[TIME REMAINING: 17 HOURS 15 MINUTES]
"Weird."
Chen Guang muttered to himself as he walked, his eyes fixed on the system screen floating before him.
"If I make it through today, the mission's complete... Don't tell me this thing only sounds dangerous, but is actually easy?"
[WARNING: FAILURE MEANS DEATH]
His finger slowly traced every single word in the mission description. He reread it over and over again, even sounding out some parts under his breath.
"There's definitely no mistake... or am I misunderstanding something?"
Chen Guang frowned, his gaze still glued to the system.
"There's no way it'd be this easy. This thing nearly got me killed several times already."
He shook his head hard.
Something about this mission felt wrong.
"Big brother, if you suddenly feel uncomfortable somewhere, leave immediately, okay?"
Ling's voice echoed in his mind.
Chen Guang glanced down.
His fingers were shaking slightly.
Honk—
Honk honk—
HOOOOONNNKKKKK.
The deafening blare of a horn made him jump violently.
"Are you fucking suicidal, idiot?!"
A furious shout came from the car right beside him. It had nearly slammed straight into him just moments ago.
"S-Sorry, sorry... I wasn't paying attention..."
Chen Guang hurried onto the sidewalk, his face pale as he bowed repeatedly.
"You better pay for the emotional damage, asshole."
"What emotional damage? I didn't even do anything. Besides, I already apologized—"
"What the hell is an apology gonna do?"
The man slammed his palm against the car door.
"I want compensation."
"Why are you apologizing to him? The light's red."
An old voice spoke up behind him.
An old man with a cane slowly walked over from nowhere and lightly patted Chen Guang on the back.
Chen Guang looked up.
"Huh?"
The traffic light was still red.
Only the pedestrian light was green.
Tch. I almost got myself killed over nothing.
Suppressing his irritation, Chen Guang turned toward the driver and knocked on the car window.
"Hey, weren't you the one running the red light?"
"The fuck did you just say to me? You wanna get beaten up?"
"What are you talking about? You were obviously in the wrong. The light was red and you still drove like a maniac."
"What did you say? Say it again."
The man shoved open the car door and stepped out, eyes bloodshot, a shiny baseball bat in his hand.
"I'm not arguing with you."
The moment he saw the weapon, Chen Guang shook his head slightly and turned to leave.
"Who said you could leave?! You talk shit to me and think you can just walk away?!"
The man roared as he swung the bat straight toward Chen Guang's head.
"You're the one who started this—"
Clang.
Thud.
Two sounds rang out at the same time.
Chen Guang's fist stopped against an old, wrinkled hand.
The bat stopped.
A wooden cane stood between them.
When did he—? I didn't even see him move.
The traffic noise faded for a moment.
"You old bastard, minding other people's business? Want me to smash your—"
Before he could finish, the old man lightly pushed forward with his cane.
The thug immediately lost balance and crashed face-first onto the hood of his own car.
Clang. Clang.
The old man lightly tapped the hood with the tip of his cane.
"The light's about to turn green. You should get going."
His voice remained calm, yet strangely firm.
The thug took a step back.
"You bastards better wait for me. I won't let this slide."
The thug clicked his tongue and jumped back into the car.
A second later, the tires screeched against the road.
Chen Guang watched the car disappear into the distance.
Tch. The bastard ran fast.
"Young people these days are way too impulsive."
The old man sighed softly and shook his head.
Chen Guang glanced at the old man's hand.
"Sir, your hand..."
"Oh, I'm fine. Though honestly, it's rare to see young people as strong as you nowadays."
The old man placed one hand behind his back and smiled kindly.
"I work out..."
Chen Guang rubbed the back of his neck.
"Just a little."
"Well then, if there's nothing else, you should get going."
"Sir, at least let me repay—"
"If fate allows it, we'll meet again."
Before Chen Guang could finish speaking, the old man waved his hand and quickly disappeared into the rushing crowd.
Hm? What's that?
A faint glimmer caught Chen Guang's eye.
"A stone? Did that old man drop it earlier?"
He looked around, but the old man had vanished completely.
How is someone that old so fast?
The moment his fingers touched the stone, his arm jerked slightly.
"What the..."
The stone felt warm.
Warmth seeped into his palm.
Almost alive.
[TIME REMAINING: 17 HOURS 09 MINUTES]
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
[TIME REMAINING: 17 HOURS 10 MINUTES]
"Huh?! What the hell just happened?"
He rubbed his eyes violently.
Did the countdown just... rewind?
Did I see that wrong?
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
"Shit, I'm almost late. Gotta hurry."
Once I see that old man again, I'll return it... or maybe hand it over to the police?
After hesitating for a moment, he slipped the stone into his pocket and quickly crossed the street.
Meanwhile...
"Damn, this'll be expensive. Ten million."
"What the hell? I only came to change the oil! What do you mean ten million?!"
