Joining the Assault Team

Afternoon.

Sunlight, tinged with a hint of laziness, gently caressed the earth.

After escorting the unwell Yang Lingxia home and settling her in, Xu Shan and Xu Feng set off for Piao Zhi Yong's raid team office.

As befitted a raid team led by a C-Class Hunter, the office's grandeur far exceeded Xu Feng's imagination.

Located in a relatively quiet neighborhood, it covered an area of over ten thousand square meters.

The main structure was a clean-lined three-story building, finished entirely in silver-gray tones.

Behind the building lay a spacious, level training ground, fully equipped with all kinds of apparatus—clearly a welfare facility for the team members' daily practice.

Stepping into the bright and spacious lobby, aside from a few clerical staff handling paperwork, the most eye-catching sight was the figures seated on the sofas in the front rest area.

They lounged in various postures, but without exception, each exuded a unique aura of seasoned combat and considerable strength.

Four men and two women.

The leader, around forty years old with a refined face, was none other than the raid team captain, Piao Zhi Yong.

He wore a pale cyan magic robe, its fabric subtly flowing with natural patterns, and held a staff about half his height, topped with a gem of interwoven cyan and blue that radiated a warm, abundant mana fluctuation.

He looked every bit a high-ranking mage stepped out of a fantasy epic novel.

The other five were equally striking.

A burly man sat bare-chested, his skin bronze, with a massive broadsword nearly as tall as himself slung diagonally across his back. Even seated, he carried an immovable, mountain-like solidity.

Another woman wore a form-fitting black leather hunting suit that accentuated her curvaceous figure, her eyes lively with a hint of wildness.

On these people, Xu Feng could clearly sense a threat far greater than that of the Octopus Monsters from the previous night.

This was the aura tempered through real life-and-death combat, along with formidable strength!

"Old Xu, you're here?"

Piao Zhi Yong stood up first, a warm smile on his face as he stepped forward to pat Xu Shan on the shoulder. Then he turned his gaze to Xu Feng, sizing him up with an appreciative glint in his eyes.

"So this is Xiao Feng? Truly impressive bearing, full of spirit."

"Hello, Uncle Piao." Xu Feng wore a perfectly timed shy smile, greeting him politely.

As he observed the group, the raid team members also studied the newcomer with interest.

"Oh, a new face for the team? And a handsome one at that!"

The woman in black leather lit up, nudging another lively, pretty female teammate beside her with her elbow, lowering her voice to tease, "Xiao Wen, what do you think? Does he suit your taste?"

"Sister Na! What nonsense are you saying!"

The teammate called Xiao Wen instantly flushed crimson, spitting back in mock indignation as she made to kick her, but her sidelong glance couldn't help drifting back to Xu Feng.

It had to be said, Xu Feng's upright posture and handsome features were highly approachable, easily winning first impressions.

Only a hair's breadth behind the readers' own looks.

Meanwhile, Xu Shan exchanged a few low words with Piao Zhi Yong, then nodded at Xu Feng and turned toward the miscellaneous processing area on the other side of the office.

He still had his own work to finish.

"Xiao Feng, these are the core members of our raid team. Come on, everyone, introduce yourselves and get familiar." Piao Zhi Yong gestured with a smile.

Feeling Xu Feng's gaze, the burly man with the greatsword on the far left grinned first, flashing a row of white teeth, his voice booming like a bell:

"Jin Shan, D-Class Intermediate Hunter, Physique-type, specializing in frontal assault and tanking!" He slapped his thick chest, producing a dull thud.

Next, the man beside him, wearing a light gray magic robe with a slightly lean build, pushed up his glasses and spoke in a calm tone:

"Li Ze Yuan, D-Class Low-level Hunter, Earth Element Mage, skilled in mid-to-long-range terrain control and restriction."

"Kuang Lei, D-Class High-level Hunter, Fire Element Mage." Another man with a stern face, clad in a red-trimmed magic robe, said curtly, "Responsible for long-range fire coverage and burst damage."

The woman in leather lounged lazily on the sofa, her long legs crossed, winking at Xu Feng:

"Luna, D-Class Intermediate Hunter, specialized archer. Recon, target acquisition, mid-range precision kills are my forte."

