Chapter 527: Connections
Back during the freshman exchange competition,
Charlotte, the little girl, had always shared the closest bond with Ling Zhan.
When the academy welcomed exchange students from various Kingdoms and races, Charlotte had a rough time.
Back then, it seemed Ling Zhan's summoned insect had bitten her face so badly that it was all messed up.
Although the academy's sage eventually restored her face, she initially held a lot of resentment toward Ling Zhan.
But through their training, not only was the conflict resolved, but Charlotte's bond with Ling Zhan grew even stronger.
Of course...
Ling Zhan harbored no romantic feelings toward Charlotte, treating her as a younger sister.
After all, in his previous life, he'd had a lively, adorable sister.
Seeing Charlotte was like seeing his sister, and his attitude naturally softened.
Now,
Charlotte securely leaped into Ling Zhan's arms, and he gently ruffled her hair with a warm expression.
The other women from various squads couldn't help but widen their eyes, filled with shock and envy.
Is this even possible!?
Why is he so gentle with this little girl?
But so cold toward the rest of us?
Does he prefer Charlotte's petite and delicate type?
Petite and delicate?
If Zhu Yaoguang and the others knew what these girls were thinking, they'd probably burst out laughing.
Dwarves, giants, and orcs.
These three races were universally recognized as having the strongest physiques.
They were born with unparalleled physical strength and formidable power.
Don't be fooled by Charlotte's slim appearance; her strength attributes were already on par with a level 60 melee fighter.
"Ling Zhan..."
"Long time no see."
At that moment,
Zhu Yaoguang and the others stepped forward to greet Ling Zhan.
Zhou Xue'er quickly noticed...
Even beyond the dwarf girl, Zhu Yaoguang, Anna, Xia, and Gao Yao all had faint, indescribable emotions in their gazes toward Ling Zhan!
As the Ninth Squad's vice-captain and daily affairs manager,
she had memorized these newcomers' profiles long ago.
In her eyes, these were Dragon Kingdom's future prodigies!
Reaching this level as freshmen boded very well for their future.
Of course...
As always, this statement only applies if we don't compare them to the freakish Ling Zhan.
Comparing them to him...
Well.
There probably wasn't another person in the world of his age who had reached his level!
Not even Li Zhaoge, Norton, or Princess St. Lunie could match him!!
"It's been a while."
Ling Zhan nodded at them.
While not exactly warm, his attitude was at least neutral, unlike the cold indifference he showed to others.
Toward familiar faces, Ling Zhan remained normal.
His icy demeanor was only reserved for strangers.
Under the envious gazes of many girls, Charlotte clung to Ling Zhan like a sloth, occasionally giggling in joy.
Ling Zhan let the little girl hang onto him without any intention of setting her down.
Even Zhou Xue'er found herself a bit jealous, thinking how nice it would be if she were in Charlotte's place.
Arriving at the Ninth Squad's camp,
most people's impression of a "camp" would be tents and campfires in the wild.
But in a setting where magic and technology were highly integrated...
As a frontline fortress against Forbidden Land monsters, it couldn't possibly resemble a makeshift camp.
Here, "camp" referred to each squad's staging area.
From a vantage point thousands of meters above, one would see that the Hundred Ghost Fortress was actually a massive mobile city that could be relocated at any time.
Naturally, the waiting areas for the squads were filled with high-tech buildings.
Additionally,
since Ling Zhan was the new captain of Zhu Yaoguang and the others and an old acquaintance, it was only right that he treated them to a meal.
Such social gatherings were necessary.
Of course...
The main reason was Charlotte's complaints of hunger.
Despite being a college student, Charlotte was only fifteen, still in her innocent and lively years.
Well...
Being on par with Zhu Yaoguang and the other prodigies at just fifteen speaks to her talent.
Her talent even surpassed that of St. Lucia, the sixteen-year-old second princess of the Holy Light Empire.
It's proof that each generation indeed surpasses the last, growing visibly stronger.
As for the other members of the Ninth Squad,
generally speaking, newcomers, especially freshmen, would be given a hazing to show them their place.
This was an unspoken rule in all reserve squads.
Newbies needed to know who was in charge.
Even if the newcomers were talented with bright futures, a bit of tempering was always necessary.
Their future potential was still just that—potential.
For now, as part of the squad, they'd have to face trials.
However...
When the squad members saw the dwarf girl clinging to their captain Ling Zhan,
they quickly dismissed the idea of hazing.
Well, then!
So, this batch of newcomers was actually well-connected!
With the squad's most formidable member watching over them, who would dare haze them?
This thought was mostly just a lighthearted joke among the team.
After a hearty dinner,
Ling Zhan went off to handle some affairs.
As the captain of a special squad, he was responsible not only for daily training but also for reporting daily updates to the higher-ups—tasks that vice-captain Zhou Xue'er couldn't cover.
Ling Zhan had to handle them personally.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xue'er took Zhu Yaoguang and the others to a cozy café to chat.
Naturally, the topic revolved around Ling Zhan.
Not only Zhu Yaoguang, Anna, Xia, and the girls with a faint interest in Ling Zhan,
but even Hell and Ji Wuming were deeply curious about his experiences.
The Global Warcraft Tournament was widely known.
But what they wanted to hear about was Ling Zhan's time on the frontlines.
When they heard that Ling Zhan had nearly incapacitated a highly-ranked captain from the Xiao Baga side the moment he landed, they were astonished!
Good grief!
A level-60 incapacitating a level-80!
This...
Even Zhu Yaoguang, in her best attempts, could only challenge foes ten levels above, meaning she could take on level-65 opponents at most.
Any higher, and the gap in attributes became too much to handle.
But this guy Ling Zhan...
Had he completely ignored the disparity in level and attributes!?
"Also, the two recent battles are documented in detail on our squad's internal system. You can review them yourselves."
"Besides, Team Leader Ling is about to face some challenges ahead."
Zhou Xue'er said with a smile.
Charlotte blinked her wide eyes and asked, "What kind of challenges?"