The silence was so dense, a pin drop could have been heard.
Whether on the second floor of the building, where Ethan watched from the window, or on the training field, no one spoke. Everyone, without exception, remained in absolute silence, their faces overtaken by shock.
Several seconds passed.
Almost a minute.
And then, a single roar shattered the stillness.
A Vesper, unable to contain his excitement, raised his arms to the sky and shouted like a wild man. That cry triggered a chain reaction. The rest followed. They erupted in cheers and shouts, fists raised.
The air filled with collective euphoria.
Even the captains, usually serious and strict, said nothing to stop the celebration. The emotion was evident on their faces. They had witnessed something... impossible. And yet, it had happened.
Inside the building, Ethan heard the roar and smiled.
Hu Jian, behind him, finally exhaled the breath he had been holding for minutes. His eyes were slightly damp, and though he remained silent, his expression said everything.
Officer Wei, beside him, crossed his arms and nodded respectfully.
At first, everyone had been tense.
Especially Hu Jian.
Seeing his younger brother get hit by fireballs had pushed him to the edge. If Ethan hadn't remained calm, he probably would have taken his rifle and charged into the training field to rescue him.
Despite the training, despite the weapons, the deep fear of immortal techniques still lingered. Years of serving the Li family had conditioned him. In the face of cultivators, every mortal lowered their head. It was an instinctive response, engraved in the marrow of this world.
But now…
Now everything was different.
His brother had defeated a mid-level cultivator with pure strength. No weapons, no Qi. Just muscle and determination.
If he weren't standing in front of Ethan, Hu Jian would have screamed with the others, without hesitation.
Meanwhile, seated by the window, Ethan watched in silence. His fingers, once clenched, relaxed.
He had held his breath more than once during the fight. Watching Hu Zhan roll across the ground, wrapped in explosions, had tensed his body.
After all, he was his personal guard, and one of the men he trusted most. He didn't want anything to happen to him. If not for AION, which displayed real-time data including vitals and a superficial damage analysis, he probably would have stopped the fight early.
But it wasn't necessary.
He sighed, turned his gaze to the floating interface, and gave a mental command:
"AION, save the full video of the combat."
As AION processed the command, Ethan remained in place.
Today, something changed.
And while he waited for Hu Zhan's return, the smile on his lips didn't fade.
Back in Stella City, in the office located in the central building, Ethan remained silent, thoughtful. In front of him floated a series of screens projected by AION, showing biometric data, combat recordings, and statistical projections. He was thoroughly analyzing the information obtained from Hu Zhan's recent fight, contrasting it with the general records of the Human Sequences.
Currently, the physical strength generated by enhanced subjects in Sequence 1 showed considerable variability. Some, like the first prisoner used in the testing phases, barely exceeded 400 kilograms of force. In contrast, the Vespers, with rigorous training and optimized nutrition, surpassed 900 kilograms, as in the case of Hu Zhan.
He directed his gaze to the files of the Hu brothers.
[Vesper Special Forces File | Classification Level: S | Restricted Access]
Name: Hu Jian
Recorded Physical Strength: 1000 kg
Name: Hu Zhan
Recorded Physical Strength: 993 kg
There was something particularly interesting in Hu Jian's statement. According to him, he felt he had reached a kind of "stage," as if his body had stepped onto a new rung. He could clearly feel that it wasn't his limit, that with time, constant training, and a diet rich in energy and nutrients, he could continue to advance.
AION had detected something similar.
The detailed analysis showed that Compound D was more active in his system, progressively remodeling his internal structure. Bones, muscles, nerves. The body was adapting, gaining efficiency and strength, although the process seemed to slow down once a certain threshold was reached.
Ethan compared it to the traditional cultivation model.
According to the information, the path of cultivation was riddled with "bottlenecks," points where progress required a specific condition, sufficient energy, opportunities, and a suitable spiritual root. Some cultivators, especially those with five spiritual roots and of low grade, would reach that point and could not advance further. They called it the end of talent.
An invisible barrier. An unbreakable abyss.
But according to Hu Jian, that was not his case. He described it as a temporary limit. A step, not a wall. It was enough to keep advancing, strengthening the body, and eventually, he would surpass it.
Ethan narrowed his eyes as he organized his thoughts. Although the Sequences were still a developing field, it was already possible to outline certain patterns. And with AION's recommendation, he decided to establish a first structured classification for the power levels within the Human Sequence system.
The battle between Hu Zhan and the 5th-level cultivator served as a reference point. He had dominated overwhelmingly. Therefore, it could be concluded that a subject in Sequence 1, with high physical performance and training, could face cultivators of Qi between levels 4 and 6 without too much difficulty.
However, beyond level 6, things changed.
From the 6th to the 7th level, according to collected records, there was a qualitative leap. Cultivators stopped being considered mid-level and ascended to High Qi. Their techniques became more complex, channeling speed increased, and the spiritual reinforcements to the body were more solid.
Ethan took a breath, then typed on the interface.
Based on this, he defined the progression of the Sequences as follows:
[Internal Classification of the Genetic Sequence System – Access Level: Class S / Restricted – AGS Project]
Sequence Level 1 – Stage Classification (Version 1.0)
– Initial Stage: Strength range: 0 kg – 500 kg, Combat estimation: Capable of facing Qi cultivators of levels 1 to 3 (Initial Stage).
– Intermediate Stage: Strength range: 501 kg – 1000 kg, Combat estimation: Capable of facing Qi cultivators of levels 4 to 6 (Intermediate Stage).
– Advanced Stage: Strength range: 1001 kg – ???, Combat estimation: Capable of facing Qi cultivators of levels 7 to 9 (Advanced Stage).
– Peak Stage: Strength range: Limit not yet determined. Incomplete data, requires experimental validation. It is theorized that users in this stage could face Qi cultivators at the peak of level 9.
The peak of the Advanced Stage and the threshold toward the Peak Stage are pending empirical validation.
New records will be incorporated automatically as the AION system receives field data.
Ethan read the report projected in front of him attentively. He nodded slowly.
The structure was solid. The classification system would not only allow Sequences to be cataloged by strength but also to establish combat projections in relation to the traditional cultivator system.
"Good work, AION." Mentally, he stored the file with a priority tag.
According to the data, Hu Zhan was in the Intermediate Stage of Sequence Level 1, near his limit. Hu Jian seemed to be touching the threshold of the Advanced Stage of Sequence Level 1, although not yet crossing it. Ethan knew that, sooner or later, one or both would achieve it. And when they did, he would complete the gap now left in the record.
From that logic, he developed a speculative projection on future Sequences.
If Sequence Level 1 can eventually face cultivators at the peak of Qi Refinement… then Sequence Level 2 should allow direct combat against cultivators of the next level, Foundation Establishment.
For now, it was just a theory, but it represented a solid roadmap.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, satisfied. The document represented a fundamental advancement for the Sequence program. Finally, there was a clear, useful classification with enough foundation to be expanded as the project progressed.
As a satisfied smile crossed his face, a dry sound pulled him from his thoughts.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A knock echoed at the door.
"Enter," he ordered without raising his voice.
The door opened, and a Vesper stepped in with firm strides. He was the communications officer in charge of the telegraph for Stella City.
"Commander," he greeted respectfully, bringing his fist to his chest. "News from Omega Zero. It seems they've made an important discovery."