Qi Lao San was a master at getting people curious. Once he'd successfully piqued everyone's interest, he immediately changed the subject with a grin, refusing to say another word about the Magic Tool.
The students could only curse him silently for being such a piece of work.
The carriage rocked gently, and before long, everyone—already short on sleep—drifted off without realizing it.
As temporary squad leader, Xu Fang shamelessly abused his authority and claimed the biggest spot. He used his backpack as a pillow and closed his eyes in comfort.
He focused his mind and entered his Spiritual World.
A month had passed, and his Star Dust had changed dramatically. It had visibly doubled in size and shone brilliantly.
Magic energy surged through the Star Dust like waves. Seven Golden Star Seeds rode the swells, charging wildly around inside.
Whenever the Star Seeds were about to break free of the Star Dust, a transparent veil stopped them. That was the bottleneck of the Primary Level. Break through it, and the Star Dust would become a Star Cloud, advancing him to Intermediate Mage.
Bzzzz!
[Star Seed] has sent you a complaint and tossed you a large clump of magic energy.
"All right, all right. Stop pestering your dad. I'll make sure you're all fed in a minute," Xu Fang soothed them.
For the past month, he hadn't gone to the city wall to kill undead. Instead, he'd been learning how to make Magic Tools at the Magic Association.
Chief Judge Shi Zheng had personally approved it. As he'd put it, inspiration was important, but a solid foundation was essential too.
What if Xu Fang came up with a divine weapon capable of blowing a Monarch to pieces one day, but couldn't make it himself? Trying to explain it to someone else would be like pouring dumplings out of a teapot. Wouldn't that be a huge loss?
Xu Fang had happily gone along, but the Star Seeds had kicked up a fuss.
They used to eat Remnant Souls as their daily bread, and every few days they'd even get a Servant-level Spirit Essence to spice things up.
But now? They weren't getting a thing!
Dad, we're hungry! Dad, we're starving!
We need food! We need to live! We've had enough of this monk's life, with not a scrap of meat in sight!
Xu Fang hurried to placate them, making a whole pile of promises. He guaranteed an unlimited supply of Remnant Souls from then on: as long as they didn't eat themselves to death, they could eat until they dropped. They'd break through to Primary Level Three within three days, reach Intermediate Level within a semester, and the whole family would work together to build a better life. Only then did the little fellows cheer up again.
"Honestly, I'm both their father and their mother."
"There are only seven of them now. Just imagine when there are forty-nine, then three hundred and forty-three..." He clicked his tongue.
What a delightful problem to have.
......
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Everyone, off the bus!"
"Move, move, move!"
"Wake up! We're here!"
After about an hour on the road, the bus began to slow. Before it had even come to a stop, Xu Fang heard the grating sound of metal basins clanging together outside, along with bursts of shouting.
Qi Lao San had also shed his kind and affable manner from the ride. With a fierce look on his face, he herded the students out like a flock of chicks.
Once everyone was lined up and looking around at their surroundings, their hearts sank halfway.
What was this place...? An endless wasteland, riddled with craters and strewn with rocks. Grass was as sparse as the hair on Shi Zheng's head, growing here and there in scattered patches.
The city wall stood behind them. Unlike the imposing, majestic walls elsewhere, this stretch was especially dilapidated, pockmarked and missing chunks along its edges.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
A flock of unfamiliar black birds rose into the air with eerie cries. One landed on a grave mound, then turned to look at the students.
The midday sun was blinding, yet everyone felt a chilly draft creeping down the backs of their necks.
"I thought there'd be a welcome party..." one student muttered.
"This place is way too desolate."
"Weren't we supposed to fight from the city wall? Why'd we come outside?"
"Where's the mess hall? I could use a bite to eat."
The students whispered among themselves. Before military training began, they'd looked up plenty of guides online, but not one of them matched what they were seeing now.
He Ming, the company commander of the recruit company, had arrived ahead of them. His uniform was immaculate, and he watched the noisy crowd with a cold gaze. Under the pressure of his stare, the students gradually quieted down.
Beside He Ming stood a kind-looking man: Li Yi, the political instructor.
Li Yi smiled and said, "The kids are all here. Come on, hand out the equipment."
Eight boxes, one for each squad, were placed at the very front.
The crowd grew restless again, especially those standing at the back. They couldn't see what was inside, so they craned their necks and stood on tiptoe to get a better look.
Soon, the boxes were opened and their contents handed out to everyone. The students were sorely disappointed. As for Xu Fang, he eyed the black sphere in his hand, finding it oddly familiar.
"What is this?"
"An iron egg?"
"I thought it'd be a Magic Tool..."
"If you want to know whether it's a Magic Tool, why not try it?"
He Ming said coldly, "If you want to die, go ahead and channel your magic energy into it. In less than five seconds, everyone within ten meters of you—including yourself—will be dead."
The students: "!!!"
The student who'd spoken just now let his hand jerk, and nearly threw away the dangerous object.
"Haha, there's no need to be too afraid," Li Yi said with a smile. "Just as some of you guessed, this is a Magic Tool. The Bell Tower Magic Association and the Forbidden Army worked together and spent three whole years developing it. It's called a 'bomb.'"
Xu Fang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Three years, my ass. They were telling the lie so convincingly... Of course, He Ming and Li Yi genuinely believed it.
"After three years of continuous adjustments and testing, the power of one bomb is enough to rival a single Fire Spark!" Li Yi added. "Anyone can use it, as long as they can circulate magic energy. Any time, any place, no matter how much magic energy they have!"
A chorus of astonished exclamations rose from the crowd. It could rival Fire Spark—and anyone could use it?
Besides, Magic Tools were powered by magic energy. Demon Slaying Tools in particular needed to be infused with enough magic energy to unleash their true power.
Even a Primary Level One Mage who got hold of a Demon Slaying Tool would be lucky to release a Primary Level Two spell. Anything more was out of the question.
Yet this little iron ball had broken that rule!
For a moment, everyone gazed at the bombs with burning eyes.
If they carried eighty or a hundred bombs around, wouldn't they be invincible? Why bother dreaming about magic or training in those damn spells?
"I know what you're thinking. Don't get your hopes up," He Ming said, pouring cold water over them. "Each bomb costs two hundred thousand. Besides, bombs are controlled goods. They can't be sold to the public; you can only get them through your superiors. You absolutely can't buy them with money."
Two hundred thousand!?
Xu Fang was about to curse. Damn it, that was one hell of a lie. The worst part was that everyone around him actually thought it was a fair price!
Did that make any sense?
Rich kids were few and far between. Most students who'd received a treasure worth two hundred thousand immediately put it away, resolving not to use it unless absolutely necessary.
Xu Fang casually stuffed his away. He could make the damn thing by hand himself.
"Now that you've got your equipment, it's time to get down to business."
"According to the Lintong Military Region's tradition, whenever a green recruit joins us, we have a duty to tell him what kind of enemy he'll be facing here!"
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