High-level martial arts: I can choose Hextech equips.

The girl had sea-blue hair and round, bright eyes like peeled grapes.

Her features are ethereal and delicate, reminiscent of a deer in the forest.

But in contrast to her innocent and cute appearance, her figure is extremely exaggerated; the astonishing curves make her T-shirt look a bit bulky.

She was carrying a bag of steamed buns and was eating them with gusto.

This is at least A, B, C, D, E, F... probably a strong person at the same level as Yu Xin... Lin Shuxuan was filled with doubt and surprise.

Yu Xin led him up to greet them.

"Hai Lanlan, this is Lin Shuxuan. He's not only a useless guy with a life energy level of only 3, but also a perverted lecher. You should be careful."

Lin Shuxuan was speechless... But this girl's name is so strange, Hai Lanlan, would any parent give her that name?

Yu Xin nudged him with her elbow and whispered a reminder in his ear:

"This girl's home was destroyed by a monster, and she was the only one rescued; she grew up in an orphanage and is rather dull-witted, so watch your words."

That's pitiful... Lin Shuxuan extended his hand in a gesture of friendliness.

Then a meat bun appeared in his palm.

Lin Shuxuan was a little stunned; he wanted to shake hands.

Hai Lanlan was smiling innocently, but when she saw his expression was off, she became a little confused. After thinking for a moment, she reluctantly took a steamed bun out of the bag and handed it to him.

This girl's little brain is indeed not very bright.

Lin Shuxuan stopped with the two steamed buns, otherwise Hai Lanlan would have brought over a third one.

"Alright, now that we know each other, let's set off."

"Where to?"

"Let's take Ye Lingyue to the front lines."

......

Yu Xin drove an SUV, picked up Ye Lingyue wearing sunglasses from the bronze statue in the city square, and drove towards the new outer ring road.

Inside the carriage, she explained to the three of them:

"The New Ocean Martial Arts Tournament is held in the frontline ecological zone. Within the specified time, players can defeat alien beasts, collect resources, or defeat other teams to earn points."

"So we need to get used to the venue in advance today."

Lin Shuxuan was no stranger to the term "ecological zone".

Places invaded by strange beasts will gradually become tainted and mutated, making it difficult for ordinary people to survive in both plants and air; therefore, these areas are collectively referred to as ecozones.

In this day and age, apart from a few major cities where humans live, such as Xinhai and Hening, most of the earth's surface has been transformed into ecological zones.

The off-road vehicle gradually approached the edge of Xinhai City.

Here, a city wall hundreds of meters high was built, stretching endlessly, separating the city from the outside world.

The black and blue walls are engraved with electrical circuit lines, which are said to be able to form a protective net covering the entire city when combined with the tall tower in the center of the city.

The checkpoints leading out of the city weren't strict; they looked similar to the checkpoints in my previous life.

As the vehicle drove away from the new Hai City, passing by the old Hai City which had become ruins, the ecological landscape that I had only seen in textbooks was now unfolding before my eyes.

There are flowers that use their roots as legs to run, and green kittens that photosynthesize in the sunlight; the ecological zones on the outskirts of cities are not highly polluted, but they are no longer suitable for human survival.

The farther away from the city, the more bizarre and fantastical this scene becomes.

The animals from the past were still somewhat recognizable, but these now appear extremely strange and incomprehensible.

Like a cheetah, the animal, on all fours, opened its abdominal mouth and extended its tentacles to hunt a crawling lump of flesh; but was suddenly pounced on by a dark shadow.

It was a black ape with two heads, its chest covered with thick, long, dense black hair that acted like arms as it dismantled the monstrous leopard beneath it.

Precise and efficient; in an instant, the previous prey was reduced to scattered, wriggling chunks of flesh, which it began to feed on.

Fortunately, there were guardrails on both sides of the road, otherwise Lin Shuxuan suspected that the other party would have pounced directly in front of the car.

"The city will regularly remove these animals; otherwise, if they devour each other, new monsters will be born."

Lin Shuxuan nodded; the shock of the bloody scene earlier was still quite significant.

He noticed that Hai Lanlan was clinging to the car window, her delicate body trembling slightly.

Indeed, this scene was too harsh for a child... Just as I was about to go over and comfort her, I saw Hailanlan wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.

"..."

The car was moving very fast, and Lin Shuxuan gradually heard the sound of waves in the distance, as well as buildings cast in silver alloy.

"One of the twenty strategic forward bases in New Sea City. We will be entering the ecological zone called 'Port Zero' from here in a moment."

As Yu Xin spoke, she drove the car into the base.

The four got off the bus, and a woman in a green military uniform greeted them with a formulaic indifference on her face. She put a bracelet on Lin Shuxuan's wrist.

"Through this smart brain, you can send and receive information within the ecological zone, and activate your personal panel from anywhere in the base. It contains relevant regulations and benefits, and you can ask questions at any time."

