Life Level, Combat Power Level (Updated Irregularly)

Lin Li scrutinized the fifteen new humans before him. They were all geniuses like Calhoun who had merged completely with their symbiotes through their own power, capable of controlling their newfound strength without the slightest strain.

Their physical strength was over fifty times that of an ordinary human; they could lift objects weighing a hundred times their own body mass, their top running speed exceeded two hundred kilometers per hour, and they could shatter the composite armor of light tanks with their bare bodies. Their combat power was far superior to soldiers wearing third-generation exoskeletons.

For the past month, they had only been able to obtain ordinary human food, leaving their bodies in a state of long-term low energy consumption. Only by obtaining enough Black Crystal as an energy source could their true power be unleashed.

Watching these individuals wolf down food to replenish the energy in every cell of their bodies, Lin Li spoke with his usual smile:

"Everyone here is undoubtedly one in ten thousand. You have withstood the test of the emotional outbursts during the initial stage of symbiote integration, possessing rational thinking, clear judgment, and decisive action. I believe we can communicate in a friendly manner and help each other harmoniously."

Calhoun flicked his left index finger, causing the crucifix necklace on his chest to sway. He maintained his usual cavalier tone:

"We have all seen this lord's martial prowess with our own eyes; I don't think anyone here would dare to cause trouble anymore."

The others nodded upon hearing this; that kind of overwhelming force exceeded their imagination of what a biological entity could achieve.

Those hundred-meter-long tentacles were only one centimeter in diameter and weighed less than 20 kilograms, yet they could slice through objects at over ten times the speed of sound. Each tentacle's instantaneous impact force exceeded five hundred tons, and their sharp, tough crystal tips could cut an entire building in half.

If their own strength could destroy an exoskeleton infantry squad head-on, then this black-haired man with eight tentacles could single-handedly destroy an entire armored division.

Calhoun continued: "You must be the mastermind behind all of this, right? I wonder what you want by gathering us here?"

Lin Li shook his head and said: "Do not mythologize my power. I am merely a member of the Association. The President possesses power far greater than mine; he is the true driving force behind all of this."

"In fact, the symbiote within me is no different in essence from the ones you carry. Just as you are stronger than other new humans, I have simply developed my own power a step further. In the Association, I am known as an Awakened."

He explained the operating mechanism of the symbiotes to these people in detail, describing how this new organ helped ordinary people gradually master their surface consciousness and subconscious.

Once an individual fully mastered their surface consciousness, the new human completed their total integration with the symbiote.

Ordinary people cannot control their own emotions; they are distracted, unable to focus, and easily disrupted by sudden accidents during combat. The pain from injuries lowers their combat effectiveness, and even soldiers who have undergone years of grueling training cannot ignore these bodily instincts.

Those who have fully integrated are different. They have complete mastery over their surface consciousness, allowing them to be single-minded and focused at any time. They can control their organs to secrete chemicals like dopamine and adrenaline at will, and even block out the pain caused by physical injury.

"A step further is Awakening. An Awakened can fully control their subconscious, read the thoughts in others' minds, and further control the body's conditioned and unconditioned reflexes. By gradually mastering every organ and every tissue in their own body, until finally controlling all tens of trillions of cells in the body, one becomes what is known as a Complete Wisdom Lifeform."

Lin Li had relied on his innate talent to bypass the first hurdle and become an Awakened, while Achilles' small combat angel body had been directly operated on by Li Heng, who modified every cell to grant him the same level of control as an Awakened.

Calhoun's previously nonchalant expression turned solemn. This meant that they, too, might possess that terrifying power. However, his focus was not on this, but on another piece of information in the other's words.

"You said you can read people's minds?"

Lin Li nodded and then shook his head. He said: "Ordinary people and new humans who haven't fully integrated can be read, but those who have fully integrated cannot."

The so-called reading of minds naturally had its limits. After fully integrating with a symbiote, the thinking speed of a new human's brain increased by dozens of times.

Their cognitive complexity rose geometrically, and because they could master their own emotional fluctuations, Lin Li naturally could no longer read their thoughts as he once did.

The imaging equipment at the top of the city hall projected a light screen above the long table, displaying information that included both text and images.

Lin Li said: "This is the Combat Power Scale established by the President. You can use this data to judge your position in this world."

Ten people are stronger than one, and a major power is stronger than a small one. Although there are many complex issues involved, the entire world must ultimately return to the most essential power. Power is the material foundation upon which the will of all intelligent beings can be executed.

Calhoun studied the data carefully. Their extraordinary thinking speed allowed them to absorb complex information at a glance. He whispered the name at the very top: "Lee."

This data, known as the "Li's Combat Power Scale," used a rating system similar to earthquake magnitude assessments, with the scale being logarithmic to the base of 10.

The combat power rating was based entirely on Li Heng's own combat effectiveness when possessing the corresponding amount of information. Each increase in level represented a tenfold expansion in total energy.

Combined with factors such as increased output power, faster thinking speed, and enhanced control, the difference in combat power between each level was at least a hundredfold.

Level 0: An ordinary five-year-old human child. Combat power is effectively 0; the weakest basic combat unit in a surface civilization.

Level 1: A healthy adult who has undergone basic combat training and carries a handgun or knife.

Level 2: A soldier carrying light weapons such as an electromagnetic rifle or grenades.

Level 3: A formal soldier wearing a third-generation exoskeleton, well-trained; light tanks, Xenomorphs. The combat power of trained new humans falls between Level 2 and Level 3.

