11: Chapter 11 What?! A second lieutenant?! The entire audience was shocked.

Outside the auditorium, in the corridor.

Liu Ruxue stopped and turned to look at the two of them.

"Luo Yu, do you know what you're doing?"

"I know." Luo Yu nodded.

"Then you still dare to provoke Li Ming?" Liu Ruxue frowned. "He's a B-rank Talent Awakener, while you're only an F-rank Talent Awakener. If he actually makes a move, you won't even have a chance to resist."

"I know." Luo Yu remained calm. "But... he keeps looking for trouble, and I can't tolerate it."

"I understand how you feel, but you must understand that this world has changed." Liu Ruxue was silent for a few seconds before speaking with a complex tone, "In the world of Awakeners, talent is everything. With an F-rank Talent... it's hard to find a way out."

"I know."

This was the third time Luo Yu had said those words.

"Then you..." Liu Ruxue wanted to say something but didn't know how to put it.

As the homeroom teacher of the neighboring class, she had watched Luo Yu from his freshman to senior year. His grades were always among the best, and he was humble and modest—a good student.

Unfortunately,

After awakening an F-rank Talent,

His life's trajectory was destined to change.

"Teacher Liu, I'm fine." Luo Yu smiled and added, "I've already found my path."

"What path?"

"The military."

Liu Ruxue was stunned.

"You joined the military?"

"Yes," Luo Yu said slowly. "I just joined yesterday. I'm currently a second lieutenant officer."

Liu Ruxue's eyes widened.

A second lieutenant?

An F-rank Talent can become an officer? Did he think she was easy to fool?

One must know that in this Abyss Era, the military's status was supreme. Even an ordinary non-commissioned officer was respected wherever they went.

Not to mention a second lieutenant;

That was definitely someone from the upper class of this era.

"You... you're not joking?"

"No." Luo Yu pulled out his officer's ID from his pocket and handed it to her.

Liu Ruxue took the ID and flipped it open.

[Long Country Military Officer ID]

[Name: Luo Yu]

[Rank: second lieutenant]

[Code Name: XX]

[Affiliation: Baijiang Defense Zone]

Liu Ruxue looked at the ID, speechless for a long time.

She handed the ID back to Luo Yu.

"It seems I underestimated you."

"It's not underestimating." Luo Yu put away the ID. "It's just that my talent is quite special. The military values ability rather than rank."

"Since you've found your own path, I won't say more." Liu Ruxue paused. "But I still want to remind you that Li Ming's father is the vice president of the Baijiang City Chamber of Commerce and is very influential locally. You must be careful."

"I will."

"And..." Liu Ruxue looked at Su Zhiruo. "Zhiruo, have you really decided not to go to the Capital?"

Su Zhiruo said with a firm tone, "No matter what, I'm going to Modu."

"Fine, you've all grown up and have your own ideas. I can't control you anymore." Liu Ruxue opened her mouth to speak but then turned and walked toward the auditorium. "Go back. The victory banquet isn't over yet."

Luo Yu and Su Zhiruo followed behind her.

Just as they reached the entrance of the auditorium, they heard a commotion inside.

"Look! There's a helicopter in the sky!"

"It looks like a military helicopter!"

"It's landing on the school playground!"

Luo Yu's heart stirred.

A military helicopter?

Could it be...

He quickened his pace and entered the auditorium.

Everyone in the auditorium crowded by the windows, looking outside.

Through the windows,

A dark green attack helicopter could be seen parked on the school playground.

The helicopter door opened,

And a burly man in military uniform jumped down.

It was General Zhan Kuang.

Behind him followed four fully armed soldiers.

"Is that... General Zhankuang?"

"The Commander of the Baijiang Defense Zone? Why did he come to the school?"

"Could he be here to recruit people?"

The auditorium erupted into a frenzy.

General Zhankuang was a celebrity in Baijiang City—an S-rank Awakener who had guarded the Baijiang Defense Zone for ten years and killed countless Abyssal Giant Beasts.

His appearance

Made everyone excited.

Especially those students who had awakened B-rank or higher talents; their eyes lit up.

If they could be chosen by General Zhankuang to enter the military directly for early training, their future would be limitless.

General Zhan Kuang entered the auditorium, his gaze sweeping across the room.

Finally,

It landed on Luo Yu in the corner.

He strode over.

Everyone's eyes followed him as he moved.

Li Ming stood up excitedly.

"The General is here for me! It must be!"

He had awakened a B-rank Fire Element and was the son of the Chamber of Commerce vice president. With such a deep background, it was normal for General Zhankuang to take an interest in him; his future was limitless.

Other B-rank Awakeners also stood up one after another, straightening their clothes to prepare to welcome the General.

General Zhan Kuang walked up to Luo Yu, stopped, and without hiding anything, raised his hand and gave a military salute.

