125: Chapter 124 Drawing Lots! Number Eight! Heading Towards the Occupied Yanjiao

Three days passed very quickly.

Lin Feng hardly ever left his room. Every day, besides eating, sleeping, and sitting in meditation to Cultivate, he was Fusing things. Inside the wanxiang ring, he had accumulated many Materials—some brought from the East Sea, some collected from those small monsters on the high-speed rail, and some training Materials provided by the military region. He Fused them all.

Blue equipment, purple equipment, and some strange props. Those that could be sold were put into the wanxiang ring, to be restocked in the shop once he returned to the East Sea. Those that couldn't be sold were also kept; he might find a use for them at some point.

On the morning of the third day, before the sky was even bright, Lin Feng woke up. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. The circular light was still on, emitting a warm yellow glow. He lay there for a while, then sat up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains.

The first light of dawn appeared on the horizon. On the lawn in the courtyard, dewdrops sparkled in the morning light. A few birds were chirping in the sycamore trees, quite lively. In the distance, the silhouette of The Capital gradually became clear in the dawn. High-rise buildings, overpasses, and those chimneys emitting white smoke.

He pushed open the window and took a deep breath. The air was very cool, carrying the scent of green grass and soil, along with a faint smell of mist. Today was a good day.

After washing up, he changed into clean clothes. A white T-shirt, black casual pants, and a thin black jacket over them. The dragon slaying sword was hung at his waist, and the s-rank explorer badge was pinned to the inside of his chest. He looked at himself in the mirror: sixteen years old, with a calm gaze.

He smiled and turned to leave the room.

In the hallway, the lights were bright. Lieutenant Liu Yang was already waiting at the door.

"Comrade Lin Feng, breakfast is in the cafeteria. We assemble at eight o'clock."

Lin Feng nodded and walked toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was on the first floor; it was very large and could accommodate hundreds of people. At this moment, there were only a few scattered people. He took two buns, a bowl of porridge, and an egg, then found a seat by the window. The buns were filled with pork and scallions, with thin skins and plenty of filling, dripping with oil at every bite. The porridge was millet porridge, cooked thick and golden yellow. The egg was boiled just right, the yolk was sandy and not dry.

He ate very slowly, mouthful by mouthful, chewing carefully. Halfway through his meal, Zhao Tiejun walked over with a tray and sat down opposite him.

"Morning," Zhao Tiejun said in a booming voice.

"Morning," Lin Feng nodded.

Zhao Tiejun had ordered four buns, two bowls of porridge, three eggs, and a small dish of pickles. He ate very quickly, like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, finishing in just a few minutes. He put down his chopsticks and looked at Lin Feng.

"Nervous?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment. "I'm alright."

Zhao Tiejun nodded. "I'm a bit nervous. It's my first time in an arena match, and it's against an alien race."

He paused and lowered his voice. "Before, it was always against humans or monsters in a Dungeon. This time is different. I heard the Iron Bone Clan is made entirely of skeletons and is incredibly hard. Ordinary swords hitting them don't even leave a mark."

Lin Feng looked at him. "You've dismantled a Level 50 mechanical monster with your bare hands. A skeleton should be easier to take apart than machinery."

Zhao Tiejun was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "True." He picked up another bun and took a large bite.

Xiao Yutong walked over with a coffee and sat beside them. She was wearing a white Explorer uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead. Her face was as delicate as porcelain, but her eyes were as sharp as knives.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Zhao Tiejun swallowed his bun. "Talking about the Iron Bone Clan. Have you seen them?"

Xiao Yutong shook her head. "Never. The data says they have full Bone Armor, extremely high physical defense, and immense strength. Their weaknesses are the joints and eyes, but they're hard to hit."

She looked at Lin Feng. "You've fought the Gazi Race. Which do you think is stronger, the Iron Bone Clan or the Gazi Race?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment. "The Gazi Race is fast and has many skills. The Iron Bone Clan... should be harder."

