Soraka Town No. 777

This week, not a single member could withstand ten moves from Du Feng.

Zhou Kai went up to try as well.

Du Feng's strikes were heavy and precise. As a newcomer who had never received a day of proper training, Zhou Kai failed to block even one move before being defeated. Lu Yan was no different.

Chen Ping's expression darkened further. Standing before the group, he berated them for a few more moments and urged the members to practice diligently, but to little effect.

Most of the members looked indifferent. Some even whispered among themselves and sneered.

"What use is a body full of muscles? Can it stop bullets?"

"He's taught for so long, yet hardly anyone has even gotten started. This might just be another scam to take our money..."

Zhou Kai turned a deaf ear to their comments.

I might never encounter bullets, but fists and claws? I see those every day.

He had already been interested in fighting. Now that he had heard of two secret martial arts, that bit of interest had transformed into an obsession with obtaining them.

He was different from these people living peaceful lives.

A life-threatening crisis hung over his head, forcing him to grow stronger.

He could not get guns or cannons, but training in martial arts was the only path before him.

The trainee assessment lasted less than half an hour. It had come abruptly and ended in a rush.

Not one person passed.

But Zhou Kai gave himself a death order in his heart: he had to pass!

Under the repeated guidance of Coach Chen Ping and several trainees, the day's lesson quickly came to an end.

Perhaps because there had been many people attending trial classes today, Chen Ping no longer fobbed them off with basic techniques. For once, he taught several practical moves.

The members were fired up, their faces flushed with excitement.

They had finally learned something real!

Their money had not been wasted!

Fine sweat mixed with foundation shimmered on Lu Yan's neck. She nudged Zhou Kai with her elbow. "Sis has decent talent, right? As long as we get to learn useful stuff every day, next week... no, the week after that, I'll definitely become an official member!"

"When that happens, Sister Yan Zi will give you some private lessons. How about it?"

Zhou Kai tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Then thanks in advance."

He looked uninterested and did not believe her at all, but Lu Yan clearly failed to notice.

With the dopamine from exercise coursing through her, she had no time to read his expression.

"Keep it up! If there's anything you don't understand later, I'll teach you!"

Lu Yan looked at Zhou Kai's thick, oversized hoodie. Standing on tiptoe, she patted his shoulder twice, then swung her ponytail as she headed over to the official members.

Zhou Kai did not follow. He went to the rest area, poured himself a cup of electrolyte water, and looked at his panel while enduring the dizziness from pushing himself to the limit.

His physical foundation was too poor. High-intensity training was still too much for him.

A line of text remained on one side of the panel.

[You imitated and memorized the key movements.]

[You have learned the skill: Comprehensive Combat]

"Finally!"

A level-zero Comprehensive Combat skill appeared on the panel, permanently recorded.

If he wanted, he could pour Universal Experience Points into it at any time and raise it to level one, becoming the most outstanding member among them.

But Zhou Kai did not do that.

Precious Universal Experience Points had to be spent where they mattered most.

For now, he could at least gain exclusive experience through practice.

He calmed himself and rested for a while, then found an empty spot to train on his own.

Power generation techniques, subtle adjustments to his footwork—any single variable could produce entirely different results.

Now, his memory and muscle memory seemed to have solidified as well. He would no longer forget or regress.

Three hours after Coach Chen Ping finished teaching, Zhou Kai could still imitate his movements to seventy or eighty percent accuracy. With repeated practice, they had even become smoother...

[You completed a skill practice session. Comprehensive Combat Experience +1]

[Comprehensive Combat lv0 → lv1]

Perhaps because of the skill's complexity and his physical condition, Comprehensive Combat gained experience nearly ten times slower than Light Footwork.

But it could still gain experience through practice.

Huff...

Zhou Kai let out a long breath, his spirits lifting.

The increase of just one experience point had brought obvious changes.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Zhou Kai leaned slightly forward, his right fist flashing like lightning as he jabbed twice at the air before him.

The awkward popping in his joints and muscles vanished.

Those two punches were steady and vicious.

At least in terms of power generation, his body had begun to adapt.

"Not a single one worth taking in this week?" A thin man with a goatee stood beside Chen Ping with his arms folded.

Chen Ping shook his head. "Not many from the last batch were serious, and they were older too... We'll have to see about the newcomers later."

"Summer vacation is almost here. Some students should be coming."

The goateed man suddenly raised his chin, signaling for Chen Ping to look toward the corner. "I haven't seen that one before. A newcomer? His punches look pretty decent."

Chen Ping saw that it was Zhou Kai, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

How had this kid improved so quickly?

Had I misjudged him?

Chen Ping frowned, intending to question it first. "I just taught him the moves hand-to-hand. Maybe he hasn't forgotten them yet..."

"His physical foundation is too weak, and he's already an adult. We'll see if he can keep it up. If he trains like this, he might have a chance in two months."

The goateed man nodded. "He is indeed a little too old."

"Besides, it'll already be autumn in two months. He won't make it in time... There's no point."

The two glanced at Zhou Kai a few times, then stopped paying attention.

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Late at night, Zhou Kai examined his panel.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Erosion]

[Skills: Comprehensive Combat lv1 (7/15), Light Footwork lv2 (2/25), Occultism lv0]

[Items: Residence Permit, Blood-Stained Axe, Rusted Chef Knife, Morning Star Notes]

[Universal Experience Points: 8]

[Erosion Progress: 4/9] (Please avoid death!)

After three days, the weakness in his body had finally disappeared.

His combat training and footwork practice had both progressed considerably.

Comprehensive Combat had gained seven experience points, while Light Footwork had directly leveled up once.

Of course, gaining experience became slower after leveling up.

"Compared to three days ago, I'm more than a little stronger now." Zhou Kai clenched his fist, feeling the power swelling through his arm muscles. The unease in his heart eased somewhat.

Four days from now would be the day he was forcibly dragged into the Nightmare.

But he did not intend to passively wait for death.

He decided to take the initiative!

Once he had the ability to contend with danger, peril was also an opportunity.

Zhou Kai took a deep breath and waited for time to pass.

Hide?

I can't hide.

Better to brave the waters myself. The bigger the waves, the pricier the fish.

The moment the clock hands were about to overlap.

Zhou Kai poured all 8 Universal Experience Points into Comprehensive Combat. At the same time, he murmured, "Load!"

In an indescribable sensation, his soul and consciousness abruptly tore free, falling and sinking into an icy abyss.

When Zhou Kai opened his eyes again amid the rotten air, the oil lamp was still flickering.

The surroundings were dim and ruined, permeated by a despair cold enough to freeze the soul.

[Welcome back, Summoned.]

[Soraka Town No. 777 will always be your safest harbor.]

A line of text slowly emerged above the fireplace, glowing like dying embers before silently drifting away into stillness.