Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Battle Armor
"Elder Wei, you called me over so suddenly. Is something going on with East Sea Academy?" Lin Xinghai asked, getting straight to the point as he popped a dumpling into his mouth.
"Yes," Elder Wei nodded. He took a sip of his lean-pork congee before speaking unhurriedly. "You should know that with the harsh climate stabilizing, many of the medium-sized Shelters have begun external explorations."
"Under these circumstances, every Shelter can obtain large quantities of Elemental Crystals. The production of Genetic Medicine Liquid will, of course, increase significantly as well. I’m sure you can imagine what will happen in a situation like this."
"The competition has increased dramatically?" Lin Xinghai asked with a slight frown.
"Correct. In previous years, the number of applicants for East Sea Academy generally didn’t exceed 2,000. Out of those, 1,000 would be admitted, meaning a 50% acceptance rate."
"But this year, from what I know, the number of applicants has already surpassed 15,000. And the application period isn’t even over yet. The final number will likely break 20,000."
"Although East Sea Academy has added quite a few new admission slots to cope with the situation, admitting 2,000 people is their absolute limit."
"Therefore, the difficulty of getting in this year will see an unprecedented surge," Wei Tianxing said.
Hearing this, Lin Xinghai couldn’t help but frown. With so many people competing, the difficulty of admission would undoubtedly skyrocket. Of course, he wasn’t worried about himself, but about Liu Miaomiao.
Seeing the change in Lin Xinghai’s expression, Wei Tianxing understood what he was thinking. He smiled and continued, "Of course, it’s not all bad news. Because there are so many applicants this year, some of the exam Rules have also changed."
"Originally, aside from a basic knowledge exam on Zombies, there would also be an individual combat tournament and a teamwork assessment."
"But now, to make the assessment process faster, the remaining two components have been combined into a single comprehensive evaluation."
"The specific Rules for this comprehensive evaluation haven’t been announced, but it’s said that you can participate as an individual or as a team."
At this, the frown finally left Lin Xinghai’s face. As long as they could fight as a team, everything would be fine.
Wei Tianxing continued, "Later, I’ll have someone give you some materials on Zombies. It’s all basic knowledge; you should be able to memorize it with a little time. As for the comprehensive evaluation that follows, with your abilities, passing it shouldn’t be a major problem."
"Elder Wei, thank you then," Lin Xinghai said with a smile.
"You were a huge help to us on the Guanghan City trip. I’m the one who should be thanking you," Wei Tianxing chuckled.
By now, the two had finished their breakfast. Wei Tianxing set down his utensils. "Oh, right. I have a gift for you."
As he spoke, he walked toward a small side room inside the office.
Lin Xinghai followed, curious. He soon saw a metal case in the side room.
Wei Tianxing entered a long key code, and after an iris scan, the case finally opened. Inside, Lin Xinghai saw a set of something that resembled ancient armor.
"This is Battle Armor. You can think of it as a miniaturized Mecha. It may be small, but it has all the bells and whistles."
"Of course, its performance can’t compare to a Mecha. This suit of Battle Armor’s Defense, Power, and Speed aren’t very high—only equivalent to a Blood Qi Realm expert, at around 300 points."
"As for Superpower amplification, it can only double your Superpower’s effect. Now, don’t look down on these seemingly minor boosts. This thing’s manufacturing cost is well over 5 million Points," Wei Tianxing said.
Lin Xinghai, who hadn’t been paying it much mind, suddenly found his eyes wide. "That expensive? Who would be willing to buy this?"
’Five million Points... Wouldn’t it be better to just dump that money into Mechas? You could build 10 top-of-the-line Mechas with that much.’
"Heh! Plenty of people want to buy one! And you couldn’t get it even if you had the Points, because this type of Battle Armor is still in the testing phase. It’s not for public sale at all."
"This suit of yours... I managed to get it by applying for a test slot in the name of the Star Shield Shelter. And of course, you’re the tester," Wei Tianxing said with a smile.
At this point, it dawned on Lin Xinghai. "So, you’re saying this Battle Armor must have some unique advantage?"
"Mm, that’s right!" Wei Tianxing nodded. "Because this type of Battle Armor can be used inside the Abyssal Passages."
That one short sentence was enough to make Lin Xinghai’s breath catch. The amount of information it contained was simply immense.
"You mean I’ll have to enter the Abyssal Passages in the future? And... Mechas can’t be used inside them?" Lin Xinghai quickly pressed.
"Correct. East Sea Academy isn’t some peacetime school. It’s a true war academy that produces experts. And in the course of your education, practical combat training is unavoidable."
"I’ve said it before: those Mutated Zombies all come out of the Abyssal Passages. The entire purpose of building the East Sea Base in the first place was to suppress the Abyssal Passages. Given the circumstances, your practical training will, of course, be set inside them."
"And the Abyssal Passages, they’re actually a connection to an Otherworld. But the physical Rules of that world are different from ours, which directly causes our electronic components to fail inside the passages. Mechas, naturally, are rendered useless."
"That’s precisely why this Battle Armor was developed. The biggest difference between it and a Mecha is that it’s not powered by Energy Crystal Stones or common sources like electricity, but by the Elemental Crystals of Mutated Zombies," Wei Tianxing revealed, sharing more secrets.
It took a full minute for Lin Xinghai to process this string of shocking revelations.
At the same time, he had to admit that this suit of Battle Armor was definitely worth 5 million Points.
"Elder Wei, is it really impossible to buy one of these? If it were possible, I’d even be willing to pay 10 million Points for one," Lin Xinghai asked.
After all, if Mechas couldn’t be used in the Abyssal Passages, then this Battle Armor was the only thing that could guarantee one’s survival. He wanted to buy a suit for Liu Miaomiao.
Wei Tianxing was taken aback at first, but then, as if realizing something, he said teasingly, "You don’t have to worry too much about that girlfriend of yours. The practical combat courses inside the Abyssal Passages are usually held during your junior or senior year. By then, this Battle Armor should be available for mass production."
Hearing Wei Tianxing say this, Lin Xinghai was finally able to relax. "In that case, I’ll accept this Battle Armor. I won’t waste words on thanks for such a great favor. If you ever need my help with anything in the future, just ask."
Hearing Lin Xinghai’s words, a satisfied smile spread across Wei Tianxing’s wrinkled face. "As a matter of fact, there is one thing I need your help with."
