Chapter 46

At the moment the first kill announcement came out, both schools were in an uproar.

The Silver Star forum exploded with more than a dozen posts.

“Whoa, did I hear that right? Just now the broadcast said Silver Star was the first to eliminate a military academy student?”

“Yes, you heard it right! We were still in class when we heard the announcement. Our classroom went silent for a moment, then everyone stood up and applauded.”

“Wow, this year’s Silver Star freshmen are fierce, snatching the first kill from the Imperial Military Academy.”

“Oh my, is the springtime of our Silver Star finally coming?”

“Ahhh, I really want to watch the live broadcast! Why don’t we have the opportunity to watch it live?”

In stark contrast to Silver Star’s joy and celebration, the Imperial Military Academy was deathly silent.

As a powerhouse military academy that has led the rankings year after year, many upperclassmen at the Imperial Military Academy obviously did not take Silver Star seriously. Moreover, battles between freshmen are mostly minor skirmishes, and the main members of next year’s ranking competition are completely dominated by upperclassmen, leaving no room for freshmen to participate.

In the central command room, Zuo Zitao clapped his hands, indifferent to the surroundings. “This ambush was excellent. The choice of location and timing were impeccable, textbook-level execution.”

Beside him, Gu Nong’s face darkened significantly.

With the broadcast so loud, it was impossible for the Imperial Military Academy not to hear it.

The chief commander shouted into the radio, “What’s going on? Were our scouts ambushed?”

After the scouts  from the agility department  reported one by one, he finally realized something was wrong. “Count the numbers on each level!”

However, before they had time to count, the sub-commander stationed on the first level urgently reported over the radio, “Commander! The first level is under attack!”

“What? It’s been less than five minutes since the first round of skirmishes ended. They were clearly at a disadvantage earlier and were driven out of the central teaching building. How dare they attack so aggressively?” The commander was stunned.

In reality, Silver Star was not only aggressive but also highly formidable.

Over the past week, Xuan Yuansheng, after analyzing the situation of both schools, even went as far as consulting his former military teacher to determine several optimal attack timings.

Given that Silver Star’s direct combat strength was inferior to that of the Imperial Military Academy, they had to resort to clever tactics. They needed to catch the enemy off guard, such as pretending to retreat after a major defeat, only to circle around and launch a surprise attack.

This time, Yuan Hanshuang led four full squads to execute a flanking surprise attack, aiming for a lightning-fast offensive.

After taking out those two unfortunate first-kill military academy students, the squads squeezed into the bathroom to regroup.

The central area shared by both schools was, of course, quite large, and the washrooms were also bigger than usual. However, with this group of strong men and women crammed together, it still felt a bit cramped.

If a patrolling military academy student were to open the door at that moment and be met with dozens of eyes staring back, they would probably be scared to death.

Yuan Hanshuang lowered her voice, “Second team, third team, fourth team, have you reached your designated positions?”

“Reporting, second team has successfully reached the north side of the teaching building!”

“Third team has successfully reached the location!”

“Fourth team in position! Awaiting instructions!”

“Good.” Through the washroom wall, Yuan Hanshuang could already hear the urgent footsteps outside.

Clearly, the Imperial Military Academy had realized that it wasn’t just their scouts who had been taken out, but that a larger, more coordinated attack was underway.

Their seemingly impregnable stronghold had been infiltrated by a few Silver Star “mice” without anyone noticing.

“Go!”

The twin-tailed girl pressed herself against the wall and made a hand gesture with her right hand.

The next second, they burst through the door.

Watching the live broadcast in real-time, Zuo Zitao’s smile instantly disappeared.

If he weren’t still in the central command room, he would have surely grabbed these freshmen by the collars and yelled, “Stop breaking things! The public facilities you’re damaging cost money! Last year, Silver Star captured a batch and we didn’t even get the budget allocation! Your tuition fees are far from enough, you spendthrifts!”

Unfortunately, Zuo Zitao’s exasperated shouts couldn’t reach the battlefield.

Yuan Hanshuang’s team charged like hungry tigers released from a cage, their eyes reflecting the indignation of having to stand on the washroom toilets. They unleashed their skills as if they cost nothing, wreaking havoc with relentless attacks.

“Defense team, up front!” The sub-commander stationed on the first floor of the teaching building was so shocked by the sudden and fierce attack that his heart skipped a beat as he hastily gave orders.

While he was issuing commands, several military academy students guarding the washroom door were instantly overwhelmed by dozens of Silver Star fighters, sending them packing in one swift move.

Even when the defense-oriented military academy students managed to react, the Silver Star team shamelessly avoided direct combat. They simply assigned a few to hold the defenders at bay while others targeted the close-combat specialists, overwhelming them with a flurry of blows, leaving them dazed and confused.

