Ning Ze

Night gradually came to an end amid the mournful roars of beasts.

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight pierced through a clean circular spot on a dust-covered window, forming a beam that fell across a somewhat somber face.

He was a young man of around twenty, sitting bare-chested in a corner. His features were refined, his face sharply carved, and he was quite handsome.

However, a little dust clung to his fluffy black hair, making him look somewhat bedraggled.

The trace of dark red blood at the corner of his mouth and the oval purple bruise on his chest made him appear even more miserable.

Facing the light, his obsidian-like eyes gleamed with a peculiar radiance. They were eyes full of hope; his state of mind was nowhere near as battered as his appearance suggested.

His name was Ning Ze.

He had once been an outstanding student at Jiangnan University and was now in the second semester of his freshman year.

Except he had already dropped out, and he would never return to school.

Because he had become a Warrior!

A Warrior who wielded terrifying strength far beyond that of ordinary people!

The Great Cataclysm had begun an era of evolution for every race on Earth. Civilization as it had once existed was destroyed, and all living things returned to the same starting line—snakes, insects, rats, ants, cats, dogs, fish, birds...

Born with wild natures and filled with brutality, once they gained strength, they were no longer pets. Every one of them became a terrifying monster.

They occupied the cities where humans had once lived, driving people out, slaughtering them... Humanity could only flee.

The arduous struggle in which countless forebears shed blood and gave their lives was the defining theme of the Great Nirvana era.

With no other choice, humanity could only build Base Cities to protect ordinary civilians.

Now, ordinary humans could only cower within the Base Cities...

Only Warriors could leave the Base Cities, venture into the Wilderness Area, and wage war against countless monsters.

Human history had never lacked struggle. From the first spark of civilization, humanity had eventually become Earth's dominant race. Now, they would never be eliminated in this contest for survival.

Compared to joining a warrior squad and hunting monsters in the Wilderness Area, school was like an ivory tower, where students could only train and fight in a safe environment.

That was not what Ning Ze wanted.

Warriors should press forward through the current, treat life and death lightly, and unlock the potential of life amid mortal danger. Only then could they rapidly increase their strength and not waste their youth.

Therefore, after Ning Ze's physical fitness reached the Quasi-Warrior level, he directly took the Quasi-Warrior Assessment. After later passing the Warrior Practical Combat Assessment, he followed the warrior squad his father had once belonged to into the Wilderness Area.

The Wilderness Area was dangerous, and he had even been injured because of it, but he had never regretted his choice.

His talent was not particularly good.

Reaching 900 kilograms of strength was the passing line for a Quasi-Warrior. Once one cultivated to that level, they could take the Quasi-Warrior Assessment.

After that, one needed to absorb Cosmic Energy. Before becoming a Quasi-Warrior, living beings absorbed Cosmic Energy passively. But after becoming a Quasi-Warrior, their genes were sufficiently perfected, allowing them to actively absorb Cosmic Energy.

The first absorption of Cosmic Energy was the most important. The time needed to sense Cosmic Energy and the amount of strength gained could both reveal a person's talent.

When Ning Ze first absorbed Cosmic Energy, he sensed it the next morning and finished cultivating at noon. His strength had increased by 1,218 kilograms.

At that level, he could only be considered elite, not truly gifted.

Of course, talent had to be measured against others. As the child of a Warlord, Ning Ze knew that his own talent could only be considered average. Being able to become a Warrior at nineteen was already the result of being very, very, very hardworking.

How could he not continue working hard under such circumstances?

A brush with death was the best teacher. Unlocking the potential of life was the best cultivation method. Entering the Wilderness Area was the best choice.

So he came.

But the process had not gone smoothly.

The warrior squad his father had once belonged to was a Warlord squad.

As the name implied, only a squad with Warlord-level experts could be called a Warlord squad.

Their squad had two Warlords!

Their strength was unquestionably formidable, but for a newcomer, following such a warrior squad to hunt monsters was also more dangerous.

Quasi-Warrior: 900 kg.

Primary Warrior: 1,000–2,000 kg.

Intermediate Warrior: 4,000–8,000 kg.

