Partner

Tao Yu had no idea what the ranking parameters were; he only had the passive Dynamic Vision of Bullet Time.

Regardless, even without actively using it, it was far stronger than the B-rank Dynamic Vision he had when he first entered. It was a MAX ability certified by the World Will.

Without actively using it, his Dynamic Vision could potentially reach or even exceed MAX.

With such a gap, Tao Yu didn't feel there was much difference whether Tao Hu was fast or slow.

It was like humans watching a snake attack a cat; it all looked lightning fast, but in the cat's eyes, the snake's speed was such that it could never be caught.

"B-rank can be this accurate?"

Tao Hu glanced at Tao Yu meaningfully. Although he wasn't responsible for testing, that second-hand mechanical arm had been at full power just now. There was no way a B-rank could be this precise, right?

This was attack speed, not movement speed!

"Ahem, I actually held back a bit. It's mainly because I was envied by others when I was in the Abyss before."

Tao Yu coughed dryly.

This, however, drew a scoff from Tao Hu.

"Held back what? Envied for what? Those not envied are mediocre!"

After speaking, Tao Hu looked at Tao Yu with a serious expression.

"Kid, when your strength is sufficient, everyone around you will be good and well-intentioned. Don't worry about anything else!"

Tao Hu had been in the Security Team before, retired due to injury, and then made a comeback with a mechanical arm. His life had been full of ups and downs, and he understood these matters quite thoroughly.

"A-rank Dynamic Vision should be a fairly standard ability in the Inner City. You don't need to worry about it at all."

At this point, Tao Hu paused again and emphasized, "Moreover, the New Settlement Plan is just in its early stages. An A-rank Dynamic Vision like yours could easily attract the attention of two big shots from the Floating City. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Tao Hu's expression then turned somewhat grave.

"Even if some people might feel you're competing for favor or getting in the way, you must compete at this time!

"You're an Outer City person. You have no other path but to compete and fight for your life! You can't make others compromise by yielding, but you can once you're strong enough!"

Hearing Tao Hu's words, Tao Yu hesitated for a moment.

He'd go with A-rank for now and adjust later based on the situation.

Actually, he had thought of this originally, even feeling that revealing MAX Dynamic Vision wouldn't be a problem.

However, after experiencing the incident where the Inner City scions' poor talent caused them to break down, he felt it wasn't as safe.

Besides, the new settlement might indeed involve 'competing for favor' and situations where others might see him as 'in the way' due to conflicts of interest.

So, when he first returned, he had only mentioned a lukewarm B-rank.

"Uncle Hu is right."

Tao Yu wore an expression of someone who had learned a valuable lesson.

However, at this moment, Tao Hu still harbored some residual shock and pleasant surprise.

A-rank and B-rank might seem close, but their statuses were distinctly different.

B-rank ordinary combat talent only offered a chance to enter the Inner City. Even if one succeeded by chance, they would be at the absolute bottom. He had several colleagues with B-rank ordinary combat talent.

With hard work, they could get in, but they were still accustomed to the stable life of the Outer City.

But with A-rank combat talent, as long as there was enough time and resources to grow, one could reach the middle ranks in the Inner City. This was entirely different; it even offered the chance to bring the entire family along and establish a small clan!

However, all of this depended on having the time and resources to grow!

Tao Hu's status allowed him occasional contact with some big shots, and he clearly understood the vast difference in foundation between Inner City residents and Outer City residents...

Tao Yu's parents, standing nearby, looked somewhat bewildered, clearly still struggling to adapt.

"A-rank is great! This way, we can plan things out again. Your main priority now is to latch onto the coattails of the two big shots from the Floating City.

"Things are different now from back then. You've all arrived in the New Frontier, which is unlike the old settlements.

"When they need people, even a small favor from them is enough for you to strive for a long time. If you can become their confidant, it could save you decades of detours!"

Tao Hu's expression was somewhat excited. Such great talent, combined with the rare opportunity of pioneering the new settlement, and the two big shots from the Floating City needing people – this was a heaven-sent chance!

Actually, Tao Yu had considered Tao Hu's suggestion, and had even been tempted by it before.

Looking at the posture and beauty of the Sun Family's young lady, he had even entertained brief fantasies.

Having been influenced by the internet of the 21st century, Tao Yu acknowledged that women could affect one's sword-drawing speed.

But rich women wouldn't...

Thinking about how Yosef could casually lend out so much, and how he could bring a dozen luxury items on Awakening Day, with Wish Power starting at a hundred thousand units.

What would the disciples of the Floating City, whose gap was even larger than that between the Inner and Outer Cities, possess?

If he could truly establish good relations, it could indeed surpass Tao Yu's current wild-hunting speed!

Uh, but unfortunately, if he truly tried to latch onto a big shot, it would likely be like putting on a restrictive hoop. Perhaps due to his talent, he might actually succeed.

But during the pioneering phase, he would likely be on call at any moment, and his various strange skills would eventually be discovered over time.

Who knows what special abilities people from the Floating City have?

