SS-Class Guide - Chapter 11

Xing Lulu said, “I looked into it. Originally, Lord Gu Hanqing had no plans for field missions over the next three months. However, he personally applied to join your task force.”

An Yuan frowned.

“I heard Lord Wen Xiuyan applied for the same mission. Now, two Double S-rank Sentinels are competing for a single slot,” Xing Lulu added.

An Yuan sincerely hoped that Gu Hanqing would lose out to Wen Xiuyan, though he knew the probability was low. In terms of raw power, Gu Hanqing was the top individual in the Temple of Theon; his combat stats consistently ranked higher than those of both Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan.

The three Double S-rank Sentinels had never engaged in a true all-out duel, but based on numerical analysis, Gu Hanqing was indeed the strongest. An Yuan felt a pang of distress at the thought of having to spend the coming weeks in close contact with him.

As expected, three hours later, the assistant to the Master of the Divine Healing Hall contacted An Yuan. The team for the District 5 operation had been finalized. It would be led by two Double S-rank Sentinels, Jing Lan and Gu Hanqing.

On the other end of the line, Assistant Lin asked, “Lord An Yuan, the Master wants me to ask, are you truly okay with this?”

After a brief pause, An Yuan replied, “I am fine.”

Time was of the essence. The faster they located the missing Sentinels and Guides in District 5, the higher the chance of survival. The Divine Martial Hall scheduled the departure for 5:00 AM the next morning, with the team gathering at the central plaza.

That evening, Wen Xiuyan looked visibly dejected. “I really wanted to go with you.”

“But you have your own duties. While we are away, at least one Double S-rank Sentinel must stay to protect the Main Temple and all the Guides here,” An Yuan replied. In truth, he also wished Wen Xiuyan could be there.

Wen Xiuyan’s fingers gently brushed through An Yuan’s hair. An Yuan’s eyelids fluttered.

“There was some lint,” Wen Xiuyan said in his usual calm tone.

An Yuan looked at Wen Xiuyan’s hand and indeed saw a stray thread. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but since the breakup, Wen Xiuyan seemed different toward him. He quickly dismissed the thought. If there were ever going to be anything more than friendship between them, it would have happened years ago, long before Gu Hanqing entered the picture.

They said their goodbyes.

The next morning, shortly after 4:00 AM, Wen Xiuyan rang An Yuan’s doorbell.

An Yuan was already fully dressed. His uniform was meticulous, adorned with the badge of an S-rank Guide. His white hair was neatly styled, and his skin appeared pale and flawless against his bright eyes and naturally flushed lips.

People often said An Yuan was a favorite of the gods, perfect in every detail. Some even claimed he radiated a holy aura that made people want to worship him. Such talk mostly came from those in the Five Districts who craved something to believe in. While the Temple of Theon was a secular institution governed by the Five Districts and rooted in science, a fellow S-rank Guide had once joked that if the Temple ever turned toward theology, they could install An Yuan as the Holy Son and guaranteed they would have endless followers.

It was a joke that a surprising number of people took seriously.

“Have you had breakfast?” Wen Xiuyan asked.

An Yuan considered lying, but he spotted the thermal containers in Wen Xiuyan’s hands. He hesitated, then shook his head.

“I made this specifically for you this morning,” Wen Xiuyan said earnestly. “Eat before you go.”

An Yuan felt a prickle of apprehension. If Wen Xiuyan had actually cooked it himself, An Yuan would not dare eat it right before his first major mission. Fortunately, upon opening the containers and taking the first bite of porridge, he recognized the familiar, expert flavor of a professional hotel chef. He did not understand why Wen Xiuyan insisted on pretending to be a chef, but he figured it was best to play along.

After eating, they headed to the underground garage. Wen Xiuyan insisted on driving him to the central plaza of the Divine Martial Hall.

“You do not need to send me off,” An Yuan said.

“This is your first mission. Since I cannot go with you, the least I can do is see you there,” Wen Xiuyan replied, ushering An Yuan into the passenger seat before getting behind the wheel.

By 5:00 AM, they arrived at the vast, open-air plaza. It was An Yuan’s first time there. The area was immense, bordered by combat arenas and training equipment used for large-scale military exercises.

Many people had already arrived. They greeted the two of them, though some whispered about how Wen Xiuyan was not supposed to be on the roster. Unlike the curious onlookers, Jing Lan walked straight toward them, his face a mask of cold indifference.

“Good morning, Lord Jing Lan,” An Yuan said with a smile.

Jing Lan glanced coldly at Wen Xiuyan, but his expression softened noticeably when he looked at An Yuan, making no effort to hide his bias. “Good morning, Lord An Yuan.”

The two Double S-rank Sentinels stood like guards on either side of An Yuan.

“As far as I know, Sentinel Wen Xiuyan is not part of this mission,” Jing Lan said tonelessly.

The atmosphere between the two Sentinels was thick with tension. An Yuan stepped in to answer for Wen Xiuyan. “Lord Jing Lan, it is just that this is my first mission. Xiuyan was worried and wanted to drive me here.”

Jing Lan’s ink-black eyes shot another cold look at Wen Xiuyan before he turned away. He had always been this way, unfiltered, aloof, and acting entirely on his own whims. As the “Crown Prince” of District 4, he had the backing of the entire Jiuming Region to support his temperament.

With ten minutes left until departure, everyone had arrived except Gu Hanqing.

An Yuan felt a headache brewing as he worried about how to interact with his ex. He remained distracted even as Wen Xiuyan and others tried to talk to him.

