Chapter 71: Second lieutenant
Translated by: Chua
Edited by: TN, XRCO and Elka.s.sar
Naturally, option A – ‘Steroids fury’ was prefered by offensive type contestants. Option B – ‘Healthy mister’ was more suitably for defensive type contestants. For example summoners and support cla.s.s contestants would choose option B. Sheyan considered for a moment, he still believed that staying alive took priority. He particular experienced that during the vicious hurricane created by the winged keys. Thus, he selected option B.
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Following the direction of his nightmare imprint, Sheyan swiftly returned to the marketplace. When he was approaching the middle region of the district, he suddenly felt the ground beneath vibrating a little. The tile beneath him suddenly lifted him up, three red tentacles erupted from the ground coiling and weaving around Sheyan forming a sealed but s.p.a.cious fencing. It was to prevent others from falling in. Using his hand to touch, he could feel a spongy texture followed by a metal core within, it was slightly warm but extremely solid.
Riding on this ‘elevator’, Sheyan was lifted towards the summit of the realm. Upon reaching its goal, the tile beneath him dissolved into the lateral wall. Ahead of him was a hexagon shaped metal tunnel. The metal tunnel gave on an unfathomable feeling, even time could not leave a mark on it! As Sheyan walked through, 3 beams of green rays burst out and started scanning him. Any unnecessary movements would surely result in instant death.
At the end of the tunnel was a metal chair. The chair was embroidered with huge oval crystals. Sheyan sat down, a hologram screen ejected from the ground:
“Serial no.1018……a.n.a.lyzing”
“Confirming ident.i.ty……”
“Your current nightmare imprint ranking is: Recruit.”
“Conditions met to promote your military ranking. Do you wish to promote? Yes / No?”
“Yes.”
“Your current nightmare imprint ranking is: Private First Cla.s.s.”
“Conditions met to promote your military ranking. Do you wish to promote? Yes /No?”
“Yes.”
………..
Following that, Sheyan consecutively jumped 3 ranks. He directly leapt over the critical junctures of Corporal, Sergeant and Staff Sergeant ranks.
50 achievement points was the doorstep of the 2nd Lieutenant rank. Sheyan’s achievement value had already reached 53 points, and fulfilled the adequate requirements. This time promoting from staff-sergeant to captain was definitely not a simple path. Even in the present world, 2nd lieutenants makes up the majority of officers and were considered the lowest ranking for commissioned officers. It represented the transformation from a soldier to an officer! From here on, the led will become the leader!
All these promotions were directly announced by the hologram screen. Suddenly a disturbance static surfaced on the screen, after a brief moment, a hoa.r.s.e voice transmitted over.
“Wa oh! Yet another guy who has pa.s.s through the preliminary refining. Keke.”
“Very well done, let me see. Contestant no.1018, congratulations on successfully become a 2nd lieutenant.”
Sheyan amazedly replied.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t fret, don’t fret! I’m not an enemy. In truth, I am also a human same as you, but instead I am from the future.”
“Future?” Sheyan was even more bewildered.
The hoa.r.s.e voice coughed twice before continuing.
“That’s right. Actually, strictly speaking your ranking is what we would’ve recruited you the previous decade. But based on your strength now, you don’t meet our standards. Until you’ve matured further, you’ll be naturally contacted again.”
“Military recruitment?” Sheyan felt a wave of fury rus.h.i.+ng up. Thinking of the various dangers he had faced so far in the nightmare realm, his life hanging on a thread.
“You guys let me struggle between life and death, treating us just like ants! Is that called recruitment?”
“Don’t be agitated young lieutenant!” The voice sounded like it usually faced such scenarios, calmly continuing.
“To gain, one has to first lose. To enter this realm, one has to possess intense reluctance and indomitable willpower. They long for somewhere to vent their frustrations, but we can satisfy your wishes. Naturally, you’ll have to fight for us. Isn’t this just a fair trade? Let’s take you for an example, has the realm forced you to join?”
“But……” Sheyan was loss for words.
The hoa.r.s.e voice gently continued.
“If you feel that our actions are wrong, then we will give you a chance. Immediately leave the realm, and your nightmare imprint will disappear. All your memories will be erased. You can continue living as an ordinary person in the 21st century.”
