After rejecting yet another confession from a female student, Gu Ce returned to his family manor in the main city.
Being too handsome can be a curse.
Standing at 1.91 meters tall, with striking pale blue eyes that seem misted in white, rebellious white hair, and the title of genius warrior, Gu Ce had been the object of countless girls' affections, from childhood all the way to adolescence.
By the way, his white hair was inherited from his family.
"I'm back!"
As he entered, Gu Ce casually threw the shopping bag in his hand, and it landed neatly on the sofa in the living room.
"What did Wang Heng say?" Gu Hesheng, sitting on the sofa, lowered the newspaper he was reading and asked calmly.
"Brother Wang said that after I pass the warrior practical assessment, I can go straight to the global headquarters for the training camp. He's already prepared the highest-level contract for me." Gu Ce sat down on the other side of the sofa, eagerly opening the shopping bag to reveal its contents.
A box of exquisitely packaged raw chocolate.
Gu Hesheng picked up a piece, tasted it, and then frowned. "It's too sweet."
"Should I wait until after the practical assessment? With my talent and the support of the Gu family, I could become a war god even without it. If they didn't have rare materials and the Thunder God, I wouldn't want to go." Gu Hesheng replied.
"So, it's an elite training camp?" Gu Ce asked after finishing the last piece of chocolate.
"An elite training camp? That's fine. Only those who qualify as War Gods can graduate. You might even step into the councilor level in the future," Gu Hesheng said, his frown relaxing a little.
"When the time comes, let your uncle know. He has some connections at the Thunder and Lightning Martial Arts School," Gu Hesheng reminded him.
"That won't be necessary," Gu Ce replied confidently with a smile. "My future is about surpassing Hong He and the Thunder God. It's just a training camp. I am the strongest!"
"You brat!" Gu Hesheng glared at him. "I'm not worried about you, I'm worried you'll accidentally kill someone and bring trouble. Most of the people in the elite training camp are descendants of War Gods, some even have powerful political figures in their families. If you get into trouble, your uncle won't be able to protect you!"
"Isn't the War God someone who doesn't bully the weak?" Gu Ce shot back, momentarily speechless.
This was definitely something he could handle.
Confidence is part of his mental training!
Gu Ce didn't know what level his state of mind was at, but it didn't matter.
Everyone cultivates their mind differently, and Gu Ce is confident his method is the best and strongest!
Of course, confidence doesn't mean being reckless.
"Your uncle is a high-level War God, after all, and he will give you the respect you deserve. I'm not asking you to be more restrained, just make sure to let your uncle know if you hurt someone," Gu Hesheng continued.
Gu Ce nodded, signaling that he understood.
"I'll head out if there's nothing else." Gu Ce was about to leave when Gu Hesheng stopped him.
"Wait, take this." Gu Hesheng handed him a silver card. "There are 5 billion in it. If you need anything, buy it yourself. If it's not enough, let me know."
"Thanks, Dad!" Gu Ce took the card and went back to his room with a smile.
"That kid…" Gu Hesheng shook his head helplessly.
Although the Gu family isn't a large family, it is well-known in Jiangnan Base City.
The family's lineage had been passed down to his generation, with only two sons: Gu Hesheng and Gu Hechang.
Gu Hechang, Gu Hesheng's older brother—and Gu Ce's uncle—is a high-level War God. He didn't join any major organizations but is listed within the HR Alliance, a prominent group of War Gods second only to the Invincible War God. He is a swordsman.
Gu Hesheng, on the other hand, is a primary-level War God and is affiliated with the Thunder and Lightning Martial Arts School. He is considered half a superior to Wang Heng. After being injured in the wilderness, he stayed in Jiangnan Base City to take care of Gu Ce.
It's rare for two brothers from the same family to be War Gods, and they are quite famous in the War God community. Now that Gu Ce has shown remarkable talent, it's likely that there will be three War Gods in the family in the future. Gu Ce might even surpass the War God level and become a powerful councilor!
The only issue is his excessive confidence.
Gu Hesheng is a bit worried that if Gu Ce experiences failure, he may struggle to recover and get stuck in a dead-end. Of course, if he can rise again after failure, it will mark a spiritual transformation and make him even stronger.
Though this self-confidence is largely inherited from their family, it's also the reason why Gu Hesheng feels a bit guilty.
He had failed to protect his wife back then. Alas.
...
Time passed quickly, and soon it was August 1st, the day of the warrior's practical combat assessment.
Gu Ce had already passed the preliminary quasi-warrior assessment, thanks to the combined efforts of Wang Heng and Gu Hesheng, so there were no worries there.
Gu Hesheng also taught Gu Ce the "Five Hearts to Heaven" training method. Gu Ce successfully learned it that very night, greatly improving his strength by over 3,000 kilograms, reaching the threshold of a high-level warrior!
Punching power: 4110 kg
Speed: 67 m/s
Neurological response: Perfect for a primary warrior! Excellent for an intermediate warrior!
This is the physical data Gu Ce is showing on the outside, but it doesn't reflect his true combat ability.
"This is your combat uniform, boots, and the Changsheng Sword 2 series you'll need." An officer handed over the gear. "This is a communication watch with positioning, communication, and other functions. As for the shield, you don't need it, so it's not included."
"Okay." Gu Ce nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
The officer looked him over again, surprised. How did this kid grow so tall?
On the other side, in the monitoring room, several high-ranking officials watched the screen closely.
"Wang Heng, is this the 16-year-old genius from the Gu family?" one asked.
Wang Heng puffed out his chest proudly, "Why? Are you envious?"
"Yeah, a bit." The man admitted openly. "Why not let him join my Extreme Martial Arts Hall? I'll find a way to contact the owner."
"Zhuge Tao, don't even think about it," Wang Heng shot back, his eyes widening. "Your Extreme Martial Arts Hall has always suppressed my Thunder Martial Arts Hall, and now you want to steal my genius? I'll warn you, Gu Ce has already caught the attention of our owner."
"Haha, look how worried you are," Zhuge Tao laughed.
"Alright, let's see how this kid performs in the actual combat test." Another voice interrupted their argument.
Wang Heng snorted and focused back on the screen.
...
"Luo Feng!"
A loud voice called out in the square, and a figure ran to the front of the team.
Gu Ce looked at the figure with surprise. He didn't expect Luo Feng to become a warrior this year.
Though Gu Ce had read Swallowed Star multiple times before he transmigrated and had enjoyed it, who remembers every little detail from a book?
Still, despite meeting the protagonist, Gu Ce had no intention of going over to greet him.
He was confident that he wasn't weaker than anyone!
Even if he was the protagonist, so what?
Who isn't the protagonist of their own life?
Because of Gu Ce's intervention, Luo Feng didn't meet the other two geniuses who had already been recruited.
Under the guidance of the officers, over a thousand prospective warriors marched toward Monster Town. By the time they reached the outskirts, the sun had already set.
"This practical test will be the same as the previous ones. It starts at 6:30 tonight and ends at 6:30 tomorrow morning."
"The more monsters you kill, the more points you'll earn. For each monster, cut off its left ear as proof."
"Remember, prospective warriors are forbidden from killing each other. All activities are under surveillance. Violators will be shot on sight!"
"..."
"Remember, if you're seriously injured, press the SOS button on your communication watch. Someone will come to rescue you immediately… but your practical test will be over at that point."
"All prospective warriors, set out for Monster Town!"
After reading off the safety rules, the officer waved his hand, signaling the official start of the test.