Chapter 139: Fire Rising

Mo Li is broad-minded.

She decided to let Lin Ke off, and in the end just rolled her eyes.

No need to quarrel with such a blockhead.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time.

Even a stone in one's pocket would get warm.

She just doesn't believe a blockhead could stay clueless forever.

Or keep playing the game of pretending not to understand.

Lin Ke watched Ai Rui Si leave, not bothering with the emotionally turbulent Mo Li, and called out loudly:

"Everyone come over for a moment."

He just glanced at the supplies Ai Rui Si took out and found that most were various types of self-detonating fire grenades.

Only a small portion were offensive and defensive rune items.

There was only one magical implement, but its effect was excellent.

It was a big killer.

Lin Ke liked it a lot, immediately picked it up, preparing to make good use of it.

Everyone heard the call and gathered.

"We thank our partners, the team represented by Meng Luo. Bu Li Sai Ni Ao and Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke, for their sincere gratitude for our willingness to jointly resist the opposing faction; they have supplied us with abundant materials. In a moment we will distribute these supplies, striving to fight this battle better."

To be frank, speaking honestly.

Who gave these supplies, why, and what are they for?

Lin Ke explained clearly, without trying to claim credit, flatter others, or exaggerate his own role.

"Thanks to Bu Li Sai Ni Ao brothers and Ke La Ke sisters for the supplies."

Ba Ke habitually mischievous, upon hearing Lin Ke's words, immediately shouted loudly and started clapping with a pattering sound.

The four brothers of the Benevolent Brother Group, out of brotherly affection, hurried to follow.

The three members of the Social Anxiety Group exchanged glances, hesitated a moment, then still chose to join the clapping.

The Lan Ni. Tai Le team just can't play along with such awkwardness.

Ten people stared at each other, not knowing what this was all about.

Helping others fight, they give some weapons and equipment—isn't that normal?

As for being so grateful?

I can't figure it out.

"Alright, keep quiet."

Lin Ke slightly pressed down with both hands, stopping the Benevolent Brother Group's mischief and the Social Anxiety Group's following suit.

He began distributing supplies, swiftly and decisively.

Time-delayed self-detonating fire grenades are used to set traps, so they are not distributed to individuals but uniformly arranged.

Throwing self-detonating fire grenades are evenly distributed, three each, not many, just right.

After all, they throw by hand, lacking grenade launchers or mortars.

At most they use magical assistance to throw higher, faster, farther.

After distributing the self-detonating fire grenades, next come the offensive and defensive rune items.

Lin Ke's distribution was fair, not being stingy just because the Lan Ni. Tai Le team isn't his direct lineage.

The two teams' received rune items show no difference in quantity or quality.

After distributing supplies, Lin Ke began assigning tasks.

"Those who know the earth-system minor mud and stone technique, follow Mo Li's command to dig trenches, tunnels, and concealed works."

"Others, together with me, will set traps."

Two simple commands, the two teams swiftly sprang into action by the river, working energetically.

The columnar concealed magical implement given by Meng Luo. Bu Li Sai Ni Ao was already activated when Ai Rui Si flew in.

Thus everyone need not worry that working on the ground will be detected by scouting magical implements, leaking their whereabouts.

A bout of busyness lasting over two hours.

Transport trenches, maze-like tunnels, underground concealed works enhanced with magic and defensive rune items, and traps—all completed.

After staying a few days on the river's central sandbar, Lin Ke found that the underground works were indeed favored by earth.

It's truly useful!

"Rest, recover energy, maintain condition."

Lin Ke led everyone into the earthworks with enhanced defensive power, set up a rest area, and so instructed.

Work and rest, that is the kingly way.

Especially before a big battle, one must not let the mindset become too tense or the body too fatigued.

Now that there is leisure, of course we should seize the time to rest and recuperate.

Lin Ke repeated his old trick, using the minor mist and rain technique together with the purification technique to produce clean water, then personally handed it out to each person.

Including Lan Ni. Tai Le and all members of her team.

This gesture made five members of the Newblood Mutual Aid Society and five members of other apprentice organizations feel honored and surprised.

In their own organizations, when have they ever received such treatment?

Lan Ni. Tai Le watched this scene before her eyes, and ripples rose in her heart.

So it turns out that to get along with subordinates and partners and win their hearts, one must do this.

The academy's library doesn't have books on this subject.

To learn team building and team management, one must rely on one's own talent and subtle influence, observing and imitating others.

She couldn't help but resent the senior management members of the Newblood Mutual Aid Society, who had set a bad example for her.

This left her unable to find a better way to get along with her subordinates and partners.

But it's not too late now; she will improve more in the future.

After her sigh, Lan Ni quickly composed her emotions.

She lifted a corner of her veil, as if nothing had happened, and calmly drank water, ate, and rested.

The two groups then stayed in the concealed fortifications, no longer wandering about.

So as not to leave the effective range of the concealed magical device and affect the ambush plan.

Lin Ke took advantage of this free time to replay the reconnaissance footage.

After confirming there was nothing abnormal, he also stopped and began to rest.

