Year 93 of Dawn.
West Supply Area, Star City.
Mo Yu stood in front of the full-length mirror, his upper body bare as he surveyed himself in the reflection.
It had been five years since graduation, and the person in the mirror had changed so much compared to who he was before.
His once fair skin had turned a bronze color after the trials of the battlefield, and it was covered in many scars. The most prominent was a wound from his left chest to his right, a reminder of an injury that nearly took his life.
He walked out of the bedroom and came to the living room wall, which was covered in honorary medals.
Running his hand over each heavy medal, Mo Yu's mind filled with the stories behind each one, and a smile spread across his face.
Five years on the frontlines felt like a dream.
After graduating from Dawn Academy, they, under the leadership of Wang Long, registered and formed the "Reserve God of War Group" in the West Supply Area of Star City.
The name of the group was a bit dramatic, but it represented their ambition.
They didn't just want to become one of the top 10 Domain Combat Squads in the future—they wanted to become the war gods of humanity.
But when they first arrived at the frontlines, they were like a bunch of naïve youths, full of passion but with no real understanding of what the frontlines were like. What they had learned from the internet and academy teachers didn't prepare them for the brutal reality they encountered.
The first time a close friend, someone who had been by his side day and night, fell in battle, Mo Yu understood what parting by death felt like.
It wasn't the painful despair he had expected, but a mix of confusion, hesitation, and a surge of anger that refused to accept the fate.
Out of the 23 who had followed Wang Long to the frontlines after graduation, only 8 remained today.
According to a veteran from the neighboring base, stepping into the frontlines was like placing one's foot halfway into a coffin.
While it seemed like a joke, it also revealed the brutal reality of the frontlines.
Behind every soldier on the frontlines was like a death god with a sickle, always ready to strike, taking a life at any moment.
But the 5 years of frontline service had allowed Mo Yu to grow rapidly.
Under the constant pressure, he had gone from an innocent rookie to a competent veteran.
As one of the first to practice blood-forging techniques after graduating from Dawn Academy, their potential for growth was enormous, and this had already been proven.
Today, their Domain Combat Squad officially became an A-level Domain Combat Squad.
This meant they had come one step closer to their goal.
"Yu-ge, are you done yet?"
At that moment, a voice from outside the window called out to him.
"Almost done."
After replying, Mo Yu returned to his bedroom and began putting on his new attire.
This was the combat uniform for an A-level Domain Combat Squad.
On the original attire, a gold sword emblem was added to the chest to symbolize the A-level status, and there were three black stripes on his right arm. Compared to the B-level uniform, it gave him a more heroic look.
He hurried downstairs, and the square outside was already filled with soldiers in their new combat uniforms.
When the soldiers saw Mo Yu arriving, they greeted him with loud calls.
Most of the soldiers here were new recruits who had joined the Domain Combat Squad later, along with some veterans from other groups.
The veterans who joined had similar stories: their previous groups had been wiped out during missions, with only a few soldiers lucky enough to survive.
After their original Domain Combat Squads were destroyed, these veterans became freelancers on the frontlines.
They then found a new Domain Combat Squad that suited their abilities and joined them.
These veterans were all from such groups.
"Hey, our vice-captain has finally come out."
At that moment, a graceful figure appeared in front of Mo Yu—it was his wife, Yan Kong.
Three years ago, they had held their wedding ceremony at the base with their Domain Combat Squad brothers as witnesses and had obtained their marriage certificate at the frontlines, officially becoming a married couple.
Yan Kong tiptoed in front of him and began adjusting his uniform, her face glowing with a bright smile.
"Xiao Kong, where's Long-ge?"
Mo Yu looked into his wife's eyes and asked softly.
"Xiao Liu said he's in his room, wearing the new captain uniform, taking selfies in front of the achievements wall. Even after all these years, Long-ge still can't shake his show-off habits."
"Xiao Kong, who's showing off? Are you calling our captain 'show-off'? What about my pride?"
Just then, a familiar voice rang from a distance.
Mo Yu turned and saw Wang Long, dressed in the captain's uniform, walking over. His massive, bear-like frame made him stand out.
"Long-ge."
As Wang Long walked through the crowd, the soldiers greeted him enthusiastically.
When he reached Mo Yu, Wang Long stopped, then patted Mo Yu on the shoulder:
"Good kid, you've changed into a new uniform. You look much cooler now."
Hearing this, Mo Yu couldn't help but roll his eyes and replied:
"Let's hurry up and take the group photo. The frontlines office is waiting for us to send the picture."
"I heard that this photo of us as an A-level Domain Combat Squad will be recorded in history. So let's make sure we look sharp. Maybe your descendants will be able to see your picture in the history museum," Yan Kong teased.
At her words, Mo Yu instinctively straightened his back.
