S-rank evaluation

The wooden door burst open, and one orc after another emerged from inside. They had green skin and stood about 1.5 to 1.6 meters tall.

They lined up side by side, their eyes vacant, each clutching a crude stone axe. They looked downright shabby.

"...Are you sure these are orcs?"

Shen Xing hadn't expected much from an initial troop type, but these were a far cry from the tall, mighty orcs he had imagined.

They were nothing but a bunch of green potatoes freshly dug out of the ground.

Shen Xing suddenly felt a little depressed. According to the game's rules, monsters would keep emerging from the fog to attack the village.

With these green-skins, he didn't think he'd last the first day.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Shen Xing immediately took off his glasses, and his vision switched back to his cramped rented room.

He had to admit, the game was conveniently designed. He could log out at any time.

Whenever he wanted to log in, he only had to put the glasses on to switch back instantly, without even feeling any discomfort.

On Green Bubble, the four-person group chat was buzzing.

Sole Lender Through the Ages: "Holy crap! We've found the real deal. This game is insane!"

I Eat Eat Eat Eat: "Yeah, it's so realistic, it's like entering another world."

"Too bad I didn't randomly get the handsome, 1.9-meter-tall furry with abs I wanted."

Hearing what the two had to say, Cilantro Who Loves to Play sent a laughing sticker. "You believe me now, right? This game is definitely an epoch-making masterpiece. It's going to be a huge hit!"

The other two both sent a string of stickers in agreement.

Sole Lender Through the Ages asked, "Qin Lang, you got into the game before us. Got any tips to share?"

Cilantro Who Loves to Play: "I only started half a day before you. What tips could I have?"

"If I had to say... there are a few things you need to watch out for."

"First, don't enter the fog outside the village recklessly. I sent a halfling in to test it earlier."

"He'd barely been in the fog for a few seconds before black spots started appearing all over him. He nearly died in there."

"He's still lying in the barracks, half-dead and barely hanging on."

Sole Lender Through the Ages was startled. "It's that scary? Does that mean we can only stay in the village?"

Cilantro Who Loves to Play: "Of course not. This game is really difficult. Monsters attack the village at intervals, and they keep getting stronger."

"If we stay in the village the whole time, we might as well sit around waiting to die."

"So we need to use the [lantern] in the game. It's in your personal inventory."

"The lantern can disperse the fog within a certain range, letting us explore and gather resources. But it only lasts for a while, so you need to return to the village in time to recharge it."

Everyone understood and opened their inventories to check. Sure enough, they found an old-fashioned brass lantern.

After a pause, Cilantro Who Loves to Play added, "There's one more important thing."

"Not long after entering the game, we'll face our first battle. Make sure you take it seriously."

"The system gives you a rating based on your performance in battle and the casualties your troops suffer, then gives you different rewards."

"The rewards vary greatly with each rating, from rank D to rank S."

"Apparently, if you can get rank S, there's even an extra special reward, like a rare troop type or a skill book."

Everyone perked up. This really was vital information.

Different rewards were given out based on battle performance.

If they performed well, they could build up a considerable advantage early on.

"So there's a system like that." Sole Lender Through the Ages pressed on, "Qin Lang, what rating did you get in your first battle?"

Cilantro Who Loves to Play sent a confident sticker. "When your Brother Qin makes a move, of course it's... rank C."

The three of them: "..."

Cilantro Who Loves to Play said irritably, "Damn it, this game's difficulty is no joke. Those monsters' skills are nasty. They killed three of my halflings in the first wave."

"It also had to do with me asking for trouble by sending a halfling to test the fog. Don't follow my example. These are lessons paid for in blood and tears."

Everyone sent laughing stickers while silently committing the lesson to memory.

Just then, the glasses resting on Shen Xing's legs vibrated.

After he put them on, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Your territory is about to come under attack. Prepare for battle.]

Shen Xing's expression quickly turned serious as his consciousness returned to the dilapidated little village.

The bonfire still burned fiercely. The ten dim-witted orc infantrymen were drooling, completely unaware that danger was approaching.