When people are idle, they tend to think about things.

Lin Ke did not deliberately clear his mind, but instead pondered his feasibility report for saving this world and the existence of the God Slayers.

Since the academy dared to use this world as the venue for the first-year Two Districts Grand Comparison, it naturally had confidence in controlling the whole situation.

The existence of the God Slayers is surely under the academy's control.

Based on the principles of justice, openness, and fairness, the positive side can find aid from the God Slayers, while the opposing side surely possesses equivalent support.

From the mural's content, it is likely eight or nine out of ten that there is a god who is not truly dead or merely feigning death, whose stance leans toward the opposing side.

Or perhaps that god's stance is not biased toward the opposing side; it simply wants to oppose the God Slayers.

Lin Ke wondered whether the opposing side had found such a god.

If they had, how should he respond?

After thinking for a while, Lin Ke suddenly snapped awake.

He was merely a newly promoted third-rank wizard apprentice, not even a full wizard, yet he dared to scheme against a god.

Even if it were a god of this world on the brink of destruction.

Even if this world's civilization level ought to be low.

So-called gods might not even reach the level of a Paro wizard.

But that is not something Lin Ke can currently scheme against.

He actually shows no reverence for so-called gods.

When did this mindset arise?

It seems when he was studying the history of the wizard world, learning of the war between the wizard world and the gods that shattered the opposing world.

In his heart, a seed had already been planted.

As time passed, the seed gradually sprouted and grew.

Having realized this, Lin Ke couldn't help but secretly praise the academy's subtle, pervasive education.

Without any apparent intention, it lets wizard apprentices like Lin Ke, from the ground up, 'look down upon' gods.

Strategically despise them, tactically value them.

The academy's strategy is roughly like that.

Afterward, Lin Ke no longer pondered the God Slayers and gods.

The God Slayers have already been awakened.

The feasibility report for saving the world has also been read by the God Slayers.

Main Line Mission 3, that is, the campaign task of saving the world, is considered half completed.

What remains depends on 'Heaven's Will,' and whether the God Slayers are as effective as depicted in the mural.

What Lin Ke now needs to focus on is entering the campaign confrontation of Main Line Mission 2.

The Two Districts Grand Comparison is a comprehensive score; completing the most important campaign task does not guarantee victory.

Before the campaign task is finished, wiping out the enemy camp entirely can also secure victory.

Furthermore, after the campaign task is completed, individual rankings must still be evaluated.

The completion status of the seven side quests must also be taken into account.

Therefore, the current situation is that participating more in campaign confrontations and completing more side quests helps Lin Ke achieve first place in the Two Districts Grand Comparison.

He glanced at the real-time reconnaissance image of the round flying disc.

Near the mountain basin, no traces of pursuing troops have appeared, and aloft no other scouting devices have been detected.

The pursuers have not yet arrived, leaving some free time.

"Lan Ni, pull out all of your team's footprint maps."

Lin Ke opened his eyes, ended his light doze, and called out to Lan Ni. Tai Le not far away.

"Okay."

Lan Ni did not ask for the reason, but directly agreed.

She took out paper and pen, and from each of her ten team members, she replicated the footprint maps from their wristwatches.

Lin Ke then waved from afar at Ai Rui Si, who had just finished the mountain-top watch.

"What's up?"

Ai Rui Si shot over and directly asked.

"Can you give me your footprint maps?"

Lin Ke made the inquiry.

"What do you need it for? To draw a world map?"

Ai Rui Si asked curiously.

Aside from drawing maps, she couldn't think of any use for the footprint diagrams.

"Yes."

Lin Ke nodded in acknowledgment, and without hiding his thoughts, said, "When idle, I take on side quests. I'll trade all our footprint maps here with yours."

"I'll go ask."

Aeris did not readily agree.

This matter concerns more than just her; she still needs to fully seek others' opinions.

"I'll wait for your good news."

Lin Ke chuckled, then pulled out paper and pen from his big bag and began drawing the footprint diagrams.

Not long after, Aeris hadn't arrived, but Lani came over holding eleven footprint diagrams.

She moved quickly, was skilled at drawing, and her efficiency was extremely high.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Ke took the eleven footprint diagrams, set them aside, and continued drawing.

Shortly after, Lin Ke finished drawing his side's ten footprint diagrams, but instead of handing them to Lani, he looked up and asked, "Do you want the maps, or will you take the footprint diagrams back and draw them yourselves?"

Lani replied without hesitation, "We'll draw them ourselves."

"Fine."

Lin Ke directly passed his ten footprint diagrams over, then drew another copy to exchange with Aeris later.

Lani took the footprint diagrams back, began comparing them with her memory, and drew her world map.

She did this not to show off or to contend with Lin Ke.

But because she believed drawing the map herself would improve mission completion more than using someone else's finished product.

That's all.

Only after the second set of twenty-one footprint maps was completed did Aeris fly over.

"Here you go."

Aeris handed over a thick stack, totaling thirty footprint diagrams, to Lin Ke.

"That many?"

Lin Ke also handed over his own copy, took the footprint diagrams Aeris gave him, flipped through them briefly, and was rather surprised.

