Maria Hospital.

Ding Ye sat by the bed, staring blankly at the large sword leaned against the wall.

The scene of sea warriors launching suicidal charges towards Jade City replayed over and over in his mind.

These Grade-C creatures had tough scales difficult to penetrate, robust and fearless. They vigorously leapt onto the huge bodies of the aliens, attempting to use iron chains to restrict their movements, but the aliens grabbed them like insects, some were smashed by a punch, others were smashed against the wall like rag dolls.

Ding Ye, who had witnessed everything, felt goosebumps all over at that time.

He couldn't help but imagine that if he were to charge towards Jade City with a sword, the result would be no different.

This was the Dead Sea Alien's dominative power on the battlefield, unstoppable, undefeated. Not to mention their ability to initiate devastating self-destruction, turning everything around into ash.

Whoever controlled the aliens could dominate the battlefield.

"Knight, care to join for a round?"

His fellow patient Ah Wei interrupted his thoughts.

Ding Ye came back to his senses, "What?"

"Stone Slugfest." Ah Wei spread his hands, showing 9 rounded stones worn smooth at the edges, "Have you played this before, knight?"

Ding Ye said, "Yes."

It was a game common in many places. Each side or multiple sides would set up their stone slugs and flick them with a finger to strike the opponent's stones; if they hit, they could take the opponent's stones.

But ordinary poor folks used rocks, played anywhere, while the rich would use glass or silver-coated slugs and even build special venues for the game.

"Jacob, Jacob? What's so interesting now? The battle is over, just waiting to go home, come on, play a couple of rounds."

Ah Wei called another patient.

It was a Bone Man leaning out of the window, holding Ding Ye's Stretching Telescope, looking towards the increasingly distant Shell City.

Ding Ye had used this telescope to observe the frontline battlefield. Maria Hospital was located on the high ground above Yalong Bay, offering a great view.

Wasteland Development Company had suddenly announced the closure of Jade City, then the aliens began long-distance raids by sea, successive enemy defeats followed by rapid beach landing and city breaching... All these consecutive developments were barely trackable for Ding Ye.

He was a foreigner here, knowing little about the place.

Fortunately, there were other patients in the hospital. Although everyone was unable to leave the alien's interior, it was possible to wander from room to room.

Before Ding Ye could ask anyone, someone had already approached him proactively.

It was Ah Wei. He said he had been walking fine on his way back, well-fed and singing songs, when suddenly a fire-spitting car hit him in the buttocks, causing unstoppable bleeding.

He woke up right here in this hospital bed, thankfully his buttocks were intact, and the injury was not serious.

Ah Wei then introduced another patient, Jacob. Jacob was here for a skull repair surgery, saying his skull had fallen out earlier, and after being found, it was brought here to be stitched up; he was also resting in this ward during the observation post-surgery.

"Thanks very much."

Bone Man Jacob handed the telescope back to Ding Ye.

The three of them chatted while playing stone slugfest on the ward floor.

"What are you looking at? There are no Bone Man girls here, and no more fighting either." Ah Wei's finger flickered, and the stone slug rolled past the edge of Jacob's stone.

"I'm looking at Jade City."

Jacob casually said and with a flick of his bony finger, effortlessly struck a stone into the bag.

Then he turned towards Ding Ye, "People in Buildings 2 and 3 enjoyed watching the battle and are now partying... Also, some people from Shell City followed us and are staying in Building 4, I'm watching them."

"But Duke Baili has already been taken down by the chairman, right? There can't be spies among these people, can there?" Ah Wei arranged new stone positions.

"Not that kind of thing."

Bone Man shot a sudden sneak strike towards Ding Ye, but the stone deviated from its trajectory, falling into a corner.

"These people brought many shells with them, their wealth is in shells, the more shells, the richer they are. But I noticed something odd; they keep large shells as pets."

Jacob said seriously, "Those shells extend their tongues to lick around, the locals love these pets, even letting them lick their hands and feet, it looks so strange. Is that really enjoyable?"

"Really? Show me."

Ah Wei borrowed the telescope and moved to the window, "Indeed... it's weird, city folks really know how to have fun."

Ding Ye told them, "Those are 'Ball Pearl Shells', a special kind of shell."

"They can wrap various impurities and compress them into hard pearls, fixed under the grooves of trailers or load boards to facilitate dragging and transporting. It's a consumable, craftsmen regularly buy them. Although not very valuable, it's also a way to supplement the household expenses."

Ah Wei turned back looking shocked, gesturing a punching motion, "Knight, aren't you knights only about fighting, how come you know about this stuff?"

Ding Ye helplessly replied, "We aren't just fighting maniacs, knights need to eat too."

In fact, knights can be said to be the enhancers closest to ordinary people.

