萝莉社

“Killing the Apex God took a tremendous toll on the Collapsing Lightning Duke. He suffered severe injuries, and while his life was not in danger, he would have to spend a long time in secluded cultivation to recover. Otherwise, he would have already obliterated every trace of Dark Races’ warriors in the Collapsing Lightning Sector with his own hands.”

Although that piece of information was not good, it did not surprise any of the cadets. A great battle was bound to leave wounds, especially if your enemy was a member of a race known for their incredible battle skills.

No matter how amazing the Collapsing Lightning Duke was, he was still a living entity and needed to heal after a great battle.

“During these last two weeks, soldiers from the Imperial Lightning Fort had traveled the entire sector, killing most of the Dark Races’ powerhouses that came with the Atrox God, but many remain at large. Of course, it is not your mission to hunt them down, as that would be suicide.

Your job will be going to the cities affected by the incursion, enforcing military law, and establishing a perimeter where civilians can remain safe.”

Leaving the fort did not make the cadets happy, as they understood that there were still great dangers looming in the darkness, but none complained. All those here took part in the military academy’s secret trial, so they were not foreign to dangerous battles.

Besides, they were all smart enough to understand that the chances of finding a Dark Races’ powerhouse during their missions were almost null, as all those monsters were running away now that the Atrox God had perished.

“Form groups of ten according to your affinity.” Vice-Captain Josef gave that command and waited.

.....

Usually, in the military, you don’t have the right to choose your teammates, but that did not matter since they knew their roles and could adapt to any other soldier. But Cain and the others were cadets and had yet to reach that level of synergy.

Cain, Levi, and Beelze only glanced before giving a slight nod. That was all the trio needed to know they would be working together. They trusted each other, and none of them was so weak that it would become a burden.

The trio was not very friendly with the other cadets. They simply joined a random group with seven members to make the team. It was easy since everybody wanted the three mighties cadets in their group.

Once the cadets formed the teams, Vice-Captain Josef sent a file with their destination and with whom they would have to report once they arrived.

Cain was a little surprised to find out that the city his group had to help would be Korin City. The mission involving that place gave birth to his first Heart Nightmare, and he had no pleasant memories of it.

Of course, it never crossed Cain’s mind to ask to be assigned to a different city. Since when did a soldier have the right to choose his battlefield?

Less than ten minutes after Vice-Captain Josef gave them their instruction and destination, all cadets’ groups boarded military trucks and left the Imperial Lightning Fort.

Cain, Levi, and Beelze were in the military truck heading to Korin City along with the other seven members of their teams. The trio was the center of attention.

Levi and Beelze were the first cadets to reach Level 3; even among those at that level, they showed incredible battle prowess. As for Cain, while his cultivation was not that high, the killing skills he displayed when he faced Wink were still clear in all cadets’ minds, and none dared look down on him.

After a few minutes on the road, a young man with black hair and blue eyes broke the silence.

“Since this will be a long trip, it will be an excellent chance to learn more about each other. Most of you already know me, but I will still introduce myself. My name is Lurin Sinar, second son of Count Sinar.” Lurin gave a short description of himself that mostly involved personal information.

The other cadets did the same and showed friendly smiles as they spoke. The group of seven had formed around Lurin and was mainly composed of talented cadets from humble backgrounds.

Finally, it was the turn of Cain, Levi, and Beelze, but the trio remained in meditative cultivation with their eyes closed.

A heavy atmosphere formed in the truck as the trio did not seem interested in taking part in the conversation, and there was nothing the other seven could do about it.

Cain opened his eyes a little and glanced around the room before shaking his head.

“Cain. Level 2 Astral Wave Warrior. Specialties are lightning, speed, and strength.” Cain only said that before closing his eyes again.

The description that Cain gave was different from the other cadets. It involved no personal information and focused on the one that would be useful on the battlefield.

“Beelze. Level 3 Essence Wave Warrior. Specialties are ice, crowd-control spells, and speed.”

“Levi. Level 3 Astral Wave Warrior. Specialties are fire, strength, and defense.”

The other cadets turned toward Levi and Beelze when they heard those words and saw that the trio remained with their eyes closed.

Lurin could not help but sigh as he saw their attitude. The trio had no intention of forming any friendship, and if he went down that road again, they would simply ignore him.

“Lurin. Level 3 Astral Wave Warrior. Specialties are earth, defense, and defensive spells.”

After Lurin did it, the other seven cadets followed his lead. They were all Level 2 Wave Warriors, with four following the Essence Evolution Path of Power and the other two the Astral Rebirth Path of Power.

“Now that we know our abilities, it would be wise to form a battle formation. We could make deadly mistakes if we enter the battlefield as individuals. And even in the best-case scenario where we are not a burden to the others, we will lose much of our battle potential.” Lurin’s voice was grave, making it clear he was not playing around.

Levi and Beelze opened their eyes and focused on the young man before nodding. The duo did not have time or the desire for meaningless chatter, but if it involved the battlefield, they would pay their full attention.

Lurin smiled as he saw that the duo focused on him. He knew he was not the strongest in battle power since even if his level was the same as Levi, he did not go through marrow washing yet. However, if there was something he was confident about, it was his skills regarding military tactics.

It was not a secret that Lurin’s skills in military tactics were good, as he proved it many times during the interactions in Vice-Captain Josef’s class. That is why Levi, Beelze, and the other cadets did not have a problem with him taking the lead in that field.

Lurin’s smiled as he saw that, but an odd expression appeared on his face the next second when he saw that Cain did not seem to be paying attention.

Even if Lurin’s sense of superiority was not as obnoxious as that of other scions, that did not mean he did not get angry when someone ignored him.

Of course, Lurin knew that if he lost calm and shouted, it would not help him. If things went south, he was sure Levi and Beelze would side with Cain.

“Cain, you should focus on this. We will work as a team and need to consider the safety of everybody.”

Although subtle, Lurin’s words hinted that Cain’s lack of attention proved an absence of care for his fellow cadets.

Levi and Beelze looked at each other and just showed a small smile before softly shaking their heads. They knew that while Cain was a little impulsive regarding his bottom line, he also had an exceptionally keen mind, and anyone who attempted to play games with him would regret it.

Cain opened his eyes and focused on Lurin before a message arrived at everybody’s A.I. Chips. It had the title battle formation team x.

‘Who does he think he is!?’ Lurin was furious when he read that message. He knew just how difficult it was to make a battle formation that involved a group of individuals you knew nothing about.

Lurin almost barked out, and he was not the only one angry, as the cadets that came with him were also dissatisfied. A bad battle formation was way worse than none at all.

Some of the cadets that came with Lurin did not have the restraint that their leader, but someone else spoke first.

“Hahaha, that brain of yours is truly special. I am fine with it and will fulfill my role.” Levi laughed after seeing the file Cain sent and closed his eyes again.

“I also have no problem with it. Will follow your guidance.” Beelze nodded and also closed her eyes.

Lurin did not know what was happening, and then he saw how the cadets that came with him also began to show expressions of shock and awe.

‘What is happening!?’ Lurin had not bothered to open the file since, in his mind, there was no way Cain could come up with a proper battle formation in such a short time and with so little information.

After a moment, Lurin took a deep breath and opened the file. Just like everybody else, shock and awe appeared on his face.