Will held Lansi's hand as the two of them walked through the crowd outside the registration office and toward a dilapidated gymnasium.
"This is Area A."
Will smiled, then stopped and pointed toward the open eastern gate of the old building.
"You can go in through there. You should be fine after that."
Lansi stared at the entrance for quite a while before finally noticing a faded, half-broken letter "A" beneath the east gate.
Only then did realization dawn on him.
So the original sign had been blown off.
No wonder he had spent so long searching for it.
And honestly, the registration staff were unbelievably lazy. They could at least have posted some directions along the road.
"Thank you."
Lansi smiled at Will, relaxing much of the caution he had initially felt toward him.
"You're welcome."
Will blinked playfully at him.
"I like you a lot. Can I have a hug?"
"What?"
Lansi let out a confused sound.
At this point, he was completely certain that the Will standing before him was not Winsor.
Sometimes, the reason Lansi confused Wen Yu with Winsor was not merely because Wen Yu somewhat resembled him physically.
Their personalities were strangely alike as well.
Gentle, powerful, calm—
And occasionally annoyingly similar in the way they behaved.
That was why, at times, Lansi felt as though Wen Yu and Winsor shared the same soul.
But the Will standing before him was entirely different.
Even though Will looked more like Winsor than Wen Yu did, his personality was nothing alike.
If Winsor's presence felt like the vast ocean—deep, powerful, and capable of containing all things—
Then Will was more like a dancing flame, expressing his emotions freely and without restraint, warm and straightforward.
Lansi awkwardly rubbed his nose and instinctively stepped backward.
"Forget it. Maybe something else instead…"
He had originally wanted to say that they were not close enough for hugging yet and suggest another way of thanking him.
But before he could finish speaking, Will's expression suddenly darkened the moment he noticed Lansi retreat.
Then, without warning, he grabbed Lansi's wrist and forcefully pulled him into his arms.
Immediately afterward, Will buried his face against Lansi's neck and inhaled deeply.
As though he wanted to engrave Lansi's scent into his memory forever.
Lansi: ???
After holding him for several seconds, Will finally let go.
Then he immediately stepped back on his own initiative and said quickly,
"It's getting late. You should head inside. I'll leave first."
Before Lansi could say anything, Will had already hurried away.
Watching his departing figure, Lansi felt utterly speechless.
This Will really came and went like a gust of wind.
It even made Lansi wonder whether Will had approached him deliberately from the very beginning.
But since the man was already gone—and Lansi did not even know where Area B was—he could only temporarily put the matter aside and walk into the run-down gymnasium with his number plate in hand.
Sure enough, he was the last person to arrive.
And because he was not only the last one there but also the only person already wearing a reserve uniform, the moment he stepped inside, he instantly attracted everyone's attention—
Including the instructor standing in the center of the field.
Lansi: "..."
Passing through the eastern gate revealed the entire interior of the gymnasium.
It was an abandoned training ground.
No one had maintained it for a long time.
The running track was covered in worn cinder, sparse grass grew unevenly along both sides, and the center field was filled with pale yellow sand.
Around fifty people occupied the field in total.
Men and women.
Tall and short.
Fat and thin.
The only thing they all shared in common was that every single one of them looked dangerous.
Many even had tattoos, making it obvious at a glance that they were not easy to provoke.
Among the fifty recruits, there were only two instructors.
One stood near the entrance verifying identities.
The other stood in the middle of the training ground giving instructions.
With a single glance, it was obvious that he was someone who had truly experienced the battlefield.
Overall, the atmosphere of the entire place felt tense and fierce.
Everyone here was strong.
And the air itself carried the pressure created by so many dangerous people gathered together.
Which made Lansi stand out even more the moment he entered.
If the others resembled hungry wolves prepared to survive by licking blood from blades—
Then Lansi looked like a soft white lamb that had accidentally wandered into the middle of the pack.
Especially because Lansi's skin was far too pale.
He looked almost like a delicate porcelain doll—
The kind that made people want to slash him apart with a knife just to see what was inside.
Under all those scrutinizing gazes, Lansi's body stiffened.
Silently, he moved toward the least noticeable corner and tried his best to pretend he was an harmless little mushroom quietly growing there.
"Alright, everyone, eyes back here."
The instructor standing in the center of the field suddenly spoke.
He clapped his hands loudly, instantly pulling everyone's attention back with his booming voice.
