Chapter 2: 1. Personnel Changes in the Legendary Team

1. Personnel Changes in the Legendary Team

A balmy breeze slipped through the window crack into the airship cabin, playfully winding around the passengers and leaving behind a trace of warmth stolen from the sun and a faint, elusive fragrance.

Leon loved taking naps in the sun amidst such a breeze; there was no better way to while away the boring travel time.

But a pair of passengers nearby kept talking, making it hard for him to fall into a peaceful sleep.

"...You know, the top team kicked someone out."

"Which one?"

"Soul Apex."

"Huh? Isn't that the knight order that just conquered the Ancient City of Night and rose to number one? Soul Apex is red-hot right now, and everyone in the team is a hero. Why would they kick someone out?"

"I don't know. I heard the one kicked out was a ten-year veteran."

"You know that for sure? Could it be they achieved success and are returning home to retire?"

"It's absolutely first-hand news. I just came from the Holy Capital and heard it from a Soul Apex member himself at a tavern. Although he didn't give details, the fact that they were kicked is completely true."

"Let me see, the Knight Gazette also wrote it: 'Soul Apex is now recruiting a Great Knight for the entire airspace.' The requirements are that high?"

The passenger flipped through the newspaper with a rustle, the noise growing even louder.

"Just rose to number one, it's not strange for the requirements to be high."

"Let me check their member list... a Spellcaster is missing."

"A Spellcaster? That kind of fringe profession actually managed to stay in a top team? Now that the team is number one, they probably want to optimize the member structure, right?"

In his ten years of air travel, Leon had long since grown accustomed to treating the conversations of others as background noise while sleeping.

But if the discussion involved him, it was still hard to ignore it completely.

Mainly, as they talked, the Soul Apex leader’s sanctimonious face and mocking tone would surface in Leon’s mind again.

A freeloader? Fringe? Optimization?

Arguing with passersby who didn't know the truth would only make him look like a madman.

He sat up from the lounge chair, lifted the window shade, and looked out at the clear, boundless sky.

This was the Floss Airspace; whether in the civilized world or the natural world, it was the most stable and prosperous place in the entire world. Floating islands were covered in flowers, and even the wind between the islands drifted with a fresh scent.

Ten years ago, he had set off from here.

He was a transmigrator from Earth, yet he hadn't received the heaven-defying ability commonly known as a "gold finger." Aside from being a few years younger when his body transmigrated, he was completely ordinary, and even the language had been learned with difficulty, one syllable at a time.

And this otherworld was exactly the same as a game called "Newbis Fantasy."

Newbis was the name of this world, a collective term for the many floating islands above the clouds.

Adventurers piloted airships to operate between the floating islands; they held the fine reputation of "Sky Knights," exploring the secrets of the world and obtaining rich rewards.

With limited individual ability, Sky Knights often formed squads, and squads would grow into teams.

Particularly powerful Sky Knight orders were praised as "Top Teams."

Leon had no special talent. Starting from zero and eventually becoming a member of a top team standing at the pinnacle, he couldn't even count how much hardship and bitterness he had tasted.

"...Everyone, as the number one Sky Knight order, we will adopt a brand-new contribution algorithm to re-evaluate everyone's strength and optimize the team structure to stabilize our hard-won position."

"Leon, your contribution is actually so far below the average line. I didn't expect you to have been holding us back all this time."

At the full team meeting, when the leader Ramses suddenly pointed the spearhead at Leon, he was still busy customizing support strategies for every team member.

"Are you serious?" Leon looked up.

"This is a full team meeting. Would I joke?" The leader’s expression was solemn.

Leon’s gaze swept over the other members; they were either avoiding his eyes, closing them to rest, or wearing mocking smiles.

Leon put down the pen in his hand: "Hard-won position? As the leader, do you still not know how it came to be? When I joined, Soul Apex was just a mid-ranked small team."

"That's right, you are a veteran, but if an old-timer can openly slack off, then how can this team be led?" Ramses’s mouth curled into an intriguing smile.

Playing dumb?

"The last few key tactics were all centered around my support magic—"

"Yeah, that's why everyone was worked to death," a team member interrupted Leon.

From just a moment ago, he had been sneering while Leon spoke.

"There are countless supporters who want to join our team, and you're counting your merits? Based on you being a Spellcaster?"

