"Chen Hao, what weapon do you use?" Director Liu asked. "A Blood Shadow Second-Generation Battle Sword, preferably one weighing over 150 kilograms."
"Bring over a Blood Shadow Second-Generation Battle Sword that weighs more than 150 kilograms, A3 Grade, along with an exam combat suit, Combat Boots, a communications watch, and a Hexagonal Shield." Director Liu relayed the request to someone on the other end, then smiled at Chen Hao. "Wait a moment. The equipment will be here soon."
"Thank you, Director Liu!" Chen Hao accepted his kindness without hesitation. The protective suit was one thing, but an A3 Grade battle sword could pierce the defenses of an H-class Beast Soldier, and even those of an F-class Advanced Beast Soldier.
Less than five minutes later, a military jeep raced over and stopped in front of them. A Second Lieutenant climbed out and saluted Director Liu. "Reporting in! The equipment has arrived. Please inspect it, sir!"
"At ease. Take the equipment out," Director Liu replied with a salute, then gestured toward it. "Chen Hao, see if it feels right to you."
Chen Hao didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped forward and picked up the Blood Shadow Second-Generation Battle Sword on top. It weighed about 150 kilograms. He gave it a casual swing, and it cut through the air with a whoosh. "Great! It feels just right."
He quickly put on the protective suit and Combat Boots, strapped on the communications watch, and picked up the Hexagonal Shield to test its weight. Then he went back to the others. "I'm ready. The equipment fits well. No problems!"
"Since that's settled, take him to the Practical Assessment grounds," Director Liu ordered the Second Lieutenant when Chen Hao had finished getting ready.
"Understood!" The Second Lieutenant saluted, then led Chen Hao to the jeep. The military vehicle sped off.
About ten minutes later, the jeep reached the outskirts of a small town. The entire town was surrounded by barbed wire, and large numbers of soldiers armed with guns patrolled the perimeter. The cries of various monsters could be heard from inside.
Watching the soldiers on patrol, Chen Hao nodded to himself. Compared with the security force of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the soldiers here had far more bloodlust about them. No wonder—they were elite troops who often fought monsters. Their presence alone was a cut above the Martial Hall's security guards.
"Hello, sir. There are about a hundred monsters in the assessment town right now, mainly Iron-Haired Wild Boars, Shadow Cats, and Fire Mastiffs, all H-class Beast Soldiers. Your assessment is to find them and kill as many as possible. You'll be notified on your communications watch once you've completed it. Good luck!" After the Second Lieutenant finished speaking, he drove away. Once the jeep was gone, the town's only gate slammed shut.
Chen Hao stared at the closed gate, took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his sword and shield, and strode toward the center of town.
As soon as he entered, a monster with bristles like sharp spikes, over a meter and a half tall and more than two meters long, slowly approached him. Its two tusks were half a meter long. In the morning sunlight, they gleamed with a chilling light.
"Iron-Haired Wild Boar! Looks like this is my first prey."
The Iron-Haired Wild Boar spotted the human ahead of it and let out a strange roar. It charged at Chen Hao on its thick legs, kicking up a gust of wind.
Chen Hao watched the boar charge at him like a speeding car. His eyes narrowed, and his pupils contracted.
The monster moved as fast as a car traveling at over a hundred kilometers per hour. It covered the distance of more than a hundred meters in just two or three breaths. Its two long, sharp tusks thrust toward him like a pair of daggers.
Chen Hao's heart pounded, and adrenaline flooded his system, filling him with excitement. Yet his mind remained unusually calm.
As the Iron-Haired Wild Boar charged, he stepped to the left of its right foreleg. He switched the positions of his sword and shield, pivoted around his left foot, and slammed the shield in his right hand into the boar's flank.
Bang! The nearly one-ton boar was knocked more than ten meters through the air. It hit the ground with a thump and rolled several times.
The Iron-Haired Wild Boar had strong defenses. It grunted a few times, then abruptly got back to its feet. Still, it was clear that the blow had caused some internal injuries.
Blood seeped from its mouth and nostrils, making it look pitiful. But true to its wild boar nature, it charged at Chen Hao again, eyes bloodshot.
Its speed had dropped considerably. Chen Hao gripped his battle sword and charged toward it, too. At the last moment, he twisted aside and brushed past the boar.
His sword swept upward from below, slicing across its neck. Splurt! The boar's head flew off and fell to the ground. Its body lurched forward a few steps, then toppled over and twitched on the ground.
Gouts of blood spurted from its neck, filling the air with a foul, fishy stench. Chen Hao forced himself to endure the discomfort and approached the corpse, which had stopped twitching.
He made himself get used to the smell. Fortunately, his excellent bodily control and mental strength kept him from throwing up on the spot.
It took him a while to adjust. A breeze rose, dispersing the stench of blood.
Chen Hao understood that from this moment on, he was no longer the harmless young man he had once been. He had embarked on a path in this world where danger and slaughter would follow him at every turn.
Not far from the assessment town, in a large building, Zhuge Tao and the others sat together, chatting as they watched a large screen on the wall. It showed Chen Hao's fight with the Iron-Haired Wild Boar.
When Chen Hao knocked the boar flying, nobody thought much of it. But when he brushed past it and killed it with a single stroke, Wang Heng and Director Liu's eyes widened.
"That kid's reached the Microcosmic level with his Basic Movement Technique!" Wang Heng said, sounding a little envious. "He's not only a Spiritual Thought Master; I didn't expect him to have such talent as a Martial Artist, too. Why didn't he come test at our Martial Hall?"
"Not bad, right?" Zhuge Tao was pleased, though he didn't let it show. "But I think his temperament is even more remarkable. He forced himself to get used to the bloody reality of killing. He has the makings of a true combat Martial Artist."
Wang Heng and Director Liu rolled their eyes at his words, cursing inwardly: That old fox—he's gotten the better of us and still acts like he hasn't.
The scene shifted back to the town. Chen Hao walked along the road, his bloodied battle sword in hand, warily scanning his surroundings.
His mental strength was exceptionally sensitive. He could clearly sense the monsters lying in wait inside the nearby buildings, their eyes fixed on him with greedy, icy intent.
Although it was daytime, visibility was still poor compared with nighttime, making it easy to be ambushed. But even during the day, these monsters stayed inside the buildings rather than coming out.
If he wanted to complete the task, he would have to search the buildings. That meant he would need to be ready for a monster to attack him at any moment, making the task of killing them that much harder.
The name has been changed. Thanks to Master Wuqing for the suggestion.
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