Han Feng was completely drenched in sweat, every breath a searing pain.

He didn’t give himself a chance to catch his breath.

His bloodshot eyes fixed on the screen as he immediately started the next test: high-speed rotation.

The simulation pod immediately began to shake and tumble frantically.

The world spun around him.

This time, Han Feng had experience.

He closed his eyes, shutting out the inverted view of the virtual cockpit and focusing his entire mind inward.

He used the Extraordinary Perception gained from his Skill Implantation to "listen" to the subtle movements of the pod’s every mechanical structure, to "feel" every shift in the direction of the centrifugal force.

At the same time, his Sword Control Technique began to circulate on its own.

His Qi Blood was no longer a violent torrent, but had transformed into countless tenacious threads, weaving a delicate balance among his internal organs and stabilizing his center of gravity.

After what felt like an eternity, the frantic spinning finally ceased.

[High-Speed Rotation Test Complete. Peak: 85 revolutions per minute.]

[Evaluation: Excellent.]

His stomach was churning, but he forced down the urge to vomit. His eyes, however, were shockingly bright.

A 13.5G overload.

An 85-revolutions-per-minute spin.

These two stats completely surpassed the physiological limits of Silver Rank pilots, placing him firmly at the threshold of the Golden Rank.

This meant that with the boost from the Sword Control Technique, his Body Tempering Seventh Layer physique was already comparable to that of B Level Elite students at the Tenth-Layer Body Tempering.

And this was only his physical resistance.

His true combat power had yet to be forged in blood and fire.

Han Feng licked his chapped lips and, without a moment’s hesitation, started a mission on the highest difficulty setting.

[Mission Mode: Desperate Breakout]

[Scene: Black Mist Swamp]

[Mission Objective: Fly solo into the depths of the swamp, rescue the downed research team, and successfully return to base while being pursued by three hundred Rot-Winged Vultures.]

’Three hundred?’

’This difficulty is just insane. They don’t expect anyone to survive.’

[Mission Start!]

The scene before him changed in an instant.

Beneath a gray sky stretched a boundless, muddy swamp. The air was thick with the acrid stench of decay.

On the radar screen, a dense swarm of red dots converged from all directions, surrounding him in an instant.

Han Feng’s pupils constricted. He slammed the throttle forward, piloting the virtual Hunting Falcon fighter jet headfirst into that land of death.

He didn’t engage them head-on. Instead, he drew upon his profound understanding of flight from the Sword Control Technique, pushing the virtual fighter’s performance to its absolute limit.

He weaved through the ruins of collapsed buildings, using walls and broken bridges to dodge the acid spat by the Rot-Winged Vultures.

He executed one incomprehensible maneuver after another, pulling up from just three meters off the ground to lure the pursuing Demon Beasts into crashing headfirst into the mire.

His every move was like dancing on a razor’s edge—precise, calm, and deadly.

This was no longer flying a plane.

This was wielding a sharp sword, skimming just above the ground.

An hour later, piloting a battered fighter jet that was on the verge of falling apart, he broke through the encirclement with the virtual researchers aboard.

[Mission Completion: 78%]

[Overall Rating: Silver One-Star]

[Congratulations, your official Flight Rating has been upgraded to: Silver One-Star.]

’Only Silver One-Star?’

Han Feng frowned. He felt he had already pushed his body and skills to their absolute limit.

’It seems the ratings in this professional mode are far harsher than I imagined.’

A surge of fierce determination rose within him.

’Again!’

[Mission Mode: Decapitation Strike]

...

’Keep going!’

[Mission Mode: Island Defense]

...

For the next two days, Han Feng poured nearly all of his waking hours into virtual practice, frantically tackling one high-difficulty mission after another.

Before he knew it, it was late on the second night.

When Han Feng finally felt his mental fatigue reach its peak, he stopped the training and ended the session.

He took off the helmet and stepped out of the simulation pod. Though his face was pale, his gait was still steady.

The prolonged, intense focus left him feeling weary, but his eyes shone with a confident light.

"Sir, that’s thirty-two hours total. After deducting the four hours you paid for in advance, you still owe 2,800 points."

The short-haired girl at the front desk saw him emerge, her tone professionally polite.

"Alright."

Han Feng handed over his student card.

The girl tapped on the terminal, preparing to process the payment.

Suddenly, her fingers froze. Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the session summary that popped up on the screen.

"Golden... Two-Stars?"

She murmured under her breath.

Then she looked up, sizing Han Feng up with a completely different expression.

"Sir, you’re incredible!"

"I can’t believe you actually got a Golden Two-Stars rating!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"That’s better than many of the B Level elite students!"

"Just a lucky run."

Han Feng just smiled, not explaining further.

"That takes more than just luck."

The girl efficiently finished the transaction and handed back his student card, her smile now more sincere.

"Good luck with your assessment tomorrow."

"Thanks."

It was midnight by the time he left the simulation training center.

The campus was silent, the only movement the beams of light from automated patrol vehicles cutting silently through the darkness.

The cold night air was exceptionally refreshing, blowing away the last vestiges of fogginess from his mind.

He walked along the deserted main road, the streetlights stretching his shadow long behind him.

When he returned to Room 307 of Building C, the familiar smell of instant noodles hit him.

"Oh man! Bro, you’re finally back!"

Gao Fei, who was slurping noodles from a bowl, quickly put it down and rushed over when he saw Han Feng walk in.

"So? How’d it go?"

"I heard you locked yourself in a simulation pod for two days. How was the training?"

He looked Han Feng up and down, noticing that while he looked a bit tired, his eyes were exceptionally bright, showing no sign of anxiety or unease.

"It went alright."

Han Feng replied casually as he changed his shoes.

