Chapter 231 - 12: Mo Ning Is the Newcomer with the Strongest Leadership in the Last 30 Years

Chapter 231: Chapter 12: Mo Ning Is the Newcomer with the Strongest Leadership in the Last 30 Years

Anya and Reina understood their roles perfectly. Applicants could submit their applications to them, and they would tell them what preparations were needed.

「Half an hour later.」

The recruitment of thirty Heavy Shield Hands was the first to be completed.

Every one of them was a Warrior who had already awakened their Qi and Blood Power. There were even a few Black Iron Knights among them.

This came as a surprise to Mo Ning, as Heavy Shield Hands had to stand at the very front, directly facing the threat of the monsters in the mine.

He suddenly realized there was no shortage of daring and determined people among the newcomers. It was just that no one had ever effectively organized them and allowed them to showcase their talents.

Anya was already fulfilling her duties, drilling the Heavy Shield Corps under her command right then and there.

"Brace!"

The Noble Lady shouted, gripping her Black Iron Heavy Shield with both hands and thrusting it forward with force.

This was a common Combat Skill for heavy shield legions in the armies of various nations, one that nearly every Warrior could master.

"Brace!"

The thirty Heavy Shield Hands roared in unison. The sound was like a clap of thunder exploding within the Secret Hall, causing the very air to tremble.

Arranged neatly in two rows, they thrust their heavy shields forward in perfect unison.

"CLANG—CLANG—!"

Stimulated by Qi and Blood Power, the heavy shields began to emit a powerful, sonorous hum, one after another.

The imposing sight caused the expressions of many onlookers to change.

Mo Ning nodded with great satisfaction.

As expected of Anya, the person who understood him best.

She knew how to build the greatest possible momentum for the Battle Banner Legion. This would not only attract more newcomers but also boost the legion’s morale to its peak.

The previous batch of newcomers had been disdainful of the legion.

They believed that the larger the group, the more likely they were to be attacked by monsters—a fact repeatedly proven in past assessments.

They figured the legion formed by the current batch of newcomers would most likely end up suffering heavy losses.

But that hall-shaking cry of "Brace!" was like a sledgehammer, shattering their deep-seated prejudices into countless cracks.

’A legion this well-organized and disciplined... could they really fail to stop the monsters?’ a thought unconsciously flashed through their minds.

Meanwhile, the newcomers who had already joined the legion couldn’t help but erupt in cheers.

"Nice!"

"You guys are awesome!"

"Fuck up those mine monsters!"

Everyone could see it: the Battle Banner Legion, organized by the top Strong Person, was truly different!

Many newcomers who had been hesitating now began to flock to the Battle Banner Legion like a river.

Princess Phoebe stood demurely in the crowd. Her gaze swept over the Light Curtain, which resembled a battle banner, then moved through the crowd to lock onto the young man’s perpetually calm face. She stared for two full seconds.

She withdrew her gaze, unable to stop a thought from surfacing. ’Looks like I didn’t make the wrong choice this time.’

The Princess’s red lips curved into a smile. She felt fortunate that she had been brave enough to approach that young man.

A strange Spiritual Intuition told her that this time, the young man was very likely to create an unbelievable miracle.

In a corner of the hall.

Sitt stood quietly beside a stone sculpture holding a sword.

His somber gaze swept over the training Heavy Shield Corps, flickered across the hovering Light Curtain overhead, and finally settled on Mo Ning.

A thick, undeniable jealousy surfaced in his eyes.

After a moment, Sitt looked away to avoid being sensed.

Sitt had experienced a tremendous fall, from being the center of everyone’s attention to now being ignored in a corner. It was as if an invisible hand had dragged him from the clouds and thrown him into the dust.

No one knew better than him how agonizing it was to be forgotten.

He hated everyone.

*****

「No. 2 Black Tower.」

「In the Observation Room.」

Three Third Level Apprentices—Nasha, Mansha, and Velen—were gathered once again, watching the underground mine assessment that was about to begin.

Ever since the third assessment, the trio had not missed a single one of the general assessments.

There was only one reason: the young genius named Mo Ning always delivered a stunning, eye-opening performance.

"Brace!"

The roar of the Heavy Shield Corps blasted from the Light Curtain, assaulting the three Apprentices’ eardrums.

"Tsk tsk!"

Mansha was the first to break the silence. "Of all the newcomer assessments in the past decade or so, this kid’s Battle Banner Legion has to be the best-organized team, wouldn’t you say?"

She still had that flirtatious air about her—a seductive face and a perfect figure, more than enough to stir a man’s desire.

She also knew that the Evil Horned Whip Demon beside her detested this look, which was precisely why she enjoyed appearing before her this way.

"Mm."

The brass-faced Velen picked up the thread. "In the past thirty years of newcomer assessments, we’ve never seen a group this tightly organized."

Speaking with rare impartiality, he added, "I believe it’s mainly because Mo Ning possesses enough strength and prestige to unite everyone into a single force."

Velen paused, then added with a hint of emotion, "On leadership alone, this kid would receive a very high evaluation."

Although the academy values one’s level in Divination above all else, leadership is also an important metric for assessment.

Mansha immediately agreed. "Indeed."

Nasha remained silent, but the expression on her face showed that she clearly agreed as well.

As the three of them spoke,

the recruitment for the thirty-man Long Spear Corps was completed, and they joined the impressive drill.

"BRACE—THRUST—BRACE—THRUST—"

Anya barked out commands, taking this final opportunity to train the team.

Nearly all the newcomers had gathered to watch this formidable-looking team.