When Lin Yi emerged, his teammates immediately gathered around him.
Kenkes was visibly excited, his colorful short hair seeming even brighter than before. Besides admiration, Ai Wen Whisper's ice-blue eyes held a hint of puzzlement, while Star Firefly stared at Lin Yi with open curiosity.
Mo Yuan remained as aloof and stern as ever, but deep in his eyes, alongside his acknowledgment of Lin Yi's strength, a flame called competition quietly burned.
Amber clenched her small hands tightly, as if still reliving the captain's earth-shattering final strike.
"Captain!" "Captain, that was amazing!"
Everyone crowded around him at once.
Lin Yi waved them off and looked toward the figures approaching from different directions. "Let's find somewhere to talk in a bit. We have guests."
The first to arrive were several representatives of squads they had never dealt with before. They were of different races, but all wore carefully calibrated smiles that blended friendliness with respect.
"Congratulations, Captain Lin Yi." A Spirit Race man in a star-patterned robe, who looked like a squad captain, placed a hand over his chest in salute. "I am an aide of the Eye of the Stars. I hope we can exchange contact marks. Perhaps we can discuss our insights into the rules in the future."
As he spoke, a contact mark glowing with a faint blue light appeared before him.
Another figure, a gifted member of the Shadow Race whose lithe form seemed to be made of shadows, spoke in a whisper. "Captain Lin Yi, I hope we might have the chance to work together on a mission someday."
He, too, offered a contact mark that seemed to ripple with a concealed energy.
Lin Yi remained composed, greeting them like a host receiving visitors. Through Xuanji, he exchanged basic contact permissions with them.
That was how