novelraw Chapter 12 : Chapter 12
Chapter 12 : Chapter 12
Chapter 12: A Premium Weapon, a Special-Grade Warhorse!
Qin Zhanye led Li Mu out of the Spirit Treasure section.
Along the way, anyone in the Abyss Suppression Army with merit straightened up and saluted with the Abyss Suppression Army salute.
The two of them quickly arrived at the weapons section.
This time, Li Mu made his choice even faster.
Because after going through the entire weapons section, there was only one Premium cudgel!
It was made of tungsten steel. The shaft in the middle was engraved with patterns, while both ends gradually thickened and were carved with motifs of thorns and blooming flowers, some of them slightly raised.
It looked full of raw power!
Weapon metals were classified by material as well, especially after the Abyss appeared. The various energy metals mined from the Abyss were simply too numerous to count.
Humanity had carried out a second classification of the energy and durability contained in metals.
From all kinds of iron, to all kinds of steel, crystal iron, crystal steel, dragon crystal iron, and dragon crystal steel.
These were all primary materials used for forging weapons.
Of course, no weapon could possibly consist of only one primary material. Most were mixtures of steel and iron,
with various alloys, elements, and highly energetic metals added in.
So when people spoke of a weapon’s material, they were usually referring to the primary material with the highest proportion.
A higher steel content meant better hardness.
A higher iron content meant better toughness.
Martial universities all had specialized forging departments, and some powerful blacksmiths held no low status in society.
Li Mu took the cudgel in hand and gave it a few swings. It felt extremely natural.
The patterns on both sides of the cudgel were thorn-and-flower motifs, so Li Mu gave it a name.
Thornflower Cudgel.
Under Qin Zhanye’s astonished gaze, Li Mu let out a whoosh and stored the Thornflower Cudgel back into his ear.
Things like talent attributes could not be detected by outsiders or by any equipment.
Only the individual themselves could know them.
So since Li Mu said it was a talent attribute, Qin Zhanye did not ask any more questions.
Every Martial Artist had secrets of their own. Digging too deeply past that point was crossing a line, and that was common understanding.
From the weapons section, they moved on to the cultivation art section.
Originally, Qin Zhanye had only promised Li Mu one High-Grade Cultivation Art.
But he had also promised to compensate Li Mu for the broken weapon, and together with the weapon he had promised earlier, that made two weapons.
Li Mu only needed one weapon, so it was changed into an extra High-Grade Cultivation Art instead.
Li Mu was allowed to choose two High-Grade Cultivation Arts.
He had definitely profited from that arrangement.
Li Mu did not stand on ceremony. He picked a defensive cultivation art, [Dragon’s Final Resonance],
and an aggressive cultivation art, [Iron-Cleaving Form].
However, Li Mu did not use them on the spot. He wanted to finish collecting all his rewards first.
That left only the warhorse.
As they made their way to the Abyss Suppression Army stables, Qin Zhanye spoke as they walked.
“Strictly speaking, these military supplies are not supposed to be handed out freely to ordinary civilians.”
“The rewards you are receiving all count as exceptional special approval. If Minister Song and Professor Xu had not vouched for you,”
“then I alone would have been criticized for this as well.”
“But if you joined the Abyss Suppression Army reserve earlier, that problem would solve itself.”
“Your rewards would only be greater than this, and they would not even count as exceptional.”
Li Mu smiled bitterly.
“You really do not forget for a single moment to talk people into joining the army.”
Qin Zhanye gave a wry smile.
“Sigh… everyone knows how terrifying the monsters of the Abyss are. Everyone fears the Abyss.”
“If you do not enlist, and I do not enlist, then who is going to guard the borders of the Abyss?”
“There are some figures you students never get to see…”
At that point, Qin Zhanye’s brow tightened. He shook his head and did not continue.
“Wolf Guard Qin, if I join the Abyss Suppression Army reserve, are the patrol and extermination missions heavy?”
Although Li Mu had never shown it,
joining the military was, for him, a necessary choice.
Not only could it bring overwhelming power and influence,
but unlocking and improving Li Mu’s divine abilities and spells also required an enormous amount of Triumph Points.
So many powerful divine abilities were waiting for Li Mu to unlock them.
The thought of it made his heart itch unbearably!
Afraid that Li Mu might resist joining the Abyss Suppression Army, Qin Zhanye immediately waved his hand.
