On the crimson gobi, the dead silence was shattered by the arrival of a group of uninvited guests.
It took the students of First-year, Class 3 about thirty seconds to gradually recover from the violent aftereffects of Subspace Teleportation, a sensation like having one's very soul twisted into a knot.
Qian Duoduo stopped dry-heaving, but his face was still as pale as paper.
Shi Potian's tightly furrowed brow also slowly relaxed.
The rest of the students also found their footing one by one, gripping their weapons tightly.
Throughout those thirty seconds, their homeroom teacher, Wu Shangfeng, stood like a silent iron tower at the head of the group.
He didn't rush them, merely watching over them in silence. His sharp gaze, like that of a hyper-alert sentry, scanned every corner of the desolate plains.
Only when everyone had more or less regained their ability to move did he finally speak, his voice as steady and composed as ever.
"The discomfort from Subspace Teleportation stems from the fact that your Mental Power isn't yet strong enough to completely resist the spatial tearing and the torrent of information that comes with interdimensional travel. This feeling will gradually lessen as your Mental Power improves. Generally, once you become a Level 4 Martial Artist and your Mental Power is sufficiently strong, you'll be completely immune to the side effects."
He raised the dark gold terminal on his wrist and tapped lightly on its holographic screen.
Instantly, all the students' terminals received a file.
It was a detailed three-dimensional map of the mining zone on planet Gamma-7.
On the map, a vast, intricately structured mining complex was clearly marked.
Surrounding the complex were numerous destroyed mining facilities and residential camps.
Their mission objective, an area marked with a scarlet dot, was located in the very heart of the complex: the main mine shaft.
"Our mission is to enter this mining complex and eliminate all the greenskins inside the main mine shaft."
Wu Shangfeng's voice echoed across the open gobi. "Your time limit is eight hours. Within those eight hours, using whatever tactics or means necessary, you must eliminate every last greenskin in the target area."
His gaze swept over the young, tense faces before him.
"One more thing: I don't want to see any casualties."
With the mission briefed, Wu Shangfeng took a step back and said no more.
He had handed command over entirely to this group of greenhorn first-years.
The students exchanged glances. For a moment, no one spoke.
After a moment of silence, a tall, handsome young man with a slender build stepped out from the group.
His name was Chu Lan. His entrance exam rank was second only to Shi Potian's, and he was widely considered the number two student in the class.
"Everyone."
Chu Lan's voice was clear and confident as he addressed the group. "Since Teacher Wu has given us command, we can't just be a disorganized mob. I propose that I take on the role of temporary commander to coordinate this operation. Any objections?"
The students around him, including the other top-ranked prodigies, all instinctively glanced toward Shi Potian in the front row.
Shi Potian maintained his usual cold expression. He simply watched Chu Lan calmly, neither speaking nor objecting.
It wasn't in his nature to take the lead in these kinds of situations.
Seeing that Shi Potian had no reaction, the rest of the students naturally had no objections either.
"Good."
Seeing no objections, Chu Lan continued, "I just looked at the map. The tunnels inside the main mine shaft are narrow and complex, putting us at a severe disadvantage. If we rush in, we could be split up and surrounded by the greenskins. Or worse, they could trap us in a narrow passage. We could easily end up in a situation where a single greenskin holds a chokepoint against us all. At that point, any tactical advantage we have would be gone."
"Therefore, I suggest we first lure the greenskins out of their lair. We'll draw them onto this open plain outside the complex and then encircle and destroy them."
"As for how to lure them out,"
A confident smile played on Chu Lan's lips. "It's simple. We just need one squad to charge the mine entrance, launch a probing attack, and then feign a rout and retreat. Low-level greenskins are extremely belligerent and unintelligent. They can't tolerate any form of provocation and will inevitably pour out in full force to hunt us down."
"Once they're drawn out, we'll move in, organized by our dorm squads, to divide and surround them. Remember, we aren't fighting alone. Each squad needs to stay in contact, providing mutual support and coordination."
Chu Lan's tactical thinking was clear and logical, and it quickly won everyone's approval.
"My dorm squad will handle the luring mission,"
Chu Lan volunteered, looking to his three roommates. They all nodded in unison, not a trace of fear on their faces.
The plan was set.
Under Chu Lan's command, all the students quickly arranged themselves into a massive, pocket-shaped ambush formation on the open gobi.
Qin Feng, Shi Potian, and Qian Duoduo were positioned on the formation's left flank.
Everything was in place.
Chu Lan gave everyone a "ready" signal, then led his three roommates away. They shot off like four arrows loosed from a bow, speeding toward the distant mine entrance, which gaped like the maw of a giant, dark beast.
Everyone held their breath and waited in silence.
About ten minutes later, a violent explosion boomed from the distant mine entrance, followed by the crisp clang of weapons striking.
Soon, the figures of Chu Lan and his three squadmates appeared from the direction of the mine, fleeing back in apparent disarray.
"It worked! They're coming out!"
Chu Lan's voice came through the team channel, clear in everyone's ears.
Almost at the very instant his voice faded,
"WAAAGH!!!"
A chaotic, frenzied roar, one that seemed powerful enough to rip the sky apart, erupted from the depths of the dark mine.
Immediately after, the ground began to tremble.
An overwhelming green tide, like a bursting dam, flooded out of the mine shaft!
It was a horde of over a hundred greenskins of all shapes and sizes.
They brandished rusty, crudely-made choppas and axes, letting out guttural, unintelligible roars filled with bloodlust.
Flames of chaos and violence burned in their scarlet eyes, locked squarely on Chu Lan's "fleeing" squad of four as they launched a death-defying charge.
They ran without any semblance of a formation, like a pack of enraged beasts that knew only the most direct path to their prey.
Amidst this green torrent was a greenskin of particularly massive stature.
It stood two meters tall, its skin a dark, inky green, and its muscles were knotted like stone. It dragged a massive Bone-Slicing Saber wider than a door.
This was the chieftain of the small tribe.
Trailing this small warband were several crude "war wagons," cobbled together from scrap metal, spikes, and unidentifiable mechanical parts.
Some of these wagons ran on treads, while others rolled on wheels of mismatched sizes. Their chassis were crudely smeared with red paint in the shape of giant fangs and skulls.
Mounted on their roofs were "big shootas" made from metal pipes and springs that looked like they could explode at any moment.
These were the products of the greenskins' "Power of Reckoning."
They looked like a pile of laughable junk, but everyone knew these crude war machines could unleash an illogical and lethal amount of power in the battle to come.
The green tide roared and surged, carrying with it a frenzied aura of total destruction as it plunged headfirst into the trap the first-years had laid.
The number of greenskins completely exceeded the students' expectations.
Chu Lan's expression flickered.
"Stick to the plan! Attack!"
The greenskins crashed into the students, and a terrifying battle erupted in an instant!
-----------------
Wu Shangfeng stood quietly in the distance, his hawk-like eyes observing the battlefield.
He was confident he could protect all the students with ease.
Of course, he wouldn't interfere lightly.
From the terminal on Wu Shangfeng's wrist, a drone launched into the air, hovering high above to film the entire battle.
「Back at Qiming First High School.」
Inside a massive Martial Arts Room.
The principal of Qiming First High School sat with a dozen other teachers, watching the large screen.
The screen showed the very scene of the battle erupting between the greenskins and the students.
"I wonder how many promising talents we have in this batch," the principal muttered to himself.