, every unexpected finding could be a small part of the truth. The passage was pitch-ck, but the night vision goggles provided a certain degree of visible field. However, the view was filled with winding, twisting underground passages, with endless obstacles blocking the view, one couldn''t even see things beyond three meters. Only the sound could... As Bai E stepped into the passage, sounds that were not as obvious as the gunshots but just as discernible in the quiet began to grow clearer. "Bang!" "Bang!" Irregr thuds and vibrations like a hammer smashing a wall resounded, apanied by... screams. "Ahh!" "Help..." "He''s gone mad..." "Bang!" As Bai E rounded a corner, two bodies appeared in the night vision. The soldier pinned to the wall was dripping a thick mixture of saliva and blood from his mouth, his body hung on the irregr protrusions of the wall like a piece of rotten meat, his entire form mashed t against the rugged surface. Only his head seemed to retain itsplete structure, issuing a final warning with a whisper-thin voice. "He... has gone mad..." He... It was the Blood God. The massive Blood God turned his head to look over, his blood-red eyes especially sinister through the night vision goggles¡ªthe terrifying glow piercing through the slightly distorted view and keenly perceived by Bai E. His muscles swelled, the violent, bloody aura almost filling the cramped space. "What are you doing!" Bai E held his gun with both hands, questioning coldly. The bloodthirsty Blood God pointed to the mangled body on the wall, a smile flickering across his face, "He no longer deserves to be a soldier of the empire, offering his strength to demons; only death can redeem him!" "Demons?" Bai E squinted his eyes. "Can''t you smell it? The scent of demons in the air?" said the Blood God, pausing suddenly in mid-speech, as if waking from his intoxicated expression to look at Bai E, "Oh right... you can''t smell it. You''re not like them; you haven''t be a part of the demon."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He extended a bloody hand, "Join me, and together we''ll cut through this den of sin." "And what about you?" Bai E stepped back unobtrusively. Atop the Blood God''s head, his identity now shone brightly¡ª [95A09/Blood God (Human) (Chaotic) (Elite)¡ª¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to kill may drop: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*2400, Battle Experience 3500 points, Gaze: Blood''s Stare); High Probability (Trait: Regenerative Blood, Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, not to exceed level 6, Mastery: Agility Weapon Specialization Layer +1, not to exceed level 6); Possible (Skill: Extreme Pain Suppression, Feat: Fury''s Surge).] Even without the disy of drop rates, Bai E could tell from his performance that his current state was far from normal. He had been on a mission with the Blood God before; the towering figure only fought in silence, dutifully carrying out his superior''s orders, showing not the slightest hint of the... madness, the arrogance he was disying now. When did the change begin? A covert mission? The return journey? Or was it right now? Fear had plunged his teammates into a dark tremor, yet this most formidable warrior used arrogance to mask his fear? A demon? "They haven''t be part of a demon¡­" They had only been temporarily invaded by a demon. Bai E raised his guns, the dark muzzles aiming at the head of the Blood God. "The real demon incarnate... is yourself!" "Bang! Bang! Bang!" Machine guns are ill-suited for confined tunnels; the sound of the pistol''s gunfire bounced futilely within the underground channel. At the first sign of Bai E''s attack, the Blood God''s colossal body easily retreated, exploiting the terrain to dodge the bullets. Within seven steps, a gun is quicker. But in the cave''s environment... there were no clear paths of seven steps. Darkness, silence. Taking advantage of theplex passages to retreat easily, Bai E lost sight of the Blood God after advancing just two steps. The soldier''s faint groans reached his ears, and Bai E, unable to bear the sight, turned his gun toward the soldier''s head instead. "Bang! Bang!" After two shots rang out, Bai E tightened his grip on the gun handle and chased through the tunnel from which the Blood God had fled. A demon? Let it be a demon! It was just as he had anticipated before his departure. Suffering is the perfect breeding ground for demonic beliefs; it''s a reluctant choice for wilderness refugees with nowhere to turn. It''s just that he didn''t know... the background of this demon. The four major demons You had introduced were simply the foremost among higher-dimensional demons; even the cluelessmoners might have heard of their notoriety. But below the four Demon Gods, countless greater demons and lesser demons exist. All extreme emotions of all sentient beings are capable of coalescing in higher-dimensional space, potentially giving rise to specific demons. So could this demon be the one that rules over fear? Having such a multitude of people''s mental "worship," Bai E did not know whether the demon could incarnate in true form, nor was he overly familiar with the field of demonology. What was clear was that the Blood God had already caught a demon''s attention, bing Its chosen one. Striking down the chosen one is also a way to weaken the demon''s power. Perhaps by killing the Blood God, the chosen disciple of the demon, he could diminish the power of the current demon, thereby lessening Its control over You and the others. It was both a rescue for his teammates and a redemption for himself. The battle that didn''t happen in the arena that night could be settled right now. The only oddity was... why would the Blood God, the chosen disciple, invite him to y his way through this nest? Is it some kind of way to elevate oneself? Or is it inherent to the demon''s nature? Or perhaps, is it just a lie to lower one''s guard? But none of that matters. Many things in this world are chaotic and unknown, but battle never deceives. While many things are shrouded in mystery, in the end, they still lead to an inevitable fight. Gun in right hand, left holding a dagger pressed under the gun handle, Bai E remained on high alert while he ventured into the dark corridor. Each winding turn in the tunnel might be an opportunity for the Blood God tounch a sudden attack. Even though the enemy had temporarily retreated, he clearly wouldn''t give up on finding him. In this dark andplexbyrinth of tunnels, hunter and prey hunt each other, with roles possibly reversing at any moment. "Click~" Bai E, whose vision was limited due to night-vision goggles, kicked something squishy without noticing it right away until he looked down to inspect. Night-vision goggles? Theyy quietly on the ground, looking somewhat distorted at the lenses. Did they belong to the soldier who had just died? After the sudden assault, losing this device may have been what caused him to bepletely outmatched by the Blood God. However... why haven''t the soldier attacked by the Blood God turned into an immobile "stone sculpture" like You and the others? Perhaps that was exactly why he had attracted the Blood God''s attention and was specifically targeted. But why didn''t he respond to Bai E over the voicems? Bai E narrowed his eyes, burying these suspect thoughts deep in his heart, awaiting the final revtion. Shifting his gaze, Bai E continued to move carefully forward. As he walked, Bai E could feel his limbs trembling slightly. With self-control imposed, forcibly-induced fear no longer caused Bai E''s will to falter, but the omnipresent spirit of fear still stirred the seed of fear within. It circumvented his will and deceived his own body. Trembling, weakening... It was inevitable. Chapter 211 199 Absolute Defense ``` Cautiously turning a corner, the dagger shielded the pistol as it turned. Shadows assaulted in an instant, and Bai E subconsciously pulled the trigger. "Bang!" Before he could fire, the muzzle was already twisted upwards, the discharged bullet ultimately could only hit the rocks at the ceiling. Sparks shed past. "You ant, you''ve already lost to me once, how dare you chase after me!" the Blood God, pressing down hard on Bai E''s wrist, bared his white teeth. Bai E, with his hands pinned down, gritted his teeth as he struggled against his opponent. However, an external fear prated his marrow, to the extent that his muscles involuntarily soured and he was easily disarmed of his pistol and dagger. The Blood God, who nonchntly flung aside both weapons, didn''t bother to use them but instead, with a burst of fury, headbutted Bai E right in front of him. "Thud!" Bai E''s vision blurred for a moment as he staggered back two steps, and even the Blood God, standing still, seemed a bit groggy as he shook his head. He hadn''t expected that the body of this opponent, whom he had brutally beaten once, would prove to be so formidable... But this was even better, the Blood God clenched his fist, eyes glowing red as blood. "Let''s see how much you''ve improved during this time!" Bai E didn''t make a sound, only adjusting the night-vision goggles on his face. The lenses had skewed from the impact of the headbutt, instantly limiting his field of view. Bai E, having straightened his night-vision goggles, stared silently at therge man towering over him by an entire circle. Once he entered a truebat state, his blood visibly began to surge within him, as if his muscles were receiving courage where his blood flowed. The limp and sour sensation was retreating from every corner of his body, and a genuine fighting spirit began to resist the omnipresent fear dwelling in the cave. Shaking his wrists, Bai E hopped lightly on the spot a couple of times. His body was gradually recovering itsbat state, undoubtedly good news. Facing fear head-on was indeed the only way to eradicate that seed. Weapons? He hadn''t nned on relying on weapons to defeat this enemy in the first ce. The environment inside this cave wasn''t suited for the full use of weapons, though the agile dagger mighte in handy. But since his opponent had already issued a bare-handed invitation, he would not shy away from battle.N?v(el)B\\jnn With blood circting warmly, his body grew increasingly excited, Bai E''s will ignited as he looked at the Blood God with burning intensity. "You know? I''ve been waiting for this day for a long time..." His voice trembled with excitement. Since the day he had been brutalized by his opponent, since he''d been beaten to the ground with almost no ability to resist... Bai E never told anyone that he was a person with a strongpetitive spirit. Whatever had caused him to fail before, he always aimed to snatch victory back in the same fashion. He had been waiting for a formal battle with the Blood God, be it just for practice, whether in the barracks or the arena. But surprises alwayse unexpectedly. Right here inside this cave, during this mission. "I don''t know why you''ve be what you are now, I don''t know if you can repent, and I guess you won''t exin it to me..." But right now, we are in a fight to the death. "I''ll use all my strength to incapacitate you, and after that... I''ll ask you one more time, why!" As his words fell, Bai E rushed forward, his Overlimit Drive bursting forth with full force. "Bang!" Body blocks resonated dully in the narrow cave corridor. [Triggering Sparring Mode...] There was no space to dodge, only head-on, tough confrontations. Avoiding direct blows to vital areas was the fullest extent of dodging either could achieve. Fist met flesh directly, and one would reduce damage by blocking sessfully, or else brace for impact with their body. Their fists flew like the wind, blocking and counterattacking almost every moment. Without the tough skin obtained from cultivation, Bai E likely wouldn''t be able to sustain such high-intensity endurance in this hard confrontation, as rapid recovery was not fast enough for such intense attrition. Knowing he was outssed in his level of Combat Specialization, Bai E went all out from the start. Rapid-fire strikes. Fists, feet, elbows, and kneesbined, the onught was fierce and dense like a storm. Yet the Blood God''s fists were also incredibly heavy, matching the powered-up Bai E in strength, his force periodically disrupting Bai E''s offensive rhythm. Fortunately, the drastically increased level of Combat Specialization and its numerous special attributes had an immediate effect. Unlike their previous sh where Bai E was easily overpowered, this time, the fight initially seemed evenly matched. [Using closebat to engage in rapid offense and defense with the target, Combat Mastery experience +13.] (Stacked) "Bang!" Caught off guard, Bai E broke through the defense andnded a punch on the Blood God''s chest. The pain in his body intensified the red light in the Blood God''s eyes, and his strength surged momentarily. His palm moved like lightning to grab Bai E''s right fist, and as Bai E struggled to break free, the Blood God''s other fist smashed into Bai E''s chest. "Bang!" As one hand exerted force, the other involuntarily weakened, allowing Bai E to break free. Bai E, having taken a punch to the chest, was not to be outdone, and retaliated with a punch of his own. "Bang!" "Bang!" Your punch, my punch. ``` The original assault and defense battle had suddenly turned into a turn-based one. The heavy physical blow also ignited Bai E''s ferocity, as if his mind had snapped, standing still and steadfastly trading blood with the opponent. A punch, another punch, and yet another. It was as if he wanted topletely expel the fear inside him through the force and true pain of his fists! "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Thest sound almost coincided, the simultaneous punches from both sides forced each to take two steps back. Rubbing his aching chest, Bai E coughed lightly, finally exhaling the breath he had been holding. "Good! Good!" The Blood God also rubbed his chest, his eyes turning redder as he looked at Bai E, his tone fervent... The most extremebat undoubtedly stimted his nerves, tearing open thebat suit that had be a restraint on his body, revealing his muscr physique d only in a ck vest to the air. With a meaningless growl like a wild beast, the Blood God''s massive body charged like a tank down the narrow passageway. Bai E clenched his fists. During that violent outburst, the power suppressed by fear hadpletely returned. Cold desire for battle spread throughout his body. He nced at the semi-transparent panel with subtitles that did not obstruct his view. [You have spent 50 points ofbat experience, converting into 25 points of "Combat Mastery" experience.] Gone... Had his special attribute bonuses reached some sort of upper limit? Or was it that the Blood God really didn''t have much personal ir? But that wasn''t important. [Yourbat abilities have begun to form a strong personal style, integrating all you have learned, and you will gain a unique personalbat system, current integration progress 82%...] Combat itself, has meaning! Bai E stepped forward, bowing into a jab that smashed into the side of the Blood God''s attacking right forearm. Swinging his right arm, he blocked the iingrge hand, and with his left hand''s two fingers joined like a sword, he pointed towards the wide-open side waist, inches away. Confident in the effect of his attacks, almost the moment after making these moves, Bai E spun into the Blood God''s embrace. His palm struck the side of the face, chopping at the chin. Turning his hand down, a series of chopping and pushing palms hit the Blood God''s chest, forcing him to gasp for breath and losing any space to counterattack. This was the first time Bai E had achieved a perfectbo advantage in a head-on confrontation. "Cough, cough, cough!" The Blood God involuntarily retreated several steps, his eyes brimming with red. Defying science, his body stopped the backward inertia in an instant and abruptly changed direction forward. With a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, another charge, both hands smashed into Bai E''s chest like cannons. "Bang!" With that strike, Bai E''s body flew backward, smashing directly into the cave wall four or five meters behind him. [Hit by the opponent''s attack, you have taken 4 points of strike damage.] "Cough~ Cough~" Bai E, who quickly flipped into a corner to prevent pursuit, covered his chest as he stood up swiftly. The saliva at the corner of his mouth couldn''t stop flowing down; the Blood God''s two punches felt like they had toppled his innards, stomach acid and bile surged up, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. At the same time, the images of the Blood God''s attack reyed slowly in his mind... Speed, strength, had increased again. It was like the feeling of fighting one against three in the arena before departing... The arena? The fleeting inspiration was not captured, as Bai E had to focus all his thoughts on the present¡ª The Blood God was already at the peak level of normal human bodies, and in theory, should not be able to enhance strength and explosive power on the spot. So, was this the power granted by pledging oneself to demons? Those ultra-dimensional existences distorted reality with unrivaled Spiritual Energy, providing their Believers with extraordinary powers. Damn it! Damn it! He had to make a choice, didn''t he? Facing the Blood God, an opponent with robust vitality, Bai E did not have the confidence to take him down with one hit. After reaching Combat Specialization Level 4, the three unlocked skills included one that was almost like a younger version of a lucky hit without the reward of dropped items. The same burst of power, the improvement it could bring was not significant. Tactical evasion was even less worth mentioning; in such an environment, there wasn''t much space to dodge. Even a skillced with the irrational factor of Spiritual Energy had little room to perform here. So, it had to be the continuous... Absolute Defense. Bai E gritted his teeth and made up his mind: [Payment: 2 Potential Points, 551 General Experience points, 449 Combat Experience points.] [Skill Learned¡ªAbsolute Defense.] [Absolute Defense: From now on, you can consciously strengthen the body parts about to be hit, greatly increasing resistance to strike, sh, and pierce damage, while also slightly immunizing against (but not limited to) acid, me, frost, and electric shocks; Vitality (Defense) +5, Vitality (Recovery) +3. Cost: 3 Spiritual Energy (30 action potential reserve)/min.] Compared to Gun Fighting Skill, Absolute Defense consumed less, after all, it simply strengthened oneself without involving rapid response toplex environmental changes. With his current action potential reserve, he couldst at least... three minutes! In these three minutes,plete the integration of his personalbat system to 100%, to see if the effects of this new specialty could be as life-changing as Overlimit Drive. If not, then he would decide whether to use other cards in his hand. With over two thousand points of general experience reserve and a chance to use a lucky hit, he was endowed with endless possibilities to turn the tables. Chapter 212 200 instantly kills a hundred beasts! ``` [You have spent 100 points of general experience to learn, converting it into 50 points of "Combat Proficiency" experience.] Even without learning any special attribute bonuses, Bai E continued to spend experience to enhance his progress on his sparring task. "Both must proceed at the same time." The experienceputed by time and the experience converted by learning must be spent simultaneously to advance the progress in perfecting expertise. [Yourbat abilities have now formed a strong personal style, integrating all that you have learned, and you will obtain a unique personalbat system. Current integration progress: 85%...] 86%... 87%... 90%... In continuous rapid exchanges, the progress also rapidly increased. Facing Bai E, who had activated "Absolute Defense," even the powerfully enhanced Blood God struggled to inflict fatal damage on him. The astonishing defensive power allowed Bai E to opt for a bolder style of fighting, focusing less on his own safety in the midst of battle and directing all his attention to the sole objective of defeating his opponent. Fortified guard, interception, pressure points, flurry attack, joint locks,bo hits, whip strike... Bai E''s mastery of special attributes took turns in action, gradually integrating from a previously scatter-shot application to a cohesive whole. As the integration of various techniques became more harmonious, Bai E could strongly sense that the perfected offensive routines were like ripening fruits forming in his mind. Regarding how to fully utilize his entire strength to execute a fighting style unique to himself, Bai E became increasingly confident. As if dispelling clouds to see the sun, a realization dawned upon him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [You have spent 200 points of general experience to learn, converting it into 100 points of "Combat Proficiency" experience.] [Yourbat abilities have now formed a strong personal style, integrating all that you have learned, and you will obtain a unique personalbat system. Current integration progress: 100%...] Time psed: two and a half minutes. Battle is the best asion to verify theories. Never before has Bai E felt such a profound "understanding" of battle. His opponent stood there as if numerous bubbles leaped off his body, each indicating a different method to defeat him. Countless methods awaited execution. "Huh," Bai E exhaled deeply. Atst, it hade. [Sparring task ¡ª Bareknuckle. Current progress has reached 100%; specialty is generating...] [Please select the special attribute you wish to serve as the core of your personal fighting style:bo hits, fortified guard, seizing opportunities, joint locks, interception, pressure points, whip strike, flurry attack.] Under the ghastly green night vision lens, the panel resembling a pale blue screen appeared unaffected before his eyes, waiting for Bai E''s decision. There were eight choices in total, each representing different specialties, and the core essentially dictated the direction of subsequent specialties. If considering only the present, no matter how powerful the Blood God''s body, it remains human, so techniques specifically targeting the human body¡ªjoint locks, pressure points¡ªwould undoubtedly be the prime choices. However, they have great limitations, implying that their effects on other types of enemies might be restricted. No choice should be made based solely on the current situation; unless the other options are significantly inferior, these two are unlikely to top the list. Fortified guard and interception? Too conservative and passive. Bai E has never been one to wait passively. If he could tten the opponent in one encounter, why would he opt for a lengthy battle? Pass! Seizing opportunities and whip strike, each capitalizing on the ability to find openings or using obscure techniques with the flexible extremities of the body, centering the core on either of these seems too much like a gamble. Bai E couldn''t even imagine what kind of specialties they would form. That leavesbo hits and flurry attack. Both attributes specialize in high-frequency attacks, except one relies on the momentum of stacking bursts and overdrafts, growing fiercer with each strike, and the other relies on exploiting every part of the body to produce unexpected sequences of attacks. Speaking of which, flurry attack also relies on the body''s elements... So, it''s decidedbo hits. The decisions in his consciousness happened incredibly fast, with the analysis of the pros and cons of each of the eight special attributespleted almost instantaneously. [Core confirmed: Combo hits.] [Specialty is generating...] The next moment, the pale blue screen shattered before his eyes as a fistrge as a sand pot broke through and mmed towards him. Bai E steadied his breath with a heavy voice and blocked with his arms. "Bang!" His figure was instantly sent flying. The boost from Absolute Defense was still active; though his body was unharmed, the tremendous force of the punch still sent Bai E flying uncontrobly. Crashing into the rugged stone wall was far from a pleasant feeling, and beneath the sensation of a quaking earth and tumbling rocks, dust fell continuously. Bai E struggled to his feet, clutching his chest. Even under the enhancement of Absolute Defense, Bai E still felt his breath tight in his chest. As the battle wore on, his opponent also gradually increased his strength in the fight, to the point where even at full Overlimit Drive, Bai E could not match the Blood God''s power. ``` Is this the power from a demon? It''s apletely different power boost from the Rat People, and furthermore... The drop rate subtitle above their heads showed that the opponent hadn''tpletely be a demon''s Believer or chosen one. What must drop wasn''t a "blessing," but merely a "gaze." This demon...seemed to be even more formidable than the "Benevolent Father" that the Rat People once devoted themselves to. At least in terms of outrightbat ability. What''s more critical is that, after joining the demon''s ranks, the strongest move Blood God seemed to have gained was the rapid strike he could use every so often. This strike far exceeded the limits of human reaction, fierce and unparalleled in strength. Had it not been for Absolute Defense, my grave would be meters high with grass by now. But...that ends here. Let''s see if you''ve obtained more power from the demon or if I''ve obtained more power from the cheat! [Skill exchange mission¡ªUnderground Fighting,pleted.] [Mission Reward: Specialization¡ªInstant y a Hundred Heads, generated.] [Instant y a Hundred Heads: After days and months of honing your own skills, you have reached the pinnacle in applying your techniques. From now on, you can use all your skills to deliver an "instant" ultimate strike against your target. The multiplier for this strike is decided by the "Spiritual Energy" or "Action Power Reserve" you expend, using up to 5 points of Spiritual Energy or 50 points of Action Power Reserve to create a maximum effect of "9" times the actual hit, which can be considered as "a single hit" when striking the same target or "simultaneously" when hitting multiple targets; Because of the different "bare-handed" or "weapon (non-firearm) type," the strength of your strike will also differ. The power of the strike initiated with a "ranged weapon" will be "2" times your "bare-handed" state based on the specialization abilities you currently possess. Even without expending any Spiritual Energy or Action Power Reserve, this skill can still enable your normal attacks to achieve at least "2" times the actual hit effect, but your body will need time to recover from the load of such an instant burst (Cooldown: 5 seconds). (Growth Potential: From now on, every special attribute you gain in "Combat Specialization" or "Weapon Specialization" will be reflected within this specialization. After sufficient growth, the power of this specialization will receive an unimaginable and extraordinary enhancement.)] Every specialization, like a short essay, is bound to be unbelievably powerful. Even without looking at the disy on the panel, Bai E instinctively knew how to use this newfound specialization the moment he acquired Instant y a Hundred Heads. Confronting his onrushing opponent, Blood God''s face was a picture of madness from his intoxication with the fight...Bai E gave him a simrly chilling smile in return. In his vision, Blood God''s figure blurred, yet the attack that almost surpassed sight failed for the first time in their battle. As the palm''s afterimage misleadingly swept past the eyes, Bai E moved skillfully to the side of Blood God. By the time his hesitant gaze followed Bai E''s movement, Bai E had already moved behind him. Experts are always most guarded against attacks from behind; under absolutebat reflexes, Blood God reached back to grab, but Bai E''s steps never stopped, retreating to the side just as Blood God extended his hand. Within the confines of the narrow corridor, Bai E created an impossible off-angle attack opportunity through his footwork. Bai E''s personalbat style, centered around bos," wasn''t just about chaining attacks; it integrated all his special attributes together. Thebination itself was important, but how to exploit the greatest vulnerability needed for executingbos depended on cooperation with other special attributes to find the opportunity. No vulnerability? Then create one! "Bang!" An upward karate chop crashed against Blood God''s lower jaw, and before the hit''s double-effect could manifest itself on his body, Bai E''s incessantly moving feet had already swept past Blood God''s back again. Time seemed to slow down in that instant. Blood God''s developed dynamic vision allowed him to catch the moving figure surrounding him, but the response of his nerves, like someone drunk, was always half a stepte. Unable to keep up with the changes, unable to predict. The phantom-like Mystifying Steps became an unreachable spectral bubble for Blood God; what seemed like random steps followed a special trajectory in perfect sync with the rhythm of the attacks. "p~" "Bang!" Bai E''s attack was no longer straightforward punches, but attacks made with both palms... Fan, chop, lift, sh, smash! The towering figure of Blood God was toyed with in the palm of Bai E''s hand like a puppet, his instinctual offensive capability only dragging him deeper in pursuit through a quagmire. And even thepletely crazed outburst of "rapid strike," born from utter rationality, was futile. Whether it was reason or brute force, both utterly abandoned him at this moment. Hard shes that fueled Blood God''s blood to boil, and the blood of bothbatants surged with his desire to fight, but being yed with one-sidedly was unbearable. "Roar!" A reckless roar erupted, and furious killing intent spread like a gale, rippling outwards. In the face of this sudden outburst, Bai E''s attack rhythm was disrupted. As his body was involuntarily blown back, he saw the lettering above his opponent''s head subtly shifting¡ª [95A09/Blood God (Human) (Chaotic) (Elite)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" for the kill may drop: Guaranteed (3500bat experience points, Gaze: Blood Trial)¡­] In that high-dimensional space unreachable by ordinary people, an indescribable, unfathomable, unobservable, intangible existence nced at this ce for the first time¡­] Chapter 213 201 Boom! The most savage fight seemed to provide unbridled, raging power directly to this demon''s chosen one. The more one plunged into madness duringbat, the more one could receive feedback from the strength. Utilizing a burst of murderous intent to repel Bai E in that instant, taking advantage of the brief imbnce in Bai E''s body, the Blood God suddenly initiated a sprint and with one punch... shattered the night vision goggle strap on Bai E''s face. The countless attacks earlier had informed him that Bai E''s physical strength was even more formidable than his own; topletely defeat this once-despised ant in this battle, he first had to render him unable to see in the Dark Environment, to stand a chance of achieving final victory. He had had numerous opportunities to destroy this device in the prior fight, but he did not make a move. It was only after realizing that there was indeed a possibility of defeat that he made this ultimate choice to ensure victory. Shattered... The previously sickly green field of view disappeared, and the world became pitch ck. Bai E touched the remnants of the night vision goggles within reach of his fingers, finding that the lens area was already twisted and cracked, rendering the whole device incapable of fulfilling its intended function. He simply yanked it off and threw it away. The Dark Environment? Not panicked. This wasn''t the first time he had found himself in such a predicament. The self-training he had undergone deep in the forest, facing the wolf pack before setting out, was precisely for coping with the situation he faced now. External objects after all are unreliable; it''s the true strength that belongs to oneself that can stand unbeaten at any moment. The Blind Fighting attribute he had trained was indeed important, but a calm and collected mindset when dealing with darkness was clearly more critical. Bai E closed his eyes,pletely shutting off the channel of observing the outside world through vision, and distributed all his attention more intently on his hearing and touch. The level 2 Blind Fighting began to take effect... Bai E cautiously took half a step back, crossing his hands in front of him, waiting for the opponent to make the first move. "Whoo~" The howling wind above his head was fierce, and the sound of wind being torn by fists was not so noticeable mixed within it. Hesitating slightly in the distinction, the Blood God''s fist was already close to his body, missing the optimal moment to block.