Chapter 86

This accident had a positive educational effect. In the following tasks, everyone was fully focused, maintaining vigilance throughout the battles. There were a few dangerous moments, but no major casualties occurred.

The difficulty of the internship tasks arranged by the Warblade Mercenary Group for everyone gradually increased, approaching the limits of the team. Although they managed to complete the tasks every day, they were always exhausted and drained.

After completing another task, they hurried back to the camp. The sun had already set, and it was about to get dark.

According to the rules, the team must return to the camp before dark; otherwise, the Warblade Mercenary Group would consider it an emergency and go out to search, deeming the task a failure.

Terry patted his chest, "Phew, that was close. We almost broke our perfect record of completing tasks."

At that moment, a voice came from the side, "Is this level of difficulty too much for you, Starlight Academy? You guys are really weak, aren't you?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a group of people walking out. They all wore the emblem of Saint Virtue Academy on their shoulders, clearly indicating they were from Saint Virtue Academy. The seven characters on their armbands showed they were the seventh team of the internship.

Since the start of the internship, although there were many teams on the same wasteland, they rarely interacted, especially between Starlight Academy and Saint Virtue Academy. Due to the subtle relationship between the two academies, they usually ignored each other. However, the seventh team of Saint Virtue Academy had come over to talk, and it was not to encourage them but to mock them.

Another member of the seventh team said, "Heh, that's all they can do. It's already a stroke of luck that they've managed to hold on this long!"

The members of the Falcon Team frowned. Terry, the most hot-blooded warrior, angrily said, "Saint Virtue Academy, which of your dog eyes saw us struggling? Today was just a small accident, that's why we came back a bit late!"

The person from the seventh team continued sarcastically, "Accident? Ha, don't be stubborn. Do you think we don't know that for the past few days, your three teams from Starlight Academy have been returning to the camp just before dark? Oh, right, one of your teams has already been declared a failure for today. It won't be long before you have to stop before the more difficult tasks. Actually, the heavy-duty tasks should be handled by our academy's teams. After all, Saint Virtue Academy is the highest public academy in the federation. What are you Starlight Academy people doing here? Seriously, don't force it. You should go back early to avoid losing your lives."

Terry's face turned red with anger, "You..."

The captain of the seventh team, a boy named Totti, scanned the group, his gaze stopping on Luo Feng, who wore the captain's emblem. He was somewhat surprised, "Luo Feng, you're Luo Feng?"

Luo Feng was now somewhat famous in Saint Virtue Academy, not only because he was the boyfriend of the magic department's beauty, Qiqi, but also because he had once defeated Saint Virtue Academy's Chris, making the students of Saint Virtue Academy wary of him. Even those who disliked Luo Feng didn't dare to provoke him easily.

However, after that incident, everything changed.

Totti, who had gotten some insider information from somewhere, laughed, "Luo Feng, I heard that your magic aura has no attribute. How pitiful. Your team is so weak that they had to choose someone with no attribute as the captain. Is it really that hard to find someone a bit better?"

"What? Captain, is it true, his magic aura has no attribute?"

"Of course, my information is always reliable."

"Ha, someone with no attribute in their magic aura is actually sent to a heavy-duty task. It seems there are too few people in Starlight Academy who have broken through to the magic aura stage. To make up the numbers, they had to do this. But, no matter what, they shouldn't have made him the captain, right?"

"Sigh, there's no choice. A weak team can only pick the tallest among the dwarfs."

"..."

For most people in Saint Virtue Academy, this news was a great relief. After all, Luo Feng not only dated their magic department's beauty but also defeated Chris. It was a matter of pride for Saint Virtue Academy that they had lost to Starlight Academy. Now that Luo Feng had become a waste due to his lack of attribute in his magic aura, they naturally mocked him.

The members of the Falcon Team were furious. Luo Feng had led the team with dedication and showed outstanding talent, earning their respect. Now that Luo Feng was being insulted, they were enraged. Terry's face turned red, and he activated his earth-type combat aura, clenching his fists tightly, ready to attack.

Totti, however, was unconcerned, "Brother, do you want to fight? We're always ready, but I advise you not to be too stubborn. Look, your magic aura is so weak. You must have used a lot of it in today's task. I bet your combat aura will drop in a few minutes."

As the captain of the seventh team, Totti had some insight and could see Terry's current state. But the angry Terry still shouted, "So what? This is enough to knock you down!"

Just as he was about to attack, Luo Feng held his shoulder, "That's enough, Terry. There's no need to argue with them."

Then, he said to the seventh team, "Whether we can complete the task is our business. You don't need to worry about it."

Totti laughed, "Heh, as a captain, you still have some sense. Knowing you can't beat us, don't try to be a hero. Well, I won't waste more time on you. Good luck, Starlight Academy. You might be able to complete a few more days of tasks."

With that, he led the seventh team away.

Terry, still indignant, said, "Captain, why did you stop me? That guy was really too much. I really wanted to beat him up, regardless of whether I could win. At least we shouldn't show weakness in front of these jerks!"

Xiang Xier also said, "Exactly, Captain. They not only looked down on our team but also insulted you. We should give them a taste of their own medicine!"

Luo Feng said calmly, "For us, the task is more important. Don't waste energy on pointless conflicts. Besides, some of what they said is true. We are at our limit. If we continue like this, it will be difficult for us to complete the upcoming tasks. So, we need to make some changes."

This topic hit the mark. The team's attention shifted from the seventh team's provocation, and their emotions calmed down. They asked, "How should we change?"

