Chapter 4: Joining the Mercenary Guild

The varying degrees of improvement across the three attributes left Lin Xinghai with many speculations, but he had no time to ponder them now. Because many people had already finished scouring the zombies and were beginning to return to the troop transport vehicle. He did not have much time left to collect blood energy.

Closing his attribute panel, Lin Xinghai hurried toward the next zombie corpse. As he started running, he immediately felt the difference. "My speed increase is just too exaggerated!" He could easily run at what was previously his maximum sprint speed; in fact, he was afraid to run at full tilt for fear of being noticed by those with malicious intent.

The increase in speed also allowed Lin Xinghai to collect blood energy faster, eventually gathering another 13 points. By now, only a few people remained, so to avoid drawing attention to himself, he had to return to the troop transport.

...

"How about it? Did you find the cause?" Roger asked as soon as Lin Xinghai sat down beside him.

"I have a guess," Lin Xinghai said after a brief moment of contemplation. "The wound on the back of the head wasn't a finishing blow because it wasn't deep enough. More importantly, the wound was made by a clean cut rather than a direct stab, which seems irrational."

"But the most important thing is that I reconstructed the flesh and found that a piece of tissue seems to be missing."

"If I'm not mistaken, there should have been something in the back of these zombies' heads that was removed."

After Lin Xinghai finished, he looked at Roger. He wasn't just spouting nonsense; he had observed carefully.

A flash of surprise crossed Roger's face, and he nodded. "That's right, it's an origin crystal—a crystalline substance containing special energy."

After a short silence, Roger continued, "Now that you've seen the situation outside, you have some understanding of the state of the apocalypse. I'll ask you again: are you willing to join my mercenary group?"

"May I ask what benefits come with joining the mercenary group?" Lin Xinghai inquired.

Seeing that Lin Xinghai was finally interested, Roger smiled. "It's too crowded and noisy here; let's find a place with fewer people to talk."

Lin Xinghai glanced around. Everyone was pricking up their ears, casting glances their way from time to time. This was indeed not the place for a conversation. But the problem was, where on this vehicle was there a place with few people?

However, Roger had already stood up, so he had no choice but to follow.

Coming to the front of the vehicle, Roger knocked hard twice on the alloy steel plating.

*Creak!*

The seamless alloy plate slowly opened under the action of a pneumatic device, revealing a small door that actually led directly to the driver's cabin.

Following Roger, Lin Xinghai bent down and entered. He found the cabin surprisingly spacious, easily accommodating five or six people. After Roger greeted the soldier driving the transport, he and Lin Xinghai sat down in a corner.

"Let me introduce us first. Our mercenary group is called the Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group. We are a registered Tier 1 mercenary group with the Mercenary Guild, occupying a mid-tier position among the hundreds of mercenary groups in the shelter."

"With your B-grade genetic assessment, joining our group will earn you 100 points per week as compensation."

"Points?" Lin Xinghai interrupted to ask.

Roger explained, "Points are equivalent to currency. Everything in the shelter is purchased with them. A reward of 100 points a week is definitely higher than any normal job."

"And that's only temporary. If you can become a genetic optimizer, your weekly reward will be at least 150 points or more."

"Genetic optimizer?" Lin Xinghai's heart skipped a beat. He vaguely felt that this had a lot to do with the genetic optimization level on his system panel.

"Yes!" Roger seemed to have expected this question. He explained immediately, "This starts with our genetic engineering. Since entering the 20th century, humanity's research on its own genes has never stopped, but for over 200 years, there were no major breakthroughs—until the appearance of origin crystals."

"Origin crystals contain a special type of energy. Although we cannot absorb this energy directly, through special processing, it can be made into genetic serums used to optimize the genes in our bodies."

"When the degree of human genetic optimization reaches 30%, it is as if a shackle has been broken, resulting in a significant increase in strength and even a small probability of manifesting special abilities."

"Therefore, we call those whose genetic optimization exceeds 30% 'genetic optimizers'."

"If you join our Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group, we will provide you with a certain allotment of genetic serum every week based on your talent to help you become a genetic optimizer as soon as possible."

After hearing Roger's explanation, Lin Xinghai's pupils contracted slightly, but he soon relaxed, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Thanks to his system, his genetic optimization level was already at 19%. Moreover, he still had 13 points of blood energy unused; becoming a genetic optimizer would be a matter of minutes!

However, such rapid improvement in his strength would definitely require some cover, so joining the Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group was undoubtedly a good choice.

"If I choose to join your group, how do you plan to train me? Especially regarding the genetic serum—how much of an allotment can I get per week?" Lin Xinghai asked. Although he had the system, genetic serum sounded like a valuable commodity, so he naturally wanted to negotiate for more.

Seeing that Lin Xinghai was finally hooked, Roger smiled and said, "Three vials. I can secure three vials of genetic serum for you each week."

"Only three? With my B-grade genetic assessment, shouldn't I get twenty or thirty?" Lin Xinghai immediately countered with an exorbitant demand.

As soon as he said this, Roger's face darkened, and even the soldier who had been focusing on driving cast a strange look at Lin Xinghai.

"Do you have any idea how many vials a new member joining a mercenary group usually gets? One vial!"

"Even for official members of the mercenary group, it's only two vials per week."

"Even with my strength and the subsidy for my captain position, I only get six vials a week."

"You want twenty or thirty? Getting you three already requires me to humble myself and beg the commander," Roger said, suppressing his anger.

Lin Xinghai was shocked to hear this. If that were the case, the treatment the Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group was offering him seemed incredibly high.

His mind stirred, and he pulled up the system panel to use his "Analyze" skill on Roger.

Name: Roger
Constitution: 50
Strength: 65
Speed: 43
Ability: Giant Strength (Strength increases by 30% for three seconds)
Genetic Optimization: 65%

"His strength is quite a bit higher than I guessed! And he's even awakened an ability. But for someone of his strength to only be allocated six vials a week, that can only mean..." Thinking of this, the corner of Lin Xinghai's mouth curled up.

"Captain Roger, your genetic assessment isn't B-grade, is it?"

Roger's annoyed expression faltered.

Having gotten the answer from the other man's face, Lin Xinghai continued, "Then my B-grade genetic assessment must be of huge value for cultivation, right? If I were to announce this, other mercenary groups..."

Lin Xinghai didn't finish his sentence, just looking at Roger with a smirk.

"With a B-grade genetic assessment, you could choose to join the military. It's safer than joining a mercenary group, and you'd still get three vials of genetic serum a week," the soldier who had been silently driving suddenly spoke up.

Roger's face turned even darker. If he had known this, he would have been better off staying in the main cabin to talk to Lin Xinghai.

"Four vials of genetic serum a week—that's my limit. Also, I have a requirement: within one month, your rate of improvement must be worthy of your talent."

"Otherwise, it goes back to a maximum of three vials a week," Roger said, forced to re-negotiate.

"Deal! But if my rate of improvement exceeds your expectations, how will the genetic serum be calculated then?" Lin Xinghai laughed.

Roger's eyes narrowed slightly, but remembering Lin Xinghai's attitude toward the zombies earlier, he suddenly laughed. "Bold spirit. I hope you aren't just all talk. If that really happens, our Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group will certainly not treat you unfairly."