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Bang!" The effect of Absolute Defense was still present, and Bai E merely took two steps back to deflect the force. Tilting his head slightly, Bai E tried to filter the roaring of the wilderness wind, gradually getting ustomed to the "abnormal" sounds in this environment. "Your progress is indeed significant..." the Blood God''s voice sounded rather boastful. With a twitch of his ear, Bai E seized the opportunity and burst forward instantly. Passively waiting was never his style; he seized every possible chance to take the initiative! He was no longer the weakling that had just arrived in this world; with the strength he possessed now, if hecked the confidence and courage to subdue his enemies in battle, he would find it difficult to face the questioning of his own heartter. In the intecing of four hands, every bit of rubbing between palms and wrists was clearly transmitted to the brain through the ubiquitous tactile nerves on his skin. Blind fight! Blind fight! Confronted with the Blood God''s hands blocking his attack, Bai E captured every thread of muscle resistance during the brief entanglement. Even without the sight, hisbat instincts still caught a sliver of chance with hearing and touch! Parting the Wild Horse''s Mane! The midsection wide open! Forcibly breaking through the Blood God''s center, Bai E took advantage of the situation to move in,nding a fierce Iron Shoulder strike to the opponent''s chest the next moment, and with his left hand, he immediately grabbed the opponent''s right hand that attempted to pull away. Thinking of fleeing? Once you''re in close, don''t even think about getting away! Even if the Blood God were to burst out with murderous intent again like he did just now, having experienced it once and with mental preparation, Bai E was confident that he would no longer be affected as much. As joint techniques apanied his footwork, Bai E''s form shifted. His familiarity with the opponent''s body size allowed him to understand the opponent''s position along the arm; his whole body, under the enhancement of "Whip Tail," was as flexible as a whip, engaging in closebat with the Blood God. "You shouldn''t have spoken," Bai E said with a cold tone. Havingpletely given up on sight, Bai E''s sense of touch became even more precise; but whether it was an illusion or not, the strength exerted by the Blood God seemed to have diminished from earlier? Bai E did not understand the mechanism of the demon-bolstered strength, but the tangible change was evident before his eyes, and he had to seize the opportunity. The prolonged battle reduced the Blood God''s defensive ability to a nadir, and the tangible feedback from flesh-on-flesh contact let Bai E know that his attacks had breached the Blood God''s defenses. [Use close-quarter attacks to breach the target''s defenses, Combat Specialization experience +22.](Stacked) [Deal 18 points of strike damage to the target!](Stacked) The battle information from the panel popped up btedly. Expending thest remnants of his action power reserve, Bai E stopped saving for Absolute Defense. Instant Kill Hundred Heads! Heavenly Twin Palms! "Crack!" A crisp sound of breaking bones. The twin palms that struck the Blood God''s jaw nearly snapped the spine, and the jawbone dislocated and fractured under the blow. Quadruple! "To count as one hit" means... kic energy stacking! Ten strikes with a power level of 10 might not break defense, but a single attack with a power level of 100 is enough to make any opponent crumble. Turning palm into fist, he brought his bent elbow thundering down! Apex Elbow Strike! Once he grasped the opportunity, Bai E would never give his opponent a chance to turn the tables! "Bang!" [Deal 62 points of strike damage to the target! The target has entered "Critical Injury Status"](Stacked) "Drip~ Drip~" Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and Bai E, expressionless, gripped the Blood God''s neck, which was already limp, and pressed him against the wall. Slowly opening his eyes... they shone like the morning star. In the darkness, Bai E couldn''t see the other''s expression, but he didn''t care. Just as he had promised before, Bai E asked softly, "Why?" Why embrace the demon? Why harm teammates? Why... be what you are now? "Why..." Bloody God''s voice was fragmented. Bai E''s assault had nearly shattered many of his vital organs. Even if he were brought to the military''s medical room now, it would probably be a troublesome issue, let alone being hundreds of kilometers away from the base, in the midst of the Dark Cave. The red light had long since faded from Bloody God''s eyes. Only after Bai E thoroughly defeated him did he seem to wake from some delirious dream, with everything he had done vividly returning to his mind. ''What have I done...'' The artificial human''s original loyalty resurfaced, once again taking control of his body. "Be careful..." He struggled to speak, offering up all his experience to those who came after. "Be wary of your desire to fight... it will lead you to the abyss." "Beware of your fear... you can confide in yourrades." "Be careful of your discontent..." Beneath his usually expressionless face was a heart scarred in ways no one knew. He was afraid, so he never dared to break the rules, failing to achieve any truly outstandingbat feats to this day. He numbed himself withbat, drawing sole meaning for his life from the cheers following victory. The rumors and gossip of others gradually made him feel entitled to the legendary Gene Optimization Solution, and the persisting sense of loss slowly grew into discontent. He was afraid of failure. He chased victory. Thus, he disappointed both hisrades and that great will watching over him. The automatic response was him masking his fear in the face of danger to the extreme, and ultimately, his fear of Bai E led him to sabotage the night vision goggles as a tactical strategy. The betrayal ofbat incited disapproval from their "Master", and the power that supported his own fighting began to recede like the tide. From the moment he sabotaged Bai E''s night vision goggles, he had already betrayed the concept of bat" itself. If everything could be done over... Would he suppress hisbat desires, ovee his fear, or suppress his discontent... bing a super soldier hisrades could rely on? Or would he remain loyal tobat itself andpletely burn himself out in the pinnacle battle against Bai E, potentially even returning his soul to the "True God"? He didn''t know the answer. But now, it was all toote. Everything had abandoned him. "It wasn''t me..." Bloody God struggled to extend his powerless right arm, pointing to the depths of the cave, "It''s there... the source of it all." "I never embraced the demon voluntarily..." A dying man''s words are good. Opening his eyes to confirm Bloody God''s location, that explosive caption once again floated above his head¡ª [95A09/Bloody God (Human) (Chaotic) (Elite)¡ªUsing "Lucky Strike" to kill drops: Guaranteed (Fresh Meat*2400, Combat Experience 2500 points); Probability (Trait: Blood of Regeneration, Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, up to level 6, Mastery: Nimble Weapon Specialization Layer +1, up to level 6); Possible (Skill: Extreme Pain Relief, Specialty: Rage Torrent).] Back to the way he looked when they first met... Demons are born from all creatures'' myriad emotions, and any poor emotion could be a channel through which demons erode humanity. Combat, fear... As Bai E''s contact with this world deepened, his strong link led to his own emotions bing more and more intense. It''s fine to fight, but not to be overly zealous. It''s fine to be afraid, but one must brave it. Any poor emotions must be addressed head-on positively. So... what about discontent? Facing unjust treatment, what should Bloody God do? What should I do? Conform? Or change? His mind momentarily drifted to the distant future, and Bai E narrowed his eyes, pulling his wayward thoughts back. [Activate "Lucky Strike".] The path you have not walked, I shall continue for you. [Struck the target''s vital point, inflicting 12 points of fatal damage!] [Target''s breathing has ceased, and vital signs are lost.] [Obtained loot: Fresh Meat*2400, Combat Experience 2500 points, Trait: Blood of Regeneration, Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, up to level 6, Mastery: Nimble Weapon Specialization Layer +1, up to level 6, Skill: Extreme Pain Relief, Specialty: Rage Torrent.] [Trait¡ªBlood of Regeneration, the body''s physical condition is being transformed, countdown: 9 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds until effect...] Completely plundered! But that wasn''t all. There was an unexpected gain¡ª [...Progress 2542/500, you have sessfully increased the Specialty¡ªBlind Fighting to level 3.] [...Progress 2042/1000, you have sessfully increased the Specialty¡ªBlind Fighting to level 4.] [Blind Fighting (Level 4): "Dark Environment" Insight (Hearing) performance +4, Insight (Touch) performance +3, Insight (Smell) performance +2.] The experience burst from the Lucky Strike unexpectedly was also applied to the level increase for the Blind Fighting specialty. After using thest opportunity, the charge returned to a non-usable stage at 70/100. But regardless,pared to that one explosive opportunity, Bai E trusted his basic abilities that were always avable to use. He looked up slightly, gazing in the direction pointed by Bloody God. Their of the demon was calling out to him... Chapter 214 202 Alone After swallowing a No. 3 throat lozenge, Bai E sat quietly in the darkness to recuperate. The howling wind above his head, the dark environment, was constantly trying to mire him in a quagmire. However, having just gone through the most intense battle, the fervent emotions were still echoing in his chest, preventing the gloomy negative emotions from affecting Bai E in the slightest. He was just contemting to himself¡ª Is the ultimate enemy, a demon? The remnants of the Blood God''s words didn''t reveal more about the source of his power or the types of demons. Bai E could only specte based on the information he already had. In the depths of the nest, was it a Believer chosen by the demon, endowed with power? Or... the true form of the demon. If the Blood God, not even the true chosen of the demon, possessed such power, how terrifying was the being that lurked deep within this nest? Whether it was the true chosen of the Demon God or the demon itself, both likely possessed unimaginable power. Bai E was not an expert in this field; the little he knew about demons came from asking due to the ratman incident. He knew that there were many types of demons and that they had different abilities due to different birth emotions; this was the most important intelligence he had gathered. For example, the uncontroble gue in the ratman and the blessing of never suffering from disease... So, judging by the powers demonstrated by the Blood God, the demon power in the depth of this nest was... strength? Turning fear into strength? Unteral authority or a diversified one? Everything was unknown. The unknown bred fear more easily... In the quiet, Bai E listened closely to his own heartbeat. The seed was still there... It''s impossible to deceive oneself; he still harbored fear towards that unknown entity deep in the cave. If he didn''t ovee it today, every deep night in the future, when recalling this wind-erodednd and its dimness, asionally hearing the breeze blowing over the ins... would cast him into the deepest abyss. This is the demon! Every slight emotion at the beginning will eventually be the loophole for them to invade! They are omnipresent. Bai E reached towards his waist, where there... was a 99ml bottle of Exorcism Essential Oil. A precaution taken beforeing, which he hadn''t expected to trulye in handy. Demons... demons!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Feeling almost fully recovered, Bai E stood up, feeling the walls. It was pitch ck in the darkness, and he could not see a thing. In battle with others, he could rely on blind fighting to sense his opponent''s location, but in the face of an unmoving environment, he was truly a blind man... The Blood God didn''t have night vision goggles on him, and it was unknown whether the power granted by the demon allowed him to see in the dark. Fortunately, the final battleground was not far from where he had encountered the fallen night vision goggles, and Bai E groped his way back in the dark, guided by memory. It still worked... The moment he put the night vision goggles back on, the familiar ghastly green perspective returned to his eyes. The traces of the hourss left on the ground also returned to his vision. Following the path he had taken in pursuit of the Blood God, Bai E retraced his steps in the opposite direction. Before truly entering the depths of the cave, he needed to determine the status of his teammates first. If possible, he intended to first carry their bodies out to a state of physical safety; only then could he truly open his mind and make an all-out effort. With the Exorcism Essential Oil, said to truly harm demons, Bai E felt he wasn''t without a chance. True strength was the resolve to act against any adversity, not high-level specialized skills or high-tech weaponry. Several rigid bodies appeared in his line of sight¡ª Dashan, Song Ying, You, Tiger... Facing the fear that surged from within, they were still struggling in the vast sea of the psychic world. All darkness and eerie howling turned into otherworldly fantasies seeking human lives, and those things they feared the most seemed to bubble up from the depths of consciousness, bing terrifying illusions that were both real and unreal, tangible and intangible. When could they escape? Could they escape at all? No one could provide an answer, and all Bai E could do was carry their bodies out. Approaching Dashan, who was at the back of the team, Bai E reached out to pick him up by the waist without any guard. However, the moment his hand touched the body, a surge of darkness instantly flooded into Bai E''s mind. It felt as if he was being tied down with heavy stones and cast into the deep sea that gradually suffocated him. The boundless gloom, along with the terrifying pressure,pressed every inch of his skin and even seemed to squeeze out the air from his lungs bit by bit. In the silence, the only sound was his own heart beating wildly in his chest, throbbing as if it could break free from the confines of his ribcage... "Huff~" Bai E suddenly stepped back. His body was numb and cold as if electrified. The vision he glimpsed was chilling to the bone; was this the psychic world in which Dashan was now immersed? After taking a deep breath, Bai E, mentally prepared, reached out again without hesitation. Darkness assaulted Bai E''s will, but a trace of rity always reminded him of his responsibility. He had to leave this ce with his teammates, and he could not fall at this moment or abandon them. After grabbing hold of Dashan, Bai E didn''t hesitate to reach for Song Ying... Endless darkness twirled overhead, unspeakable unknown fears chased him from behind, and the world seemed to shrink into a chessboard-like square, leaving only theparatively tiny "self," eternally fleeing from the unknown "fear" that pursued from behind. Darkness, pursuit. Completely different from the overwhelming pain of the mountains, underneath Bai E''s slightly furrowed brows was a mind besieged by unimaginable spiritual assault. Yet the hands that tightly embraced the two never loosened in the slightest. Any change was worth attention. Compared to when everyone first sumbed, what changes urred when he made contact with Hu and You''s bodies? Had he defeated the Blood God? Had he attracted the attention of the "Lord of Fear"? Did he intend to use the suffering felt by his teammates to bring me down? Maniptive lowlife! You, are not worthy yet! "Bang~" "Bang~" Two bodies were thrown inside the carriage... And then two more bodies were thrown inside the carriage... Even withrades on his back, the familiar partners of the past could not offer him any constion for his spirit. Every teammate touched by Bai E shared their fear with him; Bai E saw their innermost irrational, illogical, and unruly fears, changing reality and illusion. He also saw more... After transporting all members of his team back, Bai E set out again to search for the members of the other two teams. Everyone was equipped with a special hourss to record their movement routes, which was not too difficult to track. Rescuing the bodies of teammates was a natural duty. If he were to hold a grudge and refuse to help because of their past ridicule¡­ that would be nting a w in his heart akin to the Blood God''s. Someone mocks you sharply, and you mock back just as sharply; Someone looks down on you, and you immediately scorn them in return; Someone boasts in front of you, and you quickly prove that you are even better; Someone is indifferent towards you, and you immediately be distant and aloof. The things you detest can easily turn you into the very thing you once despised. This is the greatest damage an "enemy" can do to you. There are demons in this world... Those heart-manipting demons await their opportunity at all times. Bai E absolutely¡­ absolutely will not allow any opportunity that could be exploited by demons! Not to mention, he needed controlled experiments to verify some suspicions in his heart. Following the previously agreed-upon exploration areas, Bai E traced the left-behind paths of each warrior and found every scattered member. This also meant sharing the "fear" of eachrade during the process... A total of 12 people were recovered. There were 16 people on the mission in total, minus Bai E, there were three corpses¡ªincluding the Blood God and two unfortunate soldiers who were killed by the Blood God before Bai E took action. "Bang!" "Click..." As the carriage''s side door was about to close, it was stopped by a feeble, delicate palm. Looking up along the arm, Bai E saw the slowly awakening You and her eyes struggling to open. "You¡­ where are you going?" In the endless darkness, a cold sun had risen in her heart, unknown when. The not-too-blinding light scattered those nonsensical, undefined fears, allowing her to finally, with difficulty, awaken in the real world. She did not know where the cold sun came from, only that upon awakening, the first sight of Bai E was the one who had once again saved everyone. Bai E smiled gently, and exined softly, "I''m going to help you break free from the nightmare..." "Take us¡­ let''s leave, just getting away from here will be enough," said You, her voice still trembling, her soft, continuous voice made one feel pity, like a lost and frightened stray kitten. "We can''t leave," responded Bai E, shaking his head gently; his voice was mild but his tone determined. Compared to thest confrontation with the Bug Race''s mental domain, the current spiritual attack had a more enduring impact. One was simply a violent, unreasonable suppression by force. But demons took root in emotions; once fear existed in the heart, no ce was different. Even if he led everyone away from that cave, they could notpletely emerge from the darkness of the spiritual world. Just as he had initially spected, geographical escape had lost its significance. When facing a higher-dimensional demon that could ignore space, only by truly facing and defeating it in the spirit could one be truly liberated. In the hearts of all the soldiers present, a seed of fear was likely nted. No matter where they went, they remained pawns of the Lord of Fear. More soldiers who were waking up weaklyy in the carriage, looking at Bai E outside the door, "Don''t risk your life for us, you''re not affected..." "Yeah¡­ just take us away.'' "The enemy here¡­ is not something you can deal with." "Tsk!" Several hands pulled open another car door that had already been closed, and those weakly awakened soldiers learned who it was that saved them from that dark cave. "I apologize for what I said before¡­ you are the bravest soldier." "Don''t enter that cave again, we''ll just go back and report the situation." "Wait for me on the truck, if I don''te back, you guys go back and send a message¡­" Bai E said, shaking his head with a smile, gently stepping back and slowly, yet resolutely, closing the carriage door. "I''m not just doing this for you¡­" ''It''s also for¡­ cultivation.'' Chapter 215 203 True Form of the Demon Bai E, once again entering the cave alone, moved with light steps and chose a descending path without looking back. While rescuing the members of the other two squads, Bai E had already discovered that the honeb-like passages here had almost no dead ends, each path leading eventually to the ultimate core location¡ª The absolute heart of this nest. Is bearing all the pain of one''srades worthwhile? Of course, it is. Bai E repeatedly felt the various fears emanating from differentrades, as well as the truths those fears revealed¡ªthe fear of that demon! The master of fear incarnate, the embodiment of fear itself, also suffered the torment of fear itself! It feared human defiance, it feared its true intentions being seen through. It tried to corrupt Bai E''s will by exploiting the mental worlds of all hisrades, then let them awaken to instinctively persuade him to leave with his people. It feared direct confrontation! It feared revealing its own vulnerability! The demon that yed with fear was itself a ything of fear! A demon... that only yed tricks with illusions. Without any concrete evidence, Bai E trusted his own judgment. ... Upon crossing a certain boundary, everything suddenly became clear. The cavernous hollow expanded greatly before his eyes, the wide underground space seemingly endless in the darkness ahead. It was unclear whether this was the natural work of spirits or the artificial expansion by the refugees who came here. At this moment, a sea of bowed heads prostrated on the ground, worshiping their "deity" in a certain direction. The refugees weren''t dead... Of course, they weren''t dead. How could the souls of the deceased provide the intense emotions that the demon required? Instead, this "deity" needed to protect its poor "children" for its own sustenance. No traps? Because there was no need for traps. It needed ignorant beings to step in to provide sustenance for itself, or the wild beasts that strayed into the cave to sustain these impoverished refugees. In the dark hollow of the cave, only a high throne of bones stood quietly. The shadows in the dark carved out a circr arc, and as Bai E stepped into the expanse of this cavern, the symmetrical shadows suddenly unfurled. Like bat wings, the ck shadows blocked out the light, and a pair of demon wings thunderously spread open! [??? (Demon) (Chaos) (???): ???] The demon itself! Not a chosen believer, but... the actual demon itself! As if waiting for Bai E''s arrival, there was movement in the darkness only when he appeared. The nearest refugee was involuntarily lifted into the air, the man seized by an unknown force screamed in despair, "Ah! Ah! Don''t! Please, don''t! Save me!" His limbs iled wildly without control, as if he knew his fate that was toe.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Hearing the man''s anguished cries for help, the cluster of bowed refugees lowered their heads even further, their bodies trembling like a sieve. The refugee pulled by the invisible force eventually drifted slowly before the demon, and a muscr arm powerfully grasped his throat. And so, even the scream turned into a choked, whining struggle. "Hiss~" Reddish misty vapor connected from the refugee''s head to the open mouth of the demon, the ultimate fear of death of the dying being the "delicacy" It most appreciated. Hearing their kin''s painful cries before death, the fear emanating from the surviving refugees palpably intensified. Of course, Bai E couldn''t see the energy derived from emotions, but he could clearly feel the fear invading his body grow even more fierce. Simrly, the terrifying presence radiating from the horrific demon seemed even more daunting for a moment. The fear provided by all sentient beings was his greatest source of power. So... you want to make me feel fear? No! Bai E, long ustomed to such an environment, would not sumb to such an obvious emotion. On the contrary... he thought the demon was bluffing. The real great demons dwelt in higher-dimensional spaces, controlling the fates of countless beings. Even for them, manifesting in the material world was an extremely difficult task. Although they were humanity''s nominal enemies, their essence... was no different from true deities. The demon before him, enving a mere group of miserable refugees, seemed just a little... pitiable. Perhaps this demon was born from the initial fear and panic these refugees felt towards the unknown future and environment when they first arrived here. With a flick of the body, Bai E drew his bow and nocked an arrow. To confront fear itself, one couldn''t just look and walk away. Emotions stem from within; people can deceive friends, deceive enemies, but they can''t deceive themselves, nor can they deceive demons. Some might specte on the mastermind behind the scenes and be content to retreat, thereby unaffected from then on; Some people took one distant look at the demon''s true form and, after confirming their suspicions, perhaps could then retreat; While others needed to challenge that demon to prove their bravery, regardless of whether they could injure or defeat it... Sometimes, a simpler mind might lead to an easier life. But Bai E couldn''t do any of that. Born proud, why speak of retreat? Not only did he wish to strike, but he also arrogantly sought to find a way topletely vanquish this demon! To win was not the ultimate goal, the desire to win was. The bowstring made a grating "creeking" sound under stress, and after a slight readying of his aim, he took the wind''s assistance to its limit. "Whoosh!" The arrow tore through the air, swift as lightning! And yet, such a speedy attack seemed to the demon as if it were in slow motion. Watching the arrowe straight at it through the air, the demon even opened its arms early in preparation to embrace... the attack. "Hum~" The steel arrowhead collided with the demon''s blood-red muscr surface with barely any indication of kic resistance before helplessly falling to the ground. Ineffective! The hideous demon sneered in Bai E''s direction, and the image that should have been too far to see clearly somehow lit up directly in Bai E''s pupils. Across the surging crowd of hundreds of refugees, the demon raised its w and made a grabbing motion, and Bai E suddenly felt himself uncontrobly flying rapidly towards the demon. While seemingly struggling frantically, Bai E''s left hand calmly clenched the dagger hidden behind him, which had been coated with... Exorcism Essential Oil. However, Bai E''s situation clearly differed from that of the refugee just now; his heart devoid of any fear and intent on counterattacking, the demon could not extract from him any of the nourishment it craved. Without heart-wrenching screams of despair emanating from deep within, how could themon refugees deepen their fear and worship of the demon? Intelligent beings are mostly emotional creatures; however, emotions have a shelf life, and time is the enemy of all things. Nothing will stay sunk in the same kind of fear for long; ustomed to despair, they will gradually adapt. Only by constantly applying new stimuli, making them feel fear directly and intensity from all angles, will the emotion of "fear" they provide be both greater in quantity and "tastier." A self-important fool wishing to challenge me? There are such beings among humans; the six so-called "human warriors" who came earlier had tried to do the same, yet now they''ve be the ones who crawl at my feet with the deepest fear. Bai E''s body gentlynded about ten meters in front of the demon, and the closer distance allowed for a clearer view of the demon''s entire appearance. Even under the pallid green vision of night-vision goggles, the red muscles shimmered with their innate luster, mysterious lines akin to runes sketching fascinating patterns on its body, the grey-ck bat-like demon wingsy quietly folded, its face ferocious and fangs bared. Such a familiar feeling, it seemed demons should look just like this. No... Bai E suddenly realized. This wasn''t the demon''s real appearance... or rather, demons don''t have a true appearance. What living beings see of demons is merely a projection of their own imagination. Demon... demon... Through Bai E''s eyes, "seeing" the presumptuous human''s imagination of it, the Lord of Fear''s lips curled into a cruel, wicked smile. It craved fear, submission... mere ughter could not satisfy its desires. The more resolute the human warriors like the one before it, the more intense the emotions they would emit when they fell! ncing sideways, warriors who had received the signal, their bodies trembling, looked back with sincere advice to theirrades from the same homnd. "It''s no use..." muttered the warrior still in the standardbat uniform of the military camp, one of the reconnaissance soldiers who had previously gone missing. His voice shook with endless fear, "It''s no use, the True God will eventually rule the world, the entire world will submit to the Lord''s will!" All things must end, only fear is eternal. "Bullshit!" Bai E sneered coldly, nocking an arrow and drawing the bowstring. The Lord of Fear stood high on its throne, as if waiting for the futile struggles of mortals. "Hum~" "Hum~" The arrows Bai E fired could pierce metal and split stones, yet to the Lord of Fear, they were like annoying mosquitoes that made a buzzing sound but never dared to get too close. The attacks werepletely ineffective, not even a hint of the expected resistance. "It''s no use..." another warrior trembled as he lifted his head, "The Lord is the one True God of this world..." Bai E''s brow furrowed slightly, but he made no sound. With his limited knowledge, he believed that demons that manifested in the real world could bebatted. Only Exorcism Essential Oil could cause true harm to them, but that did not mean ordinary resistance would have no effect¡ª Strength could repel, and mes could burn... Even without Exorcism Essential Oil, a sufficiently powerful warrior could ensure they weren''t consumed by a demon. The Exorcism Essential Oil was just the simplest means to force them back into higher dimensions. At this moment, it shouldn''t be like this... The attacks shouldn''t be ineffective; even the top-tier Four Great Demon Gods manifesting in the world shouldn''t be able topletely ignore all attacks. Bai E''s gaze inadvertently swept around before settling on himself. Quietly contemting, he looked inward with a focused expression. It was... "faith." Chapter 216 Plan to Defeat the Enemy Even with the courage to strike at demons, the awe for the unknown realm he harbored made himself an "prey" in the authority of the other, or rather, a Believer. Because he feared his attacks would be ineffective, the attacks were certain to fail... This was a trap Bai E himself hardly noticed. So... should he hypnotize himself? The Lord of Fear gave Bai E no time to think. Any impulsive emotions required a continuous onught of facts; once humans had time to think calmly, their so-called "wisdom," "morality"... would allow them to gradually slip from control. With feet like bird''s ws, he stepped down from the throne of bones, the exposed blood-red muscle without skin emitted a strong scent of blood. Bai E cautiously retreated. Not knowing what the adversary wanted to do, not knowing his mode of attack... Every unknown brought panic, and worse still, Bai E, despite being mentally alert to these points, was unable to control his descent into