"Real combat is, fundamentally, a battle between equals. The strong versus the strong, army versus army—that is the most common form of warfare you’ll encounter!

"And what we train you to be here at the academy is the tip of the spear on the battlefield. Large-scale frontal wars aren’t common nowadays, but small-scale clashes happen almost every day!

"A four-person team, or what we call a squad, is the optimal composition we’ve determined after many years of research. Does anyone know why?"

"I do!" Feng Qingqing spoke up. "My dad once told me that a four-person squad is the one most likely to survive on the battlefield!"

"Correct. A three-person squad can still carry out some battlefield operations, but if something happens to one of them, the entire squad could be annihilated. Only with four people is the chance of survival higher. If one dies, there are still three left, and they still possess a certain degree of combat effectiveness. As for five... that’s too many people. It’s easier to be spotted!"

Gui Zian nodded. "It might sound cruel, but the truth is, people die every day on the battlefields outside the City of Hope. One day, you’ll have to go to the front lines, and you too may have to face the death of your teammates..."

"..."

Silence.

None of the four said another word.

Everyone knew that after the Cataclysm, although the Human Alliance had established the City of Hope, the world outside remained a battlefield.

Without the sacrifices made on that battlefield, how could the City of Hope possibly continue to exist?

"Alright, you all have a clear grasp of the basic concept. I’ll now begin teaching you four-person tactical coordination. Everyone has their specialty, and only by combining them can the team’s strength be maximized. Therefore, it’s necessary for a team to assign positions. Take you four, for example. Kong Kun’s specialty is his high Defense Power... He’s suited for a meat-shield type defensive position. He can take a hit and dish one out!

"Feng Qingqing is agile and fast, perfect for sneak attacks, assassinations, and reconnaissance... So, Feng Qingqing can focus on the assassination role, mainly by increasing her speed.

"As for Gao Neng... your explosive power is more than sufficient, and your physical advantage is obvious. You could be considered for a burst-damage position. However, you also have a weakness, Gao Neng. If I’m not mistaken, you haven’t learned any fighting techniques, have you?"

"No..." Gao Neng admitted with a nod. He really hadn’t learned any kind of fighting style.

"Military Boxing?" Gui Zian pressed.

"I have it, but I haven’t had the chance to learn it yet," Gao Neng nodded again.

"You should learn it when you get the chance. I’ll teach you a set of fighting techniques later. For the four positions, we have a tank, an assassin, and a burst-damage dealer. All that’s left is the long-range sniper..." As Gui Zian spoke, his gaze shifted to Fang Tangtang.

"I’m the long-range sniper!" Fang Tangtang immediately replied.

"You’re the long-range sniper?!"

"..."

"You have a scythe! How long is it? And you can snipe from long range with it?!"

This took not only Gao Neng by surprise, but Kong Kun and Feng Qingqing as well. After all, Fang Tangtang’s Scythe of Death was only three meters long at most. It was impossible to associate that with long-range sniping.

"Fang Tangtang is indeed the long-range sniper. As for that scythe of hers... it’s just for show!" Gui Zian, who seemed to know Fang Tangtang quite well, replied casually before continuing, "Once the positions are set, the next step is formation changes. Four people can create a variety of different formations.

"When charging, you’ll primarily use a triangle formation: Kong Kun at the front, Gao Neng and Feng Qingqing on the left and right flanks, and Fang Tangtang covering the rear. If the charge bogs down, Fang Tangtang can immediately fall back to create distance and provide long-range sniping and support... That effectively changes it into a diamond formation. There’s also the square formation, the line formation..."

Gui Zian explained a great deal all at once.

It was only then that Gao Neng truly understood what the Eastern Capital Military Academy was all about: battlefield coordination and the skills for life-or-death struggles.

There weren’t many frills.

The military academy was a place for practical combat training.

Gui Zian lectured in great detail, covering everything from four-person formation changes to the responsibilities of each position. He spoke for a full hour before finally stopping.

