December 12th.
Training day, departure day.
It was half past five and it was still dark outside the window.
Lin You has made all the preparations and is now ready to go out.
Six o'clock is the official departure time.
Before that, all students in the advanced class must gather at the Welcome Square.
It takes about half an hour to walk from the villa area to the square.
Soon, Lin You went out.
Since it was still early, there were few people on the road.
It wasn't until we got closer to the Welcome Square that things started to get lively.
There were already nearly a hundred people standing in the square, most of whom were students in the advanced classes.
Some of them just came to join in the fun, and it was a good thing they got up so early.
In addition to these students, there were also some teachers and school leaders. Among them, the highest-ranking person was Vice Principal Xia Yan, Xia Mu's father.
I don’t know if he will come to this training camp.
In addition, there was a strange young man wearing the white uniform of the Duelist Association.
It may be the instructor in charge of this training.
Many students were discussing in low voices.
Everyone seemed very excited to guess the identity of this strange man.
After all, I have been in school for almost four months and have been confined to the campus. Although the campus life is rich and in this era of such rapid information flow, I can't say that I am isolated from the world.
But I still miss the outside world. I haven’t been out for a long time!
Not all freshmen are like Lin You, who has experience in field missions after entering school.
After all, the threshold is to be an advanced class student.
Then, the second-year students on the list have to take the initiative to invite them. These students on the list refer to the top 50 on the Rising Star List.
There may be only a single digit number of freshmen who meet both conditions.
Some students who are not well-known, even those in advanced classes, will not be invited by many people.
Therefore, many people are feeling very frustrated, and this is a good opportunity to vent.
"Hey, Lin You."
As soon as Lin You appeared in the square, someone hurriedly called out his name. The person who called out was Guo Rui.
This guy is pretty good. In the end, he still managed to keep the title of advanced class student.
Otherwise, if you just broke in and were kicked out right away, you would probably cry.
There was still some time left, so Lin You was not in a hurry and walked over slowly. "How long have you been waiting? What happened here just now?"
"It didn't take long, only about twenty minutes."
Guo Rui's face was flushed, and he was obviously in a very good mood. He said with a smile, "In a few minutes it will be six o'clock. Principal Xia may say a few words later. After that, the Duelist Association will take us away."
"From what you said, our teachers won't be accompanying us this time? Will they just hand us over to them?"
"That's right."
Guo Rui nodded and said, "It's not just us. Other colleges and universities are the same. Once we arrive at the training location, we are completely under the command of the instructors. They can train us however they want. I already have a picture of a devilish instructor, constantly carrying out devilish training on us."
At this point, he said tragically, "I don't know if I can handle this. If I'm really killed, where can I go to seek justice?"
"Are you scared now?"
Lin You teased, "Aren't you desperately trying to get into the advanced class? Are you still afraid of being bullied? Besides, we're not going to a secret realm. No matter how cruel the instructor is, it's nothing compared to a secret realm. At most, you'll be half-crippled, but there's no need to worry about dying."
“…”
Guo Rui was speechless for a moment. After a moment, he gave a thumbs up and said, "Lin You, you are amazing."
What else can I say?
Why does the word "half disabled" sound as normal as eating and drinking water when it comes out of his mouth?
However, he quickly added, "But this time, it seems that we are not really going to a secret place. I wonder if there is any other suitable location, or some secret training base?"
"Not surprising."
Lin You said leisurely, "Isn't this linked to the Duelist Association? With the help of the Association, arranging a suitable training area would be easy."
Putting aside other things, the security area that Hua Peiling and I had visited before could be used for rest and recuperation, and it would be no problem to use it for special training of students.
Of course, because of the intervention of the dark duelist last time, Lin You was not quite clear about what the original situation of the mutated cave was, how dangerous it was, and how difficult it was to conquer.
But at least, even someone as strong as Hua Peiling has to be treated with caution. If one person is allowed to take the risk alone, probably no one in the advanced class will be able to come out alive.
If it's training, it's not bad to challenge in groups of three or five.
Lin You made a wild guess, but the possibility that the training camp was taking place in that security zone was very small.
After all, it is a special area, and it is linked to some tasks, so so many people will not be allowed in casually.
The training location is more likely to be in a secret area controlled by the Duelist Association.
At this time, it was six o'clock.
All the students who were supposed to come have arrived.
Without checking anything, Xia Yan spoke loudly, "Everyone, from today until January 12th of next year, you and the outstanding students from Jiangcheng's major universities will begin intensive training. The so-called intensive training is actually a process of mutual growth and competition, and all the participants in this training are the top freshmen from each school."
"It's no exaggeration to say that these teams represent the reputation of their respective universities. The strengths and weaknesses will be revealed without reservation during this month-long training period. This is a perfect opportunity for self-examination, to test your own level and strengths among the new students in this city."
"To outsiders, you are all geniuses, the envy of many, the untouchables of many. But as they say, birds of a feather flock together. When so many geniuses gather together, those who once seemed dazzling may suddenly dim, because someone else is radiating a brighter light than you, overshadowing your existence. This is what they call "there are always people beyond the crowd." Only those who can stand out from the crowd of geniuses are truly worthy of this title."
