"Also, the contract states that if you make progress in your training, you'll receive additional funding. The remaining 100 million will be transferred to you later. If anything comes up, just get in touch with me."
Wu Tong smiled cheerfully, without the slightest hint of reluctance on his face.
The equipment he'd given Fang Yi earlier for free could be considered a personal investment. The support that followed was part of the contract.
After all, Fang Yi was growing so quickly that he'd get more use out of Series 6 equipment.
It was also much safer and more reliable than Series 5. It was best for your equipment to be a little ahead of your current level of cultivation.
"Okay. Sorry for the trouble," Fang Yi said gratefully.
"Hey, have you found any weapons or manuals you like? I heard you relied on your fists during the Martial Artist exam," Wu Tong asked with concern.
After all, there was a considerable difference in strength between Martial Artists who had weapons and those who didn't.
When facing high-level monsters, you basically needed a weapon. Otherwise, you might not even be able to break through their hides.
"No." Fang Yi shook his head, then explained, "I don't have a weapon I'm good with yet. I plan to try things out with what I have for now and make preparations later. I'm more familiar with fighting using my fists."
"That's fine, but fighting high-level monsters is extremely dangerous. You have to be very, very careful." Wu Tong's expression turned serious.
He'd finally found such a promising talent. If Fang Yi fell before he could reach his potential, it would be a terrible loss!
With proper training, becoming a War God in the future was entirely possible.
For a Martial Artist, pride was a good thing, but the real danger was not knowing one's limits. Too much confidence in one's strength could leave a person crippled—or dead.
There were plenty of examples of that.
Fang Yi understood his concern. He wasn't the sort to let his blood run hot and force himself into danger.
"Got it. I'm pretty attached to my life."
"Hahaha, that's the right attitude. People who aren't careful with their lives are already dead. All right, then. Oh, have you found a team yet?"
"No. I plan to take a brief trip alone to the outskirts of the Wilderness Zone. I'll think about joining a team later..."
"Uh..."
Wu Tong drew a sharp breath.
Exploring the wilderness alone was simply too dangerous. Having teammates meant having at least some measure of safety.
Seeing that Wu Tong had fallen silent, Fang Yi could guess what was on his mind. "Don't worry, Instructor Wu. I won't go deep into the county or city center."
"I understand, but going alone is still too dangerous. You have to watch out for those monsters."
"And people, right?" Fang Yi finished for him.
"Mm." Wu Tong nodded in agreement.
Although Martial Artists were expressly forbidden from killing one another, it still happened in places beyond the authorities' view.
Some did it for money, others for lust.
People were complicated.
"Don't worry. I have a plan. Let's leave it there for now—I still need to keep training."
Neither of them said anything more.
Wu Tong was concerned, but he also knew that Fang Yi couldn't grow without facing hardship. The best help he could offer was to provide more support with equipment.
After giving Fang Yi a few more words of advice, Wu Tong left, and Fang Yi returned to the villa.
The next day.
The equipment Wu Tong had helped him purchase arrived right on schedule. It was delivered straight to Fang Yi's villa.
Fang Yi hurried downstairs.
Looking over the full set of equipment, he felt ready to head for the Wilderness Zone.
After resting for a few days, Fang Yi finally set out on August 7.
A hundred kilometers north of Jiangnan Base City was a military garrison. Not far from it lay an area known as the Wilderness Zone.
Any region without human settlements counted as a wilderness zone.
Quite a few monsters lived there. The most dangerous places were naturally the counties and city districts. With their tall buildings providing cover, monsters could survive more easily, making such areas extremely dangerous.
The nearby military garrison
also served as a place for Martial Artists to rest and replenish their supplies. Its most eye-catching feature was a steel tower, fifty or sixty meters tall, known as the Beacon of Hope.
"Rumble—"
As the train pulled to a stop, Fang Yi stepped off.
He glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings, then followed the crowd into the military garrison and entered a quiet little building.
Inside,
he saw many Martial Artists, along with service staff in military uniforms.
Some came from the Limit Dojo or the Thunder Dojo, others from the government military or the Underground Alliance. The garrison also purchased rare materials from monsters, making it one of the available trading channels.
A female attendant immediately came over to assist Fang Yi.
Fang Yi ordered a glass of juice and rested for a while. Since the weather was hot, he waited until dusk before hurrying toward the Wilderness Zone.
He followed an abandoned highway for a short while.
Several abandoned villages appeared in the distance. A few figures flickered among the ruined houses, accompanied by faint rustling sounds.
Though they were some distance away, Fang Yi still noticed the subtle noises.
"I haven't even reached the county yet. There are already so many monsters in these little villages on the outskirts... The Wilderness Zone really is dangerous."
Though he said that,
a faint excitement appeared on Fang Yi's otherwise calm face.
The monsters in the Wilderness Zone were nothing like the weak ones in Monster Town, where he'd taken his exam. A purplish light appeared in his left eye.
The Divine Light of Double Pupils enveloped his fists.
His Series 6 combat suit, together with the Fist Armor, offered far greater protection than lower-series combat suits. At that moment, the Divine Light of Creation spread across the equipment, forming an inner layer of armor.
The Fist Armor was like a pair of small shields.
Heavy, yet tough!
Fang Yi removed his black belt and put it away. His left Double Pupil gazed toward the village, and in an instant, the buildings were laid bare before him, as if they weren't there at all.
This was the most basic power of the Double Pupil Eyes: "See Through Falsehood."
Fang Yi immediately spotted several enormous figures moving about inside.
As he approached the village where he'd seen the beastly shadows,
Fang Yi caught the distinctive wild stench of animals. That confirmed he hadn't imagined the sounds earlier. He darted forward like the wind and rushed into the village.
Less than a minute later,
the sound of cattle-like animals bellowing echoed in his ears.
"Looks like they're some kind of cattle monster..."
Before the Great Nirvana Period, human society had been full of pigs, dogs, cats, cattle, and sheep. Monsters of those same kinds were common as well.
Mutated monsters like foxes, monkeys, and scorpions, on the other hand, were relatively rare.
Through the power of his left Double Pupil, Fang Yi clearly identified the monsters in the village. They were a herd of powerfully built cattle, their skin covered in long silver stripes. Their eyes were crimson, and their horns, just as red, were sharp as iron spikes.
"They're Long-Striped Silver Bulls, a type of cattle monster. They should be around G-Rank, equivalent to Intermediate Beast Soldiers. They're powerfully built and hit hard. At full charge, they can flip a small car."
At the same time,
the herd of Long-Striped Silver Bulls resting inside the abandoned houses
seemed to sense the unwelcome visitor. A series of thunderous **"Moo!"**s echoed through the village.
Before you continue