Bilo lightly raised a hand, signaling to Christine to speak. Qian Jin redirected the majority of his attention to Christine; compared to the taciturn Bilo, Christine's explanations would clearly be more comprehensible.

"The Freak Alliance," that was just a moniker the academy folks slapped on us," Christine steadied her emotions. "Our actual name is the Indomitable Alliance."

Qian Jin quietly gestured for Christine to continue.

"Simply put, it’s a gathering of those within the academy who have no desire to serve as anyone's vassal," Christine said after a slight pause. "Perhaps we aren't the most outstanding among everyone, maybe we don't even qualify as 'outstanding,' but we are a small collective formed by those who refuse to be subordinates."

Qian Jin let out a faint "Oh," realizing why it was called the Indomitable Alliance.

"As for why we're also called 'Freaks'..."

A sudden, sharp gust of wind swept past, and Christine instinctively drew her arms tight across her chest.

Qian Jin found the gesture in Christine’s movement familiar. He recalled Hua Yan’s similar action back in the borderlands. At the time, he hadn't reacted at all and had even earned a minor reprimand from her.

Strip! Qian Jin decisively shrugged off his outer coat, wrapping his arms around Christine’s frame and draping the garment over her shoulders.

Christine tilted her chin mechanically, allowing Qian Jin to place the coat on her and make slight adjustments. Her cheeks instantly flushed hot.

Another blast of cold wind hit, and Qian Jin noticed Bilo beside him subconsciously hugging her arms as well. That blue evening gown was certainly unsuitable for an evening carrying even a slight chill.

Thank heavens! Qian Jin scratched his hair. Thank goodness for his Battle Sphere, where he kept a few sets of clean clothes. If not for the Sphere, he’d likely be holding Bilo to keep her warm, but he supposed the real Bilo wouldn't have allowed that—she was a girl, after all.

Christine regained her composure, firmly 'pinning down' the little deer that felt like it was about to leap from her chest. "The reason we’re called the Freak Alliance is because every member of this small group has a specific preference that others find quite peculiar," she explained.

"Take me, for instance." Christine shifted her posture slightly, leaning toward Qian Jin both intentionally and unintentionally. "I’m deeply fond of military history. I find I can learn a great deal about strategic maneuvering and tactics from it."

Qian Jin nodded, perplexed. "That’s great, how is that strange?"

Christine hesitated, then whispered, "I like studying the military history of the Barbarian Tribes."

"Oh? Is that so?" Qian Jin felt a flicker of surprise. Even in the Qian family library, the majority of ancestral war studies focused exclusively on the armies of the True Strategy Dynasty and the warfare methods of their sworn enemy, the Demon Race.

"Studying ourselves is for better leveraging our strengths and compensating for our weaknesses. Studying the Demon Race is to uncover their army's vulnerabilities," Christine murmured softly. "But the Barbarian Tribes, a force that has never possessed the ultimate bloodline power, have always persisted, haven't they? Doesn't that warrant study?"

Qian Jin gazed at Christine with appreciation. This viewpoint had been raised more than once in the records of his ancestors in the Qian family library, as well as in the military histories concerning the True Strategy Dynasty. Many renowned generals had shared this sentiment.

Even today, both the Demon Race and the high command of the True Strategy Dynasty still maintained specialized think tanks dedicated to researching the Barbarian Tribes. However, to avoid arousing too much suspicion from the Tribes—which might cause them to align with the other side—these studies were conducted more discreetly, rather than being fully publicized.

"Bilo focuses on the study of magic," Christine sensed Qian Jin’s gaze and, becoming nervous again, quickly shifted the topic to Bilo. "The reason she is called a freak..."

Qian Jin nodded with an expression that clearly said, I completely understand why Bilo is called a freak. For someone who appeared to have negligible magical talent, reaching this level required an immense investment of resources. Any clear-headed person would choose to abandon further pursuit of magic. Yet, Bilo displayed immense passion for it, showing absolutely no intention of quitting, and carried the air of someone who absolutely would not rest until she became a legendary mage.

"There are a few others in similar situations," Christine counted on her fingers. "Andusiu is only about 1.65 meters tall but weighs a solid two hundred pounds, having entered the academy as a warrior cadet. Everyone says he must slim down, or he'll never be fit for combat, but he refuses to lose weight, continuing to eat heartily while diligently practicing warrior skills. Alas..."

"I can imagine," Qian Jin supported himself by placing his hands behind him on the ground. "One of the basic requirements for a warrior is agility. With his physique, under normal theoretical assumptions, he isn't suited to be a warrior."

Christine expressed complete agreement. Now that she aimed to become a general commanding thousands on the battlefield, rather than a frontline fighter, she certainly wouldn't select such 'talent' when vetting soldiers.

