72: Chapter 72 Protective Positions Aren't the Hardest Shields

The heavy-armored figure walking out of the white light was a head taller than Chen Ye.

The tower shield in his hand stood on the ground; the shield face was thick, and the edges were engraved with protective runes.

Just standing there, it gave people an extremely reliable sense of oppression.

Like a wall that would never fall.

Words continued to appear on the blackboard.

【S-Class Defense Sample】

【Position: High-tier Guardian Knight】

【Comprehensive Defense Capability: 4.7 times that of the current Protection Role, Chen Ye】

【Team Damage Absorption Efficiency Increase: 63%】

【Recommendation: Replace】

The classroom was very quiet.

Chen Ye looked at those lines of text, the smile on his face fading bit by bit.

4.7 times.

63%.

These numbers were sharper than any mockery.

Zhou Heng frowned, looking at the blackboard.

"Does the White Tower even provide data directly?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou stood by the podium, his voice sinking.

"It does."

"And the data it provides is highly likely to be true."

Chen Ye's mouth twitched.

"Is that true or false?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou looked at him.

"True."

"That S-Class Defense Sample, in terms of defensive power alone, is indeed much stronger than you."

Chen Ye fell silent.

If Teacher Xu Wenzhou had said "false," he could have cursed a couple of times.

But it happened to be true.

The White Tower didn't rely on making up lies to break people.

It relied on real gaps.

Lin Jin looked at the heavy-armored figure.

Hand of Rules unfolded.

【Target: S-Class Defense Sample Projection】

【Status: White Tower Pressure Rehearsal Generated】

【Advantages: High Damage Absorption, High Defense, High Stability】

【Defects: Absolute Protection Logic】

【Hint: This specimen is adapted to "protecting the target from contacting danger," not adapted to the Rule Maintenance team.】

Lin Jin's eyes moved.

Protecting the target from contacting danger.

Sounds fine.

But for the Rule Maintenance team, this might actually be the problem.

The Maintenance Position must contact the malfunction.

The Lockdown Role must get close to the contamination boundary.

The Barrier Breaker Position must also rush to the barrier.

If the Protection Role keeps everyone in the safest position, the team will conversely be unable to complete the mission.

Chen Ye, however, hadn't seen this layer yet.

His gaze remained fixed on "4.7 times" and "63%."

The heavy-armored figure raised the tower shield, his voice muffled.

"D-class Protection Role."

"You cannot provide a sufficiently safe boundary."

"Quitting is the better choice."

Chen Ye gritted his teeth.

"Who are you?"

"White Tower defense specimen."

"Specimens are this arrogant too?"

The heavy-armored figure was not angry.

He just slammed the tower shield onto the ground.

Boom!

The walls of the old classroom changed instantly.

The surrounding desks and chairs disappeared.

They were like being pulled into a translucent training ground.

The sky was pale.

Attack trajectories appeared on the ground.

The blackboard hung in mid-air, writing out new rules like a referee.

【Pressure Rehearsal: Protection Role Replacement】

【Scenario: Number Nine Contamination Chain raids the Maintenance Position】

【Target: Protect Lin Jin for thirty seconds】

【Comparison Object: Chen Ye / S-Class Defense Sample】

Chen Ye's expression changed.

"Compare on the spot?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou said in a deep voice:

"Don't just think about winning."

"This is not a combat assessment."

"This is identity pressure."

The next second.

White contamination chains shot out from the edge of the training ground, pouncing straight at Lin Jin.

Chen Ye raised his shield almost instinctively.

Bang!

The first contamination chain hit the shield face.

His whole body was shaken back a step.

The second one fell right after.

Bang!

The third.

The fourth.

Every impact made Chen Ye's arms numb.

He gritted his teeth and held on.

The shield face dented bit by bit.

The blackboard recorded coldly.

【Chen Ye's Protection Performance: Barely resisting】

【Maintenance Position Interference Probability: 42%】

【Recommendation: Replace】

A flash of embarrassment crossed Chen Ye's eyes.

He didn't retreat.

But he was indeed struggling to block.

When the seventh contamination chain fell, his shield was forced down by half an inch.

Lin Jin raised his hand to help, but was stopped by Teacher Xu Wenzhou.

"Don't move."

"This is his pressure."

