"The Merit System..."
Sea-Guard Pass, inside a room.
Lin Yuan had washed up and changed into comfortable clothes. Seated at a table, he opened his Stellar Communicator, entered the military's dedicated system, and began looking up the available merit missions.
"Newly advanced Starfire Realm warriors generally have to serve for three years. Once that term is up, they can apply for discharge and go where they please."
"But there's another way to leave the military."
"Merit Points!"
"Accumulate ten thousand Merit Points, and you can leave early."
Lin Yuan read closely, his eyes flickering.
Merit Points were a form of credit unique to the military system.
Completing missions issued by the military—patrolling, scouting, or simply wiping out Deep-Sea Star Beasts in a stretch of ocean—could all earn Merit Points.
Hunting Deep-Sea Star Beasts earned Merit Points too. At present, Merit Points matched Contribution Points one for one: killing a Two-Pattern Common-Rank Star Beast earned ten Merit Points, a Two-Pattern Lord-Rank Star Beast earned fifty, and a Two-Pattern King Grade Star Beast earned one hundred.
Most importantly, Merit Points and Contribution Points were tallied separately!
That meant fighting Deep-Sea Star Beasts on the Four Seas Battlefield earned Merit Points without replacing the Contribution Points one would normally receive. Both came in at once.
Kill one Deep-Sea Star Beast, reap two rewards.
That was why many Starfire Realm experts volunteered to enlist and enter the battlefield.
It was dangerous here, but the rewards were greater too.
More importantly, to encourage warriors to enlist and fight bravely, the military had launched an elite store: the Merit Treasury.
Unlike the Star-Martial Marketplace, the Merit Treasury was open only to enlisted fighters.
Its goods could only be exchanged for Merit Points, and it stocked all kinds of rare resources and natural treasures that simply could