Level 4: A regular military unit consisting of several exoskeleton infantry squads, supplemented by tanks, self-propelled artillery, and auxiliary drones. The combat power of those who have fully integrated falls between Level 3 and Level 4.

Level 5: A full Hong Alliance armored division, heavy-duty Lickers, ten thousand Xenomorphs, Awakened. Lin Li and Achilles are at this level.

Level 6: The entire military power of a major nation, including nuclear weapons; Complete Wisdom Lifeforms.

Level 7: The power of the entire human civilization, including the Hong Alliance and the Commercial Alliance—this is Li Heng's current combat power.

Level 8: None currently.

Level 9: The total combat power of a primary planetary-level civilization.

Currently, the Association's combat power scale only goes up to Level 9, because Li Heng himself could only calculate his own state after a hundredfold expansion of information. The gap between the three levels was too vast, and he found it difficult to estimate the combat power boost brought by further control over matter.

However, the combat power scale was not an absolute factor; it also depended on the specific abilities and nature of the combatants.

For example, natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions release immense energy, but because that energy is dispersed, they do not have a major impact on human civilization.

Conversely, an airborne RNA virus specifically targeting Earth humans might reach Level 8, yet it could be completely harmless to other organisms.

Furthermore, there was a huge gap within the same level on this table. On a frontal battlefield, the destructive power of a heavy-duty Licker was far greater than Lin Li's, but in a complex urban environment with large numbers of civilians, Lin Li's assassination and sabotage capabilities were superior.

Lin Li concluded: "In most cases, if the difference in combat power is only one level, it is possible to rely on luck to win or escape. If the difference is 2 levels, you won't even be able to escape."

"To read minds, one must first become an Awakened, and secondly, one's brain thinking speed and control ability must be at least 2 to 3 levels higher than the opponent's."

This combat power scale was intended as a warning to these new humans who had just acquired power, helping them recognize their place on this planet so that a highly talented human would not die meaninglessly due to their own reckless ambition.

Calhoun chewed on this information in silence. Lin Li's power was already the limit of what he could accept for a carbon-based lifeform.

He truly could not imagine how strong an individual capable of resisting human civilization by their own power alone could be; perhaps such a creature possessed a core within its body that provided an antimatter energy source?

Lin Li did not give them much time to be shocked. New humans capable of becoming fully integrated on their own within a month were no fools, so he directly provided the subsequent action plan:

"In the coming time, the Association needs to rebuild the destroyed laser towers and anti-aircraft missiles, reorganize the air defense system, and complete the wealth statistics and redistribution for these one hundred million people. The fighting on the front lines will fall into a stalemate."

"I need you to follow Ramiro McCarthy into the territory of the Commercial Alliance and disintegrate the enemy's fighting will from within. You will receive corresponding Black Crystal coins as payment, which can be exchanged within the Association for various supplies, weapons, or a request for the President to personally make you an Awakened."

As his voice fell, the old man named Ramiro McCarthy walked in from the side door of the city hall. He was nearly eighty years old, but Lin Li had used the Association's technology to repair some of his aged and damaged organs and cells, which would give him enough energy to carry out this espionage mission.

Calhoun looked at this big shot with some surprise. In all of Europe, only a few people knew the power possessed by this old man wearing a black top hat, and he, a priest who barely managed to brush against high society, was one of them.

The priest, who had met the old man once before, asked suspiciously: "You should have retreated with the main force more than ten days ago; why are you still here now?"

Ramiro said kindly: "I chose to stay behind. I hope to engage in some cooperation with the Association that will be mutually beneficial."

"It is not just me; there are some old friends over there who also hope to live in peace with the Association. No one wants to see war happen. Unfortunately, some stubborn fellows are bent on having their own way, causing countless innocent lives to perish, so I have no choice but to resort to this desperate measure."

Calhoun sneered and said: "To make surrender sound so pleasant—you hypocritical fellows are as thick-skinned as ever."

Ramiro did not mind at all: "We old fellows, discarded by the era, have reached the end of the road. Before Mr. Lin Li, our schemes and tricks are like colorful bubbles under the sun; they shatter with a single touch."

The moment this old man saw Lin Li, he completely overturned the plans he had originally agreed upon. He knew that no matter what price he and his friends who loved to play with schemes and tricks paid, these terrifying creatures that transcended humanity would tear them to shreds.

"We, whose every pore is stained with blood, are doomed to die, but I can trade the future for my grandson, a six-year-old child who has not yet been tainted by the filth of the world."

Ramiro betrayed his old friends without hesitation, not even caring about his own life.

In the eyes of this old man, the drama of controlling the people through schemes, tricks, and lies had reached its end. The new world of the future would no longer have room for people like them; only children who had not yet been polluted had a future.

Lin Li nodded and said: "Just as I promised, when the Commercial Alliance in Europe disintegrates from within and becomes part of the Association, the President will personally take action to tailor an extraordinary body for your grandson, just like the angel you saw on the battlefield."

Hearing this, Ramiro stopped lingering and turned to leave the city hall. Tomorrow, he would take these fifteen powerful new humans back to the territory of the Commercial Alliance to gradually disintegrate this massive organization from within.

Lin Li watched the old man's hunched back. Up until now, only he, Achilles, and the high-level members of the Hong Alliance knew that Li Heng's cells could achieve immortality.

If Ramiro knew this secret, would this old man choose to resist to the end, fighting desperately to seize that slim possibility of immortality?

Perhaps that was a future in another parallel universe, but here and now, this old man who believed his days were numbered had indeed used his own life as a bargaining chip to trade for a bright future for his grandson.