Luo Feng pondered for a moment, "I have an idea. If possible, I want to serve as the team's free agent."

Free agent?

Everyone was surprised.

This was a special role in mercenary groups, not a regular profession like warrior, knight, archer, or thief. A free agent could perform multiple functions, such as acting as a tank like a warrior, moving flexibly in the team like a thief, and helping any member at any time. Therefore, the role of a free agent in a team was undeniable, acting as a versatile all-rounder.

However, the requirements to be a free agent were high because one needed to be versatile and capable in multiple professions.

Luo Feng's fighting style was indeed suitable for a free agent. His attacks were fierce, comparable to a powerful knight, and he could defend instantly, occasionally acting as a tank. He was also extremely fast, not inferior to a wind-type martial artist of the same level, and skilled in the W-step, a high-difficulty footwork technique that even wind-type martial artists found hard to master. These qualities met the requirements of a free agent.

However, one of the team members, Michael, soon raised a concern, "Captain, we all think you have the ability to be a free agent, but you are already the captain, responsible for the overall strategy. The pressure is already great. Can you really handle being a free agent as well?"

Others also chimed in, "That's right. The combat aura consumption of a free agent is higher than anyone else's. Captain, you have already done enough for the team. There's no need to push yourself."

"It's not about pushing myself, but I believe I can do it," Luo Feng smiled. "Moreover, I think this will be a valuable training experience for me. So, let's give it a try. If it doesn't work out, we'll see what to do then."

The team's potential had been pushed to its limits. Although Aaron was strong, he couldn't use his full power. The only way to optimize the team was through Luo Feng. The team couldn't think of a better solution, and with Luo Feng's insistence, they agreed.

Luo Feng's suggestion had an immediate effect. His diverse and even somewhat eclectic combat skills shone in the team. With him as the team's glue, each battle became much simpler, and the pressure on the team members was significantly reduced. The more difficult tasks that everyone was worried about were completed in less time and with less effort.

Luo Feng quickly adapted to his new role and became more proficient, giving the team more confidence.

A week passed, and after completing the day's task, Luo Feng was only slightly sweating on his forehead but still looked energetic. From his steady steps, it was clear he hadn't reached his limit.

When Luo Feng returned with the monster tokens, Xiang Xier couldn't help but say, "Captain, how did you build such endurance? You're really strong!"

Another team member, Michael, who was in the same class as Luo Feng, also agreed, "That's right. We're both at the second stage of magic aura, and I have a wind attribute, but I'm still far behind you!"

Everyone expressed their agreement. Compared to Luo Feng's diverse combat skills, his endurance was even more astonishing, a crucial requirement for a free agent.

It's important to note that a martial artist with no attribute in their combat aura lacks the advantages of attributes and has a significantly reduced amount of combat aura. They cannot utilize the benefits of attributes and are also weaker in endurance, which is another reason why a martial artist with no attribute is often considered to have a dead-end path.

However, Luo Feng broke this conventional wisdom. As a free agent, he performed multiple roles, acting as a tank, charging like a knight, ambushing like a thief, and suppressing from a distance like an archer or gunner. In increasingly difficult battles, Luo Feng took on multiple roles, handling both dirty and technical tasks, and as the captain, he had to oversee the entire situation and issue commands, leading to much higher physical and mental consumption. This made his endurance even more remarkable.

In fact, the team was already aware of Luo Feng's endurance, which had been demonstrated in his two battles with Gorin. However, they never expected him to reach this level, even Aaron was surprised.

After Luo Feng's magic aura became attribute-less, its quantity actually increased, which even someone as knowledgeable as Aaron found hard to understand.

Of course, no one except Luo Feng knew the secret.

His attribute-less magic aura was not a pathological condition like others but a temporary sacrifice made by the Ancient Heaven-Defying Technique for future integration. Moreover, Luo Feng could directly absorb attribute forces from substances through the Soul Ring, a method of cultivation at the magic aura stage that was more efficient than many attribute-possessing martial artists. These absorbed attribute combat auras remained dormant but could be activated by the Spirit Core to be used in the form of attribute-less combat aura. Luo Feng could absorb all attributes, equivalent to having ten additional attribute-less combat auras, making his endurance strong.

Back at the camp, while handing in the required monster materials and crystals, they encountered the seventh team again.

The mood of the Falcon Team members was vastly different from the last time the two teams met.

"Ha, it's a shame you didn't get what you wished for. Your team is still holding on!"

"The prestigious seventh team of Saint Virtue Academy, why are you handing in your tasks later than us, a team that relies on luck?"

"I get it. You had bad luck today, and we had great luck, which is why we completed the task earlier, right?"

"..."

Totti and the seventh team members were flushed with anger and couldn't respond, feeling puzzled.

Clearly, last week, Luo Feng's team struggled with simpler tasks. Logically, even with good luck, they shouldn't have been able to hold on this long. Why did their task records show no failures?

Without responding, the seventh team quickly left after handing in their tasks, much to the satisfaction of the Falcon Team.

Terry chuckled, "Captain was right. There's no need to fight. This way of retaliating feels much better. Seeing those jerks' faces, I feel much better!"

"They probably never thought our captain could be a free agent."

"At this rate, the first team to have a failure record will likely be them. Hehe!"

"..."

"Alright, don't get too cocky," Luo Feng reminded them. "I still say, the task is the most important thing. As long as we can complete the tasks, we can do as well as or better than others. There's no need to argue verbally!"

"Yes!"

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