Instructors like Shen Hongyu and Chen Qingshan, who had mechanical prosthetics, had all suffered irreparable skeletal damage on the Human-Demon Battlefield. Unable to be repaired, they were forced to retire to the rear.

Now, Shen Ziwei had just embarked on the path of an Awakener. Yet, just like her mother, Instructor Shen Hongyu, she had lost her left arm. Her future was now bleak; a prodigy had fallen to the level of an ordinary person. What a tragic fate.

「At this moment, in Sea City Military Academy.」

All the first-year cadets watching Fang Zhou's live broadcast were in an uproar. A cadet exclaimed in shock, "Isn't that Shen Ziwei from the Eighth Company? How did she get so severely injured?"

"Yeah, the live stream kept disconnecting," another added. "Now that it's finally reconnected, this is the scene we see?"

"Oh my god, Shen Ziwei's left arm is missing! Was she attacked by some kind of Demon? Can her arm still be found?"

A female cadet who was very close to Shen Ziwei was already choking up. "I knew it! Ziwei has such a strong-willed nature. She definitely didn't want to be eliminated, so she must have used her life-saving Shield only at the very last moment. How will she be able to cultivate from now on without her left arm?"

Watching the screen as Fang Zhou commanded his Skeletons to search the battlefield, a cadet held onto a glimmer of hope. "Don't be anxious. Maybe Fang Zhou can find her severed arm. If he finds it, the Priest Profession can definitely restore it."

Another cadet said fearfully, "No wonder the instructors always emphasized that we have to use the scroll decisively in life-threatening situations. The price Shen Ziwei paid is just too heavy! Other eliminated cadets suffered flesh wounds at most, which a Priest's Healing Skills could easily fix. But what can be done about a severe injury like a severed arm?"

...

In the midst of the instructors' and cadets' anxious waiting, the rescue instructor near the Frozen Tundra finally found Fang Zhou and Shen Ziwei's location.

Fang Zhou looked up toward the distant sky, where a black dot was swiftly approaching. Upon closer inspection, he saw the black dot was actually a Silver Pegasus Knight. Within a few breaths, the Silver Pegasus was hovering beside Fang Zhou.

A middle-aged male instructor dismounted and rushed over, looking anxiously at Shen Ziwei within the Shield.

Fang Zhou stepped forward and said, "Hello, Instructor. I'm Fang Zhou. Student Ziwei's injuries have stabilized for now, but I've searched the entire vicinity and haven't found her left arm."

The instructor nodded to Fang Zhou. "You've done well, Fang Zhou! I'm Wang Tao. Sorry for the delay. The previous thunderstorm misled the signal, and I ended up searching in the opposite direction."

Wang Tao placed his hand on the Shield in front of Shen Ziwei and, with a few quick motions, disabled its protection. Then, he pulled a milky-white scroll from his pocket and tore it open over the unconscious Shen Ziwei.

A white light, soothing to the heart, flashed past. Shen Ziwei's face, which had been deathly pale from blood loss, gradually regained its rosy hue, and her wounds stopped bleeding.

Wang Tao sighed in relief. "She's stable for now," he said to Fang Zhou. "She should wake up soon."

Fang Zhou nodded and waited silently to one side.

Meanwhile, Wang Tao took the opportunity to quickly scan the entire hilly battlefield. His eyes soon widened in astonishment. As a Silver Lower Rank [Pegasus Knight], Wang Tao had remarkable eyesight. In an instant, he had spotted the dozens of Skeletons Fang Zhou had summoned and the nearby pile of bloodied Jackal Wolfman corpses.

Even a well-trained team of second-year cadets would have had to expend considerable effort to take down such a powerful Jackal Wolfman Battle Group in a frontal assault. Yet Fang Zhou, a mere freshman, had annihilated them with such ease. Wang Tao had never heard of such overpowered combat prowess. He turned to look at Fang Zhou, his eyes unconsciously filled with admiration.

A few minutes later, Shen Ziwei slowly opened her eyes, her gaze falling on Fang Zhou and Wang Tao before her.

Wang Tao stepped forward and asked anxiously, "Student Ziwei, where did you lose your left arm?"

Shen Ziwei's face contorted in pain. As she touched the stump of her arm, tears welled up in her eyes. In a hoarse voice, she said, "It was burned off by that Jackal Wolfman Warlock."

Hearing the worst possible outcome, Wang Tao's lips trembled, but he said nothing more. Fang Zhou closed his eyes for a moment, a sense of regret filling his heart. No wonder I couldn't find any trace of it after searching the entire battlefield. What a pity. Such a promising elite cadet, yet she fell during this minor Cave Hunt.

With that, Wang Tao didn't hesitate any longer. He shook Fang Zhou's hand firmly. "I'll take Student Ziwei back first. Fang Zhou, you must be careful from now on! The Cave is a battlefield; you can't afford to be careless!"

The Healing Scroll had only treated Shen Ziwei's external wounds. The other injuries she had sustained during the Jackal Wolfman assault would require further treatment back at the military academy.

Fang Zhou nodded silently. He looked at Shen Ziwei's pale face and placed her fallen backpack beside her.

Shen Ziwei's eyelids fluttered, and she licked her dry lips. She pulled the bag of Demon materials from her backpack, then took a ruby-inlaid ring from her right hand. She handed them, along with the [Regeneration Phylactery] she wore around her neck, to Fang Zhou.

With red-rimmed eyes, Shen Ziwei said to Fang Zhou, "Fang Zhou, I will do everything I can to repay you for saving my life. Please, take this bag of materials and this [Ring of Burning Fire] for now. May you return triumphant!"

Fang Zhou accepted the [Regeneration Phylactery] but tried to return the Demon materials and the ruby ring. "Student Ziwei, let's not worry about this now. Go back and focus on recovering."

Despite her severe injuries, Shen Ziwei insisted, pushing the Demon materials and the ruby ring into Fang Zhou's arms. She forced a smile. "Fang Zhou, you mustn't refuse! Think of it as me joining you for the rest of the hunt."

Seeing how resolute she was, Fang Zhou had no choice but to accept the two items.

Shen Ziwei looked at the ruby ring, her expression dazed. "This [Ring of Burning Fire] is a Gray Inferior Marvel Equipment, usable by all Professions. You can use it to cast an Apprentice Lower Rank-level Fireball Skill three times a day. The only reason I dared to venture alone into the Frozen Tundra was because of this [Ring of Burning Fire]. But in the end... Alas, I was too impulsive!"

Seeing Shen Ziwei's expression grow increasingly despondent, Fang Zhou thought for a moment before speaking. "Student Ziwei, I recently applied for a research project on Undead Mages. The main focus is the enhancement and recovery of human bones. If you're interested in participating, you can come find me in my research lab after you've recovered. Perhaps... there's still a chance."

Hearing this, the hope that had vanished from Shen Ziwei's eyes suddenly flared up with intense light. If anyone else had said this, she would have dismissed it as mere words of comfort. But this was Fang Zhou speaking! This was the Undead Mage who had pioneered an entire Skeleton Series Skill Tree just two months after his Awakening!

Maybe... there really is hope after all?

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