"Second Lieutenant Luo Yu, the Commander of the Baijiang Defense Zone has come to pick you up to return to the unit."

Silence.

A deathly silence.

In the entire auditorium, nearly a thousand people seemed to have been put on pause at that moment.

Time

Seemed to stop flowing.

Everyone's eyes were wide as saucers, their mouths agape enough to fit an egg, and the expressions on their faces were frozen in extreme shock and bewilderment.

What did they just hear?

Luo Yu... a second lieutenant?

That Luo Yu with the F-rank Talent?

That Luo Yu, the orphan from the welfare home?

Is a second lieutenant?

Moreover, a major general personally piloted an attack helicopter to the school-wide victory banquet to salute him and call him "second lieutenant"?

Has the world gone crazy?

Or were they having a collective hallucination?

"Did... did I fucking hear that wrong?" A student pinched his thigh hard, grimacing in pain, yet still unable to believe his ears.

"second lieutenant? Military rank? Luo Yu? How did those three words get put together?"

"A hallucination, this must be a hallucination! How could an F-rank Talent become an officer? And a second lieutenant at that!"

"Did that General mistake him for someone else? Yes, he must have the wrong person!"

Whispers spread like a plague, but everyone instinctively lowered their voices, fearing they might disturb this bizarre and shocking scene.

The one with the biggest reaction was none other than Li Ming.

He was completely stunned, standing frozen in place. The color drained from his face at a visible rate, turning it deathly pale.

second lieutenant?

Luo Yu is a second lieutenant?

Just now... he had just pointed at the nose of an active-duty officer,

And told him to get lost?

And even called him trash?

At the thought of this,

Li Ming's legs began to tremble.

Insulting an active-duty officer in public was a serious crime, especially when the other party was a "special" second lieutenant personally picked up by a major general!

He didn't dare think any further, feeling his vision go dark and his body sway.

Below the rostrum,

Principal Li Jianguo also had an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

He adjusted his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes hard, making sure he hadn't seen wrong.

That major general

Was indeed saluting Luo Yu!

"So that's how it is... so that's how it is!" A massive wave surged in Li Jianguo's heart, and he muttered to himself, "I should have thought of it sooner! A military-approved admission slot... an F-rank Talent being able to enter Modu University... there must be a huge secret behind this!"

He suddenly felt a wave of lingering fear.

Fortunately, he hadn't looked down on Luo Yu just because he had an F-rank Talent; instead, he had even offered extra comfort.

In the deathly silent atmosphere of the venue, Luo Yu appeared exceptionally calm. He accepted General Zhan Kuang's salute naturally and then said softly to the already dumbfounded Su Zhiruo, "I'm leaving now. I'll call you later."

"Ah... oh, okay." Su Zhiruo nodded instinctively, her mind still a total blank.

Luo Yu turned his head again

And nodded slightly to Principal Li Jianguo not far away. "Principal, thank you for the invitation. Please excuse me."

Then,

Amidst a multitude of complex gazes, Luo Yu stood up and returned the military salute.

"Reporting to the General, Second Lieutenant Luo Yu is returning to the unit."

General Zhan Kuang lowered his hand, a smile appearing on his face, and ordered, "Let's go. There's a mission at the base. Your time is very precious and cannot be wasted on meaningless socializing."

Meaningless socializing.

These words were like a slap to the face for everyone present.

"Yes."

Luo Yu turned to look at Su Zhiruo.

"I'm going."

Su Zhiruo nodded vigorously.

"Go ahead, stay safe."

Luo Yu smiled at her and then followed General Zhan Kuang out of the auditorium.

Everyone let out a sigh as they made a path.

They watched Luo Yu's back, their minds blank.

An F-rank trash...

Was actually a second lieutenant officer?

And was personally picked up by General Zhankuang?

This... how is this possible? It's unscientific and illogical!

Liu Ruxue stood in place, watching Luo Yu's departing back, and murmured to herself, "This child... he must have a secret?"

The school playground.

Luo Yu followed General Zhan Kuang onto the helicopter.

The door closed, and the rotors began to spin.

The helicopter slowly ascended.

Through the window, Luo Yu saw the people in the auditorium crowding the windows, looking up at the helicopter.

He saw Su Zhiruo standing in the crowd, waving at him.

Luo Yu also raised his hand and waved back at her.

As the helicopter flew higher and higher, the school turned into a small dot.

General Zhan Kuang sat opposite him, looking at Luo Yu.

"How do you feel?"

"It's alright." Luo Yu smiled. "Just a bit sudden."

"I knew you were attending the victory banquet and didn't want to disturb you." General Zhan Kuang took a deep breath and said with a serious tone, "But... the higher-ups have issued an emergency mission, and I want to ask for your opinion."