The moment they stepped into the energy Light Gate, the clamor of the Contract Hall around them instantly vanished, replaced by a strange Silence.
The scene before them shifted, and they seemed to be standing in a sunlit, lush forest clearing. Beneath their feet was soft soil and green grass, the air filled with the fresh Aura of earth and plants, and they could even feel the warmth of simulated sunlight on their skin.
If they hadn't known this was a Training Ground, it would have been indistinguishable from reality.
Just as the two were curiously looking around, a soft, clear, yet emotionless female voice sounded in mid-air, much like a System prompt:
【Welcome to the Beginner Training Ground. The following are important notices: 】
【One: This area simulates various basic environments and monsters, aiming to enhance the Contracted Spirit's practical combat ability and Level. 】
【Two: Defeating simulated monsters in the area grants Experience Points, which accumulate to increase the Contracted Spirit's Level. 】
【Three: Special resources, such as 'Experience Fruit,' will occasionally generate randomly within the area, providing a small amount of Experience directly. Please pay attention while searching. 】
【Four: All ordinary monsters within the Training Ground start in a 'Passive' state and will not initiate an Attack. 】
【Five: When the Contracted Spirit's Health drops below the safety threshold or the Spirit Master issues a command, the Contracted Spirit will be forcibly transported to the safe zone. 】
【Explanation complete. We wish you successful training. 】
The voice stopped abruptly.
As the prompt sound faded, a shimmer flickered in the clearing not far ahead of them, coalescing into a figure—it was a Goblin, short in stature with dark green skin, holding a crude wooden club.
Its eyes were vacant, and it stood motionless, like a crudely made Puppet, exactly the "training Puppet" mentioned in the prompt.
【Current Target: Defeat Training Goblin （lv.3 ）. Take the first step of your adventuring career! 】
Looking at the silly Goblin, Xiao Ye nervously clenched her fists and whispered encouragement to A Mi, "Mr. A Mi, go for it!"
A Mi nodded, took a deep breath, assumed a combat stance, and charged toward the Goblin.
He recalled the feeling of dealing with those Thugs yesterday; his body coordinated instinctively.
However, the moment they clashed, A Mi immediately understood that the Elf Receptionist's advice was not baseless!
When his fist struck the Goblin's relatively slender body, the feedback felt much "firmer" than he had anticipated.
Although the Goblin staggered from the blow, with a tiny damage number floating above its head, it quickly stabilized itself, let out a strange "Ga" sound, and counterattacked, swinging its wooden club.
The club whistled through the air; its Speed wasn't too fast, but when A Mi blocked, his arm felt a distinct vibration.
This Goblin's Strength definitely exceeded what its small frame should possess!
The Level Suppression of lv.3 manifested a gap at this moment—not just in Strength, but the Goblin's resistance to damage and its Speed were both slightly higher than A Mi had expected.
Fortunately, the baseline physical quality of a Contracted Spirit was indeed superior to ordinary creatures.
A Mi's Strength C and Speed C allowed him to barely manage to maneuver against this lv.3 Goblin.
And Endurance B... his ability to take a beating barely offset the gap caused by the Level difference.
His fists could inflict effective damage on the Goblin, and he could narrowly evade or block most Attacks.
But the process was by no means easy.
This was not the near-crushing dominance he experienced against the Thugs yesterday; it was a genuine, focus-demanding brawl.
A Mi needed to keep moving, searching for openings to Attack, and dodging the wooden club that swung with formidable momentum.
Although the Goblin's Attack pattern was simple—chop, sweep, smash—each blow carried immense force; taking one squarely would be disastrous.
"Bang!" A Mi sidestepped a vertical chop, and the club smashed into the ground, kicking up a bit of grass and dirt.
He took the opportunity to kick the Goblin in the side, sending it staggering back two steps. A damage value floated above the Goblin's head again, but it was still full of vigor.
"Ga-ao!" The Goblin angrily lunged forward again, sweeping its club horizontally, aiming for A Mi's waist.
The disadvantage of fighting barehanded became apparent; A Mi found it difficult to deliver effective heavy blows while dodging.
