Chapter 17: Coastal Early Warning
The morning sunlight was sliced into tiny, fragmented spots by the metal shielding mesh surrounding the camp, falling onto the concrete ground of the training field. The morning session was dedicated to equipment practicals. On one side of the field, the garrison's standard-issue equipment was neatly arranged: matte gray short blades, portable psychic interference grenades, lightweight protective vests, and portable detectors used to monitor large-scale psychic fluctuations.
The instructor was a veteran with an old scar on his face, surnamed Zhou. He had guarded the coastal defense line for three years and still bore the lingering Sea of Consciousness injuries caused by the psychic impacts from scaled beast glands.
"First, let's look at the standard-issue short blade." Veteran Zhou picked up a short blade, holding it to demonstrate the proper stance and force application. "This is not an ordinary cold weapon. The blade is alloyed with special metals that can slightly weaken the psychic turbulence released by scaled beasts. It is primarily used to stab the psychic glands on both sides of the head. Scaled beast flesh and scales are incredibly tough; ordinary steel struggles to pierce the hard scales. Only the glands are true vital points."
He flipped the short blade, showing the fine metal grain on the inner side of the blade. "Remember, prioritize attacking the glands. Even if you can't kill it in one strike, as long as you destroy the gland, the scaled beast's psychic suppression ability will drastically decrease, and the pressure on your Sea of Consciousness will be halved instantly."
The nine cadets took turns stepping forward, picking up the short blades to get a feel for the weight, repeatedly practicing the basic stabbing and slashing motions. When Lin Yan held the knife, the force from his wrist, shoulder, and back flowed seamlessly together, naturally revealing the foundation of his years of Jianghu combat. Veteran Zhou saw this, deliberately stopping his rounds to walk over to Lin Yan's side.
"Your close-quarters foundation is excellent, and your force application is very stable," Veteran Zhou nodded. "But do not rely on old combat habits. When fighting scaled beasts, the primary objective is not to inflict bodily harm, but to disable the glands. Many veterans get carried away in close combat, blindly hacking and stabbing at the scaled beasts' hard armor, wasting their stamina for nothing."
"Understood." Lin Yan adjusted his movements, locking his attack focus onto the gland positions on both sides of the simulated specimen's head.
Next came the explanation of the portable psychic interference grenades. They were palm-sized metal cylinders with a safety pin at the top.
"The interference grenade is our core equipment for countering scaled beast psychic turbulence. Upon detonation, it releases a burst of reverse psychic fluctuations, which can briefly cancel out and disrupt the gland's output." Veteran Zhou picked up a grenade, handling it carefully. "There are two limitations. First, the effective range is small, only about ten meters. Second, the consumption is massive; continuous use will drain the user's own Sea of Consciousness. They cannot be deployed frequently. They are a life-saving measure, not a primary offensive weapon."
The cadets took turns practicing the motions of pulling the safety pin and throwing the grenades. When Su Qin practiced throwing, her wrist lacked strength. She repeatedly adjusted her posture, slowly finding the right feel.
For the rest of the time, the group practiced using the portable detectors. The instruments could capture psychic fluctuations floating in the air, indicating the approximate direction and strength of scaled beasts, serving as an early warning tool for wilderness operations. The detector screen used a three-color alert system: green for safe, yellow for the presence of low-level scaled beasts, and red for sub-high-level individuals and above.
The entire equipment practical session lasted until just before noon.
Just as Veteran Zhou was preparing to assemble the cadets for a course summary, the warning siren deep within the camp suddenly blared.
It was not the short, simulated prompt tone of a drill, but a deep, heavy, continuous, looping long alarm.
[Attention. Large-scale psychic fluctuation signals detected outside Coastal Defense Line Seven. Small-scale scaled beast landing in progress. All combat-ready personnel, immediately assume your posts. Repeat, large-scale psychic fluctuation signals detected outside Coastal Defense Line Seven. Small-scale scaled beast landing in progress.]