Advanced Warrior: 4,000–8,000 kg.

Warlord: above 8,000 kg. 10,000 kg was considered the standard for a Warlord.

War God...

Beyond War God...

The two Warlords in their squad both possessed more than 10,000 kilograms of strength! The other three Advanced Warriors were also around 7,500 kilograms.

Ning Ze had only just become a Warrior. His strength was only a little over 2,100 kilograms, barely reaching the threshold of an Intermediate Warrior.

Everyone else in such a squad was more than three times stronger than him, and the monsters they faced were of the same level.

Thus, although these uncles were his father's friends, their demands of Ning Ze were even harsher.

From the very beginning, they had him kill monsters stronger than himself. Only then would he not be a burden.

The results of that tempering were mixed.

On the good side, after more than a dozen life-or-death battles, Ning Ze had turned his father's earnest teachings into his own strength. When fighting monsters, he could integrate the knowledge he had learned before.

On the bad side, he had been injured.

Last night.

While fighting a G-rank monster, a Crimson Horned Horse, his chest had been struck heavily by its hoof.

Monsters were divided into Beast Soldiers, Beast Warlords, and Lords, corresponding to human Warriors, Warlords, and War Gods!

Beast Soldier-class monsters were divided into H, G, and F ranks, corresponding respectively to Primary Beast Soldiers, Intermediate Beast Soldiers, and Advanced Beast Soldiers.

That Crimson Horned Horse possessed more than 3,000 kilograms of strength. In terms of raw power alone, it was much stronger than him.

But humanity's greatest strength was not the body, but learning and creation. They created defensive equipment stronger than monsters, weapons for attack, and learned Movement Techniques for evasion and Secret Manuals for offense.

Without his Combat Suit, that kick from the Crimson Horned Horse would have severely injured him, broken his bones, and rendered him unable to fight. Now, however, it was only a minor injury.

Overall, he was a little stronger than that monster. Killing it should not have been difficult.

The accident had not happened because his mental fortitude was lacking.

He had a 'kindly' old father at home who was a lame Beginner Warlord. Since childhood, he had experienced quite a few battles and visited military districts many times to witness bloody scenes. He would not become timid or unable to adapt merely because it was his first real battle.

The reason he had suffered that attack was because he had been distracted.

Surrounded by the warrior squad and knowing there was no hope of survival, the Crimson Horned Horse had launched a desperate counterattack.

That hoof had been aimed at his head. If not for his strong mental fortitude, which allowed him to snap out of it after only an instant and evade the fatal blow in time, the warrior squad could be heading back already.

After all, those uncles had come to City No. 096, where monsters were generally weaker, specifically to train him.

"Is this a system?"

"Or some kind of panel?"

Ning Ze muttered inwardly, his obsidian-like eyes studying the space before him with deep thought.

Host: Ning Ze

Realm: Intermediate Warrior, 2246 kg

Cultivation Skills: Gene Energy Cultivation Method "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style"; Guidance Technique "Ethereal Spirit Wind"

Combat Skills: "Spirit Rhino Hundred Steps" Basic 993/1000; "Gale Sword Art" Basic 981/1000

It was because this thing had suddenly appeared during battle and blocked his vision that he had lost focus for an instant without being prepared.

Fortunately, it was merely a transparent rectangular panel that did not obstruct his sight. He could choose not to look at it, allowing him to narrowly evade the attack.

"This thing... resembles something from the stories Father told me. It was a fantasy creation from their era..."

"It seems that anyone with something like this embarks on an invincible path! Wealth can work miracles! Wives and concubines in droves!..."

Ning Ze's mouth twitched, and he felt utterly speechless.

He hurriedly threw that thought out of his mind. The pain in his chest reminded him that any monster that happened to leap out in the Wilderness Area could be no weaker than him. If he had not come out with Uncle Zuo and the others, he would have died before getting this far.

It definitely was not because his mother at home was too fierce. How could he possibly betray his girlfriend? It would not be good to get beaten every day like his father, either.

Pulling his increasingly wild thoughts back under control.

