After confirming he would join the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps, Lin Xinghai talked with Roger for a little while longer before returning to the back of the vehicle.
Although their conversation was brief, it was enough for Lin Xinghai to get a general understanding of the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps.
The Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps had 35 members in total, and the positions were quite simple. There was a commander, a vice-commander, and then three captains, Roger being one of them.
In other words, only two people ranked higher than Roger.
This was why Roger dared to say he would have Lin Xinghai's back when they first met; he truly had the standing to make such a promise.
Lin Xinghai was, of course, happy about this. 'With Roger around, at least I won't have to deal with any clichéd drama like being hazed by the veteran members.'
As he sat back down, Lin Xinghai noticed the others in the vehicle were giving him strange looks.
'But it's only to be expected,' he thought. After their "first lesson," they all had at least some understanding of how cruel the apocalypse was.
They were probably all filled with negative emotions like worry and fear, anxious about their futures.
But as people from the same Shelter 83, how could they not have ideas of their own when Lin Xinghai had cozied up to the Mercenaries in the blink of an eye?
Some of the women in the vehicle, in particular, had other ideas, secretly casting flirtatious glances at Lin Xinghai.
But Lin Xinghai completely ignored everyone's fiery or probing gazes, closing his eyes to rest as soon as he sat down.
Of course, in reality, he was checking his system panel.
Looking at the stats on his panel and recalling Roger's, he was almost certain that everyone's Attributes were skewed toward certain areas.
He was skewed toward Speed, while Roger was skewed toward Power.
'As for which skew is better, I don't know yet. But there's no harm in increasing my Genetic Optimization Level, since it boosts everything overall.'
With this in mind, he tapped the "+" sign next to his Genetic Optimization Level.
As one point of Blood Qi Power was deducted, a special Energy once again permeated his entire body, making him feel incredibly comfortable, as if his whole being was about to ascend.
He had plenty of Time now, so he waited until the comfortable sensation completely faded before slowly tapping the "+" sign again.
"Ding! Spend 2 points of Blood Qi Power to increase your Genetic Optimization Level?"
Seeing the system prompt pop up, Lin Xinghai's expression immediately changed.
'Why did the Blood Qi Power cost suddenly increase?' He looked grim, because this meant his plan to immediately become one of the Optimized was shattered.
He even considered something more troubling: 'Does the Blood Qi Power cost continue to increase as my Genetic Optimization Level rises?'
'Sigh... It seems that even with a system, improving my strength won't be that easy,' Lin Xinghai sighed to himself.
Of course, if any of the other Optimized heard him say that, they would probably want to beat him to death.
Generally speaking, someone with a D Level or E Level Genetic Assessment couldn't even dream of becoming one of the Optimized in less than a year or so.
Lin Xinghai used up all his remaining 12 points of Blood Qi Power, raising his Genetic Optimization Level to 26%.
Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 21 points
Power: 18 points
Speed: 26 points
Blood Qi Power: 0 points
Genetic Optimization Level: 26%
'My Strength Attribute is the weakest. Does that mean my Attack Power will be very low?' Lin Xinghai couldn't help but mutter as he looked at his attribute panel.
Of course, there was nothing he could do to change that. Closing the system panel, he truly closed his eyes to rest.
...
The convoy moved forward quickly. Lin Xinghai had thought the journey would be over soon, but to his surprise, they drove for a full five hours.
Along the way, they encountered dozens of waves of Zombies, both large and small. Unfortunately, after dealing with the Zombies, the convoy just kept moving, showing no intention of stopping at all.
This filled Lin Xinghai with regret; otherwise, he could have harvested a good amount of Blood Qi Power.
Finally, the convoy arrived at the foot of a barren mountain. Only then did they disengage the Defense Array and drive along the road into a tunnel.
The tunnel's inner walls were entirely forged from Alloy, and every 50 meters, there was a bunker serving as a defensive fortification.
The entire tunnel was no more than 200 meters long, and at its end stood a one-meter-thick Alloy gate.
Beyond the gate was a large, rectangular hall lined with dozens of elevators.
These elevators came in various sizes; even the smallest could accommodate 30 people at once.
As for the largest elevator, walking into it was like entering an Alloy house of over a hundred square meters. It was a real eye-opener for Lin Xinghai.
This massive elevator could even transport three troop carriers at once.
The elevator descended 300 meters underground before stopping. This was the true location of the Star Shield Shelter.
'No wonder humanity can survive safely in an apocalyptic environment like this,' Lin Xinghai muttered to himself, standing on the Alloy floor.
"Here, take this for now. I'll report your induction into the corps in a bit. I'll come find you once it's all processed," Roger said, handing him a bag.
Lin Xinghai took the bag and glanced inside. There wasn't much: four vials of a pale green potion and an insignia.
"What's this?" Lin Xinghai asked, even though he already had a guess.
"Four vials of Genetic Potion, consider it an advance from me. That's our Mercenary Corps' insignia. If you run into any trouble, just show it. Here in the Lower Level District, not many people would dare to provoke a Mercenary."
"Alright, I'm off. Don't slack off. Strive to become one of the Optimized as soon as possible so you can enter the Middle Level District." With that, Roger clapped Lin Xinghai on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Clutching the bag in his hand, Lin Xinghai felt a faint warmth spread through his heart.
If he had followed the normal procedure—joining the Mercenary Corps, undergoing a test, and then being allocated Genetic Potions—he would have had to wait at least two or three days.
And with Genetic Potions, it was obviously better to take them as soon as possible, since absorbing them takes Time.
'According to Roger's description, with my B Level Genetic Assessment and some high-intensity training, I should be able to absorb a full vial of Genetic Potion within two days. At this rate, I should be able to become one of the Optimized before my first Mercenary Corps mission,' Lin Xinghai thought, a smile appearing on his face.
The Time it takes to absorb a Genetic Potion varies from person to person.
The higher the Genetic Assessment Level, the faster the absorption speed and the better the effect. Additionally, high-intensity training can also accelerate this process.
Lin Xinghai put the bag away and followed the crowd toward the assembly point.