Chapter 29 : Chapter 29
Chapter 29 Military Merit Settlement! Decoration!
"Are they here for me?"
Looking at the expressions on the two men's faces, Ye Ze suddenly had the strange feeling of a sheep walking into a tiger's den.
Still, this was the Demon Suppression Army camp after all, so there should not be any danger.
As Ye Ze walked over, Scout Camp Commander Xu Feng and another officer approached him with broad smiles.
"Hello, student Ye Ze. I am Commander Xu Feng."
The Scout Camp commander stepped forward and shook Ye Ze's hand.
"And this is Commander Chang Zhengping, commander of the Zhubei Regiment of the East China Army!"
A regiment commander?
Ye Ze was stunned for a moment.
A regiment commander was already a major leader within a military district, so why would someone like that come looking for me?
Chang Zhengping revealed a kindly smile. "Nephew Ye Ze, do not worry..."
"I am an old comrade-in-arms of your teacher, Liu Boyan. He asked me to look after you."
Chang Zhengping's original plan had been not to mention any of this to Ye Ze unless he actually needed to step in and help.
But now, with a recruitable genius standing right in front of him...
Anything that could help build familiarity and improve their relationship naturally had to be said!
Standing nearby, Xu Feng looked heartbroken. Right now, he only regretted not knowing Ye Ze's teacher himself...
"I see. Thank you, Commander Chang."
Hearing that, Ye Ze immediately understood the reason and thought to himself that his teacher really still had not been able to stop worrying.
Unexpectedly, Chang Zhengping's eyes were full of admiration.
"A hero emerges in youth. We should be the ones thanking you!"
"Thanking me?"
Commander Xu Feng seized the chance to join in.
"You alone sped up the clearing progress of No. 19 Contaminated Land severalfold!"
Ye Ze had not known this before, but every elite fiend he killed meant that the other scout squads would face far less danger.
As a result, the clearing speed rose dramatically.
Just like the Hu Shan and Lin Feifei team he had saved before: as long as they did not run into elites, their progress was not slow. But the moment they encountered an elite, they could easily be badly injured or even wiped out.
That was also why the military's clearing mission had been able to proceed so smoothly.
And what made both Xu Feng and Chang Zhengping even more excited was this: Ye Ze was only level 7, yet his combat power was already this outrageous. Once he became high-level, who knew how terrifying he would be!
No one wanted to let a genius like this slip away!
Xu Feng quickly led Ye Ze back into the camp.
"Come, student Ye Ze. I will first settle your Military Merit for clearing the Contaminated Land!"
Ye Ze nodded.
Although he no longer needed to save up Military Merit to exchange for a summoned beast right now, who would ever think they had too much of it?
Once he reached level 10 and completed First Advancement, he would gain at least one more Summoned Beast Space, and at that point he might still come back to exchange for something.
Ye Ze was escorted back inside the Scout Camp.
A camp commander and a regiment commander stood on either side of him, both smiling cheerfully.
The spectacle was overwhelming.
Nearby, one of the temporary scouts could not help grumbling indignantly, "Damn, who is that guy?"
"Why does he not have to wait in line to settle his Military Merit? Why did the commander personally go out to bring him in..."
The speaker was standing in one of the two long lines.
After a full day of clearing missions, all the temporary scouts had to settle their Military Merit at the two settlement stations set up in front of the camp. When there were many people, naturally they had to line up.
Unless, like Ruan Xiaoyou, one did not want the Military Merit at all and simply left after finishing the clearing.
But at minimum, one point of Military Merit could be exchanged for five thousand yuan, so no one was willing to give it up...
Next to him, a temporary scout of the Archer class said sourly,
"Who knows, maybe he is some big shot's illegitimate son, or some rich second-generation brat..."
A disdainful voice rang out.
"Tch!"
"He has probably killed more elite fiends than you have killed ordinary Fiends!"
The one who spoke was the long-legged beauty Lin Feifei from the Hunter Guild, speaking up for Ye Ze.
She had personally seen Ye Ze's strength, so she was not surprised in the slightest by his special treatment.
"If you could instantly kill elite fiends too, you would not have to stand here in line either!"
The two men who had been mocked did not believe it at all.
"Instantly kill elite fiends? Him? A level 7 Summoner? Dream on!"
At that moment, Lin Feifei's captain, Hu Shan, spoke up.
"It is true. That Blood-Skeleton Fiend was right in front of me when it got instantly killed by one punch from his summoned beast..."
That scene had truly left a deep impression on Hu Shan.
And Hu Shan's words instantly shocked the people around them, stirring up discussion.
After all, Hu Shan had a solid reputation among civilian Class Users. He was an upright man, and his words were trustworthy.
Combined with the exceptionally special treatment Ye Ze was receiving...
For a time, the news that a ruthless powerhouse had appeared in No. 19 Contaminated Land spread like wildfire.
The two men who had initially been displeased with Ye Ze immediately fell silent.
