478: Chapter 413: Three Months of Training, Accumulated Military Merits Exceed 100,000

After the exploration of the God King's Tomb ended, Lin Zhou rested at the Seventh War Zone fortress for three days. During these three days, he digested God King Zhenyue's combat experience and comprehension of rules, stabilizing his divinity Rank at LV6700, and the water level of the river of civilization rose to 5035%. But the more important harvest was a deeper understanding of the word "guarding."

On the evening of the third day, General General Rex summoned him to the headquarters.

"Lin Zhou, the Seventh War Zone will enter a rotation period for the next three months. Each legion needs to return to the New Universe to rest and replenish troops and supplies. But the defensive line cannot be empty; someone needs to stay behind." General Rex zoomed in on the Star Map, pointing to the red areas marked around the fortress. "These places are all areas where Chaos Beasts and the Shadow Race are active. I need you to lead the Civilization Guardian Legion and clear the threats in these areas one by one within these three months."

[Rotation Period Mission · Data]

- Duration: Three months

- Number of Missions: Estimated seventeen times (reconnaissance, elimination, patrol)

- Area Range: Approximately five thousand kilometers in diameter

- Targets: Clear Chaos Beasts, the Shadow Race, and the ruins of corrupted divine kingdoms

- Estimated Military Merit: 500 to 2,000 points per mission

"Three months, seventeen missions, one hundred thousand military merits?" Lin Zhou looked at the estimated data.

"If you do well, it will be more than one hundred thousand." General Rex pushed a thick mission list over. "Your Civilization Guardian Legion is currently the only unit in the Seventh War Zone capable of fighting deep within the Chaos Star Domain. Other legions either lack equipment or experience. This rotation period is your chance to prove yourselves."

Lin Zhou took the list and scanned it quickly. The mission types were diverse—reconnaissance, elimination, recovery, and purification. He had been to some of the areas, while others were still unknown. Every mission was marked with estimated military merits and danger levels.

"Alright."

General Rex nodded. "Is your legion at full strength now?"

"Still short of two thousand people. If I have enough military merits, I want to recruit new soldiers from the New Universe."

"Approved. You can allocate the military merits yourself."

Lin Zhou walked out of the headquarters and stood on the city wall for a long time. Three months, seventeen missions, one hundred thousand military merits. This was just an estimate. How much they could actually get depended on the completion of each mission.

"Captain, did you get the mission list?" Qin Qing walked over.

"Yes. Seventeen missions, to be completed within three months."

"Time is very tight."

"So, we can't waste any."

Lin Zhou turned around and called a meeting of the entire legion.

In the barracks meeting room, the Star Map was projected in the center. Lin Zhou stood in front of the Star Map, with Qin Qing, Wang Meng, Chen Xuan, Li Mo (projection), and several newly joined lieutenants behind him.

He went over the mission list.

"Brothers, in the next three months, we have to complete seventeen missions. That's an average of one every five days."

He pointed to the red markings on the Star Map.

"The first location is about 1,200 kilometers southeast of the fortress. There is a group of the Shadow Race, numbering about five hundred. The estimated military merit is two hundred points."

"The second location is about 2,000 kilometers directly west of the fortress. There are the ruins of a medium-sized corrupted divine kingdom there. The estimated military merit is eight hundred points."

"The third... the fourth... the fifth..."

He listed seventeen targets in one breath.

"For every single mission, we must have zero casualties."

"Can we do it?"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

The next morning, the first mission began.

Target: Southeast direction, a Shadow Race group. Numbering about five hundred, Ranks LV300 to LV450. Lin Zhou did not bring the main force, only three hundred elites. The Dragon Vein Golden Scale accompanied them, and Su Yueyao provided her Moonlight blessing.

[Scout Team · Data]

- Number of People: 300

- Average Divinity Rank: LV550

- Equipment: Civilization Armor (Enhanced Version)

- Dragon Vein Golden Scale: Accompanying

- Su Yueyao: Moonlight Blessing

After marching for a day, they arrived at the target area. The Shadow Race group was gathered around the ruins of a divine kingdom, devouring the rule fragments within the ruins. Lin Zhou was in no hurry to attack; instead, he had Li Mo analyze the behavior patterns of the Shadow Race.

[Shadow Race · Behavior Data]

- Quantity: About five hundred

- Distribution: Ring-shaped, surrounding the ruins

- Behavior: Feeding, low alertness

- Weakness: Abdomen (attacking the abdomen deals double damage)

"Clear them from the outskirts inward. Hit the stragglers first, then the small groups, and finally surround and annihilate the large group," Lin Zhou deployed.

The battle lasted for about two hours.

[Battle · First Mission Data]

- Shadow Race Killed: 512

- Rule Fragments Dropped: About 800

- Purified Order Essence: 800 units

- Our Losses: 12 lightly injured

- Military Merits Obtained: 250 points (exceeding estimate)

The first mission was completed.

