Three days later, Panshi Fortress, Training Ground No. 3.
Beneath the massive alloy dome was a vast space capable of accommodating thousands of people for training.
The ground was made of special non-slip, energy-absorbing composite material. The surrounding walls were covered with interfaces for various training equipment and energy targets.
Nearly a hundred newly promoted ability users had assembled. These were all ability users recently gathered by The Boulder from various parts of Jiuan City. They were roughly divided into several small teams according to their ability type and potential level.
The air was filled with a mixture of tension, excitement, unease, and… a hint of fear of the unknown.
Li Mingyu, Sun Qiang, Lin Wei, and Chen Xue were all among them. Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang were assigned to the “Assault Team,” Lin Wei to the “Reconnaissance Team,” and Chen Xue was separately assigned to the “Auxiliary Medical Team.”
Ling Chen, on the other hand, was casually placed into a reserve squad composed of a dozen “motley crew” members with mediocre potential and a variety of abilities.
He was still wearing a hospital gown, covered by an ill-fitting camouflage training uniform. The bandage on his left arm hadn't been removed, his face was pale, and his steps were unsteady. Among a group of nervous or excited young people, he seemed out of place, like a lamb that had wandered into a wolf pack.
“Look! That’s Ling Chen! I heard his ability was Beast Control, but all his bats died! He’s a cripple now!”
“He’s still severely injured and already being pulled into training? Isn’t that just sending him to his death?”
“I heard he was lucky and survived the zombie horde… but this time… it’s touch and go!”
“Shh… keep it down… he seems to have a good relationship with Chen Xue…”
“Chen Xue? The S-rank Silver Priest? Tsk… A fresh flower stuck in cow dung…”
Whispers like flies buzzed around, carrying undisguised contempt, pity, and… a hint of schadenfreude.
Ling Chen seemed not to hear. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on his bandaged arm, his eyes “hollow” and “blank,” as if immersed in his own world.
Chen Xue stood in the medical team’s queue, anxiously watching Ling Chen, trying to rush over several times but being stopped by the instructor next to her with a look.
Lin Wei stood in the reconnaissance team’s queue, her gaze complex as she looked at Ling Chen’s frail figure. Her Discernment ability allowed her to clearly “see” the faint, almost extinguished life energy fluctuations within Ling Chen’s body and… his mental state, like a flickering candle in the wind, on the verge of collapse at any moment.
All of this… was too real. So real… that her doubts began to waver.
Could it be… that she was really just overthinking things?
Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang stood at the front of the Assault Team’s queue. Li Mingyu looked at Ling Chen’s “pathetic” appearance, clenching his fists until they cracked!
He suddenly turned his head and growled at a boy named Wang Hao next to him, who was pointing at Ling Chen with a mocking smile on his face: “Wang Hao! You better watch your damn mouth! If you dare to say another word, I’ll break your legs!”
The boy named Wang Hao was startled. Seeing it was Li Mingyu, he shrank his neck, but his mouth remained defiant: “Li Mingyu! Why are you being so fierce! Am I wrong? He’s a good-for-nothing! A burden! Taking him on a mission, isn’t that just looking for death?!”
“You’re looking for death!” Li Mingyu’s eyes blazed with fury! His Buli (Brute Force) ability shimmered on his skin in response! He was about to charge forward!
“Mingyu! Calm down!” Sun Qiang grabbed him, his metalized arm as firm as an iron clamp, “Don’t be impulsive! The instructor is watching!”
Just then!
“Attention, everyone! Stand at attention!” A loud command rang out!
Zhou Yunguang, in a crisp combat uniform, his lieutenant insignia gleaming on his epaulets, strode to the high platform in the center of the training ground. His stern gaze swept across the entire field like a hawk, instantly quelling all noise!
“I am Zhou Yunguang! The chief instructor for this ‘Thorn Project’ combat training!” His voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, resonated throughout the field with undeniable authority.
“The apocalypse is not a game! The Fortress does not raise good-for-nothings! If you want to survive! If you want to obtain resources! If you want to protect the people you want to protect! Then… speak with strength!”
His gaze, like a cold blade, landed precisely on Ling Chen!
“Here! There are no injured! No privileges! Only… warriors! And… dead men!” Zhou Yunguang’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a cruel determination.
“First lesson of training! Core hunting! Target: three kilometers outside the Fortress! Abandoned industrial zone! Hunt Ghouls! Obtain cores! Each person… minimum standard! Ten first-order cores! Or… one second-order core!”
“Time: three hours! Those who fail to meet the standard after the time limit… will be eliminated! And enter the outer perimeter guard team! Fend for yourselves!”
“Now! All teams! Collect your equipment! In ten minutes! Depart!”
The command was like a cold hammer, striking hard at everyone’s heart!
Especially those who were weaker, or like Ling Chen, “severely injured and not yet recovered”! Ten first-order cores! Three hours! In an abandoned industrial zone overrun with Ghouls! This was simply… an impossible mission!
The reserve squad instantly erupted into chaos!
“Ten?! Are you kidding me! We can’t even control our abilities properly!”
“The industrial zone is full of Ghouls! Going in isn’t that just suicide?”
“Instructor! This isn’t fair! We…”
“Shut up!” Zhou Yunguang interrupted sharply, his eyes as cold as blades, “Fair? There’s no fairness in the apocalypse! Only strength and weakness! Either… go kill! Or… wait to die! Choose for yourselves!”
His gaze swept over Ling Chen again, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth: “Ling Chen! Can you… do it? If not… it’s not too late to withdraw now! Report to the logistics department! Clean toilets! Perhaps… you might live a few more days!”
Provocation! Naked provocation!
Everyone’s gaze instantly focused on Ling Chen! There was pity! There was sympathy! There was mockery! There was… a sneer of waiting for a good show!
Ling Chen slowly raised his head. There was no expression on his pale face. His eyes were still “hollow” and “blank.” As if… he hadn’t heard Zhou Yunguang’s provocation.
He remained silent.
Under everyone’s gaze, he slowly took a step. His steps were unsteady, his body swaying slightly. He walked to the equipment distribution point, silently picked up a standard alloy short knife (the lowest-grade melee weapon), a small cloth bag for cores, and a simple first-aid kit.
Then… he silently walked back to the queue. He lowered his head, looking at the short knife in his hand, as if studying the patterns on it.
No anger, no rebuttal, no… emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
Like… a walking corpse.
“Tsk! He’s a coward after all!” Wang Hao scoffed, his voice not loud, but clearly audible to everyone.
Li Mingyu’s eyes burned with even greater fury! But Sun Qiang held him back tightly.
Chen Xue’s eyes were red with anxiety, her hands tightly clasped together.
Lin Wei frowned, her gaze darting between Ling Chen and Zhou Yunguang.
Zhou Yunguang looked at Ling Chen’s “submissive” appearance, a hint of disappointment and… deeper contempt flashing in his eyes. A good-for-nothing… was a good-for-nothing after all! He didn’t even have the courage to resist! He simply wasn’t worthy of standing beside Chen Xue!
“Depart!” Zhou Yunguang no longer looked at Ling Chen, giving a sharp command!
The heavy alloy gate slowly rose! Outside… was a grey sky! Air filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood! And… the death hunting ground where Ghouls roared!
The dozen young people in the reserve squad, like lambs being driven to the execution ground, walked out of the Fortress’s safe zone with fear and unease, trembling under the instructors’ urging and scolding.
Ling Chen walked at the very back of the team. His steps were still unsteady. His back… was frail and… lonely.
No one noticed that beneath his lowered eyelids, a cold and… playful glint… flashed in his deep, unfathomable dark eyes… and then vanished.