4: Chapter 4: The First Battle Outside the City – What is Omniscience?
Before the fragrance of tea in the principal's office had even fully dissipated, Zhou Heng's personal terminal was nearly vibrating to the point of exploding.
Magic City Elemental University, Kyoto Divine Seal Martial Arts University, Donghuang First Military Martial University, Jiangnan War College...
Even the recruitment office of the Demon Slaying Division's Jiang City branch was making one call after another.
The conditions they offered were each more generous than the last: scholarships, cultivation resources, guidance from famous teachers—it was enough to make one's head spin.
Zhou Heng picked up the phone, his tone incredibly sincere:
“Hello, Teacher! Thank you so much for your school's/company's interest! The conditions are truly very tempting!”
“But I'm a pragmatic person and would like to conduct an on-site inspection of the teaching environments and...”
“Uh, the actual combat resource allocation. Yes, just a comprehensive evaluation.”
“Don't worry, I will definitely consider it carefully! I'll strive to give you an answer as soon as possible!”
After hanging up, he curled his lip: “Tsk, anyone can talk big. If I don't see what the actual 'feed' is like, how can I decide which pigpen... cough, I mean, academic hall to go to!”
He was as clear-headed as a mirror.
An S-rank talent was a golden sign, but it was also a piece of fat meat that everyone wanted a bite of.
But he, Zhou Heng, was not that easy to fool.
He strolled back to the classroom and happened to run into Chen Ye, who was packing up to go home.
“Ye Zi!” Zhou Heng hooked his arm around his neck and lowered his voice, “Don't be in such a hurry to go back and meditate on your Ice Prison. Big brother is taking you to a good place to get some 'actual combat materials.'”
Chen Ye slapped his hand away and looked at him, asking: “What kind of idea do you have now?”
“Deepening practice and testing our learning outcomes!”
Zhou Heng spoke with righteous conviction, “Outside the city, a low-level danger zone. You in? The principal says we can't go, but he's already quietly approved the passes and even threw in a 'nanny' to protect us from the shadows.”
He jerked his chin toward a corner; the Dean's dodging figure was actually quite conspicuous.
Chen Ye frowned: “Outside the city? Right after awakening?”
“What are you afraid of? You have A-rank Ice Prison, I have S-rank wind and thunder. If we can't win, can't we at least run? Besides,”
Zhou Heng winked, his tone seductive, “Don't you want to feel your ice blade cutting into a demon beast's bones? I heard the sensation is amazing, and you can even get loot drops... uh, I mean, collect materials.”
Chen Ye was silent for a few seconds, a flicker of interest flashing in his eyes.
No Awakened did not crave actual combat.
He finally nodded and said succinctly: “Let's go.”
Half an hour later, the two appeared at the security gate of Jiang City's Exit 3.
When they showed their electronic passes, the guard looked at their faces, which clearly still had a student-like air.
Especially Zhou Heng's grinning appearance; the guard double-checked several times, his eyes filled with the thought, 'Kids these days really aren't afraid of death.'
Stepping out of the heavy alloy gate felt like stepping into another world.
Inside the city was an orderly modern metropolis, while outside was a region mixed with desolation, ruin, and savage vitality.
Crude shantytowns spread along the base of the city walls—a gathering place for refugees who couldn't fully integrate into the city but relied on its protection.
As far as the eye could see, one could spot scavengers in rags but with fierce eyes.
There were thugs in groups of three or five, carrying weapons and eyeing passersby with ill intent, as well as some martial artists in various martial arts school uniforms hurrying along.
The air was no longer fresh, permeated with a faint scent of rust, dust, and a subtle trace of blood.
A burly man in a dirty leather jacket blocked their path, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth: “You two young men look like new faces. First time out? Need a guide? Or... want to buy some 'insurance'? To guarantee your safe return.”
Several of his companions surrounded them with ill intent.
Before Zhou Heng could speak, Chen Ye had already taken a half-step forward.
An icy chill suddenly radiated out, even causing tiny ice crystals to condense in the air.
He looked at the burly man with cold eyes, his hand resting on the hilt of the blade at his waist.
The man's expression changed as he felt the energy fluctuations from Chen Ye that far surpassed their own.
He immediately backed away with a forced smile: “Oops, I misjudged you. Turns out you're two experts! Sorry for the trouble, sorry for the trouble!” After saying that, he quickly led his people away.
Following the map's instructions, the two headed toward an abandoned industrial area labeled as a “Level 1 Danger Zone.”
The further in they went, the fewer signs of people there were, and the aura of desolation and danger grew heavier.
