"Today marks the fifth day of training here," Anna said, looking at her reflection in the bathhouse mirror. She hadn't bothered with any makeup, yet she felt she looked more beautiful and formidable. Her progress was incredible.
The training period for exchange students like her was not long, only two to three weeks. Before coming, she had hoped to broaden her horizons, make some friends, and perhaps learn a few advanced concepts from Xing Huo. That would have been good enough. The time was too short.
Now, after just a few days, she felt completely transformed. What would she be capable of after two or three weeks? The thought of becoming a top-tier powerhouse brought an unstoppable smile to her face. She imagined how astonished the royalty and the strong individuals from the Night Watch organization would be when they saw her and the other exchange students, witnessing their progress.
Yes, they certainly would be! This was beyond imagination, something difficult to describe convincingly through words alone. That's why she hadn't said much in her letters, and neither had the others. Instead of spending a lot of time explaining, only for people back home to remain half-skeptical, it would be better to wait until they returned and let their achievements speak for themselves. It wouldn't be long anyway.
Besides, they didn't have time for lengthy explanations. It was better to spend that time training harder, or if not training, then learning something else! The key was not to waste time, for wasting time meant falling behind!
Anna had just finished her medicinal bath. The herbs were easing her physical fatigue and repairing muscle damage, but she still felt exhausted and her limbs were weak. It wasn't advisable to train at this point; proper rest was necessary to ensure she had enough energy for the day's training sessions tomorrow.
This was the designated rest time suggested by the training camp. But truly resting? That was impossible! Anna picked up her textbook: "Understanding Eldritch Beings from Scratch (Part 2)." That's right, they were already on their second textbook. They had only attended a few classes previously, so the instructor had only covered the essentials, leaving the rest to self-study. This textbook was much the same. If too much time was wasted, they wouldn't be able to complete their coursework!
Once she had absorbed all this knowledge and brought it back to teach the Awakened in the Sunset Kingdom, the entire Night Watch organization there would undergo a massive transformation. "There are also textbooks like 'Mystery and Awakening,' 'Application of Abilities,' and 'Viewing the World from a Mystical Perspective,' among others. They are all so detailed!" The book "Mystery and Awakening" alone cited numerous awakening experiences of Xing Huo's strong individuals, reputedly written by those top-tier super-experts themselves. Stronger individuals than Instructor Shi Yunxi. There was Chief Instructor Black Blade, Miss An, Physician Silver Bell, and others. At this moment, Anna's mind was solely focused on learning and training, yet she regretted not having the chance to meet these figures in person. And what about the legendary, mysterious, and great Xing Huo Mentor?
"The lecturer said that most of these textbooks were compiled by that Mentor. They simply explain the world shrouded in mystery, peeling back the veil of the mystical world layer by layer." "The Mentor must be an incredibly great and learned individual." She had heard that the Mentor appeared young, but her mind couldn't help but envision an elder with white hair, or perhaps a middle-aged person with endless weariness in their eyes. Ah, what a shame! These were all just her imagination. She truly wished she could meet the Mentor! She wondered if she would have any opportunity during her time at the training camp. She hoped so, no, she *had* to! Otherwise, once she left the camp, she'd never get the chance! Anna pursed her lips and opened the textbook. Soon, the only sounds in the dormitory were the rustling of pages and the scratching of pens.
...
The next day, Anna quickly finished her morning routine, changed into training clothes that flattered her figure, grabbed her backpack filled with textbooks, and pushed open the door. After exchanging brief greetings with other students she encountered, she made her way to the dining area in the dormitory section. She picked up fried eggs, bacon, toast, and a couple of fruits. Time to eat! She quickly finished her breakfast, wiped her mouth with a napkin, disposed of the trash, and turned to leave the eatery. A new day had begun!
On her way, she saw many male and female students walking while eating, their mouths stuffed full. Anna's expression grew serious. She didn't do that. Finishing her breakfast properly was her last vestige of elegance, but she had to make up for the few extra minutes this took. Anna hurried towards the platform, heading for today's class venue. The location for the first class was quite remote.
"And it's a new course, an advanced version of the Eldritch Being Recognition class. Older students say we can personally face Eldritch Beings to hone our resistance to sanity impact, and also, outstanding students can even spar with them." She was determined to seize such an opportunity. She rarely had the chance to confront Eldritch Beings; at most, she sparred with the Awakened from the royal family. But how were the Eldritch Beings for the class obtained? Did Xing Huo's strong individuals capture them personally?
Anna thought so, until she followed her instructor to a peculiar pond. The water was pitch black, yet it didn't feel lifeless. It flowed as if leading to the underworld. While she was still puzzled and wondering, she saw Instructor Shi Yunxi pull out a fishing rod from somewhere... Wait, a pond, a fishing rod? She was actually casting the line into the pond! The bait sank, and after only a few seconds, the line began to tremble. A fish had taken the bait. Shi Yunxi exerted force and pulled.
