Chapter 437 – War Zone History, Possibility of Commanding Troops

No. 3 Base, Secret Realm, Recruit Training Camp.

In one of the training grounds, many high-level experts from various regions of Taixuan were training vigorously, sweating profusely.

A Fourth-Order Expert emerged from the fiery magma zone, looking somewhat reluctant to leave.

“This recruit training is fantastic. It’s not really training—it’s more like a benefit.”

“Exactly. Besides the necessary resonance drills and command learning, the optional training sessions are basically perks. We can use all kinds of Miracle Buildings here almost for free. Where else would we get such conditions? No wonder many people return from the warzone completely transformed.”

“It’s a bit unfortunate that we can only stay in the Recruit Training Camp for three months at most. Why not extend it to half a year or a full year?”

“Brother, you’re right. We newcomers should train hard.”

Several Third and Fourth-Order Experts, drenched in sweat, chatted among themselves.

But someone disagreed with this view. “Recruit training… let’s be honest, we’re just ordinary soldiers. It would be better to take the assessment sooner. Once we pass the assessment, what benefits won’t we enjoy?”

“True. Once we pass, we can command a corps and enjoy the thrill of leading large numbers of troops. In the future, we might even obtain a Lord’s Heart and become real Lords.”

None of them were actual recruits of the Cold Valley Mountain Warzone. They had arrived here months ago for service and garrison duty.

At that time, the battles were intense. As soon as the recruits arrived, they were dispatched to the Core Fortress and various bases for defense. There was no time for additional training or assessments.

In terms of status, they were still ordinary soldiers in the warzone. Some had achieved notable combat records during their garrison duties and had been promoted to ‘Elite’ status. However, if they could excel in recruit training and assessments, the combination of both would increase their chances of securing important positions, even commanding a corps.

“Command a corps?”

A shirtless Muscleman sneered, “Don’t joke. Only those ranked in the top thirty, or even the top twenty or ten, in the recruit assessment have a chance to leap directly from recruit to ‘Battalion Commander’ or even ‘Regional Commander.’ For us mere Fourth-Order Experts, the most we can hope for is to become a ‘Squad Leader.'”

The Muscleman’s Aura was intimidating, clearly placing him among the top experts of the Fourth Order.

His words left the others momentarily speechless, unable to refute him.

They had some self-awareness. Becoming high-ranking officers like Regional Commanders, responsible for an area or an army, was beyond their wildest dreams.

At that moment, the flames in the magma zone parted, and a tall, short-haired youth with hair like burning flames raised an eyebrow at the elephantine Muscleman and asked:

“What about me? Am I qualified to become a Regional Commander?”

“You? No chance.”

The elephantine Muscleman denied without hesitation.

The Redhead youth couldn’t sit still. Flames erupted around him, surging with his breath. “I’ve been in this training camp for two weeks and haven’t met many who can definitively beat me. You can’t either.”

The elephantine man scoffed, “When did I say I could become a Commander? Listen, kid…”

…”Listen, little sister, the waters of this Recruit Training Camp run deep, far deeper than you can handle.”

In the other half of the Magma Training Grounds,

A woman with a flame mark on her forehead was completely naked, soaking in the scorching, magma-like fluid. She looked as comfortable as if she were in a hot spring, the boiling currents leaving not even the slightest mark on her fair skin.

Not far away, a young girl who was merely enduring the baking heat of the earth’s fire already had flushed cheeks and was drenched in sweat.

Blazing Flame chuckled and said, “Do you think it’s because you haven’t seen many Legendary Realm experts in this training camp, and you’re already one of the top-tier powerhouses below the Legendary Realm?”

The girl couldn’t help but nod.

Blazing Flame continued, “That’s because the assessment period hasn’t arrived yet. And how much of the mandatory training content is there? Some Legendary Realm experts will only arrive at the Great Warzone just before the assessment day. Some Legendary Realm experts have already come, but they simply haven’t shown up in the training areas.”

But the girl still didn’t understand—this was a Recruit Training Camp, after all.

Shouldn’t the people who come here all be ‘newbies’ who haven’t served or trained in the Great Warzone before? For such ‘newbies’ to have one or two Legendary Realm experts would already be considered quite a lot.

The girl voiced her thoughts.

