"No. She’s my new clerk, Shier," Kael said from the side, his voice as flat as ever.

  Despite the neutral tone, Ying Feng felt a sharp sting of condescension, as if the Boss were silently asking: Are those two eyeballs of yours just for breathing through?

  "Haha, I see, I see!" Ying Feng let out a forced laugh to cover his embarrassment. He quickly turned to Kael and introduced his companion. "Boss, this is Instructor Zhong Lingyun from Brilliant Academy, where I’m currently studying."

  Kael followed the introduction with a brief glance at Zhong Lingyun. "Hello. What do you need?"

  Zhong Lingyun scanned the shop. It wasn't large. Shelves on both sides were packed with weapons, armor, and small porcelain vials. However, as long as the gear remained on the shelves, their magical auras were suppressed. To her eyes, they looked like ordinary, well-made items, so she didn't pay them much mind.

  "Boss, my student tells me that one can train their combat techniques here. Is that true?" Zhong Lingyun went straight to the point.

  "Yes," Kael nodded, gesturing toward the small door beside the counter.

  So she’s here for the Combat Simulation Room, he thought. Good timing, since it just finished its upgrade.

  Shier stepped forward to explain the pricing and rules, but Kael held up a hand. "I’ll take them. You come along too." He wanted to walk Shier through the new updates while he was at it.

  Next door, Blood Wolf and his squad were currently being pulverized.

  The coordination of the AI opponents in the arena was terrifying. Their combat effectiveness wasn't just a simple sum of parts; it was exponential. Whether facing a solo challenger or a group, the eight classes in the arena synchronized with a precision that made one's heart tremble. Three AI opponents working together were more than enough to dismantle Blood Wolf’s entire eleven-man squad.

  Seeing Kael enter, Blood Wolf looked up, exhausted. "Boss, why don't you join my room and help us out?"

  Kael shook his head. "I’m busy."

  Blood Wolf then noticed the newcomers behind him. He recognized Ying Feng from previous visits. Seeing his "brother-in-arms" return, Blood Wolf immediately stood up and grabbed Ying Feng to vent his frustrations.

  They were fellow "scrubs" in the eyes of the arena, and there was a certain kinship in that. While Kael called many people "trash," those who met at the bottom of the leaderboard tended to stick together.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Kael led Zhong Lingyun to a booth far away from the noisy mercenaries and motioned for her to sit.

  "The operation is simple. Just place your hands on the base of the crystal ball."

  Zhong Lingyun followed his instructions and sat on the genuine leather sofa. Her eyes widened instantly. "This is... incredibly comfortable."

  "..."

  Kael opened his mouth but found nothing to say.

  Zhong Lingyun bounced slightly on the leather, testing the soft, premium texture. Suddenly remembering she wasn't alone, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

  "Ahem. Well then, let's see this 'Arena' of yours," she said, trying to cough away the awkwardness. She placed her hands on the crystal ball.

  As it did with every newcomer, the crystal ball transmitted a stream of information directly into her mind, explaining the mechanics of the Simulation Room—including the brand-new updates.

  Zhong Lingyun slowly digested the information. While she admired the ingenuity of this "alchemical tool," she remained skeptical that it could truly improve combat skills.

  Brilliant Academy possessed combat golems for training, but they were ultimately just machines—soulless, predictable, and incapable of true adaptation. Once a student memorized a golem’s patterns, the difficulty plummeted. This was a constant headache for the Academy’s high-ranking officials. Real enemies—be they humans, monsters, or other races—never fought with such rigid patterns.

  If not for the shocking improvement she’d seen in Ying Feng’s combat style, she wouldn't have bothered traveling all this way.

  After processing the rules, she selected Single-Player Mode.

  "Let's see the caliber of these opponents first," she thought, projecting herself onto the arena stage.

  Zhong Lingyun was confident. At Brilliant Academy, she was known as a combat-oriented instructor rather than a theoretical one. Even in a place teeming with experts, her combat prowess was highly ranked.

  Outside the booth, Ying Feng and Blood Wolf chatted. Out of respect for his instructor, Ying Feng formally introduced her to the mercenary.

  "I know Brilliant Academy," Blood Wolf said, impressed. He had traveled far and wide and knew the Academy’s reputation as a premier institution for martial arts and magic—a cradle for geniuses. To be an all-grade instructor there required immense power.

  "I haven't really noticed that," Ying Feng said bluntly.

  He didn't notice that Zhong Lingyun, though focused on the crystal ball, spared him a cold sideways glance. Blood Wolf caught it, however. He marveled at the sharp perception of a Grandmaster-rank instructor and silently offered Ying Feng three seconds of prayer.

  "Anyway, I’m going to go check on Instructor Zhong. You keep at it," Ying Feng said, remembering his duties. He hurried over to the booth. He figured if he served his instructor well here, his life at the academy might be a bit easier.

  He looked at the screen on the crystal ball. "Boss, why are there eight people now?" Ying Feng noticed the roster of opponents had doubled.

  "The version was updated. You'll understand once you play," Kael answered from behind.

  "I'll wait a bit. I want to watch first," Ying Feng said, still haunted by the memories of being schooled by the AI.

  Meanwhile, Zhong Lingyun had made her choice: The Battle Mage.

  She then saw the difficulty selection: [Half-Stats] or [Full-Stats].

  Without a moment’s hesitation, she tapped Full-Stats.

  To her, choosing Half-Stats was an insult to her status. She was a prestigious instructor of Brilliant Academy, a Grandmaster-rank Ice Elementalist. Facing a mere magical projection with halved attributes? Unthinkable.