"Can anyone tell us what our exact mission is?"
"Even if this is a trial mission, we still hope to receive the information we're entitled to."
Caelan stood among the crowd, listening quietly without speaking.
At that moment, a Legion member responsible for reception stepped forward and announced the mission directly.
"Your task is simple. Deliver urgently needed supplies to the front line."
"The operation begins in one hour. Make your preparations immediately."
Caelan memorized the mission details while discreetly observing the situation in Frostguard City.
The situation here was clearly grim.
Inside the city-state, order was still being maintained.
But the moment one stepped outside the protective barrier, they would be met by an overwhelming tide of flesh abominations.
Just then, someone asked the reception officer,
"Excuse me, could you explain Frostguard City's current situation in more detail?"
The officer nodded, his expression heavy.
"The monsters you see right now are, at best, just minor enemies."
"The real trouble lies at the front line. There's no barrier there—awakener forces are holding the line with their own bodies."
"So if anyone wants to withdraw, now is still the time. You'll only permanently lose your qualification to join Ironclad Legion."
"But remember—life only comes once. Think carefully."
At that moment, a question surfaced in Caelan's mind.
Under normal circumstances, front-line combatants shouldn't need supplies at all.
Everyone had storage spaces—why would manpower be required to transport materials?
His doubt was quickly voiced by someone else, and the answer soon followed.
All storage-type items were currently unusable.
They were being interfered with by the domain of a boss-level monster.
Under such interference, neither storage spaces nor teleportation portals could function.
The only solutions were to either kill that boss—or rely on manpower to transport supplies.
Those who accepted an Endless Despair-level mission were no ordinary people.
They were the elite among awakeners.
Soon, someone noticed Caelan, who had remained silent all this time, and主动 struck up a conversation.
"Hey, where are you from, brother? Judging by your outfit, you're a student, right?"
"A noble academy? Or from some powerful family?"
Caelan frowned slightly. He disliked people with no sense of boundaries, so he replied casually,
"I'm just an ordinary person. Just here to try my luck."
The moment he said that, several awakeners around him quietly distanced themselves.
Most of the people here came from noble academies or ancient families.
Only such places had the resources to cultivate top-tier awakeners.
Talent mattered—but resources were just as indispensable.
Caelan could clearly feel others pulling away from him.
But he didn't care.
In the face of absolute strength, none of this mattered.
Just then, a youthful and striking figure walked over from a distance.
She wore luxurious, church-standard armor. Her long ponytail was tied high, and her whole demeanor radiated vitality.
The instant she appeared, she caused a stir among the crowd.
"Look! It's Alyssa·Merlin—why is she here in person?!"
Alyssa, from the Royal Combat Academy, was a Paladin.
Relying purely on her strength, she had won last year's Ranked Match individual championship.
Combined with her pure, sweet appearance, she had quickly amassed overwhelming popularity.
Caelan noticed Alyssa as well.
But the moment he clearly saw her face—he froze.
Cousin?!
Why was she here?
Wait… no. She looked noticeably younger than his cousin, and her aura was completely different.
If his cousin Talia was a full-fledged slacker, then Alyssa gave off a feeling of vibrant energy mixed with distant coldness.
She was clearly a sweet girl—so why act so aloof?
On the other side, Alyssa had no idea what Caelan was thinking.
Her expression was icy, giving off a strong "keep your distance" vibe.
Yet her bright eyes were lively and spirited.
Just then, someone stepped forward to strike up a conversation.
"Alyssa, do you remember me? I'm your junior. You defeated me in one move before. I think I must've left a deep impression on you, after all—"
Alyssa's expression remained calm as she shook her head.
"I don't remember."
At that moment, a young man's heart shattered into pieces on the ground.
As expected—it was still the familiar Alyssa. Cold and unapproachable as ever.
Many who had been planning to greet her immediately changed their minds.
It wasn't just because of Alyssa's coldness.
Behind her stood a massive family.
Rumor had it that one of Ironclad Legion's high-ranking officials came from that very family.
Alyssa was clearly used to people keeping their distance.
But just then, she suddenly noticed someone staring at her.
"Hey. Why are you staring at me?"
Her tone carried accusation.
In the next instant, everyone's gaze turned toward Caelan.
Caelan didn't look away.
At that moment, a fellow student couldn't help stepping in to smooth things over.
"I think it's probably because Alyssa is just too beautiful. Right, classmate?"
After saying that, he winked at Caelan while silently praying—
Please don't offend Alyssa. Without a background, you'll never get into Ironclad Legion.
Just then, Caelan spoke up calmly.
"I just think you look a lot like someone I know."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone present froze.
…Wait, what?
You're really going for a direct approach like that?
Such an ancient pickup line—and you actually dared to use it?
Alyssa frowned slightly but didn't plan to respond.
People like this were far too common. She couldn't possibly reply to all of them.
In reality, Caelan had only spoken his genuine thoughts.
He truly couldn't understand why Alyssa resembled his cousin Talia so much.
But now wasn't the time to dig into that mystery.
So he withdrew his gaze.
With a few people deliberately steering the conversation, the atmosphere gradually eased.
Caelan thanked the classmate who had tried to help him earlier.
The young man shook his head.
"No need to thank me. I didn't really help you anyway."
"But you should be careful from now on. There are countless people pursuing Alyssa."
"Some of them might deliberately cause you trouble just to curry favor with her."