Kael silently followed them into the room, curious to see the new features in action.

  No matter how powerful Kael was, he didn't know the Shadow Clone Technique. Being just one person, he was limited to 1v1 duels. He wanted to see what a team battle looked like.

  Blood Wolf settled into a booth and placed his hands on the crystal ball base. The updated information flowed directly into his mind.

  After taking a moment to digest the new rules, Blood Wolf stood up and shouted, "Brothers! Have you read the instructions? Everyone select the [Multiplayer Link] option!"

  He then re-entered the arena interface, selected Multiplayer Mode, and followed the prompts to create a lobby.

  He named it: "Blood Wolf Squad's Drill Ground."

  In moments, Blood Wolf appeared in a vast, empty white space. Flashes of white light flickered around him as the other ten squad members materialized in the room.

  Watching from behind, Kael nodded silently.

  So there’s a 'Create Room' step. I wouldn't have known that without trying it myself.

  To Kael, this was standard gaming procedure. To Blood Wolf and his men, however, it was nothing short of miraculous.

  After circling the empty space a few times, Blood Wolf cleared his throat and roared, "Assemble!"

  The ten squad members immediately jogged over, splitting into two rows. They stood at attention, chests out, posture rigid.

  "You all know what this is. This is the best place to train our coordination as a unit. I want everyone sharp!"

  Blood Wolf began his briefing.

  He didn't talk for long. A few minutes later, he turned to the interface to select the Environment Simulation.

  Forest!

  This was the terrain mercenaries fought in most frequently.

  Selection complete. Instantly, the empty white space transformed. Countless towering trees erupted from the ground, followed by undergrowth, vines, and grass. Faintly, the roar of beasts could be heard in the distance.

  It was a perfect, living forest.

  Blood Wolf stared in shock. This place was like a pocket dimension; it completely exceeded his understanding of magic. He had no idea where the Boss got these things.

  [Forest Environment Generated. Please select the number of opponents.]

  The prompt rang in Blood Wolf's ears, as he was the host of the room.

  He looked at the options: Minimum 3, Maximum 8.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Watching from the real world, Kael understood immediately.

  It seems duplicate classes won't spawn. Even if more challengers enter, there are currently only eight unique AI opponents available.

  Just as Kael was thinking this, Blood Wolf, brimming with confidence, carelessly selected Eight Opponents.

  Because the environment was a forest, the enemies didn't spawn directly in front of them. Instead, a notification informed them that the enemy had entered the area.

  "Brothers! There are eleven of us and only eight of them. Don't embarrass me!"

  As Blood Wolf spoke, the signal for the start of combat echoed through the crystal ball.

  The Blood Wolf Squad was, after all, a disciplined mercenary unit. Their teamwork was solid; their offense and cover were coordinated, and their support line moved in sync with the vanguard.

  Blood Wolf took point, shield in one hand, knight’s sword in the other, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

  The ten members behind him covered each other’s blind spots. If one person was attacked, at least three others could provide immediate support.

  The group of eleven slowly advanced into the woods, alert to any movement.

  Hidden somewhere in this forest were eight opponents.

  Having challenged four of them in the arena before, Blood Wolf knew better than to underestimate them. That was why he chose the forest—their most familiar terrain—and demanded 120% focus from his men.

  However, reality proved that Blood Wolf was still too naive.

  The moment the squad stepped into a clearing, four massive stone walls shot up from the ground, boxing them in.

  Simultaneously, the sky turned red as a Rain of Fire descended, blanketing the entire enclosed space.

  Through the gaps in the stone walls, a barrage of arrows shot in from impossibly tricky angles.

  Every single one of the eleven men was hit.

  Before the trapped mercenaries could even react to the ambush, Assassins materialized from the shadows, instantly ending the lives of three support members.

  Kael had known the outcome the moment Blood Wolf selected eight opponents.

  But seeing the confident Blood Wolf lead his men into the forest only to be team-wiped in the blink of an eye... Kael couldn't help but let out a laugh.

  They had zero chance to resist.

  Crucially, the eight opponents hadn't even all shown themselves before the squad was eliminated.

  At most, they had faced an Archmage (Fire Rain), an Archer (Arrows), an Assassin, and perhaps a Battle Mage or Guardian Knight (Stone Walls).

  Four enemies max.

  "Boss?! Why are you here?" Blood Wolf, having been kicked out of the simulation upon death, looked up in panic to see Kael standing behind him. His old face flushed red with shame.

  "Nothing. I was just passing by. Carry on." Kael fought back his laughter, maintaining his expressionless facade as he quickly walked back to the shop next door.

  Blood Wolf slammed his fist onto the table in frustration. "Again! Everyone get ready! This time... we choose three opponents!"

  "Is this the place? You said the shop is in Cloud Mist City?"

  Zhong Lingyun stood outside the majestic walls of Cloud Mist City, scrutinizing the settlement. This was the very border of the Desolate Yuan Empire.

  "That's right," Ying Feng replied from behind her, his tone certain.

  After the grade-level battles at Brilliant Academy, Zhong Lingyun had approached Ying Feng several times under the guise of "observing his progress." Eventually, Ying Feng had let slip the existence of Kael’s shop.

  Zhong Lingyun demanded he take her there immediately.

  She wanted to see what kind of shop had the capability to impart such profound combat techniques so easily. More importantly, she needed to know how it taught them better than Brilliant Academy.

  If such a place truly existed, what was the point of academies?

  "Good. Let's go." Zhong Lingyun was a woman of action. Since she was here, she wanted answers now.

  "Wait, Instructor Zhong. I have to be clear with you first. The Boss's shop primarily sells equipment," Ying Feng said quickly as they walked, trying to manage her expectations. He didn't want any misunderstandings.

  "I don't care what he sells. I only care about where you got those combat skills," Zhong Lingyun said, striding through the city gates.

  Due to the impact of the beast tide, Cloud Mist City was still a desolate sight.

  Even though the tide had ended, the city would remain quiet for a while. It wouldn't be until the shops reopened and the merchant caravans returned that the former prosperity would be restored.