Chapter Sixty-Nine: Pre-War Arrangements at Yangshi City No. 3 Middle School (New Year's Extra Chapter)

As each department at Yang City No. 3 High School began to mobilize students for the coming war, in the principal’s office conference room, the principal was consulting with more than a dozen men and women about the upcoming battle for the school’s future.

The principal of Yang City No. 3 High School was a Level 3 advanced player, his face round and plump, his scalp shiny and bald, giving him a rather fierce appearance. Both his hands were adorned with rings set with gemstones of all sizes, and if one looked closely, every gem was engraved with intricate magical runes.

Seated beside him was the school’s vice principal, the only other Level 3 player at the school. He appeared far more refined than the principal, with his slicked-back hair and gold-rimmed glasses, looking nothing like a brawler.

The remaining ten or so individuals were the heads of the school’s various groups. While Yang City No. 3 High School appeared to be focused on teaching, in reality, it managed three large and three medium-sized maps, sustaining three guilds, seven permanent mercenary groups, and three temporary ones.

Most members of these guilds and mercenary groups were alumni, with the core members reaching as high as Level 2. They gathered resources for the school, completed missions, and even responded to the city’s decennial draft.

The school, in turn, provided them with opportunities for growth: dungeons were open to them first, personnel were replenished as a priority, and even some Level 0 players were loosely associated with these groups, performing menial tasks like mining or farming.

This was a pivotal battle for Yang City No. 3 High School. Though these leaders couldn’t participate directly, they still gathered in person to discuss the details of the conflict.

Sitting across from the two principals were the presidents of the three major guilds. According to the laws in place, a group founded by a Level 2 player was called a mercenary group, those founded by Level 3 players were called guilds, and those by Level 4 players were called alliances.

Thus, the three main guilds of the school: two belonged to the principal and vice principal respectively, while the third was owned by the school itself. This last guild was established by the founding principal and was even named after the school’s original name, the Pterodactyl Hand High School Guild.

The principal’s guild was called the Zealous Monks, the vice principal’s was Spark, and both were bound to their respective leaders. When a principal left the post, the core members would leave with them, while the rest would join the new principal’s guild.

The ten mercenary groups were formed according to the map capacities; typically, a large map could accommodate two fixed-base and three non-fixed-base mercenary groups, while a medium map could host one of each type.

The school’s newest map, the Desolate Land, had only been acquired a year prior and had yet to establish a permanent mercenary base, so no group had entered it.

The seven permanent mercenary groups present came from the two large maps and three medium ones; they were called Qin Land, Knight’s Sanctuary, Marsh Forest, Wind Legion, Mage’s Bastion, Skyway, and Ship King.

There were also many temporary mercenary groups at the school. Generally, any five Level 2 or higher players could form a group by signing an application, but only those with true clout were present here.

The three temporary groups included the Genius Apprenticeship Corps, where teachers mentored prodigies one-on-one, selecting talented students from each year’s new intake. This group was established by specially hired teachers, and typically, members could reach Level 1 within ten years and Level 2 in thirty, making it the school’s most deeply rooted temporary group.

The second group comprised students from the city’s prominent families. As student placement was randomly distributed among schools according to the proportion of their age group each year, it was not uncommon for children from Level 3 or higher families to end up at Yang City No. 3 High School. These students were mentored by dedicated teams, forming the Student Autonomous Committee.

The final temporary group was for teachers’ families. After reaching Level 2, barring accidents, most could expect to live over a thousand years. Over such a long lifespan, the number of descendants grew, so it was practical to have a temporary group to support them—a boon for the teachers.

After laying the documents on the table, the vice principal spoke, “Enrollment is complete. This time, there are 5,769 students participating in the battle. We have sponsored 307 students to Level 1 in advance, and another 221 have advanced on their own, putting us just shy of ten percent. This force can be deployed as our main strength.”

Upon hearing these numbers, the principal nodded slowly. With a wave of his hand, the roster of 5,769 students vanished from the screen via the ring on his finger—a process of data importation, necessary for the temporary battlefield map to be opened to these students.

During this, the vice principal continued, “We’ve reviewed previous battles. This time, the map is a large one; crossing it from end to end would take about three months. At the start, we only control the palace and the battle flag, so we must capture the remaining structures within the first week.”

“The details of these operations need to be settled among us, and we must ensure there are no mistakes among the students.”

The principal nodded. “We can push hard during the first week. Even if it costs lives, I believe those kids won’t let us down.”

“Good. Next, we must secure a site for the fortress within the first month. Our numbers are fewer; if we don’t identify the fortress location early, we’ll fall behind later.”

The principal asked, “Can we send scouts ahead to locate the site in advance?”

“That’s possible, but progress mustn’t stall,” the vice principal replied. “As for upgrading the Ten Kings, our aim is to secure five, strive for six. In the fifth year, we must advance the commander, flag bearer, foreman, blacksmith, and legionnaire to Level 2. If resources allow, prioritize the sergeant next; the rest only need to reach Level 1.”

The principal nodded. “Those priorities are clear, but do your best with the others as well. We must ensure that when we defeat an enemy Level 2, we can immediately fill the gap…”

As the two principals conversed, a man among the group suddenly exclaimed, “Wait, what is that…”