Chapter 866: I Will Definitely Die Before You
"Instructor Ling, is it true that we're very likely not coming back from this mission?"
A modestly sized space warship cruised through a spatial corridor that resembled a cosmic starfield.
Aboard this space warship were, naturally, Ling Zhan and the two thousand members of the Demon-Slaying Legion.
Even though the group was small, the high-level officials from various nations had advised granting Ling Zhan a top-tier, super-large space warship.
The defensive formations of such a warship were so powerful that even a dozen 190-tier powerhouses attacking together would struggle to break through them.
Its bombardment power could easily annihilate tens of thousands of demon monsters.
However, Ling Zhan declined.
With only two thousand people, there was no need for such a high-level warship.
Moreover, it would bring numerous inconveniences.
Even setting aside the need for various national divisions to dispatch personnel in case of enemy attack, the sheer size made it an oversized target.
Hard to disengage from combat.
Although top-tier warships normally wouldn't be breached, once inside the territory of those thirty super fortresses, normal rules no longer applied.
Under such circumstances—
A top-tier space warship would not only struggle to break free from combat, but also be extremely cumbersome, easily trapped.
At present—
The small space warship carrying the two thousand was not nearly as strong in defense or firepower as the top-tier ones, but it had one key advantage: agility.
And ease of disengagement.
The one who asked the question was a female member.
At this moment—
All two thousand were having a meal in the dining hall.
Naturally, Ling Zhan was there dining with them.
Over time, the legion members had come to know that while their chief instructor had a cold demeanor, he was actually a good person.
Gradually, the members had become comfortable approaching Ling Zhan.
Of course—
As long as it was to ask questions related to combat, he would respond.
But if they asked about things like whether he had a girlfriend, or what kind of girls he liked, not only would he ignore them, he'd use his authority to drastically increase their training regimen.
After all, they were about to face battle together as comrades and partners.
So now, Ling Zhan also ate in the dining hall with the others.
The girl who asked the question obviously had some worries in her eyes.
Which was understandable.
After all, for these young men and women only eighteen or nineteen years old, it was natural to be affected by the unknown dangers and public opinion.
Previously, much of the news online claimed that Ling Zhan was leading them to die.
Of course, they had been affected by it.
Ling Zhan looked at the girl and said calmly, "If you regret it now, you can still withdraw."
With that—
He scanned the group and continued in an utterly calm tone, "That goes for everyone. Even if we're about to reach the battlefield—if you want to leave, I will still approve it and pursue no responsibility or conditions."
"Of course..."
"If you regret it only after the mission has begun, then I will treat you as deserters. At that time, you won't need the Demon Sovereigns to act—I will personally deal with you."
Though his tone remained calm—
The killing intent within it sent chills through everyone.
Yun Man, seeing a girl approaching her master to talk, had considered warning the girl.
She didn't expect her master to be so ruthless.
Yun Man felt relieved—but also a little amused.
The girl had merely wanted some comfort from her master.
But instead, he stayed as cold as ever.
"Instructor Ling, I didn't mean I wanted to withdraw..."
The girl was speechless and amused.
She hadn't expected the handsome and strict young instructor to misunderstand her.
She simply wanted a few comforting words from him.
After all, with just two thousand people going into battle, it was impossible not to fear death.
But they had come here out of conviction, regardless.
Ling Zhan, seeing this, looked again at all the members present.
As expected—
Each youthful face held some degree of worry and fear.
Hmm...
On reflection, that was entirely natural.
Many among these two thousand were orphans without parents.
It was only due to their incredible talent and the fortune of circumstance that they were discovered and nurtured by the upper ranks.
They had probably resolved to follow Ling Zhan to the front lines with the will to die.
Thinking this—
Ling Zhan let out a quiet sigh.
Then he said, "I can tell you clearly that if we face a Demon Sovereign, even I cannot guarantee everyone's safety."
"Moreover..."
"If you all die, it only means one thing."
Everyone looked toward the instructor.
"It means I must already be dead."
Everyone: "..."
The meaning behind Ling Zhan's words—
Was undeniably clear.
If a member truly died, it would mean Ling Zhan died before them.
In other words—
Ling Zhan was the kind of commander who would charge ahead with you, not just order you to charge.
He wasn't one to yell, "You go!" He was the one to shout, "Follow me!"
Though there's a saying, "A noble son doesn't sit under a sagging beam"—
Ling Zhan's combat style meant he would always be the first to lead the charge.
If those behind him were in danger—
That could only mean one thing—
That Ling Zhan had already fallen.
Hearing this, the worry on everyone's faces was replaced with determination.
Even Instructor Ling said this—what more did they have to fear?
Worst case, they'd die together!!
At the very least, they had tried their best.
Even if this planet was doomed, they could say they had no regrets.
And lived up to the national resources invested in them since youth.
...…
...…
The space warship had been traveling for about five days in the spatial corridor.
In this specially built corridor, traveling one kilometer was nearly equivalent to flying a hundred million kilometers outside.
And the ship's speed wasn't just one kilometer per second—it was at least ten.
So imagine—
After five days of travel, how far Ether City was from the frontlines.
And how vast the Demon Continent really was.
After five days—
The space warship finally re-emerged in the real world.
It landed in the eastern region of a fortress known as "Moore Fortress."
The demons had captured thirty fortresses, and in response, the various nations had also built super fortresses here for defense and offense.
The commanding officer of Moore Fortress had, of course, already received the message.
But when the mature female commander with glasses saw how young Ling Zhan was, she was still visibly surprised.