Swallowing the Stars: The Birth of a Cosmic God King

Yan Ning listened without saying a word.

He agreed with the logic, but he always had an inexplicable feeling in his heart.

Ten beast generals gathered together, without a war god to guard them, relying solely on a dozen generals and two hundred warriors to devour them…

Do the people in the base city really think they can handle it, or do they never intend to bring them all back?

Yan Ning was cautious, but didn't think too much about it or rush to reveal his strength.

The first rule he learned after ten years of hard work on the front lines was: never let others know your hand.

If the crisis is not significant.

So many of them, one more or less, make no difference.

How much impact can a junior general have on a battle involving two hundred people?

If the crisis is too great, then he has even less reason to say anything.

It's no use talking about it; it will only draw the attention of those above him and get him assigned even more dangerous missions.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

Yan Ning found a corner to sit down and quietly waited for the assignment.

The allocation results came out quickly.

The other squad leaders were all veterans and most of them knew each other, so they quickly formed teams.

"Hey you... Yan Ning? You're coming to Squad 7 in Zone C."

The staff clicked twice in the system and assigned him to the last team that hadn't been formed yet.

Yan Ning walked over and saw his five teammates.

Four men and one woman, all very young, the oldest looking no more than twenty-three or twenty-four.

Wearing brand-new combat uniforms and well-equipped, they were clearly students who had recently graduated from martial arts university.

The kind of consumables that are used by passionate young people who actively respond to the call to arms.

Yan Ning sighed silently in his heart.

It's not that he dislikes newcomers.

Rather, the reality of wilderness survival is completely different from what is taught in textbooks.

A graduate of a martial arts university, he has high potential for growth and is highly malleable.

However, they still lack much more practical combat experience compared to martial artists who come from martial arts schools.

"Good morning, Captain!"

A young man with a buzz cut spoke first, his voice booming as he stood ramrod straight, "My name is Zhou Hai, a mid-level warrior, skilled in close combat, and I wield an alloy battle sword!"

"Lin Xiaowan, Intermediate Warrior."

The only girl had her hair in a ponytail and carried an alloy crossbow on her back. "Long-range support."

"Zhao Meng, intermediate-level warrior."

The biggest boy said in a deep voice, carrying an alloy shield that was half his height, "I can carry the line."

"Sun Haoran, Intermediate Warrior."

The bespectacled young man pushed up his glasses. "He's in charge of providing fire support. He's carrying two heavy Gauss machine guns for that purpose."

The youngest one spoke last, looking to be in his early twenties: "Chen Fei... a junior soldier, just graduated... I... I'll do anything, I'll listen to the captain."

Five people.

Four men and one woman, three intermediate level and one beginner level, all graduates of martial arts universities.

Yan Ning looked them over. All five pairs of eyes were fixed on him, filled with anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of resentment.

Too,

A junior general who has retired due to illness leading five top students from a martial arts university—anyone would have reservations.

"Please sit down, it's still early, let's chat first." Yan Ning pointed to the bench next to him and sat down first.

The five people looked at each other and sat down as instructed.

"Is this your first time on a field mission?" Yan Ning asked.

"yes!"

Zhou Hai answered the fastest.

"However, we did wilderness survival training at school, the kind that simulates real combat."

"Simulated combat and real combat are two different things."

"The wild is not a training ground. Monsters don't play by the rules in textbooks. You can ignore what I'm about to say, but if anyone loses their life because they don't listen to my advice, don't blame me for not warning you."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Sun Haoran adjusted his glasses and looked at Yan Ning seriously: "Captain, please speak."

Yan Ning raised the first finger:

"First, don't be reckless. If you encounter a monster you can't defeat, run. If you can't run away, hold it off and wait for reinforcements."

Anyone who thinks they can solo a high-level beastman, I'll kick them out of the party right now.

Zhou Hai opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Lin Xiaowan nudged him with her elbow and made him close his mouth.

Second, don't be greedy.

Yan Ning raised his second finger.

"You have all seen the subsidy policy for this mission."

For those earning less than 200 million per person, a subsidy of 5% will be provided.

For amounts under 500 million, the subsidy is 8%.

For investments exceeding 1000 million, a subsidy of 12% will be provided.

Sounds tempting, doesn't it?

The eyes of the few people flickered.

Yan Ning sneered: "Let me tell you, that 12% subsidy is for those who come back alive."

To earn a little more money by tackling tough challenges you shouldn't have, and ultimately risk your life—you can do the math yourselves to see if it's worth it.

Chen Fei shrank back: "Captain, we're not greedy..."

"It's best not to be greedy."

Yan Ning raised his third finger. "Third, use your brain. Don't try to fight those beasts head-on."

You graduated from a martial arts university, so you should have learned about the habits of monsters. The Frost Giant Bear is incredibly strong, but it is slow to turn around.

The Beast Soldier-class Ironback Wolf is fast, but its belly is a weak point.

"Fight guerrilla warfare, utilize the terrain, and achieve maximum results with minimal losses. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the five people replied in unison.

Yan Ning nodded, about to continue, but then remembered something, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke up to give instructions:

"There's one more thing."

"In the wild, never turn your back to anyone other than your trusted teammates."

The five people were stunned.

Why does this look different from what we hand in at school?

Can't we always trust our teammates?

Zhou Hai frowned: "Captain, are you worried... that someone might stab you in the back?"

"Orderliness is the case in most cases."

"But you must remember, there are no laws or surveillance in the wilderness, only the law of the jungle. There are always some people who think that killing a few fellow martial artists in the wild is more lucrative than killing monsters."

Your equipment, supplies, and even the genetic energy cores you possess are all valuable items in some people's eyes.

Lin Xiaowan's face turned pale: "But...we're all human..."

"The gap between humans is sometimes greater than the gap between humans and monsters."

"But don't be too nervous. Those kinds of scoundrels are a minority. Since you've followed me, I have an obligation to bring you back safely."

As long as you follow orders and don't cause trouble, I guarantee all five of you will be there, not one missing.

The five people had different expressions, but the way they looked at Yan Ning was clearly more convinced than before.

"team leader."

Zhao Meng suddenly asked, "I heard... you survived the brutal battle of Nanjiang three years ago?"

Yan Ning glanced at him and did not deny it: "Yes."

"I heard that a lot of people died in that battle..." Chen Fei said softly.

"Thirty percent died."

"Less than half of the soldiers in the seventh line of defense I was in survived. I was also seriously injured in that battle, otherwise I wouldn't have had to retire due to illness."

The group remained silent for a few seconds.

Zhou Hai stood up and gave Yan Ning a proper salute: "Captain, we're with you."

The others also stood up, their lingering arrogance gone, replaced by seriousness and solemnity.