466: Chapter 401: Reporting to Military Headquarters, the Expeditionary Legion's Apprenticeship Begins

New Universe Calendar Year 3, Autumn.

The cyan-gold light within the Void Rift shone like an eternal star under the illumination of the Fire of Civilization. Lin Zhou stood up from the core of the rift, and the deep blue ship silhouette carried him toward the direction of the New Universe. Today was the day he was to report to the Seventh Legion of the Human Expeditionary Force.

The organization of the Civilization Guardian Legion had been finalized—five thousand personnel, an independent designation, directly under the Expeditionary Force Headquarters. However, Lin Zhou's military Rank was not the Colonel Rank promised by the Marshal earlier, but Lieutenant Colonel. Because he had been in seclusion in the rift for a year, the military's promotion system had requirements for years of service, so even with an exception, he could only reach Lieutenant Colonel. He did not mind. Military Rank was just a symbol; as long as he could fight, it was fine.

[ Lin Zhou · Military Reporting Status ]

- Rank: Lieutenant Colonel (Combat Rank)

- Position: Commander of the Civilization Guardian Legion

- Affiliation: Seventh Legion of the Human Expeditionary Force

- Direct Superior: Seventh Legion Commander · General General Rex (the very same old general who retired and was recalled)

- Reporting Location: Seventh War Zone Headquarters of the New Universe

The deep blue ship silhouette passed through the border of the New Universe and landed on the plaza in front of the Seventh War Zone Headquarters. The headquarters was a massive fortress, suspended in the Void Realm, formed by stitching together hundreds of Divine Kingdoms. The city walls were a thousand zhang high, with defensive runes flowing across their surface, capable of withstanding attacks at the high-tier divine power level. On the walls, patrolling soldiers wore uniform standard-issue armor, and the Seventh Legion's emblem—crossed longswords and stars—was embroidered on their epaulets.

Lin Zhou stepped down from the ship silhouette; Qin Qing and Wang Meng were already waiting for him on the plaza. Qin Qing was wearing a military judge's uniform, with the Rank of Major on her epaulets. Wang Meng was wearing the combat armor of a vanguard commander, also with the Rank of Major on his epaulets. Behind them were one thousand vanguard members of the Civilization Guardian Legion, lined up in neat rows, with strict discipline.

[ Civilization Guardian Legion · Vanguard ]

- Number of Personnel: 1000

- Average Divinity Rank: LV450

- Equipment: Civilization Armor · Military Version

- Rank Distribution: 1 Lieutenant Colonel, 2 Majors, 10 Captains, 50 Lieutenants, 200 Second Lieutenants, 737 Sergeants

" Captain, General General Rex is waiting for us at the headquarters, " Qin Qing said.

" Let's go. "

They walked toward the headquarters gate.

On both sides of the gate stood two guards—not living people, but spirit guards condensed from Divine Kingdom projections, Rank LV600, expressionless, with gazes like torches.

" Please present your identification. "

Lin Zhou took the transfer order from his bosom. The guard took it, carefully inspected it, and then nodded.

" Please enter. "

Inside the headquarters, the space was ten times larger than it appeared from the outside. On both sides of the corridor were the offices of the various legions, with nameplates hanging on the doors—First Legion, Second Legion... all the way to the Seventh Legion. At the end of the corridor was a massive bronze door, with the Seventh Legion's emblem engraved on it.

Lin Zhou pushed the door open.

Inside was a spacious conference room. In the center was a huge Star Map table, on which the real-time battle situation at the edge of the New Universe was projected. Beside the table sat seven officers—ranging from Major General to General, each with powerful Divine Power fluctuations flowing around them. In the very center was General General Rex. Although his Divine Kingdom had shattered, his Divinity Rank had recovered from LV500 to LV800, and coupled with his rich experience, he had been re-employed by the military as the Commander of the Seventh Legion.

[ Seventh Legion · Command Layer ]

- Commander: General General Rex (LV800)

- Deputy Commander: Lieutenant General Zhao Lingyun (LV1500)

- Chief of Staff: Major General Zhou Ming (LV1200)

- Division Commanders: 6 people (Brigadier General to General, LV800 - LV1100)

" Lin Zhou, you've arrived, " General Rex stood up and walked to him. " Your Civilization Guardian Legion is assigned to the Seventh Legion's vanguard sequence. Your mission—reconnoiter the edge of the Chaos Star Domain and issue early warnings for Void Return fluctuations. "

" Yes, " Lin Zhou saluted.

