"I promise!"
Yuqi had no reason to refuse...
"Alright, then..."
Ling Feng thought for a moment before saying, "Then I'll come help you imprint them tomorrow morning, after Mei and the others have gone to class. Also, I hope you can keep this a secret. After all, I'm not someone who specializes in imprinting Stigmata—I have plenty of other things to do!"
"Mhm, okay, I promise I won't tell anyone!"
Yuqi hurriedly nodded. Her goal had been achieved anyway, so who cared about anything else?
"Hey, I... can I..."
At that moment, Baizhi walked over with an awkward expression. The reason she was embarrassed was that Yuqi's entire plan had been Baizhi's idea. She had actually wanted to slip away at the first opportunity, but she also wanted a Stigmata, so she could only force herself to step forward...
"No problem!"
Ling Feng made an OK gesture. "You can get them imprinted together then. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going..."
At last, Ling Feng had gotten rid of those two... Tonight had been another huge win...
In the woods, Yuqi stared at Baizhi with an expression that said, "How delicious..."
"Uh... Yuqi, this..."
Baizhi's hairs immediately stood on end. She backed away while explaining, "Although my method was a little extreme, at least it achieved the goal, right? You can't repay kindness with hostility..."
"Hehe..."
A cold smile appeared on Yuqi's face. "Then why did you make him grope my chest? You could have done it too!"
"Uh... because... because judging from Kiana's features, I thought Ling Feng would prefer someone your size. Mine are too big, so... Hey, don't draw your sword! Help! She's killing a teammate..."
Boom!
Ling Feng heard what sounded like an explosion from the woods behind him...
He turned around and glanced back. Forget it, none of my business. I was just passing by. I know nothing...
After Yuqi and Baizhi left as well, a blonde girl jumped down from a tree. She adjusted her glasses, shook the camera in her hand, and laughed. "Wow, I only wanted to see if I could catch some couples having fun in the wild. Who knew I'd get such explosive material? Hahahaha! Next issue's campus daily headline is mine!"
Bronya Will Never Get Imprinted!
"Ling Feng, what exactly did you talk about with Tesla? I'm starving to death..."
After returning to the apartment, Kiana came down from the upstairs room looking utterly listless. Before, the three of them could have dinner once everyone was present. But now that Ling Feng was around, they had to wait for him to return. Usually, that was fine, but if he came back late, it felt awful...
"Sorry, sorry. It was something important, so I stayed a little longer..."
Ling Feng scratched his head awkwardly, not daring to mention the fingerprinting matter...
"Alright, look how greedy you are. Dinner's ready!"
Mei looked at Kiana helplessly, though the concern in her eyes was plain to see...
During the meal, Kiana suddenly said, "Bronya, why don't you let Ling Feng draw you a Stigmata too? Then you can take the B-rank Valkyrie exam. If you become a B-rank Valkyrie too, our team can be promoted to a B-rank team. Then we can take on Academy missions and earn funding!"
"Can a B-rank team go out on missions?"
Ling Feng still did not know much about team rankings...
"Yes!"
Mei nodded slightly. "Although studying is our primary duty, St. Freya Academy does not advocate learning without end. As Valkyries, we need enough real combat experience to grow. Moreover, when Valkyries kill Honkai Beasts, their adaptability to Honkai energy continuously improves, making them stronger and stronger. Therefore, killing Honkai Beasts is the fastest and most effective way for Valkyries to become stronger!"
"But to prevent newcomers from dying due to a lack of experience, only teams containing at least three B-rank Valkyries can become B-rank teams. A B-rank team is the minimum standard for going out on combat missions. At the same time, a team's first combat mission must be led by an A-rank Valkyrie. It also counts as a special assessment. Only if the A-rank Valkyrie believes the team has sufficient strength can it officially become a B-rank team capable of carrying out missions independently!"