"Since everyone has arrived, let me explain the rules and precautions."
The instructor had dark skin, and a horrifying claw scar stretched across his face.
The wound ran from one side of his face to the other, making it look as though his head had once been split open entirely.
At a glance, anyone could tell it was a battlefield injury.
And an extremely serious one at that.
While listening to the instructor speak, Lansi continued desperately minimizing his presence.
According to the instructor, the fact that they had been assigned to Area A meant the evaluation organization highly approved of both their physical capabilities and their future potential.
But that did not mean they would necessarily survive what came next.
Fifty people only formed a single small class within Area A.
There were many other classes outside as well.
Now that everyone had gathered, the instructors would divide them into groups of five. Afterward, they would undergo all kinds of training, missions, and assessments.
Throughout the process, instructors would continuously eliminate people based on their performance.
"Today, let me see what kind of strength you all have."
The instructor shouted loudly.
"I'll set up a fighting ring here. You can challenge me—or challenge anyone else you want."
The crowd instantly stirred with excitement.
After a moment, someone suddenly shouted,
"What if I want to challenge Colonel Wen Yu?"
The entire training ground immediately erupted into laughter.
In truth, this question reflected what many people secretly wanted.
The only problem was that it sounded ridiculously overconfident.
The people selected for Area A were all natural fighters.
Some had come here hoping to earn glory and achievements.
Others simply craved excitement and danger.
Within the Survivor League, everyone knew Wen Yu's title—
A "human weapon."
Combined with the military's constant use of Wen Yu in propaganda and recruitment campaigns, he had gradually become almost mythological in the eyes of many people.
People both admired and feared him.
The instructor froze briefly, just about to scold the man for joking—
When suddenly, a calm and magnetic male voice drifted in lightly from the eastern gate.
"You can."
The entire field instantly fell silent.
Everyone turned toward the eastern entrance.
Wen Yu—
The very person they had just been discussing—
Was standing at the gate with an indifferent expression.
"You can challenge me."
The two instructors froze.
The recruits froze.
Meanwhile, Lansi remained in his corner quietly growing mushrooms, desperately wishing an enormous mushroom would suddenly appear and swallow him whole.
He had imagined countless ways Wen Yu might appear and drag him away.
But he had never expected Wen Yu to show up in such an absurdly high-profile manner.
At this point, Lansi genuinely suspected that if Wen Yu publicly announced on the spot that Lansi was his orderly soldier, someone would probably publish a scandalous book the very next day titled:
"The Colonel and His Little Soldier: Untold Stories."
And it would definitely be censored with black bars everywhere.
"C-Colonel Wen Yu?"
The instructor—a battle-hardened veteran—unexpectedly revealed a shy expression completely incompatible with his rugged appearance the moment Wen Yu walked over.
"Um… may I ask why you're here?"
"To be an instructor."
As expected of Wen Yu.
Even faced with such an awkward situation, his expression remained perfectly calm.
"You don't mind, do you?"
"N-No! Of course not!"
The instructor hurriedly expressed his agreement.
These soldiers who had truly survived battlefields did not care much about the internal politics and schemes of the League.
To them, Wen Yu was a living legend.
A survivor of countless wars.
An idol.
After receiving confirmation, Wen Yu nodded calmly.
Then he turned around and swept his gaze across everyone on the field.
His eyes briefly passed over a certain little mushroom trying desperately to disappear into the corner before casually moving away again.
Then Wen Yu asked calmly,
"So, who wants to challenge me?"
The moment those words fell, the entire field became restless again.
A few seconds later, one person suddenly raised his hand and shouted,
"I do!"
Once the first person spoke up, more and more people followed.
Within moments, nearly half the people on the field had raised their hands.
"This…"
The instructor hesitated awkwardly.
"How about I randomly choose one or two representatives?"
After all, if everyone challenged Wen Yu one at a time, it would take forever.
And turning it into a continuous gauntlet match would be excessive even for Wen Yu.
"There are quite a lot of people."
Wen Yu glanced over the raised hands thoughtfully.
Then he casually took the pointer stick from beside the instructor and said calmly,
"Then all of you can come together."
Instructor: "Huh?"
The entire field fell silent for several seconds.
Then—
The crowd exploded.
Most of the people—almost two-thirds of them—immediately surged toward Wen Yu like tigers descending the mountain the moment he gave the order.
