Chapter 16 - Tactics

The combat training continued from morning until the afternoon.

Over a hundred trainees showcased the fruits of months and months of labor. Some of them were excited, and others tasted disappointment. Each combat ranking was recorded in their scores. Though it didn't have too much of an impact in the overall evaluation, it was a chance to demonstrate progress, validate training outcomes, and build confidence.

Cassius found the practical combat ranking to be easier than before. He barely broke a sweat in the matches he won and ended up ranking twenty-fifth.

He, of course, intentionally held back, following Instructor Lisa's advice perfectly in aiming between twenty and thirty in the rankings; he ended up exactly in the middle.

His opponents were somewhat baffled by their victories against him.

No one wanted to do poorly, especially when they were perfectly capable of performing well. At the end of the training camp, their overall scores would be tallied, and only the top fifty would become official disciples of the Wind Elephant Sect. Those who didn't make the cut would be eliminated. The top ten even had the chance to be accepted as disciples by the Wind Elephant Sect's fist specialists, a significant advantage over the remaining forty.

However, Cassius didn't have to worry. Half a month ago, Instructor Lisa had already affirmed that she wanted him as her disciple. Once the training camp ended, his dream of becoming her disciple would turn into reality.

Compared to an instructor whom he's never met before, which meant he didn't know their character and temperament, Lisa, whom he knew very well, was a much better fit. Moreover, Instructor Lisa had been teaching Cassius for a long time, and was essentially already his master.

Cassius knew exactly what needed to be done.

Nothing was more important to him than addressing the crisis that was happening in the real world. During his time here, Lisa was the obvious choice in helping Cassius achieve this goal. To be more exact,there was no other option!

As usual, the combat ranking results were announced around two in the afternoon. The training camp granted a rare few hours off because of it. Before long, the training field was deserted.

In a corner, Li Chu excitedly shared her joy with Li Wei. She managed to rank forty-eighth this time. She had improved by twenty places since last time!

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Cassius naturally encouraged her, advised her not to slack off, to continue working hard, and urged her to ensure she remained within the top forty, as being in the bottom ten would be too risky.

After chatting for a while, Li Chu took her leave. Cassius then began training diligently in a corner of the training field.

This was how he was capable of ranking in the training camp's top ten. He worked doubly hard, and he had no shortage of cultivation talent either. Sweat and talent combined made such results inevitable.

After a while, Cassius stopped training and looked at the golden pendant symbol in the top right corner of his vision. The Time Scale representing the time he had left hadn't increased. He knew why: there was a limit to fulfilling the original obsession of the owner Li Wei.

In the past three months, Cassius had extended his time here by sixty days, which meant he could stay for a total of six months. Three months had already gone by, but there were still three more to go.

In the original ending, a humiliated Li Chu had committed suicide and the culprit had never been caught. The cowardly Li Wei lived the rest of his days in fear and shame.

But Cassius chose to do the opposite. When Li Chu wanted to commit suicide, he saved her. He not only treated her well but he also helped trained her so that she could join the Wind Elephant Sect.

As for Finn, the culprit who was still walking free? Cassius would just beat him up so many times that he would automatically turn tail and run the moment he saw Li Wei!

Cowardly? Fearful? Seen as a wimp in everyone's eyes? He would step up and rip off the label that had been forced on him. He would be bold and show grit. Everyone would respect him! He would much rather paint himself as a martial arts fanatic than a coward.

Because he managed to fulfill that part of Li Wei's obsession, Cassius gained an extra sixty days. But that number hadn't increase since then.

Even with a mature adult soul, it hadn't been easy for Cassius to reach that point. He had been acting in the beginning but it had gradually turned into a personal habit of his. That bold demeanor and fierce determination to fight five opponents by himself seemed to have unconsciously changed Cassius.

Fragmented thoughts flashed through his mind.

Maybe the madman isn't Li Wei, but it's actually me...

His thoughts shifted, and he opened his eyes again. As he exhaled deeply, his mind suddenly cleared again.

[Combat Technique (Advanced): 42.1%]

[Martial Stance (Part Two): 41.3%]

[Explosive Technique (Speed): 50.5%]

[Explosive Technique (Power): 43.7%]

He still had a long road ahead of him to fully master Basic Combat Arts!

***

The trainees at the youth training camp could distinctly feel the change of seasons between September to November. Although no snow fell, the weather gradually turned colder, and the leaves slowly yellowed and drifted down. The trainees unconsciously began wearing more clothes.

During that time, nothing major happened, and all the trainees continued their training as usual. Li Chu made significant progress under Cassius's training, consistently ranking around the fortieth place in each practical combat session.

Cassius had also been helping Jojo, whom he had a good relationship with. Every afternoon, during their practical sparring sessions, he would have a few bouts with Jojo, then Cassius would explain some essential combat principles afterward.

Unfortunately, talent truly was a key factor. Some people were quick studies and could master the Combat Techniques promptly, while others struggled for three to five days. Jojo wasn’t lacking in diligence or willingness to learn, but his progress didn’t match the effort he put in. In each practical combat session, his rank hovered around the eighties or nineties. He had been near the bottom, somewhere in the nineties, before, but after Cassius's guidance, he moved up to the eighties and remained there.

However, after two months of hard work, that was the extent of his progress.

Creak.

Cassius pushed open the dormitory door, revealing a world swathed in silver. A light layer of snow covered the ground, rooftops, and branches, making the distant flowers appear even more vividly red. He stretched out his hand and caught a crystal-clear snowflake in his palm. Within moments, it melted into a drop of water.

"

Huu...

" Cassius exhaled a long breath, the air turning white from the cold.

It's already November. Five months gone. Twenty days left.

He took a few steps forward, and the snow beneath his feet crunched softly. The road was slightly slippery but Cassius walked with steady steps.

Whoosh!

He heard something coming from behind him. With his keen senses, Cassius spun around and reached out to catch a fist-sized snowball. loose snow falling as a chill ran through his hand.

He looked up to find Li Chu smiling and waving at him. "Stop looking all serious and teacher-like! Come on, let's have a snowball fight!"

Do I really look that serious?

Cassius subconsciously touched his chin, noting that there wasn’t even a hint of stubble.

"Training is starting soon, maybe next time," he said. He took a few steps forward, then suddenly hurled the snowball in his hand.

It hit Li Chu squarely. "Ouch!"

She shook the snow from her hair and then chased after him. "Alright, Li Wei. How dare you ambush your sister! Stop right there!"

"That wasn't an ambush; it’s called tactics."

"And you still have the guts to argue back!"

Two sets of small footprints, imprinted in the snow, stretched into the distance.