Chapter 29: Greenskin Boy

Chapter 29: The Greenskin Boy

The next morning, dawn broke.

All students of Class 1, Grade 3, gathered punctually in the class's martial arts chamber.

Unlike their usual free training, today's atmosphere was unusually solemn and heavy.

Fifty-seven freshmen, all clad in black combat suits for ease of movement, stood quietly in dormitory units, awaiting their first real combat lesson since enrollment.

The door to the martial arts chamber slid open silently.

The figure of homeroom teacher Wu Shangfeng appeared at the entrance.

The moment he stepped into the room, a suffocating pressure, like an invisible tide, swept through the entire space.

He stood there calmly, but the air around him seemed to thicken. With the naked eye, one could see faint golden spiritual energy, like tiny arcs of electricity, flickering and dying in the void around his body, forming a miniature spiritual tide.

This pressure was entirely different from when he had spoken at the podium before.

Qin Feng's pupils contracted slightly in an instant.

Only then did he realize that the homeroom teacher they had seen over the past month was merely a remotely controlled holographic projection, devoid of any energy fluctuations.

Today, standing here, was his true body.

A true powerhouse with unfathomable vitality.

Wu Shangfeng's gaze, like a tangible force, swept over every student present. Everyone's breathing involuntarily slowed.

"Open your subspace network terminals."

His voice was deep and commanding, devoid of emotion. "Add my ID: [Wu-003]."

The students immediately raised their wrists and followed his instructions.

Qin Feng also opened his subspace panel and entered Wu Shangfeng's ID in the friend search bar.

[Application sent.]

[You have passed the friend request of [Wu-003].]

[Updating your affiliation information...]

On his personal panel, the region information changed.

[Region: Canaan Star System - Qiming Star - Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School - Class 1, Grade 3]

[Administrator: Wu Shangfeng]

"Good."

Wu Shangfeng watched as all students completed the operation and nodded. "From now on, all your actions in the subspace network will be under my supervision."

He scanned the room and began to explain the day's agenda.

"Today is your first real combat lesson. Now, listen carefully to every word I say."

"In one hour, we will be collectively teleported via the subspace transmission network to a mining planet codenamed [Gamma-7] in the imperial border region. Our mission objective: clear an abandoned mining outpost on the planet's surface and eliminate all alien lifeforms within."

"The target race: Greenskins."

As soon as the word "Greenskins" left his mouth, many students' faces showed complex expressions.

"Notes." Wu Shangfeng's voice turned icy.

"First, this operation will be based on dormitory units. Your task is to cooperate and look out for each other. I do not want to see any form of individual heroism—it will only make you and your teammates die faster."

"Second, according to intelligence, the alien lifeforms in the mission area have individual vitality indicators not exceeding 10 points. That means their strength is on par with your standard physical attributes locked in the arena. This is a training ground carefully selected by the school, most suitable for newcomers."

"Third, everyone must carry cold weapons. No spiritual energy firearms, power armor, or large-scale lethal weapons are allowed."

"Fourth, and most importantly."

Wu Shangfeng's gaze became as sharp as a blade. "Accepting imperial missions, traveling to mission sites via subspace transmission technology, and executing tasks—this is the primary means for you to earn resources after leaving school. This is real combat, so... adjust your mindset."

"On the battlefield, maintain absolute calm. Only extreme calm allows a martial artist to unleash their full potential. Any superfluous emotion is a deadly poison."

After Wu Shangfeng finished speaking, the entire martial arts chamber fell into absolute silence.

Fifty-seven students—forty-one boys and sixteen girls—held their breath.

Except for Qin Feng's special three-person dormitory, the rest of the students, in standard four-person units, silently exchanged glances with their roommates.

"Now, go to the logistics office and collect your equipment."

Wu Shangfeng waved his hand. "Level one light composite armor, level one standard weapon. Complete your gear within half an hour. Use the remaining time to adjust your mindset and search the subspace network for all information on the Greenskin race. Be fully prepared."

"Dismissed."

With those words, the students immediately moved, quickly heading to the logistics equipment depot at the back of the classroom.

