The sound of people gagging echoed throughout the training ground.
"Ugh—!"
"Blech…"
Some trainees turned pale, while others clutched their stomachs desperately.
The reactions were especially intense among the female trainees. Several of them covered their mouths tightly, their faces turning green as they forced themselves to swallow the food in front of them.
The reason was simple.
The meal served today was deliberately disgusting.
It looked and smelled like something straight from a battlefield—raw, bloody, and unsettling.
Many trainees felt their stomachs churn violently after only one bite.
Yet the instructors stood nearby, watching silently.
No one dared to spit it out.
Among all the trainees, only two people maintained calm expressions the entire time.
Zhao Mu.
And Mo Guanguan.
While everyone else struggled, the two of them ate quietly, as if the meal were completely normal.
Not even a slight change appeared on their faces.
Soon, Zhao Mu finished the last bite of food in his lunchbox.
He tapped the metal container lightly.
Clang. Clang.
Then he stood up straight.
"Report!"
Instructor Zhang Biao raised an eyebrow.
His expression clearly said: Why is it you again?
Still, he spoke calmly.
"Speak."
Zhao Mu looked serious.
"Can I have another serving?"
The surrounding trainees froze.
Several people stared at him in disbelief.
Another serving?!
The food in front of them already felt like torture, yet Zhao Mu was asking for more.
Zhang Biao looked at Zhao Mu carefully.
Then a hint of approval flashed through his eyes.
"Approved."
Without hesitation, Zhao Mu walked over to the dining cart and took another portion.
Behind him, Meng Qiuqiu struggled to swallow another bite while speaking weakly.
"Xiao Mu… if you weren't full earlier…"
"I could have given you mine."
Beside her, Zhuo Yun looked even worse.
His face was pale as paper.
"You… can take mine too."
Even Lu Yan, who normally spoke little, looked at Zhao Mu with pleading eyes.
Zhao Mu glanced at the three of them calmly.
"Are you misunderstanding something?"
"This is part of the training."
He continued eating casually.
"Did you think I was eating it for you?"
The three of them looked miserable.
They exchanged glances before forcing themselves to continue eating.
Each bite was torture.
After every mouthful, they covered their mouths, afraid they might vomit.
But no one dared to spit it out.
Everyone understood the purpose of this test.
It was designed to prepare them for the horrors of the battlefield.
Blood.
Severed limbs.
Rotting corpses.
Compared to that, the meal in front of them was only the beginning.
And this certainly wouldn't be the last time they faced something like this.
Eventually, everyone managed to finish their food.
By the time the ordeal ended, the sky had already darkened.
Zhang Biao glanced at his watch before speaking.
"Boot Camp is over for today."
The announcement brought an immediate wave of relief.
Many trainees almost collapsed from exhaustion.
Some people even felt as though they had survived a terrible torture.
Zhao Mu opened the Ranking List on his communicator.
His eyes quickly scanned the numbers.
Rank 1 – Zhao Mu: 20 points
Directly behind him was Mo Guanguan.
Rank 2 – Mo Guanguan: 19.1 points
Third place belonged to a rugged-looking trainee named Zhu Meng.
Rank 3 – Zhu Meng
Meanwhile:
Zhuo Yun ranked 5th with 18.3 points
Lu Yan ranked 7th with 18.1 points
Meng Qiuqiu ranked 32nd with 16.3 points
As soon as the training ended, the exhausted trainees rushed back toward their dormitories.
They looked like a group of lifeless zombies.
All they wanted was to collapse into bed.
Or perhaps drink water and wash away the terrible taste still lingering in their mouths.
But Zhao Mu had no intention of returning to the dormitory.
Instead, he planned to visit the Engineering Department.
Yesterday, he had learned a great deal from Liang Gongchi.
If he could discuss drawing techniques with her again, his improvement would be much faster.
Practicing alone could increase proficiency.
But learning under the guidance of a master was far more efficient.
Just as he was about to leave, something unexpected happened.
The surrounding trainees suddenly turned their attention toward him.
Or more precisely—
Toward someone walking toward him.
A girl with two long ponytails.
It was Mo Guanguan.
She pushed through the crowd confidently and stopped directly in front of Zhao Mu.
Her sharp eyes were filled with competitive energy.
"You're Zhao Mu, right?"
She crossed her arms.
"I'm Mo Guanguan."
Her gaze was intense.
