Junior Partner

Tao Yu had no clue what level the parameters were. All he had was the passive Dynamic Vision granted by Bullet Time.

Even without actively using it, his Dynamic Vision was still far stronger than the B-rank version he'd had when he first entered. The World Will had certified his ability as MAX-level.

Even without activating it, his Dynamic Vision might have reached or even surpassed MAX.

With that kind of gap, Tao Yu honestly couldn't tell whether Tao Hu was moving faster or slower.

It was like watching a snake attack a cat. To a human, it all looked lightning-fast, but to the cat, the snake's speed was so slow it could never land a bite.

"Can B-rank really be that accurate?"

Tao Hu gave Tao Yu a long, searching look. He wasn't in charge of testing, but that secondhand mechanical arm had just gone all out. There was no way B-rank could have been that clear.

This was the speed of a strike, not movement speed!

"Ahem. Actually, I exaggerated a little. It's mainly because I've been the target of other people's jealousy in the Abyss."

Tao Yu coughed awkwardly.

That drew a snort from Tao Hu.

"Exaggerated what? Jealous of what? If nobody envies you, you're a nobody!"

Then Tao Hu looked at Tao Yu seriously.

"Kid, once you're strong enough, everyone around you will be kind and well-meaning. Don't worry about the rest!"

Tao Hu had served in the Security Team, been discharged as a cripple, then returned with a mechanical arm. He'd been through plenty of ups and downs, and he understood this better than most.

"A-rank Dynamic Vision is probably pretty average in the Inner City. There's no need to worry about it."

Tao Hu paused, then stressed, "Besides, the New settlement plan is just getting started. With A-rank Dynamic Vision, you could easily catch the attention of those two bigwigs from the Floating City. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Tao Hu's expression turned grave.

"Even if someone thinks you're in the way because you're competing for their favor, this is exactly when you have to compete!

"You're from the Outer City. You have no choice but to fight and risk your life. You can't make other people give in by backing down, but once you're strong enough, you can!"

Hearing Tao Hu say this, Tao Yu hesitated.

Then I'll stick with A-rank for now and adjust depending on the situation.

That had actually been his plan from the beginning. He'd even thought it wouldn't matter if he showed off MAX Dynamic Vision.

But after seeing how easily the Inner City kids had been rattled by someone with inferior talent, he wasn't so sure it was wise.

Besides, the New settlement really could lead to people competing for favor, with others seeing him as an obstacle to their interests.

So, when he'd first come back, he'd only mentioned B-rank—something that wouldn't make much of a fuss.

"Uncle Hu is right."

Tao Yu looked like a student taking his lesson to heart.

Still, Tao Hu couldn't shake his surprise and delight.

A-rank and B-rank might seem close, but the difference in status was obvious.

An ordinary B-rank Combat Talent only gave you a chance to enter the Inner City. Even if you got in by sheer luck, you'd be at the very bottom. Several of Tao Hu's former colleagues had ordinary B-rank Combat Talents.

They could have worked hard and made it in, but they'd grown accustomed to the stable life of the Outer City.

With A-rank Combat Talent, though, if you had enough time and resources to grow, you might make it to the middle ranks of the Inner City. That was a completely different matter. You might even bring your whole family in and establish a small clan!

But all of that depended on having the time and resources to grow.

Tao Hu's position brought him into contact with important people from time to time. He knew just how vast the gap was between the foundations of the Inner City and Outer City...

Tao Yu's parents looked even more bewildered. They clearly hadn't quite adjusted to the news yet.

"A-rank is great! We can rethink our plans. Right now, your top priority is to get close to those two bigwigs from the Floating City.

"Things are different now. You've all arrived in the New Frontier, and it's not like the old settlement.

"They need people. Even a little help from them could give you enough to work with for a long time. If you can become one of their trusted aides, you'll avoid decades of detours!"

Tao Hu looked excited. Tao Yu had such incredible talent, and he'd arrived just as the rare opportunity of opening up a New settlement came along. The two bigwigs from the Floating City were short on people. It was a gift from heaven!

Tao Yu had genuinely considered Tao Hu's suggestion before, and he'd even been tempted.

When he'd seen the Sun Family's eldest young lady's figure and looks, he'd even indulged in a brief fantasy.

After being steeped in the internet of the twenty-first century, Tao Yu accepted that women could slow your sword hand.

But rich women couldn't...

Just look at how much Yosef could casually lend him, or how he could show up with a dozen pieces of top-tier gear on Awakening Day. His units of willpower started at a hundred thousand.

What might the children of the Floating City have at their disposal, when the gap between them and the Inner City was even greater than the gap between the Inner and Outer Cities?

If he could build a good relationship with them, he'd advance even faster than he was now!

Uh, but if he actually went to curry favor, he'd probably end up with a leash around his neck. With his talent, he might really manage to get close to them.

But during the pioneering period, they might expect him to be at their beck and call. And with all his strange skills, they could easily discover them over time.

Who knew what special abilities the people from the Floating City had?

