After the sensational martial arts exchange, Lam Minh's reputation at the training base rose to a new level. The soldiers no longer looked at him with curiosity, but with genuine respect. Some even proactively approached him to chat and ask for pointers on a few moves. Lam Minh, with his motto of "more friends, fewer enemies," also happily "chatted" about some basic techniques, of course, a heavily simplified version.
The extracurricular program continued the next day. This time, the students got to experience something they had only ever seen on TV: a direct tour of a section of the ASEAN Great Wall.
Armored vehicles transported them through the safe buffer zone. The landscape gradually became desolate and barren. The ruins of old cities, giant bomb craters—all were witnesses to the brutality of the war. The usually noisy students fell silent, feeling the breath of war so close for the first time.
Finally, the great wall appeared before their eyes.
It wasn't an ancient stone wall, but a colossal modern defense structure, over 50 meters high, made of ultra-reinforced concrete and special alloy plates. Every few hundred meters stood a defensive fortress, with automated machine gun turrets, missile launchers, and advanced energy weapons. Atop the wall, soldiers patrolled relentlessly.
Standing at the foot of the wall, everyone felt incredibly small. This was the shield that had protected the remaining 500 million of humanity for decades.
"It's... it's so magnificent..." Hung 'fat' uttered, his usual humor gone, replaced by a look of awe.
Lieutenant Khoa, who continued to lead the group, explained, "This is section E-12, on the eastern front. The situation here has been relatively stable for the past few months. Today, you will experience the work of a logistics soldier: resupplying ammunition and food to the defensive posts on the wall."
The students were given backpacks filled with supplies. Although not excessively heavy, climbing the hundreds of steps to the top of the wall was no small physical challenge.
Lam Minh, To Quyen, and Hung 'fat' were assigned to the same group.
"This is exhausting," Hung 'fat' panted as he climbed. "I never knew being a logistics soldier was so hard."
To Quyen, on the other hand, was very interested. She observed the structure of the wall as she walked, occasionally using her tablet to jot something down.
Only Lam Minh was completely at ease. With the physique of a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, this little bit of exercise was like a stroll. He walked at the back, observing his surroundings with his spiritual sense, a new ability he gained after his breakthrough. His spiritual sense could cover an area with a radius of about 500 meters, allowing him to perceive all life and energy fluctuations within that range.
When they reached the top of the wall, a majestic scene unfolded. Their eyes could take in a vast plain outside. That land was once fertile fields and bustling urban areas, but now it was just a gray, dead land.
The soldiers on the wall waved when they saw the group of students. They were used to field trips like this. It helped the younger generation better understand their sacrifices.
"Hurry up, kids! Bring the water over here!" a soldier called out.
Lam Minh's group quickly completed their task. After finishing the resupply, they were allowed to stay for a while to observe.
"Out there... are there many Madakaros?" To Quyen asked an old soldier who was cleaning his rifle.
The old soldier smiled kindly. "Fewer now, child. They only organize small-scale attacks every few days. But we can't be complacent. Those monsters are very cunning."
Just then, the alarm sirens on the wall suddenly blared.
LEVEL 2 ALERT! MADAKAROS ACTIVITY DETECTED IN THE 3 O'CLOCK SECTOR! ESTIMATED NUMBER AROUND 50!
All the soldiers immediately took up their battle positions. Lieutenant Khoa shouted, "All students, follow me to the shelter immediately! Hurry up!"
The students' faces turned pale, and they panicked, running as instructed. The reality of combat was much more terrifying than they had imagined.
But Lam Minh didn't move. He stood at the edge of the wall, narrowing his eyes as he looked into the distance. His spiritual sense had detected the abnormality even before the alarm went off.
This group of Madakaros was not like a normal attacking wave. They were moving in a very organized manner, and among them... was an aura of qi that was distinctly stronger than the other Qi Refining ones.
"A Foundation Establishment Realm!" Lam Minh muttered.
He immediately realized it was a trap. A feint. The group of 50 was just bait to draw the firepower from the wall. Their real target was somewhere else.
"To Quyen! Hung! You two go down to the shelter first!" he said quickly.
"What about you, Brother Minh?" Hung 'fat' asked worriedly.
"I'll be right down," he replied, his eyes still fixed on the battlefield.
To Quyen hesitated for a moment, but seeing the serious look on Lam Minh's face, she knew he wasn't joking. She pulled Hung 'fat' by the hand. "Let's go! Don't get in his way!"
When everyone was gone, Lam Minh focused his spiritual sense completely. He swept it over a wider area.
Just as he had predicted!
About a kilometer to the south, along the base of the wall, a small group of about five Madakaros was moving stealthily. Leading them was that Early-stage Foundation Establishment creature. Their target was a large energy pipeline, buried underground with a small control station on the surface. If they destroyed that station, the energy supply to an entire section of the wall would be crippled.
"Dammit! So cunning!"
Lam Minh knew he had to act. He couldn't inform the soldiers, as they were busy dealing with the decoy force. If he ran to report it, it would be too late.
There was only one way.
He looked down at the 50-meter drop from the wall, then towards the control station.
"Dammit, have to be a reluctant hero again," he muttered, but his eyes glinted with an indescribable excitement.
This was a golden opportunity to farm points! A real-life Early-stage Foundation Establishment creature! If he "died" at its hands, he could get at least 2000 points! Maybe enough to break through to the Peak-stage!
Without a moment's hesitation, he climbed over the safety railing and took a deep breath.
"For the points... uh, no, for the peace of mankind! JUMP!"
He threw himself from the top of the Great Wall, to the utter astonishment of a few soldiers who happened to see it. All they saw was a black figure plummeting down, and all they could do was let out a terrified scream.
"SOMEONE'S COMMITTING SUICIDE!!!"