Northern Territory Reporting, The Cruel Truth of the Recruit Camp

The sky wasn't even light yet when Lin Feng got out of bed.

He moved very quietly, trying not to wake Xiao Yu.

His simple luggage had been packed long ago—two changes of clothes, an old watch left by his father, and a family portrait his sister had drawn in elementary school.

On the living room coffee table, he set down the last three thousand yuan the family had.

This was money he'd saved up over half a year working part-time at the martial arts gym. He'd originally planned to use it for tuition, but now it was all for Xiao Yu.

Underneath the money was a note:

"Eat well. Don't skimp. Your brother will be back soon."

Lin Feng stared at that note for a long time, but in the end, he didn't write anything more.

Some things hurt more when spoken out loud.

He picked up his backpack and gently closed the door.

The motion-sensor light in the stairwell had been broken for a long time. Pitch black.

Lin Feng felt his way downstairs. Just as he reached the first floor, footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.

"Brother!"

Xiao Yu stood at the stairwell entrance in her pajamas, her eyes swollen and red.

Lin Feng froze. "Xiao Yu, how are you awake?"

"I never went to sleep." Xiao Yu walked down, her voice choked with tears. "Do you think I don't know what the Northern Frontier is?"

Lin Feng opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Xiao Yu suddenly rushed over and hugged him tightly. "I don't want you to go. I really don't want you to go."

"Xiao Yu..."

"I can drop out of school. I can work. We'll support ourselves together." Xiao Yu's tears wouldn't stop falling. "Please, don't go."

Lin Feng hugged her back hard, his throat tight.

He wanted to say something comforting, but in the end, he just patted her back. "Silly girl. Your brother promises you—I'll come back alive."

Xiao Yu cried even harder.

Lin Feng steeled himself, pushed her away, and turned to leave.

He didn't dare look back, afraid he'd regret it.

As he walked out of the neighborhood gate, a blue light suddenly flashed before his eyes.

[Novice Quest: Arrive at the Northern Frontier Seventh Defense Line]
[Reward: Martial Path Points × 10]

Lin Feng took a deep breath and quickened his pace.

The assembly point was at a military airport on the outskirts of the city.

The sky was just barely light, and already more than thirty people had gathered.

Most were young men between eighteen and twenty, their faces written with anxiety and unease.

Lin Feng found a corner to stand in and sized up the people around him.

The most eye-catching was a bald, burly man. One meter nine tall, with arms thicker than most people's thighs.

He was boasting loudly: "I'm a ninth-stage Martial Disciple. I came to the Northern Frontier to break through to Martial Artist! Once I become a Martial Artist, I'll go straight into the Martial Arts Association. Monthly salary starts at ten thousand!"

The few new recruits around him listened, dumbfounded.

Lin Feng curled his lip but said nothing.

A ninth-stage Martial Disciple wasn't weak, but in the Northern Frontier, whether it was enough was another question.

In the corner, there was also a thin, frail young man, huddled at the edge of the crowd, his eyes hollow and frightening.

Lin Feng noticed his hands were shaking constantly. He couldn't even stand steady.

"That kid's name is Li Ming." Someone suddenly spoke up beside him.

Lin Feng turned his head. The speaker was a man in his thirties with a scar on his face. He didn't look easy to mess with.

"My name's Wang Tie. Veteran." The man pulled out a cigarette. "By the look of you, this is your first time in the Northern Frontier, right?"

Lin Feng nodded. "Yes."

"That kid's first time too." Wang Tie pointed at Li Ming. "But he didn't come willingly. His family forced him. Owed a loan shark, couldn't pay it back. Only way to gamble with his life was the Northern Frontier."

Lin Feng frowned. "Forced?"

"The Northern Frontier is desperate for people." Wang Tie blew out a puff of smoke. "Once you sign the contract, no matter why you came, you're going to the battlefield. Die, and you get two hundred thousand in compensation. Live, and you take the money and walk."

Lin Feng fell silent.

Just then, a military transport truck drove up.

The door opened, and an officer in combat gear jumped out. Expressionless, he shouted, "Everyone on board! Depart in ten minutes!"

The new recruits scrambled to board the vehicles.

Lin Feng followed the crowd onto the truck and found a seat by the window.

The bald, burly Zhao Gang sat across from him, still bragging to the person next to him.

