Military Pledge

Although he really wanted to go online and flame that author, it was clearly too late now. He could only tear open the supply pack while listening to Grandpa Lei's last-minute cram session.

"Remember, don't rush once you're inside. First observe your surroundings, find a safe retreat route, then slowly explore."

"Every spirit realm has a corresponding scoring standard. C-rank and above gets you extra realm rewards. I'm not asking much of you—just reach C-rank. When you come out, I can arrange a job for you."

"If you really can't hold your own, climb a tree and find a way to survive."

Listening to the instructions, Xu Jiang opened the supply pack: compressed food, emergency medicine, climbing rope, plus three hundred rounds of ammo—basic survival tools were all there.

Even if he might not use them, Xu Jiang was still pretty touched.

Maybe Grandpa Lei had made this kind of investment many times before, but he definitely hoped every newcomer would make it out alive.

And of course, moments like this never lacked for people talking smack.

"Old Lei! Taking on another newbie? That won't work for you! I heard the last three you brought in didn't make it out alive. Maybe you should reconsider and just come teach at our Martial Arts Association instead."

Turning to look, Xu Jiang saw a group approaching. At the front was an old man in a short-sleeved martial arts uniform.

Despite his age, the exposed muscle lines still showed his formidable explosive power.

And the short sword hanging at his waist—probably a swordsman. Xu Jiang's assessment of this old man was: loaded!

Back in his previous life, wearing a short-sleeved martial arts uniform on the street might have seemed strange to others.

But here, it was perfectly normal.

Because this martial arts uniform wasn't just clothing anymore—it was a full set of gear.

Looking at those gleaming golden thread patterns, even an outsider like Xu Jiang could tell it was an incredibly valuable enchanted set.

And behind him were a few others—a swordsman, an elementalist, a gunner—all with solid equipment, probably here for the spirit realm trial too.

Grandpa Lei snorted unhappily: "Old Mo, you'd better worry about yourself. The Five Directions Spirit Realm is about to open. Don't let your Martial Arts Association lose again this time."

"Relax, I'm not as pathetic as you."

These two old geezers were cursing each other out in the middle of the street, but Xu Jiang didn't sense any real hostility. They weren't enemies—more like old rivals.

Only after they'd argued themselves hoarse did they part ways, satisfied, each going about their own business.

Grandpa Lei spat in the direction of the other's back, then turned to reassure him: "Xu Jiang! Don't be nervous. He's just trying to scare you. The Black White Forest has the lowest death rate of all the spirit realms. It's very friendly to newcomers."

"Oh? Really? How friendly?"

"At least the monsters inside don't eat your corpse after they beat you to death."

Yeah, Grandpa Lei really knew how to comfort people.

After a while, the rumbling thunder began. The black clouds pressed down from the sky, and the spirit realm opened right on time.

Xu Jiang didn't hesitate. He quickly put on the Skeletal Mech, confirmed the Desert Eagle at his waist was fully loaded, grabbed his qualification certificate, and followed the crowd into the spirit realm.

The gate of the spirit realm was like a vortex. One step in, and the surroundings dimmed, countless streaks of light flashing past.

As if time and space were twisting, the feeling of weightlessness passed in an instant, and Xu Jiang was standing in a strange world.

The Black White Forest, as the name suggested, was a world of black and white.

The ground was like scorched earth, scattered with patches of bones. The trees, contrary to normal, were pale and withered, like white bone.

White leaves from the dead branches drifted down gently. The moment they hit the ground, they instantly turned black. The whole world was starkly black and white, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

[The trial begins. Based on performance, you will receive a corresponding score and reward.]

A voice sounded in his ear—a prompt from the realm itself. According to Grandpa Lei, the spirit realm's scoring was based on battle results.

The lowest E-rank score meant doing nothing—just find a tree hollow and hide for three days, then get teleported out when time was up.

As for the C-rank goal Grandpa Lei had set for him, that required killing twenty monsters—no small challenge for a newcomer.

Xu Jiang cautiously surveyed his surroundings. Not far away, another flash of light appeared—someone had teleported in.

The newcomer didn't seem to have much experience either. Seeing the eerie scene, he couldn't help shivering and walked over nervously, apparently wanting to team up with Xu Jiang.

But after just two steps, he froze.

He looked Xu Jiang up and down, then asked in shock: "Bro, are you seriously going this hard? A T-1000 mech? Only a pistol?"

Anyone who could get in here either had a recommendation from an expert or held a pass. That thing was going for 5000 a pop on the Black Market now. If you could afford a pass, you wouldn't be wearing a piece of junk mech like that.

It was a completely obsolete reject—no power core, no shield, no thruster, no scanner. Just relying on a Desert Eagle? If you want to die, don't drag others down with you!

Without a second thought, the guy turned and left, terrified that Xu Jiang would hold him back.

"Tch, we're all newbies. What makes you think your gear is so great?" Xu Jiang snorted dismissively.

Some people were just shallow. They couldn't see the strength behind simplicity.

What use were those flashy, expensive mechs? Only a mech that knew shame and strove for improvement was a good mech.

"General, I'm sorry for letting you down. Rest assured, I will definitely work hard. I will not betray your trust."

The female general's resolute declaration was accompanied by an even more aggressive increase in intensity.

[Congratulations, Admiral Qianji has entered a Boosted state. During the 3-day trial, learning ability is greatly enhanced. If an A-rank evaluation is not obtained, all growth during this period will be revoked.]

So she had signed a Military Pledge!

But an A-rank evaluation didn't seem so easy to achieve. He just wondered how much of a surprise this learning ability would bring her.

As he pondered, another sharp cry rang out in his mind.

"Watch out! Enemy attack!"

While issuing the alert, Qianji forcibly dragged his body through an emergency dodge.

Before Xu Jiang could react, a white streak whizzed past his ear. He focused his eyes and saw it was actually a white Laced Poison Snake.

It wasn't that Xu Jiang lacked vigilance—the snake had completely blended in with the surrounding White Trees. Its sudden lunge made it truly impossible to guard against.

Fortunately, Qianji reacted quickly. She tilted her head to evade the snake's ambush, and in an extremely short time, adjusted her footing, stepped forward, and raised her right leg.

Bang!

Her right knee slammed solidly into the snake's body, kicking the venomous serpent a full three meters away. It rolled several times on the ground, looking dazed.

[Congratulations, Admiral Qianji had a flash of insight and learned the skill: Knee Strike Lv1]

[Knee Strike Lv1: Deliver a powerful knee strike to an enemy, knocking them back and causing dizziness. Effect is determined by the size and strength of both parties.]