After a while, under Wang Long's direction, the group of soldiers lined up in several rows. Mo Yu, as the vice-captain, stood in the center of the first row with Wang Long.
The lights flickered, and the moment was captured.
...
Year 93 of Dawn.
West Supply Area, Star City.
Mo Yu sat in his study, wearing a blue pajama, fully engrossed in flipping through this month's Domain Combat Squad summary report.
At that moment, the door to the study opened, and Yan Kong, wearing a pink pajama, walked in holding a photograph.
She approached Mo Yu from behind, her arms wrapping around his neck as she leaned her chest against his back. She then placed the group photo in front of him.
"Yu-ge, the office has sent the photos, one for each of us as a keepsake."
"Don't mess around. Wait until I finish my work before we look at it."
Noticing that Mo Yu was busy, Yan Kong couldn't help but pout. However, she obediently placed the photo aside and said, "Finish your work and come back to bed early," before quietly leaving the room.
Half an hour later, after finishing the Domain Combat Squad summary report for the month, Mo Yu was about to stand up when he suddenly remembered something. He turned his gaze to the group photo placed on the desk.
Picking it up, he focused on the image of himself in the photo and smiled.
Compared to his graduation photo, the youthful innocence on his face had faded. There was now a certain maturity and a hint of decisiveness in his brow, but his eyes still held the passion for the future.
Five years to rise to an A-level Domain Combat Squad.
Though he hadn't broken the incredible promotion record set by the Dawn Domain Combat Squad, it was still an impressive achievement.
Now, with honor came a new pressure.
Because a new challenge was approaching.
After being promoted to an A-level Domain Combat Squad, the group's task level would rise accordingly, and the difficulty of the frontline missions would increase.
This honor required even more strength to bear.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Yu, feeling the pressure, turned his gaze to the photo of Feng Qi hanging on the wall of his study.
At this moment, he remembered the message he had left for himself before graduation.
Even if he couldn't be the driving force of the era like Feng Qi, he still wanted to be a drop of water moving forward with the current of time, creating huge waves in the river of history.
His eyes gradually became determined.
Perhaps the meaning of faith lay in this...
Year 95 of Dawn.
Two years after being promoted to an A-level Domain Combat Squad.
In these two years, the Domain Combat Squad's base had undergone significant changes. Not only had the number of members grown, but the base itself had also been expanded, with many new facilities added.
At this time, in the Domain Combat Squad's conference room.
Under the bright lights, there was a round white conference table, where the 10 core members of the Reserve God of War Group sat.
Mo Yu sat in the position of vice-captain, with Captain Wang Long on his left and his wife, Yan Kong, on his right.
This core meeting was being held to discuss a new task they had just received.
After taking the task details from Captain Wang Long, Mo Yu expertly flipped open the first page and carefully reviewed the mission requirements.
Task Details: At the request of the Star Research Institute, protect the construction team as they build a small research station on the frontlines, 32 kilometers southwest of their current position.
Surrounding Risks: Black Wind Domain Field, Aurora Domain Field.
Task Difficulty: Unknown.
Task Duration: 160-200 days.
Detailed Risk Assessment: ...
Task Rewards: ...
After flipping through the task report, Mo Yu wasn't too surprised to see that this was another long-term guardian mission.
They had taken on similar tasks before.
These types of tasks were all classified as "Guardian Missions." Other types of guardian missions included assisting special personnel in exploring and collecting resources from domain fields, and so on.
As for why a temporary research station was being set up in such a high-risk area on the frontlines, it had to do with the characteristics of certain spiritual plants.
Some spiritual materials lose their spiritual energy quickly once they leave their native domain fields.
For example, there was a special spiritual plant called the "Heart Fruit," which was a miraculous fruit capable of repairing flesh and blood. It resembled a beating heart, covered in veins.
Its value was immense, and it was often considered a holy healing item.
However, the Heart Fruit was very fragile. If it left its domain field, it would wither within 30-50 minutes, losing all its medicinal properties.
To solve the transportation problem, the Star City Supreme Council authorized the construction of a temporary frontline medical station outside the domain field where the Heart Fruit was located. This way, the Heart Fruit could be harvested directly on-site without the risk of it wilting during transport.
Mo Yu thought that this guardian construction task was likely similar.
It was most likely that some resource couldn't be stored for long and could only be used in a temporary research station for research or use.
Mo Yu didn't think much more about the specifics of the task.
He felt that the most important thing was to first understand the details of the domain fields near the task location, so they could minimize potential risks and ensure the mission went smoothly.
Reaching for the tablet on the table, he opened the database and began looking up the detailed information on the relevant domain fields.
After the meeting ended, Mo Yu immediately began preparing for the new task.
Time passed quickly during this period.
One month later.
