23: Chapter 23 No More Pretense, My Physical Body is Divine Armor

Lin Qi retracted his gaze, no longer looking toward that pitch-black rooftop.

That feeling of being watched by a venomous snake didn't disappear; instead, it clung to his back like a maggot on a bone.

The opponent was cautious; having missed the first strike, they immediately went back into hiding.

"Brother Qi, what's going on? Is that Su Witch peeping at us?"

Zhang Wei, holding a pile of bottles and jars, shrunk his head and looked around cautiously.

"It's nothing, probably just a passing stray cat."

Lin Qi brushed the sand off his hands, picked up the branch that hadn't broken yet, and finished writing the final 'Yong' character in the sand.

The strokes were like knife cuts, sinking deep into the sand with consistent depth.

His power control had returned.

Although he couldn't yet handle heavy weights as if they were light, at least he wouldn't make low-level mistakes like crushing a dinner plate again.

For the next two days, Lin Qi lived like an ascetic monk.

Aside from classes, he spent all his time in the gravity room and a corner of the training grounds.

That black weighted suit was like it had grown onto his body; he didn't even take it off to shower or sleep.

The results of this self-torturing pressure were obvious.

His originally somewhat thin body now looked leaner and more defined, his muscle lines pulled tight and clear like a fully drawn longbow, ready to release.

The morning of the third day.

At the Tianhai No. 3 High School training grounds, the entire Special Training Class assembled.

The atmosphere was much more serious than usual, with a tense restlessness permeating the air.

Several armored buses painted in camouflage were parked by the track, engines roaring and spitting white smoke.

Students were checking each other's equipment, each of them wishing they could wear their entire family fortune on their backs.

"Holy crap, Class Rep, is that cape the 'Windwalker'?"

An exclamation of surprise came from the crowd.

Li Shaobai stood at the front of the line, a cyan cloak draped over his shoulders, swaying gently in the breeze with faint flickers of light flowing across it.

"Yeah, my family prepared it for me."

Li Shaobai straightened his collar, his tone indifferent, but his chin was held very high.

"This thing must have a market price of eight hundred thousand, right? I heard it increases Agility by 15 points and comes with the 'Whisper of the Wind' active dodge skill."

"As expected of Young Master Li, he's already won half the battle with this gear before even leaving."

Flattery rose and fell all around him.

Li Shaobai enjoyed it, his gaze drifting intentionally or unintentionally toward the end of the line.

An outlier stood there.

Lin Qi was still wearing that washed-out school uniform, canvas shoes worth a few dozen bucks on his feet, and a thin backpack on his shoulders, hands in his pockets as he yawned.

He looked pitifully shabby.

Wang Gang also approached; his power exoskeleton had been repaired, and two sets of high-energy battery packs were added to the legs, making him look like a future warrior.

"Some people really think going into the wild is like going on a tour."

Wang Gang snorted sarcastically, his words clearly directed at someone.

Instructor Su Qing walked over in tactical boots, her sunglasses covering half her face, making her expression unreadable.

She held a tablet in her hand and began checking equipment one by one.

When she reached Lin Qi, she stopped.

She looked him up and down.

"You're wearing just this?"

Instructor Su Qing frowned, pointing at Lin Qi's loose sportswear.

Although she knew he was wearing weighted gear underneath, those things had no puncture resistance and couldn't stop the claws and fangs of beasts.

"The school warehouse has standard-issue leather armor. Though the stats are average, it can block the bites of low-level Source Beasts. Go get a set."

It was rare for Instructor Su Qing to proactively show concern.

The surrounding students all looked over with playful expressions.

If he couldn't even afford equipment and had to rely on the school's freebies, that SSS-Rank rating was far too inflated.

"No need."

Lin Qi shook his head, refusing flatly.

"Leather armor is too stiff; it affects joint movement. Besides, that standard-issue stuff weighs three kilograms and only has 5 points of defense. The cost-performance ratio is too low."

Instructor Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you plan to use to tank damage? Your face?"

"This."

Lin Qi patted his chest, which produced a dull thudding sound.

"This body is the best armor."

A few snickers came from the crowd.

"Who's he trying to impress, tanking monsters with his Physical Body? Even a Rock Guardian like Zhao Tie wouldn't dare be so arrogant."

"Exactly. Just wait until a Wind Wolf bites him; don't come crying for help then."

Li Shaobai simply shook his head and turned away, not bothering to look further.

This kind of arrogant and ignorant fool wasn't worth considering as a rival.

