The setting sun dyed the Africa land into a deep golden red. The heat wave that burned the earth during the day gradually receded, and the evening breeze began to bring a hint of coolness.
The huge expeditionary force camp was lit up with continuous lights, complementing the stars that were first appearing in the sky.
Soldier Li Rui followed the flow of people back to the camp.
The tent area where he is located is neat and tidy, adopts a modular design, and has basic protection and constant temperature functions.
Li Rui walked into his own compartment, inserted the long sword into the weapon holder beside the bed with neat movements, and removed the standard light composite armor covered with a layer of fine sand and dust, revealing the dry sky blue combat uniform underneath.
He did not rest immediately, but walked to a simple metal table and sat down. He took out a tactical tablet from his marching bag, entered his identity code skillfully, and brought up the battle log interface.
Li Rui's fingertips hovered on the screen for a moment, as if he was thinking about something.
Then he started typing.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 001
Location: Expeditionary Force Camp.
Today, I finally set foot on the land of Africa.
There are almost no intact buildings around the airport, and sporadic explosions can be heard in the distance.
We were assigned to a huge temporary camp, with tents growing densely like mushrooms on the flattened land.
Next to it is the large camp of Russia, and you can smell a strong smell of vodka from a long distance away.
The captain said that from now on we will fight together with these allies.
I feel a little unsure.
Then there is Commander Lin Yi.
The way he appeared today, I will never forget it in my life. That is not something humans can do.
With him around, no matter how dangerous the task is, I feel confident.
In the evening, the team leader conveyed an order from Commander Lin Yi: rest for 48 hours, conduct adaptive training, and then use the battalion as a unit to launch preliminary clearing operations in designated areas. The goal is to reduce the density of Abyssal Beast within 500 kilometers around the camp below the safety threshold.
I think this is destined to be a time that will be remembered.
And I, Li Rui, an ordinary Stardust level Source Martial Army soldier, am fortunate to be a member of this torrent.
Li Rui stopped typing, leaned back slightly, and looked through the small observation window in the compartment to the Africa night sky outside.
Soon, Li Rui was involved in intense and intense combat missions. However, whenever he had free time, he would continue to record what happened in his combat log.
Log Entry: Expedition Day 037
Location: Edge of Sahara, Outpost 7
The second crackdown is over.
Our team is responsible for cleaning up Abyssal Beast in an abandoned town.
The process was more difficult than imagined.
The biggest problem is not Abyssal Beast, but coordination.
Our team is assigned a commando named Junkerd, named Karl.
They are very brave people, but their tactics and habits are completely different from ours.
During an assault, he followed their habit and attacked directly, almost trapping the Russia fire support team on our flank.
Although in the end everyone relied on their individual strength to resolve the battle, everyone was broken into a cold sweat.
Karl seemed to be very depressed too. During the break, he sat alone in the corner and wiped his Two-handed Greatsword.
Deputy Commander Liu saw our predicament during his inspection and didn't say anything. He just asked the headquarters to increase the intensity of tactical training and required each team to take time to conduct cooperative drills every day.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 115
Location: Congo River tributary, "Hope" forward base.
Our camp successfully removed a Small Nest.
Although it was completed in collaboration with a special operations battalion from France.
After several months of working together, we have become more and more cooperative with Karl, and a English archer who was added later. She asked us to call her "Iris".
Now, without too many words, just a look or a gesture, everyone can understand each other's intentions.
Karl learned to wait patiently when we set up traps, and Iris could always shoot in time when we needed cover.
We also created some "slang" that is a mixture of multiple languages. For example, "left, furry bear fire coverage" means to let Russia's heavy firepower support the left side, "right, Gaul rush" means to let France teammates penetrate from the right wing.
While cleaning the nest today, I encountered a difficult leader "Corrosive Giant Lizard".
At the critical moment, our team and the France team launched pincer attacks from two directions at the same time, and Iris shot the acid sac on its back with an arrow from a super long distance, and we successfully captured it.
Returning to the newly built "Hope" base, you can see the blue light pillar rising into the sky in the center of the base from a distance - that is the "Source Energy Concentrator" that was just deployed three days ago.
I heard that Commander Lin Yi personally requested that all captured source energy condensers be deployed locally and provided to the expeditionary force.
Every time I come back from a mission and see this beam of light, I feel very at ease, as if I have someone to rely on.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 281
Location: Foothills of Gilimanjaro Mountain, main camp of the expeditionary force "Mountain-Shaking"
Time flies so fast, and in the blink of an eye, it has been almost a year at Africa.
The results of the expeditionary force were remarkable.
Starting from Congo, we have established more than a dozen solid forward bases in the interior, wedged like nails into the area controlled by Abyssal Beast.
Source energy condensers are deployed at each base. Those light pillars soaring into the sky are particularly eye-catching at night, like clusters of civilizational fires ignited on the dark continent.
