NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Pioneering [Little Inferior Demon Camp]
"Mission completed. Time elapsed: 1 minute and 30 seconds. Clearance Rating: [Perfect]. Reward: 1.5 contribution points."
"First-time clearance of [Little Inferior Demon Camp] on Easy difficulty. First-Clear Reward: 2 contribution points."
"Congratulations, Junior Sergeant Fang Zhou. You are the 1st cadet in your grade to clear the [Little Inferior Demon Camp] on Easy difficulty. You have received the Grade First-Clear Ranking Reward of 5 contribution points and the Achievement Blessing: Simulation Battlefield Loot Drop Rate +1% (Cumulative: 2%)."
"Congratulations, Junior Sergeant Fang Zhou. You cleared [Little Inferior Demon Camp] on Easy difficulty in 1 minute and 30 seconds, placing you at No. 1 on the All-Time Speedrun Leaderboard. Your estimated reward for this month is 3 contribution points."
"Loot drop triggered. Acquired: [Apprentice Longsword] x1. Redeemable for 5 contribution points."
"You may challenge the Normal difficulty after a 5-minute waiting period."
A series of pleasant notifications chimed in Fang Zhou's ear, almost too many to process at once.
First in the grade to clear it!
Number one on the all-time speedrun leaderboard!
Fang Zhou nodded with satisfaction. Everything was proceeding as he had expected. After a solid month of effort to build such a luxurious attribute panel and skill combination, he refused to believe anyone could have been faster.
Tallying up his rewards, after deducting the ticket fee, his net profit was a solid 15.5 contribution points. Although it wasn't a huge amount, this was only the lowest difficulty dungeon, so Fang Zhou was quite pleased with his haul.
With five minutes of prep time remaining, he climbed out of the Simulation Pod and glanced around. The vast majority of first-year cadets were still fighting in the Simulation Battlefield. The Easy difficulty only featured a single Little Inferior Demon, which even started in a severely injured state. As long as a cadet's combat awareness wasn't completely terrible, most should be able to handle it.
Just as Fang Zhou was thinking this, a female cadet climbed out of a nearby Simulation Pod with a frustrated look on her face.
"What is this? It was a severely injured Little Inferior Demon, and I still couldn't even damage it! This is so unfair to us support professions!"
Well, this girl had obviously been eliminated by the Little Inferior Demon. Her capabilities were seriously concerning.
At that moment, the female cadet spotted Fang Zhou, and her eyes lit up. Phew, thank goodness. There's a handsome guy to keep me company at the bottom. At least I'm not the very first one out.
She coyly brushed back her hair, intending to strike up a conversation with Fang Zhou so they could lick their wounds together, when she suddenly saw him turn around and re-enter the Simulation Pod.
She froze. Aren't you supposed to be forcibly ejected from the Simulation Pod if you're eliminated? How can this handsome guy go back in?
Suddenly, a realization dawned on her, and she snapped her head up toward the large leaderboard screen.
"1st Place: Fang Zhou, Undead Mage, Middle Rank Apprentice (Projected strength suppressed to Lower Apprentice). Clear Time: 1 minute 30 seconds."
One minute and thirty seconds? How is that possible? The female cadet's face was a mask of disbelief. So that's what this is... a failure like me just ran into a true genius. The only difference was that the genius had a rapid clear in 1 minute and 30 seconds, while the failure had a rapid defeat in 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Wait, and what the hell is a Middle Rank Apprentice?! The female cadet was utterly baffled. Isn't Fang Zhou a first-year freshman just like me? How has he already broken through to Middle Rank Apprentice just a month after his Awakening?
「On the training field」
The handful of senior cadets responsible for maintaining order were also staring at the big screen with blank expressions. One minute and thirty seconds? Reaching Middle Rank Apprentice in a single month? Either of these two facts was difficult for them to believe.
After a long moment, the arrogant male cadet from before finally regained his senses and muttered subconsciously, "It's just Easy difficulty. He's just relying on having lots of Skeletons to tear down the camp quickly, right? If it were me, I could do it too!"
