Reston had slept deeply, from 7 PM the previous evening until 7 AM the next day. When he woke, he realized his cultivation had already reached the 14th tier, and once again, he couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Cultivation of Eternal Slumber.
After washing up, he picked up his phone to chat with Jess.
"Jess, how have you been?" Reston asked, curious, since he hadn't spoken to Jess since entering the military district. His heart felt a little empty.
"I got directly recruited by Dragon Country University. Just by being a double-SSS awakener, haha!" Jess replied quickly on the other end. Hearing that Jess could attend the best university, Reston also felt happy for him.
"That's good," Reston replied vaguely, not sure what else to say. After that, he went to the canteen, asked the lady there for a few carrots, and sat down quietly at a table, munching away.
Suddenly, a boy walked up, snatched one of his carrots, and sneered.
"I heard you're the so-called new top genius of the district? Dare to face me in a duel?"
Reston, still chewing quietly, was startled when his carrot was suddenly taken. His surprise quickly turned to anger.
"Give me back my carrot!" Reston lunged for the boy's hand, but the boy simply stepped back and avoided it. Just then, the War God's Body passive activated—Reston suddenly surged forward again. The boy tried to dodge, but Reston's body was no longer entirely under his own control. He watched himself predict the boy's next move, his hand already waiting there. The boy was fast, pulling the carrot back in time, but Reston grabbed his shoulder instead, spun him around while he was off balance, and drove his knee up into the boy's stomach. Caught off guard, the boy loosened his grip, and Reston snatched back the carrot, taking a triumphant bite.
"How is this possible…How could you have such martial techniques?" The boy was bewildered. Hadn't Reston just arrived in the district three days ago? Being personally received by the Commander on his first day? Even he hadn't gotten that treatment back then!
"Hmph, serves you right for trying to steal my carrot." Reston smirked, chomping down again. Although it had been the War God's Body guiding his movements, that power was still very much part of his own strength.
"I don't accept this! That was just because of your physical technique. If you've got guts, face me again in the sparring arena!" the boy snapped, unwilling to concede. He believed he had only lost because of technique. He was a Martial Warrior at the 8th tier—there was no way he'd lose in terms of cultivation to a mere Body Tempering 7th tier!
"Why should I go fight you in the arena? I've only been cultivating for three days. Isn't this unfair?" Reston protested.
"If you win, I'll have carrots delivered to your room every single day!" the boy countered.
!!!!! Reston's eyes widened. The moment he heard that wager, he grabbed the boy and pulled him eagerly toward the arena.
"But if you lose, you'll hand over whatever the Commander gave you. Do you dare accept?" the boy added, ensuring Reston couldn't wriggle out of the bet.
"Deal!" Reston agreed instantly.
After all, he never believed he could lose.
....
At the arena—
"Look, that's Riven!"
"The strongest genius in the military district right now!"
"Why is Riven walking in with a girl?"
"What's he doing here? Who provoked him?"
As Riven stepped onto the arena floor, the crowd buzzed like they were watching some rare creature.
"See? That's my reputation. Haha. So, do you still want to fight? If not, just hand over whatever the Commander gave you," Riven said smugly. To him, the result was already guaranteed—Martial Warrior 8th tier against Body Tempering 7th tier? The outcome couldn't be clearer.
"Let's just start already! I can't wait for my carrot delivery service!" Reston's eyes lit up, already seeing a comfortable future ahead.
"As you wish!" Riven summoned forth a spear—his profession was that of an SSS-class Primordial Spear God, and every SSS-class profession came with its own companion weapon.
He lunged at Reston with speed. Reston instantly summoned the Skyrend Blade.
"Skyrend!" Reston roared, swinging down.
Riven hadn't expected such ferocity and quickly shifted to block with his spear. But the War God's blade was not so easily stopped.
*Crack!* Riven's spear snapped in half, and Reston's strike didn't stop there—it carved straight through, slashing Riven from his left shoulder diagonally down to his right waist.
Riven couldn't believe it. He had been taken out in a single move. He collapsed, bleeding heavily. Military medics stationed nearby rushed over, panicked, to treat him.
"Who is that guy…? He just one-shotted Riven?"
"You've got to be kidding me…"
"Three minutes. I want everything on that guy."
"Damn, I need a new idol!"
The spectators gasped in disbelief. Reston, on the other hand, was horrified. Seeing Riven's mangled body made his stomach churn, and he ran to the washbasin to throw up.
"How… I never meant to hurt him… Is Skyrend really that powerful?" Reston thought in shock. After wiping his mouth, he rushed to find Lin.
*Knock knock.* "Come in," Lin called.