Suddenly, Zhou Heng's eyes narrowed, and he whispered: “It's coming!”
The moment he spoke, a blue-gray shadow pounced from the side like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Zhou Heng's throat!
The speed was incredibly fast!
It was a giant wolf with a body comparable to a calf, its fur displaying eerie, flowing wind patterns.
Its fangs were sharp, and a bloodthirsty light flickered in its eyes.
Almost simultaneously, the data panel in Zhou Heng's mind flashed frantically:
【Target: Windshadow Demon Wolf】
【Race: Demon Beast】
【Realm: First-order Lower-rank】
【Trait: Gale (Incomplete)】
【Status: Hungry, Bloodthirsty】
【Skills: Gale Pounce, Claw Tear, Wind Blade (Weak)】
【Weakness Analysis: Unhealed old injury on the left hind leg, causing slight stagnation when exerting force; weak abdominal defense; low resistance to high-intensity lightning attribute energy (Strongly recommended to use)】
“Ye Zi, cover the left side, watch me!”
Zhou Heng shouted, and instead of retreating, he suddenly stepped forward and charged!
The spear on his back was instantly in his hand, and blue-purple electrical arcs wrapped around it with a “crackling” sound!
The Windshadow Demon Wolf was fast, but Zhou Heng was even faster!
The burst of extreme speed granted by Annihilation Wind and Thunder allowed him to narrowly avoid the wolf's jaws. He crouched low, and his spear shot out like a venomous snake, piercing straight into the analyzed weakness—the old injury on the left hind leg!
Puchi!
The electrical arcs exploded, carrying strong piercing and tearing properties!
The demon wolf let out a howl of pain, and its pouncing movement instantly deformed and lost balance.
“Such hard bones!”
Zhou Heng felt considerable resistance from the tip of the spear, but his power erupted and his blood surged!
“Thunderous Vibration!”
He subconsciously channeled yuan energy, mimicking the characteristics of certain lightning-type skills in his memory.
Although he didn't have a formal skill, the high-frequency oscillation property inherent to the Annihilation Wind and Thunder was triggered!
Buzz!
The spear vibrated violently, frantically destroying the demon wolf's muscles and bones through the wound!
The demon wolf's howls grew even more pitiful as it struggled to turn its head to bite.
But Zhou Heng didn't give it any chance!
His data vision had already locked onto the next weakness!
With a flick of his wrist, he used the spear's momentum to thrust upward, slicing with absolute precision across the demon wolf's relatively soft abdomen!
Ripp!
The lightning tore through the fur, bringing with it a spray of hot beast blood and organ fragments!
The demon wolf's massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then went silent.
【Killed First-order Lower-rank Windshadow Demon Wolf, Experience Points +...】
【Memory Reading triggered: Captured incomplete soul fragment *1】
Zhou Heng leaned on his spear, breathing slightly—not from exhaustion, but from excitement.
His first actual combat kill, the feeling... was damn satisfying!
Chen Ye sheathed his blade; he hadn't even found an opportunity to strike just now.
He looked at Zhou Heng, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.
Zhou Heng's fighting style was fast, accurate, and ruthless. Those two attacks in particular were so cunning they didn't seem like the work of a novice, as if he had known exactly where the demon beast's weaknesses were.
“Not bad, Zhou Heng,” he offered a rare compliment.
“Standard procedure, don't make a big deal of it,” Zhou Heng said, then focused his attention on his mind.
The memory fragment was very blurry, mostly instinctive images of hunting, fighting, and eating, filled with bloodiness and hunger.
But at the end, a scene flashed: deep within a further set of ruins, a narrow cave entrance.
Inside, there seemed to be faint energy fluctuations, and... several smaller wolf cub corpses?
“Oh? A map drop?” Zhou Heng's eyes lit up.
Just then, the Dean ran over panting from not far away, his face pale with fright:
“Zhou Heng! Chen Ye! Are you two okay? Oh my, it's too dangerous! Come back with me immediately!”
Zhou Heng flicked the blood droplets off the tip of his spear and pointed at the demon wolf's corpse: “Dean, how about helping us process the loot? Also, we've discovered a possible small wolf den. The school can take a share of the credit, so it wouldn't be too much to ask for some exploration support, right?”
The Dean looked at the demon wolf's corpse on the ground, then at the “innocent” looking Zhou Heng, unable to speak for a long time.
【Note: Demon beasts are ranked from first to ninth order, with each order divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks. Fifth-order is Lord-level, sixth-order is Demon King-level, seventh-order is Demon Emperor-level, eighth-order is Demon God-level, and ninth-order is Demon Sovereign-level】