Sky-cracking Rider-Chapter 346: Section 342 - Wilderness Trial

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After being hammered for several days, Chen Fei started getting the hang of hacking at people with a blade.

The Ability Users who joined the "Bear Hunting Special Operations Division" one after another had various abilities and temperaments, but to Chen Fei, they were all qualified teachers who didn’t hold back during one-on-one sparring.

Chen Fei didn’t need to hold back either, since he couldn’t hit anyone anyway. Anybody he faced could pin an economics undergrad to the ground and pummel him, damn it, why pick on the liberal arts students?

If only he’d known this day would come, he would have enrolled in a military science program T_T.

Give a college kid an automatic weapon, and at least he can take a couple of shots, or go straight for the laser and rail guns, no problem there, but hand-to-hand combat is just too much for him. His Turtle Fist and crowbar skills were slick, but real combat is a different story, and the poses weren’t even good-looking.

The "Bear Hunting Special Operations Division" had to deal with more than just Mutants; there were people too. So merely being cheerful about prying open heads with a crowbar was useless; humans aren’t dumb Mutants that wait for a "Physics Holy Sword" to knock on their skulls.

Getting hammered all the time had its perks, though, learning to be chopped before chopping others meant at least Chen Fei learned quite a few secret techniques to deal with similar types of Ability Users.

As an A-rank supernatural power user, Kiterley’s rich experience in Metal Elemental Psychic Power benefitted the somewhat clueless Chen Fei, whose lack of proper training in the Supernatural Adaptability Training Class left gaps in his understanding of Special Abilities.

Back at the Aircrew Base during 9/11, Boss Hana had given Chen Fei some supplementary lessons, but a C-rank Wind-type Psionic Ability User’s understanding of Metal Abilities paled in comparison to that of an authentic A-rank Metal Ability User, especially with hands-on guidance.

Although Chen Fei was a B-rank Ability User, his control power was A-rank, something that pleased Kiterley immensely. He wasn’t like a failing student who couldn’t get shapes right no matter how you taught him; it was mainly a matter of power difference. Moreover, he possessed the rare "Sacrifice" skill.

Longswords, broadswords, spears, flails, staves, T-shaped staves, battle axes... Kiterley knew at least seven or eight types of cold weapons, from sharp to blunt instruments, and Chen Fei learned them with great enthusiasm.

Weapons and unarmed combat were similar in many ways. Being proficient in routines but not bound by them, it’s all about the technique of force application, leveraging one’s physical energy to the fullest and then amplifying it with Special Abilities.

After a few more days of training, not only did his punches and kicks start to look the part, but Chen Fei was also getting the gist of using cold weapons. As a genuine college student with top grades, he learned quickly, especially with the one-on-one instruction. If he still couldn’t get those routines down, one really had to wonder how he got into college in the first place.

A bus, as armored as a tank, took a group of them to the outskirts of Habulav.

Calling it the outskirts, the tall city walls loomed on the horizon, and beyond them lay a boundless gobi desert, with rolling sand dunes further off.

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Habulav, situated at the heart of the Ocean Continent, bordered the continent’s largest desert, also the site of the fiercest battles thirty years ago. To this day, many remnants of war remain, and one can even find wreckage and abandoned military hardware from back then.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Just stepping off the bus caused a slow beeping noise to emanate from many individuals.

The radiation detectors started to issue warnings, detecting that the surrounding radiation dose had reached alarming levels. Long-term exposure could cause harm to the human body.

"Take good care of the Gold Medicine Vials in your hands; consume one anti-radiation pill every six hours. Pay attention to your personal radiation detector, and if it reaches dangerous levels, you must take a pill every hour. Those without a detector can get one from me. A special reminder: do not let go of the medicine vial, even when you return to your dorm. If your supply is low, immediately find me or someone else for a refill. The entire area of Habulav is filled with deadly radiation and Mutants. Don’t be careless or reckless. If you encounter high radiation zones, you must evacuate immediately, understand?"

With a gold-shining object the size of a cigarette box in hand, the tall, dark Babylon finally spoke up with a serious tone.

It seemed that this remote area indeed brimmed with danger, including the invisible and lethal threat of radiation, which justified the lengthy warning.

"Chirp!"

Little Bird landed on Chen Fei’s hand, pecking at the small square gold box, endlessly curious.

Of course, it got its share too, even tailor-made: concentrated in small granules flavored like bean bugs, leather bugs, breadworms, and even fruit flies, with flavors picked at random.

This little creature’s nutritional requirements surpassed those of human dietary standards — each bite was 100% high-protein. If humans consumed according to its standard, they’d quite simply eat themselves sick.

"Alright! From now on, free time. We’ll regroup here in six hours. Those who need a radiation detector can get one from me," said Babylon, before turning to board the armored bus.

"Chen Fei, I’m sticking with you!"

Zoom! Mouri Misono drew her pair of long and short swords and darted to Chen Fei’s side, saying with a beaming smile, "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!"