Chen Ye let out a low growl, his feet nailed firmly to the ground.

"I can still block!"

The tenth contamination chain fell.

Chen Ye knelt on one knee.

The edge of the shield grazed his shoulder, leaving a bloody gash.

On the training ground, the blackboard continued to write:

【D-class Protection Role limit approaching】

【Replacement benefit increasing】

Just then, the heavy-armored specimen moved.

He just took a step forward.

The tower shield unfolded.

Boom!

A golden barrier rose directly, blocking all contamination chains outside.

No retreat.

No injury.

Even the shield face didn't shake.

The blackboard recorded immediately.

【S-Class Defense Sample Performance: Excellent】

【Maintenance Position Interference Probability: 3%】

【Recommendation: Replace】

Chen Ye hung his head, breathing heavily.

Zhou Heng looked at this scene, his expression also not good.

He didn't like Chen Ye.

But this method of comparison reminded him of the candidate the White Tower had given him just now.

Youthful Projection of Zhou Chengyue.

Stronger.

More mature.

More compatible.

The White Tower was best at telling you:

Look, he really is better than you.

Shen Tingxue suddenly spoke:

"This scenario is incomplete."

Teacher Xu Wenzhou looked at her.

"Where is it incomplete?"

Shen Tingxue stared at the golden barrier.

"Lin Jin is protected."

"But he can't get out either."

Everyone was stunned.

Lin Jin also looked at that golden barrier.

Sure enough.

The S-Class Defense Sample's barrier was too complete.

So complete that there were almost no gaps.

The contamination chains couldn't get in.

But Lin Jin couldn't contact the contamination source either.

Rule Maintenance requires observing malfunctions, contacting malfunctions, and finding error definitions.

If he was perfectly protected behind the barrier, he could only wait for the contamination chains to disappear on their own.

But the Number Nine Contamination Chain wouldn't disappear on its own.

It would continue to spread.

Lin Jin looked up at the blackboard.

"Continue the scenario."

The blackboard paused for a moment.

Then, a white core appeared in the distance of the training ground.

The contamination chains were spreading from the core.

【New Target: Repair the contamination chain core within thirty seconds】

Chen Ye looked up abruptly.

The heavy-armored specimen's golden barrier was still solid.

But outside the barrier, the contamination core was expanding rapidly.

Lin Jin wanted to go out.

But the golden barrier automatically blocked him.

The heavy-armored specimen said in a deep voice:

"The risk of the Maintenance Position contacting contamination is too high."

"Leaving the protected area is prohibited."

Lin Jin's eyes turned cold.

"If I don't go out, who will repair the core?"

"The S-Class Defense Sample can extend the protection time."

"Extend for how long?"

"Until external rescue."

Chen Ye suddenly chuckled.

The laugh was a bit hoarse.

"Did you hear that?"

"It's not protecting you to go repair it."

"It's protecting you from going to repair it."

Lin Jin looked at the heavy-armored specimen.

"This is the problem."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"The Rule Maintenance team is not an evacuation team."

Shen Tingxue also said:

"The Protection Role's goal is not to keep teammates away from danger forever."

"It is to let teammates complete their duties while alive within necessary danger."

Chen Ye stood up, supporting himself with the shield.

His shoulder was still bleeding.

His expression was also not good.

But his eyes were much steadier than before.

"I'm indeed not as hard as it is."

"There's no need to compare this."

He looked at that golden barrier.

"But if I blocked so tightly, Lin Jin would have been smothered to death behind the shield on the first day because of me."

The replacement suggestion on the blackboard flickered slightly.

The heavy-armored specimen turned to look at Chen Ye.

"Low-intensity protection will increase the probability of teammate death."

Chen Ye nodded.

"Yes."

"So I have to practice."

"But practicing doesn't mean replacing me."

He said, raising the already dented shield.

"Come again."

The training ground changed again.

This time, the contamination chains attacked again.

But Chen Ye didn't block directly in front of Lin Jin as before.

He stepped sideways half a step, the shield standing diagonally.

The first contamination chain hit and was slid away along the shield face by him.

The second one he took head-on.

The third one, he didn't block completely, but used the shield to knock it askew, letting the contamination chain reveal its core vein for a split second.

"Lin Jin!"

Lin Jin moved.