the confusion of the unknown. Fear is faith... Even he... had be nourishment for the other''s growth. "Boom!" The Lord of Fear erupted suddenly with a in attack, and a punch felt like being run over by a truck. Bai E''s body instantly flew backward, and onnding, he knelt and slid back several meters on the ground. By the time Bai E finally stopped, his hands were nted on the ground, blood running from the corners of his mouth, his mouth filled with a sweet, metallic taste. Pain! Excruciating pain! Every inch of his flesh felt as if it were being pricked by needles, Bai E''s fingertips dug hard into the ground, almost driven mad by the humanly unbearable pain. The Lord of Fear''s strength seemed to carry an assault targeted precisely at the flesh, turning the fear he collected into a tangible poison, infusing all of it evenly into Bai E''s body with that punch. Spiritual Energy''s power tainted reality, and even "self-restraint" couldn''t suppress such pain, as it was more than just a pure hormonal emotion. "It''s no use... all your resistance is in vain, only by entering the Lord''s embrace can you findplete peace," the voice of the earlier scout still advised from a distance. Bai E bent over, his head down, biting down hard on his teeth, feeling the gradually adapting pain. Hearing another''s voice, a gritty breath came from the shadows, "Enter His embrace... like you, jittery and unable to stop?" No! Absolutely not! The pain caused his muscles to spasm unconsciously, almost uncontrobly. Although he was slowly getting used to it, the pain was fading too slowly. The body... the body... Extreme Pain Relief! A skill obtained from the Blood God! [Extreme Pain Relief: You have learned the ability to numb your senses. From now on, at the cost of temporarily losing "tactile sense," you canpletely ignore all the pain you feel, and maintain optimalbat condition until your body suffers widespread damage. Maximum duration: 1 hour, exceeding the limit may result in permanent loss of function in parts of the body. Cooldown time: 24 hours after closing the skill effect.] Every warrior lucky enough to survive countless battlefields must learn this ability to disregard pain and continue fighting. Only then can they fight with abandon, exhausting theirst drop of blood! "Cough~ cough~" With the pain entirely blocked out and unable to feel his outer skin as if anesthetized, Bai E struggled to his feet, his will no longer affected by pain, and his thinking back to normal. Such speed... Such strength... The demon, grown powerful from absorbing countless fears, was this formidably strong! Indeed... the Blood God had only acquired a portion of the power bestowed by demons and disyed such terrifying battle might, and if it weren''t for the sharp decline in his strength after his night vision goggles were knocked off, the oue of their battle might have been in question. Now facing the demon itself, it should be even harder to defeat. But demons in the real world too must speak with their strength. In this world, even with an irrational element like Spiritual Energy, swords, guns, and firearms are still the absolute rulers! Battle is the only melody of the world! With a fierce spit of bloody, sweet-tinged, viscous saliva, Bai E moved his arms. If he could ovee the mountain that was the Blood God, then he could also ovee this demon who wielded fear. Let''s see! Let''s see if the skills I possess today can earn me a chance against you! Hands forming palms, crossed in front of his chest. The power of the Lord of Fear was several notches above that of the Blood God, but that figure, simr to humans, had somemonalities with humans in terms ofbat skills. Refined techniques were Bai E''s confidence against his opponent. After defeating the Blood God, his Combat Specialization Layer leveled up out of nowhere. Level 5 Combat Specialization! Plus all the attribute enhancements that came with the rise inbat specializationyers. Added to that are abilities like "Overlimit Drive," "Instant Kill Hundred Heads," and defensive ones like "Regeneration Blood," "Resist Death," and "Absolute Defense." Bai E had never felt as strong as he did now, his real and substantial abilities were the necessary prerequisites to face this world with courage. Watching the human warrior who had managed to stand up again right in front of him, the Lord of Fear''s thick, purple-red lips slightly ttened, "You can still get up?" ``` ... On the vehicle halted in the wilderness, soldiers were waking up one by one, and as they gradually freed themselves from those nightmarish delusions, the chilly and debilitating sensation in their limbs was also slowly fading away. They were gradually regaining some of their mobility. "Wonder how he''s doing?" "There must be a demon inside... those lowlifes summoned a demon!" "Can you move yet? Maybe we should send one vehicle back to the barracks to report the situation here, and get those professional executors from the Arbitration ce..." "But brother B27 is still inside... We have no idea how he''s faring." "Should we go back in and check?" As time gently soothed the scars, the soldiers who had awoken from the murky, nightmarish scenes that they could not clearly recall were almost ready to forget the suffocating terror they had felt before... just like anyone who wakes up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, time heals all. They felt they could move again... The fastest-acting soldier even reached out to slide open the vehicle''s side door, when suddenly a spinning, topsy-turvy sensation surged up, and boundless darkness once again enshrouded his world... "Bang!" "Bang!" The sound of a fist striking flesh was the first to echo in the soldier''s mind. As if growing ustomed to the darkness, the soldier''s incorporeal eyes began to "see" clearly what was happening in the dark¡ªa sphere covered in arms like a spiky ball was mercilessly ughtering the brave soldier over and over again. The demon moved with such speed that it seemed to teleport, easily appearing behind B27 every time he was knocked down.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The soldier who had vowed to free them entirely from their terrifying plight was now in such a dire state it seemed as if he would die at any moment, his body so battered it was nearly impossible to find an inch of unmarred skin, his lip corner smeared with bruised blood mixed with mud... It was evident he was trying hard to resist every attack from the "demon," but thebat stance he adopted was always obliterated by an irrational force. "Kneel down!" "Quick, kneel down!" In the dark dungeon, the oppressive mass of heads came together in a single voice, chanting a deep tone that was foolish and terrifying. For some reason, the soldier inside the vehicle felt as though he had turned into one of them. ''Kneel down...'' He firmly suppressed the urge to cry out as such. He looked with hope at the solitary point of light in this darkness. To flee? Or to fight back? He didn''t know. He didn''t know what he wanted to see... He just wanted to see a glimmer of hope. To see a ray of hope that humans could counterattack the demon. "Bang!" The sh of the pistol in the darkness was brief as the beaten soldier unexpectedly counterattacked in midair. The me from the primer surged and propelled the bullet out of the chamber, the spinning bullet tearing through the air, leaving a searing trail in its path! "Snap~" The bullet hit the demon''s crimson chest, sinking millimeters deep in an imperceptible fashion, then the forceless bullet fell to the ground... Still no effect. However, looking down at the shot on his chest, the demon''s eyes showed a flicker of panic... How could this be? How could this be? Could it be that despite being beaten down like this, he still believed he could defeat him?! The very thought of this terrifying possibility triggered the Lord of Fear into instant action, his silhouette flickered, and in an instant, he appeared before Bai E as hended. "Boom!" Two arms, even sturdier than those of a Blood God, crashed down powerfully, the demon no longer attempting to subdue this human warrior who was so difficult to break mentally. "Snap!" The punches, were they blocked? "Haven''t you noticed?" Bai E crouched into a high stance, bracing the demon''s fists that came smashing down, slowly raising his bowed head, his eyes aze with golden mes. Rage surged! [Rage Surge: Your rage is endless, the mes of anger drive your body, from now on, the "anger" emotion you feel will boost your "reflections," up to a maximum of +3 inbat performance.] The Lord of Fear possessed no great technique, merely relying on the countless sacrifices of fearful emotions to attain unimaginable speed and strength. Bai E, who had been attacked countless times, had long grasped his attack patterns and frequency. If he were willing, he could certainly give as good as he got with the full force of his current power. But, he had to make sure his n was absolutely sessful! The pitiful-looking Bai E smiled lightly, the corners of his mouth slowly widening into an increasingly manic grin. "From just now, I haven''t attacked you once..." ``` Chapter 217 If you feel afraid... "Because I''m afraid..." I''m afraid you coward wouldn''t dare to share our battle situation with everyone! Saying that we must free allrades from the enemy''s control isn''t just lip service! Now, everyone should be able to see it, right! His Gun Fighting Skill activated instantly, and Bai E, with a pistol clenched in his mouth, performed a flip kick and propelled himself into the air.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om While midair, Bai E sheathed his gun. The dexterity of his manual skills allowed him to perform all these intricate movements with remarkable agility. He drew his bow in the air, his fingers quickly locating the specially marked arrow in the quiver on his back. Drawing the bow, nocking the arrow... Instant Kill Hundred Heads! Ninefold power! Shoot! Under one arrow, several afterimages followed closely, and almost transcending time, the arrow struck precisely into the chest of the master of fear, muscled and brawny. "Puchi!" The arrowhead buried deep, unmatched in sharpness. Ever since he realized the problem, he had always been able to hurt the opponent; it was just that he feared letting the enemy discern this and had thus never taken the initiative to attack. With "Absolute Defense" at his disposal, Bai E didn''t mind ying along with the enemy''s act. Following closely behind the arrowhead was a sizzling smoke, spreading from the point where the arrow had prated the flesh, akin to the hissing of roasting meat. The arrowhead of that particr arrow had beenpletely soaked in Exorcism Essential Oil by Bai E before arriving at this final dungeon. [Exorcism Essential Oil (99ml): Apply by smearing or soaking to bestow weaponry capable of striking demonic flesh with astonishing Spiritual Energy power! Upon hitting the demon''s body, the weapon will inflict irreversible damage. (Note: The empowering effectsts for a maximum of 2 hours, beyond which it dissipates.)] "Puchi!" The master of fear violently yanked the steel arrow from his chest; in his absolute strength, the arrow instantaneously bent. In the gap left where the arrow was pulled out, a light green gas continued to erode His body like sulfuric acid, leaving behind an unwoundable gap under the faint white smoke. Bai E stood his ground, his voice echoing calmly, "So, you can be hurt after all?" All his disys of weakness were to achieve this moment. To defeat a demon that draws power from fear, one must first sever its source of power. The moment Bai E started bringing each teammate back, experiencing their individual nightmare illusions, he surmised all that the demon required. Emotions are temporary; the half-real, half-illusory visions thatck logic cannot immerse someone indefinitely. To continuously enhance His power, He needed to asionally expose those intelligent beings under His dominion to new levels of fear stimtion. A once-daring and arrogant challenger repeatedly hitting a wall under absolute power, conquered in despair and pain by Him, would undoubtedly instill shared fear in other humans. This demon that reigns over fear wouldn''t miss any chance to sow seeds of terror; it''s His authority, His instinct. But now... He is not invincible. "You too can be hurt... you''re just an ordinary demon..." Bai E slouched, using time to heal his wounds,ughing coldly. Whether his attack can affect the opponent depends on whether he has unwittingly been included within the enemy''s dominion of fear. But afterpletely examining his heart, casting away any possible emotions of fear and worry, certain "real" elements began to emerge. The master of fear''s power, truly immense, is powered by the transformed Spiritual Energy from the multitude of refugees'' emotions of fear, greatly strengthened His physical body. Even if his attacks could effectively hit, he would still not be a match for the opponent''s strong power and speed, alone at the end. Without breaking the terror "worship" of all refugees, including his teammates, towards this demon, it would be difficult to truly defeat Him. When was this n set? From the first time He targeted me specifically! The first step is to take away the faith from His hands! "Thinking of shutting off the link?" Bai Eughed coldly, "Mypanions are not foolish idiots; to cut off the link now would only prove your own insecurity." The master of fear, initially intent on shutting off the visual link shared with the human warriors outside, suddenly dismissed the thought. "Then... kill me!" Bai E raised his bow, his voice resounding through the cavern, "After killing me, continue your false reign. The beings under your rule will engulf the entire territory of the human empire, and the new fifth Demon God begins His step from here!" If He could start from this cave and gradually erode every human city until truly bringing all of humanity into fear of Him, perhaps His power could indeed rival the legendary Four Demon Gods. In that high-dimensional space of pure "intelligent beings'' thoughts" known as Spiritual Energy space, as long as there are enough "believing" thoughts, anything is possible. But Bai E won''t give Him that chance. Every word he utters, contains a trap! "Whoosh!" The arrow tore through the air, with double power. In a bleak space, an isted humanunched a lone resistance against the high and mighty demon. "Swoosh!" The afterimage shed by, and the demon''s w, made of red muscles, grasped the arrow that shot toward it. Without the "Instant Kill Hundred Heads" driven to its maximum extent, it was very difficult to match Its speed and strength. "You''re right..." The Lord of Fear spread its wings, its body rising into the air as it stretched its arms with relish, as if embracing something. Its voice was deep and hoarse, as if numerousyers of resonance rose at the same time, exploding directly in the heart, easily stirring the heartbeats. "Thud!" "Thud!" The heart was pounding violently, as if drumming directly on the eardrum. "Kneel down now!" "The true God is angry." The scout from before was prostrate on the ground in an instant, trembling violently. The wrath of the Lord of Fear, like a tsunami, instantly engulfed every heart connected by fear, making all the humans in the cave instantly remember the most terrifying nightmares. Even a soldier in a vehicle on the ground lost himself in this burst of fear. Those different terrifying illusions once again dragged them into a void of fantasy, as if the haziness between half-awake and half-asleep made it difficult for them to focus enough attention on guarding their own minds. The emotions of fear that erupted instantly transformed into tangible power, like rivers flowing into the sea, merging into the body of the Lord of Fear, who was suspended in midair. The powerful aura surged out violently, and even the space in the cave seemed to carry a hazy sense of fluctuation as if dissolving into a higher-dimensional space. The thick demon''s w suddenly clenched tight, and the fine steel arrow in its hand turned to dust in an instant. Feeling the power raging and surging inside it, the Lord of Fear, with its head up and eyes closed, slowly opened its eyes, its gaze coldly locking on the distant Bai E. "You do indeed deserve to die..." Any change in emotions requires a gradual process. To gain the same power growth, one needsyered and progressive emotional fluctuations. Stimting the fear memories deep in the hearts of living beings can''t be used without limits, and every use is like overexerting the total emotional change that each individual can provide in the future. But to capture this only variable with absolute power, all of it is worth it! "As long as I kill you..." "You''re wrong..." Bai E took out the small ss bottle from his arms and bit open the cork with his mouth. In the midst of intense heartbeats and howling winds, his lone voice resounded boldly, "Do you know... I actually quite like this era." "Even with so much suffering, they continue to live bravely." "Even when facing unknown dangers, some are willing to sacrifice themselves to create new living spaces for humanity." "They confront the whole world with their tiny bodies, courage being the only thing they can proudly wield." As he bit open the cork, Bai E took out all the remaining arrows from the quiver on his back with his other hand. "Do you think I''m that special one?" "You''re wrong." "Kill one of me, and there will be thousands, millions more." "After I die, everyone can be me..." "You think you can make humanity surrender, but I believe they will eventually break free from your control." The slightly viscous yellowish liquid dripped from the bottle, soaking the arrows. Bai E''s eyes swept over the group of prostrate people on the ground, his voice passionate and assertive. "My brothers and sisters, if you''re scared, just open your mouth wide." "If you want to make a sound, then call my name." "Bai E! Remember this name!" "As long as the sound of arrows piercing the wind continues, as long as gunfire shes before your eyes, it means I haven''t fallen!" "I will be here, always here!" The yellowish Exorcism Essential Oil appeared to be a tangible liquid, but this substance, being between Spiritual Energy and material form, would not truly flow like water over the arrows and onto the ground. They flowed like real life, instinctively enveloping every corner of the arrowhead the moment they made contact. The arrows, now with spirits attached, exhibited a faint glow under the asional focus of consciousness. Bai E''s voice continued, invading the hearts of those humans sinking into dark fear. "Even if, I fall here today, then in the gunfire that reappears in the future..." "It means I havee back!" Bai E nocked an arrow, making a light decision in his mind. [Payment: 2 Latent Points, 1,000 Combat Experience Points.] [Skill Acquired¡ªPowerful Shot.] [Powerful Shot: You shoot an arrow that transcends the ordinary, which will not veer off course or stop for any reason until it reaches maximum range; the kic impact of this strike is doubled, the piercing attack power is doubled, but the power reduces by 10% after passing through each target, dropping to a minimum of 60% (used inbination with "Special Attribute¡ªWind Fixing," it forms "Special Skill¡ªPiercing Wind Breaker"). Cost: 3 Spiritual Energy points (30 Action Power Reserves) per use.] "Wanting to control humanity with fear..." "Do you think you''re worthy?" Chapter 218 : 206 Belief Bai E swallowed another No. 3 energy strip in his mouth. Even though the efficiency of recovering energy reserves would slow down a lot with the massive use of this substance in a short time, it was still better than not replenishing at all. As Bai E gained more abilities that required the use of energy reserves or Spiritual Energy, even with the No. 3 energy strips, his reserves were increasingly insufficient. The need for Spiritual Energy was urgent, yet the most hopeful clue to its acquisitiony with that youngdy from the Elf Race. He had no idea when he would genuinely acquire the legendary ability of Spiritual Energy. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, and Bai E''s gaze became resolute. [Activate "Power Shot".] Piercing Wind Breaker quickly gathered strength. "Swish!" The arrow, wrapped in a fierce wind, stirred up waves within the cave. Refugees close to the arrow''s flight path were easily knocked down by the wind, and the sky-full of whirlwinds eventually converged at the bloody, muscr chest of E, the Master of Fear, and drilled in. With undiminished force, the arrow pierced throughyers of rock, disappearing to who knows where. [Trigger "Piercing Wind Breaker"! Sessful pration of the target''s defense, long-range weapon mastery experience +3.] E, the Master of Fear, stared dumbfounded at the spot where he had just moved, unbelievingly observing the wound pierced by the arrow, with white smoke slowly drifting from it... Completely transpierced. The windstorm caught the attention of some refugees who were blown about. Without permission, they dared not lift their heads. But as their bodies were helplessly tossed around, the scene glimpsed by those brief shes of surprise firmly embedded itself in their minds... "An arrow never aims directly at the target''s current location," Bai E said softly. In the recent exchanges, although Bai E had not counterattacked, he had already figured out the opponent''s pattern of action. The power and speed of E, the Master of Fear, were undoubtedly exceptional, but his skill... leaves much to be desired. Straightforward, with no frills. "Is this the power you im can conquer the world?" Bai E spoke with scorn, knowing that the oue of the battle did not rest on him. Ity... with all the refugees present. He had to give them confidence! "If you can''t even deal with me, how will you face the world?" "Swish~" "Swish~" Two arrows, like fish, split in two different directions, both shooting towards the opponent. Without using the skills "Power Shot" or "Instant Kill Hundred Heads", the speed of the arrows was not fast to E, the Master of Fear, and those demonic pupils could even see clearly the trajectories of the two arrowsing from the dark. In fact, even if the arrows hit, the Spiritual Energy attached to them would only cause limited harm to Him now. Those unheble wounds could only do so much. Compared to the powerful soul energy He had absorbed, the Spiritual Energying from the arrows was but a drop in the ocean. But being continuously hit would surely reignite the confidence of those already shaken humans. He must dodge... them. "Swish swish~" In the moment of dodging, two arrows instantly changed direction, drawing arge arc, hitting His body from different directions at the same time. [Trigger "Double Shot", "Arcing Strike"! Sessful hit on the target, long-range weapon mastery experience +3.] The arrows didn''t prate deep into the flesh, and no white vapor emerged... The previous two arrows were just a test of the efficacy of the Exorcism Essential Oil. Realizing the actual harm the legendary oil, capable of truly injuring demons, could inflict was limited, Bai E didn''t waste any more. It might not be that the oil was too ineffective, but rather that the Spiritual Energy continuously replenished itself from the endless fear emotions transformed into His power. Without cutting off His source, it would also be a waste to shoot out all the arrows anointed with the oil. For the same reason, Bai E didn''t use hisst few dozen energy reserve points on output like "Power Shot" and "Instant Kill Hundred Heads". Before truly knocking down the opponent, he first needed enough time for the refugees'' hearts to ferment with vigor. All he had to do was not truly fall before that fermentation wasplete! But even ordinary attacks, ordinary arrows, could still prate three inches into the flesh upon hitting. "Pfft~" E, the Master of Fear, pulled out the two arrows lodged in his front and back, his emotions a mix of shock and fear. It had begun! The emotions supplied by those humans were starting to wane! Although the extent was small, they were indeed dwindling! He had to finish Him off! He had to do it quickly! "Boom!" "Snap!" With his arms crossed in front as a shield over his chest, Bai E did his best to mitigate some of the force using his body''s strongest parts, yet he was still sted away in an instant. The recently unleashed power of E, the Master of Fear''s demonic strength, was fierce and unmatched, something he could not currently contend with. Even though he had activated "Absolute Defense", he still felt a tightness in his chest. "Extreme Pain Reliever" indeed cut off the pain, but symptoms like suffocation and numbness still persisted. As Bai E was sent flying back, with no time to care about his breathlessness, he still struggled to adjust his center of gravity midair tond smoothly because... The attack from E, the Master of Fear, would arrive right at the moment of hisnding. ... Inside the vehicle, You furrowed her brows hard, desperately resisting the illusion that made her feel despair. She knew this was a demon''s trick, but emotions never listen to reason. The only glimmer within her rational mind was the figure who was facing the demon alone. If she was afraid, she could call out his name... "Bai... E..." Her weak voice called out intermittently and softly. "Bai E..." There were other soldiers also voicing out in the agony of their torment. "Bai E..." The voices became gradually clearer. "Bai E!" ... "Bang!" Bai E, merely knocked back, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked defiantly toward the Lord of Fear ahead, "What''s wrong? Getting slower? Weaker too? You''re weakening, aren''t you?" The Lord of Fear looked around to find several sneaky nces peering from the darkness. The noise from the prolonged battle had proven one fact¡ª The demon feared by everyone seemed not as powerful as imagined. "How dare you look at me!" The demon''s low growl swept across the field like a storm, and the bodies of all the refugees present began to levitate slowly into the air, just as the first refugee who had been absorbed did at the start. The uncontroble reality and the fear of their unknown destinies made these refugees once again recall the Lord of Fear''s power. Indeed... perhaps a few elite humans could maintain theirbat stance when facing the Lord of Fear, but they were just ordinary people. Their power was limited... Their will was not strong... They couldn''t do it... Eyes dimmed... "You can do it!" "Bang bang bang!" The sound of pistol shots suddenly overtook the howling wails that haunted the atmosphere. Bai E''s voice shone alone in the hollow cave. "Every one of us can do it! The reason It can do all this is because you believe It can." "Abandon your fear of It..." "It''s useless..." The Lord of Fear''s thick lips curved into a sinister smirk as he reached out his hand, and the demon''s w clenched in the void. It was like fish out of water, like air being instantly sucked away. The refugees floating mid-air curled up in agony at once, gasping in their throats, choking in this dim world. "They will never break free in their lifetime..." "Heh~" Bai E sneered coldly, recalling the key that was most central. He remembered the fleeting visions of fear from the refugees when he first attempted to escape by car. Yes... that was their most profound fear. Of their fates... of their futures... "My fellow kinsfolk, I know what you''re worried about." "This world will not be forever shrouded in darkness." "I havee to take you back into human society." "No one will ostracize you again, no one will bully you again."