In the afternoon, as Chen Chu was checking in on the armored beast, Xia Youhui rushed back excitedly. Bursting through the door, he exclaimed, "Ah Chu, quick, see if this looks cool or not!"
On the balcony, Chen Chu slowly opened his eyes. "What's cool... you actually went and got yourself a pair of wings.”
There stood Xia Youhui, clad in freshly cleaned black and red battle armor with a pair of metallic black folding wings adorning his back, covering half of his body and exuding an imposing aura.
But... did he really need to go over the top? Chen Chu was somewhat puzzled; he thought these guys had just been joking around.
With a proud stride, Xia Youhui approached, turning a full circle in front of Chen Chu. "Heh heh... isn't it domineering?"
It took a bit for Chen Chu to find words. "Domineering it may be, but those wings must weigh at least twenty or thirty kilograms each. Wouldn’t you find it clumsy to run with that much extra weight?"
His heavy shield weapon likely weighed over a hundred kilograms; with the addition of those wings, he would be carrying over two hundred kilograms of equipment all the time. He wouldn't be able to outrun his enemies in the middle of a battle.
"It's a bit heavy, but it's safe," Xia Youhui boasted. "My weapon is a heavy alloy shield, and I always take a straightforward offensive route in battles. Even if I'm targeted by armor-piercing bullets, they won't penetrate my shield. But the same can't be said for attacks from behind.
"These wings are like having an extra layer of defense. I specifically paid extra for the military factory workers to reinforce them with thickened alloy. So now, even if I'm shot from behind by a sniper rifle, it won't penetrate my armor. So, what do you think? Isn’t it genius?"
Chen Chu nodded in admiration. "That is clever. Did Liu Feng also get himself a pair of wings?"
"No, his art is agility-based, different from mine. So he just doubled the thickness on the front and back and added some shiny pieces painted in gold.
"It wasn’t just us, either. A lot of classmates went to the base factory to reinforce their armor. Making it a little heavier’s worth it. Ah Chu, I suggest you reinforce the front and back of your armor too, to guard against snipers."
I thought the death of that classmate hadn't affected him, but it seems everyone has noticed the defense issue.
"I noticed the issue a while ago, but I don't need the reinforcement. Armor that's too heavy would affect my speed," Chen Chu replied. "Don't forget what art I practice. As soon as hostile eyes fall on me, I'll sense it. A sniper rifle poses little threat to me."
Xia Youhui was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized. "Right, the Insightful Blade. And you’ve mastered the Insightful Eye Realm, too. I almost forgot."
At this point, a hint of envy appeared on his face. He had heard of the Insightful Blade art, and he had been very interested in the ability to perceive danger in advance.
Unfortunately, his brother had told him that he didn't have that talent. This art wasn’t something the ordinary people could practice. Even if he tried forcefully, he would only learn the ordinary Wisdom King Blade art and wouldn’t be able to enter the Insightful Realm.
"Ah Chu, you wanna join me in practicing at the training ground?"
Chen Chu shook his head. "I’m good, I prefer to practice alone."
"...Alright," Xia Youhui nodded.
In the meeting room, General Hong Zeshan sat at the main seat, with staff officers, deputy officers, several military colonels, and Pang Long on both sides.
General Hong Zeshan said solemnly, "Today, a genius from a martial arts school and five warriors lost their lives in an ambush by the rebel army. This is a terrible loss.
"But it was through their sacrifice that we were able to capture a high-ranking fanatic. With my Mental Shock Interrogation Art, we have located the main stronghold of the escaping Demon Cult and a remnant of the remaining rebel forces.
“Currently, three special reconnaissance squads have set out to the mountains, and with the coordination of satellite surveillance, they are expected to arrive at the outskirts of the stronghold in two hours.”
“After 18:00, the entire city will go radio silent. Before 21:00, Armored Squads 3 and 5 should be ready to depart and arrive at the combat site within two hours.
“The fifteenth long-range rocket artillery battalion will depart after dark, and arrive early at their designated combat point to coordinate with supporting aerial bombers for the carpet bombing.
“As the Demon Cult experts are hiding deep in the mountains, I will request a fusion powered bomber for energy cannon bombardment. While we will be destroying the mountain peaks, this will ensure that we get them...”
Before dinner, everyone received orders to prepare for action that evening, and then their mobile phones lost signal.
Xia Youhui became excited. "Ah Chu, do you remember the fanatic Old Pang captured? There’s probably gonna be a major operation tonight. This time, I have to kill more cultists."
Chen Chu narrowed his eyes and reminded him, "Be careful then. Safety comes first, killing enemies second."
At ten o'clock, the hotel lobby was brightly lit. Twenty-five students gathered one after another, but the originally solemn atmosphere was somewhat disrupted.
Liu Feng, clad in golden armor, shimmered in the light, dazzling like a golden warrior from a comic book as he strutted around proudly.
A classmate couldn't help but say with envy, "Liu Feng, where did you get that golden paint? It looks like real gold."
"Heh heh, I paid a premium to have someone adjust the color for me. He guaranteed that it wouldn't wear off for a year," Liu Feng said proudly.
"Liu Feng, aren't you afraid that the golden shine will make you an easy target? Especially in the middle of the night?"
"What's there to fear? My life might not last long, but being cool lasts a lifetime."
"Xia Youhui, your wings are outdated. Look at mine." Bai Mu proudly displayed his silver battle armor in front of Xia Youhui, with three pairs of angel wings of varying sizes on his back that slowly unfolded and retracted with mechanical devices.
Compared to Bai Mu's battle armor, Xia Youhui's black wings seemed somewhat ordinary and less magnificent. But the thicker wings provided a stronger defense.
Apart from them, most of the students' battle armor had undergone some changes. Some had reinforced the front and back sides to protect themselves solidly, and some had even installed strange spring devices resembling spider legs on their backs. Pang Long and the other two teachers found themselves stunned when they entered the lobby to this scene.
The temporary military factory at the base was certainly impressive; they could modify anything.