Within Yan Mountain

"Again!"

Gu Yan, wielding a wooden sword, faced off against nine Ability Users.

"Be careful, don't go head-to-head with him," one of the men told his teammates as they prepared to surround Gu Yan.

But Gu Yan simply bent his body slightly, pressing his sword down. The wooden blade actually made the opponent feel threatened.

Keep in mind, even handgun bullets had trouble harming them.

At this moment, Gu Yan moved. His calves suddenly exerted force, and without relying on any other abilities, he broke the sound barrier in an instant purely through physical prowess, charging at the opponents with his sword.

"Scatter!"

But it was too late. The hilt heavily struck one of them, sending him flying. The wooden sword spun nimbly in his hand, and with a side-chop from the back of the blade, he hit the side of another person's neck. The immense force cut off blood flow, knocking the person out instantly.

Two were taken down in a single exchange.

The Ability Users' attacks arrived then. Gu Yan planted his sword on the ground and rolled, dodging Ice Cones aimed at his lower body and a heavy punch heading for his chest.

"Fall back quickly!"

Unfortunately, Gu Yan was far too fast. Using his momentum, he spun his body, his right leg sweeping out and hooking the leg of the person who threw the punch, which they couldn't retract in time. He yanked hard.

Thump!

Taking advantage of the opponent's fall, Gu Yan kicked him out of the arena. The entire sequence was executed with fluid grace and an unhurried demeanor.

He held the wooden sword level in front of him, slowly advancing on the remaining few.

The next moment, screams echoed through the training ground.

"I quit, I quit!"

Only then did Gu Yan stop, slumping onto the ground.

"Brother Gu, you're too brutal!" Zhao Qi clutched his stomach, speaking weakly.

"You attacked my lower body with Ice Cones, and you aimed right there. I was already being merciful," Gu Yan retorted with a huff.

"Besides, you guys haven't been able to touch me after so many tries. It's about time you got some proper training."

A month had passed since he met Morr. During this time, Gu Yan had been diligently practicing his swordsmanship, sparring with Ability Users from Haishi using only his blade techniques.

He didn't think it was useless. On the contrary, when fighting Honkai beasts and Herrschers, attaching Honkai Energy to his weapons dealt considerable damage.

It was worth mentioning that after the First Herrscher's death, the Honkai worldwide had significantly weakened, and no large-scale disasters had occurred.

"Don't just laze around eating and drinking on your days off!" Gu Yan unscrewed a bottle of water, still lecturing.

"Brother Gu, will we get holidays for the New Year?" Zhao Qi's spirits lifted at the mention of holidays. He ran over with a grin, and the others who were still groaning quieted down, ears perked.

"How would I know? Probably not." After all, they didn't even get a break for New Year's Day ten days ago.

"Huh? No way!"

The screams in the training ground intensified slightly.

Zhao Qi's mood plummeted. Gu Yan patted his shoulder, "I'm not sure, just guessing. What's up, do you have plans?"

"Yeah, my goddess is coming to Haishi after the New Year. Of course, I have to go keep her company!"

"You can request leave."

"What if it's not approved?" Zhao Qi clapped his hands together. "Right, your sister is A-Class. If you ask her for help, it should be no problem!"

"No need. I'll break your legs, and then I'll fix them for you after your leave is approved." Gu Yan looked at Zhao Qi with a smile, his expression rather sinister.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt." After all, he could alter perceptions.

"Uh... maybe not!" Zhao Qi silently took two steps back, then gestured for Gu Yan to turn around after noticing something.

"Brother Gu, your sister is waiting for you!"

Gu Yan's eyebrows rose. He turned and walked over.

"You seem to be in a good mood today?" His sister handed him his windbreaker. One could wear very light clothing while training, but the temperature outside was low.

"I'm alright," Gu Yan replied with a slight smile.

"That's good." Glancing at her watch, Gu Li and Gu Yan left the training ground.

Over the past month, Gu Yan hadn't been in the best state. As his sister and colleague, she had naturally noticed.

But she wouldn't pry. After all, they were family and should respect each other's privacy. If Gu Yan wanted to talk, he would.

"You really aren't planning to team up with anyone? With your standing, the director would have to accommodate you."

"Not teaming up. I can't carry them." Gu Yan knew she was referring to forming a team and taking responsibility for an area.

During this period, Gu Li and the management of the Ability Department had learned of Gu Yan's S-Class status, but most others were still unaware.

"Alright. If it gets too tiring to work alone, come join my team."

"Huh? What's tiring? I'm not even teaming up, and I still have to work?" I'm just a support unit!

"..." Gu Li remained silent and simply quickened her pace.

"If you don't say anything, it means you don't need it," Gu Yan scratched his head and pulled out his phone, tapping away.

"You're so slow, hurry up and go eat lunch!" Gu Li sighed helplessly when she saw he wasn't following.

"You go ahead, I need to go out for a bit."

At Gu Yan's speed, it only took about ten minutes to get from Haishi to Kyoto.

After confirming the coordinates were correct and he was nearby, he landed. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, several guns were pointed at his head.

"Don't move!"

Gu Yan held out his hands, signaling he meant no harm, and took out his Ability User ID from his Mustard Seed Space.

The ID still showed B-A Class. He wondered if it would be useful. If not, he'd have to trouble the higher-ups to get him out.

They wouldn't attack their own people, right!

A soldier holding a rifle approached. After checking the Ability User ID, he waved his hand, and the guns were lowered.

"This is a no-fly zone, be careful next time!"

If they hadn't known he was an Ability User from their country, they probably would have shot him down with anti-aircraft weapons. Of course, they wouldn't have been able to intercept Gu Yan.

With a sheepish smile, Gu Yan continued towards his destination.

"This must be the Ability Department headquarters." The Ability Department occupied an area about the size of an airport. Its location was quite hidden, deep within Yan Mountain, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach. It was surrounded by mountains, and the scenery was quite nice.

Upon entering, Gu Yan realized there were quite a few people inside, even a bit crowded. It was like...

It was like the start of a school term!

"Ability Users below B-Class, please proceed to areas 1-3. B-Class, please go to areas 4 and 5. A-Class and above, please head to the command building." Several staff members were guiding people. Gu Yan, with his excellent hearing, overheard this.

It seemed today was the internationally scheduled Ability User promotion assessment? Gu Yan mused, he hadn't noticed.

But he wasn't here for an assessment. As the first Support Ability User to be directly promoted to S-Class, he didn't need to.

He was here for two reasons. The first was to receive his S-Class ID. It was a symbol of status and represented honor. Although Gu Yan didn't care much for these things, he respected the honor.

Moreover, being the first S-Class Support was incredibly significant for him and the world, with immense implications.

The second reason was to spar with Xu Muchi, but without using special abilities – a pure contest of swordsmanship.

While it wasn't a particularly important matter, the round trip would only take about half an hour, so Gu Yan didn't mind making the trip.

It definitely wasn't to take an afternoon off!