Vehicles filled with soldiers departed from the Domain Combat Squad's base, heading toward the mission location.
After seven days of travel, they finally arrived at the task site.
It was a forest area piled high with dry, fallen leaves. The leaves had accumulated in layers, with the ones at the bottom already decaying, releasing a pungent smell of rot.
It was fortunate that the main road had already been cleared, and they didn't need to make additional efforts to clear the way.
Upon reaching the center of the forest, however, the main road ended, and beyond that lay the Black Wind Domain Field.
This was an unknown domain field with an exploration rate of less than 2%.
With the construction team and the staff from Star Research Institute yet to arrive, Mo Yu immediately called the Domain Combat Squad members to begin preparations.
First, they began by cutting down the nearby trees to clear a construction area.
Next, they used the felled trees to build several observation towers that would give them a clear view of any changes in the Black Wind Domain Field, ensuring they could detect any sudden expansions.
Then, they began preparing for daily life.
They set up temporary tents, stocked up on supplies, and so on.
Having been on the frontlines for many years, these tedious tasks were second nature to Mo Yu, as familiar as eating and drinking.
Fifteen days later.
The construction team arrived first.
Through discussions with the leader of the construction team, Mo Yu gained more insight into the details of the guardian mission.
The Star Research Institute, which was setting up the temporary frontline research station, was focused on developing composite materials.
Within the Black Wind Domain Field, there was a special spiritual plant that could solve a long-standing problem for Star Research Institute.
However, this plant could not survive for more than three hours outside of its domain field, which led the Star Research Institute to apply for approval from the Supreme Council to build the temporary research station on the frontline to study it on-site.
The construction team leader mentioned that, for safety reasons, the temporary research station would be built underground.
Over the next three days, construction machines would gradually arrive.
They would quickly complete the excavation and stabilization of the underground space, after which the research equipment from Star Research Institute would be delivered.
After thoroughly reviewing the construction plan, Mo Yu wasn't idle.
He began discussing the guardian plan with Wang Long, ultimately deciding to divide the Domain Combat Squad into three shifts, with 8 hours per shift and continuous 24-hour operation to ensure the construction team's work and safety.
Five months later.
Mo Yu stood at the top of the observation tower, looking at the pitch-black domain field barrier in the distance, observing the subtle movements of the domain field.
At that moment, the observation tower below him trembled slightly, and a figure leaped like a tiger and landed next to him.
It was Wang Long, the group leader.
"Go back and rest. I'll take over from here."
"Isn't it still not time for the shift change? Why are you here so early?" Mo Yu asked in surprise.
Hearing this, Wang Long grinned, showing a set of large white teeth, and smiled as he spoke.
"Your grandma called me a few days ago. She hopes I can persuade you to have kids sooner. She's my grandma too, and I can't ignore what she says. So, I'm swapping shifts early to give you two extra hours to make kids. You better make me proud."
Mo Yu's temples twitched in frustration as he heard Wang Long's explanation.
"Alright, since you're already here, go ahead and rest."
"Okay."
Mo Yu didn't argue with his comrade-in-arms. He nodded in agreement, then jumped down from the observation tower.
He crouched slightly after landing and stood firm.
Looking around, he saw fully armed soldiers on duty in every direction.
The terrain had changed significantly since they first arrived, thanks to the efforts of the construction team.
The trees surrounding the area had been felled, and in the center of the cleared land, there was now a metal tunnel leading underground.
Mo Yu walked toward the metal tunnel and descended into it.
After about ten meters, he stepped into the inclined metal passage, which opened up into a small underground plaza with a total space of 2,500 cubic meters.
Inside, four scientific research instruments were set up, with five technicians from Star Research Institute busy adjusting the machines.
Around the plaza, several temporary tents were erected.
The soldiers who had finished their shifts rested in these tents.
It had been more than 150 days since the guardian mission began, and Mo Yu knew that the task was nearing its end.
Once the construction was completed and the research instruments were fully set up, the temporary research station would officially be operational, and they would no longer need to stay there.
Other Domain Combat Squads would take over their position to continue guarding the site, while specialized teams would be responsible for harvesting resources from the Black Wind Domain Field to supply the research station.
In short, their task was about to end.
With Wang Long on duty outside, Mo Yu planned to get some well-deserved rest.
However, as Mo Yu was about to enter his tent, he suddenly heard the shrill sound of an alarm.
He quickly turned his head toward the underground passage, seeing soldiers coming down the tunnel one by one.
Mo Yu immediately realized that something had gone wrong.
When the figure of Wang Long, who was responsible for rear-guarding, appeared, the doors of the underground tunnel were slammed shut with a loud metallic clang. Moments later, Wang Long's roar echoed through the underground plaza.
"The Black Wind Domain Field is expanding suddenly! Everyone, prepare for battle!"