Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 192 Stunned
"So, Hathaway, did you participate in a similar pioneering mission ten years ago?"

Li Wei then asked, because having participated would undoubtedly be a significant advantage.

"You really think highly of me. Ten years ago, I was only second on the newcomer list. How could I be qualified to become a seed player like you? I joined midway through a pioneering mission and was eliminated in the first month. I was just a nobody back then."

"I haven't had the chance to participate in the pioneering mission since then, and this is only the second time. Gentlemen, since we're allies, let me add something: the rules and logic of the pioneering mission are similar to the newbie mission, but the difficulty and changes will definitely give you nightmares."

"You'll experience it for yourselves when the time comes."

"By the way, in the mission world, never say the words 'magical zombie.' Always use 'mutated creature' or 'superpowered being' instead. Remember that."

"Okay, you guys get back to work, I'll be going now."

After Hathaway finished speaking, she got up and left.

John then left in silence.

Only Li Wei and Clyde remained on the spot. The latter laughed and said, "Li Wei, want to go to the training ground for a game?"

"I definitely can't beat you."

Li Wei said casually, his mind still lingering on the situations Hathaway had just described.

“You’re being modest. I heard you lasted a full ten seconds against the black-robed witch Missy. I had no idea you became such a swordsman. So we must have a friendly spar, how about we stop when we’ve made our point?” Clyde invited warmly.

“Well—okay.” Li Wei glanced at Clyde and then followed him to the training ground outside. There, Hathaway hadn’t left; instead, she and John were practicing with wooden swords, each holding one, looking very diligent.

Li Wei watched for a while, seemingly lost in thought, and then said, "So, in this expansion mission, individual combat strength will be very important?"

Clyde paused for a moment, then smiled. "Brother, you've hit the nail on the head. When you're on a newbie mission, that's when things are peaceful and carefree. Do you know Cheng Mo from the logistics department?"

"You mean that Joffrey?"

"Yes, it's him. Since his return, the logistics department has formulated a comprehensive combat capability enhancement plan for him. That kid is good in every way, except that his combat capability is lacking."

"Did you know that a lot of people have been secretly comparing you to Cheng Mo?"

"Why? Are we long-lost twins?"

"Haha! You're really funny, bro. In my opinion, how could he possibly compare to you? You didn't even have a code name and you became a seeded player, while that guy is nothing. I have to stand up for you on this point!" Clyde sneered.

"He's not a seeded player?"

"At first, many people were saying it was true, but the real list came out yesterday. Out of the twenty seeded players, you are the only newcomer. You are already so outstanding that you have caused so much discussion in the Ministry of the Interior. Even the rumor that you are Lord Night Owl's illegitimate son has been spread. Not to mention that Cheng Mo, who is he? The Logistics Department is also full of good players and the competition is fierce. In fact, I think he won't even be able to make the starting lineup."

"Ten years ago, Hathaway was also second on the newcomer list, but she could only join as a substitute midway. Do you think this Cheng Mo can surpass Hathaway? Rather than believe that, I'd rather believe that you are Lord Night Owl's illegitimate son."

God is such an illegitimate child!

While Li Wei found it absurd, he immediately realized just how fierce the competition was for the Pioneer Card holder slots.

Is Hathaway, that bitch, spouting nonsense again?

But that's not necessarily true. She was a substitute player who joined midway through the season and was eliminated in less than a month. What does she know?

As they spoke, Li Wei and Clyde arrived at an empty training area, right next to where Hathaway and John were sparring. Over there, John had already lost two rounds in a short period of time, but this guy's will was as strong as steel. He was not discouraged by defeat, a true hero!
Clyde took a wooden sword and a wooden shield from the weapon rack next to him, jumped nimbly twice, full of morale and fighting spirit, quite like a little teddy bear.

On the contrary, Li Wei was dull-witted, almost like a wooden statue.

At this moment, he casually picked up a two-handed wooden sword from the weapon rack. It wasn't very handy, but it was still usable.