And he'd have to fight his way through a whole crowd of toadies, including the Inner City kids, in a bloody battle for their attention.

Having a cheat and still getting into that mess would be ridiculous.

So before he'd even arrived, Tao Yu had put that path on hold. It could only serve as a fallback, in case he ran into serious trouble and needed to keep his head down.

He didn't mind meeting them, but he didn't want to become a lackey who was at their beck and call.

"Uh, Uncle Hu, I don't like being tied down, so I'm not planning to sign a contract with the Pioneer Division."

Tao Yu's words froze Tao Hu's excited expression. Then he replied in a tone of exasperation, "You fool! Tied down? Who in this world can avoid being tied down? Do you think even the bigwigs from the Floating City are free of obligations?"

"I just don't want to be tied down that much. I've heard of 'partners.' Could you tell me about them, Uncle Hu?"

Tao Yu didn't mind Tao Hu's reaction. He pressed on with an ingratiating smile.

Tao Hu glared at him in annoyance. Tao Yu's parents looked like they wanted to say something too, but in the end, they held their tongues.

A-rank talent... The kid had grown up.

"The decision is yours. We can only offer advice.

"But with your talent, you can always sign up later if you change your mind. It's just that when there are more people, the opportunities won't be as good. Every day for the past half month, people from the Inner City have been choosing a New Frontier area."

Tao Hu grumbled at first, but then patiently explained the partner system to Tao Yu.

He knew his nephew was just too cautious. He didn't want to compete with those Inner City kids for favor, so he'd chosen to go independent instead. It was a viable path, too.

"'Partner' is a special arrangement companies offer for people with your temperament. It has a higher barrier to entry than being a mercenary or a Bounty Hunter, jobs anyone can take, but it also comes with quite a few more benefits."

Tao Hu paused, then continued.

"To qualify as a 'Junior Partner,' you need at least one basic skill at LV5, or equivalent strength. But with your A-rank talent, they can ease that requirement."

Tao Hu's explanation gave Tao Yu a clearer idea. LV5 in a basic skill could be considered the limit for an ordinary person. It was a broad, overall standard.

Even without any special bonuses, Tao Yu should have reached that level. He hadn't eaten all those Blood Orchids for nothing.

"If you become a 'partner,' you'll also have to consider the Cannon Fodder Sequence. But with your talent, you probably won't need to worry about it. The New settlement needs people, so they probably won't introduce a cannon fodder system right now..."

As Tao Hu explained, Tao Yu gained a clearer understanding of the partner system, which he'd only heard about in passing from his parents' stories.

The company's partners were divided into Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Partners, as well as Silver Rank and Gold Rank. Each level came with certain privileges. Partners had a great deal of freedom, but advancement was strictly regulated.

There were standards for the number of tasks, task points, task difficulty, and even personal strength.

"The company's Gold Rank Partners aren't inferior to the people on its decision-making board in ability or privileges. There's a future in it, but you're completely on your own, and it's a hard road."

Seeing that Tao Yu had clearly made up his mind, Tao Hu sighed.

"Fine, I won't try to talk you out of it. Give it a try on your own first. With your talent, you can always do whatever you want later."

"Heh, thanks, Uncle Hu."

Tao Yu knew how to appreciate what people had done for him. His parents and Uncle Hu had already helped him a lot. Uncle Hu might have been thinking of investing in him a little, but Tao Yu judged people by what they did, not why they did it. He was grateful all the same.

"Oh, if you register as a partner, you might as well register as a mercenary and a Bounty Hunter too. That'll give you more ways to find jobs and more places to buy information.

"But be careful when sorting through mercenary and Bounty Hunter jobs. If they aren't issued directly by the company, sometimes there's a catch."

Tao Hu offered another suggestion. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Partner jobs come from the company, but you still have to watch out for traps. Overall, they're safer than mercenary or Bounty Hunter jobs."

Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters had no barrier to entry. Anyone could do them, and people could take on both jobs at the same time. Tao Hu himself had registered for both, as had Tao Yu's parents, his crippled Third Brother, and his sister-in-law.

Both involved completing tasks, but there were some differences. Bounty Hunters usually worked alone or in small groups, and their jobs could be all sorts of odd things.

Mercenaries, on the other hand, usually worked in groups on combat, exploration, escort, transport, rescue, or cleanup missions.

Some mercenaries formed permanent companies, but most operated as freelancers.

A crew boss who got a suitable job would shout for volunteers. A few familiar mercenaries who were free would quickly team up. It was a bit like the way construction foremen and casting agents worked.

The biggest difference between partners and these two jobs—which had no barrier to entry—was that partners took official jobs from the company, while anyone could post jobs for the other two.

Any company jobs that reached mercenaries or Bounty Hunters had already been screened by the partners.

Some permanent mercenary companies even consisted entirely of partners. They specialized in picking out good group jobs from the company first.

This patchwork setup left Tao Yu a little confused, but given how awful the world was, it somehow felt like a perfect fit.

Maybe this was just what a world like this was supposed to be...