Chapter 188 - 102: Subduing the Entire Training Camp on the First Day
’The number one spot in this training camp... I, Lu Xue, can definitely fight for it!’
...
"Huh? Why are Lin Yi, Li Hao, and Lu Xue all leaving together?"
"They don’t look like they’re on good terms. Li Hao looks furious... but Lin Yi is all smiles... Why is Lu Xue tagging along? So weird!"
The trio’s sudden departure.
Especially the stark contrast between Li Hao’s furious expression and Lin Yi’s relaxed smile.
Instantly drew the attention of every remaining student in the classroom.
Whispers broke out all around.
Just then,
a cry of pure shock erupted from the back of the classroom:
"HOLY SHIT!!! Quick! Look at the duel-betting platform! It’s going crazy! Li Hao has challenged Lin Yi!!"
"What?! Where? Holy crap! The wager... what’s the wager?! ...*Hiss*!!"
"One thousand points?! Are they insane?! He went all-in?! What kind of fucking blood feud is this?!"
"One thousand points?! Oh my god! Didn’t they just get those points? And they’re betting them all already? This is a deathmatch!"
"Let’s go, let’s go! To Arena 1! What are we waiting for?! This is the battle for the top! The number one rank versus the number two! Causing this big a scene on the very first day?! We absolutely cannot miss this!"
"Hurry, hurry! If we’re late, we won’t get a good spot! Let’s go see which of these two monsters is the bigger freak!"
"Are the betting odds open? I can feel my points practically waving at me!"
In an instant,
the entire Class A classroom erupted, like a pan of boiling oil hit with water.
Every student, regardless of what they were doing, was suddenly pumped full of adrenaline. They scrambled over each other to get out the door, all heading for a single destination—
Arena 1!
To watch the battle!
To miss a duel of this caliber, with such an insane wager—a clash of titans on the very first day of camp—would be a regret they’d carry for the rest of their lives!
...
「Training Camp」
「Office Conference Room」
The students had just been sorted into their classes.
One Class A, ten Class Bs, and twenty-two Class Cs.
The camp wouldn’t officially start until tomorrow.
The instructors for each class had only shown up to make an appearance, holding a brief meeting for introductions.
At this moment,
all the instructors were gathered in the spacious office, the atmosphere grim.
Head Instructor Zhao Jun stood at the front, his deep voice laying out the future training policy:
"...With the appearance of the Star Gates, Blue Star is undergoing an unprecedented era of change! Our training model must adapt! We can no longer afford to be as gentle as we were in the past!"
"Missions must be made more difficult and more dangerous! Rewards must be made more generous, with more points on the line!"
"Don’t be afraid to use up resources, and don’t be afraid of student sacrifice! You must all understand: the Level of the Star Gates will only get higher, and the time between each appearance of the Red Moon will only grow shorter!"
"The next five to ten years will be an incredibly cruel era of elimination! We have only one objective: to cultivate outstanding talent at any cost and in the shortest time possible..."
As his powerful words painted this grim future,
his deputy, Liu Haimo from the Provincial Education Bureau, who was looking down at his wrist-communicator, suddenly let out a chuckle, shattering the solemn atmosphere.
"Boss Zhao," Liu Haimo said as he looked up, a playful, amused smirk on his face. He gestured with his wrist. "It seems your worries about this batch of students being too soft were unfounded! Look, the points we just handed out are barely warm in their pockets, and someone’s already stirring up trouble!"
His words instantly drew the gazes of every instructor in the room.
"Li Hao has challenged Lin Yi. The wager is..." Liu Haimo paused for dramatic effect before revealing the stunning number. "One thousand points! He went all-in!"
"Whoa! Li Hao and Lin Yi? Those two little monsters from Class A? They’re already at each other’s throats on the first day? Can’t they hold back at all?" a burly, bearded instructor exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"A thousand points?! Those two kids are nuts! Do they have any idea how much good stuff a thousand points can get them? Or do they just not know how hard points are to earn?" another instructor, a woman, remarked with a click of her tongue.
"Heh, a newborn calf fears no tiger! Give it a couple of days. The one who loses is going to be kicking himself for this," an instructor beside her said, shaking his head with a laugh, his tone tinged with schadenfreude.
"Even though they’re only at the Second Grade Realm, their combat assessments both reached the early Third Grade! Two little monsters getting into a scrap, this is going to be a hell of a show!" another person added, eyes twinkling with anticipation.
Zhao Jun’s tense face showed no anger. Instead, a profound smile spread across his lips, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Good! Excellent! Troublemakers? I’m not afraid of troublemakers! What I’m afraid of is a generation that doesn’t dare to cause trouble, that doesn’t dare to show its fangs! Since they want a fight, let them have a damn good one!"
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
He snapped his head to the side, looking at a lean, powerful instructor.
"Li Zhang! The arenas are your domain! Get over there and supervise personally! Let them fight however they want, just make sure nobody dies on my watch! Other than that, the gloves are off!"
"Yes, Boss!" Instructor Li Zhang, who was in charge of arena duels and security, shot to his feet. A hint of excitement on his face, he strode purposefully out of the office.
He was looking forward to a duel between students of this caliber, too!
...
「Arena 1 Area」
The massive alloy arena, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, stood silently in the center of the training grounds.
At this moment,
below the arena, Lin Yi and Li Hao had already arrived.
They faced each other from several meters apart.
The air crackled with unspoken tension.
Lin Yi took the three sections of the Owl Dragon Spear from the bag on his back and quickly assembled them.
Li Hao, meanwhile, cradled a long saber in his arms.