Fast, precise, and fierce.

This was Silver Star’s initial strategic deployment to counter the Imperial Military Academy.

“Where is everyone? Why is there so little reinforcement?!”

The first floor had the most solid deployment, primarily consisting of close-combat and defense specialists. Yet, when the sub-commander yelled, only a single classroom’s worth of students rushed out to confront the attackers.

Watching the Silver Star team advance triumphantly, easily overpowering the defenders, the sub-commander’s eyes turned red with frustration.

“Commander! The washroom is lost, and several other classrooms have Silver Star squads breaking in through the windows!”

A freshman in another classroom managed to report this over the radio before quickly cutting off.

In the command room, Zuo Zitao cheered loudly.

“Dispersed attacks, flanking encirclement to scatter the enemy’s forces, excellent!”

All of this happened in a flash. The encircled military academy students had yet to react, but everything was clearly visible on the command room’s big screen.

The central teaching building was at the very center, with four Silver Star squads attacking from four different directions. Some team members even split off to knock on windows, creating distractions and drawing attention away from the main attacks. Their tactics were cunning and deceptive.

This series of maneuvers left the Imperial Military Academy caught off guard.

“Despicable! The Silver Star people are absolutely shameless and despicable!”

The Imperial chief commander, with a somber expression, was pacing anxiously on the fifth floor while coordinating forces over the radio: “Teams on the second and third floors, quickly move to the first floor to provide support. Activate your skills for fire suppression immediately! Don’t hold back any skills, don’t hold back any skills!”

However, Silver Star received information even faster.

For this surprise attack, Yuan Hanshuang specifically brought along a support member with a unique mimicry ability. This individual had a mechanical mimicry skill that granted them exceptionally strong hearing under certain conditions, allowing them to capture distant sounds.

Clearly, at close range, he heard the Imperial sub-commander’s instructions over the radio: “Yuan, they are preparing for fire suppression!”

Yuan Hanshuang made a quick decision: “Defense team, cover our retreat. Don’t engage any longer!”

As she issued the order, the Silver Star squads began to withdraw.

Due to their timely retreat and swift movements, they only lost two people while managing to eliminate a total of twenty-three military academy students.

In fact, the only team that actually eliminated the military academy students was Yuan Hanshuang’s team. The other teams were there purely to distract and disperse the enemy’s firepower. These teams were filled with burly men whose primary role was to taunt and disrupt. For example, those with polar bear mimics used their defensive abilities to smash through windows and deploy area-of-effect skills, causing disorientation and delaying the enemy without aiming for kills.

“This method is really effective!” Ke Junda, who was beside Yuan Hanshuang, exclaimed with delight.

“No, not necessarily,” Yuan Hanshuang shook her head. “This kind of guerrilla tactic is not a long-term strategy.”

Despite their temporary lead, she remained clear-headed and more concerned about what would happen next.

Sure enough, seeing the Imperial Military Academy fall behind, Bian Yu, frustrated, snapped, “Can’t you consolidate your forces and avoid their guerrilla tactics? Your current approach is like a turtle hiding in its shell.”

Lou Jia, standing nearby, disagreed. “Bian Yu.”

“Let the freshmen handle their own matters. Don’t interfere.”

The silver-haired saint continued writing with his pen. “These past two classes have been too impulsive. Letting them undergo some tempering isn’t a bad thing.”

However, the rules didn’t prohibit badge bearers from giving strategic advice!

But since the president had spoken, Bian Yu reluctantly fell silent.

Fortunately, the Imperial chief commander was not an inexperienced newcomer. As a scion of a prominent family, he had received command training as part of his upbringing. After Bian Yu’s advice, he quickly recognized the shortcomings in his approach.

“Abandon the first four floors of the teaching building, tighten our defenses!”

Watching the steadily rising casualty numbers on the screen and hearing the chairman’s criticism over the radio, the chief commander felt a burning sensation on his face. “Support units, cease pursuit of their badge bearers. Main assault teams, focus all efforts on pinpointing their positions!”

“To defend the honor of the Empire’s First Military Academy, we must redeem ourselves!”

Just as Yuan Hanshuang had suspected, despite the initial setback due to being caught off guard, after Silver Star’s two successful strikes against the military academy students, they realized their arrogance in defensive positioning. They swiftly adjusted their strategy, deploying their forces strategically within the most logical parameters and devising appropriate countermeasures.

The first to notice this wasn’t anyone else but Gu Dong, who had climbed a tree to gain a higher vantage point and observe from afar.

