Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Lin Fu suddenly recalled the data collected by the system; among the Lin family, there was an exceptionally dazzling illegitimate daughter, one who even his father's uncle couldn't compare with—a person whom even his grandfather had to yield to.

Lin Sizhen.

Or rather, Lin Sizhen.

The former was the name given to her by her grandfather in the family genealogy; the latter was the name she chose for herself.

Although the Lin family members addressed her by the first name, publicly, Lin Sizhen only acknowledged the second name, showing utter disdain for the matters of the family genealogy.

And yet, the Lin family dared not press her.

Because she had never been raised by the Lin family, even before the Lin family recognized her as an illegitimate daughter, she had already made a name for herself in the interstellar realms as the notorious leader of the Uztamon Star Thieves.

She was someone competent and with enough personality.

Perhaps it would be worth meeting her.

He didn't believe that at the gates of Artemis, she would dare do anything to him.

Of course, what he least believed was that Lin Sizhen would obediently listen to the Lin family.

Otherwise, either the system's collected data was incorrect, or the sun was rising from the west.

Upon reaching the school gates, he caught sight of a tall figure with short hair and androgynous attire, making it difficult for him to discern whether it was Lin Sizhen or not for a moment.

It wasn't until the figure heard some noise and turned around to reveal a gentle and soft face, with delicate features typically characteristic of females, that he was surprised. Unexpectedly, it blended well with her current attire, likely thanks to her unique temperament.

She first raised her eyebrows in surprise, sizing up Lin Fu from head to toe with a congratulatory tone: "I saw you once a long time ago; you were timid back then, but now you’ve grown up quite well. It turns out there are intelligent people in the Lin family, too. It's a pity that they raised you without you turning out crooked.”

She mercilessly belittled the Lin family, without the slightest intention of considering herself a part of it.

Lin Fu hesitated for a while, unsure of what to call her.

Theoretically, she was his aunt, but since she was unwilling to be associated with the Lin family, calling her that might displease Lin Sizhen.

Seeing his hesitation, Lin Sizhen generously said, “Call me aunt. I can acknowledge you as my nephew, at least. Do you know why the old man asked me to come here?”

Lin Fu: "To drag me back?"

Lin Sizhen: "Since you're well aware, there's no need for further admonition from me. I won't lift a finger to help the Lin family; I'm merely curious about the kind of person who would make them so desperate that they'd swallow their pride to ask for my assistance." As she spoke, a mocking smile played on her lips, an expression of ridicule that, surprisingly, didn't seem harsh or jarring on her gentle face.

Lin Fu: "...Aunt, do you know why they're doing this?"

Lin Sizhen: "Don't ask me. If I knew, I would've told you already. To get to the bottom of this, whether for revenge or something else, you'll have to do it yourself. Relying on others is useless."

Lin Fu nodded.

Lin Sizhen waved her hand dismissively: "Well, that's that. Now that we've met, if there’s truly something you can't handle, you can come to me."

Her arrival was sudden, and so was her departure. Watching her disappear into the distance, Lin Fu felt a growing sense of fondness.

Despite her aloof demeanor, she was genuinely kind-hearted.

He wondered whether it was a pity or a blessing that she hadn't grown up in the Lin family.

*

The Wild Star Tournament was scheduled to begin half a month earlier than planned, prompting military academies to gather their contestants to explain the rules and share experiences from previous years.

Apart from the top-tier military academies, most were focused on how to survive and emerge from the Wild Star Tournament.

No matter how the netizens protested, they couldn't overcome the firm resolve of the council.

Half a month later, the Wild Star Tournament officially commenced.

Lin Fu followed his team to the starship port, where they encountered representatives from the Royal Military Academy.

Lin Shi wasn’t among them, but Luo Lin was.

The expressions of those from the Royal Military Academy darkened upon seeing them, their demeanors hostile.

If it weren't for the presence of their instructors, a brawl might have broken out right there in the port.

The anger and resentment, mostly directed towards Lin Fu, caught him by surprise.

He immediately reacted, whispering to Albert, "What happened to Lin Shi after the academy celebration tournament?"

