237: SSS-level psychic, god-level blacksmith, 'equipment deification'!

White House.

The news of the Special Operations Team's failure reached United States's President, Duncan.

Duncan frowned slightly: "Even the A-grade team failed?"

"Yes, the other party might have dispatched high-ranking members of the Zero Bureau for protection, and they are also psychics with Detection abilities, otherwise it wouldn't have been so easy to discover them."

Hearing this, Duncan leaned back, his eyes behind his glasses flickering, and he sighed.

"It seems... that old man is more important than we imagined. This is troublesome now..."

"Then... should we give up?" his subordinate asked.

"Give up?" Duncan raised an eyebrow, then shook his head and said in a deep voice.

"The more they value him, the less we can let them have him. Our United States should be the first to uncover the secrets of the Ten Thousand Realms."

"Mobilize the spies lurking in Dragon Country, incite public opinion, and stir up unrest. In short, the more chaotic, the better!"

"Also, get the navy out for a spin to put some pressure on them."

"Finally, send another team of high-level Special Operations Group to cover Yuli's operation!"

The subordinate gasped upon hearing this.

The President is determined to deal with that old man...

He's actually sending Yuli, an SSS grade Psychic with Mind Control abilities!

"Tell Yuli, if she can bring the old man back, that's best. If not, then alter his memory and turn him into one of ours. Only then should she consider eliminating him," Duncan added.

"Understood."

The subordinate turned and left.

......

While the National League was in full swing.

The Dragon Country military received a new order, classified as a top-secret combat order!

The content of the order was very concise.

Aside from normal training and life during the day, all personnel were forcibly required to enter the Ten Thousand Realms Game at night for leveling up.

No reason, no explanation.

Only execution of the order!

The soldiers of the companies who frequently had emergency night assemblies cried tears of joy; happiness came too suddenly!

Additionally, game helmets began to be distributed within the system, encouraging entry into the game.

For this purpose, working hours were even adjusted, and night meetings were reduced.

At the same time, new monitoring departments were established in various regions.

They specifically kept an eye on players who ranked high in the Ten Thousand Realms to prevent potential unrest caused by attribute feedback later on.

Under a series of measures, the number of new players surged.

Most people entered the game in a daze and exited with excitement.

Before playing: I work hard during the day, have a ton of things to do, and I can't even get a peaceful night's sleep, forced to play games?

After playing: Hehe, it's so much fun!

It awakened the childlike innocence of countless middle-aged and elderly people, bringing back the joy of playing in the mud, catching fish, and playing house.

They even became masters of promotion, dragging relatives and friends into the game to team up together.

Middle-aged and elderly guilds like [Lotus Pond Ditch], [Xile Neighborhood Committee], and [Happy Family] sprang up like mushrooms.

Of course, these are all later stories.

Our attention returns to Chen Beixuan.

After successive promotions, he and Xiao Lu respectively topped the North District as first and second.

Lu Ziming was third, and Healer was fourth.

Many rare professional players also shone brightly and rose strongly due to balanced attributes.

The Heavenly Venerable Team also successfully topped the North District, successfully advancing to the National League.

"Ding! Congratulations on winning first place in the North District [Solo Competition] and first place in the [Multiplayer Competition]. Rewards will be issued after all competitions conclude!"

"Wow, Grandpa is so amazing!"

Xiao Lu hopped and jumped, her small face excited and her hands gesturing wildly.

"You're happy too soon, we still have to play in the National League!"

Chen Beixuan chuckled, reaching out to rub her head.

Xiao Lu dodged his hand, turned her face, and put her hands on her hips.

"No matter what, Grandpa will definitely be first. I've never seen anyone more amazing than Grandpa."

"Alright, alright, everything you say is right."

Chen Beixuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry and couldn't help but shake his head.

There was a half-hour break before the start of the National League. He took Xiao Lu and teleported to the Imperial City on the Myriad Realms Kun.

He planned to inquire about the Divine Blacksmith.

Although the Darkness Invasion was quickly stopped by him, the destruction and impact it brought were the most severe.

Cities without teleportation arrays suffered heavy casualties, and buildings were damaged, all needing reconstruction.

Chen Beixuan even specifically asked Papachee about this matter.

It was quite strange that Sunset City, despite not having a teleportation array, was not affected by the Black Curtain.

But Papachee also didn't know the inside story, only that it, like other cities, experienced the phenomenon of golden light protection.

Chen Beixuan could only temporarily attribute this matter to game settings.

Having had the experience from last time, he easily found the blacksmith and asked about the story of the Divine Blacksmith.

"Divine?"

The blacksmith stopped his work, took off the white towel hanging around his neck, and wiped the sweat from his eight dark abdominal muscles, the bumpy feel clearly visible.

Chen Beixuan's face was full of black lines as he silently pulled at his collar, looked down, and slowly relaxed his brows.

Hmm, he also had eight.

"A Divine Blacksmith, that's the dream of my life."

The blacksmith stroked his beard, his tone quite emotional.

"But as far as I know, no Divine Blacksmith has appeared among humans for a long time. It's difficult for you to find one..."

"How far is your skill from being Divine?" Chen Beixuan suddenly asked.

"Me?" The blacksmith pointed at himself, slightly stunned, then reacted and laughed heartily.

"I'm still far from it. Although I'm already a Legendary Blacksmith, compared to a Divine one, it's like a firefly to a bright moon!"

"Divine isn't just about controlling materials; it's also because they can maximize the effect of equipment, known as 'Equipment Deification'!"

"Don't look at me being only one level below Divine; in reality, I might never break through even until I die."

The blacksmith looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, sighing faintly.

"This is an insurmountable chasm..."

The atmosphere on the scene was a bit gloomy.

"Equipment Deification... a new function..."

Chen Beixuan murmured to himself, his interest piqued.

He then thanked and bid farewell to the blacksmith, taking Xiao Lu to the Imperial Palace.

But he unexpectedly met Kyle halfway.

Kyle's expression was a bit unnatural when he saw him.

The scene of being severely beaten yesterday was still vivid in his mind; it was truly embarrassing.

Although the people below him didn't dare to say much in front of him, their gazes towards him were always strange.

He was the one who proposed the sparring, so there was nothing to say about losing.

He wasn't so petty as to be a sore loser.

The two nodded in greeting, then Kyle proactively asked.

"Chen Hero, are you looking for someone?"

"Are Merlin and Megan here?" Chen Beixuan asked casually.

"What a coincidence, Merlin and Megan have been sent out by the King to provide disaster relief and eliminate dark creatures; they are not in the city."

"Oh, then where's the King?"

If the Merlin brothers weren't around, then he could only go see the King.

He wasn't particularly fond of the King's personality, but at the moment, there was no one else to ask.

He also asked Kyle about it.

Kyle stated that he had never paid attention to Divine Blacksmiths.

Just as he was about to enter the Imperial Palace, Kyle hesitated and called out to him.

......