Splash! The dark, silent water exploded, and a shadowy figure was yanked out of the water along with the fishing line. It was a humanoid monster over three meters tall, with a bloated physique, decaying flesh, and a ferocious face, yet it had a metallic sheen. It flew out of the black water and landed heavily on the ground, the dull thud echoing around. This... this was a Two-Star Eldritch Being, the 'Iron Fat Zombie'! Having read "Understanding Eldritch Beings from Scratch," Anna immediately recognized it, as its appearance was clearly depicted in their materials. No, that wasn't the point. Instructor Shi had actually fished an Eldritch Being out of this pond! Anna's eyes widened. The students' eyes widened. Even some of the older students who had already taken this class were amazed. It was always astonishing, no matter how many times they saw it. Oh, Instructor Shi was quite calm, as expected of an instructor!
...
Shi Yunxi looked at the Iron Fat Zombie before her. With a slight press of her slender palm, an invisible force targeting Eldritch Beings descended, enveloping the creature. It struggled briefly before calming down. Shi Yunxi used the fishing rod as a pointer, indicating to the stunned students that they could now observe it. It was no big deal to fish out a large creature; this Eldritch pond could even yield Calamity-grade Eldritch Beings. Back then, well, she had been a little surprised herself. The Mentor had taught her how to use the Eldritch pond. Depending on the bait used, different levels of Eldritch Beings could be fished out. On that occasion, the Mentor had used high-level bait. Initially, they had fished out several Three-Star Eldritch Beings, and then, by accident, a terrifying Calamity-grade Eldritch Being had been caught. As that colossal and ferocious head emerged from the black water, Shi Yunxi's heart nearly stopped. But before the Eldritch Being could fully emerge, it... it was crushed by a giant lightning hand formed by the Mentor, as if it were a mere insect. Recalling that scene, Shi Yunxi's thoughts drifted, lost in a daze.
"Cough, cough!" She snapped back to reality and carefully explained the characteristics of this Eldritch Being, while the students listened, enduring the sanity impact. Once the explanation was complete, Shi Yunxi released the "Eldritch Control" pressure on the creature. The next phase began. Combat! The Eldritch Soul Banner was constantly repaired, allowing students to take turns challenging it, fully utilizing the creature's value. After the Iron Fat Zombie fell, Shi Yunxi began the next round of fishing. Anna continuously honed her combat skills, standing out among many of her peers like a shining pearl. She had forgotten her initial goal, but now she pushed herself even harder. Even though she had received the most rewards among the exchange students, she dared not stop. Because so many of the students at Xing Huo's headquarters were incredibly strong! Many advanced courses required passing prerequisite exams before one could enroll. For instance, a very, very important course, "General Studies of the Eldritch Realm," required completion of several prerequisites to be eligible. That was an advanced course related to secret realms and Eldritch realms! Even with its high threshold, she was determined! Determined! To learn it and bring it back to her country!
...
In various training areas, countless students were sweating, exuding youth and vitality, representing humanity's unyielding legacy. Fang You gazed at them with a fatherly smile. He noticed one graceful figure whose movements were decisive, her power surging like raging flames. With ease, she defeated a Two-Star Eldritch Being. And she was only a First-level Awakened. "Anna is indeed a very talented girl. Among the students currently enrolled in the training camp, she ranks among the top three." "Talented, driven, and a quick learner, her future is full of promise." She might even become a leading figure in the Sunset Kingdom. Of course, that was the Sunset Kingdom's business. He only cared about the progress of these exchange students and how much they could bring back to their own countries. Knowledge of Eldritch Beings and Awakening knowledge – these were what they were meant to take back. This way, more Awakened could emerge on Blue Star, and more Eldritch Beings could be eradicated. "And the Materials Identification class – the knowledge from this course is of utmost importance. Only when exchange students bring this knowledge back, allowing the mystical departments of Sunset, Wave, and White Bear to understand more, can they collect more mystical materials." "The General Studies of the Eldritch Realm is also crucial. Sunset and White Bear are both countries with secret realms. Only when they learn how to harvest materials from the Eldritch Realm and gradually become prosperous can our Xing Huo's manufactured equipment and potions be sold, and can we earn more materials and Eldritch Crystals." This was one of Xing Huo's main plans at this stage. It was called: From Student Training to National Labor. Watching Anna and the other students diligently and arduously at work through his Apostle vision, Fang You – Xing Huo Mentor, Boss 007 – nodded with satisfaction. Xing Huo's vegetable patch was slowly becoming more abundant.