"I don’t need your protection!"

Chen Fei felt a vein pop in frustration. He was not as fragile as Tang Sanzang, okay?

Victory is mine!~

"Let’s all stick together! There are Mutants everywhere here!"

Clop, clop, clop... the energetic Blue Scaled Colt carried the Holy Knight over.

Although Walter Sam had only taught Chen Fei a few days of basic combat, he was still worried about his elementary skills. A few days of practice were far from sufficient for Chen to be considered proficient.

"That’s right, unity is strength. If we combine our abilities, we should be able to crush those Mutants!"

White-haired Second Rank fire mage, Adrian Benjamin, cloaked in a robe-like garment and pulling down his face shield to block out the flying sand, was naturally good at leading and organizing. When he spoke, he garnered the agreement of most people.

Though this was just a wilderness adaptability exercise, it was real combat.

Even though any of them could easily solo and roll over most Mutants, there had been countless examples of capsizing in the gutter, so being cautious was never wrong.

"Heh heh! I prefer to move freely!"

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An A-level Metal Ability User named Kiterley was enveloped in armor from head to toe, the omnipresent radiation blocked by the high-density armor plates, similar in function to the Single Soldier Tactical Armor but designed more for close combat.

Another new member said with a heavy tone, "I feel the same!"

Standing at two and a half meters tall, he wielded a single-toothed long halberd with a stern face, his messy hair tied above his forehead with a black cord, looking like a wild panther in its full ferocity. However, his bronze skin was covered in blood-colored tattoos.

He was a Neanderthal, the present Clan Leader of the Neanderthal tribe, Bassan—one of the few remaining Mystic Warriors.

There were not many who could refuse the conscription order issued by the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee, not even the chief of the Neanderthal tribe.

The defeated Neanderthal tribe had now fully integrated into Blue Star human society, and many had even drifted into Cangqiong Star. Without the Supreme Council, the disunited Neanderthals retained only the nominal title of their tribe and nominal leadership.

How much authority today’s Clan Leader Bassan still held was questionable; even the Neanderthal youth of the new generation may not care. Aren’t TV dramas entertaining? Aren’t games fun to play? Aren’t cute soft girls lovable? Isn’t the food delicious with all its flavors? Who would want to return to the exhausted Primordial Realm, now a desolate dust-filled hell.

"Bassan, I’ll join you!"

Seeing the equally outcast Neanderthal Clan Leader, Kiterley walked over and abandoned his plan to go solo.

Bassan said expressionlessly, "Whatever!"

The jovial Second Rank Fire System Mage Adrian Benjamin said with a chuckle, "Count me in too!"

The Eighth Rank Wood System Magical Beast, the Tree Boundary Ape Yuan Lulu An, raised his withered vine staff adorned with several green leaves and said, "Too many people isn’t good, it might scare the mutants away from coming out. Who will join me?"

"I’ll go with you, Lulu’an!"

The tall black Second Rank Thunder Series Warrior Apu from the team immediately responded.

He had a simple mind and an honest disposition, but he wasn’t stupid. This Magical Beast senior had no malice towards others, a perfect match for him, and there was no need to worry about being taken advantage of.

"All right, you’re in!"

The Tree Boundary Ape plucked a green leaf from the withered vine staff and handed it to Apu, saying, "Keep this safe, it can function as a locator."

Where the green leaf was removed, a new leaf quickly grew in its place.

"And me!"

The Ninth Rank Earth System Mage Ruan Tiankai stepped towards the Tree Boundary Ape.

"I’ll join Chen Fei’s group."

An A-level Psychic Ability User and Puppet Master, Joshua, chose Chen Fei.

"That leaves just me then!"

The fiery and seductive woman, B-level Ice Ability User Susanna Jean Piault, chewed on her finger, looking left and right, hesitating.

"Susanna, don’t tell me you want to go alone. Why not join us?"

The Holy Knight Walter Sam extended the invitation.

"No, you have too many people; it doesn’t suit me!"

Susanna Jean Piault immediately refused.

The Earth Mage Ruan Tiankai suggested, "How about our side? With Wood, Earth, Thunder, and adding Water Ice Attribute, it’s just perfect!"

Who wouldn’t like a beautiful woman? Even if there are no further intentions, just having someone pleasing to the eye is quite good.

"No, the black one is too dark, the ugly one is too ugly, and there’s one who isn’t even human—I don’t want that!"

B-level Ice Ability User Susanna bluntly refused.

In a world where appearances matter, others judge her by her face, and naturally, she does the same.

"..."

To everyone’s surprise, the A-level Metal Ability User Kiterley didn’t say a word.

The Neanderthal Clan Chief Bassan also had an expression that kept everyone at a distance.

Fire Mage Adrian Benjamin sensed the futility and did not speak up, avoiding potential embarrassment.

"I choose them!"

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Susanna unexpectedly chose the two cold-faced tough guys and the strange combination with the white buzzcut.

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