Abyssal Beast's expansion momentum has been successfully contained.
Although the task of eradication is still arduous, several Africa countries that were on the verge of collapse have recovered their living spaces and are trying to rebuild under the protection of the military.
Being able to see the sparse green reappearing in the fields, that feeling is more satisfying than killing many Abyssal Beasts.
My Source Energy Unit broke through 5,000 points a few days ago and officially entered the second level of Stardust level.
This is inseparable from the training of high-intensity battles, and also cannot be separated from the support of the resources exchanged for the Source Energy Concentrator and Merit System.
The rotation period of the first expeditionary force is coming soon.
Someone in the team is discussing arrangements after returning to China.
But I was a little hesitant.
Seeing that this continent is gradually recovering from the dead silence, and looking at the comrades from all over the world who were once strangers but can now be trusted to support me, I find that I don't want to leave.
In the evening, I submitted an application to extend my service for one year.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 379
Location: Bank of the Nile, permanent fortress city "Dawn"
My application to stay was approved, and because my performance was acceptable, I was appointed as the acting captain of a small team.
In addition to comrade Xia Country, there are also Karl from Junkerd, Iris from English, and a new Russia female soldier Natasha who is taciturn but fierce with swordsmanship.
We have become a truly multinational force.
Daily communication is no longer a problem, and we can even make some harmless jokes with each other.
Natasha is obsessed with Xia Country's hot pot base and has to stock up on it every time.
She told me that she was a graduate of Russia East Peak Branch Campus.
Only then did I realize that there were many foreign students from the "Eastern Edge series" like her in the expeditionary force. English, France, Junkerd, Russia and even some Africa locally selected seedlings had more or less studied at East Peak Branch Campus.
Naturally, Xia Language became the official language of communication between us.
Tactical instructions, daily communication, and even swearing all have a Xia Country flavor from all over the world.
Karl can now curse fluently in Chinese, and Pierre has fallen in love with the universal modal particle "fuck".
In the eyes of ordinary warriors like us, the figures of high-level energy users are like the sea-fixing needle.
As for Commander Lin Yi, he is more like a legend.
We can often see a golden stream of light piercing the sky at a speed beyond imagination and disappearing into the distance. We don't know where it is going, and we don't know when it will return.
But every time he leaves, we feel extremely relieved, because we know that he will never let a terrifying existence that truly exceeds our ability to deal with appear on our battlefield.
This invisible protection gives people more confidence than any words.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 673
Location: "Mountain-Shaking" camp, personal training room
Just today, I succeeded.
Source Energy Unit:10000 points!
Feeling the surging energy in my body, I was so excited that I almost screamed.
Stardust level Tier 3.
This is a level that was unimaginable in the country before.
In the past two years, I have been tempered by blood and fire, countless struggles on the edge of life and death, and the excellent resources provided by the expeditionary force, finally allowed me to cross this threshold.
When we walked out of the training room, Karl happily said "congratulations" to me and patted my shoulder so hard that I almost fell apart.
Natasha handed me a small bottle of Russia's "Fire" wine, and Iris smiled and said that I had finally caught up with her level. She just broke through last month.
After the breakthrough, I did not hesitate for a moment and immediately submitted the application to join Source Martial Army Instructor Corps through Merit System.
This has been my goal all along.
Journal Entry: Expeditionary Force Day 691
Location: Africa Canyon somewhere covered with wind-eroded rocks.
Training Corps's application has been approved!
From next month, I will be a reserve member.
The team members congratulated me one after another and asked me to treat them to a meal.
I agreed on the spot that after completing today's goal, I would invite them to have a nice meal.
Our team's goal today is to clear a mine deep in the canyon that is suspected to be occupied by Leader level Abyssal Beast"Rock-Armored Venom Lizard".
The mission level is not low, but for our team that has been working together for two years, it is pretty routine.
Just when we confirmed the final action plan and prepared to enter the canyon, the merit bracelets on everyone's wrists and the communicators on our off-road vehicles simultaneously issued the highest priority beep.
A message pops up at the top of every display:
[Army-wide notice]
[Theme: Breakthrough Observation]
[Content: Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief Blue Star United Expeditionary Force, Lin Yi, will officially try to break through the Star Core level level at 8:00 a. m. tomorrow.]
[In order to enlighten the underachievers and demonstrate the way of strength, the breakthrough process will be broadcast live through Intelligent Life simulation means to all members of the expeditionary force and Blue Star Community member states.]
[I hope that all those who meet the conditions will observe and learn from it by then.]
I felt my heart suddenly contract and then start beating wildly, blood rushed to the top of my head, and there was a buzzing in my ears.
Star Core level!
Commander Lin Yi is about to break through Star Core level, and the entire process is live broadcast!