The training camp is divided into five tiers, each with various training setups.
Tang Yu was well aware that an Awakener with rich combat skills and experience was far stronger than those who relied solely on brute force.
Unfortunately, even after several days of training under Luo Zhe's guidance, he was barely scraping by as the bottom of the barrel.
He hadn't even mastered the most basic Combat Skill, Heavy Slash.
Even though his equipment, which was considered top-grade among beginner gear, had become sharper after the update and could easily breach the defenses of Demonized Beasts, his lack of combat skills was a major drawback. Fighting one-on-two or one-on-three against Demonized Beasts of the same level was already challenging for him.
If it were Luo Zhe, dealing with ten Demonized Beasts of the same level wouldn't be a problem at all.
But Luo Zhe's years of combat experience were something Tang Yu couldn't learn. To fight for a few years? He wouldn't last a few days before he'd have to "send himself off" with a somber tune.
Tang Yu knew his own limits.
Under normal circumstances, the only way to improve combat experience was through accumulation, so he built the training camp to take an unconventional rapid approach.
He found that he couldn't survive without "cheating" anymore.
It was all too sad to discuss.
Tang Yu entered the training camp, where the first and second floors were the most spacious, offering basic training facilities akin to those seen before the apocalypse, though somewhat more complex, functional, and effective here.
For example, the most basic resistance machines and punching power gauges were similar to those available pre-apocalypse, but could pre-apocalyptic equipment withstand the strength of an Awakener?
Still, Awakeners needed to train, especially to better control their own strength. If training equipment was available, there was no doubt the effects would be substantially better.
Not to mention, training could also improve one's physical attributes. This was like getting extra attribute points on top of those gained from levelling up, accumulating day by day, further widening the gap between Awakeners of the same level.
Tang Yu, naturally uninterested in the first two floors, briefly checked them out before heading upstairs directly.
The third and fourth floors housed special training equipment.
For instance, the rapid runway looked like a mere ten-meter track, but stepping on it revealed a much different reality: the track was nearly endless, and running on it brought unbearable oppressive forces from behind, such as sensations of fear and death, pushing the user to run swiftly and tap into their latent potential.
It was a choice between being worn out or scared to death.
Besides, there were the Reaction Space, Gravity Room, and Dream Shooting Range among other training devices, all dazzling to Tang Yu.
He didn't plan to try these; his goal was the Spirit Space located at the very top, the fifth tier.
As for the first to fourth tiers, he intended to open them to the public.
He had thought through the specifics: the first and second levels would be free for the Patrol Team, and if members of the Patrol Team wanted to use the third and fourth levels, they would need to spend their Contribution Points... which were part of their salaries. By letting these individuals exchange points for supplies, it would avoid spending Source Crystals.
Once the Sanctuary had more survivors in the future, the entire training camp could be opened as a paid facility. For instance, transient personnel in the Sanctuary or Awakeners not part of the Patrol Team who wanted to train and get stronger would need to spend Consuming Crystals!
Relying on hunting Demonized Beasts for Source Crystals was not a sustainable long-term strategy, nor was mining from a Source Crystal Mine indefinitely. However, if he could expand the reputation of the Sanctuary, it would continuously attract external Awakeners, who would then bring in Source Crystals.
Outsiders spending on his territory who ran out of Source Crystals would go out to hunt Demonized Beasts and, feeling underpowered, spend again in the training camp... This was a brilliant cyclical model that could continuously generate revenue for the Territory, like repeatedly harvesting crops, Tang Yu envisioned his storage filling up with Source Crystals.
Relying on others' efforts was the way to prosper!
Shaking off these slightly impractical thoughts for now, Tang Yu finally reached the fifth floor.
In contrast to the eye-catching training facilities of the other floors, the fifth floor was quite plain, with just three rooms, each empty except for some incomprehensible runes drawn on the walls.
This was the Spirit Access Room, limited to one person per room.
Tang Yu entered one of the rooms, sat down cross-legged, and the runes on the walls glowed faintly. Suddenly, the whole room seemed to tremble, his thoughts stretched infinitely, and when he regained his senses, he found himself in a gray, hazy space.
