After clarifying his thoughts, Fang Zhou took out a silver-gray stone.
This was the [Level 1 Refining Stone] he had obtained from the instance.
Sure enough, just like the previous [Level 1 Blue Gem], the attribute panel immediately prompted
"Detected resources available for enhancement, 10 points of soul power can be consumed for enhancement."
"Begin enhancement?"
Fang Zhou took out the apprentice magic staff, "Begin enhancement."
With the consumption of 10 points of soul power, this small Level 1 Refining Stone quickly merged into one with the apprentice magic staff.
The originally plain-looking magic staff now had a hint of mysterious luster.
Fang Zhou looked at the equipment column on the attribute panel, and the apprentice magic staff now had a "+1" mark, with a slight increase in the magic effect.
Fang Zhou gripped the magic staff tightly, naturally imagining the scene one day where he wields a +9 divine artifact level staff, traversing the world.
However, he quickly came back to his senses.
A Level 1 Refining Stone is worth 10 contribution points, and by this analogy, refining equipment is entirely a gold-draining endeavor.
The road ahead is long and challenging!
The slight pride Fang Zhou felt from accumulating 500 contribution points was immediately wiped away.
He also thought, since humans’ professional equipment can be [refined] and [inlaid], could his skeleton clone’s bone armament also be refined and inlaid?
With this in mind, Fang Zhou concentrated his attention on the skeleton clone.
Seeing his significant accumulation of soul power, Fang Zhou attempted to activate the attribute panel to refine and inlay the bone long spear and skeleton armor.
Very quickly, he received feedback.
Inlaying requires gemstones as necessary materials, but refining stones can be replaced with Skeleton Essence.
As a Black Iron level Skeleton Warrior, the skeleton clone naturally wouldn’t lack Skeleton Essence.
If that’s the case, attribute panel, refine it for me!
"Detected resources available for refining, 100 points of soul power can be consumed for refinement."
"Begin refinement?"
With Fang Zhou’s confirmation, the 100 points of soul power accumulated over several days poured into the bone long spear like a gentle stream into the ocean.
The originally pale bone surface emitted a faint blue glow, pulsating as if alive, and a rotating vortex of death seemed to vaguely form at the spear tip, exuding a destructive aura.
With the last bit of Skeleton Essence fully absorbed, the refinement process for the bone long spear was complete, successfully enhancing it to +1 level.
As white ordinary quality equipment, the bone long spear can be refined a maximum of 2 times.
However, to refine it a second time, more Skeleton Essence and 200 points of soul power are required.
Fang Zhou couldn’t bring out that many resources for the moment, but even so, he was already very satisfied.
Once again, he successfully applied the research outcomes of human professionals on equipment to the skeleton clone.
The growth potential of the clone’s combat power undoubtedly had more room for improvement.
This also meant that his growth strategy of nurturing clones and having them repay the main body was very correct.
Fang Zhou wielded the refined +1 bone long spear, casually selecting a nearby lucky skeleton as a target.
Swish!
In an almost inaudible sound of breaking air, Fang Zhou clearly felt the refined +1 bone long spear exhibit sharper and more powerful capabilities than before.
Like butter encountering a hot knife, the lucky skeleton’s skull was directly shattered by the bone long spear, falling into an infant-like peaceful sleep.
Crack.
Crack.
The skeleton clone smiled silently, such an improvement was well worth the 100 points of soul power consumed.
He looked at his attribute panel again, the proficiency of the [Brutal Strike] skill was still at [Perfection].
Moving from [Perfection] to [Instinct] indeed required great effort.
Fortunately, the skeleton clone had already broken through to the lower Black Iron tier, significantly increasing the number of times apprentice-level skills could be cast continuously.
According to Fang Zhou’s estimate, in another three to four days, he should be able to train Brutal Strike to [Instinct] proficiency.
Under the glow of the blood moon, the skeleton clone, wielding the refined +1 bone long spear, began another shameless journey of the strong bullying the weak.
...
In the following days, the simulation battlefield gradually returned to calm.
One after another, some elite trainees successfully cleared the standard difficulty [Little Inferior Demon Camp], but most trainees were still stuck there.
Unable to beat a Little Inferior Demon in one-on-one combat is a matter of hard strength, which can only be improved through daily cultivation and battle.
Even the outstanding newcomers like Ye Fan, Meng Hongzhuang, and Gu Zhiqiu fell at the abyss difficulty.
However, inspired by Fang Zhou, they also tentatively began employing various tactics and achieved certain results.
Especially [Natural Summoner] Meng Hongzhuang, her pioneering progress was leading, even surpassing Ye Fan.
In her best performance in the simulation battlefield, Meng Hongzhuang successfully stormed into the camp, killed several Little Inferior Demons, but ultimately was defeated under the sustained barrage of Magic-Devouring Talent and Desecration Beam from two Abyss Demon Children.
While others were making efforts, Fang Zhou was naturally not idle.
Every early morning, he would enter the simulation battlefield and sweep the abyss difficulty [Horned Demon Outpost].
Thanks to the attribute growth provided by the secret spirit medicine and his increasing familiarity with the instance mechanics, Fang Zhou’s clearance speed became faster, and dealing with demons became increasingly effortless and proficient.
Besides utilizing trap setups and the terrain advantage of the Thick Fog Jungle, he also experimented with other tactical ideas.
For instance, after luring the snake out of its hole, he would reverse-occupy the magpie’s nest, using the outpost’s defense advantage to resist demon sieges.
Or employing kite tactics, utilizing his own agility attribute and the movement speed advantage from the [Skeleton Wings] skill to gradually eliminate the demon forces within the outpost.
The results of these tactical attempts varied, with the best being perfect, and the worst barely passing.
But regardless of the outcome, these attempts greatly expanded Fang Zhou’s tactical reserve.
The abyss difficulty, dreaded and avoided by other trainees, had become the best testing ground for verifying his learning and enhancing his tactical thinking.
Fang Zhou’s performance was naturally observed by the instructors.
Be it in combat prowess, research capability, mentality, or tactical thinking, Fang Zhou’s performance was impeccable.
Needless to say about Lu Hu, Shen Hongyu, and Chen Qingshan, these instructors who always had high hopes for Fang Zhou, even the firm-mouthed Principal Su Tiankuo quietly considered Fang Zhou as the best candidate for Sea City Military Academy’s number one seed.
The other first-year trainees had become desensitized to Fang Zhou’s performance.
As for figures like this academic diviner, it was enough for ordinary people like them to look up from the ground.
Only someone like Ye Fan, with his teenage spirit, would grow more determined with each setback. Facing the gap with Fang Zhou, he not only wasn’t demoralized but had his deep-seated fighting spirit ignited.
As for Bai Xiaochan, she had completely laid flat.
Single-player instances and such were still too unsuitable for her; her future lay in team instances.