Ember Medal!

Inside the conference room.

Lin Ye did not say much. He picked up the fountain pen on the table and signed his name beneath Party B on the final page.

There were three copies in total, and he finished signing them quickly.

Xu Qi handed him a red ink pad. Lin Ye pressed his thumb into it, then stamped his fingerprint onto each of the three agreements.

He then handed them back to her.

"Then... Mr. Lin, welcome to the Great Xia Military."

Xu Qi accepted the contracts and smiled as she extended a hand. "From this moment on, you are a High-tier War General of the Great Xia Military and Colonel Lin Ye of our Shancheng Military."

"I believe that in the near future, Great Xia will gain another peak powerhouse, one who will purge the Beast Tide, carve a path through thorns for Great Xia's future, and light the road ahead!"

Lin Ye smiled and shook her hand.

"Though I do not have such lofty aspirations, and merely do not wish to lose those closest to me again... to repay you for saving my sister's life, I will certainly give it my all!"

As Xu Qi met his gaze, she found his eyes resolute and full of spirit, as though his word was worth a thousand gold.

"Welcome, Colonel Lin!" Xue Zhan also rose to his feet. His stern square face was filled with a smile as he extended a hand toward Lin Ye.

Lin Ye shook hands with the veteran High-tier War General. After letting go, he could not help asking curiously, "Hall Master Xue, when will I receive the benefits listed in this contract?"

"As for fulfilling those benefits... you'll have to ask Secretary Xu."

Xue Zhan looked toward Xu Qi and joked, "She is in charge of distributing those benefits."

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "...Hm?"

"I mean the set of High-tier War General combat suit, the Battle Saber... and the complete Nine Splendor Art listed in the agreement." Lin Ye spoke unhurriedly, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

Xu Qi nodded.

When she had given Lin Ye the first half of the Nine Splendor Art last time, she had already expected this outcome.

After all, no Martial Artist could refuse a better Guidance Technique.

"I have already sent word."

"Wait a moment. The items will be delivered soon. This Human Base happens to have a set of High-tier War General equipment prepared, and naturally, we also have the Nine Splendor Art."

Xu Qi looked at Lin Ye with a meaningful smile.

Lin Ye nodded slightly and returned her smile.

He knew very well that for a Martial Artist who had not joined the military, even obtaining part of the Nine Splendor Art cultivation method was an extraordinarily rare opportunity.

As for the complete Gene Energy Cultivation Method, it was naturally reserved for the military's own people and could not be leaked easily.

And so, Lin Ye chatted casually with Xu Qi and the other two.

Having only just joined the military, there was still much he needed to learn, and he needed to humbly seek guidance from these two seniors.

Just as the three of them were getting into the conversation, a light knock sounded at the door.

Less than five minutes later, two officers of no low rank carried an Aluminum Alloy Case, seventy centimeters in length, width, and height, into the conference room.

Behind them, a third officer entered with a long, narrow Saber Case held in both hands.

"This is the combat suit prepared for you. It can withstand and weaken attacks from High-level Beast Generals. The Battle Saber can break through a High-level Beast General's defenses. As for anything more advanced..."

At this point, Xu Qi paused, and her beautiful eyes dimmed slightly.

Beside her, Xue Zhan sighed softly and continued, "The military has acquired too few Lord Monster materials, which means there is not much Kro Alloy available for synthesis.

Therefore, the number of War God level weapons and Combat Suits... is only barely enough for the current War Gods. There are no surplus reserves at all."

"We wanted to prepare something better for you, but there is only so much we can do!"

After saying that, Xue Zhan looked at Lin Ye, his eyes filled with deep helplessness and desolation.

"It's fine." Lin Ye shook his head gently and smiled. "A High-tier War General combat suit is enough for me at the moment.

Besides, I am not foolish enough to risk my life against a Lord Monster now. I have no use for a higher-grade combat suit for the time being."

"Haha... that is for the best. What you need now is to grow properly. In the future, you will surely stand among the finest War Gods of Great Xia. By then, why worry about having no Lord Monsters to kill?"

Xue Zhan patted Lin Ye's shoulder with his rough, callused palm, his face full of admiration.

Xu Qi also looked at Lin Ye with a smile.

However.

Lin Ye's smile faded, and bitterness welled up in his heart.

Having spent years roaming the wilderness and frequently dealing with frontline troops,

he understood the Great Xia Military's current situation very well.

Ever since humanity and the monsters had begun their large-scale war four years ago,

Great Xia had been constantly shrouded in the smoke of war.

Beast Tides of all sizes came one after another, and the frontlines consumed enormous quantities of Combat Suits and all kinds of resources.

Even a resource-rich powerhouse among the five great nations like Great Xia was somewhat stretched thin when it came to Combat Suits and weapons.

Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice.

Lin Ye silently lamented to himself. Then, as he opened the alloy case containing the combat suit—

the first thing that entered his view was an item placed in the center of the case.

A palm-sized silver-white box.

Picking up the exquisitely crafted little combination lockbox, Lin Ye saw that it required a three-digit code to open. Puzzled, he asked, "Is this my Martial Artist Badge?"

"Yes, but not entirely!"

Xu Qi smiled faintly as she looked at the silver box. "Inside is not only your Martial Artist Badge, but also the Honor Medal exclusive to those who join the Great Xia Military!"

"Honor Medal?" Lin Ye asked in confusion. "What is that?"

"An Honor Medal represents merit—your contributions to Great Xia."

Xue Zhan said calmly, "spark, Ember, Kindling, Prairie Fire... they correspond respectively to Warriors, War Generals, War Gods, and those Beyond War God,

These are the Honor Medals unique to the Great Xia Military. The number after them is your sequence number upon joining the military."

"This is my Ember Medal—NO.45."

As he spoke, Xue Zhan pulled open the combat suit at his chest, revealing a dark-red circular medal beneath it.

After taking it off, he carefully introduced it to Lin Ye—

"An Honor Medal does not merely represent merit. It is also the supreme honor of a Great Xia Warrior, and our very lives!"

"More importantly, there is a small needle installed on the inside of the Honor Medal.

As long as the switch is pressed, it will spring out, and the tip of that needle is coated with a medicine called the Divine Spirit Potion!"

"Once this medicine is injected into the body, it will burn all of a person's potential in a short time, causing their strength to surge to a terrifying level."

"Using the source of one's life as kindling to forcibly burn all of a Martial Artist's potential... it is a method of mutual destruction, and also a means of turning the tables in a desperate situation..."

Xue Zhan added in a low voice, tragic scenes flashing through his mind—

Since the Honor Medals and Divine Spirit Potion had appeared, too many Martial Artists had used them—so many that he could no longer count them.

In nearly every Beast Tide, Warriors had unhesitatingly driven their medals into their chests and injected the medicine, trading their potential and all their remaining life for that fleeting burst of strength.

They used their flesh, blood, and lives to hold back the monsters and protect their homes.

"..."

Beside him, Lin Ye silently listened to Xue Zhan's words, his gaze gradually deepening...

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