Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 353 - 346: Seeing Murong Again

Chapter 353: Chapter 346: Seeing Murong Again

Back on Earth, although he’d returned through unconventional means, Cheng Ziang felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He estimated that it had been over a year since they had joined the Advance Team and left Earth. Over a year of struggle in the backward Otherworld, he now felt like an outsider in modern society, akin to Liu Laolao visiting the Grand View Gardens.

Soon after, he received news that Luo’er and the rest were unharmed, and he was able to relax. He began to enjoy the advanced facilities on Earth.

After nearly three days in observation, the two were released. They moved straight into the Shenghua Academy. This was the last institution in the Origin Project, so all Subspecies from the nearby Haiya Academy were transferred here.

It was Cheng Ziang’s first time hearing about Shenghua Academy. He’d always thought that only Haiya Academy was training Subspecies. Shenghua Academy had a high degree of automation, even surpassing that of Haiya Academy. The campus was teeming with drones and service robots, with most of the tedious work undertaken by the robots. The students could enjoy the conveniences of technology, learn about another world, and eventually become part of the Headquarters.

Having already received access permission, the two could move freely around the academy. The automation of the academy allowed Yalunte to get his first taste of Earth’s advanced technology.

These mechanical objects called robots had no life, yet they could respond to human commands. Even more astonishing was that they could understand Tasta language, ensuring Yalunte had no communication problems even when alone in the academy.

There were devices called Omnidirectional Elevators on the ground, capable of moving people forwards, backwards, up, and down. All one had to do was inform a nearby service robot or drone of their destination, and an Omnidirectional Elevator would come fetch them. The elevators could reach any location.

While Shenghua Academy’s technology was somewhat beyond Cheng Ziang’s expectations, he quickly adapted. Yalunte observed that these Omnidirectional Elevators seemed to hover in mid-air, which surprised him. Even in the magic-possessing Otherworld, no magic can be used for flying.

However, according to Cheng Ziang, the elevators apparently used magnetic levitation. He was not very familiar with this technology, let alone Yalunte who was from the Otherworld.

After roughly two days at Shenghua Academy, the two were called to board a plane to Haiya Academy, the site of the Headquarters. Lin Wei had his own thoughts about the newly emerged Otherworld Gate and was negotiating with the Headquarters and the Army.

As they took off in a private jet to Haiya Academy, Yalunte experienced the thrill of soaring through the sky for the first time. The past few days had been full of incredible shock. Even though he had only seen the tip of the iceberg, for the first time, he realized the terrifying advancements of Earth.

During the Otherworld War, he fought against Earth’s army, and he found Earth’s weaponry of no great consequence, apart from potent artillery. Prolific attacks barely scratched him, and even rocket launchers failed to faze him, allowing him to charge in and out of Earth’s army.

It was only after becoming an informant for the Headquarters and gaining deeper knowledge about Earth’s people that he learned of their strength. The sudden attack had prevented them from leveraging their technological superiority, leading to the Otherworld Allied Army’s brutal attack.

Once, he used to mock the effectiveness of Earth’s guns, considering them barely painful. However, thirty years later, there were countless guns in Otherworld. Everyone was aware of the advantages of firearms, pushing Otherworld towards the firearm era.

He also knew that without his Rune Armor, he would have been reduced to shreds under Earth’s gunfire long ago.

However, prior to his arrival on Earth, his understanding of Earth’s advancements remained vague and limited to military aspects. He naively thought that Earth was similar to their world. Only after coming to Earth did he truly open his eyes and understand the term ’advancement’ more comprehensively.

According to Cheng Ziang, Earth had achieved equality for everyone a long time ago, abolished slavery, and was currently moving towards establishing a human community. Meanwhile, Otherworld, with its feudal kingdom, religion, and feudal slavery, continued to impede its own development. Even today, Otherworld was a world where the strong preyed on the weak.

If Otherworld’s darkness still harbored a trace of light, Earth was truly radiant.

Traveling by plane, they quickly arrived at Haiya Academy’s airport in the Qiong Central Mountain area. As soon as Cheng Ziang deboarded the plane, he saw several familiar faces.

"Long time no see, Cheng Ziang!" Murong greeted with a radiant smile.

"Why is it you guys?" Cheng Ziang looked at Murong’s team, unable to hide his surprise, before asking coldly.

With Murong and the others, Cheng Ziang maintained his cold demeanor as with strangers, quite different from his usual behavior in the team.

"Well, how do I answer that question, this is Haiya Academy after all...," said Murong with a bitter smile.