Hand of Rules unfolded.

【Target: Contamination chain core】

【Malfunction: Rewriting protection relationship to closed isolation】

【Repair Point: Chain root definition】

Lin Jin rushed out of the gap Chen Ye had opened.

The heavy-armored specimen tried to stop him.

Zhou Heng's Thunder Spear stabbed out instantly, blocking the edge of the specimen's tower shield.

"This is his protection round."

"Don't interfere."

Shen Tingxue used frost to suppress the spread of the contamination chains, so that the pressure Chen Ye was bearing wouldn't collapse instantly.

Chen Ye roared, the shield holding up against three contamination chains.

"Quick!"

Lin Jin's wrench fell.

Bang!

The contamination chain core cracked.

【Repair Progress: 41%】

Two more contamination chains circled toward Lin Jin's back.

Chen Ye didn't block them completely.

He couldn't block them either.

So he directly threw the shield out, hitting one askew, and took the other one head-on with his shoulder.

Blood splattered.

Chen Ye's face turned pale from the pain, but he stubbornly didn't retreat.

"I said."

"I'll stand in front first."

Lin Jin's second wrench fell.

Bang!

【Repair Progress: 78%】

The heavy-armored specimen's voice was low.

"Protection Role damage too high."

"Replacement is still the better solution."

Chen Ye looked up, his face covered in sweat and blood, but he grinned.

"Better solution?"

"That better solution of yours is to let everyone stay still."

"Our team doesn't work like that."

"In our team, someone always has to get in the face of bad things."

The last contamination chain stabbed over.

Chen Ye was already too late to block.

Shen Tingxue's frost slowed it down by half a second.

Zhou Heng's Thunder Spear split the outer layer.

Chen Ye grasped that half-second, using the remaining edge of the shield to give it a fierce shove.

Lin Jin's third wrench fell.

"Protection is not imprisoning teammates."

"Protection is buying action space for teammates."

Bang!

The contamination chain core exploded.

The white light of the training ground retreated rapidly.

The data on the blackboard jumped frantically.

【Chen Ye's Protection Strength: Insufficient】

【Chen Ye's Tactical Protection Compatibility: Excellent】

【Maintenance Position Action Window: Successfully established】

【Replacement Recommendation: Rejected】

The heavy-armored specimen stopped in place.

The tower shield slowly lowered.

He looked at Chen Ye.

"D-class."

"You are still not strong enough."

Chen Ye gasped for air and sat on the ground.

"Nonsense."

"If I were already strong enough now, why would I bother training?"

The heavy-armored specimen was silent for a moment, and his figure began to dissipate.

Before dissipating, he raised the tower shield and tapped the ground lightly.

A small, shield-shaped light fragment fell in front of Chen Ye.

The blackboard wrote:

【Protection Role Replacement Pressure Passed】

【Obtained Training Fragment: Pressure-bearing angle correction】

【Description: Can improve the Protection Role's ability to guide impacts】

Chen Ye picked up the light fragment and was stunned for a moment.

"Didn't you say there were no rewards for rehearsals?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou looked at him.

"You didn't accept the replacement reward."

"But you won back the training feedback."

Chen Ye looked down at the light fragment, rarely not being cheeky.

After a long time, he said in a low voice:

"Then I'll practice until I can block even better."

Zhou Heng snorted coldly.

"Finally sounds like something human."

Chen Ye looked up.

"You wait."

"When I've trained to be strong, you'll be the first one I block with my Thunder Spear."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"Try blocking it first before saying that."

The atmosphere had just relaxed a bit, but the temperature in the classroom suddenly dropped.

The Ice Key by the window lit up.

Shen Tingxue looked up.

White light appeared again from outside the door.

This time, it wasn't a heavy-armored knight who walked in.

But a female projection holding an ice-blue spear.

Her long hair was tied up, her brows and eyes cold and stern.

She stood at the doorway, her gaze passing over everyone and landing on Shen Tingxue.

The blackboard slowly wrote out a new prompt.

【White Tower First Floor Pressure Rehearsal】

【Second Round: Lockdown Role Replacement Pressure】

【Target: Shen Tingxue】

The female projection spoke softly:

"Descendant of the Shen Family."

"Give the Ice Key to me."

"I know better than you how to save Shen Qingshuang."