Albert responded with surprise, "You didn't know? He had a psychic breakdown, was demoted several levels, from an S-level to a B+ level Sentinel. Moreover, I heard his psychic trauma is quite severe, extremely prone to stimulation and psychic outbursts. He's been advised against returning to the battlefield. He's still in the hospital, hasn't been discharged yet, and the Lin family has already withdrawn him from the Royal Military Academy."

Lin Fu hadn't expected the situation to be so grave.

Albert lowered his voice to ask, "Is your psychic strength that formidable? What would your level be if you fully recovered?"

Lin Fu was surprised himself; he had been in a state of mental chaos at the time, and upon awakening, he barely remembered anything. He could only reply, "The potential assessment before my birth was S+."

Albert affirmed confidently, "Then it must be S+. What was the Lin family thinking, neglecting such a prodigy, treating him so disdainfully?"

After saying this, he patted Lin Fu's shoulder, "There aren't many sane people in the Lin family. It's good that you extracted yourself from that misery early on."

Tang Qian couldn't stand it, he walked over and pulled Albert's arm from Lin Fu's shoulder, "From afar, it looks like you two are hugging. Albert, he's a Guide, mind your behavior."

Albert chuckled, "We're all brothers here. Ask anyone in Artemis who treats him like a Guide?"

Tang Qian: "..."

Amidst their playful banter, the military ship loomed near.

The starship, used to transport military academy students to the Wild Star Tournament, was far less impressive than the military ship they had taken to return to the Imperial Capital Star with Cheng Jiu.

Lin Fu glanced at it a few times before losing interest.

Artemis was assigned several adjacent rooms, four people to a room.

Zong Si had also signed up for the competition and was allocated to the same room as Lin Fu and the others.

Heading out along the same corridor, they encountered many other contestants from various academies of the Imperial Capital Star, less renowned than the top five military academies.

They were all strangers to each other, exchanging polite nods as greetings upon sight.

The chosen planet for the tournament was extremely remote, nearing the front lines of the war with the insectoid species, far more dangerous than in previous years.

It would require two days of space jumping to reach the destination.

Lin Fu's small trio, joined by Zong Si, formed a group of four and headed to the food area to collect their nutrient solutions.

Since it was provided for free by the officials, Lin Fu unapologetically chose the most expensive high-grade nutrient solution, one that could provide energy for nearly half a week, with a variety of flavors to choose from.

However, after trying a sip, he gave up on tasting it and expressionlessly downed the entire thing in one gulp.

He had chosen an apple-flavored one, which, upon tasting, was reminiscent of a rotten, moldy apple.

The other three didn't seem to find any issue with it, happily drinking the foul concoction and even sneakily pondering whether to pocket a couple more bottles to boost their supplies.

Lin Fu mercilessly quashed their fantasies, "If any of you can manage to conceal it, consider it my loss."

The astute Albert, upon hearing this, chose to abandon the idea, while Zong Si, undeterred, pocketed two bottles.

He didn't believe that anyone could detect them once he hid them in his military boots, even with the detection shields activated!

Tang Qian, wrinkling his nose and turning away, couldn't fathom why Zong Si would want to stash nutrient fluid in his boots, seemingly to disgust someone.

Before the final jump, Bazel and Gong Yuan gathered everyone from Artemis for one last talk, distributing a button to each person, instructing them to replace it with the one on their uniform.

Zong Si, visibly excited, blurted, "Teacher, are you helping us cheat? Don't worry, we'll snatch up all ten energy cores!"

Bazel smacked him on the back of the head, "Cheat, my foot!"

Zong Si cradled his head, wearing a mask of agony.

It hurt so much.

"One for each, a magnetic field disruptor. The periphery of the Wild Star is teeming with insectoids year-round, and its magnetic field differs from that of our residential stars. The storage devices you carry are easily affected. Wearing this will be a precaution."

They all nodded obediently.

