CHAPTER 279: CHAPTER 279: LITTLE SHORTY

The hall, apart from Mu Jianling and the students, contained a few warriors, but all the warriors were grim-faced, standing as rigid as pines or cypresses, motionless. On normal days, they would look at these students and greet them with beaming smiles, but today, for some reason, no one spoke a word, and the atmosphere in the venue became more and more solemn as the silence lingered.

After a long while.

Mu Jianling looked at the students and then said softly, "Today, I’m going to assign you a new task. This task comes with no reward, no punishment, but I hope all of you will wholeheartedly complete it."

The students responded loudly, "We guarantee to complete it."

Before setting foot on Mu Jianling’s spaceship and entering Taoyuan Space Station with her, these 100 students had already told themselves that no matter how tough the task or how grueling the training, they would persevere.

Thus, everyone was confident that they would certainly succeed.

Looking at the students’ faces brimming with vitality yet still so youthful, Mu Jianling’s lips curled slightly, and then she said loudly, "Line up, follow me."

The students quickly formed a neat line and followed Mu Jianling.

Mu Jianling strode out of the hall, one step at a time, walking towards a solemnly designed building adorned with the Alliance flags in the very center...

Ji You found it odd. In fact, she had noticed this building the moment she entered Taoyuan Space Station because it was too conspicuous to ignore. Yet, neither the teachers nor the warriors had ever let the students set foot in there.

After all, the students were the future warriors, with very strong discipline; none had gone there to find out what it was out of curiosity.

At this moment, Ji You also noticed the difference here. There were more warriors stationed than usual, each with a solemn expression, none engaging in idle chatter. Ji You even recognized several faces from the welcome ceremony for the new students, but without exception, they all stood with strict posture, eyes straight ahead.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

...

Mu Jianling’s footsteps were rhythmic, producing a low thud, with the students following closely behind her, silent as mice.

The gate opened automatically as Mu Jianling approached. The warriors guarding the doorway saluted one after another.

Mu Jianling stopped, returned the salute, and then stepped in lightly.

Following Mu Jianling, the students also saluted and then moved through the imposing gates of the building.

Boom—

Upon entering, seeing everything before her, Ji You felt her brain thunder, completely oblivious to what she was doing. Her thoughts were in disarray, her heart pounding wildly.

This—

This—

Looking at the scenes before her, Ji You’s hands shook. She noticed her companions like Xuzhou and Chu Jiaojiao had also become completely stiff in an instant.

No one spoke.

Around them, even the breathing that could be heard seemed to carry a heavy, oppressive weight.

After some silent moments, Mu Jianling resumed her slightly heavy steps, walking towards the shrouded white cloths in the middle of the room, and bowed deeply, paying her respects.

The students followed suit with their salutes.

However—

Their faces might have appeared composed, but inside the students, emotions surged, and a bitter taste filled their hearts.

With a sober expression, Mu Jianling spoke softly, "Lying here are the warriors who have been sacrificed in recent days. The task I give you is to tidy up the warriors’ appearances and send them off on their last journey. Can you do it?"

The students suppressed the surging emotions in their throats and whispered softly, "We can."

Mu Jianling’s voice was no longer as cold as in the past. He spoke softly and gently, "Mhm. Let’s start."

The students stood rigidly, a bit unsure where to begin.

Mu Jianling, uncharacteristically, stood without having an outburst, but instead waited patiently for the students to adjust their mental state.

Finally—

Someone stepped forward.

Mu Jianling glanced up and saw it was Shen Changqing. There was no trace of joy or anger on Shen Changqing’s face, his features were pale, eerily luminescent, but he still gently saluted the nearest white cloth, "Senior, I’m disturbing your rest."

Then, he gently pulled back the white cloth.

As the cloth was lifted, revealing the face of the fallen warrior, a huge gash marred his head, one leg was missing, and one hand was tightly clenching the leg of some Star Beast... A tightness struck everyone’s hearts, a few female students immediately let tears flow, covering their mouths to stifle their sobs...

Shen Changqing’s fingers trembled slightly, but he struggled to maintain a composed expression and pursed his lips as he took a clean towel and gently wiped off the dried blood on the warrior’s face...

This was the face of a stranger, someone who must have joined the front lines before the students had arrived at Taoyuan Space Station. He was very young, with handsome features; even though his forehead bore a large cut, it did not diminish his handsomeness.

But—

When Shen Changqing tried to pry open the hand of the warrior that clutched the Star Beast’s leg, he encountered difficulty. After several attempts, he could not remove the leg of the Star Beast.

A moment of helplessness flickered over Shen Changqing’s calm demeanor. He looked up at Teacher Mu Jianling.

Mu Jianling said nothing.

As a surge of indescribable grief welled up in Shen Changqing’s heart, he suddenly noticed that classmate Ji You, number 4444, had quietly approached. She trembled as she tenderly touched the warrior’s hand and whispered, "Senior, we have come to bring you home."

Miraculously, the hand that had so firmly gripped the Star Beast’s leg and could not be pried loose, softened silently at Ji You’s words.

Right away, Ji You effortlessly removed the Star Beast’s leg and then, together with Shen Changqing, they tidied the warrior’s appearance...

Ji You was the second student to step forward.

The third one to step out wasn’t the bravest Yue Qiguang, nor was it the strongest Chu Jiaojiao; they, like the other students, were too immersed in sorrow to control themselves. The third was Sheng Qingyan.

When Sheng Qingyan stepped out, his face was calmly expressionless. His dark eyes revealed no emotions as he took a step forward and silently approached a slumbering warrior. As the white cloth was lifted, the noble countenance that lay there seemed familiar. Sheng Qingyan’s fingers stuttered, but soon, he gently lowered his gaze and quietly wiped away the blood on the warrior whom he seemed to have met once before.

Then, despite the tears on their faces, the students began to step forward one by one.

...

One.

Two.

Three.

They, some still in the posture of grappling with Star Beasts, some with intact bodies, some with dismembered bodies, and some—whose faces were beyond recognition...

Ji You clenched her teeth tightly and persisted in her work. She did not remember how long she had been there, only that she couldn’t let the tears in her eyes fall, and, in fact, she did well, for her tears had not yet fallen. Then, as she lifted the quietly draped white cloth, her mind thundered.

...

"Shorty, study hard, okay?"

"Don’t worry! I will study hard! Always strive to improve! By the time I’m done, I’ll make you so beaten your mom won’t recognize you!"

"Good!"