He’s an assassin, and even if he can’t mimic surroundings like others, his efficiency in using the environment far surpasses theirs. Even with a group of people chasing after him, Gu Dong plays around like with children, effortlessly escaping.

It’s still raining heavily now, and Gu Dong can sense the presence around the trees gradually withdrawing.

With just a brief thought, he figures out the reason.

“Hmm, looks like they’re gathering their forces. Should I inform them?”

The gray-haired assassin lies back

On the tree branch.

The cold rain trickles down his long hair, sticking to his gaunt cheeks and jaw.

“Heads, I speak. Tails, I don’t.”

Like performing a magic trick, he pulls out a Star Coin, a one-yuan coin, deftly spins it on his pale knuckles twice, then suddenly clenches it in his fist and raises it to eye level.

Studying the coin’s reverse side, Gu Dong mutters to himself, “Oh well, I guess you’re lucky this time.”

After all, he hasn’t truly mastered his boxing skills yet.

If he loses, that girl with twin tails will probably be furious with him.

“Off you go.” He waves his hand, and the silver-winged falcon spreads its wings and disappears into the rain.

Upon receiving the rare message from Gu Dong, Xuan Yuansheng learned that a large squad of agile units from the military academy had already discovered a Silver Star outpost positioned diagonally opposite the central teaching building.

Filled with frustration, the military academy students rushed over and immediately engaged in combat without hesitation.

This time, they caught Silver Star off guard.

Xuan Yuansheng had set the first rule for everyone: avoid direct confrontation with the Imperial Military Academy. Initially, the evacuation had gone smoothly because the military academy students were focused on seizing the outpost without pursuing further. Additionally, both sides were testing each other’s strengths since the match had just begun.

However, now, one hour into the match, the Imperial Military Academy found themselves at a disadvantage and were urgently seeking to rectify the situation. The confrontation had escalated to a fierce stage!

Watching the scoreboard showing their steadily increasing casualty count, Xuan Yuansheng’s face was grave. “No, it’s too far gone.”

He closed his eyes briefly. “Agile units and close combat teams, retreat directly. Sacrifice pawns to save the king.”

In the situation where reinforcements couldn’t arrive in time, this was the best course of action—at least it wouldn’t result in complete annihilation, and some of the faster agile and close combat units could survive.

Xuan Yuansheng was genuinely surprised that the Imperial Military Academy’s chief commander acted decisively, abandoning the outpost several floors beneath the central teaching building to consolidate their forces. They were clearly aiming to severely injure Silver Star in exchange for this opportunity.

“Strange. Isn’t that new commander from the Empire usually not this type?” He took a deep breath.

On the other side, upon discovering that the military academy students had abandoned the lower floors of the teaching building, Yuan Hanshuang led her team in to investigate. Before she could even complete a round, she heard the chaotic sounds of combat over the radio.

“The main force of the military academy students is besieging our outpost from outside?”

She frowned. “That’s impossible. We’ve been guarding the first floor all along, and their main members couldn’t have slipped past my sight. I see now. Those military academy students must have jumped out the windows directly, bypassing our checkpoints.”

Realizing this, Yuan Hanshuang clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Indeed, it was impossible for only Silver Star to use the rain as cover; the military academy students could also cleverly utilize the environment to their advantage.

She abandoned the idea of probing each floor further for guerrilla tactics and instead issued an evacuation order.

Silver Star’s combat strength was limited, with most of their best fighters already engaged in guerrilla warfare under her command. They were inherently weaker than their opponents, and if they didn’t retreat now, they would face a complete rout.

Although she was leaving this place behind, before departing, Yuan Hanshuang casually glanced upwards through the central railing of the staircase.

Above the staircase was pitch black, except for a single light shining from a higher position.

A bold idea formed in her mind.

“Can you feel the presence on the fifth floor

“How many are there?” Yuan Hanshuang asked her assistant beside her.

The assistant activated a skill, listening carefully before cautiously responding, “Quite a few. I can hear at least ten strong heartbeats. If nothing unexpected happens, they should all be fourth-tier or close to fourth-tier.”

Fourth-tier newcomers were rare, but unlike Silver Star, which celebrated even receiving an S-class newcomer with fanfare that could be heard worldwide, the Imperial Military Academy, as the undisputed number one, recruited nearly two handfuls of S-class every year.

Now, guarding the fifth floor as the last line of defense were these elites among elites.

“Since their supreme commander has ordered a full-scale attack, it means he’s confident in the defense of the fifth floor. Let’s go; we need to hurry back,” Yuan Hanshuang said, with that bold idea in mind, leading her team as they turned and left.

Author’s Note:

 Comment if you wan’t more chapters 😊

Enjoy reading!!