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墨書 Inktalez
The Ding Family Lineage has maintained its dominant position for centuries, thanks to twelve blueprints and an abundance of Force Stones. Take one of the Gloves as an example; when a disciple from the Ye Family Lineage needed a suitable pair, they initiated the crafting process using this blueprint. This crafting blueprint detailed the recipes required for forging Force Ore, including the necessary additives, temperature, duration of forging, and environmental conditions.
How powerful is the Hextech Blueprint? Just look at Ding Ze. It is said that the Mysterious Amulet on his right wrist is one of the Hextech Blueprints. Ding Ze neither confirms nor denies that the Mysterious Amulet is a Hextech Blueprint, leading outsiders to believe that it is indeed one of the blueprints from Hextech. The Ding Family Lineage did not deny or confirm this in earlier years, but after Ding Ze was expelled, they denied that his Mysterious Amulet was a Hextech Blueprint, though no one believed them anymore. The Ding Family lacked skilled craftsmen, and the collateral branches believed that Ding Ze was the only person on the continent who possessed Hex Equipment. Consequently, all of Ding Ze's displayed abilities before his expulsion were attributed to the power of Hex Equipment.
Dina felt a deep sense of worry; three members from the collateral branches were clearly opposing the head of the Ye Family, which seemed to foreshadow potential trouble from them at any moment. What would happen next was uncertain, and she dared not think about it. Outsiders were unaware of the predicament facing the Ding Family and assumed they were deliberately making things difficult for Ding Ze, thus tarnishing their reputation.
...
As for the affairs of the Ding Family, they would handle it themselves. The North Moon Group learned their scores and breathed a sigh of relief. They had passed and would not need to participate in the third round of assessments; moreover, the second half would involve easier challenges. However, Li Qing began to worry about Cui Ming.
As everyone knew, Cui Ming was very intelligent; for instance, in his battle against Stone Man Mott, he understood where Mote's weaknesses lay and how to take advantage of them. However, without companions to assist him, he could not defeat Stone Man Mott alone. Having clever tactics was futile without support. The second half of the assessment would be an individual challenge; it was uncertain what kind of environment they would face—perhaps they would be separated into five groups or have to confront challenges individually.
Beiyue spoke privately with Li Qing, saying, "We should give our spot to Cui Ming."
Mi Xiaonan interjected, "Are you underestimating Cui Ming's abilities?"
The other three looked at Mi Xiaonan in unison and replied, "No."
While eating, Mi Xiaonan continued, "I'm sure you all are underestimating Cui Ming. His secondary specialization in enhancement..."
"Secondary specialization," Ding Ze interrupted.
Mi Xiaonan thought for a while but said nothing more and nodded in agreement with everyone else's opinions. Mi Xiaonan was closest to Cui Ming; both shared a humble demeanor. Mi Xiaonan often took on menial tasks since he joined last, while Cui Ming always felt inadequate and burdened others or had other reasons for taking on extra work—such as training on the island or handling basic chores.
Mi Xiaonan now understood Cui Ming better than Li Qing did. He noticed that Cui Ming trained diligently on his own and showed faster progress in his secondary specialization than in his primary one. Since Cui Ming had not participated in battles much, he never had opportunities to showcase his flying cards during assessments. To everyone else, his flying cards seemed just as ineffective as before—unnecessary and trivial. Indeed, Cui Ming's card enhancements could not compare to Ding Ze's energy lightning or Beiyue's heavy strike kill or Li Qing's muscle-breaking punch. However, Cui Ming's cards were fast and concealed tricks; he could switch between light and heavy with ease. Additionally, having played with cards since childhood and trained using Li Qing's strength techniques made Cui Ming's flying cards not only swift but also terrifyingly accurate—almost never missing their mark.
Mi Xiaonan believed that Cui Ming had not been in contact with the Force for long enough. There might be a risk of failure in this assessment. However, Cui Ming's potential was stronger than anyone else's. Perhaps in three to five years, the other four would no longer be a match for him.
Cui Ming returned after chatting idly with the Eva team. Raefus was indifferent towards him, while Eva teased him enthusiastically, and Feng was absorbed in his own thoughts. Defeated, he sat down and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Li Qing replied, "Junior Brother, are you worried about not making it through the second half?"
Cui Ming answered, "It's impossible not to worry, but I don't really care about joining the alliance. Right now, I don't see any substantial benefits to joining." Of course, there were benefits, including many privileges. For instance, Dawn City had once granted Beiyue a contract privilege that allowed them to marry three partners of any gender simultaneously without it being considered a crime; this rule applied to all member nations of the alliance as well. Although this seemed particularly enticing, it was ultimately meaningless. Nobles rarely had multiple wives in secret; they felt embarrassed to meet friends for fear of being misunderstood as incompetent. Especially for the scarce practitioners.
The privileges of the alliance included access to any member nation, which also seemed pointless since the alliance had become globally interconnected; as long as one had an ID card, they could travel freely. Criminal immunity could be beneficial, but if one committed murder or arson, the alliance would hold them accountable. If one got into a fight, the police wouldn't intervene either.
