Chapter 5: Arrival at Starshield Refuge

After confirming his acceptance into the Rift Sky Mercenary Corps, Lin Xinghai spoke briefly with Roger before returning to the rear carriage.

Though their conversation was short, it gave Lin Xinghai a rough understanding of the Rift Sky Mercenary Corps.

The corps consisted of thirty-five members with a straightforward hierarchy: a captain, a vice-captain, and three team leaders—Roger being one of them.

In fact, only two people ranked above Roger.

This explained why Roger was confident enough to promise his protection to Lin Xinghai upon their first meeting; he truly had that kind of authority.

Lin Xinghai was naturally pleased by this, feeling assured that with Roger’s backing, he wouldn’t face unreasonable trouble from the veteran members.

Returning to his seat, Lin Xinghai noticed the unusual gazes from those inside the carriage.

Upon reflection, it was understandable; after their “first lesson” about the harshness of the apocalypse, everyone carried a mixture of worry and fear about the future.

As a fellow resident of Refuge No. 38, Lin Xinghai’s swift connection with the mercenaries surely stirred thoughts among them.

Especially some of the women inside the carriage, who shyly cast flirtatious glances at him.

However, Lin Xinghai paid no mind to their fiery or inquisitive looks. Sitting down, he closed his eyes to rest.

In truth, he was checking his system panel.

Reviewing his own stats and recalling Roger’s, he realized that each person’s attributes leaned toward a particular strength.

He favored speed, while Roger was more strength-oriented.

He wasn’t sure which attribute was superior, but enhancing his gene optimization was undeniably beneficial overall.

With this in mind, he tapped the plus sign next to his gene optimization level.

As one point of blood energy was consumed, a special energy coursed through his limbs and body, filling him with a comforting sensation as if he were transcending himself.

He had ample time, so he waited until the pleasant feeling faded entirely before lazily tapping the plus sign again.

“Ding! Spend 2 points of blood energy to increase gene optimization level?” the system prompt appeared.

Lin Xinghai’s expression instantly changed.

“Why did the blood energy cost suddenly increase?” he murmured unhappily, realizing this dashed his plan to quickly become a gene optimizer.

Moreover, he worried that as his gene optimization level rose, the blood energy required would keep escalating.

“Sigh... Even with a system, improving one’s strength isn’t that easy,” he sighed softly to himself.

Had other gene optimizers heard this, they might have been tempted to scold him.

Usually, those ranked D or E in gene evaluation wouldn’t even dare dream of becoming gene optimizers within a year or two.

Lin Xinghai spent all his remaining twelve points of blood energy, raising his gene optimization level to 26%.

Host: Lin Xinghai
Physique: 21 points
Strength: 18 points
Speed: 26 points
Blood Energy: 0 points
Gene Optimization Level: 26%

“My strength attribute is the weakest. Does that mean my attack power will be low?” Lin Xinghai muttered while examining his stats.

Since this was beyond his control, he closed the system panel and truly rested.

...

The convoy pressed forward swiftly. Lin Xinghai had expected the journey to end quickly, but it stretched on for five hours.

Along the way, they faced dozens of waves of zombies. Unfortunately, after each battle, the convoy moved on without stopping.

Lin Xinghai felt regretful; if they had paused, he could have gathered more blood energy.

Eventually, the convoy halted at the base of a bare mountain, breaking their defensive formation and entering a tunnel along the road.

The tunnel’s interior walls were forged from alloy, and every fifty meters featured a bunker as a defensive structure.

The entire tunnel was just two hundred meters long, ending with a one-meter-thick alloy door.

Inside the door lay a rectangular hall surrounded by dozens of elevators.

These elevators varied in size; even the smallest could hold thirty people at once.

The largest elevator was like stepping into a hundred-square-meter alloy chamber—something that truly amazed Lin Xinghai.

These massive elevators could transport three troop carriers at a time.

The elevator descended three hundred meters underground, where the true site of the Star Shield Refuge was located.

“No wonder humanity can survive so peacefully in such an apocalypse,” Lin Xinghai muttered, standing on the alloy floor.

“Take these first. I’ll report your joining to the higher-ups, and once it’s processed, I’ll come find you,” Roger said, handing him a bag.

Lin Xinghai peeked inside; it contained four bottles of pale green medicine and a badge.

“What’s this?” he asked, despite having some guesses.

“Four gene serums—I’m fronting them for you. This is our mercenary corps badge. If you run into trouble, show it. Down here in the lower district, hardly anyone dares to mess with a mercenary,” Roger explained.

“All right, I’m off. Don’t slack off; aim to become a gene optimizer and move up to the middle district soon,” Roger said, patting Lin Xinghai’s shoulder before turning away.

Holding the bag, Lin Xinghai felt a warmth in his heart.

Normally, the process would require joining the corps, undergoing tests, and then being assigned gene serums, which would take at least two or three days.

But the sooner he took the gene serums, the better, since absorption took time.

“According to Roger, with my B-level gene rating and intense training, I can absorb a bottle of gene serum within two days. That means I should become a gene optimizer before my first mercenary mission,” Lin Xinghai smiled.

The time to absorb gene serums varied by individual.

The higher the gene rating, the faster and more effective the absorption. Intense training also accelerated the process.

Tucking away the bag, Lin Xinghai followed the crowd toward the assembly point.