The Aeris team and the Monroe team together now number only seventeen people.

How could there be thirty footprint diagrams?

"We've also been drawing maps, and we've carefully collected a portion."

Aeris gave a brief explanation.

But she didn't clarify how they had collected them.

Wind, rain, blood, and fire are hidden within just a few simple words.

Having said that, Aeris left without lingering.

With the great battle imminent, there are many things to attend to.

With the added materials, the incomplete "world map" was filled in considerably.

During that time, Lani came over again and took away the thirty footprint diagrams Aeris had brought.

Anyway, it's free, so why not?

After Mo Li rested well, she also led the Benevolent Brother Group and the Social Anxiety Group, each starting to draw.

Being idle is still being idle.

Not wanting to waste time doing nothing, they found something to do themselves.

After finishing the maps, everyone returned once more to the state of anxiously waiting for the enemy to arrive.

It was rather boring.

Waiting and waiting, the "sun" set and the "moon" went to work.

"Daytime" passed, entering "night."

Not even a shadow of the enemy was seen.

Some people began to feel irritable and muttered a few words in private.

Lani glared with a cold, indifferent stare at the impatient Isco Alexander.

Since Lani changed strategy, shifting from independent development to "relying on" Linke Grand, Isco has held a continual grudge.

Mutters in private were enough.

Now that they've formed a team, everyone rests in the same concealed fortification, still whispering and chatting about this and that.

Do they really think no one can hear?

Isco curled the corner of his mouth, but ultimately closed his mouth and stopped complaining.

Saying things like "Where are any pursuers?", "I was discovered and ran fast, afraid to fight", "Helping others fight yet being so earnest, what a warm heart" and similar remarks.

Lin Ke indeed heard them all, paid no mind, and dismissed them as farts.

How could sparrows know the ambition of a swan?

Time quietly flows, unaffected by human will.

Roughly estimating the time, it was about to "dawn."

Lin Ke jolted awake from his light doze.

He sensed a thick killing intent gathering.

"Everyone wake up, prepare for battle."

Lin Ke shouted in a low voice, waking those who hadn't fallen asleep, issuing the order: "Quick, take your positions."

The two troops immediately followed the prearranged plan, passing through the traffic trenches in an orderly manner, entering the various attack positions of the tunnel from the underground concealed works.

Enemy attack!

Even though no enemy traces were seen on the real-time reconnaissance feed of the circular flying disc, Lin Ke still issued a warning to Airisi and Mengluo.

He trusted his intuition and perception.

Especially regarding malice, hostility, and killing intent.

Moreover, he himself had a concealed magical device given by Mengluo at his side.

The enemy could drive Mengluo and Airisi fleeing in all directions, so their strength is undoubtedly formidable; it's impossible they lack such concealed magical devices.

In silent mode, Mengluo's team and Airisi's team quickly sprang into action, entering combat mode.

Obviously, they did not blindly trust the reconnaissance magical device.

Concealing movements and disguising ambushes are common tactics used by both sides during these days of widespread fighting.

A booming roar suddenly sounded.

At the entrance of the mountain basin, an encounter battle of extremely high intensity erupted.

The opposing faction lying in wait here clashed head-on with Mengluo's team that had come to inspect, engaging in close combat and bombarding each other.

It was a contest of whose rune items and magical devices were superior.

Magic?

Zero-ring magic is merely auxiliary.

Lin Ke walked around the tunnel, soothing the troops' morale so they wouldn't be affected by the sudden outbreak of high-intensity battle.

To be honest, Lin Ke was somewhat stunned.

In less than a minute, the two sides together actually used three big killer weapons.

Mengluo's team used one.

The pursuers used two, forcibly breaking a gap.

This firepower is truly fucking perverse!

The pursuers were numerous and strong, and also seized the initiative.

Mengluo's team held on for a while, but really couldn't hold any longer.

Thus, the feigned defeat simply turned into a real defeat.

Without leaving a rearguard, Mengluo triggered the trap, and with Airisi's team providing support, retreated toward the basin interior and the riverside.

A raging fire ignited in the mountain basin.

The pursuers gave relentless chase, death-gripping Mengluo and Airisi and not letting go.

Lin Ke, seeing this, warned in a low voice: 'Everyone stay steady; I haven't given the order, and no one is allowed to launch an attack prematurely.'

Soon, Mengluo's team and Airisi's team fought while withdrawing, arriving at the riverside.

The two troops shifted to both sides, preparing to launch a counterattack as planned, flanking the pursuers from both wings.

Mengluo secretly hoped that Lin Ke's team would not hold them back.

Otherwise, they would be completely ruined today.

Attack!

Lin Ke loudly ordered, 'Throw the self-exploding fire thunder!'

Before his words even fell, Yisike. Yalikesi actually leapt out of the trench, howling as he charged at the pursuers.

Alone, with firm will and high fighting spirit.

He was like a lone knight charging at windmills.

Lin Ke's face instantly turned cold.

Anger burned in his chest.

Is he an idiot?

He can't understand orders!

(End of chapter)