Whenever Ling Feng had a question, Mei patiently explained it to him. The two had spent several days together by now. Although Ling Feng did not say much, from the Academy Head's attitude toward him, as well as the strength and knowledge he displayed, Mei felt that he was no ordinary assistant. So Mei had never asked about Ling Feng's affairs, but she always earnestly answered anything he did not understand!
"So that's how it is... No rush, take it slowly..."
Ling Feng did not particularly want them to become a B-rank team so soon. Mei was strong enough, but Kiana and Bronya still needed to grow. If they faced Honkai Beasts this early, the odds of something going wrong were quite high!
"Bronya does not need Ling Feng's Stigmata!"
Bronya quietly said, "Bronya's body is somewhat special. Bronya's main combat ability relies on Project Bunny, so Stigmata would not improve Bronya much. But Bronya can still pass the B-rank Valkyrie exam!"
"Uh... Bronya, I don't only have Stigmata that increase attack!"
Ling Feng also said, "I have Stigmata that increase energy as well, ones that add a high-damage strike to an attack, ones that generate shields, and ones that reduce weapon cooldown time. In short, I have a very comprehensive selection!"
"Thank you for Ling Feng's kindness, but Bronya really does not need one... Bronya will find Ling Feng when Bronya needs one..." Although Ling Feng had listed many Stigmata Bronya needed, she simply did not want to get imprinted...
"It's fine!"
Since Bronya would not agree, Ling Feng would not force her. He smiled and said, "Fighting without relying on Stigmata, relying only on yourself, is also a form of training. Once you become strong enough and then imprint a Stigmata, you'll find that you've become even stronger!"
"Mhm, Bronya will work hard!"
Bronya nodded in agreement...
"You guys... have so much... nonsense to say. If you won't eat the meat... I'll... finish it..."
Kiana mumbled through a mouthful of food she had not swallowed yet...
Ling Feng looked down and thought, Damn it, Mei's stir-fried pork with green peppers—the only meat dish tonight—was almost gone. Damn, this girl had brought up the B-rank team topic on purpose, hadn't she? Then, while the three of them were distracted, she had gobbled it all down by herself!
After dinner, Kiana looked thoroughly satisfied. Although she had waited a long time, this round had been worth it. What would they have for dinner tomorrow night, she wondered?
By now, Mei had finished washing the dishes and was sitting on the sofa watching TV. Bronya was playing on her phone, apparently a game called Hohom Adventure!
As for Kiana...
She was still miserably doing her homework. Everyone else was playing while she was the only one doing homework. This was... life!
"Mei, want to get some exercise?"
Seeing that Mei seemed to have nothing to do, Ling Feng decided to exercise with her...
"Exercise? What kind of exercise?"
Mei turned back to look at Ling Feng. She did not refuse, but she had to ask what kind of exercise it was first...
"Isn't your weapon a katana?"
Ling Feng pointed at the two katanas hanging on the wall and smiled. "How about we practice with katanas?"
"Ling Feng knows swordsmanship too?"
Mei seemed somewhat surprised. She truly had not known Ling Feng knew swordsmanship, but she had already turned around and taken the two katanas from the wall!
"Why not try and find out?"
Ling Feng did not say more. He took a katana and walked out of the apartment with Mei. It was practice, but they certainly could not do it inside the apartment. These were real blades, not toys!
"Wait, I want to watch too!"
Kiana seized this chance to slack off and slipped out after them. Her homework had to be finished, but she could put it off for a while if possible, couldn't she?
Bronya hesitated for a moment as well. Then, holding her phone, she controlled Project Bunny to place her on its shoulder before flying out of the apartment too!
Outside the apartment, Ling Feng and Mei stood five meters apart, holding identical katanas as they faced each other...
Mei gently swung her katana. "Ling Feng, please go ahead!"
Perhaps because Mei thought Ling Feng was not her match, she habitually let him attack first!
"If that's the case, then I won't hold back!"
Ling Feng did not refuse. He casually lowered his katana and smiled. "Watch closely!"
Whoosh...