"I hit Golden Two-Stars."

"PFFT—"

Gao Fei nearly spat out the mouthful of noodle broth he had just taken.

"What... what rank?"

"Golden Two-Stars?!"

He stared at Han Feng, his eyes wide.

"Holy shit!"

"Bro, you’re not kidding, are you?"

"A C Level Technician with a Golden Two-Stars Flight Rating?"

"With skills like that, you’re more than qualified for the B Level Student selection trials!"

"This assessment is in the bag!"

"It’s just a simulation rating. You can’t take it too seriously."

Han Feng was being modest, but he was pleased on the inside.

"What do you mean you can’t take it seriously!"

Gao Fei slapped his thigh, then immediately put on the face of a shrewd merchant. He pulled a pale green Potion from his locker and sidled up to Han Feng.

"Bro, you’ve been grinding so hard these past two days. You must be mentally drained."

"Here, a ’Clear Heart Grass’ extract. It’s a Tier One Spiritual Plant Essence, specially made to replenish Spiritual Power!"

"The assessment is tomorrow. You have to be in peak condition. This stuff will help you get a good night’s sleep. I guarantee you’ll wake up refreshed and raring to go!"

"How many points?"

Han Feng looked at the Potion in his hand and smiled.

’This guy is always thinking about business.’

"Heh heh, since we’re bros, I’ll give it to you at cost: 250 points!"

Gao Fei rubbed his hands together, grinning like a shady merchant.

"Deal."

Han Feng didn’t haggle and transferred the Contribution Points directly.

’This stuff really is useful. It’ll help me recover faster.’

Gao Fei’s smile grew even wider as he saw the transaction confirmation on his personal terminal.

"Excellent!"

"Get some rest, bro. Here’s wishing you a resounding success tomorrow!"

...

「The next morning. Simulation Training Field 7.」

Nearly fifty students had already gathered in the hall, almost all of them wearing the deep blue uniforms of B Level Elites.

They were gathered in small groups, talking in low voices, their expressions a mixture of confidence and arrogance.

When Han Feng walked in wearing his light blue C Level Technician uniform, the chatter in the hall noticeably subsided.

The distinct color stood out jarringly in the sea of deep blue.

"A mechanic, here for the pilot club tryouts?"

"Probably pulled some strings."

"He looks pretty average. I wonder what he’s capable of."

The murmurs were quiet, but Han Feng could still catch snippets of them.

His expression remained neutral as he ignored them, his eyes scanning the crowd.

Soon, he spotted a familiar figure near a window to his left.

Li Wei was leaning against a simulation pod, holding a bottle of an Energy Drink and staring boredly out the window.

Sensing Han Feng’s gaze, Li Wei turned his head, his bored expression instantly replaced by a smile.

He straightened up and strode toward Han Feng.

"Han Feng!"

"I can’t believe you actually dared to show up!"

Li Wei walked up to him without any airs and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

The surrounding students were a little surprised to see this.

After all, Li Wei was a prominent figure among the B Level Students, a Golden Three-Star ace Pilot known for his pride and arrogance. It was strange to see him being so friendly with a C Level Mechanic.

"Senior Brother Zhao gave me the chance, so I had to come and give it a try."

Han Feng smiled.

"Well, well, if it isn’t our great genius, Li Wei."

"What, you got nothing better to do than to come to our Sharp Sword Club tryouts?"

A sharp, sarcastic voice cut in.

Han Feng turned to see a young man with a buzz cut and narrow eyes walking over.

He was also a B Level Elite, the Gold Three-Star Pilot Badge on his chest particularly conspicuous.

The smile on Li Wei’s face faded.

"Wei Dong, what business is it of yours whether I’m here or not?"

Wei Dong didn’t even glance at Han Feng, acting as if he didn’t exist. He just stared at Li Wei with a smirk.

"Of course, it has nothing to do with me."

"I’m just curious. I heard someone was test-flying Engineer Zhao’s Falcon Third Generation project a few days ago and nearly flew that precious little toy into the scrap heap."

As he said this, a few stifled chuckles could be heard from the surrounding crowd.

Li Wei’s expression turned cold.

Wei Dong pretended not to notice and continued in his snide tone.

"Barely able to control a test flight, and you still have the nerve to come and embarrass yourself at our Sharp Sword Club?"

"If I were you, I’d have found a hole to crawl into and practice."

"Since when do I need you to judge my skills?"

Li Wei took a step forward, staring into Wei Dong’s eyes.

"You’re all talk. If we face each other in the assessment, I hope your flying is as good as your mouth."

"Hah, bring it on. Who’s afraid of who?"

Wei Dong sneered.

"I’d like to see just how much of that ’genius’ skill you have left."

"You’ll find out soon enough."

Li Wei retracted his gaze, his tone laced with impatience.

"Stop being an eyesore and get lost."

Being dismissed so ruthlessly, Wei Dong’s face turned livid.

He shot a death glare at Li Wei, then swept his gaze over Han Feng, who had remained silent the entire time, his contempt unconcealed.

"Hmph. Let’s see if you’re still talking so tough later."

Leaving that threat hanging in the air, Wei Dong turned and walked away.

"You two have a grudge?"

Han Feng asked.

"You could say that."

Li Wei grimaced.

"In last year’s annual academy flight competition, I beat him out for first place."

"The guy is incredibly petty and has held a grudge ever since. He tries to give me trouble any chance he gets."

"Watch out for him during the assessment. He’s a vicious bastard who loves to play dirty, especially in simulated battles."

Li Wei warned.

Han Feng nodded, making a mental note of the name.

Just then, a commotion at the hall’s entrance caused the noisy room to fall silent instantly.

All heads turned in unison toward the entrance.