Shen was glad to know his Baptism no longer made him vulnerable to the Queen. At least, not more than any C-rank was vulnerable before an A-rank. Her presence was still enough to influence him somehow, as shown by how he had lost himself while looking at the Laws in her body, but that wasn't exclusive to him.

The way her beauty took his breath away was much scarier, but not because it was some mythical ability. It was startling because it was just him admiring her raw, physical beauty that transcended what should be possible. She was that perfect.

It was also ephemeral. Even thinking of touching her romantically sickened him. It was like admiring art that defied his understanding.

Luthdel's expletive broke the damn, causing the room to erupt in chaotic conversations.

Uya didn't immediately address that. Instead, she looked mortified at Zyn's condition and approached him. It was the first time Shen saw that much care in her eyes.

Zyn's punishment was one of the most brutal in the leadership rulebook. It was meant to very literally put someone down so they remembered their place. For one day, not only would Zyn be forbidden from healing his legs, but he would also not be allowed to use qi, his Path, or any items to float. He would have to move around using his arms. The only exception was having someone help him.

First Lieutenant Uya put a knee on the ground beside Zyn. They stared into each other's eyes for a few instants, then Zyn nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. She stood up, and he used her to stay more or less beside her, looking like he was floating, but it was just muscle power. He picked what remained of his brutally amputated legs with his qi and put them into his Inventory or spatial ring.

Uya looked at the gore for an instant, then turned to face the troops. The conversations didn't stop, and she raised a hand.

Staff Lieutenant Xun, who had reacted in no way whatsoever to everything that had happened, stepped ahead and shouted, "Commander's orders: silence!"

Everyone obeyed at once.

Uya looked from face to face for a very long while. Her soul only slightly rippled when she looked at Luthdel and Shen, but it was enough to show she had special considerations about them.

At last, she said, "This is not how I wanted to be promoted, but I'll do my best. Anything else would be a disrespect to the honor the Acting General bestowed on me. Yet, I'm afraid I did not prepare myself for this debrief. Staff Lieutenant Zyn will continue to conduct this assembly for now."

"Yes, Commander," Zyn replied. "As you noticed, La'sing has a new Acting General. Believe my following words because they come from someone who just got punished by her: we're lucky to have Acting General Saelihn Herfiel here. An A-rank makes things much safer for us. Not individually safer, but we can rest assured that La'sing won't suddenly cease to be, that any A-rank Void Spawn won't kill us all before we understand what's happening, and that any Subdone that becomes B-tier will be immediately dealt with. Calling it a marvelous privilege would be an understatement."

He didn't seem to be lying, but only an idiot would ever talk shit about their commanding officers, especially after being punished. So, Shen wasn't sure how much of a privilege it really was.

"Now," Zyn continued, "you have received your AP, some received Commendations, and some will be awarded promotions. Most leadership ranks will be kept, but there will be some shuffling. The Staff rank is meant for senior or uncannily outstanding fighters, and none of you qualifies. "

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| Military Promotion: Lieutenant → Second Lieutenant

| You're now the Commander of the 1,923th Mixed Battalion

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Many people looked happier among the troops, while others were upset or saddened. Shen glanced at Alicia and confirmed she had become a First Sergeant.

Zyn kept talking. "This is the last time most of us will see each other. Commander Uya's 77th Mixed Brigade is lacking only seven Battalions. I selected some to fill the positions, and First Lieutenant Uya will confirm or change my picks now."

Uya frowned, evidently not expecting that. Her eyes moved briefly, reading through a system window, then nodded. "I approve of your choices, Staff Lieutenant."

Shen got a new notification.

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| The 1,923th Mixed Battalion has been assigned to the 77th Mixed Brigade

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Zyn continued, "Any Second Lieutenant who got a notification stating you're part of the 77th Brigade is to form a line before Commander Uya."

Shen and Luthdel were in. So was Kav lak'Safur, the muscular red-skinned cultivator that had arrived with them. Of the other four, half were from the Republic of Imperia: Huo Ming, whom Shen had fought, and Ren Zemin. The other two were from the Cultivator Association: Yanna gig'Lin and Jalu lak'Temer.

