Sequence rankings: not on the same level

"Hey, hey, Brother Tie, what are you talking about? So what if it isn't the beast tamer sequence?"

"With Brother Shang's strength, why would he even need the beast tamer sequence?"

Zhou Ping spoke up, sounding a little unhappy.

Liu Tie's mouth twitched at his words.

He raised a hand to smack him, but after a moment's thought, he held back.

"Fine. You've got quite a mouth on you."

"Hehe."

Zhou Ping scratched his head.

Seeing this, Fan Shang asked a question of his own, curious.

"Captain Liu, I've been wondering about this for a while. A-rank sequences, B-rank sequences-could you tell me how you determine their ranks?"

Fan Shang really was curious. After all, his panel only contained an introduction to the underworld soldier sequence and two abilities. There was nothing else.

He really wanted to know where their ranking system came from.

And what they used as the basis for those rankings.

At his question, Liu Tie paused, while Zhou Ping looked a little confused.

"Uh... Brother Shang, didn't I tell you about that before?"

But the moment he said it, Liu Tie punched him.

"Huh? Brother Tie, why'd you hit me?"

"What do you think?"

Liu Tie glared at Zhou Ping.

Under that glare, Zhou Ping lowered his head guiltily.

All right, apparently he really hadn't explained it.

Leaving Zhou Ping alone, Liu Tie turned back.

Liu Tie served himself a bowl of noodles, took a sip of broth, and began.

"It's no secret. Since you want to know, Brother Shang, I might as well explain it now."

"I'm all ears."

Fan Shang's expression turned serious.

Liu Tie continued.

"Brother Shang, you probably know that when we awaken, the sequence's prompts don't give us any rank."

"So rather than something built into the sequence, these ranks are a set of standards we established ourselves."

"As for what those standards are based on..."

Liu Tie paused, then gave Fan Shang a meaningful look.

Hearing this, Fan Shang seemed to realize something.

If there was anything in this godforsaken place full of danger that could serve as a standard...

Then one thing was more suitable than anything else.

"You mean the anomalies?"

"Exactly. The anomalies."

They spoke at the same time. Their wording differed, but they had reached the same conclusion.

Hearing Fan Shang's answer, Liu Tie couldn't help smiling.

But there was a bitterness to that smile.

"Yes, the anomalies. Our method for ranking sequence transcendents is simple: how much their sequences can affect anomalies."

"The more powerfully an awakened sequence can damage anomalies, the higher its rank."

"Based on that, we use a standard that came from some large convoy or other to divide sequences into four ranks, from highest to lowest: A, B, C, and D."

"Four ranks?"

"Right," Liu Tie replied.

Then his gaze shifted to Zhou Ping and Lin Xue as he began to explain.

"As for how they're divided..."

"Brother Tie, let me go first."

Zhou Ping spoke up at just the right moment.

Then he turned to Fan Shang and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Brother Shang, I told you before, right? Mine is a D-rank sequence."

"D-rank sequence users basically can't pose any threat to anomalies. They're generally users of specialized sequences, like my chef sequence."

"If that weren't the case, I..."

As Zhou Ping spoke, Fan Shang noticed his fists tightening slightly.

Clearly, awakening a sequence only to remain helpless against anomalies left Zhou Ping deeply frustrated.

But that was only natural. He had thought that once he awakened a sequence, he would finally have the power to fight back against anomalies.

Instead, he discovered that he couldn't deal with anomalies before awakening, and he still couldn't deal with them afterward.

Anyone would have felt frustrated.

Seeing this, Liu Tie patted Zhou Ping on the shoulder.

Then he declared boldly.

"It's fine. Just keep cooking that strength-boosting porridge for your Brother Tie, and I'll protect you."

"Uh... Brother Tie, are you serious?"

Remembering how Liu Tie himself had nearly died this time, Zhou Ping couldn't help questioning that claim.

Liu Tie wasn't upset. He simply slapped Zhou Ping on the forehead.

"Hey, you think you're all grown up now? You even dare question your Brother Tie?!"

Zhou Ping shrank back. He wanted to argue, but when he saw Liu Tie's hand still raised...

He could only swallow his indignation.

Seeing that, Liu Tie felt much better.

So he continued.

"The standard for C-rank sequences is simple, too: they can pose some threat to anomalies. Lin Xue's sequence and mine are both C-rank. Brother Shang, you probably saw that earlier."

"These C-rank sequences are weak. I nearly swung my arm off before I killed that Little Ghost. Ultimately, it's because our sequences have limited effectiveness against that layer of 'black mist.'"

"Black mist?"

As soon as Fan Shang asked, he recalled the first time he had killed an anomaly.

That was probably what Liu Tie meant.

"Yes, that mist that comes off anomalies. Whenever an anomaly gets hurt, the mist drifts out to repair its injuries.

And that's why anomalies are so hard to kill-or, for ordinary people, impossible to kill."

That more or less matched his own understanding.

"What about the other ranks, then?"

Fan Shang asked.

Without hesitating, Liu Tie explained the criteria for B-rank sequences. In short, they were reasonably effective against the black mist and could kill anomalies efficiently.

But when he reached A-rank, Liu Tie's tone changed completely.

"As for A-rank sequences..."

As Liu Tie spoke, admiration flashed in his eyes, along with awe.

"They're on an entirely different level. Not only are they exceptionally effective against anomalies, but every single A-rank sequence is unique and powerful."

"Ordinary sequences simply can't compare."

Hearing this, Zhou Ping and the others all turned their attention to him.

Liu Tie held nothing back.

"Take Captain Li from my old convoy, the Hope Convoy. Honestly, you know what? The first time I saw Captain Li, I actually thought he wasn't human."

"Not human?"

Fan Shang repeated thoughtfully, not understanding what Liu Tie meant.

"Right, not human. Captain Li was only at sequence two back then. But even at sequence two, do you know what he was doing when I saw him?"

"Flying!"

"The first time I saw Captain Li, he was flying..."

As he recalled it, Liu Tie's thoughts drifted back to that night.

The Weird Moon hung high, and bloody light covered the land.

The convoy had been in the middle of internal strife. With five thousand people, conflict was inevitable.

Whether it was supplies or power, there was always something causing friction.

That had been Liu Tie's first close encounter with Li Cunxing. That day, a sequence transcendent in the convoy had broken through to sequence two.

Dissatisfied with Li Cunxing, he had gathered a hundred people to stage a revolt, intending to kill Li Cunxing and become captain himself.

That day was also the first time Liu Tie had seen Li Cunxing truly fight.

A hundred people, plus a sequence two and several sequence ones.

Captain Li had fought alone, for one hour.

Hundreds of people had been slaughtered to the last.

And after doing all that, Captain Li hadn't even suffered any serious injuries.

He had floated past Liu Tie, light and graceful.

He had looked just like an immortal from a novel.

That was the day Liu Tie truly understood: A-rank sequences and other sequences weren't on the same level at all.