Half a Year!

"Challenge, Vinina Polenas wins!"

As the electronic voice echoed through the residential building, everything shifted once more, returning to the vast silver plain. David's figure reappeared. After glancing at him, Vinina directly exited the challenge room's virtual space and walked out.

"Hm?"

"Why did she come out?"

Watching Vinina's tall figure emerge from the challenge room doors, all the students who had gathered to watch were stunned. Though newcomers occasionally defeated veterans in the training camp, there had never been a match that ended in under two minutes.

After all, every use of the training room required a substantial wager. Who would be bored enough to hand money to someone else for free?

"Challenge, Vinina Polenas wins!"

In an instant!

The entire hall fell silent.

"How is that possible?!"

"David got instantly killed by Vinina? Was he throwing the match?!"

An uproar erupted.

Everyone wore looks of disbelief.

Their gazes all fell on David Baghdadi behind Vinina, his face utterly blank.

David Baghdadi might not have been considered a strong fighter in the Elite Training Camp, ranking beyond the top hundred, but as a veteran student, he was still far superior to new students in exertion techniques and combat skills. Even if he faced Solidus Hamilton, who had just entered the camp and was currently first on the Black Dragon Ranking, he should not have lost so quickly, right?

Throwing the match?

There was no point in rigging a private challenge!

"He must have been careless."

A tall, thin Black youth with dreadlocks shook his head slightly. "David is useless when it matters most. That was ten billion Huaxia Coins."

"We can't let her take that money so easily. Later... we need to figure out a way to make her cough some of it back up!"

The dreadlocked Black youth spoke in a low voice, and the others nodded along.

That was the usual routine in the training camp's challenge rooms.

If you won money from me this time, I would definitely make you give some of it back later. If I could not win it back myself, I would find fellow townsmen to help. Unless you hid like a turtle and refused every challenge!

When Vinina noticed the gazes of those Blackies, she casually gave them an internationally friendly gesture: a raised middle finger.

Then she turned and left.

There was no point in doing more. Those Blackies were not idiots. After seeing the first Blackie lose so cleanly, they naturally would not challenge her again so easily. Once they learned her Combat Power Amplitude level, that would be even more true.

The advantage of an information gap could only be exploited once.

And that was indeed what happened.

After learning from David that Vinina's Combat Power Amplitude was rated excellent, and that her Punch Power exertion level was around 5, all disputes vanished. No one sent Vinina another challenge.

It could not be helped. Those figures were a little too terrifying.

With a Punch Power exertion level of around 5, she should be able to clear at least Trial Tower level 2.3. That meant a Combat Power Amplitude of at least 11, roughly the standard of the camp's top twenty students.

They could not possibly have a student ranked in the top twenty challenge her, could they?

Those people had their pride too!

Besides, even if they won, it would be meaningless. Vinina had only joined the Elite Training Camp eight days ago, and the period ahead would be one of explosive growth for her. Even if they beat her now, she would catch up before long, and then they would be crushed instead.

Why put themselves through that?

But just because they had no such intention did not mean Vinina felt the same. Challenging stronger opponents was itself a form of tempering for her.

Moreover, she truly had many shortcomings in combat.

Her Spear Technique and combat experience, for instance—even David far surpassed her in those areas.

No one found that surprising. Vinina was only sixteen, and her Golden Finger was not the sort where she could solve every flaw by shouting "Deep Blue." She could only gradually make up for those weaknesses through constant practice and bloody battles.

Studying Spear Technique, pondering movement techniques, sensing weight control, tempering her fighting spirit, battling stronger opponents, hunting monsters in the Wilderness Zone...

Vinina's life afterward was dull yet fulfilling.

And time passed quickly in such a life.

In the blink of an eye, July arrived!

Hongning Base City was located in western Eurasia, close to Europe. July was extremely hot there, especially at noon, when temperatures could easily exceed 40°C.

That temperature did not affect Martial Artists, but it was certainly uncomfortable. Thus, whenever Vinina was at her residence, she generally stayed in the underground training room, practicing with the air conditioning on.

Just as she was now.

Wearing loose pajamas, she sat cross-legged with her palms, soles, and crown facing the sky, absorbing Cosmic Energy and refining it into Gene Primal Energy.

During that process, the cells and genes in her body underwent exceedingly subtle changes.

They were minute, but as they accumulated over time, the results were extremely substantial.

After a long while...

Vinina slowly opened her eyes. July is almost over.

Once July ended, it would be August.

It was also the most dangerous month in the Elite Training Camp.

Because during that month, every student had to leave the training camp, board a passenger aircraft, and travel to some dangerous location, where they would adventure alone for a month.

The danger level during that period was extremely high.

Even students of the Elite Training Camp faced a death and elimination rate close to 10% during this life-or-death adventure.

It was unavoidable. The Elite Training Camp possessed the world's most advanced technological equipment and resources; naturally, it would not support weaklings who did not even dare to fight monsters. However, Vinina was not worried about that. That level of danger might have been a little high for the Vinina of half a year ago, but for her now, while it could not be said to be entirely without risk, it would be easy enough as long as she remained careful.

After all, her growth over the past half year was right there.

The two gaps she once had—Spear Technique and combat skills—had already been completely filled. Her movement technique had also firmly reached the advanced subtle level. If she added fighting spirit, she could even touch the perfect level.

Annihilation had also naturally entered the third layer.

As for the Trial Tower, Vinina passed the second floor's C stage in early March, then passed the third floor's A stage in mid-April. It was not until early July that she barely passed the third floor's B stage. The result when she entered the third floor's C stage was naturally a brutal beating. After several attempts, she had only managed to gain 0.1 progress.

Therefore, Vinina's current Combat Power Amplitude should be 26.64.

But obviously, that could not be the figure she revealed.

It was a little too outrageous.

After all, the War God instructors in the training camp generally only reached around level 3.0 to 3.6 in the Trial Tower. Nine Layered Lightning Saber, known as the number one exertion technique manual, only reached a sevenfold increase at maximum cultivation! Annihilation, which Vinina cultivated, only reached a sixfold increase at its peak.

How was Vinina supposed to explain that?

She could only report a lower Punch Power exertion level.