Fang Zhou shared the discoveries and insights from his first troll regeneration experiment with the group. Some of his points supplemented existing information, while others were new findings derived from his unique perspective.

Instructor Su Xinyan was already aware of Fang Zhou's talent. So, while she was a bit surprised that he could glean so many discoveries and considerations from a mere two-hour surgical experiment, her expression remained relatively calm.

However, Instructor Huang Qiuyue and Shen Ziwei were a different story. They didn't know Fang Zhou that well, only that he might have some talent in the Undead Mage profession. They never expected his conceptual creativity and practical abilities to be so astonishing.

As they listened to Fang Zhou, Instructor Huang Qiuyue, who initially held little hope for his proposed project on skeletal regeneration for Professionals, felt a faint glimmer of hope begin to grow. The skeletal regeneration project had long been regarded as the "Holy Grail" for Professionals, with very little success over the years. However, as Fang Zhou shared his thoughts in greater depth, Instructor Huang Qiuyue's eyes gradually brightened. With Fang Zhou's extraordinary talent and inspiration, this young Undead Mage might truly find the key to skeletal regeneration through his unique perspective.

As for Shen Ziwei, who already possessed a blind confidence in Fang Zhou, her trust in him became absolute.

After chatting with Instructor Su Xinyan and the others for a little longer, Fang Zhou had the skeletons finish cleaning the bloodstained operating room. Then, Instructor Su Xinyan decisively shooed Instructor Huang Qiuyue and Shen Ziwei out. She herself stretched languidly and, with the graceful poise of a cat, strode into the rest room.

Fang Zhou returned to his office and headed straight for the comfortable sofa, sinking deep into it. Curling up on the sofa, he started a new game of Demon Extermination Total War. This time, it was a standard classic battle mode.

Fang Zhou chose his most practiced War Chess set, the Longxia Federation series. His opponent chose pieces from the Purple Iris Alliance. It seems my opponent is likely a soldier from the Purple Iris Alliance. Fang Zhou's interest was suddenly piqued.

Instructor Lu Hu once said that the development and operation of Demon Extermination Total War were led by the Human Alliance General Staff Department. Its beta access was also granted through a selection process open to all Human Alliance Army personnel. Therefore, as a first-year Seed Student at the Longxia Federation's Sea City Military Academy, it was natural for Fang Zhou to encounter many foreign soldiers in the game world.

This simulated duel followed the battle rules Fang Zhou was familiar with: a 50,000 combat-value limit for War Chess pieces and a player-controlled Golden Tier Commander.

This time, Fang Zhou faced a Flame Mage with extremely high Attack Power. Moreover, he could sense his opponent had a strong understanding, mastery, and application of the high-tier skills available to a Flame Mage. His attacks were like Hellfire, and each casting placed Fang Zhou under unprecedented pressure.

The battle lasted a long time. The pieces from both sides continuously clashed on the board, and each engagement was breathtaking. Finally, after a grueling struggle, Fang Zhou found his enemy's weakness. He unhesitatingly commanded his trump card, the Celestial Court Dragon Blood Heavy Cavalry War Chess, to launch the final charge. Under the cover of the overwhelming Skeleton Army summoned by his Undead Calamity magic, they shattered the opponent's defense line in one fell swoop, winning the arduous duel.

But this time, his battle evaluation was lower than ever before: "Slightly Upper Hand." This evaluation, though not a crushing defeat, struck him like a heavy hammer, jarring him from the complacency of his winning streak and forcing him to be more alert. In his previous matches in Demon Extermination Total War, he had almost always secured easy victories relying on his tactics, command ability, and his trump card, the Undead Calamity magic. However, it was clear that when considering all of humanity, geniuses were not limited to just him.

After re-watching the replay of his battle, he identified three major command errors and seven minor, avoidable formation flaws. After summarizing them, Fang Zhou felt he had improved significantly.

By now, it was nearly evening. After two hours of project research and the intense simulated battle that followed, Fang Zhou was famished. He let Instructor Su Xinyan know he was leaving, then hurried from the Undead Mage research group's lab toward the canteen.

After a hearty meal, he returned to his dormitory in high spirits and began his nightly routine of cultivation.

「...」

A Blood Moon hung in the endless night sky, casting an eerie red light that stained the land a deathly, rusty hue. After several nights of exploration, Fang Zhou and his skeleton servants finally arrived at an even more towering and perilous range of corpse hills.

Here, to Fang Zhou's surprise, the Soul Fire of Tidamia, his Beheading Giant Sword Skeleton Warrior, grew increasingly restless. Through the Soul Link established by his Skeleton Monarch skill, it repeatedly conveyed a mixture of anger, excitement, and eagerness to him.

Fang Zhou took note of this. He soothed Tidamia through their Soul Link and engaged in a brief spiritual exchange. In that fleeting moment of communication, Fang Zhou caught a clue. A hypothesis began to form in his mind.

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