And they still have to fight their way through a pack of sycophants, including the scions of the Inner City, a bloody battle.

It's too much to have cheats and still be like this.

So, this path was temporarily set aside by Tao Yu before he came. It could only be considered a fallback, like if he encountered big trouble, survival would be the priority.

He didn't reject contact, but he didn't want to become a lackey who was always at their beck and call.

"Uh, Uncle Hu, I'm not a fan of restrictions, so I'm not planning to sign with the Pioneer Division."

Tao Yu's words caused Tao Hu, whose face had been beaming with excitement, to freeze. He then spoke with a tone of disappointment, as if lamenting his foolishness.

"You're being foolish! Restrictions? Who in this world isn't restricted? Do even the big shots of the Floating City have no restrictions?"

"I just don't want them to be so significant. I've heard about 'Partners,' I wonder if Uncle Hu could explain."

Tao Yu didn't seem to mind Uncle Hu's attitude and shamelessly continued to ask.

Tao Hu shot him an exasperated glare. Tao Yu's parents, standing nearby, also wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

An A-rank talent... my child has grown up...

"The decision is yours, we can only offer suggestions.

"However, with your talent, you can always join later if you regret it. But once there are too many people, you won't get such good opportunities. Every day for the past half-month, people from the Inner City have been choosing the newly developed areas."

Tao Hu grumbled for a moment but then patiently explained the Partner system to Tao Yu.

He 'knew' that his nephew was being too cautious, not wanting to compete for favor with those Inner City disciples and choosing this way to distance himself. However, this was indeed a way out.

"'Partners' are a special system within the Company, designed to provide a place for people like you. It has a higher threshold than Hunters and Bounty Hunters, which anyone can become, but the benefits are also significantly greater."

Tao Hu paused slightly here, then continued.

"Even the minimum requirement for a 'Junior Partner' is to have a Level 5 basic skill, or equivalent strength. However, with your A-rank talent, this threshold can be appropriately relaxed."

Tao Yu's heart settled with Tao Hu's words. A Level 5 basic ability could be considered the limit for an ordinary person, a general standard.

Tao Yu should have reached it even without any special bonuses, considering how many Blood Orchids he had consumed.

"If you become a 'Partner,' you'll also have to consider the Cannon Fodder Sequence. But with your exceptionally high talent, you usually shouldn't worry about that. New settlements are short on people, and they probably won't introduce the cannon fodder mechanism right now..."

As Tao Hu elaborated, Tao Yu gained a clearer understanding of the Partner system, which he had only heard about briefly in his parents' stories.

The Company's 'Partners' were divided into Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Silver Rank, and Gold Rank. Each level came with corresponding privileges and a high degree of freedom, but promotion was quite strict.

There were a series of standards for mission counts, mission points, mission difficulty, and even strength.

"The abilities and privileges of the Company's several Gold Rank Partners are no less than those of the Company's decision-makers. There is indeed a future, but it's a difficult path that relies entirely on oneself."

Seeing that Tao Yu had already made up his mind, Tao Hu couldn't help but sigh.

"Alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore. Experience it yourself first. With good talent, you can do whatever you want later."

"Heh heh, thank you, Uncle Hu."

Tao Yu knew how to appreciate kindness. Currently, both his parents and Uncle Hu had helped him a lot. Uncle Hu might have had some investment in mind, but regardless of his intentions, Tao Yu was grateful for his help.

"Oh, right. If you register as a Partner, you might as well register as a Hunter and a Bounty Hunter as well. That way, you'll have more avenues for missions and more places to buy information.

"But you need to carefully distinguish between Hunter and Bounty Hunter missions; sometimes, those not directly issued by the Company can be traps."

Tao Hu then offered another suggestion. After a moment of hesitation, he added:

"Although Partner missions come from the Company, you still need to be careful about potential traps. Overall, they are better than Hunter and Bounty Hunter missions."

There were no prerequisites for becoming a Hunter or a Bounty Hunter; anyone could do it, and they could even do it part-time. Not only had Tao Hu registered, but Tao Yu's parents, his disabled Third Brother, and his Third Sister-in-law had all registered as well.

Both involved completing tasks, but there were certain differences. Bounty Hunter missions were usually for individuals or small groups and were quite varied.

Hunters typically engaged in group combat, exploration, escort, transport, rescue, or clearing missions.

Some Hunters formed fixed mercenary groups or even established companies, but more often, they operated as individuals.

When a squad leader received a suitable mission, they would call out, and some familiar and available Hunters would quickly assemble. It was somewhat similar to the model of a contractor and a group extras coordinator.

The biggest difference between 'Partners' and these two professions without prerequisites was that 'Partners' accepted official Company missions, while missions for the other two could be posted by anyone.

All Company missions that flowed to Hunters and Bounty Hunters were first screened by 'Partners.'

There were even fixed mercenary groups or companies composed purely of 'Partners' that would first select high-quality Company group missions.

This patchwork style made Tao Yu feel a bit chaotic, but thinking about this terrible world, it felt strangely fitting.

This world seemed to be normal only when it was like this