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "You will live in a garden flowing with flowers and honey, no longer wandering misfits for the sake of existence." "My name is Bai E." "Remember my name!" "I promise to give you and of life! No one can take that away from your hands anymore!" "Perhaps life throws a few tough trials at us, but please always believe..." "When you''re too weary to fight the currents, there will always be someone who sees your efforts and extends a saving branch." "I will try my utmost to reach out for you." "But also please..." "Believe in me just once..." ... "Bai... E..." Someone hissed through gritted teeth. "Bai... E..." Another followed in confusion. "Snap~" "Snap~" Among the multitude of struggling bodies suspended in mid-air, suddenly two fell thunderously to the ground. The boy and girl looked around in bewilderment as theynded; their fellow kinsmen still hung in the air... had theye down? Clutching their chests... they no longer felt the suffocating sensation. Am I... free? Bai E''s voice was steadfast from afar, "You can do it, It''s merely manifested from your fears. You should be Its master!" Just like the question of whether an attack would be effective or not, the authority over one''s body can only be relinquished if one "believes" the other can dominate their fate¡ªit''s an invisible covenant signed with destiny. However, what truly lies within one''s heart... can only be determined by oneself! "Dad... Mom..." "Uncle... Uncle..." The young voices, though tender, bravely took the first step, "We can do it, we really can." After summoning their courage, it was as if a cold sun rose within their darken souls, dispelling all confusion and pain. Apparently, fate would not leave them to a dead end after all. The voices of the two young teenagers became another horn of defiance in the cave, aside from Bai E. "Snap~ Snap~" Watching more and more figures fall from mid-air, Bai E lit two re sticks that pierced through the darkness, casually fixing them to the card buckle on hisbat suit at the back. They rose like two gs behind Bai E. He notched an arrow to his bowstring, several arrows soaked in Exorcism Essential Oil reflecting the orange glow of the re sticks. "Impossible! It can''t be!" The Lord of Fear''s once insurmountable aura was rapidly withering, his eyes filled with disbelief as he watched body after body fall from the sky. "They can''t possibly do it!" "Whether they can or not... is not for you to decide, nor for me," Bai E said coldly,ughing, "But you... it''s time for you to disappear!" Chapter 219 : 207 Expelled! Fear can spread, and so can courage. When a familiarpanion took the lead as an example, it seemed not so difficult to break free from the demon''s control. More and more figures fell from their suspended state in mid-air, which meant that the reign of the Fear Lord over them hade to an end. "Whoosh~" "Whoosh~" Arrows whistled through the wind, each one piercing through the chest. Bai E had not used any techniques or abilities to enhance the pration power, yet the drastically weakened body of the Fear Lord was clearly no longer able to withstand Bai E''s arrows. Of course, the prating power of the arrows themselves was secondary, the real damage was inflicted by the Exorcism Essential Oil that hit the wounds along with the arrows; these were the true protagonists causing harm. The white smoke that dispersed seemed to contain countless tiny faces, screaming and wailing, as endless torrents of chaotic emotions transformed into the most disordered Spiritual Energy impacts, challenging even these high-dimensional, emotion-feeding demons to cope. The resistance of the refugees weakened Its power, the decline in power led to a reduced grip over the refugees... A vicious cycle reached its limit, and at a certain moment, all the refugees suspended in the air fell to the ground at once. As the power converted from emotions receded like tide from that body, the desated demon''s shell finally revealed the true form of a small demon. The dyedbat information then slowly popped up on the panel¡ª [Using Exorcism Essential Oil on a specific target, your attack has 50% converted to special attack damage.] [You deal 5 points of Spiritual Energy damage to the target!] [Fear Lord (Demon) (Chaos) (Elite) (Weakened state): Health 9/100; Defensive Power 6; Trait: High-Dimensional Being¡­] [High-Dimensional Being: High-dimensional beings do not truly perish in the material world, after their physical form in the material world sustains a catastrophic blow, their core will return to the high-dimensional space, where after absorbing enough power, they will hatch and be reborn again. How much of their memories from before the rebirth they retain depends on their "rank"... Each death means they have drawn more experiences from the past.] "I wille back! I wille back again!" The small demon, with its shriveled reddish-brown muscles and less than one meter in height, stared venomously at the human who had brought about its downfall, as if to memorize his appearance for after its rebirth. "You can''t kill me! I wille back and bring you into the high-dimensional space, where your soul will suffer eternal torment!" Bai E, expressionless, drew back his bowstring, and as he gathered power, strength converged upon the arrowhead, "Come a hundred times, and I''ll kill you a hundred and one times!" "Whoosh!" As quick as lightning, an arrow pierced the chest. [You deal 12 points of Spiritual Energy damage to the target!] [Your attack exceeds the target''s current physical tolerance, the target is about to be expelled.] The space where the Fear Lord stood became indistinct in an instant, as if a misty mirror of light suddenly appeared behind it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Almost no one could gaze at that area; the hazy feeling only brought dizziness and made heads spin. Even Bai E couldn''t look directly at it. Circling around the withered demon''s body was a rapid swirl of air that did not blow a single person''s clothes on the spot. An even more brilliant sh of consciousness flickered past, and the emaciated body instantly shrank into a flesh egg and fell into the mirror behind it, disappearingpletely as if sinking into a droplet of water. The reverberations ebbed slowly, and the space gradually smoothed out the ripples. [You havepletely expelled the target,bat ends, gain 300 battle experience points.] [Notice: Your actions have attracted the attention of an unknown existence!] After a fleeting sense of palpitation, Bai E withdrew his gaze from that space. Revenge? Let ite! Bai E lightly swept his gaze over the refugees who were still recovering their senses in the darkness and exhaled lightly, finally rxingpletely. As the battle intent receded like the tide, the effects of skills like Absolute Defense and Maximum Pain Relief also vanished in an instant, and a sensation of soreness and numbness surged throughout his body and deep into his bones and marrow. One hard fight after another, the battle with the Blood God had already pushed him to the limit, and facing the Fear Lord had been even more punishing. Even Bai E, who had survived numerous life-and-death battles, could not withstand the bacsh of pushing his body to the limit, and he copsed, barely maintaining a semnce ofposure by leaning against the wall behind him. "Hiss~" Ouch~ ¡­ Gone¡­ Completely gone¡­ The refugees who had yet to recover sprawled on the ground, stood up in a daze. The familiar dark caverns seemed so alien now. Without the writhing shadows in the corners, without creatures that might burst out of the darkness to devour them, even the sound of the wind above no longer seemed as terrifying as before. The hollow feeling in the heart, as if something had been scooped out, had vanished, and so had the sense of caution where even a slightly louder noise could send shivers down the spine. A warm current flowed through the body, as if the days of poverty and pain were gone forever. All of this... it seemed to all stem from one belief. Was it he who saved us? Their gazes gradually focused, all looking in the same direction. Two glowing light sticks in the dark illuminated a tiny space where the man who saved everything rested against the wall, one hand on his knee, his gaze fixed on the distance ahead... as if contemting the future. ["Lucky Strike" charge +50.] ["Lucky Strike" charge has reached 120/100, ready for use!] "M... Master." An old and cautious voice sounded before him, Bai E blinked his eyes, snapping out of his reverie. Facing the three figures, onerge and two small before him, Bai E tried to smile as gently as possible at them, "Hello." He looked intently at the two young children, a boy and a girl around fourteen or fifteen years old, both skinny and frail, covered in dirt, but with bright, spirited eyes... Bai E was deeply impressed by them because it was these two children who had first mustered the courage to break free from the control of the Lord of Fear. In any ce, the power of a role model is always boundless, after all, he, an outsider, could never be as convincing as these two fellow tribespeople they knew well. Without their initial resistance, whether the oue would have been sessful was questionable; even if he could ultimately drive away the Lord of Fear, his own situation would likely have be very dire. "You were very brave just now... What are your names?" If possible, Bai E even wanted to reach out and pat the boy''s head, but unfortunately, he could not. He was just too exhausted. "Morphie." "Kiro Lan." The boy was more enthusiastic, while the girl was somewhat reserved. Bai E nodded, "You did very well, you''re heroes." Receiving praise from the man they saw as "the strongest," the boy''s face showed a visible delight, while the girl modestly bowed her head, seemingly reluctant to ept such sudden praise, "Actually... we didn''t do much." "Those who have the courage to face reality are all great." Bai E exined with a smile, then he looked up at the refugee elder who had been waiting quietly. "Are you their leader?" Any group of more than three people, when living together for an extended period, almost always needs a leader who can make decisions on important matters. These refugees, numbering at least four or five hundred, could never have left the city to live in istion and survive without a unified will. The elder nodded, his graying hair bearing the marks of time, and the wrinkles on his face as deep as valleys and gorges, "Yes." After acknowledging his position, the elder seemed a bit nervous, rubbing his hands and speaking hesitantly, "Master, you said you would lead us... lead us to a new life?" Those "flowery and honeyed" lives were far too ideal, so much that just speaking of them was difficult. His only hope was to leave this cursed ce. Although the hearty mushrooms and asional small animals they caught could barely sustain them, clothing, medicine, and other supplies were simply beyond the capability of these people who had left human society behind to produce by hand. In the long run, they would not be able to survive, and the size of this group of refugees would only diminish. Not to mention that mere survival has never been the sole requirement of humans. A void in their spirits would only invite greater disaster. They had already proven that once... And now... it seemed like heaven could no longer bear to watch them suffer so much. The reason the elder had quietly waited for the savior before him to finish speaking with the two children was that he wanted to see what kind of personality this godsent savior possessed. Looking at him now, he seemed even more gentle and tolerant than the elder had imagined. Below that calmposurey an unfathomable depth of foundation. The elder wondered how this savior would arrange for them. "I wonder, Master... where do youe from?" The elder spoke softly, utterly humbling himself, as his backbone had long since been shattered by endless suffering, leaving behind only the meekness of seeking a stable life for hispanions. Bai E did not reply immediately but continued to calmly look into the elder''s eyes. A silence prevailed until, confused, the elder raised his head to meet those brilliant eyes, like morning stars. "Ma... Master?" "You are no less than anyone else; remember that, do not belittle yourselves, do not choose to be humble. Those higher-dimensional beings are always watching the mortal world, waiting for every opportunity to invade. Never, be their tool." The resignation of the rat people, the misery of the refugeemunity... were lessons for everyone to heed. Perhaps he couldn''t influence the overall situation of the city, but there was no problem speaking his mind to this group of refugees whom he had just saved. "Yes..." The elder''s voice paused, his countenance shifting to a more resolute tone, "Master!" "Ie from ckwater City, I am a warrior..." Only then did Bai E speak softly, revealing his origin. After the adrenaline rush, it was time to confront the reality of the situation. Chapter 220 : The Origin of the 208 Refugees "...So, Lord, you say you came to escort us to the city following orders?" Bai E nodded and said, "Yes." A regr soldier from the army barracks was the one rescuing them from the grip of demons? But could someone who dares to confront demons so directly and shines with the aura of a leader be just a regr soldier? A formerly disgraced officer demoted for misconduct? Or was it merely a temporary retreat? However, the fact that a city was willing to send someone to actively ept them was always good news. The elder was advanced in years, seen much and knowledgeable, yet he had spent his entire life in the same wilderness oasis. He had heard of cities but had never truly encountered one. After being ostracized from the oasis, they had already lost faith in their kin; hearing that they could live in a city made them feel both lost and excited.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Lord... what is a city like?" an eager boy asked, his eyes shining with anticipation. "A city..." Bai E said with a distant look in his eyes, for he also did not know what it was like inside a city, but with the protection of the army barracks outside, people inside should certainly live more safely andfortably, right? "A city is a home surrounded by steel." "And what about you, sir?" a girl piped up, her clear eyes fixed on Bai E''s face, asking with a hint of hope. "Me?" Bai E smiled at her, "I''m a soldier; I live outside in the army barracks." The girl''s eyes lit up, "Then can I go to the barracks?" "The barracks are for fighting; you should focus on living well." Other ces Bai E didn''t know, but at least in ckwater City, ording to the information he had¡ª With the consumption of artificial humans, the pressure to conscript from natural humans wasn''trge. Even if Kiro Lan were to enter the barracks, she would most likely learn to be a qualified nurse just like Mashati whom they had met before. But if not necessary, there was no need to enlist. Bai E just smiled and exined, "However, it will be your own choice. I just received orders to take you back. Maybe once in the city, you''ll find a more interesting life waiting for you." "So we can join the barracks if we want?" the girl seemed somewhat insistent. Bai E spread his hands helplessly, "If you volunteer, you probably can, but that''s not up to me." Having received her answer, the girl didn''t press further, "Understood, sir..." "As for you..." Bai E addressed them after calming their emotions, "Where are you from, and how many are you?" This was rted to making judgments about the refugees'' background and nning the relocation. "Wee from Jinshuizhou Town..." The elder spoke softly about their group''s origins. A simple issue of resources. The capacity of a wilderness oasis to sustain a poption is finite, and with the poption swelling, natural selection inevitably filters out the weaker individuals. This group before him was one that had been filtered out. The process was inconsequential now; fortunately, they were still alive... covers it. "When we left, we were six hundred and thirty-one; now, there are only four hundred and seventeen left." As he spoke, the elder nced back at the body drained by the demon, excluding it from the count. "Four hundred and some..." Bai E mused softly. The number was almost double what he had initially been informed. However, as long as these people were willing to cooperate, moving two hundred or four hundred people did not differ fundamentally in difficulty. "Zzzz~" Having broadly understood the situation, Bai E heard the voice of his teammate through the earpiece; the determined tone of Ying, as if regaining strength, "Bai E, how are things on your end?" While slowly regaining the ability to act during the wait, those who had stayed in the vehicle had already rationally analyzed their current situation. Out of rationality, they needed to send someone back to the barracks to report the situation here. A demon invading the real world was a serious matter, something only the professionals at the Heretical Arbitration House could handle. And out of emotion, they didn''t want to see their brother Bai E fighting alone. Especially after having shared the real-time images inside the den with the demon, they felt even more anxious. But it seemed that the Bai E had discovered the demon''s weakness and valiantly started to resist; the following events were beyond their observation. The demon, needing more strength, actively stimted the seeds of fear in their hearts, causing their consciousness to fall into a haze. The images shared by the demon in their minds ended unnoticed while they struggled against the void and darkness. When they tried to recall, they found their memory blurred by the struggle and fear, making it impossible to clearly remember all the details. Only their trust in a particr name was deeply rooted in their hearts¡ª Bai E. Invoking this name in despair as if it truly brought warm salvation. So, when everyone awoke once more from the terrifying illusion in their minds, Ying immediately contacted Bai E. "My side?" Bai E nced again at those refugees slowly regaining their senses, watching them huddle together in the dark to soothe their inner scars, he smiled and replied, "All is well." "Good!" Ying''s voice was buoyant, "We''reing in." "Oh, and..." Bai E remembered something and spoke as a reminder, "Bring some food in." "Alright." After ending the conversation, Ying looked excitedly at the other warriors, "He''s fine." Everyone''s situation was generally the same; the images shared by the demon only stayed on the moment when Bai E was fighting alone. Then, a surge of emotions not their own forcefully welled up, threatening to drown them. Despite everyone''s cautious resistance, at some point they vaguely lost track of the shared images. When they snapped back to their senses, the images shared by the demon had already ended. "Looks like Bai E drove away the demon?" "Really... impressive." The captain of Squad 2, his face flushed with shame, looked at Ying and said, "We owe it to Bai E from your team again this time. Otherwise, we would have been trapped here." A soldier in the corner buried his face, not daring to meet anyone''s gaze, ''On the way here, I told him he could call me when it''s dangerous...'' What Bai E had advised before departing to be cautious proved to be correct. Unfortunately, even with utmost caution, it seemed to be in vain in this ce. There were no sudden attacks, no external threats. The real danger came from within. The Tiger Squad didn''t split up, yet the heart of each member became an isted ind. Except for Bai E... It was said that this brother had performed remarkably well in the spiritual domain of the Bug Race''s overlord in their nest, but since they were in the reserve echelon at that time, they didn''t experience the feat that saved more than four hundred people. Now it seems that if the spiritual energy domain of that Bug Race overlord had been as strong as what they were experiencing now, Bai E''s achievements from that battle would have been unimaginable. "Do we go in now?" a soldier maintained his skepticism, "He might not have really driven away the demon. Those scouts that disappeared before also became the demon''s minions, right? His words now could also be a trap guided by the demon, hoping to lure us all back." Faced with an enemy like the demon, which they did not understand, any assumption extended toward the most extreme direction. "I don''t think it''s likely," Song Ying nced at the speaking soldier, "Bai E has never let anyone down. He will definitely not be the demon''s minion." "But none of us present were able to avoid the demon''s invasion. How could he be the only one? I find it hard not to believe this is a trap set by the demon." "Don''t forget, he was the one who saved us." "I could have woken up on my own without his help." He recovered the fastest among all the soldiers who had stayed in the vehicle, and that was the source of his confidence that he was no worse than anyone else. His teammate tugged at the corner of his clothes and whispered, "If it had been a trap from the start, then Bai E wouldn''t have needed to rescue all of us from the cave." The skeptical soldier looked earnestly at his teammate, "You should know, even on the Bug Race battlefield, he wasn''t the only one who could move in and out of the frontline. But now, he is the only one who has resisted the demon''s spiritual corruption. Don''t you have the slightest doubt?" The driver responsible for operating the vehicle hesitated before speaking, "I tried it once on the battlefield of the Bug Race..." "That''s because you couldn''t handle it." The eyebrows of the skeptical soldier remained calm, "I don''t mean to target anyone, but when we are on a mission, we need to be as cautious as possible." "..." Everyone present was an elite. Every elite was proud. They found it hard to believe that anyone else could easily resist and even counter something they themselves couldn''t withstand. The skeptical soldier''s words didn''t sound very pleasant, but they did have some merit. "How about we leave some people in the vehicle?" The captain of Squad 1 nodded, "Alright, let''s do that. Ka Ruigan, you go with Ying''s and the other squad to take some food to those refugees." "Okay." "No problem." Both squad captains agreed without hesitation. ... Within the cave, the five scouts who had gone missing earlier had also woken up from that terrible state, and Bai E had deliberately asked elders to call them over. He wanted to gather more information from them. But now... these former elite soldiers seemed to be in a poor mental state. Bai E''s gaze swept over the derelict and grim expressions on their faces. They were sharper than the ordinary refugees, but perhaps that was why they had been targeted more specifically by the demon. "The two photographs in your hands were left by me, but actually, after leaving that information, I regretted it," one of the soldiers confessed regretfully. He was one of the first scouts to arrive here. Unlike the ordinary refugees, their faith had beenpletely destroyed after being immersed in fear of the demon for a long time. Even after the demon had been driven away, their mental state could not return to its previous vigor. "I had the same experience as you all. After I woke up from the illusion and escaped the cave, it felt like I left a piece of my heart behind, and I wanted to pick it back up..." As he spoke, the soldier''s eyes suddenly reddened, and he abruptly bowed his head to cover his eyes, a choking sob squeezing through his palms, "But I... I never expected it to turn out like this." He felt as if he was done for. Even after most of the refugees had bravely taken their first step in rebellion, he still couldn''t shake off the demon''s control. Had the demon, whose power had fallen to a certain level, not been directly driven back to a higher-dimensional space by Bai E, he feared he would still be a pawn in the demon''s hands. "It''s all in the past." Bai E was quite helpless and could only offer weak words of constion, "It''s all in the past. Actually..." Bai E looked at the less than favorable mental state of the few scouts in front of him and still asked resolutely, "I want to know, during the entire process of being controlled by the demon, what exactly were you feeling?" Although asking them to recall those unbearable memories might be torturous, Bai E had to probe their wounds in order to learn more information. And there were some questions that had to be asked before the arrival of theirrades, especially since they involved the Exorcism Essential Oil he used. The origin of this stuff... was not so easy to exin. Chapter 221 : 209 Tianhui Gift "It was just pure fear, an irrational terror." "My limbs cold, my body shaking." "My heart felt like it was being carried, any slightly louder noise could make my nerves jump suddenly..." The feelings were very simr to those hisrades had shared with him before, but Bai E was not looking for this; he merely asked again softly, "So, during my fight with that demon, what did you all see?" That was the question he cared most about. He wanted to know exactly how much these people had witnessed. The situation was urgent at the time, and some things had to be done, but now that it was over, he had to consider the aftermath. If he really had to exin, Exorcism Essential Oil wasn''t impossible to exin¡ª For instance, he taught someone something random outside, and that person, out of gratitude, gave it to him and exined how to use it. But why hide it? Was he harboring some thoughts? Was it a breach of discipline to indiscriminately teach what one learned in the military to the public?... The situation could get very muddled. If possible, Bai E didn''t want to deal with such trouble, especially since he didn''t know where the yers got that stuff from... Upon hearing Bai E''s question, the reconnaissance soldiers visibly flinched. They looked at each other before whispering in reply, "We... we didn''t see anything." "Nothing at all." They had been under the demon''s mental control until the very end when the demon waspletely expelled. Before that, they were in a state of "fear" the whole time, providing power to the demon, and didn''t notice what was actually happening. "I understand," Bai nodded, "Then you should rest for now." ording to the decision made by the previous team captains, it was probable that they would depart for the city early the next morning. "Recover your strength as soon as possible. Tomorrow on the road, we will need your help protecting these refugees."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The scale of over four hundred refugees was simply toorge. Two off-road vehicles were clearly not enough; they could only walk with the refugees. And how fast could these refugees move? The longer the journey, the more likely they were to encounter unknown dangers. Their small joint squad of merely thirteen people was clearly stretched thin. Having a few experienced scouts spread out among the team for protection was an excellent idea. A slight sense of responsibility awakened courage within the few scouts. After a quietly subdued silence, they responded hesitantly. "Yes." "Yes, sir." "Szzzzz~" Tiger''s voice came through the earpiece, "We''re almost there, where are you?" "The core area is a big cave. I''ve lit some re sticks, you should see me as soon as youe in." "Okay." Indeed, it was a piece of tranquility. As Tiger stepped into the suddenly spacious cave, his vision, aided by night vision goggles, slowly swept from the immediate surroundings to the distance¡ª The refugees, now settled down, huddled in the dark whispering to each other, while a few figures, who had recovered more quickly or were more enthusiastic, moved among the crowd asking questions. It looked exactly like the underground cave they had seen while under the demon''s influence, only without that terrifying figure akin to a Demon God. Just like Bai E said, the figure with the two re sticks stuck behind him in the corner stood out in the dark. "No problem, Bai E really drove the demon away." They reported back through the voicemunication, of course... avoiding Bai E''s channel. "Put down your stuff," Tiger whispered. The group,den withrge and small bags, gently unloaded the supplies they carried. "Hiss~" Tiger took the lead in lighting two re sticks and sticking them behind him. The other soldiers did the same. Each person ignited a re stick and ced it behind them; soldiers bathed in glowing light formed two lines with agile steps. They passed through the darkness, through the curious gazes of the refugees. Eventually, they crossed most of the cave to reach the figure of Bai E slumped on the ground. Team Leader 2 gave the order, "Salute!" The Radiant Salute. A gesture of acknowledgment by the Radiant Legion, to which ckwater City was nominally subject for the top soldiers within the legion. Though the empire''s thirteen legions werergely nominal by now, the cities under each legion still held great reverence for the honors passed down from those ancient troops. Team Leader 2, with a crisp drop of his right hand and his body standing erect, loudly reported in a manner akin to debriefing: "The joint squad has arrived at the target location! Twelve were supposed toe, eight have arrived, four remain with the vehicles guarding the supplies. Please instruct us on the next actions, sir Bai!" "..." Bai E''s expression faltered for a moment but then he noticed Tiger, trailing behind, squinting and gesturing at him with an expression. With a helpless smile, Bai E, controlling his frail voice to sound as firm as possible,manded, "Distribute the supplies you''ve brought to them. Let everyone eat and rest well... we set out early tomorrow morning." "Yes, sir!" Attracted by the noise of the new soldiers, the refugees who had been following the situation turned their attention toward the exchange of dialogue. Hearing the conversation, some refugees whispered in the dark to each other, "Wow, he really is an officer..." "I said it, how could an ordinary soldier have that kind of strength and nerve." "This ckwater City seems very impressive." After selectively sharing the information they had just received from Bai E with theirpanions, the elder, along with two young children, also leaned to one side to rest a bit. Their strength wasn''t the best after being trapped under the domain of fear, and after dealing with negotiations with Bai E and managing group affairs as the first order of business, they had reached their physical limits. At that moment, they merely looked on with reverence at the figure sitting on the ground. "The adult is amazing..." the boy murmured softly, then turned to the girl beside him, "Kiro Lan, was it true that you wanted to join the military?" "Mmm..." the girl''s expression was calm as still water, quietly gazing in that direction, "I want to be a person like the adult as well." "Then I''ll go with you too..." ``` "...do whatever you want." The elder didn''t speak, only their gaze swept over the refugees hidden in the darkness before returning to the adult leaning alone in the corner. Their eyes briefly flickered. Hu and the others had nearly brought down all the supplies from the vehicle, which were originally prepared for these refugees. Considering that these refugees had been living outdoors for a long time, their nutrition was definitelycking, and the journey back to the city was long. To prevent them fromcking the strength to walk on the way, they had specially packed the trunk of the convoy''s vehicle with high-calorie, low-volume rations before setting out. Bai E had tried one on the road, grape-vored, and it tasted quite good... Even these artificially synthesized foods each had their vor, and the city did quite a good job in this regard. Never before savored "delicacies" served as a more direct stimulus than any other thing. Many refugees eating the ration bars they had received cast their eyes toward that bright corner in the darkness. Everything... was brought by that man. ["Lucky Strike" charge +23.] "emmmm..." A pleasant surprise. Bai E, sitting and resting, received an unexpected notification, suddenly remembered his previous spection about the "Lucky Strike" charging mechanism. The charge limit for the same emotion within a "short time" was only 50 points, but it seemed that different kinds of emotions could break this limit. At the moment... being saved from the demons and the "gifting of food" were clearly considered two different things. Could he make even more effort to farm some more points? It was not easy toe by such an opportunity with a good favorability foundation; he had to seize it well. Thinking of this, Bai E started running "Overlimit Drive" to elerate the recovery of his physical strength. The No.3 ration bar he had eaten earlier was slow to restore, but it was continuously working. Before long, he got up and walked over to the elders who had consciously moved away, squatting in front of them, Bai E softly asked, "Living out here, you must have a good number of patients troubled by injuries and pain, right?" The elder looked up at Bai E with some confusion, "Sir...?" Of course, there were injured. Among the many worries he originally had, this was one. But now... Bai E smiled gently, "Gather them up, and I''ll take a look." Bai E didn''t mention any other factors; helping had to be straightforward to stir genuine emotional responses from these people. emmmm... collecting power through emotional fluctuations? A very familiar setup... Bai E silently shook his head and scoffed to himself, how could it be. ... "Captain..." After hearing about the developments inside the cave from the headset, one of the soldiers staying by the vehicle who was a warrior looked toward their own captain, "What should we do?" The warrior who had previously been doubtful still echoed in his mind with the voices of the No.2 captain and Hu and others cheering for that guy, internally gritting his teeth. ''Why boost his momentum like that!'' Now, hearing his teammate''s question, he immediately retorted firmly, "Bai said to rest, didn''t you hear?" "...heard¡­ heard?" ... There were about forty or fifty injured. Long-term living outdoors, having major or minor physical ailments was only too normal, plus the prolonged envement by demons, these refugees were weakened both physically and mentally. After all, the lord of fear wouldn''t care about these humans'' health problems. These refugees were living day by day; physical suffering was actually more conducive to the breeding of fear emotions. If one were to be serious about it, among the more than four hundred refugees, everyone had some ailment. But under the current rudimentary conditions, only those truly affecting the ability to move were selected and gathered by the elders. Looking at the hopeful eyes before him, Bai E didn''t speak, just picked up the first-aid kit brought by Hu and others and got down to work. [You are attempting first aid...] [You havepleted first aid; the patient''s injuries are stabilized and are recovering slowly.] "Thank you! Thank you!" Looking at the white bandage on her previously pus-filled wound on her shin and feeling the slightly stinging warmth underneath, the dirt-covered woman''s tears fell in gratitude, repeatedly thanking him. ["Lucky Strike" charge +1.] "It''s okay, it''s not serious, but you should rest in the vehicle tomorrow," Bai E smiled at her and then moved on to the next one. [You are attempting first aid...] [You havepleted first aid...] "Thank¡­ thank you." ["Lucky Strike" charge +1.] "It may itch a bit, hold back and don''t touch it¡­" Bai E spoke softly and tenderly, a master of healing hands. Kiro Lan, watching from a distance, had stars in her eyes, for the first time feeling that there could be such a shining figure in the world. "This is the great Sir..." So she ran up and asked clearly, "Sir, can I learn these skills from you?" Bai E nced at her and replied with a smile, "Of course, no problem¡­ but there are a lot of people, I can''t exin to you one by one." They were to set off early the next morning, and to ensure the mobility of these refugees, Bai E certainly wanted toplete the treatment of every injured patient as soon as possible. While treating, he was also checking everyone. The two off-road vehicles that would head back were empty, perfectly able to pick those refugees who were unable to move on their own to rest in the vehicles. Bai E was not toofortable with leaving the decision to the refugees or their teammates; it could easily cause controversy, so he wanted to make the call himself. "It''s okay, it''s okay," Kiro Lan waved her hands repeatedly, "I''d be thankful to just observe." After all, ever since she was young, she learned things quickly... ``` Chapter 222 Sheltering under someones influence (or protection) "Why has such a godly figure joined your team?" the captain of Team 2 said, his eyes filled with admiration as he watched the figure tirelessly healing among the refugees. Hu shook his head, "He just got assigned to us..." Actually, when they first heard that a newly born soldier was being assigned to them, they weren''t too pleased either, only Song Ying found an excuse to ept this newly created person. However, during subsequent training and battles, this new recruit, who had not been born long, undoubtedly blew the minds of every witness. He would keep going and infect everyone who had walked with him. "He''s still going..." You''s eyes slightly zed over, "He must be tired too, right?" His own group had only briefly resisted the mental oppression of the fear demons, causing them to only regain partial mobility to this point, gasping for air after carrying back supplies and distributing them. But what about him, facing the demons head-on? Nevertheless, he was still healing the refugees'' wounds, soothing their emotions. He was always kind and tolerant to everyone. A...natural-born leader? Recalling those brief, impassioned words, You rarely felt her face grow hot and flushed. If she could carry out missions under his lead in the future... that must be a wonderful thing, right? ... Bai E quickened his pace. There were still so many patients waiting for treatment, these suffering refugees were the best emotion extractors, each providing about 1 point of charge, much more sincere than those soldiers whose heads were only good for maintaining guns. Beside him, the girl''s eyes took on a faint, grey glow, unwaveringly watching Bai E''s every move. Through observational actions, she seemed to effortlessly grasp the underlying principles behind them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om +1+1+1+1+1+1+1... Kiro Lan suddenly spoke up, "Sir... Could I also have a first aid kit? I want to help them too..." "..." Bai E was taken aback for a moment and turned to look at the girl. The knowledge seemed to still flow through her crystal-clear eyes. Had she learned it? Or had she already had some basis? She couldn''t be a yer, could she... but there were no hints of interaction, were there? Bai E felt a slight suspicion in his heart and waved to Hu and the others in the distance, while saying through the earpiece, "Bring another first aid kit here." "Okay." Once Kiro Lan also started caring for the refugees, Bai E couldn''t help but spare a bit of his attention to watch her movements¡ª She really knew what she was doing. And every move was like his own shadow, the efficiency nearly as fast as his. She might have been a bit clumsy at first, but after quickly getting familiar, the efficiency increased a lot. Learned... learnt it? A genius! For the first time, Bai E felt a profound sense of pressure from these native NPCs. The natives'' talents were indeed unreasonable. With Kiro Lan''s help, the pace increased significantly, and of course, she took on her share of the workload. +1+1+1... The charge kept rising, the severely impaired patients were no longer sufficient, Bai E looked towards more refugees in the distance. The short-term limit for the same kind of emotion was 50 points; he hadn''t reached 50 yet, so he couldn''t stop now. "Gilder..." That was the name of the elder of the refugees, "See if there''s anything wrong with anyone else, I''ll take a look as well." Gilder couldn''t bear to see hispanions suffering from illness, but thinking of the hard journey the adult had undertaken and how he had driven away the enving demons for them, seeing him still worrying about this made his eyes wet, "Sir, what you''ve done for us is already enough." ["Lucky Strike" charge +5.] "Yes, sir, you should rest... we''re okay." "Just endure a little longer, we have to travel tomorrow, and you should get some rest, sir," said other refugees, who also had various ailments but hadn''t yet received treatment, from a distance. "It''s fine, I just need to rest a bit, learning how to quickly recover and maintain stamina for prolongedbat is also a skill we soldiers must master." Bai E smiled as reassuringly as possible, waving his hand in insistence. He couldn''t miss any opportunity to gather charge! "Fine... okay then." Gilder hesitated but agreed, once again picking out patients for Bai E. He knew the conditions of hisrades well, some of which were serious even though they didn''t affect their ability to move much. +1+1+1... [You havepleted a first aid...] No more... [The third one didn''t add any charge...] Was it because they felt no gratitude? No, it was because he had reached 50 points, not counting those 5 points provided by Gilder. They can make such fine distinctions... 