Chapter 39: The Assessment of the Bright Moon Squad
Night Lan followed Night Feather to the training ground of the Bright Moon Squad.
She had no idea what was going on here.
Anyway, the training over at the New Star Squad was all about personal development, with nearly everyone getting their own exclusive coaching. They needed to learn how to flexibly wield their own Stars to maximize their potential.
Most of the folks who repaired battle-damaged venues were specialized New Star Night Watchers. In this field, New Star Night Watchers were tougher than those from the Bright Moon and Sunlight Squads.
Each type of Night Watcher was irreplaceable; the only thing that made them different was their personal skillset.
Once they arrived at the Bright Moon Squad’s training ground, Night Lan finally had a good look at the place.
There were tons of younglings wriggling about, various simulated settings and shiny mechanical gadgets everywhere—it all felt super upscale.
Night Lan could also sense a bunch of star fluctuations; the atmosphere was as tense as a rubber band stretched too far.
No surprises here; this place was clearly focused on cultivating the frontline battle capabilities of the Night Watchers.
The facilities simulated various tactics that Star Eclipses might employ, like illusions, mental disruptions, terrain changes, sheer destructive force, shifts in survival environments, rule restrictions, and overwhelming numbers.
The Night Watchers fighting on the frontlines needed to adapt to all sorts of battle environments. Even if they couldn’t adapt to everything, they at least needed to master one specific battlefield to develop counter-strategy skills.
If a Star Eclipse whipped up some mental disturbance, the Night Watcher Base would dispatch a counter-strategy Night Watcher immune to mental disruption.
If the Star Eclipse boasted overwhelming power, they would send in Night Watchers with sheer combat strength in hopes of wasting no resources—cultivating specialized counter-strategy Night Watchers for various battlegrounds.
Only then could the Night Watcher organization avoid falling into chaos when confronted with bizarre Star Eclipses.
Once she grasped this concept, Night Lan turned to Night Feather beside her.
“Night Feather, what kind of battlefield do you excel in?”
“I can handle them all.”
“Huh? That’s impressive.”
And then it was time to test their recent training achievements.
Unauthorized personnel quickly vacated the training ground, scurrying to the edges as spectators.
Among the onlookers were several Night Watchers, likely seasoned ones—probably just there to enjoy the show.
Night Lan blended in and plopped down in a spot with a decent view.
Just then, a stranger plopped down beside her, only one seat away.
“Ugh…”
Night Lan snuck a glance and saw a blue-haired woman who looked rather aloof, her gaze fixed on the training ground.
This lady was probably a seasoned pro among Night Watchers, likely there to check out the younger generation’s performance.
Sitting there was maybe her way of keeping a close eye on the training.
Surely, she wasn’t there just for Night Lan, right?
With that thought, Night Lan relaxed a bit, directing her attention toward the crowd gathering on the training field.
At that moment, the assessment officially kicked off.
The assessment method seemed quite simple: several Night Watchers of the same type teamed up to tackle a specific simulated Star Eclipse created by the training facility.
These simulated Star Eclipses weren’t particularly strong; they posed only a slight challenge to the rookies.
Maybe.
Night Lan’s focus zeroed in on Night Feather.
Night Feather claimed she was all-round, which meant she adapted to any battle scenario.
In other words, she had a strong will, wasn’t swayed by mental powers, wouldn’t be bamboozled by illusions, and wouldn’t lose combat effectiveness due to sudden terrain changes. She was also incredibly powerful herself, more than worthy of the title “warrior,” and could quickly adjust to various survival environments.
Night Watchers like her, who could fit in any scenario, were extremely rare.
Even if her fellow counter-strategy team members were lacking a bit, she could just swoop in and fill the gap; she was practically a Swiss Army kn*fe of Night Watchers.
Of course, this type of Night Watcher was also the busiest. Wherever there was a shortage of personnel, you bet they’d be called in to fill the void.
Just thinking about that horrifying workload made Night Lan feel like she might burst from the pressure.
She kind of thought being useless sounded nice; as long as she was effectively useless, nobody could take advantage of her—as long as she could pay the bills.
Back to the matter at hand.
She was there to witness Night Feather’s performance; daydreaming wouldn’t do!
A quick scan revealed that Night Feather had already formed a team.
Even with her over-the-top personality, she seemed to have no problem socializing—finding teammates proved just that.
Then the simulated Star Eclipse they were about to face appeared: a shadowy figure covered in ice crystals.
It was likely a Star Eclipse that had been taken down by Night Watchers in the past, now simulated using data collected from previous encounters.
And then the first assessment officially began, Night Feather and her crew quickly slipped into battle mode.
Night Feather wasted no time, charging toward the simulated Star Eclipse’s essence with the bravado of a superhero, fearless and bold.
The other team members were quick to follow her lead, ensuring Night Feather didn’t have to brave this storm alone.
Night Lan looked on curiously, eager to see how they would tackle the situation.
Inside the training field, the simulated Star Eclipse launched its attack.
As a wave of icy air spread, the Night Watchers’ movements slowed, their actions becoming noticeably restricted.
But that wasn’t the only trick up this simulated Star Eclipse’s sleeve; with its power, frost began freezing the ground beneath them, like icy spikes erupting from below, the temperature plummeting. Various factors rapidly hindered the squad’s advance.
The shifting terrain and survival conditions posed quick challenges, forcing Night Feather’s charge to come to a screeching halt.
Those towering ice blocks blocked their path, and the temperature had already dropped below freezing. The iced-over ground made it nearly impossible for them to move smoothly.
Only by overcoming these obstacles could they push forward.
Night Lan watched this unfold, muttering, “Hmm… the pressure from that simulated Star Eclipse is intense… how did the Night Watchers handle the real deal back then?”
Despite having seen countless stronger Star Eclipses, it didn’t change her common sense much.
She hadn’t faced one head-on or been genuinely hurt before.
The thought of Star Eclipses that could inflict severe damage still sent shivers down her spine.
Even with a trove of powers to counteract, if faced alone, escape would likely be her first instinct, not fighting back.
When it came to aimless encounters, forget it, Night Lan had no intention of putting herself in danger just to prove herself.
Let the professionals handle their professional business.
Just as Night Lan was pondering the real strength of the simulated Star Eclipse, the blue-haired woman next to her unexpectedly spoke up, “This simulated Star Eclipse is called Cold Calamity; it’s a super-class Star Eclipse disaster that can easily change the climate of a city area. The cold it emits carries intense Star Eclipse pollution—those affected will fall into a state of mental and physical chill that no amount of warm clothing can resolve. The severely affected will literally freeze to d*ath; it’s a disaster-level Star Eclipse. What the training facility has simulated here is significantly weakened by over several dozen times—so it’s not that strong.”
Night Lan stood there, nodding in a daze.
“Oh, I see! I get it now!”
Having said that, Night Lan felt a pang of anxiety inside.
Because the woman speaking beside her kind of startled her!