Blazing Flame said, “Your thinking isn’t entirely wrong. Legendary Realm experts like me, who previously worked for the Association and have now transferred to the Warzone, are indeed very rare. The vast majority of Legendary Realm experts complete their recruit training during their Third or Fourth Order stages. However…”

“But this is only under normal circumstances. Legendary Realm experts from top-tier territories are an exception. Many top-tier Lords, after recruiting Epic units, will hide and cultivate them quietly. These Epic powerhouses won’t appear on the Dragon Gate List; their first public appearance is in the Great Warzone.”

“Compared to those Legendary Realm experts with Epic status, I’m just an ordinary Legendary Realm expert.”

She laughed self-deprecatingly, “I can’t even guarantee that I can defeat those ‘newbie Legendaries.’ Do you still feel so confident?”

The girl was stunned.

The waters here truly ran deep. Why were so many big shots fishing in the newbie pond in a Recruit Training Camp?

But upon hearing this, it seemed this was a pond meant for raising sharks all along—it was just that small shrimps like them were too weak.

…

Recruit Training Camp, temporary residence.

Mu Yuan set down a thick stack of books. “These books are what I’ll be studying over the next period of time.”

He wasn’t permanently stationed in the Great Warzone, so he didn’t need to go to the training areas to sweat it out.

But as a Lord, the knowledge he needed to understand and master far exceeded that of Rakshasa and Uta.

“Positions in the Great Warzone can be roughly divided into: Soldier, Elite, Squad Leader, Battalion Commander, Regional Commander, Garrison General, and Commander/Deputy Commander.”

After completing their training and assessments, 99% of Lords and professionals could attain the Elite rank and enjoy benefits one level higher.

The elite troops under Lords, Heroes, and Quasi-Heroes (Ranger players) would receive the Soldier treatment. To enjoy Advanced treatment, one had to be a commander who had awakened self-awareness and passed the assessment.

“There are special Unit Buildings in the Great Warzone. What makes them special is that the units recruited from these buildings start at First Order, Second Order, or even higher Ranks. However, these units can never level up and will never sprout intelligence.”Within the Recruit Training Camp, there are also such Unit Buildings.

Mu Yuan gazed into the distance.

「Spear Tower (Special)」

「Description: A Unit Building solidified in the land of the Cold Valley Mountain Warzone, capable of directly recruiting the Peak Tier 1 unit ‘Lancer’.」

…

「Halberdier Tower (Special)」

「Description: Solidified in…, capable of directly recruiting the Tier 2 Level 3 unit ‘Halberdier’. Current remaining recruitable quantity: 5300.」

…

「Hint: Units recruited from this building cannot be taken out of the Cold Valley Mountain Warzone.」

「Hint: You currently do not have recruitment permissions. Please strive to improve your rank.」

Typically, at the Squad Leader level, one gains the authority to recruit a few or a dozen units.

When the Crimson Mist surges southward and defensive operations are conducted in the warzone, it is often the various levels of squad leaders who command their recruited units. This way, these non-sentient units can exert greater combat effectiveness.

“At the Regional Commander level, commonly referred to as having the qualifications to garrison a location and lead an army, the legion under their command will also include other Pioneers and Pioneer teams.”

“However, generally speaking, only Pioneer Lords of the Legendary Realm are qualified to serve as Regional Commanders.”

After all, how many units do Legendary Realm experts who are not of Lord origin have under their command?

Without sufficient core forces, how can one command such a large military stronghold or legion?

For this reason, even among those of the Legendary Realm, Legendary Lords—who have various Generals assisting them in achieving feats and earning merits—rise through the ranks much faster than Legendary Realm professionals.

“Recruit training and assessments are primarily aimed at Lords, professionals, and the Generals under Lords.”

“Rakshasa and Uta will both participate in this. As for other elites? They often play the roles of subordinates or soldiers under them, not as independent assessment individuals.”

In truth, they could undergo assessment if insisted upon.

The elite troops Mu Yuan brought are all strong individuals who awakened self-awareness early on; in other territories, each would be a General or high-ranking officer.

But there is no need for that.

If they perform too well after training and assessment, they might be assigned to other legions, since by then they would be officers, not mere soldiers.

Mu Yuan believes it’s better for his own people to stay together and first familiarize themselves with the environment of the Great Warzone.

Moreover, although his elites are formidable in combat, they still fall short compared to the seasoned professionals who have experienced countless battles and possess rich experience in command and troop leadership.

Entrusting them with leading a squad, platoon, or company? Mu Yuan isn’t confident in that.

Not to mention them, even Uta—Mu Yuan is very concerned about whether he can pass the written examination.

Uta just isn’t cut out for this!

Fortunately, he still has the reliable General Rakshasa.

