His first instinct was to treat it as a prank.
That's right. He had just cussed at the Biocomputer. So it must have decided to play a cruel prank on him!
SSS grade talents didn't even exist in reality! What a joke!
Buzz was no backwater idiot living under a rock. He kept up with all kinds of news across the intergalactic channels. Information about exceptional talents from every corner of the cosmos regularly flew by on those news stations.
It was common knowledge that the highest level of talent someone could have after awakening was [ S grade ].
Those awakened youths were the cream of the crop, carefully conceived through optimal genetic match-up, fed resources in the womb that could drain a nation, subjected to numerous procedures to turn them into some kind of superhuman being even before the awakening!
Although some freaks outside the norm existed, how could they be categorized into the [ Drone ] Class?
Wasn't it said that this class didn't even have any S grade talents?
Buzz examined the final prompt very closely. There was not just one, but three S in the talent grading slot.
Bullshit!
As he steeled his heart against this cruel world, a bright glow appeared in front him, accompanied by a familiar air and distant noise.
The opening into the sphere had returned. So had his senses. His body hadn't even moved from the original entry point.
The robotic voice of the computer announced his result outside.
[ Drone! A grade talent! ]
"I knew it!"
So that's how it was! His actual talent was A grade. The overview he had just seen inside the computer was really a joke!
Buzz didn't know whether to feel relieved or disheartened. There was a faint sense of loss somewhere, deep inside.
On one hand, an A grade talent put him leagues above his peers, above tens of thousands of people, in fact.
But those tens of thousands were all [ Drones ]. True powerhouses didn't even consider them real humans. They were like sheep and cows, livestock that had to be exploited to their maximum utility.
With a complicated expression, Buzz walked out through the narrow opening and faced the cheers outside.
"A grade talent! Our class of fifty students had an A grade talent all along? Who could have known?!"
"I always knew that Buzz was too... erm, too good to be just an ordinary Drone!"
"How many A grade talents does our county produce per year? Last year it was only four!"
"The average is five. And they're always from other classes. This is the first time I'm hearing about a Drone with an A grade talent."
"I wonder what his growth potential could be!"
"Congratulations on your awakening, Buzz!"
"Wishing you a swift growth, Buzz!"
Buzz felt sick to his core amidst the loud discussions. His classmates and teachers were celebrating how much of an excellent slave he would make in the future!
At that moment, he noticed Yosen's face, expecting to see contempt, or even exhilaration. After all, things could not have gone any better for him today.
But that guy... He was staring back at Buzz with a somewhat gloomy expression.
Puzzled, Buzz glanced sideways at the distant observatory, where the governing body of the county was supposed to be watching the scene. But that elevated platform turned out to be empty.
Where have they all disappeared to in the blink of an eye?
Distinctly feeling that something was off, Buzz started looking for the school principal. The middle-aged, portly man in the distance seemed to be busy on his comcell, speaking to the person on the call in a hurried manner.
His darting eyes fell on Buzz a couple of times, but shifted away immediately. That reaction did not seem natural!
The number of students from his school who had awakened an A Grade talent, to this day, could be counted on one hand. It was abnormal enough that the principal wasn't jumping up and down in jubilation!
Something was wrong!
Buzz suddenly realized that the officials working nearby were all looking at him with intrigued smiles. A few could be seen whispering among themselves, shaking their heads emphatically.
Right then, a group of people strode out of a nearby building corridor, headed straight towards Principal Wen. Buzz recognized several faces in that group. The foreboding feeling in his heart leaped tenfold in that instant.
The [CountyCommander] himself, accompanied by his associates, among whom was an old man who looked to be an aged version of Yosen.
The [CountyCommander] was quite old himself, with a head full of sparse gray hair and a heavily wrinkled face. But his squinted eyes had a wizened sharpness, almost eerie, something that didn't quite match his perpetual warm smile.
Principal Wen hurriedly ran over to greet them, acting as servile as one could. After all, this small group had full control of the entire county.
Them descending from the observatory for a conversation was something he could brag about for the rest of his career!
"Sir Commander, may I hear your instructions?" he said, rubbing his sweaty palms together in nervousness.
The [CountyCommander] stared at him for a moment before patting his shoulder encouragingly.
"You've done well today. Picked the right students for the right kind of surprise. I'll remember your contribution."
A dazzling smile broke out on the principal's face. He repeatedly bowed and thanked the older man before turning towards Buzz.
"Come here, come here! Let Sir Commander take a good look at you!"
Buzz grudgingly went forward and stood a few feet away from the group. But none of them even glanced at him, all fully absorbed in their own conversations.
"Now that Third Lady Seras has gotten all of her A grade talents killed, she can definitely not afford to be picky. To qualify for those missions, she needs a new team of talented rookies."
"In the past, we had to be careful about planting one of our agents in her squad. I reckon she'll have a different attitude now. Might even thank us, hahaha!"
"Think of the benefits we can snatch up through proper lobbying. I'm already salivating."
"All I want is 100 grams of Iceworm blood essence to make my physique cross the threshold. Do you think she'll have that stuff in stock?"
