The atmosphere had already fermented to a proper level, and amidst the discussions, the members of the Patrol Team grew more curious and increasingly anticipatory about training in a place that could swiftly enhance combat experience.
Tang Yu cleared his throat, drawing the gaze of all the Patrol Team members to him.
"The cost of training on the fifth floor is indeed beyond your financial capabilities. Originally, it was expected that once your strength increased to a certain level and your income rose, you naturally would be able to afford the training costs. After all, every use of the facilities on the fifth floor consumes a substantial amount of Source Crystals."
"However, your combat experience is indeed lacking, especially real life-and-death combat experience. Normally, it might not be an issue, but once you face a life-or-death crisis, this lack of experience could very well be the root of your demise."
"Therefore, I've given it some thought and decided to lower the usage fee for the fifth-floor training facilities. From now on, we will charge by the hour – it will only cost two contribution points for an hour of training. I hope you will make good use of the fifth-floor training facilities to enhance your combat experience."
As Tang Yu spoke, a pained expression crossed his face.
This was the expression that naturally surfaced after he painfully reminisced about the years of spending heavily on virtual enhancements, turning himself metaphorically into an African in terms of expenditure.
Yet the Patrol Team members had no idea.
Seeing Director Tang's expression, they realized that lowering the fifth-floor usage fee this time was a decision he had made with great difficulty—their payments for purchasing usage rights didn't even cover the cost of activating the facilities. Every use required the Sanctuary to make up for the shortfall of Source Crystals.
Still, Director Tang decided to give them the opportunity to use the fifth floor to increase their combat experience so that they might have a better chance of surviving in dangerous situations.
Thinking this way, they were quite moved.
Their favorability towards him surged.
At the same time, they also grew more curious about what kind of training facilities could swiftly improve their combat experience.
"Let's go, and let you experience the fifth floor's training facilities first," declared Tang Yu with a grand wave of his hand as the group headed straight for the training camp.
Between the eastern and western villa districts.
The upgraded training camp still had the same number of floors, but the area it covered had expanded significantly. The training facilities inside were largely the same as at level one, only the capacity had increased.
For instance, the level one Punching Power Tester couldn't withstand a full-power punch from Luo Zhe, but after the upgrade, Luo Zhe could finally measure how many kilograms of punching power he had with a full-force blow.
After entering the training camp, the group made their way up the stairs. With Director Tang's high-level authority, they didn't even need to swipe cards – the fifth floor's door automatically opened, revealing the interior.
"Let's see what's really in here..."
Suddenly, a rush of people moved in, only to see that the fifth floor consisted of a long corridor and several small sealed rooms on either side.
Could the mystery be inside these rooms?
They couldn't help but look towards Director Tang.
"You must have heard of virtual reality technology, right? Well, the fifth floor's training facility is a fictitious yet realistic Spirit Space. There, apart from being able to revive from death, everything is identical to the real world. What do you think? Can you swiftly improve your life-and-death combat experience in such an environment?"
Tang Yu smiled, "Look, there are a total of ten rooms here. Discuss amongst yourselves and pick ten people to come in and give it a try. Here's a tip: you get an hour of free trial time; make good use of it."
After he explained how to use it, the others discussed briefly, and soon ten members of the Patrol Team entered the rooms along the corridor with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
Zhao Ming entered one of the rooms, and the door automatically closed behind him.
"Spirit Space, huh? To have such a miraculous training ground... According to what Director Tang said, this training facility transports the user's spirit into a unique space where all perceptions are real. Such a training effect is far superior to the simulation of virtual reality technology. Just a few days of training here could yield more combat experience than hunting Demonized Beasts for several months."
Hunting demonized beasts was only something Awakeners undertook if they were fully confident.
Upon encountering a demonized beast they weren't sure about, Awakeners usually kept their distance, picking only the easy targets. A fifty-fifty chance simply didn't exist—if one were to fight to the death against demonized beasts every day, their grave would be three feet tall by now.
But it was different in the Spirit Space; there was no need to fear death, and one could fight to their heart's content. Zhao Ming even found himself excited at the thought.
If only he could be as outstanding as Captain Luo, able to slice down an enemy with his saber even when lacking in strength and speed, and not getting KO'd by a Fighter Puppet in a single round. At this thought, Zhao Ming felt a twinge of embarrassment; it seemed his list of shameful moments was growing ever longer.
"Better hurry and enter the Spirit Space."
Zhao Ming walked to the center of the room, sat down cross-legged, and cleared his mind.
Before long, the mysterious patterns on the surrounding walls began to glow faintly. In an instant, the room seemed to quake, and Zhao Ming's thoughts stretched infinitely. When he regained his senses, he found himself in a dim, grey expanse.
There was no sky here, no earth—everything was void.
With Director Tang's briefing, he knew this space was merely a transit area. Though the hollow feeling was a bit eerie, he didn't fixate on it. Instead, he waved his fists and forcefully kicked into the air several times...
"It's completely virtual, one hundred percent realistic. I never imagined I'd get to play such a wholly virtual game in my lifetime!" he chuckled to himself, like a 120-pound fool.
Soon, Zhao Ming summoned a translucent screen, which displayed very simple content—three modes to choose from: Training Mode, Combat Mode, and Endless Mode.
"There's even an Endless Mode, my favorite mode to challenge when I used to play games!"
He reached out and poked the screen, and options popped up.
[Entering Endless Mode costs 1 unit of Source Crystal/0.5 Contribution Points. Given the user has a one-hour free trial benefit, this entry is free of charge. Would you like to enter Endless Mode? Yes/No.]
"Yes!" Zhao Ming didn't hesitate.
Of the three modes, only Endless Mode incurred a fee; the other two were inherently free. Zhao Ming felt that it would be a huge waste not to take advantage of the free trial to play Endless Mode.
After all, it wasn't as if one could really die. As in playing a game, of course, he would choose the most challenging mode. Director Tang had also said they should breakthrough by enduring life-and-death training.
As he thought this, the scene before him shifted. In a moment, he found himself in the midst of a vast green prairie.
Zhao Ming paused, noticing that he was dressed in a black combat uniform, with a Standard Battle Saber in his right hand and a small round shield in his left—a perfect combat-ready appearance.
A gust of wind blew against him, swaying the lush grass, filling the air with the scent of greenery.
From afar, the howl of wolves could be heard.
Zhao Ming's face lit up with excitement, "Is it starting now?"
He peered into the distance and saw a giant wolf, twice the size of a regular grey wolf, atop a distant hill.
Then there were two, three, twenty, fifty...
The howls of wolves swelled from all around, and at the edge of his view, the wolf pack appeared as a dark mass.
Zhao Ming was dumbfounded, his legs tensing instinctively.
"Where's the exit button? Where's the exit? No, don't come any closer, don't! Ahhh—"