Chapter 1

"Don't charge, let them come out," Han Jiangxue said quickly, pushing Jiang Xiao back as she spoke, stopping Xia Yan, who was eager to try.

Xia Yan paused slightly, counted the scarlet eyes in the snow forest, and thought about the dead weight in the team. In the end, she reluctantly retreated.

Yes, no matter how much she tried to gloss over it with the identity of a healing-type Awakened, Jiang Xiao was, at this moment, a complete salted fish.

Of course, Jiang Xiao was a salted fish by his own ability...

Jiang Xiao didn't feel ashamed. He just needed time to grow. This was only the fourth day since he had come to this world. Given some time, he believed he could transform.

This wasn't just a slogan. Jiang Xiao's self-disciplined morning exercises showed his determination and perseverance.

Jiang Xiao would repay the care he received now doubly in the future.

The silent soldier Pi Ke Qiu stood his ground, allowing Han Jiangxue and Jiang Xiao to retreat behind him. Eventually, the soldier Pi Ke Qiu stood shoulder to shoulder with Xia Yan, moving backward in unison.

"The fur has congealed blood, and there are shreds of clothing hanging from the claws. Whatever team entered the snow forest earlier, I'm afraid their situation is dire," the soldier Pi Ke Qiu said, his eyes sharp as an eagle.

At this moment, Jiang Xiao was absorbing nourishment, absorbing everything that could help him grow. Taking advantage of the soldier Pi Ke Qiu's analysis, he secretly sized up the White Ghosts at the edge of the snow forest.

The dead White Ghosts were already ugly and terrifying, but the scarlet eyes of the living White Ghosts made the scene even more horrifying.

The soldier Pi Ke Qiu continued, "They didn't hesitate. They are still advancing. They came out of the snow forest. This is not in line with their habits. This means..."

"There is a White Ghost Witch in this White Ghost population," Xia Yan said, her expression finally becoming serious.

The soldier Pi Ke Qiu said in a deep voice, "This is only a 30-minute journey from our human base, and the guardian teams at the base can get here in 10 minutes. Such a powerful population should not appear here."

This was also the role of Pi Ke Qiu as a mercenary: to provide the team with rich experience and guidance. Moreover, his status allowed him to possess something that others could not: a gun.

Pi Ke Qiu had a black pistol hanging on his waist. Perhaps firearms were not as useful as Star Techniques when facing powerful Other Dimension creatures, but they were still somewhat effective against these White Ghosts.

Although bullets did little damage to the White Ghosts' thick skin, their black faces had no fur, so the guns were still quite effective.

However, the military had strict restrictions on when soldiers could fire their guns. That's another story.

Jiang Xiao asked doubtfully, "I have the White Ghost Witch's Blessing Star Technique, and I've used it on you. You know the effect of the bronze-quality blessing. The White Ghost Witch doesn't seem to be a heaven-defying existence."

"Yes, the White Ghost Witch is also a bronze-level creature. Its own skills are not heaven-defying." Xia Yan said, retreating cautiously, "But the existence of the White Ghost Witch will qualitatively improve a White Ghost population. Combat is not simply 1+1=2. Too many factors affect the attributes of a team."

Han Jiangxue nodded gently, agreeing, "For example, now, they have come out of the snow forest, out of their familiar home turf."

Xia Yan slowly drew out her giant blade. Including the handle, this heavy sword was two meters long. Dragging on the ground, it left deep marks in the snow. "In the mountains and forests, these White Ghosts are as agile as monkeys and have a great advantage. But they gave up this advantage and chose to fight us on the relatively flat snowfield. Little Pi, tell me, what does this represent?"

Jiang Xiao thought for a moment and said, "The existence of the White Ghost Witch has greatly increased their confidence?"

"Close, but not quite." Xia Yan stared at the White Ghost at the front with her beautiful eyes and said, "The existence of the White Ghost Witch does give them a backbone. When a loose team that fights on its own becomes a confident, unified team, the combat power they unleash is amazing."

Jiang Xiao raised his eyebrows and said, "You mean... they have clarified their identities and have a commander?"

