CR CH81

Chapter 81: The Assessment

The Special Support Headquarters spanned a massive area—its Special Combat Simulation Zone alone was three times the size of Z01, and its operational scope catered to the entire galaxy.

The Galactic Mission Station was established by the Star Alliance, allowing all factions and organizations to participate. The most common entities accepting missions were the Imperial Legions, the Star Alliance, the Hunter Association, and the Federal Special Support force, all of which deployed their top-tier combatants to build prestige abroad.

Examples included the Empire’s Silver Guards, the Star Alliance’s single-letter agents, the Hunter Association’s S-rank Hunters, and the Federal Special Support team.

The Special Support force enjoyed far more freedom than the Special Combat units; members could arrange their own schedules outside of training and missions. However, tardiness was severely punished—three strikes meant immediate disqualification from the team.

Behind these generous privileges lay a grim reality: their missions allowed virtually zero margin for error.

While the instructors had mentioned that an assessment awaited them upon arrival at the headquarters, no one had expected it to be taken so literally.

The team members had barely stepped out of the transport ship and hadn’t even grasped the layout of the surrounding architecture when the ground suddenly gave way beneath their feet.

A mechanical voice echoed deep within their minds:

“Assessment initiated. Target score: 220.”

Surrounded by turbulent waves and rocking like floating duckweed, Jiang Tianji opened his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar sea. The pale, chilly moonlight spilled over him, casting a sudden wave of coldness through his chest.

All around him lay an endless expanse of ocean. Possessing extraordinary night vision, Jiang Tianji could spot several teammates in the same predicament in the distance.

Sensing a subtle vibration from the seabed, he submerged himself and caught sight of a pair of bizarre purple eyes. A massive sea beast was surging rapidly toward the surface. Instead of retreating, Jiang Tianji charged forward, his black dragon tail swaying in the water as luminous green energy burst forth.

An even more colossal dark silhouette replaced the slender, long-limbed youth. Dangerous dark glimmers reflected off the crevices of his black dragon scales. The sharp spike at the tip of his tail instantly pierced through the whale-like mutant, sweeping through this sea zone like a apex predator.

Crash—!

The black scales broke the surface for a brief moment before submerging back into the ocean. The sharp spike on his tail sliced a lethal mark across the water’s surface, parting the waves as if cutting through cloth.

Not far away, a flash of purple light flickered across the sea, and several afterimages dashed through the air in an instant. Awakened individuals with flight capabilities dived toward the spot where the mutant had disappeared, their wings fully unfurled.

The instant the mutant resurfaced, another massive black shadow beat them to it, dragging the creature down into the ocean depths. Lightning-elemental energy exploded in the water, sending up a surge of cascading waves.

A few muffled curses drifted from midair as the flight-type Awakened circling the area turned around without hesitation, speeding off toward distant waters.

At this moment, Jiang Tianji displayed the overwhelming advantage of an S-rank large-frame combat type to the absolute fullest.

Outside the combat simulation system, a group of officers gathered in the main control room, chatting casually. Having just finished a mission, Jiang Ziming leaned close to Ling Kongmiao and clicked his tongue in admiration.

“This talent makes me green with envy.” He opened a floating screen to watch Jiang Tianji’s solo combat footage. “He’s practically all-powerful—he can fight at sea, on land, and in the air.”

“This assessment scene is at hell-level difficulty for ordinary people. Special maritime combat at night… some unlucky souls with conflicting elemental attributes are already struggling blindly. Overall, though, their performance isn’t bad; no one is doing terribly.”

Jiang Ziming glanced at the current leaderboard, his interest piqued. “The scores among the top five are tied so closely. This batch is quite impressive.”

Leaning against the table, Ling Kongmiao scanned the constantly updating rankings and scores. Jiang Tianji firmly held a spot in the top three, while the others near the top possessed water-elemental energy or beast forms. The names at the top were all familiar: Liang Chong, Jia Yun, Zhang Ying, Ji Yandong…

Zhao Hengyi ambled over from somewhere, slinging an arm around Jiang Ziming’s shoulders with a sigh.

“Bro, I feel like I’m dreaming right now,” he muttered, staring blankly at the screen displaying the black dragon with its devastating combat power. “A few months ago, I dragged this kid to the combat simulation zone to record his data. He was chased into a cave by me, and when he saw my beast form, he actually fainted from fright.”

“I totally get how you feel.” Jiang Ziming patted his arm. “A few months ago, when I watched the recordings, these kids were still being chased all over the mountains by mutants. Now, they have to compete with each other just to kill one.”

“Come on, Captain Ling, give us a brief evaluation.” He called out to Ling Kongmiao, but seeing no reaction, he curled his lip. “Sullen Alphas who stay quiet all day are always the biggest closet perverts.”

The alleged closet pervert ignored him entirely. Zhao Hengyi whispered, “Speaking of which, this little dragon is super clingy with Captain. He spends all day looking for excuses to run over to the Officers’ Building.”