"You seriously don't know what you hit?"
"The hell you mean?"
The mechanic sneered and pointed toward the front of the car.
The thug walked over.
"What the fuck?!"
There was a deep hole punched straight through the hood of the car.
The metal around it had completely caved in.
"You've got a lot of custom parts on this thing, huh? Stuff like this is hard to replace nowadays. Ten million's already cheap."
The mechanic wiped his hands before taking a sip of coffee.
"And this is solid reinforced metal too. Pretty expensive stuff."
He crouched down and lightly knocked on the hood, producing a crisp metallic ring.
"How the fuck? I don't remember hitting anything."
The thug desperately tried to recall what happened.
The hole was round.
Too round.
"Don't tell me it was that old man?"
The thug stared at the hole.
Then at the bat in his hand.
"Shit."
Silence.
A long breath escaped his mouth.
"Fuck!"
He glanced at the massive dent again.
The more he looked at the dent, the colder his scalp felt.
*****
"Alright, continue training. Today, we'll be practicing with weapons."
The classroom gradually fell silent the moment Sun Feng spoke.
"I'll need someone to demonstrate with me. Any volunteers?"
Her gaze swept across the class.
The ones who had looked excited yesterday suddenly avoided eye contact.
Hmm, they all seem scared.
Chen Guang glanced around before letting out a bitter smile.
My body still hurts from yesterday, but this might be worth a shot.
His hand slowly clenched as the thought of volunteering surfaced in his mind.
"M-Me! I want to do it!"
A hand shot into the air, followed by a bright, energetic voice.
"Mimi, are you sure? She's really strong. She won't hold back."
Chen Guang whispered to the girl beside him.
"It's okay. I want to test myself too. The Portal is way more dangerous than this anyway."
Mimi smiled before quickly stepping forward.
Looks like I still have a lot to learn.
Chen Guang chuckled softly as he watched her back disappear into the training area.
"Choose the weapon you're most comfortable with."
Sun Feng pointed toward a nearby rack filled with every weapon imaginable, swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, all made entirely of wood.
"What should I pick? Hmm… what should I pick?"
Mimi moved from weapon to weapon, eyes practically glowing.
"This one."
In her hand was a short dagger, barely twenty centimeters long.
A weapon meant for close combat.
Chen Guang blinked.
Why a dagger? There's no way she's good at close-range fighting, right?
"Are you sure? Daggers are close-combat weapons. You need to get right up to your opponent for them to work effectively."
Sun Feng slightly raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure. I don't know why, but it feels really natural in my hand. Moving with it feels easy too."
Mimi flipped the dagger once in her hand.
Smooth. Just way too smooth for a beginner.
"This girl…"
Sun Feng narrowed her eyes slightly.
That feels familiar.
The corner of Chen Guang's mouth lifted faintly.
Sun Feng's eyes narrowed further.
Unlike Sun Feng, Chen Guang didn't look surprised at all.
"Alright then. I'll use a dagger too, to keep things fair."
Sun Feng walked over to the rack and picked up a wooden dagger similar to Mimi's.
The two stepped onto the training platform together.
"Remember this well. Your strongest weapon is the one that suits you best."
The moment Sun Feng finished speaking, she suddenly lunged forward, her eyes locked onto Mimi's throat.
Clack.
Mimi calmly raised her dagger and blocked the attack, the sound of wood colliding echoing through the room.
Then, with a slight twist of her wrist, she knocked Sun Feng's dagger aside and forced her back half a step.
"She's… actually good?"
Chen Guang could barely follow the exchange.
A few students immediately burst into excited shouts.
Others couldn't even process what they had just seen.
"Daggers are short-range weapons. To use them effectively, you have to get close."
Sun Feng spun the dagger in her hand before reversing her grip.
"Daggers aren't for trading blows. One clean hit is enough."
She continued speaking.
Then suddenly vanished behind Mimi, moving faster than the eye could follow.
Mimi tilted her head slightly to the left.
Sun Feng's blade missed completely.
"I win."
Mimi giggled.
The wooden dagger stopped just below Sun Feng's throat.
Her movements are still rough… but they're surprisingly similar to hers.
Linlin's figure flashed through Chen Guang's mind.
"No matter your class, if you can't read your opponent's weaknesses, you'll die."
Sun Feng stepped back lightly.
"If you can disarm your opponent, your chances of winning rise dramatically. High-ranked monsters inside Portals often wield weapons too… and they're terrifyingly strong."
The moment she finished speaking, Sun Feng blurred forward.
Mimi's dagger flew out of her hand before anyone realized what happened.
"If you rely too much on your weapon, you'll fall apart the moment you lose it."
She caught the falling dagger midair and handed it back to Mimi before raising her voice.
"Any questions?"
She turned toward the class, who were all staring wide-eyed at her movements.
I could… actually follow part of her movement.
Chen Guang took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
"So does that mean we shouldn't use weapons too much?"
