Qin Feng stood among the crowd, feeling the same somber, killing atmosphere.
But a different, more profound turmoil stirred within him.
The Four Great Evil Gods...
The most supreme beings in the Cosmos...
He recalled the figure he visualized every day: the Eternal Emperor, clad in golden Battle Armor, who reigned supreme over the Cosmos.
The supreme majesty that Emperor radiated, as vast as an abyss, seemed no weaker than any of the Evil Gods Wu Shangfeng described.
In fact, within that majesty was a powerful Will that the Evil Gods lacked—a Will to protect humanity and ensure eternal peace.
A thought surfaced in his mind, unbidden.
’Perhaps, a being on the level of the Emperor is what legends call a true... god?’
Wu Shangfeng looked down at the faces below, their fighting spirit now ignited, and nodded in satisfaction.
He continued, adding details about the mission.
"This time, Chu Lan will remain in command. The rest of you will fight in your dorm units."
"..."
"The mission objective is to clear out all rebel forces within the C-3 mine. A topographical map of the mine’s interior, along with rebel troop deployments, will be sent to your terminals after teleportation begins."
"This time, the school will provide every student with a free set of ’Punisher’ Mark I Light Power Combat Suits, as well as Mark I standard-issue alloy weapons."
"Finally, I must emphasize the dangers of this mission."
Wu Shangfeng’s expression became more serious than ever before.
"Nurgle’s followers spread disease and plague. Be vigilant about your protection. If your ’Punisher’ Mark I Power Combat Suit is breached, you are to withdraw from the battlefield within half an hour."
"In combat, maintaining absolute calm and focus is more important than any technique."
"Are you all ready?"
"Ready!"
"Good. Go change into your Combat Suits and grab your weapons. You have half an hour to prepare!"
Wu Shangfeng’s command, like a clarion call, instantly dispelled the gloom and confusion that the name "Evil God" had cast upon the students’ hearts.
In its place was the cold, killing aura of those about to march into battle.
No one spoke another unnecessary word.
Under the leadership of class president Chu Lan, all the students of Class 3, Year 1, moved quickly and orderly to the armory next to the Martial Arts Room.
The armory doors, gleaming with a cold metallic light, slid slowly apart after identity verification was complete.
What greeted them was a vision of steel: row after row of uniform creations imbued with a violent, science-fiction aesthetic.
Dozens of "Punisher Mark I" Light Power Combat Suits stood silently on alloy frames, like silent steel sentinels.
Their overall paint job was the deep, dark green of the Qiming First High Martial Arts Department. The joints and power conduits were a subdued matte black.
The lines of the Combat Suits were fluid and sharp, stripped of all unnecessary decoration. Every curve and every edge was designed for mobility and protection in actual combat.
On the chest plate was the emblem of Qiming First Martial Arts High School: a brightly burning morning star, orbited by seven satellites.
Next to the Combat Suits were the weapon racks.
On them were displayed brand-new "Mark I standard-issue alloy weapons," all gleaming with a cold light.
Long Sabers, War Swords, great-axes, shields... the racks had it all.
The students quickly found weapons that matched their primary combat styles, along with their assigned Power Combat Suits.
Qin Feng, Qian Duoduo, and Shi Potian also quickly found their gear.
"Damn, this is awesome!"
Qian Duoduo caressed the cold Steel Armor in front of him, his eyes shining with excitement.
He chose a giant tower shield nearly as tall as he was, and a heavy, one-handed Warhammer.
Shi Potian picked up a Standard Long Saber similar in style to his private Battle Saber. Its blade was straight and razor-sharp, emanating a deadly chill.
Qin Feng’s gaze, however, fell on the very end of the weapon rack.
There, a three-meter-long Alloy Long Spear lay silently.
The spear was forged from a single piece of high-strength composite metal, giving it a deep, gunmetal-gray color.
The shaft was perfectly straight, without any extraneous markings, save for a series of threaded, anti-slip grooves etched near the spearhead to improve grip.
The spearhead featured a classic Armor-Piercing Cone design. Its tip glinted with a faint, cold light, promising lethal penetration.
It was more refined than the Alloy Long Spears used in regular training.
But when Qin Feng reached out and gripped it, the familiar, heavy feel in his hand brought him a sense of deep-seated familiarity and peace.
The spear was an extension of his arm, a manifestation of his Will.
The three of them collected their gear and entered separate changing rooms.
With the assistance of an intelligent system, the process of donning the power Combat Suit was not complicated.
"K-CHUNK... K-CHUNK..."