"This is also the purpose of this training camp. It helps you gain a deeper understanding of yourselves and tells you how long the road ahead is. Perhaps not everyone can gain motivation from a realistic assessment, but if you can't even withstand this little blow and never recover, I believe the Passport to the Strong won't favor such a person."
At this point, Xia Yan looked around at everyone in the square and spoke in a resounding voice, "For Jiangcheng High School, and even more for yourselves, fight for your reputation. Don't let anyone look down on you. When you're young, you should have some wolf-like nature, challenge your limits, and learn to push yourself. Now is the age to strive hard. Only by giving it your all can you have a youth without regrets."
Xia Yan kept talking, and everyone listened carefully.
A brighter light, standing out from the crowd of geniuses!
Bring honor and pride to the university and yourself!
Many people felt their blood boiling after hearing this and secretly clenched their fists.
After all, they are still a group of young people in their prime.
Just ask yourself, who doesn’t want to surpass their peers, shine the brightest, and become the light that amazes everyone?
Even if our abilities are limited now, it is not too late. We have just started from the starting point. Some people start late, and some start early.
But the distance you have traveled now does not mean it will be fixed in the future.
Who can easily determine a person's future and prospects?
Principal Xia is right, now is the time to work hard!
Some students who were originally a little casual and even planned to take advantage of this training camp to relax for a few days, immediately gave up those "playful" thoughts.
Why relax? Just relax. I just achieved good results in school and put in some effort. But what does that count for?
Compared with people like Zeng Xi, Wan Yibin, and Deng Zhuo, isn't he just a scum?
Not to mention Xiao Yi and Xia Mu.
As for Lin You, forget it. It’s not a question of working hard or not.
Even if you practice 24 hours a day, it may be difficult to catch up with others.
That's a bug that needs to be classified separately!
If you want to surpass him, you shouldn't count on how hard you work or how good the opportunities are. You can only count on others. In fact, you are squeezing your potential. Your magic power is almost blocked, and you will hardly make any progress in the future.
Otherwise, wake up!
…
"During this training camp, our school will not have any instructors who are casual. In other words, during this training camp, you will only need to fully obey the instructions of the local instructors and complete each training content according to their standards and requirements. After the training camp, the school will send someone to pick you up and return to school."
After talking for a while, Xia Yan talked about the final precautions.
The students in the advanced class had already heard about this, and they didn't have any special reaction at this moment.
Even if we don’t know it in advance, it won’t matter.
It's a training camp anyway, so it doesn't matter whether the school sends someone to follow or not.
It's not like they are really going to a dangerous place. The instructors of the training camp are also members of the Duelist Association. No matter how tough the training is, they won't eat them.
"Okay, thank you for your help, Instructor Chen."
After explaining what he wanted to say, Xia Yan looked at the man from the association.
The man from the association waved his hand and said politely, "Principal Xia, you're wrong. I'm just a 'driver'. The one who needs trouble is Senior Jia. Uh, no, that's not right. The ones who need trouble are these kids."
When he said this, there was a hint of pity in his eyes.
"Only those who endure hardship can become successful. Young people should endure some hardship."
Xia Yan said calmly, "Growing through hardship is inherently easier and more efficient. This is a great blessing for them."
The man from the association just smiled and said nothing more. His eyes suddenly shifted and fell on an open space in front.
The next moment, magic power suddenly surged.
A surging and powerful aura spread out, a mechanical shadow shattered, and the next moment, a bright red summoning light shone.
The moment they saw the light, all the students widened their eyes.
Is this... the Red Star Monster?
Not only that, this is a summon without any sacrifice, that is, a special summon!
Directly special summon a Red Star monster?
Is this the strength of the association members? They clearly look quite young!
Boom!
A slightly dull roar was heard, and a tank-sized mechanical monster appeared!
This mechanical monster is generally blue in color, with tracks on both sides. In the front, there is also a track loaded into the steel armor.
It looked like a mutated tank, except that on top of the tank was a mechanical head with sensors, and on both sides of the tracks were two thick hand-shaped armors.
No matter how you look at it, it’s so domineering!
Especially when combined with that fierce aura, just feeling this aura made the students tremble with fear.
This is a close-up experience of the power of the Red Star Monster!
The Red Star Monster’s aura is not just a deterrent, but can actually evolve into a means of actual destruction!
Of course, we are trying to restrain ourselves now, otherwise we might accidentally shock a student to death on the spot.
That was such an unfair and frustrating death.
Even though he died at the hands of the powerful Red Star Monster, he was not beaten to death, but was killed by a breath shock. It was not much different from being suffocated to death by a fart from a strong man!
"Amazing! Is this the world of the strong?"
Guo Rui was amazed at what he saw, with a glint of longing in his eyes.
Lin You was better off. After all, it was not the first time he sensed the breath of the Red Star Monster at close range.
However, the yearning is certain!
Who doesn’t long to one day step into the world of the strong, stand high on the duelist’s pyramid, and gaze at the endless scenery below with ease?
