C13 Forbidden Ground and the Ecology of the Giant Beasts

By the time the Mech Common Knowledge class ended, it was already noon. Luo Yan made his way to the cafeteria, got his meal, and settled at an empty table to eat. His pace was slow, a habit formed from years of living on the surface where resources were scarce and meals were infrequent. The pangs of hunger had taught him not to eat too quickly, and even now, with appetizing food available, he couldn't rush his meals.

"May I sit here?" a voice interrupted.

Luo Yan looked up to see his classmate, Lee Bohang, who, without waiting for an answer, took a seat across from him. The tall, lean, and neat-looking young man extended his hand.

"Can we be friends?" he asked.

Luo Yan gave him a brief glance and continued eating. Undeterred, Lee Bohang smiled and said, "I really admire your bravery, whether it's taking on the tick alone or conquering the Death Arena."

"I'm even more impressed by your three years of survival on the surface. That must have been incredibly tough. I doubt I could've lasted a year. You're truly remarkable."

Luo Yan paused momentarily before resuming his meal. Lee Bohang continued, "I get the feeling you're not keen on making friends. The first time I saw you, I could tell you were someone who prefers their own company and trusts themselves above all."

"However, if you aim to be a pilot or a Warcaster, you'll need friends. Warcasters usually operate in small teams during missions. With three to four mechs working together, success hinges on teamwork and trust."

Luo Yan listened without showing any reaction. He wasn't about to befriend Lee Bohang just because of a few persuasive words. Friends were a luxury he couldn't afford, especially when a so-called friend had left him with a scar on his chest.

Lee Bohang chuckled and began eating. Between bites, he offered, "Here's a piece of advice for you. When exchanging for cultivation resources, avoid the 'Cloud Water Serum.' It's a concoction meant for intermediate and advanced cultivation techniques."

"Secondly, each one requires five credits."

"Thirdly, its effectiveness is only about 20% better than that of the 'Tranquilizer'."

"The 'Tranquilizer' is still useful even when you reach the intermediate level of cultivation. You can wait to switch to the 'Cloud Water Serum' when you advance to the higher levels."

"Most importantly, the 'Tranquilizer' only costs one credit. It's affordable and effective."

Having finished speaking, Lee Bohang quietly ate the rest of his meal, then packed up. "I need to head out. I have a combat class this afternoon and need to get ready."

As he turned to leave, he heard Luo Yan's soft voice, "Thank you."

Lee Bohang looked back and smiled, "Don't mention it."

Luo Yan's gratitude wasn't just for show.

He believed in acknowledging kindness, whether or not he took the advice.

It was a matter of principle.

After Lee Bohang departed, Luo Yan finished his last bite and was about to leave when someone approached him, giving him a once-over and chuckling, "Are you the new student Di Zheng recommended?"

Luo Yan looked up and replied coolly, "Two months from now, the Death Arena. If I'm still alive."

With that, he walked off.

The person stood there, dumbfounded, before calling out, "Hold on, is that really necessary?"

"I was just asking a question."

"I'm not looking to cause you any trouble."

"Don't just challenge people to a fight to the death."

"I'm not fighting!"

"I'd rather die than fight."

Luo Yan, hearing this, didn't stop his stride and left the cafeteria.

The person shook his head, muttering, "What a lunatic."

...

In no time at all, Luo Yan found himself in Dungeon City, having been at the academy for two weeks now.

During this time, he practiced the meditating and thinking skill for the first time under his mentor's guidance.

He was introduced to battle techniques and Profound Arts.

He participated in his first Conveyance Training...

So many firsts made these two weeks more thrilling than all eighteen years of his life before.

He also gained a deeper understanding of his unique eye technique.

For example, he now understood what the bright yellow aura and the numbers on himself and others signified. They represented the elementary force and its corresponding value. Moreover, Luo Yan could utilize his mutated eye technique to perceive the elementary force within the environment, discerning its distribution and density.

As for his practice in the meditating and thinking skill, he felt he was on the cusp of a breakthrough. Over the past two weeks, he had managed to infuse the elementary force throughout his limbs and torso. Now, only the area around his heart remained.