Jiang Ziming’s eyes darted around as he recalled Aileen’s comment about a “white moonlight.” Waving an intriguing expression, he was just about to pull Zhao Hengyi aside for a bit of gossip when someone kicked him hard on the butt.

Jiang Ziming, whose beast form was a tiger, bristled instantly. “What’s the big deal?! What are you in such a rush for? Did I talk about your husband or something?!”

In an instant, several strangely intense gazes shot over like arrows.

Ling Kongmiao gave him another harsh kick. “Your husband.”

Inside the combat simulation system, crisis lurked everywhere beneath the sea.

While it appeared to be a one-sided slaughter where Awakened crushed the mutants, the situation was far from easy for the candidates.

The mutants ranged from rank A to B, far more agile than the ones they usually encountered. A single microscopic mistake could reverse the tides in a split second, keeping everyone in a state of absolute focus.

Distortion-energy howls from the sea mutants reverberated through the ocean, causing a continuous buzzing in everyone’s minds. In an environment with extremely low visibility, those whose attributes were disadvantaged had to rely solely on hearing and sensory abilities, prompting a few to start swearing under their breath.

Surrounded by a chorus of colorful curses, Ji Yandong exhausted a significant amount of energy and switched from his Phantom Beast—White Feather form into a semi-beast form.

He had been tracking an A-rank Crestspine Fish. Feeling his stamina drain, he hovered low in the air, intending to catch his breath. However, the fleeing Crestspine Fish unexpectedly leaped out of the water without warning.

It was a water-element mutant about 15 meters long, covered in hard fish scales with sharp, poisonous spikes along its spine. Its jagged mouth opened wide, giving off a piercing screech that made Ji Yandong’s face pale slightly.

He immediately spread his wings to dodge, only to be ambushed by an A-rank Flying Whale lurking nearby. The whale’s sharp fins sliced directly toward his neck.

Ji Yandong condensed light blades around himself, but in the nighttime setting with opposing elemental attributes, his attack power was heavily diminished.

At the critical moment, a dark shadow sped past at lightning speed. A surge of heavy electrical current precisely pierced through the mutant’s core.

Jiang Tianji landed in front of Ji Yandong, standing on the ocean surface as if walking on solid ground.

The wild wind whipped his black hair back. In his hand, a long blade formed from condensed energy spun gracefully, shattering the splashing mutation energy into glittering starlight that scattered across the sea like fireworks.

Jiang Tianji’s unbuttoned coat fluttered in the wind, exposing the tight combat suit underneath that clung closely to his defined muscles.

Having resolved the crisis, he turned his head with a beaming smile and blew a whistle at Ji Yandong.

Beep beep. A notification chimed.

The mission was drawing to a close. During the two-second countdown interval, Ji Yandong silently watched him show off.

Although a soaked combat coat made movements clunky, wearing it in a windy night scene undeniably looked much cooler.

“Alphas in heat are truly terrifying,” Ji Yandong teased, his voice reaching Jiang Tianji’s ears just before the system countdown ended and the sensation of weightlessness and darkness washed over them. “Pretty handsome, though. Hope that person managed to catch it.”

Returning to the initial gathering point, everyone bore vastly different expressions.

Some members whose attributes clashed with the assessment environment had fallen into a state of utter depression—for instance, Feng Huo.

Teammate A: “Stop crying, little Lava Porcupine.”

Vaguely overhearing a few familiar teammates trying to comfort him, Feng Huo showed no gratitude whatsoever, angrily barking out a series of “get lost”s.

At this moment, Feng—Fire Attribute, excels at land combat, wingless, poor swimmer—Huo had received a welcome gift packed with every negative debuff imaginable on his very first day at the Special Support Headquarters.

The AI spirit would match new members with the teammates who had the highest compatibility based on detailed numerical values. Meanwhile, the top five ranked candidates were directly assigned to the reserve pool for the official team, their spots virtually guaranteed.

After the first day’s assessment, the remaining time was allocated for members to familiarize themselves with the environment and regulations, the details of which had already been sent to their devices.

As the long ladder of the transport ship descended, a group of officers walked toward the crowd while conversing, ready to lead away the members under their respective jurisdictions.

“Let me take a look at your little dragon.” Jiang Ziming, accustomed to elbowing his way through crowds, crowded beside Ling Kongmiao as he searched the crowd for Jiang Tianji. Talking nonsense, he rambled, “Can you convince him to shrink down and coil around my wrist? That bracelet texture would definitely look ultra-luxurious! I want to take a photo as a souvenir.”

Irritated by his crowding, Ling Kongmiao shoved him aside. “Call him ‘husband,’ and maybe he’ll agree.”

“No way, we’re brothers. How could I dig at your corner?” Jiang Ziming replied with a righteous face. “Don’t be so stingy. Just lend him to me to show off a bit. I’ve never seen a large-frame Phantom Beast of this scale in my life. I’m begging you!”

Intending to annoy Ling Kongmiao, Jiang Ziming leaned his head toward Ling Kongmiao’s shoulder, preparing to sacrifice his dignity and pout to act cute. Suddenly, an unexplainable chill ran down his spine.

