Chapter 17: Training!!


    A month had passed...


    "Whew!" Han Ming exhaled deeply as he surveyed the layer of shattered skeletal remains before him. This floor had exactly one hundred skeleton soldiers—no more, no less. After a month of relentless day-and-night battles, his endurance, speed, and strength had all improved significantly. Now, he could confidently say that he had surpassed the limits of an ordinary human.


    From the staircase to the far end of the open space, he had fought his way through. He also noticed another staircase leading downward. Could there be a second level?


    Curiosity piqued, Han Ming descended the stairs and found himself in another open area identical to the first. In the distance, shadowy figures loomed. More skeleton soldiers? What could possibly be hidden here, guarded by so many skeletons? It must be something extraordinary. The thought of uncovering a treasure made his heart race. He was determined to reach the end and solve the mystery.


    When he encountered the first skeleton soldier on the second level, Han Ming was taken aback. While there were indeed skeleton soldiers here, they were vastly different from those on the first level. Their armor was far more intact, no longer tattered and broken. Moreover, they were nearly twice as tall, standing at about three meters.


    How strong were they? Han Ming didn’t dare underestimate them. After successfully drawing the attention of one skeleton soldier, he immediately turned and ran. His speed had improved significantly, but to his surprise, the second-level skeleton soldier kept pace with him, relentlessly pursuing him.


    Wanting to test the skeleton’s strength, Han Ming suddenly stopped, raised his staff with both hands, and blocked a downward slash from the skeleton’s massive blade.


    The force of the blow drove Han Ming to his knees, shattering his kneecaps with a sickening crack and sending a cloud of dust into the air. His right arm, unable to withstand the impact, was dislocated. But the skeleton wasn’t done. As soon as it retracted its blade, it delivered a swift kick to Han Ming’s abdomen, sending him flying like a cannonball into the far wall. The impact caused chunks of stone to rain down.


    Countless battles on the first level had honed Han Ming’s survival instincts. Without a moment to assess his injuries—his shattered knees, dislocated arm—he relied on his left arm to drag himself back to the staircase. With a few desperate rolls, he managed to climb back to the first level.


    The kick to his abdomen had caused the most damage. He gasped for air, but none came. His vision spun, and as he reached for the water pouch at his waist, a wave of nausea overwhelmed him. He vomited bile, his face turning a deep shade of purple from the pain and lack of oxygen.


    With his left hand, he fumbled for the water pouch and took a large gulp. The cool, emerald-green water felt like a refreshing stream flowing over scorched metal, soothing his injuries. His body shuddered with relief, every pore seeming to breathe in the comfort. Finally, air rushed into his lungs. He lay down, waiting for his body to recover.


    "Whew! How are the second-level skeletons so overpowered!?" Han Ming thought, still shaken. His current strength allowed him to easily disarm the first-level skeletons, but compared to the second-level giants, he was nothing. This wouldn’t do. He couldn’t even withstand a single blow, let alone train effectively. He had nearly lost his life.


    Just then, a shadow flashed before his eyes—a steel blade descending toward his head.


    "Crap! The skeleton followed me!?"


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    Han Ming rolled to the side, dodging the strike. Using the wall for support, he stood up and gasped at the scene before him. The shattered skeletons on the first level were slowly reassembling themselves. They were coming back to life!!


    Thankfully, these were the weaker first-level skeletons, not the overpowered second-level ones. But Han Ming was still severely injured, and he was deep in the first level, surrounded by skeletons.


    He kicked one skeleton away and, taking advantage of the fact that most hadn’t fully reassembled, sprinted back to the entrance and escaped.


    Soaking in the pool, Han Ming groaned in relief. He pondered his next steps. The second-level skeletons were too powerful, and the first-level ones had revived. If he wanted to continue improving, the first-level skeletons were no longer sufficient. How could he grow stronger to face the second-level skeletons? At the very least, he needed to be able to withstand a few blows. Getting incapacitated in one strike wasn’t helping him improve.


    Once fully healed, Han Ming stepped out of the pool and hesitated for a moment before shouting, "Catherine! Catherine...!"


    The air rippled, and a curvaceous figure appeared before him. It was Catherine.


    "Do you... have anything heavy? Like... equipment or something? You know what I mean, right?" Han Ming stammered, feeling awkward. Catherine owed him nothing. She had saved his life before, and since arriving here, she hadn’t taken his blood. But he had no other options, so he swallowed his pride and asked.


    *Clang!*


    Without a word, Catherine dropped a pile of items on the ground. They were bracelets, anklets, and a belt, all plain black with no adornments. But their weight was astonishing. They sank into the ground, creating a small crater. After dropping them, Catherine gave Han Ming a cold look and vanished.


    "This woman... why is she always so cold?" Han Ming muttered under his breath. He tried to pick up the items but could only manage to lift the belt.


    As soon as he spoke, a massive vine shot out from the ground, wrapping tightly around him and lifting him into the air. To make matters worse, the vine was covered in thorns that pierced deep into his flesh.


    "Ugh!" Han Ming’s eyes rolled back as a thorn the length of a finger stabbed into him. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    *Splash!*


    The vine hurled him into the pool before retracting into the ground.


    "Ah! It hurts! It hurts!! I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again!" Han Ming screamed in agony.


    ---


    The island’s central area glowed red under the light of molten lava, with steam rising into the air.


    A small figure carried a boulder twice his height, doing frog jumps around the pool. Each landing left deep footprints in the ground. Occasionally, an injured animal would approach the pool to drink, glance curiously at the strange human, and then hop back into the forest.


    In the valley, massive beasts with giant tusks, each over six meters tall, stampeded like a raging river. A thin figure stood among them, holding a massive wooden shield, his eyes blazing with determination. The moment he made contact with the herd, he was sent flying.


    Time and again, he got up, only to be knocked down again. This relentless figure seemed immune to fatigue, pain, and the concept of impossibility.


    Two months flew by.


    During this time, the island had witnessed the presence of a madman. Wherever there were large beasts, he would charge at them without hesitation. Countless times, his legs were broken, his stomach pierced, and he was trampled until he vomited blood.


    By the pool, the boulder on his back had grown from his height to twice his size. In the valley, he went from being instantly knocked down by the herd to holding his ground for a few seconds. In the forest, he went from being repeatedly beaten to grappling with a massive iron-skinned rhinoceros. A man less than two meters tall stood his ground against a beast over three meters tall and six meters long, his feet sinking into the soil as he refused to budge. Despite the rhino’s furious stomping, it couldn’t advance an inch.


    "I’ve done it! I’ve done it! Hahaha!" Han Ming roared in triumph as he successfully wore a bracelet on each wrist, an anklet on each ankle, and a belt around his waist. Two months ago, he could barely lift the belt, but now he wore them all. On the ground, there were still nearly twenty pairs of bracelets, anklets, and several increasingly massive belts. His goal was to one day wear them all!


    Taking a deep breath, Han Ming stepped into the cave entrance, each step leaving a deep footprint.


    ---


    In the first-level hall, a skeleton soldier swung its blade at Han Ming. He grabbed its wrist with one hand and its waist with the other, lifting it off the ground. With a fierce roar, he tore it in half!!


    "Come at me!!" Han Ming bellowed in rage.


    A horde of skeleton soldiers surged toward him. Burdened by the heavy equipment, Han Ming could only move step by step, leaving deep footprints. He kicked one skeleton into pieces, its bones scattering everywhere, and ripped the head off another. He was unstoppable!!