Li Ming huddled in the last row, looking like he wanted to melt into the seat.

The truck started moving.

The city gradually faded outside the window, replaced by desolate Gobi desert.

The sky was gray, not a trace of sunlight in sight.

The truck was quiet, only the roar of the engine.

After about two hours, the convoy suddenly stopped.

The escort officer jumped down from the cab, his face grim: "Everyone stay in the vehicle! No one gets off!"

"What's going on?" Zhao Gang craned his neck to ask.

The officer ignored him, grabbed the walkie-talkie, and spoke a few quick words.

Lin Feng looked out the window. About three kilometers ahead, the sky looked like something had torn a gash in it.

The crack was irregular in shape, its edges flickering with eerie purple light.

Inside the crack, something could vaguely be seen writhing.

"Holy shit, is that a rift?" Zhao Gang's voice cracked.

The truck erupted instantly.

"F-Class Rift fluctuation. We need to detour." The officer returned to the vehicle. "All of you, sit tight and don't move."

The convoy began to turn around.

Lin Feng stared at the rift, his heart racing.

This was his first time seeing a spatial rift in person—far more terrifying than what he'd seen on the news.

That oppressive pressure could be felt even from several kilometers away.

The convoy took a long detour, drove another three hours, and finally reached their destination.

The Northern Frontier Seventh Defense Line.

The moment the door opened, every new recruit gasped.

Before them stood an alloy city wall tens of meters high, its surface covered in claw marks and impact craters.

In some places, bloodstains still remained.

A strange, indescribable stench of rot hung in the air.

Every hundred meters along the wall stood a watchtower, with armed guards on top, their eyes as numb as the dead.

"Get off!" the officer barked.

The new recruits jumped down one by one, forming a few crooked rows.

The moment Lin Feng landed, his feet felt a sticky sensation.

He looked down. On the ground was a pool of blood that hadn't dried yet.

"Everyone, stand the fuck straight!"

A voice came from ahead.

Lin Feng looked up and saw a one-armed middle-aged man walking over.

He wore a tattered military uniform, his right arm severed at the shoulder, the empty sleeve flapping in the wind.

The man stopped in front of the formation, sneered as he scanned everyone: "My name is Chen Lie. I'm your instructor."

"See this arm?" Chen Lie raised his stump. "Torn off by a C-Rank Exotic Beast three months ago. I used to be at the Martial Master realm. Spent five years on the Northern Frontier, and I still lost an arm."

He paused, his voice turning colder: "So don't think you're hot shit. Here, a Martial Disciple isn't even cannon fodder."

Zhao Gang's face went pale instantly.

"Now for the rules." Chen Lie pulled out a list. "Recruit Camp training period is seven days. After seven days, everyone goes to the front line. Each of you gets a Standard Long Blade and three Healing Pills. If you die, a two-hundred-thousand compensation will be sent to your family."

Li Ming collapsed to the ground on the spot.

"Get up!" Chen Lie kicked him. "Not afraid of dying, but afraid of standing?"

Li Ming scrambled up, trembling, tears nearly falling.

Chen Lie continued: "The rules on the Northern Frontier are simple. Survive, and you win. Die, and you had it coming. No one will pity you. No one will save you. If you want to live, then fight your goddamn heart out!"

With that, he turned and walked off: "Follow me. Dormitory assignments."

The new recruits followed Chen Lie into the camp.

As they passed an open area, Lin Feng saw a dozen wooden crates laid out on the ground.

White cloth covered the crates, but beneath the cloth, the outlines of human shapes were unmistakable.

"Died just yesterday." Wang Tie walked beside Lin Feng, his tone flat. "An E-Rank Rift erupted. Thirteen dead."

Lin Feng said nothing.

The barracks were a row of simple prefab houses, four people to a room.

Chen Lie stood at the door calling names: "Lin Feng, Barracks No. 12."

Lin Feng pushed the door open.

Inside, two people were already there, with one bed empty—dark red bloodstains still clinging to the bedboard.

"Oh! What a coincidence." One of them looked up at him—it was Wang Tie from the bus earlier. The other was Li Ming, forced here by his family.

Lin Feng nodded and set his backpack on the empty bed.

"The last batch that stayed here? None came back." Wang Tie said expressionlessly. "You're lucky. At least the bed's clean."

Lin Feng looked at the bloodstains on the bedboard and didn't reply.

