Wang Cheng's declaration instantly silenced his previously joyful parents. Their expressions shifted as they scolded him:
"You brat! You just broke through and you're already thinking of heading out? Planning to deliver yourself as a meal to monsters?"
"Exactly, Ah Cheng. The wild isn't as easy to train in as you think. If it weren't for your father watching my back, I might have been killed by monsters long ago—and then you wouldn't even exist!"
Despite their stern warnings, Wang Cheng remained unmoved. Instead, he thought to himself: A hero saving a beauty? Looks like Dad had some good luck back in the day. Still, he stood firm in his decision and reasoned:
"Mom, Dad, you're both mid-level Martial Apprentices. You should know that strong warriors can't be nurtured in a greenhouse. If one wants to break through to Planetary-level, relying solely on training without real-world combat—and without a huge amount of resources—just won't cut it. So I have to go into the wild to hone myself."
Seeing the firm determination on his face, Wang Hao and Leng Yan fell silent. Though they didn't want their child to take such risks, they didn't know how to oppose his resolve.
"Ah Cheng," Leng Yan pleaded, "why not wait until you've reached Apprentice Level 3 and mastered the second and third levels of your technique? It'll be much safer to go out then."
"Don't worry, Mom," Wang Cheng replied. "I'm not stupid. I won't rush into danger blindly. I've thought this through carefully. Even before I became an Apprentice, I already wanted to explore the wild, but I knew it was too dangerous then. Now that I've broken through, it's time."
Wang Hao stared at his son seriously and said in a deep voice:
"Since you've made up your mind, and we can't talk you out of it, then all I can do is make sure you're as prepared as possible. But you'd better be ready to take responsibility for your decision."
Leng Yan was about to protest, but Wang Hao raised a hand to stop her.
"Ah Cheng has his own ideas now. We can't stop him forever. And since our persuasion isn't working, there's no point forcing him. Sooner or later, he'll have to head out there. Besides, we don't have official government contacts or protection anyway."
He then turned to Wang Cheng and said:
"Next time your mom and I head out, you can come with us and get some real experience. It's time we got you some proper gear. That'll help improve your chances of surviving out there."
Although Wang Cheng's breakthrough thrilled his parents, the thought of him entering the wild brought a heavy silence back over the household.
After dinner, Wang Hao left in a rush, while Leng Yan sat down with Wang Cheng and started teaching him crucial survival knowledge for the wilderness.
In truth, Wang Cheng found the wild areas on this planet far safer than Earth's wastelands.
On Earth, humans had been the weaker species. After the Great Cataclysm, much of human technology was destroyed, and not only did people have to fight monsters for survival, but also often had to guard against each other. Many died in those conflicts.
On Shuǐyuán, however, things were different. Despite monsters far outnumbering humans, the planet had joined a cosmic civilization.
As a slave planet, every human here was considered property of the slave owners, making it strictly forbidden for slaves to attack or kill one another.
With advanced surveillance satellites and AI monitoring, the most dangerous thing in the wild wasn't other people—it was the overwhelming number of monsters.
Wang Cheng had read that more than 80% of Shuǐyuán was covered in ocean.
However, with a planetary radius of 15,000 kilometers, its landmass was still greater than Earth's. The land was crawling with terrifying numbers of monsters, and the vast oceans harbored even more powerful sea beasts.
Fortunately, space-based human weaponry kept oceanic monsters in check. The truly dangerous ones stayed in the deep sea.
The over-breeding low-level monsters occasionally spilled onto land in "beast tides," threatening human settlements. These waves were essentially natural population control for the ocean monsters.
It was said that deep-sea areas contained even Planetary or Stellar-level monsters. But powerful orbital laser cannons (Grade B) deterred them from surfacing.
For an average human on Shuǐyuán, the only way to avoid dying of old age in mediocrity was to grow strong—to become Planetary-level before their hundred-year lifespan ran out.
When Wang Hao returned, he was carrying a backpack, which surprised Wang Cheng.
"Dad, where's the gear? We're going out into the wild and all you brought was a backpack? Why didn't I see you and Mom carrying these before?"
Leng Yan chuckled and explained:
"Weapons aren't allowed inside city limits. Unless we're carrying something vital, most people leave their gear in the border fortresses."
Wang Cheng suddenly understood.
"No wonder I never saw you two bring anything back."
"Most people just sell the monster materials they collect directly to the garrison at the fort. No one brings them all the way home," Leng Yan added.
Remembering something, Wang Hao sighed:
"Anything truly valuable is usually used on the spot. Nobody's foolish enough to haul it back."
Wang Cheng wasn't a kid anymore. He could sense the unspoken concerns in his father's words. Clearly, even with advanced tech, problems still existed.
"Alright, here's the combat uniform we bought for you. It can withstand attacks from monsters at up to Apprentice Level 6. As for your weapons and shield, they've already been delivered to the fortress. You'll register and pick them up the next time we go out."
Over the next ten days, Wang Cheng split his time between refining his power techniques and absorbing the knowledge his parents shared about surviving in the wild.
Since awakening his psychic core, Wang Cheng noticed a real change in his aptitude.
He had already mastered the second form of his technique and could now amplify his force output by 1.5 times. Combined with his natural strength, that made him 2.5 times more powerful overall.
This exceeded his psychic energy output—but it still wasn't enough to reach Apprentice Level 4.
Out on the vast wilderness, a wall hundreds of meters tall and over 200 meters thick stretched across the land like a dividing line between two worlds.
Perched atop this immense wall was a fortress rising over a thousand meters high, covering dozens of square kilometers.
The place buzzed with activity—people everywhere, and transport vehicles constantly flying or rolling in and out.
Amid the bustle, a family of three arrived.
Wang Cheng stared at the towering structure, stunned. A building of this scale would have been impossible in his past life—it belonged in sci-fi films, not reality.
"Impressive, huh? Your mom and I were just as awestruck the first time we saw it," Wang Hao said with a laugh.
Seeing his son slack-jawed, Wang Hao and Leng Yan couldn't help but chuckle together.
Wang Cheng rolled his eyes, pulling himself together.
"Of course I'm shocked. Our apartment building back home already feels tall—but this fortress makes it look like a dollhouse."
"Alright, let's go," Wang Hao said. "The shock wears off after the first visit. You'll get used to it. First, we'll go to the registration center inside the fortress. You'll pick up your weapons and shield there, then we'll take you on your first trip outside."
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