30: Chapter 30 Fengling Mountain Base

The third day arrived quickly. The academy's official approval documents for the grade skip and the transfer orders were delivered to the training base.

The high efficiency demonstrated the importance the academy and the military placed on Qin Ce.

Teacher Sun personally drove a military jeep to take Qin Ce to the "Fengling Mountain Training Base" where the fourth-year students were located.

In the car, Teacher Sun steered the wheel while introducing the situation along the way.

"This road looks peaceful, but it is actually not safe. Occasionally, ferocious beasts from the deeper wilderness wander over, or even small squads of magical beast scouts. Last month, a convoy encountered an attack by a Bronze Rank magical beast, and three people died."

Qin Ce looked out the window.

On both sides of the road were dense jungles and rolling hills, and occasionally the silhouettes of ferocious beasts could be seen flashing by in the distance. The air was filled with the scent of vegetation and soil, mixed with a faint, elusive smell of blood.

"The Fengling Mountain Base is a frontline stronghold that the military, in cooperation with several large mercenary groups and adventurer guilds, fought hard to take from magical beasts and powerful ferocious beasts three years ago. Its geographical location is important, and resources are relatively abundant. After three years of clearing, the ferocious beasts within a fifty-kilometer radius of the base are mainly Black Iron High-grade to bronze low-grade, with occasional mid-grade bronze ones, which is just right for the graduating fourth-year students to conduct their final practical combat tempering and assessment."

"That place is completely different from your freshman base. There is no fixed protection; everything depends on the student squads themselves. The base only provides the most basic supplies, intelligence, and emergency rescue—and this requires paying a huge price. A cruel point-based competition system is implemented there. Internal rare resources are allocated monthly based on point rankings, and points also directly affect graduation evaluations and future career choices. The competition is very fierce, and sometimes... for the sake of points and resources, friction and conflicts occur between students. As long as no one dies, the base instructors generally do not interfere too much."

Qin Ce listened quietly, keeping this information in mind.

Fierce competition was something he had long expected. Resources depend on snatching? That was exactly what he wanted. He needed this kind of high-pressure environment to accelerate his growth.

"Teacher Sun, what exactly does the Elite Class's resources refer to?" Qin Ce asked.

"High-purity energy crystals that are rare on the market, special medicinal herbs that can slightly increase a Pet Beast's potential, exchange rights for rare materials for custom equipment, and even... quotas to enter certain special cultivation secret realms." Teacher Sun glanced at him. "These are things that are very difficult to buy with money, or are exorbitantly expensive. Therefore, everyone covets a position in the Elite Class. You are skipping grades to get there, an airdrop, so you will inevitably squeeze into others' resource shares..."

Speaking of this, Teacher Sun paused, his tone becoming serious: "That place is a quasi-battlefield and also a vanity fair. Qin Ce, although your strength is good, you have only been contracting for a short time, and your experience might not be as good as those old veterans. After you go, watch more, listen more, and act cautiously, but when it is time to fight, you must never be weak. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Teacher." Qin Ce nodded solemnly. Where there are interests, conflict is inevitable.

The car drove for nearly three hours over bumpy roads, and the scenery outside the window became increasingly desolate and precipitous. Jagged rocks, bottomless ravines, and dense, eerie primeval forests all revealed an aura of danger. Occasionally, one could see huge nests on distant cliffs or swift black shadows flashing through the woods. The atmosphere here was far wilder and more oppressive than that of the freshman base.

Finally, a complex of buildings appeared in the valley ahead. The walls were higher and thicker, covered with fortifications and energy warning devices. Watchtowers stood in great numbers, and one could faintly see heavily armed soldiers patrolling. This was the Fengling Mountain Base, a semi-military fortress truly built on the front lines of war.

The car passed a strict inspection and drove into the base. The base was quite large, but the buildings were more rugged and practical. Except for the public facilities in the central area such as the command post, infirmary, and exchange hall, the rest of the large area consisted of barracks and training grounds for the students. The atmosphere was significantly more somber and heavy than at the freshman base. Most of the students coming and going were in a hurry, with sharp eyes and a faint scent of blood and murderous aura about them; they were clearly veterans who had experienced many life-and-death battles.

Teacher Sun drove the car directly to a three-story stone building. "This is the fourth-year director's office. I'll take you up to meet Director Tu."

The two went upstairs and knocked on the innermost door.

The office was not large, and the furnishings were simple. A man in his fifties with graying hair and a scar on his face sat behind the desk, reading documents. Hearing the commotion, he looked up.

"Old Sun? You arrived so quickly?" His voice was hoarse, and his gaze immediately fell on Qin Ce. "Is this the student skipping grades you mentioned?"

"Yes, Qin Ce." Teacher Sun introduced, "Qin Ce, this is the fourth-year director, Director Tu Feng."

"Hello, Director Tu." Qin Ce greeted politely.

Tu Feng looked him up and down and nodded: "Black Iron killing Bronze, and a mutated lord at that, you are indeed qualified to skip grades. However—" He changed the subject, "The fourth year is not like the first year. Are you mentally prepared for the competition here?"

"I am." Qin Ce replied calmly.

"Good." Tu Feng did not waste words, picking up the communicator on the desk. "Teacher Wei, come to my office for a moment; a new student has been assigned to your class."

A few minutes later, a man in his thirties, wearing glasses and looking refined, walked in.

"Teacher Wei Ming, the head teacher of the Elite Class." Tu Feng introduced. "This is Qin Ce, who is skipping grades; he is assigned to your class. You take him to your class to report."

Seeing Qin Ce, a flash of surprise crossed Wei Ming's eyes, but he quickly returned to calm. "Very well, Director. Student Qin Ce, come with me."

Teacher Sun patted Qin Ce on the shoulder. "Kid, good luck. You can contact me at any time if you have any problems."

"Thank you, Teacher."

After saying goodbye to Director Tu and Teacher Sun, Qin Ce followed Wei Ming out of the office.

Teacher Sun watched Qin Ce's back, his eyes filled with encouragement and a trace of worry.

As he walked, Wei Ming looked Qin Ce over and suddenly smiled. "I remember now. Throwing over thirty people at the opening ceremony, first in the written exam, Black Iron killing Bronze... I've heard of your name for a long time."

"Teacher, you flatter me."

"It's not flattery." Wei Ming pushed up his glasses. "It's the truth. But Qin Ce, I want to warn you—the fourth-year Elite Class is a completely different world from the place you stayed before."

"The people here have been contracting Pet Beasts for four years; the weakest are already Black Iron High-grade, and the strong ones are already approaching Bronze. The squads they form have tacit cooperation and mature tactics. You, a newcomer who just awakened two months ago, going in..."

He paused. "You might be ostracized, or even bullied. You need to be mentally prepared."

"I understand." Qin Ce nodded.