196 points. Bai E sighed deeply. "It''s gettingte," Hu came over, looking at the mechanical watch on his wrist, he reminded Bai E. "Sir, go get some rest, I can help everyone." Kiro Lan, having learned Bai E''s "true teachings," also turned her head back and looked kindly at Bai E from not far away. "Alright then." Bai E knew what mattered most. No matter when, rest is always the best way to recover. They had to depart early the next morning, and there might be more dangers to be wary of on the journey, and his body indeed needed rest to recover from the true exhaustion. Chapter 223 Sheltering with someone else For the sake of energy values, he could still hold on, but now that they were depleted, he was somewhat unable to persevere. "I''m going to sleep..." Youth is great, falling asleep as soon as one''s head hits the pillow. ... [Feedback from themission: Your Reflexes +0.1, Ranged Weapon Mastery Experience +28, Light Weapon Mastery Experience +26, Combat Mastery Experience +29, Tech - Basic Electrical Manufacturing and Processing Experience +149.] A sense of unease, as if being watched, lingered in his mind, and Bai E, who had already had a good rest, woke up instantly from his sweet sleep.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om His vignt eyes opened, bright as two stars in the night. Inside the cave, all was peaceful. The howling wind above seemed only to be an apaniment that helped one sink deeper into the world of dreams, the refugees'' breathing steady, enjoying an evening of rare mental tranquility. There were no enemies, nor was it the return of demons. Elder Gilder sat not far from Bai E, his aged eyes watching with some hesitation. After the impulsive gratitude of being saved had cooled down, the experiences of his past life overshadowed his rationality. Where there are people, there is strife. Could these refugees, who had been rescued, truly start a new and beautiful life as this officer said? Not very realistic. Resources are the most realistic topic in this world. If they had no special skills, how would they be allocated the survival resources that everyone in this era needed? Was the so-called ckwater City truly a utopian world of legend? If such a world existed, it was likely already overrun with people. He had not shared this worry with anyone, hiding it in his heart instead. Theirpanions, who had been driven out of the town together, had just escaped from the clutches of demons. It would be ill-advised to plunge them back into fear for the future, which might invite the terrifying demon once again. Would there be a second savior then, or would they be rescued one more time by this gentleman? There are not so many blessings in this world, but since the gentleman had made such amitment at the time... did it mean that he had some ability to ensure a new life for everyone? Gilder was unclear about the system in ckwater City; he only knew that in their old town, the powerful always had their own private armed forces and retainers. "What''s wrong?" Upon waking, Bai E proactively inquired in a soft voice to the elder. "Elder, pleasee with me," Gilder said resolutely through gritted teeth, whispering as quietly as possible to Bai E. ... Bai E swept his gaze around the shadows, everyone else was resting. Be it his teammates, or the refugees. No one noticed what was happening here... "Okay," Bai E nodded, agreeing to the elder''s request. Following Gilder, the two arrived in a tunnel where they were unlikely to disturb the others who were resting. "Can we speak now?" Bai E looked at Gilder, who had turned around, and calmly asked. "It''s like this, sir..." Gilder twisted his palms, pausing for a while before saying with difficulty his personal thoughts, "I was wondering if you... have your own... faction?" Gilder observed the gentleman''s expression with utmost caution; his life in the dark seemed to give him a certain Dark Vision, allowing him to make out some images in the darkness. "Uh?" Bai E''s tone hesitated slightly, "Why do you ask?" Since he had decided to speak up, Gilder was candid, "I... I don''t know what kind of system ckwater City has, but where wee from strong men have their own factions. I think... it might be better to follow under your leadership rather than with the city''s central authority." Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Although following Bai E might not even amount to being the head of a chicken, even being the neck, the body, the heart, or the lungs of the chicken would still be good... Such a splendid figure as Bai E was someone he had never seen in the town. Following a character like him, one would not have to worry about being arbitrarily discarded one day. Not to mention that their prolonged wandering had broken their spirits; without learning to bow and adapt, one cannot survive in this world. ... A moment''s silence. Bai E was somewhat indecisive. He had never imagined the elder would speak of such a matter. To grow his own faction? After deceiving yers and desperate Ratmen, was he to ept such arge group of refugees? Wouldn''t that be too conspicuous? Not to mention whether he could support them, the sheer numbers were enough to be branded as rebels. He was not yet aware of the city''s ns for these refugees, nor did he know whether the city permitted the existence ofrge private groups. Taking the refugees in, given his status, was definitely not appropriate. At least not at present. "Sir, rest assured, we may not have any special abilities, but we can ensure absolute loyalty. Most of the four hundred people are men; with some training and arms, they could fight for you! I may not be very capable, but having lived so many years, I do have some experience. I could look after the team and help with internal affairs," Gilder confidently vouched for himself and the others while Bai E silently pondered. There is no love without reason in this world, even the purest rtionships ultimately require the need for benefits and value. Facing Gilder''s hopeful gaze, Bai E spoke thoughtfully. "You were specifically asked to be brought back by themander; it''s not appropriate for me to intervene directly." Bai E''s words were ambiguous, not a t rejection. Who knows what the future might hold? His main quest required him to raise the reputation level of his forces to Level 2. The elimination of a ck Street force by the yers had only slightly increased it, and perhaps the remaining requirements could include a hard number of people? It was uncertain, but he could not discount the possibility. Gilder''s eyes brightened at the response, "I see..." Not being directly refused meant the gentleman might really have his own faction. Was it just due to the rules... But almost immediately, the wisdom gained from many years and countless events led him to think of a workaround, "How about this, sir? Yourmander doesn''t know our exact numbers, right?" Let alone the long journey that could easily lead to some falling behind... "Missing one or two shouldn''t be a problem. Let an old man like me first join you. For them... we''ll see if there''s another turn of fortune?" Bai E''s eyes flickered. He was indeed in need of a warehouse manager for his own ce... The 5 points of energy value provided by the elder before could be considered a form of "loyalty." Maybe it could work. But he still needed to give it further thought. Bai E turned and walked back towards the cave, "We''ll discuss itter." Chapter 224 211 The Incident on the Way Back to the City Even without any reminder from Tiger, the biological clock within Bai E had be an instinct over this period of being a warrior. The cavern remained pitch-dark, yet Bai E was already awake. Elder Gilder also quietly roused hispanions one by one in the darkness. "Wake up..." "We, are setting out." They were setting off for a whole new life. Every awakened migrant seemed very excited. The warriors who had stayed in the vehicles had long been waiting at the entrances of those caves, watching the figures emerge in single file and they couldn''t help but exim in awe. "Such a crowd..." The intelligence reported only around two hundred people, but the sight of more than four hundred was undoubtedly double their initial mental preparation. "We need to allocate our individual tasks." There might be some minor troubles along the way; they had to spread out as much as possible to ensure that if an incident urred, warriors could arrive immediately to help the migrants. Team Leader One called over Team Leader Two and Tiger... along with Bai E to discuss. As for Tiger and the rest of the warriors from Team Two, they were all helping the migrants to form up. A team of more than four hundred people is neither toorge nor too small, but without a neat and unified formation, it would be messy and difficult to manage. No one expected them to obey everymand without question, but at least they shouldn''t drag their feet too much when encountering potential dangers. "There are also five scouts over there; they should be able to help a little," Tiger pointed out, referring to the five soldiers previously discovered missing in the cave. Team Leader One''s gaze swept quickly over them and frowned upon seeing the posture of those five men standing. The five soldiers, walking amidst the migrants, hadpletely lost the sharpness that befits a warrior and looked utterly dejected, as though they had been assimted by the migrants. "They didn''t die?" muttered a warrior standing not far away who had always had a slight critical view of Bai E. To die as a warrior exploring for humanity is one thing, but to survive... and then go missing was a serious offense. "They were also controlled by the demons, against their will," Tiger exined softly. Team Leader One nodded nomittally, "Harold, distribute guns to each of them." The disgruntled warrior trusted his own team leader and responded loudly at once, "Yes! Captain!" Team Leader One pondered by himself, "Apart from the two drivers, and including those five scouts, we have... sixteen people. Okay then, I''ll lead the way. Tiger, you take care of the left nk, Ka Ruigan you''re on the right nk, and have those scouts cover our rear. The two vehicles..." "The two vehicles should be used to transport the migrants; many of them inside have severe injuries and would have difficulty moving on their own," Bai E interjected. Team Leader One looked deeply at Bai E, this time without rebuttal, and simply nodded in agreement, "Alright, we''ll do it your way this time." After speaking, Team Leader One pped his hands, "Any other issues?" "No." "No." "Good," Team Leader One lifted his head and looked over the assembly of migrants. Under the arrangement of the warriors, they had vaguely formed into four columns. The formation wasn''t perfect, but clearly, they didn''t need to be too stringent. "Alright... let''s set out!" ... "Harold, time to go," someone from Team One called out to the warrior who had been ordered to distribute weapons to the scouts. "Coming," the warrior responded loudly, turned back, and coldly admonished the five scouts before him, "You''ve already brought shame to our military once; don''t mess up on the way back. The fact that you''re covering our rear is already the biggest concession we can make! Got that?" "Yes... I understand," a few scout soldiers replied, hanging their heads in shame, not daring to meet his eyes. As he passed by Bai E, the warrior patted Bai E on the shoulder, his deep voice fleeting, "Kid, that''s enough of the act, got it?" "..." As he watched the figure walk away, Bai E felt a sense of bewilderment. Who was that? "Don''t mind him." The tiger also looked at the other''s fading figure and shook his head. "Hmm." ... The journey was filled with swirling winds and sands. Sitting in the vehicle, one wouldn''t feel it, as it sped through thendscape, swiftly reaching the destination. It was truly monotonous, nearly a single shade of crimson, when relying on one''s own feet to walk. Monotonous to the point of deathly silence. With no cover on the ins, the howling wind blew sand against the face... If it weren''t for Bai E''s resilient skin, these grains could easily have left bloody scratches on his face. Not to mention those ordinary refugees. Discover more content at empire It was truly with all their strength that they had first made it this far. It wasn''t that they wanted to stay in that dark, underground cave, just that their physical strength couldn''t support them in leaving this vast terrain anymore. Dangling by the side of the refugee team and walking slowly, with teammates ahead and behind, Bai E carefully approached the mountain and whispered the question he was more concerned about, "Can you tell me what you all saw in the vehicle outside?" The scouts within the cave saw almost nothing, but what about their teammates outside the cave? What could be the shared vision the demons had allowed them to see? Bai E wanted to know what information they had gathered and their authentic feelings about the demon. Considering that even the Fear Demon seemed to have taken a grudge against him, it was better to learn more about the effects of its powers to be well-prepared. "Us?" The mountain was slightly startled, "We just saw you getting beaten by that demon, then you shot it with an arrow, and after that, basically... Right, that demon had so many ws, how did you manage to fight it off, eh?" "ws?" Bai E was stunned, a little puzzled by the word. "Yeah! It was like, um..." The mountain asked as a matter of course, then searched his mind for the right adjective for half a day, "abination of a centipede and a praying mantis... how did you just block all those ded limbs with your hands?" "..." Bai E had a strange expression, "What you saw might be a bit different from what I saw." But he understood. He had guessed at that time that what each person saw of the demon could be different, based on their own mind. However, this difference seemed not merely in the eyes of the beholder... The image of fighting a humanoid monster and fighting a centipede-like monster would surely be vastly different, but the scenes they witnessed were still convincing enough for them to believe it was real without much inconsistency. It was only to say... these visuals were half-truths. The appearance changed a thousand times, but for every human who saw Its form, everything that happened in the interaction made sense. An unimaginable power... Was this the power of the demon? Half-fictitious, like an illusion, yet somewhat real... Moreover, this was just a demon summoned from the higher-dimensional space by the fears of hundreds of refugees, and its strength probably wasn''t outstanding. If it was already so difficult to confront it, and he had to resort to trickery, what would happen if one day he truly encountered one of the great demons or even a Demon God from the higher-dimensional space? "..." A wistful mood enveloped Bai E''s heart.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Suddenly, from not too far away, came the reminder from Song Ying, "It seems like something is approaching." Bai E''s ears twitched, and his rapidly growing insight attribute also allowed him to hear noises noting from their own group. Scanning around, he saw no unexpected targets on the horizon. Therefore, he simply closed his eyes, voluntarily entering a "dark" state. "Blindbat" began to take effect... Hearing stretched out like tentacles, reaching out in a certain direction. A cacophony of sounds poured into his ears¡ª The roar of engines, the trembling of metal shells... and, boisterous yelling. All of this eventually converged into an abstract picture in his mind, sketched out purely by lines¡ª Eight run-down vehicles, even considered junk in the human world, were carrying a group of physically robust creatures, speeding from the northwest direction. Bai E instantly opened the radio channel, "Be alert, unknown targets are approaching from the northwest, get ready to encounter the enemy!" Chapter 225 212 Beasts! The northwest? That''s the direction they came from, toward the Wind-Eroded Cave. Not long after Bai E''s voice rang out, someone raised a question over thems, "You can hear what''s behind while on the nk? You think you''re better than those scouts?" Bai E''s brows knitted lightly, but before he could speak, another voice took over. "Understood," the calm voice of Team 1''s captain came through the headset, issuing tactical orders, "Ka Ruigan, Tiger, your teams move back and get ready for support, but also be wary of possible attacks from your direction, don''t rule out a feint." "Yes!" "Yes!" Then Team 1''s captain continued to inquire over thems, "Scouts, have you noticed any movement from behind?" The five rear scouts exchanged nces, highly uncertain of their own judgment. They truly hadn''t heard anything, after all, the wind on this wilderness buried a lot of noises, and theirck of focus might be another reason. Yet that officer who had created a miracle and driven away the demons seemed certain that there were "people" behind... "Speak!" The voice of Team 1''s captain was somewhat stern. Stay connected with empire Compelled by the harsh voice, after a moment of hesitation, the scouts decided to report ording to their own judgment, "Currently, no targets detected¡­" "Wait!" Another scout, after being reminded, focused and felt as if he had heard some unexpected noise. "Seems like... there is indeed some noise, like a vehicle." "Eight vehicles," Bai E said gravely. "You again¡­" "Harold! Shut up!" "..." The voice of Team 1''s captain was steady, "Leave two people up front, everyone else move back, get ready forbat!" Besides two off-road vehicles leading the way up front and two warriors from Team 1, all the other soldiers were nearly all moving toward the back of the team. The team kept moving forward, but the hearts of the soldiers in the radio frequency channel were involuntarily racing. As the other party drew closer, almost all the scouts could hear the increasingly distinct roaring from behind. The five scouts tightly clutched their guns, nervously looking in the direction behind them. Was something unexpected approaching? Human? Or some kind of enemy? Of course, even if they were humans, they were not necessarily friendly. The so-called "warlords" wandering the wilderness also liked to capture humans to serve as soldiers or ves when they had the chance. In any case, it was an era of extreme chaos. "Rumble, rumble, rumble~" Beneath the trembling roar that sounded like the oldest diesel tractors, eight beat-up cars that seemed like they could fall apart at any moment began to appear in the view of the soldiers approaching from behind. "It''s really eight¡­" A soldier''s gaze became hollow, involuntarily ncing towards his teammates. ["Lucky Strike" charge +1.] Bai E didn''t make another sound, only staring intently at the green figures crammed into the eight small cars with a heavy gaze. A bunch of muscr green brutes were squeezed onto rtively small cars, creating a constant sense of danger that the vehicle could be crushed at any moment. Body sizes varied, but even the skinniest among them was bigger than the most muscr human in the team, not wearing a stitch of armor. Great swathes of green muscle were exposed, many parts smeared with oil paints in graffiti that seemed to carry some meaning. Only a few individuals had steel helmets of different designs, awkwardly perched on their heads, painted in vivid, colorful patterns. Round helmets, face guards, horned helmets... they varied widely, including the weapons in their hands. If those imaginative, creative implements, adorned with numerous teeth, spikes, and even small motors, could be called weapons at all. [??? (Orc) £¨???£©¡ª¡ª Use "Lucky Strike" for kill to drop: Definite (Spore Colonies*2000, Combat Experience 1500 points); High probability (Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding 5yers, Mastery: Heavy Weapon Specialization Layer +1, not exceeding 5yers); Possible (Trait: Photosynthesis)] Orcs. This was the first time Bai E had seen the orc race up close. "It''s orcs!" "Forty-five of them!" The voice of the scouts in the channel clearly carried a hint of panic. These were the most unpredictable and belligerent beings. They were warlike and insane, with no concept of fear. Most importantly, there were more of them than us! Humans typically kept their distance and approached orcs with caution, yet now, while escorting this refugee convoy, they had stumbled upon these creatures.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Look at the dominant color of their paint, they are divided into many ns internally," said an "expert" familiar with orcs in Team 1 who hadn''tpletely moved to the back, remotely directing over thems. "They have red and white on their bodies, and primarily red paint on their firearms." "What about the vehicles?" "Yellow... golden yellow." "Do you see any distinct marks or symbols on them?" "There seems to be... a tooth on the paint of the cars?" "We''re in luck..." a member of Team 1 exhaled in relief over thems, "It must be orcs from the Fu Yue n. I''ve dealt with them before; they''re the only n among the orcs that might be able tomunicate normally. Don''t attack, I''m on my way." Chapter 226 212 Beasts!_2 "Are you confident?" Squad Leader No. 1 quietly asked over the channel. "There should be no problem¡­" "Rumble rumble rumble!" The car, ramshackle yet seemingly without a problem, dragged its tattered iron shell, carrying a group of orcs that looked much heavier than itself, making a tremendous noise as it rumbled closer, eventuallying to a slow stop not far from the scouting soldiers with guns at the ready. The green-skinned orcs hopped down from the car one after another, causing the already ramshackle vehicle to emit an unpleasant squeaky rocking sound. The panting and chuckling noises never ceased; some smaller orc pets also excitedly jumped down from the car following their owners, their tiny bodies almost entirely made up of heads, with short legs scurrying around the orcs, romping around and making panting noises like little dogs. "Ha~ha~ha~" These creatures, like the orcs, were grown from the ground; only, they might have been underdeveloped, not turning into orcs but into orc pets instead. Experience new tales on empire Their scientific name¡ªDaog. The Daog, with theirrge heads and light feet, scurried around at the orcs'' feet, asionally lunging at a sufficiently plump ankle and snapping their wide mouths shut with a bite. "waaaagh!" The bitten orc leaped three feet straight up on the spot, but this only brought heartlessughter from the Daog''s owner. "Hahahaha~" "Shut up!" One orc, unable to stand these little creatures, stomped down with its foot. "Pfft!" The lively orc pet was instantly ttened. After two breaths, it bounced back up like jelly and scurried about once more. Bai E''s brows quirked slightly¡­ Chaotic, noisy, unrefined. This was the first impression these orcs gave. Their style just didn''t fit with that of normal creatures¡­ Arriving hastily at the rear of the squad, Squad No. 1''s "orc expert" took the initiative to greet them, approaching the other party with an exaggeratedugh, "Hey! Lads! How did you end up here?" One of the orcs, holding a huge handgun in his left hand and carrying a rusty saw-toothed machete half the length of a person in his right, took two steps forward, causing the refugees at the back of the line to unconsciously shrink back. He pointed with his machete towards the line of refugees, opening his big mouth as wide as the sky, his voice resounding, "We fancy your ves." The orc expert''s face stiffened, "But you don''t eat humans." "We fancy their teeth." "All of them?" "Of course, all of them." The orc expert looked displeased, "I need to ask my superior." "Go on, go on¡­" The orc waved his hand impatiently, his wide mouth muttering to himself. However, his voice was so loud that even the refugee line at the very front could vaguely hear him. "You humans are such a hassle, always asking this one, asking that one to make a decision¡­ Unlike us, we all listen to just one person¡­ Hoo-ya!" "Hoo-ya!" In the midst of the chaoticmotion, the leading orc lowered his voice to give orders to his underlings, "As soon as they agree, make your move!" By the Orc God above¡ª Axe Bro is violent yet cunning, Knife Bro is cunning yet violent. Unfortunately, he preferred to follow the path of Knife Bro. If the humans agreed, it meant they were afraid. Fear meant they couldn''t beat his boys. Moreover, once the humans made the decision to agree, they surely thought the matter could be settled peacefully, dropping their guard. Is not taking action even justified with Dao Ge''s guidance? "Hoo-ya!" "Hoo-ya!" ... The orcs carried on boisterously among themselves, and the orc expert swiftly turned to exin to everyone in the channel: "They want these refugees'' teeth, which are as good as ck water coins in the eyes of the orcs... They''ve set their sights on this money." Team Leader 1 had already withdrawn from the front of the team and wasn''t far away. He could hear what the orcs were saying just as well with his own ears and now asked, frowningly. "So, we just give them what they want?" He wouldn''t be oblivious to the information his own team members knew. At the moment, he was merely using the method of questioning a team member as a way to have a team member''s mouth exin the reasons to the other two squads, which might not be familiar with the orcs. "They won''t give up on something they''ve set their eyes on. The Fu Yue n can indeedmunicate, but it''s usually by forceful trade." Team Leader 2 interjected, "So, you''re saying we only have two options?" Fight, or sell teeth? "After all, it''s the refugees'' teeth, better not to stir up trouble when it can be avoided. Our orders were simply to bring them back alive," Harold''s voice once again rose in the channel. Team Leader 1 nced at him one more time but remained silent. Oftentimes, things that he felt were inappropriate to say could be voiced by his subordinates. What he needed to do was to rebuke his subordinates when they said something not quite right. "They have more people than us, and if we fight, there''s no guarantee we''lle out on top. Besides, these refugees might scatter and flee or suffer heavy casualties, so it''s indeed better not to provoke a head-on conflict," a member of Squad 2 also whispered in agreement. After all, they only wanted teeth, not lives. Not to mention they wanted the teeth of the refugees. Refugees... those in the know, understand. "Indeed..." "We''re also protecting them." Seeing this proposal gain the agreement of many soldiers, Team Leader 1 slowly asked everyone in the voice channel: "What do you think?" "Agreed." "Agreed." "No objections."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The voices in the channel were almost unanimously in favor. "Alright, then it''s decided," Team Leader 1 dered decisively. The orc expert then turned around and shouted: "Hey! Lads, our chief has agreed to your trade demand." The leading orc, upon hearing this decision, immediately revealed a ferocious smile on his green-faced and fanged visage, but it was fleeting. "Who agreed?" Tiger was originally discussing the pros and cons with his teammates. But he quickly realized that this decision seemed to bypass their squad altogether. The minority was falling in with the majority, and the other two squads had made the decision for everyone. Tiger nced at Bai E, who had a dark and unsettling countenance, and almost instinctively blurted out without thinking. "..." All the people and orcs turned to look at Tiger who had spoken out. Without waiting for the humans to decide among themselves, the impatient orc''s voice rang out impatiently, "You humans are such a hassle, choosing a leader based on words instead of fists. After the choice is made, half listen and half don''t. If you ask me, there should be a fight to choose a leader, and then everyone would listen to the winner." Saying this, the orc leader raised the huge handgun in his hand and violently pulled the trigger towards the direction of the orc expert. "Boom!" The piercing detonation echoed for a long time under the sky, startling the orc expert who reflexively ducked his head, only to realize that the bullet had not hit him. For a moment, the orc expert was both shocked and angry, his eyes filled with rage as he looked at the orc, "What do you mean by this!