"Hm? It's you? What's wrong? Did something go wrong with your cultivation?" Lin stood quickly when he saw Reston. But then he noticed blood on Reston's hoodie.
"Who?! Did someone bully you? Whose blood is this?" Lin demanded furiously, assuming someone had hurt Reston.
*Knock knock.* Another knock sounded. Lin quickly suppressed his anger.
"Lin Instructor, Riven was just one-shotted in the arena. His opponent was the newcomer Rest…" The soldier paused mid-report, spotting Reston standing right there.
"That's enough. I already understand. You're dismissed," Lin said calmly. He immediately pieced things together—so that's why Reston had come here. He hadn't expected such a surprise—on his third day after awakening, Reston had already slain Riven with a single strike. A year of cultivation, undone in a moment!
"Lin Instructor… Was what I did too much?" Reston asked quietly. Though already at Body Tempering 14th tier, he had only awakened three days ago. It was natural to feel unsettled.
"This world is survival of the fittest. You have no need to blame yourself. On the battlefield, you'll see far worse—shattered limbs, bodies blown apart, every kind of gruesome sight. But if you don't want to fight on the front lines, no one will force you." Lin's voice softened. He remembered his own early days, terrified by blood and gore, until he received psychological counseling to help him adapt quickly.
"I see…" Reston murmured. He really hadn't known. At the end of the day, he was just a sixteen-year-old student—Jess had always taken care of him, and he had never seen such horror before.
Afterward, Reston asked Lin whether the district had any martial techniques or blade skills. He didn't want to keep relying on Skyrend in duels, risking such devastating injuries every time.
"Yes. I'll take you there, and teach you how to pick the most suitable technique," Lin replied. He tossed Reston a bottle of water to calm himself, then led him onward.
....
On the library's third floor—
"This is the third floor of the library. Normally, you need to show identification to get in. It's to prevent unqualified staff from wandering in," Lin explained.
"I didn't think martial techniques would just be stored in a library… That's cool," Reston said in awe.
Lin continued explaining how to choose a technique.
"First, you need to know your own preferred fighting style. I like using my fists, so I cultivate things like the Arm of the Qilin and the Meteor Fist. These strengthen my power and give me a way to release that strength."
"I see… In that case, I don't really need strength-enhancing techniques right now. Just a blade skill will be enough…" Reston thought. Suddenly, his eyes caught on one.
"Thunderclap Blade: A blade technique that strikes with the speed and force of thunder."
"That's the one!" Reston thought excitedly. At least its starting power shouldn't be as overwhelming as Skyrend.
"Looks like you've found your choice. If you're set, let's register it," Lin said, leading him to the martial technique registration desk.
"Martial techniques can only be borrowed for three months. After that, you must return them. Fail to do so, and you'll be expelled from the district and marked wanted. Keep that in mind," the receptionist warned.
"Got it, thank you." Reston replied with a smile.
The receptionist found himself staring blankly at Reston's clear smile, only snapping out of it once Reston had left his sight.
"When did our district get someone like that…? That good-looking? And his voice… is he really a guy…?"
....
After parting with Lin, Reston returned to his room, showered, and tossed his hoodie into the military laundry, where special detergent could wash away blood and odor. Then he asked the system to tally his points for the day.
"Commencing calculation… Today you engaged in conversation and combat. System Points gained: 10,000."
Reston hadn't expected combat alone to earn him that much. Suddenly, he almost hoped that boy would come looking for him again.
"Thunderclap Blade, current level 0. Proficiency: Crude."
"Proficiency? This can level up too?" Reston muttered. He then dumped all 10,000 points into the Omni System, letting it decide the most effective outcome.
"Upgrading Thunderclap Blade… Upgrade complete. Remaining points: 100."
"Thunderclap Blade, Level 6. Proficiency: Mastered." Reston's eyes went wide. Just 10,000 points, and the technique had soared this high!
Afterward, he entered the district's martial technique testing platform. With the device on, his consciousness was projected into a virtual world—a recent invention of the Research Institute.
Inside, he tested the function. It could project a perfect copy of himself and equip it only with his current skills and weapons. He created a 100% duplicate and engaged it in battle.
"Thunderclap Blade!" Reston unleashed the technique. His projection countered every strike with perfect defense. But as the Thunderclap Blade grew faster and faster, the projection finally faltered. In the end, it failed to block the final strike and was cleanly split in two.
Reston himself staggered, panting from the strain. The later stages of the Thunderclap Blade demanded more strength than even he could comfortably wield. Still, he was elated. This was exactly what he wanted—modest starting power, but scaling stronger with every swing, perfect for long battles.
Grinning, he bit into another carrot, then dove back into the virtual world for more practice.