Chapter 296: Memories That Cannot Be Deleted

"Beasts!"

Gui Tong's eyes instantly turned red.

This was a problem already buried deep in his heart, explained in his mind as the Players' clan having a special life structure.

Finally, the answer is revealed at this moment.

The Players' clan isn't able to endure hunger; they just have some damn special means to hide food.

He could imagine exactly what happened back then.

During those unbearable nights when they were bruised and starving, those Players' clan beasts were secretly feasting in their rooms, only to torment them in the same way the next day.

You have to know, at that time they were so hungry they even wanted to gnaw on tree bark.

That feeling, no matter how long ago, remains vivid in memory.

Long periods without eating even caused him to suffer from stomach cramps, with spasms of pain during training.

Even his saliva was almost dried up; every time he swallowed, his throat burned with a sensation like sandpaper rubbing against it.

Every time he entered the cafeteria, he felt like a wild beast, but pride made him choose to grit his teeth and persist; no matter how strong the temptation of food, he had to hold on.

At that time, there was an obsession.

If the beasts of the Players' clan can do it, why can't the trainees of our Four-Eyes clan?

Even if they starved to death, they were unwilling to give up.

It was precisely the belief of not wanting to bow down and admit defeat that drove them to persist and persist again.

Who would have thought the answer was ten thousand times more cruel than what they had imagined back then.

"Beasts." At this moment, Gui Tong's body trembled uncontrollably.

The other trainees who had come from the first training camp together also wore angry expressions; they weren't stupid, and the moment they saw Li Zheng take out food, they connected it to the "unsolved mystery" of those years.

The moment the answer was known, the secret admiration from back then transformed into Xiong Xiong burning anger.

Various curses burst forth.

Li Zheng, who already knew this outcome, calmly ate the roasted meat, paying no attention at all to his brothers' moment of breakdown.

The other players of the Grind King Group also took out Spirit Food Meals from their spatial bags and feasted heartily.

Now that the cards were on the table, there was no need to live a bitter life anymore.

Naturally, they would enjoy themselves however they pleased.

Li Zheng was seen raising his hand to take out a cup of fruit wine; after unscrewing the cap, he took a beautiful big gulp:

"Ha~!"

Smelling the rich aroma of the wine, even Long Gen, whose willpower was firm, lost his composure.

"This wine is strong enough; it's too perfect for my wine-loving brother Long Gen... Pity, my brother Long Gen has firm willpower; during special training, he certainly couldn't drink alcohol."

"Beasts, wait until I get back; see if I don't beat you to death." As Long Gen spoke, he clenched his fists.

Chi Tu, standing nearby, heard these words and a cunning smile curled his lips; he reached out, took a metal pot from his spatial bag, lifted the lid, and hot white steam mixed with an enticing fragrance spread out, instantly filling the space range covered by the Blood Barrier.

Inside the pot, the boiling "Earth Scale Soup" was bubbling gulu gulu; every time a bubble burst, it splashed up a rich meaty aroma.

Instantly, the whole scene fell silent.

The gazes of all the trainees focused on Chi Tu, or more accurately, on the large pot in front of him.

Inside the pot, the thick soup presented a crimson color; on the surface floated semi-transparent Earth Scale crisp slices, constantly twisting and deforming in the heat, emitting a "pili pa" crisp sound as if just taken out of the pot.

Chi Tu deliberately used his fingers to pick up a slice of Earth Scale meat, slowly raising it above his head; the thin-as-cicada-wing crisp slice pulled out long golden threads in the air, and the dripping soup continuously splashed up a strong fragrance.

"Hoo~ It's a bit hot; I need to blow on it."

After blowing, Chi Tu slowly moved the meat slice toward his mouth in slow motion; the gazes of all the trainees followed the movement.

They could see Chi Tu slowly sticking out his tongue, curling the meat slice and drawing it into his mouth.

The chewing sounds and the meaty aroma brought a powerful impact, causing the trainees of the various clans, already starving and unbearable, to completely break down.

Chi Tu, however, continued at this moment:

"Oh my, why is this meat so delicious? My stomach, which hasn't eaten for these past few days, has finally tasted something good."

"Beasts (x130)."

Chi Tu's behavior, in the eyes of the trainees of the various clans, was purely asking to be beaten.

Alas, they were all tightly locked by iron chains, unable to slam their anger-filled fists hard onto Chi Tu's provoking face.

The other players of the Grind King Group were the same; they all took out delicious Spirit Food Meals purchased from the Exchange, feasting heartily in front of a group of hungry, exhausted brothers, taking turns staging eating broadcasts plus beastly behavior.

