Chapter 105: Fractured Fates and Fading Resources

In the silence, Yenir couldn’t help but feel like cursing.

Had he really underestimated it all along?

He was speechless.

In his memory, hardly any of the geniuses awakened through the Seed Plan turned out to be useful.

In the final battle, those who fought until the bitter end were just veteran Stage Three fighters, forged in desperate life-or-death clashes. Without protection, a Stage Three fighter emerging from such resources was practically a sitting duck on the battlefield.

Come to think of it, the meager resources he had in his previous life were probably partly to blame.

The entire Huaxia side had been so disappointed with these so-called geniuses that, after dumping so many resources into them, all they got in return was a bunch of flashy but useless Stage Three fighters.

So when the world’s only SSS-level talent was detected, the Huaxia side only celebrated briefly—past failures had made them utterly unwilling to invest further.

Now, looking back, he could at least begin to understand his former superiors.

There were only so many resources available—once used, they were gone. Those precious assets could have helped the veteran Stage Three fighters advance further, but they were all wasted on these so-called geniuses.

If it were up to him, he’d never again trust in any future ‘geniuses.’

Recalling operations that casually involved dozens of people and drained supplies worth a million Credit Points, Yenir felt a subtle resentment welling up inside him.

Was this really the root of all the screw-ups he’d suffered?

He let out a long, exasperated sigh.

No, he needed to break through to Stage Three even faster.

He remembered the resources all too well—once spent, they were gone; the entire Huaxia Battle Zone had only one share! If these Seed Plan prodigies beat him to them, he’d be livid…

With that kind of resource input, Yenir seriously doubted that those Seed Plan candidates would level up any slower than he did. They might even progress faster! After all, power gains before Stage Three were slow even for ordinary awakeners.

For a major force like the Military with thousands of Stage Three fighters, pre-Stage Three gains were nothing more than a matter of throwing resources at the problem.

Facing the expectant gaze of Wang Yangping, Yenir immediately rejected his proposal.

Hell’s Gate may offer high rewards, but its dungeon mechanics imposed strict limits on multiple simultaneous entries—dwindling returns and spiking difficulty were inevitable.

Besides, all his combat prowess came solely from his SSS-level skills.

With a 48-hour cooldown and the dungeon run time, each round trip took no less than three days!

For him, the optimal strategy was to boost all his attributes to 25 the moment he got out, grab the gear awarded by the Sword God System, and then head for the next high-level dungeon.

Once his attributes hit their maximum, he’d finally be able to unlock the Stage Three Trials!

Wang Yangping’s eyes filled with regret as he watched Yenir walk away, offering a bitter smile.

What a strange Stage Three fighter…

So powerful, yet his name was unheard of—no one had ever heard of him before…

…….

Lord Ye Lin!

“Thank you…”

Seeing Yenir approach, the Middle-Aged Man nervously handed over the equipment entrusted to him along with his extra Enchantment materials as part of the deal. Li Ke, following suit, wore a look of deep gratitude.

In one run, they barely had to fight—it was as if they had been out on a leisurely shopping trip rather than completing a dungeon. Compared to other Stage Three teams, their luck was phenomenal. They even netted nearly a thousand Credit Points. How could they not be grateful to Yenir?

Perhaps in their eyes, Yenir had become synonymous with a mid-level Stage Three fighter, and even the surrounding awakeners were too nervous to speak.

To them, Stage Three was a major mission—let alone someone of Yenir’s caliber.

“No need—just keep them for yourself,” he said.

Casually dismissing the Middle-Aged Man’s offer of Enchantment materials, Yenir flatly refused. They were worth just over two hundred points—hardly worth the trouble.

For him, they offered no real benefit, though for an awakener like Li Ke, they were hard-earned.

His lips trembling, the Middle-Aged Man’s eyes welled up when Yenir declined, a tinge of sorrow darkening his gaze.

Having witnessed so many ups and downs, he’d never encountered someone with Yenir’s nonchalant demeanor before.

Really, thank you so much…

“If there’s ever anything you need, I promise I’ll do everything I can,” he added.

As he spoke, Li Ke quickly offered his own contact number.

Though his kind might never get the chance to truly team up with Yenir—and their work rarely intersected—the two groups seemed to belong to entirely different worlds.

Still, buoyed by gratitude, they earnestly hoped to repay him someday.

“It’s nothing,” he replied.

Seeing the two nervous souls, Yenir smiled lightly; for him, it was just a simple act of helping out.

As if remembering something, he paused for a moment before addressing the Middle-Aged Man:

“You know how to craft gear, right? When the opportunity arises, I’ll be in touch,” he said.

“I recall you mentioned you were based in Safe Zone 97, right?”

“If possible, try to relocate from there,” Yenir advised.

With that, Yenir nodded and exited the dungeon immediately.

Safe Zone 97 belonged to the Coastal Battle Zone. He remembered that by the end of this year, that area would likely face an attack by sea-beasts. Although nothing compared to the catastrophe three years later, it was a stark omen—the entire Safe Zone had already suffered heavy losses.

He believed that if he could lend a hand, he would. If the Middle-Aged Man trusted him, maybe there was still a chance to escape with his life.

Startled by his words, the Middle-Aged Man then stared blankly as Yenir vanished from sight.

Leaving…?

……..

“Dungeon Settlement!”

In the milky settlement chamber, Yenir began the dungeon settlement process—without expecting much.

Hell’s Gate spanned 77 floors, and he suspected his progress would be minimal this time.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

Just seven floors below lay the mid-level Stage Three mutants; every skill was a risky gamble—one wrong move, and he’d be dead in an instant.

He was simply too fragile…