19: Chapter 19 Settlement, S+ Rating

They walked for another hour in a north-northwest direction; the ruins along the way gradually thinned out, the layer of coarse sand on the ground grew thicker, and the smell of blood in the air faded more and more. Chen Qi walked at the very front of the team, closing his eyes every few hundred meters to sense the direction. The nearest of the three golden pillars of light was becoming brighter on the horizon ahead.

"There is less than an hour left," Chen Qi said, adjusting his glasses. "There are no monster reactions around the Evacuation Point; it is very safe. It must have been cleared by the Awakened who evacuated."

"That is perfect," Zheng Tong said, sheathing his dagger back at his waist. "We have been walking and fighting the whole way; we can finally catch a breath."

"Speaking of which," Zheng Tong suddenly spoke up, "Boss, what rating will the system give for this Dungeon settlement?"

"S-rank," Chen Qi said with almost no hesitation. "Entering the Evacuation Point at Level 9, soloing the BOSS, and breaking 30,000 HP. I doubt even the historical record for a one-star Dungeon can compare to this. The Dungeon rating is calculated automatically by the system and only looks at actual performance: kill count, damage dealt, damage taken, number of resource points explored, BOSS kills, and so on. Every single item is hard data; no one can change it. The system does not look at Talent rank; it only looks at what you did inside the Dungeon."

"If it is an S-rank rating, how much of a reward will the Federation issue?" He Ming asked.

"The rating is assessed by the system, and the rewards are issued by the Federation based on that rating. The rating of your first Dungeon determines your initial treatment as an Awakened: housing, monthly Star Coin subsidies, resource quotas, and class assignment."

"The higher the rating, the better the treatment, and the higher the class rank. With a rating like S-rank, basic benefits like a single apartment, monthly Star Coin allowances, and equipment exchange quotas will all be provided."

Chen Qi adjusted his glasses.

"However, this is just the starting point. After class assignments, we will have to enter many more Dungeons over the coming year. Everyone must enter Dungeons at the prescribed minimum frequency; no one can hide in the Safe Zone and slack off."

"This year is the year that determines our fate," Zheng Tong took over, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "The sum of your total Dungeon ratings within a year determines what kind of university you can enter. The higher the rating, the better the university you can get into. Awakened who graduate from top universities start as field-grade officers and enter the core of the Federal Army directly."

"University..." He Ming's eyes lit up, but they quickly dimmed again. "I heard that the admission threshold for top universities is ridiculously high. You need a total rating of over A-rank across all Dungeons in a year just to have a chance. Some people clear over a dozen Dungeons and still get cut by a few points. With a Class D Talent like mine, it would be good enough just to survive the year; I dare not even think about university."

"Not necessarily," Chen Qi comforted him.

"University admissions look at total Dungeon ratings, not Talent rank. If you play steadily in every Dungeon, open more resource points, and kill more monsters, your rating will steadily accumulate."

"Talent only determines the starting point; performance in the Dungeon determines the end point. As I just said, the system doesn't look at Talent rank, only actual performance, and the same goes for school admissions. Every one of your ratings is accumulated solidly, and no one can change that. An Awakened with a Class C Talent can still enter a top university if they consistently get high enough ratings every year."

He Ming didn't speak, but his fingers subconsciously tightened around the handle of his round shield.

"You all know what getting into university means, right?" Zheng Tong's voice was low, but every word sounded like it was squeezed out from between his teeth.

"University graduates are directly granted field-grade officer ranks, issued exclusive equipment, and enter the core sequence of the Federal Army. 'People above others' is not a metaphor; it is truly being a person above others."

"The civilians in the Safe Zone who can never enter a Dungeon, and us, the unified-cultivated ones—we all dream of crossing that threshold. Once you cross it, you are no longer cannon fodder; you are the sharp blade protecting humanity. Your descendants will no longer need to be sent to the nursery for unified cultivation; you can raise them yourself and name them yourself. The greatest privilege of the privileged class is not equipment or Star Coins; it is this."

Everyone fell silent. Everyone was thinking about the same thing—not university, but that more distant matter.

That matter they hadn't even dared to think about before: a unified-cultivated person, a Federal embryo numbered from birth, given a random name.

If one got into university, everything they possessed would undergo a heaven-turning, earth-shattering change. Not Star Coins, not apartments, not equipment. It was a name, a name that could be passed down through bloodlines.

"One year," Chen Qi broke the silence, adjusting his glasses. "Over twenty Dungeons, the accumulated rating of each Dungeon determines your university application. The admission quota for top universities is fixed every year, but the admission standard does not look at your background, your Talent, or whether you were unified-cultivated or the offspring of the privileged; it only looks at the total score. This is the only completely fair threshold."

"So, for the next year, we must give our all in every single Dungeon," Lin Yan said. "An S rating is just the starting point; the rating for every subsequent Dungeon cannot drop."

"Then what are your plans after going back?" Chen Qi asked.

"No keeping a low profile," Lin Yan's tone was very calm. "The rating I obtained does not need to be hidden. The Federation wants people who can fight, so I will let them see clearly how much resources I am worth. Keeping a low profile has no benefits; better equipment, more authority, stronger teammates—these things won't just come to me on their own. Only by letting the Federation and the school see my potential will they invest in me."

Zheng Tong was stunned for a moment, then grinned: "You're right. You got an S rating; you can't hide it. Instead of hiding it, it's better to show it off and let the Federation see."

He Ming nodded vigorously: "Boss, remember to tell us when you get into a good university so we have a goal."

After walking for about half an hour, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up. A circular clearing nearly a hundred meters in diameter spread out at the end of the ruins. The ground was paved with smooth white stone slabs, and complex runic patterns were carved into the slabs, slowly circulating with a pale golden light. In the very center of the clearing, a golden beam of light fell vertically from the sky, and the space inside the beam twisted slightly.

Around the Evacuation Point, they had already encountered twenty or thirty Awakened, mostly with ordinary, uneven equipment. Every person's face carried the exhaustion of having survived a disaster, as well as the relief of being about to go home.

"Let's go," Lin Yan turned around and walked toward the teleportation array.

Zheng Tong, He Ming, Chen Qi, and Su Wan followed behind him. The five of them stepped onto the white stone slabs of the teleportation array, and golden light surged from the runes beneath their feet, gradually engulfing their figures.

[Teleportation array activated. Evacuating Dungeon...]

[Dungeon settlement in progress...]

[Rating: S+]

[Reward: Free Attribute Points +3]

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[hextech system settlement]

[Congratulations on clearing the Dungeon; successfully unlocked two hextech collection entries: [Heartsteel] and [Heavy Hitter].]

[Reward: Golden-tier hextech refresh probability: increased by 1%, current probability is 11%]

[For every five Dungeons cleared, you can choose to solidify one hextech.]