At that moment, in the training hall, Luo Yan picked up a bottle of tranquilizer with a pale green exterior. 'Tranquilizer!' In recent days, he had been pairing his cultivation with the tranquilizer to enhance his practice. The potion helped to steady his mind and improve his attunement with the elementary force, thus boosting the efficiency of his cultivation. Each bottle of tranquilizer cost just one credit.

After tallying up his expenses, Luo Yan realized he had spent well over ten credits. Coupled with the three credits from his first day and the twenty deducted due to the incident with Chen Yongsong, from the initial 98 credits he had upon enrollment, only 48 remained. Among his peers, very few could afford to use the tranquilizer with every cultivation session like Luo Yan. Most couldn't afford such luxury, and some even thought he was being wasteful with his credits. Luo Yan disagreed.

With the Death Arena match against Lo Beichen just two weeks away, and considering his opponent's superior resources, skimping on credits now would be absurd.

Centering his focus, Luo Yan took a deep breath, opened the tranquilizer, and brought it to his lips. Inhaling deeply, he consumed the entire contents of the bottle. He was immediately enveloped in a state of profound tranquility, acutely aware of the omnipresent elementary force in the air around him. Employing a specific breathing technique, he drew the elementary force into his body with the air, retaining the force while expelling the breath.

As time slipped by, beads of sweat the size of peas began to form on Luo Yan's forehead. They dampened his hair and traced the contours of his face, converging at his chin.

Droplets of sweat, the size of beans, began to form on Luo Yan's forehead.

They trickled down his face, following the contours of his skin, and dripped off his chin.

Luo Yan could feel his skin becoming tougher, fortified by the nourishment of the elementary force.

Additionally, a latent, stronger power within him was gradually surging to life.

This burgeoning force soon met resistance.

It was as though an invisible barrier had halted its progress.

Yet, it seethed and burst forth.

With a deep inhalation, Luo Yan drew in more of the elementary force from the world around him.

It converged with his burgeoning power.

In one fell swoop, he broke through!

The barrier shattered!

Abruptly, Luo Yan's body shook. His muscles, initially tense, slowly eased.

He experienced an ineffable sense of comfort.

Opening his eyes, he lifted his hands and observed the increasingly intricate patterns on his skin.

They resembled the texture of stone, exuding a sense of resilience.

Now he understood why Wei Fenghua had said that he would know when he had broken through.

It all made sense.

That day marked Luo Yan's breakthrough.

Beginner Level, Second Tier.

On his way back to the dormitory, Luo Yan overheard numerous students chatting.

"What Divine Treasury did you awaken?"

"Transformation: Violent Bear."

"And you?"

"Me? Oh, I'm Super Body: Iron Armor."

"That's quite handy."

Conversations like these were common.

Unlike Luo Yan, many freshmen had only begun practicing the meditating and thinking skill after enrolling.

Most had only awakened their Divine Treasury within the past couple of days.

However, individuals like Lo Beichen likely had a head start in their cultivation before even starting school.

Luo Yan was curious about what Divine Treasury Lo Beichen would awaken.

Suddenly, Luo Yan came to a halt.

Lo Beichen and a group of students approached from ahead.

One of the students, a fair-faced young man, scoffed and called out to Luo Yan, "Isn't that Luo?"

"Look at you, just back from the training hall, right?"

"Luo, you're quite the diligent one. How's it going? What level have you reached with the meditating and thinking skill?"

"Have you started on the Profound Arts yet?"

"The arena is only two weeks away."

"Don't get so scared you wet your pants in front of Brother Luo."

The students around Lo Beichen laughed in agreement as Luo Yan looked on at them, as if they were clowns.

Suddenly, Luo Yan's gaze turned blank.

He activated his Aura Pupil, a skill from his Divine Treasury, and took a closer look.

Lo Beichen's Vitality was at 173, and his elementary force stood at 124.

Luo Yan compared these figures to his own.

His Vitality had reached 207, and his elementary force had far surpassed his level at the time of enrollment, now at 149.

It was clear that Lo Beichen also possessed the strength of the Beginner Second Layer.

However, Luo Yan's cultivation of the Mountain and Sea Gazing, which stresses a strong foundation, meant that both his Vitality and elementary force were superior to his opponent's.

Luo Yan's attention then shifted back to the young man with the powdered face.

The red light within the grey-white glow, indicative of Vitality, appeared dim, and the yellow brilliance, signifying elementary force, was faint, almost non-existent.

