The instructor on the podium looked at the group of cadets, their faces full of fighting spirit, and nodded to himself.

This batch of new recruits was proving easy to lead.

With Fang Zhou as a benchmark, he had no worries they would lack the motivation to improve.

After the video finished playing, the classroom gradually grew noisy.

The instructor coughed twice and addressed the cadets, "After today's class, each of you will write a 5,000-word analysis. You are to analyze Fang Zhou's tactical thinking and specific operations frame by frame."

"Let's be honest. Fang Zhou's talent far surpasses yours; there's no need to shy away from that fact. However, the effort he puts in also far exceeds your own!"

Looking around the classroom, the instructor continued in a deep voice, "You've all watched the live broadcast of the three-day Cave Hunting. If it were you, could you be as knowledgeable about the various Demons in the Caves as Fang Zhou is? Could you skillfully master the effects of all sorts of bizarre Demon materials? Could you improvise an effective tactical plan on the fly based on your surroundings?"

"You can't learn Fang Zhou's talent. But you can certainly match Fang Zhou's effort! As fellow first-year cadets of Sea City Military Academy, as future elites of the Human Alliance, can you really stand being left so far behind by him?"

This instructor clearly understood the cadets' competitive spirit, and his words easily stirred their fighting spirit and passion.

Seeing the cadets' flushed faces, a barely detectable, ferocious smile touched the instructor's lips as he secretly cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

These fresh recruits just haven't been trained hard enough! Next, as long as the training doesn't kill them, I'll train them to within an inch of their lives!

「In the Cave, at the open-air ore vein.」

Fang Zhou, of course, had no idea he had become a tool for the academy instructors to manipulate and motivate the cadets. He had just comfortably climbed out of his tent.

Watching the Magic Energy Moss slowly brighten on the hills, Fang Zhou opened his Hunting Recorder to check the time. It was already close to eight o'clock.

This easy and fruitful Cave Hunt was coming to an end.

Fang Zhou stretched lazily and sighed with contentment.

Although it had only been three short days, his journey had been extensive. He started in the Cave Fortress and goblin caves on day one, moved through the Foul Swamp and Frozen Tundra on day two, and finally crossed the Town Ruins, Thorn Jungle, and the ore vein hills where he now stood. He had traversed nearly the entire No. 1 Cave, killing every Demon he encountered along the way.

The journey had been too thrilling and the rewards too gratifying, leaving Fang Zhou feeling that it ended too soon.

The cold morning wind quickly pulled Fang Zhou's wandering thoughts back to reality.

He came to his senses and directed the Skeletons to organize their massive bundles of loot.

He had collected so many spoils from the Demons that the backpack he had prepared before the Cave Hunting was long since insufficient. He had simply used the materials at hand, sewing over a dozen large bags from the Demons' tough hides to barely contain all his spoils.

This made Fang Zhou look forward to the No. 1 Seed's spatial treasure reward even more.

A spatial treasure like that is truly an essential item for everything from travel and leisure to murder and arson.

Fortunately, Fang Zhou had his tireless Skeleton Army to help. He commanded a dozen or so Skeletons to lift the bags packed with loot, then found a high spot to quietly wait for the Cave Hunting to conclude.

Soon, eight o'clock arrived.

The Hunting Recorder immediately buzzed. The constantly changing scores on the leaderboard froze completely.

A series of messages were then transmitted from the device, received by the Seed candidates scattered throughout the No. 1 Cave.

Fang Zhou quickly browsed through them, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he wouldn't need to trek all the way back to the Cave Fortress. Carrying all these heavy spoils would have been quite a hassle.

According to the instructors' notice, the cadets participating in the Cave Hunting simply had to wait where they were. Soon, instructors would pilot a Magic Energy Airship or a Flying Mount to pick them up and return them to the Cave Fortress, saving them the journey back.

The next notice was about the Seed list.

The top ninety on the hunting leaderboard had successfully entered the Sea City Military Academy's Seed list. Those outside the top ninety were regrettably eliminated. If they wanted to try for a Seed position again, they would have to wait for the semi-annual Seed Challenge.

However, in the history of Sea City Military Academy, only a handful of late-blooming geniuses had ever succeeded in seizing a Seed slot through the Seed Challenge. The vast majority of challengers failed.

This was only natural. After all, once included in the Seed list, one enjoyed benefits and resources far superior to those of ordinary cadets. The talent of these academy Seeds was already stronger than that of ordinary cadets to begin with. With a wealth of resources directed toward them, as long as they remained diligent and didn't grow complacent, the gap between them and ordinary cadets would only grow wider.

Fang Zhou gave the message a cursory glance and skipped it.

He had only one goal: to become the No. 1 Seed. Now, with only one round of arena challenges left, he was on the verge of achieving his desire.

There shouldn't be any overconfident fool who doesn't know their own limits and dares to challenge me, right?

With that thought, Fang Zhou looked at the leaderboard on his Hunting Recorder again.

1st place, Fang Zhou, 812 points.

2nd place, Meng Hongzhuang, 253 points.

3rd place, surprisingly, was not Gu Zhiqiu but Ye Fan, with 222 points.

Fang Zhou raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

The number 222 is strangely fitting for a dramatic teenager like Ye Fan. He must have given his all to climb step by step from 10th place to where he is now. Unfortunately, two fists are no match for many. In a format like the Cave Hunting, the sustained combat ability of Summoning Professions like mine and Meng Hongzhuang's far surpasses that of Ye Fan, Gu Zhiqiu, and the others.

Even with his sky-high ambitions, Ye Fan could only be helplessly crushed under the feet of Fang Zhou and Meng Hongzhuang.

Fang Zhou casually scrolled through the rest of the leaderboard.

The familiar faces of Rare Professionals like Gu Zhiqiu and Zhao Yuan were all on the list. Among the ninety Seeds, nearly twenty were from ordinary Professions. They must have endured untold hardships to get this far, and their strength was not to be underestimated.

Fang Zhou couldn't help but think of Shen Ziwei, who had lost an arm in the Frozen Tundra. He touched the Ring of Burning Fire on his hand, letting out a wistful sigh.

If Shen Ziwei hadn't been so competitive and had instead played it safe with the Ring of Burning Fire, she might have made it into the ranks of the Seeds.

Thinking of her tragic state on the stretcher, Fang Zhou felt a renewed sense of vigilance.

After all, he was just a lowly Apprentice, far too insignificant in this chaotic world where humans and Demons clashed.

I must guard against arrogance and impatience and proceed with the utmost caution. I can't let momentary praise and admiration blind me or cause me to lose my steady, cautious mindset.

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