Save Private Ryan

Everyone present fell silent.

Strictly speaking, their final contest of pure strength had ended in a draw.

That was why Chen Lian had asked.

"You haven't started cultivating Gene Energy yet, have you?"

No, he hadn't.

After everyone first came into contact with Gene Energy cultivation, they would go through a period of rapid growth.

The first successful absorption of cosmic energy could even increase one's strength by more than half.

For someone who had never even begun cultivating Gene Energy to match an advanced fighter evenly, there was no excuse that could explain it away.

That was why he had said, "I lost."

To be honest, although Chen Lian was not especially powerful among advanced fighters, he had his own pride. He had only just turned nineteen, and many believed he could become a General-level warrior before the age of twenty.

That was proof of his extraordinary talent.

Yet, as he looked at Lin Yan before him, he found it difficult to feel proud of himself.

That sword strike flashed through his mind again.

"Your Thunderclap Sword has already reached the fifth level?"

Jia Yan found it hard to believe. Yesterday, he had seen Lin Yan at the training ground, and he had only been at the fourth level. It might have been just one level apart, but breaking through was hardly so easy.

Lin Yan answered, "Yes."

"No."

Liu Mingxuan stepped forward. He himself was an expert in the Thunderclap Sword, so he had seen more than the others.

"It isn't merely the fifth level."

His brows knit slightly as he recalled that sword strike. It was a sword technique that even his own fifth-level Thunderclap Sword could not compare to.

Then he saw Lin Yan staring at him in confusion with his mouth slightly open. In the end, he could only attribute it to Lin Yan's extraordinary talent. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm starting to suspect you were messing with me yesterday. My Thunderclap Sword is inferior to yours."

Lin Yan felt rather awkward. My Thunderclap Sword has special effects added on top of yours. Of course you can't compare...

But when the others around them heard that, they were even more shocked.

It was more than merely the fifth level of Thunderclap Sword?

What did that mean?

This guy had blasted straight through the roof!

Seeing their expressions, Chen Lian felt a little better. It's not that I'm too weak. This guy is just too monstrous!

Liu Mingxuan brought the matter to a close. "Everyone, welcome Lin Yan to our Star Special Operations Squad."

Warm applause rang out beside him.

Although Jia Yan looked arrogant, he could accept defeat when it came. After witnessing Lin Yan's strength, he stopped picking faults and joined in the applause.

"Good." Liu Mingxuan looked around and said, "Xiangyang, go get suitable medicine for them. We'll continue with the combat briefing."

With their physiques, such superficial wounds amounted to nothing. Still, since they were at their own base, medicine would help them recover faster.

The group returned to the meeting room.

Lin Yan had originally thought the person fetching medicine for them had the surname Xiang and given name Yang, so he had addressed him as Brother Xiang. As it turned out, his name was Bu Xiangyang...

He also had a younger brother named Bu Wenxing. Both were advanced warriors.

There was also an advanced warrior skilled in firearms named Li Tao. Lin Yan gave him an extra look, wondering how his shooting compared to his own.

They could have a match if they got the chance.

The last one was Chu Wei, an entry-level General-level warrior who used a saber. The reason his saber deserved special mention was...

Nine Heavens Thunder Blade.

The Thunder God, master of Thunderclap Martial Arts School, and his "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade"!

Not only was this saber technique expensive, it was exceptionally difficult to learn. Thus, despite its great reputation, very few chose this manual, and even fewer mastered it.

Three General-level warriors.

Four advanced warriors.

Plus one extra.

What a luxurious lineup.

Lin Yan felt somewhat speechless. What were they thinking? How did they manage to discover such a rare flower as me?

"This mission's target is this man."

Liu Mingxuan pointed at the photograph on the display. The epaulets on the military uniform showed only the rank of private. He had a crew cut, an ordinary face, stood about 1.7 meters tall, and wore an approachable smile for the camera.

"This is a scout from the Night Hawk Reconnaissance Company of the Sixth Army. His name is Zhang Wei."

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. No way. It can't be such a coincidence, can it?

Side Mission:

3: Save Private Ryan

Private Zhang Wei of the Night Hawk Reconnaissance Company, Northern Military Region, appears to have discovered the secret behind the beast tide and is currently in danger. Please carry out a rescue operation for Private Zhang Wei.

If the mission target dies, the mission will automatically fail.

Mission Reward: SS-rank Movement Technique—Ghost

The target of the Side Mission on the system panel was precisely the cheerful young man on the display.

Lin Yan had always believed the system had a deeper reason for issuing this mission. The matter was worth investigating, and he also wanted to save the soldier named Zhang Wei. But in the military, he had to obey orders and could not move about freely. He had asked Wang Bing to look into it, but there had been no leads, so he had stopped hoping for much.

Yet the military region had actually formed a temporary Special Operations Squad for him, and he had even joined it.

He pulled himself together and continued listening to Liu Mingxuan's introduction.

"Five days ago, Defense Line 021 suffered an invasion by a beast tide."

"Sixteen hours after the beast tide began, scout Zhang Wei went missing after being sent on a mission."

"Two days after the beast tide began—that is, three days ago—the military region's public information channel received these two messages—"

"Save me."

"Yang Bin is connected to the beast tide. He is now..."

"The information was incomplete. The military region's technicians conducted a technical verification and confirmed that it had been sent from the communication device belonging to Private Zhang Wei of the reconnaissance company. When they attempted to trace the signal, they discovered that the electronic components in his communication device had been damaged, making it impossible to track."

Liu Mingxuan pressed the remote in his hand, and another person's photograph appeared on the display.

"This is Yang Bin, the person Zhang Wei mentioned in his message."

"They were comrades in the same squad. Three hours before Zhang Wei last appeared in our system records, he also went missing. Furthermore, our surveillance footage did not show him leaving the military region."

Footage of him walking out of the cafeteria amid a crowd appeared on the display. Everything looked perfectly normal.

"This was the last video recording in which he appeared."

As Liu Mingxuan spoke, his tone grew heavy. "Yesterday, our soldiers found a mutilated corpse at location 314 on the map. Since fragments of our military uniform were found nearby, it was sent to the examination department for testing. Though calling it a mutilated corpse may be inappropriate. More accurately, it was a piece of liver tissue left behind after being consumed by a monster."

The bloody image on the display was horrifying.

"Identification confirmed that this liver tissue belonged to Yang Bin. However, based on the DNA extracted from it and secretions such as monster saliva, the forensic examiner determined that Yang Bin had been dead for more than seven days."

Lin Yan shuddered. The real Yang Bin had died seven days ago, before the beast tide began. Then who had the "Yang Bin" who appeared afterward been?

And what information had Zhang Wei discovered to conclude that Yang Bin was connected to the beast tide?

"The military region performed every technical analysis possible on Zhang Wei's message. In the end, they overcame the difficulties and located the signal source in City 032 of the Wilderness Area. They then retrieved satellite footage and finally found Zhang Wei's trail."

"Our mission is to enter the Wilderness Area, rescue Zhang Wei, and, if possible, uncover the mystery behind this entire matter."

The display changed again.

Everyone stared silently at the scene on the screen, filled with solemn respect.

Amid the ruins of a devastated city, on the rooftop of an abandoned high-rise building, a filthy, disheveled man crouched on the ground, using ordinary paint to solemnly and devoutly draw a national flag!

The contract has been sent out. As always, I'm begging for everything. Writing a military route is so hard, sob (:з"∠)