After resting at the fortress for a day, they set out for the second mission.

Target: Directly west, ruins of a corrupted divine kingdom. Medium scale, about 60% contaminated. Lin Zhou took five hundred people and arrived at the edge of the ruins.

[Ruins of Corrupted Divine Kingdom · Data]

- Scale: Approximately fifty kilometers in diameter

- Contamination Level: 60%

- Corrupted Consciousness Rank: LV600

- Estimated Military Merit: 800 points

Lin Zhou washed the ruins with the river of civilization, and Su Yueyao's Moonlight illuminated the corrupted veins. The battle lasted for three hours; the corrupted consciousness was purified, and the ruins were converted into Order Essence.

[Battle · Second Mission Data]

- Purified Ruins: Fifty kilometers in diameter

- Order Essence Obtained: About 2,000 units

- Rule Fragments Obtained: About 1,500

- Our Losses: 20 lightly injured

- Military Merits Obtained: 900 points

The third, fourth, fifth... missions went on one after another, and military merits accumulated bit by bit.

[Mission Progress · One Month]

- Completed Missions: 6

- Total Military Merits: 250 + 900 + 400 + 1,200 + 600 + 1,500 = 4,850 points

- Lin Zhou's Current Military Merits: 48,500 + 4,850 = 53,350 points

The second month.

The difficulty of the missions increased. For the seventh mission, the target was an LV700 Chaos Beast Commander. Lin Zhou took five hundred people and fought fiercely with the Chaos Beast Commander for two hours, slaying it with the Sword of Civilization.

[Battle · Seventh Mission Data]

- Slayed: Chaos Beast Commander (LV700)

- Drops: 500 chaos crystals, 300 rule fragments

- Our Losses: 30 lightly injured

- Military Merits Obtained: 2,000 points

The eighth, ninth, tenth missions... By the end of the second month, fourteen missions had been completed, and the total military merits gained during this period reached twelve thousand points. Lin Zhou's accumulated military merits rose from 48,500 to 60,500 points.

But the greatest harvest was not military merits, but the growth of the divine kingdom and the Evolution of the vassal races.

After each mission, the river of civilization would absorb a large number of rule fragments and Order Essence. The area of Lin Zhou's divine kingdom expanded from 575 square kilometers to 600 square kilometers.

[Divine Kingdom · Growth Data]

- Area: 575 square kilometers → 600 square kilometers

- Rule Completeness: 95% → 96%

- river of civilization Water Level: 5035% → 5050%

- Heavenly Pillar Height: 11.8 million kilometers → 12 million kilometers

Even more gratifying was the Evolution of the vassal races. Through continuous rule purification, the average Rank of the Literary Heart Elves increased from LV40 to LV45. The Tiangong Dwarves rose from LV38 to LV43. The Law Fishmen rose from LV35 to LV42. Most importantly, the number of Civilization Sword Cultivators in the Shushan Sword Tomb surpassed one hundred.

[Vassal Race · Evolution Data (Three Months)]

- Literary Heart Elves: Average LV40 → LV45, Quantity: 5,000 → 5,500

- Tiangong Dwarves: Average LV38 → LV43, Quantity: 3,000 → 3,300

- Law Fishmen: Average LV35 → LV42, Quantity: 2,000 → 2,200

- Civilization Sword Cultivators: Number broke through one hundred (102 people), average Rank LV50

- New Hero Unit: Sword Cultivator Li Bai (Pseudo), Rank LV550, Skill: [Green Lotus Sword Song]

The third month, the final three missions.

The fifteenth mission: Clear out a large Shadow Race lair, with the number of the Shadow Race exceeding a thousand, along with a Shadow King (LV800). Lin Zhou took six hundred people and fought fiercely for half a day. The Dragon Breath of the Dragon Vein Golden Scale heavily wounded the Shadow King, and Lin Zhou slew it with the Sword of Civilization.

[Battle · Fifteenth Mission Data]

- Shadow Race Killed: 1,200

- Shadow King Killed: 1

- Drops: 2,000 rule fragments, 1 Shadow Core

- Our Losses: 50 lightly injured, 5 heavily injured

- Military Merits Obtained: 3,000 points

The sixteenth mission: Recover the fragments on the periphery of the God King's Tomb. Those fragments were chipped off when God King Zhenyue sealed the Guixu Passage, scattered within an area of five hundred kilometers. Lin Zhou sent out one hundred Sword Cultivators to quickly recover them using the Sword Control Technique.

