Chapter 694: The Awakening Prototype

“Excellent! Lin Ming!”

“Genius! Absolutely genius! I always believed that even among the most ordinary Awakeners there would be hidden geniuses!”

He spared no praise.

Hong Tiangang burst into hearty laughter, desperately trying to mask the greed in his eyes as he roughly pulled up Yenir.

A few kind words meant nothing to him. In that moment, he even wished he could devour the kid whole as the blood sacrifice for his own advancement! Of course, Yenir’s performance was nothing short of genius — possessing Second-Stage strength that could withstand Divinization was undeniable proof that their elaborate plan to lure survivors was entirely feasible! The mere thought of what the future held made him tremble with excitement!

“That’s impressive, but General Hong, we still need to see the final result.”

“His physical strength should be fine. With some training, he can probably meet the requirements. However, his mental power still needs to be tested.”

The Rebel High-Ranking Officers descended from the stage, their eyes burning with desire as they fixed on Yenir.

If Yenir were an ordinary man, facing such a crowd would make him feel truly important.

But Yenir sensed that each one of them harbored a ravenous greed—as if they were eager to feast on his flesh and drink his blood!

If not for certain restraints, he’d have been torn apart already!

(Physical standards met… training… those fallen Awakeners…?)

A chill ran through Yenir’s heart as he roughly pieced together the fate of the missing Awakeners.

Were they simply eaten? Or were the Awakeners modified before being consumed? Could this be why there were so many Third-Stages among the Rebels? Or is it that Mother wins people over through this very method?

Without time for further thought, Yenir forced himself to feign excited ignorance while his mind raced, planning how to approach Hong Tiangang.

From the scant clues the Rebel High-Ranking Officers had let slip, he noticed there was someone above them all—a name they all tacitly omitted.

In Yenir’s eyes, that unknown figure was most likely Mother, or at the very least someone directly connected to Mother!

As long as he could control Hong Tiangang and use him as a stepping stone, perhaps he could locate Mother!

Before Yenir could decide on his next move, several Third-Stage Rebels strode in carrying testing devices.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the testing equipment is ready. Shall we begin?”

There were three types of testing devices—two of which Yenir had never seen before.

One looked like a blood tester, another seemed designed to assess innate talent, and the last—a diamond-shaped crystal—Yenir recognized as the device for gauging mental power.

Sure enough, once the devices were set up, the most affable Third-Stage officer stepped forward and addressed Yenir:

“Lin Ming, come on! Channel all your power into this box!”

“This will test your affinity for the rules. If you succeed, our Military promises that you’ll at least earn a promotion to General! Even reaching Peak Third-Stage isn’t out of the question!”

Rules affinity?

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Yenir paused—suddenly realizing that the Rebels’ experimental subject clearly exceeded the bounds of an ordinary Awakener.

Full power usage? No way…

Not fully understanding what ‘rules affinity’ meant, Yenir silently resolved to channel only a fraction of his power.

The atmosphere was thick with tension and greedy stares. Taking a deep breath, Yenir deliberately placed his hand on the device, feigning nervousness.

But before he could cautiously let any power seep into the box…

The very next moment, a brilliant sword light erupted with stunning force!

“Boom!!!”

Its power exceeded even Yenir’s wildest dreams! Like a completely different force system, the dazzling sword image instantly pierced through the meeting room’s ceiling. The nearest Third-Stage soldier let out a piercing scream as his shoulder was impaled!

Stunned by the spectacle, Yenir’s heart pounded in shock!

Damn it! This testing device for rules affinity shouldn’t require any power at all! He’d been deceived!

For Yenir, it wasn’t necessary to show overwhelming strength—his worth was already apparent!

Sure enough.

As the sword light slowly faded and left behind a lingering afterimage, the nine Rebel High-Ranking Officers around him stood frozen, their expressions instantly changing!

“A tangible prototype of the rules!? You’re Second-Stage?! How can you be Second-Stage?!”

Beyond the shock, all the Rebel High-Ranking Officers sensed that something was very wrong.

In that moment, every single one of them fixed their gaze on Yenir, their eyes a mix of suspicion and fury!

Truth be told, they hadn’t even fully grasped what the rule prototype was. They only knew it was given by that supreme entity to determine which path the test subject should follow! They were merely waiting to see if the potion had awakened dual talents in Yenir—both willpower and strength!

As for actually detecting any rules?

What a joke! Even among Peak Third-Stages, hardly anyone can discern them! According to that being, the rule prototype was a prerequisite for ascending to Fourth Stage!

And this kid—merely a Second-Stage—already exhibited a sword-type rules prototype!?

Not even the Divinization Potion, no matter how special, could achieve that!

“Open your system panel!”

“Who the hell are you!? Kid, open up your system!”

The shock and anger had transformed even Hong Tiangang’s earlier excitement into absolute vigilance. If Yenir were in disguise, his strength would at least match theirs! A character of his caliber hidden among them could only mean he was a super powerhouse on par with Fang Hao!

Realizing his explosive display had raised suspicions, Yenir managed a bitter smile. This time, he was truly at a loss.

His previous unusual behavior might have been overlooked with some clever gadgets, but judging by the Rebels’ attitude, hardly any Peak Third-Stages even possessed a rule prototype.

Frankly, he was curious about what exactly ‘rules affinity’ entailed, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t even ask—instead, he had to find a way to prove himself.

(How do I explain this? Should I claim my talent is so powerful that my Second-Stage far outclasses Peak Third-Stage? Forget it—even if they believed that, they’d only conclude that I’m even more terrifying than ‘Yenir’.)

(Moreover, if I truly possessed such talent, how could I be just an ordinary Awakener?)

(What should I do now… Is it time to resort to force?)

Any attempt at disguise was now futile. No matter how shocked Yenir acted, his surprise was evident. The Rebel High-Ranking Officers continued their angry rebukes, nearly ready to strike.

Even Hong Tiangang, who had vouched for him earlier, now had a troubled look as though he’d just realized who Yenir might really be!

(If I make a move, there’s still hope… Some of these Rebel High-Ranking Officers must know something about Mother. I might as well take a gamble.)

Swords drawn, crossbows at the ready.

Just as the tension peaked and Yenir could hear the approaching clamor of encircling Rebel soldiers, an astonished voice suddenly rang out from outside.

“A prototype of the rules? No, it’s an S-level or higher skill!”

“Kid, have you ever acquired an S-level or higher skill!?”