"Harder?" Zhao Tiejun frowned. "Then how do we fight them?"

Lin Feng looked at him. "Hard doesn't mean unbreakable. Joints, eyes, throat... there are always weaknesses."

Zhao Tiejun nodded thoughtfully.

Su Xiaoxiao came skipping over, holding a carton of milk. "Brother Lin Feng! Brother Zhao Tiejun! Sister Xiao Yutong!" She plopped down next to Lin Feng and set the milk on the table. "What are you all talking about?"

"Talking about the Iron Bone Clan," Xiao Yutong said.

Su Xiaoxiao blinked. "The Iron Bone Clan! My grandfather said their bones are harder than steel. But their eyes are their weakness. As long as you hit their eyes, they'll howl in pain."

Zhao Tiejun laughed. "You've seen them?"

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. "No. My grandfather told me. He fought the Iron Bone Clan when he was young." She paused, her voice dropping slightly. "They lost. Of his group, he was the only one who survived."

The atmosphere at the table grew quiet.

Chen Zhixing walked over with a coffee and pushed up his glasses. "The Bone Armor of the Iron Bone Clan has a hardness between 8,000 and 10,000. Ordinary swords indeed cannot cut through it. However, elemental attacks are effective against them, especially the Fire Element and Lightning Element." He looked at Lin Feng, "Your Light Element should also be effective."

Lin Feng nodded.

Chen Zhixing sat down beside him. "I've studied the recordings of your arena matches. In your battle against the Gazi Race, the damage you dealt with Light Element skills was much higher than your physical attacks. Although the Iron Bone Clan's Bone Armor is hard, their resistance to the Light Element is very low. If you go first, you should be able to take out quite a few of them."

Zhou Tianyu walked over with a tray, and hearing this, he sneered. "What, the fight hasn't even started, and you're already thinking about letting someone else go first?"

Chen Zhixing glanced at him. "I'm just analyzing tactics."

Zhou Tianyu sat down opposite him. "Tactics? What tactics? Whoever is strongest goes first? Or whoever is weakest goes first?" He looked at Lin Feng, "Brother Lin Feng, what do you think?"

Lin Feng looked at him. "Draw lots to decide."

Zhou Tianyu laughed. "Right, draw lots. Whoever is drawn goes. Fair."

He took a bite of his bun and stopped talking.

Li Mingze walked over with a cup of hot water and sat next to Xiao Yutong. He was wearing a white academy uniform, his hair combed meticulously, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Everyone's here." His gaze swept across the table, lingering on Lin Feng for a moment. "Lin Feng, how did you rest?"

Lin Feng nodded. "Very well."

Li Mingze smiled. "That's good. We might be fighting for a long time today, so stamina is very important."

Su Xiaoxiao tilted her head to look at him. "Senior Li Mingze, have you ever fought in an arena match?"

Li Mingze shook his head. "No. This is the first time."

Su Xiaoxiao gave an "oh" and asked again, "Then are you nervous?"

Li Mingze thought for a moment. "A little. But more than that, I'm looking forward to it."

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. "Me too! I didn't sleep well last night, I kept thinking about what number I'd draw today."

Zhao Tiejun laughed. "It's the same regardless of what number you draw. You have to fight anyway."

Su Xiaoxiao wrinkled her nose. "That's not true! If you draw number one, you're the first to go up—the pressure is so high!"

Zhao Tiejun shook his head. "If you go first, you fight the first one. If you go last, you fight the last one. What's the difference?"

Su Xiaoxiao thought about it; it seemed to make sense, but she still felt something was off. She scratched her head and stopped dwelling on the problem.

Li Mo walked over with a cup of plain water and sat in the corner. He didn't say a word, just quietly drank his water. His eyes were as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

Ye Xinyi walked over with a cup of hot milk and sat next to Xiao Yutong. She was wearing a white doctor's uniform, her long hair draped over her shoulders, with a gentle smile.