With a series of sharp, metallic clicks,
pieces of dark green Alloy Armor were precisely fitted onto each part of Qin Feng’s body.
Chest plate, back plate, pauldrons, vambraces, greaves...
Finally, a full-coverage, streamlined helmet slowly lowered, seamlessly connecting with the neck armor.
"WHIRRR—"
A low hum of energy activating emanated from the miniature Spiritual Energy Reactor on his back.
Inside the Combat Suit, pale blue indicator lights lit up one by one.
On the helmet’s visor, a feature-rich Tactical HUD (Heads-Up Display) interface instantly activated.
[’Punisher’ Mark I Power Combat Suit, startup complete.]
[Vitals Monitoring System: Nominal.]
[External Environment Scanning System: Nominal.]
[Miniature Spiritual Energy Reactor, energy output... 100%.]
[Neural Interface Connection... Synchronization rate: 98.7%.]
A cold, synthetic system voice echoed in Qin Feng’s ears.
The next second, a surging, powerful force was transmitted from every joint of the Combat Suit, instantly enveloping his entire body.
Qin Feng tried to move his body.
He was astonished to find that this suit of Steel Armor, which looked incredibly heavy, felt almost weightless once he had it on.
On the contrary, it felt like a second skin of steel that had grown over his own—one that was far stronger and more resilient.
His every thought was translated into the Combat Suit’s movements without delay, via the neural interface.
Whether raising a hand or kicking a leg, the movements were as natural and fluid as moving his own limbs.
When he walked out of the changing room, a brand new Steel Warrior, filled with a deadly aura, appeared in the mirror.
His already tall and straight figure looked even more towering and powerful, enhanced by the Combat Suit.
The dark green armor perfectly outlined the muscles of his body, exuding a sense of explosive power.
The full-coverage helmet hid his face, leaving only a T-shaped visor that glowed with a faint blue light, making him look cold and mysterious.
In his hand, the three-meter-long, gunmetal-gray Alloy Long Spear complemented the dark green Battle Armor, creating a cold, powerful image imbued with the feel of future warfare.
This was the tool of slaughter the Empire prepared for its Warriors.
Qin Feng slowly raised a hand and clenched his fist.
An unprecedented sense of power surged through him.
He could clearly feel his own Spiritual Energy exchanging power with the miniature reactor on the back of the Combat Suit through a wondrous micro-circulation system.
The Combat Suit was continuously drawing the Spiritual Energy from his body as part of its core drive.
At the same time, the even greater energy produced by the reactor was, in turn, amplifying his body.
Under this wondrous energy resonance, his strength, speed, endurance... all his stats were skyrocketing by an astonishing margin!
Qin Feng pulled up his Tactical HUD interface to check the real-time data feedback.
[User: Qin Feng]
[Current Physical Data (Post-Power Suit Amplification):]
[Overall Strength Assessment: +32%]
[Overall Speed Assessment: +31%]
[Overall Stamina Assessment: +35%]
[Respiration and Contact Infection Protection: Activated]
[...]
’My overall strength has increased by at least thirty percent!’
’And this is just from the most basic, standard-issue Mark I Power Combat Suit.’
’I can’t even imagine what kind of world-shattering, terrifying Amplification the higher-grade, custom models of Advanced Power Armor prepared for the major Warbands must provide.’
"KLIK. KLAK."
The changing room doors opened one after another.
Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian, also finished gearing up, walked out.
Qian Duoduo had transformed into a walking steel fortress. In his left hand, he held a giant tower shield that could almost hide his entire body, and in his right, he carried a heavy Warhammer. His entire being radiated a heavy, "don’t mess with me" aura.
Shi Potian, on the other hand, was like a drawn blade. The Long Saber in his hand and the sharp lines of his Battle Armor merged perfectly. Even just standing still, he emanated an incomparably sharp and oppressive blade Intent.
The three looked at each other. From beneath the cold, T-shaped visors, they could all feel one another’s soaring fighting spirit.
They were ready.
For the next ten-plus minutes, Qin Feng silently adapted to his explosively enhanced physical abilities and the power armor’s functions, quietly waiting for deployment.
BEEP BEEP BEEP—
"All units, prepare for departure. Accept the invitation."
Wu Shangfeng raised his hand, and a beam of light shot out from his wrist-mounted terminal.
On the ground beneath their feet, countless complex, shimmering blue lines of a Spiritual Array emerged.
A vast, indescribable spatial energy began to converge in the room.
"Destination: Purgatory-IV, C-3 Mine."
"All personnel, teleportation commencing!"
A dazzling white light instantly engulfed the entire Martial Arts Room.