Qin Feng followed the crowd, collecting a set of well-fitting black light armor and a three-meter-long standard alloy spear, identical in specifications to the one he used in training.

He donned the armor, slung the spear on his back, returned to his seat, and opened the subspace network database.

He sat together with Qian Duoduo and Shi Potian, and the three simultaneously entered "Greenskins" in the search bar.

A flood of information instantly appeared.

"Damn, these things are ugly as hell."

Qian Duoduo couldn't help but complain, looking at the three-dimensional Greenskin image on the screen.

It was a bipedal humanoid creature with filthy green skin, a stocky build, bulging muscles, a massive head, a protruding jaw, a mouth full of fangs, and eyes filled with primal, chaotic brutality.

"Greenskins are a fungal lifeform."

"Like humans, they are one of the peak races in the universe."

Shi Potian said in a low voice. "They have no fixed social structure. They use the unique psychic field 'WAAAGH!' to form temporary tribes or war bands. Their technology is crude and brutal, relying on their racial talent 'I Think It Works' to hammer scrap metal into weapons that can fire and explode."

"'I Think It Works'?"

Qian Duoduo looked bewildered. "What the hell is that?"

"A kind of idealistic, unreasonable psychic phenomenon."

Qin Feng looked at the data and interjected. "Simply put, if enough Greenskins genuinely 'think' that a pile of scrap metal can shoot, then it really can shoot. Even if it doesn't have a trigger."

"That's too absurd!"

Qian Duoduo's eyes widened. "High-level martial artists also cultivate mental power and use spiritual energy, but they can't just think something into existence out of thin air..."

"That's why they're called one of the greatest scourges in the universe."

Shi Potian continued. "Their reproduction method is through spreading spores. When a Greenskin dies, its body quickly decomposes and releases billions of spores. If the environment is suitable, these spores will soon germinate and grow into new Greenskins. This means they are almost impossible to exterminate."

"So, our mission isn't just to kill them, but also to deal with their bodies?"

Qian Duoduo asked.

"The mission briefing didn't mention it, so we probably don't need to handle that."

Qin Feng pointed to another piece of data. "Look here. A Greenskin's individual strength is proportional to its size and skin color depth. The larger and greener, the stronger. The ones we're dealing with should be the lowest 'Boy' level. They have low intelligence, are fearless, and prefer close combat with crude choppas and axes."

"To sum up."

Shi Potian closed the screen. "Our enemies are a bunch of dumb, strong, and fearless beasts. Their weapons are terrible, their tactics are basically nonexistent—they just charge at you in a swarm."

“Sounds like they’re not that hard to deal with,” Qian Duoduo said, relieved.

“Don’t let your guard down.” Shi Potian shot him a glance, his tone stern. “According to the data, Greenskins secrete a special hormone during battle when excited, making them immune to pain and slightly boosting their strength and speed. If we get surrounded, it’ll be a real mess.”

“That’s right.”

Qin Feng nodded. “Our advantage lies in our organization, tactics, and superior gear. We must never engage in chaotic fighting. Use dormitory-based squad coordination and advance steadily.”

The three exchanged information rapidly, sketching out an initial battle plan.

An hour passed quickly.

Wu Shangfeng’s figure reappeared at the podium.

“Time’s up.”

“Everyone, attention.”

“Connect to the subspace teleportation network. Target: Gamma-7. Move out!”

Wu Shangfeng’s voice fell in the silent martial arts hall, like a general issuing the order for a general assault.

He raised his left wrist, where a dark-gold wrist terminal—far more ancient and weighty in design than the students’—was strapped.

He extended his right hand and lightly tapped the terminal’s screen.

Hum—

A surge of psychic energy, far more vast and overwhelming than when the students activated their passes, erupted from Wu Shangfeng and spread outward.

The entire floor of the martial arts hall—those usually unremarkable metal panels—seemed to come alive in that instant.

Countless energy circuits, etched within and invisible to the naked eye, were instantly activated, blazing with dazzling silver light.

These lights, like surging rivers, converged from all corners of the room toward the center.

In mere seconds, a massive circular teleportation array, over twenty meters in diameter and composed of countless intricate, arcane runes, slowly materialized and took shape in the middle of the hall.