So, are there any rules?

Li Wei asked.

Clyde, who had already gone to the other side of the training field, laughed and said, "There are no rules. The rule is to stop when you've hit the target. Training is all about finding your weaknesses and developing your strengths. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory!"

"it is good!"

Li Wei nodded, gripped his sword with both hands, and strode towards Clyde, who was thirty meters away.

For the first second, Clyde's gaze was still scrutinizing. He had previously used a god-like perspective to analyze the battle between Li Wei and the black-robed witch Missy. He admitted that this guy's archery skills were practically cheating, but using a heavy wooden sword to attack Missy had too many flaws. Against him, he could last at least 15 seconds...

He meant well, hoping that Li Wei could correct his attitude towards using the sword, and incidentally gain a little reputation. Ah, the joy of this is something most people can't imagine.

The next second, his gaze turned serious. Li Wei had no set routine at all; he just kept accelerating. In the training area, which was only thirty meters long, Li Wei had already covered twenty meters in a short time. "You're not doing this right. I have more than a dozen ways to counterattack, to block, to parry. Sigh, you're full of openings. What am I supposed to say to you?"

In the third second, Clyde charged forward with full confidence, shield in his left hand and sword in his right. His steps were steady yet agile, with a rhythmic pattern in his movements. Watch me block with my left shield and thrust with my right sword. My movement technique—oh my god!
what happened?
Time seemed to freeze at the third second. Clyde was still in an attacking stance, but the wooden sword in Li Wei's hand had silently pierced through his defenses and was quietly pressed against his throat.

Clyde was completely bewildered. What was going on?
I also have 22 points in agility and 28 points in strength. The key thing is, I'm wearing leather armor, while Li Wei is only wearing an autumn uniform.

You cheated, didn't you!
Do you have a cheat code?
A second later, Li Wei took a step back, freezing the image.

Clyde finally woke up from his dream, no, what's going on?
"You're no match for him, you fool. Who do you think he is that could force the Black-Robed Witch Missy to retreat five steps? While his status as the new king may be somewhat based on luck and inconsistency, he is undoubtedly the best in combat."

Hathaway, holding a wooden sword, stood lazily next door and spoke.

"What? Forced back five steps, wasn't it supposed to hold for 10 seconds?"

Clyde was surprised; the internal documents he had seen were incomplete.

"idiot!"

Hathaway was too lazy to explain any further. The footage of her and Li Wei's final battle could only be seen by Night Owl, and it would be destroyed once the result was confirmed. This was to maintain maximum secrecy. Otherwise, if the Ministry of the Interior's own top players' battle footage were taken by their competitors and analyzed frame by frame, wouldn't they become complete fools?
However, John and Clyde, who were present, were trustworthy. "Li Wei, fight me."

"I can't beat you."

After saying this, Li Wei threw down the wooden sword, nodded to Clyde, and turned to go to the old gatekeeper, as he still had some supplies to buy.

"Hey, give it a try, I'll give you extra water!" Hathaway was unwilling to give up; she also quite enjoyed seeing Li Wei kneeling on the ground singing "Conquer."

But Li Wei ignored him and walked away quickly!

He shouldn't take chances; he wasn't as stupid as Clyde, and he didn't want to be trampled on in front of everyone.

Clyde was actually very smart, but he lost because he had a sense of complacency.

Inside the guardhouse, the old man was still there, still smiling, but the look he gave was now somewhat subtle.

As the third-highest-ranking official in the Ministry of the Interior, he has a lot to do every day, especially things that should have been handled by the Chief Home Officer, which he has been doing for the past few months.

Meanwhile, the chief internal affairs officer spent all her time tracking down a mere newbie mission, which ultimately led to rumors that she had an illegitimate child.

He almost believed it before.

But now, he felt the rumors were false! That little girl, Night Owl, was very wicked. While the logistics department next door was making a big fuss about cultivating Cheng Mo, she was trying to keep a low profile and handle things quietly.

