Chapter Thirty-Two: The Mission

(This volume is Volume Three, “Invincible War God,” Chapter One. Some may ask, where is Volume Two? Volume Two was not written by me; once the author finishes, it will be uploaded in its entirety.)

“Listen up, this is your first true mission, and you need to pay attention to the following steps. First...” Xie Liu began to ramble on, but was promptly swatted aside by Vladimir. Tossing the report into Ye Ling’s hands, Vladimir said, “Don’t listen to their nonsense. He just wants to steal your mission for himself.”

Ye Ling looked in surprise at Xie Liu, who was now trembling on the floor, then glanced at Lin Yang and the others, standing in perfect formation against the wall. With a sigh of resignation, she ran her fingers through her hair before finally fixing her gaze on the mission sheet in her hand.

“Hmm? This mission is ranked E. Seems like it shouldn’t be particularly challenging.” Ye Ling recalled the recent battle for their lives, “Nine Lives.” Compared to that almost S-rank difficulty, this should be an easy task.

“One hundred thousand merit points?” Ye Ling’s eyes scanned the entire page, finally resting on the reward at the bottom. “That’s quite a substantial reward.”

“This mission isn’t a standalone assignment, but a branch of a much larger operation,” Vladimir explained, seated on the sofa. Xie Liu clambered back up from the floor, shooting a hostile glare at Vladimir, who sat with his legs crossed.

“The ‘Nine Lives’ incident caused quite a stir. For the Special Forces Alliance, things got out of control. We killed it, and now those half-witted types in the Alliance want to regain some face.” Vladimir rolled up the remaining mission sheets and tapped them against his hand. Ye Ling’s face showed a trace of confusion, “Are those people all brain-damaged?”

“Perhaps. They’re straightforward in their ways—if they’re going to be villains, they do it thoroughly. Sometimes, it’s almost endearing.” Vladimir shrugged and, noticing the row of others still standing at attention, sighed. “Ye Ling, you can let them go now.”

Ye Ling’s gaze swept over the row of nervous young men. With a deep sigh, she said, “Alright, stop blocking my view. You’re free to move.” Her commanding presence was unmistakable.

“Long live the Lady!” they chorused, raising their arms in salute. Ye Ling looked momentarily stunned, then smacked her lips in annoyance. “Can I apply to change teams? I’ve had enough of these guys.”

“That’s possible, but you’ll need to complete at least ten B-rank missions first. Alternatively, if a captain from another team invites you, you can transfer without further requirements.”

“Are there any good teams?” Ye Ling asked seriously.

Vladimir shook his head. “I know some excellent teams, but the organization has strict rules. We’re not allowed to disclose information about other teams to our members. If you want to transfer, you’ll have to wait for another captain to approach you and explain your situation. Only if they request your transfer to the city headquarters can you switch teams.” Vladimir smiled faintly. Ye Ling’s face darkened. “What kind of ridiculous rule is that?”

“Sorry, that’s the rule.” Vladimir’s face turned cold. “Miss Ye Ling, what do you think a team represents?”

“What do you mean?” Ye Ling asked without thinking.

Vladimir shook his head. “Forget it, you wouldn’t understand. Every team has its own character; you’ll discover it in time.” He brushed off his clothes and stood up. “Alright, I’ve said what needs saying.” Placing a small felt hat on his head, he added, “Oh, and this mission is a joint operation. Besides your group, the Azure Dragon Team and the Gale Team are also involved. But you don’t need to worry about much—just focus on your own objectives.” With that, he opened the door. “May fortune favor you in battle.”

...

“E-rank mission, codename Azure Dragon Operation? What an odd name.” Ye Ling read over the document. “This is a global operation. In the East Eight Time Zone, the Azure Dragon Team, Gale Team, and Misfortune Team are participating. Our task is...” Ye Ling perused the details. “Ah, here it is—travel to T City and clear out the scattered enemies around the Azure Dragon Team’s perimeter.”

Ye Ling read the details carefully. “According to the intel, they’re all simple foes—none above D-rank. There may be a lot of them, but they should be easy to handle.” She folded the mission sheet and slipped it into her bag. “Let’s go.”

Of course, Lady Ye Ling would never step onto the battlefield herself; she’d never even killed a fish, let alone a person. So naturally, the task fell to the people before her. “I’m in a good mood, so I’ll allow you to accompany me. Let’s move.” She sneered, but none of the five standing before her budged.

“Oh? Planning a mutiny?” Ye Ling sneered again, hands on her hips, about to continue when there was a knock at the door. Her expression changed instantly; she put on a bright smile with the speed of flipping a page. “May I ask who you’re looking for?” Her voice was gentle, entirely unlike the stern tone she’d used moments before.