"Alright, let’s enter the training ground!" With that, Gui Zian walked over to a control console and began selecting a mode.

Gao Neng glanced over...

He was surprised to see several different modes.

"Hunter Mode"

"Mission Mode"

"Guardian Mode"

"..."

’What do these modes mean?’

"When you encounter enemies on a real battlefield, completely wiping them out is actually very difficult. The same goes for the Battle Rank challenges. That’s why the challenges also have different modes to choose from!" Gui Zian casually explained, having noticed the confusion in Gao Neng’s eyes. He didn’t bother paying any mind to the other three.

After all, people like Fang Tangtang were intimately familiar with the Battle Ranks long before they ever set foot in the academy.

’A student from the Forgotten Land? He doesn’t even fully understand the Battle Rank rules, and he’s about to challenge the Top 20 D-Rank teams? Is he going to get beaten to tears?’ Gui Zian sighed internally. Without another word, his finger finally pressed "Hunter Mode" on the control console.

...

As Gao Neng followed Gui Zian through the metal door, that familiar feeling came over him again. His body felt as if it were enveloped in a special kind of energy.

’Inside the magnetic stack...’

’What exactly is in here?’

The question resurfaced in Gao Neng’s mind.

The next moment, he, Fang Tangtang, and the others found themselves in a desert.

"Hunter Mode. Objective: eliminate the opposing team. Eliminating a team member earns 1 point. Eliminating the captain earns 1.5 points. Time limit: 1 hour!" As the voice finished, a figure shot out from the sand.

"AH!"

Feng Qingqing let out a sharp cry.

"The first thing you do upon entering the training ground is find a good hiding spot. Then, you look for an opportunity to attack the person with the weakest Defense Power on the enemy team. This is practical combat!" By the time the voice rang out again, Feng Qingqing had already vanished. The figure then pounced toward Fang Tangtang. "The long-range sniper is also a fine choice!"

"Uncle Gui, your pants are falling down!" Fang Tangtang shouted as she rapidly retreated.

"A Hunter’s most basic psychological trait is to not be distracted by an enemy’s words!" Gui Zian completely ignored Fang Tangtang’s shout. He threw a punch, and she disappeared.

Two punches, two down!

Next, Gao Neng felt as if he’d been targeted by a wild beast.

"Next, to take out the captain. This’ll be fun!" Gui Zian lunged at Gao Neng, not holding back in the slightest. His speed was incredible.

"Ah... Don’t!" Gao Neng yelped, seemingly startled. As Gui Zian’s punch flew toward him, he dropped flat on the ground.

This actually took Gui Zian by surprise.

His fist had missed Gao Neng’s face. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Just as he was processing this...

A cloud of sand suddenly flew up.

"You dare to fight back, kid?! A trick like that is useless against me!" As his eyes narrowed, Gui Zian instinctively threw another punch down at the prone Gao Neng.

But just as his punch landed...

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his crotch.

"AH!" Gao Neng let out a pained cry.

"Nngh..." Gui Zian’s face paled. He had only one thought now. ’This kid from the Forgotten Land... he’s really nothing like a regular academy student.’

’Fucking...’

’Despicable!’

’Oww, my groin!’

...

「The next day, at noon.」

The daily schedule at the Eastern Capital Military Academy was always quite regular. Students would typically rest for a while after lunch or head to the training grounds to get some exercise.

But today, the student dormitories and training grounds were nearly deserted.

It was just a Battle Rank challenge match. Even one involving a clash between new and senior students, enough to stir up the whole campus, wouldn’t normally draw such a large crowd.

But if news got out that Shen Ning’Er had arrived at the gates of the Eastern Capital Military Academy... then even the third- and fourth-year students who had no interest in the challenge would come running.

The number one prodigy of the younger generation in the Eastern Capital Military District.

An eighteen-year-old Major in the Military Department.

A legendary figure who was also a peerless beauty—who wouldn’t want to catch a glimpse?

(Please subscribe!)