When Qin Lun and Little Mute finally returned to the Monitoring Room, only two screens on the surveillance projection still glowed. The others had shut down due to lack of energy.
Qin Lun pulled up the combat projections of the four other top fighters. The fight between the Assassin and the bald MT had already concluded. Though the bald MT lost the Domination War, he kept his life. His Constitution was exceptionally high after all, allowing him to revoke his Invitation Letter just in ti.
The battle between the other pair of top fighters, Long Feng and the Puppet Master, produced no ultimate victor. Just as Qin Lun predicted, after a long stalemate, they realized neither could overco the other. Unwilling to risk their lives in a desperate fight, they both eventually withdrew, breaking off combat contact.
As the final projection screen went black, the energy reserves in the Monitoring Room were fully depleted. Darkness swallowed the room.
“Hiss!” Using the small Fireball Spell from his Adis Short Staff, Qin Lun lit a bonfire. He draped his coat over the sleeping Little Mute, then leaned back against the wall. Resting his chin on his palm, he slowly closed his eyes.
…
“Apostle 70053, the participation window for the tropolis Domination War has expired. After a thirty-second countdown, the surviving Apostles from the Novice Domination War zone will be teleported into the Celestial Wheel Demiplane.”
“The Transport Star-Gate of the Celestial Wheel is locked onto all Apostle Cities. Surviving Apostles may use the gate to return to their respective Apostle City. Conflict is strictly forbidden within the Celestial Wheel. Apostles may remain there for 30 minutes. During this period, Invitation Letters obtained by Apostles will be converted into Domination War Cubes. Mortgaged Shattered Crystals, equipnt, and items may also be retrieved.”
“Apostle 70053, initiating retrospective analysis of this tropolis Domination War and assigning corresponding mission evaluation…”
“Notice: tropolis Domination War mission evaluation is subdivided into Combat Performance, Strategic Performance, and Gain Evaluation. The final mission evaluation is derived from a combination of these three.”
“Notice: Zone 7 Domination War had 213 participating Apostles. Final survivors: 47. Elimination rate exceeding three-fourths. Environntal difficulty raised by one tier. Mission evaluation will be based on the standard of a Mid-Magic World.”
“Apostle 70053’s actions during this Domination War: Personally eliminated one Apostle; Participated in two lees, one loss and one victory. Comprehensive Combat Performance evaluation: Bronze Level.”
“…Strategic planning implicated every Apostle within the Domination War zone. Based on process and outco, tactical objectives assessed as achieved. Strategic Performance evaluation: Gold Rank.”
“…Obtained ten Invitation Letters besides his own. Involved with two additional rcenary tasks; triggered and completed one of them. Overall Domination War Gain Evaluation: Silver Rank.”
“Notice: Based on Apostle 70053’s combined performance in Combat, Strategy, and Gains, mission evaluation awarded as Silver Rank.”
“Notice: Silver Rank mission evaluation rewards for the Domination War are fixed and consist of the following four items:
1. Mortgaged items contained within acquired Invitation Letters beco property of the victor;
2. 20 Contribution Points;
3. Increase Soul Life Limit by 15 points;
4. One Silver Rank card for a Mid-Magic World;”
Scanning the long list of notifications from the Death Notice, Qin Lun frowned slightly. He hadn’t anticipated the mission evaluation for the Domination War would assess so many categories, especially including Strategy evaluation!
It seed, then, that choosing the ordinary task reward with healing items from the additional rcenary task to destroy the Space-Ti Converter had been the wrong move. He had essentially missed an opportunity for a Gold Evaluation Card. Back then, he didn’t know Strategic Performance could be part of the evaluation. He thought, based purely on his combat record, achieving anything above a Bronze Level evaluation would be impossible.
Yet, there was nothing to regret. Given the circumstances at the ti and his own combat strength, he couldn’t have been confident about the final outco even if he’d known. Even if he got a do-over, he’d still choose the practical reward with restorative items over boosting his mission evaluation by one tier.
The “Celestial Wheel” demiplane ntioned in the notifications likely referred to the organization’s headquarters demiplane, not a branch demiplane in their war zone. It seed High-Rank Apostles had located their particular Domination War zone.
They could remain in the demiplane for 30 minutes. Qin Lun guessed Shattered Starry Sky was specifically giving them ti to interact with other Apostles. This window also allowed for changing Apostle Cities or engaging in trading equipnt and items.
Only 43 survivors remained from Qin Lun’s zone, aning over three-fourths had failed. Recalling that seventy or eighty Novice Apostles were still active just two days earlier, it appeared the Treasure Map Fragnts Qin Lun scattered had indeed triggered another massive lee.
While not every loser had perished, compared to other Domination War zones, this casualty ratio was extraordinarily high. No wonder Shattered Starry Sky forcibly raised the mission evaluation standard to the level of a Mid-Magic World.