A Spellcaster is a profession that manipulates the "spirituality" of things. Because the spirituality of all things differs, its abilities are unstable and uncertain, requiring a large amount of accumulated experience and experimentation to exert the appropriate effect.

Leon knew that this profession was not understood anywhere in the sky.

But he had no talent or background; by using the abilities of a Spellcaster and leveraging some advantages of a transmigrator's knowledge and way of thinking, he was able to catch up to other powerhouses in this world.

In ten years, he had squeezed the possibilities of this profession to the limit. The auxiliary results he produced helped the team overcome one difficulty after another.

"What is the problem with a Spellcaster?" Leon stared directly at the sneering member.

"Insufficient damage? I use elemental gems to supplement elemental attacks. If the team's defense is not enough, I communicate with the earth to summon mud giants to act as meat shields. If healing is tight, I call upon the healing power from plants and blessed ritual vessels."

"Everyone present has participated in these battles."

The leader tapped the table with his finger: "If combat power is insufficient, there is no support, and healing is lacking, why wouldn't we supplement with corresponding powerhouses? Team optimization is about discussing this."

He shook his head: "Besides, you use up many of the team's precious materials every time."

Leon: "Those were materials I saved myself."

"Don't quibble. Without the existence of the team, where would individual benefits come from? An individual should think about feeding back into the team, not what they have gained."

Ramses spoke with righteous indignation.

Not caring about individual benefits?

Leon felt it was absurd.

After the team became powerful, this leader in front of him would demand "development funds" from every new member, then use the fact that new members dared not speak out due to sunk costs to act like a tyrant.

"You are very dissatisfied, aren't you?"

Although Leon faced everyone with an expressionless face, the leader could "see" resentment on his face.

"These days are a joyous occasion. We'll leave you some dignity; don't tear your face off. Just leave on your own."

"Perhaps I was truly wrong," Leon said.

"No one will care if you act pitiful now," the mocking team member said.

Leon looked at everyone present one by one; their appearances were familiar, yet incomparably strange.

Back then, although he had figured out a bit of how to use a Spellcaster, hindered by people's prejudices, he had no way to find a job and could only take low-level missions.

During one mission, Leon got to know the old leader of Soul Apex, a guy who discarded stereotypes when looking at people and had a very positive attitude toward life.

At the old leader's invitation, Leon joined the team.

Soul Apex back then was built by the old leader pulling people in one by one; basically, everyone had a clear specialty and a weakness.

Leon, wanting to gain a foothold, put in twelve times the effort, relying on the Spellcaster's ability to make up for everyone's weaknesses and exert a synergistic effect, assisting the team in successfully completing one mission after another, and he was truly acknowledged by everyone.

The whole team laughed and adventured together; that was his happiest time, and he experienced the satisfaction brought by the mutual achievements of team members.

But years of campaigning were also accompanied by danger. The old leader was seriously injured in a battle and, to accompany his family, chose to retire.

"It's a pity. I believe you can reach the pinnacle of the entire airspace, but I cannot be with you anymore. Everyone, take care of our team."

Leon would always remember the old leader’s sigh, filled with regret and expectation.

And the successor leader, Ramses, was the most sunny and extroverted person at the time. The old leader trusted him, and everyone trusted him.

However, in the five years from then until now, Soul Apex had gone wrong.

The leader held all power, not even willing to appoint a captain. He was stubborn and always insisted on executing tactics that many members could see had flaws.

And Leon was always on the sidelines, patching things up.

There used to be old members who stood with him.

"Leon is actually no different from a vice-leader, right?"

"Haha, the leader's position can continue to be sat in, but can Leon lead the team?"

"You dare say that? Don't let it be heard."

"Then let's just leave. If the support wasn't awesome, I wouldn't have wanted to stay in this crappy team long ago."

They left one by one, successively joining other teams or quitting adventuring.

Perhaps the happy memories in his heart were too scorching, or he was holding onto a promise, or perhaps he wanted to prove himself and not live up to the hot-blooded ideals he had when he first stepped into adventuring. Even though he had more friends outside the team than inside, Leon was still pulling Soul Apex toward the pinnacle.

In this process, individual rankings, building a persona, spreading fame, searching for special profession inheritances... and other individual interests were all dragged down by team affairs.