"Each of you may pick five Lieutenants to serve under you," Zyn informed. "You are allowed to approach any C-rank and talk to them. The one you picked can refuse the appointment. You have five minutes to fill all five spots."

Shen went straight to Wu Bai and asked, "Lieutenant Wu Bai, will whatever issue you have with me affect your ability to fulfill your duties as brilliantly as you have in our last deployment?"

"No, Second Lieutenant," the guy replied at once, and Shen believed him.

"I'd be glad to have you and your two friends in my Battalion if you're willing."

"I am, Battalion Commander," Wu Bai replied. Shen glanced at the other two males, and they also agreed.

Shen looked at Fu Wenqian. The redhead was a formidable fighter and had served him well. However, she had also attacked her Brigade Commander. She was unstable, and he couldn't trust her to protect his troops, especially Alicia.

It was a bit regretful, but Shen had to be cold-hearted here.

So, he approached Jin Qiuyue instead, though he suspected she might not want to be separated from her rival-slash-friend.

"Staff Lieutenant Jin Qiuyue, you also did a great job in our previous deployment. Would you be willing to join my Battalion?"

To his surprise, the raven-haired woman replied, "Yes, Battalion Commander." She was sympathetic to the redhead but wouldn't slow her Path for her. Still, Jin Qiuyue's silver eyes glanced at the redhead, and she hesitated before adding, "What about Lieutenant Fu Wenqian?"

Shen shook his head. "She showed remarkable ability in the Voided Subnode, but her actions here were too extreme." She would be gone if she had attacked Zyn in the Voided Subnode. "I don't want her in my Battalion."

He wasn't yelling his words, but Uya had ordered silence, so the seven Second Lieutenants' conversations were heard everywhere. Fu Wenqian stiffened at his words, and her soul burned in rage, but she stared firmly ahead—likely swearing to take revenge on him.

There wasn't even an ounce of shame to her, confirming to Shen that she hadn't learned her lesson.

Jin Qiuyue was a little sad but nodded. "I understand, Commander."

"Do you have another recommendation? You fought well with Lieutenant Fu Wenqian. I'd be willing to pick someone else you have experience fighting with."

She thought for a moment and nodded. "Lieutenant Yao Lili. We're from the same sect. We're not close, but we have experience fighting together, and I would trust my back to her in a fight."

Shen nodded and looked around, reading the names that were always visible on top of people's heads in the military. He found Yao Lili wearing a simple white robe similar to Jin Qiuyue. Her hair was also black but short, and her blue irises were diamond-shaped, suggesting she had blood other than human. Her Path only had two Laws, Water and Sword. Like every cultivator from the Republic, she had mastered her Laws.

Yao Lili bowed respectfully when Shen approached. She had one of the most timid personalities among those present. She even blushed a little. Everything Shen knew about reading people told him she was being genuine.

He had observed everyone during the deployment and had little impression of her. So, she hadn't displayed any outstanding skills or done anything outright stupid. She would do. Previous experience with his team was more important than individual ability. At their level, it was easier for people to learn to fight better than to get used to each other, and the military was about group battles.

"Lieutenant Yao Lili, would you be willing to join my Battalion?" he asked.

"Yes, Commander," she replied shyly, looking at her feet.

"Welcome, then." Shen nodded and returned to his position. "Staff Lieutenant Zyn, I have selected Lieutenants Wu Bai, Mao Shun, Shi Yanlin, Jin Qiuyue, and Yao Lili."

Zyn replied, "Good. Now, wait." A few minutes later, all seven Second Lieutenants had selected their subordinates. "Every other Lieutenant is dismissed. You'll be contacted by someone else later." The reactions ranged from anger to getting upset to growing relieved as the ones who weren't selected left. No one dared to complain. "Battalions, form up." Shen and the others complied. "Second Lieutenants, pick eighteen First Sergeants to command the Companies below you."

Shen quickly picked Alicia and William, the only two people from Earth who had made it to First Sergeants. He filled the other spots with the people who had served under him. There was a minor issue when someone else wanted to pick William, but Shen had racial priority.

