Gao Zhanxiang looked apologetic as he said, "I can't reveal the specifics of the mission right now for fear of leaking information. I hope you understand, Qin, my friend."

"No problem, consider me in for this operation," Qin Yan replied. During this time, Qin Yan occasionally worked with the Special Task Force members outside, becoming acquainted with Gao Zhanxiang and the others, so he didn't ask for more details.

Gao Zhanxiang smiled and said, "That's great. With your help, Qin, I believe this mission will be a success. Here, we have all kinds of weapons. Feel free to choose what you want."

The large room served as an equipment warehouse, filled with various weapons such as swords, spears, and magic wands for magic users. Gao Zhanxiang walked to a corner of the room, took out a three to four-meter-long metal spear from a shelf, and said, "I'll use this. It's best if you all choose different types of weapons for better coordination."

"Looks like Captain Gao is taking this seriously if we're getting armed," Lin Shiqi chuckled, teasing Qin Yan, "Are you scared?"

"You should be more concerned about yourself," Qin Yan retorted as he selected a suitable weapon from the rack. "Physical ability users like me have stronger defenses compared to magic users like you. If something happens, it's more likely to affect you first, being a squishy mage."

"Right, that makes sense," Lin Shiqi couldn't help but laugh at herself. She put on a pleasing smile and followed behind Qin Yan, saying, "But you'll protect me and make sure I don't get hurt, won't you?"

Not wanting to feel pressured, Qin Yan deliberately adopted a cold demeanor and said, "Don't count on me. I'm just as afraid of death as you are. If something happens, I'll only focus on myself."

"Tsk," Lin Shiqi grumbled discontentedly, sighing, "Looks like I should write my will in advance. Who knows if I'll come back alive from this mission."

"Don't talk like that!" Li Ruobing scolded from the side.

"I'm not talking nonsense. Look, he's ignoring me. By the way, Sister Bing, you're so powerful. Why aren't you joining this mission?" Lin Shiqi asked.

"I can't go," Li Ruobing said solemnly. "I must stay at the Academy to prevent other forces from attacking during this time."

"I guess my luck isn't looking good this time," Lin Shiqi sighed.

"Don't worry," Li Ruobing comforted her. "To ensure the success of this mission, I've invited Dream Butterfly to join us. She's agreed."

"What, Dream Butterfly? She's going too?" The attention of everyone turned to Li Ruobing, who anticipated their reaction and calmly explained, "Why are you all so surprised? Although Dream Butterfly doesn't practice magic or physical abilities, her mental perception is extremely strong and can provide significant assistance to all of you."

"That's great," Gao Zhanxiang beamed with happiness. "I haven't seen Miss Dream Butterfly in a long time. I wonder how she's been. Oh, by the way, it seems like Dream Butterfly doesn't have a boyfriend yet, right? I think we'd make a good match, hehe..."

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"Captain Gao, don't even think about it," Lin Shiqi glared at Gao Zhanxiang. "I'm warning you, this mission is serious business. If you do anything unrelated during the operation and mess things up, I won't let you off the hook."

"What do you take me for, little brother?" Gao Zhanxiang pretended to be angry. "Do you think I can't differentiate between seriousness and jest? But..."

Gao Zhanxiang's face broke into a silly smile. "If I perform exceptionally well on this mission and Dream Butterfly is enchanted by my heroic demeanor, falling for me on her own accord, it's not entirely impossible, right? Haha."

"Idiot!" Lin Shiqi knew Gao Zhanxiang's nature and didn't bother saying more. Shortly after, they chose their weapons and loaded them onto an off-road vehicle for the next day's use.

That night, they rested early. The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Qin Yan was awakened by a strange sensation. He felt as if there were voices outside. Getting out of bed and walking to the corridor, he saw Lin Shiqi in a thin white nightgown, standing on the second-floor corridor, gazing into the distant sky.

"Qin Yan, you're up. Come and take a look. You probably haven't seen the world when a solar storm hits before, right?" Lin Shiqi, with a hint of excitement on her face, said to Qin Yan who had just emerged.

"A solar storm?" Qin Yan joined Lin Shiqi on the second-floor corridor, wide-eyed as he looked up at the sky. The sky today had a slightly different color than usual. Although the sun hadn't risen yet, there was a peculiar white light emanating from the sky. Additionally, the air seemed hazier than normal, and the temperature was higher. This scene brought back memories of ten years ago for Qin Yan, making him realize that the solar storm was indeed upon them.

Although under the solar storm, Qin Yan felt no discomfort in his body. Whether it was his perception or reality, in this environment, Qin Yan felt that his condition was better than usual, as if his Esper level and strength had significantly increased.

Suddenly, the door next to them creaked open, and Li Ruobing, dressed in blue and white, stepped out of the room. She addressed Qin Yan and Lin Shiqi on the corridor, "Stop standing here like fools. Get ready. Captain Gao will come to pick you up in half an hour."

They acknowledged and proceeded to freshen up, have breakfast, and prepare for the mission. Lin Shiqi chose her usual red dress with a black skirt, paired with knee-high black stockings and her signature twin ponytails. Qin Yan wore a sporty outfit with shorts to facilitate movement. Half an hour later, a white off-road vehicle arrived at the dormitory building to pick them up, with Gao Zhanxiang from the Special Task Force there to escort them.

After getting ready, Qin Yan went downstairs and greeted Gao Zhanxiang and the others in the off-road vehicle. Seeing that the last row of seats was empty, he opened the door and took a seat there directly.

Shortly after, Lin Shiqi also came down. With three rows of seats in the off-road vehicle, Zhao Liang and Zhou Xiaohui sat in the middle row. Lin Shiqi noticed the empty passenger seat and tried to sit there, but Gao Zhanxiang, who was driving, gestured to her repeatedly and mumbled something unclear, seemingly indicating for her not to sit there.

"What's the deal? Are you crazy?" Lin Shiqi hesitated for a moment before sitting in the last row.

Suddenly, light footsteps sounded as two young women descended from the dormitory building. Gao Zhanxiang, who was in the car, was momentarily stunned, then quickly got out to greet the two newcomers—Dream Butterfly and Li Ruobing.

Li Ruobing was dressed in a blue and white dress, her brows slightly furrowed, maintaining her usual icy demeanor. Dream Butterfly, on the other hand, wore a dress in a light yellow hue, her gaze focused and her expression calm and serene. Both of them were young, beautiful, and graceful, with one exuding an elegant and dignified aura, while the other appeared as cold as frost. Standing together, they formed a striking and beautiful scene, leaving Gao Zhanxiang so captivated that his eyes couldn't look away.