145: Chapter 145 Grandmaster

Soon, a federal official walked over.

The moment he appeared, everyone present had their attention involuntarily drawn to him.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a black federal combat uniform, his shoulder lines as straight as a blade. Though tall, he did not appear bulky; standing there, he resembled a silent javelin, or perhaps a heavy sword sheathed in its scabbard.

Even without being drawn, he still exuded an intimidating sharpness.

The federal guards who had been busy nearby all subconsciously straightened their bodies as he passed, even softening their breathing, as if afraid to disturb something.

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"This person... is ridiculously strong."

Even though the man didn't release any aura and was simply standing there calmly, Lin Yan could feel an invisible pressure. It was the natural suppression of a high-Rank Awakened over a lower-Rank one, and more importantly, the scent of blood etched into his very bones after countless life-and-death battles.

"Everyone is here, so let me introduce myself."

"I am Wang Qianshuo, the escort leader for your trip to the First Safe Zone."

"I am a Rank 89, Eight-Star Awakened."

"Because the Federation values you so highly, they sent me to escort you to the First Safe Zone."

As his words fell, Jiang Ruoxue and Lu Zhiyao's expressions changed simultaneously.

Rank 89! An Eight-Star Grandmaster Awakened!

Both of their breaths hitched for a moment, and Lin Yan noticed their reaction. He looked at Jiang Ruoxue in confusion, as the school hadn't taught much information about high-Rank Awakened.

"What is an Eight-Star Awakened?"

Jiang Ruoxue was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

"You really don't understand the classification of high-Rank Awakened. The star rating for high-Rank Awakened is defined by combat power; if you have the strength to clear a Dungeon of the corresponding star rating, you are called an Awakened of that star rating. The Rank is just a reference threshold; the true standard for judgment is the ability to conquer Dungeons."

She lowered her voice to explain.

"Before Rank 30, according to official classifications, everyone belongs to the low-Rank Awakened. Ranks 31 to 60 are Intermediate Awakened, and Ranks 61 to 90 are Advanced Awakened."

"Rank 30 is the first true watershed."

"Before Rank 30, you only need enough experience. But breaking through from Rank 30 to 31 is completely different."

"In addition to experience, you also need to meet the five-dimensional attribute requirements."

"And..." She paused. "You must complete the Second Awakening."

Lin Yan's eyes flickered. "Must complete the Second Awakening?"

Jiang Ruoxue nodded. "That's right. That's why many Awakened get stuck at Rank 30 their whole lives. Because the Second Awakening itself is a huge threshold."

"And after Rank 30, the experience required to level up changes drastically. From Rank 29 to 30, you only need 1 million experience. But from Rank 30 to 31... you need 5 million."

Jiang Ruoxue continued: "The experience required to raise a Rank becomes increasingly terrifying. When you are at a low Rank, a single Dungeon might raise your Rank by several levels, but at high Ranks, you might not even level up after dozens of Dungeons."

"Also, the attribute points gained from leveling up will change. Before Rank 30, you gain attribute points corresponding to your Rank each time you level up. But after breaking through to Rank 31, the attribute points gained become Rank × 10. That means after breaking through to Rank 31, you can gain 310 attribute points at once—more than the total attribute points from Rank 21 to 30 combined!"

Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. 310 points—this boost is truly terrifying.

Jiang Ruoxue continued: "Awakened above Rank 80 who have the strength to clear an Eight-Star Dungeon are Eight-Star Awakened, also known as Grandmaster. They are the true elite combat power of the Federation. You must know that the most difficult Dungeon humanity currently faces is only a Nine-Star Dungeon, and even within the entire Seventh Safe Zone, they are figures standing at the very top."

"And above Rank 90..." Her voice became serious. "They are called Venerables. In the entire Federation, the number of Venerables is less than a thousand; they are the true powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of humanity."

"As for above Rank 95..." A look of longing appeared in Jiang Ruoxue's eyes. "You can enter the Lingxiao Pavilion and are respectfully addressed as Your Excellency. There are fewer than a hundred such people in the entire Federation, and each one possesses the power to single-handedly guard a Safe Zone."

After listening, Lin Yan looked at Wang Qianshuo in the distance. Rank 89. Only one step away from being a top-tier human powerhouse. This world was indeed even more vast than he had imagined.

"Alright." Wang Qianshuo clapped his hands. "Prepare to depart. But before we get on the vehicle, I need to remind you. This trip to the First Safe Zone is not a vacation. The areas between Safe Zones are not completely safe."

He pointed into the distance. "All around the perimeter of every Safe Zone, there are large numbers of monsters that have escaped from fixed Dungeons. Their Ranks are unknown. If you are lucky, you might encounter low-Rank monsters. But more often than not... you will encounter high-Rank monsters. Because weak monsters have long since died in the outside environment."

Jiang Ruoxue and Lu Zhiyao looked grave. Wang Qianshuo continued: "Besides that, there are some rats hiding outside the Safe Zones who are always looking for opportunities to attack the Federation. So this journey will not be peaceful; be prepared for battle."

The three of them nodded, but Lin Yan was not nervous; instead, he felt a sense of anticipation. Having been in this world for so long, he had always stayed in the Seventh Safe Zone. This was the first time he would leave here to head toward a much broader world.

Before getting into the vehicle, Lin Yan looked at Jiang Ruoxue. "What exactly is the First Safe Zone like?"

Jiang Ruoxue thought for a moment and said: "It is... the center of the entire Federation. It possesses the highest-level resources, the strongest academies, and the top-tier Families."

She paused and continued: "The five super Safe Zones represent the five core regions of humanity. And the First Safe Zone is the place all Awakened yearn for."

She looked at Lin Yan and said softly: "There, the so-called 'Genius' of the Seventh Safe Zone... might just be an ordinary person." Then she glanced at Lin Yan and added with a smile: "Of course, you are different."

Lin Yan was silent for a moment after hearing this, then the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Very good; this was the kind of world he was looking forward to. The stronger, the better; the bigger the stage, the more suitable it was for him.

The black special vehicle slowly drove toward the edge of the Seventh Safe Zone. As the distance closed, the scenery outside the window became clearer, and Lin Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

For the first time, he truly saw the defensive facilities on the perimeter of the Safe Zone—a massive structure that could not be described in words.

A silver-gray alloy barrier rose from the ground, reaching straight into the clouds, its surface gleaming with a cold metallic luster. Viewed from a distance, it resembled a giant inverted dome, completely enveloping the entire Seventh Safe Zone, airtight and impenetrable.

Lin Yan sat in the vehicle, looking up out the window, remaining silent for a long time. In the past, he could see this barrier every day. But that was always from a distance, and he could only see a silver line stretching across the sky. Now, having truly come to its foot for the first time, he could genuinely feel the overwhelming pressure and shock rushing toward him. In front of it, humanity was as insignificant as ants.

Rumble— Ahead, a massive core gate slowly opened. The sound of the mechanical structure operating was deep and heavy, like the low roar of an ancient beast.

Countless precision gears and hydraulic devices were revealed from the gaps in the alloy, every component exuding a heavy texture, a sense of weight rushing toward him. Lin Yan was shaken in his heart. A hundred years ago... how did humanity actually manage to do this? When the disaster first broke out, the Awakened had not yet appeared, and the technological system had not even fully adapted to the doomsday environment. Yet, in such a desperate situation, humanity built one such Safe Zone after another and forged such alloy barriers. Was this... really something that humanity a hundred years ago could have accomplished?