"That's wonderful..."
China Second Base.
Watching the image on the screen freeze again, Wan Changzheng leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"Thank goodness 'Nothing More to Say' didn't drop off the rankings because he ran out of steam."
"His kill of that S-Class Monster just happened to cross midnight, so the results weren't tallied the next day."
"What a scare. What a scare."
Zhao Yan nodded along, the tension that had gripped his nerves finally easing.
But then his brows furrowed, and he said worriedly,
"Chief, there's no question about his strength."
"It's just... what a pity that 'Nothing More to Say' seems to have serious problems with his personality."
"Or rather... his mental state seems very unstable."
Recalling the detached way he had treated human lives like grass in the video, and his almost perverse composure,
Zhao Yan felt his heart pound.
Could the country really control someone like that?
"Haha, Xiao Zhao, you're still too young."
Wan Changzheng smiled and waved his hand.
"Just like his name says, nothing more needs to be said."
"For a powerhouse of this caliber, we don't need to speculate about his personality, much less try to win him over with words."
"We just need to prove ourselves through our actions."
Wan Changzheng rose to his feet, his tone resolute.
"Whatever he wants, we'll give him! Do everything we can to meet his needs and win him over!"
"If we can't win him over, then we absolutely must not make an enemy of him! Someone like that can only be a friend, never an enemy."
"Of course..."
Wan Changzheng shifted his tone and looked out the window toward the distant east. "Before we do any of that, we have one major problem to solve."
Zhao Yan looked up, immediately catching on.
"You mean... how to get him out of that deadly place, Weird Island?"
"Exactly."
Wan Changzheng nodded.
Weird Island was called Weird Island because it was a paradise for high-level monsters, and its location was extremely remote.
The surrounding sea was also sealed off by terrifying sea monsters.
Even for a Chosen of God, swimming back alone was out of the question.
Just then, Shen Lian, who had been staring at the tablet, spoke up:
"Chief, there's no need to worry."
"The Central Base issued the highest-level 'red-head document' an hour ago."
Shen Lian nudged her glasses up.
"The Central Base has decided to officially launch the 'Lighthouse Plan' next Monday, March 12, 1314, Barbaric Calendar."
"That'll be the eighth day after the newcomers arrive in the Barbaric Realm."
"At that time, they'll dispatch a [Tiger Squad] led by an S-Class transcendent."
"They'll take heavy weapons to Weird Island to carry out an exploration mission and establish a shelter base."
"At the same time, their primary hidden mission will be to find and make contact with 'Nothing More to Say.'"
"A Tiger Squad?!"
At those words, Zhao Yan sprang to his feet, his eyes full of shock.
"The Central Base is really sparing no expense this time!"
In the Barbaric Realm, to deal with crises of varying levels, all countries had jointly established a strict system for classifying squads.
From lowest to highest, the classes were Wolf, Eagle, Leopard, Tiger, and Dragon!
Each squad had a standard formation of five, with members assigned to reconnaissance, assassination, firepower, defense, and support.
[Wolf-class]: The most basic combat unit.
The squad leader had to be C-class or higher, with at least three years of experience surviving in the Barbaric Realm.
Members could not be below D-class. The configuration was one C-class leading D-classes.
[Eagle-class]: An advanced squad. The leader was B-class, and the members were C-class. The configuration was one B-class leading C-classes.
[Leopard-class]: An elite squad. The leader was A-class, and the members were B-class. The configuration was one A-class leading B-classes.
[Tiger-class]: A strategic-level deterrent force! The leader had to be an S-Class powerhouse! Every member had to be at least A-class! The configuration was one S-class leading A-classes.
[Dragon-class]: A pillar of the nation, a legendary squad. Every member was at least S-class! Some even had a Chosen of God among them!
Most importantly,
every member chosen for [Tiger-class] or higher had spent at least a year battling their way through the Barbaric Realm!
They were true killing machines. There was absolutely no room for rookies!
"As far as I know, our Huaxia Country only has three active Tiger Squads, right?"
Zhao Yan sighed. "Although billions of people have crossed over this time, and we'll surely be able to expand our forces in the future, that's a matter for later."
"Deploying one Tiger Squad now is like using a third of the country's top combat power!"
"Is it worth it, just for one 'Nothing More to Say'?"
"Worth it." Wan Changzheng answered without hesitation. "If he's really part of the Chosen of God Sequence, then even sending out all three Tiger Squads would be worth it!"
He turned to Shen Lian and asked, "Have they decided which squad to send? [Storm]? [Sharp Blade]? Or [Iron Wall]?"
Shen Lian shook her head.
"Not yet."
"All three squads were eager to take the mission as soon as they heard its target was Weird Island."
"None of them would back down, and they nearly came to blows in the Central Base's Training Ground."
"So..."
Shen Lian continued, "The Central Base has decided to use Competitive Selection."
"After the Server-wide Monthly Trial ends on March 10, three days from now,"
"the mission will go to whichever of the three squads gets the best results in the trial."
"I see."
Wan Changzheng and Zhao Yan exchanged a glance and nodded in satisfaction.
That was how soldiers settled things: whoever had the harder fist got the job.
They also understood why the mission was scheduled for March 12: it left time for the trial and the Rest Period.
"Speaking of the trial..."
Zhao Yan glanced at the calendar, looking puzzled.
"The trials always begin on the tenth of each month."
"According to the usual schedule, the Stage Preview should have been released on the first, right?"
"Why is it so late this time? It's already the seventh, and there's still no sign of it."
Shen Lian looked just as confused. "I don't know. The Sky Curtain System seems to have been acting up lately... It should've been released ages ago..."
Ding-dong!
Just then, a Pop-up Window suddenly appeared on the tablet in Shen Lian's hands.
"It's here!"
The three of them perked up and looked at the screen together.
Shen Lian adjusted her glasses and instinctively read out the contents.
"Trial Rank: S-class."
"Trial Scenario Name: [Death Wheat Field]."
"Trial Boss: [Watcher Scarecrow (S-Class)]."
"Conditions for Clearing: Survive in the wheat field for 24 hours, or kill the boss."
At that, Shen Lian's voice cut off.
The entire office fell silent.
The smile froze on Wan Changzheng's face.
The teacup Zhao Yan had just lifted stopped at his lips.
The three of them stared blankly at the preview on the screen.
Then they turned to look at the "Kill Replay" video that was still playing on a loop...
Before you continue