He looked around. Something seemed to be writhing in the dense fog, and a chilly aura drifted toward him.

For some reason, Shen Xing felt a little uneasy.

It was just like the fear of death that had welled up in his heart late that night, when the Dayun N6 was about to run him over!

"This is interesting. I'm actually feeling scared in a game."

He wheeled himself to the village entrance and ordered in a deep voice, "Orcs, prepare for battle."

"Yes, boss... in a wheelchair."

An orc with a mohawk at the front shook his head and led the other orcs toward the village entrance.

"..." Shen Xing's face darkened. "What the hell did you call me?"

The mohawked orc scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.

He sighed. Forget it. He couldn't be bothered arguing with these green potatoes who had nothing but muscle in their heads.

Still, that little detail gave him a better sense of how realistic the game was. Even these cannon-fodder troops had a fair amount of intelligence.

Meanwhile, the gray fog ahead churned violently.

"Hah... hah..."

Raspy sounds came in waves, like the dying gasps of someone whose throat had been damaged by smoke.

Then, one tall, thin figure after another emerged from the fog and stepped into the firelight.

They had humanoid silhouettes and charred bodies, like corpses that had crawled out of a fire.

One, two, three... a full fifteen charred figures appeared at once.

[Lost One]

[Level: 1]

[Attributes: Strength 5, spirit 6, agility 4, constitution 4]

[Potential: Common ★]

[Skills: None]

[Talents: None]

[Bond - Lost One (activated): More than 10 Lost Ones are present at the same time. Special ability [Voice of the Lost] activated.]

[Description: Living beings lost in the fog. Their souls have long since dissipated, but their bodies continue to wander through the fog.]

"There are fifteen monsters in the first wave alone. This is a bit tricky."

Shen Xing's expression grew grave. "No wonder Qin Lang lost three halflings right off the bat. And these ten orc infantrymen of mine..."

He looked at the drooling, dim-witted orcs, then at the wheelchair beneath him, and suddenly felt that the outlook was bleak.

After all, although Qin Lang was also a new player, he was at least an able-bodied person. At worst, he could stand in the back and throw a few stones.

Shen Xing, on the other hand, could only sit here and watch helplessly, unable to help at all.

But things had come to this. He had to grit his teeth and fight.

Just as Shen Xing took a deep breath and prepared to command the orc infantrymen in battle.

[Precursor 'Shen Xing' detected with a special fate. Activating unique hidden talent: Life-Sacrifice Evolution]

[Life-Sacrifice Evolution: Permanently sacrifice one basic attribute to advance the potential of a single troop unit within the territory once. The unit permanently gains the sacrificed attribute points.]

Chapter 3: S-rank evaluation

"Huh?"

Life-Sacrifice Evolution? A unique hidden talent?

Shen Xing stared at the notifications before him, feeling a little dazed.

But he soon understood. This was his very own golden finger!

Only, the talent sounded a little strange. It actually required him to permanently sacrifice one of his own attributes.

Just then, he noticed another line of small text beneath the talent entry.

[Note: 'Life-Sacrifice Evolution' can sacrifice any one attribute, but the chosen troop unit's evolution will change direction depending on the attribute you sacrifice.

This talent can be used once per day.]

"Sacrifice any one attribute to give a troop unit a targeted evolution?"

"It sounds powerful, but the price is way too high."

In the early stages of the game, a character's basic attributes were low to begin with.

Let alone sacrificing them to improve a troop unit's attributes.

Just then, looking at his attribute panel, Shen Xing suddenly realized something. "What if... I sacrifice my agility?"

After all, his agility was already zero. How much further could it drop?

Surely it couldn't go into the negatives, could it?

Eager to give it a try, he fixed his gaze on the mohawked orc in the distance.

[Use talent ability: Life-Sacrifice Evolution to increase the potential of an 'orc infantryman' in your territory?]

[This use requires the sacrifice of 10 'agility'.]

"Yes."

The moment he clicked confirm, it felt as though a strange power had entered his body.