Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

After their departure, the three players privately discussed their options.

"Agree to it?"

"Definitely can't agree for now," Dai Lian shook his head.

With their current strength, trying to contact that so-called wandering orc group would only bring them trouble.

But keeping the connection for potential future cooperation wasn't out of the question; after all, relying solely on Li Ming like today...

They hadn't done any missions all day!

And since it was already getting dark, they probably wouldn't be able to do anything today either.

Two whole days! Do you know how they got through these days?

Following the superior, their power had indeed improved much faster than other players, but they were still not strong enough to tackle more difficult events.

Ultimately, everything depended on the superior!

Superior, please come back soon!

...

[Why haven't I received any feedback from the players for such a long time?]

Driving past Blood Raven Forest, Bai E saw the ground covered with birds' bones, yet his mind was preoccupied with something else entirely.

Without my supervision, have they learned to slack off?

Well... no, it seems they no longer have missions.

Having a "+1 in Management" meant he could only assign one extra day's worth of missions, and four days had passed since leaving the players, resulting in two wasted days!

Grasping this, Bai E became anxious to return.

Unlike the outbound trip, the return trip involved driving through the day and arriving near Blood Raven Forest just as evening approached.

This place wasn't too far from the Bug Race's nest, and the blood ravens could launch an attack at any moment.

As dusk fell, it was unclear how many of the blood ravens that attacked them last time had been lost, but they would certainly not lack the courage to attack again.

And the closer one was to the military camp, the safer it was, even at night.

For the last leg of the journey, it was better to hasten back to camp rather than spend the night exposed in the wild.

Bai E floored the accelerator, and nobody was getting off!

The whole journey was fortunately smooth, and they successfully reached the military camp after midnight.

"All right, everyone go and rest, we'll take tomorrow off. I will go report the mission's outcomes to the officers. Minister Likok, thank you for your effort," Gregory quickly arranged for everyone before leaving with the Spiritual Energy practitioner who still hadn't woken up.

No matter how outstanding everyone's contributions were in this battle, they were still just soldiers in the military camp, and as soldiers, they should adhere to the soldiers' regular routine.

"Yes, officer!" The returning warriors responded in unison. After being out for several days, none of them had rested well. Although ensuring combat readiness despite poor sleep was a skill every soldier needed to master, they naturally needed plenty of rest once they could relax.

Bai E slept soundly until daybreak, completely exhausted from the effort of driving in the wilderness, especially since he was leading the way and spent more energy than anyone else.

Upon opening his eyes, he found the tent empty. However, seeing the light shining through the cracks, he could tell it was no longer early.

It was time to exchange military honors for a watch; he couldn't always rely on looking at the sky... thought Bai E.

In this era, everything was a precious resource. A mechanical watch that did not need batteries and could keep precise time was handcrafted and therefore a coveted item.

Almost immediately after he woke up, a familiar voice came from outside the tent.

It was Carlos, "Bai E, you awake?"

"Present!" Bai E called out as he dashed out wearing just shorts and a tank top, "Officer?"

"You did well," Carlos said, looking at Bai E with great satisfaction.

This morning, upon his return, Gregory had reported the full details of the secret military operation to a few high-ranking officers who were in the know.

The reports on Bai E's performance, coupled with testimonials from other soldiers, were consolidated and presented in full—both the minor disobedience of orders and the impressive actions throughout the journey.

The disobedience was mitigated by consideration for the mission, Likok's orders, and the unanimous agreement of his comrades, so it was not a major issue.

With his stunning performance throughout, these small issues were hardly significant, and the Hamilton faction officers had little ground to argue about.

The military honors were more than enough.

One novice trial, one Bug Race battlefield, one covert operation.

Just three military actions, and he had amassed enough honors to exchange for a Gene Optimization Solution, which was unprecedented in the camp's history.

