Chapter 176: Huh? Looking Down on Me, Long Aotian? (Double Chapter)

Chapter 176: Huh? Looking Down on Me, Long Aotian? (Double Chapter)

There had always been monsters in the ocean.

This was common knowledge.

However, the ocean was vast, and over the years, very few incidents of ocean monsters attacking inland had occurred.

As a result, the coastal defense forces were not heavily staffed, and there were no top-tier experts stationed there.

The sudden monster attack, especially during the night, caught many off guard.

Everyone knew that with the monsters' aggressive approach, the defense line was sure to fall...

On the school playground, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive.

Particularly among the freshmen, who were performing poorly.

Some even muttered, "I should have chosen Jing University back then."

Chen Ye frowned at the scene and asked, "What's wrong with these freshmen? Didn't the school already arrange for everyone to evacuate? How could they still be so scared?"

Cao Yu responded, "Old Chen, we just got word that many of the military's transport planes were destroyed by the monsters, and the remaining ones are in short supply. The military could only spare one plane for our Martial University..."

Chen Ye was stunned.

He finally understood why everyone looked so grim.

A standard transport plane, even when packed, could only hold around 30 people at most.

Martial University had over 50 new students this year.

That meant at least half of the people present wouldn't be able to leave tonight.

"Isn't there a top-tier expert stationed in the city?" Chen Ye frowned again. "It's been less than a year since the last incident with the defense wall, right? Have they already forgotten the lesson?"

Zhao Zheng replied, "That's what everyone finds strange."

Suddenly, a voice interrupted, "I can tell you the reason."

It was Old Liu, who appeared from somewhere, speaking up:

"There were originally two Tier-Six experts stationed in the city, but both went to the capital today to attend a meeting."

Cao Yu asked curiously, "What kind of meeting? Why would it require Tier-Six experts?"

"It's a confidential meeting, initiated by the higher-ups," Old Liu shook his head. "I don't know the details, but I heard that all Tier-Six experts across the country received invitations and went."

Chen Ye was taken aback.

He immediately realized that this was probably the same meeting his master, Ba Liming, had attended.

All Tier-Six experts being summoned?

It seemed like something big was happening.

Wait...

If they were gathering all the Tier-Six experts, how could they forget about me, Long Aotian?

Are they looking down on Long Aotian?

Oh, right, Long Aotian's "phone" was off, and they couldn't reach him.

Well, that's fine then...

"Maybe there was a traitor who leaked the information, which allowed the monsters to exploit the opportunity and break through," Old Liu said grimly.

Hearing this, Cao Yu asked in shock, "Teacher, are you suggesting that someone colluded with the monsters? Since when do monsters collaborate with humans?"

Old Liu replied, "From what I've heard, the monster leading the attack on Modu was originally a human who transformed into a half-human, half-monster after taking the Hope Capsule."

"That's the same fishman monster from Japan that destroyed an important laboratory, calling itself the Sea King."

"Although this guy has completely turned into a monster, he still retains human intelligence. It's not surprising that he could collaborate with human traitors."

Upon hearing this, everyone vaguely recalled the incident.

The Sea King disaster had been a trending topic back then.

After all, it was the first publicly known instance of someone using the Hope Capsule and losing control, becoming a monster.

No, it wasn't just Tier-Five anymore.

It was said that the Sea King had originally been a veteran Tier-Five expert, but after using the Hope Capsule, despite losing control and turning into a man-eating monster, his strength had significantly increased, reaching Tier-Six, and even among Tier-Six, he wasn't considered weak.

No wonder he was able to breach the coastal defenses.

Chen Ye asked, "Teacher, where's the principal?"

"The principal, Mr. Cai, and other Tier-Five experts have already gone to the front lines to provide support," Old Liu answered.

Zhao Zheng asked, "How many Tier-Fives are there? Can they hold the line?"

Old Liu shook his head and sighed, "The ocean monsters are ferocious this time. At best, the principal and the others can buy some time, waiting for reinforcements."

Cao Yu couldn't help but say, "All the top experts are in the capital, and the distance from the capital to Modu is over a thousand kilometers... Even if Lady Qin flies directly, it'll still take two or three hours, right?"

Qin Muyin wasn't known for her speed in flight; this was no secret nationwide.

She was just slightly faster than the high-speed train.

Everyone's faces darkened.

At this rate, if they really had to wait for Lady Qin to arrive, everything would already be over by then.

