"Yeah, but unfortunately I can’t use it... Fourth Uncle Shen, you know I come from a poor background... Training costs money, and so does fighting. It was Ning’Er who came up with an idea for me, adding a monetary wager to my D-Rank challenges. Otherwise, I’d be completely..."

"Hahaha... Your background doesn’t mean a thing. You have great talent. My Shen Family judges people based on potential and nothing else!" Shen Fei laughed. He then casually pulled out a hyper-dimensional capsule. "There are two tons of silver ore in here. Take it and refine it yourself!"

"Thanks, Fourth Uncle Shen!" Gao Neng beamed.

Two tons!

’Even though it’s just silver ore, I wonder how much it’s worth?’

’Based on the price of silver...’

’One gram of ’silver’ goes for about 3.5 Alliance Coins on the market. Even at 3 coins per gram, one ton would be 3 million, and two tons would be 6 million...’

’And that’s just the price for regular silver. Pure silver would be even more expensive.’

’Of course, two tons of silver ore isn’t the same as two tons of pure silver. But even so, these two tons of ore must be worth between one and two million.’

’Gao Neng remembered that when he’d used the system’s recycling feature to assess the Magnetic Crystal Ore, the price was just over 300,000. Now, he’d multiplied its value by four or five times in a single trade.’

’What a freaking windfall!’

’Looks like my perspective has been too limited. Real rich people give gifts by the ton. I’d better get a lot closer to this Fourth Uncle Shen in the future.’

While Gao Neng was thinking this, Shen Fei juggled the Magnetic Crystal Ore in his hand and then waved dismissively at him. "Cut the pleasantries. I don’t like all that polite talk."

"Okay, Fourth Uncle Shen. You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a chief of staff, would you? My advanced math is insanely good. You can rest easy and just hand over the ’financial authority’ of your division to me..." Gao Neng said without a shred of modesty.

"Get the hell out! You’re a goddamn rookie who hasn’t even graduated, and you want to be the chief of staff for my Fourth Division?! You want to snatch my financial authority, too? Why don’t you just ask me to give you my job as Division Commander?"

"Hehe, I wouldn’t dare... I wouldn’t dream of snatching your position as Division Commander, Fourth Uncle Shen. But maybe a Deputy Division Commander spot... Huh? Fourth Uncle Shen, I’ll be taking my leave!" The moment Gao Neng saw Shen Fei’s expression darken, he bolted.

Shen Fei’s kick hit nothing but air.

"Damn it! If you’d run a second slower, I’d have kicked you into next week!" Shen Fei cursed, then muttered to himself, "That kid’s got some nerve. Did I just get played?"

"I doubt it. The kid is a model student," Song Tianyun chimed in casually. "Besides, the real value of Magnetic Crystal Ore isn’t its price, but the fact that it’s in such short supply."

But inwardly, he was speechless.

’You’re only just now realizing you were played?’

’From what I’ve observed, Gao Neng has fought six challenge matches in a row recently. They were all flawless victories with zero casualties, and he’d won no less than a million Alliance Coins.’

’Yet so far, he hasn’t spent a single coin.’

’But the moment you, Division Commander Shen, show up...’

’The kid immediately manages to pull off a major score. And a huge one at that! What does that tell you? Even an idiot could figure it out!’

’Of course, Song Tianyun wouldn’t say any of this out loud. At the end of the day, it was the Shen Family’s private affair and had nothing to do with an outsider like him.’

Meanwhile, Gui Zian watched Gao Neng disappear and shook his head with a feeling of helplessness.

’He knew why Shen Fei had come to the Eastern Capital Military Academy, but that didn’t guarantee Gao Neng was out of the woods. I was quite worried about Gao Neng because of this.’

’And what was the result?’

’Gao Neng was perfectly fine, and even managed to snag two tons of silver ore in the process?’

’Am I falling behind the times?’ Gui Zian felt mentally exhausted. ’I can never seem to get a sense of accomplishment from Gao Neng. No matter how outstanding he is, it feels like it has nothing to do with me, his teacher.’

’This won’t do!’

’I need to show him some of my real skills. Otherwise, if this kid becomes the Shen Family’s grandson-in-law, it’s hard to say whether he’ll even acknowledge me as his teacher.’

"Old Gui?"

"Old Gui!"

"Hm? Principal Song, what is it!" Gui Zian snapped back to his senses.

"Vice Principal Wang and the others are still waiting in the conference room. Let’s go have a meeting," Song Tianyun suggested, glancing at Shen Fei.

"Okay!" Gui Zian nodded.

"I heard the Military Department has a new resolution. Is there a problem on the battlefield, or is it something else?" Song Tianyun knew Shen Fei had come with orders, but as for what those orders were, even he, the principal of the Eastern Capital Military Academy, wouldn’t know until Shen Fei made an official announcement.

"There are some problems on the battlefield. The old man hasn’t been back for two months... However, I’m not here entirely because of the battlefield. It’s about... reform!"

"Reform?!" Song Tianyun’s expression changed.

"We have no choice but to change... Uncle Song, you should know very well what kind of enemy we’re facing. A twenty-year cycle... A great war every twenty years!" As he spoke, Shen Fei’s expression grew somber.

Song Tianyun fell silent as well.

At the start of the Great Cataclysm...