If this dragged on, stamina consumption would be too high, and efficiency too low. Just then, his peripheral vision caught sight of a small patch of hard Rock exposed beneath his feet.
A thought flashed like lightning—Yellow Creation Artifact!
He remembered this Skill—manipulating surrounding materials to create the weapon he desired.
With no time to hesitate, as he dodged the horizontal club sweep, A Mi let out a low shout and slammed his right hand down onto that Rock! Focusing his intent, the Skill activated!
A strange sight unfolded.
The surface of the Rock his palm touched seemed to come alive, rapidly deforming and shaping itself like flowing clay!
The Rock's color deepened, and its texture appeared to be compressed and reinforced by some force of Rules in an instant, emitting a faint Earth-Yellow Radiance.
In the blink of an eye, a Stone Sword—crude, with even some chipped edges, but solid and gleaming with the unique luster of rock—was firmly grasped in his hand!
The blade was heavy, feeling substantial, completely different from the sensation of fighting barehanded before!
The Goblin's next chop followed immediately.
A Mi no longer dodged; instead, he gripped the hilt of the crude Stone Sword with both hands and fiercely blocked upward!
"Clang!"
A dull impact sound rang out.
The wooden club slammed hard against the broad body of the Stone Sword. The expected sound of the club breaking did not occur, but the Goblin's arm went numb from the recoil, causing it to stagger backward.
Meanwhile, the Stone Sword in A Mi's hand had only chipped off a tiny bit of stone dust; it hadn't budged an inch, its hardness far surpassing ordinary rock!
"It really works!"
A Mi's spirits soared.
The weapon created by this Yellow Creation Artifact was indeed as sturdy as a genuine Magic Tool!
Although he wasn't entirely sure about the actual hardness of Magic Tools, since it was specifically listed on the Panel, its sturdiness probably wasn't low.
Having a weapon instantly turned the tide of the battle.
A Mi was no longer passively dodging; he began to press the Attack.
Although the Stone Sword was crude and lacked a sharp edge, its sheer weight and hardness were the best weapons.
"Hah!"
A Mi stepped forward, and the Stone Sword whistled as he brought it down forcefully toward the Goblin.
The Goblin hastily raised its wooden club to block.
"Crack!" This time, facing the Stone Sword whose hardness rivaled that of a Magic Tool, the crude wooden club snapped! The Stone Sword's momentum was undiminished, and it struck the Goblin heavily on the shoulder.
The Goblin let out a piercing scream, its Health bar visibly dropping significantly, and its body entered a brief state of rigidity.
A Mi pressed his advantage, sweeping and thrusting with the Stone Sword; every Attack landed solidly on the Goblin.
With a suitable weapon, his Strength C could be utilized far more effectively, and his attack rhythm quickened considerably.
In less than half a minute, after another heavy blow from the Stone Sword, the Goblin finally dissolved into white light.
【Defeated Training Goblin （lv.3 ）, gained Experience Points. 】
A Mi stood holding the Stone Sword, breathing slightly heavily, but a smile began to spread across his lips.
He looked down at the crude Stone Sword he had "created," feeling its weighty presence and astonishing hardness, his face showing a mixture of fatigue and excitement.
"It seems... my Skill is more practical than I imagined."
He said to Xiao Ye, who was running over, shaking the Stone Sword in his hand, "At least, we don't have to fight empty-handed anymore."
Xiao Ye stared wide-eyed at the Stone Sword that had appeared out of nowhere in A Mi's hand, filled with astonishment and admiration: "Mr. A Mi, you are amazing! Is that your Magic Tool?"
"No, this is the effect of a Skill."
A Mi explained, his evaluation of the Yellow Creation Artifact Skill rising once more in his mind.
Although he didn't have a dedicated Magic Tool, this Skill could create all sorts of desired Magic Tools, so it was somewhat useful.
Although the creation process required contact with raw materials and concentration, it could indeed turn the tide of battle at critical moments.
This path to leveling up, while still arduous, at least showed them a glimmer of Dawn Light, and a unique possibility belonging to A Mi himself.
"Alright, let's move forward. Let's level up as much as possible today," A Mi smiled. Xiao Ye naturally didn't object and quickly moved to stand behind A Mi as he continued to explore deeper inside.