Lansi was stunned by the scene. He subconsciously rose from his seat, ready to help Wen Yu, but in the very next second, he froze after witnessing Wen Yu's skills in action.
Only through comparison could the gap in strength truly be understood.
The people rushing forward now relied entirely on instinct. None of them thought strategically. They treated it like an ordinary street fight, believing they could win through brute force and numbers alone. In reality, combat required more than strength—it required intelligence.
Many people were accidentally taken down by their own companions before they could even get close to Wen Yu.
And those who managed to reach him were often kicked away before they could react.
The entire playground echoed with screams. Every time Wen Yu swung the pointer, it cut through the air with a sharp crack.
Many people collapsed after just one strike and could no longer stand back up.
The overwhelming gap gave Lansi a clear understanding of everyone's strength.
If an ordinary person's combat power was 1, then the people in Area A were around 3.
Based on Wen Yu's previous "training sessions" with him, Lansi estimated Wen Yu's combat power to be around 5, while his own was around 6.
However, Wen Yu's battle experience allowed his strength to rise to 6 in actual combat, while Lansi's would occasionally drop to 5 because of the condition of his legs.
Of course, that was only on land.
In the ocean, the combat power of everyone present would probably drop straight to zero.
"Tsk, tsk. No wonder they call him a 'human weapon.'"
A man standing beside Lansi clicked his tongue twice. He ran a hand through his yellow hair as he stared at the chaos unfolding in the middle of the playground.
In Huang Mao's eyes, the people who charged first were just inexperienced fools.
Those who had yet to move were either cautious observers like Lansi or experienced opportunists like Huang Mao, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
In just ten minutes, Wen Yu had beaten every challenger into submission using nothing but a pointer.
The dumbfounded instructor beside him handed over a brand-new pointer. Wen Yu accepted it casually, then raised his head and looked at the ten remaining people standing at a distance.
"Aren't you coming?"
Lansi silently turned his head away, avoiding Wen Yu's gaze.
Huang Mao, however, looked eager to try.
"Haha, I already figured out your moves!"
Wen Yu chuckled softly.
Then the smile slowly disappeared from his face.
His pitch-black eyes darkened instantly.
In that moment, a terrifying killing intent flooded the entire dilapidated stadium.
Everyone suddenly felt as though they had fallen into hell itself.
The ruined stadium no longer resembled a human building—it had transformed into the lair of a monstrous beast.
And now, that beast stood directly before them, staring at them.
The air itself became thick and sluggish, as though it had turned into invisible sludge slowly flowing through the stadium.
No one dared breathe.
Every inhale carried the metallic scent of blood and rust.
Every slight movement of muscle sent shivers through their bodies. They feared that even the smallest sound would attract the beast's attention—and once it noticed them, it would pounce and tear them apart.
This was the murderous aura of Wen Yu—a man who had survived countless massacres on the battlefield.
And with nothing but that aura alone, he frightened every recruit present until their faces turned pale.
Huang Mao, who had been directly targeted by the killing intent, nearly collapsed on the spot. His legs weakened so badly that he wet himself.
Lansi did not feel well either.
Under the pressure of Wen Yu's killing intent, he slowly stood up. For the first time, he genuinely felt the urge to fight Wen Yu head-on.
Perhaps because of the racial superiority of mermaids, Lansi endured the pressure far better than ordinary humans. At the very least, he could still move under that suffocating aura.
Lansi steadied himself and walked toward the nearest trembling recruit. He reached out, patted the man lightly on the shoulder, and whispered:
"Calm down."
Perhaps because someone finally supported him—or perhaps because Lansi's harmless, beautiful appearance reassured him—the man gradually regained control of his breathing and recovered some clarity.
He glanced at Lansi and whispered:
"I'm going to try. What about you?"
Lansi nodded.
"If we want to beat Wen Yu, we'll need to cooperate."
The teammate continued:
"I'll rush in first and draw his attention. Then you attack him from the side."
But after saying that, the teammate glanced at Lansi from head to toe before immediately changing his mind.
"Forget it. You just grab his coach."
Lansi: "..."
After assigning the roles, the teammate charged forward.
As expected, Wen Yu immediately turned to deal with the incoming attack.
But Lansi seized the opportunity and rushed in from the other side. Because he was smaller than most of the large men present, he was able to weave quickly through the gaps between the fighters. Taking advantage of Wen Yu's momentary distraction, he grabbed the hand holding the pointer.