"Yes, that's right. The White Ghost Witch is the commander of this team." Xia Yan and the soldier Pi Ke Qiu stopped in their tracks. "The instincts of these magical creatures are the templates that humans have been learning and imitating. In a team, healing-type classes are more suitable to be commanders. They stand in relatively safe positions, can oversee the overall situation, and their eyes will never focus on the battle of individual members, but will consider the victory or defeat of the battle from the perspective of the team."

Goodness, that's amazing.

I thought that if I leveled up like this,

I could become a happy healer,

Happy is all that matters,

But you want me to be a commander?

But this is not a game. The melee Awakened who charges into battle does not have a God's perspective and cannot effectively incorporate all the battlefield information into their eyes.

"Thank you for your guidance," Jiang Xiao said sincerely.

"You're welcome, just remember to warm my feet when you get home," Xia Yan said casually.

Jiang Xiao: ???

"When a team lacks a healing-type Awakened, or the quality of the healing-type Awakened is not enough to serve as a commander, the ranged output is the best choice for commander." Xia Yan's voice rose slightly, "Little Xue?"

"Wait!" Han Jiangxue issued the first command.

"If we wait any longer, they'll be right in my face!" Xia Yan shouted, dissatisfied.

The gale in the snowfield had disappeared at some point, and there was no more snowstorm, which made team communication easier.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The tall White Ghosts slowly changed from walking to jogging, their heavy footsteps stepping into the snow that covered their ankles, but their speed was getting faster and faster, as if they were walking on flat ground.

1, 2... 15, 16!

A full 16 tall, hideous White Ghosts finally charged.

"Ooo~ Ooo~" A strange cry suddenly came from the snow forest.

The White Ghosts that were charging quickly suddenly changed. The White Ghost at the front slowed down, and the dozen or so White Ghosts behind them suddenly scattered and ran diagonally towards the group, and the chaotic team slowly evolved into an arc.

Were they trying to surround the four?

"Right!" Xia Yan shouted loudly.

"Left," Han Jiangxue said at almost the same time.

"Can't you be a little more harmonious, woman?" Without saying a word, Xia Yan dragged her giant blade and ran to the left.

"Keep up," Han Jiangxue pushed Jiang Xiao and continued, "Pi Ke Qiu, cover the rear."

The four of them instantly turned into a straight line, rushing to the left as quickly as possible to break out before the White Ghosts formed a siege.

But how could their speed catch up with the White Ghosts, who were moving on the snow as if it were flat ground?

As it turned out, there was one person who could keep up!

It was the phantom charging ahead—Xia Yan!

In Jiang Xiao's vision, the tall figure in front was running fast in the snow. Her long legs showed their advantage, and the two-meter-long giant blade dragged long marks in the snow.

Whoosh!

The next moment, Xia Yan's tall and slender figure suddenly burst into a bright light, and a Star Map flourished, appearing on her body.

Jiang Xiao's Star Map was the "Big Dipper Nine Stars," but Xia Yan's Star Map was actually a two-handed sword!

Yes, through the connection of the Star Slots and the rendering of the flourishing Star Power, a huge two-handed sword appeared on Xia Yan's body.

Two Bronze, Five Silver!?

A total of seven stars were lit up at the tip of the Star Map's sword, emitting bronze and silver light respectively.

A Nebula Stage Awakened can absorb up to 8 Star Techniques, and this woman was almost full.

She had a total of 7 Star Techniques, but the key was that her Star Slots seemed to have... 28!?

28 Star Slots!

More than three times as many as Jiang Xiao's Star Slots.

The next moment, the silver Star Slot on the left blade of the Star Map's two-handed sword suddenly lit up, and a raging fire suddenly ignited in her right hand holding the sword. The scorching flame spread all the way, and the two-meter-long giant blade was instantly shrouded in it!

Silver Star Technique: Scorching Flame.

The deep knife marks that should have been on the ground had now been melted into patches of snow water, and the rising white gas mixed with the wind and snow swept up by the Star Power's air waves, spreading all the way forward, unstoppably.

For a time, snowflakes flew and the momentum was astonishing.

Xia Yan finally raised the giant blade she was dragging, her long legs tensed, and she stepped hard on the snow, her whole body exploding out in an instant!