The task force consisted of two Double S-rank Sentinels, eight S-ranks, and 120 A-ranks. Once they reached District 5, they would be joined by local reinforcements. On the Guide side, including An Yuan, there were only two S-ranks and ten A-ranks, a small number compared to the Sentinels. They would travel via the Temple’s high-speed rail directly to District 5, a journey that would take three days.

The Master of the Divine Martial Hall stood before them, his expression grave as he began the briefing. An Yuan scanned the crowd again. Still no sign of Gu Hanqing.

At exactly 5:00 AM, the Master spoke, his face darkening. “Originally, the command structure for this mission was Sentinel Jing Lan as Chief and Sentinel Gu Hanqing as Deputy. However, due to an emergency, Sentinel Gu Hanqing is unable to attend. We have decided to replace the Deputy.”

He turned to Wen Xiuyan. “Sentinel Wen Xiuyan, are you willing to take over this assignment on short notice?”

Wen Xiuyan’s lips curled into a smile, his temperament shifting effortlessly. “I am, Master Lan,” he replied in his signature gentle voice.

The Masters of the Divine Martial Hall then gave their final instructions, emphasizing that every Sentinel must protect the Guides at all costs. Before the final dismissal, both Masters turned their gaze toward An Yuan.

An Yuan felt a familiar, subtle sense of dread.

“Here it comes,” a Sentinel whispered in the crowd. “They are going to ask him the question again.”

The Deputy Master of the Divine Martial Hall offered a soft smile. “Lord An Yuan.”

“Yes,” An Yuan replied.

“This is your first field mission. Before you depart, I will ask you once more. As an S-rank Guide, what should you do if you encounter a B-rank or lower Sentinel entering a berserk state?”

An Yuan exhaled silently. He gave the textbook answer perfectly. However, internally, he had never truly agreed with it. As an S-rank Guide, he knew he had the capability to stabilize them; why was he expected to turn a blind eye?

The Masters were satisfied. Master Lan then turned to the two leaders. “Sentinels Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan, if there is an S-rank Guide requiring protection and you encounter a berserk B-rank Sentinel, what should you do?”

Jing Lan’s answer was succinct. “Kill them.”

Wen Xiuyan glanced at Jing Lan before replying, “Restrain the berserk Sentinel and allow the S-rank Guide to attempt stabilization.”

An Yuan thought to himself that their answers perfectly reflected their personalities. In the Temple of Theon, both approaches were technically correct. Humanely, Wen Xiuyan was right; however, given the risks, most people secretly sided with Jing Lan. The Five Districts simply could not afford to lose an S-rank Guide.

The Masters offered no critique of the answers. The team began boarding the five-car high-speed train.

An Yuan and the other S-rank Guide occupied the middle carriage along with the two leaders. As the train accelerated, An Yuan, who had not slept well, leaned back and closed his eyes. He felt someone sit beside him. Without opening his eyes, he knew it was Jing Lan.

He found it strange, though. Where did Wen Xiuyan go?

He felt the person beside him take off a jacket and drape it over him. It was the height of summer, and even with the air conditioning, he felt a bit warm.

The Guide sitting opposite them, Bai Jinghui, remarked, “Lord Jing Lan, An Yuan might find that too hot.”

“He is cold,” Jing Lan stated with absolute certainty.

An Yuan, still not wanting to open his eyes, really wanted to ask Jing Lan how he could be so sure.

When he finally woke up three hours later, Wen Xiuyan was handing him bread and milk. An Yuan looked out the window at the blue sky, his mind a mix of emptiness and racing thoughts. He caught snippets of whispered conversation from nearby.

“Why could not Lord Gu Hanqing make it?” “It is a good thing he did not. He has been trying to win Lord An Yuan back lately; it is better this way.” “Apparently, it is because of Ning Yuanqiao.” “What happened to him now?” “They found something in his liver. Luckily it was early; he just needs surgery.” “Ah. I heard the breakup between Lord Gu and Lord An was because of that Guide anyway.” “No way? Does not Ning Yuanqiao have a lover?” “They broke up months ago, did they not?”

Realizing An Yuan was awake, they quickly hushed.

The train sped through the countryside, far from the city. An Yuan lowered his mental barrier, letting his senses drift outward to feel the nature he rarely experienced in the city center. His sight and hearing extended toward the blue sky, where he could see the faint, dense warning nets designed to detect Zerg invasions.

Large aircraft were rare now due to the high risk of Zerg attacks, though agile fighter jets remained a staple of Sentinel-Guide training. An Yuan hoped that if the Zerg were ever eradicated, the skies would belong to humanity again.

He also heard the Sentinels in other carriages talking.

“This is Guide An Yuan’s first mission. I wonder if he can handle a group stabilization,” one said.

Group stabilization, managing over a hundred Sentinels during high-speed movement, was a required course for Guides. It involved casting a net of mental power to monitor and stabilize a large area simultaneously. An Yuan had only ever done one-on-one sessions; group combat was difficult to simulate perfectly.

Most Guides learned this skill in the heat of real battle. It could be a nightmare, especially when compatibility with some Sentinels dropped below 30%. In those cases, the process was a grueling drain on the Guide and a painful experience for the Sentinel. But it was the only way to stay alive.

An Yuan realized that everyone on the mission was watching him, waiting to see if he would live up to his rank. He was already nervous, but now his heart pounded harder. He knew he was talented, but a group stabilization in a war zone, could he really do it?

Suddenly, he remembered what Master Lin had said. They were no longer just defending; they were going to hunt the Zerg Queen. If all went well, this would lead to a massive war.

An Yuan thought that if he could prove himself on this mission, perhaps he would be allowed to apply for that final battle too.

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