Chapter 103 - War with Foreign Civilization

Wars with foreign civilizations sounded distant, but in truth, such conflicts were far more common than most believed. They ranged from brief skirmishes lasting only a couple of hours to sprawling wars that stretched across millennia. Any conflict waged against another civilization with the intent to seize their resources qualified as a war with a foreign civilization.

However, this time, Lina’s tone carried a formality that stood out from her usual classes.

Xu Tie raised his hand. “Professor, I have a question.”

Having spent a year in Black Prison, he had learned some measure of restraint and no longer dared to challenge her openly.

Lina smiled. “Go ahead. What’s on your mind?”

Xu Tie glanced at Han Wu before speaking. “I want to understand the scoring criteria this time. How could someone receive an excellent score even after being beaten by their seniors?”

His words were clearly aimed at Han Wu. The Xu family’s reputation had taken a severe hit after the recent incident with the Qin family. Back home, their grandfather had punished both siblings. Xu Gang had lost many units and had been exiled to a family-owned battlefield as punishment. He wouldn’t be allowed back unless he earned enough merits there.

Xu Tie had escaped punishment but received a strict order from his grandfather. He had to do everything in his power to deal with Han Wu. Failure would bring punishment, but success would multiply the family’s resources at his disposal.

Driven by this, Xu Tie seized every opportunity to sabotage Han Wu. He didn’t care about his own score and had even contacted Huang Shengjun immediately after the major class ended to confirm that Han Wu had failed.

When Huang Shengjun confirmed it, Xu Tie had been overjoyed. He had been certain that Han Wu would fail this time. Thus, he was stunned when Lina still awarded Han Wu an excellent score. He needed to understand why.

Lina’s smile softened when she heard Xu Tie’s reasonable question. “The scores for every student were determined by a panel, which included me and several other lecturers from the college. Han Wu may have lost to Huang Shengjun in the major class, but his overall performance impressed all of us. That’s why we decided to award him an excellent score. Do you have any further questions?”

Her smile grew gentler, yet Xu Tie sensed an underlying threat beneath it. He relented. “No, I have no other questions left, Professor.”

Lina sighed in disappointment. She had hoped he would resist stubbornly, giving her the perfect excuse to punish him by sending him to mine coal in Black Prison for at least another year.

“Does anyone have any other questions?” she asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she scanned the room. The students, regardless of their scores, shook their heads vigorously. No one dared to challenge her now—only a fool would.

“In that case, everything is settled,” Lina declared firmly. “For the six students joining the war, you have one day to prepare. After that, the college will send you to a foreign civilization to experience what it’s really like.”

She patted the table and left the classroom. The moment she stepped away, the ancient podium shattered into splinters.

The students held their breath, the sight too terrifying to ignore. Lina destroyed the podium so effortlessly with just a light tap. Had she touched someone directly, she could have reduced them to meat paste. Her fearsome reputation as an Invader was well deserved.

Xu Tie broke out in a cold sweat as the scene unfolded. He had the distinct sense that Lina had just issued a silent warning, and he was damn glad he had backed down. If he hadn’t, she would have likely smashed his skull in without a second thought.

With a heavy sigh, he turned to Han Wu and muttered, “Don’t get too excited. I’ll end your life in the foreign civilization.”

He strode off without waiting for a response.

Qin Shuang approached Han Wu with confidence. “Don’t worry, Han Wu. As long as I’m around, he won’t lay a finger on you.”

“I’m not worried,” Han Wu replied calmly.

Qin Shuang fell silent, unsure how to respond to his curt reply.

Thankfully, Sun Qingnian stepped in, patting Han Wu’s shoulder. “Hey, want to hear a secret? Xu Tie has teamed up with Huang Shengjun. They’re plotting to get rid of you. Watch your back.”

Han Wu was confused. “How did you hear that?”

Sun Qingnian smoothed back his hair with a smug grin. “Nothing much. I’m dating a wealthy instructor. She told me everything and promised to be my partner once I officially enroll at Imperial College. She’ll handle the invasion part while I support her behind the scenes. I can’t wait for my rosy life to start!”

Qin Shuang took a step away from Sun Qingnian because his actions repulsed her. Several other students whispered insults, mocking him for relying on a wealthy instructor instead of his own strength. They considered it shameful for a young man like him to depend on someone else rather than work hard.

Sun Qingnian ignored their scorn, dismissing them as immature. This was not an era where one could become a God through sheer effort alone. Instead of scraping by, he preferred the fortune that came from a wealthy patron.

Han Wu didn’t judge and respected everyone’s choices. To him, Sun Qingnian’s ability to court a rich woman—when most would be dismissed outright—was a testament to his strength.

“Thank you. I’ll keep my guard up against Xu Tie,” Han Wu said, patting Sun Qingnian’s shoulder with genuine gratitude. He then left the classroom and soon received a message from Xiang Meng. His three seniors were inviting him for tea at the gazebo to discuss the foreign civilization he was about to enter.

Han Wu accepted and arrived at the gazebo promptly. They spent a while sipping tea and exchanging casual talk before Xia Tian steered the conversation toward the foreign civilization. Each foreign civilization operated under its own unique set of rules, and consequently, the nature of the war they faced was entirely different.

Xia Tian and the other two had received insider information about the type of foreign civilization Han Wu would likely be assigned to. Based on Imperial College’s current invasion campaigns, there were three possible targets suitable for students on the reserve list: the Rune Civilization, the Totem Civilization, and the Biohazard Civilization.

Unfortunately, the seniors couldn’t disclose anything beyond the names because everything else was classified. Instead, they handed Han Wu three sealed pouches.

Each pouch contained vital information and resources tailored to one of the civilizations, but Han Wu could only open them after entering the corresponding civilization. He accepted the pouches with gratitude and spent some extra time with the seniors before returning to his mansion.

That night passed quietly. The next morning, Han Wu arrived on time for the second day of classes. Lina was already there, waiting. Once all six students had assembled, she handed each of them a golden bracelet.

These bracelets were simplified landing pods designed to link Divine Beings to their divine realms. After distributing the items, Lina led the group aboard a small spaceship owned by the college.

The small spaceship passed through various wormholes before arriving at a foreign civilization targeted by Imperial College’s war. The six students were randomly dropped off at different locations, marking the official start of their invasion mission.