"Has everyone eaten?" she asked.

"Yes," several people replied.

Ye Xinyi nodded. "Today might be very tough, you must eat your fill."

She looked at Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, is your injury healed?"

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment. "Injury? I wasn't injured."

Ye Xinyi smiled. "That's good then."

When alternate character name walked into the cafeteria, most people had already finished eating. He carried a bowl of noodles and found an empty seat. He ate very slowly and quietly.

Lin Feng glanced at him. alternate character name was also looking at him; the two locked eyes for a second, alternate character name nodded slightly, and Lin Feng nodded back.

Eight o'clock sharp, the meeting room.

The General stood at the head of the table, holding a black box. The box wasn't large, square-shaped, with a circular hole on top.

"Draw lots." He placed the box on the table. "Ten people, ten numbers. Whatever number you draw is the order in which you'll enter the arena. After the draw, the results will be announced on the spot."

The first to go up was Xiao Yutong. She walked to the box, reached inside, and pulled out a white ball the size of a ping-pong ball. A number was written on the ball—5.

"Number five," she read aloud and walked back to her seat.

Second was Zhao Tiejun. He reached inside and pulled out a ball—3.

"Number three."

Third was Chen Zhixing. He pushed up his glasses and reached inside—9.

"Number nine."

Fourth was Su Xiaoxiao. She skipped up, reached inside, and fumbled for a long time before pulling out a ball—2.

"Number two!" she cried out, her voice a bit shrill. "I'm going second!"

Zhao Tiejun looked at her. "Number two is good. Finish early, rest early."

Su Xiaoxiao wrinkled her nose. "It's not good at all! Going second, the pressure is huge!" She walked back to her seat, pouting.

Fifth was Li Mo. He walked up, reached inside, and pulled out a ball—4.

"Number four," he read out, his voice very soft, then walked back to his corner and sat down.

Sixth was Zhou Tianyu. He stood up, adjusted his collar, and walked to the box. Reaching inside, he pulled out a ball—6.

"Number six," he read out, a smile on his lips. As he walked back to his seat, he glanced at Lin Feng.

Seventh was Li Mingze. He stood up, walked to the box, and reached inside. When the ball came out, he took a look and read it out. "Number seven."

He walked back to his seat, pausing slightly as he passed Lin Feng, but didn't stop.

Eighth was Ye Xinyi. She walked to the box and reached inside—10.

"Number ten," she read out, her voice gentle. She walked back to her seat and sat down quietly.

Ninth was alternate character name. He stood up, walked to the box, and reached inside—1.

"Number one," he read out, his voice calm. He walked back to his seat, no expression visible on his face.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at him and whispered, "Number one... going first..."

alternate character name heard her and nodded. "Mhm."

Finally, it was Lin Feng's turn. He stood up and walked to the box. There was only one ball left inside. He reached in and took it out. Written on the ball was—8.

"Number eight," he read out and walked back to his seat.

Zhou Tianyu looked at him, a smile on his face. "Number eight, not bad. Being later on, you can see more of how the people ahead of you fight."

Lin Feng ignored him. He placed the ball on the table and sat down.

The General put the box away. "The draw results: Number One alternate character name, Number Two Su Xiaoxiao, Number Three Zhao Tiejun, Number Four Li Mo, Number Five Xiao Yutong, Number Six Zhou Tianyu, Number Seven Li Mingze, Number Eight Lin Feng, Number Nine Chen Zhixing, Number Ten Ye Xinyi."

His gaze swept across everyone. "The order is set. Whether you go first or last, it's all the same. Remember, you are a team. No matter who is on that stage, you have the other nine people behind you for support."

"Yes!" the ten people answered in unison.

The General nodded. "Move out."

The ten people followed the General out of the meeting room, out of the small building, and out of the military region gates. Parked at the entrance was a bus. It was green, military-use, with dark film on the windows so the inside couldn't be seen.