As expected of an experienced Special Support team captain, Jiang Ziming immediately raised his head, his gaze locking precisely onto a certain direction in the crowd.

A pair of dark green eyes was calmly watching him. Though seemingly devoid of emotion, they inexplicably sent a shiver down his spine.

Wasn’t that the very little dragon he was looking for?

During the moment Jiang Ziming’s expression froze, Jiang Tianji noticed him looking over. He offered a gentle, obedient smile, bowed slightly, and moved his lips. Judging by his lip movements, he was saying, “Hello, Officer.”

Instantly forgetting the subtle weirdness from a moment ago, Jiang Ziming grabbed Ling Kongmiao and tried to head toward Jiang Tianji, only to be forcefully held back by the latter.

“You’d better remember the occasion,” Ling Kongmiao said mockingly. “It’s hard to imagine what kind of days your subordinates have been living through during the time you took over Special Support.”

Jiang Ziming, the hands-off boss, shrugged. “I didn’t have real power anyway. After you left, the higher-ups assigned me a deputy who pretentiously asks for my plans every day, while actually managing everything down to the smallest detail himself.”

“I heard they’re planning to throw the D-173 Snow Mountain matter to you. That mission doesn’t have a high danger coefficient, but it requires garrison duty,” he lowered his voice. “You just came back. Do you really not feel that something’s off?”

Ling Kongmiao didn’t answer, pushing away the head leaning toward him.

Jiang Ziming’s expression tightened slightly. “I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”

Jiang Ziming wasn’t interested in these undercurrents, but he was no fool.

Ling Kongmiao was Lu Hengyi’s disciple. Originally, everyone automatically grouped him into Lu Hengyi’s faction. Recently, however, Ling Kongmiao had repeatedly voted against his master in various ballots and meetings, subtly indicating that he was drawing a line between them.

Yet, his way of doing things had shown signs early on—isolated and reckless, offending everyone he should and shouldn’t offend without missing a single one. Doing this now wasn’t entirely out of character.

At present, Ling Kongmiao had no explicit allies or enemies on the surface, remaining in a state of neutrality throughout.

It was a delicate position—a stubborn nail that was hard to pull out, impossible to move without the right opportunity.

Logically, keeping the Special Support force so clean offered him little benefit. After all, this territory was too clean, and everyone eyed it greedily. The only perk was that whoever took over Special Support possessed complete freedom of choice.

Jiang Ziming couldn’t figure out why he insisted on remaining “isolated.” With no intricate web of relationships within Special Support to share the fire, all targeted attacks would concentrate solely on Ling Kongmiao.

He currently had only two paths: become someone else’s blade, or disappear from that position.

How to choose was something even Jiang Ziming could figure out. With complex emotions stirring inside him, he swallowed the words he had hesitated to say, nudged Ling Kongmiao’s arm with his elbow, and sighed.

“Just be careful yourself. Though I don’t want to think the worst, you should make preparations early.”

Being assigned to garrison duty right after returning was clearly a move to push him into a corner step by step.

Ling Kongmiao, however, showed no signs of concern. While Jiang Ziming was worrying, he had already allocated the tasks and follow-up arrangements, handing the mundane matters to another deputy before turning to leave.

Jiang Ziming called after him, “Where are you going? You guys don’t resume missions until tomorrow!”

Ling Kongmiao’s voice drifted back from ahead: “Soaking in the hot springs.”

Zhao Hengyi leaned over, grinning. “You Li booked the whole place out. Want to join tonight?”

“Sure thing.” Jiang Ziming thumped his shoulder, letting out a couple of chuckles. “Young Master You is always so generous.”

Aileen let out a dry laugh as she passed by. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Stop calling him ‘Squid’ today.”

Two hours later, at a hot spring resort.

Steam swirled gently as dim, warm lights illuminated the wooden changing room.

The sky had turned completely dark. Ling Kongmiao had just taken a communication call and changed into a bathrobe, but his long hair accidentally got tangled in the hair tie. Frowning slightly, he sat before the mirror and turned his body sideways.

The door was pushed open softly. Ling Kongmiao turned his head to see Jiang Tianji, whose hair was slightly damp.

“Captain, you haven’t come out for a while.” Jiang Tianji’s gaze lingered on the tangled silver hair for a moment. “Sister Aileen asked me to check on you and lead the way.”

“Let me do it.”

Jiang Tianji walked to his side and bent down. Ling Kongmiao did not refuse, lowering his head slightly toward him.

Unsure if it was a certain someone’s hidden intention, Jiang Tianji’s bathrobe was excessively loose. From this angle…

Ling Kongmiao’s gaze passed over his chest and abdominal muscles, peering deeper inside.

The warmth in the room showed signs of rising. Jiang Tianji naturally noticed his gaze, his eyes darkening as he leaned even closer.

Just at that moment, Ling Kongmiao suddenly spoke.

“Why are your underwear pulled up so high?”

Jiang Tianji: “…”