The mechanical female voice of the broadcast echoed repeatedly over the camp. Every cadet on the training field froze instantly, exchanging bewildered glances. This was not a drill; it was a real coastal invasion alert.
Veteran Zhou's face instantly turned grave. He immediately stopped the lesson and looked at everyone. "Nobody run around! This is a real warning. Defense Line Seven is right on the coastline; a batch of scaled beasts has landed from the sea, and the frontline garrison forces are already engaging. Training camp cadets have no authorization to participate in combat. Stay in place and await instructor orders."
In the distance, garrison soldiers throughout the camp were running rapidly, boarding armored transport vehicles. Engines roared as convoy after convoy sped toward the coastal defense line. The previously peaceful camp transitioned into a combat-ready state in the blink of an eye. The air seemed to carry a faint, residual psychic turbulence from afar—weak, but undeniably real.
Su Qin instinctively gripped the short blade in her hand tightly, her breathing slightly quickened as she gazed toward the ocean. Beyond that gray, hazy horizon was the endless source of the scaled beasts landing. She had only ever heard of landing battles in textbooks and from instructors' lectures. Now, with the alarm blaring, she truly felt that the crisis of this dimension was never an illusion from a simulated assessment.
"It's real... the things in the sea have come ashore," Su Qin murmured softly.
Lin Yan raised his eyes toward the coast. The distant sky was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, obscuring the battlefield. But the continuous alarm, the roaring transport vehicles, and the pattering footsteps of running personnel intertwined in the air. Opening his perception, he could capture a trace of extremely distant, chaotic, and frenzied psychic fluctuations—the intertwined consciousness of countless scaled beasts.
Lu Ling quickly arrived at the training field, his expression serious, and issued orders to the nine cadets. "Everyone, return to the standby hall in the practical training building. Close the doors and windows, keep your Sea of Consciousness wristbands activated, and monitor your own status in real time. Do not leave the hall without authorization, and do not approach the camp's outer fortifications. The front line is currently in battle; residual turbulence may spread to the camp. If you experience a headache or Sea of Consciousness turbulence, report to the medical staff immediately."
"Yes!" the group responded in unison.
The group followed Lu Ling to the standby hall. The massive display screen inside had already switched to the remote detection feed of Coastal Defense Line Seven. Dense red dots on the screen represented the landing scaled beasts, continuously advancing toward the inland defense line. Detection data refreshed constantly; the red dots varied in size, with several larger red points representing sub-high-level scaled beasts.
Text-based frontline battle reports continuously scrolled across the screen:
[Defense Line Seven: Low-level scaled beast swarm landing. Count: 27. Garrison squads have engaged.]
[Two squad members suffered Sea of Consciousness impact injuries. Retreating for treatment.]
[Psychic interference grenade team deployed. Suppressing glands of three scaled beasts on the right flank.]
The cadets stood quietly in front of the large screen, staring at the constantly jumping red dots and battle reports. No one spoke. Red dots continuously extinguished on the screen, representing scaled beasts being killed, but green dots representing garrison squad members also dimmed and vanished one by one.
The brutal reality of the true battlefield was laid bare before this group of rookies who had just passed the ruins trial.
Lu Ling stood beside the large screen, his eyes fixed on the battle reports. He whispered deployment orders to his deputy beside him. A moment later, he turned to look at the cadets. "Watch closely. The ruins trial was merely a simulation; this is real war. Scaled beasts continuously emerge from the deep sea. If the coastline falls, all inland cities will become their hunting grounds. This is the responsibility you will bear in the future."
Lin Yan stared at the constantly moving red dots on the screen, lost in silent thought. This small-scale landing was just one instance in a常态化 (normalized) conflict. Beneath the deep sea lurked giant scaled beasts the size of twenty-story buildings. Once a giant individual made landfall, the entire coastal defense line would face collapse. And his own mission was still hidden somewhere within the wishes of this world.
