A few moments earlier, Hale Libra had just returned from a mission outside Blackreach City. For the past several days, he had been traveling through the wastelands, hunting A.I. Army units and disrupting their patrols wherever he found them. His reputation as a soldier was well earned. Unlike many high-level Survivors who preferred staying within the relative safety of their faction bases, Hale was constantly out in the wastelands, fighting, scouting, and protecting human settlements from the machines. After returning to the city, he learned that Max had already visited Blackreach City and even established a connection with the Aries Faction. ’That kid had grown really well…’ Hale could not help remembering Max’s situation in the past. Being a lone Level 30 Survivor living in a shelter had certainly not been easy, so seeing how much Max had accomplished since then made Hale genuinely pleased. He was especially glad that Max had allied himself with the Aries Faction, which was con

Max was satisfied with what he had learned. He made his way through Blackreach City, moving along the crowded streets until something unexpected caught his attention. A row of small stalls was selling sweets. In a world dominated by machines, constant danger, and the struggle to survive, seeing people casually selling candy felt almost surreal. Curious, Max approached one of the vendors. “How much for a pouch?” Max asked. The vendor lifted a small cloth bag. “One C-Grade Core. That’ll get you twenty sweets.” Max raised a brow. “And if I just want a few?” The vendor smirked. “Then I’ll take credits.” “Credits?” “Right… the ones used in the VR World. I can accept one hundred credits for five candies.” Credits? Max found it interesting that virtual currency had begun making its way into real-world trade. It was not exactly strange, but outside Blackreach City and other places where Perfect World was widely played, such a system probably would not be very useful. Acco

The training ground fell silent as Max’s War Lance materialized in his hands, appearing from thin air with a pulse of Spirit Energy. [War Lance] [Grade: Mid] [Type: Piercing Lance] [Effects: +30% Piercing Damage. Attacks ignore 20% of enemy defense. Effective against armored and shielded targets.] [Secondary Effect: Perfect Thrust: Repeated strikes on the same point increase penetration chance. After three consecutive hits on the same spot, the next thrust guarantees armor break. Cooldown: 1 second.] [Activation Cost: 15 Spirit Energy per activation] [Durability: 100/100] The weapon was not particularly large, but there was something dangerous about its design. Jackson’s eyes settled on the lance, yet he showed no sign of concern. “Good,” Jackson said as he rolled his shoulders. “Show me what you can do.” Max tightened his grip around the weapon, familiar with the weight of the lance in his hands. His passive Titles were already strengthening him. Strongest One im

After Jackson finally acknowledged Max’s strength, the tension in the training ground eased. “Your Gene Weapons… they must be Mid-Grade. Well done,” Jackson commented. He had realized that a Low-Grade Gene Weapon could never have caused that kind of pain at his current level. He also knew how difficult it was to obtain Gene Weapons. For Max to possess two Mid-Grade weapons meant that he was either exceptionally lucky or had enough ability to earn them himself. “You’re right, Sir Jackson,” Max replied with a respectful nod. Although he had failed to gain the upper hand during their brief exchange, he had still managed to force Jackson to use a Gene Skill. Max was certain of that because he had sensed the man’s Spirit Energy gathering before the attack. Resha then stepped forward, her calm expression unchanged. “That’s really great… You’ve passed, Mr. Max. From here, you’ll be arranged with one of our mercenary squads. They’re all Level 39, like you. You’ll march together in

Only now did Max realize that the factions within Blackreach City were far less coordinated than he had assumed. Politics, greed, and the simple desire to survive had created divisions between them. Even though this battle could have a major impact on humanity’s future, the desire for power and valuable resources could not simply be erased from the hearts of the Survivors. Still, that was not important right now. With the barrier destroyed, the entrance to the Floating Fortress was finally open. “Charge!” Hundreds of Survivors surged forward at once, rushing through the shattered barrier with their weapons ready. Those with movement-related Gene Skills quickly took the lead and disappeared into the fortress. At least a few hundred others remained outside, still engaged in battle with the Ascendant Units and enormous Artifact Creatures. Max found that strange at first. Shouldn’t they all work together and eliminate those threats before entering? His question was answered a