After confirming the safety of his surroundings, Fang Zhou withdrew his consciousness from the Clone and returned to his own body.

Instructor Lu Hu was already standing before the assembled students. He began a one-by-one analysis of the mistakes and oversights each student had made during the sand table exercise.

Fang Zhou quickly opened his notebook. He not only recorded every word of Instructor Lu Hu's teachings and key points from the review but also integrated his own insights and reflections, creating an invaluable set of study notes.

The other students did the same.

Immersed in this passionate and focused atmosphere of learning, time quietly slipped away. When the last rays of the setting sun faded, the afternoon lecture had unknowingly reached a perfect conclusion.

Lu Hu's voice echoed through the Hall of Glory.

"Today's Sandtable War Chess competition was not just a simple military exercise; it was a preview of your future leadership abilities. We will be holding such events from time to time. As I mentioned this morning, the winners will receive an extremely valuable reward—a spot in the closed beta for [Demon Extermination Total War].

"It's not just the military academy. The top brass of the Longxia Federation, and even the entire Human Alliance, will be closely watching the students who perform exceptionally in [Demon Extermination Total War]. Your performance will directly affect your future. Therefore, I demand that every one of you gives it your all, holding nothing back."

At this, Instructor Lu Hu's gaze inadvertently settled on Fang Zhou at the front of the formation. He continued, "There is an ancient saying in the Longxia Federation about 'armchair generals' who do nothing but talk about military tactics on paper. But if you can't even excel in simulated combat, how can you possibly expect to survive the brutal reality of the battlefield?"

"Alright, class dismissed!"

Within the formation, Fang Zhou's expression grew solemn. He recalled Instructor Lu Hu's speech, sensing the instructor's concern that these lucky beta testers might underestimate the opportunity. There must be some deeper meaning hidden here, something worth investigating.

A flicker of determination flashed in Fang Zhou's eyes. He resolved to dedicate a portion of his energy to this system going forward. The investment was worthwhile, even without considering the potential favor of military leaders. After all, he needed a massive amount of Sandtable War Chess competition experience just to enhance the effects of his newly acquired [Undead Chessmaster] title. This kills multiple birds with one stone, just the way I like it.

...

After having a sumptuous dinner at the canteen with his two assistants, Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang, Fang Zhou took out his personal terminal and began to plan his Cultivation schedule.

Beyond his daily courses and experimental research for the Undead Mage project, his schedule was packed with other Cultivation tasks. These included clearing runs in the Simulation Battlefield, competing in the Sandtable War Chess of [Demon Extermination Total War], listening to Bai Xiaochan's beautiful singing, searching for treasures on the trading channel, honing his Skills in the Skill Training Room, and most importantly, controlling his Skeleton Clones to fight monsters and level up in the Concentration Meditation Room.

Gazing at the packed schedule, Fang Zhou couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh. After playfully teasing the two of them for a bit, he headed energetically to the Simulation Battlefield.

He calculated the time. At this rate, after another month of grinding against the Horned Demon Commander, he would break through to the Upper-rank Apprentice level. Then he would have to say goodbye forever to the "Horn Demon Outpost" Simulation Battlefield, which was meant for Middle-rank Apprentices.

"Congratulations, Senior Sergeant Fang Zhou. Your team completed the 'Horn Demon Outpost' on Abyss Difficulty in 11 minutes and 30 seconds, ranking first on the all-time speed-run leaderboard. Your estimated monthly reward is 24 contribution points."

"Triggered loot drop. Obtained [Level 1 Jade] x1, exchangeable for 10 contribution points."

As the Heavy-Armored Axe-Wielding Horned Demon boss wailed and collapsed under Olaf's double axes, Fang Zhou easily completed another sweep of the Horn Demon Outpost on Abyss Difficulty.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that his clear time had shortened by another few seconds. On top of that, the randomly dropped Level 1 Jade could be exchanged for 10 contribution points.

Having made a small, unexpected windfall, Fang Zhou left the Simulation Battlefield in high spirits and headed toward the Undead Mage research group.

...

Inside the laboratory, the lights were shining brightly.

The two assistants, Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang, were engrossed in their respective tasks.

Bai Xiaochan was buried in thick stacks of reference materials. She was dedicated to perfecting the [Skeleton Arrow Rain] skill, attempting to give it greater power and a wider area of effect.

Meanwhile, Meng Hongzhuang was immersed in complex data analysis and formula derivations. Her goal was to formulate a completely new set of skills that could significantly enhance the combat effectiveness of Skeletons.

The deadline they had promised Fang Zhou was drawing near. To live up to the trust placed in them, they had no choice but to work tirelessly.

Just then, Fang Zhou quietly stepped into the laboratory.

After confirming that Bai Xiaochan and Meng Hongzhuang weren't slacking off, he decided not to disturb their hard work and walked directly into the inner office.

After greeting Instructor Su Xinyan, Fang Zhou was somewhat surprised. She wasn't immersed in her study of the Celestial Curtain Magic Bottle array pattern he had helped her copy earlier that day. Instead, she was focused on refining the [Mental Shock] skill.

This scene piqued his curiosity. He waited patiently by Instructor Su Xinyan's side, observing for a few minutes before he could no longer suppress his questions. "Instructor Xinyan," he asked softly, "have you had some new insights on the [Mental Shock] skill?"

Hearing this, Instructor Su Xinyan glanced at Fang Zhou, her tone playful.

"Isn't it thanks to your assistant, Bai Xiaochan? She consulted me earlier about how to improve Skeleton Arrow Rain, and her questions happened to spark some new ideas for Mental Shock."

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