Chapter 861: Is This Really Okay?
Actually, although these two announcements were classified, many had already anticipated them.
The leaders of other legions, upon hearing the news, couldn't help but sigh.
Such an extremely important mission had really been assigned to the newly appointed chief instructor of the Demon-Slaying Legion.
One day later, the Sacred Court Council officially made the decision public.
After all, a military mobilization of this scale couldn't be kept secret.
They also issued a recruitment announcement.
All the national legions were now fully preparing for the final Demon Extermination campaign.
They hoped a vast number of Professionals would join in.
After this news was shared by many major media outlets—
Opinions among the Professionals across the Ten Thousand Demons Continent were divided.
Most Professionals didn't understand the Sacred Court Council's decision and didn't believe in the Demon-Slaying Legion's chances of success.
"Thirty super fortresses, and they've failed to take even one after all these years. Now they want a new instructor to lead the Demon-Slaying Legion and take them down alone? Isn't this just a death sentence?"
"Didn't they say before that the entire Demon-Slaying Legion didn't accept this new instructor? Why haven't they replaced him?"
"Well, the legion's internal affairs are classified. It's understandable we don't know—maybe the higher-ups forcibly suppressed dissent."
"No 'maybe' about it. That must be it. Otherwise, how would this Ling Zhan guy even qualify? I'm honestly losing faith in those old Sacred Court geezers—they're just getting more clueless."
"…"
As for intelligence on those thirty fortresses, it wasn't exactly a secret.
After all these years, the standoff between the national legions and the Ten Thousand Demons has remained unresolved because the demons knew just how important those thirty super fortresses were.
Even if they were powerful forbidden-zone beings, even if they saw themselves as noble, they still feared artillery at their doorstep.
Especially as Professionals from all races and kingdoms kept getting stronger with time—
The demons guarded those thirty super fortresses even more fiercely and wouldn't allow the enemy to capture them.
So now saying the Demon-Slaying Legion would take them down under a new instructor's lead…
Wasn't that a joke?
Of course—
Some people still voiced their support.
They believed that if the old men of the Sacred Court Council had the guts to make this decision, then the new instructor must be truly capable.
But if anyone found it truly unbelievable and unacceptable—
It was undoubtedly the frontline fortress cities.
The commanders stationed there, upon hearing the news, immediately assumed the Sacred Court had lost its mind.
They, who had been stationed on the frontlines for years, understood the enemy's strength better than anyone.
Just take the foremost fortress: the demon defending it was a 192-level Demon Lord.
Even then, the Sacred Court had sent five powerhouses above level 190 and a 3-billion-strong Professional army to take it.
The result? A third of that force was wiped out.
The rest fled in miserable defeat.
The Ten Thousand Demons had carefully fortified those thirty fortresses over the years. Not to mention everything else, just the 'territory buffs' established there were a nightmare.
Everyone knew—
In games, guild territories or national territories came with territory buffs.
Members of that guild or nation received buffs while in their territory.
The higher the territory level, the stronger the buffs.
Now, the territory level of those super fortresses was certainly above level 7, some even as high as level 10.
The demon monsters inside, empowered by those buffs, were insanely strong.
In this kind of situation—
The Sacred Court sending just the Demon-Slaying Legion was basically serving them up on a platter!
And all those in the legion were elites. If the entire unit was wiped out, it'd be a huge loss to all kingdoms and races.
"Let them come then…"
"We better try to talk them out of it. Can't just watch them walk to their deaths."
The generals of all major frontline fortresses agreed—
When the new instructor arrived with his team, they would try to dissuade them from proceeding.
It wasn't about disobeying orders—it was that the orders were simply foolish and absurd.
Even if it meant losing their own positions, they had to prevent a massacre of the Demon-Slaying Legion.
Meanwhile—
The Demon-Slaying Legion members who received the news were shocked and hesitant.
Shocked because the prelude mission of the final operation had fallen on their shoulders.
Hesitant because they themselves doubted whether it could even be done.
"Instructor Ling, has it really been confirmed that we—the Demon-Slaying Legion—must complete this mission alone?"
At this moment—
A legion member, during a training break, approached Ling Zhan and asked cautiously.
Ling Zhan calmly nodded. "It's confirmed."
"Then, Instructor Ling, do you really think we can complete this mission?"
"Yes."
Ling Zhan's answer was as concise as ever.
Not the slightest hint of hesitation or difficulty in his tone.
Seeing Instructor Ling's calm face and simple reply, the member nodded, his expression gradually gaining confidence.
"By the way, since you're here, help me with something."
"This mission is extremely dangerous. There's real risk of death. You all have families and loved ones—if anyone doesn't want to go, they can submit a withdrawal report. I'll approve it, and there will be no punishment."
Ling Zhan said flatly once more.
As soon as those words fell—
The member froze for a second, then quickly nodded and went to pass the message along.
"Master, you're really going to let them quit just like that… is this okay?"
At that moment, Yun Man softly asked.
"There's nothing wrong with it. If someone is unwilling, there's no need to force them to follow."
"Even if this is the legion."
"At the end of the day, these members are still young. They may be talented, but they're not yet mature or tempered enough."
"Sending them to die recklessly would just be a waste of talent."
"Once they grow older, they'll naturally understand what it means to be a hero."
Ling Zhan said calmly.
Yun Man looked at her master and thought—he called these legion members kids.
But her master was only in his early twenties.
Younger than many members of the legion.
What Yun Man didn't know was—
This master before her came from another world.
Back in that world, Ling Zhan had already been in his late twenties, nearly thirty.
So in terms of mental age, calling these members children wasn't wrong at all.