Can You Keep Me Company?

Can You Keep Me Company?

The Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique were the foundation of the Evolution Camp's eighteen sets of elementary blade techniques.

The more solid the foundation, the faster one could comprehend elementary blade techniques, and the greater their power when executed.

"Moon Web really is something magical." Wang Ye browsed through all eighteen sets of elementary blade techniques on the Evolution Camp's Intranet.

All of them came from Moon Web—a place only Evolvers could connect to with their consciousness.

What interested him most were three blade arts: Supreme Quick Blade, Crimson Sun Blade Art, and Thunder Blast Blade Technique.

Aside from Crimson Sun Blade Art, which required the advanced Crimson Sun Evolution Method, the other two could be learned right away.

"I'll put them aside for now." Wang Ye rubbed his blurry eyes.

Unlike the basic Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique—

These were complete, systematic blade arts. Even getting started would require a great deal of time and effort.

The Blade Hall instructors also advised students to build a solid foundation first, then cultivate them after their consciousness could connect to Moon Web. That would yield twice the result with half the effort.

He closed his laptop.

Wang Ye flopped onto the bed and fell asleep instantly.

Three hours later.

"Ring, ring, ring!" His phone alarm went off.

Wang Ye got up from bed with his eyes shut, pinched himself hard, and instantly opened his eyes wide.

After splashing his face with cold water in the washroom, Wang Ye swiftly put on his Student Battle Suit and strapped on his scabbard.

Time to head into the wilderness!

He needed a large number of Potential Points now!

*

*

West Camp, wilderness.

Two girls in battle suits were searching for traces of Mutated Monsters.

Wilderness training was a mandatory assignment for every student, with a minimum Time Limit requirement each month.

When one's strength was insufficient, teaming up to reduce risks was a good option.

"Look, Xiao Yu, isn't that Wang Ye?" A short-haired girl pointed into the distance.

The girl called Xiao Yu wore her hair in a high ponytail. She was about 1.6 meters tall, light and graceful, with fair skin and youthful beauty. There was a rare maturity between her brows. Hearing this, she looked over and softly hummed in acknowledgment.

"So he's fine after all. He hasn't been attending class or replying to messages." Her best friend Huang Ju looked at Zhao Xiaoyu and said indignantly, "And you were so worried about him."

"Don't talk nonsense. We already broke up." Zhao Xiaoyu shook her head repeatedly.

"I told you to dump him ages ago." Huang Ju sneered. "Other than being handsome, he's useless. No house in the Base City, no money at home, and poor talent. He'll never become an Evolver in this lifetime. What future could you possibly have with him?"

"I know." Zhao Xiaoyu shifted her gaze away from Wang Ye.

A breakup should be dignified. Neither side should apologize. Memories of the original owner and Zhao Xiaoyu surfaced in Wang Ye's mind.

Thinking back carefully, there was only innocent young love, without any censored scenes.

A little disappointing.

Good thing they broke up!

Otherwise, he would have a real headache right now.

Everyone had their own ambitions. He fully understood and respected Zhao Xiaoyu's practical choice.

Being single was great. He could have countless female friends without worrying about being locked down.

As everyone knew, successful people's love lives were often far from smooth.

He sprinted forward.

With one prior experience, Wang Ye knew the way well.

For the first few kilometers outside camp, students were too densely packed, making it difficult to find Mutated Monsters.

Especially since there had been no Red Rain recently, the growth rate of Mutated Monsters could barely keep up with the students' sweep.

It was not until six kilometers out that Wang Ye found his first Mutated Monster.

His blade rose and fell with remarkable proficiency.

A monster half the height of a man, covered in red and green spots, collapsed into a pool of blood.

The proficient Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique allowed Wang Ye to easily unleash the power of the saber in his hand.

Unlike his first real wilderness battle, when he had clanged away like a blacksmith and relied entirely on brute force.

Mutated Beast killed.

Potential Points: 1→2.

Very good.

Wang Ye smiled.

This was the first time he had killed a Mutated Monster without suffering any injuries.

A good start.

Today's goal: earn 1 Potential Point without getting hurt!

*

*

15:00, West Camp Medical Room.

"Ah!"

"Easy, easy!"

Smack!

Shu Mengou, dressed in a white coat, slapped away the hand grabbing her arm and put away her wound-treatment tools. "Can't you stay still? Even Elite Class Students don't get injured as often as you do."

"If I didn't get hurt, wouldn't you never get to see me?" Wang Ye grimaced in pain.

There was no helping it if he wanted efficiency.

His luck had been bad today, so he could only take the risk of going deeper in.

Then he had been attacked from both front and back by two Mutated Monsters...

Fortunately, the injury was minor. With timely treatment, it was nothing serious.

Still, he had completed today's goal on his way back—

1 Potential Point.

With saber in hand, he headed straight for the Training Ground.

