“A small-time figure from Jiangbei is now mocking you on online platforms. If I were you, I couldn’t stand it. Want your brother to help you get rid of this small fry?”

　　“Are you done talking?”

　　Clark sneered.

　　“Beep beep beep…” In the provincial capital, inside a spacious room.

　　A man with gloomy, almond-shaped eyes yanked off his wide-brimmed hat, revealing his face.

　　“Damn it, how dare he hang up on me. He really doesn’t know what’s good for him. I’ll let you be arrogant for two more days. Does he really think killing a few of my planted lackeys will scare me? The trade routes in Jiangbei City will be mine sooner or later. Some country bumpkin dares to…” …

　　Wuan Army Camp, trial grounds.

　　Roar~ A demon hound, its whole body shimmering with a ghostly light, leapt up.

　　Gripping his battle blade with both hands, Samuel Thompson readied himself. He let the demon hound pounce right in front of him, then suddenly unleashed all his strength, slashing down diagonally with the blade.

　　Screech~ The blade sliced from the demon hound’s neck down to its belly. The charging demon hound was split open, but its momentum carried it far ahead before it crashed to the ground.

　　Without hesitation, he lunged forward, bringing the long blade down on the demon hound’s head again.

　　Splat!

　　Taking advantage of the moment, he grabbed the demon hound’s wound with one hand, absorbing its demon blood.

　　The Wuan Army is truly a great place.

　　The demon beasts in the trial grounds can be slaughtered as much as you want.

　　This was already the seventh demon beast he had killed today.

　　After absorbing the demon blood, Samuel Thompson sheathed his blade and walked toward the adjacent training ground. He had no choice but to leave—if looks could kill, the caretaker nearby would have stared him to death by now.

　　In the training ground, quite a few people were active. He picked a machine in the corner.

　　A huge alloy target was connected to a display screen.

　　Samuel Thompson slowly exhaled, channeling all his strength into his fist, and struck the alloy target.

　　With a ‘clang’, the moment his fist collided with the alloy target, the numbers on the display above jumped.

　　5432kg!

　　In the corner, the Polaris surveillance camera rotated in real time.

　　…

　　Office.

　　Baldy Wood held a thermos cup filled with goji berries and red dates, watching the projection on the screen.

　　“Whew~ Now that’s real strength. He really knows how to hide it. He’s at Stone-Splitting Level Five, but reported as Level One. So sneaky.”

　　Blowing away the goji berries and red dates blocking the cup’s mouth, Baldy Wood took a sip of water and said, “Looks like you really picked a good talent. Selling that house wasn’t for nothing.”

　　“When it comes to being an official, I can’t compare to you, Baldy, but I do have an eye for people. I’m not as reckless as you imagine.”

　　“Watch your manners. I’m the battalion commander, you’re the squad leader. Mind your attitude.”

　　“Deputy.”

　　Edward Carter said.

　　“There’s no official commander in Wuan right now. I’m the boss.”

　　“Deputy.”

　　After gulping down a mouthful of water, Baldy Wood screwed the lid back on his cup, looked at Edward Carter, and said, “Edward Carter, from now on, as deputy battalion commander, I’m assigning the next phase of work. The new recruits for the second squad just arrived, their basics are poor, so the camp has decided to send you to…” “Baldy Wood, you bastard, this is personal revenge disguised as official business. After all these years, do you think I don’t know you?”

　　Edward Carter slapped the table and said, “If you don’t let me avenge my brothers and take out those damn Blood God cultists, I’ll self-destruct and give you a soul ring.”

　　“Edward Carter!”

　　“Here!”

　　“Eradicating the Blood God cultists is just that—don’t mix in your emotions. We’re following the Cabinet’s orders to wipe out the Blood God Cult!”

　　“Repeat the order!”

　　“Take out those damn Blood God cultists and avenge our brothers!”

　　“Get out!”

　　“Go tell Samuel Thompson to get ready. In three days, head to the Linjiang outpost.”

　　…

　　The Wuan Army training ground was open all night, so Samuel Thompson simply stayed there.

　　Meals were delivered by Edward Carter.

　　These past two days, the food was good—every meal included demon beast meat.

　　For rest, he just used a lounge chair.

　　It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day, after getting enough rest, that Samuel Thompson walked to a camera blind spot, pretended to cough, and covered his mouth with his hand, swallowing a drop of demon blood in one gulp.

　　After the demon blood entered his stomach, he immediately started practicing Tiger-Subduing Fist, the whooshing sounds turning into sonic booms.

　　Half an hour later, he slowly stopped. The effect of the demon blood’s energy had diminished.

　　Last time, it took him a whole hour to fully digest it.

　　Thinking for a moment, Samuel Thompson quietly swallowed another drop of demon blood.

　　Twenty minutes later.

　　He stopped moving. As expected, after his strength improved, the effect of the same demon blood lessened.

　　He had obtained a total of five drops of demon blood from the trial grounds, all from low-level, first-tier demon beasts.

　　“Looks like I’ll have to hunt higher-level demon beasts.”

　　…

　　Early the next morning, while Samuel Thompson was still sound asleep in the training ground, Edward Carter woke him up.

　　“From now on, you’re a fake official member of the Wuan Army.”

　　At the logistics office entrance, after three days of training, Samuel Thompson put on the Wuan Army uniform.

　　“Over five thousand kilos of strength—are you still hiding something?”

　　Edward Carter looked at Samuel Thompson suspiciously. After secretly observing him these past few days, he was more convinced that Samuel Thompson was holding back.

　　“Are we leaving now?”

　　Samuel Thompson didn’t answer.

　　“Let’s go, eat first. Relax, the Blood God Cult might not even show up today.”