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 227 213 Fungal Biology ``` The beastman leader holding a pistol burst into exaggeratedughter, "You humans can''t decide things, so we''ll decide for you." "Boys! waaaaaaaaagh!" "waaaaaaagh!" The beastmen rushed forward like a bunch of reckless brutes without brains or ns, a moment ago they seemed like they were about to trade, but in the next, they had already grabbed their machetes and charged. Shouting "waaaaagh," they surged forward as if inspired by the power of gods, their movements swift and coordinated. "Bang!" "Bang!" The pistols in the beastmen''s hands, almost as big as human machine guns, roared wildly first. Fired into the air... Whether urate or not, they were simply loud. This was the beastmen''sbat aesthetic. Big is good, loud is strong! "waaaaagh!" Even the beastmen''s pet dougs charged forward with "huffing and puffing" in the fric warlike atmosphere, their tiny frames bursting with bloodthirsty madness. The beastmen''s sudden eruption wasn''t beyond the expectations of the human soldiers here, who were all elite special forces members. They might not perform well against demons that are skilled at manipting the mind, but when ites to real gunfire and battle, they''ve never been afraid of any opponent. Almost the moment the leader shouted, some soldiers had already realized that things might change and raised their riot shields to rush towards the rear of the squad. Uncertain of a fight, they had prevented sudden attacks from other directions, and all soldiers, except for the scouts, hung close to the nks. Now, certain of battle, the human soldiers'' footsteps were equally as swift as the wind. "We''ll settle with you after the fight!" The soldier named Harold, holding a thick ck st shield, rushed to the front line at the rear first. Called out by the leader, Ying and others ignored him and, pulling out their chainswords, also stepped forward like charging soldiers towards the beastmen. The beastmen''s long-rangebat capabilities were not strong; the fearsome-looking firearms in their hands were basically inurate, and most beastmen carried pistols just to fire them and hear the noise, then they''d use the guns to smash when up close. Only a small part of them liked to snipe with guns, and these beastmen were called by humans "sneaky shooters." However, with their formidable physical enhancements, these beastmen''s close-quartersbat capabilities were far superior to those of ordinary human soldiers. Da Shan and You also sprang into action, their speed even faster than Ying''s. Facing the beastmen, there was no tactic to speak of. This wasn''t a formal military-scale battle. No artillery support from a distance, no heavy firepower to lock down the area. Just a straightforward close-range encounter, get it done and that''s it. "Click~" The sound of the safety being released rang by Song Ying''s ear as his machine gun aimed at the charging crowd of beastmen. "Ratatatatata!" Gunshots erupted from all different directions at almost the same time, and the sudden assault of the beastmen undoubtedly sent the ordinary refugees into a state of mental shutdown, with the humans'' gunfire startling those at the back of the squad immediately. The leader of Squad 1 held a big ck sword and coldly called out to Ying from afar, "Keep your people in order; don''t let them run amok!" It wasn''t any special care. Squads 1 and 2 were older, not in words alone. Their average individualbat power was stronger than Ying and his team; at this time, they were just doing what everyone was supposed to do. Fleeing refugees were more troublesome than these beastmen. "Yes!" "You, Da Shan, you two go maintain order, get them moving forward," Ying ordered those who had already charged halfway, their faces reluctantly turning around. On the battlefield, military orders were paramount. "Click~" Bai E also released the safety on his machine gun, angrily joining the fray. The mes at the muzzle were clearly visible even in daylight, and a torrent of metal stormed into the bodies of the beastmen charging from different directions. A hard swallow! Yet these creatures'' reactions to being shot were more exaggerated than those of insects. Insects rely on their natural chitinous shells to defend against bullets; without the protection of their shells, bullets easily prate and cause severe injuries. After all, insects have a variety of important organs inside their bodies, such as nerves for transmission and organs for digestion and respiration. But the beastmen are different. These creatures are essentially nts, spores. They don''t even need to eat, but they don''t abstain from food altogether. Eating is an enjoyment, a luxury for them, but essentially, they are still nts that live well through photosynthesis. There are none of the vital parts that make up normal sentient beings in their bodies ¨C no heart, no intestines, no organs or immune systems. Instead, they have just a stomach cavity filled with fungal soup. That fungal soup can fulfill all the functions of all organs in a normal living being, like... all-around stem cells? This meant that these creatures didn''t have the numerous weak points of a normal body. Even their heads... the head is certainly important, they don''t need society, they don''t need education. Every beastman that crawls out of the ground can directly ess enough knowledge to fight and wage wars from the shared memories in their brain that coexist with the fungi. But even if their heads were chopped off, they wouldn''t die. The fallen heads could be grafted onto another beastman''s body with ease, and before long they''d be bouncing around again. ``` The only way topletely defeat these creatures is to crush every inch of their bodies and then remember... burn them with fire. If you crush the bodies of these orcs but do not burn them with a great fire, you''re merely helping them to farm thend¡ª Every piece of crushed body tissue, not surprisingly, will grow back into a whole lively orc, or some underdeveloped snotlings, goblins, and squigs. Only mes can utterly destroy an orc. Fire is the enemy of all life in the world. Unfortunately, even the first step of crushing their bodies is extremely difficult. Orcs charging against bullets visibly try to dodge as best they can, but human fighters'' marksmanship is not something orcs canpare with. The torrential storm of bullets strikes the green bodies, visibly making green blood stter about, the orcs at the forefront riddled with countless holes; parts of the torn flesh hang on nearby skin, revealing underneath... green bones. For any normal human, such horrific injuries would undoubtedly mean entering the realm of death. But these are orcs. Their body tissues are inherently filled with sponge-like fungal structures, which provide good defensive effectiveness against various external impacts. More importantly, their bones serve as the core pir of their bodies. Simr to bird bones, orc bones are very hard, and the interior is filled with a sponge-like fungal matter that can absorb and digest arge amount of kic energy impact so that they can easily withstand super high-intensity collisions and strikes without their bones breaking or deforming. It may look like their flesh is torn and shattered, but as long as their main support, the bones, isn''t massively damaged, they are far from death. Most importantly, these beings, which purely crave war, have no concept of pain at all, and without vital organs throughout their body, they also do not need the sense of pain to protect themselves.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om No feeling of pain, just a frenzied love for battle. This information all came soon after Bai E''s bullets hit their bodies, reflected from the information on the panel¡ª [??? (Orc) (???): Health 183/210; Defensive Power 14; Action Force 83%; Trait: Fungal Creature...] "Fuck! They can''t be killed!" Many fighters at the site were facing orcs for the first time. Even though they had understood how troublesome these guys were in the military camp, facing them directly still felt unbelievable. Fast, strong, not afraid of death, and also hard to kill. The key thing is, there''s also a lot of them. That''s just how unreasonable orcs are. "We can only sever their limbs and heads! And then burn them with fire!" the voice of the orc expert echoes intensely in everyone''s ears. Like facing insects, these savage creatures may look bulky but are incredibly fast. Even withstanding the human''s bullet storm, they still manage to get close at an extremely fast speed. In such close-quarterbat, firearms are nowhere near as effective as hacking with a de. "ng!" The Chainsword in Ying''s hand violently collides with a chopping knife held by an orc. The knife, covered with rust and uneven surfaces, looks like a rusty de that has corroded for months in a damp ce. However, in the hands of an orc, it can sh with a great sword forged from the best steel humans can produce without being at a disadvantage. In the hands of an orc, the chopping knife looks somewhat small, but in the moment it really approaches and strikes the body, one realizes that these knives are half as long as a person. Including what seems like ridiculous serrations that be a terrifying decoration capable of easily cutting through skin and flesh. "Boom!" Up close, an exaggeratedly shaped pistol in an orc''s hand suddenly opens fire. No! To call it a pistol is an understatement, it''s more like a hand cannon. Upon pulling the trigger, a terrifying me bursts instantly from the barrel, and a scorching storm of fire engulfs a vast area in an instant. Including themselves as well as the human fighters they face. Incendiary shells... But a miniaturized version for close-quartersbat. It''s a wonder how ammunition designed for tanks got adapted for use in pistols by these creatures. "Waaaaagh!" Amidst the orange mes, you can still hear the excited, almost frenzied, screams rise. "Waaaaaagh!" "Boom! Ka-chk¡ª" It''s not at all surprising that such bizarre weapons jam; however, the next moment, the jammed pistol is ferociously thrown by the orc wielding it. Towards... the direction of the refugees. With the strength of an orc, even a well-guarded fighter being struck would spit out blood, let alone those unguarded refugees. Bai E, reacting in advance, raises his gun and shoots, sessfully intercepting the pistol thrown like a pebble mid-air, diverting its path. "The situation isn''t good." The captain of Team 1, wielding a great sword, faces off against three to five orcs alone while speaking to the others through the headset. "The two vehicles at the front shoulde back!" Mounted on each off-road vehicle is a heavy machine gun which might provide some assistance. The number of orcs... is just too great. Bai E narrows his eyes and flicks the Compound Bow; under the sound of the trigger mechanism, the bow unfolds instantly. He is not going to use a gun anymore. His teammates have proven that firearms have limited lethality against these creatures, and even with using skills, they probably wouldn''t achieve great results. After all, Gun Fighting Skill also embodies a certain degree of survival ability and isn''t quite satisfactory in terms of pure offensive capability. Byparison, the skill "Powerful Strike," strictly as an offensive output skill, is more lethal. Chapter 228 214 Three Arrows Break the Orcs "Ah!" As Bai E drew his bow to umte power, a warrior already caught in the besiegement let out a painful scream. The warrior, wounded by a cleaver on his arm, was almost immediately submerged by the surge of cleavers in the next moment. sh after sh, cut after cut. Amidst the flurry of de shadows, flesh and blood flew in all directions. de edges, serrated teeth, spikes... countless attacks devastated the warrior''s body simultaneously, and even thebat suit could not protect the frail human frame from such an onught. Those orcs'' attacks followed no rules. They neither aimed to strike body parts to kill the enemy quickly nor thought about how to allocate their force and devise tactical ns. Raging battle, chaotic noise¡ªthat was what they pursued. The roar of gunpowder, the enemy''s screams... all the messy sounds excited them with a primitive thrill of battle. The fallen warrior thus suffered even more brutal blows. Dying under chaotic des was excruciatingly painful, yet no one could rescue him; each warrior was nearly facing a number of orcs far exceeding their own. "Waaaaagh!" An orc that chopped off a warrior''s head held up the warrior''s pain-stricken, unyielding face, examined it in front of him for a moment, then bit into the nose. After casually chewing a few times, the orc threw away the head; his pet dog Doug excitedly pounced on it, sniffing around the severed head before taking a bite out of the ear. The orc who turned around chewed vigorously, his facial muscles twisting, and his face and entire body smeared with bloodstains as if they were his medals of honor, gloriously scattered over him. "Waaaaagh!" Other orcs looked up to this bravest among them and roared in admiration. "Yuck! Doesn''t taste good at all!" The orc, after chewing a few times, spat out the nose in disgust and kicked Doug, who was excitedly tearing at the head. Thrown in a parabolic arc, Doug flew towards the distance like a rubber ball... "So boring!" They yearned for the fiercest of battles, not one-sided ughters. Whether it was bullying others single-handedly or being bullied single-handedly, neither held any interest for them. Only the screams of their enemies might provide a little entertainment, but these were nowhere near as enjoyable as the actual fight they reveled in. If not for the bounty of teeth, he really wouldn''t be interested. "Ptooey!" So he spat again. However, the trajectory of Doug, who had been kicked away, didn''t get very far. "Whoosh!" Bai Epleted his power umtion. [Activate "Power Strike."] umte power¡ªStabilize the wind. Combo technique¡ªPiercing Wind Breaker! The arrow shot forth like a leaping fish, and a hurricane arose from the ground. The air in front of the arrow''s trajectory was instantaneously expelled by an unimaginable force, allowing the arrow itself to shoot through a vacuum.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The intense disturbance of air formed a transverse hurricane powerful enough to sweep away everything, drawing towards it any attractable debris near the arrow''s path. Including unimed dust, including the bodies of the orcs. The massed orcs only felt their bodies suddenly drawn by an immense suction, involuntarily aligning along a single straight line. Before they could realize what was affecting their bodies, a cool sensation pierced through them. The arrow unimpededly prated orcs'' bodies aligned nearly in a straight line, and even the orcs'' proudly resilient bones could not resist this arrow. The hurricane followed the arrow, furiously pouring into the trajectory left by the arrow. The insides of the orcs, already hollowed out by the arrow, were ravaged by the gale force that gushed in, so that even a demon''s body at its peak would be shot through from front to back, let alone these ordinary orcs. The orcs aligned roughly in a straight line did not all get struck in their core body parts, but even an arm pierced through would have its wound and flesh shredded effortlessly by the invading wind. In the wake of a single arrow, green flesh and blood were carried away by the storm, mingling and grinding into pulp within the wind. The whole row of orcs was as if hit by the most powerful anti-material sniper rifle, with lost arms and broken legs being rtively minor injuries. It all happened so quickly that the wounded orcs didn''t even feel pain until they disintegrated into nothingness when the arrow reached its maximum range, only then btedly realizing parts of their bodies were forever gone. The consequence of massive bodily loss was their bted copse, not yet dead, but theirbat capability vastly reduced. [Trigger "Piercing Wind Breaker"! Sessfully prated multiple targets, ranged weapon mastery experience +5.] [Dealt 80 piercing damage to the target! The target''s body severely damaged!] Seven of them. He had not killed them outright, but he had relieved some pressure for hisrades for the time being. Bai E flicked his eyelid and drew another arrow to his bow. With his current full reserve of action power, he could at most release three more arrows. These three arrows had to achieve results that couldy the foundation for victory. Bai E readjusted his stance, looking for an attack path that could prate even more enemies with a single arrow. Spotting an opportunity, Bai E once again struck decisively. After a brief umtion of power, the arrow flew out like a dragon! "Whoosh!" The fierce storm blew across the battlefield once more, and all the enemies on the attack path were instantaneously drawn together involuntarily. And then, an arrow through the heart! "Pffft pffft pffft pffft~" It was as if piercing through tofu, the bodies of a group of beastmen were instantly prated, the residual hurricane following the guidance of the arrow, howling through the wounds, tearing awayrge chunks of flesh and blood. This arrow dissipated 500 meters away, in an instant. The ordinary arrows, enhanced by extraordinary strength, couldn''t withstand the attack''s own burden and shattered to pieces in the exploding force, just like the objects it struck, vanishing without a trace. The distance of 500 meters was Bai E''s current level 4 range for shooting specialization, plus the bonus from the Extraordinary Talent¡ªWeapon Master, an additional level 1 bonus to effective range control. As for the bow''s own stated range of 800 meters, it was the maximum range supported by the craftsmanship of the bow, not the actual performance level. [Trigger "Piercing Wind Breaker"! Sessfully prated multiple targets, long-range weapon mastery experience +5.] [Inflicted 90 points of piercing damage on the target! The target''s structure greatly damaged!] One arrow, twelve beastmen! Thanks to the beastmen''sck of nning and tendency to swarm in battle, Bai E was able to find a perfect angle for his shot. If the first arrow hadn''t caught too much attention in the chaos of the battlefield, the second arrow''s release almost directly turned the tide of the entire battle. Originally, the forty or so beastmen had a huge advantage in numbers, but after two arrows, about twenty had been nearly directly halved. With their numbers drastically reduced, the beastmen''s disadvantage without tactics was immediately exposed. Beastmen in equal numbers were never the match for humans¡ªthey were the true fanatics of swarm tactics. The frontline warriors, sensing the sharp drop in the number of opponents, were spirited and had no time for distractions, only subconsciously eximing. "Fuck, who''s that fierce!" "Which brother has this kind of killer move?" "It''s Bai E..." [Lucky Shot energy charge +11.] "waaaaaagh!" The same cry, but Bai E seemed to hear a different emotion in it. It seemed to be shock, as well as increased excitement. Far from being demoralized by the horrifying killing power of the previous two arrows, even those beastmen who had half their bodies shot away by Bai E attempted to struggle to get up from the ground andunch an attack once more in their frenzied battle consciousness. There were no orders, or rather, the meaningless "waaaagh" was the order. In just an instant, beastmen who discovered that Bai E had fired the two arrows almost simultaneously abandoned their original opponents, who were close at hand, and rushed over, waving the variously shaped cleavers in their hands. Even three beastmen were holding pistols in their hands, attempting to aim at Bai E. "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" Loud noises rang out across the battlefield, but the beastmen''s aim was really poor, or perhaps it was their oddly-shaped pistols that were inherently inurate. That they didn''t blow up in their hands was a miracle in itself. Bai E, still moving, simply sought an appropriate angle to shoot his arrow and didn''t even make any deliberate misleading dodges¡ªstill, the beastmen''s ck guns couldn''t hit urately. The bullets fired by the beastmen exploded on the ground behind Bai E, a wave of heat surging over him. The rming heat brushed against Bai E''sbat suit from behind, his wild hair dancing against the orange-red backdrop, standing his ground, bow drawn and arrow notched. With deliberate maneuvering to guide the chase, the beastmen who came after him clumsily formed a bloated S-shaped curve. That was precisely the shooting opportunity he needed. The leader of the pack, the biggest beastman with thergest cleaver and the biggest pistol, rushed towards Bai E in a frenzy, his facial expressions wildly distorted by beast-like fangs abandoning restraint. From afar, You and Dash tried to rush to help, the frontline warriors turned their heads trying to block their opponents withrge knives, arade holding a st Shield leaped over trying to protect Bai E in front... Everything seemed to freeze in a moment. The third arrow! Shoot! The hurricane sweeps, the air currents surge. The pale aura slowly diffused around the trail zed by the arrow, nine beastmen missing arms and legs, with shattered chests and abdomens, now staggeringly fell to the ground. The beastmen leader was directly hit in the abdomen, split in two, bing a separate top and bottom. "Plop~" The upper body fell limply to the ground, yet still flew forward an inch due to inertia. The upper half of the beastman leader, as ifpletely unaware of his predicament, crawled frantically on the ground with both hands, shouting "waaaaagh" and still wanting toe over and hack at Bai E. Nine. Bai E withdrew his pistol from his waist, silently contemting. [Activate "Lucky Shot".] He rather liked the photosynthesis on the beastman loot panel. Just wondering whether it would drop anything... Bai E stepped on the head of the crawling but now unarmed beastman leader, casually unlocking the safety. "Click~" "Bang!" Chapter 229 Photosynthesis 215 ``` A shot rang out, and green fluid exploded - like a green flower blooming on the ground. The orc''s head, too, was made of various fungi symbiotically living with gic material, forming a mush and sponge-like fungal tissue. Now blown apart by a single shot, it sttered all over the ground. [Hit target''s vital spot, causing 120 points of critical damage!] [Target''s breathing ceased, basic life signs lost.] Dead. Orcs, of course, die. The tricky part about them is that their corpses and even fur, once touching the ground, can take root and sprout, and just after two rains, a bunch can grow again from the ground. But for individual orcs themselves, they don''t possess the devilish trait of being so difficult to thoroughly kill. [Loot acquired: Spore Colonies*2500, Combat Experience 1800 points, Mastery: Combat Specialization Layer+1, not to exceed level 5, Mastery: Heavy Weapon Specialization Layer+1, not to exceed level 5, Mastery: Throwing Specialization Layer+1, not to exceed level 5, Trait: Photosynthesis.] Bai E''s heavy weapon mastery was only at level 1. The +1 level meant keeping the current experience and directly advancing one level, reaching level 2 with 246/500. Throwing mastery was a new specialization, thus straight up +1. As forbat mastery, Bai E had already reached level 5, and the new loot bonus couldn''t be directly converted into levels, simr to the sideline quest "Shooting" which awarded a light firearms specializationyer +1. The reward unable to be directly converted into levels was halved and transformed into half of the required experience for leveling up, which amounted to 1750 points of universal experience stored away. Lastly... [Detected current character is not orc temte, "Trait: Photosynthesis" is ipatible and lurks dormant.] [Under the interference of external factors, some subtle changes are urring in your body...] "Photosynthesis" hadn''t fully activated, which was hardly surprising, just like the two bug race traits that had popped up previously¡ª Without the hardware, even forcibly installed software couldn''t function properly. What Bai E was more concerned about was thest notification that popped up on the panel. Changes? Bai E meticulously scanned the light blue panel, finally focusing his gaze on the very bottom¡ª [Mutation Risk: Medium] Last time, it had shifted from very low to low, and now... it had be medium? Mutation? Just as Helen had said, thetent mutation risk shared by many bioengineered soldiers? His own body, a hybrid of orc and human gics, became increasingly at risk of mutation the more he came into contact with orc-rted factors. To be one of those mutated human subspecies. Neither human nor orc, but a monster that neither side cared for! Bai E''s brow furrowed slightly as he shifted his gaze away from the panel. The light blue semi-transparent panel didn''t interfere with Bai E''s actual vision. When his attention moved away from the panel to the reality in front of him, the panel vanished from sight as though it had never existed. The battle before him wasn''t over yet. There were more than a few orcs who, despite being severely wounded, still wished tond a blow on Bai E. Looking at the young orc charging furiously toward him, left with only one hand yet still brandishing a chopper, Bai E''s eyes shed as he lifted the war de machine gun slung over his shoulder, swinging the attached de toward his opponent. The hefty war de machine gun, with its considerable weight and the burst of Overlimit Drive, cleaved through the resistance like a hot knife through butter. "Pffft!" A savage orc head flew into the sky, and the body, which bled far less than a human''s, stood still, the brain no longermanding the body, thus losing its target. [Hit target''s vital spot, causing 100 points of shing damage!] Not dead yet. Mere decapitation was not enough to confirm the death of these orcs, and under normal circumstances, it''d be quite difficult to even achieve that. In regrbat, not only Bai E but also those warrior specialists in heavy weapons would find it challenging to decapitate an orc with ease. Their skulls, connecting the head to the body, were the hardest part of their anatomy, and since they had only this one vital spot, they would instinctively protect their necks in battle. Bai E had grabbed the opportunity when their physical functions were significantly impaired, to behead an orc with one strike. "waaaaagh!" A loud shout came from a distance. An average-sized orc turned tail and fled. Orcs don''t fear death, there is no fear. However, when faced with an opponent of clearly superior strength, they won''t fight to death mindlessly. The lethality of Bai E''s arrows was outrageous, wiping out their main force with just three shots. If Bai E had killed so many of their brothers in closebat, they might have felt excited and ready for a world-shaking battle. But facing an untouchable enemy, dying so easily on one side was clearly not fun. "No need to chase!" Team leader of Squad 1 spoke up instantly, stopping the human warriors heated by bloodlust. The orcs, unrestricted by any armor, could run swiftly, making even bullets ineffective against them, so there was no need to waste resources. Just as the human strategy against orcs had always been, if you can avoid fighting them, then do so, and if they run, there''s no need to pursue them to the death, because they truly can''t be wiped out. Engaging them in a bitter fight was sheer folly. "We... won?" A few warriors stood still, somewhat dazed as they watched the retreating figures of the orcs. Facing an enemy several times their number, they had braced themselves for a fight to the death. But they had not anticipated... Victory? All of this was due to that special figure. Bai E... Bai E! ["Lucky Strike" energy charged +7.] The leader of Squad 1 wasn''t absorbed in the past events. Since he mainly directed the squad, he had to remain calm at all times. ``` Despite his appreciation for Bai E, who had disyed extraordinary abilities twice, he wanted to transfer him to his own team. In this encounter, his team had lost another member... Putting aside hisplex thoughts, he turned to look at the chaotic scene, "Chop them up into pieces!" The orcs whose bodies had been half destroyed by Bai E''s shooting still hadn''t lost their ability to move, swinging their cleavers and attempting to counterattack. However, their mobility was greatly impaired and, being only capable of closebat, they were clearly struggling to inflict any further casualties on the human fighters. "I''ll do the chopping!" Bai E rushed forward immediately, pushing his teammates aside. This was a great opportunity to harvest experience; orcs were opponents he had never killed before, and their experience was full, spared from the torment of experience decay. "No need, no need," said the warriors who were pushed aside, not daring to look Bai E in the eye, and instead continued to gravitate towards the struggling orcs with their knives ready. The battle might be winnable, but everyone was feeling uncertain. Even if they eventually did win, it was likely to be a pyrrhic victory. No one had expected Bai E to emerge and defeat the orcs with just three arrows. How could they let such a fierce War God attend to these aftermath chores? "Bai E, why don''t you take a break?" Team Leader 1, who had also heaved a sigh of relief internally, turned to Bai E and softly persuaded him. The cave battle might have involved some trickery with words, but the encounter with the orcs had undoubtedly cemented Bai E''s prestige. Bai E,ing up with a clever solution on the spot, said with a pained expression, "This dispute arose because of our team''s protest, and we must take responsibility for it. This is my duty." "This..." Such a loyal soldier. Both Team Leaders 1 and 2 were taken aback, along with their team members, who didn''t know whether to continue or to stop. ''He looks very guilty.'' ''Should we give him a chance to redeem himself?'' The two team leaders silently exchanged nces to share their thoughts. "We''ll help you." You and Dashan, who had just dealt with the refugees up ahead and were returning, saw the current activity and immediately joined in. "No problem, leave it all to me," Bai E said, stepping aside nonchntly, avoiding the motion of an orc who was still reaching out an arm trying tond a blow on him, "You guys are tired too, you need rest. Leave it to me!" "Leave it all to me!" "..." Watching Bai E''s serious face, even his teammates fell silent. Bai E''s sense of responsibility seemed more earnest than anyone else''s. He truly viewed all of this as his own mistake to atone for... ["Lucky Strike" charge +9.] Chop and burn! The green blood of the orcs wasn''t abundant, and its color wasn''t jarring, allowing Bai E to chop without any psychological pressure. He even enjoyed it. +25 +30 +28 Experience points differed ording to the orcs'' size, withrger ones generally providing more. Including those wounded by his teammates, there were a total of thirty-two orcs. After dousing them with the gasoline carried on the vehicle, Bai E sparked a me that ignited the pile of pieces. There were strict requirements for the burning of orc corpses; chopping them up was to ensure theplete incineration of every piece of tissue because leaving even the smallest fragment could lead to a future sea of green... Watching the mes rise before his eyes, Bai E, who had quietly observed everything, finally breathed a sigh of relief. 