Wen Yu was startled by Lansi's sudden move. He even ignored the attack from the other side and immediately switched hands to grab Lansi by the collar.
The moment Wen Yu reached for him, Lansi's mind blanked for a second. Instinctively, he twisted his waist and moved along Wen Yu's arm with a motion no normal human body should have been capable of.
Then, in one swift movement, Lansi climbed onto Wen Yu's shoulders. He pressed his knees down against Wen Yu's shoulders and used his own body weight to force Wen Yu to the ground.
Lansi: "???"
Wen Yu: "..."
The instant Wen Yu dropped to one knee, the entire playground fell silent.
Lansi immediately jumped off Wen Yu's back.
With a swish, he retreated to the side, trying desperately to pretend that the person who had just done that was not him.
He even thoughtfully tossed aside the pointer he had snatched earlier.
Unfortunately, everyone's eyes still followed him automatically.
The teammate who had worked with Lansi stood there dumbfounded, so shocked that he forgot to even look at Wen Yu.
No one had clearly seen what Lansi just did.
Of course they couldn't understand it. If any ordinary person attempted that movement, they would probably tear the muscles in their waist and collapse on the spot.
But Lansi was a mermaid. His body structure naturally gave him incredible flexibility and core strength.
Wen Yu slowly stood back up. He brushed the dust off his knees, then curled his lips slightly as he looked at Lansi in front of everyone.
"Not bad."
Lansi lowered his head uneasily and stared at the tips of his shoes.
"But is that how you treat your sir?"
Wen Yu's tone suddenly turned severe.
"What's your name?"
Lansi froze for a moment before quickly replying:
"Lansi."
What was this now? Was he acting?
"Reserve Soldier Lansi!"
Wen Yu strode over to him. Towering above Lansi, his killing intent still lingered heavily around him.
"You showed disrespect toward your commander. Tell me, what punishment should you receive?"
Lansi raised his head and stared blankly at Wen Yu.
Meanwhile, the teammate who had partnered with Lansi earlier quietly tried to defend him.
"Uh, sir... didn't you say this was a challenge? Lansi shouldn't be blamed."
The others nodded in agreement. Their expressions toward Lansi had already shifted from shock to sympathy.
"Ah."
Everyone only heard Wen Yu sneer softly before grabbing Lansi by the collar and dragging him toward the east gate.
"A soldier who doesn't know how to respect his commander needs proper discipline."
The instructor on the side also tried to intervene.
"Sir, this kid is still young... Besides, what about the others?"
"Still young?"
Wen Yu shot the instructor a cold glance.
"Do you think anyone here is still young?"
The instructor instantly fell silent.
"Today's training is over."
Wen Yu turned around and spoke calmly to the crowd.
"You should already understand your own level of strength. That's enough for today. Dismissed."
After saying that, he dragged along the thoroughly bewildered Lansi and continued walking outside.
Everyone watched Wen Yu haul Lansi away. It looked as though a massive eagle had swooped down from the sky, snatched up a confused little lamb, and flown off with it.
The crowd looked at Lansi with pity.
"I heard Wen Yu isn't mentally normal."
After Wen Yu left, the teammate who had worked with Lansi sighed mournfully.
"I just hope that little lamb comes back alive tomorrow."
Someone lying on the ground beside him gave a thumbs-up in agreement.
…
In the imaginations of his teammates, Lansi was probably being reduced to tears by Wen Yu's "punishment" right now.
In reality, however, Lansi was doing extremely well.
While the other reserve soldiers had to stay in crowded dormitories arranged by the instructors, Lansi had been directly taken away from the group and brought to Wen Yu's private single-instructor dormitory.
At this moment, he was happily soaking in the bath.
His silver-white fish tail rested in Wen Yu's arms while Wen Yu carefully wiped it down with a soft cloth.
It felt wonderful.
Lansi especially liked the sensation of the soft cloth sliding carefully through the gaps between his scales. Watching Wen Yu treasure his tail so attentively, he secretly flicked Wen Yu with his tail fin and asked:
"You just dragged me away like that. Aren't you worried those people will call you a demon?"
"Don't care. I don't care."
Wen Yu replied lazily.
"This way, I finally have a chance to properly 'discipline' a certain soldier, don't I?"