Moreover, there were additional benefits: one might catch the eye of an old monster and become their disciple; one could apply to become an Alliance Hunter; there was an obligation to protect humanity from non-human threats; a monthly living allowance of thirty thousand; eligibility to observe Assessment Matches; free access to Alliance Headquarters; voting rights and eligibility for election; and the ability to undertake commissions within the alliance.
It sounded like a lot, but it was ultimately meaningless. Ding Ze sought face for the Ding Family's sake. Li Qing aimed to become an Alliance Hunter so Beiyue could gather more resources to search for his father. Mi Xiaonan sought honor for the York Clan. But Cui Ming... why should he join the alliance?
Of course, joining wouldn’t hurt; Cui Ming didn’t feel pressured about it. If he didn’t make it through, so be it—his mindset was excellent.
The only thing that attracted Cui Ming was the upcoming reforms. Each year, the alliance would hold a Competition Match with high-value prizes ranging from Force Ore to treasures. The team that secured first place would have their photo engraved on the Hero's Monument in Hero City. This Competition Match might be conducted on a city-state basis, similar to the World Cup—not only with prizes but also a sense of recognition.
Currently, the alliance president was a renowned craftsman—the top craftsman in the entire alliance. The top two winning teams would have the freedom to choose from various collectibles of different tiers. However, specific details had yet to be released regarding what treasures or ores would be available. Besides Cui Ming—who felt no sense of belonging—others had varying degrees of desire for recognition and some aspired to become stronger through competition; many were paying attention to the reforms surrounding the Competition Match.
This not only aimed to enhance cohesion within the alliance but also invited practitioners from marginal forces like Silent City to participate in the Competition Match. As stated by the president of Dawn Empire, as long as practitioners united, there would be no possibility of war on this planet. The Force Alliance served as the cornerstone of Eternity’s alliance and could be seen as a foundation for peace in Eternal Sphere.
Li Qing listened and said, "Junior Brother, you can't be so pragmatic. Honor, strength, and recognition are also essential aspects of life."
Cui Ming replied, "I will strive for it, but please don’t worry about me." Indeed, joining the alliance represented a certain value; being able to join was certainly good news while not being able to join could be somewhat frustrating. However, everyone seemed not to think deeply—once they passed the assessment in the second half, their Five-Man Team would face disbandment.
After the meal, some chose to rest while others went to watch the B-level assessment. Cui Ming and Mi Xiaonan decided to take a break after eating, while Li Qing, who was blind, went to observe the Assessment Match, dragging the lazy Ding Ze along to provide commentary.
Mi Xiaonan knocked on the door, but instead of waiting for it to open, she transformed into a small lightning ball and darted through the window. Cui Ming had not yet rested; he sat at a table with a deck of Tarot Cards in front of him. Mi Xiaonan jumped onto the table and sat down, curiously examining the Tarot Cards. She had heard of them but had never played with them before. "Cui Ming, do you believe in this?" she asked.
Cui Ming shook his head, feeling somewhat uneasy. "I don't know. Since the Assessment Match began, I've drawn the Tarot Cards several times, and they've all shown ominous signs."
"Don't worry, Cui Ming," Mi Xiaonan comforted him. "You'll definitely pass the assessment. If you don't pass, I won't either; I'll accompany you to retake it in five years."
"Mi Xiaonan, your words bring tears to my eyes," Cui Ming said as he drew a Fate Card. "I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but lately when I draw Fate Cards, I keep getting an image of a skull. But when danger approaches, it directly shows a skull—why is it so vague? Go on and see your Mi Xiaobo; I'm going to sleep now."
Mi Xiaonan nodded. "Alright then, we need to rest well before starting the second half the day after tomorrow. I'm leaving."
Cui Ming watched Mi Xiaonan leave and flipped over a Tarot Card on the table. Each day he drew cards and found that the sense of crisis was drawing closer. Was this just coincidence? The ominous signs from the Fate Card made it hard for Cui Ming to think it was merely chance.
...
Days passed without much change. Cui Ming and his companions experienced the difficulty of B-level missions; although they were somewhat easier than A-level tasks, B-level missions still posed significant risks. The assessment for B-level tasks lasted only one day before quickly transitioning into a day-and-a-half-long third round. Eight hours after completing the third round, they would begin the second half of the assessment.
After the third round concluded, out of seventeen teams, ten advanced to the second half. Among them were two teams at the highest difficulty level and two at the lowest: Cao Liu Team and Beiyue Team. The other six teams were all of medium difficulty. Raefus, Eva, and Feng's Five-Man Team was one of those facing the highest difficulty challenge. Their prospects were not promising, and everyone felt regretful; these three were strong competitors in this assessment, but it was widely acknowledged that solo teams struggled to pass.
During the eight-hour rest period, everyone hurriedly ate and showered to help their exhausted bodies fall asleep faster. After waking up, they would eat again—trying to consume as much as possible—before preparing for the second half of the assessment. In this second half, there would be no rest breaks between tasks; once a task ended, they would immediately move on to the next unless they were eliminated or passed. This characteristic of the second half could mean that team members might not see each other until after completing their assessments. (To be continued.)
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