The next morning, as dawn broke.
All the students of Class 1-3 had gathered on time in their class's Martial Arts Room.
Unlike their usual free-form training, the atmosphere today was exceptionally solemn and grave.
The fifty-seven freshmen had all changed into black Combat Suits. They stood silently in their dormitory groups, awaiting their first practical combat class since the school year began.
The door to the Martial Arts Room slid open without a sound.
The figure of their homeroom teacher, Wu Shangfeng, appeared in the doorway.
The instant he stepped into the room, an overwhelming pressure, so powerful it was suffocating, washed over the entire space like an invisible tide.
He simply stood there calmly, but the air around him seemed to thicken. One could even see with the naked eye faint golden wisps of Spiritual Energy, like tiny electric arcs, flaring in and out of existence in the void around his body, creating a miniature tide of Spiritual Energy.
This pressure was a world apart from what they had felt when he spoke from the lectern previously.
Qin Feng's pupils constricted in that instant.
He finally realized that for the entire past month, the Wu Shangfeng they had seen was nothing more than a remotely controlled holographic projection, completely devoid of any Energy Fluctuation.
But the man standing here today was his true self.
A true powerhouse of unfathomable vitality.
Wu Shangfeng's gaze swept over every student present, feeling almost tangible. Everyone's breathing slowed involuntarily.
"Open your Subspace Network terminals."
His voice was low and authoritative, devoid of any emotion. "Add my ID: [Wu-003]."
The students immediately raised their wrists and followed his command.
Qin Feng also opened his Subspace panel and typed Wu Shangfeng's ID into the friend search bar.
[Request sent.]
[Your friend request to [Wu-003] has been approved.]
[Updating your affiliation information...]
On his personal panel, the information in the Area section changed.
[Area: Canaan Star System - Qiming Star - Qiming First Martial Arts High School - Class 1-3]
[Administrator: Wu Shangfeng]
"Very good."
Seeing that all the students had completed the task, Wu Shangfeng nodded. "From now on, your every action on the Subspace Network will be under my supervision."
He scanned the room and began to address the main topic of the day.
"Today is your first practical combat class. Now, listen carefully to every single word I say."
"In one hour, we will use the Subspace Transmission Network to teleport as a group to a mining planet codenamed [gamma-7] in a border region of the Empire. Our mission objective is to clear out an abandoned mining outpost on the planet's surface and annihilate all Alien Race life forms within it."
"The target species for this mission: Greenskins."
The moment the word "Greenskins" was spoken, complex expressions appeared on the faces of many students.
"Pay attention." Wu Shangfeng's voice suddenly turned cold.
"First, you will operate in your dormitory units. Your job is to cooperate and look out for each other. I don't want to see any form of individual heroism. That will only get you and your teammates killed faster."
"Second, according to our intel, the individual vitality metrics of the Alien Race life forms in the mission area do not exceed 10 points. In other words, their strength is on par with the standard physical attributes you're locked into in the arena. This is a training ground the school has carefully selected as the most suitable for rookies."
"Third, everyone must be equipped with melee weapons. The use of any type of Spiritual Energy Weapons, power armor, or weapons with a large area of effect is prohibited."
"Fourth, and this is the most important point."
Wu Shangfeng's gaze became as sharp as a blade. "Accepting missions from the Empire, traveling to the mission site via Subspace Teleportation, and executing your orders—this is the primary way you will earn resources after you leave this school. This is real combat, so... adjust your mindset."
"On the battlefield, maintain absolute composure. Only with extreme calm can a Martial Artist unleash their full potential. Any superfluous emotion is a deadly poison."
After Wu Shangfeng finished speaking, the entire Martial Arts Room fell into absolute silence.
The fifty-seven students—forty-one boys and sixteen girls—all held their breath.
Aside from Qin Feng's special three-person dorm, the other students, grouped by their standard four-person rooms, silently exchanged looks with their roommates.
"Now, go to the supply depot and retrieve your gear."
Wu Shangfeng waved his hand. "Level 1 Light Composite Armor and a Level 1 Standard Weapon. You have half an hour to get suited up. Use the remaining time to get into the right mindset and search the Subspace Network for all available data on the Greenskin race. Be fully prepared."
"Dismissed."
The words had barely left his mouth before the students sprang into action, hurrying toward the supply depot at the back of the room.
Qin Feng followed the crowd and received a fitted set of black light armor, along with a three-meter Standard Alloy Long Spear identical to the one he usually used for training.
He donned the armor, slung the Long Spear across his back, then returned to his seat and opened the Subspace Network's database.
He sat with Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian, and the three of them simultaneously typed the word "Greenskins" into the search bar.
A massive amount of data instantly flooded the screen.