Chapter Seventy-One: The Soul of Vengeance

"Why do you make it sound like we're marching to our deaths?" the underachiever said lightly.

Bear Mountain shot him a frown; he'd spent so much effort preparing his speech, and now the mood he'd tried so hard to create was shattered by that single remark.

But perhaps Bear Mountain's words had fired everyone up too much, for someone else spoke up, "The instructor is right. We are going to die. And we're not afraid to die."

The underachiever glanced at him; better not bring along fools who only know how to throw their lives away.

Bear Mountain understood what he meant and his face darkened. "We're going to provide support, not to die needlessly. I want you ready for sacrifice, not for blind self-destruction. Don't play the fool."

At this, Xu Xingxing stood up to lighten the mood, scratching his head as he said, "Bear, what Xu Long means is, wherever the instructor tells us to go, we'll go. Isn't that right, Xu Long?"

Xu Long hurriedly nodded, "Exactly, that's what I meant."

"Bear, you tell us what to do, we'll follow you. Through fire and water, if you say east, we'll never go west. Just give the word. We might not understand grand principles, but we believe in you."

If anyone still called Xu Xingxing an idiot, Li Daoran could smash their head in—no one without a certain level could have said that.

"Enough, sit down. You're always the clever one, aren't you? Why listen to me? We have a real ace sitting right here—you all should cling to him while you still can, or you'll regret it," Bear Mountain raised his brows, gesturing at the underachiever beside Li Daoran.

Only then did Xu Xingxing look over; the underachiever merely pressed his lips into a silent smile. Xu Xingxing quickly added, "Big Bro Underachiever and Bear are the same, we should listen to both, right?"

Everyone joined in, agreeing cheerfully. Li Daoran, however, asked, "Are you going as well?"

A month of studying under the underachiever had taught Li Daoran that he was a natural commander, explaining war cases with both depth and clarity, always offering his own insights. Sometimes he'd even draw maps to detail the tactical significance of certain spots. Even Li Daoran himself had learned much from him.

"Of course I'm going. The War Tiger Regiment once garrisoned at Sunset Mountain; it's their burial ground. How could I not go?" the underachiever replied, gritting his teeth.

"Then I'm relieved. Following Bear feels like a death sentence—he's probably no better than me. That's just suicide. But with you, it's a different story. All right, let's get some rest and just follow orders," Li Daoran flattered the underachiever with as much enthusiasm as Xu Xingxing.

The others glanced at Bear Mountain to see his reaction, but he looked quite approving, even nodding in agreement. "This operation is called Soul of Vengeance. The overall commander is the underachiever, codename Revenant. If we land successfully, your first task is to contact our supreme leader, Revenant, and report your position."

"And how do we contact you? What if you’re gone? You say it’s dangerous—what if we can’t reach you?" Li Daoran asked.

"If you can’t reach me, another Revenant will succeed me. It’s a succession system. So if the Revenant you meet isn’t me, don’t be surprised. As for communication, the Skynet of Milan Star shouldn’t be completely destroyed or occupied. The wrist devices issued to you will automatically connect to an encrypted channel. Upon landing, just activate your device and report in," the underachiever explained, unbothered by Li Daoran’s implications, for it was an entirely possible scenario.

"What about after that? Do we wait in place or what?" Li Daoran pressed.

"After you report your position, I’ll send you a rally point. Our landing will cause a commotion, so you’ll likely have enemies nearby. Your task is to stay hidden and keep yourselves alive while making your way to the rendezvous. If anything changes, I’ll notify you through the wrist device," the underachiever replied, his rapport with Li Daoran making the arrangements clear for everyone.

"Do we get mechs?" Li Daoran asked.

"No. But if we escape and reach the base at Sunset Mountain, there’ll be plenty of mechs—provided you’re capable of piloting them. The supplies on the starship are limited, and mechs are especially scarce. Besides, even if you had them, could you use them properly?" the underachiever said.

"Fine. Can I bring my exoskeleton armor?" Li Daoran inquired.

"Take it. It was custom-made for you; leaving it here would be a waste. But if you do, you’ll have to pilot your own fighter. Are you sure you want to bring it?" asked the underachiever.

Li Daoran thought for a moment. "I don’t know how to fly a fighter."

"Then don’t bring it."

"But I can learn. How long before the operation?" Li Daoran asked.

"If all goes well, we’ll reach the vicinity of Milan Star in three days, but the journey probably won’t be smooth. So you’ll have at least five days to learn. Anyone else who wants to bring exoskeleton armor can choose to pilot their own fighter after inspection. Survival is your own responsibility," the underachiever said, looking around at everyone.

He then told Bear Mountain, "Make arrangements—those who want to bring exoskeleton armor can pilot their own fighters after passing inspection. We're short on pilots for the breakthrough, so this should help a bit."

Bear Mountain nodded and relayed the message to the other instructors through his wrist device.

"That's it for now. Spend your free time running. Don’t blame anyone else if you can’t keep up when we land. If you get caught, it’s your own fault for being slow," the underachiever said, standing and dusting off his pants.

Everyone burst into laughter, not yet aware of the gravity of the situation. The underachiever was not joking.

He turned and walked away, and as soon as his back was to them, his expression grew heavy, the previous lightness gone. This emergency appointment was likely something Liu Meng had orchestrated long ago—otherwise, why would he be assigned to the Mermaid, leading a bunch of recruits on such a mission? Bear Mountain wasn’t wrong; this was a suicide mission for all to see.

To outsiders, Liu Meng was demonstrating resolve—sending out all her carefully cultivated loyalists: the Mermaid, Bear Mountain, the instructors, and even this group of recruits. Nearly all her personal forces were present.

If she could send these people to their deaths, what right did those behind them have to hide?

Perhaps Liu Meng overestimated him, the underachiever mused, a sliver of curiosity for the female general he'd never met growing in his heart. What made her trust him so completely? She must believe he could lead them to survival at Sunset Mountain. After all, who else had that ability? If there was anyone, why would the role of supreme commander fall to him?