830bat experience points... The team stopped, not just waiting for Bai E. The warriors who had just fought a fierce battle also needed to rest. The short but intensebat had drained not only their physical strength but also their will to fight. Moreover, in the chaotic fight against the orcs, many of them had visible injuries. "Harold, that looks like a serious wound..." On his thigh, the wound gaped open for an inch, the flesh turned out, looking ferocious. The orcs'' weapons were covered in oddly shaped spikes, and the rust indicated they possibly carried numerous toxins that could infect the wounds. Without proper treatment, muscle damage could be a serious consequence. "Just bandage it up for me," Harold''s cheeks trembled slightly, evidently enduring severe pain. "I can''t guarantee I''ll do a good job," said one of the special squad warriors, who were generally adept in multiple fields. But specialization was key, and the ones skilled in medical treatment had already fallen in the cave, the unfortunate victims of the War God''s attack, "Or maybe..." The speaking warrior nced towards the figure facing the mes.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The rumors about him treating the various wounds of the refugees had already spread throughout the team yesterday. With refugees living outside for long periods, they were afflicted with numerousplex mdies. Being able to handle all of that suggested that this warrior named Bai E had top-notch medical skills as well. "It''s fine, I can make it back to the military camp," said Harold, his face set, unwilling to give in. "Sit tight." A shadow suddenly loomed over him, "Stretch out your leg." Bai E''s voice was calm, his gaze fixed on the wound instead of Harold''s face, devoid of any prejudice. "..." "Hurry up, there are others who need treatment." "Oh, oh..." ["Lucky Strike" charge +5.] Chapter 230 Unexpected ruins? The benefit of being all-around is that you can collect different gratitude from various perspectives. Unfortunately, the energy gained from converting a person who originally had prejudices and from saving someone who already worshiped you is not the same. In the eyes of the warriors who already worshiped and respected Bai E, it seemed that Bai E treating their wounds had be a "given." So much so that the energy provided by all the injured warriors together was about the same as what Harold alone contributed. ["Lucky Strike" Energy Charge +7.] Not bad, even after using it once, there was still another opportunity to use it. Looking at the 136/100 energy value and the total of over eight thousand experience reserves, Bai E was content. Indeed, every outing with a small group presented good performance opportunities for reaping energy, in contrast torge-scale battles where personal aplishments were extremely limited. "You should take a rest too." The leaders of Squad 1 and Squad 2 came together, standing behind Bai E who had just finished treating thest warrior, and softly persuaded him. For such an all-around and unbelievably strong warrior, they hadpletely given up any thought of contending with him. As naturally born humans, they knew more of the unwritten rules within the military camp than the artificial humans¡ª Perhaps it was hard for artificial humans to climb to the real topyers of the hierarchy, but there were quite a few positions for mid to low-level officers in the military that artificial humans could reach. It probably wouldn''t be long before this newly created artificial human could climb to a higher position than theirs, by which time they would only be looking up and taking orders... "Hmm," Bai Eplied obediently and walked to the side to sit down, without showing the slightest hint of arrogance for his achievements. In fact, he wasn''t tired at all... The traits of the beastman¡ªthe photosynthesis, although dormant, was still somehow effective to a certain extent, just like the previous traits of the Bug Race, it was still vaguely working, just not at full capacity. Under the warm sunshine in the sky, Bai E could see that his stamina reserves had recovered by more than ten points during this period. I''ve be a sr battery... As skills that require stamina reserves be more and more necessary, the storage of this energy was bing insufficient. Just like earlier, a full reserve of stamina only supported him in shooting three arrows. If there had been more beastmen, they might have really been in trouble. And now, there was another way to recover stamina reserves aside from eating, which was a cause for celebration. "Where did you get that archery skill?" Big Mountain asked with excitement in his voice. The teammates gathered around; besides Tiger, the other three hadn''t exerted much effort during the short battle and were still full of energy. "I was taught by thatdy of the Elf Race aftering down from the Bug Race battlefield?" Song Ying couldn''t help but exim with admiration, "That''s amazing..." His talent was rted to shooting, and he envied such shooting-rted skills. Bai E remained silent. Teach? Sorry. This kind of instinctive operation, which was directly infused into the body by the panel, didn''t have much knowledge to speak of, and if he were to teach, he would probably end up like Yue Ying. Song Ying, without the yer''s system, was highly unlikely to learn it. "They are starting the cars over there..." You timely changed the subject, pointing to the distance. The beastmen were good people, not only delivering experience and traits but also bringing eight different styles of small cars. The beastmen fleeing had no time to take care of their vehicles, andpared to their powerful bodies, these battered small cars couldn''t block a torrent of bullets. If they wanted to drive away, they might not have been able to escape. And now, these cars had be resources for humans. How much water a barrel can hold depends on its shortest stave. The pace of the refugees was slow, mostly because they had to take care of the weakest among them¡ªthe old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. If cars could transport those groups, the speed of the return journey could undoubtedly be greatly increased. "ng ng ng~" The sound of car engines starting could be heard from afar. Hearing that sound, Bai E thought of the tractors he had ridden in the countryside when he was young. The tractor, too, made the same sound after starting the engine with a crank¡ª "ng ng ng~" The increasingly enhanced perception attribute allowed Bai E to see the vibration of the car shell. Riding in it might indeed be even more shaky than in a tractor... The bodies of the cars,posed of various specifications and colors of parts, were obviously pieced together by the beastmen from who knows how many discarded materials. That they could still run was a miracle. The warrior who sessfully started the car looked overjoyed, "Seven of them are still usable!" Carrying so many hefty beastmen in pursuit had exhausted the life of these small cars, and one of them was clearly beyond repair and immobile. "Drain the fuel..." Squad Leader 1 turned his head and looked towards the group of refugees, "Ask if any of them know how to drive." Seven cars, but obviously the soldiers couldn''t drive. First, there weren''t enough drivers who knew how to drive, and second, they needed to stay on alert around the refugee convoy, which made driving inconvenient. "Yes!" A soldier replied briskly and then jogged toward the refugee convoy that had temporarily stopped for a rest. "Does anyone here know how to drive?" "I..." "Me." Immediately, a sea of hands, some firm and some trembling, were raised. Before they were expelled from Oasis State Town, they each had their own lives. In a group of more than four hundred people, finding seven drivers wasn''t hard. Once again, they embarked on their journey, a smooth sail throughout. Without the urgent mission weighing on their minds from before, there was almost a leisurely appreciation of the scenery as they traveled. This was the back of the city, far from the Bug Race nests. In fact, if it weren''t for a Bug Race nest near ckwater City and the territories of two Machine ns, ckwater City would have been a paradise. Not every city''s surroundings are this hostile; because of this, elsewhere on the, many ordinary people are able to live a rtivelyfortable life. ckwater City is the guardian of the vastnds that lie beyond it. They traveled until dusk... They traveled into the night... The thunderous engines gradually came to a halt, and the refugees, whose buttocks were numb from the vibration, jumped off the seven cars at the first opportunity. Orc technology, impact... whether it shocks the heart or not is not very clear, but the buttocks are definitely quite shocked. Although there were stops along the way, a proper long rest was still necessary. The ce where they stopped was a small patch of city ruins; they took a slight detour to get here, as this was part of the nned route back to the city that had been arranged in advance. It was foreseeable that the refugees would not be very efficient in their movements, and now, as the cold winds of the winter nights blew, those without much warm clothing might freeze through the night on the open ins and lose who knows how many more. The ruins, although also devoid of resources, had buildings that hadn''tpletely copsed, which could provide some shelter from the wind and rain. This ce must have been just a small town before the apocalypse, with buildings not very tall. The marks of a past civilization were buried by time, and lush vines had long since covered the ruins, which were at most two or three stories tall. Some nts stubbornly squeezed through the cracks of the concrete and limestone, and the grey-white cobwebs in the corners of buildings fluttered gently in the wind, their owners having long since disappeared. Without human interference, everything would gradually return to its natural state over time. The arrival of humans startled some small lizard-like creatures that scurried away in the shadows. Some houses'' floors had ckened marks where fires had once been lit, these relics of the past in the time of civilization''s copse having sheltered countless refugees with nowhere to go. Bai E''s fingers gently caressed the wall, under the unguarded erosion of the elements, the once indestructible wall crumbled like hardened tofu under a pinch. An unexpected notification suddenly sounded in his mind¡ª ["Notification: A small-scale ''ruin'' discovered. Current exploration progress: 0.1%¡­"] "emmmmm..." "Bai E!" D¨¤sh¨¡n called from a distance, "Over here! We''ll sleep here tonight." "You sleep first," Bai E waved his hand, feeling the blood in his body start to quicken. An adventure in the quiet of the night... was the most beautiful fantasy a child had about the world many years ago. To explore a brand new world and discover "treasures," whether useful or not. This was one of the main gamey features promoted by the game officials, favored by many yers, including Bai E. Watching Bai E''s silhouette disappear into the darkness, D¨¤sh¨¡n muttered absentmindedly, "That guy really doesn''t know when to quit..." You shook his head, "He''s always been like this." "He''s always been like what?" D¨¤sh¨¡n''s eyes lit up, gossip eager, "What ''like that'' has he always been?" Bai E hadn''t been on the team long, and most of that time hadn''t been spent with his teammates. The only two opportunities they had to go out on missions, the adversaries they faced were too frightening to imagine, leaving little room for fighting side by side and getting to know each other. Song Ying calmlyid out his folding nket, recalling the evening they met for the first time on patrol. "Curious..." You exined softly. It was about the attitude of the peopleing from ck Street on the night he was born, and the camp departure permit requested during training the next day. Bai E was always eager to know the outside world. It had always been so, and it had never changed. "Don''t worry about him." Now the youngest in terms of time of birth, Bai E was recognized as the strongest in the joint squad by arge margin, the all-around champ, so no need to worry about him. "Here, take it." Song Ying walked over with his own nket to two children who wanted to approach but didn''t dare toe too close. He remembered the children''s names, one was Kiro Lan and the other was Morphie. They were about the age of his own child, simrly bright and lively. "Do you... Do you not need it?" the boy instinctively epted the nket, somewhat reluctant to ept the kindness. "I''m not afraid of the cold," Song Ying said with a stern face, turning to leave. "Um..." "..." Song Ying quickened his step. Walking away¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Kiro Lan withdrew her outstretched hand, a touch of regret on her face. She wanted to ask what Bai E was up to¡­ "Sleep!" Song Ying, returning to his teammates, didn''t give them a chance to ask and leaned against the wall, falling swiftly into slumber. To seize every opportunity to rest and quickly recover energy is a skill every special forces soldier must master. In the cold, silent night, only two pairs of glistening eyes watched in the direction where Bai E had vanished. "What''s the Guardian doing?" Kiro Lan asked curiously. "We''ll know if we go and see," Morphie, more proactive, suggested. The two of them carefully surveyed their surroundings, and seeing that they weren''t the focus of much attention, they tiptoed away cautiously... Chapter 231 217 Do we have to farm? The ruins at night were quiet and eerie, as Bai E stepped lightly over the shattered sand and stones, creating a faint sound. In the hidden corners, some daring little creatures opened their curious eyes to look at the huge entity they had never seen in the bygone times. Bai E followed the barely visible main road, watching the progress on the panel slowly increase. 0.2%... 0.3%... 0.5%... 1%... Unbelievably slow. Could this mean that the scope of the ruins was veryrge? And yet it was referred to as a ''small'' relic... Bai E inwardly scoffed, taking a turn and suddenly bing energized. The monotonous ruins were still ruins, but after the turn, some of the ruined buildings shone brightly with a row of translucent words only he could see¡ª [Abandoned and Damaged Bar] (imable) (Repairable) [You are exploring a functional area of the target ruins; current exploration progress: 10.7%.] The progress had suddenly shot up arge fraction! When Bai E focused, more detailed exnations appeared one by one beneath that line of text¡ª [Hint: You have discovered a no man''snd¡ªan abandoned and damaged bar. Current status: imable, Repairable. This area has been abandoned for many years and has lost the effects it once held. However, the shadow of time has recorded its most perfect days, and if you can gather the necessary materials (alcohol: 100 units, servers: 3, manager: 1), andplete the main building''s repairs, you can put it back into use.] [Bar: As a ce to exchange information, it can asionally serve the function of posting andpletingmissions. (Requirements: Regional reputation level 1)] [Bar: Due to the frequent visits from travelers from all over and various effective information exchanges, this ce can asionally attract some individuals with certain "strength"... (Requirements: Faction reputation level 2, Regional reputation level 2)] "..." Bai E''s expression became somewhat odd after he read the detailed exnation thoroughly. Is this... asking me to start farming? Exploring relics and developing power turned out to be twoplementary development paths. Fine. Bai E continued forward, simply noting this clue... He didn''t even need to remember it. Just like thest time he explored the ruins of the inte root server, the map on the panel directly marked the location and size of the ruin with a faint blue line in a three-dimensional disy; he could check it whenever he wanted. As Bai E continued along the main road, he discovered more abandoned buildings¡ª [Abandoned and Damaged Vehicle Repair Factory] [Abandoned and Damaged Freshwater Treatment nt] [Abandoned and Damaged Food Production Factory] [Abandoned and Damaged Power nt] [Abandoned and Damaged Steel nt] [Abandoned and Damaged Market] ... With each new discovery, the exploration progress of the ruins surged dramatically. The scale of this small town ruin was certainly no match for the core cities of the Golden Age, but as the saying goes, "Though the sparrow may be small, it possesses all its vital organs." In this ce, Bai E could almost find all the functional buildings necessary for a force... or rather, amunity to sustain life. But in a state of abandonment and ruin. Restoring these facilities to functioning status would first require finding the key resources they needed. For instance, the power nt would need at least 3 generators. The food production factory would need at least 1 production line and three nting bases... and so on and so forth. As Bai E walked, he suddenly remembered what the refugee elder Gilder had mentioned¡ªallegiance. Suppose... Suppose one day he left the barracks, even the city. Or to say, even if he did not leave the barracks or the city, it seemed that it would still be possible to secretly develop his own armed forces. The underground warehouse that the yers were now constructing was too close to ck Street and the barracks. A micro-base wouldn''t be an issue, but to expand... location became the biggest obstacle. Neither the bigwigs in ck Street nor the military would sit by and watch an unknown force build various infrastructures so boldly nearby. This ce... seemed quite right. Materials, knowledge, people... The most important was people! Talent! More talent! Like Kuang Xin, Dai Lian¡ªtalents inbat and tactics. Like Gong Yan¡ªtalents in management. Like Zhou Wenjie¡ªtalents in science and technology. With people, everything elsees. Bai E''s thoughts flickered briefly through his mind; he didn''t think too deeply. Both his own strength and that of the yers were still weak, and what the future held for this group of refugees was uncertain. If there was a chance, perhaps he could let them start developing from here. But for now... Bai E stopped in his tracks. He was very far from where the rest were resting, having crossed more than a dozen blocks. Anyone who might have followed out of momentary curiosity should have turned back by now. But still being followed until now... suggested "ulterior motives". Bai E spoke softly, "Come out." Two small figures emerged hesitantly from behind a broken wall in the distance. "Sir... Sir." "Bai E." Morphie and Kiro Lan called out softly. Bai E turned around, squinting at the two in the dim moonlight with some helplessness, "After traveling all day, aren''t you tired?" "We just wanted to see what you were up to..." With a gentle shake of his head, Bai E responded, "I was just looking to see if there were any resources that could be recovered... All right, there''s nothing else here, let''s head back." After all... the progress was already full. [You havepleted all the puzzles of the ruins exploration, current exploration level: 100%.] There were no extra rewards, just the three-dimensional lines of the entire abandoned town outlined on the panel, waiting to be rebuilt someday. As Bai E slowly walked forward, Kiro Lan''s big eyes looked up at him, filled with nothing but admiration. "Did you discover anything, sir?" "Everything that could be moved has been taken." Hundreds of years have passed since the curtain fell on the Golden Age, and in this era, every resource is scarce and precious. Anything that could be moved from the ruins had long been taken away. Even some of the more difficult-to-move fixtures had been divided and carried off. After all, for countless ordinary people in this era, even the steel produced in the old days was considered an unimaginably high-tech product. Bai E shook his head with a hint of regret, his gaze drifting over the silent ruins in the dark, "It''s just... such a pity." Not being able to make use of it... it''s a real loss. There must be some reason why this ce was chosen to be a town back in the past, with its fairly fertilend and a live stream not far away. With manpower and resources, it might be possible to rebuild and make use of it again. But that''s only if one can withstand all possible malice from the wilderness¡ª Coming from insects, from machine rebels, from beastmen... and even from other humans. There is actually a lot ofnd avable in this era, a true era of vast spaces and sparse poption. If there are small tribal settlements... like the underground Wind-Eroded Cave, where refugee groups maintain a low-tech primitive life, they might be able to survive for a long time if they''re lucky. But if one really wants to develop industry, to create a future of their own... then without high walls and a sound military system like those in ckwater City for protection, almost all will die in their infancy. Insects will subconsciously seek out ces where there is arge umtion of biomass. Machine rebels will instinctively collect any mineable resources they can. Beastmen will keep looking for trouble and fights. Humans... will attempt to upy the fruits of other people''sbor without working for it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Not all, but often. Such a pity. To be confined within towering castles, drooling over the vast world outside, is indeed a great pity. "Perhaps you could give it a try, sir?" Kiro Lan followed Bai E''s gaze and looked towards the silent ruins. The ruins of the city held a unique beauty of Order for her. The city nning during the Golden Age was always so reasonable and aesthetically pleasing. In a moment of inadvertent daydreaming, everything before her eyes seemed to rewind rapidly, restoring to its original perfect state in the fast flow of time. She saw the broken stones leap back onto the rooftops. She saw the fractured iron frame return to its ce. She saw the shattered signs hang back under the eaves facing the street. She saw the toppled equipment soar back up. Time told everything. The past glory had not been entirely forgotten. Even though she had never seen that so-called Golden Age with her own eyes, just by looking at the few traces left behind by that era, she seemed to travel through time and space, tracing back to that most beautiful time from the river of time. Right before her eyes, everything returned to its most beautiful state. The bright lights shone around her, and she felt as though she was immersed in the bustling noise of the crowd. For a moment, she was entranced. "So beautiful..." She murmured softly. "What?" Morphie thought he had heard wrong. Kiro Lan blinked, and the fantasy-like scenes instantly vanished. Since childhood, her thoughts had always been particrly divergent, her imagination rich, always able to imagine things she had never seen... It had troubled her, but she had gradually gotten used to it. "Shh~" Out of the blue, Bai E spoke, cing his index finger on his lips. There was a disturbance. Quiet and stealthy, as if trying not to attract attention. Right behind that wall next to them. Bai E carefully shifted his stance, imperceptibly cing the two children behind himself. This time... what was it? "Hiss!" Grotesque bony ws, like swords, stabbed out from the darkness. The focused Bai E embraced the war de machine gun that had always hung at his waist and met the attack head-on. "ng ng ng!" The ng of bone against de echoed like the sound of steel striking steel. After blocking the opponent''s initial assault, Bai E covered the children and fell back several steps before he could clearly see the monster''s full form. A... grey-whitish spider? A spider bigger than a human! And not just one. The spider thatunched the attack was just the first to blow the horn of charge, and more grey-white figures emerged quietly from the corners of the ruins, overwhelming in an instant. In the blink of an eye, had these creatures surrounded them? This ruin... had guardians?! Chapter 232 218 Relic Horror Bai E raised the machine gun and unloaded a barrage of bullets at the attacking giant spider. The first was to test its quality, and the second was to make some noise and see if it could draw the attention of the refugees. If there were monsters in this area, what about the resting refugees? Would they be attacked? There were only a dozen or so fighters to begin with, and two had died in the battle with the orcs; now, they were short-handed and definitely unable to fully guard the team of over four hundred people through the night. In order to explore the ruins, he had ventured a bit far from their location, perhaps the sound of gunfire could prate the distant space and awaken them from their weary slumber. While firing the gun single-handedly, Bai E also began to back away as he opened the voice channel and warned all the warriors of the joint squad, "Enemy encounter! Repeat, enemy encounter. Arge number of giant spiders have appeared about five kilometers to the southwest of the encampment, stay alert." More intuitive than the voice were the machine gun shots in the background. All the warriors, already asleep, were instantly awakened; no one was more familiar with the sound of gunfire than them. After all, they had spent nearly half their lives to such noises. It was Bai E! He had found the enemy. "What''s going on¡­ Didn''t we scout ahead?" Captain of Squad 1 woke up with a furrowed brow. It wasn''t as if they had simply picked a spot to sleep; nighttime rest involving so many people naturally required assured safety. "Bai E said it''s five kilometers away¡­ We didn''t search that far in detail." After all, there were only a dozen or so warriors, and as they spread out in a circr range, each could only scout a limited area. The further the radius, the more ground to cover, and they didn''t have the energy for that. "¡­" The captain didn''t pursue the matter further. Instead, he swiftly stood up, "All hands on alert, wake the refugees." If it was possible to fight, they would, for finding a spot to shelter from the wind and rain for afortable night''s rest wasn''t easy. The day''s journey had left everyone nearly dead tired, needing rest to recover. But if the enemy was too numerous and strong, and they couldn''t be stopped by their handful of warriors, they definitely had to run. The warriors who had received the order began to wake the nearby refugees. "Hey! Wake up." "Everyone, wake up, get them all up." "Bai E has spotted the enemy, we might have to move at any moment." Rustling noises spread among the scattered crowd, and some refugees, with sharper ears, had already been jolted awake by the distant gunshots in the silent night. "Enemies?" Elder Gilder approached several reliable confidants who were generally dependable, "Count the numbers, see if anyone is missing." They trusted him to lead, so he had to be worthy of their trust. At all times and in all ces, he needed to consider every member of the team.N?v(el)B\\jnn "Yes!" Everyone dispersed. Only Gilder stayed where he was, clutching the nket that Kiro Lan and Morphie had brought to him, looking worriedly towards the area where the two children had been. The two said they were going out with Bai E, and now that E had encountered the enemy, he wondered if he could protect the two little ones while fighting. But if it was E¡­ Surely it would be fine, right? ¡­ In the wilderness, far from the city, one must always be prepared to face all kinds of dangers. After issuing orders and seeing that everyone hade to their senses and were preparing, Squad 1''s captain once again asked over the voice channel. "Bai E, what''s the enemy?" "Spiders¡­" Bai E''s voice was terse as he dodged an opponent''s threence-like sharp ws with a swift sidestep while the bullets from his machine gun never ceased pelting the round body of his foe. Compared to their bodies, the spider''s particrly long and narrow ws were indeed their most powerful weapon. The giant spiders, of course, wouldn''t just stand there and take the hits, but these low-intelligence creatures could onlyunch instinctual hunting behaviors and had almost no resistance against the bullets. The seemingly hard carapace and the needle-like hairs on it were easily torn apart by the bullets, with the thick biological tissue and body fluids being ripped and flung about by the metallic storm. After emitting a low growl, the eight spear-like ws finally ttened on the ground, no longer moving. But Bai E''s expression was far from rxed. The attributes of the spiders killed by firearms flickered on the panel ¡ª¡ª [??? (Beast): Health Points 0/245; Defensive Power 8; Action Power 0%; Traits: Gic Mutation...] [Gic Mutation: Originally just a native species of the, they have been infected with alien genes. The original genes and the alien genes have mutated to create a perfect host among their vast numbers. Now, their size can grow almost unlimitedly, as long as there is enough food, they can take over the entire world. Current: Large Beast (Life Upper Limit +50, Physical Performance +3).] Of course, it was not particrly impressive; its strength and speed weren''t especially high, even worse than the previously encountered orcs, it just had a bit more health. And the one that attacked him was already one of therger ones in sight, the other smaller spiders probably had even lower attributes. The drop rate subtitles alsoplemented the abilities of these monsters from another perspective ¡ª¡ª [??? (Beast) ¡ª¡ª To drop when killed with a "Lucky Strike": Guaranteed (Mutant Spider ws*400, Battle Experience 1250 points); Possible (Trait: Web-Slinging, Trait: Alien Genes)] This was already the one with the highest drop rate... It was clear that the individualbat prowess of these creatures really wasn''t up to much. But there were just too many of them. Just counting those currently in sight, a quick nce revealed dozens. Gic mutation coupled with the spiders'' terrifyng breeding efficiency...there''s no telling how many more there are that haven''t appeared yet. To restore normal usage of this relic, it seems necessary to first clear out these "guardian beasts"? But that was obviously not the immediate concern. If he didn''t regroup with his teammates soon, he would still be able to escape at any moment using his Gun Fighting Skill, but it would spell trouble for these two children. "Let''s go." Bai E, holding a gun in one hand, started sweeping fire at the spiders that were gradually closing in, while his left hand drew a pistol from his waist and handed it back without looking, "Can you shoot? Take it." The pistol had limited stopping power, but it could still have some lethal effect on the smaller spiders. With so many of them, if they truly swarmed him, he''d have a hard time blocking them all; any that slipped through would have to be dealt with by the kids themselves. "I can," Kiro Lan''s voice was calm and steady. As he spoke, Kiro Lan''s gaze was tightly focused on the details of Bai E firing the gun¡ª The movements of holding the gun, the muscle exertion, the stability of the posture¡­everything was turned into knowledge that could ovee instinct, infusing it into his body. She had always been a quick learner since she was young¡­ "How about you?" Bai E didn''t linger on her but asked the little boy Morphie instead,"Do you need a gun?" He carried two pistols with him. But he noted that when the boy arrived, he was holding a machete from an orc for self-defense, and he wasn''t sure if the boy had any special training. If he had a specialty, a machete for close protection might be even more useful than a pistol for self-defense. "No..." Morphie shook his head, scenes of Bai E decapitating spiders with the bay mounted on the machine gun reying in his mind, "but I think I should be fine." "Okay." Both children had not only a strong will but also the courage to fight. After the incident with the demon, the willpower of the two children seemed to have increased, and their voices were equally firm at this moment. They were not afraid of these monsters... He was spared the step of having tofort and encourage them. "They are just spiders!" Bai E''s voice was like the warm sun of winter, instilling endless confidence in people, "Don''t be afraid!" "Da-da-da-da!" Bai E retreated steadily, the three-round bursts from his machine gun never ceased. Apparently believing they had finally grasped the vulnerability of their prey, the spiders, which had been approaching slowly from all directions, no longer kept the pressure of their encirclement tight. Instead, theyunched a collective sprint! Chapter 233 219 Genius "Report, Commander! No monsters have been found nearby for the time being." The alerted soldiers first carefully searched the area around the resting ce of the refugees once again. Clearly, the monsters had not yet approached closely. "That''s good." The No.1 Commander let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. If they were really attacked by monsters from the shadows at