Ning Ze pondered inwardly, analyzing the meaning of the data on the panel.

"The Gene Energy Cultivation Method, the 'Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style,' can absorb Cosmic Energy and convert it into my own Gene Energy. The Guidance Technique is the 'Ethereal Spirit Wind' paired with Sword Art, and it can increase the upper limit of Cosmic Energy my cells absorb each day."

"Because I mastered Basic Sword Art and Basic Movement Technique, 'Spirit Rhino Hundred Steps' and 'Gale Sword Art' became proficient quickly, allowing me to use them freely in battle."

"It seems..."

"The panel's values changed?"

Ning Ze's brows drew together slightly. He had only caught a fleeting glimpse back then, but he remembered that "Spirit Rhino Hundred Steps" should have been Basic 988/1000. Now it had become 993/1000, an increase of five points.

Ning Ze recalled the battle. After he was hit, his uncles had wanted to rescue him, but he had relied on his Movement Technique to evade several attacks. The battle gradually stabilized, and he eventually killed the Crimson Horned Horse.

"So, my Movement Technique improved during battle. Is the trigger condition battle itself, or using the Movement Technique?"

The conditions were different. If it was battle, then he needed an opponent. Perhaps it even required a burst of inspiration amid a life-or-death crisis, desperately wanting to evade, for his Movement Technique to improve.

"If it is simply using it..."

Ning Ze narrowed his eyes, and with a glance, he took in every detail of the room.

A burly man lay spread-eagled on the dust-covered floor. Beside him was a crimson-gold broadsword! He was the captain of Warfire Squad, Zuo Xingyuan, whose strength had just entered the Intermediate Warlord level.

A thin middle-aged man squatted in a corner, his right hand gripping the long dagger at his waist. He could burst into action swiftly from that position. He was vice-captain Ma Yu, a Beginner Warlord.

Two sturdy men leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder, legs pressed together, heads touching. Two alloy shields stood before them, with a wall behind their backs. They were Xu Liang and Zhang Chen, both Advanced Warriors.

The remaining thin middle-aged man seemed to be meditating. He held a firearm resembling both a sniper rifle and a machine gun. His name was Yang Chao, the artilleryman of the warrior squad, and he had a special way of resting to recover his mental energy.

Everyone had traveled through the night to reach the outskirts of this abandoned county town. They would hunt during the day, so they were all quietly resting.

"Now is not a good time to experiment. Otherwise, I could try cultivating..."

Ning Ze's heart burned with excitement, and the light in his obsidian-like eyes grew even brighter.

"If cultivating can increase it, then the next level of Movement Technique is Micro-level!"

"That is Micro-level!"

"Even among the two uncles with Warlord-level strength, only Uncle Ma's Movement Technique has entered the Micro-level. After more than ten years of fighting and countless trials between life and death, his Movement Technique only reached that realm!"

"If I can rise to Micro-level just after becoming a Warrior, then..."

"Looks like you rested well."

The voice was somewhat stiff, each word spoken one at a time.

Ning Ze came back to his senses and met the gaze of the lean middle-aged man holding the gun.

He smiled slightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yang. My injuries were not serious to begin with."

Yang Chao did not say anything else. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and said softly, "It seems last night's incident did not affect you. Very good. Rest a little longer. Perform well today."

Ning Ze nodded. Seeing that the other man had no intention of continuing the conversation, he also closed his eyes and began to rest.

He praised inwardly, As expected of an artilleryman. Uncle Yang's senses are truly sharp. I only looked at him once.

As the last member of Warfire Squad closed his eyes, the room became even quieter.

Warriors in cities within the Wilderness Area generally fought during the day because human senses were fairly balanced, and combat relied heavily on vision most of the time.

Monsters were different. Snake-like monsters were adept at sensing through smell, feline monsters had powerful night vision, and bat-like monsters relied on sound waves.

Humans would be at a great disadvantage if they fought these monsters at night.

Even when resting, they had to activate a Wilderness Concealment Device to weaken sounds and scents within a small area. Otherwise, evolved monsters could sense them from dozens of miles away.