The dorm was too small to properly practice in. Only Evolvers could own private apartments in camp.

Students from ordinary classes, even Elite Class Students, had to come to the Training Ground to practice with weapons.

"Whoosh."

His Potential Points were cleared.

Holding his saber, Wang Ye entered the familiar Consciousness Space.

Images of himself painstakingly practicing the blade surfaced in his mind.

Night and day, scorching summers and freezing winters.

Constant acceleration, constant improvement, constant insight.

Suddenly, Wang Ye opened his eyes.

The saber in his hand naturally began to move. His actions were faster, his blade technique more precise, and every ounce of strength perfectly measured.

The saber moved like an extension of his arm as he executed the forms again and again.

Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique, proficient→mastery.

"So this is mastery-level blade technique." Wang Ye recalled how he had been injured that afternoon.

On one hand, he lacked experience. Previously, the only place where two people had ever surrounded him front and back was elsewhere. On the other, his blade technique had not been refined enough.

There was not that much time to think in battle.

Just like in an intense competition, you could not possibly think about how to execute the most standard movement.

You had to rely on muscle memory and subconscious control over the blade technique.

Next time, he would not get hurt again.

After practicing at the Training Ground for an hour, he had fully absorbed and adapted to the mastery-level Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique. His combat strength had improved considerably.

After wolfing down three big bowls of food at the cafeteria, Wang Ye declined the other students' invitation to game together.

Back in the dorm, he quickly washed up, video-called his family living in temporary housing in the Base City, then cultivated the Life Evolution Method, absorbing Cosmic Energy to strengthen himself.

His mastery-level Life Evolution Method and Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique were naturally no match for Elite Class Students, but they were already quite good in Class 23.

Besides, for Wang Ye, advancing from mastery to great accomplishment would not take long.

2 Potential Points would be enough.

He grinded the Life Evolution Method for thirty straight hours.

Then he caught his longest sleep in recent days—six hours.

Wang Ye headed into the wilderness at first light.

This time period was widely acknowledged as the best for hunting.

The dangers of the night had just passed, while competition from other students was lower.

"The weather forecast says there's a 50% chance of rain."

"Which basically means it won't rain."

The most terrifying thing in the wilderness was not the night, but Red Rain.

Part of the Red Rain came from Blood Sea Water and likewise contained an energy scientists called "Evolutionary Essence." However, because it had been diluted, the chance of mutation was relatively higher.

If humans were exposed to Red Rain for too long, or if the rainfall was too heavy and too much rainwater seeped through their skin, irreversible mutation could occur.

Of course, the greatest danger came from Mutated Monsters.

Once Red Rain fell, an astonishing number of Mutated Monsters would emerge in the wilderness, and the danger level would rise sharply!

Wang Ye actually hoped it would rain.

That way, he could earn Potential Points faster.

But things did not go as he wished.

The morning sky was cloudless, with no sign of rain at all.

However, because the weather forecast had scared off many students, the wilderness was several times emptier than usual.

Wang Ye's harvest was unexpectedly plentiful.

Before 11:00, he had already killed ten Mutated Monsters and accumulated 1 Potential Point.

By noon, his luck turned completely around. He killed three extremely weak Mutated Monsters in succession, successfully raising his Potential Points to 5.

"From what I can tell so far, every Mutated Monster gives 1 Potential Point, no matter how strong or weak it is." Wang Ye took out a bandage and wrapped his right hand and saber together again, then tore it tight with his teeth.

He was not injured.

After the Nine Forms of Elementary Blade Technique reached mastery level, his practical combat ability had improved greatly.

Moreover, after continuously fighting Mutated Monsters, he had gained more and more experience. He was completely different from those camp students who treated wilderness training as nothing more than a task to complete.

"Getting 2 Potential Points today shouldn't be a problem." Wang Ye was brimming with confidence.

Once he returned to the dorm, he could raise the Life Evolution Method to great accomplishment.

At that level, he would basically be guaranteed to raise his physical fitness score to the graduation standard within a month. It was also the minimum requirement for receiving an Evolutionary Serum injection—

60 points.

"Beep, beep."

Wang Ye, who had just killed a Mutated Monster, gave a soft sound of surprise.

Seeing faintly red droplets appear on his blade, he looked up just as a moist raindrop landed on his face.

It was no different from ordinary rainwater, but it seemed to contain some special energy.

Red Rain had begun.

Wang Ye took a protective raincoat made of special material from his battle suit pocket, put it on, and quickly returned to camp.

Hunting in the rain was extremely dangerous. There was no need for it.

"9 Potential Points." Wang Ye sprinted forward.

His eyes swept across the surroundings on his way back, hoping to come across a stray target.

The Red Rain gradually intensified, pouring down without end.