If he was really a major figure whose summoned beast could smash an elite fiend apart with one punch, then smashing their heads probably would not take much effort either...
Inside the Scout Camp, Ye Ze was led by Xu Feng and Chang Zhengping to a huge light-screen control platform and placed his identity badge on it.
A unique route map was projected, surging ahead far beyond everyone else, as though it had torn straight through No. 19 Contaminated Land.
It was like a display of Ye Ze's historic battle record.
Nearby, a clerk watched and calculated as he spoke.
"Your personal clearing progress accounts for roughly thirty percent of No. 19 Contaminated Land. The Military Merit settlement comes to 900 points."
Xu Feng added from the side, "Do you have any objections?"
Ye Ze shook his head. The result was about what he had expected, and 900 Military Merit was already extremely generous.
On his left, Chang Zhengping grew more and more approving the longer he looked.
"Hahaha! If Old Liu finds out about your results, he will probably be scared half to death!"
Then he said with a broad smile, "Nephew Ye Ze, are you interested in the Zhubei Regiment..."
"Ahem, Commander, the Military Merit settlement is not over yet!"
Xu Feng hurriedly cut Chang Zhengping off.
At the same time, his mind spun rapidly...
How could he snatch a genius for his own Scout Camp while standing in front of a regiment commander?
The Scout Camp held a rather special status within the Demon Suppression Army. It belonged to an independent establishment, enjoyed regiment-level benefits on its own, and was not under the authority of any regiment commander.
But it was still only a battalion-level unit in name, so Xu Feng did not feel entirely confident when faced with a regiment commander trying to poach talent.
The clerk beside them asked cautiously, "Student Ye Ze, you have killed elite fiends before, correct?"
Proof of elite fiend kills was also part of the Military Merit settlement.
Ye Ze nodded and took out the nine Blood-Skeleton Fiend corpses he had kept in his storage space.
Although they had already expected something, the sheer number still made everyone visibly start.
"This..."
"A level 7 who can kill nine elite fiends in succession! This combat power!"
"Brother Ye Ze, are you interested in the Scout Camp..."
After once again being shocked by Ye Ze's combat power, Xu Feng finally could not hold himself back and blurted it out.
"Ahem, the Military Merit settlement..." Chang Zhengping immediately reminded him.
Xu Feng waved a hand. "It is fine. The clerks can handle the rest..."
But before he could finish, Ye Ze spoke again.
"I have even stronger elite corpses as well, but there probably is not enough room to lay them out here."
At those words, Xu Feng and Chang Zhengping both froze.
"More?"
A moment later, the group moved to a more open area outside the camp.
Even Xu Feng, experienced as he was in clearing operations, felt that things had gone far beyond his expectations.
Ye Ze emptied his storage space completely: The corpse of the Cursed Knight, the more than seven-meter-long corpse of the Corrupted Giant Beast, and that batch of missing supplies...
For a moment, the surroundings seemed to fall silent.
Ye Ze added, "I did not kill the level 30 Cursed Knight. I only killed the Corrupted Giant Beast."
Hearing that the level 30 Cursed Knight had not been killed by Ye Ze, the two men instead felt a little relieved.
Xu Feng even roared inwardly, If a level 30 Special Elite had really been killed by a level 7 like you, I might as well give you my commander position!
But even the Corrupted Giant Beast that he had killed left the two officers staring at each other in shock.
After a series of verifications, Xu Feng silently stepped away, apparently to request instructions about something...
Meanwhile, a group of clerks worked together to record everything, and in the end converted it into Ye Ze's Military Merit: 2150 points!
That total included the bounty task and the Special Elite corpse, making it an extraordinarily generous amount!
If converted into cash, it would be worth well over ten million yuan!
As he watched the clerk enter the Military Merit into his record, Ye Ze felt especially pleased.
With 2000 Military Merit, if he did not exchange it for money, he could enter the second level of the Demon Suppression Army Treasury to exchange for items.
He had already asked about it. The item quality on the second floor of the treasury ranged from Rare five-star to Outstanding five-star.
But Ye Ze chose not to exchange anything for now, intending instead to save it until after First Advancement so he could choose his fourth summoned beast!
At the same time, Xu Feng returned, followed by two deputy commanders, one of whom held a square red box in his hands.
Xu Feng spoke in a solemn tone.
"Ye Ze, on behalf of the Demon Suppression Army Scout Camp, I award you the Bronze Merit Medal for your contributions in fighting the Abyss and the Fiends!"
...?
This time, Ye Ze was truly stunned. He had never imagined that he would actually qualify for a decoration.
A Merit Medal was a special medal awarded by the military to those who had made outstanding contributions in fighting the Abyss and the Fiends.
Its honor and influence were enormous, comparable to a third-class merit citation in his previous life.
Chang Zhengping patted him on the shoulder.
"No need to be surprised. Your contribution in this clearing operation truly was outstanding."
"This Corrupted Giant Beast was the mount of a level 30 Special Elite. Without you killing it, the Cursed Knight probably could not have been taken down either."
