Chapter 863: Resignation! Departure! Confrontation!
"Instructor Ling, could you wait a moment?"
The adjutant couldn't hold it in anymore and finally spoke up.
Ling Zhan raised his head calmly, signaling that the man should speak his mind.
The adjutant quickly asked, "Instructor Ling, among these 4,000 resignation requests are many powerful prodigies, with plenty over level 170. If you approve them all at once, won't our Demon-Slaying Legion be left with just over 3,000 people?"
The Demon-Slaying Legion had a total of 7,200 members.
Now, about 4,000 had left.
Only a little over 3,000 remained.
Compared to massive legions of hundreds of millions or even billions, the difference in numbers was staggering.
Of course…
A truly powerful legion values quality over quantity.
A few hundred elite warriors could rival tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.
A squad of hundreds moving together with anti-ranged shields could easily repel even close-combat enemies.
In fact, you might see—
A few hundred fighting freely on a large battlefield, unafraid even when vastly outnumbered.
But the problem was…
The current Demon-Slaying Legion's numbers were just too few. They were about to assault thirty super fortresses. With so few soldiers, how could they possibly do it?
"No matter. It's fine."
Ling Zhan's tone remained calm, completely unbothered by the resignations.
He could understand why they left.
Everyone valued their own lives.
With families, spouses, and children to worry about, it made sense.
And they weren't quitting to retire—they were transferring to other legions.
Still…
Ling Zhan wouldn't tell them they were missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Being the first to take the risk may come with danger, but also immense rewards.
If Ling Zhan succeeded in capturing the thirty super fortresses—
The merits would bring glory and elite treatment to their descendants.
Those willing to risk it all deserved such rewards.
Whether the ones who quit would regret it later was unknown.
But their families surely would.
Seeing that Ling Zhan was so composed, the adjutant stopped worrying.
...…
...…
The news of 4,000 Demon-Slaying Legion members quitting couldn't be hidden.
Especially since it was leaked through discussions among various noble families.
Media outlets already skeptical of the mission seized the moment.
"Shocking! 4,000 Demon-Slaying Legion members resign in protest of the Sacred Court's decision!"
"Sacred Court fails to gain support—members leave decisively!"
"Victory was within reach, yet the upper echelon's foolishness leads to mass resignations!"
"How is an SSS-grade mission different from suicide?"
"Wake up! Don't die for nothing!"
"…"
Most were bandwagon media.
Of course…
Some outlets defended the Sacred Court, but their voices were drowned out.
The authorities could do nothing about it.
These media came from various nations and races. Silencing them would spark cries over freedom of speech.
In this situation—
The Sacred Court could only let it go.
But public outcry against the Demon-Slaying Legion was growing.
Many demanded the remaining 3,000 members resign too.
Even with this pressure—
Ling Zhan continued as usual, ignoring outside noise.
And if anyone else wanted to quit, he'd approve them without hesitation.
Honestly…
Other legion commanders couldn't understand Ling Zhan's approach.
Normally—
Legions were strict and disciplined.
Leaving right before a mission would be labeled as desertion.
That's how they kept prodigies in line.
A legion wasn't a place to come and go freely.
With such rules, normally there wouldn't be any resignations.
But Ling Zhan suddenly allowed unconditional resignations.
Those who were hesitant but afraid to leave—and their families—jumped at the chance.
A once 7,000-strong elite legion was now just over 3,000.
Many of the strongest had left too.
Originally, if trained properly and sticking together on the battlefield, the Demon-Slaying Legion could stand against legions of tens of billions.
They had both strength and mobility.
Within the legion were spatial mages—
High-speed support classes—
Temporal wizards—
And various hidden classes, all aiding mobility.
When resources ran low, they could teleport thousands away in an instant.
Huge enemy legions couldn't chase them effectively.
Small pursuers would get counter-killed.
Big groups took too long to mobilize, giving the Demon-Slaying Legion time to escape.
But now—
With so many gone, their power was greatly diminished.
Other legion commanders saw this and sighed inwardly.
But none dared criticize Ling Zhan's decision.
And so, under widespread skepticism—
Three days later—
Ling Zhan led the remaining 2,000 to Ether City's gates for a departure ceremony.
Why only 2,000 now…?
Because another 1,000 quit in those three days.
They were swayed by public pressure—
Or forced by their families.
The remaining 2,000 looked determined, ready to face death.
Most were around level 160, not highly ranked.
Yet still—
They resolutely chose to follow Ling Zhan into battle.
The gathered media, seeing the Demon-Slaying Legion marching out with only 2,000 troops, furiously took photos.
And began questioning Ling Zhan—the supreme commander and chief instructor.