The pink-faced youth seemed uneasy under Luo Yan's scrutiny, as if all his secrets had been laid bare.

Just as he was about to react, he noticed Lo Beichen had already moved on.

He hurriedly followed, shouldering past Luo Yan in an attempt to knock him aside.

Luo Yan stood his ground.

With a thud, it was the pink-faced young man who was sent reeling, ending up seated on the ground.

Luo Yan continued on without a sideways glance.

The following day was Friday.

The morning session was supposed to be Xiao Shi's general knowledge class, but instead, Wei Fenghua walked in.

Wei Fenghua cleared his throat and announced, "Next Monday, the Exploration Corps will embark on a mission to the No. 3 Forbidden Ground, Misty Canyon. It's a rare opportunity, and the academy has secured a chance for you to join them."

"This will be your opportunity to experience the Forbidden Ground firsthand and gain insight into the daily work of a Warcaster."

"Therefore, we won't have the general knowledge class today. Instead, I'll be sharing some important information about the Forbidden Ground."

Luo Yan perked up, eager to absorb every detail.

After Wei Fenghua wrote 'Forbidden Ground' on the blackboard, he began to explain, "The Forbidden Grounds are special areas formed after the 'Colossal Beast Calamity'."

"The size and scope of each Forbidden Ground vary, as do the types of colossal beasts and parasites found within them."

"The Forbidden Ground shares a common trait across its various regions."

"That is, each Forbidden Ground contains a 'giant beast ecology' vastly different from the external environment."

Lee Bohang raised his hand to ask, "Teacher, what exactly is a 'giant beast ecology'?"

Wai Fenghua gestured for Lee Bohang to lower his hand before continuing.

"The 'giant beast ecology' refers to the unique ecosystem that arises from the giant beasts within the Forbidden Ground."

"The specific nature of this 'giant beast ecology' is determined by the Hegemony Level giant beast residing in the Forbidden Ground."

"This is a guideline, not a rule set in stone."

"However, an area must contain a Hegemony Level giant beast for it to be considered a Forbidden Ground."

Luo Yan took a deep breath.

From the previous lesson on giant beasts, he had learned that the humans of Dungeon City categorize giant beasts into Low-rank, Middle-rank, and High-rank.

Above High-rank is the Hegemony Level, and even beyond that is the Nightmare Level.

The teacher's words hinted that there might be levels even higher than Nightmare Level.

Upon his arrival in Dungeon City, in the city where Luo Yan had lived for three years, he had already encountered the Low-rank leopard cat and the Middle-rank Taotie.

The leopard cat was one thing, but the Taotie was truly formidable.

And that was just a Middle-rank beast.

Luo Yan couldn't fathom the horror of the giant beasts at the Hegemony Level, let alone the Nightmare Level.

While the other students might not have Luo Yan's extensive experience, they were well-informed.

They were well aware of the dread inspired by Hegemony Level giant beasts.

The revelation that such creatures resided within the Forbidden Ground caused many students to reconsider their participation.

Wai Fenghua looked at the students reassuringly and said, "Rest assured."

"Hegemony Level giant beasts typically inhabit the deepest parts of the Forbidden Ground. During this expedition, the Exploration Corps will only venture into the relatively safe areas, so you won't encounter any Hegemony Level giant beasts."

"You won't encounter any Hegemony Level giant beasts."

"However, it's essential that you familiarize yourself with some details about Misty Canyon."

"The most crucial piece of information is about the Hegemony Level giant beast."

Wai Fenghua turned and briskly wrote on the blackboard.

Codename: Jiao (pronounced like 'joy')

Level: Hegemony Level 3

Type: Caterpillar

Characteristics: Fog Creation, Wind Generation, Illusions, Sonic Blast, Beast Mastery!

Weakness: Unknown

Clearing his throat, Wai Fenghua continued, "This Hegemony Level beast resembles a cat with three tails, and it possesses the abilities to generate wind and fog."

"As a result, the No. 3 Forbidden Ground is shrouded in mist year-round, which has led to the development of a unique ecosystem."

Moving on.

Wai Fenghua then detailed the giant beasts and parasite swarms that had been discovered within Misty Canyon.

He also covered the various flora and fauna within the Forbidden Ground and highlighted areas to be cautious of.

And just like that, the morning went by.