Thunder Tiger

"If you've got something to say, spit it out!" Wang Mian glared at Wang Quan in irritation.

"You lost the bet!"

"Remember, you're washing my stinking socks for a month!"

Wang Quan's smug voice echoed in Wang Mian's ears. Ge Yuan was already halfway out of its sheath.

"I know. A bet's a bet!"

Wang Mian heaved a long sigh and sheathed his blade.

"Well, you heard the terms, right, Chief Instructor Yuan?" Wang Quan patted Wang Mian's shoulder in satisfaction and sauntered away.

"No problem!" Yuan Gang readily agreed. Lin Qiye had earned it, and the more geniuses there were, the happier he was as chief instructor.

Soon, an announcement rang throughout the Training Camp.

"Time's up! The match is over!"

"You lost, rookies!"

The members of the Mask Squad let out a long breath. It would have been humiliating if they had blown it.

"Wait, something doesn't feel right!" Moon Ghost scratched his head in confusion.

"Exactly. That feeling was like being put through the captain's time..." Rose looked puzzled.

Before she could finish, Tian Ping coughed sharply several times, frantically signaling the others with his eyes.

Realization dawned on them. So they had lost.

Half an hour later, at the training grounds.

The instructors and the Mask Squad stood on the Martial Arts Platform, looking down at the recruits, who stood with their heads lowered in silence.

"I'm very disappointed in you. Does anyone still have a problem with that?" Yuan Gang's booming challenge echoed beneath the night sky. "Two hundred and thirty-nine people lost to five! Do you still think you're geniuses?!"

The recruits fell silent. The Mask Squad lowered their heads too.

Perhaps feeling a little guilty, Yuan Gang offered a word of praise. "Of course, a few of you performed very well. All you lack is experience and training!"

"But the vast majority of you couldn't even touch the Mask Squad's clothes! Your movements were chaotic, your fighting completely disorganized. Arrogant and ignorant!

"I was right from the start. You're a bunch of useless idiots who drag your teammates down and get yourselves killed!" Yuan Gang shouted himself hoarse berating them.

"Losing isn't frightening. Not knowing your own limits is!"

"Throw away your pride and devote yourselves wholeheartedly to training!"

"This training program will last one year, divided into two parts.

"First comes six months of pure physical training! During those six months, your forbidden ruins will be suppressed. You'll have nothing to rely on but yourselves!

"We'll torment you in the cruelest ways possible, with training worse than going to hell. Look forward to it!"

"As for the theoretical portion in the second half, we'll discuss that once you survive the first six months!"

"Dismissed!"

Yuan Gang swept his gaze over the recruits and left with the instructors.

"Man!"

"It's finally over! I'm exhausted!"

Baili Pangpang let out a long breath, unconcerned by the so-called hellish training. However terrifying it was, could it possibly be worse than the training Wang Quan had arranged?

"By the way, where are we sleeping tonight?" Lin Qiye asked, relaxed but troubled.

"Holy crap!"

"I completely forgot! Wang Mian demolished the building!"

But when they turned around, everyone froze.

The dormitory building that had been smashed to rubble had somehow been restored, as though none of it had ever happened.

"Does the Training Camp really build that fast?"

"Awesome!"

"Great! We can go to bed!"

Some were shocked, others delighted. Only Lin Qiye silently gazed into the distance.

"I'm exhausted!" Wang Mian staggered and nearly fell. "Someone give me a hand!"

"Oh, right!"

"Got it!"

Tian Ping and Vortex supported Wang Mian on either side and sighed.

"Here!" Wang Quan handed him a specially made lollipop. Wang Mian bit into it, crunching it up and swallowing it. Some color returned to his pale lips.

"Thanks!" Wang Mian removed his mask and straightened up, his black hair stirring in the wind.

"Captain, why put yourself through that?" Vortex asked, pained by the sight. "You could've just let Yuan Gang and the others rebuild it. The recruits could sleep on concrete for one night!"

"I was the one who destroyed the dormitory. Besides, their training starts tomorrow, and Wang Quan's their instructor. It'll probably nearly kill them. Let them get a good night's sleep tonight!" Wang Mian glanced at Wang Quan, then toward the distant dormitories, his eyes full of sympathy.

"Captain, did we really lose?!" Rose was so curious she couldn't help asking.

Wang Mian smiled and gave a slight nod. "Yes, we lost!"

"And I owe Lin Qiye three favors!"

There was no anger or resentment in his voice, only hope.

"The younger generation is a force to be reckoned with. The future looks bright!"

"Would you have lost?" With that, Wang Mian turned to Wang Quan and slowly asked.

Wang Quan shook his head, as confident as ever, and answered without hesitation. "On the training grounds, I'm confident I could put every last one of them on the ground!"

"There's no way I'd lose!"

"Spoken like the king of show-offs. Nice!" The corner of Wang Mian's mouth twitched.

Ring, ring, ring-!

A shrill, piercing whistle echoed beneath the half-dark, half-light sky, shattering the tranquility of the dormitory area.

Lin Qiye sprang upright and glanced at the Rolex beside his bed. His brow furrowed. It was three in the morning.

He swiftly put on his uniform and flung a slipper backward, hitting Baili Pangpang. The latter scratched his backside, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

"You damn fatty!" Lin Qiye muttered.

"Food's ready!"

"What kind of food?!" Baili Pangpang shot upright as though electrocuted, his eyes gleaming.

"Food, my ass! It's time to assemble!"

"Huh?!" Baili Pangpang yelped, glanced at his watch, and cursed. "It's only three damn o'clock! Even roosters don't get up this early!"

"Are they insane?!"

"Stop yelling. I've got a feeling we'll be punished if we're late!"

Lin Qiye pushed open the door and hurried away.

Baili Pangpang put on his uniform and raced after him.

Outside the dormitories, a dense crowd stretched across his view. Some people were sprinting, while others strolled along leisurely.

Under the cover of night, Lin Qiye was astonishingly fast. He was the first to reach the training grounds.

When he took a closer look, he was dumbfounded.

A large iron cage stood below the Martial Arts Platform. Inside was a white tiger with black lightning markings across its body and an unmistakable "king" character on its forehead.

The Thunder Tiger fixed its gaze on Lin Qiye and greedily licked its lips before unleashing a terrifying pressure.

Holy crap!

Why does this tiger feel even more oppressive than the Ghost Face King?!

A chill immediately ran down Lin Qiye's spine, and he instinctively clenched his fists. This tiger was at least a River Realm Mystery.

He looked up. Three instructors stood on the Martial Arts Platform, including Wang Quan.

That explained everything.

They had brought out a River Realm Mystery on the very first day of training, while the recruits were merely ordinary people with their forbidden ruins suppressed. The difficulty was easy to imagine.

This was absolutely like being cast into the deepest level of hell.

At that thought, Lin Qiye sucked in a sharp breath.

Gradually, more and more recruits arrived. Every one of them looked toward the white tiger below the platform. For most, this was their first time seeing a mythical creature in person, so curiosity dominated their reactions.

Holding a stopwatch, Wang Quan looked down at the recruits with an expressionless face. When the timer reached three minutes, he gently pressed the stop button.

Click-!

The instant that faint sound rang out, an invisible barrier enveloped the entire training grounds.

The recruits who had yet to enter were blocked outside, their faces blank with confusion.