My Apocalypse Territory

The first layer of the Martial Arts Hall.

Awakeners were abundant, bustling about as if they were in a pre-apocalypse gym.

Those who stayed here included some who were unable to secure the rights to use the advanced training equipment and had to queue up, and while waiting, they also found some apparatus to exercise with. Many more were weaker Awakeners that couldn't make use of, nor afford, the costly fees of the advanced training areas.

The regular training area was free for members, and since there was plenty of equipment, even during peak hours each day, they could find available machines to use. Despite occasionally complaining about the scarcity and high fees of the advanced training facilities, many Awakeners were clear in their minds that the Extreme Martial Arts Hall was extremely conscience-driven.

Those who used it spoke highly of it.

Because of this, they not only trained at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall but also recommended it to their friends, encouraging other companions to choose it as well.

Rumors about the Extreme Martial Arts Hall were very positive on the outside. Some Awakeners walked into the hall with skepticism but once they walked out, they were completely transformed. Without a second thought, they did two things; first, they signed up for the membership card of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, not minding that it would mean wasting previous memberships at other gyms.

The second thing they did was hastily spread the word of this excellent place to some of their close comrades.

In the lobby area, there were many Awakeners, bustling just like a pre-apocalyptic gym. For those who preferred quiet, they could choose one of the many training rooms on either side of the hall on the first floor, which only required spending a few Source Crystals extra.

However, most Awakeners, unless they couldn't find a spot in the hall, rarely chose to exercise in private rooms. Training was also about atmosphere, seeing others working hard around them, it was like being blessed with a buff that doubled their experience.

Sometimes, they could even overhear some relatively secretive news.

Su Ran was just an ordinary second-tier Awakener. He found an empty treadmill, adjusted the speed, and hopped on to start training.

This piece of equipment, which looked somewhat similar to a normal treadmill, could meet the demands of third-layer Awakeners at its highest setting.

The conveyor belt whirred at high speed, buzzing. The Awakeners moved their limbs swiftly, sprinting fast on it. With every step that landed, it sharply struck the belt which remained undamaged.

At first, people were careful, but now everyone had gotten used to it.

Next to him, an Awakener with whom he was quite familiar was running wildly. He turned his head and gave Su Ran a mysterious smile, "Hey, do you know what happened in Lanxing Community yesterday?"

Su Ran was startled, "Wasn't it just a few ground-drilling worms? The officials completely sealed off that area for the safety of the residents of the community."

The man snorted in a tone that sounded a bit distorted due to his rapid running, as if it was coming from some bulbous object, "You believe in that official notice meant to fool people? I've got a friend who lives in Lanxing Community..."

He frowned, "You actually have a friend who lives in Lanxing Community?"

Seeing the other party glaring at him, Su Ran quickly shut his mouth and forced a few awkward laughs, then he heard.

"My friend told me that he saw a red pillar of light shooting up into the sky yesterday. What is that? That's a treasure being born! It's said that at the time, a group of mysterious people tried to snatch that treasure. They were very powerful, which led the Security Bureau and even the City Defense Army to intervene..."

At that moment, a passing Awakener who overheard them chimed in, "How come I heard that a terribly dangerous Demonized Beast appeared in the Lanxing Community, and that even an Ancestor Dragon expert almost couldn't subdue it, almost putting the entire Sanctuary at the risk of annihilation?"

"How could that be!"

"Stop kidding, where did you see that the Sanctuary was almost destroyed?"

"Forget it, do you know how powerful an Ancestor Dragon expert is? My cousin awakened to the fourth layer and is only a team leader in the Ancestor Dragon. An Ancestor Dragon expert, when fully powered, could even blow up a building... Besides, if there really was a Demonized Beast, it would have been discovered long ago. How could it possibly be in a bustling Sanctuary area like Lanxing Community?"

He was met with consecutive rebuttals.

The interjecting Awakener also awkwardly chuckled, not believing his own view to be correct.

Yet no one knew that this statement was the closest to the truth.

After some time, Su Ran emitted heavy panting noises. Maintaining a full-speed sprint took a toll on his stamina, a state only achievable on such a treadmill.

Anywhere else, with no extended tracks to run on and corners that would slow him down, wouldn't work. In the wilderness, the space was ample, but Su Ran dared not exhaust all his strength in such places.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar Awakener, who now lay on the ground like a salted fish.

It seemed others were speaking to him, but Su Ran couldn't make out the words; even his vision blurred. At this moment, he was driven purely by his will, straining himself to break through his limit.

The Hall Master of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall once said, "Limits are meant to be broken," but to surpass a limit, external aids, as well as courage, stamina, and determination, were crucial!

Su Ran clenched his teeth, squeezing out every last bit of energy.

Until he, too, lay on the ground like the other Awakeners... No, a salted fish could still flop about, while Su Ran was completely drained, like a dead dog, with only his chest softly rising and falling.

After a while, Su Ran regained some strength. He then heard panicked shouts from the gate, "People from One Punch Martial Arts Hall are here to cause trouble!"

He was somewhat surprised, struggling to get up, and saw several figures lined up at the gate.

In the middle stood a man in his thirties with a buzz cut and piercing eyes.

With each step the young man took forward, his aura heightened, escalating with each step until it burst forth in full force.

So powerful was his presence that it swept over like rolling waves. Everyone in the hall, including Su Ran, breathed rapidly with flushed faces, feeling an immense pressure bear down on them.

Moments later, the young man retracted his aura and, with folded hands, his booming voice echoed through the entire Martial Arts Hall:

"One Punch Martial Arts Hall's, Liu Shan, accompanied by our students, seeks an exchange with the members of Extreme Martial Arts Hall to advance together—"

Many trainees cursed under their breath upon hearing this.

An exchange of knowledge? Advancing together?

Such friendly-sounding words.

But without any prior notice, such an unannounced visit was sure to cause trouble!

The deliberate release of aura by the opposition had already affected many Awakeners in the middle of training, causing disturbances. They turned pale with anger in their eyes.

However, these Awakeners in the main hall, generally lacking in strength and feeling the immense disparity in aura, held their anger back, despite their inner rage.

Mixing anger with dread, they looked at Liu Shan, all the while realizing...

One Punch Martial Arts Hall had probably come for real.