He continued, "The outcome of the Wild Star Tournament isn't important. What's important is that you all come back alive. Remember on the field, be wary not just of the insectoids, but also of the other military academy students. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"—Spatial jump is about to commence, please return to your rooms and refrain from moving about—"

"—Alert, spatial jump is about to commence, please return to your rooms and refrain from moving about—"

"Countdown to spatial jump begins: 59, 58, 57..."

"Beep—"

The twisting, wrenching sensation was mostly insulated by the military ship, yet its inhabitants could still feel it.

Everyone sat on their beds, their faces betraying nothing out of the ordinary.

In future battles against the bug race in their mechs, they would face a tearing sensation far more intense than this.

The warp lasted for about ten minutes, the sensation of distortion gradually fading away.

The broadcast announced again: "— Ten minutes remaining to the destination star. Please prepare yourselves —"

With nervous fingers, Zong Si touched his knees, pressing his legs together. He shot Albert a look, signaling him to cover for him later.

Albert decided to blind himself to the passing ten minutes.

Even if Lin Fu had mentioned it was an impossible feat, he didn't want to lose face by following suit.

Zong Si: "......"

Everyone left the room, headed for the launch pod, and boarded the spacecraft, ready to be deployed onto the barren planet.

Zong Si, his face flushed with tension, blended into Artemis's team. Albert was speechless but ultimately, the trio decided to help him.

Rolling his eyes, Lin Fu walked through the detection gate, staggering after a few steps and startling the operators on either side, who almost rushed to stabilize him.

Albert, pulling Zong Si, made it through the detection gate just in time. Tang Qian lingered in front of the gate for a few seconds, pretending to undergo the check attentively before following.

Zong Si's breath rushed out, his heart sinking.

Halfway through, someone pulled him back: "You there, stop!"

"Go through the detection gate again!"

The four of them: "......"

Albert patted his shoulder.

Embarrass yourself alone. This time, brothers can't help you.

The three walked through the detection gate in unison, without a hitch.

Zong Si was the last to walk through. The green light at the top of the detection gate abruptly turned red, as striking as the color of his flushed face.

"Take out the item."

Zong Si's face flushed crimson as he pulled out two scent-laden nutrient solutions from his military boots and handed them over to the staff.

Then, he bolted away swiftly.

Bazil watched as the faces of Artemis's team were shamefully smeared by these fledglings: "......"

If only he had known, he would have slapped them even harder back then!

*

Ignoring the peculiar expressions of others, the four sat upright in the spacecraft, clutching their supply bags and manuals, waiting for deployment.

While personal neural links were permitted, they were of little use on the barren planet with no signal.

Space storage devices were forbidden, with the exception of those designated for mechs.

Albert sighed, "Lin Fu, do you think it's possible for us to craft a pot once we're on the barren planet?"

Lin Fu replied, "It's not possible."

Albert's spirits instantly deflated.

Lin Fu added, "But we can make dishes that don't require a pot."

Albert's eyes sparkled with hope!

The spacecraft entered the barren planet's atmosphere and began the deployment process.

Lin Fu and his group were dropped off in a desert. From the heights, they could see greenery in the distance, but upon landing, they realized the vastness of the yellow sand and dust.

Having deposited its passengers, the spacecraft departed.

The barren planet competition officially commenced.

Yan Yan, the team leader, took charge of this round.

The barren planet competition, compared to the academy anniversary race, emphasized individual prowess more, with schoolmates also serving as competitors.

However, as a respected senior soon to graduate, Yan Yan inevitably bore the responsibility of leading the team.

Among those deployed with them were cadets from other imperial military academies, who anxiously eyed Yan Yan, fearing he might order them away.

Sticking with the students from the top five military academies offered the greatest safety.

If they were to venture out alone, they might not survive a day before being devoured by the bug species.

Fortunately, he did not do so.

Surveying the surroundings, Yan Yan instructed, "Let's find a water source first. There's no new energy here, and our backup energy is limited, so don't use the mechs indiscriminately. Arm yourselves with cold weapons for now."

"Understood."

Heads nodded in agreement.

Lin Fu withdrew a Tang sword from his storage device, gripping it tightly.