Lin Shuxuan then noticed that, apart from him, his three companions were all wearing the same bracelet on their wrists.

Personal panel...? What is this? Lin Shuxuan was a little confused.

He gently pinched the badge, and a pale blue light screen appeared out of thin air before his eyes.

Name: Lin Shuxuan

Military Rank: None

[Credit points: 0]

[Permission Level: 1]

Yu Xin explained, "The frequency of monster attacks is not high now, and the base gives the ecological hunters a lot of freedom."

"You can join the battle after verifying your identity."

"The spoils from hunting alien beasts can be handed over to the base in exchange for merits and benefits. Credits are the common currency on the front lines and have strong purchasing power."

Lin Shuxuan surveyed the base in front of him. It covered an extremely large area, and even with his eyes strained, he could not see the edges on the left and right sides.

It's as magnificent as a city.

After passing through multiple security checks, the four of them arrived inside the base.

Yu Xin did not take him on a tour of the base, but went directly to the preparation area; it was a room made of glass with an excellent view.

You can see ships on the sea shuttling back and forth beneath their feet, setting off and returning.

Standing in front of the counter, Lin Shuxuan looked at the shopping list in front of him.

"This eco-zone is called 'Zero Port'. Unlike other eco-zones, you need to prepare a boat to conquer it."

Yu Xin explained as she scrambled the dough on the board.

The cheapest boats are rudimentary, like sailboats, and cost only 10 credits.

But the higher the grade, the more expensive it is. The more well-equipped the ship, the more the price increases exponentially.

A fully armed, 70-meter-long light frigate requires a full 10,000 credits.

This is just a rental; any damage will require compensation.

Lin Shuxuan could no longer see the more advanced ships, as he received a permission error message.

"Sister Yu Xin, why do we have to pay for our own trips to fight monsters? These boats are too expensive."

Yu Xin smiled.

"The base is a business; if there's no profit to be made, why would we sell it to you? Mercenary groups that specialize in attacking Port Zero usually modify their own ships; these are just for fooling rich kids."

"Which one should we rent?"

Yu Xin took out a black card from her pocket, scanned it at the counter, and a very large and magnificent ship appeared on the list.

Compared to it, a 70-meter light frigate is like an underage child.

"This one."

As she tapped her finger, Lin Shuxuan heard a thunderous roar, as if some enormous creature had entered the sea.

"When Guan Yunyang first came to Xinhai City, he ordered a giant ship to explore the core ecological area. It's perfect for us to use."

"The weapons and equipment should all be in good condition. Let's go buy some food."

Yu Xin transferred 1000 credits.

Spend it however you like.

Yu Xin, who was using Guan Yunyang's black card, said very generously.

Hearing that there was food, Hai Lanlan shoved it over, and Ye Lingyue also peeked over curiously.

Girl, don't dribble and bump into people... Lin Shuxuan, who was bumped, felt pretty good, so he didn't say anything to correct him.

He unfolded the food list.

"Why does a steamed bun cost 15 credits? Sister Yu Xin, didn't you say you had strong purchasing power? This must be Zimbabwean currency."

"What Zimbabwe?" Yu Xin asked, somewhat puzzled, but explained:

"Food has a very short shelf life in the ecological zone. Normal food needs to undergo complicated processing to be brought in, otherwise it will quickly grow legs and start to wriggle."

I see... Lin Shuxuan ordered several dishes according to his two teammates' preferences.

Ye Lingyue loves desserts, and Hai Lanlan has a particular fondness for steamed buns... Girl, to be frank, you haven't eaten anything really good either.

From his perspective of cost-effectiveness, the liquid nutritional cake that costs 5 credits is the best choice.

Yu Xin swiped her fingers again, ordering hot pot and side dishes, and only stopped when she had used up all her credits.

"Alright, let's go!"

......

The sea stretched as far as the eye could see, with waves surging.

Whether it was the wind or the waves stirred up by the strange beast, the ship, which was only twenty meters long, was about to capsize.

On the deck, the young man and woman looked pale and sickly.

They have been adrift at sea for three days.

Although they were all skilled martial artists, after three days of almost non-stop vigilance and fighting, everyone's condition was extremely poor.

All they could do was hold onto the railing on the deck to fend off the swaying wind and waves.

The boy in the lead was Jiang Yu, Lin Shuxuan's class's top student.

He stood tall and straight, his breathing deep and long, with the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore; he was standing at the bow of the ship, his gaze solemn, staring at the shadowy figure swimming across the sea.

He's the only one left among his classmates who still has any fighting spirit.

Beside him were five burly men with rugged appearances and shimmering light on their bodies, clearly skilled in martial arts.

They and the students were divided into two distinct groups.

"Brother Jiang, another student has vomited."