At the array’s center, space began to warp visibly, rippling like a calm lake disturbed by a thrown stone.

A profound, vast aura—from a distant dimension beyond mortal comprehension—seeped out from the twisted core of space.

At the same time, all the subspace network terminals of Class 1-3 emitted a crisp notification chime.

Qin Feng looked down; on his holographic screen, an invitation from Wu Shangfeng had popped up.

[Your administrator [Wu-003] invites you to join the team teleportation sequence.]

[Destination: Gamma-7 Planet (Imperial Border Exploration Zone)]

[Teleportation Method: Subspace Network Directed Delivery]

[Do you accept?]

“Everyone, accept the invitation.”

Wu Shangfeng’s voice rang out again, clear in everyone’s ears.

Without hesitation, the students pressed the “Accept” option on their terminals.

The moment Qin Feng pressed accept, he felt an intangible, subtle connection form between his wrist terminal and the massive teleportation array in the center of the room.

A thin silver thread shot from his terminal, linking to the edge of the array.

The same scene played out for the other fifty-six students.

Fifty-seven threads, like a spiderweb, bound all the students tightly to the teleportation array.

“Stand firm.”

Wu Shangfeng’s voice seemed to come from far away, tinged with a faint, distorted echo.

The next second, the warped space at the array’s center suddenly collapsed inward, forming a bottomless vortex shimmering with multicolored light.

An irresistible, immense suction force surged from the vortex.

Qin Feng’s vision blurred; the entire world, along with time and space, was utterly overturned, shattered, and reassembled in that instant.

His consciousness felt forcibly ripped from his body, plunged into a bizarre tunnel composed of chaotic colors and fragmented light.

An indescribable sense of speed robbed him of all perception of up, down, left, or right.

Countless unfamiliar, malevolent whispers, like parasites clinging to bone, echoed madly in the depths of his mind.

His body felt as if countless invisible hands were pulling and tearing it apart in all directions.

This dizzying, soul-crushing sensation lasted for an unknown duration.

Perhaps a century, or perhaps just a fleeting moment.

When the tearing sensation reached its peak, everything abruptly ceased.

Qin Feng snapped his eyes open, finding himself standing on solid, dark red earth.

He gasped for breath, instinctively pressing his forehead to ease the lingering, violent dizziness in his mind.

He looked around, realizing he was in a completely alien world.

The sky was a murky, sickly orange, with no sun or clouds. Two moons of uneven size, a dull purple, hung silently like two enormous, lifeless eyeballs in the heavens.

The air was thick with a pungent odor, a mix of sulfur, rust, and some unknown decaying matter.

The ground beneath his feet was a barren, dark red desert.

No vegetation was visible, only jagged rocks and massive metal wreckage, like the bones of beasts, scattered everywhere.

In the distance, several abandoned, colossal mineral refining towers stood like silent steel giants, rusted and looming on the horizon, adding a post-apocalyptic desolation to this dead world.

The bodies of many miners lay scattered around the refining towers.

This was Gamma-7.

A mining zone on the empire’s border, still of some value.

Beside him, Qian Duoduo was leaning on his knees, pale-faced, dry-heaving uncontrollably.

“I… damn… this teleportation feeling is… ugh… too awful…”

On the other side, Shi Potian was slightly better off.

Though his face was also pale, he stood straight, his brow furrowed tightly as he struggled to adapt to the teleportation’s aftereffects.

The other students were in similar states.

Many, like Qian Duoduo, slumped to the ground, looking disheveled.

Only their homeroom teacher, Wu Shangfeng, remained composed.

He seemed completely unaffected by the subspace teleportation, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

“Everyone, get up!”

His voice cracked like thunder in their ears.

“This is a battlefield, not your playground! The seconds after teleportation are when you’re most vulnerable and most likely to be ambushed! Adjust your state immediately, check your gear, and stay alert!”

Jolted by his shout, the students shuddered, forced themselves to ignore their discomfort, scrambled to their feet, and grabbed their weapons.

Qin Feng tightened his grip on the alloy spear in his hand; the cold touch swiftly restored clarity to his somewhat chaotic mind.

(The chapter ends)