After a tedious handover and a dull welcome banquet, Wei Huan couldn't wait any longer. The next morning, before dawn—while many crew members were still nursing hangovers and partying in their dreams—he bid farewell to the place that had trapped him for a month.
"Where we headed, boss?" Liu Chengzhi, like a mind-reading worm in Wei Huan's gut, followed right after breakfast. Seeing the vehicle roll out, he asked.
Mu Zhong answered: "Probably back to Azure Dragon City first. I've got some unfinished work."
"Kill a few snow beasts on the way. A month of eat-sleep-eat has my bones itching." A 'click' from the corner—Xu Qingqiang's lighter flared, igniting his rebellious peach-blossom eyes.
Excitement erupted from every driver's seat.
"Yeah! Stop by some ruins, open a few chests—I've never craved battle this much."
"The War Clan was so depressing. You didn't see the mental state of those underground people—they need serious therapy back on Blue Star."
"Totally. I was getting depressed myself."
"I want to fight—and hit the Fifth-Level World! Haha, boss, are we going soon?"
"Oh man, just thinking we're heading to the front lines keeps me up. We're gonna help Daxia claim more islands, right?"
Ding Qi, Teng Jiayang, and Teng Xiyang spoke up.
Zhou Yong and Lin Xu stood, pumping fists.
Mu Han pushed up his glasses, exchanging smiles with Mu Zirui.
Dou Lin floated mid-air, legs dangling, eyes squinting with glee.
The cockpit door burst open. Captain Xue, sweating buckets, rushed in. Seeing the crowd, his legs nearly gave out.
"Did I miss a memo?" he asked uncertainly.
Liu Chengzhi grinned, slinging an arm around him. "Nope—you're right on time. Early or late, it just shows our spirits align. The synergy's real."
Xue was confused but warmed by the approving, joyful stares. "Good, good."
Veterans—including Mu Zirui and Captain Xue, who joined pre-assessment—had two extra months of bonding with Wei Huan, forging solid rapport.
The others stayed back because they didn't know him well enough. For most, ruin dives were gambles. On Wei Huan's vehicle? They were stress-relief loot runs.
He needed to vent the frustration bottled up at War Clan HQ.
He detoured deliberately, heading to the nearest treasure map coordinate.
Less than two hours later, a sky-piercing light beam rose. As the treasure dungeon entrance formed, Wei Huan's undead army was already in position.
A standard dungeon—small entrance. Scouting fell to Ghost Crows and Facehuggers.
Worth noting: "Dot Mom's" evolution into a hero unit transformed her entire tree.
Now a 150-meter behemoth—upgraded to an advanced "Armory"—her abdomen directly recruited Burrow Beast Mothers.
As the system's queen, she directed their evolution.
Aware of Wei Huan's aerial weakness, she granted the lineage "levitation".
Burrow Beast Mothers now floated like jellyfish.
Their Facehuggers—cockroach-like—flew and leaped through the air.
Combat aside, flight filled Wei Huan's aerial troop gap.
A highly effective evolution.
Doggo, the system's base unit, changed drastically.
Emerging from Dot Mom's abdomen, it had evolved into a Burrow Beast Mother.
One elite Facehugger it recruited stood out—sharp-minded, fawning over Wei Huan and Mu Zhong. Without Doggo's jealous intervention, Wei Huan might've mistaken this "grandchild" for the original.
Clearly a hive/ant colony structure: strong queen, strong swarm, with a dedicated "heir bloodline" advancing predictably—mother to daughter to granddaughter—as the queen evolves, the swarm expands.
The Facehuggers Wei Huan now released—grandchild-generation—poured in like a white river.
Doggo, now a Burrow Beast Mother, led others to fan out 5 km, guarding Wei Huan.
For show, of course. Ghost Crows flew to the 15 km limit for outer perimeter.
Plus super-AI's 30 km radar and "Stealth Layer Cracker v1.0" scanning constantly.
Now truly armed to the teeth—breaching his alert net to harm the vehicle? Less than 0.01% chance.