“Excuse me, is President Ye from the Student Council here?” The visitor was a delicate-looking girl. She glanced nervously at Ye Ling and the row of young men by the wall.

“That’s me. Can I help you?” Ye Ling replied with a gentle smile.

“Our teacher asked me to bring these documents,” the girl said, handing over a stack of files.

“Thank you, just leave them here.” Ye Ling’s tone was soft as she watched the girl leave. Faintly, she overheard the girl’s excited whisper in the hallway, “It really is Sister Ye Ling! She’s so gentle! I thought she’d be scary—did you see the five boys being punished...?” The voices faded away.

Ye Ling smiled as she watched the girl go. Her face darkened as she turned to the five by the wall. “So? Have you made up your minds?”

Still, no one replied. Ye Ling grew impatient. “Fine. If you won’t move, I have no choice.” She began, “Xie Liu, Gong Hou, Lin Yang, Xu Xiong, Li Shizhu—five of you, caught stalking the Student Council president, the heiress of the Tianzhao Consortium, with suspicious intentions. If I submit this report to the counselor, what do you think will happen?”

“At the very least, we’d be expelled. I think I have enough power in this school to make that happen,” Ye Ling sneered.

Xie Liu gritted his teeth. “You think money can buy you everything?”

Ye Ling nodded. “Exactly. Money can do anything.” She picked up a stack of forms from the table. “I suppose you don’t want your scholarships either?”

“Fine, you win,” Xie Liu muttered through clenched teeth, ultimately joining Ye Ling’s side. The others shook their heads and followed suit.

...

“Remember, this time, don’t leave T City’s operational area. If you do, you might encounter threats you can’t handle.” Reiko Tongchuan watched as they boarded the aircraft. “Don’t take unnecessary risks; your mission isn’t the core. As long as there aren’t major mistakes, you’ll have completed your objective. Understood?”

“We got it, we got it,” Ye Ling replied half-heartedly. Reiko doubted she’d been heard, but there was no time for further admonition. “Take off!” She stepped back and pressed the launch button.

Compared to her first time on the aircraft, Ye Ling was much calmer now. As Reiko wished them luck, the aircraft sped off, vanishing into the sky.

...

B City—an international metropolis near T City and also a national center—boasted a brilliant history spanning thousands of years. Here, traditional customs and modern architecture blended seamlessly.

At this moment, atop a skyscraper, a tall, handsome man stood at the edge, gazing down at the bustling city below. “Though it’s not my first time here, every time I see this view, I feel a special kind of pride.”

“Indeed. They say that ‘once you enter the fantasy world, nationality ceases to matter,’ but coming from a powerful country does make a difference—our people are treated better in the fantasy metropolis.” Behind the tall man stood another, of medium build, perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four years old. “Brother Chu, are you sure the Special Forces Alliance will come here? This is home to one of our city’s largest branch bases.”

The man addressed as Brother Chu was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with sharp brows and striking features, his presence commanding. Standing at the edge, the wind billowed his clothes as he laughed in response. “Let them come. If they do, they shouldn’t expect to leave.”

“But this time, I hear they’ll send several A-rank special operatives. Can we handle that?” the younger man asked, worried.

Brother Chu turned and grinned wickedly, “Chen Chong, are you doubting me?”

Chen Chong rubbed his forehead helplessly. His captain was getting fired up again, which usually meant trouble for him. “Shouldn’t we wait for the Gale Team and Misfortune Team to arrive before...”

“Tell them to stand by and watch. I’ll handle everything.” The man exuded overwhelming confidence—the very confidence that made the Azure Dragon Team invincible, but also the reason they suffered under his leadership. Their captain, Chu Feng, possessed abilities approaching level ten. He could accelerate his own time by sixfold. Combined with his strength and speed, this made him someone even level-ten powerhouses avoided. Yet his confidence sometimes bordered on arrogance, a double-edged sword for the team.

When it came to close-quarters combat, only the “Rose Swordmaiden” of the Silver Flash Team was said to be his equal. “Let them all come. It’s time those Special Forces Alliance types saw what we’re made of...”

“Oh?” A mocking voice came from behind, cutting Chu Feng off. Chen Chong spun around; at some point, a tall man had appeared behind them.

He was unremarkable except for his height—well over two meters—and a shock of white hair.

“Who are you?” Chen Chong barked.

The man’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Who am I? Usually, I go by a codename. But if you want a name, you may call me Ace.”

“Ace, is it?” Chu Feng didn’t turn around. “How interesting.” He looked up, also smiling. In the distance, he saw a small craft pierce the clouds, heading for T City.