[Recovery · Sixteenth Mission Data]

- Recovered Fragments: About three hundred

- Fragment Value: Can extract God King rule fragments

- Our Losses: 0

- Military Merits Obtained: 1,000 points

The seventeenth mission: Purify a Void Realm area contaminated by Guixu energy. That place was once the main battlefield where God King Zhenyue sealed the Guixu Passage, and the concentration of Guixu energy was two hundred times that of the outside world. Lin Zhou washed it with the river of civilization, and Su Yueyao assisted with her Moonlight.

[Purification · Seventeenth Mission Data]

- Purified Area: Approximately two hundred kilometers in diameter

- Order Essence Obtained: About 5,000 units

- Rule Fragments Obtained: About 3,000

- Our Losses: 20 lightly injured

- Military Merits Obtained: 5,000 points

The final mission was completed.

[Three Months of Training · Summary]

- Completed Missions: 17

- Total Military Merits: 250 + 900 + 400 + 1,200 + 600 + 1,500 + 2,000 + 800 + 1,000 + 1,200 + 1,500 + 1,800 + 2,000 + 2,500 + 3,000 + 1,000 + 5,000 = 28,250 points

- Lin Zhou's Military Merit Change: 48,500 + 28,250 = 76,750 points

- Divine Kingdom Area during the Mission: 600 square kilometers (expanded by 25 square kilometers)

- Vassal Race Average Rank: LV45

- Civilization Sword Cultivators: 102 people

- Dragon Vein Golden Scale Rank: LV800 → LV850

Lin Zhou stood on the fortress city wall, looking in the direction of the Chaos Star Domain. Seventeen missions with zero casualties—this achievement was enough to shut anyone up.

"Captain, your military merits have broken seventy thousand!" Wang Meng ran over excitedly.

"Still short of thirty thousand to exchange for that Epic Card." Lin Zhou put away his token. "No rush."

"Captain, what are we doing next?"

Lin Zhou thought for a moment. "Return to the New Universe, rest for a few days. Then, continue taking on missions."

"Great!"

He walked down the city wall and returned to the New Universe through the teleportation array.

In front of the wooden cabin on the back mountain, Su Yueyao was cultivating her Moonlight. Seeing Lin Zhou, she stood up.

"Captain, are all the missions completed?"

"They are."

"What about the military merits?"

"Over seventy-six thousand."

Su Yueyao nodded.

"Captain, you've gotten thinner."

Lin Zhou was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Three months on the front line, how could I not lose weight?"

Su Yueyao walked up to him, and her Moonlight enveloped him.

"Rest for a few days."

"Mhm."

The two sat side by side on the edge of the cliff, looking out over the plains of the New Universe.

On the plains, the residents of the New Universe were farming, building, and living.

"Captain, do you regret it?" Su Yueyao suddenly asked.

"Regret what?"

"Regret choosing this path. If you had stayed at Xinghai University or gone to the research institute, maybe you wouldn't be this tired."

Lin Zhou fell silent for a moment.

"I don't regret it."

"Why?"

"Because there are people here who need me." He looked at the plains. "Those people, they don't know my name, they don't know what I've done. But the fact that they can live here in peace is because someone is guarding them."

"And I am one of those guardians."

Su Yueyao leaned against his shoulder.

"Captain, I'll accompany you."

Lin Zhou held her hand.

"Alright."

Three days later, Lin Zhou returned to the Seventh War Zone fortress.

General Rex was waiting for him on the city wall.

"Lin Zhou, the Expeditionary Force Headquarters is very satisfied with your performance over these three months."

"You flatter me, General."

"It's not flattery, it's the truth." General Rex handed him a document. "The Expeditionary Force Headquarters has specially approved the promotion of the Civilization Guardian Legion to an independent combat unit, directly under the Expeditionary Force Command. Your military Rank is promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel."

[Lin Zhou · Military Rank Promotion]

- Original Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

- New Rank: Colonel

- Reason: Three months of training, seventeen missions with zero casualties

- Effective Date: Immediately

Lin Zhou looked at the newly added star on his shoulder epaulet and fell silent for a moment.

"General, this is not my credit alone."

"I know. Therefore, those of your subordinates who should be promoted have also been promoted." General Rex pointed to the list at the back of the document. "Wang Meng is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Qin Qing is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Chen Xuan is promoted to Major, and Li Mo receives the Expeditionary Force Science and Technology Contribution Medal."

Lin Zhou nodded.

"Captain, congratulations!" Wang Meng rushed over.

"Congratulations to you too." Lin Zhou patted him on the shoulder.

He looked in the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

In the grayish-white mist, more dangers awaited. However, his military merits had already reached seventy-six thousand, still about half away from one hundred and fifty thousand. If he saved for another six months, he would be able to exchange for that Epic Card.

"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Wang Meng asked.

"Thinking about when I can save up one hundred and fifty thousand to exchange for that Epic Card."

"It'll be quick." Wang Meng grinned. "Seventy thousand in three months, that's one hundred and fifty thousand in six months."

Lin Zhou smiled.

"Perhaps."