Facing the curses, they simply paid no attention.

The Spirit Food Meals taken out from the spatial bags and the Exchange retained the freshest taste; the players of the Grind King Group ate with such joy.

Especially with a group of hungry brothers providing a continuous "accompaniment" nearby.

They couldn't bear to see their brothers die, but they could bear to see their brothers in a state of furious rage.

After finishing the big meal to their satisfaction, they didn't forget their brothers either; Li Zheng reached out, took out two more bottles of fruit wine from his spatial bag, and tossed them separately to Gui Tong and Long Gen.

"We've eaten our fill; now it's your turn."

Gui Tong, having received the Spirit Wine, didn't hesitate; he decisively unscrewed the cap and drank deeply in large gulps, then let out a satisfying "ha" sound.

On the other side, Long Gen, after receiving the Spirit Wine, appeared very hesitant.

"Long Gen, you have already drunk the Life Potion; that has already broken the rules of the Sha Feng Body Tempering training; one more mouthful won't matter."

"You've ruined me." Hearing Li Zheng's words, Long Gen's last line of defense in his heart collapsed; he unscrewed the cap and downed the Spirit Wine in one breath.

"Tell me, what types of food do you want to eat?" Li Zheng continued.

Although the various delicacies made by Spirit Chefs in the Exchange couldn't compare to the standards of the professional Spirit Chefs in the Retrograde Tide Training Camp, there were still quite a few Spirit Food Meals available to choose from now.

Now that the cards were on the table, he decided to satisfy his brothers' appetites and give them the chance to order.

"Bring some more wine." Long Gen immediately shouted.

Li Zheng hesitated not, opened the Trading Market, and directly purchased three bottles of the highest-grade "Deep Sea Roar," then took them from his Spatial Satchel and tossed them toward Long Gen.

This liquor is brewed by Spirit Chef players from a crystal found in the depths of the Cang Star Sea; during brewing, various spiritual substances must be added to form a conflicting spiritual network, where dense explosions occur every second within the invisible interior, and its shelf life is less than one day.

It is just right for Long Gen, who favors strong liquor.

Long Gen, having accepted the Spirit Liquor, looked excited, unscrewed the cap, and drank one bottle in one go.

The wine pouring from the black bottle was dark gold, with tiny Lei Guang floating on the surface; even upon opening the bottle, rich spiritual energy overflowed.

Long Gen, who swallowed it in one breath, instantly felt his throat burn as if lava were flowing through it, followed by waves of fine, sharp stings in his chest, finally settling in his stomach as a continuous, burning, strong warmth.

"Powerful! Refreshing!"

"That's enough; I'm afraid the Instructor will return suddenly. If you get drunk then, we'll be in trouble."

Gui Tong immediately spoke up to advise, then turned his head angrily toward Li Zheng:

"Brick-layer, you little beast, tell me, how much food have you hidden exactly, and where is this Personal Space actually located?"

"Don't ask; it's a Player Clan ancestral secret, not shared with outsiders. Do you want to eat or not?"

"Eat," Gui Tong said viciously:

"Bring the big meal."

Having lived together for over a year and often eaten in the cafeteria, Li Zheng naturally knew Gui Tong's tastes; shortly after, he took two ice boxes made using the Ice Mist Breath trait from his Spatial Satchel and tossed them to Gui Tong.

Gui Tong, having accepted the food box, hesitated not, lifted the lid, and began to devour heartily.

The stomach, hungry for many days, was finally satisfied at this moment.

Li Zheng and the other brothers were not forgotten; he asked for their needs, then purchased them on the Trading Market and tossed them over.

Outside, the Sha Wind howled, yet the trainees within the Blood Qi Barrier were enjoying delicious food.

For the first time, they felt this hellish special training could be endured so comfortably.

Although entirely thanks to the Player Clan, these beasts, every clan's trainees had already formed plans for after returning, determined to beat these beasts black and blue to vent their anger.

After filling their stomachs, everyone resumed taking turns deploying Blood Qi for defense.

Only this time, the urgency was gone.

They knew that even if they exhausted themselves, backup energy was available.

Although curious about where the Player Clan's Personal Space was located, since the Player Clan trainees did not wish to say, they asked no further questions.

During this time, Gui Tong decisively demanded his necklace back from Li Zheng.

Regarding this, Li Zheng felt reluctant in his heart, yet still decisively tossed it back.

Brothers who had supported each other all the way to the Fifth Phase Training Camp; could he really be greedy for his treasure?

Gui Tong, having accepted the necklace, clearly remained unsatisfied, glaring at him viciously once more:

"Disgusting. A victory without merit."

