Special Warfare Camp

"Higher-level, more complex Combat Skills aren't as easy to learn as low-level ones. Either they haven't mastered them, or they aren't proficient enough with them, and they consume far more energy!"

"So when facing enemies, most still rely on low-level Combat Skills like Phantom Slash. That's what gave you the illusion that you're especially talented in Combat Skills."

"Still, the fact that you mastered Phantom Slash so proficiently in such a short time does surprise me."

"But don't waste too much time on this. Practicing higher-level and more complex Combat Skills is where talent is truly tested."

"Besides, you're destined to follow the path of magic and become a mage. Rather than spending your time on this, you'd be better off studying Light Shadow Slash."

"Light Shadow Slash is, after all, a light-element Combat Skill. It may even be of some help when you practice light magic in the future."

Fengyun nodded noncommittally and seemed to resign himself to continuing his hunt for monsters.

But Black Mountain did not see the determination and faint excitement in Fengyun's eyes after he turned away!

One year later

A new group of reserve trainees arrived at this trial ground. Among them were newcomers taking part in the Monster Trial for the first time, as well as veterans who had gone through several Monster Trials. Under the guidance of the accompanying instructors, they were divided into teams according to their strength and age.

Just then, a rather bedraggled figure emerged from the trial area.

His clothes were badly tattered, covered in stains of dirt that had been ground in for so long that they could not be washed out no matter how hard they were scrubbed. Yet he carried no unpleasant odor, and he cheerfully greeted the instructors who had arrived.

That person was none other than Fengyun. After taking part in the Monster Trial a year ago, he had followed the organization's arrangements and paid for an Elemental Affinity Test himself.

However, he had failed to become a mage under the organization's arrangements, because another accident had struck.

When Terun, one of the training camp's higher-ups, learned that this little fellow who had voluntarily applied for the Monster Trial had not only survived but had also broken through to become a Level 2 Warrior in battle and learned Phantom Slash, he directly arranged for him to enter the Special Warfare Camp!

Unlike the Elite Warrior Preparatory Training Camp, where trainees only needed to reach Level 3 to qualify for graduation, the Special Warfare Camp required trainees to reach Level 5. It was a preparatory camp for the Light Church's ace knight orders. Upon qualifying and graduating, they could directly join one of the Light Church's Eight Ace Knight Orders!

Although this did not fit the organization's expectations and plans for Fengyun to follow the Light Church Priest path, considering Fengyun's average Elemental Talent and poor Spiritual Power talent, joining an ace knight order might offer him a better future than becoming a Priest.

And most importantly, the organization had not interfered with Fengyun's development so far, leaving his background exceptionally clean!

If they forcibly intervened and arranged for Fengyun to become a Light Church Priest, it might instead prove counterproductive. Thus, Fengyun's admission into the Special Warfare Camp was settled just like that!

Upon learning the outcome, Fengyun could only sigh at fate's unpredictability, then calmly embarked on his path as a warrior. He himself became a regular in the Monster Forest!

Compared with the Elite Warrior Preparatory Training Camp, Special Warfare Camp trainees faced no time restrictions when applying for Monster Trials. The Special Warfare Camp even encouraged trainees to participate voluntarily.

As long as trainees could endure it physically and mentally, they could stay in the Monster Mountain Range for as long as they wished. They could even treat the Monster Mountain Range as their home!

And Fengyun stayed there for an entire year. He became so familiar with the instructors responsible for escorting trainees there for trials that even most veteran trainees knew him.

Although some new trainees did not know Fengyun, they looked at him with an added measure of admiration, because most of them had heard the legend of Fengyun spending an entire year in the Monster Mountain Range trial grounds.

One year was not merely a test of strength. It was a comprehensive test of every aspect of a person.

Over that year, eight-and-a-half-year-old Fengyun had shot up to one meter forty under the stimulation of battle aura and the natural growth of his body. His strength had also broken through to Level 3 some time ago!

If he were still a trainee of the Elite Warrior Preparatory Training Camp, he could have formally entered the Guard Legion by now and started out directly as a squad captain.

Walking up to Black Mountain, Fengyun took a supply package from him with a grin and said, "Instructor, after this trial, I plan to end my trials and return with the main group."

Before Black Mountain could answer, Koler smiled from the side. "So you've finally reached your limit, kid? Good timing, because even if you didn't want to go back, you wouldn't have a choice."

"Special Warfare Camp trainees aren't judged solely by strength. Otherwise, the knight orders could just recruit Level 5 warriors straight from the military as soldiers. Why would they need to specially train reserves?"

"But you, kid—you joined the Special Warfare Camp and immediately treated the Monster Mountain Range as home, staying here for a whole year!"

Fengyun smiled slightly. There were two reasons he enjoyed training in the Monster Mountain Range so much. First, he wanted to become a Saint Warrior, and that was simply impossible without arduous cultivation and tempering.

And when it came to tempering oneself, where could be more suitable than the Monster Mountain Range?

As trial grounds for trainees under the Light Church, the monsters in these trial areas had all been filtered and selected. There were no particularly dangerous or troublesome monsters, and their levels generally matched those of the trainees who entered!

Most importantly, there were experts assigned by the Light Church to guard the surrounding area, providing ample security!

Although the area was divided according to monster levels into only a Level 4 zone, a Level 3 zone, and a Level 1 and 2 zone, making it unsuitable for trainees above Level 5 to train here,

before reaching Level 5, this was the best place for arduous cultivation and tempering!

The second reason was that he was avoiding the organization. Two consecutive accidents had already made him label the organization's people as unreliable.

Though the outcomes of both accidents had suited him quite well, what if the organization made further plans and caused an accident that did not suit his wishes?

What would he do then?

His parents were still living in the Dark Alliance!

As an undercover agent, although he had yet to meet his direct superior, he inexplicably felt that the path awaiting him in the future would likely be filled with twists and turns.

That was why he had continued undergoing Monster Trials in the Monster Mountain Range. If he had not been about to turn eight and a half, he would have planned to stay here until he broke through to Level 5 before leaving!

One month later, in Room 8 of Fantasy Paradise in Finley City, Fengyun had come out to have fun with several classmates from the Special Warfare Camp.

Although their age prevented them from doing certain things for which they did not meet the requirements, Fantasy Paradise had plenty of other entertainment.

They could come here for a meal and a chat whenever they had nothing to do. Perhaps they might even meet some peers of higher status.

Then, once everyone had a great time, got excited, and formed connections, that would become a path toward advancement in the future.

(/ω＼) o(╥﹏╥)o, only today did I learn of a major bug on the Qidian Writing Platform: it only keeps the five most recent history records, and they are all saved automatically.

By the time I realized there was a problem, the records I needed for the revised and polished chapters had already been overwritten.