night, just their dozen or so people would probably be hard-pressed to provide perfect protection. However, a choicey before them¡ª Retreat? Or clear out the monsters? This would depend on how tough the enemies were. "Tiger, take your men and support Bai E with me, and you scouts,e along as well." Better to take the initiative than to wait passively. Therge number of refugees, with no tactical training, would likely make a hasty retreat difficult without issues arising. Taking advantage of the enemy''s distance to assess their strength and make a decision was better than waiting in ce for news. And if the targets were indeed tough, the two squads plus a few scouts could still serve to slow the enemy''s pace, buying enough time for the refugees to retreat. Leaving Squad 2 behind was for managing the refugees; if anything went amiss on Bai E''s side, they could immediately inform this side to retreat via voicemunication. The arrangements of the No.1 team leader were swiftly carried out. "Yes!" "Received!" ... With a "click," the safety pin of a fragmentation grenade was pulled, and timing thest two seconds, Bai E threw it to where the iing monsters were most concentrated. Thanks to his newly acquired orcish throwing specialization, he managed to aim quite well. The metallic casing bounced on the ground slightly before exploding with a boom. Numerous tiny metal shards shot outwards from the center of the explosion, and a torrent of hot st instantly shredded a cluster of small spiders. [Sessfully threw the grenade to the right location, Throwing Mastery experience +3.] [Dealt 30 points of fatal damage to the target!] [The target''s vital signs have disappeared.] In encounters with bugs and orcs, these small individual weapons weren''t of much use, but against these smaller creatures that were within the bounds ofmon sense, grenades were definitely useful. "Click~" "Click~" One after another. Taking advantage of the spiders that hadn''t fully approached and within a safe distance, Bai E threw all five grenades he had on him in quick session. Once they got really close, he wouldn''t dare to continue throwing grenades recklessly. However, after just running down a street, the spider horde, slightly held back by the grenades, once again surrounded him. Bai E passed the machine gun to his left hand, wielding both the machine gun and the military saber. Benefiting from an ancient warrior''s specialty¡ªWeapon Master¡ª the proficiency in light firearms and light weapons effectively got a +1 level boost. The actual effectiveness of a level 4 and level 1 specialization became level 5 and level 2, respectively. The machine gun was for mainline killing, while the saber was for close defense. Even when encountering more troublesome monsters, the de attached to the machine gun could work in tandem with the saber, allowing for a coordinated defense with both hands. Of course, the de attachment on the machine gun was very heavy, belonging to the same category as the Bug-ying de, within the range of heavy weapons. With Bai E''s level 2 Heavy Weapon Specialization, its effectiveness was actually at level 3, which was more than sufficient. The three specializations came into y simultaneously, wielding both gun and de, sweeping through all opposition. The two young ones following Bai E were also retreating rapidly and steadily, encountering some spiders that had previously been held back on the way back. With 360 degrees of the battlefield, Bai E alone obviously couldn''t attend to everything; he could only fall back and do his best to hold off the main body of the chasing spider tide, leaving the few medium and small spiders on the way back to fend for themselves. Fortunately, the spiders blocking their return were notrge, and fortunately, the two youngsters disyed astonishingbat abilities. The orcish cleaver, which seemed small in an orc''s hand, seemed somewhat unwieldy when held by a human youth; the heavy weight meant Morphie had to grip it with both hands to properly wield it without hurting himself on the spikes and serrated edges. When facing slightlyrger medium-sized spiders, it was he who bravely engaged them. As for Kiro Lan... her performance was more reminiscent of Bai E. Imitating Bai E''s stance of fighting with both gun and knife, Kiro Lan took a dagger from a sheath on Bai E''s calf. The small handgun and dagger might not have been as intimidating as Bai E''srge gun and sword, but weapons that suited her size were undoubtedly the ones she could control wlessly. ``` In the gaps where Morphie was fiercely fending off those iing sharp ws, it was Kiro Lan who made crucial follow-up strikes with his nimble knife and gun. The coordination was surprisingly in sync. "Did you often have to fight in your previous lives?" Bai E, who was sparing a fraction of his attention to watch his back and be ready to burst out at any moment, asked curiously. "Not often..." "Bang! Bang!" Kiro Lan coolly fired his gun, and even after hearing Bai E''s question, he was still able to maintain a clear head and respond urately, "asionally followed an old hunter on a couple of hunts, but we never got the chance to take a shot." So, was it purely natural talent? And as the fight progressed, their performance and cooperation became more and more polished. The two of them nced back at Bai E from time to time while fighting; their ability to control their weapons seemed to advance by leaps and bounds in this kind of livebat training. At first, their attacks were straightforward, especially for Morphie, who seemed to struggle considerably to control the huge chopper in his hands. However, as the battle went on, before any significant improvement in physical strength, their weapon handling became increasingly delicate. Often, a defensive move would naturally transition into a counter-strike sh, something utterly unimaginable at the outset. Amidst this adaptation tobat, the two small figures began to clear the way even faster. Bai E, who was always watching his back, keenly observed this change. On the side unseen by the two little ones, Bai E''s expression seemed a bit strange. If these two didn''t act as recklessly as gamers, and seemed to have wide connections among the refugees, origins that could be traced, he would suspect they were also molded from the gamer temte. Of course, the main reason was that he didn''t receive any experience feedback. Just natives with strong learning abilities? Like how Kiro Lan learned his medical skillsst night? That''s fine. With such abilities, whether right now or after reaching the city, they should be able to lead a decent life, so he need not worry about them anymore. If one looked down from the sky, they would see a dense, grayish-white "carpet" spreading quickly in a certain direction under the cover of night. Ahead of the carpet were three small ck dots moving swiftly, and in the direction they were headed, some simrly sized grayish-white dots were also emerging continuously from the dark ruins on both sides. It seemed that sensing their prey was about to escape theid trap, the "presence" lurking in the dark finally lost its patience to remain hidden. With the sticky sound of segmented limbs tapping on the ground everywhere, pairs of pitch-ckpound eyes focused on Bai E''s direction from all directions¡ªas if the three enveloped in this boundless malice could feel a tangible desire for ughter chilling to the bone. The desire to hunt had merged into a breath-taking killing intent, capturing the soul. [With the help of "Self Restraint," you have sessfully filtered out a certain predatory marking.] In almost the time it took to inhale, Bai E filtered out that intimidating killing intent that seemed to chill one from head to toe. Compared to the corruption of higher-dimensional demons, the ability of these ordinary monsters was still insufficient. Bai E took a deep look over his shoulder at the oing tide, where it felt like an icy, lifeless will was staring coldly at him... The two children whocked the corresponding abilities felt an instant chill in their hands and feet. Morphie, who was struggling to wield the chopper, was already in a precarious bnce, and the sudden mental intimidation made him stagger; he suddenly lost bnce and fell forward. Kiro Lan showed no apparent reaction, but his response to a spider lunging at him was noticeably slower.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ... "Damn it!" A line of warriors emerging from behind a corner of the ruins, drawn by the sound of gunfire, tensed up at the scene unfolding before them. The encirclement wasplete; the grayish-white spider army was gradually surrounding the three isted figures. If it were only Bai E, they would naturally not worry too much, given thebat ability he had disyed. But there were also two children by his side... Would he risk injury for the sake of the children? Their distance made them anxious but powerless. ... "Puchi!" The de of the war machine gun whizzed through the air, splitting the body of a small spider in two. The two halves of the corpse drifted down slowly. "Give me your hand." Bai E''s always stable and calm voice rang in the ears of the little ones as a pair ofrge hands reached out towards the fallen Morphie in front of him. "It''s just a predicament, I''ll lead you out of here." ``` Chapter 234 220 explodes! Before seeing his teammates, Bai E didn''t dare to fully unleash his power, after all, he had no idea when the encirclement by the spider swarm would end. He tried to manage the situation with just his regrbat strength until the most critical moment of crisis arrived. But now that his teammates hade to support him, there was no need to hold back any longer. Bai E, who had re-sheathed his military knife at his waist, grabbed the fallen Morphie''s left hand tightly and pulled him up. Then he admonished Morphie, "Hold onto Kiro Lan with your other hand, she is your life, never let go no matter what, understand?" "She''s already my life," said Morphie through clenched teeth, his eyes bloodshot with self-reproach for his key moment failure. [Gun Fighting Skill, activated.] Bai E pulled up Morphie with one hand, stringing Kiro Lan along with them. Once he took the lead, the spider swarm could no longer keep pace with his strides. The menacing and bizarre ws of the spiders that leapt towards him were all severed with a single sh. The roaring of the machine gun instantly zed a trail, with countless spear-like ws waving a "wee" on both sides. The spider creatures had numerous ws, each almost like a sharp spear. There were far too many ws barring the path for Bai E to clear them in an instant. If a spider''s w managed to pierce one of the children in the chaos, it could cause a wound that was difficult for them to bear. Fortunately, those spiders weren''t toorge, and they couldn''t reach the space higher than where they were situated. So... Spotting thergest one within the spider army that blocked the retreat, Bai E pulled the two along and charged straight at it. As they approached, Bai E lightly jumped, swinging his arm, which was pulling the two children, upward. The two children, somewhat light in build, were lifted into the air by his tremendous force. Bai E stepped on the rounded back of a medium-sized spider with one foot as his machine gun erupted with fire, clearing an even wider space in the distance in an instant. But not right in front of him. The enclosing circle formed by the spider army was too dense; breaking through just oneyer of entrapment didn''t do much good. He needed to think ahead, to make decisions with a longer view. Route nningplete. Bai E needed to lead them... to run along the walls. The copsed ruins on both sides of the road became the trio''s opportunity for escape at that moment. As the human chain rotated in mid-air, Bai E had to swing forcefully to ensure the safety of the two children due to inertia. Their palms tightly sped, the spinning sensation left the two children''s minds aplete nk, having never experienced such a thrill before. As they descended to the nadir, the monsters'' ws seemed to graze by their scalp, yet it was all an illusion. And when flung towards the highest point, they distinctly felt Bai E slowing down the pace, firmly controlling the rhythm of the spin, so they weren''t thrown off by the excessive centrifugal force. At this moment, their only thought was to concentrate all their strength into their hands. Hold on! Hold on!N?v(el)B\\jnn They had to hold onto each other''s hands no matter what! The dust under the metal war boots crumbled at the slightest touch, the walls, long corroded to their core, were fragile as crumbs, with nearly all the force concentrated in Bai E''s footsteps, easily destroying thest vestiges of the ruins. Bai E couldn''t afford to stay still for a moment. The copsed walls behind them raised a trail of grey dust like a dragon, bowing its head in silent reverence as it sent off its master. Watch your step, control the pace, and be wary of the spiders'' firing attacks. "Pfft!" Sticky webs were asionally spat out by elite spiders aiming to entangle the three of them and restrict their movements. This soft and clingy attack was more troublesome, and Bai E did his best to avoid it. Hence, the chosen path became more twisted and intricate. Under the moonlit night, the three figures dancing in the air resembled fairies beneath the moon. At some point, even the obscure ring of light high in the sky became the backdrop for the trio, and the supporting soldiers watching this scene held their guns in a daze. ... "This is... this is unbelievable." How much whimsical imagination, precise judgment, and execution skills were required to perform such a miracle? If it were any other soldier present, they could at most ensure their escape from the spider horde. But with two burdens... "Tap~ Tap~" Until the metal war bootsnded lightly in front of them. Bai E knelt down on one knee first afternding, threw aside his machine gun, and perfectly caught the two children he had thrown out at thest moment with one hand each. Morphie and Kiro Lan, who hadnded safely in his arms, were clearly still in shock, it took them a while toe back from their numb state of mind. The roar of gunfire erupted beside their ears¡ªthe teammates who hade to support them took over the fight, and a row of riflemen blocked the pursuing spider swarm. Only then did the two children tremble, blink, and regain their senses. "That was... that was thrilling." Morphie was shaking, slowly reying the brief breakout in his mind. Although he hadn''t reacted at the time, his wide-open eyes had faithfully recorded everything he saw. The actions of Bai E were reyed slowly in his mind, giving the impression that even when let go, he still seemed to stand there, looking dazed. Kiro Lan recovered more quickly, straightened her tattered clothes a bit, took a small step forward out of Bai E''s arms, with an unintentional blush shing across her face. "Sir... I apologize for the trouble." "It''s fine." Seeing the two children unharmed, Bai E also breathed a sigh of relief. The warriors lined up behind him with guns ready began to retreat step by step, and the nearby Captain of Squad 1 turned to remind him, "If you''re alright, we should retreat now, there are too many, we can''t hold them off." "Okay," Bai E nodded and looked at the two children, "can you run on your own?" "Mm-hmm!" Kiro Lan nodded in agreement, then pulled on Morphie, who seemed to be still dazed, "Let''s go, no more trouble for the adults." The grim scene of ruins before their eyes zoomed in rapidly, the sound contracted, and suddenly invaded Morphie''s sight, making him shiver, the flickering light in his eyes disappearing in an instant, "Oh~ let''s go!" The number of spiders in the great army was too many, and as the battle progressed, more figures quietly crawled out from every corner of the ruins. Especially more and morerger spiders were crawling out from the shadows underground, their bodies''pound eyes were dense and numerous, making one''s scalp tingle. "Let''s go! We can''t stay here any longer." Team Leader 1 shot single-handedly in an orderly fashion, while opening the voice channel to notify Team Leader 2, who was on standby, "Notify all refugees to retreat orderly, continue heading back to the city!" It wasn''t impossible to travel at night, after all, the usual dangers on this road weren''t many, unlike the one leading to the server ruins. Also, Bai E had been exploring for over an hour, and though the resting refugees might get a bit tired, they weren''tpletely unable to walk. "Here is Ka Ruigan, message received," came Team Leader 2''s calm voice. The soldiers on standby sprung into action upon receiving the order, "Get up, everyone, keep moving." "We''re setting off! The sooner we get back to the city, the sooner we''ll be safe." "Ourrades have spotted the enemy; it''s no longer safe here, but the distance is still far, so don''t worry. An orderly retreat will suffice." ... "Dadadadada!" More than a dozen machine guns spat out orange mes, which were particrly conspicuous in the night. Having already moved some distance away from the ruins of the relics, those gray-white spiders were still relentlessly pursuing. Even the mutated spiders, with their bodily structure, were nowhere as troublesome as the Bug Race with Chitin Armor, human bullets could easily shred their defenses wherever they hit. Their round bodies burst open like water-filled bags under the storm of bullets, scattering all around. Yet their t ws still twitched unwillingly on the ground. The machine guns in the soldiers'' hands were beginning to overheat, ejected casings paving a trail along their path of retreat. "They are still chasing us!" Team Leader 2''s brows furrowed slightly, his expression turning a bit grave. Having retreated all the way from a district 5 kilometers away, the ammunition the soldiers had been carrying was running low. Of course, they could still resupply from the off-road vehicles, but the bigger problem was the firearms themselves. An overheated barrel was a fatal issue. Unfortunately, the cumbersome group of over four hundred refugees, even though they tried their best not to cause chaos, couldn''t retreat as rapidly as the soldiers. Therge group retreating was right behind them, and ahead... was the relentless spider army still unwilling to let them go. [Consecutive sessful hits on numerous moving targets, Gun Fighting Skill experience +21. (Small chance to awaken special attributes.)] Bai E rehung the scorching-hot machine gun on his side and took down his bow with his left hand. It was difficult to maintain high levels of energy reserves with normal food and water consumption; he would only consume the No. 3 ration bar to replenish his energy reserves right before battle. Moreover, after the recent major battles, the No. 3 ration bars were rapidly consumed. The supplies were limited to one a day, and even with the handful Carlos had given him before the battle against the Bug Race, there weren''t many left now. But now, even without consuming another "No. 3 ration bar," the sr energy replenished after driving away the orcs had filled Bai E''s energy reservespletely. Taking into ount the No. 3 ration bars that could be consumed on the spot, it meant that in a prepared battle, he could have twice the energy reserve for an outburst. One blue bar turning into two blue bars was a great enhancement to his stamina and explosive power. The ability to maintain full energy reserves during rest without relying on the "No. 3 ration bar" was particrly precious to the current Bai E. The fully recovered energy reserves yed a crucial role at this moment. When the soldiers'' firearms could no longer buy time, thest three arrows could still clear a 500-meter-long safe distance for everyone. Bai E stood up, nocked an arrow to the bow. The night breeze gently stirred the hair on his forehead, and Bai E''s eyes were as sharp as his arrows. Draw! Shoot! A gust of wind swept through, the residual white airflow stirred up the deste surroundings, and after a moment, it slowly dissolved into nothingness. "Whoosh!" Another arrow! "Whoosh!" The final arrow! The three arrows pierced through everything in their path, the spiders falling one after another were not even an obstacle; they even flew straight into the ruins, burying thest glories of the relics. Dust filled the air. Ahead was clear. Bai E slowly put away the bow, his gaze piercing beyond the 500 meters of space, fixing on the spider eyes that unexpectedly halted due to the terrifying strike. In the dark spherical eyes, the fear of the unknown finally restrained their bloodthirst for the first time. Bai E gestured backward with one hand, "You go ahead." If they dared to pursue further... there were three more arrows. As they watched the not particrly robust figure, the soldiers covering the rear couldn''t help but be filled with extreme awe. No matter how many times they saw it, this earth-shattering arrow was iprehensible. ["Lucky Shot" charge +11.] ... Countlesspound eyes locked gazes with Bai E, who stood watchful in the distance, and the entity deep underground in the ruins finally seemed to realize these flesh and blood creatures were not for its taking. The first spider slowly retracted into the shadows... Watching the gray-white figures gradually disappear into the darkness, Bai E squinted his eyes. The rats underground should no longer be enough for the yers to toy with, right? Chapter 235 221 Are they all geniuses? The winter sun, distant and chilly, blossomed in the sky with a brilliance that was just right. The ck iron walls of the city started to emerge at the end of the horizon, and the rest of the trip was without many twists and turns. They had arrived. From afar, upon seeing the city, the refugees visibly stirred with excitement, and their bodies, which had been listless like the walking dead, suddenly surged with a bit of vitality from deep within. For most of them... or rather all of them, they had spent the first half of their lives in a wilderness oasis called Jinshuizhou Town. What did a city look like? They had only seen and heard about it through some circted pamphlets and rumors. So this is how big it is... The steel city walls, taller than the tallest thing they had ever seen, seemed to reach straight up to the sky. The humans living inside must be very happy, not having to worry if they would still be able to wake up the next day. So... were they also going to live in a city like this now? ... What seemed close took a long walk to reach. The refugees had already been drained of almost all their energy, and had they not actually seen the city, they would have copsed long ago. Thest leg of the journey took them nearly until dusk. They didn''t head to the military camp but arrived at a ce outside the city that Bai E had never been to before. The makeshift buildings were almost built against the city walls and looked somewhat run-down; there was also a gathering ce outside the city in the distance, but it wasn''t ck Street. This ce was closer to another gate of the city. "Take them to handover." The captain of Team 1 was clearly familiar with the procedures; the city had its own standard process for handling new refugees. The personnel responsible for the reception had stern faces. It was hard to tell if it was military silence or if they had reached the pinnacle of exhaustion and numbness, they just stood by the road with dead fish eyes watching the endless grey-ck queue. The smell of the refugees made them frown slightly, "So many?" "Four hundred and five," the captain of Team 1 replied promptly. Some unlucky refugees had been hit by the orcs'' wildly inurate gunfire in the skirmish with them. "Oh~" The guiding officer nodded, "Have them line up here and wait, one by one." "Come on, line up, and follow this official," the captain said. Under the guidance of Team 1''s captain, the soldiers of the coalition team maintained order at the scene. "Everyone, line up and wait here, don''t panic, don''t rush. This is thest checkpoint before entering the city, and there are some necessary checks." "Later, follow the orders of those officials, do whatever they tell you, understood?" Having been with these refugees all the way, the soldiers were familiar with them, and now they said theirst goodbyes. After all, what was toe next had nothing to do with them. Bai E stood by the road, watching the refugees pass by one by one, each of them looking at him with gratitude, nodding respectfully with a smile even if they didn''t speak. He smiled throughout, trying tofort their confusion about the unknown, "It''s okay, just follow them." It was only when Morphie and Kiro Lan walked past him, with Kiro Lan looking at Bai E with determination, "I wille to find you, sir." Bai E still smiled lightly, "You guys just watch yourself." Everyone had their own choices, and he had no right to interfere. Not until he watched the team being handed over and settled did Dashan approach Bai E curiously, "Howe I didn''t see that old man among the refugees?" "..." Bai E''s smile wavered slightly before he shook his head, "Didn''t they report him missingst night?" "Oh~ I remember I saw himst night." Dashan scratched his head, sounding somewhat regretful, "Did he get hooked by a spider in the chaos? That''s a shame." When that old man was around, he managed the refugees quite well. He had some ability. Bai E pursed his lips and did not engage further in the conversation. He quickly took a few steps forward and caught up with the squad of Team 1''s captain. "Um... Captain, excuse me." "Bai E..." Team 1''s captain paused, his tone noticeably softer, "What is it?" Bai E nced back, "What are they queuing for?" "Health check," Team 1''s captain exined patiently. "All new refugees entering the city need a health check." They needed to check for highly contagious diseases that were a serious threat, examine if their physical fitness could endure at least ten more years ofbor, assess whether their mental state was stable enough toply with regtions... and so on. The city wasn''t a charity; was it its solidarity and cooperation that kept it standing in this bleak world? No! In times like these, it was the city rules, considering gain and loss to the extreme, that mattered. Everything useful to the city would get its due role. Everything useless to the city should be discarded without a second thought. As for whether life itself would seek a way out... that was up to each individual''s fate. Bai E frowned slightly to himself and looked back again. He asked, "What will happen to them after the health check?" "Arrangement?" Team 1''s captain looked at Bai E curiously, "Those who are physically fit will go to work in the city, and those who are in poor health..." He gestured with his eyes toward the gathering ce nearby, "That ce is waiting for them." The greatest blessing the city offered to the refugees was allowing them to catch their breath under its protective shade. Though this space was equally filled with thew of the jungle''s barbarity where the strong preyed on the weak. Bai E frowned deeply in silence. The captain of Team 1, who had happilypleted the mission and returned to the city, was evidently much happier now. At this moment, he even put an arm around Bai E''s shoulder, "Brother, don''t worry too much about them. Are you feeling guilty about your own promise? There''s no need. Back then, it was your only chance to defeat that demon. They will only be grateful for your rescue. Not every word needs to be strictly acted upon, many makeshift ns are just that, makeshift. We understand you, and they will too." "..." Seeing that Bai E still didn''t speak, the captain of Team 1 patted his shoulder with a chuckle, "Alright, stop thinking so much. We''ll head back to camp to report our positions, and tonight I''ll treat you to a drink at ck Street''s bar. Get drunk, and by tomorrow, we''ll have forgotten it all." "Let''s go! Back to camp!" "If the captain''s buying, we''re noting back until we''re drunk!" The soldiers who had once again brushed past death''s door and even returned from a mission aplished were somewhat excited. Aside from fighting, they each had their own desired normal life. In the midst of themotion, Tiger came forward and also put his arm around Bai E''s shoulder, whispering, "Take it easy, you''re just a new recruit. You can''t do that much." Yes... can''t do that much. Bai E pressed his lips together, taking onest look back at the refugees awaiting the judgment of their fate. ... "Huh?" The medical examiner, seeing the red light shing on the equipment in front of him, instantly became excited from his previously listlessplexion, "Spiritual Energy! Spiritual Energy!" There was a fluctuation of Spiritual Energy! This refugee might possess the innate talent to harness Spiritual Energy! "Quick, quick, quick! Notify the superior! A Spiritual Energy talent has appeared among the refugees!" "What! A talent for Spiritual Energy!" Another staff member perked up, as if it were a festive asion for them to find a talent for Spiritual Energy among the refugees. After peering closely and confirming the screen of the device that first indicated this discovery, thetter rushed out, "I''ll go notify the superior right away!" The equipment used for refugee check-ups could only detect basic things, like whether the body was within a "healthy range," or if there were any obvious contagious diseases, etc. For monitoring Spiritual Energy, it only remained at the level of "fluctuations." After all, they were just refugees. Assuming an indifferent attitude, they were being tested on the off-chance something might turn up. Of course, finding something was good, but it didn''t matter if they didn''t. Because of its crudeness, the equipment was prone to misjudgments, or it was normal to discover just a hint of talent that was difficult to activate. Therefore, a real professional superior was needed for a "final diagnosis." And such equipment was not just limited to one; there were times when there were many refugees, and checking them one by one would be too inefficient. Hearing the mor of two staff members belonging to the same machine, the workers at the four other machines were somewhat dumbfounded. One of them, also looking at the red light on his machine, said with a puzzled face, "It looks like I''ve found one too." This triggered a chain reaction, as the staff at the remaining three machines eximed in session, "Mine too..." "Mine too..." "Is the equipment broken?" So many talents for Spiritual Energy appearing among the refugees at the same time was either the Arbitration ce''s enforcersing to joke with them or the equipment was broken. There was no third possibility. "Quick, quick, quick! Get him back! The equipment might be broken! Don''t startle the superior over nothing!" "Hey you! Wait over there. Come! Next one, you try now." In the spirit of controlling the variables, a staff member directed the refugees being examined to step aside. "Oh, oh~" The refugees, who didn''t understand why the superiors in the city were making such a fuss, shuffled over bewilderedly, murmuring submissively. The result came out quickly¡ª"Beep, beep, beep~" It''s red! "Let''s test a few more..." "Beep, beep, beep~" It''s red! All of them are red! "Damn it, got all excited for nothing! The freaking machines are all broken!" "Who got screwed by a dog?" A voice suddenly emerged from the doorway, and a man as thin as a monkey walked inughing.N?v(el)B\\jnn Seeing the neer, all the staff members tensed up instantly. "Superior..." "Superior~" The thin monkey''s gaze swiftly moved across the faces of the refugees in the room, trying to discern with his own eyes who the chosen one was. Eventually settling on a particrly handsome young man in his twenties, he asked the staff members with a grin, "Is it that kid?" "Um, um~" The questioned staff member just shook his head nervously, hesitant to tell the truth. "Oh?" The thin monkey''s gaze shifted again towards the second potential target, "So it must be him then." Handsome and dashing as he was, how could anyone who shared his Spiritual Energy talent not also be good looking? "Um, um~" The staff member shook his head again. "..." The thin monkey''s expression became slightly displeased as he looked toward the third candidate, "It can''t possibly be him." "Superior..." In the corner, a staff member nervously raised a hand, "They all are..." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!