Rakshasa isn’t particularly outstanding in Tianyuan City either—less clever than Dolai, less combat-effective than Deadbone, less managerial than Isloria, and less skilled in troop command than Lu Liu, but…

Rakshasa is quite balanced overall.

“Rakshasa is currently the representative of Tianyuan Territory stationed in the Great Warzone. As long as his performance isn’t too lackluster, it’s not impossible for him to serve as a Regional Commander, managing a territory and an army. Of course, even among those managing territories and armies, there are vast differences in what kind of territory and army they oversee.”

“As for Uta…”If Uta’s assessment performance was also outstanding, with Rakshasa already commanding a separate army on behalf of Tianyuan Territory, Uta wouldn’t be able to lead another army and would still serve as a deputy general.

However, under such circumstances, the legions commanded by Rakshasa and Uta would undoubtedly be stronger than before.

The warzone would assign them more critical missions, providing more combat opportunities and promotion prospects.

…

Mu Yuan immersed himself in rigorous training within the camp.

By day, he utilized cultivation facilities to temper his Domain, while by night he burned the midnight oil, absorbing all kinds of knowledge and secrets like a sponge.

Warzone intelligence, Monster Overlord tactics, Contribution Points exchange catalogs, Domain research, legendary battles, warzone history, warzone politics…

The recruit training camp’s library housed numerous books, many containing non-public information that couldn’t be removed from the Secret Realm. Mu Yuan decided to read everything he could while he had the chance.

He devoured everything a Lord should learn, should know about, and even things that weren’t necessary for him to understand.

Rakshasa and Uta also began their training camp routine.

For now, it wasn’t much different from their cultivation days in Tianyuan City. Uta even commented that it felt too leisurely.

Before their formal assignments, what else could they do but train?

Uta had no particular aversion to cultivation itself – he just couldn’t find strong opponents to spar with, and moreover…

He had to attend cultural classes.

“Find at least one solution to break the deadlock in the following scenario.”

“Who are the current commander and deputy commander of Cold Valley Mountain Warzone?”

“How many major catastrophes has Cold Valley Mountain Warzone experienced throughout history? Explain why the Earthsound Catastrophe ranks among the top two disasters of the past decade.”

Uta scratched his head, “Earth-what catastrophe? Major what disaster?”

The formidable enemy known as cultural studies was truly terrifying!

…

In the temporary quarters, Dolai was also tugging at its hair.

“This question, this question… should I choose A or B?”

With Uta studying, Rakshasa studying, and even the Lord studying, General Dolai could only reluctantly pick up the exam materials and study with a bitter expression.

But actually, it didn’t need to study.

It wasn’t a Lord, nor was it planning to be stationed here – it didn’t need to take the assessment.

Mu Yuan glanced at Dolai, who was biting its pen and frowning in deep thought, and swallowed back the words “You don’t have to study.”

He continued writing his own answers.

The main commander of Cold Valley Mountain Great Warzone was naturally the renowned Cold Moon City Lord.

The deputy commander was a veteran general, “Earth Dust General.”

Most of the defense operations in Cold Valley Mountain Warzone were handled by this Earth Dust General. What Cold Moon City Lord did most frequently was attack, attack, and attack again.

“Cold Valley Mountain Warzone was established in Year 21 of Taixuan, making it 40 years old now. The warzone has experienced three major catastrophes since its founding. All three catastrophes involved the breach of core fortresses, with the most devastating battle occurring nine years ago.”

“At that time, the first-class Overlord force ‘Hand of the Sky’ launched a massive offensive during the Red Disaster, triggering the Earthsound Catastrophe. Over a million flesh giants marched south. The then warzone commander ‘Broken Mountain City Lord’ led their personal legion in a rearguard action while ordering the deputy commander to break through with the main force, thus preserving the great warzone.”

“Otherwise…”

Cold Valley Mountain Great Warzone might have become history, and whether the entire Boulder City and Red Maple City regions would still exist would be hard to say.

“So devastating.”

Such news never appeared in mainstream media.Even in this historical document, it was only recorded as a series of numbers.

The situation in Taixuan was far from stable.

“When the Earthsound Catastrophe occurred nine years ago, the opposing Great Domain had not yet fully transformed into the Land of Red Mist. Now, the erosion of the Crimson Mist is growing increasingly severe.”

“Though the Cold Valley Mountain Warzone remains calm and stable for now, no one knows when the next calamity will strike.”

“I must possess greater strength before the next Crimson Mist disaster month arrives.”

(End of Chapter)