The sandstorm was intense, forcing everyone to squint and lower their heads as they walked, bracing for the temperature drop if they couldn’t escape the desert by nightfall.

The howling wind battered their eardrums, silencing even the usually lively Albert, who trudged on, head bowed.

Yan Yan released his spirit form to scout ahead, venturing far to survey the landscape.

The barren planet competition featured ten energy cores scattered throughout. Securing all ten could end the contest early.

Regrettably, in previous years, not only had the competition not ended early, but no one had even managed to collect all the energy cores by the end.

With conditions more brutal this year, entertaining such hopes was futile.

Survival was the primary objective.

They hadn’t gone far when the sand shifted, and brown-black bugs emerged from the ground.

This was the first time the military academy students faced the bug species independently, causing many from the other academies to falter.

Yan Yan remained composed, issuing instructions: "They're sand-grey bugs, a low-level species with minimal lethality, so there's no need for fear. Keep your spirit forms protecting your mental seas."

As he spoke, the sand-grey bugs closed in. He swung his weapon, annihilating a swath of them, their ghastly green blood staining the sand.

Lin Fu, too, wielded his blade with a steely gaze, slashing through the horde.

The putrid stench furrowed his brows even tighter.

Seeing Artemis easily decimate swathes of enemies, cadets from other military academies grew bolder and began to join the fray.

It took roughly ten minutes to deal with this minor issue. Lin Fan planted his blade into the clean sand, wiping off the thick green blood of the insectoids, then carried on without retrieving his storage device.

Nearing the front lines, the concentration of insectoids became increasingly evident.

They trekked across the sandy terrain for seven to eight hours, encountering clusters of insectoids nearly every hour—mostly sand grey worms, among other species.

Yet without exception, they were all low-level insectoids, hardly a threat.

Fortunately, by nightfall, they had safely reached the desert's edge. They saw tufts of yellowish-green grass interspersed with dry patches, and not far off, clusters of shrubs. Beyond this transitional zone lay the forest, offering more resources and the comforting presence of shelter.

Relief and joy appeared on everyone’s faces, even Lin Fan’s expression softened considerably.

Before entering the brush, Yan Yan cautioned the other cadets: “Don’t let your guard down. The presence of cover makes it harder to spot insectoids. Stay vigilant.”

They all nodded in agreement.

Stepping into the grass, the rustling of their movements blended with the wind, creating a soundscape of solitude and quietude.

As they advanced, the grass receded, and the bushes grew denser, with larger trees gradually coming into view.

Suddenly, screams pierced the air ahead.

Both male and female voices, unfamiliar but unmistakably young, filled with panic and fear.

Everyone’s expression changed dramatically. Instinctively, Yan Yan led the group forward to the rescue.

After covering a short distance, Lin Fan abruptly grabbed Albert, and Tang Qian, realizing the situation, quickly pulled Yan Yan back, halting the rapidly advancing team.

“It’s not humans, it’s insectoids!”

A chill ran down everyone's spine.

With a grim expression, Lin Fan said, “It’s the Kirin Birds.”

Despite the name, these were insectoids resembling birds, known for mimicking the sounds of other creatures to lure and trap their prey.

Renowned among the insectoid hierarchy for their cunning and deceit, they had evolved beyond the lower insectoids that relied solely on instinct, classified as third-tier insectoids.

Those above rank six are considered advanced insectoids, possessing their own intelligence, capable of commanding in battle, and even capable of communicating certain information and conveying their thoughts to humans.

Although Kirin birds are merely third-rank and not highly dangerous individually, they are gregarious creatures. Once lured into their territory, one faces the onslaught of thousands of these insectoids simultaneously.

Even with mechs, it takes considerable effort to deal with them, not to mention the limited number of times they can deploy the mechs currently.

The thought of nearly falling into their trap caused Yan Yan to break out in a fine sheen of cold sweat on his forehead.

He exhaled a breath of cool air: "I was careless."

Another military academy student retorted with a frown: "How can you be sure there isn't really someone calling for help? Are we supposed to just stand by and not assist?"

