144: Chapter 144 I'll use your money to buy a knife to kill you

David's voice was loud and clear, echoing across the entire square:

"The rules are simple—within the current testing area, there are five [Alloy Training Dummies] specially made by our Holy Court Society."

"Once the match begins, they will activate combat mode. As long as your team can defeat these five dummies within the allotted time, or survive their attacks until their energy is depleted, you win!"

"Just a friendly tip: the basic attributes of these five dummies are equivalent to a Third-Tier Fierce Beast, which is the standard stat panel for a Professional around Lv.60."

At this point, David paused deliberately:

"Well? The difficulty isn't that high, right? After all, you're a team aiming for double military merit subsidies."

Chen Xi didn't speak, merely casting a faint glance at the five metal lumps standing silently in the field.

These training dummies were entirely silver-gray, their surfaces covered in complex magic conductor runes.

Though they lacked facial features, their thick mechanical arms and cold, glinting alloy torsos made it clear they weren't just targets for practice, but killing machines.

"Lv.60, huh..."

Chen Xi sneered inwardly. If it was only at this level, then this trap was far too low-end.

"Let's go."

With a wave of his hand, Chen Xi led Li Murou, Su Xiaoxiao, and Ye Fei as they calmly stepped over the fence and into the roughly five-hundred-square-meter combat clearing.

*Click.*

The fence gate behind them locked automatically.

A feeling of being a trapped turtle in a jar arose spontaneously.

The surrounding Professionals watching the scene shook their heads and sighed one after another:

"Sigh, these youngsters are heading down a dead end."

"Once you enter David's cage, you'll be lucky to escape with your life."

"Those are modified goods from the Holy Court Society. They say Lv.60, but their actual combat power is definitely higher."

The four of them stood in the center of the field, forming a defensive formation back-to-back.

Lightning flickered from the magic staff in Su Xiaoxiao's hand, while Li Murou held her zither tightly.

"Prepare for battle!"

Chen Xi barked a low command.

However, just as they were poised to strike.

Michelle, standing before the control console at the edge of the field, tapped rapidly on the keyboard but hesitated to press the "Start" button.

"What's going on?"

Chen Xi frowned slightly and looked at David outside the field:

"Aren't you starting yet?"

David leaned against the railing, playing with a coin in his hand, a malicious smirk spreading across his face:

"Don't be in such a rush, little brother."

"As the saying goes, to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools."

"It's not ready yet... Our training dummies still need a little fuel to get moving."

No sooner had he spoken.

Michelle didn't directly activate the dummies; instead, she made a move that caught everyone off guard.

She opened the top lid of the precision instrument beside her, and then...

...tossed all six of Li Murou's priceless S-rank equipment inside!

*Vrrrrm—!!!*

The next second, the instrument let out a roar like a wild beast.

Countless blinding electric arcs erupted from the machine, surging frantically through the underground cables toward the five Alloy Training Dummies in the center of the field.

In that instant, the previously lifeless dummies seemed to be injected with some kind of violent soul.

"Sizzle sizzle!"

Their electronic eyes snapped open, and a layer of shimmering energy shields actually appeared on their silver-gray bodies.

The color of the shields was exactly the same as the luster of Li Murou's six pieces of equipment!

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

The five dummies suddenly shot up in height, their metal joints popping like roasting beans, and the pressure they emitted surged like a volcanic eruption!

Lv.60... Lv.65... Lv.68...

Finally, that terrifying aura stabilized around Lv.70!

"What... What is the meaning of this?!"

Chen Xi watched the five dummies suddenly "go berserk," his pupils shrinking as a wave of fury surged straight to his head.

He turned his head and glared at David outside the field, his voice cold as a blade:

"David! What do you mean by this?!"

"Didn't you say that was a security deposit? Why did you destroy them?!"

Burning S-rank equipment as fuel? What kind of spendthrift behavior is this?!

Facing Chen Xi's interrogation, David didn't show the slightest guilt; instead, he shrugged as if it were only natural, with a smile that was incredibly punchable:

"Oh, little brother, don't get so worked up."

"Who said I destroyed them?"

David pointed at the shields and glowing weapons flickering on the dummies, his expression shamelessly saying "I'm doing this for your own good":

"This is the rule of our Holy Court Society, and the core tenet of our 'Pay-to-Win Cult'—the [Law of Conservation of Equipment Energy]!"

"Since you handed over your equipment as certification gold, we naturally have to reflect the value of that equipment."

"We decomposed the equipment, extracted the core energy, and infused it into the training dummies. In other words... they are all wearing your equipment now!"

David grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth:

"Look, training dummies wearing S-rank equipment getting a slight attribute boost—it's quite logical, isn't it?"

"After all... if you want a High-Star Certification to prove you're stronger than your equipment, then you have to defeat opponents wearing god-tier gear! It's perfectly reasonable, right?"

"Reasonable my ass!!"

The usually good-tempered Li Murou finally couldn't take it anymore. Her face flushed red with anger, and she blurted out a curse:

"This is a scam! You damn baldhead!"

"What do you mean 'a little boost'? This is a qualitative change, okay?!"

Li Murou pointed at the dummies, trembling with rage:

"You're cheating!"

They were originally just Lv.60 Third-Tier level; although difficult, the Nirvana Battle Team could still crush them with control and burst damage.

But now?

After being enhanced by the S-rank sets, the stats of these five dummies had soared straight to Lv.70! That's approaching the threshold of a Fourth-Tier Fierce Beast!

Su Xiaoxiao's expression became extremely grave.

The magic staff in her hand trembled slightly as she whispered to Chen Xi:

"Captain Chen, we're in trouble."

"With my current magic penetration... these dummies are like solid iron slabs."

"If I drop a [Sword of Apocalypse], I might not even be able to break their shields."

After hearing Su Xiaoxiao's analysis, Chen Xi's heart sank completely.

This was the Holy Court Society's conspiracy.

They never intended to let anyone pass the certification. They wanted to use the challengers' own equipment to strengthen the guardians, creating an unsolvable death loop!

The better your equipment, the stronger the dummies, and the more impossible it is for you to win.

This was the so-called—using your own money to buy the blade that kills you.

Seeing the gravity and anger on the faces of the Nirvana Battle Team, David laughed even more joyfully outside the field.

"How's it going? Feeling a bit strained, are we?"

David leaned over the railing with an air of mock compassion:

"Oh my, seeing as you're all students with such delicate skin, it would be a shame if those iron lumps ruined your faces in a fight."

"I'm a soft-hearted person."

David pointed toward the exit, finally revealing his true intentions:

"How about this? You just admit defeat and surrender now, and I won't activate the attack sequence."

"The equipment might be gone, but at least you'll still be in one piece."

"If you insist on fighting and end up missing an arm or a leg... hehe, we have a signed waiver here. We won't be responsible for your medical bills!"