While Wei Huan cleared the dungeon, his "resting" new crew had long risen. Seeing the vehicle moving, they stood ready, spirits high.
No orders came—but they witnessed the full "Wei Huan-style treasure run."
Undead swarmed in. Xu Qingqiang led thick-skinned warriors inside.
Five minutes later, the portal fountain of undead stopped. Stragglers at the gate were whisked by dark tentacles into rifts.
Three minutes more: all crew emerged unscathed, still hungry for more. As the last exited, the dungeon sealed, vanishing—only snow remained.
A treasure dungeon fully cleared.
Even the smallest—never seen conquered like a casual stroll.
The old academics aboard were stunned.
They knew Wei Huan was strong, but the Challenge World was deadly.
Their journey—state-heavy escort, even pulling frontline elites to higher worlds.
Still, assessment highway attacks kept them on edge. Monster tides could wipe them out anytime.
They'd prepared to die to a dark beast lord ambush.
These elders—national treasures, brains like supercomputers, holding humanity's tech legacy.
Without full trust in Wei Huan and the urgent need to elevate experts amid dark beast rivalry, the state wouldn't risk this.
These 50–60-year-olds defied family, braving the journey.
Fourth-Level pressure alone could kill them—let alone monsters.
Only now, seeing Wei Huan casually conquer a dungeon, did they understand the state's approval.
Few Daxia vehicles could protect them—less than a handful.
They weren't military or Challenge-tech experts—dead weight anywhere else.
Most vehicles saved every combat slot. Logistics, R&D—cut if possible. All hands on deck.
Only Wei Huan.
Absolute power meant crew composition didn't matter. Undead calamity currently unsolvable, plus key supports and elite attackers—enough for most ruins.
Thus, he had bandwidth for true civilization inheritance.
Inheritance is "people"—and "knowledge", humanity's millennia of accumulated wisdom.
Example: a historian aboard copied Blue Star and Daxia history onto Challenge World parchment—memory only, since books can't cross worlds.
Ant-like, bit by bit, preserving origins.
If—if—humanity lost, Blue Star destroyed, sealed humans in dungeons would still have records: 'We came from a planet called Blue Star.'
In crisis, humanities seemed trivial—states couldn't prioritize.
But unimportant?
A century later, lost forever—regret?
Needed a leader or hero with surplus strength for this "useless" but eternally meritorious duty.
The academics, led by Academician Zhao.
64, lifelong nuclear engineer. Post-Challenge, she pioneered Challenge-tech for Blue Star—current global air vehicles her work with students and "drivers."
Much Challenge-tech applicable—limited by world/vehicle tiers.
"Mu Zhong," she said post-ruin, fully relaxed. "Have Old Bing take me to your lab. I'll be stationed there long-term. Find me if needed."
"Got it." Mu Zhong smiled.
After she left, he turned to an elegant 50-something woman: "Professor Wu, scrolls are in your room. Anything you need—just say."
"Thank you." She was the tireless historian transcribing humanity's past.
Mu Zhong greeted every expert—utmost respect, resource allocation per request.
Not all "liberal arts." Retired military experts, national master instructors.
Even one ancient "imperial tutor" in political-military strategy—Professor Ju.
Unlike pure researchers, these six were invited to a briefing room.
Wei Huan appeared at the podium, bowed deeply. "Teachers, thank you. I need deeper, more valuable military study. Politics isn't essential—but I must be the strongest battlefield challenger, the hardest fist, the sharpest blade. I will slaughter all dark beasts until they tremble. My sole demand: make me a war god."
Silence. Then Professor Ju, most revered, nodded: "Exactly. No overreach. Now: fight well, win well. Chaos demands iron rules—and fists. One force breaks all."
Others agreed.
"I'll train your soldiers."
"I'll organize your undead."
"I'll elevate your military acumen."
State-selected—elite.
Roles pre-assigned.
Wei Huan brute-forced to now—but Fifth-Level World was different.
Global top talents converged, every inch tied to Blue Star's fate.
All military geniuses, combat prodigies—veterans, standout since youth.
Transcending genius required more than luck or recklessness. Every vehicle a "fist"—tightly clenched for maximum impact.