What does it mean to hold on for 10 seconds? Is it the same concept as being forced back five steps?
Let's play word games.

"Li Wei, have you decided what you want to buy?"

"Yes, my lord."

Li Wei replied politely, then quickly tapped the supply list with one hand, spending all his gold coins in no time.

The old man opposite him, however, had a somewhat amused look in his eyes.

"Li Wei, are you sure you want to buy so much one-star timber? I know you're skilled with bows and arrows, why not also buy some arrowheads and feathers?"

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I still have some left."

Li Wei smiled slightly. This time, besides buying another resource card, a one-star shovel, a one-star axe, and a one-star hoe, he used all his gold coins to buy one-star wood, which could be cut into arrow shafts, wooden spears, and even wooden swords. As for arrowheads, fish glue, and feathers, he already had them in stock, and their quality was no different from those sold by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so there was no need to buy them.

"Alright, as you wish, these supplies will be delivered to your home before this evening."

"Thank you, sir!"

Li Wei walked back after leaving the Ministry of the Interior because he had no money left to pay for the bus fare.

This also means that he has almost no way to purchase other supplies and equipment.

But Li Wei was very confident about this. He could do whatever he wanted with the mission four months from now, and follow whatever rules he wanted. He only needed to strengthen one thing: his destiny!
The hunter's fate is 47, and the woodcutter's fate is 42. Will they both reach 50 in four months and unlock the perception attribute?
this point is very important.

The days that followed seemed to return to a routine as regular as the Lunar New Year.

Every morning, Li Wei would take his maid, Xiao Ning, to do rehabilitation training. In the afternoon, he would set off from the Feng residence and run around the city of Weier in one go, taking notes on the buildings and layouts along the way.

When Xiao Ning got home from get off work in the evening, he sat in the attic, looking at the starry sky, the fluttering leaves, or the falling snow, clearing his mind. Then, holding the three-star dagger, he made a cut.

Yes, only one piece of wood is cut.

Size and form don't matter; they range from small daggers, arrow shafts, and hardwood arrows to large wooden spears, wooden sticks, one-handed wooden swords, and two-handed wooden swords.

But every cut is done with full effort and complete concentration.

Each cut produces at least one star, mostly two stars, and occasionally even three-star semi-finished products.

However, Li Wei didn't care about these things, because they were just helping to improve the woodcutter's fate.

Before we knew it, winter was coming to an end, and only three days remained out of the four months.

The one-star timber that Li Wei bought at a high cost of gold coins has been completely cut up.

He crafted a total of five one-star wooden daggers, three one-star one-handed wooden swords, and three one-star two-handed wooden swords. These could only be used for daily training, so their quality was limited.

Wooden spears and sticks, since they can be further processed and crafted, have a slightly higher potential, and are basically all of two-star quality, with a total of ten.

As for the arrow shafts, which are semi-finished products, the upper limit is even higher. Li Weiyi cut out three three-star arrow shafts in total, and finally made three three-star sniper armor-piercing arrows.

The rest were all two-star arrow shafts, a total of eighteen, which Li Wei crafted into two-star sniper armor-piercing arrows.

The remaining scraps were all cut into hardwood arrows by Li Wei. These were simple wooden arrows that only needed to be glued with feathers and did not require arrowheads. Their power relied entirely on their hardness and the strength of the bow.

In fact, as long as it hits a vulnerable spot like the eye, the power is just as great.

These hardwood arrows are all rated one star, which is determined by the material limit. There are a total of eighty of them, and they can be carried into and out of the mission world.

But none of these were his biggest gains. The real achievement was that he successfully upgraded his Woodcutter Fate from 42 to 50. Next, he just needs to upgrade his Hunter Fate to 50 to permanently unlock the Perception attribute.

However, on that very day, Li Wei received a message that he needed to go to the Ministry of the Interior to sign a contract and prepare to enter the mission world.

(End of this chapter)