Heading to the Ruins
Early in the morning, Xia Fei packed up and walked out of the dormitory, ready to meet up with the other members of the training camp to explore some mysterious ancient ruins for the first time in his life.
Regarding this exploration plan, the training camp had kept it strictly confidential. All the participating cadets only received a simple message stating the date of departure and the estimated time it would take. As for the destination, what dangers there would be, and what special preparations needed, not a single word was mentioned.
Ancient ruins were not just a simple symbol of the ancient civilization. Every ruin contained more or less resources left behind by the ancient civilization. Items that far surpassed the current technological level could be sold for a sky-high price on the black market, not to mention the research value they contained.
That was why it was normal for the Adjudicator Union to keep the ruins they owned a secret.
On the white stone arch bridge outside the dormitory, Chen Dong and Moon Song were already waiting there. As for the rest of the team, they were all waiting by the internal division's private spaceport, numbering around forty or so. Since everyone was usually busy with their own cultivation, Xia Fei did not recognize most of them.
Moon Song was wearing a black combat uniform as she lazily leaned against the railing. The uniform was very tight, and it perfectly displayed her curvaceous figure. In fact, Moon Song was quite attractive, but it was a pity that her unique temperament made it difficult for others to approach her.
Speaking of which, Moon Song kept saying that she liked women and not men, yet Xia Fei had never seen her coax any girls into her dormitory. Whenever he asked about it, Moon Song would always say that the women in the training camp were not worthy of her attention. Xia Fei had never tried to verify it, either, since her sexual orientation had nothing to do with him.
Chen Dong had changed into a pair of tight-fitting pants and a new pair of combat boots. Even the black beads on his chest seemed to have been carefully cleaned, gleaming under the sun.
Xia Fei smiled as he walked over. How rare for the two of you to finally come out of the training room.
Chen Dong nodded. I didn't want to go to the ruins, but the instructor wouldn't let me, so I had no choice but to go.
Chen Dong had no interest in anything other than training and combat. In his opinion, no matter how special or meaningful the ruins were, it was not as interesting as wholeheartedly cultivating.
The three of them walked side by side to the airport. Chen Dong looked around at the newly sprouted treetops and sighed, "Time really flies. It's spring in the blink of an eye."
Moon Song crossed her arms and said in a mocking tone, "Big Guy, so you know what spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I thought you knew nothing but training."
Chen Dong chuckled and ignored the crafty and unruly Moon Song. He knew that he would never be able to take advantage of Moon Song, so he might as well ignore her.
Xia Fei lit a cigarette and took two deep puffs.
Moon Song tilted her head and looked at him a few times. Xia Fei, do you know what the people in the internal division are saying about you?
Xia Fei shook his head. Nope. To be honest, aside from the two of you, I don't know anyone else in the internal division, from the instructors to the cadets.
Moon Song grinned mischievously. "Of course. The trainees in the Stygian Training Center will rest in the lounge every day, so they'll at least get to know each other. You, on the other hand, only stay in the training room for three hours a day. Once the time is up, you turn around and leave."
Xia Fei smiled, not saying a word. Three hours of training was actually more than enough. Xia Fei had used some sophisticated human analysis equipment to do some experiments and found that the drug concentration in his body would drop at a rate of 700 units per hour for three hours every day. From the fourth hour onward, it would drop by 550 units per hour, and by the sixth hour, it would drop to 300 units per hour.
That was why three hours was the highest efficiency. Beyond that, the drug concentration would drop steadily. If Xia Fei spent twenty-four hours in the training center every day, he would only be able to absorb about five thousand units of drug, not to mention the side effects of the training center.
Many cadets would experience temporary blindness or go into sudden shock. There were even some who would develop acne on their backs, which would require surgery to remove.
Though no one mentioned it, everyone knew deep down that these were all side effects of the Stygian Training Center. Furthermore, these were all obvious side effects, and no one knew what was hidden in the dark.
Risk and opportunity always coexisted. To improve quickly, one would need to take the corresponding risk.
Xia Fei, on the other hand, did not have such concerns at all. He did not slack off even when he was not training. Martial prowess was a necessary skill for a warrior, and so was machinery and electronics. Xia Fei treated all skills equally, not neglecting any one of them and advancing them all at the same time.
In the past few days, he had vaguely felt that he had caught a glimpse of the door to the third stage of the Beast Spirit Codex. It was as if there was a door blocking Xia Fei from entering, and all he needed was a gentle push to get through it. It was just that he had yet to find a way to push it open.
Xia Fei, Chen Dong, one of you has a speed ability, the other a nature ability, and I have an illusion ability. If the three of us work together, we should be able to achieve great results, Moon Song suggested.