However, the request for the Gene Optimization Solution had to be submitted personally by the soldier. Therefore, as soon as Carlos confirmed that the military honors were sufficient, he promptly came to notify Bai E.

```

"Is that enough?"

Bai E's eyes momentarily conveyed a sense of melancholy. After braving life and death three times, he had finally accumulated enough military merit.

The idea of players creating their own Gene Optimization Solution was just a future prospect; naturally, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to obtain it right now.

"How do I apply?" Bai E asked.

"Simple, just fill out a form, and I'll take you there," Carlos said, brimming with excitement. Only those warriors who obtained the Gene Optimization Solution had the chance for further development in the future; otherwise, as artificial humans, even with far greater military exploits than natural-born humans, they still had little chance of promotion.

The Gene Optimization Solution was a precious resource that was hard to come by. The more resources an individual consumed, the harder it was to replace that individual with another cog in the machine; it meant they were less likely to be treated as a disposable part.

Being a warrior was certainly not all there was to the life of 95B27. Any artificial human warrior with strength and potential should shine on their own stage, contributing even more to humanity.

Filling out the form was straightforward, and Bai E didn't need to worry about the subsequent haggling. With his solid record of battlefield achievements, even Hamilton and his people had to shut their mouths!

Carlos was very confident about this.

"Alright, you've got a day off. Go do as you please. I'll handle this for you, but it might take a while," Carlos said.

Each issuance of the Gene Optimization Solution required the most careful procedure: a representative from the military to sign off, the Scientific Research Institute to conduct a detailed physical examination to determine the genetic inclination and the appropriate dosage. Only after everything was confirmed without issue could it be injected for use.

"Got it," Bai E nodded his understanding. He'd waited long enough; another day or two wouldn't make a difference.

Gene Optimization Solution... he really had no idea what it was like.

After leaving Carlos, Bai E quickly grabbed some food from the cafeteria and headed straight out of the camp.

Having a day off and a chance to leave the camp earlier than usual, if those players were around, it would be a good opportunity to teach them some more.

In the four days of his absence, without other tasks at hand, they should have significantly expanded the underground base, and awarding contribution points for their faction was only logical.

With his plans for the future in mind, Bai E walked briskly.

...

As Weslin held the application for Gene Optimization Solution handed in by Carlos, he scrutinized the assembled officers who had the voting rights on this matter.

Shaking the application form slightly, Weslin spoke in a subdued voice, "A warrior has just accumulated enough military merit and has submitted an application for the Gene Optimization Solution injection. This is his record of achievements and service. Take a look and then decide on your vote."

He didn't name anyone; there was no need for special treatment in the military camp—it was his personal statement of neutrality.

As for the outcome, he did not interfere.

As the highest-ranking officer in the military, Weslin didn't need to take sides. No matter which of his subordinates received the Gene Optimization Solution, they were ultimately his soldiers.

Although he didn't mention a name, everyone knew who it was. That new recruit had caught their attention with his exceptionally eye-catching performance in recent military operations. When Gregory had just successfully returned from a covert operation that morning and reported back, they knew the application would come soon.

As Weslin finished speaking, the projection screen behind him displayed the new recruit's military achievements. Each individual item received meticulous evaluations from more than one officer to ensure a fair assessment of military merit.

Also displayed were the points he had spent on exchanges.

"The military merits are sufficient, and his performance in multiple missions far exceeds that of a common soldier. If such a promising warrior cannot meet the standard to receive the Gene Optimization Solution, I don't know whether we can maintain the trust of all soldiers with the rules we have set," Carlos was the first to speak up, his stance clear.

"I agree," Hamilton followed with his vote immediately.

"???"

All officers looked at Hamilton with his smile and an expression of surprise in their eyes.

Since when did you, a steadfast antagonist, defect as well?

After the core of the faction that rejected artificial humans also cast a vote in favor, those neutral officers who might have otherwise considered relationships cast their inconsequential votes in the face of hard facts.

Everyone wanted to apply for the Gene Optimization Solution for the soldiers under their command, but only the most elite warriors could acquire such scarce resources.

Not only strength but also the willingness to give back mattered!

An able but unwilling soldier was nothing but a cancer to the army; performance... was the sole criterion for applying for the Gene Optimization Solution.

And that new recruit with the number 95B27 had undoubtedly done it to perfection.

"Unanimously passed," Weslin tapped the table lightly, readily accepting the outcome. This was the first time he had chaired such a harmonious meeting; he felt slightly unaccustomed...

"Meeting adjourned!"

As the officers dispersed, some who were walking together pulled Hamilton aside, who was at the back of the group, their tones filled with surprise, "Change of heart today?"

"Why argue with him?" Hamilton's lips curved in a light smirk, "That 95B27's record is indeed impeccable; even if we argued with him all day, we'd still have to grant his wish. I didn't feel like wasting breath on them. Better to take a step back now and just wait and see what happens..."

"What are you planning to do?"

"What to do? Nothing," Hamilton took a bold step forward. "Since he's willing to put in effort for the camp, then he might as well do a bit more. Isn't there a Refugee Slum on the northwest side? Let him take a look!"

His companion was slightly shocked, "That Refugee Slum..."

It seemed that quite a few scouts had gone missing there.

```