"Get on," the General said.

The ten people filed onto the bus one after another. Lin Feng found a seat by the window. Zhao Tiejun sat next to him, Su Xiaoxiao sat in front of him, and Xiao Yutong sat behind him.

The vehicle started and drove out of the military region. The street scenery outside changed from tree-lined avenues to bustling streets. High-rise buildings, heavy traffic, and hurrying pedestrians. Everything was as usual. No one knew that the people sitting on this bus were going to fight an arena match that concerned the ownership of territory.

Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the window, looking outside. "So many people..." she murmured.

Zhao Tiejun also looked out the window. "They don't know what we're going to do."

Xiao Yutong leaned back in her seat. "It's better they don't know. If they did, it would only cause panic."

Chen Zhixing pushed up his glasses. "The arena match ten years ago was broadcast live. The result was a loss, Yanjiao was lost, and the entire nation was in an uproar. Since then, arena matches are no longer broadcast live. Only the results are announced."

Su Xiaoxiao turned her head. "Then this time, will the results be announced?"

Chen Zhixing nodded. "Yes. If we win, the whole country will know. If we lose..." He didn't finish.

The bus interior fell silent.

The vehicle drove out of the city and onto the highway. The scenery outside changed from tall buildings to factories, and from factories to fields. In the fields, the wheat had already headed, lush green and undulating in the wind. The distant mountains were faintly visible in the mist.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at those fields and suddenly spoke. "My grandfather said Yanjiao used to be very prosperous. There were malls, schools, and parks. There was even a river with a bridge over it, and at the foot of the bridge, there was a shop selling Candied Haws that were especially delicious."

Zhao Tiejun looked at her. "You've been there?"

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head. "Never. When I was born, Yanjiao was already lost. My grandfather told me."

She paused, her voice dropping slightly. "He said when Yanjiao comes back, he'll take me to eat the Candied Haws from that shop."

Zhao Tiejun was silent for a few seconds. "It will come back."

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and didn't speak further.

The vehicle continued its journey. The fields outside gradually turned into wasteland. Those wastelands were overgrown with weeds and strewn with rubble. In the distance, some collapsed buildings could be seen, crooked and slanted like piles of ruins. They were destroyed ten years ago.

Looking at those ruins, Lin Feng felt an indescribable sensation in his heart. He remembered what his Master had said—Earth is ranked at the very bottom among the myriad races in the Universe. America lost Alaska, Japan lost Hokkaido, South Korea lost Jeju Island, and Europe lost Gibraltar. Now, it was China's turn. No, it was already China's turn ten years ago. Yanjiao has already been lost for ten years.

The vehicle stopped before a checkpoint. The checkpoint was high, at least five meters, with barbed wire and high-voltage lines stretched across the top. There was a sentry box on each side of the gate, with soldiers armed with live ammunition standing inside. Behind the checkpoint was an open area. No buildings, no trees, only yellow sand and rubble.

The General got out of the vehicle, walked to the sentry box, and pulled out a document to hand to a soldier. The soldier took it, glanced at it, and gave a salute. The checkpoint gate slowly opened.

The vehicle drove through the checkpoint. The scenery outside changed completely. No fields, no villages, no roads. Only a desolate land. Yellow sand, rubble, and withered grass. Occasionally, ruins of buildings could be seen, crooked and slanted like piles of white bones. In the distance, there was a river. The river was very wide, but the water was shallow, murky, and shimmering with a yellow light. There was a bridge over the river, but it was broken, with only half remaining, standing lonely over the water.

Su Xiaoxiao leaned against the window, looking at that broken bridge. "That must be the bridge my grandfather talked about..."

Zhao Tiejun nodded. "It should be."

Su Xiaoxiao was silent for a while. "The bridge is broken, and the Candied Haws are gone too," she said softly.

Zhao Tiejun didn't say anything.

The vehicle stopped in front of a high ground. The General stood up. "We've arrived. Get out."