Forbidden Zone of the Human Race

Xiang Ning’s thoughts echoed what the rest of the students thought, too.

“You may come get the weapons you need now,” Lei Zhongyuan announced as ten gigantic trucks entered the field.

Four soldiers stood before each truck as they retrieved weapons that coldly glinted in the light, calling the names of the students to collect their weapons.

Very soon, Xiang Ning’s name was called.

He looked at the class two iridium sword in his hand, which reflected a deadly white glint, and had to stop himself from kissing it. This blade was worth one point two million dollars and could kill tier two beasts. It was awesome.

He had also ordered two class two throwing knives. Since they used little material, they were cheap, and even Xiang Ning could afford to buy two if he wanted.

“Xiang Ning, Instructor Lei personally instructed me to pass this to you,” said the soldier who gave Xiang Ning his weapons after confirming his identity.

“What?” Xiang Ning was perplexed. A surprise gift? He chuckled, “Really? I’m very grateful.”

“This is for you.” The soldier passed him a circular shield as he widened his eyes. Why did it look like a tortoiseshell?

“Uh, are you sure you’ve got the right one, bro?” Xiang Ning awkwardly asked. It fooled no one, for it was literally a tortoiseshell, just one with its black grooves painted blue.

“Yep, please leave once you’ve got your things. There’s a line,” said the soldier. The soldier saw him as one of those brats who pulled strings in the background to get what he wanted. Although it was a personal instruction from Lei Zhongyuan, he still looked down on people like that. He didn’t look down on Lei Zhongyuan though, instead taking a mental note of Instructor Lei’s friends and family for future reference.

“Sigh, what a corrupt world we live in.”

Xiang Ning didn’t hear him, though he would have ignored it anyway. He was very disappointed—speechless even, at the tortoiseshell shield in his left arm. However, he was still somewhat consoled because it was a Guardian Mk. 3 Scornful Shield that could block the jaws and claws of a tier three beast, although a strong shield required a strong owner to withstand the force.

As long as they were careful, a tier three martial artist wouldn’t get hurt if they brought this shield to battle. In contrast, if Xiang Ning fought a tier three beast with this shield, the shield would be fine but his internal organs would shatter from the sheer force of a beast attack. It was just like their combat attire. The fabric could withstand sharp teeth and claws, but not the impact of a powerful beast. Usually, that was what made an attack fatal.

External injuries could be treated, but internal injuries could result in death in the wilderness.

Xiang Ning’s team retrieved their weapons one by one, but Xiang Ning didn’t expect Lu Shiyu to be this popular. Her beauty was one thing, but the weapons in her hand and what she carried on her back were what stunned him. She held a long sickle, which he had seen before, but she also carried a box the size of a human on her back. He couldn’t guess what it held.

Many people stared.

“Look at the girl, she’s so cute!”

“Look at her weapon, I think it’s a sword.”

“Duh?”

“Wait, no, it’s a sickle!”

“What?! I’ve never seen a sickle that long!”

“It’s actually kinda cool.”

The crowd started talking about her weapon, which was normal, as long sickles were rare. What most people didn’t understand was why she carried a black box wider than herself on her back.

“Shiyu, what’re you carrying on your back?” Xiang Ning asked in a daze.

“Hehe, it’s an assault rifle.” She placed the box on the ground; Xiang Ning could feel its weight from her action.

Many people crowded over, clamoring to see the weapon inside.

Then, the crowd froze when they saw it.

It was a heavy, two-meter-long assault rifle. While Lu Shiyu didn’t look fragile, she also didn’t look exceptionally strong. The crowd suddenly treated her with reverence for how heavy it looked.

Liu Ruoxue walked over, her jaw dropping when she saw the weapon. After gathering some thoughts to form a sentence, she said, “Artemis Mk. 1, worth ten million dollars. Each bullet is worth two hundred thousand. One bullet is enough to kill a tier three beast, but it requires great mental power from the wielder. A tier one spiritual cultivator can only fire twice a day, while a tier two spiritual cultivator can fire eight rounds.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. There were many weapons in the market worth ten million dollars, but they had never seen anything as brutal as this one. Did it really suit the girl?

Xiang Ning drooled. Ten million dollars? How many iridium swords could he buy with that much money? A hundred? He didn’t dare think about it, nor did he plan to fall at her feet to worship her. He realized Lu Shiyu was the true mafia boss here. He mulled over worshiping her to get into her good books… no, wait, he must never lose his dignity no matter how poor he was!

“You don’t look familiar… I don’t think you’re from Marsh City, are you? My name is Wu Rui, I’m a new student at Hanwu Academy. Can we be friends?” A tall, muscular student walked over with a light smile. He was a handsome man.

Xiang Ning hated the way he acted though.

“Oh my god, this guy beat me to it!”

“Stop it, forget about whether you’ll get a word in with the girl—worry about Wu Rui first! You can’t even afford to provoke him!”

“Yeah, please don’t embarrass yourself. It’s likely the girl will like him, he’s the best of our generation. He’s the same age as us, but has already broken through to tier two!” the crowd gossiped. Wu Rui was one of the best students from Hanwu Academy, having displayed massive talent when he first arrived at school. Plus, his physical examination had even returned impressive results. He was a tier two martial artist! Not even his class teacher had known prior to his examination.

As if she didn’t hear Wu Rui at all, Lu Shiyu turned to Xiang Ning with a smile. “Xiang Ning, what do you think of this weapon?”

Wu Rui’s brows were knitted together as he turned to look at Xiang Ning as well, convincing himself that perhaps the girl thought he had been talking to someone else. He stood in front of him, then gazed at her with passion in his eyes. “Hello there, I’m Wu Rui from Hanwu Academy, may I be your—”

Before he finished, an icy cold voice cut him off. “I’m not interested, buzz off!” Lu Shiyu frowned. Didn’t the guy see she was in the middle of something with Xiang Ning?