"I hope they finish quickly."

  At a cost of over fifty Spirit Crystals per hour, Kael felt the burn deep in his wallet. However, having given his word, he wasn't about to back out now. Besides, this was all part of fulfilling the System’s mission to help Cloud Mist City survive the coming Beast Tide crisis.

  Meanwhile, Shier made her way into the Combat Strength Training Room.

  Her first sight was a room full of people with bloodshot eyes, huddled over crystal spheres. Their mental states were clearly far from ideal. Although they knew that fighting in the Arena provided immense benefits for their combat techniques and battlefield awareness, the mental strain of constant defeat was starting to take its toll.

  If not for their sheer stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat, the members of the Blood Wolf Squad would have collapsed long ago. Even so, the air in the shop was thick with frustration. The occasional muffled shout of rage had become a trademark feature of the training room.

  As Shier walked down the aisles, she could see the battles unfolding within the crystal spheres.

  "Their opponents... their combat techniques are incredibly refined," Shier observed. After watching for a while, she began to understand the nature of the challenge.

  As a member of the Moon Spirit Cat tribe, Shier possessed an innate instinct for combat that was several levels above that of a human. This was her greatest advantage. However, even she felt a chill down her spine as she watched the performance of the four virtual opponents.

  The cunning of the Swordsman, appearing and vanishing like a ghost on the stage. The unstoppable momentum of the Spearman, a warrior who fought as if death were a mere afterthought. The composure of the Archmage, whose seamless magic chains and battlefield timing were nothing short of exquisite. The immovable presence of the Guardian Knight, standing like a mountain against all odds.

  Each of them possessed a mastery over their respective classes that was bordering on the divine. Their way of fighting was so perfect it bordered on despair-inducing for the challengers. And just as Shier expected, the results in the training room were a series of creative, one-sided beatdowns.

  The only ones faring slightly better were Tiger Hunt, Blood Wolf, and Fei Xue. Xiaoya and Lan Qing'er were currently huddled behind Fei Xue, watching her battle with rapt attention.

  "Sister Lan Ye was right," Fei Xue sighed deeply after being struck down yet again. "One battle on this stage is worth ten in the outside world, and you don't even have to worry about actually dying. But these opponents... their skills are simply otherworldly. I wonder what kind of grandmaster could have refined such alchemical artifacts."

  "True. To this day, I haven't heard of a single person successfully clearing a challenge," Lan Qing'er added. As an Archer, she was basically a sitting duck on such a small stage. Snipers weren't meant to trade blows in a phone booth.

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  "Actually, it's not that no one has succeeded," Blood Wolf interjected, his own phantom having just collapsed on his screen.

  As leaders of the three major mercenary groups in Cloud Mist City, Blood Wolf and the Lanye Squad were quite familiar with each other. Hearing Lan Qing'er's comment, he couldn't help but chime in.

  "Who?"

  Blood Wolf hadn't spoken loudly, but in the tense silence of the training room, his words hit like a thunderclap. Every person in the booths practically bolted upright. Several people were so distracted that they were instantly executed by their virtual opponents on the spot.

  "Someone actually beat those monsters?" "Who was it? I need to find them and request a duel!" Tiger Hunt barked, immediately looking over at Blood Wolf.

  "Does such a powerhouse exist among humans?" Shier’s interest was piqued as well. "No way..." Fei Xue whispered, finding it hard to believe.

  Everyone’s gaze shifted to Blood Wolf—especially his own squad members, who had been tormented by these virtual trials to the point of tears.

  "Wait, you guys really don't know?" Blood Wolf looked back at them with genuine surprise. "It was that Trash Boss, obviously."

  He had assumed everyone was aware. The memory of the time he and Ying Feng had tried to egg Kael into the Arena, only to be slapped in the face by Kael's magnificent performance and called "noobs," was still seared into his brain.

  "WHAT?!"

  The response was a chorus of shock even louder than before. Blood Wolf was the only one present who had actually witnessed Kael’s battle, but everyone else knew exactly how terrifying those four virtual monsters were. Aside from Shier, everyone there had been beaten to a pulp by them.

  "Blood Wolf, I know the Boss is strong," Tiger Hunt said, though he was clearly skeptical. "But if you're telling me his technique is that high... I find that hard to swallow." Tiger Hunt had immense confidence in the skills he had honed on the razor's edge of life and death.

  Shier agreed silently. No one doubted Kael’s raw power; Tiger Hunt and Shier had both seen him use magic before. But raw power didn't equal technical skill. Most people assumed Kael's "strength" came from a massive level advantage.

  "Sister Fei Xue, do you think the Manager could do it?" Xiaoya asked.

  "It’s unlikely," Fei Xue replied. "The Manager’s combat techniques certainly have their brilliant moments, but facing these opponents... I fear he would still fall short."

  Even though the Lanye Squad had seen Kael take on magical beasts alone, they found it hard to have confidence in him after experiencing the "god-tier" skill of the Arena opponents firsthand.

  Except for one little girl sitting next to a heavy shield.

  "Big brother can beat these people? Wow, he's so amazing!" Lan Zier’s eyes sparkled with tiny stars, believing Blood Wolf without a shred of doubt.

  "Zier, try to have at least a little skepticism," Lan Qing'er said helplessly.

  Blood Wolf ignored their doubts and continued, "I know what you're thinking. But I’m telling you, the most terrifying thing about that Trash Boss is that when he fights, he limits his attributes to the exact same level as his opponent."

  "YOU WHAT?!"

  Another wave of exclamations erupted. When these mercenaries fought, they fought with every ounce of strength they had—especially since the Arena opponents' stats were set to half of the challenger's highest attribute.

  But Kael had voluntarily suppressed his own stats to match them? What kind of freakish behavior was that?

  "That's impossible!" was the unanimous thought in the room.

  "Believe it or not, it's the truth," Blood Wolf shrugged. Feeling sufficiently rested, he placed his hands back on the crystal sphere's base.

  The crowd looked at one another, stunned.

  "Maybe... we should ask the Manager for a demonstration?" Xiaoya suggested.

  "I think that's a great idea," Lan Qing'er nodded in agreement.