"You little beast, already claiming a victory without merit just after eating? Spit out everything you just ate." "Beast."

"If Four-Eyes insults again, before the special training ends, don't expect to eat the next meal. Starve to death."

"Beast."

"You great beast, you wild beast..."

Amidst the beautiful exchange of insults, the trainees of every clan suddenly felt this special training was surely secure.

Just then, Long Gen shouted loudly:

"Since we have no more worries, why not continue the special training? While the Sha Qi Storm still rages, retract the Blood Qi Barrier and let us endure the Sha Qi assault with our bodies, thereby tempering our will and refining our flesh."

"You are the real beast."

Hearing Long Gen's words, all the trainees raised their middle fingers at him.

Pressuring his own brothers; Long Gen had always considered this his duty.

If the Player Clan were seen as disgusting beasts by other trainees, then Long Gen and his clan were inhumane beasts.

Even during training camp, they could not bear to see their brothers lie flat.

Whenever free, they would increase the intensity for their brothers, using excuses like various forms of growth, improvement, and strength.

Truly a pressure monster.

Regarding his proposal, the other trainees naturally opposed it strongly.

The current Sha Qi intensity is extremely high; enduring it directly is purely self-torture.

Only a fool would continue Sha Qi body tempering.

Yet this unusual round of Sha Qi assault also left them deeply puzzled, sparking discussion on the matter.

At this moment, a trainee of the Ghost Wind Clan spoke up:

"As for the origin of the Sha Wind, I have heard our clan elders recount it."

Upon hearing this, the gathered trainees all turned their gazes toward the Ghost Wind Clan trainee.

"I also only heard it; the specific truth is unknown."

"Spit it out, truly dragging it on," Chi Tu said, eyes wide.

"Ahem, ahem. It is said that in the early days, the Cracked Throat Valley was not as lifeless as it is now, nor did it have howling Sha Winds. At that time, it was called Fate Valley, a region ruled by the Descending Faction, the Fate Clan, after the Cataclysm War ended."

Speaking thus, the Ghost Wind Clan trainee paused, then added an explanation:

"As you know, at that time the Reverse Tide Legion had not yet been established; our clans were scattered across various regions of the Pale Continent, in a very dire situation. Among the Descending Factions, there were many powers of immense strength; the Fate Clan was one of them."

"The Fate Clan of that era was the hegemon of this region. They possessed a rule named 'Equivalence.' It is said this rule acquired growth energy through equivalent gambles. Every member of the Fate Clan was an Equivalence Merchant; starting from Fate Valley, they roamed the Pale Continent, seeking outsiders everywhere with whom they could gamble and trade."

"The Monster World provided this clan with vast growth nutrients. The Fate Clan's development speed was extremely rapid, already possessing the potential to challenge for hegemony over the Pale Continent region."

"The subsequent story, I suppose you can guess. The Reverse Tide God gathered the native clans, established the Reverse Tide Legion, with the goal of reclaiming their homeland. Naturally, the Fate Clan became a thorn in our eyes."

"However, the Reverse Tide God at that time chose not to suppress the Fate Clan by force. He knew the newly established Reverse Tide Legion was still in its most critical development stage, and the next wave of the Black Tide assault could descend at any moment. Thus, he proposed a transactional gamble to the then-head of the Fate Clan."

"This request received the Fate Clan Head's agreement."

"No one knows the specific content of that transaction and gamble; the final result was that the Fate Clan lost the gamble, and the entire clan voluntarily sealed themselves beneath the ground of this canyon. The evil qi surging from the Cleft Throat Valley is the breath of the Fate Clan members buried deep underground, which is why the evil wind shows signs of surging back and forth, like inhalation and exhalation during breathing."

After hearing this story, Li Zheng's face showed contempt:

"You just made this up, right? If the evil wind is breathing, what about the sudden, violent evil wind? Could it be that the Fate Clan members are having a seizure underground?"

Upon hearing this, the student of the Ghost Wind Clan grinned and said:

"I already told you this is a story. So many years have passed; who knows what's true or false? I'm not even clear on where my elders heard it; maybe they just made it up out of boredom."

"There's another possibility: back when your elder was undergoing the evil qi body tempering assessment at the Phase Five Training Camp, he heard a fellow trainee making things up right here, just like you are now." Chi Tu propped his chin up and analyzed with a serious expression.

"Hahaha."

After hearing Chi Tu's explanation, the group of students couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"After surviving two years on the front lines, we are required to return and serve as combat instructors for a period. At that time, I will continue to pass down your elder's story, fooling the next batch of reserve trainees. After enough years of transmission, the fake will become real."