“No, no. The reserve is only the reserve. It is only mobilized when manpower is under particularly heavy strain.”
“At other times, you still remain at school studying specialized knowledge.”
“It is just that after joining the reserve, you will have a few additional required courses.”
“For example, battlefield command, monster energy analysis, Abyss geography analysis, and so on.”
“And the reserve has one privilege.”
“For ordinary Abyss Suppression Army soldiers, even if their Merit Points reach the standard for promotion, they still have to pass a cultural examination before their rank can rise.”
“But school reserves do not need that. As long as your Merit Points are sufficient, you can rise in rank directly without the examination.”
“And in the future, it is also much easier to hold a military post than it is for ordinary Abyss Suppression Army soldiers.”
“The reserve can also hold military rank and military posts.”
“Of course, if you voluntarily come down and participate in missions, that would naturally be even better.”
Li Mu nodded.
The reserve was not bound by too many restrictions of the Abyss Suppression Army, yet it still offered military merit and a proper path to becoming an officer.
Win merit in the Abyss, live freely in the city afterward—it sounded quite pleasant.
By then, the two of them had already arrived at the stables.
The vast training grounds of the stables were broad and level. In the distance were countless warhorses galloping, and there were people riding through the grounds at full speed.
At the entrance, an officer had just come out with his adjutant, chatting and laughing.
The moment he spotted Qin Zhanye from afar, he instantly shrank his neck and turned to run back inside with his adjutant.
“Hey! Old Zhou, I saw you!!”
Qin Zhanye shouted loudly, then broke into a long stride and rushed over, grabbing the officer by the arm.
The officer turned around with a miserable look on his face.
“Why are you here again!?”
“Look at you, acting like you do not welcome me. Was it not just one fine horse I got from you?”
“A good horse ought to go with a hero.”
Old Zhou’s mouth practically drooped to his ears. It was obvious that he was extremely dissatisfied with Qin Zhanye.
“Well, this time I brought you another hero! Bring out one of your Special-Grade warhorses.”
Qin Zhanye pointed at Li Mu.
“What!?” Old Zhou’s voice instantly jumped an octave.
One had to know that breeding Monster-Blood Warhorses was no easy matter.
The cycle was long, to say nothing of the fact that the death rate among the horses was also very high.
To carefully raise, adjust, and train a fine horse into being truly excellent—that was a labor of blood and heart.
Who would not want those outstanding horses, under the attention of major leaders and the flash of cameras at commendation ceremonies,
to be awarded as important prizes to exceptional soldiers who had earned military merit?
That would also bring more attention to their breeding grounds and secure more resources and funding,
so that more people could see the hard work and suffering they had poured into it.
But Qin Zhanye was a different story. Last time, relying on his special military merit, he had forcibly taken one of Old Zhou’s Special-Grade warhorses.
Old Zhou had felt it was like a priceless pearl cast into dust!
He had brooded over it ever since, and every time he saw Qin Zhanye, he got angry.
And now, today, Qin Zhanye had even brought along a younger one.
Seeing that Old Zhou was on the verge of exploding, Qin Zhanye hurriedly leaned close to his ear and whispered a whole string of things.
Old Zhou’s eyes instantly lit up as he looked at Li Mu.
But he still hesitated. “You are not lying to me, are you? Just this little fellow?”
“Hah, he is not little at all. Right now, even Minister Song and Professor Xu cannot stop praising this kid!”
“In the future, if he says a few good words for you in front of Professor Xu and Minister Song,”
“and then Minister Song and Professor Xu each say a few good words for you as well, that carries a lot more weight than anything I could say.”
“Right, Li Mu?”
After saying that, Qin Zhanye waggled his brows at Li Mu.
Li Mu smiled and nodded, his own eyes filled with anticipation.
Qin Zhanye had originally promised him a Premium warhorse, but now he was actually asking for a Special-Grade one.
Old Zhou was clearly tempted. If Minister Song and Professor Xu really could mention their stables, then that truly would be rare.
“Hmph. Even so, you cannot come right out and ask for a Special-Grade horse. This kid is not your illegitimate son, is he?”
“Hah, if he were my son, I would laugh myself awake from my dreams.”
Old Zhou’s eyes shifted.
“Well then, come with me. There is one Special-Grade warhorse that was just trained not long ago, but… it has a small flaw…”