It was the look of someone examining a rival.
"Your performance today was excellent."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"I hope you can maintain that level."
Her voice grew sharper.
"Because I've decided to make you my goal."
"I will surpass you soon."
"So don't disappoint me too quickly."
Zhao Mu looked at the determined girl standing before him.
Then he smiled faintly.
"I'm afraid I might disappoint you."
Mo Guanguan raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because," Zhao Mu said calmly, "I won't give you the chance to surpass me."
For a moment, the air between them felt charged with tension.
Then Mo Guanguan laughed.
"Heh."
"We'll see."
She flicked her ponytail confidently before turning around and leaving.
Zhao Mu simply smiled.
After saying goodbye to Zhuo Yun and the others, he headed toward the Engineering Department.
Not far away, Shen Moran had witnessed the entire exchange.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
A strange expression flickered in her eyes.
After Mo Guanguan returned to her group, Shen Moran approached her with a friendly smile.
"Why bother competing with him?" she asked.
"He only has Rank E talent."
Her tone carried faint disdain.
"Wouldn't challenging someone like that lower the value of your Rank A talent?"
Mo Guanguan looked at her strangely.
"What's wrong with Rank E?"
Shen Moran was momentarily speechless.
To her, spiritual talent determined a person's potential.
High talent meant high potential.
Low talent meant limited growth.
Wasn't it natural to look down on weaker ability users?
But Mo Guanguan spoke seriously.
"Anyone stronger than me—even if they're only stronger in one aspect—is someone worth learning from."
She looked directly at Shen Moran.
"What does talent have to do with that?"
Shen Moran froze.
After a moment, she forced a smile.
"You're right."
But inside, she clearly didn't agree.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mu arrived at the Engineering Department.
The building looked the same as yesterday.
Many students were still lined up outside, waiting to take various technical assessments.
Zhao Mu greeted Gu Ningli briefly before walking inside.
In a quiet corner of the department, Liang Gongchi lay comfortably on a sofa.
She was flipping through a magazine lazily.
When she saw Zhao Mu enter, she raised an eyebrow.
"You're here again?"
"Didn't you just finish Boot Camp?"
She closed the magazine halfway.
"Even if you want to become a Jinhai Master quickly, you shouldn't push yourself too hard."
She shrugged slightly.
"If you can successfully draw a complete first-grade Spirit Rune Diagram Path within one month…"
"That would already be impressive."
Zhao Mu scratched his nose awkwardly.
"Um… Teacher Liang."
"I can already draw one."
Liang Gongchi froze.
"What?"
Zhao Mu continued calmly.
"The Spirit Rune Diagram Path for 'Unrestrained.'"
Clap.
The magazine fell to the floor.
Liang Gongchi's hands remained frozen in midair.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
The next second—
She jumped up from the sofa and rushed toward Zhao Mu.
Grabbing his shoulders tightly, she stared at him.
"You little brat!"
"Are you joking with me?!"
"You mastered a complete Spirit Rune Diagram Path in one day?!"
Zhao Mu blinked innocently.
"Is it… difficult?"
Liang Gongchi inhaled sharply.
For the first time in her life, she felt an overwhelming urge to beat a student.
Yesterday she had already witnessed Zhao Mu's talent.
That was why she estimated it would take him one month.
For ordinary people, it could take six months.
Because the first step was always the hardest.
Once someone mastered their first rune diagram, the rest became easier.
Yet Zhao Mu had completed the hardest step overnight.
And considering he had attended Boot Camp today—
It meant he had mastered it in less than one day.
Liang Gongchi stared at him for a long moment.
Then she pointed toward the workbench.
"Draw it."
Her voice was cold.
"Right now."
Zhao Mu nodded.
"Alright."
He walked over to the workbench.
First, he spread a sheet of drawing paper across the table.
Then he picked up the drawing pen.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the pattern of Unrestrained appeared in the air as a projection.
Liang Gongchi stood behind him with her hands behind her back.
Zhao Mu lowered his pen.
Then began drawing.
His movements were smooth and precise.
In many moments, he didn't even need to glance at the reference diagram.
The lines flowed naturally from his pen.
As Liang Gongchi watched, her eyes slowly widened.
If she hadn't witnessed this personally…
She would never believe it.
A student who had only studied Jinhai Manufacturing for one day…
Yet already possessed such control.
After a long silence, she muttered quietly.
"…Monster."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)