Level up is hard? I can Directly Purchase infinite Levels!-Chapter 56: He’s Still Just a Recruit

In this world, prodigies were rising stars who stood above all others.

Their appearances and distinguishing traits were etched into the memories of nearly every high-ranking officer.

There were even dedicated institutions that compiled detailed profiles and analyses of prodigies from both sides, ensuring that senior commanders would recognize them on sight.

Bruce, though newly elevated to prodigy status, was far from obscure. His reputation was anything but small.

Black Falcon and the others exchanged stunned looks.

A prodigy?

That was a top-tier powerhouse capable of fighting across ranks—and he was dead?!

And the other fallen talents here, from various races, were at the very least the crème de la crème among Masters.

No fewer than ten corpses lay scattered across the battlefield.

What chilled them even more was the sight of three infamous Master-rank alien beasts from the mountains lying dead nearby—reduced to mere collateral in this battle.

After a long silence, Tom finally spoke in a low voice.

"Let’s head back first. Once Raine wakes up, everything will become clear."

He was more inclined to believe that Arlis had unleashed a final, desperate counterattack with her last remaining strength—and that Raine had then fought his way out while carrying her.

"The equipment, storage items, and bloodcores on these bodies are all gone,"

Black Falcon said.

"No idea whether the alien races took them... or—"

"Don’t worry about that for now," Tom cut him off, casting one last glance at the horrific battlefield.

"Several of the most troublesome alien beast overlords in the mountains died here. Once the situation stabilizes, we may even consider pushing forward and cleansing this region."

With that, he led the still-shaken group back to the highlands.

...

City Lord Garson stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

His single eye was fixed on the massive map of the eastern defensive line mounted on the wall.

Before long, Tom—the captain of the Second Battalion—strode briskly into the hall.

Garson withdrew his gaze and turned around.

"What did you find in the depths of the mountains?"

Tom’s expression carried an unmistakable trace of disturbance as he reported,

"The pursuers hunting Miss Arlis—talents from the thunderclan, blackwater clan, the Lava race, and other powerful factions—over a dozen of them were killed."

"The most critical point is this: even the prodigy Bruce was slain."

Garson’s lone eye contracted sharply as he stared at Tom.

"It’s unclear whether this was Miss Arlis’s final counterattack... or—"

Tom didn’t finish voicing the even more shocking possibility.

"Describe everything you saw in detail,"

Garson said, his voice low, deep light flickering in his eye.

Tom recounted the battlefield exactly as he had seen it—the scorched earth, the deep craters, the grotesque deaths of the various race prodigies, and the unmistakable corpse of thunderclan prodigy Bruce.

The more Garson listened, the heavier his expression became.

Had this involved someone else, the mystery might not have been so confounding.

But when Arlis was found, she was already gravely wounded and unconscious. Raine himself had nearly lost half his life, and his injuries were clearly the result of an intense battle.

Coupled with Raine’s previous record of killing Elite-rank alien talents across ranks...

All of this layered together, shrouding the entire incident in a thick fog.

Even so, Garson did not directly link the slaughter of over a dozen alien race prodigies to Raine.

The notion sounded far too fantastical.

Yet the fact that Raine had managed to carry a dying Arlis out from the deepest reaches of the mountains, under such perilous conditions, was proof enough of his extraordinary nature.

Garson was eager to understand the true limits of this young soldier’s potential—it would determine how many resources and how much cultivation he could justify securing for Raine in the future.

But with Arlis still unconscious, the truth would have to wait until Raine awakened.

"Several alien beast lords in the mountains have been cleared,"

Tom added.

"That area connects directly to Crimson City’s flank—its strategic value has increased dramatically."

"We must dispatch troops to secure it as soon as possible. I suspect High Priest Sydell will realize this very soon."

Garson nodded.

"Inform Bloodhowl Highlands and have them prepare."

...

Deep within Iron Dragon Fortress, inside a quiet stone chamber.

A delicate-featured young girl stood guard by the bedside, her hands clasped tightly as she whispered constant prayers.

Richard had already administered several extremely rare healing elixirs to Arlis, continuously guiding their effects with Nex to repair her injuries.

A tender green sprig, radiating dense life energy, was carefully merged into her body—slowing the loss of vitality and beginning to awaken her own life force.

Only after finishing all this did Richard withdraw his hands and let out a long breath.

"Uncle Richard, how is Sister Arlis?"

the girl asked urgently, her eyes full of worry.

"Her condition has stabilized for now, and her vitality is recovering, but..."

Richard sighed softly.

"The damage to her origin is beyond my ability to fully repair."

"Beyond repair?"

The girl’s brows knit together.

"Wouldn’t that severely affect her future strength and advancement?"

For someone hailed as a prodigy like Arlis, that would be a devastating blow.

"Don’t worry too much," Richard reassured her.

"Just because I can’t fix it doesn’t mean there’s no solution. It’s simply that Iron Dragon Fortress lacks the proper conditions."

"We need to send her back to the rear as soon as possible and have specialists in this field treat her."

Hearing this, the girl finally felt a measure of relief.

"Thankfully, we were the ones who found her first. If she had fallen into the hands of the alien races..."

Richard didn’t finish the sentence, lingering fear evident in his tone.

The girl’s expression grew solemn as well.

Suddenly, an image surfaced in her mind—the figure pierced through the chest by a silver spear, yet still clutching Arlis tightly.

She was about to ask about it when Garson entered the room.

"No unexpected issues?"

Garson asked, glancing at the still-unconscious Arlis on the bed.

Richard replied,

"The external and major internal injuries are under control, but the damage to her origin is severe. I must take her back to the rear wall immediately."

"The sooner, the better,"

Garson said after a moment of silence.

"Come, take a walk with me,"

Garson said to Richard.

Richard glanced once more at Arlis, then followed Garson out into the courtyard.

"Have the pursuers from the mountains withdrawn?"

Richard asked.

Those were the main forces that had hunted Arlis—if they hadn’t left, Iron Dragon Fortress would be under enormous threat.

Garson answered,

"Over a dozen alien race prodigies involved in the pursuit are dead. Several alien beast lords were also cleared."

"Not only is there no immediate threat—it’s actually eased the pressure on our flank."

"That’s good,"

Richard nodded, then seemed to recall something.

"By the way, how is that youngster who saved Arlis?"

Garson replied evenly,

"He’s out of mortal danger."

He paused, then added casually,

"You might not know this, but he only joined the patrol not long ago. He’s still just a recruit."

"..."

Richard’s steps faltered almost imperceptibly.

Garson did not stop walking, and Richard had no choice but to follow.

"His family seems to have died. He was raised by elders from his village."

"He was only conscripted a short while ago."

"From the moment he stepped onto the battlefield, he fought like every other ordinary soldier—on the very front lines."

"He never fears battle. He always charges at the front, and the morale of his unit is noticeably higher because of it."

"He’s outstanding. With only Formal-rank strength, he’s killed many Elite-rank alien races—including some carefully cultivated alien prodigies."

"And this time..."

Garson’s voice grew heavier.

"He risked his life to carry your people out from the deepest part of the mountains—only to have nearly every bone in his body shattered, not a single piece of flesh left intact."

...