299: Chapter 300 Information on the Strongest in Atlantis

Kandas knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold surface. He could clearly feel the chill from the floor and the drum-like pounding of his own heart.

He had witnessed nearly thirty Class Transferees above level 100, including two SSS-Rank geniuses and one of his colleagues, turn into corpses in less than ten seconds. Meanwhile, not one of those three seemingly young figures appeared to have broken a sweat.

Especially that young man—Kandas didn't even dare to look up at him. He could only see the boy's spotless boots standing quietly before him.

Sagiri stood by Lin Muyang's side. Looking at this powerhouse who was once unattainable in her eyes, now kneeling so humbly before her master, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up in her heart. From today on, she would never again have to act humble and cowardly before anyone. Because now, even a powerhouse like this was more humble before the young master than she had ever been.

Lin Muyang did not speak immediately. First, he waved his hand, sending several invisible ripples of energy across the area. The corpses, bloodstains, and residual energy from the battle vanished instantly, as if wiped away by an eraser. Even the metallic scent of blood in the air faded significantly. Aside from the faint shimmer of the lingering magic barriers, the entire area was so clean it looked as if nothing had ever happened.

Only after finishing this did Lin Muyang look down at Kandas, who remained kneeling. He took a scroll from his storage space that emitted a dark golden luster, its edges inlaid with profound runes. As the scroll unfurled, silver script flowed across it, the characters moving slowly over the paper as if they were alive.

"Sign this soul contract scroll," Lin Muyang said. His voice was calm and devoid of emotion, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

Kandas's body trembled slightly as he slowly raised his head. When his gaze fell upon the scroll, his expression became exceptionally grave. A soul contract scroll... even in the Atlantis World, such things were extremely rare and forbidden items. Unlike ordinary magic contracts that could be broken by external forces or deception, once signed, the soul would be completely bound. Life and death would rest entirely in the hands of the contract holder.

"A soul contract scroll..." Kandas muttered to himself, a flash of struggle appearing in his eyes. He knew very well that once he signed this contract, there would be no turning back. He would no longer be an investigator for the Stanro City Discipline Division, nor would he be a revered powerhouse; he would become the servant of this mysterious youth, his life no longer his own.

But did he have a choice?

Kandas quickly weighed his options in his mind. If he didn't sign, given the thunderous methods this youth had shown, he would likely follow in the footsteps of his colleagues immediately. The image of those hundreds of Blood Shadow Flying Daggers firing simultaneously was still vivid in his mind, and the sight of that ghost-like girl causing a colleague's soul to leave his body with a flick of her finger made his heart race. Resist? Run? In front of these three, he probably wouldn't last a single second.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Since there was no choice, he could only accept. But before accepting, he at least wanted to know what he would have to give up.

Kandas's gaze fell on the contents of the scroll, and he began to read carefully. The terms on the scroll were simple, but every single one made his heart heavy.

From beginning to end, the scroll contained no clauses regarding the signer's rights—no compensation, no duration, no conditions for termination. It was entirely a one-sided, absolute slavery contract.

Kandas's heart sank to the bottom. To become someone's servant with his life out of his own hands and receive no reward in return was difficult to accept. As a powerhouse who had struggled for decades in Stanro City to climb to his current position, he had his own pride and dignity.

However, just as he was struggling internally, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Wait... this youth's strength was so terrifying and his talent so shocking that he was destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Atlantis World. By then, people would likely be fighting for the chance to serve under him. Although he was following as a servant now, he was at least the first—one of the founding followers.

Furthermore, given the youth's methods, since he had produced a soul contract scroll, he would never give Kandas a chance to bargain. Not signing meant death; signing at least meant living. As long as he was alive, there was hope.

At this thought, Kandas bit his lip, a flash of decisiveness in his eyes. He extended his right index finger, condensed a bit of mana at the tip, and solemnly wrote his name on the signature line at the end of the scroll.

The moment he finished the last stroke, the silver script on the scroll suddenly flared with light and transformed into two streaks of radiance. One entered Lin Muyang's forehead, and the other entered Kandas's. A faint but resilient soul link was established between the two. Through this link, Lin Muyang could sense Kandas's emotions and location at any time, and with a single thought, he could trigger the contract's power to completely annihilate his soul.

Kandas felt an invisible shackle in the depths of his soul. That shackle was cold and firm, making him realize that from this moment on, his life was no longer his to control. But at the same time, he felt a strange sense of security; at least, for the time being, he didn't have to die.