Su Qin gripped the Sea of Consciousness wristband on her wrist tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white. For the first time, she truly understood that all the training and assessments were to prepare for battles exactly like this.
In the hall, the alarm continued to loop. The flames of war on the coast had been ignited.
End of Chapter
The instructor was a veteran with an old scar on his face, surnamed Zhou. He had guarded the coastal defense line for three years and still bore the lingering Sea of Consciousness injuries caused by the psychic impacts from scaled beast glands.
"First, let's look at the standard-issue short blade." Veteran Zhou picked up a short blade, holding it to demonstrate the proper stance and force application. "This is not an ordinary cold weapon. The blade is alloyed with special metals that can slightly weaken the psychic turbulence released by scaled beasts. It is primarily used to stab the psychic glands on both sides of the head. Scaled beast flesh and scales are incredibly tough; ordinary steel struggles to pierce the hard scales. Only the glands are true vital points."
He flipped the short blade, showing the fine metal grain on the inner side of the blade. "Remember, prioritize attacking the glands. Even if you can't kill it in one strike, as long as you destroy the gland, the scaled beast's psychic suppression ability will drastically decrease, and the pressure on your Sea of Consciousness will be halved instantly."
The nine cadets took turns stepping forward, picking up the short blades to get a feel for the weight, repeatedly practicing the basic stabbing and slashing motions. When Lin Yan held the knife, the force from his wrist, shoulder, and back flowed seamlessly together, naturally revealing the foundation of his years of Jianghu combat. Veteran Zhou saw this, deliberately stopping his rounds to walk over to Lin Yan's side.
"Your close-quarters foundation is excellent, and your force application is very stable," Veteran Zhou nodded. "But do not rely on old combat habits. When fighting scaled beasts, the primary objective is not to inflict bodily harm, but to disable the glands. Many veterans get carried away in close combat, blindly hacking and stabbing at the scaled beasts' hard armor, wasting their stamina for nothing."
"Understood." Lin Yan adjusted his movements, locking his attack focus onto the gland positions on both sides of the simulated specimen's head.
Next came the explanation of the portable psychic interference grenades. They were palm-sized metal cylinders with a safety pin at the top.
"The interference grenade is our core equipment for countering scaled beast psychic turbulence. Upon detonation, it releases a burst of reverse psychic fluctuations, which can briefly cancel out and disrupt the gland's output." Veteran Zhou picked up a grenade, handling it carefully. "There are two limitations. First, the effective range is small, only about ten meters. Second, the consumption is massive; continuous use will drain the user's own Sea of Consciousness. They cannot be deployed frequently. They are a life-saving measure, not a primary offensive weapon."
The cadets took turns practicing the motions of pulling the safety pin and throwing the grenades. When Su Qin practiced throwing, her wrist lacked strength. She repeatedly adjusted her posture, slowly finding the right feel.
For the rest of the time, the group practiced using the portable detectors. The instruments could capture psychic fluctuations floating in the air, indicating the approximate direction and strength of scaled beasts, serving as an early warning tool for wilderness operations. The detector screen used a three-color alert system: green for safe, yellow for the presence of low-level scaled beasts, and red for sub-high-level individuals and above.
The entire equipment practical session lasted until just before noon.
Just as Veteran Zhou was preparing to assemble the cadets for a course summary, the warning siren deep within the camp suddenly blared.
It was not the short, simulated prompt tone of a drill, but a deep, heavy, continuous, looping long alarm.
[Attention. Large-scale psychic fluctuation signals detected outside Coastal Defense Line Seven. Small-scale scaled beast landing in progress. All combat-ready personnel, immediately assume your posts. Repeat, large-scale psychic fluctuation signals detected outside Coastal Defense Line Seven. Small-scale scaled beast landing in progress.]
The mechanical female voice of the broadcast echoed repeatedly over the camp. Every cadet on the training field froze instantly, exchanging bewildered glances. This was not a drill; it was a real coastal invasion alert.