"She might not, but her older siblings might. Even if they don't, the BloodGeneral himself should step up and help his youngest princess in her time of need, right?"
From their conversations, Buzz picked up what he needed to know and pieced together a picture.
A BloodGeneral's daughter had recently gone through the awakening and entered the stellar battlefield to serve her time under conscription.
The area she had been deployed in was heavy in resources, hence also heavily dangerous, teeming with all kinds of enemy forces. The top-tier subordinates she was 'coincidentally' in charge of were all killed in that battle zone.
Such a record would not only be an indelible mark on her resume, not having a suitable team would also slow down her personal growth and prevent her from participating in resource acquisition missions.
To avoid a bleak outcome, she privately issued an emergency demand back in her homeland for freshly awakened talents, at least B grade, with a preference for the rarer kinds.
Buzz had just awakened an A grade [ Drone ] Class talent, which was almost as rare as S grade talents of other Classes. For [ Drones ], A grade was the known ceiling. Naturally, he had a very high chance of being picked by the distressed young lady.
Even without a clue about what battle zone she might be stationed in, Buzz could tell that being chosen by her would not be a good thing. In fact, his fate would be that of a sacrificial sheep, an expendable soldier.
And the worst thing was, nobody had bothered to ask his opinion on the matter. They didn't even think it mattered. They thought so little of him that not one of them had spared him a good look till now.
The moment his class and talent had been announced to the world, the [ CountyCommander ] had already planned to send him to his death, using him as a tribute to lobby for resources.
'Should I run away in secret tonight?'
Buzz couldn't help but contemplate his chances. The situation looked pretty grim at the moment. Even if he succeeded in escaping the control zone of the [ CountyCommander ], his family couldn't.
They'd be targeted immediately if he dared to foil the commander's plan. Buzz couldn't have that on his conscience.
'Well, at least dying like that would be better than being humiliated every day by Yosen until my brain explodes or something...'
That reminded him of another obstacle to his escape plan. The system bound to his body and soul would not let him turn rogue against the orders of a commander. The rebellious thoughts in his head right now were already toeing the line of danger.
Just as he thought this, he discovered that the [ CountyCommander ] had finally turned to face him, as if sensing his volatile ideas.
"A strapping young lad. Great genetics for a [ Drone ]!" he said, scanning Buzz from head to toe.
Principal Wen replied fawningly, "That's because his family works under one of your companies, Sir Commander. It's all thanks to your generous treatment of your subordinates that they could breed a talent like this!"
The Commander grinned, clearly used to hearing such outrageous praise. "In that case, I should reward the family! Let it never be said that [ CountyCommander ] Zuo was ever unfair to his inferiors. I want to retire with a good name!"
Then, turning back, he said to one of his associates. "Old Shun, your son is about to issue some jobs for the loyal workers in his Laborer Welfare Associations, right?
I hear the pay there is quite high. Why don't you recommend this young talent's parents for two posts there?"
For a moment, the blood in Buzz's body went cold. Old Shun was Yosen's grandfather!
This was a scheme! This was a shackle to make Buzz submit voluntarily!
On one hand, it sounded like the commander was helping Buzz's parents get better jobs, jobs that they certainly didn't qualify for. Anyone in his shoes might have become grateful to the County Commander for his generosity.
But on the other hand, being employed like this would lead to his parents becoming the puppets of Yosen's father! The chains of enslavement around Buzz's neck would only grow stronger and tighter this way!
As for why the Commander had picked Yosen's father... Buzz could deduce the reason easily.
Yosen's grandfather didn't look surprised in the slightest upon hearing the County Commander's recommendation.
He simply bowed and said, "I'll do my best to convince my son, Sir Commander. But you know Dejin's personality..."
The Commander's countenance sank. Old Shun's son, Dejin, also belonged to the Commander Class. Once he retired, Dejin was the most likely candidate to snatch the [ CountyCommander ] position officially.
Some clashes between the old generation and the new generation could not be prevented.
This was actually why he was trying to give Dejin the opportunity to control the parents of this newly awakened talent. It was a gesture of his goodwill, and a display of his power.
Such a precious gift! But Old Shun, this stubborn farmer, refused to acknowledge it!
Right then, a hesitant voice spoke up from the gathering of newly awakened students.
"Esteemed Sir Commander, I think I can get my father to agree. Please leave this matter to me and rest assured."
A sharp look flashed in the commander's turbid eyes as he gazed at the young man who had made that claim. Noticing his youthful features, which resembled Old Shun down to minute details, a look of realization dawned on his face.
With a kind voice, he said, "Ah, so you're the one who made Old Shun follow us to this place today! Dejin's son, I presume?"
Seeing Yosen nod obediently, his smile became warmer. "You say you can convince your father to keep my request? Excellent!
But it would be unbecoming of me if I let a junior do me a favor without getting rewarded! Tell me, is there something you want, young man?"
Yosen's gaze flickered towards Buzz, and a cruel glint flashed in his eyes.
"Since his parents are going to become my father's Drones, can his sister be given to me to become my Drone?"