Knights are trained from a young age, usually not from wealthy families, as the profession's growth is rugged and dangerous, and the post-graduation travels are perilous.

When traveling, apart from being famously brave fighters, knights also needed keen observation skills.

Otherwise, just raiders poisoning alone would be enough to threaten the life of a solitary knight.

They would engage with locals in various regions, understanding the challenges of potential targets, and some knights would even conceal their identity and weapons, pretending to be ordinary people.

Knights often took detours to accept some escort duties or capture bounties to supplement their travelling funds.

Ding Ye looked towards Jacob, "Could you take me to meet that chairman? I had requested Doctor Da Vinci before but never got a response."

Bone Man touched its bandaged head, "Company rules, meeting the chairman requires something impressive."

"Something impressive..."

Ding Ye thought for a moment, "I don't really have any assets, but you mentioned that Wasteland Development Company is recruiting people with professional skills? I could recommend someone."

Bone Man asked, "Someone impressive?"

"Very impressive."

"Who?"

"Her name is Feng Ying, former Beiyang Knight, later became a pharmacist in Gongneng City, and is currently unemployed, she's my senior sister."

Bone Man touched his chin with his bone finger, "A pharmacist from Gongneng City, that's quite impressive. I think it will do, the hospital is still short of doctors, and Doctor Da Vinci is really too busy."

...

That night had not yet passed when Ding Ye suddenly received a notification from Doctor Da Vinci.

"Your application has been approved."

"The chairman is waiting for you on the rooftop of Jade City First Building, please go immediately."

Ding Ye's eyes lit up.

He picked up his great sword, and said to two fellow patients, "I'm going now, we'll meet again."

Ah Wei hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Maybe you should reconsider… I'm afraid you'll be killed by the chairman."

Ding Ye smiled, "Facing a master in duel is always better than battling minor foes all my life."

Bone Man Jacob slightly nodded to him, "If you die, I will apply to collect your body, hoping you'll become a Bone Man in many years."

That was also a kind of blessing.

Ding Ye strode mightily, walking through the long corridor.

In the night, the lights of Jade City shone on this sea Floating Island, appearing lofty and elevated.

Ding Ye swallowed all his Suppressant Pills, carried his sword on his back, and walked through the darkness to the gate of Building A.

There stood a young man with a cane.

The young man greeted with a smile, "Mr. Ding, the chairman is waiting for you on the rooftop, please come in."

Ding Ye took the metal elevator all the way to the top.

The rooftop of Jade City was chilly with the wind, but a faint white light rose from the ground, making the vision very clear.

Someone was already waiting there.

"The person said, "I am here."

Ding Ye was startled.

The man before him was the black-haired man he had chatted with while waiting for the surgery results.

"Are you the chairman?"

"I am Zhou Yi."

The man said, "Didn't you want to fight me? Take this chance while I have the time, come."

Ding Ye's gaze suddenly became fierce.

"Destroy all in sight!"

His sword instantly burst into red light.

Ding Ye's enhanced spine activated instantly, connecting as one with the enhanced sword, plunging the whole person into a fully focused state of combat.

His heart and brain were on fire.

His bones creaked under the unbearable burden.

"Break!"

He set himself ablaze and swung the strongest blow he had ever managed.

Clang!

The fiery sword hacked at the opponent's raised arm, yet it didn't leave a scratch.

Zhou Yi merely said, "Continue, don't waste time."

"Break for me!"

Ding Ye swung his sword wildly with all his might.

Until his body was completely drained and his vision blurry, his opponent remained undamaged, not a hair out of place.

Finally, Ding Ye's body reached its limit, and he leaned on his sword, gasping heavily, with his limbs and muscles trembling.

It was still not enough...

Even after overloading himself temporarily entering into level C.

Faced with Zhou Yi, who could kill Duke Baili, his attacks were like a mayfly shaking a tree.

Ding Ye continued battling until his consciousness blurred, relying solely on his willpower to keep swinging his sword.

His last memory was of Zhou Yi coming over and saying, "Still fighting?"

"Fight..."

"Good, that's the spirit."

When he regained consciousness, Ding Ye found himself back on a hospital bed at Maria Hospital, sore all over.

The sunlight outside the window was bright.

Standing beside him were two fellow patients, Jacob with bandages around his head and Ah Wei with his injured buttocks turned sideways.

"Are you awake?"

Ding Ye struggled to sit up, thinking quietly to himself.

Yes.

It's about time to wake up.

Succeeding in a duel beyond one's level was, after all, a miracle that existed only in rumors.

The harsh reality of structured levels was the true state of duels.

Ding Ye walked out the door, leaning on the wall, and found Doctor Da Vinci who was making rounds outside.

"Doctor, I'm ready, let's proceed with the surgery now if possible."

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