Ember Medal!

Inside the meeting room.

Lin Ye didn't say much. He picked up the pen on the table and signed his name under Party B on the last page.

Three copies total, signed quickly.

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

After that, he passed them to her.

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

Xu Qi took the contracts, smiled, and extended a hand. "From now on, you are a High-tier War General of the Great Xia military, and also Colonel Lin of our Shancheng Military."

"I believe that in the near future, Great Xia will gain another peak-level powerhouse—one who will clear the Beast Tide, blaze a trail for Great Xia's future, and light the way ahead!"

Lin Ye smiled and shook her hand.

"I don't have such lofty ambitions. I just don't want to lose the people closest to me again. But... to repay you for saving my sister's life, I will give it my all."

Xu Qi met his gaze and saw the firmness in his eyes, the bright spirit within—a man who clearly meant every word.

"Welcome, Colonel Lin!" Xue Zhan also stood up, his stern, square face full of smiles as he extended a hand to Lin Ye.

Lin Ye shook hands with this veteran High-tier War General, then released his grip and asked curiously, "Hall Master Xue, when can I receive the benefits listed in this contract?"

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

Xue Zhan glanced at Xu Qi and said jokingly, "She's the one in charge of distributing them."

The latter raised an eyebrow slightly. "...Hm?"

"I'm talking about the High-tier War General Combat Suit, the Battle Saber... and the complete Nine Splendor Art." Lin Ye spoke calmly, but his eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.

Xu Qi nodded.

She had already expected this outcome when she gave Lin Ye the first half of the Nine Splendor Art last time.

At the end of the day, no martial artist could turn down a better Guidance Technique.

"I've already notified them."

"Wait a moment, and the items will be delivered. This human base happens to have a set of High-tier War General equipment prepared, and the Nine Splendor Art is naturally available as well."

Xu Qi stared at Lin Ye, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of her lips.

Lin Ye gave a slight nod and returned the smile.

He understood perfectly well that for a martial artist who hadn't joined the military, even obtaining a partial cultivation method from the Nine Splendor Art was a rare stroke of luck.

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

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

As a newcomer to the military, there was still much he needed to learn, and he had to humbly seek guidance from these two seniors.

Just as their conversation was hitting its stride, a soft knock came from the door.

In less than five minutes, two officers of no small rank carried a seventy-centimeter-square aluminum alloy case into the meeting room.

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

"This is the Combat Suit prepared for you. It can withstand and weaken attacks from High-level Beast Generals. As for the saber, it can break through the defenses of a High-level Beast General. As for higher-grade equipment..."

Xu Qi paused here, her beautiful eyes dimming slightly.

Beside her, Xue Zhan let out a soft sigh and took over. "Because the military can only obtain limited materials from Lord Monsters, the amount of Kro Alloy we can synthesize is also scarce."

"As a result, the number of War God-level weapons and Combat Suits... is barely enough for the current War Gods. There simply isn't any surplus stock."

"We wanted to prepare something better for you, but unfortunately, our reach exceeds our grasp."

After speaking, Xue Zhan glanced at Lin Ye, his eyes filled with deep helplessness and melancholy.

"It's fine." Lin Ye shook his head lightly and smiled. "For now, using a High-tier War General Combat Suit is more than enough for me."

"Besides, I'm not foolish enough to go fight a Lord Monster to the death right now. I won't need higher-grade equipment for the time being."

"Haha... that's for the best. What you need now is to grow properly. In the future, you'll surely be one of the finest among Great Xia's War Gods. When that day comes, you won't have to worry about having enough Lord Monsters to kill!"

Xue Zhan's rough, calloused hand patted Lin Ye on the shoulder, his face full of admiration.

Xu Qi also looked at Lin Ye with a smile.

But then.

Lin Ye's smile faded from his eyes, and a bitter ache settled in his heart.

Having spent years roaming the wilderness and frequently dealing with frontline troops, he was all too familiar with the current predicament of the Great Xia military.

Ever since the large-scale war between humans and monsters began four years ago, Great Xia had been engulfed in endless conflict.

Wave after wave of Beast Tides, large and small, had drained the front lines of Combat Suits and all kinds of resources at an enormous rate.

Even a resource-rich nation like Great Xia—one of the five great powers—was struggling to keep up with the demand for Combat Suits and weapons.

"Even the cleverest housewife can't cook without rice."

Lin Ye silently sighed to himself, then opened the alloy case containing the Combat Suit—

The first thing that caught his eye was an item placed at the center of the case.

A silver-white box the size of a palm.

Picking up this finely crafted little combination lock, Lin Ye saw it required a three-digit code to open. Confused, he asked, "Is this my martial artist badge?"

"Yes, but not entirely!"

Xu Qi smiled faintly, looking at the silver box as she said, "Inside isn't just your martial artist badge, but also the exclusive Honor Medal you'll receive after joining the Great Xia military!"

"Honor Medal?" Lin Ye didn't understand. "What's that?"

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

Xue Zhan said calmly, "Spark, Ember, Kindling, Prairie Fire... These correspond to Warrior, War General, War God, and those who transcend War God. They're the exclusive Honor Medals of our Great Xia military. The number after it is your military serial number."

"This is my 'Ember' medal—NO.45."

As he spoke, Xue Zhan pulled open the front of his Combat Suit, revealing a dark red circular medal.

He took it off and earnestly explained to Lin Ye—

"The Honor Medal isn't just a symbol of merit. It's the supreme honor of a Great Xia soldier—our very life!"

"More importantly, a small needle is embedded inside the medal. Press the switch, and it pops out. The tip of the needle is coated with a drug called 'Divine Spirit Potion.'"

"Once this drug pierces the body, it burns all of a person's potential in a short time, boosting their strength to a terrifying level."

"Using the essence of life as Kindling, it forcibly burns all of a warrior's potential... It's a mutual destruction tactic, and a last-ditch counterattack..."

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

Since the Honor Medal and Divine Spirit Potion appeared, too many warriors had used them—more than he could count.

Almost every Beast Tide, soldiers would unflinchingly stab the medal into their chests, inject the drug, and trade their potential and remaining life for that fleeting surge of power.

With their own flesh and blood, they held back the monsters and defended their homeland.

"..."

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