Instructor Su Qing stared at Lin Qi for a moment and didn't try to persuade him further.

"As you wish. But let me warn you beforehand, this practical assessment has a scoring System. Getting injured loses points, needing rescue loses points, and gear damage also loses points."

"If your credits end up being docked to zero, don't come crying to me."

Lin Qi grinned. "Don't worry, Instructor Su, no one can take my credits away."

Instructor Su Qing snorted coldly and turned toward the bus.

"Everyone, board the bus!"

The students filed in one after another.

The cabin was spacious. Lin Qi found a window seat and sat down, tossing his backpack onto the rack.

The bag was very empty.

Two bottles of water, a few packs of compressed biscuits, an alloy dagger bought from the black market, and a bundle of high-strength nylon rope.

This was his entire inventory.

In this digitized world, people were used to relying on the numerical bonuses provided by equipment.

But in the martial arts era of his past life, a true Martial Saint never relied on external objects.

The environment was the weapon.

A branch could be a sword, a stone could be a hidden projectile, and even an enemy's bone could be ripped out to use as a club.

Carrying too much dead weight would only slow down the speed of his blade.

Zhang Wei squeezed in panting and sat down next to Lin Qi, making the seat creak loudly.

"Brother Qi, are you really not wearing armor? I have a spare 'Soft Hedgehog Armor' here. Even though it's for Life Professions, it's still better than a school uniform."

The fat guy spoke while pulling things out of his massive backpack.

"No need, keep it for yourself."

Lin Qi closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat to rest.

"Once we get there, stay close to me. Don't run off, and don't touch anything randomly."

"Got it!"

With those words, Zhang Wei felt much more at ease.

The convoy roared out of the school gates, passed through the bustling city, and drove toward the high walls outside the city.

That was the dividing line of human civilization.

Inside the wall was the safe zone protected by digital rules; outside the wall was the primeval jungle where the strong preyed on the weak.

Half an hour later, the convoy drove out of the massive alloy gates.

The scenery changed abruptly.

The originally neat streets disappeared, replaced by broken highways and wildly overgrown vegetation.

In the ruins by the road, several oversized stray dogs could occasionally be seen wandering around, their bodies ulcerated, revealing dark red muscle tissue.

"Ah! What is that!"

A girl in the front row screamed, pointing out the window.

A zombie dog was crouched on top of an abandoned car, baring its teeth at the convoy, yellowish saliva dripping from its fangs.

The cabin immediately broke into a commotion.

Although most of the students had awakened their classes, they usually practiced on targets in virtual training grounds; they had never seen such a disgusting real creature.

Lin Qi opened his eyes and glanced sideways.

The data for that zombie dog automatically surfaced in his mind.

[Mutated Zombie Dog, Rank 3, weakness is three inches below the throat, spine is stiff, turning speed is slow.]

It wasn't a System prompt.

It was the hunting instinct carved into his Soul.

He didn't feel disgusted; instead, he felt the long-dormant blood in his body begin to heat up slightly.

It was the excitement of a hunter seeing prey.

It was also the longing of a poor man seeing a wallet.

Although this thing was low-Rank, the crystal core in its head could still sell for a few hundred bucks.

Even a mosquito leg is still meat.

"Quiet!"

Instructor Su Qing stood at the front of the cabin and shouted coldly.

"Scared already? Once we enter the forest, there are plenty of things a hundred times more disgusting than this."

The cabin fell silent, with only the sound of heavy breathing.

Another hour passed.

The bus came to a stop amidst the bumps.

"We're here. Get off."

The doors opened, and a strange smell mixed with rotting leaves, moisture, and beast droppings wafted in.

Lin Qi grabbed his backpack and was the first to jump off the bus.

Before him was a lush primeval forest. The trees were unnaturally tall, blotting out the sky, and sunlight could only filter through the gaps in the canopy in mottled spots.

The wind blew through the treetops, making a whistling sound that sounded like the wailing of countless restless spirits.

This was Qingfeng Forest.

A graveyard for low-level class holders, but also a paradise for adventurers.

Instructor Su Qing stood at the front of the group, took off her sunglasses, and revealed a pair of sharp eyes.

She scanned this group of unweaned rookies, her lips curling into a cruel smile.

"Welcome to the real world."

"Here, there is no health bar protection, no respawn points. If you die, you are truly dead."

"If you don't want to become fertilizer, put away your pathetic pride and keep your eyes peeled."

Instructor Su Qing pointed to the deep jungle behind her.

"The assessment begins."