At this time, Guo Rui sighed for a while and said, "But what does this mean? Do we have to rely on him to lead us out? There's not enough space anyway, right?"
"really."
Lin You nodded, also a little confused.
Many students are like this.
But the man from the association smiled and said, "Everyone, we're ready to go. You can come up now in an orderly manner, ten at a time. Walk to the mechanical fortress, that is, to this monster. Don't worry about anything else."
Just let it go like this?
Nothing else to consider?
Many students felt strange, but soon some of them followed suit.
Since I've said that, why think so much?
Soon, ten students lined up and stood in front of the mechanical fortress.
Click-click~
A slight mechanical sound was heard, and the mechanical fortress opened its palms and grabbed two students, one in each palm.
Immediately afterwards, the back of the fuselage flipped over and a cabin opened.
With a throw of his hand, a student went in, and with another throw, another student went in.
Then repeat this action.
Soon, all ten students went in.
The students were even more surprised. If they just threw it in like that, wouldn't it be squeezed to death?
Is this true or false?
"Hurry up, don't waste time!"
At this time, Xia Yan's urging voice was heard, and the students took action again.
There are still ten people.
The mechanical fortress moved very quickly, and within half a minute, the ten people were settled in.
Now, the students thought of something.
The space inside this mechanical fortress is probably somewhat special and has expanded a lot.
Otherwise, judging by what we see with the naked eye, it would be difficult to fit ten people, let alone twenty people, and they are packed so casually.
There's clearly plenty of space.
"Let's go."
Lin You didn't look at him anymore. He patted Guo Rui's shoulder and walked over.
Guo Rui also hurried to follow.
Each mechanical fortress is still one in each palm, and the work is mechanized, but the efficiency is extremely high.
Now, it is Lin You’s turn.
I let the other person grab me, the strength was just right and I didn't feel any discomfort.
The mechanical hand swung and Lin You was thrown into the cabin.
After a moment, it landed on the ground.
What caught my eye was a large lounge that was decorated quite elegantly.
The space is big enough.
There are at least a few hundred chairs in the entire lounge, and they are spaced a certain distance apart to leave enough room.
Sure enough, there is an independent space inside the mechanical fortress.
It's quite magical.
But this is a red star monster after all, so it is understandable that it has some special features.
"Is the space so big?"
Guo Rui, on the other hand, couldn't help but exclaim, "Could this be an awakened spatial skill?"
"Spatial skills?"
This time, it was Lin You's turn to be surprised.
I thought this was the innate ability of the Red Star Mechanical Monsters, but after hearing what Guo Rui said, it seems to be related to spatial skills?
Spatial skills are quite rare.
Lin You was not completely unfamiliar with this.
I saw it in some card-themed movies a long time ago.
Some powerful spatial skills can really break the space!
Although it is a movie effect, in this world of cards, Lin You dares to guarantee that reality is often more exaggerated than fantasy!
As for the mechanical fortress, if this is a space skill, then it should be a separate space, right?
Very strong too!
"It should be."
Guo Rui nodded and said, "Although this is my first time experiencing this myself, I have seen many similar competitions where strong individuals competed with each other. I didn't expect that instructor, who looks quite young, is so powerful. He is indeed a duelist from the association."
At this point, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you think he is the instructor in charge of our training this time?"
Lin You shook his head without hesitation, "Obviously not."
"Why?"
"Is that even a question? This training camp wasn't organized specifically for us. Previous reports have revealed that it wasn't conducted in batches, but was likely handled solely by one person. Even a strong person would have the energy to do so. Since it was just one person responsible, why would they come all the way to our university to pick us up? How shameless! Jiangcheng University might be so shameless, but it's not appropriate at this time. It's just giving people something to talk about."
"That's true."
Guo Rui was not stupid either. After a little reminder, he figured it out.
Without saying anything more about it, he muttered, "I don't know how long it will take. I was too excited last night and didn't sleep well. I'm still a little sleepy now."
As he was speaking, there was another noise outside.
It’s quite a commotion!
Looking around, all the students who were supposed to come in had already come in.
Obviously, the mechanical fortress has been activated!
This noise only lasted for a moment and soon calmed down.
The people sitting inside could not feel any movement or vibration.
“Comfortable!”
Guo Rui was quite satisfied and stretched out his body. This chair was not bad. Although it was not a soft seat, the backrest was well designed and tilted horizontally, which was quite relaxing.
He immediately lay down and said lazily, "Lin You, don't you want to take a rest? At the end of this journey, what awaits us may be hell on earth. We should try to enjoy ourselves for a while now."
"hell?"
Lin You smiled and said casually, "Wouldn't that be a good way to relieve the dullness of life? I haven't exercised for a while."
"Ahem, sorry, I almost forgot. You are a monster and cannot be compared to us."
Guo Rui also suddenly remembered this.
It was really because of Lin You that every time he was silent, it would last for quite a long time.
But whenever he shows up in public again, he always makes some shocking news.
This time may be no exception!
At this moment, this thought strongly emerged in Guo Rui's mind.
hell?
Who knows.
Perhaps for this kind of true monster, hell is actually his paradise?