A hand rose into the air.
"It's not that you shouldn't use them. You just need to know your limits. Train your body—your body is your true weapon."
"What if someone uses guns or bows, but suddenly can't use them anymore?"
"You lose your gun and just wait to die? Run. Run as far as you can until you find another weapon."
"Again, what's the most important thing inside a Portal?"
"SURVIVAL!!"
The entire class shouted in unison.
"Correct. I don't care if people call us cowards or weaklings. As long as we survive, that's enough. You only have one life, so value it."
Sun Feng nodded before sweeping her gaze across the room once more.
"Now split into groups. Choose the weapon that suits you best, then we'll begin combat training against simulated monsters."
Sun Feng blew her whistle, and the entire class rushed toward the weapon rack.
"What should I choose...?"
Chen Guang muttered while staring at the weapon rack.
"I've never even held a weapon before. The only reason I survived until now was because of these fists."
He looked down at his rough hands before slowly clenching them.
"Then this is probably the best fit for me."
His eyes landed on an old pair of iron gauntlets covered in scratches.
Despite years of wear, the metal still looked sturdy—he could even smell the faint scent of iron coming from them.
"That's quite an unusual choice. I didn't expect you to pick gauntlets."
Sun Feng suddenly appeared behind him out of nowhere, a half-empty bottle of water still in her hand.
"Don't just appear out of nowhere like that. You'll scare people to death."
Chen Guang slipped the gauntlets on without even turning around.
"Oh? So you're not scared?"
"At first, yeah... but I guess I'm getting used to it now."
Chen Guang laughed awkwardly.
"Gauntlets are strange weapons. They can protect you and attack at the same time."
Sun Feng lowered her gaze toward his hands.
"I wouldn't know. This is the first time I've ever touched a weapon."
He flexed his fingers slightly, causing the old metal to creak from years of neglect.
"At least daggers are more flexible. Choosing gauntlets like that... you must be pretty confident in your own strength."
Sun Feng raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
She's trying to bait me.
Chen Guang glanced sideways at her as sweat slowly formed on his forehead.
"I just feel like they suit me somehow. I can't really explain it."
He scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
Sun Feng said nothing. She simply stared at him for a moment before turning around and walking away.
"She's seriously intimidating..."
Chen Guang let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Crackle.
Crackle crackle.
"Hm? What's that smell?"
A strange scent suddenly drifted into his nose.
He looked around, but nothing seemed unusual except—
An ant crawled across the back of his hand.
"Your Majesty, dan—"
Crackle.
The ant suddenly twitched violently before burning black.
"That burnt smell... just like before?"
Chen Guang looked toward Sun Feng, who was already quite far away now.
Don't tell me she can actually...
Before he could finish the thought, another voice echoed directly inside his head.
"Your Majesty, get away from there immediately!!"
Before his brain could even process the warning, his body instinctively leaped backward.
Crackle crackle.
Crackle crackle crackle.
Ants beneath his feet curled up one after another, their tiny bodies turning black.
"What the hell is happening?"
Right beside the spot where he had been standing moments ago, a strange light suddenly appeared.
Countless strands of light twisted together, forming a floating circle in midair. The surrounding air trembled and began to distort.
A cracking sound echoed through the room.
"A D-Rank... Portal?"
Chen Guang stared in disbelief at the purple vortex crackling with electricity—the exact place where he had been standing just seconds earlier.
"How did a Portal suddenly appear here?"
At the same time, others had already noticed it too.
"A purple Portal... that's D-Rank!"
"Alright, everyone stay calm."
Sun Feng clapped her hands and calmly walked toward the floating circle.
"For it to appear right now... this can't be a coincidence, can it?"
Chen Guang muttered under his breath.
Ting.
A cold metallic sound rang inside his ears.
"That sound... don't tell me—"
Before he could finish speaking, the system screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[MANDATORY SIDE QUEST: CLOSE THE PORTAL]
[REWARD: BASED ON THE PORTAL'S DANGER LEVEL]
[SUPPORT SKILL PROVIDED: INSIGHT]
[INSIGHT ALLOWS THE HOST TO SEE THE TARGET'S BASIC STATS]
[NOTICE: THIS SKILL CAN ONLY BE USED INSIDE THE MISSION PORTAL]
[PENALTY: FAILURE WILL RESULT IN THE "SURVIVE THE TRAINING SESSION" QUEST BEING CONSIDERED FAILED]
"It's forcing me to enter?!"
Chen Guang's legs trembled uncontrollably as his eyes repeatedly locked onto the final line.
[MANDATORY QUEST: SURVIVE THE TRAINING SESSION WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT]
[TIME REMAINING: 12 HOURS 43 MINUTES]
The countdown continued ticking away.
Chen Guang clenched his fists so hard the old iron gauntlets let out a sharp metallic creak.
"Then what the hell is this countdown even for anymore?!"