Veteran Zhou's face instantly turned grave. He immediately stopped the lesson and looked at everyone. "Nobody run around! This is a real warning. Defense Line Seven is right on the coastline; a batch of scaled beasts has landed from the sea, and the frontline garrison forces are already engaging. Training camp cadets have no authorization to participate in combat. Stay in place and await instructor orders."
In the distance, garrison soldiers throughout the camp were running rapidly, boarding armored transport vehicles. Engines roared as convoy after convoy sped toward the coastal defense line. The previously peaceful camp transitioned into a combat-ready state in the blink of an eye. The air seemed to carry a faint, residual psychic turbulence from afar—weak, but undeniably real.
Su Qin instinctively gripped the short blade in her hand tightly, her breathing slightly quickened as she gazed toward the ocean. Beyond that gray, hazy horizon was the endless source of the scaled beasts landing. She had only ever heard of landing battles in textbooks and from instructors' lectures. Now, with the alarm blaring, she truly felt that the crisis of this dimension was never an illusion from a simulated assessment.
"It's real... the things in the sea have come ashore," Su Qin murmured softly.
Lin Yan raised his eyes toward the coast. The distant sky was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, obscuring the battlefield. But the continuous alarm, the roaring transport vehicles, and the pattering footsteps of running personnel intertwined in the air. Opening his perception, he could capture a trace of extremely distant, chaotic, and frenzied psychic fluctuations—the intertwined consciousness of countless scaled beasts.
Lu Ling quickly arrived at the training field, his expression serious, and issued orders to the nine cadets. "Everyone, return to the standby hall in the practical training building. Close the doors and windows, keep your Sea of Consciousness wristbands activated, and monitor your own status in real time. Do not leave the hall without authorization, and do not approach the camp's outer fortifications. The front line is currently in battle; residual turbulence may spread to the camp. If you experience a headache or Sea of Consciousness turbulence, report to the medical staff immediately."
"Yes!" the group responded in unison.
The group followed Lu Ling to the standby hall. The massive display screen inside had already switched to the remote detection feed of Coastal Defense Line Seven. Dense red dots on the screen represented the landing scaled beasts, continuously advancing toward the inland defense line. Detection data refreshed constantly; the red dots varied in size, with several larger red points representing sub-high-level scaled beasts.
Text-based frontline battle reports continuously scrolled across the screen:
[Defense Line Seven: Low-level scaled beast swarm landing. Count: 27. Garrison squads have engaged.]
[Two squad members suffered Sea of Consciousness impact injuries. Retreating for treatment.]
[Psychic interference grenade team deployed. Suppressing glands of three scaled beasts on the right flank.]
The cadets stood quietly in front of the large screen, staring at the constantly jumping red dots and battle reports. No one spoke. Red dots continuously extinguished on the screen, representing scaled beasts being killed, but green dots representing garrison squad members also dimmed and vanished one by one.
The brutal reality of the true battlefield was laid bare before this group of rookies who had just passed the ruins trial.
Lu Ling stood beside the large screen, his eyes fixed on the battle reports. He whispered deployment orders to his deputy beside him. A moment later, he turned to look at the cadets. "Watch closely. The ruins trial was merely a simulation; this is real war. Scaled beasts continuously emerge from the deep sea. If the coastline falls, all inland cities will become their hunting grounds. This is the responsibility you will bear in the future."
Lin Yan stared at the constantly moving red dots on the screen, lost in silent thought. This small-scale landing was just one instance in a常态化 (normalized) conflict. Beneath the deep sea lurked giant scaled beasts the size of twenty-story buildings. Once a giant individual made landfall, the entire coastal defense line would face collapse. And his own mission was still hidden somewhere within the wishes of this world.
Su Qin gripped the Sea of Consciousness wristband on her wrist tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white. For the first time, she truly understood that all the training and assessments were to prepare for battles exactly like this.
In the hall, the alarm continued to loop. The flames of war on the coast had been ignited.
End of Chapter