Xia Fei already knew about Moon Song's ability, but he had never seen her use it before. The illusion ability could rely on the user's brain waves to create hallucinations in the enemy, interfering with the enemy's judgment and thinking abilities. It could even cause the enemy to break down and commit suicide out of fear. It was a very rare team support ability.
This illusion ability was not very effective when used alone, and it was best to work together with a complete team to maximize its effectiveness. Xia Fei was a speed ability user, possessing lightning-fast speed and extraordinary sensitivity, making him very suitable to be a scout for a team. Chen Dong was a violent nature combat ability user, making him the most suitable as the team's main attacking point. If the three of them worked together, they would definitely be an excellent team that would strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.
A combination of speed, nature, and illusion could even rival the Magnificent Thirteen back in the executive department if they worked well together. Unfortunately, two of the members of the Magnificent Thirteen had disappeared in the space station accident, and not even their corpses had been found. From then on, there would no longer be a Magnificent Thirteen in the Endaro Star System.
Bosingwa, the only survivor of the group, was also disheartened. He did not report back to the executive department and instead stayed in the training camp as an instructor in the internal division.
Xia Fei had met him a few times, and after a brief nod, Bosingwa left in a hurry, very quiet and taciturn.
Xia Fei gave Moon Song's suggestion some thought and realized that it was a good idea. A speed scout, a strong ice attack, and an illusion protection. Such a combination was something that could only be encountered by chance. Although Moon Song's illusion ability was different in nature from Queiroz's Quicksand Guardian, the way they worked together was the same, focusing on defense and supplementing it with offense.
In the past, Team 13 had become famous because of the combination of these three types of Esper Abilities.
"We'll see when the time comes. We're all new cadets, so the instructors might not let us act alone. It might be a group mission, but if we're really going solo, the three of us can try to form a small team," Xia Fei said.
Xia Fei actually preferred to act alone, but he also understood that there was a limit to a single person's strength, especially when he was in an unfamiliar and dangerous environment. Teamwork was very important. Besides, Xia Fei could trust Chen Dong and Moon Song, so he could at least feel assured if he was with them.
Im not interested in searching. My main goal this time is to find a chance to challenge the other cadets, especially Ya Han and Bai Ye. Ya Han is said to be the strongest cadet in this batch, and I have long wanted to spar with him. As for Bai Ye, he provoked Xia Feis last time at the extreme racing track, so I must find a chance to beat him up.
There are a lot of messy rules in the training camp, and I can choose not to accept a challenge. Since we're out of the training camp, I should have a chance, Chen Dong said as he walked. It seemed that he had already thought about it.
Xia Fei chuckled and did not say anything. Given Chen Dong's personality, it was normal for him to have such thoughts. He had been immersed in his cultivation all this time and had not fought much, so he must have been bored to death. Now that he was finally out of the training camp, what else could he do other than fight?
Moon Song glared at Chen Dong. Will you die if you don't fight, big guy? Forget it. Me and Xia Fei can form a team, right?
As she spoke, Moon Song glanced at Xia Fei, seemingly pleasantly surprised.
Xia Fei waved his hand. We don't even know the specifics yet, so let's talk about it when the time comes. It's not too late to come up with a countermeasure after we figure it out.
Xia Fei! Moon Song crossed her arms and glared at Xia Fei angrily. Do you not want to form a team with me, either?
Xia Fei was speechless. Moon Song was already calling herself a lady at such a young age. It was best to stay away from a tigress like her.
The three of them joked around for a while when the Gaian Catalyst-class destroyer flew over from afar and slowly landed on the training ground.
The hatch opened, and Bosingwa, Ye Xiaohan, and two other instructors from the internal division alighted. They were all dressed in combat uniforms and even had weapons hanging on them. They looked fully armed and had serious expressions on their faces.
After confirming everyone's identity, the forty-something cadets boarded the ship.
The interior of the destroyer was much larger than that of a frigate, so it still felt rather empty even with dozens of people inside.
Out of habit, Xia Fei scanned the ship, inspecting its equipment.
The Catalyst-class destroyer looked very ordinary from the outside, but it was equipped with a high-capacity reactor and a large engine that Xia Fei did not recognize.
Could this ship be going on an ultra-long-distance voyage? Otherwise, why would it need such a large engine? What model is this engine? Xia Fei wondered to himself.
Xia Fei, Moon Song, and Chen Dong found a sofa in a corner and sat down. Ye Xiaohan had given each of them a pair of virtual reality glasses so that they could watch a movie or something to pass the time when they were bored.
"The plan to explore the ruins this time involves the core secrets of the Union, so every one of you must sign a confidentiality agreement. You must not divulge anything that happens in the ruins," Bosingwa said in a deep voice. He was the one leading the operation this time.
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