Human cities like Haicheng, serving as humanity's outermost line of defense, were never like the Great Wall of that ancient nation Su Bai once knew before he crossed over.
Humanity simply didn't have the strength to establish a continuous, solid defensive line.
Instead, for survival's sake, cities were built as scattered strongholds, like nodes across a deadly wilderness.
The upside of this arrangement? It prevented death beasts from forming overwhelming swarms that could crush humans in one devastating wave.
But the downside… was nothing around the cities was ever truly safe.
The roads connecting one city to another were so dangerous that no ordinary civilian dared travel them—only organized groups of Awakeners stood a chance of survival.
"There are countless death beast clusters surrounding Haicheng."
Zhu Jianyuan pointed to the map spread across the table.
"Over the years, we've never stopped exploring the outskirts."
"Many brave Awakeners gave their lives to secure even this much intelligence."
"There's one thing we've learned: every death beast cluster has at least one high-level beast acting as a leader."
"D-class death beasts are everywhere—we don't even count those anymore."
"But here, here, and here—" Zhu circled three locations on the map.
"—are where the B- and C-class death beasts are concentrated. Truthfully, Haicheng's current strength could wipe them out."
He tapped the table, his expression serious.
"But we've avoided doing so—not out of fear of casualties…"
"It's because—"
Zhu's pen stabbed heavily into a point just beyond the marked zones.
"As much as I hate to admit it—these lower-level death beast clusters act as a barrier for us."
"Just beyond them are areas teeming with A-class death beasts, even S-class monsters among them."
"We don't touch the outer edges… because disturbing the inner monsters could lead to disaster."
"Death beasts fight amongst themselves too, sure—but not often. And those A- and S-class beasts have strong territorial instincts. Normally, they won't intrude on the zones held by weaker death beasts."
"But if we move in and start claiming those zones—if we bring human activity too close—they'll go berserk. The moment they sense us…"
Su Bai nodded silently.
None of this was ever written in the textbooks.
It explained perfectly why humanity had never built a continuous wall of defense—the risks were simply too high.
If they tried to form a perimeter, they'd provoke high-level death beasts en masse. Even the most fortified cities couldn't withstand an onslaught of multiple S-class monsters.
"So instead… it's safer to let those B- and C-class zones act as a buffer."
"We can handle them. But A-class? Not easily. And S-class? Not even the best-prepared city could handle that."
But that situation… was about to change.
"Our first goal is to extend Haicheng's control to this area."
Zhu Jianyuan drew a wide circle on the map.
"These B-, C-, and D-class death beasts will serve as ideal opponents for the Pokémon Corps to gain real battle experience."
"But to do that, we must eliminate these two major clusters first."
He pointed to two areas on the outer edge of the marked zone—twin strongholds.
"These are major A-class death beast zones."
"Our latest intel shows that each location has at least two S-class beasts guarding it. The scale of those clusters is comparable to a full deathbeast siege."
"The only silver lining is that the stronger the death beast, the larger the territory it needs."
"So these clusters, while powerful, aren't too dense. That gives us breathing room."
"The two eastern zones—leave those to the Pokémon Corps. I'll lead them myself. I've also contacted an S-class ally—the one who helped us during the last siege."
"As for the west…"
Zhu Jianyuan lifted his gaze to Su Bai, eyes solemn.
"Su Bai… this is where you must step in."
"Haicheng lacks the manpower. If we want a better future, we must mobilize every last capable hand!"
Zhu knew Su Bai's strength well—at the very least, it was equal to his own, if not greater.
"The Pokémon Center and the City Hall have been in close communication. We've kept records of every Trainer."
"And thanks to the Pokémon Center's explosive growth, Haicheng now boasts 230 awakened Trainers, and another 30 non-awakened Trainers."
"Of those 230 Awakened Trainers, three-quarters are students from Haicheng First High."
"And their Pokémon development… may not be inferior to the Pokémon Corps."
"They've also faced the siege firsthand. They have experience, and they have heart."
Zhu Jianyuan looked Su Bai in the eye.
"And you… Su Bai. For you, S-class death beasts shouldn't be too hard to handle, right?"
Su Bai nodded without hesitation.
There was no point in hiding it—his strength had long since been verified, and he'd already surpassed the so-called S-class threshold.
There were whispers that humanity had a tier beyond S-class, but Zhu hadn't mentioned it, and Su Bai didn't bother asking.
He was just a Pokémon shopkeeper, after all. The politics of the Awakened hierarchy? Not his problem.
"Still… I don't have much experience leading a team…"
Su Bai scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
Sure, he'd been a Pokémon instructor at Haicheng First High for a week, but actually leading a team into battle? That was a different story.
System or not, Su Bai wasn't omniscient.
In his past life, he'd just been an ordinary kid. He'd never commanded a team—let alone a combat operation.
His shop staff? Just him, some loyal and intelligent Pokémon, and one hardworking kid, Zhou Xiaofei.
"Don't worry about that."
Zhu Jianyuan smiled, relieved now that Su Bai hadn't rejected the request outright.
"I've already contacted an A-class professional squad to help with command and coordination."
"And you know them."
He turned to Liu Yunlan, who had been listening intently.
"It's Liu Yunshuang and Ji Wei's A-class team—they should arrive soon."
"This time, it's the full team, and they're extremely experienced."
"They'll manage the awakened Trainers who aren't part of Haicheng First High."
"As for the students from First High? They already worship you like a hero. If you say go east, they wouldn't dare head west."
"To help coordinate, we've also assigned a few senior teachers to manage them in the field."
"In short—you don't have to worry about command."
"And yes, it's true that letting these kids face real combat is dangerous."
"But becoming a Trainer means accepting the responsibility of facing death beasts head-on."
"Humanity can't afford to fear its own future."
Zhu's words made Su Bai nod subconsciously.
It was true. Haicheng First High, especially under the old principal's guidance, placed great emphasis on discipline and respect.
Xiao Zhang was just one of many outstanding examples.
And during his time teaching, Su Bai had genuinely given it his all.
The students could tell—and they'd come to see him as more than a teacher.
As a leader, Su Bai's words carried real weight.
Seeing Su Bai finally nod, Zhu Jianyuan let out a long breath of relief.
Had Su Bai refused, there would've been nothing he could've done.
Su Bai had every right to decline—his safety was too important.
"If this were Kyoto, you wouldn't be asked to do anything like this."
"But even here in Haicheng—you're a treasure to us."
Zhu reached into his belt and pulled out a sealed scroll, handing it to Su Bai with a solemn expression.
"I believe in your strength. But no matter how much I believe—you cannot be allowed to fall."
"From every perspective, you cannot die."
"Haicheng may not be as wealthy as Kyoto, but that doesn't mean we'll let you take unnecessary risks."
"Keep this scroll with you."
"If things go wrong—don't hesitate, don't look back. Just open the scroll."
"Even if Haicheng falls to the death beasts… as long as you survive, humanity still has a fighting chance."