Lin Muyang nodded with satisfaction and put the scroll away. He could clearly feel the soul link between himself and Kandas. If he wished, he could check the other's thoughts or inflict punishment at any time. With this safeguard, he could finally feel at ease using this local guide.

"Very good," Lin Muyang said indifferently. "Now, tell me about the top powerhouses of the Atlantis World. Tell me everything you know."

Kandas stood up respectfully, his hands at his sides. Hearing this question, a hint of doubt couldn't help but rise in his heart. The top powerhouses of Atlantis? Logically speaking, if this were a native genius of Atlantis—especially one nurtured by a major power—he should be much better informed than a mere "local official" like himself. After all, information on those top powerhouses was common knowledge within many major organizations.

Yet this youth was asking him... Could it be that he really wasn't a native of Atlantis?

This suspicion caused Kandas's heart to skip a beat. If Lin Muyang wasn't from this world, where did he come from? What was his purpose in coming to the Atlantis World?

For a moment, all sorts of thoughts churned in Kandas's mind. He thought of those ancient legends, stories about other worlds and other planes. In the long history of Atlantis, there were indeed scattered records of visitors from other worlds, but most of those had been lost to time, their truth hard to discern.

If Lin Muyang truly came from another world... what did that mean for Atlantis? Was it a crisis or an opportunity? Kandas didn't know. But he knew that he was now tied to this mysterious youth. They would share glory and ruin alike.

What's more, he had already signed the soul contract. Even if he regretted it now, it was too late. The power of the contract had penetrated deep into his soul. Unless Lin Muyang took the initiative to release him or some power beyond the level of the contract intervened, he would never be able to escape in this lifetime.

Thinking of this, Kandas quickly organized his thoughts. Since he was already on the boat, he could only follow the captain's direction. As for where this ship was heading—whether toward a new continent or into an iceberg—it was no longer for him to decide.

"Yes, My Lord," Kandas replied respectfully, and began to recount the information he knew.

First, he explained the power system of the Atlantis World. In this class-based civilization that had developed for hundreds of years, level was the basic standard for measuring strength, but it was not the only one. Talent, equipment, skills, combat experience, and even certain special inheritances could greatly influence a Class Transferee's actual combat power.

"The strongest known person in Atlantis currently is Level 599, and he has been stuck at the threshold of the sixth breakthrough for thirty-seven years," Kandas said, his tone filled with awe. "He is the recognized number one powerhouse in the world and possesses a Sub-God Rank Talent."

Lin Muyang listened quietly, his mind analyzing rapidly. Level 599, Sub-God Rank Talent. According to his previous estimates, a powerhouse of this level should have all attributes between three and four million. Combined with heaven-opening grade equipment and skills, their actual combat power would be terrifying.

Kandas continued his introduction: "Besides him, there are seven other top powerhouses in the world with levels exceeding 580. They each control different floating cities or major factions. Most of these powerhouses possess Sub-God Rank Talents, while a few have SSS-Rank Talents but possess special inheritances."

"As for the range between Level 550 and 580, there are about twenty people globally. These individuals are already the pillars of major factions and rarely show themselves."

"From Level 500 to 550, there are more powerhouses of this caliber, estimated at over two hundred worldwide. They are usually the lords of major floating cities, commanders of large legions, or patriarchs of certain ancient families."

Kandas paused and added, "This is all public information or can be found through certain special channels. As for whether there are hidden powerhouses, that's beyond my knowledge."

Lin Muyang nodded and asked, "What about attributes? What range are the attributes of these powerhouses in?"

Kandas thought for a moment and answered, "Based on some public combat records and data analysis, powerhouses between Level 400 and 450 have an average for all attributes around 800,000 to 1 million. Level 500 powerhouses generally exceed 2 million in all attributes. For those big shots above Level 550, all attributes are over 3 million, and for those approaching Level 600, attributes might exceed 4 million or even higher."

"These numbers are just estimates. In actual combat, due to bonuses from equipment, skills, and talents, the demonstrated combat power can fluctuate greatly. Furthermore, some powerhouses specialize in one area, so their attributes might not be balanced."

Lin Muyang calculated quickly in his head. He was currently Level 120, and all his attributes were around two million, but those were his base attributes. Under the buff of multiple God-Tier Auras, his actual combat power far exceeded that value. If he equipped the heaven-opening grade equipment he had just obtained, his attributes would increase significantly.

