Chapter 40: 040 Heretical Arbitration House

With doubts in her heart, Yue Ying noticed something distinctly different as she looked again.

It was a minuscule improvement, but the expert insight of a swordsmanship grandmaster was beyond question.

Could she actually gain experience from bullying the weak?

She didn't understand, yet she was greatly shocked.

…

[Your attack caused a critical hit.]

[You have delivered a critical hit in actual combat, heavy weapon proficiency experience +0. (The current opponent is too weak to provide any improvement.)]

["Lucky Strike" energy +10.]

[Your abilities have been honed through prolonged sparring, reflexes +0.1.]

Huh? An unexpected gain.

"Next!"

There was no response.

The most elite and fierce of the new recruits had been laid out, all of them looking up to their king.

Bai E's gaze swept around him, and no one dared to meet it head-on.

That's it?

If that's it, so be it.

A total of 22 points of "Lucky Strike" energy had been scraped together from the battle royal, and he was definitely not at a loss.

The origin of this skill was unknown, but it was undoubtedly his capital for establishing himself.

As for interactions with players... He didn't know how many there were at present, but there were definitely others besides himself capable of issuing quests.

If he could improve through interactions with players, so could others; this was not his sole advantage.

The future was still bleak; comrades still needed to work hard.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Seeing Bai E trying to head toward the drill field, an onlooker grabbed his arm.

It was Dashan.

All four of his teammates were there.

They had witnessed the entirety of the wheel war, feeling honored by their teammate who descended like a deity among the new recruits, unmatched in his prowess.

For the first time, they felt their leader was wise.

Seeing his teammates, Bai E also showed a smile, "When did you guys get here?"

Hu coughed softly and said cheerfully, "We've been here all along."

Could they admit they had been following him all day?

Once more, Dashan asked, "Where are you planning to go now?"

The daytime was for training, but the night was a precious opportunity to deepen bonds and understanding among teammates.

On the battlefield, teamwork was always more important than individual ability.

"Training," Bai E answered as if it were the most natural thing.

The instructor wasn't around, and the nights were lonely when spending them alone.

Sneaking in training, the passion was thrilling.

"..."

"???"

Seeing the astounded looks of his teammates, Bai E felt as if ants were crawling on him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're still going to train?"

"Does your instructor even let you go?"

Given Bai E's performance, not even a new recruit warrior who had self-improved three or four times could catch up; wasn't it clear that he had already met his targets?

Still going?

"But in two days..."

You picked up on Bai E's thoughts, "Even if the battle starts tomorrow, training now won't help..."

"Hmm?"

"You probably haven't been told yet... but managing to break through three to four times within 24 hours is already the limit for the human body. If you can still break through if you train now, then you can only be a believer of the war devil."

"..."

Are there daily limits to self-improvement? Is the human body that fragile?

But...

"Demon Believer?"

In Bai E's understanding, weren't believers supposed to worship deities?

Higher-dimensional demons, the endless Bug Race, the crisis of intelligent machinery... These cosmic nuisances were just broad information released by the official site, and Bai E knew nothing specific about them.

Realizing this was an opportunity to learn more, Bai E actively prompted the topic.

"Demons, too, are deities," You explained as they walked along with Bai E.

"Believers who worship demons and receive a response gain powers beyond imagination. Those who worship the Warbringer are fierce in flesh but prone to killing; those who worship the Eternal are not afraid of illness but will spread plagues uncontrollably; those who worship Desire obtain endless pleasure but fall deeper into degeneracy; as for the believers of Conspiracy... it's imperceptible.

The demons of higher dimensions are endless, and beneath the four Great Evil Gods, there are countless Greater Demons, each granting different powers to their believers. However, one thing remains unchanged: Demon Believers must be eradicated quickly, or their bodies will become a bridge through which demons can enter our world.

That's precisely what the Heretical Arbitration House in the city takes care of."

[Acquired character information: Demon Believer.]

If one could gain abilities surpassing ordinary people, it's not surprising that some would choose to believe.

After all, human bodies are simply too weak.

Even breaking through has its limits.

Hmm... it seems players can surpass this limit?

Just from one lumberjacking task, that player named Kuang Xin seemed to have gained a 0.6 increase in physical fitness.

Damn privileged dogs!

"Did you just say... the Heretical Arbitration House?"

You sat down in front of the fire, staring into the dancing flames as they explained absentmindedly, "It is a law enforcement agency within the city, designed specifically to deal with Demon Believers, harmful mutants, and other heresies that might emerge from amongst regular humans.

Their methods tend to be rather radical, so if you ever come across them in the future, remember to keep your distance. Of course, if you have aspirations in this area, you could also try to get in touch."

[Unlocked Knowledge: Heretical Arbitration House.]

Bai E heard some hope for the future.

It seemed that the future of a created being wasn't limited just to being an expendable soldier.

"So, do I also have a chance to join the Heretical Arbitration House?"

You glanced at Bai E, "Are you really interested?"

"Just curious..."

"Curious..."

You murmured softly.

Curious? Curiosity is normal.

Newly created beings are curious about everything, but Bai's curiosity seemed even more intense?

Dismissing these thoughts, You continued, "Not only the Heretical Arbitration House, the Mechanical Court, the Security Forces, the Judgment Hall, all are possible destinations for us. Of course, staying in the military is another development path. Your admission into any of them will depend on your training in the camp and your performance on the battlefield."

"What about everyone else?"

"Us?"

You shrugged, "Who knows?"

You might end up dead on the next battlefield; the future is too uncertain.

Song Ying, expressionless, added on the side, "But you are very impressive, I think you will have room for choice in your future. If you develop in the military, remember one thing—stay away from the armored regiment. No need to understand, just remember."

"Oh... okay."

Armored regiment... a familiar term.

The general who challenged the chief examiner during the new recruits' shooting test seemed to be from the armored regiment.

So, is it because of the identity of a created being?

Bai E felt a slight heaviness in his heart.

External threats and internal troubles, trouble really does come in spades.

Seeing Bai E seemingly a bit downcast, as a thoughtful team leader, Tiger patted his shoulder, "Don't think too much about it. Train well and fight hard. That's our primary duty."

Da Shan also asked cheerily on the side, "Yeah, how was today's training? We saw you come out of the shooting range a few minutes early this afternoon." S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Speaking of business, Song Ying's face became more solemn, "That is your greatest responsibility on the battlefield; take it seriously."

"Oh~" Bai E nodded in agreement, "The instructor said I graduated and that I don't need to go anymore..."

"???"

"???"

"He also gave me this, as a reward for being the first to graduate."

"Ration Bar No.3!?"

"???"

"!!!"

Little brother, what's going on?