This was the Spirit Space, a realm between illusion and reality.
Here, multiple training modes were available. The most basic training mode allowed for setting up enemies, such as fighting with Demonized Beasts without fear of death, offering a space to engage in battle freely. Only here could he rapidly enhance his combat experience.
Besides, there were Endless Mode, Battle Space, Trial Tower, Virtual Secret Realm, and more, though many of these modes were grayed out, clearly not yet available at the current training camp level.
Tang Yu chose individual training, planning to first set up a few Demonized Beasts to test his limits. He hadn't yet tried to see how many he could handle when going all out.
"Ding-dong! Lord identity detected. Would you like to initiate Lord-exclusive mode?"
Tang Yu was perplexed. He hadn't heard about any such mode in the Spirit Space, and it wasn't mentioned in the manual. Moreover, if he wasn't mishearing, this voice was appearing directly in his mind, not from the training camp. It must be the system's voice.
He decided to ask about it.
"Lord-exclusive mode is only available to Lords, providing a customized training environment. Under Lord-exclusive mode, completing tasks will yield rewards."
Tang Yu ignored that explanation.
His attention was fixed on two words.
He felt tears well up in his eyes!
What were the standard offerings of the system? Of course, tasks and rewards! But this damned system hadn't given a penny, no gift package to start off with, no beginner's benefits. Even the funds for building the city had come from his own pocket. If not for the luck of finding enough source crystals, he would be dead by now.
He had thought tasks and rewards were out of his reach, yet here they were reappearing. Even if it was just within the training camp, he didn't care. The rewards were enough!
"Ding-dong! Would you like to initiate Lord-exclusive mode?"
"Ding-dong! Lord-exclusive mode initiated. Now entering scenario one, generating tasks..."
[Task One: Survive thirty minutes, reward: Skill·Sky Breaking Slash]
[Task Two: Slay ten demonized beasts two levels above oneself, reward: Skill·Instant Movement]
[Tip: Before entering the scenario, you may freely choose equipment. The chosen equipment must be basic.]
There were two tasks in scenario one: slaughtering demonized beasts two levels above him—he was an Awakener third layer, so he must slay Fifth Tier—Tang Yu thought it unlikely he could achieve that.
However, the other task, surviving for half an hour, seemed... not that difficult, right?
Tang Yu was tempted. The rewards were skills that could be learned directly, and these two skills were evidently more advanced than basic combat skills like Heavy Slash.
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind,
than he found himself in a vast forest. Before he could even take in his surroundings, a sharp pain overwhelmed his nerves, and he lost consciousness. The next moment, he was back in the gray, indefinite space.
Tang Yu gasped for air, sweat dripping from his forehead. His heart pounded ceaselessly, his pupils dilated, still not fully clear-headed.
This was the Spirit Space. Besides not actually dying, all other sensations were real.
The moment of death he just experienced was so bewildering, but the impending doom felt extremely real, including that piercing pain, which seemed to linger in his body, causing his muscles to tremble continuously.
After all, Tang Yu was just an ordinary person. Though life in the apocalypse had been tough, he hadn't suffered severe injuries, nor was he the kind to get used to pains casually. Even though he had braced himself for dying in the Spirit Space, this time, it was too sudden. The fear, the despair, lingered deep in his heart.
He stayed in the gray space for nearly half an hour. During that time, Tang Yu thought about entering the first level again, but hesitated and lacked the courage to re-enter.
Time quietly slipped by, yet everything in this gray space seemed eternal.
Tang Yu opened his eyes, closed them, and gritted his teeth...
Re-entering the first level to survive, Tang Yu didn't even bother to check his surroundings. He immediately rolled away from his original position, and upon looking up, he saw a large shadow moving among the giant trees.
It was a colossal black spider, at least as big as a car, its mouthparts gleaming coldly, numerous eyes coldly watching him.
Suddenly, Tang Yu felt terrible!
Such a huge spider, even if he was armed to the teeth, even if his Longsword was sharp enough to penetrate its defense, the question was, could he reach it?
No wonder the task was to survive!
Tang Yu now really wanted to ask, Mr. Spider, can we negotiate a peace?