"Fine. Since you are all so insistent, I shall grant your request. The condition for completing this training mission is now officially changed: you must defeat your opponents in the Combat Strength Enhancement Arena."

  Zhong Lingyun spoke the final word, settling the matter with a tone that brooked no argument.

  The moment she finished, a glint of pure schadenfreude flashed in Shier’s eyes. Unfortunately for the students, they were too busy being "heroic" to notice.

  "Now, find your seats. Simply place your hands on the base of the crystal ball, and you will know what to do next."

  Zhong Lingyun didn't need to explain further. The crystal balls were designed to automatically transmit all necessary information to newcomers.

  "So it’s just a virtual training ground? This alchemy tool is actually quite well-made," Jing Qingyun remarked after digesting the information. He was the first to enter the Single Player Arena.

  As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss—or in this case, the ignorant are fearless.

  He summoned a longsword, gave it a practiced, elegant flourish, and looked at the list of available opponents.

  "So they have my class as well? A Swordsman, huh? Then I’ll choose a Swordsman as my opponent."

  Jing Qingyun was brimming with confidence. The Swordsman class had always been his greatest source of pride.

  In this world, most people belonged to common class categories: Warrior, Knight, Mage, Archer, Assassin, or Priest. These broad categories were further divided into specialized sub-classes.

  Warriors could be Sword-Warriors, Saber-Warriors, or Heavy-Armor Warriors.

  Knights were split into Sword-Knights, Spear-Knights, or Heavy-Armor Knights.

  Mages were categorized by their elemental affinities.

  The Swordsman, however, was a relatively rare specialized class that sat outside these standard divisions. Generally, a Swordsman possessed significantly higher combat power than a standard class, though the difficulty of the promotion trial was exponentially higher.

  Of course, a Swordsman wasn't a truly rare class. Real rare classes—like the legendary Dragon Warrior or Dragon Knight—required insane natural talent, dragon-blood baptism, and the recognition of the Dragon Race. Even so, being a Swordsman was enough for Jing Qingyun to carry himself with an air of superiority.

  "Let’s see what a 'Swordsman' in this arena is capable of," Jing Qingyun said, his head tilted back with a judgmental gaze.

  A plain-looking AI Swordsman leaped onto the stage, staring at Jing Qingyun with cold, indifferent eyes.

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

  The crystal ball chimed: "Battle Start!"

  Jing Qingyun immediately lunged forward. For a Swordsman, seizing the initiative was life or death. Unlike classes with balanced attributes, Swordsmen had massive attack power but paper-thin defense; if you didn't strike first, you were just a target.

  But while Jing Qingyun understood this logic, the Arena AI understood it better.

  In fact, the Swordsman’s combat style was officially rated as "Treacherous."

  The moment Jing Qingyun raised his sword, the AI’s figure vanished from the stage.

  "Where is he?!"

  Jing Qingyun’s eyes went wide. A cold realization struck him, and his pupils shrunk in terror. But it was too late.

  The AI Swordsman had already appeared behind him, his blade thrusting straight for Jing Qingyun’s heart.

  Dammit! How is he so fast?! Jing Qingyun was shocked, but his reflexes were sharp. In a desperate burst of speed, he spun around and swung his sword, attempting to parry the strike.

  However, the AI seemed to have predicted this exact move. Its lightning-fast blade flickered and swerved; Jing Qingyun felt a numbing shock run through his palm, and his sword nearly flew out of his hand.

  Squelch—!

  A sharp pain followed. Jing Qingyun felt the warmth of his blood draining away. His consciousness quickly plunged into darkness.

  The next second, four massive words appeared within the crystal ball: "BATTLE FAILED."

  "Dammit! How could I not even last two moves?!" Jing Qingyun slammed his fist against his thigh. Refusing to accept the result, he dove back into the Arena.

  Single Player. Stage: Arena. Weapon: Longsword. Opponent: Swordsman.

  "Battle Start!"

  This time, Jing Qingyun felt fully prepared. He wouldn't let that Swordsman catch him with a sneak attack again.

  But reality proved he was still too young.

  The AI Swordsman’s offense was relentless—a literal endless storm of steel. If you couldn't track his position, you were forced to endure a constant barrage of strikes from every blind spot. Under such pressure, even the strongest defenses crumbled quickly.

  "Is this a Swordsman or an Assassin?!"

  After losing ten matches in a row, Jing Qingyun roared in fury, his face turning a sickly shade of purple.

  In ten full matches, he hadn't managed to last more than ten moves, let alone ten minutes. More terrifyingly, he had been led by the nose from start to finish, never once catching a glimpse of the AI’s true trajectory.

  If this is the essence of being a Swordsman... then it’s terrifying.

  Jing Qingyun finally realized what kind of place this Arena truly was. His "proud" combat techniques were nothing but amateur child’s play compared to the AI. They weren't even in the same league.

  Recalling his earlier boasting, he felt a sudden urge to slap himself in the face.

  Defeat this monster? I was literally dreaming.

  He knew his own limits. As a Swordsman, he understood better than anyone how frightening a master who had reached the "Pinnacle of the Way of the Sword" could be. While he couldn't be sure if this AI was a legendary master, he was certain he couldn't beat it alone.

  "I’ll try a different opponent," he muttered after a long silence. He decided to abandon the mirror match and chose an Assassin.

  In theory, a Swordsman could counter an Assassin. Because Swordsmen have incredible reaction speeds, they can often react faster than other classes when an Assassin strikes, using their high attack power to secure a one-hit kill.

  "I don't believe it. I might not beat the Swordsman, but there's no way I can’t even beat an Assassin!"

  However, the Arena was about to give Jing Qingyun another memory he would never forget.

  Against the Assassin, he couldn't even survive one move.

  The AI Assassin’s combat style was fundamentally different from the Swordsman’s. The Swordsman was treacherous, but you could still see him move. The Assassin followed a single mantra: One Hit, One Kill.

  Before the strike, there was no sound, no shadow, and no trace. Even Kael, at his current level, had trouble pulling an AI Assassin out of stealth before it attacked.