A fat man? Over two hundred pounds? Qian Jin's eyes suddenly lit up. That was it! He possessed a particular, somewhat specialized Battle Skill he had won from Enrak’s Qi Chamber...

"Down!"

Qian Jin’s body shuddered violently as a flow of icy coldness surged up his spine to his brain. His arms spread wide like a mother hen sheltering her chicks, pulling Bilo and Christine into a tight embrace. He slammed downward, and a piercing, whistling sound of an arrow tearing through the air echoed.

Thwack! Three strong arrows embedded themselves fiercely into the earth, kicking up sprays of wet soil. Half the shafts of the arrows, still vibrating at high speed, hummed audibly as they rubbed against the air.

"What was that...?"

Before Christine could finish her sentence, Qian Jin tightened his hold, pressing them both fully against him. His feet stomped hard against the ground, launching his body forward in a high-speed dash. Where they had just been standing and moving, three more swift arrows struck the ground in rapid succession, each penetrating deeper than the last.

Rapid volley? The Divine Archery of the Yi Yu Family? Qian Jin’s scalp tingled wildly. That was the Divine Archery technique of the Yi Yu lineage! What was happening? Had his secret practice of the Yi Yu Family's archery been discovered? The shooter’s skill was vastly superior to the one he encountered in the forest three years ago!

A total of seven arrows followed, the last one nearly grazing Qian Jin’s back. Each arrow was faster than the last, approaching the advanced stage of Rapid Volley, which was the Five Month Rain Assault! It was almost an arrow-filled downpour!

No! This isn't the Rapid Volley! Qian Jin's brow furrowed. Could his practice of the archery technique be flawed? Based on the speed, angle, and force of these incoming arrows, there was a subtle difference from the Rapid Volley.

Twang! Another ear-splitting arrow cry cut the air. Qian Jin suddenly felt a surge of powerful magic erupt from the embrace around his chest! Bilo’s black hair, fine as silk, whipped upwards like a reversed waterfall. Her tightly shut eyes snapped open, spewing forth an aura and an icy, potent presence.

Rumble!

The soil on the ground rapidly converged and piled up, forming a conical mound over three meters high. It collided with the incoming arrow in a deafening crash; the entire arrow disintegrated into fragments. The conical mound wobbled briefly before scattering back onto the ground.

Huang Quan! Qian Jin hadn't expected that in such a situation, Huang Quan would forcefully seize control of her sister’s body and awaken abruptly in his arms.

"I remember you groping my chest," Huang Quan’s calm voice drifted from her lips. Qian Jin suddenly realized the awkwardness of his embrace: while his arms were holding them, his hands were precisely gripping both beautiful women’s breasts.

No wonder the sensation felt so comfortable... Qian Jin instinctively tightened his grip slightly with five fingers. Christine’s body burned with heat; she didn't know how to react to this sudden development.

"You squeezed again. I remembered that too," Huang Quan’s voice remained utterly composed, as if what Qian Jin was cupping wasn't her chest. "I have this covered."

Qian Jin’s face flushed scalding hot. This reaction was purely instinctive, triggered only by hearing someone confirm he was holding two chests.

Another wave of chilling, bone-piercing killing intent locked onto him, instantly extinguishing Qian Jin’s thought of trying to explain himself to Huang Quan first.

"Take care of yourselves. I’m going to catch him!"

Qian Jin suddenly released his arms. His ankle joints twisted against the ground, the massive rotational force causing his warrior boots to creak several times before they were wrenched apart, instantly turning into old, worn-out shoes that looked like they’d seen years of use.

A gigantic earth spike suddenly erupted from the ground again, blocking the two incoming arrows and churning up more loose dirt.

Christine stood to the side, staring blankly at Huang Quan, unable to stop swallowing. Was this... was this Bilo? The same Bilo rumored to have almost no magical talent, mocked by countless magic students behind their backs and even to her face?

Instantaneous casting! And successive instantaneous casts at that! Earth spikes! One after another, cast instantly! She was back! The prodigious genius, the Great Mage Bilo, who had swept away all the magic students when she accompanied Headmaster Rodriguez to the proficiency examination that year, was back!

No! She's even stronger! Christine squeezed her eyes shut; yes! She was definitely stronger! The enemy had just sent an arrow powerful enough to breach the earth spike, yet she had instantly raised three massive spikes from the ground in succession.

Another sharp whistle signaled an arrow slicing through the air, so piercing it sounded like someone utterly inept at the violin was frantically sawing away at the strings.

On the roof of the academy's five-story Second Teaching Building! Qian Jin sprinted rapidly toward the incoming arrow. He leaned his body slightly to the side, allowing the arrow, which seemed capable of ripping the air apart, to embed itself deep into the soil without even grazing his clothing before it vanished.