Phone novel Chapter 357: Rule
Chapter 357: Rule
The group soon arrived at the Martial Arts Dojo. Because Little Fatty had turned in his test paper rather late, they were among the last people to get there.
Even though East Sea Academy’s Martial Arts Dojo was enormous—large enough to house ten fighting rings simultaneously—it still felt packed to the brim.
Many of the candidates hadn’t left after receiving their weapons. Instead, they had taken to the rings to spar, likely to familiarize themselves with their new equipment.
Lin Xinghai glanced around. None of the people here were mediocre; in fact, many had already mastered some form of Martial Arts, brandishing their weapons with impressive vigor.
But that was the extent of it. Lin Xinghai noticed that the Martial Arts they had mastered were all fairly simple—likely just Yellow Level Martial Arts that they had only cultivated to the Entry Level.
’It’s a shame that among the 15 Martial Arts at Star Shield Shelter, there wasn’t a single Gun Technique. Otherwise, I could have learned one,’ Lin Xinghai muttered, but he quickly put the matter out of his mind.
He had already learned the only Profound Level Martial Arts in the Shelter, the Phantom Body Technique. He honestly looked down on the other Yellow Level Martial Arts.
After all, until one reached the Blood Qi Realm, Martial Arts couldn’t be combined with Blood Qi Power. Without that fusion, there was no qualitative leap in power—at most, one’s attack patterns just became slightly more refined.
Besides, in the world of Martial Arts, speed is unbeatable. With his Speed, he could kill an enemy before they even had time to react.
Soon, the group of four arrived at the equipment distribution area.
Everyone’s equipment was standardized: a Carbon Nanomaterial Combat Suit, a G-3 Type Tearing Rifle, 100 rounds of standard ammunition, a military-issue pack with ample rations and water, and a vial of Antitoxic Serum.
In addition to this equipment, everyone could also receive a standard-issue melee weapon, and they could freely choose which type they wanted.
Lin Xinghai chose a long spear, Liu Miaomiao selected a foil, and Jin Tong took a long saber.
As for Ye Xin... he chose a shield.
"COUGH COUGH! Um... I think the team needs someone dedicated to defense, so I’ll make a sacrifice for the team!" Ye Xin said self-righteously.
"’Just say you’re afraid to die,’ Jin Tong muttered under his breath."
Ye Xin pretended not to hear. Lin Xinghai didn’t say much either. When he had agreed to let Ye Xin join, he’d already prepared himself to treat the guy as dead weight.
Now that he had his gear, Lin Xinghai felt more confident about the upcoming comprehensive assessment. It would likely be some form of wilderness survival test.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been issued so much food and drinking water.
Beyond that, combat would also be unavoidable.
Of all the issued gear, the only thing that dissatisfied him was the ammunition.
Gun Technique and Speed were his two greatest advantages.
Limiting his ammunition was, without a doubt, a way of limiting his performance.
"Should we go up and practice to get used to our weapons?" Ye Xin suggested, pointing at the rings.
"I don’t need to. You guys go ahead," Lin Xinghai said, shaking his head.
Liu Miaomiao also declined.
Seeing this, Jin Tong and Ye Xin exchanged a look, the idea suddenly seeming less interesting.
"By the way, Ye Xin, do you know the specific rules for the upcoming comprehensive assessment?" Lin Xinghai asked Little Fatty. Given his background, it was possible he had advance information.
"I know a little," Ye Xin said. "Supposedly, the main part is going to a designated city to hunt zombies. There will definitely be events where we fight other candidates, too, but I don’t know the specific details."
Lin Xinghai nodded. That was more or less what he had guessed.
The specific details weren’t important. After all, strength was the only thing that truly mattered.
Time passed quickly, and an hour went by in the blink of an eye. At this point, no one was fighting on the rings anymore.
Everyone who needed to get a feel for their weapons had done so. Continuing to spar would only expose their abilities to their rivals, which was not a good thing.
Just then, a full ten tutors walked in through the entrance, led by a middle-aged man who looked quite scholarly and refined.
The man wore a pleasant, gentle smile and projected no aura at all. Yet, the instant Lin Xinghai laid eyes on him, his heart lurched with a sense of dread.
Although this feeling was fleeting, Lin Xinghai was certain he hadn’t imagined it.
’This is very likely a Divine Demon Realm expert,’ Lin Xinghai concluded to himself.
Soon, the ten tutors ascended the high platform. The man in the lead raised a hand, silencing the crowd, before he spoke slowly. "Hello, everyone. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zuo Wenyao, a High Level Tutor at the academy, and I am the chief examiner for this comprehensive assessment."
Seeing the man on the stage, Little Fatty couldn’t help but say, "Is this exam that high-stakes? To think they’d have him as the chief examiner."
"Who is he? Is he that strong?" Lin Xinghai asked.
"Of course he’s strong. East Sea Academy has five Divine Demon Realm experts, and he’s one of them. In previous years, the chief examiner was usually just an expert at the Peak of the Body Shaping Realm. I can’t believe they brought out a Divine Demon Realm expert this year," Little Fatty exclaimed.
Meanwhile, on the stage, after introducing himself, Zuo Wenyao had already begun to explain the detailed rules of this comprehensive assessment.
"This time, you will be heading to the neighboring Dong’an City, where you will conduct a three-day zombie-clearing operation."
"You will receive 1 Point for killing an Ordinary Zombie, 2 Points for killing an Intermediate Zombie, and 10 Points for killing a High Level Zombie."
"The Points you earn will determine your ranking in this assessment."
Hearing that the comprehensive assessment involved being sent directly into a city to battle zombies, many of the candidates below grew nervous and broke into anxious chatter.
After all, they were only geniuses, not battle-hardened warriors.
Moreover, even hardcore Mercenaries who lived on the edge would use Armored Vehicles and Mechas to clear zombies from a city.
But what did they have?
A passable standard-issue weapon and a Tearing Rifle, but with only 100 rounds of ammunition.
The only decent piece of gear was the Carbon Nanomaterial Combat Suit. But against High Level Zombies, their Sharp Claws could gouge cracks in the special alloy of an Armored Vehicle; a Carbon Nanomaterial Combat Suit wouldn’t last more than a few hits.
Needless to say, this form of assessment was incredibly dangerous for the vast majority of the candidates present.
Even someone like Lin Xinghai would find a massive zombie horde extremely difficult to handle.
After all, their ammunition was limited. This meant they would be forced to rely on melee combat most of the time.
Another detail worth noting was that all the ammunition they received was standard issue. There were no Armor-Piercing Bullets.
Under these circumstances, the Tearing Rifles in their hands could only threaten Ordinary Zombies and Intermediate Zombies.
As for High Level Zombies, they would have to be fought head-on with cold, hard steel, which undoubtedly raised the danger by another level.