The moment he said that, it was clear that they had also investigated Ruan Xiaoyou's strength and background.
At the same time, they had come to understand more about the circumstances behind the Special Elite's death.
The deputy commander beside Xu Feng opened the red square box, revealing a bronze medal inside.
【Bronze Medal - Battlefield Vanguard】!
Xu Feng chuckled and said, "Take it. You earned it. Once that level 30 Special Elite died, far fewer people would die while clearing No. 19 Contaminated Land!"
Ye Ze's clearing record had already been outstanding to begin with. Add to that his killing of the Corrupted Giant Beast, his contribution to assisting in the death of the Special Elite,
and the fact that he was only level 7 and still a high school student...
Xu Feng had directly applied for a Bronze Medal on his behalf!
"Do not think badly of how simple the medal presentation is. This is the frontline battlefield, so everything is kept simple."
Xu Feng then pulled out a sheet of paper and added, "Of course, if you want to hear the commendation speech, I can still read another eight hundred words..."
"No, please do not read it!"
Ye Ze quickly stopped him. In his previous life, what he hated most was long, meaningless speeches from leaders.
He unceremoniously accepted the medal.
It was beautifully made, gleaming with a bronze luster, ringed with decorative patterns, with Ye Ze's name and the date of decoration engraved in small lettering.
And this was far from being merely commemorative. In many places it came with real privileges, and even included military subsidies and discounts when buying things...
Ye Ze had seen it before in textbooks.
There were six types of Merit Medals in total:
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Falling Star, Lunar Eclipse, and Solar Radiance, each made from a different special material.
They also had a certain effect in preventing detection and prying eyes.
He had never expected that something he had once only seen in textbooks would one day be held in his own hands.
The moment Xu Feng saw Ye Ze receive the medal, he could not help sighing a little...
He had the feeling that his Scout Camp was not going to be able to keep Ye Ze after all.
Chang Zhengping glanced at the time and said, "Nephew, you are still going to participate in Qingfeng City's super-large group dungeon tomorrow, right?"
"I am heading the same way. I will give you a ride back!"
Xu Feng shot him a look of contempt and could not be bothered to expose him... The Zhubei Regiment was in the south, and War Academy was in the north. What part of that was on the way?
It really was getting late.
Between waiting for the mantis to evolve and settling the Military Merit, a great deal of time had been used up.
Even with Ye Ze's Constitution, he was feeling somewhat tired, so hitching a ride was perfect.
...
Linyuan City, War Academy Investigation Division.
"Teacher Liu, I order you to bring Ye Ze back immediately, no matter what method you use!"
"A student approaching the college entrance exam should be staying at school and behaving himself. Who gave him the nerve to leave the city?"
Vice Dean Zhou Wei sat across from Liu Boyan and spoke without any politeness.
Liu Boyan frowned, but still answered, "I have already found someone to look after him. He will be back before long."
Vice Dean Zhou Wei let out a cold snort.
He had originally planned to contact Ye Ze today and have him mention him a few more times in front of the media, but who would have thought that Ye Ze would ignore him completely?
It made this Vice Dean lose all face.
He immediately warned Liu Boyan, "With the college entrance exam so near, leaving the city without my permission is a disciplinary violation!"
"If he is not back by twelve o'clock tonight, I will consider canceling his opportunity to participate in the group dungeon!"
Liu Boyan had been silent until then, but the moment he heard that the group dungeon opportunity might be canceled, he erupted in anger.
"Vice Dean Zhou, are you insane?"
"A genius student who achieved East China's first Hell-difficulty first clear, and you dare cancel his group dungeon opportunity?"
"I should correct you, Teacher Liu."
Vice Dean Zhou Wei gave a scornful smile. "A genius student from the ordinary class."
He deliberately stressed the words ordinary class, and the meaning behind it could not have been clearer.
"Have there not been many geniuses from the ordinary class before?"
"But talent, or perhaps luck, will one day run out!"
"As the Class User ranks rise, they will struggle more and more, become more and more powerless, and in the end fade into mediocrity... including Ye Ze!"
He once again emphasized Ye Ze's name, clearly showing his particular displeasure toward him.
Liu Boyan stood up and glared furiously.
The presence of a retired veteran made even the Vice Dean unconsciously take two steps back.
"If that is how you put it, then should ordinary-class students not find a path for themselves?"
"If they do not have money to enter dungeons within the academy, are they supposed to just stay trapped here until they die?"
Hearing Liu Boyan's questioning, Vice Dean Zhou Wei said flatly,
"I am the homeroom teacher of the elite class. The ordinary class is none of my concern."
"But leaving the city is still a violation of school rules!"
"You can deal with it however you like!"
With that, he ignored Liu Boyan's expression and turned to leave.
But at that moment, a teacher came hurrying in from outside the door.
"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu! Ah, the Vice Dean is here too..."
"Commander Chang from the East China Demon Suppression Army is here."
"He said... your student has been decorated..."