C14 Joy and Pressure

In the evening, Lin Hua and Lin Xue returned home from school to a joyous family dinner. The siblings, already brimming with pride over their big brother Lin Feng's acceptance into the University of Norbury, now regarded him with even greater admiration.

"Brother, what's the Warzone like?" they asked, their curiosity about Lin Feng's experiences there evident.

They had formed some idea of the Warzone from online content and textbook propaganda, but it all seemed distant and unclear, like a story told through a screen or on paper.

Lee Susu and Lee Yuanyuan perked up their ears, not out of interest in the Warzone itself, but eager to hear about Lin Feng's adventures.

Catching the expectant looks on his family's faces, Lin Feng smiled and decided to playfully intimidate his younger siblings. "The Warzone is far more dangerous than the reports suggest. We hadn't even entered it when we encountered a B1 Level monster on the road!"

"Ah!" they gasped, startled by the revelation.

"It's so dangerous!" Lin Hua and Lin Xue exclaimed.

Lin Feng's smile widened. "But our Lofreydor has grown strong. That B1 Level monster? It was taken care of in just a few minutes." He went on to share some of his experiences in Warzone 509, carefully omitting his encounter with Gu Chen and others.

Lee Susu and Lee Yuanyuan exchanged a glance, inwardly alarmed. Despite Lin Feng's nonchalant tone, they could sense the underlying peril of his tales. As adults who had lived through the disaster themselves, they understood the gravity of the situation far better than Lin Hua and Lin Xue, who had never ventured beyond Zeffari.

Not wanting to burden his mother with worry, Lin Feng smoothly changed the subject. "By the way, Mom, Auntie, now that I'm enrolled at the University of Norbury, we should all move to Norbury."

Lee Susu hesitated but ultimately agreed, "This... Alright."

Lee Yuanyuan, however, was adamant. "I won't go," she said, shaking her head firmly.

Lin Feng had been accepted into the University of Norbury, and as a result, the government would provide him with a 100-square-meter house in Norbury. This house could not be sold; it was meant solely for residence. Should Lin Feng unfortunately fall in battle, the government wouldn't reclaim the house but would allow his family to continue living there indefinitely. It's important to note that Norbury is considered one of the safest places in Lofreydor, where real estate is incredibly valuable. Crucially, even if one had the financial means, without significant contributions to the country, purchasing property there was not an option. Yet, Lee Yuanyuan was reluctant to accept such a benefit.

"Auntie, come with me!" Lin Feng urged. "I'm usually at school and hardly ever home, so you could keep my mom company."

Lee Yuanyuan wavered for a moment before nodding. "I'll discuss it with your uncle first," she said.

She had her own family, including a son and a daughter, who were around the same age as Lin Hua and Lin Xue. Moving the family to Norbury would undoubtedly be safer than staying in Zeffari, but there were other considerations, like employment, to think about.

"Okay," Lin Feng agreed with a nod.

His family didn't have many relatives. His father's side had grown distant after some past incidents. On his mother's side, there was only his second aunt and Lee Yuanyuan, his aunt. Lee Yuanyuan, in particular, had a special bond with Lin Feng. During the initial outbreak of the disaster, he had lived with her for an extended period. Before she had her own children, she had treated him almost like a son.

Being a person of conscience, Lin Feng was not ungrateful or heartless. Now that he was capable, he felt it was only right to repay her kindness.

"There's the matter of your brother and sister transferring schools..." Lee Susu said, sounding a bit troubled. Gaining admission to schools in Norbury was challenging, and this was the reason for her hesitation.

"We'll manage once we move. My brother and sister will surely find good placements, especially since we'll be transferring our household registration there," Lin Feng reassured her.

With the government providing housing, such matters would certainly be addressed.

"That's a relief," Lee Susu responded with a sigh of relief.

Lin Feng turned to his aunt, "Auntie, if you're planning to go too, I can make arrangements in advance."