Dinner time arrived.

The food in the mess hall was surprisingly good: braised pork, stewed chicken, stir-fried greens, and all the rice you could eat.

This kind of meal was absolutely top-tier in the city!

Zhao Gang sat down with his tray, staring at the table full of dishes, stunned for a long moment: "This good?"

"Dead men don't need to save money." Wang Tie grabbed a piece of meat. "Fills you up before you hit the road."

Zhao Gang's chopsticks froze mid-air.

Lin Feng ate his meal in silence, saying nothing.

Back in the barracks, the others fell asleep quickly.

Only Lin Feng lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

In his mind, the System Panel floated quietly.

[Host: Lin Feng]

[Spirit: 10]

[Realm: Martial Disciple, Fifth Stage (35/50)]

[Technique: Basic Body Tempering Art (1/10)]

[Martial Skills: None]

[Talent: None]

[Martial Path Points: 10]

Lin Feng focused, trying to invest Martial Path Points into the technique to test the effect.

[Consume 1 Martial Path Point to upgrade Basic Body Tempering Art?]

"Yes."

Instantly, a surge of heat erupted from his dantian, flowing through his meridians and spreading across his body.

Lin Feng felt as if countless needles were piercing him—a numb, tingling pain mixed with sharp pricks.

Seconds later, the heat dissipated.

[Basic Body Tempering Art (2/10)]

[Remaining Martial Path Points: 9]

Lin Feng clenched his fist, clearly sensing a slight increase in strength.

He then poured the remaining 9 Martial Path Points entirely into his realm.

[Realm Upgrade: Martial Disciple, Fifth Stage (44/50)]

[Remaining Martial Path Points: 0]

Strength surged again.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

With the system, his chances of survival in the Northern Territory were much greater.

But exactly how long he'd live depended on tomorrow's training.

Three in the morning.

A piercing alarm suddenly blared.

Lin Feng jolted awake. Before he could react, the barracks door was kicked open.

"All hands assemble!" Chen Lie roared from the doorway. "The F-Class Rift erupted early! Everyone to the wall immediately!"

The recruits scrambled out of bed, fumbling to get dressed.

Zhao Gang grabbed his long blade, hands shaking violently: "We're going to the battlefield this fast?"

"Less talk, move it!" Chen Lie turned and ran.

Lin Feng followed the crowd as they burst out of the dormitory, sprinting toward the city wall.

In the night sky, a massive rift tore open once again in the distant heavens.

This rift was far larger than the one seen during the day, its violet light illuminating nearly half the sky.

Countless dark figures were pouring out from within the rift.

Lin Feng charged up onto the city wall and saw real Exotic Beasts for the first time.

A pitch-black tide of beasts surged forward, led by Iron-Armored Demon Wolves, their bodies covered in metallic scales.

Behind them, even larger creatures lurked in the darkness, only their massive silhouettes visible.

The heavy machine guns on the wall began to roar, their muzzle flashes lighting up the night sky.

"Listen up, recruits!" Chen Lie stood at the edge of the wall, pointing downward. "Your mission is to clean up the stray F-rank Exotic Beasts! No retreating—anyone who does will be executed on the spot!"

The moment the words left his mouth, an Iron-Armored Demon Wolf suddenly leaped onto the wall.

Its speed was astonishing; one claw slammed into the head of a nearby recruit.

Bang!

The head burst like a watermelon, blood and brain matter splattering across Lin Feng's face.

Lin Feng froze.

That recruit had been eating with him in the mess hall just moments ago.

"What are you standing there for? Kill!" Chen Lie roared.

Lin Feng instinctively swung his blade to block, the edge clashing against the Iron-Armored Demon Wolf's foreleg in a shower of sparks.

The immense force numbed his tiger's-mouth grip, sending him stumbling back several steps.

The Iron-Armored Demon Wolf lunged again.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth, sidestepped to dodge, and slashed backhand at its neck.

This time, the angle was precise—the blade cut into the gap between scales, and blood gushed out.

The Iron-Armored Demon Wolf let out a pained howl, collapsed, and convulsed on the ground.

[Killed F-rank Exotic Beast: Iron-Armored Demon Wolf] [Obtained Martial Path Points ×1]

Lin Feng panted heavily, staring at the corpse on the ground.

This was the Northern Territory.

Kill or be killed—there was no third option.