Volume One, Chapter 16: A New Talent, Infinite Power!!! From F-Rank Overhaul to Sublime SS-Rank
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“Although we have now managed to break free from the quagmire of the enemy’s encirclement-and-relief ambushes…”
“Providing support is still going to be difficult. First, we have to break through the blockade the enemy has established around the outskirts of Bebatsha…”
As the meeting continued, Han Cheng glanced at the KDA value in his possession, which had now reached 4,485, and felt a surge of excitement.
“System, help me search for talents nearby that can be sublimated and copied. And while you’re at it, filter them for me as well. Preferably the cheaper ones.”
At Han Cheng’s command, the system immediately went to work.
“Ding! Searching for nearby talents available for sublimation and copying…”
“Ding! Filtering for the talents currently most suitable for sublimation and copying…”
“Ding! Search and filtering complete. The system recommends the following talents to the host!”
“[Expression] F-rank talent: Leo Ku! Source: Night Wolf Mercenary Corps—Jerry Miward! Sublimation and copying cost: 3,000 KDA!”
“[Expression] F-rank talent: Handsome! Source: Night Wolf Mercenary Corps—Thomas Hall! Sublimation and copying cost: 3,500 KDA!”
“[Expression] F-rank talent: Endurance! Source: Night Wolf Mercenary Corps—Cooper Jackson! Sublimation and copying cost: 4,000 KDA!”
“[Expression] F-rank talent: Hand-to-hand Combat! Source: Night Wolf Mercenary Corps—Josh Scott! Sublimation and copying cost: 4,500 KDA!”
“…”
Han Cheng stared at the talents selected by the system, his face covered in dark lines.
Why was there always something ridiculous mixed in with the serious options?
Leo Ku? Handsome? What the hell were these supposed to be?
Didn’t he already possess both of those?
Weren’t they simply part of his default configuration—innate talents he had been born with? Why would he need to sublimate and copy them?
This system really had no sense of proportion!
“Hey, System, couldn’t you give me a language-related talent? Communicating with my teammates is a serious problem right now, you know!”
Seeing that none of the talents selected by the system were what he wanted, Han Cheng immediately voiced his dissatisfaction.
The system replied, “Ding! In response to the host: language-related talents are relatively expensive. At present, the host probably cannot afford one!”
Upon hearing that, Han Cheng’s enthusiasm was immediately extinguished by more than half.
It was true that he did not have much KDA at the moment. Since that was the case, he would have to stop dreaming of luxuries.
Han Cheng took a brief look through the talents the system had selected. Some of them were indeed useful to him.
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Of these, the talents Han Cheng was most inclined toward were Endurance and Hand-to-hand Combat.
Let us start with Hand-to-hand Combat. At present, Han Cheng possessed no combat skills whatsoever.
As a result, during the battles before this, he had been heavily dependent on firearms.
Whenever he was forced into close-quarters combat with an enemy, he would even resort to the thoroughly dishonorable tactic of pulling out his pistol and shooting at the opponent’s lower body.
If he sublimated and copied a talent related to hand-to-hand combat, it would give him more options in future battles.
Next was Endurance, something Han Cheng felt he needed just as badly.
From the moment he had arrived at the “live-action battle royale arena” until now, Han Cheng had taken part in more than a dozen battles of various sizes.
Every time, he had charged forward as if his life depended on it. Although his three existing talents could protect his life to a considerable extent, and although his physical fitness and stamina were already quite good from being a starting player on Shan-Hai University’s basketball team, Han Cheng still felt that the intensity of this “live-action battle royale” was simply too high.
If he continued fighting like this, he was going to die.
Therefore, after a series of careful deliberations, Han Cheng ultimately chose to sublimate and copy the F-rank talent Endurance!
Although he needed Hand-to-hand Combat as well, it was not an immediate necessity. He could endure without it for the time being.
Moreover, when carrying out the sublimation and copying, Han Cheng did not hesitate for even a moment before choosing to use an 85-percent-off sublimation-and-copying discount card!
Thus, the original cost of 4,000 KDA was reduced to just 3,400, saving Han Cheng a substantial amount.
Soon, the system began the sublimation and copying process.
“Ding! Sublimation and copying in progress. F-rank talent—Endurance [Expression] SS-rank talent—Infinite Stamina!”
What the hell?!
The instant he saw the result, Han Cheng was stunned.
An F-rank talent from the very bottom of the hierarchy had actually become an SS-rank talent after sublimation and copying?
He remembered that the last time he had performed sublimation and copying, an F-rank talent had only been elevated to S-rank at most. This time, it had jumped straight to SS-rank.
His luck this time was simply unmatched—almost as if he had burned through years of his life to get it!
Han Cheng briefly studied the principles behind the Infinite Stamina talent.
When he finished, he could not help exclaiming in astonishment, “What the hell? With this talent, doesn’t that mean I’ve got infinite stamina now? I won’t even get tired! That’s incredible!”
“But, System, is the description of this talent really appropriate? What do you mean by ‘kicking female college students into the sky so they can’t come back down’? Explain yourself properly!”
Several minutes later, the operational meeting came to an end.
The various camps, companies, platoons, and squads of the Seventh Mercenary Corps quickly reorganized and began preparing for the battles ahead.
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Since Han Cheng had not understood a word during the meeting, even the task of relaying orders to his subordinates was handled by Sankel on his behalf.
Although Sankel knew that Han Cheng had asked him to do it because he could not understand the language, by this point, he had already developed a very poor opinion of Han Cheng.
Through the series of battles they had fought earlier, even though Regiment Commander Rodson had spoken to Sankel privately twice in an effort to change his mind, the flaws Han Cheng had exposed during combat were undeniable facts. Sankel found it extremely difficult not to resent him.
He deeply believed that, as an individual mercenary and as a soldier, Han Cheng had no problem whatsoever when it came to fighting alone.
But as a second lieutenant and platoon leader, as the commander and leader of a military unit, Han Cheng was utterly incompetent!
His method of fighting—charging ahead blindly without a thought—was one of the greatest taboos of warfare.
Sankel had seen it all: the countless times Han Cheng had led his unit along the edge of a knife, and the countless times he had placed his own soldiers in mortal danger.
Sankel felt that no one fought a war the way Han Cheng did. The man was treating a war in which people could die as though it were merely a game!
He was simply messing around!
Of course, Sankel was not the only one who had developed a grudge against Han Cheng by this point.
The fifty mercenaries in Han Cheng’s mixed platoon were also more or less dissatisfied with him.
At the beginning, they had been grateful to Han Cheng for saving them, and they had admired him.
They had also been amazed that, whenever they fought alongside Han Cheng, they became ferocious, as though their meridians had suddenly been unblocked.
But after fighting more than a dozen battles under Han Cheng’s command, his shortcomings had become glaringly obvious to the mercenaries: he knew only how to charge, understood nothing of military theory, and had no idea how to command.
The mercenaries’ opinion was almost identical to Sankel’s. When it came to individual combat, Han Cheng was unquestionably the strongest man in the entire mercenary corps.
But when it came to serving as a platoon leader, a commander, or a leader, Han Cheng was the weakest of the weak!
His lack of professionalism and his reckless behavior were utterly infuriating!
Although the battle situation was urgent and no one had time to settle the matter at present, everyone was busy preparing for war.
But once a volcano begins accumulating power, the day it erupts will come sooner or later.
When that day arrived, how would Han Cheng respond?
…
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