The girl had lovely features, but her face was filled with anxiety as she gently tugged at Jiang Yu's sleeve.

"Duoduo, give him my portion of nutrient solution."

Jiang Yu pondered for a moment and said:

"Hang in there a little longer, we'll be heading back soon."

The girl named Duoduo was a little uneasy.

"But Brother Jiang, the return journey will take at least ten hours. I'm worried about you not eating or drinking..."

"Do as I say."

Jiang Yu's tone left no room for argument.

Then he sighed inwardly.

The nutrient solution has a wet and sticky texture, and it also has an unpleasant fishy smell when you put it in your mouth.

At the start of the trip, even he had to hold his nose and eat it.

However, as his physical strength was depleted and he sustained injuries from fighting the beasts, the nutrient solution he had previously looked down upon had become a necessity for survival.

The quantity is actually insufficient.

Recalling his argument with the mercenary group, he remembered that even though there were only five of them, they monopolized most of the nutrient solution, insisting that it was a reasonable allocation.

They clearly can't bear to spend those credit points.

Jiang Yu stared at the forward base that was faintly visible ahead. Fortunately, it was all worth it.

When Duoduo returned after delivering the nutrient solution, her face also looked extremely tired from the many days of sailing.

She seemed to be weak, and gently supported Jiang Yu's arm.

"Thank you, Brother Jiang. After we return, we will all receive bonus points for our social practice."

Jiang Yu has a spot in the New Sea Martial Arts Tournament and can choose two teammates to participate; in this case, all three of them can get extra points for social practice.

But there are only two spots available.

Jiang Yu chose to make a deal with the Baiqi Group. He would bring two younger members of the Bai family to the competition in exchange for the opportunity to accompany the mercenary group on a sea voyage.

In this case, all students in their class who choose martial arts can receive this practical bonus.

It just means you have to endure a little more hardship.

Achieving the goal of social practice is by no means easy; it cannot be accomplished simply by taking a boat trip.

The base will only approve the operation if enough exotic beasts are hunted and enough credits are accumulated.

Fortunately, although the mercenary group's attitude was so-so, their strength was no less. After three days of fighting, they finally accumulated enough credits without any casualties.

A harsh voice echoed softly.

"Lin Shuxuan said he wanted to switch to martial arts, but so much time has passed and there's still no news. It's a good thing he didn't come, otherwise he would have been a huge hindrance."

Duoduo felt a surge of disgust when she thought of that guy who only lived off women.

She disliked both Bai Shasha and Lin Shuxuan.

Lin Shuxuan fawned over Bai Shasha for so long, but he still didn't get anything, yet he still talked about switching to martial arts.

Is martial arts really that easy to improve? They have no basic cultivation at all; they're just using martial arts as an excuse to escape.

Being in the same class as someone like that is a disgrace to her!

Brother Jiang is still the best; he has high cultivation and a sense of responsibility, enabling all martial arts students to receive bonus points for social practice.

This is the kind of man who deserves admiration!

"We're all classmates, don't say things like that."

Jiang Yu scolded her, but Duo Duo looked indifferent, so he could only shake his head.

He also had some selfish motives in leading the martial arts students of his class to accompany the mercenary group.

He is unlikely to win the martial arts competition, and to get into the Federal Military Academy, he can only take the joint entrance exam. Having more social practice experience will be a big plus.

On the other hand, he also wanted to see the scenery of the ecological zone.

He was destined to step onto this battlefield eventually, and it wouldn't hurt to get familiar with it sooner. The essence of martial arts is to forge ahead relentlessly!

Holding this belief, he admired Lin Shuxuan's decision to switch to martial arts, and he also held a sliver of hope that perhaps Lin Shuxuan was a companion who shared the same thoughts as him?

He had the courage to abandon academics and switch to martial arts two months before the joint entrance exam, a decisiveness he doubted he possessed.

However, as the window for switching to martial arts closed, Lin Shuxuan still hadn't submitted his application, leaving Jiang Yu disappointed.

Perhaps he was just using martial arts as a means of escaping.

A loud bang.

The ship tilted sharply, seemingly having struck a reef.

Jiang Yu's expression changed drastically. This was a deep-water area, and the reefs that could cause ship collisions were all near the shallow waters.

Is there something as hard as a reef?

He stared at the surging black shadows beneath the sea and knew in his heart that something was wrong.

Thanks to his good grades in humanities subjects, he knew that this was a monster game called "Mermaid Hunt".

Groups of strange beasts resembling mermaids emerged, lingering beneath the ships as if playing—a prelude to their hunt.

The dark shadow beneath the sea was the beast that had identified their prey, and now they were finally certain that the ship was a delicious meal to be enjoyed.

"Stay away from the handrails!"

Jiang Yu roared, but a monster with a human head and a fish tail had already leaped into the air.

In the sunlight, its form is as graceful as a dragon.