According to this progression, by the time he reached around Level 160, all his attributes should break 5 million. At that point, even against a Level 599 powerhouse, he would have the strength to fight.

However, Lin Muyang's goal was more than that. What he wanted was absolute control, to the point where [Absolute Command] could take effect on everyone in Atlantis. By his estimation, that would require all attributes to reach over 20 million. That likely wouldn't be possible until after the second breakthrough, upon reaching Level 200.

Of course, if he just wanted to suppress or even kill the top powerhouses of this world, the requirements wouldn't be that high. By grinding a few more mythical-rank secret realms and getting more heaven-opening grade equipment and skills, he should be able to walk through this world unchallenged.

"What do you know about breakthroughs?" Lin Muyang asked another crucial question.

Kandas organized his words and replied, "In Atlantis, the first two breakthroughs are relatively simple; you only need to reach the level and use Elemental Essence of the corresponding quality. But starting from the third breakthrough, the requirements become much stricter."

"The third breakthrough, which is from Level 200 to 201, requires using at least mythic grade Elemental Essence. The fourth breakthrough requires multiple mythic grade essences. Starting from the fifth breakthrough, one must use sky-opening grade Elemental Essence."

"This is also why powerhouses have been stuck at Level 599 for so many years. sky-opening grade Elemental Essence is too rare. A sky-opening grade secret realm only appears once every eight to ten months on average, and it doesn't necessarily drop Elemental Essence. Even if it does, one has to compete with the top powerhouses of the entire world for it."

Kandas paused and added an important piece of information: "According to historical records, when the first Class Transferee in the world reaches Level 299, sky-opening grade Dungeons will start to refresh in the world. When the first Class Transferee reaches Level 399, sky-opening grade secret realms will begin to refresh. This pattern applies to all worlds with universal class transfers; it is some kind of world rule."

Lin Muyang's eyes narrowed slightly. This information was very important. It meant that in the near future, sky-opening grade Dungeons and secret realms would also start appearing on Blue Star. At that time, the landscape of the entire world would undergo a massive change.

An hour later, Kandas had basically finished telling everything he knew, including the distribution of major factions, the locations of the main floating cities, the characteristics and weaknesses of some well-known powerhouses, the locations of common high-level secret realms, and so on.

Lin Muyang finally had a relatively clear understanding of the top-tier combat power of the Atlantis World. The number and strength of powerhouses in this world indeed far surpassed the current Blue Star. But to him, it was not an insurmountable mountain.

"Alright, you can go back now," Lin Muyang waved his hand at Kandas. "Just say that a Mythical-grade Demonic Creature went on a rampage here and killed everyone else. You barely managed to escape but were heavily injured and need to recuperate for a while."

Kandas was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized this was the excuse Lin Muyang had arranged for him. This way, he could reasonably explain why he was the only one to return alive and temporarily avoid questioning from the higher-ups of Stanro City.

"Yes, My Lord," Kandas bowed respectfully. "Then, what will My Lord do next..."

"I'm leaving for a while," Lin Muyang said without elaborating. "After you return, secretly help me investigate and collect information on all mythic grade and sky-opening grade Dungeons and secret realms in the Atlantis World—especially their locations, levels, and the factions they belong to. When I return, I want to see results."

"Understood!" Kandas nodded solemnly. He knew this was the first task Lin Muyang had given him, as well as a test. If he did well, he might be able to secure a place under this mysterious powerhouse in the future. If he failed... the punishment of a soul contract was no joke.

"Go." Lin Muyang turned around, no longer looking at him.

Kandas bowed once more before turning and vanishing into the night with a few leaps. He needed to inflict some injuries on himself first to make the story of his narrow escape more believable.

Only after Kandas left did Lin Muyang look at the three girls beside him. Alice and Gui Wanwan still stood quietly, as if nothing had happened. Sagiri, however, looked at him a bit nervously, her small hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.

"We should head back too," Lin Muyang said. "Back to Blue Star."

This trip to Atlantis had yielded massive gains. Not only had his level soared, and he'd obtained a large amount of heaven-opening grade equipment and skill books, but he had also recruited a local guide and gained a clear understanding of this world's strength. It was time to go back and digest these gains, and while he was at it, settle things on the Blue Star side.