General Rex patted his shoulder and lowered his voice: " The front line is not like the academy. Every soldier here is a veteran who has come down from the battlefield. They might not necessarily recognize your Way of Civilization. You need to prove yourself with strength. "

" I understand. "

" Good. Go to your station. The Vanguard Reconnaissance Battalion's camp is in the East District of the fortress, and it has already been cleared out for you. "

Lin Zhou nodded and left the conference room with Qin Qing and Wang Meng.

East District of the fortress, Vanguard Reconnaissance Battalion station.

The camp was not large, with only a few rows of barracks and a training ground. But Lin Zhou noticed that there were many bullet holes and cracks on the outer walls of the barracks—not due to disrepair, but battle damage. A reconnaissance battalion had once been stationed here, and they had been almost completely wiped out in an encounter in the Chaos Star Domain, with fewer than a hundred people remaining.

[ Vanguard Reconnaissance Battalion · History ]

- Original Establishment: 2000 personnel

- Battle Losses: 1900 personnel (sacrificed or missing)

- Remainder: 100 personnel (disbanded)

- Currently Stationed: Civilization Guardian Legion Vanguard

" Captain, this place... " Wang Meng frowned.

" This is the front line, not the rear, " Lin Zhou said calmly. " Battle losses are the norm. What we must do is minimize battle losses. "

He turned around and looked at the one thousand vanguard members.

" Brothers, from today on, you are soldiers of the Vanguard Reconnaissance Battalion. Your mission—penetrate deep into the Chaos Star Domain, reconnoiter Void Return fluctuations, and issue early warnings for danger. This is not training in the rear; this is a battlefield with real blades and guns. Are you afraid? "

" No! " everyone replied in unison.

Lin Zhou nodded.

" Good. Rest in place; training begins tomorrow. "

At nightfall, Lin Zhou stood alone on the training ground outside the barracks, looking toward the distant Chaos Star Domain. There, gray-white mist was churning, and the energy fluctuations of the Void Return were much weaker than a year ago, but they were still there. He raised his hand, and the Fire of Civilization condensed in his palm. The flame flickered in the night wind, illuminating his resolute face.

" Captain, not sleeping yet? " Qin Qing walked over.

" Can't sleep. Thinking about tomorrow's training plan. "

" What plan? "

" Combat simulation, " Lin Zhou said. " The environment of the Chaos Star Domain is completely different from the academy. The rules there are chaotic, the flow of time is erratic, and spatial folding is frequent. Our soldiers need to learn to survive in that kind of environment. "

" How do you intend to train them? "

" Using Civilization Projection, " Lin Zhou took the ark of civilization core from his bosom—after a year of nourishment, the crystal had recovered eighty percent and could be used for a short time. " The ark of civilization core can simulate the environment of the Chaos Star Domain and create a small chaotic area on the training ground. The soldiers will train inside it and gradually adapt. "

" Is the consumption high? "

" One hundred thousand Divine Power per day; it can be sustained. "

Qin Qing nodded.

" Captain, you've changed. "

" Have I? "

" You have. You used to shoulder everything yourself. Now, you've started to rely on the team. "

Lin Zhou was silent for a moment.

" Because one person cannot shoulder everything. "

He turned and looked at the barracks. There, one thousand soldiers were fast asleep. Their breathing could be heard through the walls, calm and steady.

" They are my responsibility. "

Qin Qing held his hand.

" And mine too. "

The next morning, on the training ground.

Lin Zhou stood in the center of the field, holding the ark of civilization core in his hand. Deep blue light surged from the crystal, forming a chaotic area with a diameter of five hundred meters above the training ground.

[ Civilization Projection · Training Mode ]

- Coverage: 500 meters in diameter

- Simulated Environment: Edge of the Chaos Star Domain (Void Return energy concentration, rule chaos degree, time flow fluctuations)

- Consumption: 1000 Divine Power per minute

- Duration: Eight hours

" First group, enter, " Lin Zhou ordered.

The first batch of one hundred soldiers stepped into the chaotic area. Their steps immediately became unsteady—the uneven flow of time caused their perceptions to deviate. Spatial folding made them unable to find their direction. The erosion of Void Return energy increased the burden on their Divinity.

[ Soldier · Training Status ]

- Divinity Burden: 120% → 150%

- Lost Rate: Approximately 30%

" Steady! Resist with your will! " Wang Meng roared from the edge of the area. " Your armor has a coating of the Fire of Civilization, which can resist Void Return erosion! Believe in yourselves! "

The soldiers gritted their teeth and groped their way forward in the chaotic area. Some fell, got up, and continued. Some lost their way, and nearby comrades pulled them along.