She then draped an arm around the pretty female teammate's shoulder, adding with a grin, "This sweetie next to me is Mai Xiao Wen, D-Class Intermediate Hunter, Light Element Mage. She can use flash spells for close-range control and provide decent healing support. Pretty impressive, right? Feeling a spark?"

Xu Feng paused for a moment, then nodded seriously, "Impressive!"

"Sister Na! Stop teasing me!" Mai Xiao Wen's face grew even redder, pulling away from Luna's arm as she looked at Xu Feng with some embarrassment, explaining softly, "Don't listen to Sister Na's nonsense..."

Xu Feng's eyes held a smile, his face always wearing a friendly expression.

Mai Xiao Wen was indeed sweet and pretty, with a clean aura—the type that easily won people over.

As for the goodwill she showed, he was already used to it; he'd received plenty of attention for his looks during his school days.

He took the opportunity to pick up the conversation, his attitude sincere: "I'm new here, so I hope all you seniors will guide me from now on. My name is Xu Feng, just call me Xiao Feng. D-Class Intermediate Hunter, Physique-type, currently leaning more toward defense and close-quarters combat." As he spoke, he opened the cloth bag he'd been carrying and took out several wool scarves in different colors and patterns, handing them one by one to the six team members present. "These were knitted by my mother in her spare time—nothing valuable, but the material is solid, and they're quite warm to wear in winter. Just a small token; I hope you won't mind." This was something Yang Lingxia had dug out and given to her son after learning he was going to meet his teammates, instructing him to use it to build rapport.

"Oh, there's gifts too! Xiao Feng's too polite!" Jin Shan laughed heartily, taking a dark brown scarf without any hesitation and draping it over his neck for a quick comparison. "Perfect timing, it's been getting a bit chilly lately! Say thanks to your aunt for me!" "Xiao Feng is thoughtful." Piao Zhi Yong also smiled as he accepted a dark green scarf, nodding. "Thanks." Li Ze Yuan and Kuang Lei took theirs politely as well. "So pretty! Thank your aunt for me!" Mai Xiao Wen held a cream-white scarf, her eyes curving into crescents. Luna toyed with a wine-red scarf and teased, "Xiao Feng's handsome and knows how to handle things—he'll definitely be popular in the team." "It's only right. I'll be relying on all of you from now on," Xu Feng said humbly. "Easy, easy! From now on, Xiao Feng's one of us brothers. If anyone dares bully you, they'll have to see if this thing in my hands agrees first!" Jin Shan patted the greatsword on his back and said boldly, then his eyes darted to Piao Zhi Yong. "Captain, with a new member joining, such a happy occasion—shouldn't we arrange something tonight? Go out for a few drinks and celebrate properly?" "Drink, drink, drink—that's all you know!" Piao Zhi Yong scolded with a laugh, raising his foot as if to kick Jin Shan's rear. "Last time we took on that D-class 'Mud Swamp Cave,' someone was dead drunk the night before and had shaky legs the next day, almost got snatched by that Mud Pit Giant Crocodile! And you want to celebrate?" "I didn't have shaky legs! That was just... a tactical wobble! A little dirt on the clothes!" Jin Shan's old face flushed red as he stiffened his neck to argue, though his eyes guiltily drifted elsewhere, as if complaining that the captain was airing his dirty laundry in front of the newcomer. "You still talk back!" Piao Zhi Yong pretended to kick again, and Jin Shan dodged with a cheeky grin. Watching this relaxed, harmonious atmosphere of mutual teasing without any malice, Xu Feng's smile grew more genuine. His father was right—the raid team led by Piao Zhi Yong had great internal relations. There was none of the scheming or deliberate hazing of newcomers described in some novels. Thinking it over, it made sense. Without fundamental conflicts of interest, in the perilous environment of the dungeon, your teammates were your most reliable support and your lifeline. Only someone with a screw loose would deliberately sour team dynamics. A united, well-coordinated team clearly had far higher survival rates and mission completion rates than a scattered bunch.

Ding--!