"You are still the same!" Cheng Ziang’s expression gradually softened in response to Murong’s cheerful demeanor.

"We are stuck studying all day. We don’t have the freedom you guys enjoy," said Murong before noticing Yalunte standing next to him. He asked curiously, "And, is this gentleman...your father?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ziang was immediately stunned. Why would Murong ask the same thing? He looked at Murong, surprised, and asked, "Why are you asking this too?"

"Ah, isn’t it? I’m really sorry..." Murong was stunned for a moment, quickly apologised with a guilty face, "I thought...You two look so alike!"

Cheng Ziang furrowed his brow at his explanation, with no answers at all to the doubts in his heart. Why would anyone who met him and Yalunte think they looked alike? This was true for Luo’er as it was for Murong.

"Nice to meet you, sir!" Seeing Cheng Ziang in a daze, Murong took the initiative and greeted Yalunte. He noticed Yalunte’s Aud features, so he directly communicated with him in the Tasta language.

"I am Yalunte Burlingchi, a mercenary of the Headquarters!" Yalunte didn’t emphasize his identity.

"Hello, Mr. Yalunte, my name is Murong, and I’m friends with Luo’er," Murong said with a full smile.

"Ah, it’s Yalunte, I know him!" Suddenly, Shangguan Jiu, who was standing behind Murong, got excited, she grabbed Wu Tairan’s clothes and exclaimed, "He is the top swordsman in the Otherworld continent!"

For some reason, only girls seemed to remember Yalunte’s fame. Perhaps girls are fond of handsome uncles.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I’m sorry for my oversight!" Hearing Shangguan Jiu’s words, Murong slightly bowed in respect.

"No need for formalities!" Yalunte liked the young man standing before him. He seemed a bit like a Blaiqi person, maybe he was of mixed Blaiqi blood.

"Um, Cheng Ziang, are Luo’er and the others okay?" Shangguan Jiu stepped forward and asked Cheng Ziang, who was still standing dumbfounded.

Even after a long time apart, Shangguan Jiu still couldn’t forget about Luo’er, which elicits jealousy from the others in Murong’s squad. They had been together nearly a year since forming the team. However, that year pales in comparison to the month she spent with Luo’er.

Lowering his head to look at Shangguan Jiu, Cheng Ziang’s face finally relaxed, then he said indifferently: "Don’t worry, Luo’er and the others are all right."

"That’s great! I first heard that 100,000 people from Earth died in the Otherworld, and then I heard that the Advance Team was on a mission, I’ve been worried about you all!" Shangguan Jiu sighed in relief, then said sincerely. When she said ’you’, the one she cared about most was Luo’er.

"Hey, are you really the number one swordsman in the continent?" Zhuanzhu stepped forward with a defiant expression on his face.

"That’s all nonsense that people made up, don’t take it seriously." Yalunte answered, smiling.

"Do you dare to spar with me?" Zhuanzhu beckoned.

It was rare for Zhuanzhu to meet someone he could fight, he felt excited. As a connoisseur of cold weapons, he was always disappointed with Earth’s combat environment. He wanted to fight with other high-level cold weapon experts.

"Zhuanzhu, stand back!" Murong said helplessly. He regretfully sighed, unable to control this boy.

Seeing Zhuanzhu’s overbearing challenge, Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but sneer. He knew clearly what Yalunte was capable of. He had once sparred with Yalunte and was easily defeated within a few moves. He never doubted Yalunte’s strength.

"I apologize for my companion’s manners," Murong said with a hint of apology. Considering that Yalunte was reputed to be the number one swordsman on the continent, his strength was naturally not to be underestimated. He might not be mighty on Earth, but in the Otherworld, he absolutely carried himself with a swagger. Zhuanzhu might be a top student at the institute, but there was no way he could defeat Yalunte.

"Are you here to pick us up?" Cheng Ziang asked, looking at them.

"Oh, yes, we were ordered by higher-ups to rendezvous with you two, then we will head to the office together," Murong responded.

Being an informant at Headquarters, Yalunte’s two decades of cooperation have earned the trust of Headquarters allowing him to partake in internal meetings.

"That explains it!" mumbled Cheng Ziang. It seems there’s a new arrangement from the Headquarters, so they sent Murong’s squad to pick them up. Could it mean that Murong’s squad is being sent to the Otherworld yet again?

If that’s the case, according to the Headquarters, it’s highly likely that they’ll force the Advance Team to go along, which Cheng Ziang finds most annoying. He doesn’t like having many strangers in the team, especially a disagreeable character like Zhuanzhu.

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