This time, however, no one else echoed his sentiment. The previous record holder on the all-time speedrun leaderboard was Wen Jiu, the Flame Dragon Knight. But she had the help of a young dragon, and even then, her record as a Lower Apprentice was only 2 minutes and 40 seconds. With such a huge gap, there was no point in making excuses.
「In the large conference room」
The instructors were also in the midst of a heated discussion. Fang Zhou clearing Easy difficulty with ease was within their expectations. But to do it in just 1 minute and 30 seconds was a bit too outrageous.
Su Xinyan carefully reviewed the recording of Fang Zhou's projected battle, nodding repeatedly in deep satisfaction.
"Fang Zhou's proficiency with the [Skeleton Flying Spear] skill must be extremely high! And look at the corrosion marks on the Little Inferior Demon's wounds. Could it be that he recently improved the Skeleton Flying Spear?"
Lu Hu added from the side, "The quantity and quality of the Skeletons Fang Zhou summoned have both reached the absolute limit for a Lower Apprentice. That's the only way he could have dismantled the Little Inferior Demon camp so quickly."
Chen Qingshan also shook his head and sighed in admiration, "He even broke the record of a prodigy like Wen Jiu. Truly, every generation produces its own great talents, each leading the way for an era."
「Back at the simulation pods」
At the 3-minute, 40-second mark, Ye Fan successfully cleared the trial. He climbed out of the simulation pod and immediately looked toward where Fang Zhou had been. Seeing that Fang Zhou hadn't emerged yet, he breathed a sigh of relief. Looks like the first-clear reward is mine!
He then raised his head to look at the big screen.
Fang Zhou's dazzling record instantly burned into his vision, and Ye Fan's expression changed drastically. One minute and thirty seconds? That's so much faster than me! How is that possible?! I'm a Demon Hunter! I deal extra damage to Abyssal Demons!
And, Middle Rank Apprentice?! Wasn't Fang Zhou still a Lower Apprentice just a few days ago when he was my sparring partner?
「Inside the Simulation Battlefield」
Ignoring the commotion he had caused, Fang Zhou had already spent 2 contribution points on a ticket and entered the Normal difficulty of the [Little Inferior Demon Camp].
After the familiar spell of dizziness passed, Fang Zhou found himself on the same grassy field. The same roar, the same dilapidated camp. The only difference was that this Little Inferior Demon was completely unharmed.
"Task: Kill the enraged Little Inferior Demon and destroy the Little Inferior Demon camp."
Reading the task description, Fang Zhou noted the difference. Before it was "severely injured," and now it's "enraged." It seems this Little Inferior Demon's combat power will be much greater than the last one's.
Other students might have tried to avoid its initial onslaught, using tactics and their wits to slowly wear down the irrational, enraged Little Inferior Demon.
However, Fang Zhou just smiled faintly. Why bother with all that trouble?
He waved his magic staff and let out a soft cry, "Skeleton Shackles!"
Several chains formed from bone shot out, instantly binding the Little Inferior Demon's limbs and wings. Caught completely off guard, the Little Inferior Demon, which had been in mid-charge toward Fang Zhou, tripped and fell flat on its face.
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Zhou's gaze sharpened. "Skeleton Flying Spear!"
With a sharp whistle of displaced air, a spear of bone flashed past in an instant, piercing through the Little Inferior Demon's skull.
However, this Little Inferior Demon's Life Energy was clearly far greater than the previous one's. Even with a vital spot struck, it still shrieked and tried to pull the spear out.
If one spear wasn't enough, he'd use two.
With a cold snort, Fang Zhou condensed another Skeleton Flying Spear, which whistled through the air and pierced the Little Inferior Demon's heart.
He then waved his magic staff repeatedly, unleashing the Summon Skeleton skill. Forty Skeletons acted as a demolition crew, quickly razing the dilapidated Little Inferior Demon camp to the ground.