Old Liu added, "Don't lose hope. There's a military district near Modu with an elite force stationed there. I've received word that they're already on their way! As long as we hold the defense line until they arrive, there's a chance."

He only said there was a chance—no guarantee.

This was because he knew that when facing Tier-Six monsters, sheer numbers wouldn't help; only other Tier-Six experts stood a chance at taking them down.

Just as everyone was about to say something else, a loud engine roar suddenly filled the air.

The transport plane had arrived.

Seeing the plane, many students showed hopeful expressions.

Moments later, under everyone's watchful gaze, the transport plane landed on the playground.

As the hatch opened, several soldiers jumped out, bringing along some exoskeleton armor.

The officer in charge stepped forward, looked at the crowd, and spoke loudly:

"Students of Martial University, hello. I am Zheng Chengwu, captain of the armored company from the XX division. The situation on the front lines is critical. On behalf of the military, I humbly ask for your help in fending off the monsters!"

"I understand that you are all prodigies who haven't fully grown yet. This request may seem unreasonable, as protecting Modu is the duty of us soldiers."

"But there are millions of civilians in the city who haven't had time to evacuate. If the final defense line falls, the entire city will turn into a bloodbath, a living hell!"

"I don't want to see such a scene happen in our Xia Country, so I'm asking for your help—to buy more time for the civilians!"

"Rest assured, on the battlefield, we soldiers will be at the most dangerous spots, fighting at the front. All we ask of you is to hold the second line of defense."

"Of course, this is not a compulsory draft. If anyone is unwilling to go, you can absolutely refuse."

"If anyone is willing to help, please step forward to receive exoskeleton armor."

The officer didn't seem very skilled at persuasion, and his words weren't exactly moving.

But his sincerity was undeniable.

After he finished speaking, the entire playground fell silent.

No one had expected that the military would turn to students for help.

This clearly indicated how dire the situation on the front lines had become.

At this moment, the school leaders had also arrived on the playground.

Seeing the officer asking Martial University students to help, the vice principal opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he stayed silent, leaving the decision to the students.

After a brief pause, finally, a student stepped forward, standing at the front.

However, when the teachers saw who had stepped out, their expressions changed.

Old Liu even shouted, "Tang Zichen, what do you think you're doing? Step back!"

That's right.

The first person to step forward was none other than Tang Zichen.

The officer seemed to recognize Tang Zichen's name. After a moment of surprise, he also tried to persuade her, "Tang Zichen, you're the hope of Xia Country. Your importance surpasses even that of Modu. It's true you shouldn't be taking risks now. Listen to your teacher and step back."

Tang Zichen, with a cold expression, replied, "I don't think my life is more valuable than anyone else's… Besides, I'm capable of protecting myself."

As soon as Tang Zichen finished speaking, her entire body began to emit a green light, and she rapidly ascended, floating in mid-air.

Surrounded by the darkness of the night, Tang Zichen, glowing green, looked like an enormous green lantern, standing out vividly in the sky.

Many people were left in awe.

Especially the freshmen, who looked at her with envy.

When Tang Zichen's attributes surpassed a thousand, she discovered that she could use telekinesis to influence the surrounding space and propel herself into flight, albeit barely.

After the No. 5 Secret Realm, where Chen Ye helped her win, she gained 190 potential points, bringing her mental attribute to 1,200 points, further stabilizing her flying ability.

Of course, even so, flying was still a bit draining for Tang Zichen at this point, and she couldn't maintain it for long.

This was because she had not yet grasped the concept of a biological force field.

The gravity of Blue Star was still a heavy burden on her.

Once she mastered the biological force field, she would be able to fly as freely as Lady Qin.

Tang Zichen only demonstrated her flying ability briefly before descending back to the ground.

Once she was firmly back on the ground, she spoke again, "The monsters attacking this time are from the ocean, correct? As far as I know, there aren't any flying monsters in the ocean, so my ability should be relatively safe on the battlefield."

She always maintained a calm demeanor.

Her speech was logical and clear.

The officer seemed somewhat convinced.

"But..." Old Liu tried to say something.

Tang Zichen interrupted him, "Teacher, last time when Modu was attacked, I was too weak to be of any help and had to leave with you. But this time, do you want me to just stand by and watch as Modu is overrun by monsters and turned into a hell on Earth? I can't do that."

Old Liu sighed deeply.