[ Training · Day 1 Data ]

- Number of Trainees: 100

- Completed Training: 85

- Lost: 15 (rescued by Wang Meng)

- Divinity Integrity Decrease: Average 2%

- Adaptation Progress: 15%

" Not enough, " Lin Zhou frowned. " The adaptation speed is too slow. We need to speed it up. "

" Captain, this is not the academy, " Qin Qing said. " The soldiers need time. "

" We don't have time, " Lin Zhou looked toward the Chaos Star Domain. " The Void Return will not wait for us. "

He walked into the chaotic area and stood among the one hundred soldiers. The Fire of Civilization surged from within him, turning into a cyan-gold beam of light that illuminated the entire area.

[ Fire of Civilization · Group Buff ]

- Effect: All attributes of friendly forces within range +30%, resistance to chaos +50%

- Consumption: 5000 Divine Power per minute

The soldiers felt the burden on their Divinity suddenly lighten, the sense of being lost receded, and their steps became steady.

" Follow me! " Lin Zhou led them, moving through the chaotic area.

One hour later, all one hundred soldiers completed the training.

[ Training · Day 1 Final Data ]

- Number of Trainees: 100

- Completed Training: 100

- Divinity Integrity Decrease: Average 1%

- Adaptation Progress: 30%

" Good, " Lin Zhou withdrew the Fire of Civilization. " Rest for ten minutes, second group enter. "

The training lasted for seven days.

Eight hours every day, one thousand soldiers took turns entering the chaotic area. By the seventh day, everyone's adaptation progress had reached over 90%. They could move freely in the chaotic area and could even perform basic tactical maneuvers.

[ Training · 7-Day Summary ]

- Number of Trainees: 1000

- Adaptation Progress: Average 92%

- Divinity Integrity Decrease: Average 0.5% (negligible)

- Battle Loss Simulation: 0

" That will do, " Lin Zhou said. " Tomorrow, we enter the real Chaos Star Domain. "

The eighth day, edge of the Chaos Star Domain.

Lin Zhou led five hundred soldiers of the vanguard into the gray-white mist. The Civilization Projection expanded, enveloping everyone within it.

[ Chaos Star Domain · Reconnaissance Mission ]

- Mission: Reconnoiter Void Return fluctuations, mark dangerous areas

- Range: 1000 kilometers in diameter

- Estimated Time: Three days

- Danger Level: A

The team advanced, and the Fire of Civilization illuminated the path ahead. The soldiers' steps were steady, and their gazes were determined. Seven days of training had allowed them to adapt to the chaos here.

" Captain, there is a rule anomaly ten kilometers ahead, " Li Mo's voice came through the communication link; his projection remained at the headquarters, responsible for data analysis.

" What kind of anomaly? "

" The frequency of spatial folding has suddenly increased; it might be a nest of Chaos Beasts. "

" Bypass it, " Lin Zhou ordered.

The team detoured twenty kilometers and avoided the nest.

The reconnaissance mission lasted for three days. The team explored an area with a diameter of one thousand kilometers, marking seven Chaos Beast nests, three spatial folding danger zones, and one Void Return energy anomaly point.

[ Reconnaissance Mission · Data ]

- Exploration Range: 1000 kilometers in diameter

- Marked Danger Points: 11

- Encountered Chaos Beasts: 3 times (all avoided)

- Casualties: 0

- Intelligence Obtained: Void Return energy fluctuations are 5% weaker than last month

" The Void Return is weakening, " Lin Zhou looked at the data. " The Seal has stabilized. "

" But it hasn't disappeared completely yet, " Qin Qing said.

" Therefore, we need to continue reconnoitering. "

The team returned to the headquarters.

General Rex looked at the report submitted by Lin Zhou and nodded with satisfaction.

" Not bad. First reconnaissance, zero casualties. The Civilization Guardian Legion lives up to its reputation. "

" General, you flatter me. "

" It's not flattery, " General Rex pointed at the Star Map. " There are still large areas at the edge of the Chaos Star Domain that have not been explored. I need you to continue deeper and reconnoiter the fluctuation patterns of the Void Return. "

" Yes. "

Lin Zhou turned and left the headquarters.

He stood on the fortress wall, looking toward the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

The gray-white mist was churning, and the darkness of the Void Return lay dormant in the depths.

But, he was not afraid.

Because, behind him, was the Civilization Guardian Legion.

It was the New Universe.

It was hundreds of billions of the Human Race.

" Captain, it's time to rest, " Qin Qing walked to his side.

" Mn, " Lin Zhou nodded. " Tomorrow, we continue deeper. "

He walked down the wall and returned to the barracks.

The Fire of Civilization was burning.

It illuminated the road ahead and also illuminated the hearts of the people.