En route to Azure Dragon City, Wei Huan cleared two more ruins.
Upon arrival, Professor Ju pulled him into a private session—deep, friendly teaching.
Every word carried profound wisdom, leaving Wei Huan pondering long after.
"Talking with me is tough?" Professor Ju poured tea, smiling.
Wei Huan gravely: "Every sentence enlightens me."
"That means vast room to grow. Today ends here. Return in a week. Have Dou Lin visit—I get lonely."
Half an hour—needs a week to digest?
Wei Huan left, shaken.
Meeting Mu Zhong outside, they headed to the cafeteria, discussing Professor Ju.
Mu Zhong: "General Mu visited him several times—with me. As a kid, I didn't get it. Now? His depth is terrifying. The state sending him shocked me. Their expectations for you go far beyond the present."
What expectations?
Neither asked nor said.
But sending a political-military sage spoke volumes: grooming Wei Huan into a general—or higher leader.
In the cafeteria, they found Dou Lin—teary, aggrieved.
"Brother Wei! Brother Mu! No school! I hate studying! Waaah—they all teach me! I hate it!!"
Wei Huan looked up—professors stared at Dou Lin like wolves.
Sympathy flickered… but a seven-year-old skipping school to play?
Over Dou Lin's wails, they ate.
At the plaza, post-dinner drills: 53 combat challengers.
Later additions from Baihu (White Tiger), Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise—mostly ranged, few high-tier melee.
With prior Azure Dragon and veterans: 100 total.
- Farmers: 19
- Sequence 5: 1 Warrior King
- Sequence 4: 14 Soldier Kings
- Sequence 3: 3 True Soldiers (Lin Xu, Zhou Yong, Mu Han)
Lin Xu and Zhou Yong—orphanage, bounty hunters with Xu Qingqiang—barely scraped by pre-Wei Huan. Slow growth normal.
Now diligent, yet lagging as veterans—embarrassed.
Mu Han cared little for rank; focused on management/logistics.
Early aboard, tireless "workhorse." DKP could buy platinum gear—untouched.
Only wanted "Data Glasses"—first claim on any.
Xu Qingqiang grumbled, eyed warehouse agility platinum and his DKP—shut up.
"Take it, fine."
Not just them—twins and Ding Qi lagged too.
- Sages: 11
- Sequence 4: 9 Grand Mages
- Sequence 3: 2 Spirit-Blessed (Teng brothers)
- Hunters: 8
- Sequence 4: 7 Summoners
- Sequence 3: 1 Demon Herder (Ding Qi—triple dark beast summon, solid combat)
- Gamblers: 4
- Sequence 4: 4 Shadowless (incl. Li Xue)
Liu Chengzhi: logistics, cockpit seat, exec floor—strength watched closely.
- Drivers: 4
- Sequence 4: 1 Senior Technician (Wang Bing—"Old Bing," tech otaku, near Sequence 5)
- Sequence 3: 3 Mid Technicians (top mecha pilots—combat-ready with upgrades; currently R&D/repair with Old Bing)
- Sequence 2: Mu Zhong—mecha weak, but [Steel Factory] ties his level to all Drivers.
- Prayers: 3
- Sequence 4: 1 Divine Healer (male healer, new—Vermilion Bird gift for Wei Huan's generosity; rare, strategic)
- Sequence 3: 2 Healers (early aboard, clinic-style—headaches, bruises)
- Criminal: Sequence 4 Berserk — Xu Qingqiang
- Prophet: Sequence 4 Astrologist — Dou Lin
- Shaman: Sequence 3 Shaman Priest — Mu Zhong
- Tombkeeper: Sequence 4 Spirit Channeler — Wei Huan
100-capacity vehicle, just over half combat—not ideal.
Most: 80–95% combat. All-soldier vehicles exist.
But this is Wei Huan's strength.
He lacks only top-tier siege breakers. Mid-tier mains from other legions? Support or perimeter duty.
Sending weak attackers? He fears casualties—so keeps them safe.
But their drive is separate.
They stay peak-ready, awaiting their war.