Humanity had a population of six to seven billion. With their advanced technology, they had become the masters of the world, holding an absolute advantage at the time.

But in less than a hundred years, the total human population had shrunk to only five hundred million.

A twenty-year cycle, a great war every twenty years!

This was not empty talk.

It was fact!

Song Tianyun was silent.

Gui Zian was also silent.

While the new generation was growing up strong, the earth-shattering war from eighteen years ago still surfaced in the minds of the older generation.

"Yes, it’s time for reform!" Song Tianyun sighed after a long silence.

...

...

「The periphery of the City of Hope, several thousand kilometers away.」

A mighty, ancient tree stood on the ground, its branches huge, soaring into the clouds.

This was no exaggeration.

The tree truly was tall enough to reach the clouds.

Because this was the Elf Tree.

Light flickered on the Elf Tree. Under it, rows of men and women with pointed ears were praying. They were prostrated on the ground, as if worshiping a deity.

Just then, a crystalline, soul-like bird fell from the tree, plunged into the spring below, and a moment later, a stark naked woman walked out.

The woman was exceptionally bewitching.

Her eyes were like two abysses connected to space itself.

If Gao Neng were here, he would have easily recognized this woman as the pointy-eared Dark Elf who had attacked him in the Forgotten Land.

"Nightingale, the Lord has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Yes, I’ll go at once." The pointy-eared Dark Elf nodded. She took a leather garment from a companion, slipped it on, and turned to leave.

But as she left, her hand unconsciously strayed to her rear.

’That searing pain...’

’It’s so... stimulating!’

"Gao Neng, I will kill you!"

"Kill him? My ass. You’ve already died once. How could you possibly recover without twenty years to do it? Can’t you resurrected elves come up with a new line?" An elven guard at a crossroads heard Nightingale’s words, the corner of his mouth lifting in a disdainful smirk.

"..." Nightingale.

’Son of a bitch!’

’I may have died, but I used to be incredibly strong, all right?’

’I just got tripped up by an amateur.’

Nightingale didn’t argue. She knew perfectly well that the only reason she was resurrected now, instead of in twenty years, was because she possessed intelligence that the Lord required.

’But being resurrected now...’

’...doesn’t mean my strength is back.’

Nightingale walked quickly, passing through the jungle and heading steadily westward. An hour later, she arrived in a region where there was no Elf Tree, only a huge white tower.

The white tower seemed to stretch ten thousand zhang into the sky.

On every level, there was a huge Angel.

"Nightingale, requesting an audience with Lord Mu Feifei!"

"Lord Mu is performing her midday scripture recitation. Wait fifteen minutes, then go in." A guard in silver-white armor glanced at Nightingale, his tone icy.

"Yes." Nightingale stepped aside.

「Fifteen minutes later.」

Nightingale was led into a magnificent room. In the seat at its head, Mu Feifei, dressed in ice-blue armor, was placing a golden scripture on the table.

"My Lord!" Nightingale half-knelt on the ground.

"Who killed you?" Mu Feifei’s tone was icy.

"Gao Neng."

"Mm." Mu Feifei was silent for a moment. Then she stood up, her huge, snow-white wings unfurling. "Hand over the intelligence on the Forgotten Land. Then, you can go to the City of Hope and be an ordinary human."

"An ordinary human..." Nightingale gritted her teeth and touched her pointed ears, but quickly nodded. "I understand. I will go to the City of Hope now!"

"An Elf Tree seed can’t be wasted like this. Since you were resurrected early, go to the ninth floor and pick a few things. That way, when your power awakens again in twenty years, you’ll probably be close to becoming a Great Elf."

"A Great Elf?! Thank you, my Lord!" Nightingale was overjoyed, and immediately prostrated herself before retreating.

...

...

「Eastern Capital Military Academy.」

「Inside Gao Neng’s dorm room.」

Fang Tangtang, Kong Kun, and Feng Qingqing gathered here in advance as usual. This afternoon, they would once again challenge the team ranked twelfth on the D-Rank list.

"Tangtang, what did you mean earlier when you said the Military Department was going to implement reforms?" Kong Kun’s curiosity was piqued by Fang Tangtang’s vague hints.

"What else could it mean? Reform means change and innovation. Gao Neng should know all about it. Didn’t you just talk to Fourth Uncle Shen today? He’s the one who brought the orders!" Fang Tangtang shot Gao Neng a meaningful look.

"Gao Neng, you know?" Kong Kun’s gaze immediately turned to Gao Neng.

"Of course I know," Gao Neng said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "My fourth uncle is the commander of the Third Army’s Fourth Division. He’s the one who delivered the orders, so how could I not know?"

"You really know? Then tell us what the reforms are!" Feng Qingqing’s eyes lit up.

"It’s a military secret. How could I just go blabbing about it? You’ll find out when the new policies are officially announced. What happens if I leak it now and they trace it back to me?" Gao Neng said with a dismissive wave.

’He knew jack shit!’

’Heaven only knew what orders his so-called fourth uncle had actually brought.’

’But as the captain of the Invincible Team, he naturally had to act like he knew everything.’

"I can’t talk about the official reforms, but I can share a little bit of gossip," Fang Tangtang chimed in again, leaning closer and successfully recapturing Kong Kun and Feng Qingqing’s attention. She continued, "I heard... that powerful fighters who died twenty years ago have started reappearing on the battlefield!"