This wasn’t just a group of survivors—this was the very foundation of his future Divine Legion!
A healer, a Machinist, and a Summoner.
Add to that the Mage Su Qingyue and the Archer Gu Yihan.
This was the perfect Five-player Black Squad!
"You..."
Under Lin Ji’s intensely invasive gaze, the three women felt deeply uncomfortable.
It was as if their clothes had been stripped away by his eyes.
"Hmph!"
Tang Ling snorted coldly, gripping her Mechanical Crossbow so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a woman before?"
"Keep looking and I’ll gouge your eyes out!"
She had a fiery temper, having spent so much time around the engineering guys in the lab that she spoke bluntly and directly.
Before Lin Ji could respond,
Gu Yihan suddenly moved.
She took a step forward, positioning herself directly in front of Lin Ji.
With her tall figure, she blocked Tang Ling’s hostile glare and the line of fire from her crossbow.
Her Storm Hunter Bow lifted slightly, the bowstring drawn halfway.
Though she said nothing,
her protective stance spoke volumes.
He was her man.
Anyone who dared touch him would face her arrows.
Looking at the slender back shielding him, Lin Ji’s lips curved into a faint smile.
He knew this was also part of Gu Yihan’s little scheme—a way to demonstrate her loyalty and value.
But he had to admit,
being protected by such a stunning beauty felt rather nice.
The atmosphere grew tense and confrontational.
Just then,
it was the more mature and steady Shen Manyun who broke the stalemate.
She patted Tang Ling’s shoulder, signaling her to lower the crossbow.
Then, she offered Lin Ji a gentle smile.
"Classmate, don’t mind her. Tang Ling just has that kind of temper."
"Since we’re all alumni, and meeting out here on the vast ocean is fate in itself..."
"Thank you for helping us earlier and dealing with those two troublemakers."
Here, Shen Manyun paused, her eyes carrying a hint of expectation and caution.
"Um... classmate, since you’re so capable..."
"Would you be interested... in forming a team?"
"But let’s be clear—I’ll be the team leader. After all, I’m older and a teacher."
"Form a team?"
"And you want to be the leader?"
Hearing these words, Lin Ji didn’t show the enthusiasm Shen Manyun had anticipated.
He merely glanced at the sailboat and shook his head with a light laugh.
"Teacher Shen, though we’re alumni..."
"You should understand that in this world, an extra person means an extra mouth to feed."
"My ship doesn’t carry freeloaders."
"To board my ship, a pretty face alone won’t be enough."
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere on the opposite boat shifted instantly.
Tang Ling, wearing her overalls, felt her temper flare up.
She had always been proud and confident.
As a prodigy in the mechanical engineering department, she had been pampered and praised both at school and at home.
When had she ever been treated like this?
"What do you mean by that?"
Tang Ling stepped forward, gripping her Mechanical Crossbow even tighter.
"You think we’re just deadweight?"
"Don’t think you’re so great just because you have a lousy bow! I’m not someone to be trifled with either!"
"Looking for a fight?"
Before Lin Ji could speak, Gu Yihan had already responded coldly.
The Storm Hunter Bow in her hand was drawn to its full extent, the arrowhead aimed directly at Tang Ling’s forehead.
The icy killing intent made Tang Ling’s heart tighten.
She could sense that the woman opposite her was serious.
And...
That feeling of being locked on by the wind made her realize that if she dared to pull the trigger, the other’s arrow would definitely reach her first.
Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control again.
"Tang Ling! Put the crossbow down!"
Shen Manyun quickly grabbed Tang Ling’s hand and pulled her behind her.
Then, she turned around, looking at Lin Ji with a hint of apology, but her eyes also held a trace of seriousness.
"Lin Ji, you’re right."
Shen Manyun tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a confident smile.
"In this world, value determines everything."
"Since you want to see our sincerity, I’ll be straightforward."
"Although the three of us may not match your combat abilities, our talents are exactly what you lack right now."
As she spoke, she pointed at herself.
"Me, Shen Manyun."
"E-grade talent: Hemostasis."
"Although it sounds ordinary, I can handle most external injuries and prevent infections."
"In this vast ocean where medicine is scarce, I think you understand the value of a doctor."
Lin Ji nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.
A doctor was indeed important.
Shen Manyun seemed to have anticipated this. She immediately pointed to the twin-tailed girl behind her who had been spacing out.
"Bai Taotao."
"E-grade talent: Affinity."
"She can emit a special magnetic field that reduces the aggression of nearby Small Sea Monsters or wild beasts."
"With her around, the probability of our raft being attacked by sharks will be greatly reduced."
Lin Ji raised an eyebrow.
If this skill were upgraded, it had great potential!
It could even help him avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble in the early stages.
"Finally..."
Shen Manyun pulled over Tang Ling, who still looked defiant, her tone tinged with pride.
"This is Tang Ling."
"E-grade talent: Assembly."
"She is not only proficient in using various machinery, but most importantly..."
"She can handcraft a workbench!"
"As long as there are materials, she can make all kinds of basic tools and even upgrade existing equipment!"
"The Water Purifier on our raft and this Mechanical Crossbow were both made by her."
"Without the weapons she crafted, the three of us might have already been..."
Her voice trailed off.
Lin Ji’s pupils contracted slightly.
Assembly!
It was actually a Manufacturing-type Talent!
In this Survival Game, if one were to rank the most scarce professions...
Besides Intelligence-gathering types, it would definitely be Artisans!
With an Artisan, it meant the Technology Tree could be unlocked.
It meant rafts could become War Ships, and Cold Weapons could become Thermal Weapons!
This was practically a Logistics Captain delivered right to his doorstep!
Lin Ji was overjoyed inside.
Healing, beast-repelling, manufacturing.
These three talents were simply the perfect Support Iron Triangle!
Paired with Gu Yihan’s Long-range Output, Su Qingyue’s Field Control, and his own command and Intelligence...
This wasn’t just a Survival Squad.
This was practically a Full-equipped National Team!
However.
Lin Ji didn’t show the slightest hint of excitement on his face.
As a master negotiator, he knew one principle well: whoever reveals their needs first loses.
If I appear too eager now, I’ll definitely be taken advantage of by these three women.
"Hmm, sounds passable."
Lin Ji commented lightly.
His tone was as indifferent as if he were picking cabbages at a vegetable market.
"Passable?"
Tang Ling nearly exploded with anger. "Do you even know what you’re talking about? Our support talent can—"
"Can what?"
Lin Ji cut her off. "Can it make nuclear bombs? Can it build aircraft carriers?"
"And unless I misheard, your talents seem to be the lowest E-grade, right?"
"Uh..." Tang Ling choked. "We don’t have enough materials right now..."
"Then that settles it."
Lin Ji spread his hands. "As you are now, you can only make some small gadgets and serve as mascots."
"But have you ever thought about this?"
"In this world full of Sea Monsters and thugs."
"Support without combat protection is just a walking piece of meat."
As he spoke, Lin Ji’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.
He pointed at the two floating corpses from earlier.
"Just like them."
"If you hadn’t run into us, do you think that broken crossbow of yours could have stopped that kind of Self-detonation Attack?"
Shen Manyun and Tang Ling’s faces instantly turned pale.