Gui Tong's words once again caused everyone to laugh loudly.

With no more worries, the oppressive atmosphere on the scene vanished completely; everyone joked, told stories, and discussed future prospects.

During this period, a big meal every two days was indispensable.

The expenses for this were all paid with Shou Shou Jili, but Li Zheng and the players of the Grind King Group didn't care.

The core purpose they once had for playing games, besides fun, was also monetary gain.

This was also the origin of Li Zheng's game name, "Game Brick Mover."

But in the Monster World, they also gained a precious friendship; compared to this money and these brothers, it was not worth mentioning.

This bond was also heavier than any material possession.

During the more than a year at the Training Camp, they had already developed a tacit understanding that required no words.

Especially after the battle formation training, a single glance could read each other's thoughts, and a single gesture could understand the other's decision.

The instructors often said that once on the battlefield, comrades-in-arms are a more reliable force than weapons and equipment.

Li Zheng, as a player, never found this statement ridiculous.

Leaving his back to them brought a sense of security, making him feel more at ease than the most solid armor.

This feeling was completely different from past gaming experiences.

In the past, the Grind King Group's core concept was the pursuit of virtual wealth, using game gold coins to measure the significance of every dungeon and adventure.

But in this world, they felt they had found something more precious than any equipment; those figures walking side by side through wind and rain would also be memories they could never forget in their lives.

In the past, they were willing to repeatedly grind boring dungeons for gold coins in the game.

But now, he was willing to trade all his Shou Shou Jili for these brothers to live one more day.

This was a friendship that data could not measure, nor a bond that could be exchanged through transactions.

During the more than a year of arduous struggle, though they were not blood brothers, this deep bond was better than blood brothers.

How could the fluctuating numbers of Shou Shou Jili in personal space inventories compare to these brothers?

Just as the Family Sharing said: "When I get old and can't play the Monster World anymore, I will definitely still remember the days back at the Training Camp when I and those beasts ignited our blood together; this is an archive in my memory that cannot be deleted."

The special training continued, but they turned the days of suffering into a carefree vacation.

Taking turns holding the shield, time passed day by day amidst the evil wind's assault, and the intensity gradually returned to a steady state.

After roughly calculating the days, the end of the special training was not far away.

For safety's sake, they decided not to eat or drink for the next few days, and at the same time, they dissolved the blood shield barriers released by rotation.

When the blood qi barrier dissipated, the evil wind immediately swept in.

Except for Long Gen, who let out a joyful cheer, the rest of the students let out wails like pigs being slaughtered.

Seeing the miserable appearance of his brothers, Li Zheng and the brothers of the Grind King Group secretly activated Life Link and the Dissipation trait again, transferring their own pain to the brothers who were wailing.

Immediately, the screams became even more piercing.

Li Zheng and the brothers of the Grind King Group also let out wails, and their cries were louder than all the other students present.

That day, the air suddenly trembled; the evil wind in the distance dispersed on its own, making way for a path as if in fear.

"Shut up!" Gui Tong, whose four eyes turned simultaneously upon seeing this scene, decisively shouted.

Hearing the warning, the members of the various clans immediately realized something, decisively suppressed the screams rising to their throats, and all looked up.

They saw a towering figure walking forward with heavy steps.

Instructor Mo Dun had arrived.

With every step he took, the ground cracked into spiderweb-like fissures; this was not done intentionally, but purely due to his body weight.

Instructor Mo Dun's massive body was clad in black dark armor, and every breath he took carried a low rumble of blood qi.

Before his figure even arrived, the heavy pressure had already attacked.

An invisible "presence" continued to spread outward from Instructor Mo Dun as the center; he went straight to the cliff wall, and two points of scarlet light beneath his helmet swept over everyone present. In that instant, all the students felt completely seen through, from bone strength to blood qi flow speed, and even the most hidden thoughts in their hearts.

Just as the group of students wondered why Instructor Mo Dun was not announcing the end of the special training.

At this moment, Instructor Mo Dun was also extremely confused.

He had jumped through multiple regions in succession, and the appearance of every training sub-group was incredibly miserable.

In fact, abnormal evil winds appeared in two regions this time; the students there were almost wiped out entirely, with not a single spot on their bodies unharmed, and they had all been urgently sent to the Training Camp for rescue.

But these guys, on the other hand.

They were all shiny and well-fed, their blood qi full; where was the slightest sign of having been tempered by the evil wind?

The few scars scraped out by the evil wind on their bodies, compared to the students in other regions, could not even be called: wounds.

Could it be that the evil wind in this region had weakened abnormally?

Instructor Mo Dun could not find the answer to this question.

(End of this chapter)