A Frenzied Rise
What he didn't know was that just one day later...
"Squeak!!"
The metal door to the isolation room was pushed open.
Chen Fan emerged, his aura becoming increasingly restrained and profound. He looked even more ordinary than before his seclusion, like a boy next door.
But only he knew that he had perfectly absorbed the energy of the thirty crystal cores.
The amount of Life-and-Death Dao Blood in his body has increased from 360 drops to 410 drops!
The foundation of the mid-stage Undying Realm is becoming increasingly solid.
Feeling the surging power within him like a vast ocean, Chen Fan looked out the window at the cold, desolate Starry Battlefield, a rare, almost imperceptible smile curving his lips.
This goal-oriented approach to becoming stronger made him feel for the first time...
The front lines seem like a good place.
From that day on, the Pioneer Team Seven's mission mode was completely overturned.
When the alarm for a new Insect Tide sounded again, before Lei Kun and his two companions could even get into battle mode, Chen Fan had already disappeared alone into the darkness outside the gate.
By the time they arrived at their designated defense zone in their combat vehicles, the battle was already over.
The ground was littered with the remains of the Insect Race, but all the high-value Commander- level Insect Race had vanished without a trace, leaving only a few dark gold Life Cores on the ground.
Lei Kun and his two companions exchanged a silent glance and quietly began to take on the role of battlefield cleanup workers.
Collect the cores, clean up the battlefield.
The former main attacker has now become the most efficient support, clearer, and loot collector.
They had no complaints whatsoever; on the contrary... they enjoyed it immensely.
Because every time they returned from a mission, when the Monkey announced the squad's latest ranking in a trembling voice, the feeling of crawling back from hell was enough to bring tears to the eyes of these three veterans who had struggled in despair for years.
Fourteenth place.
Thirteenth place.
12th place.
With such terrifying hunting efficiency, the name [Pioneer Team Seven] rose like a dark horse that had broken free of all reins, soaring wildly on the leaderboard of War Zone 450 at an almost frenzied pace!
Two weeks later.
When another mission ended, the three of them skillfully cleaned up the battlefield and returned to the barracks.
The Monkey stared at the Light Screen on its Personal Terminal, its fingers repeatedly rearranging themselves on the virtual keyboard, as if it couldn't believe its eyes.
He raised his head and looked at Lei Kun and Leng Yan, his voice trembling violently with extreme excitement, almost incoherent.
"Team leader..."
"The... the tenth..."
"We... we really made it into the top ten!"
Lei Kun's one One-Eye instantly turned red. He slammed his fist into the metal wall with a deafening roar, but felt no pain whatsoever.
Leng Yan leaned against the wall, and a hint of emotion finally appeared on her usually icy face.
Just as the three were immersed in immense joy and a sense of unreality, Chen Fan had just finished washing up, came out of the cubicle, drying his hair, and asked curiously.
What's all the noise about?
The ecstasy on Lei Kun's and the other two's faces vanished instantly. Lei Kun took a deep breath, about to report this incredibly good news.
"Chen Feng! Tenth! We've fucking... broke into the top ten!"
Both the Monkey and Leng Yan were flushed and breathing rapidly.
For the past two weeks, they felt like they were living in a dream.
They watched helplessly as the leaderboard, which had once loomed over them like an insurmountable chasm, was trampled underfoot by that young man with the ease of a stroll.
However, the expected surprise or praise from the boy did not materialize.
Chen Fan simply gave a calm "oh," his amber eyes remaining calm and still, as if listening to something trivial.
He dried his hair, casually draped a towel over his shoulder, and corrected him in a nonchalant tone:
"Really? That's good, but our goal is first place."
"The... first?"
This casual remark instantly extinguished the flames of elation in the hearts of Lei Kun and his companions.
They stood there, stunned, their minds blank.
The top ten is a position they've struggled for three years, a position they never even dared to dream of.
But at this moment, in the eyes of the boys, this finish line seems to be... merely an insignificant starting point.
After a brief silence, Lei Kun was the first to react.
Looking at Chen Fan's youthful yet earnest face, the overwhelming shock in his heart eventually transformed into a surge of boundless pride that he couldn't quite decide whether to laugh or cry.
He suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face, the crisp sound echoing in the barracks.
"Smack!"
"Yeah! Damn, number one!"
Lei Kun grinned, and an unprecedented light burst forth from his One-Eye.
"I'm going to go crazy with you to the very end today!"
Monkey and Leng Yan exchanged a glance, recovering from the shock of their realization, their faces also displaying resolute and fanatical expressions.
With such a powerful figure in the team, to think of staying in a corner is the greatest disrespect to the god!
"Let's go! To the Mission Hall!"
Spurred on by Chen Fan's primary goal, the three were filled with fighting spirit and decided to immediately take on even more challenging tasks to continue their crazy path of reversal.
The four arrived at the bustling Mission Hall.
This is the liveliest place in the entire War Zone 450. Hundreds of taxi drivers, covered in blood and having just finished their missions, hand over their duties here to exchange for Merit Points or simply gulp down a glass of cheap alcohol to numb their tired nerves.
When Lei Kun, Leng Yan, Monkey, and the unfamiliar young man walked in together, the noisy sounds in the hall paused for a moment.
Many veterans looked surprised to see the entire Pioneer Team Seven present.
In their memory, this cannon fodder team, which had always been at the bottom of the pack, hadn't appeared so well-organized in a long time. They were either lying in the medical pod with severed limbs or simply left behind on the battlefield forever.
"Hey, isn't that Lei One-Eye? And those guys around him... why do they look so energetic?"
"Who's that kid? A newbie? Tsk tsk, another one coming to die."
"I heard... the Pioneer Team Seven seems to be doing something strange lately, their ranking keeps climbing."
Whispers arose from the crowd, but more than anything, there was disdain and indifference.
Here, only strength and ranking earn respect.
Lei Kun ignored the stares around him; he straightened his back with an unprecedented confidence.
He led the three of them straight to the mission Light Screen in the center of the hall.
However, just as they were about to arrive, a group of burly taxi drivers blocked their way.
The leader was a burly man with a towering build, arms crossed, his face bearing undisguised mockery and provocation.
It was Ma Kui, the captain of the Mad Rhino Squad, who had always been ranked near them but was now lagging behind in thirteenth place.
Ma Kui sized up Lei Kun and his group, his gaze finally settling on Chen Fan. He sneered and spoke in Yin-Yang tone.
"Hey, isn't this our famous One-Eye Lei? I heard your team's had some incredible luck lately, climbing to tenth place already?"