As soon as Lu Ming and the hundred other new World Lords entered the huge hall in the World Lord camp, recruiters from various squads swarmed around them.
"The newcomers are here!"
"Are there any World Lord Generals in this batch?"
"Where are the World Lord Generals?"
The commotion made many of the new World Lords frown.
Seeing this, their guide raised his voice. "There are three World Lord Generals among this batch of newcomers!"
As soon as he spoke, the recruiters' Optical Computers all received the details.
In an instant, a flood of eyes focused on Lu Ming and the other two.
Veterans who had spent years fighting on the Outer-Domain Battlefield knew that, among newcomers, anyone who wasn't a World Lord General faced a terrifyingly high death rate.
Before long, people had crowded around Lu Ming.
"Brother Flame Edge, come join the Fierce Tiger Squad. We have three undying warriors!"
"Join the Spark Squad! We have the most complete lineup!"
Lu Ming glanced over the enthusiastic recruiters, then stopped on a woman with an alluring air and a soft white fox tail behind her.
Three impressive-looking team members stood behind her.
"I'm Moon Princess, captain of the Phantom Fox Squad."
The fox-tailed woman smiled sweetly.
"Our squad recently went through a reorganization, and we need fresh blood."
Lu Ming considered it briefly. It made no difference to him which squad he joined.
As soon as he earned enough military merit, he'd be free to go his own way. In that case, he might as well choose this squad.
No other reason.
It was easy on the eyes.
"Fine. I'll join."
A flash of satisfaction passed through Moon Princess's eyes. "Come with me."
A short while later, they were seated around a table in a corner of the camp.
A blue-haired young man holding a snow-white beast whistled. "Nice work, Captain! There were three World Lord Generals in this batch, and you managed to recruit one!"
The little beast in his arms chimed in with a cry.
Moon Princess shot the young man a look, then smiled at Lu Ming. "Don't mind him. This is Beast King. He's always blurting things out."
A tall man in dark red armor spoke in a low voice. "Blood Blade. World Lord General. Specializes in close combat."
Mysterious patterns covered his face, glowing faintly as he spoke.
The last member, a woman with pointed ears and delicate features, said softly, "Wind Spirit. Controller."
Moon Princess introduced them to Lu Ming. "Our squad originally had six members. Last month, we ran into an Alien Race elite squad in a secret realm and lost two teammates."
Her voice was calm, but a trace of sadness flickered in her eyes.
Beast King stroked the little beast in his arms and, for once, spoke seriously. "Shadow Blade and Iron Wall were the ones we lost. They were both good people."
Only then did Lu Ming understand why the squad's mood seemed so subdued.
"Casualties are the norm on the Outer-Domain Battlefield."
Moon Princess looked at Lu Ming.
"The Ninth Battlefield is notorious as a meat grinder. Less than three percent of newcomers survive. World Lord Generals have slightly better odds, but a lot still comes down to luck."
She began explaining the precautions in detail. "Remember, strength matters here, but so do luck and your teammates. Don't try to be a hero when danger comes. Retreat when you need to."
During the training that followed, Lu Ming gradually got to know his teammates' strengths.
Moon Princess was an illusionist with a deep understanding of spiritual attacks. "Flame Edge, your Fire Law and space law are powerful, but watch out for the Machine Race's advanced weapons. They're especially good at countering warriors like you."
Though Beast King seemed carefree, there was no underestimating a beast tamer's abilities.
His Snow Shadow Beast displayed astonishing speed in the simulations.
Blood Blade was a man of few words, but he held nothing back while teaching Lu Ming close-combat techniques. "The ones who survive on the battlefield always put staying alive first."
Wind Spirit didn't say much, but every time she struck, her aim was uncanny.
She privately told Lu Ming, "Captain Moon Princess takes good care of the squad. You'll have a much better chance of surviving with her."
Half a month later, Moon Princess gathered everyone. "Get ready. We're heading out."
Excitement flashed in Beast King's eyes. "Finally, time to stretch my legs!"
Wind Spirit silently checked her telekinetic weapons, while Blood Blade began polishing his War Blade.
They made their way to the departure hall, where all kinds of spacecraft were parked. Moon Princess took out a streamlined purple spacecraft. "Get aboard."
The spacecraft's lounge was built entirely from F9-grade Metal, making it the safest place in the squad.
"Relax, everyone."
Moon Princess looked at her teammates.
"Same as always: Blood Blade takes the front, Wind Spirit provides ranged support, Beast King backs us up, and Flame Edge, you stick with me."
Since it was Lu Ming's first time on the Outer-Domain Battlefield, his teammates were all looking out for him.
As the passageway opened, the purple spacecraft streaked out of the base.
Once it had left the safety zone and entered the vast starry sky, everyone instinctively turned to look back at the enormous Barracks Base.
Moon Princess's voice rang through the cabin. "The trial of life and death starts now."
As the spacecraft sailed steadily through the frontier star region of the Ninth Battlefield, the mood in the lounge gradually relaxed.
The first stretch of the journey after leaving the Barracks Base was relatively safe, after all. It was a good time for the squad to settle in and get to know one another.
"Hey, Flame Edge."
Beast King toyed with the Snow Shadow Beast in his arms as he gave Lu Ming a sidelong glance.
"That's a pretty impressive codename you've got there. Just hope you're as 'sharp' when it comes to a fight. Don't tell me your legs will start shaking the moment you see the Alien Race. That'd be a real embarrassment! Hahaha!"
He was always blunt, teasing people without any malice.
The Snow Shadow Beast seemed to pick up on its master's mood. It gave Lu Ming an "awoo" and bared its teeth, but it wasn't intimidating in the slightest. If anything, it looked a little comical.
Before Lu Ming could reply, Blood Blade spoke without looking up from the War Blade he was polishing. "Beast King, keep an eye on yourself and your cat. Last time we ran into trouble, your Little Snow got greedy and rushed ahead, alerting that Machine Race patrol. We wouldn't have been chased halfway across a star region by three L-133 Mechanical Puppets otherwise."
His voice was flat.
Beast King reacted as if someone had stepped on his tail, almost jumping to his feet. "Hey, hey, hey! Blood Blade, you old grouch, why bring that up now? How was that my fault? The intel was wrong! Besides, wasn't it my Little Snow's speed that shook them off in the end? You're the one who trudged behind with that giant blade, eating dust. What do you know about tactical maneuvering?"
He stuck out his neck, his face turning red.
Wind Spirit's cool voice drifted over. She was elegantly adjusting several wind-chime-shaped telekinetic weapons hovering in front of her.
"Beast King, that wasn't maneuvering. You were running for your life. And you also stole the fruit-flavored energy bar I'd saved."
"I..."
Ganged up on by the two of them, Beast King was briefly at a loss for words. He huffed and dropped back into his seat, vigorously rubbing Snow Shadow Beast's head.
"Little Snow, look at them. They're picking on us! You're the only one who's nice to me!"
Snow Shadow Beast let out a miserable whimper as he rubbed it, looking utterly resigned to its fate.
Watching her teammates bicker, Captain Moon Princess wore a helpless smile. Her soft white fox tail swayed gently.
"Enough, all of you. Beast King, try to keep that mouth of yours in check. Flame Edge is new—don't scare him off. Blood Blade, Wind Spirit, the same goes for you. There's no point bringing up old business over and over again."