Lin Fu said indifferently: "The two drop points can't possibly be this close. Otherwise, we would have seen them during the deployment."

It's from a high-altitude perspective that one has the broadest view; they could clearly see the greenery at the edge of the wasteland when they were deploying initially.

He wanted to argue further with Lin Fu, but then he noticed Albert on the side watching him.

With a sly smile, he said, "If you don't believe it, go and see for yourself. Who's holding your legs back? What does Artemis's decision have to do with you?"

His schoolmates' faces turned various shades of red and purple, and they bowed their heads in silence, casting resentful glances at their talkative companion.

It was all because he talked too much.

Yan Yan did not stop Albert from getting into a dispute with them.

He tacitly agreed with his teammate's words.

Lin Fu said, "We can't take this route; we need to detour."

Yan Yan nodded: "I noted the distribution during the drop. If we head right in this direction now, we can leave the transition zone as soon as possible."

The entire Artemis team agreed.

Yan Yan didn't bother to ask the other military schools for their opinion and began to move forward in the planned direction with the team.

*

The screams grazed everyone's eardrums.

It left everyone looking rather pale.

Such screams touched a nerve in everyone, leaving them with the chilling thought that the next cry might be their own.

Someone couldn't hold back and suggested, "Why don't we just take a look? Just one glance. Once we confirm they're Kirin birds, we'll come right back without disturbing them!"

Met with silence, she could only lower her head, clutching her weapon tightly, her lips pressed together ever more firmly.

The flickering firelight illuminated the weary faces of the day's travelers.

The screams were a psychological torment, constantly scraping at the bottom of their hearts, stirring panic and unease.

After a long while, a man stood up and cursed, "Enough is enough! If we can't go over there, can't we at least sleep somewhere else? Who can sleep with these ghostly screams in our ears?"

"Crack!" The moisture in the firepit evaporated, bursting into a shower of sparks.

Milton Su, languidly propping up her chin, her fingertips a vivid red against her fair skin, looked sultry and captivating.

She spoke with an air of nonchalance, "Are your legs broken?"

A low chuckle emanated from the Hui Lion Academy's group.

Unable to bear the ridicule, the man muttered a curse under his breath and, ignoring his companions' attempts to stop him, strode away from their camp towards the depths of the woods.

Milton Su, without so much as a flicker of her eyelids, leaned against a tree trunk with her legs elegantly crossed, and commanded, "Rotate the night watch as we just assigned, changing every hour. If I find anyone shirking their duty..."

Her eyelids lifted, her tone laced with a deadly threat, "I'll feed the one who neglects their duty to the Kirin birds."

Having said this, she closed her eyes and began to sleep amidst the relentless screams.

The night watch was left to individuals from other military academies, considered a form of compensation. Like Milton Su, those from Hui Lion Academy curled up to sleep with their arms around them.

Those who couldn't sleep exchanged glances, moving closer to the fire, rubbing their arms for some comfort.

They couldn't understand how these people could sleep at all.

It was in the dead of night that Milton Su was jolted awake.

The rustling sounds of movement, mixed with the crackling of the firewood, were faint enough to be almost negligible.

Those who had been complaining about not being able to sleep were now soundly asleep.

Even those on night watch were nodding off.

She barked sharply, "All of you, wake up!"

Before her words fell silent, her whip rose and snapped with a sharp "crack," leaving a pale white mark on the tree bark. Palm-sized beetles fell from the tree, twitching on the ground for a few seconds before going still.

Those deep in slumber were startled awake by this disturbance, becoming fully alert at the sight of the insects.

Fortunately, the beetles were of a lower level, and after a brief commotion, the minor crisis was resolved.

The color drained from the faces of those on watch duty; they didn't dare meet Milton Su's gaze, terrified she might make good on her threat.

Fortunately, she merely snorted coldly in the end and didn't actually toss them into the Kirin birds' territory.

"Clean up quickly, then continue to rest."

"Understood."

*

At the same time, other military academies also faced various crises, big and small.

The half-year Wilderness Race had officially begun.