At that moment, another student stepped forward, smiling as he said, "Teacher, don't worry! I'll keep an eye on the class monitor and make sure she doesn't do anything reckless."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Tang Zichen's otherwise cold face.

The one who had stepped forward was Chen Ye!

Even though Tang Zichen wouldn't have thought any less of Chen Ye if he had chosen not to help on the frontlines, seeing him step up filled her with genuine joy.

Compared to cowards afraid of death, she preferred a husband who was a true, courageous man!

Old Liu glared at Chen Ye but didn't say anything in the end.

In Old Liu's view, while Chen Ye was strong, he still couldn't compare to Tang Zichen.

Once on the battlefield, it was unclear who would be protecting whom!

With Tang Zichen and Chen Ye taking the lead, other students were finally stirred into action.

The third to step forward was Zhao Zheng!

"Haha, how could I miss out on something like this?" Cao Yu laughed heartily as he followed.

Ren Qianqian gave Cao Yu an approving look before stepping forward herself.

Shao Wenhui, after glancing at Zhao Zheng, gritted his teeth and stepped forward to stand behind him.

Then, more and more people began to step forward.

However, most of them were third-year students.

As for the fourth-year students, they had already gone to the frontlines.

In the end, a total of about twenty people stepped up.

But the majority still remained silent.

By 2030, people had grown more cautious, and the days of hot-blooded youths rushing in without thinking were becoming rarer.

The teachers looked on with slight disappointment.

Especially with this year's freshmen—none of them had the courage to step forward.

In reality, even if the freshmen wanted to go, the teachers wouldn't let them, since their low level of strength would only lead to their deaths.

But still, not a single freshman had the courage.

The female teacher responsible for this year's freshmen had an unpleasant expression on her face...

Chen Ye, on the other hand, looked unbothered.

If his strength hadn't been sufficient, he wouldn't have stepped forward either.

...

Though only twenty or so students volunteered, the officer was still satisfied.

Among these twenty students were quite a few skilled individuals.

There were five Tier-Four experts.

Aside from Chen Ye and Tang Zichen, three more were third-year students.

Most of the others were Tier-Three!

After confirming the participants, everyone was given the option to choose whether they needed an exoskeleton suit.

Though exoskeletons were excellent for increasing strength, not everyone required one.

For instance, Tang Zichen didn't need one.

Wearing an exoskeleton would only hinder her abilities!

Chen Ye didn't need one either, as his apparent ability was a fire-based superpower.

Ren Qianqian, being a speed-based expert, didn't need one either. The exoskeleton was too bulky and would hinder her performance.

The exoskeleton suits were best suited for power-type experts.

Coincidentally, the officer only brought ten suits.

Cao Yu wanted to claim one but was politely rejected by a soldier.

"Sorry, Cao Yu, we appreciate your willingness to help, but according to our records, your strength hasn't reached the Tier-Three standard yet. We don't recommend you join the battlefield."

Pfft!

Hearing this, Ren Qianqian couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed.

Cao Yu's overall strength was still at Tier-Two.

"Don't look down on me!" Cao Yu quickly protested, "Do you know what my talent is? It's S8! My regeneration ability is incredibly strong. As long as you don't hit my brain or heart, or slice me in half, I can recover from any injury!!"

"Once I'm on the battlefield, I'll be a perfect meat shield!!"

"Well..."

The soldier hesitated, looking toward the captain, who nodded, permitting Cao Yu to receive an exoskeleton suit. This meant Cao Yu was allowed on the battlefield.

However, Shao Wenhui was disqualified.

His overall strength was also at Tier-Two, close to Tier-Three, but not quite there.

In fact, anyone below Tier-Three was very likely to die in battle.

This was because monsters of the same level were generally stronger than humans.

Unlike Cao Yu, Shao Wenhui's abilities weren't as special.

Along with Shao Wenhui, a few other Tier-Two individuals who had been stirred into action were also advised not to go.

This showed that the military was being reasonable and wasn't blindly drafting people.

In the end, only about a dozen students and some teachers set out with the military.

Meanwhile, there was quite a commotion near the transport plane...

Freshmen were arguing and even protesting to the teachers, trying to secure a spot on the transport plane to escape.

In comparison to Chen Ye's group, their behavior was disgraceful.

The female teacher, furious, lashed out, telling the transport pilot not to take any of them and to focus on rescuing other civilians instead!

Of course, that was just an angry outburst.

She didn't have the authority to order the transport plane.

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