Mud splashed up from the ground onto his combat boots, tinged red. He did not know whether it was Red Rain or blood.

Suddenly, sounds of battle came from ahead.

Wang Ye looked over and saw the back of a student in a battle suit from afar.

But unlike him, that student was not wearing a protective raincoat.

Something was wrong.

Wang Ye had no interest in meddling and swiftly veered away at a run.

But as if hearing him, the student in the battle suit abruptly turned around. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in savagery, and he held a blood-dripping Long Sword.

Wang Ye's pupils instantly contracted!

In the ruins ahead lay the mangled corpse of a female student!

"He mutated!" The instant Wang Ye realized it, the sword-wielding student let out a roar and charged at him, blood-red eyes overflowing with killing intent.

Humans who mutated often lost their sanity, leaving behind only beastly instincts and a thirst for blood.

Fight? Run?

Wang Ye made his choice immediately.

At a time like this, whether fighting or fleeing, he had to be decisive.

Compared to relying on his legs and luck, he trusted the wilderness experience and combat skills he had honed over the past few days more.

He would seize his fate with his own hands!

Gripping his saber tightly, Wang Ye's adrenaline surged as he instantly entered a combat state.

Ha!

His opponent was clearly an expert swordsman. The moment he attacked, Wang Ye knew he would be difficult to deal with.

Wang Ye saw a long gash on the opponent's reddened right arm, the one gripping the sword. Red Rain had likely seeped into his bloodstream through the wound and triggered the mutation.

He stepped back, raised his saber with both hands to block, and the clang rang painfully against his eardrums.

Both of Wang Ye's hands went numb.

If he had not tied his hands to the saber with bandages, that strike would have surely knocked the weapon from his grip.

After mutating, humans often experienced an explosive increase in physical ability, becoming much like zombies.

But at the same time, they lost the intelligence humans relied on most.

Wang Ye blocked and retreated repeatedly, unwilling to face the mutated trainee head-on. Although he had gradually figured out the opponent's sword patterns, the man's astonishing physical abilities still made him wary.

He retreated once more, his back now against a wall that had long since been destroyed.

The mutated trainee's Long Sword came crashing down. This time, Wang Ye did not block with his saber, instead twisting aside to evade.

With a boom, the Long Sword smashed countless bricks apart, sending dust billowing everywhere. Not only was his vision obstructed, but the sword was also stuck in the wall.

Draw the saber!

Slash!

Wang Ye clenched his teeth and brought down a heavy blow on the mutated trainee's waist.

Blood sprayed amid the latter's enraged roar. He lost his balance, his blood-red eyes growing even more savage. Carried by momentum, he violently yanked the Long Sword from the wall and smashed it toward Wang Ye.

Wang Ye failed to avoid it completely, and his shoulder was grazed, but he could not afford to care about that now.

Life or death!

Wang Ye's saber flashed in a swift cut toward the back of the mutated trainee's knee, knocking him directly to the ground. With a roar, Wang Ye delivered the fatal blow.

"Sshk!" Wang Ye gripped the saber with both hands and viciously plunged it into the mutated trainee's heart, his entire body trembling until the man stopped moving.

"Pant... pant... pant..."

Gasping for breath, Wang Ye found that the battle had shaken him far more mentally than physically.

But he had no time to hesitate. Facing the ruined wilderness where Red Rain poured down, he let out a desperate shout with all his strength, then quickly bandaged his injured shoulder and returned to West Camp.

West Camp Medical Room.

Shu Mengou looked at Wang Ye, covered in blood, and did not know what to say.

With a soft sigh, she silently treated his wounds, disinfecting and bandaging them.

Her gaze drifted toward the handsome young man. Shu Mengou actually admired his persistence and courage. Those were essential qualities for becoming a powerful evolver.

But today, his expression was somewhat grave. From the moment he entered until now, he had not said a word.

He was not as glib as usual.

"Are you okay?" Shu Mengou asked softly.

Wang Ye looked at Shu Mengou, an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes. "Can you stay with me?"

"Ah?"

Student Dormitory.

"Why hasn't Wang Ye been coming to class lately?" Yu Haitao asked without even lifting his head as he sent messages on his phone.

"That brat goes out into the wilderness every day." Sun Yang sneered. "He's still dreaming about Evolution Fruit. As if he'd be that lucky. Then again, with his physical ability, he could never graduate without Evolution Fruit."

"The Second Comprehensive Assessment is at the end of the month."

Yu Haitao said, "My brother told me a few days ago that anyone whose Comprehensive Score is below 45 will be advised to withdraw from Evolution Camp."

"Should we make a move, Boss?" Sun Yang made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Get it done quickly, so it won't be troublesome once he returns to Base City." Yu Haitao snorted disdainfully. "Does he think he can stay alive just by cowering? How naive. Killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant!"

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(End of chapter)