Military Ranks? Not Even Dogs Want Them!

Someone at the base saw Yang Bo rushing out and muttered to themselves that Bird-Slaying Bro must have something wrong with him. Even the base personnel were puzzled.

When Yang Bo arrived at the mission turn-in point, the staff member opened the bag and froze. The silver fur spoke of its status, and the staff member hurriedly summoned the base administrator.

In Yang Bo's view, the base administrator looked like an NPC. But when the administrator saw the Silver Mouse's corpse and then Yang Bo's crude third-generation Blade Mecha, he was stunned. This was a Rank A Mutant Creature. Since the base had been established, they had never killed even one.

Yang Bo waited boredly for the test results. The base also found it hard to believe that a mecha at Yang Bo's level could bring in such a haul.

"This is that D-Class Mutant Rat?" Several people at the base looked at the test report and immediately identified the rat. The D-Class Mutant Rat had been around for a long time. The terrain over there was complicated, making it difficult to catch, so it had survived for years.

"I never expected it to be a Rank A creature. It must have some unique ability. Report it," the base administrator said.

Tens of thousands of kilometers above, aboard a gigantic warship over a hundred kilometers long, a woman in a Federation brigadier general's uniform was reading the report sent from Base 16 on the planet.

"Send it over immediately." Her loose uniform hid her figure, but her face was undeniably beautiful, though it carried a cold and severe air. She spoke only a few quiet words.

"Activate the Grade S research laboratory. I want to know everything about this rat as soon as possible. Use its materials to develop Gene Serum and begin testing immediately."

"Do not announce this news for now."

"As for the individual reward, a military rank may be granted."

Orders were issued one after another from the woman. The warship's optical brain carried them out one by one. On the warship, the optical brain merely served an auxiliary role, because anyone who could become a Captain was at least a Rank A Gene Enhancer, and one who had evolved in the direction of intelligence. It was said that the terrifying computing power of such Gene Evolvers' brains surpassed even an optical brain.

"A military rank? No thanks. I only want Gold Coins." After waiting for an hour, Yang Bo finally received the results. It was a Rank A Mutant Creature, and an extremely rare special Rank A Mutant Creature at that.

"Uh, are you sure you don't want it?" The base administrator was somewhat dumbfounded. Once someone accepted a military rank, they could learn many things and enjoy many privileges.

Yang Bo sneered inwardly. Military ranks did have plenty of benefits, but Yang Bo knew perfectly well that this game was not a game. It was fucking real. Once he accepted it, his identity would become a problem. More importantly, he could be conscripted at any time. Though he was not sure whether ranks in the game were connected to reality, Yang Bo did not dare gamble on it.

Yang Bo did not feel much for the Alliance. If the Alliance was invaded one day, he would hurry off to another country without hesitation.

"No. What's with you people? It's just a game. Why are you being so long-winded?" Yang Bo answered irritably.

"Then, dear player, we would like to conduct a survey. Would that be convenient for you?" the base administrator asked again. They really wanted to know exactly how Yang Bo had killed a Rank A Mutant Creature.

"Not convenient. Unless you're offering Game Coins, of course." Yang Bo shook his head.

"Uh, all right. Turning in a Rank A Mutant Creature earns thirty million Game Coins. Since the Mutated Creature you turned in is a special one, the reward is increased by twenty million, for a total of fifty million Gold Coins." The base management was overwhelmed by mixed feelings. That was fifty million.

If a large base team had surrounded and killed a Rank A Mutant Creature, that would have been understandable. After all, their mechas and equipment were powerful. But this? A basic mecha and an unreliable player...

"Hehe." Yang Bo had already looked it up. A Rank A Mutant Creature was worth thirty million, an A+ was worth one hundred million, and a Grade S was worth one billion.

But Yang Bo also knew that the people behind the game would not lose out. If a Rank A creature was taken back and made into Gene Serum, then once it succeeded, who knew how many Rank A Gene Evolvers it could create?

Of course, failure was also possible. Rank A Mutant Creatures came in many varieties, and some useless ones with no special abilities were not worth much.

Yang Bo was not the least bit envious of those who used Gene Serum, because his own abilities were even more awesome than theirs.

"Dear player, we would like to view your battle recording. We are willing to pay five million Gold Coins."

"Five million is too little, isn't it?" Yang Bo muttered inwardly. Can't you officials access the Backend?

What Yang Bo did not know was that the officials could access it, but they needed to apply for authorization. The entire process was troublesome, as it involved data security, the military, mecha manufacturing companies, players' game terminal equipment...

In the Federation, procedure always came first. As long as the procedure was correct, even killing a hundred people would not be a crime...

"Our base has limited authorization."

"Five million it is, then." Yang Bo nodded. Under their guidance, he signed an agreement and handed the recording of this battle over to the base.

"Ha, ha!" Yang Bo logged out of the game. Though he had not figured everything out, his gains were real enough.

He checked his Stealth: Advanced (105/1000), Camouflage: Master (8210/10000). After watching the recording, the people at the base slapped their thighs and swiftly dispatched dozens of guards and dozens of fighter jets to collect every corpse at the scene, even the tiniest scrap of animal tissue.

During the process, they found five relatively intact Rank C Mutant Rat corpses, along with other blasted remains. By rough estimate, they belonged to a clan led by that Rank A Mutant Rat.

"Tsk, tsk." Tens of thousands of kilometers above, the female officer aboard the warship finished watching the battle recording Yang Bo had provided. He had only provided the recording of this battle, not any of the earlier footage. Her eternally icy expression finally shifted.

The female officer closed her eyes. The next second, she began typing continuously. A few minutes later, the information was sent to a higher-level department.

The base also received the report. This Rank A Mutant Creature had been completely tricked this time. It had lived for many years and was cautious, vigilant, and timid.

This time, it had smelled food and noticed other small animals feeding, so the Mutated Rat had brought its whole family over for a meal. Who would have thought that Yang Bo, that sneaky bastard, had placed a hydrogen bomb beneath the cow's corpse?

The rat's powerful defenses had withstood the hydrogen bomb's shockwave, but unfortunately, its internal organs had been damaged by the tremendous impact. This was related to the cramped space at the time. On open ground, a Mutated Creature's speed would have allowed it to escape disaster.

Having grown from a D-Class creature, the rat had developed a timid and cautious nature.

At that moment, aboard the warship, the female officer's small mouth fell open as she stared at the paper report in her hand in disbelief. "Are you certain its special ability is Stealth?"