"Mmm, Shuning, this is delicious, this is delicious..."
"This is delicious too, you should try it..."
"Ah, it's so hot, so hot..."
Satisfied and joyful sounds echoed around the burning campfire.
Shen Shuning looked at her friend, whose cheeks were bulging from eating, and smiled indulgently.
She picked up the meat skewer her friend had just recommended and carefully took a bite.
The moment it enters your mouth, the oil melts on your tongue, carrying a faint smoky flavor.
The meat wasn't particularly tender; in fact, it was rather firm. But as you chewed, a rich, savory flavor slowly emerged.
"How is it? Delicious, isn't it?" Xiao Bai'er smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.
"Yes, it is indeed delicious!" Shen Shuning nodded slightly.
Hearing that her friend also said it was delicious made Xiao Bai'er even happier.
She took two large, firm bites, then tilted her head back slightly, a satisfied look on her face, and said:
"Mmm... It's so wonderful to be in the Erosion Zone! We can eat the Calamity Beast, which is hard to find outside, all the time here!"
She paused, leaned closer, and whispered:
" Shuning, let me tell you, I just secretly asked the person who served the food, and he said that from now on, there's an unlimited supply of Calamity Beast meat here! An unlimited supply!"
"It's probably because there are more Calamity Beast here!" Shen Shuning said, not particularly surprised.
The price of an item is affected not only by its intrinsic value but also by its scarcity.
The same kind of Calamity Beast would sell for thousands of yuan per kilogram in the outside world, something most families couldn't afford; but back in Northern Martial Arts, they could occasionally eat it for free; here, they're told they can eat their fill...
"Yes, I think so too!"
Xiao Bai'er nodded in agreement, then chuckled and said:
"The thought of being able to eat the flesh of Calamity Beast forever makes me happy!"
Shen Shuning chuckled softly, picked up the meat skewer in her hand again, and took a small bite.
The meat juices burst in my mouth.
Shen Shuning gently shifted her gaze, slowly sweeping it over the campfire.
One after another, figures, just like them, sat at a distance around the campfire.
Whether chatting with friends, quietly enjoying a meal, or laughing out loud...
The oppressive atmosphere of the daytime quickly dissipated as time went by.
Shen Shuning watched the scene unfold quietly.
Today, the instructors gave them a brief introduction to the Grassland Erosion Zone, explained the rules of the base, and led them to collect their supplies before assigning them to their respective dormitories.
After that, this is the welcome dinner for them!
"Hey, does anyone know what this symbol on our clothes means?" a voice suddenly rang out beside the campfire.
Shen Shuning looked over.
There stood an unfamiliar face, pointing to the armband on his clothes.
There, three stars are drawn!
It wasn't just him; every new member who joined the Erosion Zone today was assigned three stars!
No one responded.
The man asked a few more questions, but it seemed that no one knew the answer either.
The instructors who led them today did talk a lot, but it seemed that they only talked about the key points to prevent the children from not remembering too much!
Obviously, this is not the focus of today's discussion!
Just as the man was about to sit down, another voice suddenly rang out.
"Eh? President, did you know?"
The familiar address startled Shen Shuning, and she subconsciously looked up.
Upon seeing an unfamiliar face, he realized that the person wasn't calling him.
Then, her gaze followed the person's line of sight.
There, a boy was sitting cross-legged.
The firelight reflected on his face, casting alternating light and shadow on his sharply defined features.
Everyone stared at the boy.
He wasn't intimidated by the crowd's attention; instead, he calmly surveyed the people present.
His gaze lingered on Shen Shuning for a moment before moving on.
After scanning the entire room, he looked again at the boy who had just asked the question and smiled:
"I do know a little about that!"
"Hmm? Can you tell us about it, President?!" the boy asked excitedly.
" Shuning, that person is the student council president, just like you!" Xiao Bai'er leaned closer and whispered.
Shen Shuning nodded slightly, seemingly unconcerned.
If Northern Martial Arts has a student council, Southern Martial Arts will always have one too. And if there's a student council, then it's not surprising that there's a president.
Compared to that, she was more curious about why she hadn't seen him at the training camp.
Does Southern Martial Arts not select students based on academic performance?
Shen Shuning thought to herself.
"Yeah, President, just say it!" someone nearby egged on.
"Since everyone wants to hear it, then I'll tell you!"
The boy smiled and then said:
"This armband was designed according to the new military system, which has 17 levels, each marked with one of four images: the Morning Star, the Bright Moon, the Full Moon, and the Rising Sun."
"Among them, the Morning Star has six levels, namely Six Stars."
" Three Stars is the pinnacle for an ordinary soldier; Four Stars onwards signifies that you have the ability to lead a team."
"Later, the Bright Moon is divided into..."
The student council president of Southern Martial Arts was giving an introduction.
Everyone listened attentively.
"Stars, moon, Sun, we have stars, then three stars, doesn't that mean we're only at level three? There are 17 levels in total, when will we ever reach the next level!" Xiao Bai'er counted on her fingers.
"Not everyone can reach the highest level!" Shen Shuning said after glancing at it.
"Well, that's true!"
Xiao Bai'er nodded, then continued listening.
Shen Shuning was also listening; this was the first time she had encountered such information.
Soon, the student council president from Southern Martial Arts finished speaking.
A student from Southern Martial Arts asked,
"President, nobody else knows this, how did you find out?!"
"This..."
The student council president of Southern Martial Arts hesitated for a moment and did not reply immediately.
"Uh, is there something you can't say?" the person who asked the question said apologetically.
"There's nothing inconvenient about it. Actually, it's because of my father!" The student council president of Southern Martial Arts smiled apologetically.
"Your father?"
"Yes, my father is currently working in Long Wind City, and I heard this information from him," the student council president of Southern Martial Arts replied.
"Ah? Your father is in Long Wind City!?" The man's eyes widened immediately.
Long Wind City is one of three cities built deep within the Grassland Erosion Zone. The other two are Qingwei City and Flatland City.
The surrounding crowd also stared at the student council president of Southern Martial Arts, equally incredulous.
This was the first time they had seen classmates so close to them, who could be involved with the Erosion Zone!