In the Combat Performance evaluation, Qin Lun’s participation in two lees – the victorious one was clearly the final battle. The failure was probably the fight outside the military fortress.
Intriguingly, in the Gain Evaluation, Shattered Starry Sky noted he had been “involved” with two additional rcenary tasks, yet only “triggered and completed” one. The one he completed undoubtedly related to the Space-Ti Converter.
The other additional task, the one he hadn’t triggered, puzzled Qin Lun. He genuinely couldn’t recall brushing against another hidden mission.
After pondering for a while, Qin Lun had a tentative guess. He suspected this untriggered task was probably linked to that group of Atlantis survivors inside the fortress.
Apostle chs themselves embodied law technology on par with the Space-Ti Converter, and those survivors possessed the advanced manufacturing techniques for them. Sparing so would have held significant value for all Apostle Cities.
Thinking this, an incomprehensible feeling settled in Qin Lun. The Apostle chs, under his design, were dismantled by other Apostles. The Atlantis survivors all perished by his hand. That additional rcenary task naturally vanished.
A complex mix of emotions churned within Qin Lun. Unable to help himself, he glanced at the sofa. As a new Probationary Apostle, Little Mute had likely also received the notifications from Shattered Starry Sky and was stirring awake, rubbing his eyes.
“Grab my hand. We’re leaving,” Qin Lun said with a slight smile, holding his hand out to Little Mute.
…
Light flashed. When Qin Lun regained awareness, he and Little Mute stood in a corner of a vast square.
It was a massive square resembling an ancient Arena, surrounded by towering white jade pillars. Many pillars were broken and tumbled down. Rubble and debris littered the ground. The whole place looked worn down by the passage of ti.
They weren’t alone. Nearly four hundred other Novice Apostles, survivors from various Domination War zones, filled the square here and there. Compared to the original number who started the Domination War, the total had halved.
Not all losers had fallen in battle; so likely revoked their Invitation Letters voluntarily. In that light, this tropolis Domination War hosted by Shattered Starry Sky achieved its core purpose: providing intense combat training for these Novice Apostles at minimal cost.
Recalling nlo and Yin Shi, who both seed to have found their “Heart of the Strong” in the final battle, Qin Lun guessed many survivors achieved breakthroughs. Without a doubt, these Novice Apostles gained valuable experience from actual combat, far exceeding what a solo Quest World could offer.
“Ah! Ah!” Seeing so many people appear suddenly, Little Mute fearfully hid behind Qin Lun, tugging his clothes. Yet unable to curb his curiosity, the youngster peeked out, craning his head sideways to sneak looks at others while shuffling around behind Qin Lun.
Qin Lun scanned the crowd. An idea struck him. He imdiately checked his Storage Space and the servant repository. The seal imposed by Shattered Starry Sky had lifted. Without delay, he pulled out the Demon Clan mask and put it on his own face, then placed Frank’s spectral mask over Little Mute’s.
Simultaneously, he stored all his other equipnt in his Storage Space. Recognition was a risk – his Burial of Light and Darkness was a very distinctive weapon – especially by fellow Novice Apostles from his war zone.
“Apostle 70053, you have entered the Celestial Wheel demiplane. The 30-minute countdown starts now. Please treasure the remaining ti.”
“Notice: Besides the Apostle’s own Invitation Letter, other acquired Invitation Letters are now unlocked. Shattered Crystals have been deposited into the Apostle Soul Mark. Other mortgaged equipnt and items have been placed into the Domination War Cube, awaiting the Apostle’s extraction.”
“Notice: To facilitate Apostles Cities and the Domination War managent teams in calculating gains, a distinctive emblem representing the Apostle’s city and managent team will manifest on each Apostle’s person for the 30-minute duration. This emblem will disappear upon your return to your Apostle City.”
Reading this notice, Qin Lun raised an eyebrow. He glanced down and confird a badge-like object now adorned his chest. It was divided into three sections by a ‘Y’ shape: displaying the unique emblems of Devil’s Horn, the Chaos Alliance, and the Demon Clan.
Qin Lun laughed mirthlessly. This badge wasn’t for him. It was rely the marker Devil’s Horn, the Chaos Alliance, and the Demon Clan would use as the standard to divvy up the spoils.
“From the Chaos Alliance?” A harsh, grating voice suddenly sounded behind Qin Lun.
“You are…” Qin Lun turned around. The mont he saw the Apostle behind him, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
The Apostle wore a black veil over his face and made no effort to hide his Apostle gear. Twin daggers hung at his waist. One was a fork-like blade shimring with bloody light; the other was an unusual, serrated dagger. It was the most powerful Assassin from Qin Lun’s Domination War Zone.
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