The wasteland outside the outpost was no longer silent.
The acrid scent of cheap tobacco mingled with the persistent stench of unwashed bodies, fermenting in the damp air. As far as the eye could see, a dense, black mass of people stretched like a patch of scorched earth from the edge of the mist to the very gates of the outpost.
Among them were one-eyed laborers discarded by the mines, and fallen geniuses kicked out of academies because their mana had run dry. But most were the "Magic-Starved"—those born with a death sentence already written by the laws of magic.
Lu Cen stood atop the highest section of a broken wall. The howling wind made his tattered linen shirt snap loudly against his frame. He looked down at the thousands of eyes—flat and lifeless as stagnant water—while silver sparks flickered deep within his pupils.
"Anyone who still wants mana can get out now," Lu Cen began. His voice wasn't loud, but it struck every eardrum like a heavy sledgehammer.
The crowd stirred for a moment before falling into an even deeper, more suffocating silence.
"In this place, there is no ethereal light, and there is no mercy from the gods."
Lu Cen reached out with his right hand and made a sudden, clutching motion in the air. A high-level mana crystal, etched with the Golden Dragon crest of the Royal Family—looted from Viscount Buck—was held aloft. It was a holy relic that most mages would never touch in their lifetime, currently radiating an intoxicating violet glow.
A cruel arc curled Lu Cen's lips as his fingers suddenly clamped shut.
Creeeeak—CRACK!
The high-level crystal, powerful enough to trigger a small-scale explosion, shattered in his hand like a dry cracker. Violet mana erupted outward in a violent surge, but the moment it touched the silver patterns on his palm, it was instantly annihilated by sheer physical pressure, like a cornered beast being crushed.
This sight caused thousands of people to gasp in unison.
[System Notification: Environmental emotional stress levels are off the charts.]
[Extreme Limit Academy 'Deterrence' command achieved. Current enrollment progress: 12%.]
"As you can see, magic is nothing more than a deceptive illusion," Lu Cen said, brushing the powder from his palms. "Only the hardness of your bones and the explosive power of your muscles are the truths of this world."
He pointed to the Mana-Suppressing Stone pillar standing in the center of the courtyard. "Those who want to stay, go touch that stone."
"If you can make the pillar hum, you stay. The rest of you can crawl back into the mud and wait for death."
This was the "Physical Aptitude Quantification" mechanism Lu Cen had developed using the system.
From the silent crowd, an old man—hunched and covered in dust—slowly shuffled toward the steps. He wore an oily, tattered leather robe, a rusted longsword hung at his waist, and his eyes were cloudy.
"Extreme Limit Academy..." the old man chuckled self-mockingly, his voice raspy. "That's a damn arrogant name."
He reached out a calloused hand and pressed it gently against the Mana-Suppressing Pillar.
VROOOOOOM!
The thousand-pound obsidian slab let out a physical resonance like a tolling cathedral bell the instant he touched it. Lu Cen's pupils contracted slightly; he could feel the mana-suppressing field inside the pillar vibrating violently.
[System Alert: High-level physical internal energy detected! Target identity evaluation in progress...]
"I am Batu, a martial arts coach forgotten by the age of magic." The old man looked up at Lu Cen, a sharp glint flashing deep in his eyes. "Do you serve food here, boy?"
Before Lu Cen could answer, a dangerous, high-pitched whistle—sharp enough to slice the air—suddenly shrieked from the flank. A dark shadow hidden among the refugees lunged forward, moving so fast it left a blurred afterimage.
An Imperial Death Squad assassin.
There was no elemental fluctuation from the dagger in his hand. It was pitch black, imbued with an "Armor-Breaking Curse" designed to pierce through any physical substance.
"Die, freak!" the assassin roared, the dagger lunging straight for Lu Cen's throat.
Lu Cen stood his ground, unmoving.
Behind him, Sylvie covered her mouth in terror. "Lu Cen! That's an Armor-Piercing Curse!"
A triumphant, murderous grin spread across the assassin's face as the tip of the dagger made contact with Lu Cen's skin. However, in the next millisecond, his expression froze.
Lu Cen's mouth snapped shut. A millisecond before the blade could sink into his flesh, he had accurately caught the black blade between his teeth!
CRUNCH!
The crisp sound of shattering metal echoed through the clearing. The dagger, enchanted with an "Armor-Breaking Curse" powerful enough to pierce a fortress wall, snapped like a biscuit against Lu Cen's alloy-hard, system-enhanced teeth.
Lu Cen spat the broken blade tip out with a violent flick of his tongue.
The shard transformed into a physical blur, instantly punching through the assassin's forehead. The man didn't even have time to scream; he was sent flying backward, pinned dead to the outpost's stone wall.
Dead silence followed.
Thousands of people stared at Lu Cen as if he were a god or a ghost, forgetting to breathe.
[System Notification: Teeth hardness upgrade achieved. Synchronization increased to 5%!]
"Pah." Lu Cen spat out a mouthful of metallic-tasting saliva, his gaze as cold as ice. "Before you try an assassination, check if my bones are harder or your array is faster."
The old man, Batu, looked at the assassin pinned to the wall, his pupils trembling violently. He stared at the frequency with which Lu Cen had crushed the blade.
"That bite force... and the muscle self-resonance in that split second..." Batu suddenly strode toward Lu Cen, his voice shaking with excitement. "That is a constitution only found in the 'Sanctuary Death Squad'!"
"Whose descendant are you?"
Lu Cen ignored the old man's question. He simply unwrapped the final layer of rawhide from his left index finger. The silver hooks shimmered with a bloodthirsty luster under the moonlight.
"It doesn't matter who I am," he said, waving a hand toward the crowd.
"The opening ceremony begins now."
"Everyone, pick up the broken bricks on the ground and run around the outpost. If you haven't finished ten kilometers by nightfall, don't ever come back."
The crowd no longer hesitated. Driven by a near-fanatical awe, they bent down to pick up the heavy stones.
Sylvie stood beside Lu Cen, watching this absurd yet heart-pumping scene. A shudder ran through her. These "cast-offs" forgotten by the world were being forged by this man into a hammer capable of shattering the heart of the Empire.
"Lu Cen, can you feel it?" Sylvie whispered, her palms slick with cold sweat. "The frequency of the ground as they run... it's syncing with your pillar."
Lu Cen didn't speak. He was staring at the system interface. The once-steady progress bar was suddenly flashing with chaotic, crimson garble.
[Warning: Large-scale synchronized magnetic field established! The Extreme Limit Academy is transforming into a massive 'Physical Amplifier'!]
[Maternal Command captured: Cedric's signal is being reverse-tracked.]
Meanwhile, in the shadows behind the outpost, Batu quietly pulled a yellowed report from his sleeve. Sketched on the report was the exact scene of Lu Cen crushing the dagger with his teeth. The caption read:
[The End of the Sanctuary. The Flesh Mother-Machine. Find the boy who runs at the end of magic.]