Chapter 137: 131, Not So Simple Second Certification (Request for Subscription Monthly Tickets)
In one night’s time, Lu Lin had increased the optimization progress of Inch Step by another 15%, bringing it close to the halfway mark.
However, Lu Lin didn’t have time to complete the optimization of Inch Step in one go.
Today, he had to participate in the Second Certification at the War God Alliance branch.
After confirming the address, Lu Lin took a taxi.
Compared to the Star Coordinator Division Branch nestled in the Hua Qing Water Yard, the War God Alliance’s presence was much grander.
The War God Alliance was located on Chongnuo City’s Central Street, right at its very heart.
It was an eight-story Russian-style building, where the War God Alliance occupied the most prime space from the first to third floors.
Just as Lu Lin stepped inside, a humanoid robot approached him.
"Hello, are you Mr. Lu Lin?"
The robot’s camera captured Lu Lin’s appearance, and by comparing it with the list of scheduled visitors for the day, it instantly confirmed his identity.
"Yes," Lu Lin nodded.
"Please follow me."
A soft, gentle voice emanated from the robot as it led Lu Lin to the second floor.
By this time, staff from the War God Alliance, having already received the news, came to greet Lu Lin as he ascended to the second floor.
"Hello, Mr. Lu Lin. There are a total of 79 people participating in the Second Certification today. You’ll need to wait for about 15 minutes."
"This is the tea room. You can find drinks, tea, coffee, and some snacks inside. Please feel free to help yourself."
"Okay, thank you," Lu Lin replied.
The staff member guided Lu Lin to the Rest Area before turning and leaving.
Lu Lin had bought a few Bao Zi from a stall in the Residential Area earlier that morning, so he wasn’t hungry. He poured himself a cup of boiled water and began to wait.
In the Rest Area, over a dozen other freshmen also participating in the Second Certification were present. When they saw Lu Lin enter, they all smiled and nodded in greeting.
Lu Lin smiled in return but didn’t feel curious enough to ask about their Talents or professions.
A simple nod of acknowledgment was sufficient for a first meeting.
"Mr. Chang Jun, please go to Room 2 for certification."
"Mr. Chang Jun, please go to Room 2 for certification."
The soft announcement echoed through the room, and a tall, thin young man in the Rest Area stood up and left.
Lu Lin observed that although the young man was generally slender, his hands were broad and strong. He wondered what kind of martial arts the young man practiced.
Using his Perceive Star Skill, Lu Lin scanned the people waiting in the Rest Area and discovered a girl whose Star Power Level had clearly reached First Level.
Everyone here should be a new university student this year, he thought. It’s surprising that someone has already surpassed Zero Level. That girl must be a talent on par with Li Yuyan from Saturn, at least. As for the others, none particularly caught his attention.
"Miss An Sinan, please go to Room 5 for certification."
As the announcement sounded, Lu Lin watched the girl who had reached First Level stand up and leave.
She wore camouflage short-sleeved trousers, her hair was neatly styled, and she walked with a distinct air of vigor.
Lu Lin guessed she might come from a military family, and her personality probably leaned more towards being boyish.
However, Lu Lin hadn’t seen her face yet, so he couldn’t really comment much.
Lu Lin was getting a bit bored while waiting, inwardly anticipating how much of his strength he would need to reveal later. He had already learned about the War God Alliance. It was a civilian organization for talented young people established by the Federal Education Department, with a development history of over five hundred years, and had always been committed to cultivating high-quality combat talents for the Federation. A hundred years ago, the War God Alliance proposed a plan to prioritize support professions, subsequently including strong practitioners from the four major professions—Star Guide, Star Array Master, Star Pharmacist, and Star Device Master—within its recruitment scope. In recent years, at least eighty to ninety percent of the outstanding support professionals emerging from the Federation were associated with the War God Alliance.
After joining the War God Alliance, the benefits extended far beyond the apparent monthly subsidy of 50 Star Coins; there were many more hidden advantages. These included networking with other geniuses, sparring and exchanging knowledge to improve alongside peers of equal caliber, encountering individuals with rare Talents to broaden one’s horizons, and participating in Alliance activities to converse with truly strong individuals and gain cultivation experience. The Alliance also regularly hosted lectures by Seventh Level or higher experts, who shared their experiences. Occasionally, if an expert was in a good mood, they would even lead Alliance members on training excursions to the Exotic Battlefield.
...
These numerous hidden benefits were far more enticing to some geniuses than the monthly 50 Star Coin stipend.
Not everyone was like Lu Lin, who had encountered so many Seventh Level or higher Star Core Warrior bosses to ask questions right after his Awakening.
Even on Alien planets, Martial Artists above Seventh Level were exceedingly rare.
Most of these individuals were either engrossed in cultivation or fighting on Exotic Battlefields.
They seldom made public appearances.
For many young people, the chance to associate and converse with such strong individuals was a rare and precious opportunity they would treasure greatly.
As he was thinking, Lu Lin saw a woman walk into the Rest Area.
Long Qianli... no, that’s Long Qiansu. Long Qianli is the Director of the Star Coordinator Division Branch; she wouldn’t be here.
After Long Qiansu entered, she scanned the Rest Area and quickly spotted Lu Lin.
She smiled and walked towards him.
"Lu Lin."
"I heard you met my sister yesterday."
"Yes."
Lu Lin nodded.
He still wasn’t quite used to interacting with the twin sisters; it always gave him a peculiar sense of temporal distortion. Even though the twin sisters were no longer young.
"Don’t worry, don’t be so nervous. My sister is just quite serious when she’s working; she’s usually very easygoing."
"She mentioned you to me last night; she couldn’t stop praising you."
"Alright, I won’t disrupt your preparations. The Second Certification later isn’t as simple as it seems, you know."
After Long Qiansu finished speaking, she walked out of the Rest Area without waiting for Lu Lin to ask for details.
It’s as if she came over just to relay that one piece of news, he mused.
Not simple? Lu Lin remained unfazed upon hearing this, even feeling a slight urge to laugh. In combat, I might not be the strongest among my peers, but as a Star Guide, I could confidently beat other Star Guides with one hand tied behind my back. After all, this ability was honed by Guiding 1,500 soldiers in their Star Skill cultivation for a full 24 hours, day and night, without rest. And now I’ve even improved my Star Power Domain. I’m 100% confident of success, no matter who I’m up against. For others, Guiding Star Skills might be like a lottery, but for me, there’s always a guaranteed payout.
"Please, Mr. Lu Lin, proceed to Room 1 for certification."
"Please, Mr. Lu Lin, proceed to Room 1 for certification."
As his name was announced over the broadcast, Lu Lin stood up, smiled confidently, and left the Rest Area.
Room 1 was about ten meters from the Rest Area. Lu Lin walked over and gently knocked on the door twice.
Someone opened the door from inside, checked Lu Lin’s basic information, and then let him in.
A screen was placed at the room entrance, obstructing Lu Lin’s view.
After walking around the screen, he saw three people sitting cross-legged on cushions in a spacious room.
One was a young child, probably only eleven or twelve years old.
Another was an old man with grey hair but a youthful face, long eyebrows and beard, and rosy skin.
And the last was a strong man with a black cloth covering his left eye; his face, mouth, neck, both arms, and muscular, dark thighs were all covered in various scars.