In the end, what remained in front of him were only things that could be easily manipulated by the leader and those who curried favor. Leon had once believed in the new members, but under Ramses’s deliberate management, his belief was just wishful thinking that fell by the wayside.

I fulfilled them, but they will not speak for me.

When conquering the ancient city this time, it was also Leon who relied on ancient rune stones to open the space gate of the ancient magic civilization, allowing the team members to avoid the flesh-melting and bone-corroding flowers of corruption scattered everywhere by the King of the Ancient City, which was the only way to secure the victory.

When they returned in triumph, praises for Soul Apex spread everywhere in the Holy Capital. The leader and the members surrounding him enjoyed the glory and flowers, but Leon didn't have much joy. Why that was, he understood now.

Leon shook his head: "I promised the old leader to support the team to the highest hall, but I forgot who my power should be used for."

The leader and the team members present looked at each other and laughed loudly.

"I hope you understand: as a Spellcaster, it was I who raised you. The old leader? I brought the team to number one; he is already a thing of the past."

Yes, then let it all stay in the past.

Leave.

The moment he made the decision, Leon felt incomparably relieved.

He walked out of the Soul Apex team hall without looking back.

The high-level equipment, energy devices, and summon beast crystals obtained after the team's rise were not allowed to be brought in during the meeting; these were all recovered as team assets.

His personal assets were in the bank. The leader used underhanded tactics, appealing to the bank on the grounds that he had embezzled team assets. The bank opened a long investigation process and temporarily froze them.

However, if one has a good team, wealth spent can always be regained.

Yes, his hot-blooded passion had yet to subside; almost the moment he left, he decided to rebuild an aerial cavalry regiment.

It would no longer be a tool for certain people to seek private gain; he would lead it with his own experience and skills, allowing it to stand truly proud and confident above the sky.

When he returns to that highest hall, he will settle the score with the pinnacle of souls all at once.

Li Ang traveled light and alone, leaving Vitask, the Holy Capital where various top-tier teams were stationed.

After several days of travel, he returned to the Floss airspace where everything began.

The airship docked at a dilapidated port that was about to fall apart, and Li Ang disembarked.

This is the island of Satutus, a rural place whose name in the Newbis common tongue means "starting point."

Returning here, he actually intended to give himself a vacation, rest for a while, and think through where to start over from the beginning.

The wooden bridge leading to the sky creaked under the soles of his boots; looking at the dust and mold around him, Li Ang shook his head.

"It’s not like no ships have come here since I left, right?"

Stepping onto the solid mud of the island, he took one last look in the direction of the Holy Capital and walked toward "home."

The so-called home was a cabin he built for wilderness survival when he first transmigrated and landed; later, he continuously improved it until it looked quite decent.

Relying on memories that were both strange and vaguely familiar, he crossed the grasslands, climbed over hills, and followed the river upstream, successfully finding his cabin located beside a small lake.

Surprisingly, it was not overgrown with weeds, nor had it collapsed, as if someone had been maintaining it.

"Are these the things inside my house?"

Looking at the clean and tidy interior, Li Ang was slightly puzzled, but the sun had already dropped near the horizon of the cloud sea, so he decided to prepare dinner first.

He simply wove a cage out of branches, dug up some earthworms to put inside, and then cast the most basic "Spiritual Manipulation" skill of a spellcaster to strengthen the earthworms' spirituality; they began to jump and wiggle, and their ability to lure fish increased simultaneously.

After the cage had been in the water for a few minutes, it was already packed with fish.

Picking the one that looked best and releasing the others, Li Ang skillfully killed and gutted the fish.

Although he had been eating delicacies ever since his team's ranking became very high and he hadn't handled live fish in a long time, the survival skills from ten years ago were like they were carved into his DNA.

Heh, having come full circle and finally returning to simplicity, it really feels like a prank of fate.

Suddenly, Li Ang’s temples tightened, as if countless electric currents were flowing across the surface of his brain, and a wave of numbness and itching rapidly expanded.

His vision blurred for an instant, and then, glowing text and frames unfolded out of thin air before him—

What is this? What is going on?

After he saw clearly what was in front of him, he was even more speechless for a moment.

The interface composed of these words and windows was clearly the game panel of "Newbis Fantasy"!