Amelia heard his soft voice and almost melt in his embrace as if a puddle of jelly. Shi Lang patted her back gently and said, “Go clean up, we will go out later. I will meet the instructors and discuss the premises of my task.”
Amelia hummed but she did not let go of him. Shi Lang smiled faintly as he saw this girl being so clingy of him. He spoke with an emphasizing tone, “Amy.”
Amelia let go of him and said, “You will contact me when you are done, right?”
Shi Lang pecked her hairline and said, “Yes. go now.”
The girl gave him a good look and suddenly she remembered something, turned away and ran away at her top speed. Shi Lang was surprised, and after a moment only did he chuckle. He found her actions funny. Well, every girl wanted to look pristine and perm in front of the one she loves, but at this moment she was covered with dust, mud, and slimes from her trip outside, yet this guy did not hesitate in holding her close, although his actions warmed her heart, she still felt embarrassed.
Shi Lang turned around and took a long glance at the plaque and the scenery that reminded him of his most painful experiences in this life. The boy would be lying if he called himself to be the most talented cultivator in the old ancient times. At most he was just a guy who sometimes got lucky and by the time he was on his last leg he finally managed to climb the peak, that too when the peak was abandoned by the talents.
This place reminded him of the pain he had suffered but also the things he discovered after coming back to life, he was surprised to discover that life without spiritual energy was also possible and that his knowledge about a lot of things that he thought would go to waste was still applicable.
He took a deep breath and raised his foot to step inside the camp threshold. The next thing he did was to run. He made a sprint to get to the door of the shack in front of him because his senses were crying that he was locked on by a lot of phasor guns. During his time inside the place, Shi Lang discovered that the place was surrounded by a holographic projection.
Shi Lang had discovered that the projection was used to hide the guns aimed in all directions to stop the intruders from getting close. Just earlier when Shi Lang met John, he was aware that the entry inside the place will not be as simple as it may seem to be. Thus he ran forward, and without even calculating the path he will take.
His reaction was correct, the instructors had the place laced with cameras and smart assaulted phasor rifles, these rifles could analyze and predict the path of your movement. Since Shi Lang himself did not know what path he was going to take, the computer also found it difficult to intercept him.
The system worked on judging the direction from various factors based on body language. But Shi Lang messed himself up on purpose and made his way through the flashing phasor beams, like a specter. His reactions and speed had increased more than even his time at the camp.
…
Back in the monitoring room, the four people were sitting in front of the screen and Yuu spoke, “His movements are decisive yet unpredictable.”
Carlos said, “My, my has the doll grown up. Look at his eyes, the look on his face is as if a predator is running from the hunters.”
Dalia nodded, she said while looking at a different screen, that showed the muscle structure of Shi Lang and said, “His body has grown very tenuous and the quality has refined as well. It seems he came here seeking the opportunity to step into the fifth-star level.”
John interjected, “I hate to break it to you all, but he came here because the daughter of the camp master is his little sweetheart. Not because he was missing our torture.” his voice was the usual monotone.
Shi Lang reached the gate of the shack and did not waste any time, pushing it open and entering the place. The test was, unfortunately for him, not over. The traps inside the staircase were all triggered as if to welcome him on a tour around hell. He did not lose his cool and directly moved downstairs.
He made sure to run faster than the traps could catch him. Yes, he had given up the caution to prevent his steps from adding on to his troubles. He ran as fast he could without stopping. The maze that made him crawl back to the infirmary. But today he ran through it without breaking a sweat.
After an hour, he arrived in front of the camp master’s office and knocked at the door. From inside he heard a voice, “Come in.”
He pushed the door open and entered the familiar room. The person behind the big mahogany table sat Dalia. The ever-smiling witch doctor, as what Shi Lang called her. He did not smile and presented her with a crisp salute. He replied, Trainee Shi Lang has returned, Camp Master Dalia.”
Dalia smiled and replied, “At ease, firstly you are now an alumnus, second, welcome back. I am sure that you did not come in here o greet us, after all, we were your nightmares. What is it?”
“It is two things actually, one is to visit my fiancee, and second, I need to get past the barrier of gene lock and reach the five-star realm, the premise is without using a gene serum,” said Shi Lang.
Dalia raised her eyebrow and said, “Ah, so I see. Indeed a correct choice that you made. Why the rush though?”
Shi Lang replied, “I wanted to meet my fiancee after I got an off for promotion, but since that required me to travel away from the base of my division, Commander imposed the condition.” he did not dare to lie to this lady who could read the faces like books on public exhibition.
Dalia smiled as she asked, “What else?”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “Commander will punish me to clean all the toilets in the base.”
The room echoed with a chuckle and Dalia said, “Good thing, you can go back, I will not help you.”
Shi Lang did not say anything and with a salute, he decided to walk away. Dalia wanted to see how far will he go. However, the boy did not even flinch and maintained a stone face. As he was about to turn the knob and get out, she asked, “What are you planning inside your head?”
Shi Lang turned around and said, “Camp Master, my commander is aware of my training here, and she is also aware that only you can help me get past the barrier without a gene enhancement serum. If you turn me away like this, it will only make her look down on you, I am given a neigh impossible task so she will not blame me much, but looking down on you cannot be avoided.”
Dalia hated to be looked down on by others and was a competitive lady. She said, “Brat, I know you are using reverse psychology on me, but I will allow it. Go out in the forest and get me three twigs of evangelica. Along with the corpse of a flame leopard. If you can do it, then I will get you to step into the five-star realm. Since you are the only student of mine, I will throw in a little extra, unlock your gene chain.”
Shi Lang sighed and said, “Okay, I will get it. Do we have any specific location to find those things you mentioned?”
Dalia said, “Twenty clicks inside the western woods. I have no idea how you will get there but that’s the only place to find the flame leopard. Evangelica only grows in the area where Flame Leopard shits.”
Shi Lang clicked his tongue and said, “Why do I have to deal with shit again. The teacher did you not say I will not have to deal with shit anymore.” he still remembered how she got him to extract the undigested pieces of wild herbs to make poisonous potions and then she would test them on her.”
Dalia shrugged her shoulders and said, “That was then, this is now. You want to move to the next realm, and not to go back to your place and wash shit? Either you deal with that shit or this. The choice is yours.”
Shi Lang sighed as he held his face in his palm. He said, “Okay, I will get you the materials. I will meet the rest later.”
Dalia smiled and said, “You sure, you want to make them wait?”
The youngster understood that if he delayed anymore, the other instructors might beat him into a bag of broken bones. Sighing, he resigned to his destiny and left the camp master’s office.