Suddenly, Ling Feng vanished from Mei's sight. At the same time, Mei felt an intense sense of danger and instinctively swung her sword toward the front right...
Clang!
The two katanas collided, and Ling Feng's figure appeared again...
"You actually blocked it. Mei, you really are strong!"
Ling Feng casually pulled back his blade. "But it's still far from enough. Just now, I only used a little energy. If I consumed more energy, my speed would only become faster!"
"Th-this... what kind of technique was that?"
Mei was shocked, deeply shocked. Ling Feng's move just now was already comparable to a spacetime fracture...
"Flash Step!"
Ling Feng merely smiled calmly. "The theory is simple. You accelerate yourself to create the effect of instantaneous movement!"
"Can you teach me?"
Mei now roughly understood why Ling Feng had brought her out to train. Naturally, she would not let such an opportunity pass!
"Of course!"
Ling Feng certainly would not refuse, since he had intended to teach Mei this move in the first place. "But before that, let me see just how strong you are. Mei, come at me with everything you have!"
"Understood, Ling Feng. Please be careful!"
Mei became serious as well and directly swung her blade at Ling Feng...
P.S.:
.
.
Many years later, my daughter held a photo of Winter Duke and asked me, "Daddy, Daddy, who is this? What a pretty person!"
I said, "Silly girl, this is Kiana, the S-rank Valkyrie who protected the world, the Kiana known as the strongest Valkyrie!"
My daughter said, "Daddy is lying. The strongest Valkyrie is obviously Mommy!"
I said, "I'm not lying, because the strongest Valkyrie is your mommy!"
First Battle? Deployment!
The next day, Mei and the other two went to class as usual, while Ling Feng quietly went to the neighboring apartment, Team 222's apartment. Team 222 only had two members: Captain Yuqi and member Baizhi. They had not gone to class either. After all, Stigmata came first...
When Ling Feng reached the apartment door, Yuqi opened it, looked to both sides, and saw that no one else was around. Good, hurry inside and close the door...
Ling Feng: "..." They were only imprinting Stigmata. Why did this feel like he was secretly meeting a mistress?
"Mmm... ahhh..."
"How... how can this feel so good? I can't take it anymore, it feels like... power is surging up..."
Ling Feng: "..."
Not long afterward, strange sounds came from the apartment...
By Ling Feng's judgment, Yuqi's body was very similar to Kiana's. She belonged to the type that had more to offer once undressed, with a comprehensive score of over ninety!
As for Baizhi, she represented peak combat power, even more impressive than Mei. Although he had not been able to observe her from the front, when Baizhi bent over, her combat power became clear...
Ahem!
Skipping over the specific imprinting process, Yuqi used a greatsword while Baizhi used a long-range sniper rifle. After imprinting suitable Stigmata for each of them, Ling Feng leisurely returned to the apartment...
That afternoon, Bronya took the B-rank Valkyrie exam. Just as she had said the previous night, under the suppression of her cannons, she easily advanced to B-rank Valkyrie. Then Team 233 submitted an application to advance to B-rank, and it was approved!
Thus, Team 233 officially became a B-rank Valkyrie team. However, they still needed an A-rank Valkyrie to lead them before they could go out on combat missions!
Two days later...
Saturday. Everyone was resting in the apartment. After a tiring week, taking a day off now and then was perfectly fine. Under Bronya's recommendation, Ling Feng had successfully gotten hooked on Hohom Adventure too. Unfortunately, spending money in the game was impossible. He would never spend money in a game in this lifetime...
Then Theresa called...
Half an hour later...
Above the ocean outside Magic City...
"Listen, this is your first combat mission, but your task concerns the safety of tens of millions of people in Magic City!"
On the Hyperion, Himeko seriously delivered the final briefing to Mei and the other two. "Right now, an out-of-control unknown warship is racing toward Magic City at extreme speed. If we do not stop it before it crashes, then once it falls into Magic City, given how densely populated the city is, the consequences will be absolutely unimaginable. Therefore, we must stop that warship!"
Before you continue