After that, the First Sergeants were told to pick helpers, then Second Sergeants to serve as Platoon Commanders under them. All humans from Earth ended up below Shen. He had veto rights but didn't use them because he saw no terrible fighter get picked.

At last, Zyn said, "Whoever wasn't picked is dismissed. Everyone else, form ranks. Congratulations, you're now part of the 77th. Our older members are deployed elsewhere, so it will fall upon you to train the masses of E-ranks scheduled to arrive in three hours. Second Lieutenants, approach."

The following hour was spent introducing leaders to the leadership books—they now had clearance—and briefing them on what they were expected to do to train the E-ranks.

The Battalions would work separately, and Shen was astounded to find his first deployment in a Voided Subnode would be overseeing an Expeditionary Training—without Uya, Zyn, or Xun.

Shen and the other six Battalion Commanders received a limited level 2 leadership clearance and were told precisely how the Expeditionary Training worked when dealing with E-ranks. There were countless variables and contingency plans for all kinds of things. Each Battalion would head to a mere D-rank Voided Subnode, so six C-ranks were already overkill to protect E-ranks.

After that, Zyn told everyone they would have one hour to relax before they were called again to get briefed on details.

They were dismissed, except for one person.

"Second Lieutenant Shen," Zyn said, "we must talk."

Shen hadn't expected to be allowed in a Voided Subnode ever again, considering he might cause the whole Node to cease existing. Even his promotion had surprised him. If Zyn hadn't called him, he would've searched his superiors himself to ask some questions.

The room cleared, and Shen was left alone with Zyn and Uya. Even Xun left. Shen was glad Abbav wasn't there.

"Second Lieutenant Shen," Zyn said, "You received three extra clearances: domain secrets, advanced anti-Void tactics, and elite combat."

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| Clearance Added: Domain Secrets

| Clearance Added: Advanced anti-Void Tactics

| Clearance Added: Elite Combat

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"The domain secrets' clearance will keep you from making a mistake related to your domain usage. The advanced anti-Void tactics' clearance will ensure you don't use advanced techniques without permission or understanding; you could've killed yourself when you used your Law of the Shaft the way you did. The elite combat clearance will let you join an elite combat class when one opens up; you'll be informed about it. Until then, you'll be limited to theoretical knowledge, just like with the other clearances." The First Lieutenant took out dozens of thick tomes from his Inventory. "Read it all."

Shen took the books with his qi. The treasure trove of knowledge offered to him excited him.

He was baffled by what he saw under his superiors' names. He could see anyone's clearance if he had the same one, and surprisingly, only Zyn had those three authorizations. Uya only had leadership clearance, and Xun hadn't had it. Evidently, the leadership clearance was harder to get in normal times, but the recently appointed Second Lieutenants had lucked out.

Shen wondered how Xun and other Staff personnel felt about it and whether it would cause conflicts.

For now, he ignored any worries and started reading.

The answer to his question about why he was allowed in the Subnodes was answered in one of the books about the secrets of domains. Simply put, he would be deployed because someone along the chain of command said so, and no one above had said otherwise. And if Shen did anything wrong, like bringing forth the end of an entire Node, everyone in the chain of command would be executed for treason.

His mere presence would be a potential hazard, and his superiors would always be looking over his shoulders.

"Staff Lieutenant," Shen said, "may I ask who permitted me to get deployed again?" He had a good idea but wanted to be sure.

"The A-rank dragon," Zyn replied. "And... I just checked. One of the first things the Acting General did when she arrived was confirm it."

The dragon was a surprise, but not the Queen. So, he already owed her one—or did he? She had said no politics, so this decision had to be a technical one. Maybe she did have reason to trust him, and the potential gains of his deployment were strategically greater than the risk he represented.

"Can I have access to the reasoning behind it, Staff Lieutenant?"

Zyn looked at Uya, who raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Zyn smiled sadly. "I also hate politics, Second Lieutenant, but the Acting General wasn't wrong. Some things were a bit too informal in La'sing. I would've asked Major Tazuz, but the way things are, you'll have to write a form and await the Acting General's decision on whether and when to inform you about it."

Shen nodded. That's what the military rules stated. He had hoped for something informal, though.

Well, if that wasn't to be, so be it.

He returned to the books.

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