Chapter 557: The Maze Selection and Unprecedented Awakener

Half an hour later, the selection maze began.

After carelessly killing a groaning contestant with a kick, Yenir listened in mild surprise as an abrupt artificial prompt echoed overhead.

It wasn’t a system prompt—it was an order forcefully issued by the external organizers using special means.

“Cancel the selection? Settle the rankings early? Everyone withdraw now?”

Shaking his head as he surveyed the heaps of bodies decapitated by his dagger, Yenir let out a quiet chuckle. After a brief moment of stunned confusion, he understood why this had unfolded.

It seemed he had killed so many that the organizers could no longer bear the losses, forcing them to abruptly end this round of selection.

But judging by the situation, it was probably done to secure the top spot for him, right?

With a tinge of regret, Yenir shook his head. He then removed the device affixed to one of the corpses and calmly awaited his withdrawal.

What a pity.

Even after suppressing his full power, his killing speed remained frustratingly slow.

Especially when facing teams of over ten, he even put on an act—making it seem impossible to take everyone down head-on so that he could ‘assassinate’ them one by one.

To that end, he deliberately left wounds of varying depths on himself, pretending that he too could be hurt.

Not only that, he even wielded a dagger-like weapon to appear more ordinary.

After all, if he hadn’t employed any equipment by now, it would have been absurd…

“Are the Awakeners in Nagasaki just too weak?”

“Probably… they simply couldn’t handle even these few deaths…”

With a soft chuckle, Yenir admitted he hadn’t expected that a slightly exaggerated performance on his part would cause such a stir with the organizers.

To be honest, his current display of power wasn’t exactly impressive. Most of those he slew were Third-Stage Beginners, along with roughly ten others of the same rank.

Though his record might seem a bit inflated, in the Huaxia Battle Zone it was entirely acceptable.

Among these so-called genius Awakeners, hardly anyone has truly stood out.

Their equipment and innate talents just didn’t measure up.

Even Fang Hao from back in the day, placed here, would likely have a similar impact.

Of course, he might not be as swift in his killings.

Yenir had never imagined that, after spending so long in China’s top echelons, he would subconsciously forget the gap between the two battle zones.

In the vast Huaxia Battle Zone, even the forces of any subordinate zone are on par with a nation’s might.

In his eyes, such prodigies were nothing special—but in the Japanese Battle Zone, they are rare, super-talented individuals.

Even those veteran Third-Stage warriors he effortlessly eliminated in the previous dungeon were elite forces forged by an entire nation.

Unbeknownst to Yenir himself, his appearance had sent shockwaves through the Japanese Military.

It wasn’t just the Nagasaki Battle Zone that had halted the selection.

A real shock was rippling upward, layer by layer.

…………………….

Japan New Capital House of Representatives.

“According to reports, about an hour ago urgent messages were sent from the Joint Battle Zones of Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and others, claiming that an unprecedented super Awakener has emerged in their selection contests!!”

“In the second round of selection, this Awakener—despite being a Third-Stage Beginner—singlehandedly killed nearly seventy opponents of the same rank!”

Inside the enormous meeting room, over forty summoned senators stared at the information on the screen in stunned silence.

Many couldn’t help but voice their doubts.

“One against seventy!? Even a Third-Stage Advanced would struggle with that, right!?”

“Did Nagasaki miscalculate? Based on their data, are these even human beings!?”

“Deputy Speaker! I heard you halted the Nagasaki Divine Warrior selection! With all due respect, I’d rather believe they falsified the information!”

“According to our current data, the remaining nine selection contests haven’t ended yet!”

“Now you’re telling me that in Nagasaki the contestants are almost completely wiped out!?”

Unfathomable.

Under these circumstances, even the highest-ranking members of Japan’s official House of Representatives found the situation unacceptable.

What a joke! Normally, a talented Awakener handling two opponents signifies excellence; taking on three is a true display of strength! And if one could go up against five or an entire squad alone, that’d be the epitome of elite!

Killing seventy single-handedly! Forget how he did it—doesn’t this Awakener named Ye Ze Ming, a Third-Stage Awakener, ever get tired? Is his Spirit Energy infinite? Doesn’t he get hurt!?

On the podium, the Deputy Speaker who had just updated the situation stared at the assembly in silence, as if at a loss for words to explain the matter.

Only after a long pause did he, with a complicated expression, raise his hand to quell the chaos and begin to explain:

“One versus seventy isn’t what you all think it is.”

“According to reports from the scene, this Awakener utilized the terrain to swiftly and repeatedly ambush multiple teams.”

“As for his actual combat power, it should be at the ceiling of Third-Stage Mid-level!”

“Of course, even though he achieved these kills under such circumstances, it’s still a bit hard to fathom.”

“Senior officers from the Coastal Self-Defense Forces have already been dispatched for contact. I believe we’ll soon learn exactly how he managed it!”

“But regardless…”

At that moment, the Deputy Speaker on stage suddenly lit up with excitement and fervor in his eyes:

“No matter what, if it’s confirmed that this Awakener hasn’t cheated or isn’t merely a high-level Awakener in disguise, then he is undoubtedly the super-genius we need to select!”

“Everyone, just think about it!”

“If he becomes a Divine Warrior and, with our full military support, enters the dungeon, imagine what he could do!”

“We could reclaim the dungeon we previously lost in one fell swoop!”

“I believe he will surely replace our Great Japanese Military and reclaim the dungeon from those Chinese!”

His impassioned voice reverberated throughout the vast Senate.

Listening to the scene described by the Deputy Speaker, everyone immediately recognized his value.

At the same time, a few officials from the Deputy Speaker’s faction stood up, inciting a rousing cheer:

“Exactly!”

“In this selection, there have actually been quite a few super-geniuses!”

“This Divine Warrior Project will undoubtedly inject new vitality into our Great Japanese Military!”

“Unlike past selections, which were far too perfunctory, I believe the senators are right—this minor sacrifice is nothing at all!”

“One super-genius surpasses a hundred, even a thousand ordinary mediocrities!”

Well aware that the Divine Warrior Project was championed by the Deputy Speaker, the entire Senate’s mood shifted instantly with just a few inciting words.

Any previous thoughts about excessive death tolls or accountability were immediately dismissed.