Time quietly passed. The sun climbed ever higher, and the room became brightly lit.

"Ah~"

A comfortable groan sounded.

After waking up, Zuo Xingyuan casually grabbed the Alloy Broadsword at his side, raised his arms, and began stretching. The blade happened to point toward Ma Yu, who was squatting by the wall.

"The concealment device has a limit on the sound it can suppress. If you attract monsters here, today's plans will be disrupted."

Ma Yu's eyes remained closed as his mouth opened and shut, his voice sounding somewhat sinister.

"It is fine, no problem. I know this Shielding Device like the back of my hand!"

Zuo Xingyuan waved carelessly, then turned to look at Ning Ze on the other side.

He grinned. "Kid, you are still pretty alert. How was your rest?"

Ning Ze answered honestly, "I'm in great condition."

Ma Yu said expressionlessly, "If your performance today does not satisfy us, I will take you back. You can rejoin the squad only after your strength reaches the Advanced Warrior level."

Ning Ze gritted his teeth and said firmly, "Uncle Ma, don't worry. I definitely will not make another mistake today."

Zuo Xingyuan tried to smooth things over and encouraged him. "Old Ma, don't be so harsh. This is Little Ze's first time facing Wilderness Area monsters, and they are even stronger than him. Being a little nervous is perfectly normal."

"He did all right yesterday too. Didn't he successfully kill that monster in the end? This kid has a very solid foundation. Boss Ning taught him well. Once he adapts, he will definitely be a capable hand."

Ma Yu frowned slightly. It was not that he disliked Ning Ze for holding them back. Since they had chosen City No. 096 for this trial, they had kept the danger within a certain range.

Although the monsters here were weaker and not worth much, so they earned less money, the younger generation would always replace the older generation. They were willing to serve as guides.

But the Wilderness Area was no joke. Even with them present, they could not protect him at every moment. If Ning Ze himself was not strong enough, there would only be one result: death!

"Speaking of which... Little Ze is quite the little genius. He became a Warrior at nineteen, and his strength increased by 1,200 kilograms during his first absorption. His talent is much better than Little Liang's. You should have a little more confidence in him."

A voice came from the side.

When Ma Yu heard it, his pupils contracted, and he shot a cold look in that direction.

Little Liang, full name Ma Liang, was his son!

In the direction of his gaze, Xu Liang wore a simple, honest smile on his broad square face, his thick fingers still scratching his scalp.

Hearing this, Ning Ze immediately looked at his nose, his nose at his mouth, and his mouth at his heart, pretending he had heard nothing.

Yang Chao still held his gun with his eyes closed, but the curve of his lips revealed that he was merely stifling laughter.

Zuo Xingyuan grinned broadly. "Little Ze's talent is indeed good. What happened yesterday is behind us. Work hard today."

"First, put on your clothes. There are no girls here to stare at your eight-pack."

"If you ask me, you are still too skinny. You do not look very strong. I really do not know what Boss Ning was thinking, making you practice Sword Art instead of the blade."

"A real man should be like me!" Zuo Xingyuan flexed his exaggerated biceps. "Boss Ning was strong enough to be captain, and now I am captain too!"

Ning Ze smiled awkwardly and offered an explanation.

"Maybe I take after my mother more."

After saying that, he put on his Inner Armor and picked up the Combat Suit beside him. It was a piece of yellowish-brown hardened leather armor. On its chest was a dark red circular emblem, the symbol of their Warfire Squad.

The emblem looked somewhat abstract and hollow. Strands of dark red shadow resembled flames, while at its center was a portrait of a tough man with a buzz cut. Its style gave off an impression of iron-blooded bleakness.

The moment Ning Ze saw the team emblem, his expression turned extremely strange. Embarrassment welled up inside him, but he forced himself to put on the Combat Suit, sling on his backpack, and pick up the longsword in his hand.

"Captain, I'm ready!"

Zuo Xingyuan patted him on the shoulder and said encouragingly, "Today, we'll start by having you hunt two monsters to get used to it."

"After that, we'll find a couple of big ones and take them on!"

Ning Ze nodded heavily. "I won't let everyone down."