“NO!” Sheyan was appalled. He immediately raised his voice. “I haven’t acquired the regenerative medicine to treat Uncle Dasi’s fingers, how can I leave?”
“Ok, ok.” The hoa.r.s.e voice chirped. “You see, you see, between us is definitely a fair relations.h.i.+p.”
“……Alright, I understand. I take back my earlier words.” Sheyan dejectedly replied. “Then award me my t.i.tle.”
The hoa.r.s.e voice lauded him.
“Very good. The next time I see you, I hope that you have reached a level that we can use. You must know, the place to earn the greatest achievements is on our battlefield.”
“My last advice, is solely for you. Young lieutenant, only few talented contestants can receive that privilege.”
Sheyan earnestly nodded his head.
“I will keep this to heart.”
“Cherish your achievement points, like how you cherish your lover. Be as stingy with it….if not believe me, you will certainly regret squandering in the near future.”
Sheyan suddenly recalled another matter.
“Earlier I’ve learned that achievement points can be exchanged. How about purchasing some?”
The coa.r.s.e voice simply replied.
“I don’t encourage such a behavior, that is a foolish idea. Moreover you are only a second lieutenant now, you cannot engage in trades with others anymore. Haish, Let’s put it like this. Soldiers would trade away their achievement points, do so only to increase their survivability chances and self-benefits. Regarding your current stage, I can only tell you that lieutenants who achieve their rank through trading will never receive our acknowledgement or commendation. And their promotion privileges are lesser. More importantly, it is so they can establish their own parties….. I’ve said too much already. Good luck young lieutenant, hope to see you again.”
Consecutively, Sheyan ear’s resounded with notifications:
“You have been promoted to: Second Lieutenant.”
“Your nightmare imprint has received the following privileges.”
“You can purchase the related military items within the nightmare realm.”
“Your personal interspatial area has increased by 100%.”
“You can establish a lowest grade party, party cannot exceed 5 people.”
“You can appoint an a.s.sistant, but his rank must at least by sergeant/ sergeant (Reserve). Appointing will require a small fee of achievement points.”
“You received a one-time privilege purchas.e.m.e.nt of military item for free.”
“You receive the authority to initiate entry into the nightmare realm after 2 weeks in the present world. Initiating entry will provide an additional stay over period of 180 minutes. At present, every completion of a nightmare world would provide a 48 hours acc.u.mulative stay over period.”
Warning: Once your achievement points reduced to below 50, your acquired privileges will be taken away, your rank will be demoted.
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Sheyan glanced through this list and felt rather satisfied. Previously in the Pirates of the Caribbean world, he found out achievement points could be traded. It looks like those budding phase parties utilized this swift method to establish their party. He suddenly recalled something else, loudly inquiring out.
“May I ask how you determine the amount of utility points, potential points, and free attribute points after completing a test?”
The answer changed to the robotic, emotionless tone of the nightmare realm. Obviously, the person that awarded Sheyan had left.
“Calculating your privileges……”
“Please pay 600 utility points, contestant no.1018.”
“Your current ranking is: 2nd Lieutenant. You only need to pay 500 utility points.”
Sheyan was speechless but still paid up the 500 utility points. In the realm, at all times it was efficient, hardless yet urging one to pursue his pinnacle. This was the hardless universal law from the beginning: How much you pay, that is how much you gain. It was that simple. It was that merciless and precise like a machine!
Very quickly, Sheyan received an answer.
“How many utility points you earn as reward, is related to your mission content exploration rate. The nightmare realm will evaluate and judge based on every single mission content against the ones that you have accepted and completed.”
“How many potential points is related to the exploration rate of the world itself. Also, it is related to the completion score of your completed mission.”
“As long as you managed to advance deeply into the exploration of various dangerous main storyline, important characters, or special scenarios; you will obtain additional free attribute points. Note: You can’t have both fish and bear paw*. During a contestant’s earlier phase, if he doesn’t have the support of a mighty party, then trying to earn additional free attribute points would definitely restrict the amount of additional potential/utility points earned.”
(TN: *Chinese idiom which means you can’t always get everything.)