Lee Yuanyuan was taken aback, "Feng, you..."

"I caught the attention of a general in Warzone 509 this time. He'd definitely be willing to help with these minor issues," Lin Feng said with a smile.

"Really?" Lee Yuanyuan's eyes sparkled momentarily.

Initially hesitant, she now found herself increasingly persuaded. As a parent, her children's future was her primary concern.

If her two kids could also attend school in Norbury...

"Then, Feng, could you inquire for me? If it works out... thank you so much," Lee Yuanyuan said haltingly.

It was awkward for her, as an elder, to ask a younger relative for favors.

"Don't mention it," Lin Feng replied with a smile.

...

That night, in his bedroom, Lin Feng had just lain down when his consciousness delved into the glass bead, and a flood of information streamed back to him.

His recent journey to the Warzone had depleted all of the energy that had previously exceeded a thousand.

The only change was in the Divine Blood column.

The Divine Blood count, which had been zero, was now at 11!

This bounty came from defeating Gu Chen!

"11 points of Divine Blood, I wonder how much that will enhance my bloodline..." A fervent gleam shot through Lin Feng's eyes.

With a mere thought, the Divine Blood tally in the column began to plummet.

Simultaneously, the bloodline column started to climb.

2%... 3%... 4%...

As his bloodline level rose, Lin Feng distinctly felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, like electricity coursing through his veins.

Eventually, the Bloodline Thunder Spirit Body's value settled at 10%!

And from the original 11 points of Divine Blood, only 2 remained.

"It looks like breaking past 10% bloodline will require even more Divine Blood... It wouldn't also require tenfold, like the cultivation techniques, would it?" Lin Feng had an uneasy premonition.

He glanced at the panel.

His stats remained unchanged.

Yet, he was acutely aware that he had grown slightly stronger.

"I'll have to conduct some tests to find out just how much stronger I've become," Lin Feng mused, shaking his head.

He had nearly a month to rest and plenty of time on his hands, so there was no need to hurry.

At that moment, he relaxed and pulled out his phone. As expected, it was flooded with messages.

Fortunately, he had nearly a month of rest time, plenty of time, so there was no need to rush. As he relaxed, Lin Feng pulled out his phone and, unsurprisingly, found it flooded with messages. The class group chat was overflowing with 999+ notifications, while the number of private messages he'd received soared past 40. It's true what they say: when you're poor, no one knows you, but when you're rich, even distant relatives find you!

With Lin Feng's recent rise, his old classmates had begun to shower him with compliments and well-wishes. A flicker of contemplation crossed his eyes. He hadn't even started at the University of Norbury, yet his social standing was already shifting. His family was reaping the benefits, too. And once he grew even stronger, he could only imagine what more he might gain.

"The hardships of combat in the Warzone are tough, but as the saying goes, military honors are won on horseback! What true man would shy away from battle?" A hint of confidence swept across Lin Feng's face. His fingers danced across his phone's screen as he replied to his classmates' messages.

It wasn't long before Lin Feng sensed a shift in the mood of the class group chat. It wasn't all joy—there was a weight to it. "Mao Yu, Zhang Feifan, Jiang Ruyi... they're gone." Aside from Gu Chen, Zhang Zhao, and Zhang Jun, five more classmates had fallen in Warzone 509. That meant out of the 20 from Lin Feng's class who had taken the Martial Arts exam, only 12 remained. A sobering statistic.

The lightness Lin Feng had felt earlier was quickly replaced by a heavy heart. He'd often read in books or seen in movies about tens of thousands perishing in wars, but those were just numbers. They couldn't compare to the oppressive feeling of losing someone you knew. Lin Feng could only imagine the grief that the families of Mao Yu and the others would endure upon receiving such devastating news.

"I need to make a million as soon as possible!" The thought of his own family receiving a death notice about him was unbearable. Lin Feng knew he had to grow stronger—and fast.

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